Sample records for north central india

  1. Genetic population structure of the malaria vector Anopheles baimaii in north-east India using mitochondrial DNA

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Anopheles baimaii is a primary vector of human malaria in the forest settings of Southeast Asia including the north-eastern region of India. Here, the genetic population structure and the basic population genetic parameters of An. baimaii in north-east India were estimated using DNA sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase sub unit II (COII) gene. Methods Anopheles baimaii were collected from 26 geo-referenced locations across the seven north-east Indian states and the COII gene was sequenced from 176 individuals across these sites. Fifty-seven COII sequences of An. baimaii from six locations in Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand from a previous study were added to this dataset. Altogether, 233 sequences were grouped into eight population groups, to facilitate analyses of genetic diversity, population structure and population history. Results A star-shaped median joining haplotype network, unimodal mismatch distribution and significantly negative neutrality tests indicated population expansion in An. baimaii with the start of expansion estimated to be ~0.243 million years before present (MYBP) in north-east India. The populations of An. baimaii from north-east India had the highest haplotype and nucleotide diversity with all other populations having a subset of this diversity, likely as the result of range expansion from north-east India. The north-east Indian populations were genetically distinct from those in Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand, indicating that mountains, such as the Arakan mountain range between north-east India and Myanmar, are a significant barrier to gene flow. Within north-east India, there was no genetic differentiation among populations with the exception of the Central 2 population in the Barail hills area that was significantly differentiated from other populations. Conclusions The high genetic distinctiveness of the Central 2 population in the Barail hills area of the north-east India should be confirmed and its

  2. North Central IPM Center

    Science.gov Websites

    ) solutions, based in the North Central region. North Central IPM Center Invasive Plants in Trade Working webpage to learn about the North Central IPM Center's grants program and other IPM-related funding Tribal IPM Urban Ag IPM Partners In IPM Working Groups Critical Issues Projects North Central IPM

  3. Chromobacterium violaceum septicaemia from north India.

    PubMed

    Ray, Pallab; Sharma, Jyoti; Marak, Rungmei S K; Singhi, S; Taneja, Neelam; Garg, Raj Kumar; Sharma, Meera

    2004-12-01

    Though Chromobacterium violaceum is a common inhabitant of soil and water in tropical and sub-tropical regions, human infections are rare but when they do occur result in high mortality. Since the first case from Malaysia in 1927, about 150 cases have been reported in world literature. Till date 6 cases have been reported from southern and eastern parts of India. We report here a case of C. violaceum septicaemia, probably the first case from north India. The patient, a 6 and a half year old boy was admitted with high fever. The patient had anaemia, neutrophilic leucocytosis and bilateral chest infiltrates. Routine and bacteriological investigations were carried out to establish the aetiological diagnosis. C. violaceum was isolated in pure culture from blood and pus. The patient was successfully treated with ciprofloxacin and amikacin. This is probably the first documented case report of C. violaceum infection from north India and the only Indian case with septicaemia which survived.

  4. Lead distribution in coastal and estuarine sediments around India.

    PubMed

    Chakraborty, Sucharita; Chakraborty, Parthasarathi; Nath, B Nagender

    2015-08-15

    This study describes the geochemical distribution of lead (Pb) and identifies the critical factors that significantly control Pb distribution and speciation in coastal and estuarine sediments around India by using published data from the literature. Crustal sources influence the abundance of Pb in coastal sediment from the south-east and central-west coast of India. Parts of north-east, north-west, and south-west coast of India were polluted by Pb. Distribution of Pb in sediments, from the north-east and north-west coasts of India, were controlled by Fe-Mn oxyhydroxide mineral phases of the sediments. However, organic carbon (OC) seemed to be a dominant factor in controlling the distribution of Pb in sediments from the central-east and south-west coasts of India. The outcome of this study may help in decision-making to predict the levels of Pb from natural and anthropogenic sources and to control Pb pollution in coastal and estuarine sediments around India. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Soil moisture variations in remotely sensed and reanalysis datasets during weak monsoon conditions over central India and central Myanmar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shrivastava, Sourabh; Kar, Sarat C.; Sharma, Anu Rani

    2017-07-01

    Variation of soil moisture during active and weak phases of summer monsoon JJAS (June, July, August, and September) is very important for sustenance of the crop and subsequent crop yield. As in situ observations of soil moisture are few or not available, researchers use data derived from remote sensing satellites or global reanalysis. This study documents the intercomparison of soil moisture from remotely sensed and reanalyses during dry spells within monsoon seasons in central India and central Myanmar. Soil moisture data from the European Space Agency (ESA)—Climate Change Initiative (CCI) has been treated as observed data and was compared against soil moisture data from the ECMWF reanalysis-Interim (ERA-I) and the climate forecast system reanalysis (CFSR) for the period of 2002-2011. The ESA soil moisture correlates rather well with observed gridded rainfall. The ESA data indicates that soil moisture increases over India from west to east and from north to south during monsoon season. The ERA-I overestimates the soil moisture over India, while the CFSR soil moisture agrees well with the remotely sensed observation (ESA). Over Myanmar, both the reanalysis overestimate soil moisture values and the ERA-I soil moisture does not show much variability from year to year. Day-to-day variations of soil moisture in central India and central Myanmar during weak monsoon conditions indicate that, because of the rainfall deficiency, the observed (ESA) and the CFSR soil moisture values are reduced up to 0.1 m3/m3 compared to climatological values of more than 0.35 m3/m3. This reduction is not seen in the ERA-I data. Therefore, soil moisture from the CFSR is closer to the ESA observed soil moisture than that from the ERA-I during weak phases of monsoon in the study region.

  6. A tentative 2D thermal model of central India across the Narmada-Son Lineament (NSL)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rai, S. N.; Thiagarajan, S.

    2006-12-01

    This work deals with 2D thermal modeling in order to delineate the crustal thermal structure of central India along two Deep Seismic Sounding (DSS) profiles, namely Khajuriakalan-Pulgaon and Ujjan-Mahan, traversing the Narmada-Son-Lineament (NSL) in an almost north-south direction. Knowledge of the crustal structure and P-wave velocity distribution up to the Moho, obtained from DSS studies, has been used for the development of the thermal model. Numerical results reveal that the Moho temperature in this region of central India varies between 500 and 580 °C. The estimated heat flow density value is found to vary between 46 and 49 mW/m 2. The Curie depth varies between 40 and 42 km and is in close agreement with the Curie depth (40±4 km) estimated from the analysis of MAGSAT data. Based on the present work and previous work, it is suggested that the major part of peninsular India consisting of the Wardha-Pranhita Godavari graben/basin, Bastar craton and the adjoining region of the Narmada Son Lineament between profiles I and III towards the north and northwest of the Bastar craton are characterized with a similar mantle heat flow density value equal to ˜23 mW/m 2. Variation in surface heat flow density values in these regions are caused by variation in the radioactive heat production and fluid circulation in the upper crustal layer.

  7. Composition of gallbladder bile in healthy individuals and patients with gallstone disease from north and South India.

    PubMed

    Jayanthi, V; Sarika, S; Varghese, Joy; Vaithiswaran, V; Sharma, Malay; Reddy, Mettu Srinivas; Srinivasan, Vijaya; Reddy, G M M; Rela, Mohamed; Kalkura, S

    2016-09-01

    Gallstones (GS) in south India (SI) are predominantly pure pigment or mixed, while in North India (NI), these are either pure cholesterol or mixed. While cholesterol rich gallbladder (GB) bile predicts cholesterol GS, constituent of bile in primary pigment GS is not known. We compared the composition of GB bile from healthy liver donors and patients with GS from north and south India. Gallbladder bile from healthy liver donors from north (10) and south India (8) served as controls. Cases were patients from north (21) and south India (17) who underwent cholecystectomy for GS disease. Gallbladder bile from both cases and controls was analyzed for cholesterol, lecithin (phospholipid), and bile salts. Gallstones were classified as cholesterol, mixed, and pigment based on morphology and biochemical analysis. The median cholesterol concentration in control bile from north was significantly high compared to south (p<0.001) with no difference in lecithin and bile salts (p NS). Except for one sample each from north and south, the cholesterol solubility of controls was within the critical micellar zone. Mixed GS were most frequent in north India (61.9 %) while pigment GS dominated in south (61.9 %). The median cholesterol concentration in bile samples of cholecystectomy patients from north India was significantly high GS (p < 0.00001) with significant lowering of bile salts and lecithin (p < 0.00001). In south India, patients with mixed GS had high cholesterol content in bile compared to controls and patients with pigment GS; bile in latter had significantly higher concentration of bile salt compared to controls and mixed GS. The ternary plot confirmed the composition of GB bile from north and south India. Gallbladder bile in controls and patients with GS from north India had significantly high cholesterol concentration. In south India, patients with mixed GS had cholesterol rich bile while pigment GS had higher concentrations of bile salts.

  8. Contrasting pattern of hydrological changes during the past two millennia from central and northern India: Regional climate difference or anthropogenic impact?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mishra, Praveen K.; Prasad, Sushma; Marwan, Norbert; Anoop, A.; Krishnan, R.; Gaye, Birgit; Basavaiah, N.; Stebich, Martina; Menzel, Philip; Riedel, Nils

    2018-02-01

    High resolution reconstructions of the India Summer Monsoon (ISM) are essential to identify regionally different patterns of climate change and refine predictive models. We find opposing trends of hydrological proxies between northern (Sahiya cave stalagmite) and central India (Lonar Lake) between 100 and 1300 CE with the strongest anti-correlation between 810 and 1300 CE. The apparently contradictory data raise the question if these are related to widely different regional precipitation patterns or reflect human influence in/around the Lonar Lake. By comparing multiproxy data with historical records, we demonstrate that only the organic proxies in the Lonar Lake show evidence of anthropogenic impact. However, evaporite data (mineralogy and δ18O) are indicative of precipitation/evaporation (P/E) into the Lonar Lake. Back-trajectories of air-mass circulation over northern and central India show that the relative contribution of the Bay of Bengal (BoB) branch of the ISM is crucial for determining the δ18O of carbonate proxies only in north India, whereas central India is affected significantly by the Arabian Sea (AS) branch of the ISM. We conclude that the δ18O of evaporative carbonates in the Lonar Lake reflects P/E and, in the interval under consideration, is not influenced by source water changes. The opposing trend between central and northern India can be explained by (i) persistent multidecadal droughts over central India between 810 and 1300 CE that provided an effective mechanism for strengthening sub-tropical westerly winds resulting in enhancement of wintertime (non-monsoonal) rainfall over northern parts of the Indian subcontinent, and/or (ii) increased moisture influx to northern India from the depleted BoB source waters.

  9. STS-56 Earth observation of Karakorum Range of north India

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1993-04-17

    STS-56 Earth observation shows of some of the highest mountain peaks in the world taken from Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103, as it passed over India and China. The top of the view shows one of the snow and ice-covered massifs in the great Karakorum Range of north India. A star-shaped peak at top left reaches 23,850 feet. Glaciers can be seen in valleys at these high elevations. The international border between India to the south (top) and China (bottom) snakes left to right along a river near the top of the scene, then veers into the muntains at top left. Larger valleys, despite their elevation (all in excess of 14,000 feet), are occupied by transport routes joining points in India, China and the southern republics of the CIS. The ancient Silk Route between China and the Middle East lies not far to the north (outside the bottom of the frame).

  10. Genomic diversity and affinities in population groups of North West India: an analysis of Alu insertion and a single nucleotide polymorphism.

    PubMed

    Saini, J S; Kumar, A; Matharoo, K; Sokhi, J; Badaruddoza; Bhanwer, A J S

    2012-12-15

    The North West region of India is extremely important to understand the peopling of India, as it acted as a corridor to the foreign invaders from Eurasia and Central Asia. A series of these invasions along with multiple migrations led to intermixture of variable populations, strongly contributing to genetic variations. The present investigation was designed to explore the genetic diversities and affinities among the five major ethnic groups from North West India; Brahmin, Jat Sikh, Bania, Rajput and Gujjar. A total of 327 individuals of the abovementioned ethnic groups were analyzed for 4 Alu insertion marker loci (ACE, PV92, APO and D1) and a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) rs2234693 in the intronic region of the ESR1 gene. Statistical analysis was performed to interpret the genetic structure and diversity of the population groups. Genotypes for ACE, APO, ESR1 and PV92 loci were found to be in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in all the ethnic groups, while significant departures were observed at the D1 locus in every investigated population after Bonferroni's correction. The average heterozygosity for all the loci in these ethnic groups was fairly substantial ranging from 0.3927 ± 0.1877 to 0.4333 ± 0.1416. Inbreeding coefficient indicated an overall 10% decrease in heterozygosity in these North West Indian populations. The gene differentiation among the populations was observed to be of the order of 0.013. Genetic distance estimates revealed that Gujjars were close to Banias and Jat Sikhs were close to Rajputs. Overall the study favored the recent division of the populations of North West India into largely endogamous groups. It was observed that the populations of North West India represent a more or less homogenous genetic entity, owing to their common ancestral history as well as geographical proximity. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Inca - interparietal bones in neurocranium of human skulls in central India

    PubMed Central

    Marathe, RR; Yogesh, AS; Pandit, SV; Joshi, M; Trivedi, GN

    2010-01-01

    Inca bones are accessory bones found in neurocranium of human skulls. Occurrence of Inca bones is rare as compared to other inter sutural bones such as wormian bones. These Inca ossicles are regarded as variants of the normal. The reporting of such occurrences is inadequate from Central India. Objectives: To find the incidence of Inca variants in Central India. Materials and Methods: In the present study, 380 dried adult human skulls were examined. All specimen samples were procured from various Medical colleges of Central India. They were analyzed for gross incidence, sexual dimorphism and number of fragments of Inca bones. Results: Gross incidence of Inca bones was found to be 1.315 %. Incidence rate was higher in male skulls than female skulls (male: 1.428%; female: 1.176%). The Inca bones frequently occurred signally. Out of the five observed Inca ossicles, two were fragmented. Conclusions: This data gives idea regarding gross incidence, sexual dimorphism and number of fragments of Inca bones in neurocranium of human skulls from Central India. The knowledge of this variable is useful for neurosurgeons, anthropologists and radiologists. PMID:21799611

  12. Inca - interparietal bones in neurocranium of human skulls in central India.

    PubMed

    Marathe, Rr; Yogesh, As; Pandit, Sv; Joshi, M; Trivedi, Gn

    2010-01-01

    Inca bones are accessory bones found in neurocranium of human skulls. Occurrence of Inca bones is rare as compared to other inter sutural bones such as wormian bones. These Inca ossicles are regarded as variants of the normal. The reporting of such occurrences is inadequate from Central India. To find the incidence of Inca variants in Central India. In the present study, 380 dried adult human skulls were examined. All specimen samples were procured from various Medical colleges of Central India. They were analyzed for gross incidence, sexual dimorphism and number of fragments of Inca bones. Gross incidence of Inca bones was found to be 1.315 %. Incidence rate was higher in male skulls than female skulls (male: 1.428%; female: 1.176%). The Inca bones frequently occurred signally. Out of the five observed Inca ossicles, two were fragmented. This data gives idea regarding gross incidence, sexual dimorphism and number of fragments of Inca bones in neurocranium of human skulls from Central India. The knowledge of this variable is useful for neurosurgeons, anthropologists and radiologists.

  13. Tree biomass in the North Central Region.

    Treesearch

    Gerhard K. Raile; Pamela J. Jakes

    1982-01-01

    Methods for calculating tree biomass are outlined, and the biomass on commercial forest land is estimated for 11 north-central states. Tree biomass in the North Central Region totals 3.6 billion tons, or 50 tons per commercial forest acre. For all species, total tree biomass is concentrated in growing-stock boles.

  14. LA-SF-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb geochronology of granitic rocks from the central Bundelkhand greenstone complex, Bundelkhand craton, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Verma, Sanjeet K.; Verma, Surendra P.; Oliveira, Elson P.; Singh, Vinod K.; Moreno, Juan A.

    2016-03-01

    The central Bundelkhand greenstone complex in Bundelkhand craton, northern India is one of the well exposed Archaean supracrustal amphibolite, banded iron formation (BIF) and felsic volcanic rocks (FV) and associated with grey and pink porphyritic granite, tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite (TTG). Here we present high precision zircon U-Pb geochronological data for the pinkish porphyritic granites and TTG. The zircons from the grey-pinkish porphyritic granite show three different concordia ages of 2531 ± 21 Ma, 2516 ± 38 Ma, and 2514 ± 13 Ma, which are interpreted as the best estimate of the magmatic crystallization age for the studied granites. We also report the concordia age of 2669 ± 7.4 Ma for a trondhjemite gneiss sample, which is so far the youngest U-Pb geochronological data for a TTG rock suite in the Bundelkhand craton. This TTG formation at 2669 Ma is also more similar to Precambrian basement TTG gneisses of the Aravalli Craton of north western India and suggests that crust formation in the Bundelkhand Craton occurred in a similar time-frame to that recorded from the Aravalli craton of the North-western India.

  15. Climatology and trends of summer high temperature days in India during 1969-2013

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jaswal, A. K.; Rao, P. C. S.; Singh, Virendra

    2015-02-01

    Based on the daily maximum air temperature data from 176 stations in India from 1969 to 2013, the climatological distribution of the number of days with high temperature (HT) defined as days with maximum temperature higher than 37°C during summer season (March-June) are studied. With a focus on the regional variability and long-term trends, the impacts of HT days are examined by dividing the country into six geographical regions (North, West, North-central, East, South-central and South). Although the long-term (1969-2013) climatological numbers of HT days display well-defined spatial patterns, there is clear change in climatological mean and coefficient of variation of HT days in a recent period (1991-2013). The long period trends indicate increase in summer HT days by 3%, 5%, and 18% in north, west, and south regions, respectively and decrease by 4% and 9% in north-central and east regions respectively. However, spatial variations in HT days exist across different regions in the country. The data analysis shows that 2010 was the warmest summer year and 2013 was the coolest summer year in India. Comparison of spatial distributions of trends in HT days for 1969-1990 and 1991-2013 periods reveal that there is an abrupt increase in the number of HT days over north, west and north-central regions of India probably from mid 1990s. A steep increase in summer HT days in highly populated cities of Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Jaipur, and Visakhapatnam is noticed during the recent period of 1991-2013. The summer HT days over southern India indicate significant positive correlation with Nino 3.4 index for three months' running mean (December-January-February, January-March, February-April, March-May and April-June).

  16. Influence of sudden stratospheric warming and quasi biennial oscillation on western disturbance over north India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Remya, R.; Kottayil, Ajil; Mohanakumar, K.

    2017-07-01

    This study demonstrates the variability in Western Disturbance during the sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) period and its eventual influence on the north Indian weather pattern. The modulations in the north Indian winter under the two phases of the Quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) during SSW periods are also examined. The analysis has been carried out by using the ERA interim reanalysis dataset for different pressure levels in the stratosphere and upper troposphere during the time period of 1980-2010. The daily minimum surface temperature data published by India Meteorological Department from 1969 to 2013 has been used for the analysis of temperature anomaly over north India during SSW. The period of intense stratospheric warming witnesses a downward propagation and intensification of kinetic energy from stratosphere to upper troposphere over the Mediterranean and Caspian Sea. When QBO is in easterly phase, the cooling over north India is much larger when compared to the westerly phase during instances of SSW. SSW coincident with the easterly phase of QBO causes an intensified subtropical jet over the mid-latitude regions. The modulation in circulation pattern in stratosphere and upper troposphere when ENSO occurs during SSW period is also analysed separately. This study provides the link among SSW, Western Disturbances and the north Indian cooling during winter season.

  17. Politics, Society and Cosmology in India's North East

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brara, Vijalakshmi N.

    Perched on the north eastern border of India, Manipur has evolved from a collection of heterogeneous principalities into a homogeneous society with a well-developed state structure. The author uses Clifford Geertz's concept of the theatre state to help analyse contemporary politics and ethnic relations in this region. The Meiteis, who are mainly Hindus, inhabit the Manipur Valley, whilst various Naga and Kuki tribes, who are predominantly Christians, live in the surrounding hills.

  18. Genetic affinities of north and northeastern populations of India: inference from HLA-based study.

    PubMed

    Agrawal, S; Srivastava, S K; Borkar, M; Chaudhuri, T K

    2008-08-01

    India is like a microcosm of the world in terms of its diversity; religion, climate and ethnicity which leads to genetic variations in the populations. As a highly polymorphic marker, the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system plays an important role in the genetic differentiation studies. To assess the genetic diversity of HLA class II loci, we studied a total of 1336 individuals from north India using DNA-based techniques. The study included four endogamous castes (Kayastha, Mathurs, Rastogies and Vaishyas), two inbreeding Muslim populations (Shias and Sunnis) from north India and three northeast Indian populations (Lachung, Mech and Rajbanshi). A total of 36 alleles were observed at DRB1 locus in both Hindu castes and Muslims from north, while 21 alleles were seen in northeast Indians. At the DQA1 locus, the number of alleles ranged from 11 to 17 in the studied populations. The total number of alleles at DQB1 was 19, 12 and 20 in the studied castes, Muslims and northeastern populations, respectively. The most frequent haplotypes observed in all the studied populations were DRB1*0701-DQA1*0201-DQB1*0201 and DRB1*1501-DQA1*0103-DQB1*0601. Upon comparing our results with other world populations, we observed the presence of Caucasoid element in north Indian population. However, differential admixturing among Sunnis and Shias with the other north Indians was evident. Northeastern populations showed genetic affinity with Mongoloids from southeast Asia. When genetic distances were calculated, we found the north Indians and northeastern populations to be markedly unrelated.

  19. 78 FR 23741 - North Central Idaho Resource Advisory Committee

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-22

    ... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service North Central Idaho Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The North Central Idaho Resource Advisorsy Committee (RAC) will be meet in Grangeville, Idaho. The RAC is authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and...

  20. 77 FR 51967 - North Central Idaho Resource Advisory Committee

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-28

    ... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service North Central Idaho Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The North Central Idaho RAC will be meeting via... held at the Nez Perce National Forest Supervisors Office, 104 Airport Road, Grangeville, Idaho. Written...

  1. 75 FR 4523 - North Central Idaho Resource Advisory Committee

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-28

    ... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service North Central Idaho Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The North Central Idaho RAC will meet in Grangeville, Idaho. The committee is meeting as authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self...

  2. 77 FR 43236 - North Central Idaho Resource Advisory Committee

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-07-24

    ... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service North Central Idaho Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The North Central Idaho RAC will meet in Grangeville, Idaho. The committee is meeting as authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self...

  3. 75 FR 64691 - North Central Idaho Resource Advisory Committee

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-10-20

    ... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service North Central Idaho Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The North Central Idaho RAC will meet in Potlatch, Idaho. The committee is meeting as authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self...

  4. 76 FR 1594 - North Central Idaho Resource Advisory Committee

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-11

    ... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service North Central Idaho Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meetings. SUMMARY: The North Central Idaho RAC will meet in Grangeville, Idaho. The committee is meeting as authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self...

  5. 76 FR 12933 - North Central Idaho Resource Advisory Committee

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-09

    ... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service North Central Idaho Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meetings. SUMMARY: The North Central Idaho RAC will meet in Grangeville, Idaho. The committee is meeting as authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self...

  6. 40 CFR 81.157 - North Central Wisconsin Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 18 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false North Central Wisconsin Intrastate Air... Air Quality Control Regions § 81.157 North Central Wisconsin Intrastate Air Quality Control Region. The North Central Wisconsin Intrastate Air Quality Control Region consists of the territorial area...

  7. 40 CFR 81.157 - North Central Wisconsin Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 18 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false North Central Wisconsin Intrastate Air... Air Quality Control Regions § 81.157 North Central Wisconsin Intrastate Air Quality Control Region. The North Central Wisconsin Intrastate Air Quality Control Region consists of the territorial area...

  8. 40 CFR 81.157 - North Central Wisconsin Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 17 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false North Central Wisconsin Intrastate Air... Air Quality Control Regions § 81.157 North Central Wisconsin Intrastate Air Quality Control Region. The North Central Wisconsin Intrastate Air Quality Control Region consists of the territorial area...

  9. 40 CFR 81.157 - North Central Wisconsin Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 18 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false North Central Wisconsin Intrastate Air... Air Quality Control Regions § 81.157 North Central Wisconsin Intrastate Air Quality Control Region. The North Central Wisconsin Intrastate Air Quality Control Region consists of the territorial area...

  10. 40 CFR 81.157 - North Central Wisconsin Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 17 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false North Central Wisconsin Intrastate Air... Air Quality Control Regions § 81.157 North Central Wisconsin Intrastate Air Quality Control Region. The North Central Wisconsin Intrastate Air Quality Control Region consists of the territorial area...

  11. Migratory ducks and protected wetlands in India

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Namgail, Tsewang; Takekawa, John Y.; Balachandran, Sivananinthaperumal; Mundkur, Taej; Sathiyaselvam, Ponnusamy; Prosser, Diann J.; McCracken, Tracy; Newman, Scott H.

    2017-01-01

    India is the most important wintering ground for migratory ducks in the Central Asian Flyway. Because of its latitudinal and climatic extent, the country provides a diversity of wetland habitats for migratory ducks (Ali & Ripley 1978). India is the seventh largest country in the world with an area of about 3.3 million km2 or 2.4% of the world’s land-area. Mainland India stretches nearly 3200 km from north to south (6° to 36° N), and 3000 km from west to east (68° to 98° E). Given this huge geographical extent, migratory ducks wintering in the southern part of the country need to refuel at several wetlands before they cross the Himalayas on their way to the breeding areas in Central Asia and Siberia.

  12. Canadian forest products shipped into the north-central region.

    Treesearch

    Eugene M. Carpenter

    1972-01-01

    Documents the imports of Canadian forest products into the north central region and relates import trends to the potential for expanding markets for the region's surplus volume of hardwood growing stock. More than 42% of the $2.1 billion of forest products imported from Canada in 1969 came into the north central region. The value of forest imports has increased...

  13. Scrub Typhus in a Tertiary Care Hospital in North India.

    PubMed

    Sharma, Navneet; Biswal, Manisha; Kumar, Abhay; Zaman, Kamran; Jain, Sanjay; Bhalla, Ashish

    2016-08-03

    Scrub typhus, a zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi, has become endemic in many parts of India. We studied the clinical profile of this infection in 228 patients that reported to this tertiary care center from July 2013 to December 2014. The median age of patients was 35 years (interquartile range = 24.5-48.5 years), and 111 were males and 117 females. A high-grade fever occurred in 85%, breathlessness in 42%, jaundice in 32%, abdominal pain in 28%, renal failure in 11%, diarrhea in 10%, rashes in 9%, and seizures in 7%. Common laboratory abnormalities at presentation were a deranged hepatic function in 61%, anemia in 54%, leukopenia in 15%, and thrombocytopenia in 90% of our patients. Acute kidney injury (32%), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (25%), and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) (16%) were the commonest complications. A hepatorenal syndrome was seen in 38% and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) in 20% patients. The overall case fatality rate was 13.6%. In univariate analysis, ARDS requiring mechanical ventilation, acute kidney injury requiring hemodialysis, hypotension requiring inotropic support, central nervous system dysfunction at presentation, and MODS were inversely associated with survival. Survival was significantly higher in patients that presented with a duration of fever < 10 days compared with those that presented ≥ 12 days (P < 0.05) after onset. In conclusion, scrub typhus has become a leading infectious disease in north India and an important cause of infectious fever. An increasing awareness of this disease coupled with prompt management will go a long way in reducing both morbidity and mortality from this disease. © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

  14. Children's Moral Reasoning about Illness in Chhattisgarh, Central India

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Froerer, Peggy

    2011-01-01

    This article is about children's moral reasoning about illness and supernatural retribution in a rural tribal community in Chhattisgarh, central India. Detailed ethnographic analysis is devoted to the norms and experiences within which conceptions about illness causality and morality are formed. The author is principally interested in the…

  15. Sociodemographic profile of children with Kawasaki disease in North India.

    PubMed

    Prakash, Jeya; Singh, Surjit; Gupta, Anju; Bharti, Bhavneet; Bhalla, A K

    2016-03-01

    Kawasaki disease (KD) is now the commonest cause of acquired heart disease in children in developed countries. KD occurs all over the world, including developing countries. The present study steps out to explore our hypothesis, driven by clinical observation over the last 18 years, whether children with KD in North India are of a higher socioeconomic status than children with other rheumatologic diseases. One hundred consecutive children with KD, registered in Pediatric Rheumatology Clinic before January 2011, were enrolled as cases. Children with other rheumatologic diseases were taken as controls. Assessment of socioeconomic status was done by administering the Aggarwal scale. Data were collected through interview. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS package version 16. On univariate analysis, male sex, higher educational status of parents, urban residence, immunization status being complete, and higher scores on Aggarwal scale were found to be significantly associated with KD. On multivariate analysis, only male sex and urban residence were found to be significantly associated with KD (p < 0.001). Families of children with KD tend to have a better sociodemographic profile when compared with other pediatric rheumatologic disorders in North India. These results, however, need to be replicated in a multicentric study for any firm conclusions to be drawn.

  16. Identification of species and genetic variation in Taenia isolates from human and swine of North India.

    PubMed

    Singh, Satyendra K; Prasad, Kashi N; Singh, Aloukick K; Gupta, Kamlesh K; Chauhan, Ranjeet S; Singh, Amrita; Singh, Avinash; Rai, Ravi P; Pati, Binod K

    2016-10-01

    Taenia solium is the major cause of taeniasis and cysticercosis/neurocysticercosis (NCC) in the developing countries including India, but the existence of other Taenia species and genetic variation have not been studied in India. So, we studied the existence of different Taenia species, and sequence variation in Taenia isolates from human (proglottids and cysticerci) and swine (cysticerci) in North India. Amplification of cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (cox1) was done by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. We identified two species of Taenia i.e. T. solium and Taenia asiatica in our isolates. T. solium isolates showed similarity with Asian genotype and nucleotide variations from 0.25 to 1.01 %, whereas T. asiatica displayed nucleotide variations ranged from 0.25 to 0.5 %. These findings displayed the minimal genetic variations in North Indian isolates of T. solium and T. asiatica.

  17. Body height and ocular dimensions in the adult population in rural Central India. The Central India Eye and Medical Study.

    PubMed

    Nangia, Vinay; Jonas, Jost B; Matin, Arshia; Kulkarni, Maithili; Sinha, Ajit; Gupta, Rajesh

    2010-11-01

    To investigate associations between anthropomorphic parameters and ocular dimensions in a typical rural society untouched by the effects of urbanization. The Central India Eye and Medical Study performed in rural Central India included 4,711 participants aged 30 or more years. The participants underwent a detailed ophthalmic and medical examination. After controlling for age, gender, level of education, and body mass index (BMI), taller subjects were more likely to have larger eyes with a longer axial length (+0.23 mm for each 10 cm increase in height), lower corneal refractive power (-0.50 diopters for each 10 cm increase in height), deeper anterior chambers (+0.03 mm for each 10 cm increase in height), and longer vitreous cavity (+0.20 mm for each 10 cm increase in height). Central corneal thickness (P = 0.97) and lens thickness (P = 0.08) were not significantly associated with body height. After controlling for age, gender, level of education and height, subjects with a higher BMI had shorter globes (-0.02 mm for each unit increase in BMI), flatter corneas (-0.03 diopters for each unit increase in BMI) and thicker corneas (+0.49 μm for each unit increase in BMI), thicker lenses and longer vitreous cavities. Body height as compared with the BMI had a stronger influence on the ocular biometric data. After correcting for age, gender, level of education and axial length, for each increase in body height by 10 cm or for each increase in BMI by one unit, the refractive error significantly increased by 0.23 diopters (P < 0.001) and by 0.40 diopters (P < 0.001) respectively. In the rural population of Central India without urbanization-associated myopization, body height and size of the eye were associated with each other: taller subjects had larger eyes with a flatter cornea. An increase in body height per 10 cm was associated with an increase in anterior chamber depth by 1% and an increase in vitreous cavity length by 1%. Subjects with a higher body

  18. Rapid spread of HIV among injecting drug users in north-eastern states of India.

    PubMed

    Sarkar, S; Das, N; Panda, S; Naik, T N; Sarkar, K; Singh, B C; Ralte, J M; Aier, S M; Tripathy, S P

    1993-01-01

    Manipur, a north-eastern state of India bordering Myanmar, has experienced very rapid transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among its vast drug-injecting population. Seroprevalence among intravenous drug users increased from 0 per cent in September 1989 to 50 per cent within six months. With a minimum injecting population of 15,000 and seropositivity of over 50 per cent, the infection quickly spread to the population at large. One per cent of antenatal mothers tested seropositive by 1991. Forming part of the area of South-East Asia known as the Golden Triangle, and producing opium and its derivatives, Myanmar shares a long international border with four States of the region, and populations with a common language and culture move freely across borders. Two other north-eastern states of India bordering Myanmar have faced a similar epidemic within a short period of time. As a result of serosurveillance for HIV since 1986, the epidemic could be detected at an early stage. The present paper provides an account of the results of ongoing comprehensive studies conducted in the north-eastern states of India on drug-related HIV infection, already a serious problem, but possibly still restricted to that region of the country. The prevalence of intravenous drug users, their HIV serological status, the demographic profile, risk behaviour, the spread of the infection to other groups and the problems of harm minimization are also covered.

  19. Recent trends in rainfall and temperature over North West India during 1871-2016

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saxena, Rani; Mathur, Prasoon

    2018-03-01

    Rainfall and temperature are the most important environmental factors influencing crop growth, development, and yield. The northwestern (NW) part of India is one of the main regions of food grain production of the country. It comprises of six meteorological subdivisions (Haryana, Punjab, West Rajasthan, East Rajasthan, Gujarat and Saurashtra, Kutch and Diu). In this study, attempts were made to study variability and trends in rainfall and temperature during 30-year climate normal periods (CN) and 10-year decadal excess or deficit rainfall frequency during the historical period from 1871 to 2016. The Mann-Kendall and Spearman's rank correlation (Spearman's rho) tests were used to determine significance of trends. Least square linear fitting method was adopted to find out the slopes of the trend lines. The long-term mean annual rainfall over North West India is 587.7 mm (standard deviation of 153.0 mm and coefficient of variation 26.0). There was increasing trend in minimum and maximum temperatures during post monsoon season in entire study period and current climate normal period (1991-2016) due to which the sowing of rabi season crops may be delayed and there may be germination problem too. There was a non-significant decreasing trend in rainfall during monsoon season and an increasing trend in rainfall during post monsoon over North West India during entire study period. During current CN5 (1991-2016), all the subdivision (except the Saurashtra region) showed a decreasing trend in rainfall during monsoon season which is a matter of concern for kharif crops and those rabi crops which are grown as rainfed on conserved soil moisture. The decadal annual and seasonal frequencies of excess and deficit years results revealed that the annual total deficit rainfall years (24) exceeded total excess rainfall years (22) in North West India during the entire study period. While during the current decadal period (2011 to 2016), single year was the excess year and 2 years were

  20. Prevalence survey of dermatological conditions in mountainous north India.

    PubMed

    Grills, Nathan; Grills, Claire; Spelman, Tim; Stoove, Mark; Hellard, Margaret; El-Hayek, Carol; Singh, Rajesh

    2012-05-01

    Dermatological conditions account for a substantial proportion of the global burden of disease in low and middle income countries (Bickers D, Lim H, Margolis D, et al. The burden of skin diseases: 2004. A joint project of the American Academy of Dermatology Association and the Society for Investigative Dermatology. J Am Acad Dermatol 2006; 55: 490-500) and place major pressures on primary healthcare centers (Satimia F, McBride S, Leppard B. Prevalence of skin disease in rural Tanzania and factors influencing the choice of health care, modern or traditional. Arch Dermatol 1998; 134: 1363-1366). In mountainous North India, where limited resources are available for skin care, no dermatological data exists on prevalence, treatment patterns, or associations. The study aimed to measure prevalence and treatment of dermatological conditions and associated factors in Uttarakhand so to inform delivery of dermatological care and prevention programs in India. Single stage cluster randomized sampling generated seven cluster units or villages. Household members (n = 1275) from each cluster were interviewed, and where possible, examined and offered treatment. Dermatological conditions were prevalent (45.3%), with 33% being of infectious etiology. Atopic dermatitis (9.2%), scabies (4.4%), tinea corporis (4.1%), and pityriasis alba (3.6%) were most prevalent. Multivariate analysis showed that cohabitation with animals (OR = 1.62, 95% CI-1.35, 1.95) was a predictor of any skin diseases. A health practitioner was not consulted in 64.7% of dermatological conditions, and where consulted, approximately 69% received inappropriate or ineffective treatments. Excessive spending on dermatological care was commonplace. Limitations associated with cross-sectional cluster methodology included the underrepresentation of seasonal conditions and conditions of short duration. Caste proved difficult to randomize across clusters given villages were often composed according to caste. These

  1. India.

    PubMed

    1985-05-01

    In this discussion of India attention is directed to the following: the people; geography; history; government; political conditions; the economy; foreign relations (Pakistan and Bangladesh, China, and the Soviet Union); defense; and the relations between the US and India. In 1983 India's population was estimated at 746 million with an annual growth rate of 2.24%. The infant mortality rate was estimated at 116/1000 in 1984 with a life expectancy of 54.9 years. Although India occupies only 2.4% of the world's land area, it supports nearly 15% of the world's population. 2 major ethnic strains predominate in India: the Aryan in the north and the Dravidian in the south, although the lines between them are blurred. India dominates the South Asian subcontinent geographically. The people of India have had a continuous civilization since about 2500 B.C., when the inhabitants of the Indus River Valley developed an urban culture based on commerce, trade, and, to a lesser degree, agriculture. This civilization declined about 1500 B.C. and Aryan tribes originating in central Asia absorbed parts of its culture as they spread out over the South Asian subcontinent. During the next few centuries, India flourished under several successive empires. The 1st British outpost in South Asia was established in 1619 at Surat on the northwestern coast of India. The British gradually expanded their influence until, by the 1850s, they controlled almost the entire area of present-day India. Independence was attained on August 15, 1947, and India became a dominion within the Commonwealth of Nations with Jawaharlal Nehru as prime minister. According to its constitution, India is a "sovereign socialist secular democratic republic." Like the US, India has a federal form of government, but the central government in India has greater power in relation to its states, and government is patterned after the British parliamentary system. The Congress Party has ruled India since independence with the

  2. Genetic diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from central India.

    PubMed

    Desikan, Prabha; Chauhan, D S; Sharma, Pragya; Panwalkar, Nikita; Chourey, Manju; Patidar, Mohan Lal; Yadav, Priyanka; Chandrasekaran, V; Ohri, B S

    2016-04-01

    There is a paucity of data available on genetic biodiversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from central India. The present study was carried out on isolates of M. tuberculosis cultured from diagnostic clinical samples of patients from Bhopal, central India, using spoligotyping as a method of molecular typing. DNA was extracted from 340 isolates of M. tuberculosis from culture, confirmed as M. tuberculosis by molecular and biochemical methods and subjected to spoligotyping. The results were compared with the international SITVIT2 database. Sixty five different spoligo international type (SIT) patterns were observed. A total of 239 (70.3%) isolates could be clustered into 25 SITs. The Central Asian (CAS) and East African Indian (EAI) families were found to be the two major circulating families in this region. SIT26/CAS1_DEL was identified as the most predominant type, followed by SIT11/EAI3_IND and SIT288/CAS[2]. Forty (11.8%) unique (non-clustered) and 61 (17.9%) orphan isolates were identified in the study. There was no significant association of clustering with clinical and demographic characteristics of patients. Well established SITs were found to be predominant in our study. SIT26/CAS1_DEL was the most predominant type. However, the occurrence of a substantial number of orphan isolates may indicate the presence of active spatial and temporal evolutionary dynamics within the isolates of M. tuberculosis.

  3. Gender inequality and the risk of HIV among married couples in North India.

    PubMed

    Bloom, Shelah S; Agrawal, Alpna; Singh, Kaushalendra K; Suchindran, Chirayath M

    2015-01-01

    This study investigated the distribution and determinants of HIV risks among married couples in North India. Gender inequality emerged as a potential driver of HIV risks in this region. Data collection took place in 2003 in a probability survey of 3385 couples living in India's most populous state - Uttar Pradesh - and Uttaranchal. Couples' analyses utilizing generalized estimating equations showed that compared with husbands, wives were less knowledgeable about HIV (OR = 0.31, 95% CI = 0.27-0.36), more likely to consider themselves at risk for infection (OR = 6.86, 95% CI = 4.65-10.13), and less likely to feel that a wife had the right to refuse sex with her husband (OR = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.44-0.58). The proportion of husbands reporting non-marital sex in the past year was 7.1% and transactional sex in the past year, 2.2%. Among their wives, 73.4% were unaware of their husbands' non-marital sexual behaviors and only 28.9% of husbands reported condom use during their last non-marital sexual encounter. Logistic regression analyses showed that husbands' alcohol use, husbands' mobility, and urban residence were positively associated with husbands' non-marital sexual behaviors adjusting for other covariates. The data demonstrate that HIV prevention programs among couples in North India should consider both sexual risks and gender inequalities which potentially fuel HIV spread in this region.

  4. Cephalometric norms for orthognathic surgery for North India (Eastern Uttar Pradesh).

    PubMed

    Gulati, Rajeev; Jain, Shikha

    2011-01-01

    The present study was aimed at development of the cephalometric norms for orthognathic surgery for the population of eastern Uttar Pradesh in North India. This study was conducted at a dental college. The study sample consisted of 50 males and 50 females. Each lateral cephalogram was taken in occlusion and subsequently traced. All reference points, landmarks, and measurements were made according to cephalometrics for orthognathic surgery (COGS) system. The statistical analysis involved calculation of mean and standard deviation for each of the 23 parameters assessed for each subject. The data was subsequently compared with COGS study by using Normal (Z) test. The norms were derived for the purvanchal population of North India and these were found to be quite distinct compared to those obtained from COGS study with respect to specific parameters. Male subjects indicated greater prominence of chin relative to the face, decreased posterior divergence, infraeruption of upper and lower molar as well as lower incisors, decreased total effective length of the maxilla, tendency towards Class III occlusion, and procumbent lower incisors. Female subjects, however, indicated increased anterior cranial base length, greater prominence of chin relative to the face, prognathic maxilla and mandible, increased middle third facial height, infraerupted lower incisors, increased mandibular body length, and procumbent lower incisors.

  5. Prevalence and associations of retinal vein occlusions: the Central India Eye and Medical Study.

    PubMed

    Jonas, Jost B; Nangia, Vinay; Khare, Anshu; Sinha, Ajit; Lambat, Sarang

    2013-01-01

    To determine the prevalence of retinal vein occlusions (RVOs) in rural central India. The population-based Central India Eye and Medical Study was performed in rural central India and included 4,711 subjects (30 years and older). Using fundus photographs, we assessed the prevalence of branch retinal vein occlusions and central retinal vein occlusions. An RVO was detected in 38 eyes (0.42 ± 0.07%; 95% confidence interval: 0.29-0.56) of 35 subjects (0.76 ± 0.13%; 95% confidence interval: 0.50-1.01). Prevalence of branch retinal vein occlusions was 0.66% ± 0.12% per subject (95% confidence interval: 0.42%-0.90%) and of central retinal vein occlusions was 0.11% ± 0.05% per subject (95% confidence interval: 0.01%-0.21%). In binary logistic analysis, presence of RVOs was associated with higher age (P = 0.007), systolic blood pressure (P < 0.001), blood concentration of urea (P = 0.02), and narrower anterior chamber angle (P < 0.03). The RVO prevalence was not significantly (all Ps > 0.10) associated with body mass index; blood concentrations of glucose, cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins, and creatinine; presence of diabetes mellitus, tuberculosis and malaria; nutritional parameters; alcohol consumption; refractive error; and optic disk size. The age-specific prevalence rates of RVOs were 0.18% ± 0.13%, 0.29% ± 0.15%, 0.89% ± 0.34%, 1.07% ± 0.36%, 2.72% ± 0.85%, and 3.64% ± 2.55%, respectively, for decadal age groups. In two (5%) eyes, RVO had caused low vision (visual acuity <20/60 and ≥20/400). In the rural agrarian low-income population of Central India, RVOs were detected in 0.8% of adults, with branch retinal vein occlusions being approximately seven times more common than central retinal vein occlusions. Main associated factors were higher age, blood pressure, urea blood concentration, and narrow chamber angle. RVOs were no major reason for visual impairment.

