A STUDY ON THE EFFICIENCY OF LOW COST VERMICOMPOSTING STRUCTURE

The present study was conducted at the Dryland Technology Park ,All India Coordinated Research Project for Dryland Agriculture, Biswanath Chariali Center, Biswanath College of Agriculture, Assam Agricultural University, Biswanath Chariali, District sonitpur Assam, India during 2012 -2013 with the objective to find out the efficiency of the low cost vermicomposting unit as compared to conventional units involving higher cost of construction. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design (RBD) with 4 treatments i.e T1: Vermicomposting with Perionyx excavates in concrete pits (Control) with dimension 2.5 m(L) X 0.91 m (B) X 0.91 m(D),T2: Vermicomposting with Perionyx excavates in low cost vermicomposting unit with dimension of 2.5 m(L) X 0.91 m (B) X 0.91 m(D),T3: Vermicomposting with Perionyx excavates in low cost vermicomposting unit with dimension of 2.5 m(L) X 1.2 m (B) X 0.76 m(D),T4: Vermicomposting with Perionyx excavates in low cost vermicomposting unit with dimension 2.5 m(L) X 1.2 m (B) X 0.46 m(D) replicated five times. Among the 4 treatments T1 ,T2 and T3 was found to be at par in terms of quantity of vermicompost harvested. Result revealed that among the different low cost vermicomposting units T2 was efficient in terms of quantity of vemicompost harvested, vermiworms and numbers of cocoons produced followed by T3. Production of vermiwash was highest in T1 (12 to 10 L per week) followed by T2(10 to 9 L per week). Daily temperature recorded in the vermi composting tanks was initially higher and gradually decreased with the decomposition process. Benefit: Cost ratio was highest in T2 ( 6.56:1)followed by T3(4.46:1)

An exploration and comparison of food and drink availability in homes in a sample of families of White and Pakistani origin within the UK.

OBJECTIVE: Knowledge of the types and quantities of foods and drinks available in family homes supports the development of targeted intervention programmes for obesity prevention or management, or for overall diet improvement. In the UK, contemporary data on foods that are available within family homes are lacking. The present study aimed to explore home food and drink availability in UK homes. DESIGN: An exploratory study using researcher-conducted home food availability inventories, measuring all foods and drinks within the categories of fruits, vegetables, snack foods and beverages. SETTING: Bradford, a town in the north of the UK. SUBJECTS: Opportunistic sample of mixed ethnicity families with infants approximately 18 months old from the Born in Bradford birth cohort. RESULTS: All homes had at least one type of fruit, vegetable and snack available. Fresh fruits commonly available were oranges, bananas, apples, satsumas and grapes. Commonly available fresh vegetables included potatoes, cucumber, tomatoes and carrots. The single greatest non-fresh fruit available in homes was raisins. Non-fresh vegetables contributing the most were frozen mixed vegetables, tinned tomatoes and tinned peas. Ethnic differences were found for the availability of fresh fruits and sugar-sweetened beverages, which were both found in higher amounts in Pakistani homes compared with White homes. CONCLUSIONS: These data contribute to international data on availability and provide an insight into food availability within family homes in the UK. They have also supported a needs assessment of the development of a culturally specific obesity prevention intervention in which fruits and vegetables and sugar-sweetened beverages are targeted

Food Choice Architecture: An Intervention in a Secondary School and its Impact on Students' Plant-based Food Choices.

With growing evidence for the positive health outcomes associated with a plant-based diet, the study’s purpose was to examine the potential of shifting adolescents’ food choices towards plant-based foods. Using a real world setting of a school canteen, a set of small changes to the choice architecture was designed and deployed in a secondary school in Yorkshire, England. Focussing on designated food items (whole fruit, fruit salad, vegetarian daily specials, and sandwiches containing salad) the changes were implemented for six weeks. Data collected on students’ food choice (218,796 transactions) enabled students’ (980 students) selections to be examined. Students’ food choice was compared for three periods: baseline (29 weeks); intervention (six weeks); and post-intervention (three weeks). Selection of designated food items significantly increased during the intervention and post-intervention periods, compared to baseline (baseline, 1.4%; intervention 3.0%; post-intervention, 2.2%) χ2(2) = 68.1, p < 0.001. Logistic regression modelling also revealed the independent effect of the intervention, with students 2.5 times as likely (p < 0.001) to select the designated food items during the intervention period, compared to baseline. The study’s results point to the influence of choice architecture within secondary school settings, and its potential role in improving adolescents’ daily food choices

MW assisted synthesis of some heterocyclic compounds and their Mannich bases under solvent free conditions and their biological assay

A highly efficient MW assisted synthesis of different nitrogen containing heterocyclic compounds under solvent free conditions was reported. Their aminomethylation was carried out on acidic alumina under microwave irradiation to give the corresponding Mannich bases. The method is clean, fast, facile, efficient, low cost and environmentally benign. The structure of synthesized compounds has been characterized on the basis of their elemental analysis and spectral data. These compounds were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi

