Effect of storage temperature and duration on sugar content and sensory acceptability of strawberry pulp

Experiment was conducted to study the effect of different treatments on preservation of strawberry pulp at ambient and low storage temperature condition. The samples were pasteurized at 100°C for 15 minutes (T1), sodium benzoate 250 ppm (T2) and sodium benzoate 500 ppm (T3). The respective samples were stored for two months at room (25±5°C) and low (7±2°C) temperature conditions and reducing sugars; total sugar and sensory evaluation were recorded at three days of interval period. The results showed that the total sugar (%) increased in pulp sample maximum in T6 (5.9%) and minimum in T1 (4.8%), the maximum value regarding reducing sugars was recorded in T6 (4.9%) and minimum in T1 (1.4%) after 60th days of storage. However, reducing sugars and total sugar decreased in the stored pulp at room temperature and spoiled completely on 18th day of storage. The acceptability of organoleptic score decrease with the duration of storage in both ambient and low temperature. Among different treatments, sodium benzoate @ 500 ppm was found most effective and maintained the qualitative characteristics of preserved pulp at low (7±2°C) temperature condition. In future, these experimental results may prove very useful for storage of strawberry pulp for longer duration in better quality

Public goods games played on hypergraphs, by agents with bounded learning and planning

Public goods games between model agents with bounded rationality and a simple learning rule, which have been previously shown to represent experimentally observed human playing behavior, are studied by direct simulation on various lattices with different network topology. Despite strong coupling between playing groups, we find that average investments do not significantly depend upon network topology, but are determined solely by immediate local network environment. Furthermore, the dependence of investments on characteristic agent parameters factorizes into a function of individual cognitive budget, K, and a simple function 1/1+c(0)/b), where c(0) is the group centrality and b=12.5 for all networks investigated. Given the good agreement of agent behavior with available experiments, this seems to indicate that even complex societal networks of investment in public goods may be accessible to predictive simulation with limited effort

Role of ICT to improve Healthcare System in Rajasthan, India

The use of ICT/IT and its recent advances of technology could play important role in improving health systems in developing countries like India. Most of the hospitals in urban area are equipped with advanced tools using digitized analysis and embedded technology for operations but the use of ICT based administrative tools to coordinate activities and communicate knowledge in the area of health is limited. Combining a case study approach with a general discussion of the issues, this paper attempts to assess the potential benefits of a diverse range of ICT innovations and some of the constraints they will need to overcome. In this paper four broad areas are considered for the application of ICT in health system i.e. improvements in traditional health information systems, computer� aided diagnosis and treatment monitoring, a range of applications generically labeled �telemedicine� and the use of ICT to inform general population on health and healthcare. The final section speculates on the possible medium� term impacts of ICT in terms of improving the performance of existing systems, allowing scope for radical innovations or even changing basic assumptions about the service provider and patient relationship. In this paper an attempt has been made by the authors to assess the penetration of Information and Communication Technologies in present health care system in the State of Rajasthan in India. The impact of these technologies in health care system of the state has been studied in terms of various facilities existing in various hospitals established at the block, district and divisional level. The authors have tried to make an extensive study of various infrastructural facilities in these hospitals along with the use of ICT tools to make the best use of these facilities. The study of the existing healthcare system has been carried from the government. published available literature as well as by seeking public opinion through questionnaire and personal interviews. The data so obtained from the literature and through the questionnaires have been analyzed. Based on the observations made through the data analysis and by making a thorough investigations of the similar infrastructural facilities in the neighbouring states, the authors have proposed an ICT supported healthcare model for implementation in the state of Rajasthan with an objective to carry out the benefits of the facilities existing in district level hospitals and the village level hospitals as well

The Reliability of Parafoveal Cone Density Measurements

Background Adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO) enables direct visualisation of the cone mosaic, with metrics such as cone density and cell spacing used to assess the integrity or health of the mosaic. Here we examined the interobserver and inter-instrument reliability of cone density measurements. Methods For the interobserver reliability study, 30 subjects with no vision-limiting pathology were imaged. Three image sequences were acquired at a single parafoveal location and aligned to ensure that the three images were from the same retinal location. Ten observers used a semiautomated algorithm to identify the cones in each image, and this was repeated three times for each image. To assess inter-instrument reliability, 20 subjects were imaged at eight parafoveal locations on one AOSLO, followed by the same set of locations on the second AOSLO. A single observer manually aligned the pairs of images and used the semiautomated algorithm to identify the cones in each image. Results Based on a factorial study design model and a variance components model, the interobserver study\u27s largest contribution to variability was the subject (95.72%) while the observer\u27s contribution was only 1.03%. For the inter-instrument study, an average cone density intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of between 0.931 and 0.975 was calculated. Conclusions With the AOSLOs used here, reliable cone density measurements can be obtained between observers and between instruments. Additional work is needed to determine how these results vary with differences in image quality

Ocean Tourism and Poverty Alleviation in India: An Analysis

Blue tourism is important for sustainable development and become one of the largest industries to generate income and promote economic growth and development. Blue tourism is a high- income, healthy and clean industry for the country which has borders with the sea and free water. The growth of blue tourism contributes to poverty alleviation and its prosperity reflects the political, economic, social, security, cultural, and scientific stability of the countries of the world. Tourism has a profound effect on the economic situation of some developed and underdeveloped countries in recent years, making it one of the largest economic sectors in many countries today with the potential to impact poverty reduction. The study used the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS method), which attempted to share the impact of ocean tourism on poverty in India during the time series period (2001-2019. The findings prove Ocean Tourism and Poverty have a positive relationship

Pasture Establishment and Sustainability in Arid Region of Rajasthan, India: Prospects and Constraints