  6. Seasonal prediction skill of winter temperature over North India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tiwari, P. R.; Kar, S. C.; Mohanty, U. C.; Dey, S.; Kumari, S.; Sinha, P.

    2016-04-01

    The climatology, amplitude error, phase error, and mean square skill score (MSSS) of temperature predictions from five different state-of-the-art general circulation models (GCMs) have been examined for the winter (December-January-February) seasons over North India. In this region, temperature variability affects the phenological development processes of wheat crops and the grain yield. The GCM forecasts of temperature for a whole season issued in November from various organizations are compared with observed gridded temperature data obtained from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for the period 1982-2009. The MSSS indicates that the models have skills of varying degrees. Predictions of maximum and minimum temperature obtained from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) climate forecast system model (NCEP_CFSv2) are compared with station level observations from the Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE). It has been found that when the model temperatures are corrected to account the bias in the model and actual orography, the predictions are able to delineate the observed trend compared to the trend without orography correction.

  7. 76 FR 31009 - Iowa Northern Railway Company-Operation Exemption-North Central Iowa Rail Corridor, LLC

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-27

    ... Railway Company--Operation Exemption--North Central Iowa Rail Corridor, LLC Iowa Northern Railway Company...) Docket No. FD 35507, North Central Iowa Rail Corridor, LLC--Acquisition Exemption--Union Pacific Railroad Company, in which North Central Iowa Rail Corridor, LLC seeks to acquire from Union Pacific Railroad...

  8. Aerosol Radiative Forcing over North India during Pre-Monsoon Season using WRF-Chem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Misra, A.; Kumar, K.; Michael, M.; Tripathi, S. N.

    2013-12-01

    Study of aerosols is important for a fair understanding of the Earth climate system. This requires knowledge of the physical, chemical, optical, and morphological properties of aerosols. Aerosol radiative forcing provides information on the effect of aerosols on the Earth radiation budget. Radiative forcing estimates using model data provide an opportunity to examine the contribution of individual aerosol species to overall radiative forcing. We have used Weather Research and Forecast with Online Chemistry (WRF-Chem) derived aerosol concentration data to compute aerosol radiative forcing over north India during pre-monsoon season of 2008, 2009, and 2010. WRF-Chem derived mass concentrations are converted to number concentrations using standard procedure. Optical Properties of Aerosol and Cloud (OPAC) software package is used to compute extinction and scattering coefficients, and asymmetry parameter. Computations are performed at different altitudes and the obtained values are integrated to get the column optical properties. Santa Barbara Discrete Ordinate Radiative Transfer (SBDART) model is used to calculate the radiative forcing at surface and top-of-atmosphere. Higher values of aerosol radiative forcing are observed over desert region in western Indian state of Rajasthan, and Punjab of Pakistan. Contribution of individual aerosol species to atmospheric radiative forcing is also assessed. Dust radiative forcing is high over western India. Radiative forcing due to BC and water-soluble (WASO) aerosols are higher over north-west Indian states of Punjab and Haryana, and the Indo-Gangetic Basin. A pool of high WASO optical depth and radiative forcing is observed over the Indo-Bangladesh border. The findings of aerosol optical depth and radiative forcing are consistent with the geography and prevailing aerosol climatology of various regions. Heating rate profiles due to total aerosols and only due to BC have been evaluated at selected stations in north India. They show

  9. 76 FR 17817 - North Central Idaho Resource Advisory Committee

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-31

    ... Central Idaho Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The North Central Idaho RAC will meet in Grangeville, Idaho. The committee is meeting as authorized... Supervisors Office, 104 Airport Road, Grangeville, Idaho. Written comments should be sent to Laura Smith at...

  10. Solar power potential of North-east India - A case study for Silchar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maisanam, Anil; Biswas, Agnimitra; Sharma, Kaushal Kumar

    2018-04-01

    High energy demand has necessitated search for all possible sources of energy. Conventional energy source is having negative impact on our environment, therefore our attention is focused on renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, hydro, which are considered to be clean and sustainable energy sources. India has set an ambitious target of producing 175 GW of energy using solar energy. Therefore, it is necessary to estimate the solar potential to observe the feasibility of such project. North-east India is an underdeveloped region of India and due to its geographical location and difficult terrain, many regions are still not electrified. Such regions can be electrified by installing renewable energy based power plants, which can also generate number of jobs hence improving the quality of life and economic condition of the region. The objective of this paper is to estimate the solar power potential of Silchar (Assam, India) and perform a feasibility study for installation of solar-based power plant in the region. In this paper, solar radiation on tilted surface is estimated by using an anisotropic sky model. This radiation data has been used to estimate the PV power output. Finally, feasibility of the PV plant has been verified by mapping with a practical load demand.

  11. Reductions in India's crop yield due to ozone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghude, Sachin D.; Jena, Chinmay; Chate, D. M.; Beig, G.; Pfister, G. G.; Kumar, Rajesh; Ramanathan, V.

    2014-08-01

    This bottom-up modeling study, supported by emission inventories and crop production, simulates ozone on local to regional scales. It quantifies, for the first time, potential impact of ozone on district-wise cotton, soybeans, rice, and wheat crops in India for the first decade of the 21st century. Wheat is the most impacted crop with losses of 3.5 ± 0.8 million tons (Mt), followed by rice at 2.1 ± 0.8 Mt, with the losses concentrated in central and north India. On the national scale, this loss is about 9.2% of the cereals required every year (61.2 Mt) under the provision of the recently implemented National Food Security Bill (in 2013) by the Government of India. The nationally aggregated yield loss is sufficient to feed about 94 million people living below poverty line in India.

  12. Prescribed burning in the North Central States.

    Treesearch

    Linda R. Donoghue; Von J. Johnson

    1975-01-01

    Describes 5 years of prescribed burning in the North Central States from 1968 through 1972. Provides information concerning participating agencies, burned-acreage, purpose-of-burn, fuels, and weather. Also examines other aspects such as ignition and burning techniques, hours-to-complete, time of fire start, and cost-per-acre.

  13. Mechanisms for strain localization within Archaean craton: A structural study from the Bundelkhand Tectonic Zone, north-central India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sarkar, Saheli; Patole, Vishal; Saha, Lopamudra; Pati, Jayanta Kumar; Nasipuri, Pritam

    2015-04-01

    The transformation of palaeo-continents involve breakup, dispersal and reassembly of cratonic blocks by collisional suturing that develop a network of orogenic (mobile) belts around the periphery of the stable cratons. The nature of deformation in the orogenic belt depends on the complex interaction of fracturing, plastic deformation and diffusive mass transfer. Additionally, the degree and amount of melting during regional deformation is critical as the presence of melt facilitates the rate of diffusive mass transfer and weakens the rock by reducing the effective viscosity of the deformed zone. The nature of strain localization and formation of ductile shear zones surrounding the cratonic blocks have been correlated with Proterozoic-Palaeozoic supercontinent assembly (Columbia, Rodinia and Gondwana reconstruction). Although, a pre-Columbia supercontinent termed as Kenorland has been postulated, there is no evidence that supports the notion due to lack of the presence of shear zones within the Archaean cratonic blocks. In this contribution, we present the detailed structural analysis of ductile shear zones within the Bundelkhand craton. The ductlile shear zone is termed as Bundelkhand Tectonic Zone (BTZ) that extends east-west for nearly 300 km throughout the craton with a width of two-three kilometer . In the north-central India, the Bundelkhand craton is exposed over an area of 26,000 sq. The craton is bounded by Central Indian Tectonic zone in the south, the Great Boundary fault in the west and by the rocks of Lesser Himalaya in the north. A series of tonalite-trondjhemite-granodiorite gneiss are the oldest rocks of the Bundelkhand craton that also contains a succession of metamorphosed supracrustal rocks comprising of banded iron formation, quartzite, calc-silicate and ultramafic rocks. K-feldspar bearing granites intrude the tonalite-trondjhemite-granodiorite and the supracrustal rocks during the time span of 2.1 to 2.5 Ga. The TTGs near Babina, in central

  14. Salient Ecological Sensitive Regions of Central Western Ghats, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramachandra, T. V.; Bharath, Setturu; Subash Chandran, M. D.; Joshi, N. V.

    2018-05-01

    Ecologically sensitive regions (ESRs) are the `ecological units' with the exceptional biotic and abiotic elements. Identification of ESRs considering spatially both ecological and social dimensions of environmental variables helps in ecological and conservation planning as per Biodiversity Act, 2002, Government of India. The current research attempts to integrate ecological and environmental considerations into administration, and prioritizes regions at Panchayat levels (local administrative unit) in Uttara Kannada district, Central Western Ghats, Karnataka state considering attributes (biological, Geo-climatic, Social, etc.) as ESR (1-4) through weightage score metrics. The region has the distinction of having highest forest area (80.48%) in Karnataka State, India and has been undergoing severe anthropogenic pressures impacting biogeochemistry, hydrology, food security, climate and socio-economic systems. Prioritisation of ESRs helps in the implementation of the sustainable developmental framework with the appropriate conservation strategies through the involvement of local stakeholders.

  15. Salient Ecological Sensitive Regions of Central Western Ghats, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramachandra, T. V.; Bharath, Setturu; Subash Chandran, M. D.; Joshi, N. V.

    2018-02-01

    Ecologically sensitive regions (ESRs) are the `ecological units' with the exceptional biotic and abiotic elements. Identification of ESRs considering spatially both ecological and social dimensions of environmental variables helps in ecological and conservation planning as per Biodiversity Act, 2002, Government of India. The current research attempts to integrate ecological and environmental considerations into administration, and prioritizes regions at Panchayat levels (local administrative unit) in Uttara Kannada district, Central Western Ghats, Karnataka state considering attributes (biological, Geo-climatic, Social, etc.) as ESR (1-4) through weightage score metrics. The region has the distinction of having highest forest area (80.48%) in Karnataka State, India and has been undergoing severe anthropogenic pressures impacting biogeochemistry, hydrology, food security, climate and socio-economic systems. Prioritisation of ESRs helps in the implementation of the sustainable developmental framework with the appropriate conservation strategies through the involvement of local stakeholders.

  16. Role of absorbing aerosols on hot extremes in India in a GCM

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mondal, A.; Sah, N.; Venkataraman, C.; Patil, N.

    2017-12-01

    Temperature extremes and heat waves in North-Central India during the summer months of March through June are known for causing significant impact in terms of human health, productivity and mortality. While greenhouse gas-induced global warming is generally believed to intensify the magnitude and frequency of such extremes, aerosols are usually associated with an overall cooling, by virtue of their dominant radiation scattering nature, in most world regions. Recently, large-scale atmospheric conditions leading to heat wave and extreme temperature conditions have been analysed for the North-Central Indian region. However, the role of absorbing aerosols, including black carbon and dust, is still not well understood, in mediating hot extremes in the region. In this study, we use 30-year simulations from a chemistry-coupled atmosphere-only General Circulation Model (GCM), ECHAM6-HAM2, forced with evolving aerosol emissions in an interactive aerosol module, along with observed sea surface temperatures, to examine large-scale and mesoscale conditions during hot extremes in India. The model is first validated with observed gridded temperature and reanalysis data, and is found to represent observed variations in temperature in the North-Central region and concurrent large-scale atmospheric conditions during high temperature extremes realistically. During these extreme events, changes in near surface properties include a reduction in single scattering albedo and enhancement in short-wave solar heating rate, compared to climatological conditions. This is accompanied by positive anomalies of black carbon and dust aerosol optical depths. We conclude that the large-scale atmospheric conditions such as the presence of anticyclones and clear skies, conducive to heat waves and high temperature extremes, are exacerbated by absorbing aerosols in North-Central India. Future air quality regulations are expected to reduce sulfate particles and their masking of GHG warming. It is

  17. Cancer: scenario and relationship of different geographical areas of the globe with special reference to North East-India.

    PubMed

    Sharma, Jagannath Dev; Kalit, Manoj; Nirmolia, Tulika; Saikia, Sidhartha Protim; Sharma, Arpita; Barman, Debanjana

    2014-01-01

    Cancer is becoming the most important public health burden around the globe. As per the GLOBOCAN 2008 estimates, about 12.7 million cancer cases and 7.6 million cancer deaths were estimated to have occurred in 2008. The burden of cancer cases for India in the year 2020 is calculated to be 1,148,757 (male 534,353; female 614,404) compared to 979,786 in 2010. The pattern of cancer incidence is varying among geographical regions, esophageal cancer for example being high in China, lung cancer in USA, and gallbladder cancer in Chile. The question remains why? Is it due to the diversity in genome pool, food habits, risk factor association and role of genetic susceptibility or some other factors associated with it? In India, the North East (NE)-India region is seeing a marked increase in cancer incidence and deaths, with a very different cancer incidence pattern compared to mainland India. The genome pool of the region is also quite distinct from the rest of India. Northeastern tribes are quite distinct from other groups; they are more closely related to East Asians than to other Indians. In this paper an attempt was made to see whether there is any similarity among the pattern of cancer incidence cases for different sites of NE-India region to South or East-Asia. Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA), Pearson Correlation coefficient test was assessed to evaluate the linkage of North-East India region to other regions. A p value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. The results clearly shows that there are similarities in occurrence of cancer incidence patterns for various cancer sites of NE-India with South and East-Asian regions, which may lead to the conclusion that there might be a genetic linkage between these regions.

  18. Fighting malaria in Madhya Pradesh (Central India): Are we loosing the battle?

    PubMed Central

    Singh, Neeru; Dash, Aditya P; Thimasarn, Krongthong

    2009-01-01

    Malaria control in Madhya Pradesh is complex because of vast tracts of forest with tribal settlement. Fifty four million individuals of various ethnic origins, accounting for 8% of the total population of India, contributed 30% of total malaria cases, 60% of total falciparum cases and 50% of malaria deaths in the country. Ambitious goals to control tribal malaria by launching "Enhanced Malaria Control Project" (EMCP) by the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), with the World Bank assistance, became effective in September 1997 in eight north Indian states. Under EMCP, the programme used a broader mix of new interventions, i.e. insecticide-treated bed nets, spraying houses with effective residual insecticides, use of larvivorous fishes, rapid diagnostic tests for prompt diagnosis, treatment of the sick with effective radical treatment and increased public awareness and IEC. However, the challenge is to scale up these services. A retrospective analysis of data on malaria morbidity and associated mortality reported under the existing surveillance system of the Madhya Pradesh (Central India) for the years 1996–2007 was carried out to determine the impact of EMCP on malaria morbidity and associated mortality. Analysis revealed that despite the availability of effective intervention tools for the prevention and control of malaria, falciparum malaria remains uncontrolled and deaths due to malaria have increased. Precisely, the aim of this epidemiological analysis is to draw lessons applicable to all international aid efforts, bureaucracy, policy makers and programme managers in assessing its project performance as a new Global Malaria Action Plan is launched with ambitious goal of reducing malaria and its elimination by scaling up the use of existing tools. PMID:19419588

  19. Prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Beijing genotype and its association with drug resistance in North India.

    PubMed

    Mathuria, Jitendra P; Srivastava, Govind N; Sharma, Pragya; Mathuria, Bharat L; Ojha, Sanjay; Katoch, Vishwa M; Anupurba, Shampa

    The global presence and rapid dissemination of Beijing genotype of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, makes it an important issue of public health. Its presence and association with multi-drug resistance has been shown in many settings. In present study we tried to find its prevalence and association with drug resistance in North India. One hundred and twenty four M. tuberculosis isolates were analyzed with spoligotyping, further drug susceptibility testing was done by 1% proportional method. Out of these, 11 (8.9%) M. tuberculosis isolates were identified as Beijing and 113 (91.1%) as non-Beijing genotypes. While looking at their drug susceptibility patterns, 6 (54.5%) & 22 (19.5%) were found to be multi drug resistant (MDR) among Beijing and non-Beijing isolates respectively. Our study concluded that the Beijing strains were not so common in north India and these strains do not fully associate with MDR. Copyright © 2017 King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Tsutsugamushi Disease (Scrub Typhus) Meningoencephalitis in North Eastern India: A Prospective Study.

    PubMed

    Sharma, S R; Masaraf, H; Lynrah, K G; Lyngdoh, M

    2015-01-01

    Scrub typhus is rampant in northern, eastern, and southern India. Central nervous system involvement in the form of meningitis or meningoencephalitis is common in scrub typhus. As specific laboratory methods remain inadequate or inaccessible in developing countries, prompt diagnosis is often difficult. The aim of this study was to characterize neurological complications in scrub typhus from northeastern region of India. We did a prospective study of scrub meningoencephalitis at North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Medical Sciences among patients admitted to hospital between October 2009 and November 2011. The diagnosis was made based on the clinical pictures, presence of an eschar, and a positive Weil-Felix test (WFT) with a titer of >1:160 and if required a positive scrub IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Lumbar puncture was performed in patients with headache, nuchal rigidity, altered sensorium or cranial nerve deficits, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain performed if needed. Twenty-three patients of scrub typhus meningitis that were serologically confirmed were included in the study. There were 13 males and 10 females. Fever ≥1 week was the most common manifestation (39.1%). Interestingly, none had an eschar. Median cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cell count, lymphocyte percentage, CSF protein, CSF glucose/blood glucose, CSF ADA were 17 cells/μL, 90%, 86 mg/dL, 0.6605 and 3.6 U/mL, respectively. All patients were treated with doxycycline. There was no mortality in our study. Absence of Eschar does not rule out scrub typhus. Clinical features and CSF findings can mimic tuberculous meningitis so misdiagnosis may lead to unwarranted prolonged empirical antituberculous therapy in cases of lymphocytic meningoencephalitis. Delay in treatment can be potentially fatal. WFT still serves as a useful and affordable diagnostic tool for this disease in resource-poor countries.

  1. A Tangled Weave: Tracing Outcomes of Education in Rural Women's Lives in North India

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ghose, Malini; Mullick, Disha

    2015-01-01

    This paper is based on the findings of a research study which traced 56 rural women learners 15 years after they had participated in an empowerment and education programme in North India. It attempts to understand, from the perspectives of women from marginalised communities, the ways in which participating in the programme had been empowering for…

  2. Genetic similarity between Taenia solium cysticerci collected from the two distant endemic areas in North and North East India.

    PubMed

    Sharma, Monika; Devi, Kangjam Rekha; Sehgal, Rakesh; Narain, Kanwar; Mahanta, Jagadish; Malla, Nancy

    2014-01-01

    Taenia solium taeniasis/cysticercosis is a major public health problem in developing countries. This study reports genotypic analysis of T. solium cysticerci collected from two different endemic areas of North (Chandigarh) and North East India (Dibrugarh) by the sequencing of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene. The variation in cox1 sequences of samples collected from these two different geographical regions located at a distance of 2585 km was minimal. Alignment of the nucleotide sequences with different species of Taenia showed the similarity with Asian genotype of T. solium. Among 50 isolates, 6 variant nucleotide positions (0.37% of total length) were detected. These results suggest that population in these geographical areas are homogenous. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Visual Impairment Registry of Patients from North Kolkata, Eastern India: A Hospital-based Study.

    PubMed

    Bandyopadhyay, Sabyasachi; Bandyopadhyay, Samir Kumar; Biswas, Jaya; Saha Dutta Chowdhury, Mita; Dey, Asim Kumar; Chakrabarti, Asim

    2018-01-01

    To study the demographic profile, severity and causes of visual impairment among registered patients in a tertiary care hospital in north Kolkata, eastern India, and to assess the magnitude of under-registration in that population. This is a retrospective analytical study. A review of all visually impaired patients registered at our tertiary care hospital during a ten-year period from January 2005 to December 2014, which is entitled for certification of people of north Kolkata, eastern India (with a population denominator of 1.1 million), was performed. Overall, 2472 eyes of 1236 patients were analyzed in terms of demographic characteristics, cause of visual impairment, and percentage of visual disability as per the guidelines established by the government of India. Male patients (844, 68.28%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 65.69-70.87) registered more often than female patients (392; 31.72%, P = 0.0004). The registration rate for visual impairment was 11.24 per 100,000 per annum; this is not the true incidence rate, as both new patients and those visiting for renewal of certification were included in the study. Optic atrophy was the most common cause of visual impairment (384 eyes, 15.53%; 95% CI, 14.1-16.96). Commonest cause of visual impairment was optic atrophy followed by microphthalmos. Under-registration is a prevalent problem as the registration system is voluntary rather than mandatory, and female patients are more likely to be unregistered in this area.

  4. Dd-antigen-antibody system in five caste groups in north India.

    PubMed

    Berry, V; Kaur, H

    1991-12-01

    Antigen Dd, a polymorphic antigen found in extracts of certain human dandruff specimens, was investigated in five caste groups of north India. The incidence of antigen Dd-positive type varied from 21.21 per cent in Brahmins to 29.08 per cent in the Jat Sikhs of Punjab. However, a high frequency (45%) was observed in the Sunni Muslims of Kashmir, which differed significantly, when compared with different caste groups of Punjab. Family studies on 44 families indicated its inherited nature, the mode of inheritance being autosomal dominant.

  5. Ground-water resources of Benson and Pierce Counties, north-central North Dakota

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Randich, P.G.

    1972-01-01

    The purpose of this investigation is to provide information about the ground-water resources in Benson and Pierce Counties that is sufficient for planning the safe and intelligent development of water supplies for irrigation, domestic, stock, industrial, and municipal purposes.  The investigation is part of a statewide program to determine the location and extent of ground-water aquifers; to evaluate the occurrence and movement of ground water within the aquifers, including sources of recharge and discharge; to determine potential yields to wells developed in the aquifers; and to determine the chemical quality of ground water.Benson and Pierce Counties cover an area of 2,512 square miles in north-central North Dakota.  This study, which began in July 1967 and was completed in June 1971, was made cooperatively by the U.S. Geological Survey, the North Dakota State Water Commission, the North Dakota Geological Survey, and the Benson and Pierce Counties Water Management Districts.  This interim report presents only the major conclusions of the study.

  6. Forest statistics for North-Central Alabama counties

    Treesearch

    Forest Inventory and Analysis Research Work Unit

    1983-01-01

    These tables were derived from data obtained during a 1982 inventory of 15 counties comprising the North Central Unit of Alabama (fig. 1). The data on forest acreage and timber volume were secured by systematic sampling method involving a forest-nonforest classification on aerial photographs and on-the-ground measurements of trees at sample locations. The sample...

  7. Webinar Presentation: Black Carbon and Other Light-absorbing Particles in Snow in Central North America and North China

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This presentation, Black Carbon and Other Light-absorbing Particles in Snow in Central North America and North China, was given at the STAR Black Carbon 2016 Webinar Series: Accounting for Impact, Emissions, and Uncertainty held on Nov. 7, 2016.

  8. North wall, central part, showing partial partition wall at left. ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    North wall, central part, showing partial partition wall at left. This area is labeled “Pioneering Research” on drawing copy NV-35-B-5 (submitted with HABS No. NV-35-B) (series 2 of 4) - Bureau of Mines Metallurgical Research Laboratory, Original Building, Date Street north of U.S. Highway 93, Boulder City, Clark County, NV

  9. Public water supplies in central and north-central Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sundstrom, Raymond W.; Broadhurst, W.L.; Dwyer, B.C.

    1949-01-01

    This report gives a summarized description of the public water supplies in 35 counties of central and north-central Texas, extending from the southern boundaries of Travis, Blanco, Gillespie, and Kerr Counties northward to the TexasOklahoma State line. It gives the available data as follows for each of the 145 communities: Population of the community; name of the official from whom the information was obtained; ownership of water works, whether private or municipal source of supply, whether ground water or surface water; the amount of water consumed; the facilities for storage; the number of customers served; the character of the chemical and sanitary treatment, if any; and chemical analyses of the water. Where ground water is used, the following is also given: Records of wells, including drillers' logs; character of the pumping equipment; yields of the wells, and records of water levels, if available.

  10. White grain mycetoma caused by Scedosporium apiospermum in North India: a case report.

    PubMed

    Gupta, Munesh Kumar; Banerjee, Tuhina; Kumar, Dhirendra; Rastogi, Amit; Tilak, Ragini

    2013-12-01

    Mycetoma is chronic granulomatous infection of skin and subcutaneous tissue caused by both bacteria and fungi. We report a case of mycetoma caused by Scedosporium apiospermum in the right foot of a 45-year-old farmer in north India. The patient had a history of trauma in the sole of the right foot followed by discharge of white granules along with proximal progression. Scedosporium apiospermum was identified based on colony characteristics and microscopic features on slide culture. Mycetoma is a progressive disease. Foot is commonly affected in persons who walk barefoot, especially in south India. Untreated mycetoma progress and involve the underlying fasciae and tissues along with bones often resulting in loss of limb. By prompt and reliable diagnosis with corresponding antimicrobial administration, we can prevent further progression and limb disability.

  11. Diabetes mellitus: Trends in northern India

    PubMed Central

    Gutch, Manish; Razi, Syed Mohd; Kumar, Sukriti; Gupta, Keshav Kumar

    2014-01-01

    Diabetes mellitus is becoming a global health issue with more than 80% diabetics living in developing countries. India accounts for 62.4 million diabetics (2011). Indian Council of Medical Research India Diabetes Study (ICMR-INDIAB) study showed highest weighted prevalence rate in the north India among all studied regions. Diabetes in north India has many peculiarities in all aspects from risk factors to control programmers. North Indians are becoming more prone for diabetes and dyslipidemia because rapid westernization of living style and diet due rapid migration to metropolitan cities for employment. North Indian diabetes is plagued with gender bias against females, poor quality of health services, myths, and lack of disease awareness compounded with small number of prevention and awareness programmers that too are immature to counteract the growing pandemic. PMID:25285295

  12. Disparity in rainfall trend and patterns among different regions: analysis of 158 years' time series of rainfall dataset across India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saha, Saurav; Chakraborty, Debasish; Paul, Ranjit Kumar; Samanta, Sandipan; Singh, S. B.

    2017-10-01

    Rainfall anomaly during crop-growing season can have large impact on the agricultural output of a country, especially like India, where two-thirds of the crop land is rain-fed. In such situation, decreased agricultural production not only challenges food security of the country but directly and immediately hits the livelihood of its farming community. In a vast country like India, rainfall or its anomalies hardly follow a specific pattern, rather it is having high variability in spatial domain. This study focused on the trends of national and regional rainfall anomalies (wetness/dryness) along with their interrelationship using time series data of past 158 years. The significant reducing wetness trend (p < 0.05) over north mountainous India was prominent with an increasing trend over southern peninsular India (p < 0.10). However, long-term annual wetness was increasing over entire peninsular India. The results of change point tests indicate that major abrupt changes occurred between early to mid-twentieth century having regional variations. The regional interrelationship was studied using principal component, hierarchical clustering, and pair-wise difference test, which clearly indicated a significantly different pattern in rainfall anomalies for north east India (p = 0.022), north central India (p = 0.022), and north mountainous India (p = 0.011) from that of the all India. Result of this study affirmed high spatial variability in rainfall anomaly and most importantly established the unalike pattern in trends of regional rainfall vis-à-vis national level, ushering towards paradigm shift in rainfall forecast from country scale to regional scale for pragmatic planning.

  13. Forest statistics for North Central Georgia, 1998

    Treesearch

    Michael T. Thompson

    1998-01-01

    This report highlights the principal findings of the seventh forest survey of North Central Georgia. Field work began in June 1997 and was completed in November 1997. Six previous surveys, completed in 1936, 1953, 196 1, 1972, 1983, and 1989 provide statistics for measuring changes and trends over the past 6 1 years. This report primarily emphasizes the changes and...

  14. Forest statistics for North Central Georgia, 1989

    Treesearch

    Tony G. Johnson

    1989-01-01

    This report highlights the principal findings of the sixth forest survey in North Central Georgia. Field work began in February 1989 and was completed in April 1989. Five previous surveys, completed in 1936, 1953, 1961, 1972, and 1983, provide statistics for measuring changes and trends over the past 53 years. The primary emphasis in this report is on the changes and...

  15. Forest statistics for North Central Georgia, 1983

    Treesearch

    John B. Tansey

    1983-01-01

    This report highlights the principal findings of the fifth forest survey of North Central Georgia. Fieldwork began in May 1982 and was completed in September 1982. Four previous surveys, completed in 1936, 1953, 1961, and 1972, provide statistics for measuring changes and trends over the past 47 years. The primary emphasis in this report is on the changes and trends...

  16. Forest soils bibliography for the North-Central Region (including subject matter index through 1972).

    Treesearch

    Willard H. Carmean

    1973-01-01

    Includes 793 publications dealing with forest soils in the North-Central States (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana); Ohio; and the Northern Plains States (Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas). Includes some publications from other regions considered applicable to conditions in the North-Central Region.

  17. Larvicidal activity of few select indigenous plants of North East India against disease vector mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae).

    PubMed

    Dohutia, C; Bhattacharyya, D R; Sharma, S K; Mohapatra, P K; Bhattacharjee, K; Gogoi, K; Gogoi, P; Mahanta, J; Prakash, A

    2015-03-01

    Mosquitoes are the vectors of several life threatening diseases like dengue, malaria, Japanese encephalitis and lymphatic filariasis, which are widely present in the north-eastern states of India. Investigations on five local plants of north-east India, selected on the basis of their use by indigenous communities as fish poison, were carried out to study their mosquito larvicidal potential against Anopheles stephensi (malaria vector), Stegomyia aegypti (dengue vector) and Culex quinquefasciatus (lymphatic filariasis vector) mosquitoes. Crude Petroleum ether extracts of the roots of three plants viz. Derris elliptica, Linostoma decandrum and Croton tiglium were found to have remarkable larvicidal activity; D. elliptica extract was the most effective and with LC50 value of 0.307 μg/ml its activity was superior to propoxur, the standard synthetic larvicide. Half-life of larvicidal activity of D. elliptica and L. decandrum extracts ranged from 2-4 days.

  18. Central and North Gulf Coast, Texas

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1992-01-01

    In this view of the central and north Gulf Coast of Texas (30.0N, 96.0W), San Antonio Bay, Matagorda Bay and Galveston/Trinity Bay are clearly seen though small sediment plumes at the tidal passes are visible. The large field patterns of irrigated agriculture highlights an ancient deltaic plain formed by the Colorado and Brazos Rivers. Many manmade lakes and reservoirs, as far west as Lake Belton and Lake Waco and as far east as Toledo Bend are visible.

  19. Flood of July 1-2, 1987, in north-central Ohio

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mayo, R.I.; Mangus, J.P.

    1989-01-01

    During the night of July 1 and early morning of July 2, 1987, an intense summer storm produced flooding on headwater streams of the Scioto, Sandusky, and Mohican River in north-central Ohio. The heaviest flooding and resulting flood damage occurred in a five-county area in the north-central part of the state. From 3 to nearby 6 inches of rain fell in less than 10 hours on rain-saturated soil, and produced flooding that resulted in more than $20 million in damages. Estimated peak discharged for several of the small streams affected ranged from 1 to 2 1/2 times the magnitude of the 50-year flood of these sites.

  20. Wildlife-associated recreation in the North Central Region: participation patterns and management implications

    Treesearch

    Allan Marsinko; John Dwyer

    2002-01-01

    The North Central Region (IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, MO, WI) is a diverse area of the United States. Compared to the remainder of the country, the region as a whole is demographically similar in terms of mean age, education, household income, and gender. However, the North Central region has a higher proportion of Whites and a slightly lower proportion of people residing in...

  1. Identifying predictors of childhood anaemia in north-east India.

    PubMed

    Dey, Sanku; Goswami, Sankar; Dey, Tanujit

    2013-12-01

    The objective of this study is to examine the factors that influence the occurrence of childhood anaemia in North-East India by exploring dataset of the Reproductive and Child Health-II Survey (RCH-II). The study population consisted of 10,137 children in the age-group of 0-6 year(s) from North-East India to explore the predictors of childhood anaemia by means of different background characteristics, such as place of residence, religion, household standard of living, literacy of mother, total children ever born to a mother, age of mother at marriage. Prevalence of anaemia among children was taken as a polytomous variable. The predicted probabilities of anaemia were established via multinomial logistic regression model. These probabilities provided the degree of assessment of the contribution of predictors in the prevalence of childhood anaemia. The mean haemoglobin concentration in children aged 0-6 year(s) was found to be 11.85 g/dL, with a standard deviation of 5.61 g/dL. The multiple logistic regression analysis showed that rural children were at greater risk of severe (OR = 2.035; p = 0.003) and moderate (OR = 1.23; p = 0.003) anaemia. All types of anaemia (severe, moderate, and mild) were more prevalent among Hindu children (OR = 2.971; p = 0.000), (OR = 1.195; p = 0.010), and (OR = 1.201; p = 0.011) than among children of other religions whereas moderate (OR = 1.406; p = 0.001) and mild (OR = 1.857; p=0.000) anaemia were more prevalent among Muslim children. The fecundity of the mother was found to have significant effect on anaemia. Women with multiple children were prone to greater risk of anaemia. The multiple logistic regression analysis also confirmed that children of literate mothers were comparatively at lesser risk of severe anaemia. Mother's age at marriage had a significant effect on anaemia of their children as well.

  2. Sedimentation and subsidence patterns in the central and north basins of Lake Baikal from seismic stratigraphy

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Moore, T.C.; Klitgord, Kim D.; Golmshtok, A.J.; Weber, E.

    1997-01-01

    Comparison of sedimentation patterns, basement subsidence, and faulting histories in the north and central basins of Lake Baikal aids in developing an interbasinal seismic stratigraphy that reveals the early synrift evolution of the central portion of the Baikal rift, a major continental rift system. Although there is evidence that the central and northern rift basins evolved at approximately the same time, their sedimentation histories are markedly different. Primary sediment sources for the initial rift phase were from the east flank of the rift; two major deltas developed adjacent to the central basin: the Selenga delta at the south end and the Barguzin delta at the north end. The Barguzin River system, located at the accommodation zone between the central and north basins, also fed into the southern part of the north basin and facilitated the stratigraphic linkage of the two basins. A shift in the regional tectonic environment in the mid Pliocene(?) created a second rift phase distinguished by more rapid subsidence and sediment accumulation in the north basin and by increased subsidence and extensive faulting in the central basin. The Barguzin delta ceased formation and parts of the old delta system were isolated within the north basin and on Academic Ridge. These isolated deltaic deposits provide a model for the development of hydrocarbon plays within ancient rift systems. In this second tectonic phase, the dominant sediment fill in the deeper and more rapidly subsiding north basin shifted from the flexural (eastern) margin to axial transport from the Upper Angara River at the north end of the basin.

  3. Forest corridors maintain historical gene flow in a tiger metapopulation in the highlands of central India.

    PubMed

    Sharma, Sandeep; Dutta, Trishna; Maldonado, Jesús E; Wood, Thomas C; Panwar, Hemendra Singh; Seidensticker, John

    2013-09-22

    Understanding the patterns of gene flow of an endangered species metapopulation occupying a fragmented habitat is crucial for landscape-level conservation planning and devising effective conservation strategies. Tigers (Panthera tigris) are globally endangered and their populations are highly fragmented and exist in a few isolated metapopulations across their range. We used multi-locus genotypic data from 273 individual tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) from four tiger populations of the Satpura-Maikal landscape of central India to determine whether the corridors in this landscape are functional. This 45 000 km(2) landscape contains 17% of India's tiger population and 12% of its tiger habitat. We applied Bayesian and coalescent-based analyses to estimate contemporary and historical gene flow among these populations and to infer their evolutionary history. We found that the tiger metapopulation in central India has high rates of historical and contemporary gene flow. The tests for population history reveal that tigers populated central India about 10 000 years ago. Their population subdivision began about 1000 years ago and accelerated about 200 years ago owing to habitat fragmentation, leading to four spatially separated populations. These four populations have been in migration-drift equilibrium maintained by high gene flow. We found the highest rates of contemporary gene flow in populations that are connected by forest corridors. This information is highly relevant to conservation practitioners and policy makers, because deforestation, road widening and mining are imminent threats to these corridors.

  4. Forest corridors maintain historical gene flow in a tiger metapopulation in the highlands of central India

    PubMed Central

    Sharma, Sandeep; Dutta, Trishna; Maldonado, Jesús E.; Wood, Thomas C.; Panwar, Hemendra Singh; Seidensticker, John

    2013-01-01

    Understanding the patterns of gene flow of an endangered species metapopulation occupying a fragmented habitat is crucial for landscape-level conservation planning and devising effective conservation strategies. Tigers (Panthera tigris) are globally endangered and their populations are highly fragmented and exist in a few isolated metapopulations across their range. We used multi-locus genotypic data from 273 individual tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) from four tiger populations of the Satpura–Maikal landscape of central India to determine whether the corridors in this landscape are functional. This 45 000 km2 landscape contains 17% of India's tiger population and 12% of its tiger habitat. We applied Bayesian and coalescent-based analyses to estimate contemporary and historical gene flow among these populations and to infer their evolutionary history. We found that the tiger metapopulation in central India has high rates of historical and contemporary gene flow. The tests for population history reveal that tigers populated central India about 10 000 years ago. Their population subdivision began about 1000 years ago and accelerated about 200 years ago owing to habitat fragmentation, leading to four spatially separated populations. These four populations have been in migration–drift equilibrium maintained by high gene flow. We found the highest rates of contemporary gene flow in populations that are connected by forest corridors. This information is highly relevant to conservation practitioners and policy makers, because deforestation, road widening and mining are imminent threats to these corridors. PMID:23902910

  5. Under the banyan tree--exclusion and inclusion of people with mental disorders in rural North India.

    PubMed

    Mathias, Kaaren; Kermode, Michelle; San Sebastian, Miguel; Koschorke, Mirja; Goicolea, Isabel

    2015-05-01

    Social exclusion is both cause and consequence of mental disorders. People with mental disorders (PWMD) are among the most socially excluded in all societies yet little is known about their experiences in North India. This qualitative study aims to describe experiences of exclusion and inclusion of PWMD in two rural communities in Uttar Pradesh, India. In-depth interviews with 20 PWMD and eight caregivers were carried out in May 2013. Interviews probed experiences of help-seeking, stigma, discrimination, exclusion, participation, agency and inclusion in their households and communities. Qualitative content analysis was used to generate codes, categories and finally 12 key themes. A continuum of exclusion was the dominant experience for participants, ranging from nuanced distancing, negative judgements and social isolation, and self-stigma to overt acts of exclusion such as ridicule, disinheritance and physical violence. Mixed in with this however, some participants described a sense of belonging, opportunity for participation and support from both family and community members. These findings underline the urgent need for initiatives that increase mental health literacy, access to services and social inclusion of PWMD in North India, and highlight the possibilities of using human rights frameworks in situations of physical and economic violence. The findings also highlight the urgent need to reduce stigma and take actions in policy and at all levels in society to increase inclusion of people with mental distress and disorders.

  6. INTERIOR, NORTH ROOM WITH CENTRAL DOOR TO EXTERIOR; VIEW TO ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    INTERIOR, NORTH ROOM WITH CENTRAL DOOR TO EXTERIOR; VIEW TO NORTHEAST - Fort Bragg, Noncommissioned Officers' Service Club, Guest House Building, South of Butner Road, Fayetteville, Cumberland County, NC

  7. Maiden outbreaks of dengue virus 1 genotype III in rural central India.

    PubMed

    Barde, P V; Kori, B K; Shukla, M K; Bharti, P K; Chand, G; Kumar, G; Ukey, M J; Ali, N A; Singh, N

    2015-01-01

    Dengue is regarded as the most important arboviral disease. Although sporadic cases have been reported, serotypes responsible for outbreaks have not been identified from central India over the last 20 years. We investigated two outbreaks of febrile illness, in August and November 2012, from Korea district (Chhattisgarh) and Narsinghpur district (Madhya Pradesh), respectively. Fever and entomological surveys were conducted in the affected regions. Molecular and serological tests were conducted on collected serum samples. Dengue-specific amplicons were sequenced and phylogenetic analyses were performed. In Korea and Narsinghpur districts 37·3% and 59% of cases were positive, respectively, for dengue infection, with adults being the worst affected. RT-PCR confirmed dengue virus serotype 1 genotype III as the aetiology. Ninety-six percent of infections were primary. This is the first time that dengue virus 1 outbreaks have been documented from central India. Introduction of the virus into the population and a conducive mosquitogenic environment favouring increased vector density caused the outbreak. Timely diagnosis and strengthening vector control measures are essential to avoid future outbreaks.

  8. Forest statistics for North-Central Alabama counties - 1990

    Treesearch

    William H. McWilliams; Patrick E. Miller; John S. Vissage

    1990-01-01

    The 1990 forest inventory of North-Central Alabama revealed the following:Timberland area is 4,346.0 thousand acres, a decrease of 4 percentThe area of hardwood stands decreased by 5 percent and the area of oak-pine stands increased by 14 percentThe area of pine stands decreased despite an increase in the...

  9. Spectrum of clinical disease in a series of 135 hospitalised HIV-infected patients from north India

    PubMed Central

    Sharma, SK; Kadhiravan, Tamilarasu; Banga, Amit; Goyal, Tarun; Bhatia, Indrish; Saha, PK

    2004-01-01

    Background Literature on the spectrum of opportunistic disease in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients from developing countries is sparse. The objective of this study was to document the spectrum and determine the frequency of various opportunistic infections (OIs) and non-infectious opportunistic diseases, in hospitalised HIV-infected patients from north India. Methods One hundred and thirty five consecutive, HIV-infected patients (age 34 ± 10 years, females 17%) admitted to a tertiary care hospital in north India, for the evaluation and management of an OI or HIV-related disorder between January 2000 and July 2003, were studied. Results Fever (71%) and weight loss (65%) were the commonest presenting symptoms. Heterosexual transmission was the commonest mode of HIV-acquisition. Tuberculosis (TB) was the commonest OI (71%) followed by candidiasis (39.3%), Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PCP) (7.4%), cryptococcal meningitis and cerebral toxoplasmosis (3.7% each). Most of the cases of TB were disseminated (64%). Apart from other well-recognised OIs, two patients had visceral leishmaniasis. Two cases of HIV-associated lymphoma were encountered. CD4+ cell counts were done in 109 patients. Majority of the patients (82.6%) had CD4+ counts <200 cells/μL. Fifty patients (46%) had CD4+ counts <50 cells/μL. Only 50 patients (37%) received antiretroviral therapy. Twenty one patients (16%) died during hospital stay. All but one deaths were due to TB (16 patients; 76%) and PCP (4 patients; 19%). Conclusions A wide spectrum of disease, including both OIs and non-infectious opportunistic diseases, is seen in hospitalised HIV-infected patients from north India. Tuberculosis remains the most common OI and is the commonest cause of death in these patients. PMID:15555069

  10. Gender-Based Power and Couples' HIV Risk in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, North India

    PubMed Central

    Agrawal, Alpna; Bloom, Shelah S.; Suchindran, Chirayath; Curtis, Sian; Angeles, Gustavo

    2015-01-01

    Context Gender inequality is a long-recognized driver of the HIV epidemic. However, few studies have investigated the association between gender-based power and HIV risk in India, which has the world's third largest HIV epidemic. Methods Population-based data collected in 2003 from 3,385 couples residing in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, North India, were used to examine associations between gender-based power (wife's autonomy and husband's inequitable gender attitudes) and indicators of couples' HIV risk (whether the husband had had premarital sex with someone other than his eventual spouse, extramarital sex in the past year or STI symptoms in the past year). Structural equation modeling was used to create composite variables for the gender-based power measures and test their associations with HIV risk measures. Results Twenty-four percent of husbands had had premarital sex, 7% had had extramarital sex in the past year and 6% had had STI symptoms in the past year. Structural equation models indicated that wives who reported higher levels of autonomy were less likely than other wives to have husbands who had had extramarital sex in the past year (direct association) and STI symptoms in the past year (indirect association). Moreover, husbands who endorsed more inequitable gender attitudes were more likely than others to report having had premarital sex with someone other than their spouse, which in turn was associated with having had extramarital sex and STI symptoms in the past year. Conclusions If the associations identified in this study reflect a causal relationship between gender-based power and HIV risk behavior, then HIV prevention programs that successfully address inequitable gender roles may reduce HIV risks in North India. PMID:25565347

  11. Gender-based power and couples' HIV risk in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, north India.

    PubMed

    Agrawal, Alpna; Bloom, Shelah S; Suchindran, Chirayath; Curtis, Siân; Angeles, Gustavo

    2014-12-01

    Gender inequality is a long-recognized driver of the HIV epidemic. However, few studies have investigated the association between gender-based power and HIV risk in India, which has the world's third largest HIV epidemic. Population-based data collected in 2003 from 3,385 couples residing in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, North India, were used to examine associations between gender-based power (wife's autonomy and husband's inequitable gender attitudes) and indicators of couples' HIV risk (whether the husband had had premarital sex with someone other than his eventual spouse, extramarital sex in the past year or STI symptoms in the past year). Structural equation modeling was used to create composite variables for the gender-based power measures and test their associations with HIV risk measures. Twenty-four percent of husbands had had premarital sex, 7% had had extramarital sex in the past year and 6% had had STI symptoms in the past year. Structural equation models indicated that wives who reported higher levels of autonomy were less likely than other wives to have husbands who had had extramarital sex in the past year (direct association) or STI symptoms in the past year (indirect association). Moreover, husbands who endorsed more inequitable gender attitudes were more likely than others to report having had premarital sex with someone other than their spouse, which in turn was associated with having had extramarital sex and STI symptoms in the past year. If the associations identified in this study reflect a causal relationship between gender-based power and HIV risk behavior, then HIV prevention programs that successfully address inequitable gender roles may reduce HIV risks in North India.