Interventions designed to promote exclusive breastfeeding in high-income countries: a systematic review

Worldwide, women fail to reach the recommended exclusive breastfeeding target of 6 months postpartum. The objective of this study was to present a conceptual and methodological synthesis of interventions designed to promote exclusive breastfeeding to 6 months in high-income countries

Onset of stimulated Raman scattering of a laser in a plasma in the presence of hot drifting electrons

Stimulated Raman scattering of a laser in plasmas with energetic drifting electrons was investigated by analyzing the growth of interacting waves during the Raman scattering process. The Langmuir wave and scattered electromagnetic sideband wave grow initially and are dampened after attaining a maximum level that indicates a periodic exchange of energy between the pump wave and the daughter waves. The presence of energetic drifting electrons in the laser-produced plasma influences the stimulated Raman scattering process. The plasma wave generated by Raman scattering may be influenced by the energetic electrons, which enhance the growth rate of the instability. Our results show that the presence of energetic (hot) drifting electrons in a plasma has an important effect on the evolution of the interacting waves. This phenomenon is modeled via two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations of the propagation and interaction of the laser under Raman instability. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLCopen

Effect of humic acid and nutrients mixture on quality parameter of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) under polyhouse condition

An experiment was conducted on Effect of humic acid and nutrients mixture on growth and yield parameter of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) under polyhouse condition at Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Udaipur (Raj.). The data was analyzed statistically following completely randomized design. The results revealed that treatment T7 [(RDF + humic acid 10 kg/ha soil application + humic acid 0.1% foliar spray + nutrient mixture foliar spray (0.2% Ca + 0.5% Mg + 0.2% B + 0.5% Zn)] was recorded superior to enhance leaf nutrients analysis Ca (1.656%), Mg (0.763%), Zn (25.07ppm) and B (61.94ppm), fruit nutrient analysisCa (1.904%), Mg (0.877%), Zn (58.98ppm) and B (61.84ppm), total Soluble Solids (TSS) (6.020%), ascorbic acid content (39.85mg/100g), lycopene content (3.75 mg/100g) and cost benefit ratio (4.81)

Insecurities and Human Rights Issues of People Affected by Development-Induced Displacement

Development and displacement seem to be directly related to each other. As India is a densely populated country, any development project leads to the displacement of lakhs of people. Displacement is not just the physical relocation of displaced people but is also associated with social and economic consequences that disrupt the lives of people. The insecurities resulting from the same are manifold. They include human insecurity, social insecurity, economic insecurity, food insecurity, health insecurity, and gender-based insecurity. This paper briefly analyses the situation of displacement in India and reflects on the insecurities faced by the people displaced due to development projects

Ethnic differences in dietary intake at age 12 and 18 months: the Born in Bradford 1000 Study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the intake of key indicator foods at age 12 months and 18 months between infants of Pakistani and White British origin. DESIGN: Logistic regression was used to model associations between ethnicity and consumption of key indicator foods defined by high or low energy density using an FFQ at age 12 and 18 months. SETTING: Born in Bradford 1000 study, Bradford, UK. SUBJECTS: Infants (n 1259; 38 % White British, 49 % Pakistani), mean age 12·7 (sd 1·0) months and toddlers (n 1257; 37 % White British, 49 % Pakistani), mean age 18·7 (sd1·0) months. RESULTS: At 12 months, Pakistani infants consumed more commercial sweet baby meals than White British infants, with greater odds for being above average consumers (adjusted OR (AOR)=1·90; 95 % CI 1·40, 2·56), more chips/roast potatoes (AOR=2·75; 95 % CI 2·09, 3·62), less processed meat products (AOR=0·11; 95 % CI 0·08, 0·15), more fruit (AOR=2·20; 95 % CI 1·70, 2·85) and more sugar-sweetened drinks (AOR=1·68; 95 % CI 1·29, 2·18). At 18 months these differences persisted, with Pakistani infants consuming more commercial sweet baby meals (AOR=4·57; 95 % CI 2·49, 8·39), more chips/roast potato shapes (AOR=2·26; 95 % CI 1·50, 3·43), more fruit (AOR=1·40; 95 % CI 1·08, 1·81), more sugar-sweetened drinks (AOR=2·03; 95 % CI 1·53, 2·70), more pure fruit juice (AOR=1·82; 95 % CI 1·40, 2·35), more water (AOR=3·24; 95 % CI 2·46, 4·25) and less processed meat (AOR=0·10; 95 % CI 0·06, 0·15) than White British infants. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary intake during infancy and the early toddlerhood period is associated with ethnicity, suggesting the importance of early and culturally adapted interventions aimed at establishing healthy eating behaviours