Rajasthan is the largest state of India and covers nearly 10.4 per cent (342.65 lakh ha) of total geographical area of the country. About 65 per cent of its population is dependent on agriculture. According to livestock census-2007, Rajasthan ranks at the third place (56.663 million) in the country for total livestock population after Uttar Pradesh (60.272 million) and Andhra Pradesh (60.175 million). The large livestock population of the state shows importance of fodder in the state. Western part of Rajasthan state covers the area of the state towards western side of Aravali range of hills, which divides the state almost in two parts viz., eastern and western. The western part of the state is important for animal husbandry and forage management point of view. The reason is that this region is characterized as arid region and at many places in this region annual rainfall is below 250 mm. Many times droughts occur in this region and crop production for grain purpose does not become successful. So, farmers remain more dependent on animals than crops. Important animals in this region are cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats and camels

Influence of organic and inorganic sources of fertilizers on growth, yield and economics of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) cultivation under semi arid conditions

The experiment was conducted with eight treatments (absolute control and varying proportions of organic and inorganic sources of nutrients viz., 100% recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) through fertilizers (90:45:0), 100% RDN through farm yard manure, 100% RDN through poultry manure, 100% RDN through vermicompost, 50% RDN through fertilizers + 50% RDN through farm yard manure, 50% RDN through fertilizers + 50% RDN through poultry manure and 50% RDN through fertilizers + 50% RDN through vermicompost). Results revealed that RDN through fertilizers and combinations of different organic and inorganic sources produced significantly higher grain yield over absolute control. RDN (100%) applied through fertilizers exhibited highest vegetative growth and yield attributes with maximum yield (2325 kg ha-1), net returns (Rs. 62,091 ha-1) and benefit cost ratio (3.01), closely followed by 50% RDN through fertilizers + 50% RDN through vermicompost. &nbsp

Study on breastfeeding practices among rural women in the field practice areas of a tertiary care teaching hospital

Background: Breastfeeding is one of the most important determinants of child survival, birth spacing, and prevention of childhood infections. The beneficial effects of breastfeeding depend on breastfeeding initiation, its duration, and the age at which the breast-fed child is weaned. Data from NFHS-4 suggest that in India, in Gujarat where only 56% of infants are exclusively breastfed and 50% of infants are initiated with breastfeeding within one hour of birth. This study was planned to identify the gaps in breastfeeding practices so that necessary interventions can be designed and thereby implemented. The objective is to study the breastfeeding practices of mothers having children below 2 years of age in the field practice areas of the medical college and to associate the findings of these practices with the socio-demographic characteristics of the population.Methods: The study conducted was a community based cross-sectional one in the six villages of RHTC of PIMSR. The study was conducted by surveying a total of 204 mothers to study their breastfeeding practices which were categorized into ‘good’ and “not so good’ practices. From this the total score was calculated and associated with socio-demographic variables.Results: Majority of the mothers were in the age group 18-22 and educated up to ‘primary’ and most of them were from social class IV and V. Only 23% of the mothers had adequate knowledge of exclusive breastfeeding. About 70% practiced both early initiation of breastfeeding and feeding colostrum whereas nearly 80% practiced exclusive breastfeeding.Conclusions: It is concluded from the study that even though the practice of breastfeeding was found quite good, the gaps in the knowledge and practice must be addressed through health education and support through peer and health groups. Documenting the success stories will go a long way for community education and behavioral change in communication at the community level for adequate breastfeeding practices

Advancements in sunflower genomics: Navigating the Biotech revolution for crop improvement

Sunflowers are a staple crop in global agriculture, with significant production in temperate and semi-arid climates. The cultivated sunflower is notable for its diverse chromosomal configurations and its historical cultivation by Native American tribes. Recent advancements in sunflower genomics have revealed a complex and extensive genome, offering insights into traits critical for breeding, such as oil content, disease resistance, and environmental resilience. Genomic studies have also illuminated the pathways governing drought tolerance and fatty acid composition, improving the breeding of sunflowers tailored to specific agronomic and nutritional needs. Identifying genes associated with disease resistance, particularly against the parasitic weed broomrape, highlights the potential of genomics in safeguarding crop productivity. Overall, the article emphasizes the importance of sunflower genomics in shaping the future of crop improvement and agriculture

Performance of improved varieties and technological interventions at farmers’ fields for cumin cultivation

Front line demonstrations on cumin consisting of two improved varieties (GC-4 and RZ-209) with scientific interventions viz., seed treatment (Bavistin @2.5 g kg-1 seed and Trichoderma viride @4 g kg-1 seed), and pre-emergence application of oxadiragil (Raft) @75 g a.i. ha-1 for effective weed management and application of recommended doses of nutrients (40:40:0 kg ha-1 NPK) for balanced nutrition and appropriate plant protection schedule [(Two sprays of malathion (0.2%), two sprays of Dithan M-45 (0.2%) and one spray of karathan (0.1%) for the control of aphids, blight and powdery mildew, respectively)] were carried out at farmers’ fields in two villages (Kajipura and Bhadal) of Jaipur and one village (Karad) of Sikar district of Rajasthan during Rabi season of 2011–12 and 2012–13. Study revealed that overall yield was increased by 21.09% over farmers’ practice due to the technological interventions with average yield of 536.50 kg ha-1. Overall extension gap of 112.50 kg ha-1 and technical gap of 463.50 kg ha-1 were recorded in the study with 46.35% technology index. Maximum additional return (Rs. 15,875 ha-1) with highest effective gain (Rs. 10,775 ha-1) and incremental B: C ratio (3.11) were obtained in the year 2011–12. However, the overall average additional return was Rs. 14601 ha-1 with effective gain of Rs. 9,401 ha-1 and incremental B: C ratio of 2.81. &nbsp