  12. e-Agriculture Prototype for Knowledge Facilitation among Tribal Farmers of North-East India: Innovations, Impact and Lessons

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Raj, Saravanan

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: This case study deals with the implementation methodology, innovations and lessons of the ICT initiative in providing agricultural extension services to the rural tribal farming community of North-East India. Methodology: This study documents the ICT project implementation challenges, impact among farmers and briefly indicates lessons of…

  13. Assessing Cultural Change in North-Central New Mexico.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eastman, Clyde

    A study conducted during the summer of 1969 researched the concept of culture with regard to the acculturation process of Spanish Americans. The Spanish Americans of north-central New Mexico were compared with the Anglo Americans living within that region. Data were collected on 799 adults from the 2 groups by means of personal interviews. Factor…

  14. Breeding strategies for north central tree improvement programs

    Treesearch

    Ronald P. Overton; Hyun Kang

    1985-01-01

    The rationales and concepts of long-term tree breeding are discussed and compared with those for short-term breeding. A model breeding program is reviewed which maximizes short-term genetic gain for currently important traits and provides genetic resources that can be used effectively in future short-term breeding. The resources of the north-central region are examined...

  15. The Effect of Early Childhood Developmental Program Attendance on Future School Enrollment in Rural North India

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hazarika, Gautam; Viren, Vejoya

    2013-01-01

    This paper examines the effect of prior participation in early childhood developmental programs, considered endogenous, upon 7-18 years olds' school enrollment in rural North India. Analyses by age group of data from the World Bank's 1997-98 Survey of Living Conditions in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar reveal that 7-10 year olds, 11-14 year olds, and…

  16. Wildlife conservation in fragmented tropical forests: A case of South Garo Hills, Meghalaya, North East India

    Treesearch

    Ashish Kumar; Bruce G. Marcot; Rohitkumar Patel

    2017-01-01

    This volume presents findings on, and implications for, wildlife conservation in the tropical forests in Garo Hills of Meghalaya state in the North East India. A companion volume presented the findings on forest fragmentation due to practice of slash and burn agriculture in the region. Both of the volumes summarize work completed over more than a decade on...

  17. 33. Third floor, looking north, elevator and central stair to ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    33. Third floor, looking north, elevator and central stair to the right (original ice manufacturing floor) - Sheffield Farms Milk Plant, 1075 Webster Avenue (southwest corner of 166th Street), Bronx, Bronx County, NY

  18. Distribution of Dissolved Zinc in the Western and Central Subarctic North Pacific

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Taejin; Obata, Hajime; Nishioka, Jun; Gamo, Toshitaka

    2017-09-01

    We investigated the biogeochemical cycling of dissolved zinc (Zn) in the western and central subarctic North Pacific during the GEOTRACES GP 02 cruise. The relationship between dissolved Zn and silicate in the subarctic North Pacific plotted as a concave curve. Values of Zn* were strongly positive in the intermediate waters (26.6-27.5 σθ) of both the western and the central subarctic North Pacific. There was a distinct kink in the relationship between dissolved Zn and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) at the transition from shallow to intermediate water, which is similar to what has been reported for other open oceans. The high Zn:SRP ratio and high Zn* in the intermediate water suggest that intermediate water masses play an important role in the decoupling of dissolved Zn and silicate in the subarctic North Pacific, which implies that the biogeochemical processes that control dissolved Zn and silicate in the intermediate water are different from those in other oceanic regions.

  19. Liquefaction record of the great 1934 earthquake predecessors from the north Bihar alluvial plains of India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rajendran, C. P.; John, Biju; Rajendran, Kusala; Sanwal, Jaishri

    2016-07-01

    The great 1934 Himalayan earthquake of moment magnitude (Mw) 8.1 generated a large zone of ground failure and liquefaction in north Bihar, India, in addition to the earthquakes of 1833 (Mw ~7.7) and 1988 (Mw 6.7) that have also impacted this region. Here, we present the results of paleoliquefaction investigations from four sites in the plains of north Bihar and one in eastern Uttar Pradesh. The liquefaction features generated by successive earthquakes were dated at AD 829-971, 886-1090, 907-1181, 1130-1376, 1112-1572, 1492-1672, 1733-1839, and 1814-1854. One of the liquefaction events dated at AD 829-971, 886-1090, and 907-1181 may correlate with the great earthquake of AD ~1100, recognized in an earlier study from the sections across the frontal thrust in central eastern Nepal. Two late medieval liquefaction episodes of AD 1130-1376 and 1492-1672 were also exposed in our sites. The sedimentary sections also revealed sandblows that can be attributed to the 1833 earthquake, a lesser magnitude event compared to the 1934. Liquefactions triggered by the 1934 and 1988 earthquakes were evident within the topmost level in some sections. The available data lead us to conjecture that a series of temporally close spaced earthquakes of both strong and large types, not including the infrequent great earthquakes like the 1934, have affected the Bihar Plains during the last 1500 years with a combined recurrence interval of 124 ± 63 years.

  20. North Central Thailand

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1998-01-01

    This radar image shows the dramatic landscape in the Phang Hoei Range of north central Thailand, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) northeast of the city of Lom Sak. The plateau, shown in green to the left of center, is the area of Phu Kradung National Park. This plateau is a remnant of a once larger plateau, another portion of which is seen along the right side of the image. The plateaus have been dissected by water erosion over thousands of years. Forest areas appear green on the image; agricultural areas and settlements appear as red and blue. North is toward the lower right. The area shown is 38 by 50 kilometers (24 by 31 miles) and is centered at 16.96 degrees north latitude, 101.67 degrees east longitude. Colors are assigned to different radar frequencies and polarizations as follows: red is L-band horizontally transmitted and horizontally received; green is L-band horizontally transmitted and vertically received; blue is C-band horizontally transmitted and vertically received. The image was acquired by the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-band Synthetic Aperture (SIR-C/X-SAR) imaging radar on October 3, 1994, when it flew aboard the space shuttle Endeavour. SIR-C/X-SAR is a joint mission of the U.S./German and Italian space agencies.

    Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C and X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) is part of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth. The radars illuminate Earth with microwaves allowing detailed observations at any time, regardless of weather or sunlight conditions. SIR-C/X-SAR uses three microwave wavelengths: L-band (24 cm), C-band (6 cm) and X-band (3 cm). The multi-frequency data will be used by the international scientific community to better understand the global environment and how it is changing. The SIR-C/X-SAR data, complemented by aircraft and ground studies, will give scientists clearer insights into those environmental changes which are caused by nature and those changes which are induced by human activity. SIR-C was developed by

  1. Characterizing the genetic differences between two distinct migrant groups from Indo-European and Dravidian speaking populations in India.

    PubMed

    Ali, Mohammad; Liu, Xuanyao; Pillai, Esakimuthu Nisha; Chen, Peng; Khor, Chiea-Chuen; Ong, Rick Twee-Hee; Teo, Yik-Ying

    2014-07-22

    India is home to many ethnically and linguistically diverse populations. It is hypothesized that history of invasions by people from Persia and Central Asia, who are referred as Aryans in Hindu Holy Scriptures, had a defining role in shaping the Indian population canvas. A shift in spoken languages from Dravidian languages to Indo-European languages around 1500 B.C. is central to the Aryan Invasion Theory. Here we investigate the genetic differences between two sub-populations of India consisting of: (1) The Indo-European language speaking Gujarati Indians with genome-wide data from the International HapMap Project; and (2) the Dravidian language speaking Tamil Indians with genome-wide data from the Singapore Genome Variation Project. We implemented three population genetics measures to identify genomic regions that are significantly differentiated between the two Indian populations originating from the north and south of India. These measures singled out genomic regions with: (i) SNPs exhibiting significant variation in allele frequencies in the two Indian populations; and (ii) differential signals of positive natural selection as quantified by the integrated haplotype score (iHS) and cross-population extended haplotype homozygosity (XP-EHH). One of the regions that emerged spans the SLC24A5 gene that has been functionally shown to affect skin pigmentation, with a higher degree of genetic sharing between Gujarati Indians and Europeans. Our finding points to a gene-flow from Europe to north India that provides an explanation for the lighter skin tones present in North Indians in comparison to South Indians.

  2. A deep structural ridge beneath central India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Agrawal, P. K.; Thakur, N. K.; Negi, J. G.

    A joint-inversion of magnetic satellite (MAGSAT) and free air gravity data has been conducted to quantitatively investigate the cause for Bouguer gravity anomaly over Central Indian plateaus and possible fold consequences beside Himalayan zone in the Indian sub-continent due to collision between Indian and Eurasian plates. The appropriate inversion with 40 km crustal depth model has delineated after discriminating high density and magnetisation models, for the first time, about 1500 km long hidden ridge structure trending NW-SE. The structure is parallel to Himalayan fold axis and the Indian Ocean ridge in the Arabian Sea. A quantitative relief model across a representative anomaly profile confirms the ridge structure with its highest point nearly 6 km higher than the surrounding crustal level in peninsular India. The ridge structure finds visible support from the astro-geoidal contours.

  3. The Challenges and Relevance of Exploring the Genetics of North Africa's "Barbary Lion" and the Conservation of Putative Descendants in Captivity.

    PubMed

    Black, Simon A

    2016-01-01

    The lions of North Africa were unique in ecological terms as well as from a human cultural perspective and were the definitive lions of Roman and Medieval Europe. Labelled "Barbary" lions, they were once numerous in North Africa but were exterminated by the mid-20th century. Despite subsequent degeneration of the Atlas Mountain ecosystem through human pressures, the feasibility of lion reintroduction has been debated since the 1970s. Research on the long-established captive lion collection traditionally kept by the sultans and kings of Morocco has enabled selective breeding coordinated across Moroccan and European zoos involving a significant number of animals. Molecular genetic research has recently provided insights into lion phylogeny which, despite previous suggestions that all lions share recent common ancestry, now indicates clear distinctions between lions in North, West, and Central Africa, the Middle East, and India versus those in Southern and Eastern Africa. A review of the evolutionary relevance of North African lions highlights the important challenges and opportunities in understanding relationships between Moroccan lions, extinct North African lions, and extant lion populations in India and West and Central Africa and the potential role for lions in ecosystem recovery in those regions.

  4. Tension Among Women in North India: An Idiom of Distress and a Cultural Syndrome.

    PubMed

    Weaver, Lesley Jo

    2017-03-01

    The existing literature on Indian ethnopsychology has long asserted that somatization is a key aspect of experiences of distress. The study of idioms of distress arose out of work done in India (Nichter in Cult Med Psychiatry 5(4):379-408, 1981), but ironically, little subsequent work has systematically explored idioms of distress in this part of the world. This ethnographic study focused on the term tension (tenśan) and its relation to a cultural syndrome among women in urban North India. This syndrome appears to involve rapid-onset anger, irritation, rumination, and sleeplessness as key symptoms. It is often linked to specific circumstances such as domestic conflict and is associated with the stresses of modern urban life. People who report more symptoms of tension had consistently higher scores on the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-25 for depression and anxiety. In this cultural context where psychiatric care is highly stigmatized, the language of tension can aid providers of mental healthcare (many of whom, in India, are not psychiatrists or psychologists) to identify and communicate effectively with potential patients whose mental healthcare needs might otherwise go unaddressed.

  5. Gender inequality and the risk of HIV among married couples in North India

    PubMed Central

    Bloom, Shelah S.; Agrawal, Alpna; Singh, Kaushalendra K.; Suchindran, Chirayath M.

    2014-01-01

    This study investigated the distribution and determinants of HIV risks among married couples in North India. Gender inequality emerged as a potential driver of HIV risks in this region. Data collection took place in 2003 in a probability survey of 3,385 couples living in India’s most populous state – Uttar Pradesh – and Uttaranchal. Couples’ analyses utilizing generalized estimating equations showed that compared with husbands, wives were less knowledgeable about HIV (OR=0.31, 95% CI= 0.27–0.36), more likely to consider themselves at risk for infection (OR=6.86, 95% CI= 4.65–10.13), and less likely to feel that a wife had the right to refuse sex with her husband (OR=0.50, 95% CI= 0.44–0.58). The proportion of husbands reporting non-marital sex in the past year was 7.1% and transactional sex in the past year, 2.2%. Among their wives, 73.4% were unaware of their husbands’ non-marital sexual behaviors and only 28.9% of husbands reported condom use during their last non-marital sexual encounter. Logistic regression analyses showed that husbands’ alcohol use, husbands’ mobility, and urban residence were positively associated with husbands’ non-marital sexual behaviors adjusting for other covariates. The data demonstrate that HIV prevention programs among couples in North India should consider both sexual risks and gender inequalities which potentially fuel HIV spread in this region. PMID:25562412

  6. The Status of timber resources in the North Central United States.

    Treesearch

    Stephen R. Shifley; Neal H. Sullivan

    2002-01-01

    Summarizes forest area, ownership, volume, growth, harvest, products, product consumption, trends, and sustainability for the North Central United States including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin.

  7. Wildfire atlas of the northeastern and north central states.

    Treesearch

    Donald A. Haines; Von J. Johnson; William A. Main

    1975-01-01

    Describes patterns of forest fire activity across the northeastern and north central United States. Gives average dates of greening ad curing of herbaceous plants, medium size of fires in various fuels, and annual profiles of peak fire activity. It also examines combinations of major fire cause and day-of-week activity.

  8. Habitat improvement for wildlife in North-Central Sonora, Mexico

    Treesearch

    Martha Martin-Rivera; Fernando Ibarra-Flores; Fred S. Guthery; William P. Kublesky; Gustavo Camou-Luders; Jesus Fimbres-Preciado; Donald Johnson-Gordon

    2001-01-01

    Native vegetation of semiarid grasslands and desert ecosystems that comprise the Arbosufrutescent Desert scrub vegetation in north-central Sonora has been degraded by overgrazing, drought, farming, woodcutting, and a host of other activities over the past century. Several studies were conducted at "Rancho Grande" and at "Rancho El Carrizo," Sonora...

  9. Evaluating imputation and modeling in the North Central region

    Treesearch

    Ronald E. McRoberts

    2000-01-01

    The objectives of the North Central Research Station, USDA Forest Service, in developing procedures for annual forest inventories include establishing the capability of producing annual estimates of timber volume and related variables. The inventory system developed to accomplish these objectives features an annual sample of measured field plots and techniques for...

  10. Age Distribution of Oak Forests in North-Central Arkansas

    Treesearch

    Rick Soucy; Eric Heitzman; Martin A. Spetich

    2004-01-01

    We used tree ring analysis to reconstruct the tree establishment patterns in four mature white oak (Quercus alba L.)-northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.)-hickory (Carya spp.) forests in the Ozark Mountains of north-central Arkasas. Cross sections were removed from the stumps of 321 recently harvested trees and...

  11. Crustal insights from gravity and aeromagnetic analysis: Central North Slope, Alaska

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Saltus, R.W.; Potter, C.J.; Phillips, J.D.

    2006-01-01

    Aeromagnetic and gravity data are processed and interpreted to reveal deep and shallow information about the crustal structure of the central North Slope, Alaska. Regional aeromagnetic anomalies primarily reflect deep crustal features. Regional gravity anomalies are more complex and require detailed analysis. We constrain our geophysical models with seismic data and interpretations along two transects including the Trans-Alaska Crustal Transect. Combined geophysical analysis reveals a remarkable heterogeneity of the pre-Mississippian basement. In the central North Slope, pre-Mississippian basement consists of two distinct geophysical domains. To the southwest, the basement is dense and highly magnetic; this basement is likely mafic and mechanically strong, possibly acting as a buttress to basement involvement in Brooks Range thrusting. To the northeast, the central North Slope basement consists of lower density, moderately magnetic rocks with several discrete regions (intrusions?) of more magnetic rocks. A conjugate set of geophysical trends, northwest-southeast and southwest-northeast, may be a factor in the crustal response to tectonic compression in this domain. High-resolution gravity and aeromagnetic data, where available, reflect details of shallow fault and fold structure. The maps and profile models in this report should provide useful guidelines and complementary information for regional structural studies, particularly in combination with detailed seismic reflection interpretations. Future challenges include collection of high-resolution gravity and aeromagnetic data for the entire North Slope as well as additional deep crustal information from seismic, drilling, and other complementary methods. Copyrights ?? 2006. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists. All rights reserved.

  12. SmartWay Featured Partner: North Central Texas Council of Governments

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This EPA fact sheet spotlights North Central Texas Council of Governments as a SmartWay partner, improving air quality in the Dallas-Fort Worth region by incorporating SW-verified technology into its programs, reducing fuel consumption and increasing energ

  13. Distribution of dissolved zinc in the western and central subarctic North Pacific

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, T.; Obata, H.; Gamo, T.

    2016-02-01

    Zinc (Zn) is an essential micronutrient for bacteria and phytoplankton in the ocean as it plays an important role in numerous enzyme systems involved in various metabolic processes. However, large-scale distributions of total dissolved Zn in the subarctic North Pacific have not been investigated yet. In this study, we investigated the distributions of total dissolved Zn to understand biogeochemical cycling of Zn in the western and central subarctic North Pacific as a Japanese GEOTRACES project. Seawater samples were collected during the R/V Hakuho-maru KH-12-4 GEOTRACES GP 02 cruise (from August to October 2012), by using acid-cleaned Teflon-coated X-type Niskin samplers. Total dissolved Zn in seawater was determined using cathodic stripping voltammetry (CSV) after UV-digestion. In this study, total dissolved Zn concentrations in the western and central subarctic North Pacific commonly showed Zn increase from surface to approximately 400-500 m, just above the oxygen minimum layer. However, in the western subarctic North Pacific, relatively higher Zn concentrations have also been observed at intermediate depths (800-1200 m), in comparison with those observed in deep waters. The relationship between Zn and Si in the western subarctic North Pacific showed that Zn is slightly enriched at intermediate depths. These results may indicate that there are additional sources of Zn to intermediate water of the western subarctic North Pacific.

  14. Meteorological features associated with unprecedented precipitation over India during 1st week of March 2015

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, Naresh; Mohapatra, M.; Jaswal, A. K.

    2017-07-01

    Unprecedented precipitation along with heavy falls occurred over many parts of India from 28th February to 2nd March 2015. Many of the stations of northwest and central India received an all time high 24 hr cumulative precipitation of March during this period. Even the national capital, New Delhi, broke all the previous historical 24 hr rainfall records of the last 100 years to the rainfall record in March 2015. Due to this event, huge loss to agricultural and horticultural crops occurred in several parts of India. In the present study, an attempt is made to understand the various meteorological features associated with this unprecedented precipitation event over India. It occurred due to the presence of an intense western disturbance (WD) over Afghanistan and neighbouring areas in the form of north-south oriented deep trough in westerlies in middle and upper tropospheric levels with its southern end deep in the Arabian Sea, which pumped huge moisture feed over Indian region. Also, there was a jet stream with core wind speed up to 160 knots that generated high positive divergence at upper tropospheric level over Indian region; along with this there was high magnitude of negative vertical velocity and velocity convergence were there at middle tropospheric level. It caused intense upward motion and forced lower levels air to rise and strengthen the lower levels cyclonic circulations (CCs)/Lows. Moreover, the induced CCs/Lows at lower tropospheric levels associated with WD were more towards south of its normal position. Additionally, there was wind confluence over central parts of India due to westerlies in association with WD and easterlies from anticyclone over north Bay of Bengal. Thus, intense WD along with wind confluence between westerlies and easterlies caused unprecedented precipitation over India during the 1st week of March 2015.

  15. Is the Central America forearc sliver part of the North America plate?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guzman-Speziale, M.

    2012-04-01

    The Central America Forearc sliver is located between the Central America volcanic arc and the Middle America trench. Several authors have suggested that the forearc is being displaced to the northwest with respect to the Caribbean plate; they point to right-lateral, normal-faulting earthquakes along the Central America volcanic arc as prime evidence of this displacement. Apparently, the forearc continues to the northwest into southeastern Mexico, although this portion of the forearc is not being displaced. I present evidence that suggests that the forearc indeed continues into southeastern Mexico and that it belongs to the North America plate. Physiographically, there is a continuity of the forearc into the Coastal plains of southeastern (Chiapas) Mexico, across the Motagua and Polochic faults. Offshore, cross-sections of the Middle America trench are similar along the mexican (Chiapas) segment, and the Central American segment. Furthermore, at the northwestern end of the coastal plain there are no compressive structures, which suggests that the coastal plain is not being displaced to the northwest. As a matter of fact, fault-plane solutions for shallow earthquakes show extension rather than compression. Shallow, interplate earthquakes along the trench show similar parameters along both segments. P-axes and earthquake slip vectors have consistent azimuths, which relate better with Cocos-North America convergence than with Cocos-Caribbean. Azimuth of T-axes for normal-faulting earthquakes also agree well with Cocos-North America convergence. Similarity in several parameters is thus found across both segments, the Chiapas coastal plain and the Central America forearc sliver proper. This suggests that both segments are continuous and probably one and the same, and belonging to the North America plate. Perhaps more properly, the forearc sliver extends into southeastern Mexico and is part of the zone of deformation associated to the Cocos-North America-Caribbean plates

  16. Evaluating regional differences in macroinvertebrate communities from forested depressional wetlands across eastern and central North America

    Treesearch

    Darold P. Batzer; Susan E. Dietz-Brantley; Barbara E. Taylor; Adrienne E. DeBiase

    2005-01-01

    Forested depressional wetlands are an important seasonal wetland type across eastern and central North America. Macroinvertebrates are crucial ecosystem components of most forested depressional wetlands, but community compositions can vary widely across the region. We evaluated variation in macroinvertebrate faunas across eastern and central North America using 5...

  17. Level of literacy and dementia: A secondary post-hoc analysis from North-West India.

    PubMed

    Raina, Sunil Kumar; Chander, Vishav; Kumar, Dinesh; Raina, Sujeet; Bhardwaj, Ashok

    2014-10-01

    A relation between literacy and dementia has been studied in past and an association has been documented. This is in spite of some studies pointing to the contrary. The current study was aimed at investigating the influence of level of literacy on dementia in a sample stratified by geography (Migrant, Urban, Rural and Tribal areas of sub-Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh, India). The study was based on post-hoc analysis of data obtained from a study conducted on elderly population (60 years and above) from selected geographical areas (Migrant, Urban, Rural and Tribal) of Himachal Pradesh state in North-west India. Analysis of variance revealed an effect of education on cognitive scores [F = 2.823, P =0.01], however, post-hoc Tukey's HSD test did not reveal any significant pairwise comparisons. The possibility that education effects dementia needs further evaluation, more so in Indian context.

  18. Dietary patterns in India and their association with obesity and central obesity.

    PubMed

    Satija, Ambika; Hu, Frank B; Bowen, Liza; Bharathi, Ankalmadugu V; Vaz, Mario; Prabhakaran, Dorairaj; Reddy, K Srinath; Ben-Shlomo, Yoav; Davey Smith, George; Kinra, Sanjay; Ebrahim, Shah

    2015-11-01

    Obesity is a growing problem in India, the dietary determinants of which have been studied using an 'individual food/nutrient' approach. Examining dietary patterns may provide more coherent findings, but few studies in developing countries have adopted this approach. The present study aimed to identify dietary patterns in an Indian population and assess their relationship with anthropometric risk factors. FFQ data from the cross-sectional sib-pair Indian Migration Study (IMS; n 7067) were used to identify dietary patterns using principal component analysis. Mixed-effects logistic regression was used to examine associations with obesity and central obesity. The IMS was conducted at four factory locations across India: Lucknow, Nagpur, Hyderabad and Bangalore. The participants were rural-to-urban migrant and urban non-migrant factory workers, their rural and urban resident siblings, and their co-resident spouses. Three dietary patterns were identified: 'cereals-savoury foods' (cooked grains, rice/rice-based dishes, snacks, condiments, soups, nuts), 'fruit-veg-sweets-snacks' (Western cereals, vegetables, fruit, fruit juices, cooked milk products, snacks, sugars, sweets) and 'animal-food' (red meat, poultry, fish/seafood, eggs). In adjusted analysis, positive graded associations were found between the 'animal-food' pattern and both anthropometric risk factors. Moderate intake of the 'cereals-savoury foods' pattern was associated with reduced odds of obesity and central obesity. Distinct dietary patterns were identified in a large Indian sample, which were different from those identified in previous literature. A clear 'plant food-based/animal food-based pattern' dichotomy emerged, with the latter being associated with higher odds of anthropometric risk factors. Longitudinal studies are needed to further clarify this relationship in India.

  19. North Central Climate Science Center--science agenda 2012-2017

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Morisette, Jeffrey T.

    2012-01-01

    The information presented here provides the five-year science agenda for the North Central Climate Science Center. It is meant to be a high-level guide that describes the spatial context of the center, the primary partners and stakeholders, and the strategic framework the center will use in applying climate science to inform management.

  20. Susceptibility of Rubella Among Pregnant Women Attending the Antenatal Clinic in a Tertiary Care Hospital, Jabalpur, Central India.

    PubMed

    Kori, Bhupesh K; Singh, Kavita N; Sharma, Ravendra K; Sharma, Bhagwati S; Badkur, Poorva; Barde, Pradip V

    2017-03-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate rubella susceptibility of pregnant women from central India as rubella infection can be devastating for the newborn if it occurs in the mother in the first trimester of pregnancy, which may lead to congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). There are very few studies about seroprevalence of rubella from India and none from central India. The study was conducted among women attending the obstetric department of a tertiary care hospital, in which 369 antenatal cases were tested for the presence of immunoglobulin G antibody for rubella and its titer. Data were analyzed using statistical tests. A total of 141 (38.2%) women were found susceptible to rubella. There was no significant difference in rubella susceptibility among different socioeconomic classes, ages, and gravidity. A large proportion of pregnant women were found to be rubella susceptible, posing immense threat of CRS to their newborns. A robust program for rubella immunization targeting young adult women is needed to avoid CRS.

  1. Data bases for forest inventory in the North-Central Region.

    Treesearch

    Jerold T. Hahn; Mark H. Hansen

    1985-01-01

    Describes the data collected by the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Research Work Unit at the North Central Forest Experiment Station. Explains how interested parties may obtain information from the databases either through direct access or by special requests to the FIA database manager.

  2. Relative Contribution of Monsoon Precipitation and Pumping to Changes in Groundwater Storage in India

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Asoka, Akarsh; Gleeson, Tom; Wada, Yoshihide; Mishra, Vimal

    2017-01-01

    The depletion of groundwater resources threatens food and water security in India. However, the relative influence of groundwater pumping and climate variability on groundwater availability and storage remains unclear. Here we show from analyses of satellite and local well data spanning the past decade that long-term changes in monsoon precipitation are driving groundwater storage variability in most parts of India either directly by changing recharge or indirectly by changing abstraction. We find that groundwater storage has declined in northern India at the rate of 2 cm/yr and increased by 1 to 2 cm/yr in southern India between 2002 and 2013. We find that a large fraction of the total variability in groundwater storage in north-central and southern India can be explained by changes in precipitation. Groundwater storage variability in northwestern India can be explained predominantly by variability in abstraction for irrigation, which is in turn influenced by changes in precipitation. Declining precipitation in northern India is linked to Indian Ocean warming, suggesting a previously unrecognized teleconnection between ocean temperatures and groundwater storage.

  3. Delhi, India

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2008-01-01

    Delhi is the second largest metropolis in India, with a population of 16 million. Located in northern India along the banks of the Yamuna River, Delhi has the status of a federally-administered union territory. Within it is the district of New Delhi, India's capital. Delhi is one of the oldest continually inhabited cites in the world, with traces of human occupation dating to the second millennium BC. The image was acquired September 22, 2003, covers an area of 30.6 x 34.8 km, and is located near 28.6 degrees north latitude, 77.2 degrees east longitude.

    The image was acquired on August 4, 2005, covers an area of 55.8 x 55.8 km, and is located at 68.6 degrees north latitude, 134.7 degrees west longitude.

    The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate.

  4. Prevalence of myelinated retinal nerve fibres in adult Indians: the Central India Eye and Medical Study.

    PubMed

    Nangia, Vinay; Jonas, Jost B; Khare, Anshu; Bhate, Karishma; Agarwal, Shubhra; Panda-Jonas, Songhomitra

    2014-05-01

    To determine the prevalence of myelinated retinal nerve fibers in the adult Indian population. The Central India Eye and Medical Study performed in rural Central India included 4711 participants aged 30+ years. The participants underwent a detailed ophthalmic and medical examination. Readable fundus photographs were available for 8645 eyes of 4485 (95.2%) subjects. Myelinated retinal nerve fibers were detected in 52 eyes (46 subjects) with a prevalence rate of 0.58±0.08 per 100 eyes [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.42, 0.74] and 1.03±0.15 per 100 subjects (95%CI: 0.73, 1.32). Prevalence of myelinated retinal nerve fibers was significantly associated hyperopic refractive error (p=0.008; OR: 1.31; 95%CI: 1.07, 1.59). It was not significantly associated with age (p=0.11), best corrected visual acuity (logMAR; p=0.33), intraocular pressure (p=0.09), amount of nuclear cataract (p=0.93), optic disc area (p=0.60), presence of glaucomatous optic nerve atrophy (p=0.62), and early age-related macular degeneration (p=0.53). Myelinated retinal nerve fibers are present in about 10 out of 1000 adult Indians in rural Central India, with a higher prevalence in hyperopic eyes. Prevalence of myelinated retinal nerve fibers was not associated with age, visual acuity, glaucoma and macular degeneration. © 2013 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. Mercury speciation in coastal sediments from the central east coast of India by modified BCR method.

    PubMed

    Chakraborty, Parthasarathi; Raghunadh Babu, P V; Vudamala, Krushna; Ramteke, Darwin; Chennuri, Kartheek

    2014-04-15

    This is the first study to describe distribution and speciation of Hg in coastal sediments from the central east coast of India. The concentrations of Hg in the studied sediments were found to be much lower than the Hg concentration recommended in coastal sediments by the United State Environmental Protection Agency and the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment for the protection of aquatic life. This study suggests that the interactions between Hg and coastal sediments are influenced by particle size (sand, silt and clay) of the sediments and the total organic carbon (TOC) content in the sediments. It was found that the coastal sediments from the central east coast of India could act as a sink for Hg. The availability of strong uncomplexed-Hg binding sites in the coastal sediments was observed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Spatial heterogeneity of aerosol optical and radiative properties obtained from multiple satellite retrievals over the Sub-Himalayan region of North-East India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pathak, Binita; Bhuyan, Pradip; Biswas, Jhuma; Dahutia, Papori

    North East India, nestled between the southeastern Tibetan Plateau on the north, the Indo Myanmar range of hills to the east, plains of Bangladesh to the south and the Indo-Gangetic plains (IGP) to the west has a unique topography and population inhabitation pattern. In recent decades, along with other parts of south Asia NE India has undergone rapid industrial and economic development. Lifestyle changes have increasingly added to the anthropogenic burden on the atmosphere in the plains while biomass burning due to shifting cultivation in the hills is a major source of particulate and gaseous pollution. Studies have suggested that during the Asian summer monsoon, boundary layer pollution from India, Southeast Asia and south China are lifted to the upper tropospheric region by convection followed by westward transport over the Middle East and the Mediterranean. The spatio-temporal variation of aerosol optical (viz. AOD, AAI, AAOD, AE, FMF, columnar mass concentration (CMC)) and radiative properties are studied using data from multiple satellite sensors: MODIS, OMI, TOMS, CERES at various locations within the NE India (22-30°N, 86-98°E) for the period 2000-2012. Significant spatio-temporal variation of aerosol optical and radiative properties is observed within the region. For example, Guwahati, the metropolitan city, shows maximum value of AOD, followed by Dhubri the location situated at the western corridor of north-east India. Minimum AOD is observed at the high altitude locations Thimphu and Tawang. Temporally AOD is overriding in March, April, May (MAM) at almost all the observation locations. The minimum AOD over the region in October-November (ON) is associated with the topography and local meteorology. AAI >0.5 at all the locations indicates presence of significant amount of absorbing aerosols. The peak AAI and AAOD in MAM at all the location is associated with the peak biomass burning activity and long range transportation from other locations of India and

  7. Rural People and Their Resources: North-Central New Mexico.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Taylor, Marlowe M.

    The general objective of a study conducted in the 1950's was to describe the physical and human resources of the rural areas in north-central New Mexico. The specific objectives were (1) to inventory and classify the land, labor, and capital resources, (2) to determine levels and sources of incomes of these households, and (3) to appraise some of…

  8. Outbreak of chickenpox in a Union Territory of North India.

    PubMed

    Singh, M P; Chandran, C; Sarwa, A; Kumar, A; Gupta, M; Raj, A; Ratho, R K

    2015-01-01

    Primary infection with a varicella-zoster virus (VZV) leads to chickenpox. Though the incidence of the disease has decreased in many developed countries due to the introduction of the varicella vaccine, outbreaks continue to occur in developing countries. The present study reports an outbreak of varicella in an urbanised village in the vicinity of Chandigarh City in North India in November 2013. The outbreak was confirmed by the detection of VZV IgM antibodies in serum samples of clinically suspected patients. Vesicular fluid samples were collected from 8 patients with active lesions and tested for VZV DNA by polymerase chain reaction. Blood samples were also collected from 17 healthy controls residing in the same locality and tested for the presence of VZV IgM and IgG antibodies. A total of 18 cases occurred, and the majority of them (67%) were <15 years of age. Of 17 samples collected from patients with the clinically suspected disease, 13 (76.5%) showed the presence of VZV IgM antibodies. Of the healthy controls, 6 were VZV IgM positive and 4 of them developed symptomatic disease on follow-up. VZV DNA was positive in 5/8 (62.5%) of the patients. In one patient, VZV DNA was detected in the absence of an IgM antibody response. The introduction of varicella vaccine in the universal immunisation programme of India may help to prevent these outbreaks; however, the cost-benefit analysis needs to be carried out before making such policies.

  9. Deep learning for predicting the monsoon over the homogeneous regions of India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saha, Moumita; Mitra, Pabitra; Nanjundiah, Ravi S.

    2017-06-01

    Indian monsoon varies in its nature over the geographical regions. Predicting the rainfall not just at the national level, but at the regional level is an important task. In this article, we used a deep neural network, namely, the stacked autoencoder to automatically identify climatic factors that are capable of predicting the rainfall over the homogeneous regions of India. An ensemble regression tree model is used for monsoon prediction using the identified climatic predictors. The proposed model provides forecast of the monsoon at a long lead time which supports the government to implement appropriate policies for the economic growth of the country. The monsoon of the central, north-east, north-west, and south-peninsular India regions are predicted with errors of 4.1%, 5.1%, 5.5%, and 6.4%, respectively. The identified predictors show high skill in predicting the regional monsoon having high variability. The proposed model is observed to be competitive with the state-of-the-art prediction models.

  10. Coda Q Attenuation and Source Parameters Analysis in North East India Using Local Earthquakes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mohapatra, A. K.; Mohanty, W. K.; Earthquake Seismology

    2010-12-01

    Alok Kumar Mohapatra1* and William Kumar Mohanty1 *Corresponding author: alokgpiitkgp@gmail.com 1Department of Geology and Geophysics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India. Pin-721302 ABSTRACT In the present study, the quality factor of coda waves (Qc) and the source parameters has been estimated for the Northeastern India, using the digital data of ten local earthquakes from April 2001 to November 2002. Earthquakes with magnitude range from 3.8 to 4.9 have been taken into account. The time domain coda decay method of a single back scattering model is used to calculate frequency dependent values of Coda Q (Qc) where as, the source parameters like seismic moment(Mo), stress drop, source radius(r), radiant energy(Wo),and strain drop are estimated using displacement amplitude spectrum of body wave using Brune's model. The earthquakes with magnitude range 3.8 to 4.9 have been used for estimation Qc at six central frequencies 1.5 Hz, 3.0 Hz, 6.0 Hz, 9.0 Hz, 12.0 Hz, and 18.0 Hz. In the present work, the Qc value of local earthquakes are estimated to understand the attenuation characteristic, source parameters and tectonic activity of the region. Based on a criteria of homogeneity in the geological characteristics and the constrains imposed by the distribution of available events the study region has been classified into three zones such as the Tibetan Plateau Zone (TPZ), Bengal Alluvium and Arakan-Yuma Zone (BAZ), Shillong Plateau Zone (SPZ). It follows the power law Qc= Qo (f/fo)n where, Qo is the quality factor at the reference frequency (1Hz) fo and n is the frequency parameter which varies from region to region. The mean values of Qc reveals a dependence on frequency, varying from 292.9 at 1.5 Hz to 4880.1 at 18 Hz. Average frequency dependent relationship Qc values obtained of the Northeastern India is 198 f 1.035, while this relationship varies from the region to region such as, Tibetan Plateau Zone (TPZ): Qc= 226 f 1.11, Bengal Alluvium

  11. Streamflow Measurements in North-Central Nebraska, November 2006

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Peterson, Steven M.; Strauch, Kellan R.

    2007-01-01

    Streamflow measurements were made during November of 2006 in the Elkhorn and Loup River basins and selected streams in the Niobrara and Platte River basins in north-central Nebraska. At these 531 sites, flows ranging from no flow to 2,600 ft3/s were measured or observed. The data are presented in a table along with the quality of measurement and the method that was used. Maps show the location of the study area and the sites.

  12. Multiple Stakeholder Perspectives on Cancer Stigma in North India.

    PubMed

    Gupta, Adyya; Dhillon, Preet K; Govil, Jyotsna; Bumb, Dipika; Dey, Subhojit; Krishnan, Suneeta

    2015-01-01

    Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. A large proportion of cancer deaths are preventable through early detection but there are a range of social, emotional, cultural and financial dimensions that hinder the effectiveness of cancer prevention and treatment efforts. Cancer stigma is one such barrier and is increasingly recognized as an important factor influencing health awareness and promotion, and hence, disease prevention and control. The impact and extent of stigma on the cancer early detection and care continuum is poorly understood in India. To evaluate cancer awareness and stigma from multiple stakeholder perspectives in North India, including men and women from the general population, health care professionals and educators, and cancer survivors. A qualitative study was conducted with in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs) among 39 individuals over a period of 3 months in 2014. Three groups of participants were chosen purposively - 1) men and women who attended cancer screening camps held by the Indian Cancer Society, Delhi; 2) health care providers and 3) cancer survivors. Most participants were unaware of what cancers are in general, their causes and ways of prevention. Attitudes of families towards cancer patients were observed to be positive and caring. Nevertheless, stigma and its impact emerged as a cross cutting theme across all groups. Cost of treatment, lack of awarenes and beliefs in alternate medicines were identified as some of the major barriers to seeking care. This study suggests a need for spreading awareness, knowledge about cancers and assessing associated impact among the people. Also Future research is recommended to help eradicate stigma from the society and reduce cancer-related stigma in the Indian context.

  13. Soil indigenous knowledge in North Central Namibia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prudat, Brice; Bloemertz, Lena; Kuhn, Nikolaus J.

    2016-04-01

    Mapping and classifying soils is part of an important learning process to improve soil management practices, soil quality and increase productivity. In order to assess soil quality improvement related to an ongoing land reform in North-Central Namibia, the characteristics that determine soil quality in the local land use context were determined in this study. To do so, we collated the indigenous soil knowledge in North-Central Namibia where the Ovakwanyama cultivate pearl millet for centuries. Local soil groups are defined mostly based on their productivity potential, which varies depending on the rainfall pattern. The morphological criteria used by the farmers to differentiate the soil groups (colour, consistence) were supported by a conventional analysis of soil physical and chemical properties. Now, they can be used to develop a soil quality assessment toolbox adapted to the regional use. The characteristics of the tool box do not directly indicate soil quality, but refer to local soils groups. The quality of these groups is relatively homogenous at the local scale. Our results show that understanding of indigenous soil knowledge has great potential to improve soil quality assessment with regards to land use. The integration of this knowledge with the conventional soil analysis improves the local meaning of such a "scientific" assessment and thus facilitates dialog between farmers and agronomists, but also scientists working in different regions of the world, but in similar conditions. Overall, the integration of indigenous knowledge in international classification systems (e.g. WRB) as attempted in this study has thus a major potential to improve soil mapping in the local context.

  14. The Challenges and Relevance of Exploring the Genetics of North Africa's “Barbary Lion” and the Conservation of Putative Descendants in Captivity

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    The lions of North Africa were unique in ecological terms as well as from a human cultural perspective and were the definitive lions of Roman and Medieval Europe. Labelled “Barbary” lions, they were once numerous in North Africa but were exterminated by the mid-20th century. Despite subsequent degeneration of the Atlas Mountain ecosystem through human pressures, the feasibility of lion reintroduction has been debated since the 1970s. Research on the long-established captive lion collection traditionally kept by the sultans and kings of Morocco has enabled selective breeding coordinated across Moroccan and European zoos involving a significant number of animals. Molecular genetic research has recently provided insights into lion phylogeny which, despite previous suggestions that all lions share recent common ancestry, now indicates clear distinctions between lions in North, West, and Central Africa, the Middle East, and India versus those in Southern and Eastern Africa. A review of the evolutionary relevance of North African lions highlights the important challenges and opportunities in understanding relationships between Moroccan lions, extinct North African lions, and extant lion populations in India and West and Central Africa and the potential role for lions in ecosystem recovery in those regions. PMID:27656310

  15. 28. VIEW OF CENTRAL SECTION OF MILL FROM NORTH. COMPRESSOR ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    28. VIEW OF CENTRAL SECTION OF MILL FROM NORTH. COMPRESSOR ROOM BELOW PRECIPITATION FLOOR IS VISIBLE AT LOWER LEFT; THE SECONDARY THICKENER ADDITION IS TO THE RIGHT WITH SECONDARY THICKENER No. 7 OFF VIEW TO RIGHT. - Bald Mountain Gold Mill, Nevada Gulch at head of False Bottom Creek, Lead, Lawrence County, SD

  16. Traditional Practicing with Arsenic Rich Water in Fish Industries Leads to Health Hazards in West Bengal and North-Eastern States of India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kashyap, C. A.

