Sickle cell disease status among school adolescents and their tribal community in South Gujarat

Objectives: to create awareness, to screen samples of school adolescents and then to reach their community through them by doing surveillance for sickle cell disease. Design: Field based cross-sectional study. Settings: St Xavier`s high school and Vanraj high school of Umarpada taluka of Surat district. Subjects: School adolescents, their parents and friends. Method: After taking permission from school authority, blood samples of 948 school adolescents were taken for DTT test and then for electrophoresis. Blood samples of motivated parents and friends of those adolescents found positive for DTT was taken in subsequent visit and results were communicated to them. Results: Blood samples of 948 school adolescents, out of 1081 were tested for DTT test. It was positive in 242 samples, giving a prevalence of 25.5% for sickle cell disease. On subjecting the positive blood samples to electrophoresis, the proportion of sickle cell trait and sickle cell disease was found to be 92% and 8% respectively. Then electrophoresis was done in 64 parents and friends, 24 (37.5%) of them were found positive of which, 14 (58%) were having sickle cell trait and 10 (42%) having sickle cell disease. Conclusion: approaching community can be possible through school adolescents for conduction of surveillance of sickle cell anemi

Air-Cooling and Heating Systemfor Tiger in Zoo using Earth Tube Heat Exchanger

A specially designed air-cooling (and heating) system using Earth Tube Heat Exchanger (ETHE) was installed in the dwelling of a 15-year old white tiger (Panthera tigris) named Mahesh at Kamala Nehru Zoological Garden, Ahmedabad (India) in October 2000. This was done to alleviate the stresses experienced by Mahesh in summer, which is long and hot; and in winter nights, which can be quite cold. Summer temperatures in Ahmedabad remain around 40oC for a long time and can reach as high as 45oC. Night temperatures in winter can drop to 10oC or below. The system does both--provide cooling in summer and warming in winter. In winter the system warms up the ambient (cold) air by as much as 10oC at night. In summer the system cools the ambient (hot) air also by as much as 8 - 10oC during the day.

Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management on Yield of Maize (Zea mays L.)

The basic concept underlying the principles of integrated nutrient management (INM) is the maintenance and improvement of soil fertility for sustaining crop productivity (both quantity and quality wise). The study was carried out during Kharif season of 2013-14 and 2014-15 in two villages across two blocks (Nibaheda and Gangrar) of Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan. In all 30 integrated nutrient management front line demonstrations on maize crop were carried out in an area of 6.0 ha with the active participation of farmers with the objective to demonstrate the latest technology of maize production potential, technological and extension gap, technology index and economic benefit of improved technologies consisting suitable maize varieties Bio 9681 and Prable integrated nutrient management (90:30:30:25 NPK & ZnSO4 kg ha-1 + Azotobacter + PSB @ 20gkg-1 seed) + seed treatment with Trichoderma viride @ 5gkg-1 seed) at Nibaheda and Gangrar blocks of Chittorgarh district during 2013-14 and 2014-15. The results revealed that INM FLD recorded higher yield as compared to farmers' practices over the years of study. The improved technologies recorded average yield of 43.71 q ha-1 which was 24.20 per cent higher than that obtained with farmer's practices of 35.18 q ha-1. In spite of increase in yield of maize, technological gap, extension gap and technology index existed which was 6.29, 8.53 q ha-1 and 12.58 per cent, respectively. The extension gap can be bridged by popularizing package of practices where in stress need to be laid on improved variety, use of proper seed rate, balanced nutrient application and proper plant protection measures. Improved technologies gave higher net return of Rs. 31221 ha-1 with benefit cost ratio 2.47 as compared to local check (Rs. 22886 ha-1, benefit cost ratio 2.19)

Dense plasma heating by crossing relativistic electron beams

Here we investigate, using relativistic fluid theory and Vlasov-Maxwell simulations, the local heating of a dense plasma by two crossing electron beams. Heating occurs as an instability of the electron beams drives Langmuir waves, which couple nonlinearly into damped ion-acoustic waves. Simulations show a factor 2.8 increase in electron kinetic energy with a coupling efficiency of 18%. Our results support applications to the production of warm dense matter and as a driver for inertial fusion plasmas