    2014-12-01

    The supply of good quality food is main necessity for economic and social health of urban and rural population throughout the globe. This study comes to know the severity of As in the west Bengal and north-eastern states of the India. Over the 75% large population of India lives in villages and associated with farming and its related work. West Bengal is the densest populated area of India, fish and rice is the staple food as well as in north-eastern states. For the fulfil demand of fish large population the area are used fisheries as the business. Arsenic contamination in ground water is major growing threat to worldwide drinking water resources. High As contamination in water have been reported in many parts of the world Chandrasekharam et al., 2001; Smedley and Kinniburgh, 2002; Farooq et al., 2010). In context to West Bengal and north-east states of India arsenic is main problem in the food chain. These areas are very rich in arsenic many fold higher concentrations of Arsenic than their respective WHO permissible limits have been reported in the water. Over the 36 million people in Bengal delta are at risk due to drinking of As contaminated water (Nordstrom, 2002). The highest concentration of arsenic (535 μg/L Chandrashekhar et al. 2012) was registered from Ngangkha Lawai Mamang Leikai area of Bishnupur district which is fifty fold of the WHO limit for arsenic and tenfold of Indian permissible limit. With the continuous traditional practicing (As rich water pond) and untreated arsenic rich water in fish industries leads to health hazards. A sustainable development in aquaculture should comprise of various fields including environmental, social, cultural and economic aspects. A scientific study has to be needed for the overcome on this problem and rain harvested water may be used for reduce the arsenic problems in fisheries.

  17. Ethnomedicinal plants used by traditional healers of North Tripura district, Tripura, North East India.

    PubMed

    Roy Choudhury, Prakash; Dutta Choudhury, Manabendra; Ningthoujam, Sanjoy Singh; Das, Dipan; Nath, Deepa; Das Talukdar, Anupam

    2015-05-26

    Information about ethnomedicinal plants used by traditional healers in Tripura, India is very much limited. As there is rapid erosion of traditional knowledge in the state, needs has arisen to document the diversity of medicinal plants, their preparation and associated diseases. Attempts have been made to explore the herbal medicines used by the traditional healers belonging to the various communities in North Tripura district of Tripura, India and document the associated traditional knowledge on the utilisation of medicinal plants. The study was based on ethnomedicinal field survey covering a period of 1 year from February 2012 to February 2013. The ethnomedicinal information was collected by using semi-structured questionnaires from different healers and knowledge holders. Collected data were analysed through informant consensus factor, Index of Specialisation and Relative frequency of citation to determine culturally significant plants. A total of 75 species of plants under 68 genera belonging to 43 families were collected during the study for the treatment of 15 disease categories. Leaves were the most frequently used plant parts and most of the medicines were prepared in the form of extract and administered orally. FIC values of the present study indicated that there was a high agreement in the use of plants in the treatment of digestive system disorders and respiratory system disorders among the healers. Plants having high ISu are Justicia adhatoda, Pajanelia longifolia, Catharanthus roseus etc. The present study highlighted certain species having higher priority indices for further phytochemical investigation. Counselling of traditional health practitioners should be taken into consideration in order to smooth continuation and extension of traditional medical knowledge and practice for ensuring safe and effective therapy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Cucurbit germplasm collections at the North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station (NCRPIS) in Ames, Iowa, USA is one of four primary Plant Introduction Stations in the National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS), and has responsibility for maintenance, regeneration, characterization, and distribution of the NPGS Cucumis and Cucurbi...

  19. SOIL RADON POTENTIAL MAPPLING OF TWELVE COUNTIES IN NORTH-CENTRAL FLORIDA

    EPA Science Inventory

    The report describes the approach, methods, and detailed data used to prepare soil radon potential maps of 12 counties in North-Central Florida. he maps were developed under the Florida Radon Research Program to provide a scientific basis for implementing radon-protective buildin...

  20. Impact of Using Information Technology in Central University Libraries in India: Results of a Survey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peyala, Venkataramana

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this article is to present the results of a research study conducted to assess the perceptions and opinions of 100 staff working in libraries on the impact of using IT on library housekeeping operations and information services, in eight central university libraries in India. Design/methodology/approach: Data gathering…

  1. Genetic biodiversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in India.

    PubMed

    Singh, Urvashi Balbir; Arora, Jyoti; Suresh, Naga; Pant, Hema; Rana, Tanu; Sola, Christophe; Rastogi, Nalin; Pande, Jitendra Nath

    2007-07-01

    Spoligotyping was performed on 540 Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates in order to evaluate the genetic biodiversity of tubercle bacilli in India. One hundred and forty seven patterns were unique and 393 were grouped in 48 clusters. Comparison with an international spoligotype database showed that the most predominant clades among tuberculosis (TB) isolates were Central Asian (CAS) and East-African Indian (EAI) with shared-types (ST) ST26 and ST11 alone being responsible for 34% of all TB cases. Twenty one (3.8%) isolates belonged to the Beijing genotype. Marked variations were observed among circulating strains, STs belonging to CAS family predominated in the North, whereas the EAI family was more common in the Southern India. TB in India is predominantly caused by strains belonging to the principal genetic group 1 (PGG1), suggesting that most of the TB burden in India may be traced to ancestral clones of the tubercle bacilli. This study gives an insight into the global M. tuberculosis genetic biodiversity in India, the predominant spoligotypes and their impact on disease transmission.

  2. Understory composition of hardwood stands in north central West Virginia

    Treesearch

    M.J. Twery

    1991-01-01

    Understory composition was measured on 960 10.5 m2 plots in 16 stands on the West Virginia University Forest in north-central West Virginia. The overstory composition was dominated by oaks (Quercus spp.) on 50% of the stands and by a mixture of oaks and yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.) on 50%. All...

  3. Resurgence of diphtheria in rural areas of North Karnataka, India.

    PubMed

    Parande, Mahantesh V; Roy, Subarna; Mantur, B G; Parande, Aisha M; Shinde, Rupali S

    2017-01-01

    A diphtheria outbreak was identified from Vijayapura (formerly Bijapur) district in the South Indian state of Karnataka in 2011. There was a surge in the number of throat swab samples received under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) in North Karnataka since then. A microbiological study was undertaken to generate information on the status of resurgence of the disease in the region. Throat swabs from 432 suspected cases of diphtheria during 2012-2015 were obtained from government hospitals and primary health centres of 8 districts in North Karnataka and were processed for the culture and identification of Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Polymerase chain reaction for the presence of toxin gene (toxA and toxB) was carried out on the isolates. Antibiotic sensitivity tests were performed on the isolates with a panel of 14 antibiotics. Thirty-eight (8.79%) out of 432 samples yielded C. diphtheriae on culture. All isolates possessed the diphtheria toxin gene. Out of the 38 confirmed cases, whereas 21 (55.26%) were between 1 and 5 years of age, 14 (36.84%) were aged between 5 and 10 years. Male children were three times more than females in confirmed cases. No information was available on the immunisation status of the cases. Emergence of resistance to penicillin was found with minimum inhibitory concentration reaching up to 6.00 μg/ml. Our study identified an upsurge in cases of diphtheria in North Karnataka, particularly in Vijayapura District, and to the best of our knowledge, reports the emergence of penicillin resistance for the first time in India. The study calls for enhanced surveillance for the disease, making antidiphtheritic serum available in key hospitals in the region and serves to provide a baseline for future assessment of the impact of the recently launched 'Mission Indradhanush' programme in strengthening Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP).

  4. A Nonlinear Inversion Approach to Map the Magnetic Basement: A Case Study from Central India Using Aeromagnetic Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, R.; Bansal, A. R.; Anand, S. P.; Rao, V. K.; Singh, U. K.

    2016-12-01

    The central India region is having complex geology covering various geological units e.g., Precambrian Bastar Craton (including Proterozoic Chhattisgarh Basin, granitic intrusions etc.) and Eastern Ghat Mobile Belt, Gondwana Godavari and Mahanadi Grabens, Late Cretaceous Deccan Traps etc. The central India is well covered by reconnaissance scale aeromagnetic data. We analyzed this data for mapping the basement by dividing into143 overlapping blocks of 100×100km using least square nonlinear inversion method for fractal distribution of sources. The scaling exponents and depth values are optimized using grid search method. We interpreted estimated depths of anomalous sources as magnetic basement and shallow anomalous magnetic sources. The shallow magnetic anomalies are found to vary from 1 to 3km whereas magnetic basement depths are found to vary from 2km to 7km. The shallowest basement depth of 2km found corresponding to Kanker granites a part of Bastar Craton whereas deepest basement depth of 7km is associated with Godavari Graben and south eastern part of Eastern Ghat Mobile Belts near the Parvatipuram Bobbili fault. The variation of magnetic basement, shallow depths and scaling exponent in the region indicate complex tectonic, heterogeneity and intrusive bodies at different depths which is due to different tectonic processes in the region. The detailed basement depth of central India is presented in this study.

  5. Estimating gross primary productivity of a tropical forest ecosystem over north-east India using LAI and meteorological variables

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deb Burman, Pramit Kumar; Sarma, Dipankar; Williams, Mathew; Karipot, Anandakumar; Chakraborty, Supriyo

    2017-10-01

    Tropical forests act as a major sink of atmospheric carbon dioxide, and store large amounts of carbon in biomass. India is a tropical country with regions of dense vegetation and high biodiversity. However due to the paucity of observations, the carbon sequestration potential of these forests could not be assessed in detail so far. To address this gap, several flux towers were erected over different ecosystems in India by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology as part of the MetFlux India project funded by MoES (Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India). A 50 m tall tower was set up over a semi-evergreen moist deciduous forest named Kaziranga National Park in north-eastern part of India which houses a significant stretch of local forest cover. Climatically this region is identified to be humid sub-tropical. Here we report first generation of the in situ meteorological observations and leaf area index (LAI) measurements from this site. LAI obtained from NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) is compared with the in situ measured LAI. We use these in situ measurements to calculate the total gross photosynthesis (or gross primary productivity, GPP) of the forest using a calibrated model. LAI and GPP show prominent seasonal variation. LAI ranges between 0.75 in winter to 3.25 in summer. Annual GPP is estimated to be 2.11 kg C m^{-2} year^{-1}.

  6. Early Yields of Biomass Plantations in the North-Central U.S.

    Treesearch

    Edward Hansen

    1990-01-01

    A network of hybrid poplar short-rotation plantations was established across the north-central region of the U.S. during 1986-1988. This paper documents the greater than expected early yields from these plantations and dicusses potential yields and uncertainties surrounding potential yield estimates.

  7. Characterization of carbon in sediment-hosted disseminated gold deposits, north central Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Leventhal, Joel; Hofstra, Albert; ,

    1990-01-01

    The gray, dark gray and black colors of the sediments and the presence of pyrite in the Carlin, Jerritt Canyon, Horse Canyon, Betze, and Gold Acres sediment-hosted disseminated gold (SHDG) deposits indicate that these rocks are not oxidized with respect to carbon and iron sulfide. The organic matter in the host rocks of SHDG deposits in north-central Nevada is cryptocrystalline graphite with dimensions of 30 to 70 A (0.003 to 0.007 ??) that was formed at temperatures of 250 to 300??C. These results indicate that north-central Nevada was subjected to pumpellyite-actinolite to lowermost greenschist facies conditions prior to mineralization. The hydrothermal fluids that produced the gold deposits had little, if any, effect on the thermal maturity and crystallinity of the cryptocrystalline graphite produced by the earlier thermal event.

  8. Mass loading and episodic variation of molecular markers in PM2.5 aerosols over a rural area in eastern central India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nirmalkar, Jayant; Deshmukh, Dhananjay K.; Deb, Manas K.; Tsai, Ying I.; Sopajaree, Khajornsak

    2015-09-01

    The impact of biomass burning in atmospheric aerosols load is poorly known. We investigated the impact of biomass burning through molecular markers on the concentration of PM2.5 aerosol samples collected from a rural site in eastern central India during three episodic periods from October to November 2011. The collected PM2.5 samples were chemically quantified for potassium as well as sugars and dicarboxylic acids using ion chromatography. Levoglucosan and glucose were found as the most abundant sugar compounds and sugar-alcohols showed the predominance of mannitol whereas oxalic acid was the most abundant diacid followed by maleic acid in PM2.5 aerosols. Substantially enhanced concentrations of K+ as well as levoglucosan and glucose were observed in eastern central India. Analysis of the source specific molecular markers and ratios of sugars and diacids infer that combustion of biomass was the major emission sources of organic compounds associated with PM2.5 aerosols over eastern central India. We applied Spearman correlation analysis and principal component analysis to further investigate the sources of measured sugars and diacids. The concentrations of K+ and levoglucosan were significantly correlated with sugars and diacids that verifying their common sources from biomass burning emission. This study demonstrates that biomass burning for domestic heating and cooking purposes and agricultural activities significantly influence the air quality of eastern central India during the investigation period. The obtained data in this research is helpful for the global scientific community to assessments and remedial of air quality parameters in rural areas of developing countries under similar atmospheric circumstances.

  9. Genetic differentiation and population structure of five ethnic groups of Punjab (North-West India).

    PubMed

    Singh, Gagandeep; Talwar, Indu; Sharma, Rubina; Matharoo, Kawaljit; Bhanwer, A J S

    2016-12-01

    The state of Punjab in the North-West part of India has acted as the main passage for all the major human invasions into the Indian subcontinent. It has resulted in the mixing of foreign gene pool into the local populations, which led to an extensive range of genetic diversity and has influenced the genetic structure of populations in Punjab, North-West India. The present study was conducted to examine the genetic structure, relationships, and extent of genetic differentiation in five Indo-European speaking ethnic groups of Punjab. A total of 1021 unrelated samples belonging to Banias, Brahmins, Jat Sikhs, Khatris, and Scheduled castes were analyzed for four human-specific Ins/Del polymorphic loci (ACE, APO, PLAT, and D1) and three restriction fragment length polymorphisms ESR (PvuII), LPL (PvuII), and T2 (MspI) using Polymerase chain reaction (PCR). All the loci were found to be polymorphic among the studied populations. The frequency of the Alu insertion at APO locus was observed to exhibit the highest value (82.6-96.3 %), whereas D1 exhibited the lowest (26.5-45.6 %) among all the ethnic groups. The average heterozygosity among the studied populations ranged from 0.3816 in Banias to 0.4163 in Khatris. The F ST values ranged from 0.0418 to 0.0033 for the PLAT and LPL loci, respectively, with an average value being 0.0166. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Banias and Khatris are genetically closest to each other. The Jat Sikhs are genetically close to Brahmins and are distant from the Banias. The Jat Sikhs, Banias, Brahmins, and Khatris are genetically very distant from the Scheduled castes. Overall, Uniform allele frequency distribution patterns, high average heterozygosity values, and a small degree of genetic differentiation in this study suggest a genetic proximity among the selected populations. A low level of genetic differentiation was observed in the studied population groups indicating that genetic drift might have been small or negligible in shaping

  10. Market potential and opportunities for commercialization of traditional meat products in North East Hill Region of India.

    PubMed

    Kadirvel, G; Banerjee, Bandita B; Meitei, Surajit; Doley, S; Sen, Arnab; Muthukumar, M

    2018-02-01

    The North Eastern (NE) India is renowned for its preference for animal-based food. This region is known for its traditional meat products. However, the popularity of these products remains confined to the specific community/location. The knowledge on the traditional preparation methods is generally passed across generations through practice and word of mouth. The traditional style of preparation and the specific ingredients added to each product makes them unique. In this review, an attempt has been made to identify the initiatives, opportunities, and market potential for commercialization of the traditional meat products. These unique features and properties of the traditional meat products have been highlighted. The commercialization of these products will enhance entrepreneurship development and ensure quality ethnic products to the consumer in the NE hill region of India.

  11. Market potential and opportunities for commercialization of traditional meat products in North East Hill Region of India

    PubMed Central

    Kadirvel, G.; Banerjee, Bandita B.; Meitei, Surajit; Doley, S.; Sen, Arnab; Muthukumar, M.

    2018-01-01

    The North Eastern (NE) India is renowned for its preference for animal-based food. This region is known for its traditional meat products. However, the popularity of these products remains confined to the specific community/location. The knowledge on the traditional preparation methods is generally passed across generations through practice and word of mouth. The traditional style of preparation and the specific ingredients added to each product makes them unique. In this review, an attempt has been made to identify the initiatives, opportunities, and market potential for commercialization of the traditional meat products. These unique features and properties of the traditional meat products have been highlighted. The commercialization of these products will enhance entrepreneurship development and ensure quality ethnic products to the consumer in the NE hill region of India. PMID:29657390

  12. The future of fiber production in the north-central States

    Treesearch

    W.S. Bromley

    1973-01-01

    It is an honor and a pleasure to make the initial presentation at this Tree Improvement Conference. I plan to cover the "future of fiber production in the north-central States" by confining my remarks to three major issues: (1) the potentials for expansion, (2) factors that may inhibit growth, and (3) changes in policies and procedures required.

  13. Deep crustal electromagnetic structure of central India tectonic zone and its implications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Naganjaneyulu, K.; Naidu, G. Dhanunjaya; Rao, M. Someswara; Shankar, K. Ravi; Kishore, S. R. K.; Murthy, D. N.; Veeraswamy, K.; Harinarayana, T.

    2010-07-01

    Magnetotelluric data at 45 locations along the Mahan-Khajuria Kalan profile in the central India tectonic zone are analysed. This 290 km long profile yields data in the period range 0.001-1000 s across the tectonic elements of the study region bounded by Purna fault, Gavligarh fault, Tapti fault, Narmada South fault and Narmada North fault. Multi-site, multi-frequency analysis suggests N70°E as the geo-electric strike direction. Data rotated into the N70°E strike direction are modelled using a non-linear conjugate gradient scheme with error floors of 10% for both apparent resistivity and phase components. Two-dimensional magnetotelluric model yields conductors that correlate with known faults in the study region and regional seismicity. Presence of a -30 mgal gravity high together with the observed conductive bodies (less than 20 ohm m) in the deep crust beneath the Purna graben and Tapti valley is explained by the process of magmatic underplating. The conductive bodies beneath the Mahakoshal rift belt and Vindhyans accompanied by regional gravity lows of the order -70 mgal are attributed to the presence of deep crustal fluids. Following the re-activation model proposed for the entire region, the conductors (20 ohm m) at various depth levels correspond to mafic magmatic and/or fluid intrusions controlled by deep-seated faults that seem to tap reservoirs beyond the crust-mantle boundary. The shallow depth localized faults also seem to have facilitated further upward movement of these underplated material and fluids release during this process.

  14. Multiple Stakeholder Perspectives on Cancer Stigma in North India

    PubMed Central

    Gupta, Adyya; Dhillon, Preet K; Govil, Jyotsna; Bumb, Dipika; Dey, Subhojit; Krishnan, Suneeta

    2017-01-01

    Background Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. A large proportion of cancer deaths are preventable through early detection but there are a range of social, emotional, cultural and financial dimensions that hinder the effectiveness of cancer prevention and treatment efforts. Cancer stigma is one such barrier and is increasingly recognized as an important factor influencing health awareness and promotion, and hence, disease prevention and control. The impact and extent of stigma on the cancer early detection and care continuum is poorly understood in India. Objectives To evaluate cancer awareness and stigma from multiple stakeholder perspectives in North India, including men and women from the general population, health care professions and educators, and cancer survivors. Materials and Methods A qualitative study was conducted with in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs) among 39 individuals over a period of 3 months in 2014. Three groups of participants were chosen purposively - 1) men and women who attended cancer-screening camps held by the Indian Cancer Society, Delhi; 2) health care providers and 3) cancer survivors. Results Most participants were unaware of what cancers are in general, their causes and ways of prevention. Attitudes of families towards cancer patients were observed to be positive and caring. Nevertheless, stigma and its impact emerged as a cross cutting theme across all groups. Cost of treatment followed by lack of awareness, beliefs in alternate medicines were identified as some of the major barriers to seeking care. Conclusions This study suggests a need for spreading awareness, knowledge about cancers and assessing associated impact among the people. Also future research is recommended to help eradicate stigma from the society and reduce cancer-related stigma in the Indian context. PMID:26320509

  15. DIGITAL GEOLOGIC MAP OF SHERMAN QUADRANGLE, NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS (CD-ROM)

    EPA Science Inventory

    This compact disc contains digital data sets of the surficial geology and geologic faults for the 1:250,000-scale Sherman quadrangle, North Central Texas, and can be used to make geologic maps, and determine approximate areas and locations of various geologic units. The source d...

  16. Permian deposition in the north central Brooks Range, Alaska Constraints for tectonic reconstructions

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Adams, K.E.; Mull, C.G.; Crowder, R.K.

    1997-01-01

    Two opposing tectonic models have been offered to explain the regional structural relations in the north central Brooks Range fold-thrust belt of northern Alaska. The first suggests that rocks of the northern Endicott Mountains were thrust from south to north over the area of the present Mount Doonerak high and are therefore highly allochthonous. The second implies that the rocks of the northern Endicott Mountains were deposited in a basin that lay north of the Mount Doonerak high and later were thrust a short distance southward onto the northern flank of the high and are thus parautochthonous. To provide stratigraphic constraints for these models, this study examines Permian facies of the north central Brooks Range. Permian rocks in the north central Brooks Range comprise a thin (40 to 160 m thick), fining-upward succession of clastic, storm-influenced shelf deposits. When the rocks of the northern Endicott Mountains are restored south of the Mount Doonerak area, a minimum distance of 80 km, the Permian deposits grade systematically from distal facies (Siksikpuk Formation) in the southwest to proximal facies (Echooka Formation) in the northeast. Facies trends in the reconstructed Permian basin include, from southwest to northeast, (1) an increase in carbonate content and corresponding decrease in silica content, (2) a general darkening and thickening of shaley intervals, (3) an increase in proximal features of storm beds, including coarser, thicker, more abundant, and more closely spaced beds, and (4) an increase in abundance and diversity of the faunal assemblage with a corresponding decrease in age. These stratigraphic relations imply that rocks of the northern Endicott Mountains are allochthonous and structurally overlie a proximal stratigraphic succession similar to that exposed in the Mount Doonerak area and northeastern Brooks Range. Copyright 1997 by the American Geophysical Union.

  17. Mapping private pharmacies and their characteristics in Ujjain district, Central India

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background In India, private pharmacies are ubiquitous yet critical establishments that facilitate community access to medicines. These are often the first points of treatment seeking in parts of India and other low income settings around the world. The characteristics of these pharmacies including their location, drug availability, human resources and infrastructure have not been studied before. Given the ubiquity and popularity of private pharmacies in India, such information would be useful to harness the potential of these pharmacies to deliver desirable public health outcomes, to facilitate regulation and to involve in initiatives pertaining to rational drug use. This study was a cross sectional survey that mapped private pharmacies in one district on a geographic information system and described relevant characteristics of these units. Methods This study of pharmacies was a part of larger cross sectional survey carried out to map all the health care providers in Ujjain district (population 1.9 million), Central India, on a geographic information system. Their location vis-à-vis formal providers of health services were studied. Other characteristics like human resources, infrastructure, clients and availability of tracer drugs were also surveyed. Results A total 475 private pharmacies were identified in the district. Three-quarter were in urban areas, where they were concentrated around physician practices. In rural areas, pharmacies were located along the main roads. A majority of pharmacies simultaneously retailed medicines from multiple systems of medicine. Tracer parenteral antibiotics and injectable steroids were available in 83.7% and 88.7% pharmacies respectively. The proportion of clients without prescription was 39.04%. Only 11.58% of staff had formal pharmacist qualifications. Power outages were a significant challenge. Conclusion This is the first mapping of pharmacies & their characteristics in India. It provides evidence of the urban dominance

  18. Morpho-physiological analysis of tolerance to aluminum toxicity in rice varieties of North East India

    PubMed Central

    Awasthi, Jay Prakash; Saha, Bedabrata; Regon, Preetom; Sahoo, Smita; Chowra, Umakanta; Pradhan, Amit; Roy, Anupam; Panda, Sanjib Kumar

    2017-01-01

    Aluminum (Al) is the third most abundant metal in earth crust, whose chemical form is mainly dependent on soil pH. The most toxic form of Al with respect to plants is Al3+, which exists in soil pH <5. Acidic soil significantly limits crop production mainly due to Al3+ toxicity worldwide, impacting approximately 50% of the world’s arable land (in North-Eastern India 80% soil are acidic). Al3+ toxicity in plants ensues root growth inhibition leading to less nutrient and water uptake impacting crop productivity as a whole. Rice is one of the chief grains which constitutes the staple food of two-third of the world population including India and is not untouched by Al3+ toxicity. Al contamination is a critical constraint to plant production in agricultural soils of North East India. 24 indigenous Indica rice varieties (including Badshahbhog as tolerant check and Mashuri as sensitive check) were screened for Al stress tolerance in hydroponic plant growth system. Results show marked difference in growth parameters (relative growth rate, Root tolerance index, fresh and dry weight of root) of rice seedlings due to Al (100 μM) toxicity. Al3+ uptake and lipid peroxidation level also increased concomitantly under Al treatment. Histochemical assay were also performed to elucidate uptake of aluminum, loss of membrane integrity and lipid peroxidation, which were found to be more in sensitive genotypes at higher Al concentration. This study revealed that aluminum toxicity is a serious harmful problem for rice crop productivity in acid soil. Based on various parameters studied it’s concluded that Disang is a comparatively tolerant variety whereas Joymati a sensitive variety. Western blot hybridization further strengthened the claim, as it demonstrated more accumulation of Glutathione reductase (GR) protein in Disang rice variety than Joymati under stressed condition. This study also observed that the emergence of lethal toxic symptoms occurs only after 48h irrespective of the

  19. Prevalence and Risk Factors for Vitamin C Deficiency in North and South India: A Two Centre Population Based Study in People Aged 60 Years and Over

    PubMed Central

    Ravindran, Ravilla D.; Vashist, Praveen; K. Gupta, Sanjeev; S. Young, Ian; Maraini, Giovanni; Camparini, Monica; Jayanthi, R.; John, Neena; Fitzpatrick, Kathryn E.; Chakravarthy, Usha; Ravilla, Thulasiraj D.; Fletcher, Astrid E.

    2011-01-01

    Background Studies from the UK and North America have reported vitamin C deficiency in around 1 in 5 men and 1 in 9 women in low income groups. There are few data on vitamin C deficiency in resource poor countries. Objectives To investigate the prevalence of vitamin C deficiency in India. Design We carried out a population-based cross-sectional survey in two areas of north and south India. Randomly sampled clusters were enumerated to identify people aged 60 and over. Participants (75% response rate) were interviewed for tobacco, alcohol, cooking fuel use, 24 hour diet recall and underwent anthropometry and blood collection. Vitamin C was measured using an enzyme-based assay in plasma stabilized with metaphosphoric acid. We categorised vitamin C status as deficient (<11 µmol/L), sub-optimal (11–28 µmol/L) and adequate (>28 µmol/L). We investigated factors associated with vitamin C deficiency using multivariable Poisson regression. Results The age, sex and season standardized prevalence of vitamin C deficiency was 73.9% (95% confidence Interval, CI 70.4,77.5) in 2668 people in north India and 45.7% (95% CI 42.5,48.9) in 2970 from south India. Only 10.8% in the north and 25.9% in the south met the criteria for adequate levels. Vitamin C deficiency varied by season, and was more prevalent in men, with increasing age, users of tobacco and biomass fuels, in those with anthropometric indicators of poor nutrition and with lower intakes of dietary vitamin C. Conclusions In poor communities, such as in our study, consideration needs to be given to measures to improve the consumption of vitamin C rich foods and to discourage the use of tobacco. PMID:22163038

  20. Water, water everywhere... integrated riparian research in the North Central Region

    Treesearch

    Lynne M. Westphal

    2003-01-01

    Riparian areas are important for many reasons including timber, residential areas, biodiversity, recreation, and industry. Because of the intricate land/water interface, these lands require special care. Determining what this care should be requires more knowledge than we currently have. Hence, the North Central Research Station (NCRS) has initiated the Sustaining...

  1. Assessment of undiscovered continuous oil and gas resources in the Heath Formation, central Montana and western North Dakota, 2016

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Drake, Ronald M.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Klett, Timothy R.; Le, Phuong A.; Leathers, Heidi M.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Finn, Thomas M.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Marra, Kristen R.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.

    2017-06-07

    Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 884 million barrels of oil and 106 billion cubic feet of gas in the North-Central Montana and Williston Basin Provinces of central Montana and western North Dakota.

  2. CMIP5 ensemble-based spatial rainfall projection over homogeneous zones of India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Akhter, Javed; Das, Lalu; Deb, Argha

    2017-09-01

    Performances of the state-of-the-art CMIP5 models in reproducing the spatial rainfall patterns over seven homogeneous rainfall zones of India viz. North Mountainous India (NMI), Northwest India (NWI), North Central India (NCI), Northeast India (NEI), West Peninsular India (WPI), East Peninsular India (EPI) and South Peninsular India (SPI) have been assessed using different conventional performance metrics namely spatial correlation (R), index of agreement (d-index), Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), Ratio of RMSE to the standard deviation of the observations (RSR) and mean bias (MB). The results based on these indices revealed that majority of the models are unable to reproduce finer-scaled spatial patterns over most of the zones. Thereafter, four bias correction methods i.e. Scaling, Standardized Reconstruction, Empirical Quantile Mapping and Gamma Quantile Mapping have been applied on GCM simulations to enhance the skills of the GCM projections. It has been found that scaling method compared to other three methods shown its better skill in capturing mean spatial patterns. Multi-model ensemble (MME) comprising 25 numbers of better performing bias corrected (Scaled) GCMs, have been considered for developing future rainfall patterns over seven zones. Models' spread from ensemble mean (uncertainty) has been found to be larger in RCP 8.5 than RCP4.5 ensemble. In general, future rainfall projections from RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 revealed an increasing rainfall over seven zones during 2020s, 2050s, and 2080s. The maximum increase has been found over southwestern part of NWI (12-30%), northwestern part of WPI (3-30%), southeastern part of NEI (5-18%) and northern and eastern part of SPI (6-24%). However, the contiguous region comprising by the southeastern part of NCI and northeastern part of EPI, may experience slight decreasing rainfall (about 3%) during 2020s whereas the western part of NMI may also receive around 3% reduction in rainfall during both 2050s and 2080s.

  3. Seasonal prediction of winter haze days in the north central North China Plain

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yin, Zhicong; Wang, Huijun

    2016-11-01

    Recently, the winter (December-February) haze pollution over the north central North China Plain (NCP) has become severe. By treating the year-to-year increment as the predictand, two new statistical schemes were established using the multiple linear regression (MLR) and the generalized additive model (GAM). By analyzing the associated increment of atmospheric circulation, seven leading predictors were selected to predict the upcoming winter haze days over the NCP (WHDNCP). After cross validation, the root mean square error and explained variance of the MLR (GAM) prediction model was 3.39 (3.38) and 53 % (54 %), respectively. For the final predicted WHDNCP, both of these models could capture the interannual and interdecadal trends and the extremums successfully. Independent prediction tests for 2014 and 2015 also confirmed the good predictive skill of the new schemes. The predicted bias of the MLR (GAM) prediction model in 2014 and 2015 was 0.09 (-0.07) and -3.33 (-1.01), respectively. Compared to the MLR model, the GAM model had a higher predictive skill in reproducing the rapid and continuous increase of WHDNCP after 2010.

  4. Neonatal Screening and the Clinical Outcome in Children with Sickle Cell Disease in Central India

    PubMed Central

    Upadhye, Dipti S.; Jain, Dipty L.; Trivedi, Yogesh L.; Nadkarni, Anita H.; Ghosh, Kanjaksha; Colah, Roshan B.

    2016-01-01

    Background Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a major health burden in India. The objective of the study was to establish a neonatal screening program and to understand the clinical course of children with SCD in central India. Methods and Findings Pregnant mothers were screened for sickle hemoglobin using the solubility test. Babies were screened by high performance liquid chromatography if the mother was positive for sickle hemoglobin. The diagnosis was confirmed by molecular analysis. They received early prophylactic treatment and vaccination. Of 2134 newborns screened, 104 were sickle homozygous (SS), seven had sickle β-thalassemia (S-β thal) and 978 were sickle heterozygous (AS). The other hemoglobin abnormalities detected included HbS -δβ thalassemia-1, HbSD disease-2, HbE traits-5, β-thalassemia traits-4, alpha chain variants-3 and HbH disease-1.These babies were followed up regularly for hematological and clinical evaluation. Pain, severe anemia requiring blood transfusions and acute febrile illness were the major complications with 59.7, 45.1 and 42.6 cases per 100 person years. Fetal hemoglobin (HbF) levels were inversely associated with vaso-oclussive crisis (VOC) and severe anemia while presence of alpha thalassemia increased the rate of painful events and sepsis. Six early deaths occurred among the SS babies. Conclusion A systematic follow up of this first newborn SCD cohort in central India showed that 47% of babies presented within 1 year of age. In spite of the presence of the Arab-Indian haplotype many babies had severe manifestations. PMID:26785407

  5. Modeling and forecasting rainfall patterns of southwest monsoons in North-East India as a SARIMA process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Narasimha Murthy, K. V.; Saravana, R.; Vijaya Kumar, K.

    2018-02-01

    Weather forecasting is an important issue in the field of meteorology all over the world. The pattern and amount of rainfall are the essential factors that affect agricultural systems. India experiences the precious Southwest monsoon season for four months from June to September. The present paper describes an empirical study for modeling and forecasting the time series of Southwest monsoon rainfall patterns in the North-East India. The Box-Jenkins Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) methodology has been adopted for model identification, diagnostic checking and forecasting for this region. The study has shown that the SARIMA (0, 1, 1) (1, 0, 1)4 model is appropriate for analyzing and forecasting the future rainfall patterns. The Analysis of Means (ANOM) is a useful alternative to the analysis of variance (ANOVA) for comparing the group of treatments to study the variations and critical comparisons of rainfall patterns in different months of the season.

  6. Gender differences in infant survival: a secondary data analysis in rural North India.

    PubMed

    Chowdhury, Ranadip; Taneja, Sunita; Mazumder, Sarmila; Bhandari, Nita; Strand, Tor A

    2017-08-11

    To examine gender differences in infant survival on the first day of life, in the first week of life, and in the neonatal and post-neonatal periods by socio-demographic and economic variables. Secondary data analysis was performed on data from a cluster randomised trial on the effect of implementation of the Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illness programme, India. The study setting was Palwal and Faridabad, districts of Haryana, a state in North India. Multiple logistic regression models taking the cluster design into account were used to estimate gender differences in mortality in different periods of infancy. A total of 60 480 infants were included in these analyses. Of 4060 infant deaths, 2054 were female (7.2% of all females born) and 2006 were male (6.3% of all males born). The death rate was significantly higher in females in the post-neonatal period but not during the neonatal period. The odds of death at 29-180 days and at 181-365 days were 1.4 (95% CI 1.3 to 1.6) and 1.7 (95% CI: 1.4 to 2.0) higher in females compared with males, respectively. This increase was seen across all socio-demographic and economic strata. Gender differences during the post-neonatal period are a major threat to the survival and health of female infants in India. Programmes need to identify measures that can specifically reduce female mortality. Clinical trials NCT00474981. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  7. Extratropical Cyclones Leading to Extreme Weather Events over Central and Eastern North America

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bentley, Alicia M.

    Cool-season extreme weather events (EWEs) occurring over central and eastern North America are typically associated with strong extratropical cyclones (ECs) that are governed by varying combinations of baroclinic, diabatic, and barotropic processes. This dissertation investigates the climatology, evolution, and predictability of ECs leading to EWEs over central and eastern North America, and provides a foundation on which to compare ECs leading to EWEs to ordinary ECs forming over and traversing the same regions. A climatology of ECs leading to EWEs over central and eastern North America during October-March 1979-2016 reveals that these ECs typically form 1) in the lee of the Rocky Mountains, 2) over the south central U.S., and 3) along the east coast of North America at latitudes equatorward of the typical genesis locations of ordinary ECs. ECs leading to EWEs included in the climatology form most frequently in November and March, when the seasonal alignment of baroclinic and convectively driven forcings occurs. Consistent with previous studies of North American ECs, the location and frequency of ECs leading to EWEs are partially determined by the states of the Pacific-North American pattern and the North Atlantic Oscillation. Metrics representing baroclinic, diabatic, and barotropic processes are formulated in this dissertation and are used to determine the combinations of baroclinic, diabatic, and barotropic processes associated with the formation and maintenance of ordinary ECs and ECs leading to EWEs. These metrics reveal that ECs leading to EWEs are associated with contributions from baroclinic, diabatic, and barotropic processes that are 1) similar to those associated with ordinary ECs at the time of formation (t0) and 2) considerably larger than those associated with ordinary ECs at the time of maximum intensity (tmax). Baroclinic processes typically contribute more than diabatic and barotropic processes throughout the evolution of ECs leading to EWEs

  8. Late Quaternary glaciation history of monsoon-dominated Dingad basin, central Himalaya, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shukla, Tanuj; Mehta, Manish; Jaiswal, Manoj K.; Srivastava, Pradeep; Dobhal, D. P.; Nainwal, H. C.; Singh, Atul K.

    2018-02-01

    The study presents the Late Quaternary glaciation history of monsoon-dominated Dokriani Glacier valley, Dingad basin, central Himalaya, India. The basin is tested for the mechanism of landforms preservation in high relief and abundant precipitation regimes of the Higher Himalaya. Field geomorphology and remote sensing data, supported by Optical Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating enabled identification of five major glacial events of decreasing magnitude. The oldest glacial stage, Dokriani Glacial Stage I (DGS-I), extended down to ∼8 km (2883 m asl) from present-day snout (3965 m asl) followed by other four glaciations events viz. DGS-II, DGS-III, DGS-IV and DGS-V terminating at ∼3211, 3445, 3648 and ∼3733 m asl respectively. The DGS-I glaciation (∼25-∼22 ka BP) occurred during early Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) -2, characterized as Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) extension of the valley. Similarly, DGS-II stage (∼14-∼11 ka BP) represents the global cool and dry Older Dryas and Younger Dryas event glaciation. The DGS-III glaciation (∼8 ka BP) coincides with early Holocene 8.2 ka cooling event, the DGS-IV glaciations (∼4-3.7 ka BP) corresponds to 4.2 ka cool and drier event, DGS-V (∼2.7-∼1 ka BP) represents the cool and moist late Holocene glacial advancement of the valley. This study suggests that the Dokriani Glacier valley responded to the global lowering of temperature and variable precipitation conditions. This study also highlights the close correlation between the monsoon-dominated valley glaciations and Northern Hemisphere cooling events influenced by North Atlantic climate.

  9. Updated precipitation reconstruction (AD 1482-2012) for Huashan, north-central China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Feng; Zhang, Ruibo; Wang, Huiqin; Qin, Li; Yuan, Yujiang

    2016-02-01

    We developed a tree-ring width chronology from pine trees ( Pinus tabulaeformis and Pinus armandii) stand near the peaks of Huashan, Shaanxi, north-central China. Growth-climate response analyses showed that the radial growth of pine trees is mainly influenced by April-June precipitation. A model to reconstruct precipitation based on tree widths was constructed, accounting for 55 % of the instrumental variance during the period 1953-2012. Spatial correlation analyses between the reconstruction and observed gridded precipitation data shows that the seasonal precipitation reconstruction captures regional climatic variations over north China. Compared with the historical archives and other tree-ring records in north China, many large-scale drought events, linked to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), were found. Many of these events have had profound impacts on the people of north China over the past several centuries. Composite maps of sea surface temperatures and 500 hPa geopotential heights for selected extremely dry and wet years in Huashan show characteristics similar to those related to the ENSO patterns, particularly with regard to ocean and atmospheric conditions in the equatorial and north Pacific. Our 531-year precipitation reconstruction for Huashan provides a long-term perspective on current and 20th century wet and dry events in north China, and is useful to guide expectations of future variability, and helps us to address climate change.

  10. Electrical resistivity structure at the North-Central Turkey inferred from three-dimensional magnetotellurics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Özaydın, Sinan; Tank, Sabri Bülent; Karaş, Mustafa

    2018-03-01

    Magnetotelluric data analyses and three-dimensional modeling techniques were implemented to investigate the crustal electrical structure in the North-Central Turkey, along a 190-km-long profile crossing Çankırı Basin, İzmir-Ankara-Erzincan Suture Zone and Central Pontides. In this area, the segment of the North Anatolian Fault (NAF) shows 280-km-long restraining bend, where it was near the focus of the hazardous 1943 Tosya Earthquake (M: 7.6). Structure around the NAF exhibits resistive characteristics at both sides of the fault reaching to at least 25 km of depth. Fluids below the brittle-ductile transition were not detected which will nucleate earthquakes in the area. This resistive structure implies an asperity zone of the NAF, which was ruptured in 1943. The presence of a fluid-bearing upwelling conductive anomaly in Central Pontides may suggest that beneath the deep brittle crust, there may exists a fluid-enriched conductive forearc region, which may have caused by a prograde source related to paleo-tectonic processes.

  11. African American and Hispanic American sportsmen in the north central region

    Treesearch

    Allan Marsinko; John Dwyer

    2003-01-01

    Public forest managers need an awareness and understanding of their clients in order to better address their needs for recreational uses of forest lands. This study examines and characterizes African American and Hispanic American sportsmen (hunters and anglers) in the North Central Region of the United Stares (IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, MO, WI) and compares them to African...

  12. Distribution and extent of tree mortality in North Central hardwood forests

    Treesearch

    J. Michael Vasievich; Sharon L. Hobrla; Mark H. Hansen

    1997-01-01

    Forest inventory data shows that biophysical agents and human causes account for annual losses of more than a half-billion ft³ of timber in North Central hardwood forests. This paper reports on an analysis of forest inventory data to determine the extent and distribution of tree mortality in four forest types - Aspen-Birch, Elm-Ash-Cottonwood, Maple-Beech-...

  13. Maternal tetanus toxoid vaccination and neonatal mortality in rural north India.

    PubMed

    Singh, Abhishek; Pallikadavath, Saseendran; Ogollah, Reuben; Stones, William

    2012-01-01

    Preventable neonatal mortality due to tetanus infection remains common. We aimed to examine antenatal vaccination impact in a context of continuing high neonatal mortality in rural northern India. Using the third round of the Indian National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 2005-06, mortality of most recent singleton births was analysed in discrete-time logistic model with maternal tetanus vaccination, together with antenatal care utilisation and supplementation with iron and folic acid. 59% of mothers reported receiving antenatal care, 48% reported receiving iron and folic acid supplementation and 68% reported receiving two or more doses of tetanus toxoid (TT) vaccination. The odds of all-cause neonatal death were reduced following one or more antenatal dose of TT with odds ratios (OR) of 0.46 (95% CI 0.26 to 0.78) after one dose and 0.45 (95% CI 0.31 to 0.66) after two or more doses. Reported utilisation of antenatal care and iron-folic acid supplementation did not influence neonatal mortality. In the statistical model, 16% (95% CI 5% to 27%) of neonatal deaths could be attributed to a lack of at least two doses of TT vaccination during pregnancy, representing an estimated 78,632 neonatal deaths in absolute terms. Substantial gains in newborn survival could be achieved in rural North India through increased coverage of antenatal TT vaccination. The apparent substantial protective effect of a single antenatal dose of TT requires further study. It may reflect greater population vaccination coverage and indicates that health programming should prioritise universal antenatal coverage with at least one dose.

  14. Geologic framework, age, and lithologic characteristics of the North Park Formation in North Park, north-central Colorado

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Shroba, Ralph R.

    2016-10-18

    Deposits of the North Park Formation of late Oligocene and Miocene age are locally exposed at small, widely spaced outcrops along the margins of the roughly northwest-trending North Park syncline in the southern part of North Park, a large intermontane topographic basin in Jackson County in north-central Colorado. These outcrops suggest that rocks and sediments of the North Park Formation consist chiefly of poorly consolidated sand, weakly cemented sandstone, and pebbly sandstone; subordinate amounts of pebble conglomerate; minor amounts of cobbly pebble gravel, siltstone, and sandy limestone; and rare beds of cobble conglomerate and altered tuff. These deposits partly filled North Park as well as a few small nearby valleys and half grabens. In North Park, deposits of the North Park Formation probably once formed a broad and relatively thick sedimentary apron composed chiefly of alluvial slope deposits (mostly sheetwash and stream-channel alluvium) that extended, over a distance of at least 150 kilometers (km), northwestward from the Never Summer Mountains and northward from the Rabbit Ears Range across North Park and extended farther northwestward into the valley of the North Platte River slightly north of the Colorado-Wyoming border. The maximum preserved thickness of the formation in North Park is about 550 meters near the southeastern end of the North Park syncline.The deposition of the North Park Formation was coeval in part with local volcanism, extensional faulting, development of half grabens, and deposition of the Browns Park Formation and Troublesome Formation and was accompanied by post-Laramide regional epeirogenic uplift. Regional deposition of extensive eolian sand sheets and loess deposits, coeval with the deposition of the North Park Formation, suggests that semiarid climatic conditions prevailed during the deposition of the North Park Formation during the late Oligocene and Miocene.The North Park Formation locally contains a 28.1-mega-annum (Ma

  15. Prevalence of the β(S) gene among scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward class groups in Central India.

    PubMed

    Shrikhande, Anuradha V; Arjunan, Aishwarya; Agarwal, Amit; Dani, Aarti; Tijare, Jayashri; Gettig, Elizabeth; Krishnamurti, Lakshmanan

    2014-01-01

    Sickle cell disease is an inherited disorder of the blood, and characterized by vasoocclusive crises (VOC), risks for pneumococcal infections and organ toxicities, is associated with morbidity and premature mortality. India, with a population of 1.2 billion individuals, is estimated to be home to over 50.0% of the world's patients with sickle cell disease. The β(S) gene [β6(A3)Glu→Val; HBB: c.20A>T] has the highest prevalence in three socio-economically disadvantaged ethnic categories: the Scheduled Castes (SC), the Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Class (OBC) groups in India. The tradition of endogamy practiced by the ethnic groups in India provides the rationale for the screening of individual populations to better understand the distribution of the β(S) gene, guide counseling and awareness programs and aid development of public policy. We undertook a study to describe the prevalence of the β(S) gene in these ethnic groups in the district of Nagpur, Maharashtra in Central India. Through community screening and subsequent targeted screening of high risk individuals, 35,636 individuals were screened, of whom 5466 were found to have sickle cell trait and 1010 were identified with sickle cell disease. Community screening revealed a sickle cell trait prevalence of 13.0% in the SC, 12.0% in the ST and 3.4% in the OBC population. This study describes the prevalence of the β(S) gene within these groups in Central India determined by large scale community screening. This program has uncovered previously undiagnosed cases, provided detailed information to guide population-based disease counseling, prevention and comprehensive care programs.

  16. Pathology of fungal infections of the central nervous system: 17 years' experience from Southern India.

    PubMed

    Sundaram, C; Umabala, P; Laxmi, V; Purohit, A K; Prasad, V S S V; Panigrahi, M; Sahu, B P; Sarathi, M V; Kaul, S; Borghain, R; Meena, A K; Jayalakshmi, S S; Suvarna, A; Mohandas, S; Murthy, J M K

    2006-10-01

    To describe the pathology of central nervous system (CNS) fungal infections with particular reference to India. This was a retrospective study from 1988 to 2004 constituting 130 cases. The diagnosis was based on morphology of biopsy/autopsy material. These included aspergillosis (n=73), zygomycosis (n=40), cryptococcosis (n=2), rhodotorulosis (n=1), candidiasis (n=5), maduramycosis (n=1), pheohyphomycosis (n=3) and mixed infections (n=5). Predisposing risk factors were present in 49 (38%) patients only. The majority of the patients were immunocompetent. The commonest risk factor was diabetes mellitus, the commonest route of infection was from a contiguous site and the commonest pathology was granuloma. Culture positivity was seen in only 31%. Environmental factors in tropical countries such as India play a significant role in the pathogenesis of CNS fungal infections.

  17. Prevalence of cleft lip and cleft palate in rural north-central guatemala.

    PubMed

    Matute, Jorge; Lydick, Elaine A; Torres, Olga R; Owen, Karen K; Jacobsen, Kathryn H

    2015-05-01

    To estimate the number of new cases of cleft lip and cleft palate in the department (state) of Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, in 2012. Cross-sectional survey of midwives from communities identified through a two-stage cluster-sampling process. Midwives were asked how many babies they had delivered in the past year and how many of those newborns had various types of birth defects, as illustrated in pictures. Indigenous Mayan communities in rural north-central Guatemala. Midwives (n = 129) who had delivered babies in the previous year. Reports of babies born with cleft lip and cleft palate. A 1-year prevalence rate of 18.9 per 10,000 for cleft lip and 4.7 per 10,000 for cleft palate was estimated for Alta Verapaz. None of the cases of cleft lip also had cleft palate. The indigenous communities in north-central Guatemala might have a relatively high cleft lip prevalence rate compared with the global average.

  18. Tree-ring records of near-Younger Dryas time in central North America : preliminary results from the Lincoln Quarry site, central Illinois, USA

    Treesearch

    Irina P. Panyushkina; Steven W. Leavitt; Alex Wiedenhoeft; Sarah Noggle; Brandon Curry; Eric Grimm

    2004-01-01

    The abrupt millennial-scale changes associated with the Younger Dryas (YD) event (“chronozone”) near the dawn of the Holocene are at least hemispheric, if not global, in extent. Evidence for the YD cold excursion is abundant in Europe but fairly meager in central North America. We are engaged in an investigation of high-resolution environmental changes in mid-North...

  19. Prediction of fog/visibility over India using NWP Model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Aditi; George, John P.; Iyengar, Gopal Raman

    2018-03-01

    Frequent occurrence of fog in different parts of northern India is common during the winter months of December and January. Low visibility conditions due to fog disrupt normal public life. Visibility conditions heavily affect both surface and air transport. A number of flights are either diverted or cancelled every year during the winter season due to low visibility conditions, experienced at different airports of north India. Thus, fog and visibility forecasts over plains of north India become very important during winter months. This study aims to understand the ability of a NWP model (NCMRWF, Unified Model, NCUM) with a diagnostic visibility scheme to forecast visibility over plains of north India. The present study verifies visibility forecasts obtained from NCUM against the INSAT-3D fog images and visibility observations from the METAR reports of different stations in the plains of north India. The study shows that the visibility forecast obtained from NCUM can provide reasonably good indication of the spatial extent of fog in advance of one day. The fog intensity is also predicted fairly well. The study also verifies the simple diagnostic model for fog which is driven by NWP model forecast of surface relative humidity and wind speed. The performance of NWP model forecast of visibility is found comparable to that from simple fog model driven by NWP forecast of relative humidity and wind speed.

  20. Floods of July 4-8, 1969, in north-central Ohio

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mayo, Ronald I.; Webber, Earl E.; Ellis, Davis W.

    1971-01-01

    The storm of July 4-5, 1969, in north-central Ohio was an unprecedented event; never before has such intense and widespread precipitation been recorded for a summer storm in Ohio (U.S. Dept. of Commerce, 1969). More than 14 inches of rainfall in less than 24 hours were observed at several places. In areal extent more than 4 inches of rainfall occurred on about 6,000 square miles. Record-breaking floods were observed at many places in north-central Ohio. Of the 50 sites for which the peak discharge was determined 40 are located on unregulated streams. The peak discharge at five of the 40 sites was four times as large as the discharge of the 50-year flood and the peak discharge for 17 sites was more than twice as large as that of the 50-year flood. Severe losses in terms of lives and property damage were experienced; 41 deaths and more than $66 million in property damage were attributed to the rainstorm, accompanying wind, and resulting floods. This report summarizes peak stages and (or) discharges at 55 sites including five reservoirs, in upper Muskingum River basin, in lower Sandusky River basin, and in the Huron River, Vermilion River, and Black River basins.

  1. Genetic assessment of ornamental fish species from North East India.

    PubMed

    Dhar, Bishal; Ghosh, Sankar Kumar

    2015-01-25

    Ornamental fishes are traded with multiple names from various parts around the world, including North East India. Most are collected from the wild, due to lack of species-specific culture or breeding, and therefore, such unmanaged collection of the wild and endemic species could lead to severe threats to biodiversity. Despite many regulatory policies, trade of threatened species, including the IUCN listed species have been largely uncontrolled, due to species identification problems arising from the utilization of multiple trade names. So, the development of species-specific DNA marker is indispensable where DNA Barcoding is proved to be helpful in species identification. Here, we investigated, through DNA Barcoding and morphological assessment, the identification of 128 ornamental fish specimens exported from NE India from different exporters. The generated sequences were subjected to similarity match in BOLD-IDS as well as BLASTN, and analysed using MEGA5.2 for species identification through Neighbour-Joining (NJ) clustering, and K2P distance based approach. The analysis revealed straightforward identification of 84 specimens into 35 species, while 44 specimens were difficult to distinguish based on CO1 barcode alone. However, these cases were resolved through morphology, NJ and distanced based method and found to be belonging to 16 species. Among the 51 identified species, 14 species represented multiple trade names; 17 species belonged to threatened category. Species-level identification through DNA Barcoding along with traditional morphotaxonomy reflects its efficacy in regulating ornamental fish trade and therefore, appeals for their conservation in nature. The use of trade names rather than the zoological name created the passage for trafficking of the threatened species and demands immediate attention for sustaining wildlife conservation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. A Focused Report Presented to North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Colorado Technical Coll., Colorado Springs.

    During January 23-24, 1984, a North Central Association of Colleges and Schools evaluation team visited Colorado Technical College to conduct a comprehensive evaluation for continued accreditation at the bachelor's degree granting level. The accreditation was continued as a result, and it was recommended that a comprehensive evaluation be…

  3. A geologic history of the north-central Appalachians, part 3. The Alleghany orogeny

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Faill, R.T.

    1998-01-01

    The north-central Appalachians occupy a critical position within the 3000+ km-long Appalachian orogen, lying southwest of the boundary between the central and northern Appalachians (CNAB). The one-billion-year-long history of tectonic activity in eastern Laurentia includes the creation and evolution of the Appalachian orogen during the Paleozoic and the Mesozoic transformation of the orogen into a passive margin during Pangea's disassembly. A most important ingredient in the evolution of the orogen was the Alleghany orogeny, which was driven by the convergence and collision between Laurentia (Laurussia) and West Gondwana (Africa). The Alleghany orogeny in the central and southern Appalachians was a de??collement tectonism that involved a larger part of eastern Laurentia than had the previous three orogenies. The fundamental element was a very low-angle thrust (de??collement) that originated in mid-crustal levels east of the presently-exposed Appalachians and rose westwardly to progressively higher levels in the upper crust and the supra-crustal Paleozoic section. Alleghany deformation was widely developed in the hanging-wall block (allochthon), primarily in the form of thrust faults and fold-and-thrust structures, both of which splayed upward from the basal de??collement. The youngest manifestations of the Alleghany orogeny were northeast-trending strike-slip faults and dextral shear zones in the Piedmont. In the north-central Appalachians, the exposed allochthon consists of two parts: the sedimentary externides (Appalachian Plateau and Valley and Ridge provinces) and the crystalline externides (Reading Prong, Blue Ridge belt, and Piedmont province). Long, thrust-cored anticlines predominate in the sedimentary externides. A widespread layer-parallel shortening preceded the folding; it is largely coaxial with the folding but extends considerably farther to the northwest toward the craton. It is hypothesized that the folding developed in reverse order, sequentially

  4. Survey of Key Monarch Habitat Areas along Roadways in Central and North Florida

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2017-08-01

    Roadsides in North and Central Florida harbor a large number of milkweed populations important to the monarch butterfly. A total of 303 roadway locations had one or more plants of the target species Asclepias humistrata (pinewoods milkweed) or Asclep...

  5. Aetiologic spectrum of mental retardation & developmental delay in India

    PubMed Central

    Aggarwal, Shagun; Bogula, Vijay Raju; Mandal, Kausik; Kumar, Rashmi; Phadke, Shubha R.

    2012-01-01

    Background & objectives: The aetiology of mental retardation is varied and difficult to establish. Reports from India on the spectrum of underlying causative conditions are lacking. This retrospective study was conducted to establish the various aetiologies of mental retardation (MR) and developmental delay (DD) in patients attending a medical genetics centre in north India and to assess the contribution of genetic disorders. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary care centre in north India. All patients attending the centre with MR or DD from January 2007 to December 2009 were included. The aetiology of MR/DD was ascertained after clinical assessment and targeted laboratory evaluation. The spectrum of causative conditions and contribution of genetic disorders was established. Results: A total of 338 patients were included in the study, of whom definite diagnosis was established in 253 (74.8%). The various aetiological categories were: chromosomal disorders in 112 (33.1%), non chromosomal syndromes in 32 (9.5%), neurometabolic disorders in 34 (10.1%), central nervous system structural defects in 25 (7.4%), cerebral palsy in 43 (12.7%) and environmental insults in 7 (2%). Eighty five patients (25.2%) had idiopathic mental retardation. A total of 196 (58%) patients had a genetic disorder as the cause of MR/DD. Interpretation & conclusions: The aetiology of MR/DD is varied and difficult to establish in a significant proportion of patients. Chromosomal and various monogenic disorders contribute to a large number of MR/DD cases and hence a genetic work up is essential for all such patients. PMID:23041737

  6. Granulite belts of Central India with special reference to the Bhopalpatnam Granulite Belt: Significance in crustal evolution and implications for Columbia supercontinent

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vansutre, Sandeep; Hari, K. R.

    2010-11-01

    The Central Indian collage incorporates the following major granulite belts: (1) the Balaghat-Bhandara Granulite Belt (BBG), (2) the Ramakona-Katangi Granulite Belt (RKG), (3) the Chhatuabhavna Granulite (CBG) of Bilaspur-Raigarh Belt, (4) the Makrohar Granulite Belt (MGB) of Mahakoshal supracrustals, (5) the Kondagaon Granulite Belt (KGGB), (6) the Bhopalpatnam Granulite Belt (BGB), (7) the Konta Granulite Belt (KTGB) and (8) the Karimnagar Granulite Belt (KNGB) of the East Dharwar Craton (EDC). We briefly synthesize the general geologic, petrologic and geochronologic features of these belts and explain the Precambrian crustal evolution in Central India. On the basis of the available data, a collisional relationship between Bastar craton and the EDC during the Paleo-Mesoproterozoic is reiterated as proposed by the earlier workers. The tectonic evolution of only few of the orogenic belts (BGB in particular) of Central India is related to Columbia.

  7. Burden Among Caregivers of Children Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus in North India

    PubMed Central

    Chauhan, Ramesh Chand; Rai, Sanjay Kumar; Kant, Shashi; Lodha, Rakesh; Kumar, Nand; Singh, Neelima

    2016-01-01

    Background: Due to wider access to and free antiretroviral therapy (ART) program, the number of children dying due to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related causes has declined and the nature and duration of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS caregiving has also dramatically altered. The care of children living with HIV/AIDS (CLHA) places a significant additional burden on the caregivers. Aims: This study was conducted to assess the perceived burden among caregivers of children living with HIV in North India. Materials and Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study among 156 CLHA-caregiver dyads in North India was conducted from June 2010 to May 2011. Data were collected by using a pretested structured interview schedule. The caregiver burden was measured with a 36-item scale adapted from Burden Assessment Schedule of Schizophrenia Research Foundation (BASS). Child characteristics, caregiver characteristics, caregiving burden, the knowledge of caregivers, and issues related to health care, nutrition, education, and psychological aspects were studied. Results: Caregivers had a mean age of 35.9 ± 10.2 years. Women accounted for over three-fourth (76.9%) of the caregivers. Nearly two-third of them (65.4%) reported as living with HIV. The mean caregiver burden score was 68.7 ± 2.9. A majority of the caregivers reported either low or moderate burden. Standardized percentage score was high in the domains of physical and mental health, external support, patients’ behavior, and caregivers’ strategy and seemed to be comparatively less in the other domains such as support of the patient and taking responsibility. Conclusions: Caring of children is a universal practice but there is a need of special care for children living with HIV. The majority of caregivers who were usually the mothers perceived the burden and need to be assisted in caring for the child. Stigma and discrimination with HIV infection further increased the burden as caregivers did

  8. Systematic status of wild Canis in North-central Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mech, L. David; Nowak, Ronald M.

    2010-01-01

    Skulls of wild Canis collected 2003–2004 in north-central Texas are morphometrically similar to a series taken there and in nearby areas in 1964–1971, which was considered to represent a population of Coyotes (C. latrans) modified through introgression from Red Wolves (C. rufus). A few of the new specimens closely resemble small examples of Red Wolves. Such affinity is supported by authoritative examination of living and videotaped animals. The persistence of influence of Red Wolves, long after presumed extirpation through hybridization and human persecution, may be relevant to wolf conservation.

  9. Lawn Weeds and Their Control. North Central Regional Extension Publication No. 26.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Purdue Univ., Lafayette, IN. Cooperative Extension Service.

    This publication discusses lawn weed control for the twelve state north central region of the country. Written for use by homeowners, the publication focuses on weed identification and proper herbicide selection and application. Identification of weeds and safe and appropriate herbicide use are emphasized. Forty-six weed and turf plants are…

  10. Rural Palliative Care in North India: Rapid Evaluation of a Program Using a Realist Mixed Method Approach.

    PubMed

    Munday, Daniel F; Haraldsdottir, Erna; Manak, Manju; Thyle, Ann; Ratcliff, Cathy M

    2018-01-01

    Palliative care has not developed widely in rural North India. Since 2010, the Emmanuel Hospitals Association (EHA) has been developing a model of palliative care appropriate for this setting, based on teams undertaking home visits with the backup of outpatient and inpatient services. A project to further develop the model operated from 2012 to 2015 supported by funding from the UK. This study aims to evaluate the EHA palliative care project. Rapid evaluation method using a mixed method realist approach at the five project hospital sites. An overview of the project was obtained by analyzing project documents and key informant interviews. Questionnaire data from each hospital were collected, followed by interviews with staff, patients, and relatives and observations of home visits and other activities at each site. Descriptive analysis of quantitative and thematic analysis of qualitative data was undertaken. Each site was measured against the Indian Minimum Standards Tool for Palliative Care (IMSTPC). Each team followed the EHA model, with local modifications. Services were nurse led with medical support. Eighty percent of patients had cancer. Staff demonstrated good palliative care skills and patients and families appreciated the care. Most essential IMSTPC markers were achieved but morphine licenses were available to only two teams. Remarkable synergy was emerging between palliative care and community health. Hospitals planned to fund palliative care through income from surgical services. Excellent palliative care appropriate for rural north India is delivered through the EHA model. It could be extended to other similar sites.

  11. Declining Groundwater Levels in North India: Understanding Sources of Irrigation Inefficiency

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O'Keeffe, J.; Buytaert, W.; Mijic, A.; Brozovic, N.

    2014-12-01

    Over the last half century, the green revolution has transformed India from a famine-prone, drought-susceptible country, into the world's third largest grain producer and one of the most intensely irrigated regions on the planet. This is in no small part due to the country's vast water resources along with an increase in tubewells and more advanced abstraction methods. While agricultural intensification has had undeniable benefits, it has, and continues to have a significant impact on water resources. Unless solutions which take into consideration the ever evolving socio-economic, hydrological and climatic conditions are found, India's agricultural future looks bleak.This research examines the irrigation behaviour of farmers, using data collected during field work in the State of Uttar Pradesh within the Ganges Basin of North India. Significant differences in farmer behaviour and irrigation practices are highlighted, not only between State districts but between individual farmers. This includes the volume of irrigation water applied and the price paid, as well as differences in the yields of crops produced. Analyses of results suggest that this is due to a number of factors, particularly the source of irrigation water. Study areas which had access to cheaper, but crucially less reliable, canal water were found to invest in more efficient water saving technologies in order to reduce the overall cost of irrigation during periods where less expensive canal water is not available. As a result, overall water use and irrigation cost is lower and yields are higher despite very similar climatic conditions. While cheap canal water is not an option for all farmers, the results show that the introduction of more efficient water saving technologies, despite the significant capital expenditure is a viable option for many farmers and costs can be recovered in a relatively short space of time. In addition, the reduction of declining water levels mean that water is abstracted from

  12. Gujarat, Western India

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2002-01-01

    Extremely high sediment loads are delivered to the Arabian Sea along the coast of Pakistan (upper left) and western India. In the case of the Indus River (far upper left) this sedimentation, containing large quantities of desert sand, combines with wave action to create a large sand-bar like delta. In the arid environment, the delta lacks much vegetation, but contains numerous mangrove-lined channels. This true-color image from May 2001 shows the transition from India's arid northwest to the wetter regions farther south along the coast. The increase in vegetation along the coast is brought about by the moisture trapping effect of the Western Ghats Mountain Range that runs north-south along the coast. Heavy sediment is visible in the Gulf of Kachchh (north) and the Gulf of Khambhat(south), which surround the Gujarat Peninsula.

  13. North Central Region 4-H Volunteers: Documenting Their Contributions and Volunteer Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nippolt, Pamela Larson; Pleskac, Sue; Schwartz, Vicki; Swanson, Doug

    2012-01-01

    Documenting volunteer contributions strengthens Extension partnerships with volunteers. A team of North Central Region 4-H volunteer specialists collaborated to conduct a study of 4-H volunteer contributions and impacts related to working with youth within the 4-H program. Over three thousand (3,332) 4-H volunteers from throughout the 12-state…

  14. Maternal Tetanus Toxoid Vaccination and Neonatal Mortality in Rural North India

    PubMed Central

    Singh, Abhishek; Pallikadavath, Saseendran; Ogollah, Reuben; Stones, William

    2012-01-01

    Objectives Preventable neonatal mortality due to tetanus infection remains common. We aimed to examine antenatal vaccination impact in a context of continuing high neonatal mortality in rural northern India. Methods and Findings Using the third round of the Indian National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 2005–06, mortality of most recent singleton births was analysed in discrete-time logistic model with maternal tetanus vaccination, together with antenatal care utilisation and supplementation with iron and folic acid. 59% of mothers reported receiving antenatal care, 48% reported receiving iron and folic acid supplementation and 68% reported receiving two or more doses of tetanus toxoid (TT) vaccination. The odds of all-cause neonatal death were reduced following one or more antenatal dose of TT with odds ratios (OR) of 0.46 (95% CI 0.26 to 0.78) after one dose and 0.45 (95% CI 0.31 to 0.66) after two or more doses. Reported utilisation of antenatal care and iron-folic acid supplementation did not influence neonatal mortality. In the statistical model, 16% (95% CI 5% to 27%) of neonatal deaths could be attributed to a lack of at least two doses of TT vaccination during pregnancy, representing an estimated 78,632 neonatal deaths in absolute terms. Conclusions Substantial gains in newborn survival could be achieved in rural North India through increased coverage of antenatal TT vaccination. The apparent substantial protective effect of a single antenatal dose of TT requires further study. It may reflect greater population vaccination coverage and indicates that health programming should prioritise universal antenatal coverage with at least one dose. PMID:23152814

  15. Gender, Sexual Health Seeking Behavior, and HIV/AIDS Among Tarok Women in North-Central Nigeria.

    PubMed

    Orisaremi, Titilayo Cordelia

    2016-06-01

    In this study, which was part of a larger project I undertook in North-central Nigeria, I explored the differences in the sexual health seeking behavior of Tarok women and men and how these differences affect the spread of HIV. With the help of three research assistants, I conducted 16 in-depth interviews and 24 focus group discussions in four Tarok communities in North-central Nigeria. I found certain negative effects of gender inequality on women's sexual health seeking behavior in particular, a situation that has adverse implications for HIV acquisition and transmission. I therefore concluded that addressing the challenges of gender inequality is imperative for a sustained fight against HIV and AIDS in Nigeria.

  16. The status of timber resources in the North Central United States

    Treesearch

    Neal H. Sullivan; Stephen R. Shifley

    2003-01-01

    Between 1953 and 1997 the volume of standing timber in the region (growing stock) more than doubled from 37 to 83 billion cubic feet. Forests in the North Central Region grow 2.3 billion cubic feet of new wood on growing-stock trees each year. Annual removals are about half that amount. The pattern is the same in each of the seven included states (Minnesota, Wisconsin...

  17. North-south palaeohydrological contrasts in the central Mediterranean during the Holocene: tentative synthesis and working hypotheses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Magny, M.; Combourieu-Nebout, N.; de Beaulieu, J. L.; Bout-Roumazeilles, V.; Colombaroli, D.; Desprat, S.; Francke, A.; Joannin, S.; Ortu, E.; Peyron, O.; Revel, M.; Sadori, L.; Siani, G.; Sicre, M. A.; Samartin, S.; Simonneau, A.; Tinner, W.; Vannière, B.; Wagner, B.; Zanchetta, G.; Anselmetti, F.; Brugiapaglia, E.; Chapron, E.; Debret, M.; Desmet, M.; Didier, J.; Essallami, L.; Galop, D.; Gilli, A.; Haas, J. N.; Kallel, N.; Millet, L.; Stock, A.; Turon, J. L.; Wirth, S.

    2013-09-01

    On the basis of a multi-proxy approach and a strategy combining lacustrine and marine records along a north-south transect, data collected in the central Mediterranean within the framework of a collaborative project have led to reconstruction of high-resolution and well-dated palaeohydrological records and to assessment of their spatial and temporal coherency. Contrasting patterns of palaeohydrological changes have been evidenced in the central Mediterranean: south (north) of around 40° N of latitude, the middle part of the Holocene was characterised by lake-level maxima (minima), during an interval dated to ca. 10 300-4500 cal BP to the south and 9000-4500 cal BP to the north. Available data suggest that these contrasting palaeohydrological patterns operated throughout the Holocene, both on millennial and centennial scales. Regarding precipitation seasonality, maximum humidity in the central Mediterranean during the middle part of the Holocene was characterised by humid winters and dry summers north of ca. 40° N, and humid winters and summers south of ca. 40° N. This may explain an apparent conflict between palaeoclimatic records depending on the proxies used for reconstruction as well as the synchronous expansion of tree species taxa with contrasting climatic requirements. In addition, south of ca. 40° N, the first millennium of the Holocene was characterised by very dry climatic conditions not only in the eastern, but also in the central- and the western Mediterranean zones as reflected by low lake levels and delayed reforestation. These results suggest that, in addition to the influence of the Nile discharge reinforced by the African monsoon, the deposition of Sapropel 1 has been favoured (1) by an increase in winter precipitation in the northern Mediterranean borderlands, and (2) by an increase in winter and summer precipitation in the southern Mediterranean area. The climate reversal following the Holocene climate optimum appears to have been punctuated

  18. Annual Forest Inventories for the North Central Region of the United States

    Treesearch

    Ronald E. McRoberts; Mark H. Hansen

    1999-01-01

    The primary objective in developing procedures for annual forest inventories for the north central region of the United States is to establish the capability of producing standard forest inventory and analysis estimates on an annual basis. The inventory system developed to accomplish this objective features several primary functions, including (1) an annual sample of...

  19. Temperature of upland and peatland soils in a north central Minnesota forest

    Treesearch

    Dale S. Nichols

    1998-01-01

    Soil temperature strongly influences physical, chemical, and biological activities in soil. However, soil temperature data for forest landscapes are scarce. For 6 yr, weekly soil temperatures were measured at two upland and four peatland sites in north central Minnesota. One upland site supported mature aspen forest, the other supported short grass. One peatland site...

  20. Farm Crisis Response: Extension and Research Activities in the North Central Region.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lasley, Paul, Comp.; And Others

    The 12 states comprising the North Central Region have been affected in similar ways by the farm crisis of the 1980s. Statewide surveys show sizeable proportions of farm operations that are experiencing moderately high levels of financial stress. The problems caused by chronic stress on family structure and functioning, the loss of mainstreet…

  1. Thermal Evolution of the North-Central Gulf Coast

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nunn, Jeffrey A.; Scardina, Allan D.; Pilger, Rex H., Jr.

    1984-12-01

    The subsidence history of the North Louisiana Salt Basin, determined from well data, indicates that the region underwent extension during rifting and has since passively subsided due to conductive cooling of the lithosphere. Timing of the rifting event is consistent with opening of the Gulf of Mexico during Late Triassic to Early Jurassic time. Crustal extension by a factor of 1.5 to 2 was computed from "tectonic" subsidence curves. However, data from the early subsidence history are insufficient to distinguish between uniform and nonuniform extension of the lithosphere. The magnitude of extension is in good agreement with total sediment and crustal thicknesses from seismic refraction data in the adjacent Central Mississippi Salt Basin. The temperature distribution within the sediments is calculated using a simple heat conduction model. Temperature and subsidence effects of thermal insulation by overlying sediments are included. The computed temperature distribution is in good agreement with bottom hole temperatures measured in deep wells. Temperature histories predicted for selected stratigraphic horizons within the North Louisiana Salt Basin suggest that thermal conditions have been favorable for hydrocarbon generation in the older stata. Results from a two-dimensional heat conduction model suggest that a probable cause for the early formation of the adjacent uplifts is lateral heat conduction from the basin. Rapid extension of the lithosphere underneath areas with horizontal dimensions of 50-100 km produces extremely rapid early subsidence due to lateral heat conduction. The moderate subsidence rate observed in the North Louisiana Salt Basin during the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous suggests slow extension over a long period of time.

  2. Role of mucosal high-risk human papillomavirus types in head and neck cancers in central India.

    PubMed

    Gheit, Tarik; Anantharaman, Devasena; Holzinger, Dana; Alemany, Laia; Tous, Sara; Lucas, Eric; Prabhu, Priya Ramesh; Pawlita, Michael; Ridder, Ruediger; Rehm, Susanne; Bogers, Johannes; Maffini, Fausto; Chiocca, Susanna; Lloveras, Belén; Kumar, Rekha Vijay; Somanathan, Thara; de Sanjosé, Silvia; Castellsagué, Xavier; Arbyn, Marc; Brennan, Paul; Sankaranarayanan, Rengaswamy; Pillai, Madhavan Radhakrishna; Gangane, Nitin; Tommasino, Massimo

    2017-07-01

    Mucosal high-risk (HR) human papillomaviruses (HPV) cause a subset of head and neck cancers (HNC). The HPV-attributable fraction of HNC varies substantially between countries. Although HNC has a very high incidence in the Indian subcontinent, information on the contribution of HPV infection is limited. Here, we evaluated the HPV-attributable fraction in HNC (N = 364) collected in a central region of India. HNC from three different anatomical subsites were included, namely, oral cavity (n = 252), oropharynx (n = 53) and hypopharynx/larynx (n = 59). In this retrospective study, HPV-driven HNC were defined by presence of both viral DNA and RNA. Overexpression of p16 INK4a was also evaluated. HR-HPV DNA was detected in 13.7% of the cases; however, only 2.7% were positive for both HPV DNA and RNA. The highest percentage of HPV DNA/RNA double positivity was found in oropharynx (9.4%), followed by larynx (1.7%) and oral cavity (1.6%) (p = 0.02). More than half of HPV DNA/RNA-positive cases were p16 INK4a -negative, while a considerable number of HPV RNA-negative cases were p16 INK4a -positive (17.9%). HPV16 was the major type associated with HNC (60.0%), although cases positive for HPV18, 35 and 56 were also detected. Our data indicate that the proportion and types of mucosal HR-HPV associated with HNC in this central Indian region differ from those in other (developed) parts of the world. This may be explained by differences in smoking and/or sexual behaviour compared with North America and northern Europe. Moreover, we show that p16 INK4a staining appeared not to be a good surrogate marker of HPV transformation in the Indian HNC cases. © 2017 UICC.

  3. Land use and land cover change in the North Central Appalachians ecoregion

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Napton, D.E.; Sohl, Terry L.; Auch, Roger F.; Loveland, Thomas R.

    2003-01-01

    The North Central Appalachians ecoregion, spanning northern Pennsylvania and southern New York, has a long history of land use and land cover change. Turn-of-the-century logging dramatically altered the natural landscape of the ecoregion, but subsequent regeneration returned the ecoregion to a forest dominated condition. To understand contemporary land use and land cover changes, the U.S. Geological Survey with NASA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency used a random sample of satellite remotely sensed data for 1973, 1980, 1986, 1992, and 2000 to estimate the rates and assess the primary drivers of change in the North Central Appalachians. The overall change was 6.2%. The 1973-1980 period had the lowest rate of change (1.5%); the highest rate (2.9%) occurred during the 1992-2000 period. The primary conversions were deforestation through harvesting and natural disturbance (i.e., tornados) followed by regeneration, and conversion of forests to mining and urban lands. The primary drivers of the change included changes in access, energy and forest prices, and attitudes toward the environment.

  4. North-south palaeohydrological contrasts in the central Mediterranean during the Holocene: tentative synthesis and working hypotheses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Magny, M.; Combourieu Nebout, N.; de Beaulieu, J. L.; Bout-Roumazeilles, V.; Colombaroli, D.; Desprat, S.; Francke, A.; Joannin, S.; Peyron, O.; Revel, M.; Sadori, L.; Siani, G.; Sicre, M. A.; Samartin, S.; Simonneau, A.; Tinner, W.; Vannière, B.; Wagner, B.; Zanchetta, G.; Anselmetti, F.; Brugiapaglia, E.; Chapron, E.; Debret, M.; Desmet, M.; Didier, J.; Essallami, L.; Galop, D.; Gilli, A.; Haas, J. N.; Kallel, N.; Millet, L.; Stock, A.; Turon, J. L.; Wirth, S.

    2013-04-01

    On the basis of a multi-proxy approach and a strategy combining lacustrine and marine records along a north-south transect, data collected in the Central Mediterranean within the framework of a collaborative project have led to reconstruction of high-resolution and well-dated palaeohydrological records and to assessment of their spatial and temporal coherency. Contrasting patterns of palaeohydrological changes have been evidenced in the Central Mediterranean: south (north) of around 40° N of latitude, the middle part of the Holocene was characterised by lake-level maxima (minima), during an interval dated to ca. 10 300-4500 cal BP to the south and 9000-4500 cal BP to the north. Available data suggest that these contrasting palaeohydrological patterns operated throughout the Holocene, both on millennial and centennial scales. Regarding precipitation seasonality, maximum humidity in the Central Mediterranean during the middle part of the Holocene was characterised by humid winters and dry summers north of ca. 40° N, and humid winters and summers south of ca. 40° N. This may explain an apparent conflict between palaeoclimatic records depending on the proxies used for reconstruction as well as the synchronous expansion of tree species taxa with contrasting climatic requirements. In addition, south of ca. 40° N, the first millennium of the Holocene was characterised by very dry climatic conditions not only in the Eastern, but also in the Central and the Western Mediterranean zones as reflected by low lake levels and delayed reforestation. These results suggest that, in addition to the influence of the Nile discharge reinforced by the African monsoon, the deposition of Sapropel 1 has been favoured (1) by an increase in winter precipitation in the northern Mediterranean borderlands, and (2) by an increase in winter and summer precipitation in the southern Mediterranean area. The climate reversal following the Holocene climate optimum appears to have been punctuated by

  5. Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the North-Central Montana Province, 2017

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schenk, Christopher J.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Woodall, Cheryl A.; Le, Phuong A.; Klett, Timothy R.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Finn, Thomas M.; Pitman, Janet K.; Marra, Kristen R.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.

    2018-02-12

    Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated mean undiscovered, technically recoverable resources of 55 million barrels of oil and 846 billion cubic feet of gas in the North-Central Montana Province.

  6. 6. VIEW LOOKING NORTH ON SIXTH STREET, ACROSS CENTRAL AVENUE. ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    6. VIEW LOOKING NORTH ON SIXTH STREET, ACROSS CENTRAL AVENUE. THE BUILDING ON THE RIGHT IS BUILDING 551, BUILT IN 1953 AS A WAREHOUSE AND METAL FABRICATION SHOP. THE BUILDING ON THE LEFT IS BUILDING 334, ALSO BUILT IN 1953, AS THE ELECTRICAL AND GENERAL MAINTENANCE SHOP. IN THE CENTER OF THE PHOTOGRAPH IN THE BACKGROUND IS BUILDING 374, THE AQUEOUS PROCESS WASTE TREATMENT PLANT. - Rocky Flats Plant, Bounded by Indiana Street & Routes 93, 128 & 72, Golden, Jefferson County, CO

  7. 76 FR 31008 - North Central Iowa Rail Corridor, LLC-Acquisition Exemption-Union Pacific Railroad Company

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-27

    ... Rail Corridor, LLC--Acquisition Exemption-- Union Pacific Railroad Company North Central Iowa Rail Corridor, LLC (NCIRC), a noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 [[Page 31009

  8. Aspen clearcutting increases snowmelt and storm flow peaks in north central Minnesota

    Treesearch

    Elon S. Verry; Jeffrey R. Lewis; Kenneth N. Brooks

    1983-01-01

    Clearcutting aspen from the upland portion of an upland peatland watershed in north central Minnesota caused snowmelt peak discharge to increase 11 to 143 percent. Rainfall peak discharge size increased as much as 250 percent during the first two years after clearcutting, then decreased toward precutting levels in subsequent years. Storm flow volumes from rain during...

  9. Spatial evaluation of precipitation in two large watersheds in north-central Arizona

    Treesearch

    Boris Poff; Assefa Desta; Aregai Tecle

    2004-01-01

    The USDA Forest Service established the Beaver Creek Experimental Watershed Pilot Project in north-central Arizona in 1957 and operated it until 1982. After the Forest Service discontinued the project in 1982, Northern Arizona University's School of Forestry continued to monitor and do research in two of the largest watersheds, known as Woods Canyon and Bar M....

  10. Pyrolysis and kinetic analyses of a perennial grass (Saccharum ravannae L.) from north-east India: Optimization through response surface methodology and product characterization.

    PubMed

    Saikia, Ruprekha; Baruah, Bhargav; Kalita, Dipankar; Pant, Kamal K; Gogoi, Nirmali; Kataki, Rupam

    2018-04-01

    The objective of the present investigation was to optimize the pyrolysis condition of an abundantly available and low cost perennial grass of north-east India Saccharum ravannae L. (S. ravannae) using response surface methodology based on central composite design. Kinetic study of the biomass was conducted at four different heating rates of 10, 20, 40 and 60 °C min -1 and results were interpreted by Friedman, Kissinger Akira Sunnose and Flynn-Wall-Ozawa methods. Average activation energy 151.45 kJ mol -1 was used for evaluation of reaction mechanism following Criado master plot. Maximum bio-oil yield of 38.1 wt% was obtained at pyrolysis temperature of 550 °C, heating rate of 20 °C min -1 and nitrogen flow rate of 226 mL min -1 . Study on bio-oil quality revealed higher content of hydrocarbon, antioxidant property, total phenolic content and metal chelating capacity. These opened up probable applications of S. ravannae bio-oil in different fields including fuel, food industry and biomedical domain. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Etiology and mode of presentation of chronic liver diseases in India: A multi centric study.

    PubMed

    Mukherjee, Partha S; Vishnubhatla, Sreenivas; Amarapurkar, Deepak N; Das, Kausik; Sood, Ajit; Chawla, Yogesh K; Eapen, Chundamannil E; Boddu, Prabhakar; Thomas, Varghese; Varshney, Subodh; Hidangmayum, Diamond Sharma; Bhaumik, Pradip; Thakur, Bhaskar; Acharya, Subrat K; Chowdhury, Abhijit

    2017-01-01

    There is a paucity of health policy relevant data for chronic liver disease from India, impeding formulation of an interventional strategy to address the issue. A prospective, multicentric study to delineate the etiology and clinical profile of chronic liver disease in India is reported here. A centrally coordinated and monitored web-based data repository was developed (Feb, 2010 to Jan, 2013) and analyzed. Eleven hospitals from different parts of India participated. Data were uploaded into a web based proforma and monitored by a single centre according to a standardized protocol. 1.28% (n = 266621) of all patients (n = 20701383) attending the eleven participating hospitals of India had liver disease. 65807 (24·68%) were diagnosed for the first time (new cases). Of these, 13014 (19·77%, median age 43 years, 73% males) cases of chronic liver disease were finally analyzed. 33.9% presented with decompensated cirrhosis. Alcoholism (34·3% of 4413) was the commonest cause of cirrhosis while Hepatitis B (33·3%) was predominant cause of chronic liver disease in general and non-cirrhotic chronic liver disease (40·8% out of 8163). There was significant interregional differences (hepatitis C in North, hepatitis B in East and South, alcohol in North-east, Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in West) in the predominant cause of chronic liver disease. Hepatitis B (46·8% of 438 cases) was the commonest cause of hepatocellular Cancer.11·7% had diabetes. Observations of our study will help guide a contextually relevant liver care policy for India and could serve as a framework for similar endeavor in other developing countries as well.

  12. Gender Disparity in Late-life Cognitive Functioning in India: Findings From the Longitudinal Aging Study in India

    PubMed Central

    Shih, Regina; Feeney, Kevin; Langa, Kenneth M.

    2014-01-01

    Objectives. To examine gender disparities in cognitive functioning in India and the extent to which education explains this disparity in later life. Methods. This study uses baseline interviews of a prospective cohort study of 1,451 community-residing adults 45 years of age or older in four geographically diverse states of India (Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan). Data collected during home visits includes cognitive performance tests, and rich sociodemographic, health, and psychosocial variables. The cognitive performance tests include episodic memory, numeracy, and a modified version of the Mini-Mental State Examination. Results. We find gender disparity in cognitive function in India, and this disparity is greater in the north than the south. We also find that gender disparities in educational attainment, health, and social and economic activity explain the female cognitive disadvantage in later life. Discussion. We report significant gender disparities in cognitive functioning among older Indian adults, which differ from gender disparities in cognition encountered in developed countries. Our models controlling for education, health status, and social and economic activity explain the disparity in southern India but not the region-specific disparity in the northern India. North Indian women may face additional sources of stress associated with discrimination against women that contribute to persistent disadvantages in cognitive functioning at older ages. PMID:24622150

  13. Strategic planning for the activation and operation of the North Central Superpave Center (NCSC)

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1997-01-01

    The North Central Superpave Center (NCSC) was established to serve the needs of the states and industry in ten states and two Canadian provinces as they implement the Superpave system. Accomplishing this goal requires the cooperation and active suppo...

  14. Geology and ground-water resources of the Grand Rapids area, north-central Minnesota

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Oakes, Edward L.

    1970-01-01

    This report is one of a series of studies of geology and ground-water availability conducted in and near selected communities on the Mesabi Iron Range, north-central and northeastern Minnesota. This report describes the geology and ground-water conditions in the 303 square-mile Grand Rapids area.

  15. Herbaceous vegetation in thinned and defoliated forest stands in north central West Virginia

    Treesearch

    S. L. C. Fosbroke; D. Feicht; R. M. Muzika

    1995-01-01

    Herbaceous vegetation was inventoried in 1992 and 1993 in eight Appalachian mixed hardwood stands ( 50% basal area/acre in oak species) in north central West Virginia. Vegetation was sampled on 20 6-foot radius plots per stand twice each growing season (once during late spring to sample spring ephemeral...

  16. Efficacy and well-being in rural north India: The role of social identification with a large-scale community identity

    PubMed Central

    Khan, Sammyh S; Hopkins, Nick; Tewari, Shruti; Srinivasan, Narayanan; Reicher, Stephen David; Ozakinci, Gozde

    2014-01-01

    Identifying with a group can contribute to a sense of well-being. The mechanisms involved are diverse: social identification with a group can impact individuals' beliefs about issues such as their connections with others, the availability of social support, the meaningfulness of existence, and the continuity of their identity. Yet, there seems to be a common theme to these mechanisms: identification with a group encourages the belief that one can cope with the stressors one faces (which is associated with better well-being). Our research investigated the relationship between identification, beliefs about coping, and well-being in a survey (N = 792) administered in rural North India. Using structural equation modelling, we found that social identification as a Hindu had positive and indirect associations with three measures of well-being through the belief that one can cope with everyday stressors. We also found residual associations between participants' social identification as a Hindu and two measures of well-being in which higher identification was associated with poorer well-being. We discuss these findings and their implication for understanding the relationship between social identification (especially with large-scale group memberships) and well-being. We also discuss the application of social psychological theory developed in the urban West to rural north India. © 2014 The Authors. European Journal of Social Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. PMID:26160989

  17. Portfolio of Outpatients Attending Centre for Urban Health, Madhya Pradesh, Central India.

    PubMed

    Gupta, Arti; Reddy, B Venkatashiva; Nagar, Mukesh Kumar; Chandel, Ajeet; Bali, Surya

    2015-01-01

    Knowledge on distribution and burden of diseases in a community is essential for planning of public health services. In the absence of information on morbidity profile through community-based surveys, facility-based data provide a good alternative. The aim of this study was to describe the morbidity profile of patients attending the Centre for Urban Health All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhopal (CUHA). A record-based descriptive study was carried out in the CUHA Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, Central India. Information on age, gender, residence, new case, and principal diagnosis were extracted from the outpatient registers for the period between January 2014 and December 2014. Only newly registered patients for the study year (2014) were included. Descriptive analysis was done. A total of 6685 new episodes of illnesses were treated. Adults (>15 years) constituted about 85.0%. Overall, the respiratory disorders were the most common (27.2%) followed by the digestive disorders (10.9%), circulatory disorders (9.9%), musculoskeletal disorders (8.8%), and infectious and parasitic disorders (7.4%). This study gives a brief description of the morbidity profile of patients attending a primary health care center over a period of 1 year. This knowledge would help in planning health services to meet the patients' needs and help in training health staff.

  18. Explanatory models in patients with first episode depression: a study from north India.

    PubMed

    Grover, Sandeep; Kumar, Vineet; Chakrabarti, Subho; Hollikatti, Prabhakar; Singh, Pritpal; Tyagi, Shikha; Kulhara, Parmanand; Avasthi, Ajit

    2012-09-01

    The purpose of this work was to study the explanatory models of patients with first episode depression presenting to a tertiary care hospital located in North-western India. One hundred sixty four consecutive patients with diagnosis of first episode depression (except severe depression with psychotic symptoms) according to the International Classification of Diseases-10th Revision (ICD-10) and ≥18 years of age were evaluated for their explanatory models using the causal models section of Explanatory Model Interview Catalogue (EMIC). The most common explanations given were categorized into Karma-deed-heredity category (77.4%), followed by psychological explanations (62.2%), weakness (50%) and social causes (40.2%). Among the various specific causes the commonly reported explanations by at least one-fourth of the sample in decreasing order were: will of god (51.2%), fate/chance (40.9%), weakness of nerves (37.8%), general weakness (34.7%), bad deeds (26.2%), evil eye (24.4%) and family problems (21.9%). There was some influence of sociodemographic features on the explanations given by the patients. From the study, it can be concluded that patients with first episode depression have multiple explanatory models for their symptoms of depression which are slightly different than those reported in previous studies done from other parts of India. Understanding the multiple explanatory models for their symptoms of depression can have important treatment implications. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Traditional uses of herbal vapour therapy in Manipur, North East India: an ethnobotanical survey.

    PubMed

    Ningthoujam, Sanjoy Singh; Das Talukdar, Anupam; Potsangbam, Kumar Singh; Choudhury, Manabendra Dutta

    2013-05-02

    Vapour-based medicines are an aspect of traditional medicine in North East India. However, no collective studies on this therapy in the region have been attempted. With the changing perception of traditional knowledge, documenting these herbal preparations and the subsequent development of baseline data for applications in further ethnopharmacological research are needed. To survey and document the plant species associated with vapour therapy in Manipur, North East India, and to evaluate these traditional practices. Semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect information from the Meitei community in the Imphal valley and the Jiribam area in Manipur. Traditional disease concepts were studied along with their corresponding medical terminologies. Plant samples collected from fields, healers' private collections and home gardens were identified. Evaluation of the ethnobotanical data was performed with a modified fidelity level index. In the study, 41 traditional disease complexes were treated by 13 different routes of administration using 48 mono-ingredient and 17 multi-ingredient compositions. Preparation methods included boiling in water (28%), burning the materials (48%), crushing the materials to release the aroma (21%) and slight heating of the materials (3%). Some of the mono-ingredient recipes reported in the study were observed to have similar uses in other parts of the world, whereas polyherbal remedies were found to be unique without any similar report. Many compositions mentioned in the paper are still used by the Meitei community. Traditional healers follow their own criteria for selecting medicinal plants. Plants recorded in this ethnobotanical study can suggest methods for selecting and identifying potentially effective plants for future drug candidates. Scientific characterisation of the herbal remedies can contribute to the endorsement of traditional vapour-based therapies in the modern health care systems. Findings from these "new usage

  20. Factors blocking the development of north - central Rzeszów

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rybka, Adam; Mazur, Rafał

    2017-12-01

    Rzeszów is one of the best developing cities in Poland. Once the small HQ of a principality - due to complicated historical conditioning - it has now become a place where an increasing number of people choose to live. The city with its bursting life, streets and squares starts and ends, however, in an area which only a few dozen years ago still catered for one fifth of the current population. The main reason for this phenomenon is the presence of spatial barriers, which significantly limit the development of the central urban area. This article analyzes the elements, which block the development of the north-central part of Rzeszów. An appropriate diagnosis of the problem may in the future allow the right actions in urban planning to be taken in order to cross these barriers. This may lead to the future development of areas with huge urbanization potential. Investments undertaken by city authorities to develop the northern peripheries of Rzeszów may trigger the development of the central district in this direction. This may occur as a result of concrete design interventions. The new part of the central district should have the scale and proportions of urban space that answer to the needs of a dynamically developing capital of the Podkarpacie region.

  1. Simulated influences of Lake Agassiz on the climate of central North America 11,000 years ago

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hostetler, S.W.; Bartlein, P.J.; Clark, P.U.; Small, E.E.; Solomon, A.M.

    2000-01-01

    Eleven thousand years ago, large lakes existed in central and eastern North America along the margin of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. The large-scale North American climate at this time has been simulated with atmospheric general circulation models, but these relatively coarse global models do not resolve potentially important features of the mesoscale circulation that arise from interactions among the atmosphere, ice sheet, and proglacial lakes. Here we present simulations of the climate of central and eastern North America 11,000 years ago with a high-resolution, regional climate model nested within a general circulation model. The simulated climate is in general agreement with that inferred from palaeoecological evidence. Our experiments indicate that through mesoscale atmospheric feedbacks, the annual delivery of moisture to the Laurentide Ice Sheet was diminished at times of a large, cold Lake Agassiz relative to periods of lower lake stands. The resulting changes in the mass balance of the ice sheet may have contributed to fluctuations of the ice margin, thus affecting the routing of fresh water to the North Atlantic Ocean. A retreating ice margin during periods of high lake level may have opened an outlet for discharge of Lake Agassiz into the North Atlantic. A subsequent advance of the ice margin due to greater moisture delivery associated with a low lake level could have dammed the outlet, thereby reducing discharge to the North Atlantic. These variations may have been decisive in causing the Younger Dryas cold even.

  2. Condom Availability at Four-Year State Universities in the North Central Census Region.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Estes, K. R.; And Others

    This survey of 66 4-year state universities with enrollments greater than 5,000 students in the North Central census region investigated the availability of condoms on campuses to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, including acquired immune deficiency syndrome. The survey sought to determine condom availability, location, cost to students, and…

  3. From the Ground Up: Growing Entrepreneurship in the North Central Region. RRD 191

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Emery, Mary

    2008-01-01

    More than 300 people in the North Central region added their voices to a discussion on the importance of entrepreneurship to rural community vitality, often traveling long distances to attend one of 11 listening sessions held throughout the region. Among those attending were local leaders, service providers, entrepreneurs, and educators. The…

  4. Brookian sequence well log correlation sections and occurrence of gas hydrates, north-central North Slope, Alaska

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lewis, Kristen A.; Collett, Timothy S.

    2013-01-01

    Gas hydrates are naturally occurring crystalline, ice-like substances that consist of natural gas molecules trapped in a solid-water lattice. Because of the compact nature of their structure, hydrates can effectively store large volumes of gas and, consequently, have been identified as a potential unconventional energy source. First recognized to exist geologically in the 1960s, significant accumulations of gas hydrate have been found throughout the world. Gas hydrate occurrence is limited to environments such as permafrost regions and subsea sediments because of the pressure and temperature conditions required for their formation and stability. Permafrost-associated gas hydrate accumulations have been discovered in many regions of the Arctic, including Russia, Canada, and the North Slope of Alaska. Gas hydrate research has a long history in northern Alaska. This research includes the drilling, coring, and well log evaluation of two gas hydrate stratigraphic test wells and two resource assessments of gas hydrates on the Alaska North Slope. Building upon these previous investigations, this report provides a summary of the pertinent well log, gas hydrate, and stratigraphic data for key wells related to gas hydrate occurrence in the north-central North Slope. The data are presented in nine well log correlation sections with 122 selected wells to provide a regional context for gas hydrate accumulations and the relation of the accumulations to key stratigraphic horizons and to the base of the ice-bearing permafrost. Also included is a well log database that lists the location, available well logs, depths, and other pertinent information for each of the wells on the correlation section.

  5. Spatial Correlations of Malaria Incidence Hotspots with Environmental Factors in Assam, North East India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Handique, Bijoy K.; Khan, Siraj A.; Dutta, Prafulla; Nath, Manash J.; Qadir, Abdul; Raju, P. L. N.

    2016-06-01

    Malaria is endemic and a major public health problem in north east (NE) region of India and contributes about 8-12 % of India's malaria positives cases. Historical morbidity pattern of malaria in terms of API (Annual Parasite Incidence) in the state of Assam has been used for delineating the malaria incidence hotspots at health sub centre (HSC) level. Strong spatial autocorrelation (p < 0.01) among the HSCs have been observed in terms of API (Annual Parasite Incidence). Malaria incidence hot spots in the state could be identified based on General G statistics and tested for statistical significance. Spatial correlation of malaria incidence hotspots with physiographic and climatic parameters across 6 agro-climatic zones of the state reveals the types of land cover pattern and the range of elevation contributing to the malaria outbreaks. Analysis shows that villages under malaria hotspots are having more agricultural land, evergreen/semi-evergreen forests with abundant waterbodies. Statistical and spatial analyses of malaria incidence showed a significant positive correlation with malaria incidence hotspots and the elevation (p < 0.05) with villages under malaria hotspots are having average elevation ranging between 17 to 240 MSL. This conforms to the characteristics of two dominant mosquito species in the state Anopheles minimus and An. baimai that prefers the habitat of slow flowing streams in the foot hills and in forest ecosystems respectively.

  6. Assessment of radiological protection systems among diagnostic radiology facilities in North East India.

    PubMed

    Singh, Thokchom Dewan; Jayaraman, T; Arunkumar Sharma, B

    2017-03-01

    This study aims to assess the adequacy level of radiological protection systems available in the diagnostic radiology facilities located in three capital cities of North East (NE) India. It further attempts to understand, using a multi-disciplinary approach, how the safety codes/standards in diagnostic radiology framed by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to achieve adequate radiological protection in facilities, have been perceived, conceptualized, and applied accordingly in these facilities. About 30 diagnostic radiology facilities were randomly selected from three capitals of states in NE India; namely Imphal (Manipur), Shillong (Meghalaya) and Guwahati (Assam). A semi-structured questionnaire developed based on a multi-disciplinary approach was used for this study. It was observed that radiological practices undertaken in these facilities were not exactly in line with safety codes/standards in diagnostic radiology of the AERB and the IAEA. About 50% of the facilities had registered/licensed x-ray equipment with the AERB. More than 80% of the workers did not use radiation protective devices, although these devices were available in the facilities. About 85% of facilities had no institutional risk management system. About 70% of the facilities did not carry out periodic quality assurance testing of their x-ray equipment or surveys of radiation leakage around the x-ray room, and did not display radiation safety indicators in the x-ray rooms. Workers in these facilities exhibited low risk perception about the risks associated with these practices. The majority of diagnostic radiology facilities in NE India did not comply with the radiological safety codes/standards framed by the AERB and IAEA. The study found inadequate levels of radiological protection systems in the majority of facilities. This study suggests a need to establish firm measures that comply with the radiological safety codes/standards of the

  7. Duripan effect on soil water availability: study case in North-Central Namibia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prudat, Brice; Bloemertz, Lena; Kuhn, Nikolaus J.

    2016-04-01

    Soils with duripan and other hardpans are frequently disregarded for agriculture. However, in North-Central Namibia, farmers cultivate a type of sandy soil with a developing duripan at few decimetres of depth. This soil is particularly valuable for Pearl Millet cultivation during years with limited rainfall. Understanding the water dynamic and the role of the duripan in the soil moisture dynamic will improve livelihood and secure food production in North-Central Namibia, in Southern Angola and other areas in the world where similar soils appear. We recorded soil water content during five months at different depth in one of these sandy soil. The comparison of the recorded data with values calculated with models based on e.g. texture indicate that the duripan plays a very important role as water reservoir. Our results demonstrate that soils with duripans should not be disregarded for agricultural development, especially in context with irregular rainfall patterns. Understanding the role of duripans based on this study will thus help to anticipate and alleviate the effect of climate change in northern Namibia and other semi-arid regions, where similar soils occur.

  8. Environmental impact of manufacturing softwood lumber in northeastern and north central United States

    Treesearch

    Richard D. Bergman; Scott A. Bowe

    2010-01-01

    Finding the environmental impact of building materials is becoming increasingly more important because of public environmental awareness. Accurate and precise life-cycle inventory data on wood products are needed to meet this demand. This study examined softwood lumber manufacturing in the northeastern and north central US using life-cycle inventory methods. Material...

  9. Serological Evidence of Lyssavirus Infection among Bats in Nagaland, a North-Eastern State in India.

    PubMed

    Mani, R S; Dovih, D P; Ashwini, M A; Chattopadhyay, B; Harsha, P K; Garg, K M; Sudarshan, S; Puttaswamaiah, R; Ramakrishnan, U; Madhusudana, S N

    2017-06-01

    Bats are known to be reservoirs of several medically important viruses including lyssaviruses. However, no systematic surveillance for bat rabies has been carried out in India, a canine rabies endemic country with a high burden of human rabies. Surveillance for rabies virus (RABV) infection in bats was therefore carried out in Nagaland, a north-eastern state in India at sites with intense human-bat interfaces during traditional bat harvests. Brain tissues and sera from bats were tested for evidence of infection due to RABV. Brain tissues were subjected to the fluorescent antibody test for detection of viral antigen and real-time reverse transcriptase PCR for presence of viral RNA. Bat sera were tested for the presence of rabies neutralizing antibodies by the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test. None of the bat brains tested (n = 164) were positive for viral antigen or viral RNA. However, rabies neutralizing antibodies were detected in 4/78 (5·1%) bat sera tested, suggesting prior exposure to RABV or related lyssaviruses. The serological evidence of lyssaviral infection in Indian bats may have important implications in disease transmission and rabies control measures, and warrant extensive bat surveillance to better define the prevalence of lyssaviral infection in bats.

  10. A New Insight into Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis for Central India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mandal, H. S.; Shukla, A. K.; Khan, P. K.; Mishra, O. P.

    2013-12-01

    The Son-Narmada-Tapti lineament and its surroundings of Central India (CI) is the second most important tectonic regime following the converging margin along Himalayas-Myanmar-Andaman of the Indian sub-continent, which attracted several geoscientists to assess its seismic hazard potential. Our study area, a part of CI, is bounded between latitudes 18°-26°N and longitudes 73°-83°E, representing a stable part of Peninsular India. Past damaging moderate magnitude earthquakes as well as continuing microseismicity in the area provided enough data for seismological study. Our estimates based on regional Gutenberg-Richter relationship showed lower b values (i.e., between 0.68 and 0.76) from the average for the study area. The Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis carried out over the area with a radius of ~300 km encircling Bhopal yielded a conspicuous relationship between earthquake return period ( T) and peak ground acceleration (PGA). Analyses of T and PGA shows that PGA value at bedrock varies from 0.08 to 0.15 g for 10 % ( T = 475 years) and 2 % ( T = 2,475 years) probabilities exceeding 50 years, respectively. We establish the empirical relationships and between zero period acceleration (ZPA) and shear wave velocity up to a depth of 30 m [ V s (30)] for the two different return periods. These demonstrate that the ZPA values decrease with increasing shear wave velocity, suggesting a diagnostic indicator for designing the structures at a specific site of interest. The predictive designed response spectra generated at a site for periods up to 4.0 s at 10 and 2 % probability of exceedance of ground motion for 50 years can be used for designing duration dependent structures of variable vertical dimension. We infer that this concept of assimilating uniform hazard response spectra and predictive design at 10 and 2 % probability of exceedance in 50 years at 5 % damping at bedrocks of different categories may offer potential inputs for designing earthquake resistant

  11. College and Adult Reading VIII: The Eighth Yearbook of the North Central Reading Association.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fisher, Joseph A., Ed.

    Drawn from the presentations at the eighteenth and nineteenth annual conferences of the North Central Reading Association, this yearbook includes sections on programs and centers; materials and techniques; evaluation; and professional growth and issues. Papers include: "Successfully Effecting Change on Personality Variables through Academic Skills…

  12. New discovery of coral rubbings in the north-western Gulf of Kachchh, Gujarat, Western India — GIS based evaluation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sesh Serebiah, J.; Rajkumar, M.; Sun, Jun; Venmathi Maran, B. A.; Saravanakumar, A.; Thivakaran, G. A.

    2011-06-01

    The Gulf of Kachchh in western India, with its arid climate, large semi-diurnal tidal amplitudes, negative water balance and near-pristine water quality, is being extensively developed as oil importing bases for economic reasons in connection with its proximity to the oil exporting countries of the Middle East. Besides, new coral rubbings were sighted in Jakhau, north-western Gulf of Kachchh. Dredging in Mandvi of the north Gulf covering 3.5 km2 revealed a similar assortment of live corals with their associated flora and fauna. These pioneering observations demonstrate that there exist live corals of young polyps-colony of Favia sp. belonging to the family Faviidae in the north-western Gulf of Kachchh. The environmental parameters there were carefully recorded as: surface water temperature (°C) varying from 29 to 31.8, salinity (ppt), pH, dissolved oxygen (mgL-1) and total suspended solids (mgL-1) in the ranges of 37-43.5, 7.7-8.45, 5.4-6.8 and 11-31, respectively.

  13. Local soil quality assessment of north-central Namibia: integrating farmers' and technical knowledge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prudat, Brice; Bloemertz, Lena; Kuhn, Nikolaus J.

    2018-02-01

    Soil degradation is a major threat for farmers of semi-arid north-central Namibia. Soil conservation practices can be promoted by the development of soil quality (SQ) evaluation toolboxes that provide ways to evaluate soil degradation. However, such toolboxes must be adapted to local conditions to reach farmers. Based on qualitative (interviews and soil descriptions) and quantitative (laboratory analyses) data, we developed a set of SQ indicators relevant for our study area that integrates farmers' field experiences (FFEs) and technical knowledge. We suggest using participatory mapping to delineate soil units (Oshikwanyama soil units, KwSUs) based on FFEs, which highlight mostly soil properties that integrate long-term productivity and soil hydrological characteristics (i.e. internal SQ). The actual SQ evaluation of a location depends on the KwSU described and is thereafter assessed by field soil texture (i.e. chemical fertility potential) and by soil colour shade (i.e. SOC status). This three-level information aims to reveal SQ improvement potential by comparing, for any location, (a) estimated clay content against median clay content (specific to KwSU) and (b) soil organic status against calculated optimal values (depends on clay content). The combination of farmers' and technical assessment cumulates advantages of both systems of knowledge, namely the integrated long-term knowledge of the farmers and a short- and medium-term SQ status assessment. The toolbox is a suggestion for evaluating SQ and aims to help farmers, rural development planners and researchers from all fields of studies understanding SQ issues in north-central Namibia. This suggested SQ toolbox is adapted to a restricted area of north-central Namibia, but similar tools could be developed in most areas where small-scale agriculture prevails.

  14. Shelterwood cutting in a young-growth, mixed-conifer stand in north central California

    Treesearch

    Philip M. McDonald

    1976-01-01

    A two-stage shelterwood cutting, at 12 trees per acre, with site preparation, enhanced seedfall, regeneration, and residual growth at the Challenge Experimental Forest, north central California. Shelterwood trees produced 9.2 times more seed than trees in the control. Ponderosa pine regeneration numbered about 3700 seedlings per acre (9139 per ha) and tolerant conifers...

  15. Aerosol Optical Depth Over India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    David, Liji Mary; Ravishankara, A. R.; Kodros, John K.; Venkataraman, Chandra; Sadavarte, Pankaj; Pierce, Jeffrey R.; Chaliyakunnel, Sreelekha; Millet, Dylan B.

    2018-04-01

    Tropospheric aerosol optical depth (AOD) over India was simulated by Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS)-Chem, a global 3-D chemical-transport model, using SMOG (Speciated Multi-pOllutant Generator from Indian Institute of Technology Bombay) and GEOS-Chem (GC) (current inventories used in the GEOS-Chem model) inventories for 2012. The simulated AODs were 80% (SMOG) and 60% (GC) of those measured by the satellites (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer and Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer). There is no strong seasonal variation in AOD over India. The peak AOD values are observed/simulated during summer. The simulated AOD using SMOG inventory has particulate black and organic carbon AOD higher by a factor 5 and 3, respectively, compared to GC inventory. The model underpredicted coarse-mode AOD but agreed for fine-mode AOD with Aerosol Robotic Network data. It captured dust only over Western India, which is a desert, and not elsewhere, probably due to inaccurate dust transport and/or noninclusion of other dust sources. The calculated AOD, after dust correction, showed the general features in its observed spatial variation. Highest AOD values were observed over the Indo-Gangetic Plain followed by Central and Southern India with lowest values in Northern India. Transport of aerosols from Indo-Gangetic Plain and Central India into Eastern India, where emissions are low, is significant. The major contributors to total AOD over India are inorganic aerosol (41-64%), organic carbon (14-26%), and dust (7-32%). AOD over most regions of India is a factor of 5 or higher than over the United States.

  16. Modern and ancestral genotypes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from Andhra Pradesh, India.

    PubMed

    Thomas, Shirly K; Iravatham, Chitra C; Moni, Bottu Heleena; Kumar, Ashutosh; Archana, Bandaru V; Majid, Mohammad; Priyadarshini, Yerra; Rani, Pittu Sandhya; Valluri, Vijayalakshmi; Hasnain, Seyed E; Ahmed, Niyaz

    2011-01-01

    Traditionally, the distribution of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis genotypes in India has been characterized by widespread prevalence of ancestral lineages (TbD1+ strains and variants) in the south and the modern forms (TbD1(-) CAS and variants) predominating in the north of India. The pattern was, however, not clearly known in the south-central region such as Hyderabad and the rest of the state of Andhra Pradesh where the prevalence of both tuberculosis (TB) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is one of the highest in the country; this area has been the hotspot of TB vaccine trials. Spoligotyping of 101 clinical isolates obtained from Hyderabad and rural Andhra Pradesh confirmed the occurrence of major genogroups such as the ancestral (or the TbD1+ type or the East African Indian (EAI) type), the Central Asian (CAS) or Delhi type and the Beijing lineage in Andhra Pradesh. Sixty five different spoligotype patterns were observed for the isolates included in this study; these were further analyzed based on specific genetic signatures/mutations. It was found that the major genogroups, CAS and "ancestral," were almost equally prevalent in our collection but followed a north-south compartmentalization as was also reported previously. However, we observed a significant presence of MANU lineage in south Andhra Pradesh, which was earlier reported to be overwhelmingly present in Mumbai. This study portrays genotypic diversity of M. tuberculosis from the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and provides a much needed snapshot of the strain diversity that will be helpful in devising effective TB control programs in this part of the world.

  17. College and Adult Reading XIV: The Fourteenth Yearbook of the North Central Reading Association.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fisher, Kay E., Ed.; Fisher, Joseph A., Ed.

    Containing selections from the 1987 and 1988 annual meetings of the North Central Reading Association, this yearbook includes sections on research; reviews of research; professional issues; and program descriptions. Papers include: "The Effects of a Secondary Reading Methods Course on Undergraduate Students' Awareness of Reading Skills"…

  18. Cost of Delivering Health Care Services in Public Sector Primary and Community Health Centres in North India.

    PubMed

    Prinja, Shankar; Gupta, Aditi; Verma, Ramesh; Bahuguna, Pankaj; Kumar, Dinesh; Kaur, Manmeet; Kumar, Rajesh

    2016-01-01

    With the commitment of the national government to provide universal healthcare at cheap and affordable prices in India, public healthcare services are being strengthened in India. However, there is dearth of cost data for provision of health services through public system like primary & community health centres. In this study, we aim to bridge this gap in evidence by assessing the total annual and per capita cost of delivering the package of health services at PHC and CHC level. Secondly, we determined the per capita cost of delivering specific health services like cost per antenatal care visit, per institutional delivery, per outpatient consultation, per bed-day hospitalization etc. We undertook economic costing of fourteen public health facilities (seven PHCs and CHCs each) in three North-Indian states viz., Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. Bottom-up costing method was adopted for collection of data on all resources spent on delivery of health services in selected health facilities. Analysis was undertaken using a health system perspective. The joint costs like human resource, capital, and equipment were apportioned as per the time value spent on a particular service. Capital costs were discounted and annualized over the estimated life of the item. Mean annual costs and unit costs were estimated along with their 95% confidence intervals using bootstrap methodology. The overall annual cost of delivering services through public sector primary and community health facilities in three states of north India were INR 8.8 million (95% CI: 7,365,630-10,294,065) and INR 26.9 million (95% CI: 22,225,159.3-32,290,099.6), respectively. Human resources accounted for more than 50% of the overall costs at both the level of PHCs and CHCs. Per capita per year costs for provision of complete package of preventive, curative and promotive services at PHC and CHC were INR 170.8 (95% CI: 131.6-208.3) and INR162.1 (95% CI: 112-219.1), respectively. The study estimates can be used

  19. Surface ozone scenario and air quality in the north-central part of India.

    PubMed

    Saini, Renuka; Taneja, Ajay; Singh, Pradyumn

    2017-09-01

    Tropospheric pollutants including surface ozone (O 3 ), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), carbon monoxide (CO) and meteorological parameters were measured at a traffic junction (78°2' E and 27°11' N) in Agra, India from January 2012 to December 2012. Temporal analysis of pollutants suggests that annual average mixing ratios of tropospheric pollutants were: O 3 - 22.97±23.36ppbV, NO 2 - 19.84±16.71ppbV and CO - 0.91±0.86ppmV, with seasonal variations of O 3 having maximum mixing ratio during summer season (32.41±19.31ppbV), whereas lowest was found in post-monsoon season (8.74±3.8ppbV). O 3 precursors: NO 2 and CO, showed inverse relationship with O 3 . Seasonal variation and high O 3 episodes during summer are associated with meteorological parameters such as high solar radiation, atmospheric temperature and transboundary transport. The interdependence of these variables showed a link between the daytime mixing ratios of O 3 with the nighttime level of NO 2 . The mixing ratios of CO and NO 2 showed tight correlations, which confirms the influence of vehicular emissions combined with other anthropogenic activities due to office/working hours, shallowing, and widening of boundary layer. FLEXTRA backward trajectories for the O 3 episode days clearly indicate the transport from the NW and W to S/SE and SW direction at Agra in different seasons. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  20. Comparison of stress and burnout among anesthesia and surgical residents in a tertiary care teaching hospital in North India.

    PubMed

    Gandhi, K; Sahni, N; Padhy, S K; Mathew, P J

    2017-10-23

    The residents undergoing training at hospitals in our country face challenges in terms of infrastructure and high workload with undefined working hours. The aim of the study was to compare the stress and burnout levels in trainee doctors doing residency in surgical fields and anesthesia at a tertiary care academic center in North India. A comparative, observational study was conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital in North India. After Ethics Committee approval, 200 residents (100 each from surgical branches and anesthesia) were required to fill a questionnaire with information about age, sex, year of residency, marital status, and the Perceived Stress Scale-10, and Burnout Clinical Subtype Questionnaire-12. Burnout and perceived stress were compared between residents of anesthesia and surgical specialties. Residents of both surgical and anesthesia branches scored high in perceived stress, namely 21 and 18, respectively. The score was significantly higher in surgical residents (P = 0.03) and increased progressively with the year of residency. The majority of residents (90% surgical, 80% anesthesia) felt that they were being overloaded with work. However, only 20%-30% of respondents felt that there was lack of development of individual skills and still fewer (<10%) reported giving up in view of difficulties. There is high level of stress and overload dimension of burnout among the residents of anesthesia and surgical branches at our tertiary care academic institution and the surgical residents score marginally higher than anesthesia residents.

  1. Epidemiologic lessons: chickenpox outbreak investigation in a rural community around Chandigarh, North India.

    PubMed

    Singh, Mini Pritam; Singh, Gagandeep; Kumar, Amit; Singh, Amarjeet; Ratho, Radha Kanta

    2011-01-01

    Primary infection with Varicella Zoster virus (VZV) leads to Varicella or chickenpox. The epidemiology of Varicella has changed dramatically since the introduction of the Varicella vaccine in 1995. The routine childhood immunization in a few countries in the western world like Germany and the United States has reduced the incidence of the disease, associated complications, hospital admissions and deaths related to its complications. However, chickenpox outbreaks are common in naive unvaccinated communities in India. We report an outbreak of chickenpox that occurred in a village situated on the outskirts of Chandigarh city in North India in the winter of 2007. The outbreak was confirmed by the detection of VZV IgM by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) on serum samples from the patients. In patients showing active lesions, Giemsa and indirect immunofluorescence was carried out on scrapings from vesicular lesions. A total of 162 cases occurred in the present outbreak. The serum samples were collected from 20 patients, and all of them showed positive serology for VZV IgM antibodies while 19 showed a positive VZV IgG result by ELISA. The scrapings were collected from two patients showing active lesions, and both were positive by the Tzanck smear examination, and VZV antigen could be demonstrated by immunofluorescence. There is an urgent need to identify naive communities and unvaccinated individuals at risk. Also, there is a need for regular training programmes of health workers posted in peripheral centers so that highly contagious communicable diseases can be picked up in time and such outbreaks can be prevented.

  2. Provenance of sandstones in the Golconda terrane, north central Nevada

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jones, E.A.

    1991-02-01

    The upper Paleozoic Golconda terrane of north-central Nevada is a composite of several structurally bounded subterranes made of clastic, volcanic, and carbonate rocks. The clastic rocks provide important clues for the interpretation of the provenance and paleogeographic settings of the different lithologic assemblages found in these subterranes. Two petrographically distinct sandstones are identified in the Golconda terrane in the Osgood Mountains and the Hot springs Range of north-central Nevada. The sandstone of the Mississippian Farrel Canyon Formation, part of the Dry Hills subterrane, is characterized by quartzose and sedimentary and lithic-rich clasts with a small feldspar component. in contrast, themore » sandstone of the Permian Poverty Peak (II) subterrane is a silty quartzarenite with no lithic component, and a very limited feldspar component. The sandstone of the Farrel Canyon Formation is similar to nonvolcanic sandstones reported from elsewhere in the Golconda terrane. Modal data reflect a provenance of a recycled orogen and permit the interpretation that it could have been derived from the antler orogen as has been proposed for other sandstones of the golconda terrane. The sandstone of the Poverty Peak (II) subterrane is more mature than any of the other sandstones in either the Golconda terrane, the Antler overlap sequence, or the Antler foreland basin sequence. Modal data put the Poverty Peak (II) sandstone in the continental block provenance category. The distinct extrabasinal provenances represented in these different sandstones support the idea that the Golconda basin was made up of complex paleogeographic settings, which included multiple sources of extrabasinal sediment.« less

  3. College and Adult Reading X: The Tenth Yearbook of the North Central Reading Association.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fisher, Joseph A., Ed.

    Including sections on research, programs, and professional problems and issues, this yearbook contains presentations given at the 1978 and 1979 meetings of the North Central Reading Association. Papers include: "The Effects of Anxiety on Reading Comprehension" (David Wark and others); "Some Effects of Anxiety on University Students" (J. Michael…

  4. A Discussion of Events Which Influenced the Developmental Directions of North Carolina Central University.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fleming, Joseph E.

    Influences that have had significant effect on North Carolina Central University, a historically black university with a liberal arts tradition, are examined. The following topics are considered: events relating to the university's founding; circumstances affecting the transition of the university from a private normal school to a public…

  5. Teleconnections of ENSO and IOD to summer monsoon and rice production potential of India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jha, Somnath; Sehgal, Vinay Kumar; Raghava, Ramesh; Sinha, Mourani

    2016-12-01

    Regional trend of summer monsoon precipitation has been analyzed for broad physical regions of India namely, (i) Indo-Gangetic plain, (ii) Central and East India, (iii) Coastal and Peninsular India and (iv) Western India. A significantly drying trend has been found in the two regions namely, Indo-Gangetic plain and Central and East India with comparative seasonal rate of drying higher in the latter region. A complex relation between the regional trend of summer monsoon precipitation, global teleconnection parameters and rice production of the regions have been studied. El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) have a significant role in the precipitation anomaly of Indo-Gangetic plain unlike Central and East India where the ENSO only plays role as global teleconnection parameter. Rice production of Central and East India has been found to be affected adversely during the El Nino years. Central and East India is found to be the worst affected region compared to the Indo-Gangetic plain with respect to its fragile rainfed rice production potential and strong adverse teleconnection of El Nino on the rice production in this zone.

  6. Molecular epidemiology of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis in ruminants in different parts of India.

    PubMed

    Sonawane, Ganesh G; Narnaware, Shirish D; Tripathi, Bhupendra N

    2016-03-01

    Paratuberculosis is an economically important, chronic, and incurable disease in ruminants, caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). Understanding the genetic variability of MAP strains is important in diagnosis, epidemiological investigation, and the formation of strategies for prevention and control of the disease. In the present study, a total of 61 MAP isolates obtained from different parts and species of India were typed using IS1311 polymerase chain reaction-restriction endonuclease analysis (PCR-REA) to analyze the genetic difference(s), if any, between them and the host adaptation. Based on PCR-REA results, bison B type was detected in 54 (87%) MAP isolates obtained from cattle, sheep, and goats. Of these, 19 were from sheep of the Rajasthan (n=17) and Bareilly (n=2), North India regions, 28 were from cattle of Chennai, South India (n=3), Bareilly, North India (n=3), and Nagpur, West India (n=22), and seven goat isolates from Bareilly, North India region. The 'C' type strain was detected in only seven cattle isolates obtained from the Bareilly region. The study revealed that in India, bison B-type MAP strains were prevalent in most of the ruminant species. These results have important epidemiological implications with regard to control and prevention of paratuberculosis in India. Copyright © 2015 Asian African Society for Mycobacteriology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. A seamless, high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM) of the north-central California coast

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Foxgrover, Amy C.; Barnard, Patrick L.

    2012-01-01

    A seamless, 2-meter resolution digital elevation model (DEM) of the north-central California coast has been created from the most recent high-resolution bathymetric and topographic datasets available. The DEM extends approximately 150 kilometers along the California coastline, from Half Moon Bay north to Bodega Head. Coverage extends inland to an elevation of +20 meters and offshore to at least the 3 nautical mile limit of state waters. This report describes the procedures of DEM construction, details the input data sources, and provides the DEM for download in both ESRI Arc ASCII and GeoTIFF file formats with accompanying metadata.

  8. Triassic structural and stratigraphic evolution of the Central German North Sea sector

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wolf, Marco; Jähne-Klingberg, Fabian

    2017-04-01

    The subsurface of the Central German North Sea sector is characterized by a complex sequence of tectonic events that span from the Permo-Carboniferous initiation of the Southern Permian Basin to the present day. The Triassic period is one of the most prominent stratigraphic intervals in this area due to alternating phases of relatively tectonic quiescence and intense tectonic activity with the development of grabens, salt-tectonics movements, various regional and local erosional events and strong local and regional changes in subsidence over time. The heterogeneous geological history led to complex structural and lithological patterns. The presented results are part of a comprehensive investigation of the Central German North Sea sector. It was carried out within the scope of the project TUNB (www.bgr.bund.de). The main goal was to enhance the understanding of the Triassic geological development in the area of interest due to detailed seismic interpretation of several hundred 2D seismic lines and as well 3D seismic data sets. A seismostratigraphic concept was used to interpret most formations of the Triassic resulting in a detailed subdivision of the Triassic unit. Depth and thickness maps for every stratigraphic unit and geological cross sections provided new insights regarding an overall basin evolution as well as the timing and mechanisms of rifting and salt-tectonics. New results concerning the evolution of the Keuper in the German North Sea and especially the Triassic evolution of the Horn Graben, as one of the major Triassic rift-structures in the North Sea, will be highlighted. We will show aspects of strong tectonic subsidence in the Horn Graben in the Lower Triassic. In parts of the study area, halotectonic movements started in the Upper Triassic, earlier than previously proposed. Besides mapping of regional seismic reflectors, distinct sedimentary features like fluvial channel systems of the Stuttgart formation (Middle Keuper) or subrosion-like structures

  9. What Maintains the Central North Pacific Genetic Discontinuity in Pacific Herring?

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Ming; Lin, Longshan; Gao, Tianxiang; Yanagimoto, Takashi; Sakurai, Yasunori; Grant, W. Stewart

    2012-01-01

    Pacific herring show an abrupt genetic discontinuity in the central North Pacific that represents secondary contact between refuge populations previously isolated during Pleistocene glaciations. Paradoxically, high levels of gene flow produce genetic homogeneity among ocean-type populations within each group. Here, we surveyed variability in mtDNA control-region sequences (463 bp) and nine microsatellite loci in Pacific herring from sites across the North Pacific to further explore the nature of the genetic discontinuity around the Alaska Peninsula. Consistent with previous studies, little divergence (ΦST  = 0.011) was detected between ocean-type populations of Pacific herring in the North West Pacific, except for a population in the Yellow Sea (ΦST  = 0.065). A moderate reduction in genetic diversity for both mtDNA and microsatellites in the Yellow Sea likely reflects founder effects during the last colonization of this sea. Reciprocal monophyly between divergent mtDNA lineages (ΦST  = 0.391) across the Alaska Peninsula defines the discontinuity across the North Pacific. However, microsatellites did not show a strong break, as eastern Bering Sea (EBS) herring were more closely related to NE Pacific than to NW Pacific herring. This discordance between mtDNA and microsatellites may be due to microsatellite allelic convergence or to sex-biased dispersal across the secondary contact zone. The sharp discontinuity between Pacific herring populations may be maintained by high-density blocking, competitive exclusion or hybrid inferiority. PMID:23300525

  10. Arctic-Asian Mobile Belt - Global Structure in the North, Central, and East Asia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shokalsky, Sergey; Petrov, Oleg; Pospelov, Igor; Kashubin, Sergey; Sobolev, Nikolay; Petrov, Evgeny

    2014-05-01

    Over the last decade under the international project of five countries, the geological surveys of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and the Republic of Korea, with the participation of national academies of sciences in these countries compiled a set of digital maps at 1:2.5 M scale. It includes geological, tectonic, metallogenic maps and map of energy resources with databases for North, Central, and East Asia, area of more than 30 million km2. Map compilation was supervised by the Subcommission for Northern Eurasia and Subcommission for Tectonic Maps of the Commission for the Geological Map of the World under the auspices of UNESCO (CGMW). The set of maps was displayed at the 33rd IGC (Oslo, 2008) and 34th IGC (Brisbane, 2012). One of the largest accretion collages of orogenic belts of different ages on the planet (from the Neoproterozoic to Early Mesozoic) is clearly shown in the tectonic map compiled under the joint project. Extended polychronous mobile belt is bounded in the west by the East European Craton, in the east, by the Siberian Craton, in the south, by a chain of Gondwana cratonic blocks - North China, Tarim, Tajik. In the north it can be traced as a broad band within the Circumpolar Region, where it is limited by the North American Craton. The central part of the accretionary belt is hidden under the Meso-Cenozoic sediments of Western Siberia. Analysis of vast geological material shows that the Arctic-Asian mobile belt was formed on place of an extensive paleo-ocean, which closed with a successive rejuvenation of suture ophiolite zones from the marginal to axial zone and along strike to the north and east of the South Siberian segment towards Paleopacific. Arctic-Asian mobile belt is characterized by a complex combination of accretionary and riftogenic tectonic-magmatic processes. At its early stages, accretionary tectonics with a wide development of volcanic belts dominated; at the late ones (in the Late Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic

  11. Floods of June 24-25, 1966 in southwest-central North Dakota

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Crosby, Orlo A.

    1966-01-01

    A severe thunderstorm accompanied by much hail swept through southwest-central North Dakota on the afternoon of June 24.  Rainfall of up to 13 inches caused floods higher than any previously known in the area.  The isohyetal map (fig. 1) indicates the extent and magnitude of the storm. This map was derived from rainfall data at 20 U.S. Weather Bureau gages (4 recording), 26 Geological Survey gages (5 recording) and 124 sites located in a bucket survey made by the Geological Survey (table 1).

  12. Unretrieved shooting loss of mourning doves in north-central South Carolina

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Haas, G.H.

    1977-01-01

    Unretrieved loss for mourning doves (Zenaida macroura) in north-central South Carolina was between 27 and 41 percent of the retrieved kill for the 1973 through 1975 hunting seasons based on 1,396 doves shot by 281 hunters. Dove hunters hunted in groups, fired 8.6 shots per retrieved dove, and engaged in a substantial number of illegal activities. Increased dove populations and hunter bag resulted in increased unretrieved loss, numbers of shots per bagged bird, and illegal activities. Retriever dogs increased the efficiency of dove hunters.

  13. 2001 Bhuj, India, earthquake engineering seismoscope recordings and Eastern North America ground-motion attenuation relations

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Cramer, C.H.; Kumar, A.

    2003-01-01

    Engineering seismoscope data collected at distances less than 300 km for the M 7.7 Bhuj, India, mainshock are compatible with ground-motion attenuation in eastern North America (ENA). The mainshock ground-motion data have been corrected to a common geological site condition using the factors of Joyner and Boore (2000) and a classification scheme of Quaternary or Tertiary sediments or rock. We then compare these data to ENA ground-motion attenuation relations. Despite uncertainties in recording method, geological site corrections, common tectonic setting, and the amount of regional seismic attenuation, the corrected Bhuj dataset agrees with the collective predictions by ENA ground-motion attenuation relations within a factor of 2. This level of agreement is within the dataset uncertainties and the normal variance for recorded earthquake ground motions.

  14. Effective smoke-free policies in achieving a high level of compliance with smoke-free law: experiences from a district of North India.

    PubMed

    Goel, Sonu; Ravindra, Khaiwal; Singh, Rana J; Sharma, Deepak

    2014-07-01

    Compliance survey of smoke-free law is an effective means of measuring progress towards a smoke-free society. They also help policy makers to take action where strengthening measures are required. India has a comprehensive tobacco control law known as Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA 2003) which prohibits smoking in public places and requires display of 'No smoking' signages with proper specifications at conspicuous points. However, its implementation and enforcement are still a matter of concern. To ascertain the level of compliance with smoke-free law in public places of a district of North India. A cross sectional study was conducted in the months of November-December 2011 in district SAS Nagar Mohali of North India. The public places including hotels/restaurants/bars/shopping malls, government offices, educational institutions, healthcare facilities and transit stations were surveyed. The study tool was adapted from the guide on 'Assessing compliance with smoke-free law' developed jointly by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. The overall compliance rate towards section 4 of COTPA was 92.3%. No active smoking was observed in 94.2% of the public places. In 90% of the public places 'No Smoking' signage were displayed as per COTPA. Health and educational institutions had maximum compliance with the smoke-free law while transit sites showed the least compliance. Compliance to the smoke-free law was high in the study. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  15. Consumption of indigenous medicines by pregnant women in North India for selecting sex of the foetus: what can it lead to?

    PubMed

    Neogi, Sutapa Bandyopadhyay; Negandhi, Preeti H; Ganguli, Abhijit; Chopra, Sapna; Sandhu, Navraj; Gupta, Ravi Kant; Zodpey, Sanjay; Singh, Amarjeet; Singh, Arun; Gupta, Rakesh

    2015-09-04

    Sex ratio is an important indicator of development. Despite all the measures undertaken for improvement, it remains an issue of concern in India, with Haryana having a very low sex ratio in the country. Studies have been conducted indicating that consumption of indigenous drugs used for sex selection (SSD) could be strongly associated with adverse effects on the foetal development, including congenital malformations. Some samples of SSDs were collected from parts of North India and analysed in a standard laboratory for its components. Thirty SSDs used by the local community were procured from various sources in north India through a rigorous process of collection. These were subjected to laboratory tests to investigate the presence of phytoestrogen and testosterone. Following sample extraction, thin layer chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography were carried out for analysing phytoestrogen content. SSDs were available in various forms such as powder, tablets, mostly from faith healers. Around 87% of the samples collected from sources like doctors, quacks and faith healers were to be taken by the pregnant women after conception; 63% drugs were strongly positive for phytoestrogens (genistein, daidzein, formononetin) and 20% drugs were positive for testosterone. The average dose of the components as calculated after analyses was as follows: daidzein--14.1 mg/g sample, genistein--8.6 mg/g sample, formononetin--5 mg/g sample. These SSDs could be potentially detrimental to the growth and development of the foetus. This is likely to have implications on the health of the community. In view of the results obtained in our study, we strongly attest the importance in curbing this harmful practice by banning the supply of the drugs as well as by advocating behavioural changes in the community.

  16. Color variations within glacial till, east-central North Dakota--A preliminary investigation

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kelly, T.E.; Baker, Claud H.

    1966-01-01

    Color variations (orange zones within buff-colored till) in drift in east-central North Dakota are believed to represent two tills of separate origin. Mean size, standard deviation, and number and type of pebbles show greater difference between the two tills than do skewness, kurtosis, and partial chemical analyses. Probably blocks of older till were moved by the last glacier crossing the area and were redeposited in a matrix of younger till.

  17. Biomarker evidence for increasing aridity in south-central India over the Holocene

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sarkar, S.; Wilkes, H.; Prasad, S.; Brauer, A.; Basavaiah, N.; Strecker, M. R.; Sachse, D.

    2012-12-01

    Summer monsoonal rainfall has played an important role in the development and sustenance of the largely agro-based economy in the Indian subcontinent in the recent past. A better understanding of past variations in monsoonal rainfall can therefore lead to an assessment of its potential impact on early human societies. However, our knowledge of spatiotemporal patterns of past monsoon strength, as inferred from proxy records, is limited due to the lack of high-resolution paleo-hydrological records from continental archives. Here, we reconstruct centennial-scale hydrological variability associated with changes in the intensity of the Indian Summer Monsoon based on a record of lipid biomarker abundances and compound-specific stable isotopic composition of a 10-m-long sediment core from saline-alkaline Lonar Lake, situated in the core 'monsoon zone' of south-central India. We identified three periods of distinct hydrology over the Holocene in south-central India. The period between 10.4 and 6.5 ka BP was characterized by a relatively high abundance of land-plant biomarkers, such as long-chain n-alkanes. The composition of these leaf-wax n-alkanes (weighted average of concentration of different chain-length n-alkanes, expressed as the ACL index) and their negative δ13C (-30‰ to -33 ‰) indicate the dominance of woody C3 vegetation in the catchment, and negative δD (-170‰ to -175‰) values argue for a wet period due to an intensified monsoon. Rapid fluctuations in abundance of both terrestrial and aquatic biomarkers between 6.5 and 4 ka BP indicate an unstable lake ecosystem, culminating in a transition to arid conditions. Higher ACL values and a pronounced shift to more positive δ13C values (up to -22‰) of leaf-wax n-alkanes over this period indicate a change of dominant vegetation to C4 grasses. Along with a 40‰ increase in leaf wax n-alkane δD values, which likely resulted from less rainfall and/or higher plant evapotranspiration, we interpret this period

  18. Emerging issues in Integrated Pest Management implementation and adoption in the North Central USA

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    There is a long tradition of integrated pest management (IPM) in the North Central region of the U.S. IPM is difficult to define, and it means different things to different people. But in general it is a philosophy based on multiple tactics to prevent a population from building up to unacceptable da...

  19. College and Adult Reading VII: The Seventh Yearbook of the North Central Reading Association.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wark, David M., Ed.

    Spanning the annual meetings of the North Central Reading Association from 1971 to 1974, this yearbook presents papers dealing with programs and centers, materials and techniques, a new research field, and in honor of Roger S. Pepper. Papers include: "Attitudinal Factors among Marginal Admission Students" (Roger S. Pepper and John A. Drexler,…

  20. Development of zij literature in India.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghori, S. A. Khan

    Muslim astronomy, or to be more precise, Graeco-Arabic astronomy in Medieval India had its origin in West-Central Asia whence it passed to this country. Valuable contributions were made to it by Arabic and Persian knowing scholars. Hence in order to evaluate these contributions it is essential to know the nature, origin and development of this system, to examine important zijes prepared in West-Central Asia and to understand how they influenced the preparation of their counterparts in India.

  1. Treatment of wastewater and restoration of aquatic systems through an eco-technology based constructed treatment wetlands - a successful experience in Central India.

    PubMed

    Billore, S K; Sharma, J K; Singh, N; Ram, H

    2013-01-01

    In the last couple of decades constructed wetlands (CWs) have drawn considerable interest in Central India. CWs offer an effective means of integrating wastewater treatment and resource enhancement, often at competitive cost in comparison to conventional wastewater treatments, with additional benefits of Green Urban Landscaping and wildlife habitat. This paper describes treatment performances and the design of some Sub Surface Flow CWs (SSFCW) and Artificial Floating Islands (AFIs) in Central India. Central Indian CWs show significant pollution reduction load for total suspended solids (TSS) (62-82%), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) (40-75%), NH(4)-N (67-78%) and total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) (59-78%). Field scale SSFCWs installed so far in Central India are rectangular, earthen, single/multiple celled having similar depths of 0.60-0.90 m, hydraulic retention capacity 18-221 m(3) with effective size 41.8-1,050 m(2). The major components of CWs incorporate puddled bottom/side walls, sealed with impermeable low-density polyethylene, a bed of locally available river gravel planted with Phragmites karka, and an inlet distribution and outlet collection system. A new variant on CWs are AFIs working under hydroponics. The field scale experimental AFIs installed in-situ in a slowly flowing local river were composed of hollow bamboo, a bed of coconut coir, floating arrangements and Phragmites karka as nutrient stripping plant species. The AFIs polish the aquatic system by reducing 46.6% of TSS, 45-55% of NH(4)-N, 33-45% of NO(3)-N, 45-50% of TKN and 40-50% of BOD. The study established that there is a need for further research and sufficient data to assist the development of CWs by instilling confidence in policymakers, planners and in the public.

  2. Gender disparity in late-life cognitive functioning in India: findings from the longitudinal aging study in India.

    PubMed

    Lee, Jinkook; Shih, Regina; Feeney, Kevin; Langa, Kenneth M

    2014-07-01

    To examine gender disparities in cognitive functioning in India and the extent to which education explains this disparity in later life. This study uses baseline interviews of a prospective cohort study of 1,451 community-residing adults 45 years of age or older in four geographically diverse states of India (Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan). Data collected during home visits includes cognitive performance tests, and rich sociodemographic, health, and psychosocial variables. The cognitive performance tests include episodic memory, numeracy, and a modified version of the Mini-Mental State Examination. We find gender disparity in cognitive function in India, and this disparity is greater in the north than the south. We also find that gender disparities in educational attainment, health, and social and economic activity explain the female cognitive disadvantage in later life. We report significant gender disparities in cognitive functioning among older Indian adults, which differ from gender disparities in cognition encountered in developed countries. Our models controlling for education, health status, and social and economic activity explain the disparity in southern India but not the region-specific disparity in the northern India. North Indian women may face additional sources of stress associated with discrimination against women that contribute to persistent disadvantages in cognitive functioning at older ages. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  3. Sickle cell disease in Madhya Pradesh, Central India: A comparison of clinical profile of sickle cell homozygote vs. sickle-beta thalassaemia individuals.

    PubMed

    Yadav, Rajiv; Lazarus, Monica; Ghanghoria, Pawan; Singh, Mpss; Gupta, Rasik Behari; Kumar, Surendra; Sharma, Ravendra K; Shanmugam, Rajasubramaniam

    2016-10-01

    The clinical manifestation in sickle cell disease (SCD) patients varies from one individual to another due to factors like the presence of alpha-thalassaemia mutation, foetal haemoglobin, and β-globin gene haplotype. The present study enumerates the clinical profile of sickle cell anaemia patients from Central India. Seven hundred seventy-six SCD patients from Jabalpur and surrounding districts (Madhya Pradesh) in central India were registered with the sickle cell clinic of NIRTH, Jabalpur. The present study reveals recorded signs and symptoms of genetically confirmed sickle cell anaemia (404) and sickle beta thalassaemia (92) patients. Majority of the patients were from scheduled caste communities (47.9%) and Gond tribal community (13.8%). Splenomegaly was the most common clinical manifestation observed (71.4%). Overall, 63.5% patients had a history of blood transfusion. The most frequent signs and symptoms observed were Pallor, Icterus, Joint pain, Fever, and Fatigue. Majority of the patients revealed onset of disease prior to attaining the age of 3 years (sickle cell anaemia 44.3% and sickle beta thalassaemia 35.9%). Mean haemoglobin levels among SCA individuals were marginally higher than SBT patients. On the other hand, mean foetal haemoglobin levels among SBT individuals showed the reverse trend. Notably, the present study reports the first incidence of priapism recorded in Central India. The study revealed a high prevalence of SCD among scheduled caste, backward caste, and tribal communities. Dissemination of study findings, screening, pre-marriage counselling, and pre-natal diagnosis are fundamental to preventing or lowering of birth of sickle cell anaemia children in the affected populations.

  4. Stream flow and ground water recharge from small forested watersheds in north central Minnesota

    Treesearch

    Dale S. Nichols; Elon S. Verry

    2001-01-01

    In hydrologic studies of forested watersheds, the component of the water balance most likely to be poorly defined or neglected is deep seepage. In the complex glaciated terrain of the northern Lake States, subsurface water movement can be substantial. On the Marcell experimental forest (MEF) in north-central Minnesota, ground water table elevations measured in...

  5. A Year of Transition: North Central Regional Center for Rural Development Annual Report 2009

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    North Central Regional Center for Rural Development, 2009

    2009-01-01

    The North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD) is one of four centers in the United States that work to improve opportunities and quality of life in rural communities. With funding from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the land-grant universities in its 12-state region, the NCRCRD engages Extension…

  6. Space Radar Image of Calcutta, West Bengal, India

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1994-01-01

    This radar image of Calcutta, India, illustrates different urban land use patterns. Calcutta, the largest city in India, is located on the banks of the Hugli River, shown as the thick, dark line in the upper portion of the image. The surrounding area is a flat swampy region with a subtropical climate. As a result of this marshy environment, Calcutta is a compact city, concentrated along the fringes of the river. The average elevation is approximately 9 meters (30 feet) above sea level. Calcutta is located 154 kilometers (96 miles) upstream from the Bay of Bengal. Central Calcutta is the light blue and orange area below the river in the center of the image. The bridge spanning the river at the city center is the Howrah Bridge which links central Calcutta to Howrah. The dark region just below the river and to the left of the city center is Maidan, a large city park housing numerous cultural and recreational facilities. The international airport is in the lower right of the image. The bridge in the upper right is the Bally Bridge which links the suburbs of Bally and Baranagar. This image is 30 kilometers by 10 kilometers (19 miles by 6 miles)and is centered at 22.3 degrees north latitude, 88.2 degrees east longitude. North is toward the upper right. The colors are assigned to different radar frequencies and polarizations as follows: red is L-band, horizontally transmitted and received; green is L-band, horizontally transmitted and vertically received; and blue is C-band, horizontally transmitted and vertically received. The image was acquired by the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) on October 5, 1994, onboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. SIR-C/X SAR, a joint mission of the German, Italian and United States space agencies, is part of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth program.

  7. Modal Composition and Age of Intrusions in North-Central and Northeast Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    du Bray, Edward A.; Crafford, A. Elizabeth Jones

    2007-01-01

    Introduction Data presented in this report characterize igneous intrusions of north-central and northeast Nevada and were compiled as part of the Metallogeny of the Great Basin project conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) between 2001 and 2007. The compilation pertains to the area bounded by lats 38.5 and 42 N., long 118.5 W., and the Nevada-Utah border (fig. 1). The area contains numerous large plutons and smaller stocks but also contains equally numerous smaller, shallowly emplaced intrusions, including dikes, sills, and endogenous dome complexes. Igneous intrusions (hereafter, intrusions) of multiple ages are major constituents of the geologic framework of north-central and northeast Nevada (Stewart and Carlson, 1978). Mesozoic and Cenozoic intrusions are particularly numerous and considered to be related to subduction along the west edge of the North American plate during this time. Henry and Ressel (2000) and Ressel and others (2000) have highlighted the association between magmatism and ore deposits along the Carlin trend. Similarly, Theodore (2000) has demonstrated the association between intrusions and ore deposits in the Battle Mountain area. Decades of geologic investigations in north-central and northeast Nevada (hereafter, the study area) demonstrate that most hydrothermal ore deposits are spatially, and probably temporally and genetically, associated with intrusions. Because of these associations, studies of many individual intrusions have been conducted, including those by a large number of Master's and Doctoral thesis students (particularly University of Nevada at Reno students and associated faculty), economic geologists working on behalf of exploration and mining companies, and USGS earth scientists. Although the volume of study area intrusions is large and many are associated with ore deposits, no synthesis of available data that characterize these rocks has been assembled. Compilations that have been produced for intrusions in Nevada

  8. Epidemiology of malaria in pregnancy in central India.

    PubMed Central

    Singh, N.; Shukla, M. M.; Sharma, V. P.

    1999-01-01

    Analysis of three years of data from a malaria clinic operated by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in the Government Medical College Hospital in Jabalpur, central India, showed a high malaria prevalence among pregnant women, which was statistically highly significant (P < 0.0001) compared with the situation among nonpregnant women. Cerebral malaria was a common complication of severe Plasmodium falciparum infection, with a high mortality during pregnancy, requiring immediate attention. The study also showed that malaria infection was more frequent in primigravidae, falling progressively with increasing parity. Mean parasite densities were significantly higher in pregnant women compared with nonpregnant women for both P. falciparum (P < 0.001; df = 137) and P. vivax (P < 0.05; df = 72) infection. Pregnant women with falciparum or vivax malaria were significantly more anaemic than noninfected pregnant women or infected nonpregnant women. The average weight of 155 neonates from infected mothers was 350 g less than that of 175 neonates from noninfected mothers. This difference in birth weight was statistically significant for both P. falciparum (P < 0.0001; df = 278) and P. vivax (P < 0.0001; df = 223) infection. Congenital malaria was not recorded. We conclude that pregnant women from this geographical area require systematic intervention owing to their high susceptibility to malaria during pregnancy and the puerperium. PMID:10444880

  9. A Multi-sensor Approach to Identify Crop Sensitivity Related to Climate Variability in Central India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mondal, P.; DeFries, R. S.; Jain, M.; Robertson, A. W.; Galford, G. L.; Small, C.

    2012-12-01

    Agriculture is a primary source of livelihood for over 70% of India's population, with staple crops (e.g. winter wheat) playing a pivotal role in satisfying an ever-increasing food-demand of a growing population. Agricultural yield in India has been reported to be highly correlated with the timing and total amount of monsoon rainfall and/or temperature depending on crop type. With expected change in future climate (temperature and precipitation), significant fluctuations in crop yields are projected for near future. To date, little work has identified the sensitivity of cropping intensity, or the number of crops planted in a given year, to climate variability. The objective of this study is to shed light on relative importance of different climate parameters through a statistical analysis of inter-annual variations in cropping intensity at a regional scale, which may help identify adaptive strategies in response to future climate anomalies. Our study focuses on a highly human-modified landscape in central India, and uses a multi-sensor approach to determine the sensitivity of agriculture to climate variability. First, we assembled the 16-day time-series of 250m Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), and applied a spline function-based smoothing algorithm to develop maps of monsoon and winter crops in Central India for a decadal time-span. A hierarchical model involving moderate resolution Landsat (30m) data was used to estimate the heterogeneity of the spectral signature within the MODIS dataset (250m). We then compared the season-specific cropping patterns with spatio-temporal variability in climate parameters derived from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) data. Initial data indicates that the existence of a monsoon crop has moderate to strong correlation with wet season end date (ρ = .522), wet season length (ρ = .522), and the number of rainy days during wet season (ρ = .829). Existence of a winter

  10. Accommodation of missing shear strain in the Central Walker Lane, western North America: Constraints from dense GPS measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bormann, Jayne M.; Hammond, William C.; Kreemer, Corné; Blewitt, Geoffrey

    2016-04-01

    We present 264 new interseismic GPS velocities from the Mobile Array of GPS for Nevada Transtension (MAGNET) and continuous GPS networks that measure Pacific-North American plate boundary deformation in the Central Walker Lane. Relative to a North America-fixed reference frame, northwestward velocities increase smoothly from ∼4 mm/yr in the Basin and Range province to 12.2 mm/yr in the central Sierra Nevada resulting in a Central Walker Lane deformation budget of ∼8 mm/yr. We use an elastic block model to estimate fault slip and block rotation rates and patterns of deformation from the GPS velocities. Right-lateral shear is distributed throughout the Central Walker Lane with strike-slip rates generally <1.5 mm/yr predicted by the block model, but extension rates are highest near north-striking normal faults found along the Sierra Nevada frontal fault system and in a left-stepping, en-echelon series of asymmetric basins that extend from Walker Lake to Lake Tahoe. Neotectonic studies in the western Central Walker Lane find little evidence of strike-slip or oblique faulting in the asymmetric basins, prompting the suggestion that dextral deformation in this region is accommodated through clockwise block rotations. We test this hypothesis and show that a model relying solely on the combination of clockwise block rotations and normal faulting to accommodate dextral transtensional strain accumulation systematically misfits the GPS data in comparison with our preferred model. This suggests that some component of oblique or partitioned right-lateral fault slip is needed to accommodate shear in the asymmetric basins of the western Central Walker Lane. Present-day clockwise vertical axis rotation rates in the Bodie Hills, Carson Domain, and Mina Deflection are between 1-4°/Myr, lower than published paleomagnetic rotation rates, suggesting that block rotation rates have decreased since the Late to Middle Miocene.

  11. Heat wave over India during summer 2015: an assessment of real time extended range forecast

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pattanaik, D. R.; Mohapatra, M.; Srivastava, A. K.; Kumar, Arun

    2017-08-01

    Hot winds are the marked feature of summer season in India during late spring preceding the climatological onset of the monsoon season in June. Some years the conditions becomes very vulnerable with the maximum temperature ( T max) exceeding 45 °C for many days over parts of north-western, eastern coastal states of India and Indo-Gangetic plain. During summer of 2015 (late May to early June) eastern coastal states, central and northwestern parts of India experienced severe heat wave conditions leading to loss of thousands of human life in extreme high temperature conditions. It is not only the loss of human life but also the animals and birds were very vulnerable to this extreme heat wave conditions. In this study, an attempt is made to assess the performance of real time extended range forecast (forecast up to 3 weeks) of this scorching T max based on the NCEP's Climate Forecast System (CFS) latest version coupled model (CFSv2). The heat wave condition was very severe during the week from 22 to 28 May with subsequent week from 29 May to 4 June also witnessed high T max over many parts of central India including eastern coastal states of India. The 8 ensemble members of operational CFSv2 model are used once in a week to prepare the weekly bias corrected deterministic (ensemble mean) T max forecast for 3 weeks valid from Friday to Thursday coinciding with the heat wave periods of 2015. Using the 8 ensemble members separately and the CFSv2 corresponding hindcast climatology the probability of above and below normal T max is also prepared for the same 3 weeks. The real time deterministic and probabilistic forecasts did indicate impending heat wave over many parts of India during late May and early June of 2015 associated with strong northwesterly wind over main land mass of India, delaying the sea breeze, leading to heat waves over eastern coastal regions of India. Thus, the capability of coupled model in providing early warning of such killer heat wave can be very

  12. Prevalence of General and Central Obesity and Associated Factors among North Korean Refugees in South Korea by Duration after Defection from North Korea: A Cross-Sectional Study

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Yoon Jung; Kim, Sin Gon; Lee, Yo Han

    2018-01-01

    Previous studies on obesity status among North Korean refugees (NKRs) have been limited. We investigated mean body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and general and central obesity prevalence among NKRs in South Korea (SK) by duration after defection from North Korea (NK), using cross-sectional data of the North Korean Refugee Health in South Korea (NORNS) study and compared these data with a sample from the general South Korean population (the fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey). The prevalence of general and central obesity among NKRs with duration after defection from NK of less than five years were lower than among South Koreans, except for central obesity among NKR females (obesity prevalence, 19% (12–27%) vs. 39% (34–44%) for NK vs. SK males (p < 0.001) and 19% (14–24%) vs. 27% (24–29%) for NK vs. SK females (p = 0.076); central obesity prevalence, 13% (6–19%) vs. 24% (20–29%) for NK vs. SK males (p = 0.011) and 22% (17–28%) vs. 20% (18–22%) for NK vs. SK females (p = 0.382)). The prevalence of general and central obesity among NKRs with duration after defection from NK (≥10 years) were comparable to those of South Koreans in both genders (obesity prevalence, 34% (18–50%) vs. 39% (34–44%) for NK vs. SK males (p = 0.690) and 23% (18–29%) vs. 27% (24–29%) for NK vs. SK females (0.794); central obesity prevalence, 21% (7–34%) vs. 24% (20–29%) for NK vs. SK males (p = 0.642); 22% (17–28%) vs. 20% (18–22%) for NK vs. SK females (p = 0.382)). Male sex, age and longer duration after defection from NK (≥10 years) were positively associated with obesity. As for central obesity, age was the only independently associated factor. NKR females with duration after defection from NK of less than five years had comparable central obesity prevalence to South Korean females in spite of a lower BMI, which suggests that we need further monitoring for their metabolic health among NKRs in SK. PMID:29677154

  13. Prevalence of General and Central Obesity and Associated Factors among North Korean Refugees in South Korea by Duration after Defection from North Korea: A Cross-Sectional Study.

    PubMed

    Kim, Yoon Jung; Kim, Sin Gon; Lee, Yo Han

    2018-04-20

    Previous studies on obesity status among North Korean refugees (NKRs) have been limited. We investigated mean body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and general and central obesity prevalence among NKRs in South Korea (SK) by duration after defection from North Korea (NK), using cross-sectional data of the North Korean Refugee Health in South Korea (NORNS) study and compared these data with a sample from the general South Korean population (the fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey). The prevalence of general and central obesity among NKRs with duration after defection from NK of less than five years were lower than among South Koreans, except for central obesity among NKR females (obesity prevalence, 19% (12⁻27%) vs. 39% (34⁻44%) for NK vs. SK males ( p < 0.001) and 19% (14⁻24%) vs. 27% (24⁻29%) for NK vs. SK females ( p = 0.076); central obesity prevalence, 13% (6⁻19%) vs. 24% (20⁻29%) for NK vs. SK males ( p = 0.011) and 22% (17⁻28%) vs. 20% (18⁻22%) for NK vs. SK females ( p = 0.382)). The prevalence of general and central obesity among NKRs with duration after defection from NK (≥10 years) were comparable to those of South Koreans in both genders (obesity prevalence, 34% (18⁻50%) vs. 39% (34⁻44%) for NK vs. SK males ( p = 0.690) and 23% (18⁻29%) vs. 27% (24⁻29%) for NK vs. SK females (0.794); central obesity prevalence, 21% (7⁻34%) vs. 24% (20⁻29%) for NK vs. SK males ( p = 0.642); 22% (17⁻28%) vs. 20% (18⁻22%) for NK vs. SK females ( p = 0.382)). Male sex, age and longer duration after defection from NK (≥10 years) were positively associated with obesity. As for central obesity, age was the only independently associated factor. NKR females with duration after defection from NK of less than five years had comparable central obesity prevalence to South Korean females in spite of a lower BMI, which suggests that we need further monitoring for their metabolic health among NKRs in SK.

  14. Cost of Delivering Health Care Services in Public Sector Primary and Community Health Centres in North India

    PubMed Central

    Gupta, Aditi; Verma, Ramesh; Bahuguna, Pankaj; Kumar, Dinesh; Kaur, Manmeet; Kumar, Rajesh

    2016-01-01

    Background With the commitment of the national government to provide universal healthcare at cheap and affordable prices in India, public healthcare services are being strengthened in India. However, there is dearth of cost data for provision of health services through public system like primary & community health centres. In this study, we aim to bridge this gap in evidence by assessing the total annual and per capita cost of delivering the package of health services at PHC and CHC level. Secondly, we determined the per capita cost of delivering specific health services like cost per antenatal care visit, per institutional delivery, per outpatient consultation, per bed-day hospitalization etc. Methods We undertook economic costing of fourteen public health facilities (seven PHCs and CHCs each) in three North-Indian states viz., Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. Bottom-up costing method was adopted for collection of data on all resources spent on delivery of health services in selected health facilities. Analysis was undertaken using a health system perspective. The joint costs like human resource, capital, and equipment were apportioned as per the time value spent on a particular service. Capital costs were discounted and annualized over the estimated life of the item. Mean annual costs and unit costs were estimated along with their 95% confidence intervals using bootstrap methodology. Results The overall annual cost of delivering services through public sector primary and community health facilities in three states of north India were INR 8.8 million (95% CI: 7,365,630–10,294,065) and INR 26.9 million (95% CI: 22,225,159.3–32,290,099.6), respectively. Human resources accounted for more than 50% of the overall costs at both the level of PHCs and CHCs. Per capita per year costs for provision of complete package of preventive, curative and promotive services at PHC and CHC were INR 170.8 (95% CI: 131.6–208.3) and INR162.1 (95% CI: 112–219

  15. Identification of different lineages of measles virus strains circulating in Uttar Pradesh, North India.

    PubMed

    Shakya, Akhalesh Kumar; Shukla, Vibha; Maan, Harjeet Singh; Dhole, Tapan N

    2012-10-16

    Genetic analysis of measles viruses associated with recent cases and outbreaks has proven to bridge information gaps in routine outbreak investigations and has made a substantial contribution to measles control efforts by helping to identify the transmission pathways of the virus. The present study describes the genetic characterization of wild type measles viruses from Uttar Pradesh, India isolated between January 2008 and January 2011. In the study, 526 suspected measles cases from 15 outbreaks were investigated. Blood samples were collected from suspected measles outbreaks and tested for the presence of measles specific IgM; throat swab and urine samples were collected for virus isolation and RT-PCR. Genotyping of circulating measles viruses in Uttar Pradesh was performed by sequencing a 450-bp region encompassing the nucleoprotein hypervariable region and phylogenetic analysis. Based on serological results, all the outbreaks were confirmed as measles. Thirty eight strains were obtained. Genetic analysis of circulating measles strains (n = 38) in Uttar Pradesh from 235 cases of laboratory-confirmed cases from 526 suspected measles cases between 2008 and 2011 showed that all viruses responsible for outbreaks were within clade D and all were genotype D8.Analysis of this region showed that it is highly divergent (up to 3.4% divergence in the nucleotide sequence and 4.1% divergence in the amino acid sequence between most distant strains). Considerable genetic heterogeneity was observed in the MV genotype D8 viruses in North India and underscores the need for continued surveillance and in particular increases in vaccination levels to decrease morbidity and mortality attributable to measles.

  16. Balancing Growth, Harvest, and Consumption of Hardwood Resources in the North Central Region

    Treesearch

    Stephen R. Shifley; Neal Sullivan

    2001-01-01

    The volume of timber in the North Central Region of the Unites States (IN, IL, IA, MN, WI, MI) has more than doubled since 1950. Annual growth of growing stock on timberland is about 2.3 billion cubic feet (8.5 billion board feet). Removals from growing stock are about 1.1 billion cubic feet (3.4 billion board feet). However, the people who live in the region consume...

  17. Geology and evolution of lakes in north-central Florida

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kindinger, J.L.; Davis, J.B.; Flocks, J.G.

    1999-01-01

    Fluid exchange between surficial waters and groundwater in karst environments, and the processes that control exchange, are of critical concern to water management districts and planners. High-resolution seismic data were collected from 30 lakes of north-central Florida. In each case study, lake structure and geomorphology were controlled by solution and/or mechanical processes. Processes that control lake development are twofold: (1) karstification or dissolution of the underlying limestone, and (2) the collapse, subsidence, or slumping of overburden to form sinkholes. Initial lake formation is directly related to the karst topography of the underlying host limestone. Case studies have shown that lakes can be divided by geomorphic types into progressive developmental phases: (1) active subsidence or collapse phase (young); (2) transitional phase (middle age); (3) baselevel phase (mature); and (4) polje (drowned prairie) - broad flat-bottom that have one or all phases of sinkhole. Using these criteria, Florida lakes can be classified by size, fill, subsurface features, and geomorphology.Fluid exchange between surficial waters and groundwater in karst environments, and the processes that control exchange, are of critical concern to water management districts and planners. High-resolution seismic data were collected from 30 lakes of north-central Florida. In each case study, lake structure and geomorphology were controlled by solution and/or mechanical processes. Processes that control lake development are twofold: (1) karstification or dissolution of the underlying limestone, and (2) the collapse, subsidence, or slumping of overburden to form sinkholes. Initial lake formation is directly related to the karst topography of the underlying host limestone. Case studies have shown that lakes can be divided by geomorphic types into progressive developmental phased: (1) active subsidence or collapse phase (young); (2) transitional phase (middle age); (3) baselevel phase

  18. Isolation and characterization of Lepidoptera specific Bacillus thuringiensis strains predominantly from north-eastern states of India.

    PubMed

    Tripathi, Monika; Kumar, Arvind; Kalia, Vinay; Saxena, A K; Gujar, Govind

    2016-07-01

    Both, the tobacco caterpillar Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) and the cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera (Hibner), are serious polyphagous pests causing considerable loss to crops. Indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides for controlling them has rather resulted in their resistance development. Microbial pesticides, Bacillus thuringiensis in particular, play an important role in pest management. Here, we isolated Bacillus thuringiensis-like bacteria from the soil samples primarily collected from North East region of India along with some states viz., Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Uttarakhand and studied their toxicity against the above two insect pests at 10 gg/g along with standard strain B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki HD-I and at 1 pg/g Pseudomonasfluorescens based MVPII expressing CrylAc toxin and AUG-5. Isolates AUG-5 and GTG-7 proved toxic to more than 75% larvae on the 4h as well as 7h day of the treatment of the neonates of H. armigera. The AUG-5 isolate was also effective against S. litura. Ten effective isolates (AUG-5, GTG-4, GTG-7, GTG-9, GTG-42, GTG-64, GTG-70, GTG-3S, GTG-4S and GTG-6S) were characterized using biochemical and 16S rDNA analysis. Nearly, all the isolates tested positive for utilizing monosaccharides. All selected B. thuringiensis isolates showed resistance to ampicillin and co-trimoxazole except AUG-5 to- co-trimoxazole. AUG-5 and GTG-7 were highly toxic to both insects, and possessed cryl, cry1A and cry2 genes. These isolates AUG-5 and GTG-7 also contained high CrylAc (104.8 and 88.32 ng/mg) and Cry2Ab (3792 and 1305.9 ng/mg), respectively in their spore-crystal complex. Both, AUG-5 and GTG-7 isolates, could be considered for further development as bioinsecticides. The present study has established the diversity and richness of B. thuringiensis-like isolates in soils collected from north-eastern region of India.

  19. Soil-geomorphology and “wet” cycles in the Holocene record of North-Central Mexico

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Butzer, Karl W.; Abbott, James T.; Frederick, Charles D.; Lehman, Paul H.; Cordova, Carlos E.; Oswald, John F.

    2008-10-01

    The distinction between the impact of climatic periodicities or land-use practices on soil erosion is an important issue for Pre-Hispanic and Colonial Mexico. That question can best be addressed by first documenting the dynamics of changing "wet" cycles during the Holocene in the central Mexican region between the northern limits of Pre-Hispanic agriculture and its southern margins in northwestern Chihuahua. Consequently the Laguna Project targeted a 125,000 km 2 sector of North-Central Mexico, 250 km from north to south and 500 km from east to west, from Saltillo to Durango. Some 40 sedimentary profiles with multiple cumulic soils were studied in the field and laboratory, supported by 163 conventional 14C and AMS dates on charcoal and soil humates. We distinguish: (1) wet floodplains (with humic paleosols, redox phenomena reflecting high water tables, channel-ponding sequences, and interbedded tufas) that imply aquifer recharge, sustained base flow, and mainly low-energy conditions; and (2) high-energy pulses of discharge that mobilized cobble gravels or forced channel entrenchment ("gullying") and were tied to episodic, excessive rains that promoted valley and slope instability. In between such "wet" cycles and recurrent disequilibrium events, climate was similar to today, probably less humid, with limited geomorphologic change or slow soil formation. "Wet" cycles were rare at the end of the Pleistocene, but prominent during the Holocene. Disequilibrium proxies became common and dramatic after 2500 BP. The drainages from the Eastern and Western Sierra Madres responded in phase, but varied in detail. Around AD 1050-1200 "natural" erosion led to loss of soil organic carbon, as alternating severe droughts and heavy rains destroyed the ground cover and led to ecological aridification, well before arrival of Spanish miners and settlers. The evidence that human activity triggered Pre-Hispanic or Colonial erosion in Central Mexico should therefore be re

  20. An Inventory of Natural, Human, and Social Overhead Capital Resources in North-Central New Mexico.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carruthers, Garrey; Eastman, Clyde

    Concerned with the north-central area of New Mexico (Rio Arriba, Taos, Colfax, Mora, Santa Fe, and San Miguel counties), this inventory describes the situation and delineation of the region, the natural resources (physical characteristics, land, land-ownership patterns, land-use patterns, land-title problems, water resources, and minerals); human…

  1. Tree improvement opportunities in the North-Central States related to economic trends, a problem analysis.

    Treesearch

    David H. Dawson; John A. Pitcher

    1970-01-01

    Economic trends are interpreted and related to planning applied forest tree-improvement programs for the North-Central Region. Projected demands for forest products are considered in light of the forest resource and alternatives for its use. Suggestions are given for tree-improvement programs for seven conifer and three hardwood species.

  2. Mediterranean climate patterns and wine quality in North and Central Italy.

    PubMed

    Dalu, John David; Baldi, Marina; Marta, Anna Dalla; Orlandini, Simone; Maracchi, Gianpiero; Dalu, Giovanni; Grifoni, Daniele; Mancini, Marco

    2013-09-01

    Results show that the year-to-year quality variation of wines produced in North and Central Italy depends on the large-scale climate variability, and that the wine quality improvement in the last four decades is partially due to an increase of temperature and to a decrease of precipitation in West and Central Mediterranean Europe (WME; CME). In addition, wine quality is positively correlated with air temperature throughout the entire active period of the grapevine, weakly negatively correlated with precipitation in spring, and well negatively correlated in summer and fall. The month-to-month composites of the NAO anomaly show that, in years of good quality wine, this anomaly is negative in late spring, oscillates around zero in summer, and is positive in early fall; while, in years of bad quality wine, it is positive in late spring and summer, and negative in early fall, i.e. its polarity has an opposite sign in spring and fall in good versus bad years. The composite seasonal maps show that good wines are produced when the spring jet stream over the Atlantic diverts most of the weather perturbations towards North Europe, still providing a sufficient amount of rainwater to CME; when summer warming induced by southerly winds is balanced by the cooling induced by westerly winds; and when a positive geopotential anomaly over WME shelters CME from fall Atlantic storms. Bad quality wines are produced when the jet stream favors the intrusion of the Atlantic weather perturbations into the Mediterranean. Results suggest that atmospheric pattern persistencies can be used as precursors for wine quality forecast.

  3. Emergence of Arctic-like Rabies Lineage in India

    PubMed Central

    Turner, Geoff; Paul, Joel P. V.; Madhusudana, Shampur N.; Wandeler, Alexander I.

    2007-01-01

    A collection of 37 rabies-infected samples, 10 human saliva and 27 animal brain, were recovered during 2001–2004 from the cities of Bangalore and Hyderabad in southern India and from Kasauli, a mountainous region in Himachal Pradesh, northern India. Phylogenetic analysis of partial N gene nucleotide sequences of these 37 specimens and 1 archival specimen identified 2 groups, divided according to their geographic (north or south) origins. Comparison of selected Indian viruses with representative rabies viruses recovered worldwide showed a close association of all Indian isolates with the circumpolar Arctic rabies lineage distributed throughout northern latitudes of North America and Europe and other viruses recovered from several Asian countries. PMID:17370523

  4. Measuring stress and recovery in limed sugar maple on the Allegheny Plateau of north-central Pennsylvania

    Treesearch

    Philip M. Wargo; Rakesh Minocha; Betty L. Wong; Robert P. Long; Stephen B. Horsley; Thomas J. Hall

    2003-01-01

    A long-term study to evaluate the effects of lime fertilization on growth, crown vitality, and flower and seed production in declining sugar maple was established in stands in the Susquehannock State Forest on the Allegheny Plateau in north-central Pennsylvania in 1985.

  5. Molecular and morphological diversity in locally grown non-commercial (heirloom) mango varieties of North India.

    PubMed

    Bajpai, Anju; Muthukumar, M; Ahmad, Israr; Ravishankar, K V; Parthasarthy, V A; Sthapit, Bhuwon; Rao, Ramanatha; Verma, J P; Rajan, S

    2016-03-01

    Mango (Mangifera indica L.) has been cultivated and conserved in different agro-ecologies including Malihabad region in northern part of India, that is well known for housing diverse types (heirloom and commercial varieties). In the present study, 37 mango types comprising of 27 heirloom varieties from Malihabad region and 10 commercial varieties grown in North and Eastern India were assessed for morphological attributes and molecular diversity. The employed SSR markers amplified 2-13 alleles individually, cumulatively amplifying 124 alleles. These were studied for allelic diversity and genetic dissimilarity ranged from 0.035 to 0.892 arranging the varieties in three major clusters. The results revealed that majority of unique heirloom mangoes from Malihabad were different from the eastern part of the country. It is interesting to note Dashehari, a commercial variety from Malihabad was not aligned with heirloom varieties. Commercial varieties like Gulabkhas and Langra were placed in a separate group including Bombay Green, Himsagar, Dashehari, etc., indicating their dissimilarity with heirloom varieties at molecular level and thus, indicating importance for later from conservation point of view. Furthermore, the hierarchical clustering of varieties based on fruit morphology, assembled these into four groups largely influenced by fruit size. The maximum agreement subtree indicated seemingly good fit as thirteen varieties were arrayed in common grouping pattern. Appreciable dissimilarity among the heirloom varieties demonstrated by molecular analysis, underlines the importance for their on-farm conservation.

  6. Sexual behavior of married young women: a preliminary study from north India.

    PubMed

    Avasthi, Ajit; Kaur, Rajinder; Prakash, Om; Banerjee, Anindya; Kumar, Lata; Kulhara, P

    2008-07-01

    There are significant gaps in the scientific literature concerning female sexual behavior and attitudes surrounding sexuality, which have definitive implications on public health and clinical work. To study the sexual behavior of young married Indian women. The study group comprised 100 consecutive women attending the Department of Pediatrics for the care of noncritical children in a multispecialty, tertiary care teaching hospital setting in North India. Current levels of sexual functioning and satisfaction were assessed by using the Brief Index of Sexual Functioning for Women (BISF-W). All participants were also administered a translated and culturally adapted instrument called Sex Knowledge and Attitude Questionnaire-II (SKAQ-II). Peno-vaginal sex continues to be considered the most desired and actually performed sexual activity for arousal and orgasm, followed by kissing and foreplay. Difficulties while performing sexual activity, in the form of physical problems, were faced by 17% of the participants. The participants displayed adequate sexual knowledge and favorable attitude towards sexuality as measured by SKAQ-II. The present study is a preliminary effort to understand the contemporary female sexual behavior, knowledge and attitude by employing standard instruments. Still further studies are required in this area.

  7. Fire history reflects human history in the Pine Creek Gorge of north-central Pennsylvania

    Treesearch

    Patrick H. Brose; Richard P. Guyette; Joseph M. Marschall; Michael C. Stambaugh

    2015-01-01

    Fire history studies are important tools for understanding past fire regimes and the roles humans played in those regimes. Beginning in 2010, we conducted a fire history study in the Pine Creek Gorge area of north-central Pennsylvania to ascertain the number of fires and fire-free intervals, their variability through time, and the role of human influences. We collected...

  8. Seroprevalence of Capripoxvirus infection in sheep and goats among different agro-climatic zones of Odisha, India

    PubMed Central

    Hota, Abhishek; Biswal, Sangram; Sahoo, Niranjana; Venkatesan, Gnanavel; Arya, Sargam; Kumar, Amit; Ramakrishnan, Muthannan Andavar; Pandey, Awadh Bihari; Rout, Manoranjan

    2018-01-01

    Aim: The study was undertaken to assess the prevalence of antibodies to Capripoxviruses among small ruminants of Odisha, India. Materials and Methods: A total of 500 random serum samples collected from 214 sheep and 286 goats across 10 agro-climatic zones of Odisha, were screened using whole virus antigen-based indirect ELISA for antibodies against Capripoxviruses. Results were analyzed by suitable statistical methods. Results: Screening of 500 serum samples showed seropositivity of 8.88% and 31.47% in sheep and goats, respectively, for Capripoxviruses. The prevalence rate according to agro-climatic zone ranged from 0% (North Eastern coastal plain zone) to 48.57% (North central plateau zone) for goat pox, and 0% (Western undulating zone and North central plateau) to 22.22% (South Eastern ghat zone) for sheep pox. The difference in prevalence rates among the various agro-climatic zones was statistically significant (p<0.05) for goats, but not for sheep. Antibody prevalence rates among various districts were recorded to be the highest in Jagatsinghpur (30%) for sheep pox and Dhenkanal (80%) for goat pox. Conclusions: The study revealed serological evidence of Capripoxvirus infection in sheep and goat populations in the study area, in the absence of vaccination. Systematic investigation, monitoring, and reporting of outbreaks are necessary to devise control strategies. PMID:29479159

  9. Coda Wave Analysis in Central-Western North America Using Earthscope Transportable Array Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Escudero, C. R.; Doser, D. I.

    2011-12-01

    We determined seismic wave attenuation in the western and central United States (e.g. Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas) using coda waves. We selected approximately twenty moderate earthquakes (magnitude between 5.5 and 6.5) located along the Mexican subduction zone, Gulf of California, southern and northern California, and off the coast of Oregon for the analysis. These events were recorded by the EarthScope transportable array (TA) network from 2008 to 2011. In this study we implemented a method based on the assumption that coda waves are single backscattered waves from randomly distributed heterogeneities to calculate the coda Q. The frequencies studied lie between 1 and 15 Hz. The scattering attenuation is calculated for frequency bands centered at 1.5, 3, 5, 7.5, 10.5, and 13.5 Hz. In this work, we present coda Q resolution maps along with a correlation analysis between coda Q and seismicity, tectonic and geology setting. We observed higher attenuation (low coda Q values) in regions of sedimentary cover, and lower attenuation (high coda Q values) in hard rock regions. Using the 4-6 Hz frequency band, we found the best general correlation between coda Q and central-western North America bedrock geology.

  10. A descriptive study on evaluation of bio-medical waste management in a tertiary care public hospital of North India

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Proper management of Biomedical waste (BMW) generated in a healthcare facility is one of the most important functions of a healthcare worker (HCW) as its improper management not only poses risk to human beings and environment, but may also invite legal action against HCW as well as hospital administration. This study was carried out to evaluate quality of BMW management in 1100-bedded hospital attached to a tertiary care public institute in North India. Methods A checklist, including 29 parameters related to various functions to be carried out at source of generation by a HCW for BMW management was prepared by researcher and used after validation to record observations in all the 70 areas of hospital. A total of 6 visits were made to each area and mean percentage score was calculated for each area and each category of waste management. Results It was found that summated mean percentage score of ‘Treatment Room of Wards’, which were used exclusively by resident doctors, was significantly lower than Operation Theatres (p value: 0.033) and ‘Central Waste Collection Points of Wards’ (p value: 0.018) for the function of ‘mutilation of recyclable waste’ and it was significantly lower than all other areas (p value: 0.006 to 0.017) for the function of ‘disinfection of waste’. Conclusion It is concluded that more emphasis needs to be laid on ‘mutilation of recyclable waste’ and disinfection of waste’ by HCWs especially resident doctors. PMID:24742274

  11. Endorsing the declining indigenous ethnobotanical knowledge system of seabuckthorn in Central Himalaya, India.

    PubMed

    Dhyani, D; Maikhuri, R K; Misra, S; Rao, K S

    2010-02-03

    Based on research findings this study is aimed to generate database on ethnobotanical aspects, sustainable utilization by value addition and awareness generation through outreach programme related to Hippophae salicifolia D. Don. (Elaeagnaceae) in the higher Himalayan zone of Uttarakhand in Central Himalaya, India. An in-depth survey from June 2004 to July 2006 followed by 480 interviews with the help of semi-structured questionnaires was carried out in 24 Hippophae growing locations in 12 different valleys of Uttarakhand. Plant has immense multipurpose properties and is traditionally utilized for food (20(Min)-90%(Max)), medicine (10(Min)-60%(Max)), veterinary (20(Min)-100%(Max)), fuel (10(Min)-80%(Max)), fencing (20(Min)-80%(Max)), agricultural tools (20(Min)-50%(Max)) and dye mordant (60%). Besides, awareness programmes and value added product demonstration resulted in economical upliftment of local inhabitants of Central Himalaya. The present manuscript will certainly provide an ethnobotanical statistics' impact on the modern scientific societies regarding conservation, cultivation and popularization of this underutilized wild edible species at mass scale. Simultaneously, these findings have important connotations in light of upcoming organic food and nutraceutical industries in the country. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Moho geometry along a north-south passive seismic transect through Central Australia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sippl, Christian

    2016-04-01

    Receiver functions from a temporary deployment of 25 broadband stations along a north-south transect through Central Australia are used to retrieve crustal and uppermost mantle structural constraints from a combination of different methods. Using H-K stacking as well as receiver function inversion, overall thick crust with significant thickness variation along the profile (40 to ≥ 55 km) is found. Bulk crustal vp/vs values are largely in the felsic to intermediate range, with the southernmost stations on the Gawler Craton exhibiting higher values in excess of 1.8. A common conversion point (CCP) stacking profile shows three major discontinuities of the crust-mantle boundary: (1) a two-sided Moho downwarp beneath the Musgrave Province, which has previously been associated with the Neoproterozoic to early Cambrian Petermann Orogeny, (2) a Moho offset along the Redbank Shear Zone further north attributed to the Middle to Late Paleozoic Alice Springs Orogeny, and (3) another Moho offset further north, located at the boundary between the Davenport and Warramunga Provinces, which has not been imaged before. In all cases, the difference in crustal thickness between the two sides of the offset is > 8-10 km. Unlike the two southern Moho offsets, the northernmost one does not coincide with a prominent gravity anomaly. Its location and the absence of known reactivation events in the region make it likely that it belongs to a Proterozoic suture zone that marks a previously unknown block boundary within the North Australian Craton.

  13. Controls of late Palaeozoic and Mesozoic extension in the British Isles: evidence from seismic reflection data in the Central North Sea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, K.; Cameron, T. D. J.

    2009-04-01

    Controls of late Palaeozoic and Mesozoic extension in the British Isles: evidence from seismic reflection data in the Central North Sea. Kevin Smith (1) and Don Cameron (2) (1) British Geological Survey, Murchison House, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3LA. (ksm@bgs.ac.uk). (2) British Geological Survey, 376 Gilmerton Road, Edinburgh, EH17 7QS. In the area of the British Isles during the late Devonian and early Carboniferous, the oblique convergence of Laurentia and Gondwana imposed a torque on the adjoining terranes of Baltica and Avalonia. Their resulting clockwise rotation was accommodated by widely distributed N-S extension in the intervening zones previously formed by Caledonian and Acadian convergence. South of Laurentia and Baltica, late Palaeozoic extension was focused (1) at terrane margins, (2) in areas of limited Caledonian-Acadian plutonism, and (3) in places where the western (Iapetus) and eastern (Tornquist) convergence zones intersect at a high angle. One of these latter areas lies in Central England immediately north of the Midland Microcraton (part of Eastern Avalonia), where thermal subsidence associated with early Carboniferous extension gave rise to the late Carboniferous Pennine Basin. Interpretation of an extensive set of 3D and 2D long-offset seismic reflection data suggests that a similar area of enhanced extension at a fold belt intersection lies to north of the Mid North Sea High in the middle of the Central North Sea. Variscan uplift and inversion of the late Palaeozoic basins began to predominate in mid-Carboniferous times as final amalgamation of all the different terranes to form Pangaea curtailed the initial episode of extension and thermal subsidence. This change in the tectonic regime was associated with the onset of tholeiitic volcanism within the convergence zones, and was followed by localised extension during the earliest Permian. Evidence obtained from seismic interpretation of the deep structure of the UK sector of the Central

  14. Molecular characterization of chikungunya virus from Andhra Pradesh, India & phylogenetic relationship with Central African isolates.

    PubMed

    M Naresh Kumar, C V; Anthony Johnson, A M; R Sai Gopal, D V

    2007-12-01

    Chikungunya virus has caused numerous large outbreaks in India. Suspected blood samples from the epidemic were collected and characterized for the identification of the responsible causative from Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh. RT-PCR was used for screening of suspected blood samples. Primers were designed to amplify partial E1 gene and the amplified fragment was cloned and sequenced. The sequence was analyzed and compared with other geographical isolates to find the phylogenetic relationship. The sequence was submitted to the Gen bank DNA database (accession DQ888620). Comparative nucleotide homology analysis of the AP Ra-CTR isolate with the other isolates revealed 94.7+/-3.6 per cent of homology of CHIKAPRa-CTR with other isolates of Chikungunya virus at nucleotide level and 96.8+/-3.2 per cent of homology at amino acid level. The current epidemic was caused by the Central African genotype of CHIKV, grouped in Central Africa cluster in phylogenetic trees generated based on nucleotide and amino acid sequences.

  15. Lightning Evolution In Two North Central Florida Summer Multicell Storms and Three Winter/Spring Frontal Storms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Caicedo, J. A.; Uman, M. A.; Pilkey, J. T.

    2018-01-01

    We present the first lightning evolution studies, via the Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) and radar, performed in North Central Florida. Parts of three winter/spring frontal storms (cold season) and two complete summer (warm season) multicell storms are studied. Storm parameters measured are as follows: total number of flashes, flash-type classification, first flashes, flash initiation altitude, flash initiation power, flash rate (flashes per minute), charge structure, altitude and temperature ranges of the inferred charge regions, atmospheric isotherm altitude, radar base reflectivity (dBZ), and radar echo tops (EET). Several differences were found between summer multicell and winter/spring frontal storms in North Central Florida: (1) in winter/spring storms, the range of altitudes that all charge regions occupy is up to 1 km lower in altitude than in summer storms, as are the 0°C, -10°C, and -20°C isotherms; (2) lightning activity in summer storms is highly correlated with changes in radar signatures, in particular, echo tops; and (3) the LMA average initiation power of all flash types in winter/frontal storms is about an order of magnitude larger than that for summer storms. In relation to storms in other geographical locations, North Central Florida seasonal storms were found to have similarities in most parameters studied with a few differences, examples in Florida being (1) colder initiation altitudes for intracloud flashes, (2) charge regions occupying larger ranges of atmospheric temperatures, and (3) winter/spring frontal storms not having much lightning activity in the stratiform region.

  16. The strengthening relationship between Eurasian snow cover and December haze days in central North China after the mid-1990s

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yin, Zhicong; Wang, Huijun

    2018-04-01

    The haze pollution in December has become increasingly serious over recent decades and imposes damage on society, ecosystems, and human health. In addition to anthropogenic emissions, climate change and variability were conducive to haze in China. In this study, the relationship between the snow cover over eastern Europe and western Siberia (SCES) and the number of haze days in December in central North China was analyzed. This relationship significantly strengthened after the mid-1990s, which is attributed to the effective connections between the SCES and the Eurasian atmospheric circulations. During 1998-2016, the SCES significantly influenced the soil moisture and land surface radiation, and then the combined underlying drivers of enhanced soil moisture and radiative cooling moved the the East Asia jet stream northward and induced anomalous, anti-cyclonic circulation over central North China. Modulated by such atmospheric circulations, the local lower boundary layer, the decreased surface wind, and the more humid air were conducive to the worsening dispersion conditions and frequent haze occurrences. In contrast, from 1979 to 1997, the linkage between the SCES and soil moisture was negligible. Furthermore, the correlated radiative cooling was distributed narrowly and far from the key area of snow cover. The associated atmospheric circulations with the SCES were not significantly linked with the ventilation conditions over central North China. Consequently, the relationship between the SCES and the number of hazy days in central North China was insignificant before the mid-1990s but has strengthened and has become significant since then.

  17. The interdependence of lake ice and climate in central North America

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jelacic, A. J. (Principal Investigator)

    1972-01-01

    There are no author-identified significant results in this report. This investigation is to identify any correlations between the freeze/ thaw cycles of lakes and regional weather variations. ERTS-1 imagery of central Canada and north central United States is examined on a seasonal basis. The ice conditions of certain major study lakes are noted and recorded on magnetic tape, from which the movement of a freeze/thaw transition zone may be deduced. Weather maps and tables are used to establish any obvious correlations. The process of selecting major study lakes is discussed, and a complete lake directory is presented. Various routines of the software support library are described, accompanied by output samples. Procedures used for ERTS imagery processing are presented along with the data analysis plan. Application of these procedures to selected ERTS imagery has demonstrated their utility. Preliminary results show that the freeze/thaw transition zone can be monitored from ERTS.

  18. Profile of adults seeking voluntary HIV testing and counseling in rural Central India: results from a hospital-based study.

    PubMed

    Pai, Nitika Pant; Joshi, Rajnish; Moodie, Erica E M; Taksande, Bharati; Kalantri, S P; Pai, Madhukar; Tulsky, Jacqueline P; Reingold, Arthur

    2009-03-01

    Rural India has an undetected load of HIV-positive individuals. Few rural adults present for HIV testing and counseling due to stigma, discrimination, and fear of social ostracization. In this rural hospital clinic-based study, we document profiles of rural adults seeking voluntary testing and counseling, and analyze correlates of HIV seropositivity. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 450 participants presenting to the outpatient clinics of Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram, Central India. After informed consent, pre- and post-test counseling, HIV testing, and face-to-face interviews were conducted. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. The median age of the 450 study participants was 34 years (range 18-88 years); the majority (74%) was married. The overall proportion of HIV seropositivity was 32% [95% CI 28%, 37%]. The proportions of HIV seropositivity in married women, married men, and single men were 41%, 37%, 18%, respectively. No single woman was found seropositive in the study. Very few married women were aware of their husbands' HIV status. In a multivariate analysis, correlates of HIV seropositivity in men were: age 30-39 years, being married, having sex with multiple partners, use of alcohol before sex, and testing positive for HIV in the past. In married women, the only predictor of seropositivity was being married. Although limited by the non-random nature of the sampling method, this pilot study is unique in that it is the first from this rural region of Central India. It provides baseline data on marginalized, largely unstudied populations that may aid in designing probabilistic community-based surveys in this neglected population.

  19. Field performance of Populus in short-rotation intensive culture plantations in the north-central U.S.

    Treesearch

    Edward A. Hansen; Michael E. Ostry; Wendell D. Johnson; David N. Tolsted; Daniel A. Netzer; William E. Berguson; Richard B. Hall

    1994-01-01

    Describes a network of short-rotation, Populus research and demonstration plantations that has been established across a 5-state region in the north-central U.S. to identify suitable hybrid poplar clones for large-scale biomass plantations in the region. Reports 6-year results.

  20. Impact of stress, coping, social support, and resilience of families having children with autism: A North East India-based study.

    PubMed

    Das, Shyamanta; Das, Bornali; Nath, Kakoli; Dutta, Arunima; Bora, Priyanka; Hazarika, Mythili

    2017-08-01

    Children with autism (CWA) is a segment of population in North East India who are marginalized due to lack of resources like skilled manpower and perceived stress. In comparison to other states and countries whether these children are unique in terms of care and rehabilitation from adult caregivers was the focus of our study. The study assessed level of parental stress, social support, coping mechanisms used by family and resilience in meeting the challenges as caregivers. Parents were selected by simple random sampling from a multi-specialty center dedicated to CWA. They were assessed with the help of structured tools like the Parental Stress Scale, the social support appraisals scale, the coping self-efficacy scale, and the Family Resilience Assessment Scale. Results were analyzed with descriptive statistics and findings suggest definite stress among the parents of CWA. Personal time constraint was noticed in majority of parents, which had adversely affected their professional lives. Despite wide array of stress factors, family members had satisfactory coping skills to work in harmony in adverse circumstances. Regarding secondary social support in terms of family, friends, and neighbors, responses were mixed; religious and spirituality were often resorted avenues. Social desirability, fatigue and the sample being restricted to only one center were though the limitations but, this study throws light on pertinent issues related to families with CWA from a region where specialty centers are a rarity. The future implication could focus on CWA's future, rehabilitation, care and parental concerns which are grossly neglected in North East India. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Awareness and Knowledge of Glaucoma in Central India: A Hospital-Based Study.

    PubMed

    Maharana, Prafulla K; Rai, Vaishali G; Pattebahadur, Rajesh; Singhi, Shipra; Chauhan, Ashish K

    2017-01-01

    To assess the awareness and knowledge of glaucoma among people attending the ophthalmology outpatient department at a tertiary care hospital in central India. A prospective observational study. A questionnaire-based study was conducted, involving persons aged 18 and above attending the ophthalmology outpatient department from October 2014 to September 2015. Data on awareness and knowledge of glaucoma was collected through a face-to-face interview. Fourteen hundred people participated in the study. The mean age of participants was 43 ± 15 years (range, 18-85). The study participants included 53% men and 47% women. Only 27% (n = 380/1400) of the participants were aware of glaucoma. Age, sex, and presence or type of refractive error had no impact on glaucoma awareness. Awareness level was greater in individuals with higher education levels and those belonging to an upper socioeconomic class (SEC). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed significantly higher levels of glaucoma awareness among participants belonging to the upper 2 SECs (P = 0.05) and those educated above the high school level (P = 0.001). The most common source of awareness was close acquaintance with relatives, famly members, and friends of glaucoma patients. Awareness of glaucoma in India is low. Lack of education and lower socioeconomic status are the major risk factors for late preentation of glaucoma. Continuous presence of a low level of awareness and the same factors accounting for it warrants the need for an aggressive and refined approach to increase awareness of glaucoma to prevent glaucoma-related blindness. Copyright 2017 Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology.

  2. Prevalence and risk factors of gestational diabetes in Punjab, North India: results from a population screening program.

    PubMed

    Arora, Geeti P; Thaman, Richa G; Prasad, Rashmi B; Almgren, Peter; Brøns, Charlotte; Groop, Leif C; Vaag, Allan A

    2015-08-01

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has in 2013 changed the diagnostic criteria for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) to acknowledge the putative effect of mildly elevated fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels on pregnancy outcomes. We aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of GDM comparing the previous WHO 1999 criteria to the WHO 2013 criteria in North India. In a population-based screening programme, 5100 randomly selected North Indian women were studied using a cross-sectional design with a questionnaire, venous FPG and 2-h capillary plasma glucose (PG) after a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test performed between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. The prevalence of GDM was 35% using WHO 2013 criteria vs 9% using WHO 1999 criteria. FPG measurements identified 94% of WHO 2013 GDM cases as opposed to 11% of WHO 1999 GDM cases. In contrast, 2-h PG measurements identified only 13% of WHO 2013 GDM cases compared with 96% of the WHO 1999 GDM cases. Using logistic regression with backward elimination, urban habitat, illiteracy, non-vegetarianism, increased BMI, Hindu religion and low adult height were all independent risk factors of GDM using the 1999 criteria, whereas only urban habitat, low adult height and increased age were independent risk factors of GDM using the 2013 criteria. Intervention studies are needed to justify the WHO 2013 GDM criteria increasing the prevalence four fold to include more than one third of North Indian pregnant women. © 2015 European Society of Endocrinology.

  3. Skillful Revelation: Local Healers, Rationalists, and Their 'Trickery' in Chhattisgarh, Central India.

    PubMed

    Macdonald, Helen M

    2015-01-01

    To understand the workings of medicine, healing, placebo, belief, and rationality, medical anthropologists need to pay attention to the complex relations of various forms of revelation, contemplation, and rejoining revelation that attach to illness and healing. In this article two performances of a healing technique located in the agricultural plain of Chhattisgarh, central India, are compared: one representing scientific rationality; the other 'blind' superstition. In both performances the practitioner's aim is to reveal: the local healer reveals witchcraft objects from the afflicted body; the local rationalist society reveals the healer's technique as a fraudulent trick. Each performance shares 'an aesthetics of revelation'-they rely on seeing or revealing to obtain their social effect. The interplay between forms of revelation, a reliance on aesthetics for the revelation, and the ways of seeing can indicate how distinctions are made (or not) between doctor and quack, expertise and gimmickry, and truth and falsehood.

  4. Kinship Institutions and Sex Ratios in India

    PubMed Central

    CHAKRABORTY, TANIKA; KIM, SUKKOO

    2010-01-01

    This article explores the relationship between kinship institutions and sex ratios in India at the turn of the twentieth century. Because kinship rules vary by caste, language, religion, and region, we construct sex ratios by these categories at the district level by using data from the 1901 Census of India for Punjab (North), Bengal (East), and Madras (South). We find that the male-to-female sex ratio varied positively with caste rank, fell as one moved from the North to the East and then to the South, was higher for Hindus than for Muslims, and was higher for northern Indo-Aryan speakers than for the southern Dravidian-speaking people. We argue that these systematic patterns in the data are consistent with variations in the institution of family, kinship, and inheritance. PMID:21308567

  5. Is Microseismicity Relevant to Estimating Seismic Hazards in North Central New Mexico?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    House, L.; Roberts, P.; Gardner, J. N.

    2003-12-01

    The Rio Grande rift extends south from southern Colorado through central New Mexico and into northern Mexico. It is a major tectonic feature in New Mexico, yet seismicity in the rift is comparable to or lower than in the adjacent stable Great Plains and Colorado Plateau provinces (Sanford, et al, 1991). In north-central New Mexico, thirty years of microearthquake monitoring have provided more than 650 epicenters in an area of about 28 000 sq km. The largest earthquake was about magnitude 3. Epicenters show only a slight association with recently active faults, and most lie away from faults (mislocation of epicenters could produce this scatter, though we think it is unlikely). The Pajarito fault system is presently the western boundary of the Rio Grande rift in the area of the Espanola Basin (from Santa Fe to Espanola), yet has little seismicity associated with it, and only for 15 km of its 50 km length. That seismicity includes five earthquakes that were been felt in the Los Alamos area since 1991 (most recently in April 2003). Paleoseismic studies (Gardner et al, 2001) found evidence for large slip events along that same 15 km portion of the Pajarito fault system as recently as 2 ka. Recurrence times of these events are not known, but may be 10 ka or longer. The remainder of the rift boundary in north-central New Mexico is not discernable from seismicity. A simple model of opening of the rift (at an assumed rate of 0.1 mm/yr) produces an estimate of seismic moment release that is several orders of magnitude greater than seen in the seismicity. Microseismicity seems to have little relation to the macroseismicity that may occur on long time intervals (perhaps thousands of years) and may not be relevant for understanding seismic hazards in this part of the Rio Grande rift. Sanford, A.R., L.H. Jaksha, and D.J. Cash (1991), Seismicity of the Rio Grande rift in New Mexico, in Slemmons, D.B., E.R. Engdahl, M.D. Zoback, and D.D. Blackwell (eds), Neotectonics of North

  6. Active out-of-sequence thrust faulting in the central Nepalese Himalaya.

    PubMed

    Wobus, Cameron; Heimsath, Arjun; Whipple, Kelin; Hodges, Kip

    2005-04-21

    Recent convergence between India and Eurasia is commonly assumed to be accommodated mainly along a single fault--the Main Himalayan Thrust (MHT)--which reaches the surface in the Siwalik Hills of southern Nepal. Although this model is consistent with geodetic, geomorphic and microseismic data, an alternative model incorporating slip on more northerly surface faults has been proposed to be consistent with these data as well. Here we present in situ cosmogenic 10Be data indicating a fourfold increase in millennial timescale erosion rates occurring over a distance of less than 2 km in central Nepal, delineating for the first time an active thrust fault nearly 100 km north of the surface expression of the MHT. These data challenge the view that rock uplift gradients in central Nepal reflect only passive transport over a ramp in the MHT. Instead, when combined with previously reported 40Ar-39Ar data, our results indicate persistent exhumation above deep-seated, surface-breaking structures at the foot of the high Himalaya. These results suggest that strong dynamic interactions between climate, erosion and tectonics have maintained a locus of active deformation well to the north of the Himalayan deformation front.

  7. Estimation of tiger densities in the tropical dry forests of Panna, Central India, using photographic capture-recapture sampling

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Karanth, K.Ullas; Chundawat, Raghunandan S.; Nichols, James D.; Kumar, N. Samba

    2004-01-01

    Tropical dry-deciduous forests comprise more than 45% of the tiger (Panthera tigris) habitat in India. However, in the absence of rigorously derived estimates of ecological densities of tigers in dry forests, critical baseline data for managing tiger populations are lacking. In this study tiger densities were estimated using photographic capture–recapture sampling in the dry forests of Panna Tiger Reserve in Central India. Over a 45-day survey period, 60 camera trap sites were sampled in a well-protected part of the 542-km2 reserve during 2002. A total sampling effort of 914 camera-trap-days yielded photo-captures of 11 individual tigers over 15 sampling occasions that effectively covered a 418-km2 area. The closed capture–recapture model Mh, which incorporates individual heterogeneity in capture probabilities, fitted these photographic capture history data well. The estimated capture probability/sample, p̂= 0.04, resulted in an estimated tiger population size and standard error (N̂(SÊN̂)) of 29 (9.65), and a density (D̂(SÊD̂)) of 6.94 (3.23) tigers/100 km2. The estimated tiger density matched predictions based on prey abundance. Our results suggest that, if managed appropriately, the available dry forest habitat in India has the potential to support a population size of about 9000 wild tigers.

  8. North-East monsoon rainfall extremes over the southern peninsular India and their association with El Niño

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Prem; Gnanaseelan, C.; Chowdary, J. S.

    2017-12-01

    The present study investigates the relationship between extreme north-east (NE) monsoon rainfall (NEMR) over the Indian peninsula region and El Niño forcing. This turns out to be a critical science issue especially after the 2015 Chennai flood. The puzzle being while most El Niños favour good NE monsoon, some don't. In fact some El Niño years witnessed deficit NE monsoon. Therefore two different cases (or classes) of El Niños are considered for analysis based on standardized NEMR index and Niño 3.4 index with case-1 being both Niño-3.4 and NEMR indices greater than +1 and case-2 being Niño-3.4 index greater than +1 and NEMR index less than -1. Composite analysis suggests that SST anomalies in the central and eastern Pacific are strong in both cases but large differences are noted in the spatial distribution of SST over the Indo-western Pacific region. This questions our understanding of NEMR as mirror image of El Niño conditions in the Pacific. It is noted that the favourable excess NEMR in case-1 is due to anomalous moisture transport from Bay of Bengal and equatorial Indian Ocean to southern peninsular India. Strong SST gradient between warm western Indian Ocean (and Bay of Bengal) and cool western Pacific induced strong easterly wind anomalies during NE monsoon season favour moisture transport towards the core NE monsoon region. Further anomalous moisture convergence and convection over the core NE monsoon region supported positive rainfall anomalies in case-1. While in case-2, weak SST gradients over the Indo-western Pacific and absence of local low level convergence over NE monsoon region are mainly responsible for deficit rainfall. The ocean dynamics in the Indian Ocean displayed large differences during case-1 and case-2, suggesting the key role of Rossby wave dynamics in the Indian Ocean on NE monsoon extremes. Apart from the large scale circulation differences the number of cyclonic systems land fall for case-1 and case-2 have also contributed for

  9. Early Intervention for At-Risk Children in the North Central Region: A Comparative Analysis of Selected State Education Agencies' Policies.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kunesh, Linda G.

    The primary purpose of this policy study was to identify and examine early intervention policies for young children at risk of academic failure in selected state education agencies (SEAs) in the North Central Region of the United States. The secondary purpose was to document the processes by which the selected states in the north central…

  10. Genetic Evidence for Recent Population Mixture in India

    PubMed Central

    Moorjani, Priya; Thangaraj, Kumarasamy; Patterson, Nick; Lipson, Mark; Loh, Po-Ru; Govindaraj, Periyasamy; Berger, Bonnie; Reich, David; Singh, Lalji

    2013-01-01

    Most Indian groups descend from a mixture of two genetically divergent populations: Ancestral North Indians (ANI) related to Central Asians, Middle Easterners, Caucasians, and Europeans; and Ancestral South Indians (ASI) not closely related to groups outside the subcontinent. The date of mixture is unknown but has implications for understanding Indian history. We report genome-wide data from 73 groups from the Indian subcontinent and analyze linkage disequilibrium to estimate ANI-ASI mixture dates ranging from about 1,900 to 4,200 years ago. In a subset of groups, 100% of the mixture is consistent with having occurred during this period. These results show that India experienced a demographic transformation several thousand years ago, from a region in which major population mixture was common to one in which mixture even between closely related groups became rare because of a shift to endogamy. PMID:23932107

  11. Patterns of forest use and endemism in resident bird communities of north-central Michoacan, Mexico

    Treesearch

    Santiago Garcia; Deborah M. Finch; Gilberto Chavez Leon

    1998-01-01

    We compared breeding avian communities among 11 habitat types in north-central Michoacan, Mexico, to determine patterns of forest use by endemic and nonendemic resident species. Point counts of birds and vegetation measurements were conducted at 124 sampling localities from May through July, in 1994 and 1995. Six native forest types sampled were pine, pine-oak, oak-...

  12. Assessment of village-wise groundwater draft for irrigation: a field-based study in hard-rock aquifers of central India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ray, R. K.; Syed, T. H.; Saha, Dipankar; Sarkar, B. C.; Patre, A. K.

    2017-12-01

    Extracted groundwater, 90% of which is used for irrigated agriculture, is central to the socio-economic development of India. A lack of regulation or implementation of regulations, alongside unrecorded extraction, often leads to over exploitation of large-scale common-pool resources like groundwater. Inevitably, management of groundwater extraction (draft) for irrigation is critical for sustainability of aquifers and the society at large. However, existing assessments of groundwater draft, which are mostly available at large spatial scales, are inadequate for managing groundwater resources that are primarily exploited by stakeholders at much finer scales. This study presents an estimate, projection and analysis of fine-scale groundwater draft in the Seonath-Kharun interfluve of central India. Using field surveys of instantaneous discharge from irrigation wells and boreholes, annual groundwater draft for irrigation in this area is estimated to be 212 × 106 m3, most of which (89%) is withdrawn during non-monsoon season. However, the density of wells/boreholes, and consequent extraction of groundwater, is controlled by the existing hydrogeological conditions. Based on trends in the number of abstraction structures (1982-2011), groundwater draft for the year 2020 is projected to be approximately 307 × 106 m3; hence, groundwater draft for irrigation in the study area is predicted to increase by ˜44% within a span of 8 years. Central to the work presented here is the approach for estimation and prediction of groundwater draft at finer scales, which can be extended to critical groundwater zones of the country.

  13. Seismic hazard map of North and Central America and the Caribbean

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Shedlock, K.M.

    1999-01-01

    Minimization of the loss of life, property damage, and social and economic disruption due to earthquakes depends on reliable estimates of seismic hazard. National, state, and local government, decision makers, engineers, planners, emergency response organizations, builders, universities, and the general public require seismic hazard estimates for land use planning, improved building design and construction (including adoption of building construction codes), emergency response preparedness plans, economic forecasts, housing and employment decisions, and many more types of risk mitigation. The seismic hazard map of North and Central America and the Caribbean is the concatenation of various national and regional maps, involving a suite of approaches. The combined maps and documentation provide a useful regional seismic hazard framework and serve as a resource for any national or regional agency for further detailed studies applicable to their needs. This seismic hazard map depicts Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) with a 10% chance of exceedance in 50 years. PGA, a short-period ground motion parameter that is proportional to force, is the most commonly mapped ground motion parameter because current building codes that include seismic provisions specify the horizontal force a building should be able to withstand during an earthquake. This seismic hazard map of North and Central America and the Caribbean depicts the likely level of short-period ground motion from earthquakes in a fifty-year window. Short-period ground motions effect short-period structures (e.g., one-to-two story buildings). The highest seismic hazard values in the region generally occur in areas that have been, or are likely to be, the sites of the largest plate boundary earthquakes.

  14. Intraplate mountain building in response to continent continent collision—the Ancestral Rocky Mountains (North America) and inferences drawn from the Tien Shan (Central Asia)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dickerson, Patricia Wood

    2003-04-01

    The intraplate Ancestral Rocky Mountains of western North America extend from British Columbia, Canada, to Chihuahua, Mexico, and formed during Early Carboniferous through Early Permian time in response to continent-continent collision of Laurentia with Gondwana—the conjoined masses of Africa and South America, including Yucatán and Florida. Uplifts and flanking basins also formed within the Laurentian Midcontinent. On the Gondwanan continent, well inboard from the marginal fold belts, a counterpart structural array developed during the same period. Intraplate deformation began when full collisional plate coupling had been achieved along the continental margin; the intervening ocean had been closed and subduction had ceased—that is, the distinction between upper versus lower plates became moot. Ancestral Rockies deformation was not accompanied by volcanism. Basement shear zones that formed during Mesoproterozoic rifting of Laurentia were reactivated and exerted significant control on the locations, orientations, and modes of displacement on late Paleozoic faults. Ancestral Rocky Mountain uplifts extend as far south as Chihuahua and west Texas (28° to 33°N, 102° to 109°W) and include the Florida-Moyotes, Placer de Guadalupe-Carrizalillo, Ojinaga-Tascotal and Hueco Mountain blocks, as well as the Diablo and Central Basin Platforms. All are cored with Laurentian Proterozoic crystalline basement rocks and host correlative Paleozoic stratigraphic successions. Pre-late Paleozoic deformational, thermal, and metamorphic histories are similar as well. Southern Ancestral Rocky Mountain structures terminate along a line that trends approximately N 40°E (present coordinates), a common orientation for Mesoproterozoic extensional structures throughout southern to central North America. Continuing Tien Shan intraplate deformation (Central Asia) has created an analogous array of uplifts and basins in response to the collision of India with Eurasia, beginning in late

  15. Further geochronological and paleomagnetic constraints on Malani (and pre-Malani) magmatism in NW India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meert, Joseph G.; Pandit, Manoj K.; Kamenov, George D.

    2013-11-01

    At 750 Ma India was part of a larger fragment of eastern Gondwana blocks that included the Seychelles-Mauritia, Madagascar, Sri Lanka and the Enderby Land-Prydz Bay region of East Antarctica. Subduction of the Mozambique Ocean beneath Seychelles-Mauritia, northern Madagascar and northwestern India formed a lengthy continental arc that remained active during the formation of Gondwana. Paleomagnetic data from the Malani rhyolites and associated dykes provide a robust paleomagnetic pole constraining India's position at this time. The rhyolitic and granitic rocks associated with the Malani Igneous Suite (MIS) have robust age constraints; however, the ages of the mafic dykes were inferred solely on the basis of similarity in paleomagnetic directions to the rhyolitic units. Here we present new geochronological data from the Malani mafic dykes that yield a minimum age of 704 Ma. The 207Pb/206Pb ages obtained for the dykes are less-likely to be affected by Pb-loss and yield a more reliable estimate for the age of the mafic dykes of ~ 750 Ma. We argue that intrusion of these mafic (and minor felsic) dykes represents the final pulse of MIS magmatism. Many of the granitic rocks in the region are reported as ‘unclassified’ due to limited geochemical data and/or geochronological ages. Some of these ‘unclassified’ granites are intruded by the mafic dykes sampled in this study near the town of Bilara. The granites yielded zircon core ages of ~ 1100 Ma with younger rims averaging ~ 1020 Ma. We argue that this provides further evidence for a significant orogenic event ~ 1000 Ma that may relate to the collision of the Marwar block with the Banded Gneiss Complex/Bundelkhand craton in north-central India. Other ~ 1000 Ma orogenesis is also known along the Central Indian Tectonic Zone (CITZ) and the Eastern Ghats Mobile Belt. Globally, this same time interval is thought to represent the amalgamation of the supercontinent Rodinia and may also have resulted in the closure of the

  16. Toward a New Definition of Employability. Report by the North Central Indiana Workforce Literacy Task Force.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Center for Remediation Design, Washington, DC.

    The North Central Indiana Workplace Literacy Initiative seeks to develop a curriculum management system addressing work force literacy needs and a coordinated human resource investment system meeting individual economic self-sufficiency needs and labor market needs. The workplace of the future will contain six key changes: employers will require…

  17. The hydrology of three high-altitude forests in Central Himalaya, India: a reconnaissance study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Negi, G. C. S.; Rikhari, H. C.; Garkoti, S. C.

    1998-02-01

    In this preliminary study the partitioning of rain-water into various components of the hydrological cycle in three high-altitude forests of contrasting tree physiognomies (namely, Aesculus indica, Quercus semecarpifolia and Abies pindrow) were studied in the Nandadevi Biosphere Reserve, Central Himalaya, India. The results are compared with the hydrological characteristics of low-altitude forests of this region. The study has indicated a significant role of tree physiognomy with regard to rainfall partitioning into the various components of the hydrological cycle. It is suggested that A. pindrow (an evergreen tree) should be considered superior to A. indica (a deciduous tree) with regard to soil and water conservation in this region. This work is of relevance to land management programmes pertaining to afforestation, logging and regeneration.

  18. Proterozoic metamorphism and uplift history of the north-central Laramie Mountains, Wyoming, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Patel, S.C.; Frost, B.R.; Chamberlain, K.R.; Snyder, G.L.

    1999-01-01

    The Laramie Mountains of south-eastern Wyoming contain two metamorphic domains that are separated by the 1.76 Ga. Laramie Peak shear zone (LPSZ). South of the LPSZ lies the Palmer Canyon block, where apatite U-Pb ages are c. 1745 Ma and the rocks have undergone Proterozoic kyanite-grade Barrovian metamorphism. In contrast, in the Laramie Peak block, north of the shear zone, the U-Pb apatite ages are 2.4-2.1 Ga, the granitic rocks are unmetamorphosed and supracrustal rocks record only low-T amphibolite facies metamorphism that is Archean in age. Peak mineral assemblages in the Palmer Canyon block include (a) quartz-biotite-plagioclase-garnet-staurolite-kyanite in the pelitic schists; (b) quartz-biotite-plagioclase-low-Ca amphiboles-kyanite in Mg-Al-rich schists, and locally (c) hornblende-plagioclase-garnet in amphibolites. All rock types show abundant textural evidence of decompression and retrograde re-equilibration. Notable among the texturally late minerals are cordierite and sapphirine, which occur in coronas around kyanite in Mg-Al-rich schists. Thermobarometry from texturally early and late assemblages for samples from different areas within the Palmer Canyon block define decompression from > 7 kbar to < 3 kbar. The high-pressure regional metamorphism is interpreted to be a response to thrusting associated with the Medicine Bow orogeny at c. 1.78-1.76 Ga. At this time, the north-central Laramie Range was tectonically thickened by as much as 12 km. This crustal thickening extended for more than 60 km north of the Cheyenne belt in southern Wyoming. Late in the orogenic cycle, rocks of the Palmer Canyon block were uplifted and unroofed as the result of transpression along the Laramie Peak shear zone to produce the widespread decompression textures. The Proterozoic tectonic history of the central Laramie Range is similar to exhumation that accompanied late-orogenic oblique convergence in many Phanerozoic orogenic belts.

  19. Characteristics of gallbladder cancer in South India.

    PubMed

    Sachidananda, Sandeep; Krishnan, Arunkumar; Janani, K; Alexander, P C; Velayutham, Vimalraj; Rajagopal, Surendran; Venkataraman, Jayanthi

    2012-09-01

    Gallbladder cancer is common in north India. It is also a well established fact that gall bladder cancer is frequently associated with gallstone disease in north India, similar to reports from the West. The magnitude of the problem of gallbladder cancer in south India and its link to gallstone disease is not clearly established. The aim of the study was to determine retrospectively, the characteristics of individuals with GBC in south India and to determine its association with gallstone disease. Retrospective data was obtained from records of proven cases of gallbladder cancer and patients undergoing cholecystectomy for gallstone disease between Jan 2001 and Dec 2010. Data retrieved included age, gender, and clinical presentation, findings on imaging, histology and details of management. The number of proven cases of gallbladder cancer each year ranged from 8 to 17. There were 38 men and 23 women. Male female ratio was 1.6:1. There were more men in the successive decades. Right upper quadrant pain (42 %) followed by jaundice (27 %) and a presence of a palpable mass (12 %) were the common clinical presentation. Pre-operative diagnosis of gall bladder cancer was possible in 80 %. Twelve patients had co-existing gallstones (19.6 %). Forty patients (50 %) had stage IV disease; only 6 patients had Stage I operable disease (9.8 %). During the same time 758 patients had cholecystectomy for gallstone disease. Only one patient had an incidental gall bladder cancer, who had an extended cholecystectomy. Gallbladder cancer is uncommon in south India and its association with gallstone is also low.

  20. Relative Contribution of Monsoon Precipitation and Pumping to Changes in Groundwater Storage in India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    A, A.; Gleeson, T. P.; Wada, Y.; Mishra, V.

    2017-12-01

    The availability and depletion of groundwater resources - a possible threat to food and water security - are impacted by both pumping and climate variability, although the relative importance of these two drivers is rarely quantified. Here we show that long-term change in the monsoon precipitation is a major driver of groundwater storage variability in most parts of India either directly by changing recharge or indirectly by changing abstraction. GRACE and observation well data show that groundwater storage has declined in north India with a rate of 2 cm/year and increased in the south India by 1 to 2 cm/year during the period of 2002-2013. A large fraction of total variability in groundwater storage is influenced by precipitation in northcentral and southern India. Groundwater storage variability in the northwestern India is mainly explained by variability in abstraction for irrigation, which is influenced by precipitation. Declines in precipitation in north India is linked with the Indian Ocean warming, suggesting a previously unrecognised teleconnection between ocean temperatures and groundwater storage. These results have strong implications for management of groundwater resources under current and future climate conditions in India.

  1. The development of the East African Rift system in north-central Kenya

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hackman, B. D.; Charsley, T. J.; Key, R. M.; Wilkinson, A. F.

    1990-11-01

    Between 1980 and 1986 geological surveying to produce maps on a scale of 1:250,000 was completed over an area of over 100,000 km 2 in north-central Kenya, bounded by the Equator, the Ethiopian border and longitudes 36° and 38 °E. The Gregory Rift, much of which has the structure of an asymmetric half-graben, is the most prominent component of the Cenozoic multiple rift system which extends up to 200 km to the east and for about 100 km to the west, forming the Kenya dome. On the eastern shoulder and fringes two en echelon arrays of late Tertiary to Quaternary multicentre shields can be recognized: to the south is the Aberdares-Mount Kenya-Nyambeni Range chain and, to the north the clusters of Mount Kulal, Asie, Huri Hills and Marsabit, with plateau lavas and fissure vents south of Marsabit in the Laisamis area. The Gregory Rift terminates at the southern end of Lake Turkana. Further north the rift system splays: the arcuate Kinu Sogo fault zone forms an offset link with the central Ethiopian Rift system. In the rifts of north-central Kenya volcanism, sedimentation and extensional tectonics commenced and have been continuous since the late Oligocene. Throughout this period the Elgeyo Fault acted as a major bounding fault. A comparative study of the northern and eastern fringes of the Kenya dome with the axial graben reinforces the impression of regional E-W asymmetry. Deviations from the essential N-trend of the Gregory Rift reflect structural weaknesses in the underlying Proterozoic basement, the Mozambique Orogenic Belt: thus south of Lake Baringo the swing to the southeast parallels the axes of the ca. 620 Ma phase folds. Secondary faults associated with this flexure have created a "shark tooth" array, an expression of en echelon offsets of the eastern margin of the Gregory Rift in a transtensional stress regime: hinge zones where major faults intersect on the eastern shoulder feature intense box faulting and ramp structures which have counterparts in the rift

  2. Calculating the ecosystem service of water storage in isolated wetlands using LIDAR in north central Florida, USA

    EPA Science Inventory

    This study used remotely-sensed Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data to estimate potential water storage capacity of isolated wetlands in north central Florida. The data were used to calculate the water storage potential of >8500 polygons identified as isolated wetlands. We ...

  3. Gulf Coast Deep Water Port Facilities study. Appendix B. North Central Gulf Hydrobiological Zones.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1973-04-01

    bottom and surface salinities , but their effect is more noticeable at the surface. Because of variation in these factors along the Gulf Coast... effects of discharge on salinity have been considered above. Numerous streams empty into the Gulf of Mexico along its north central portion but the...1967) investigated various aspects of osmoregulation in blue crabs in Mississippi Sound and adjacent waters and observed that salinity and temperature

  4. Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Sud Province, north-central Africa

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Brownfield, M.E.; Klett, T.R.; Schenk, C.J.; Charpentier, R.R.; Cook, T.A.; Pollastro, R.M.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.

    2011-01-01

    The Sud Province located in north-central Africa recently was assessed for undiscovered, technically recoverable oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids resources as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) World Oil and Gas Assessment. Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the USGS estimated mean volumes of 7.31 billion barrels of oil, 13.42 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 353 million barrels of natural gas liquids.

  5. Serogenetic variation in four caste populations of Haryana, India.

    PubMed

    Kushwaha, K P; Chahal, S M; Bansal, I J; Chugh, O P; Sarojani

    1990-01-01

    The phenotypes and gene frequencies of 3 blood groups, 7 red-cell enzymes and a serum protein were studied in 4 caste population groups of Haryana, North India. The results indicate that the distribution of these blood markers is rather homogeneous in the 4 groups and generally resembles that observed in various populations from neighbouring North Indian states.

  6. Molecular and epidemiological analysis of pandemic and post-pandemic influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus from central India.

    PubMed

    Sahu, Mahima; Singh, Neeru; Shukla, Mohan K; Potdar, Varhsa A; Sharma, Ravendra K; Sahare, Lalit Kumar; Ukey, Mahendra J; Barde, Pradip V

    2018-03-01

    Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus pandemic struck India in 2009 and continues to cause outbreaks in its post-pandemic phase. Diminutive information is available about influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 from central India. This observational study presents epidemiological and molecular findings for the period of 6 years. Throat swab samples referred from districts of Madhya Pradesh were subjected to diagnosis of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 following WHO guidelines. Clinical and epidemiological data were recorded and analyzed. Hemagglutinin (HA) gene sequencing and phylogenetic analysis were performed. The H275Y mutation responsible for antiviral resistance was tested using allelic real-time RT-PCR. Out of 7365 tested samples, 2406 (32.7%) were positive for influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, of which 363 (15.08%) succumbed to infection. Significant trends were observed in positivity (χ 2  = 50.8; P < 0.001) and mortality (χ 2  = 24.4; P < 0.001) with increasing age. Mutations having clinical and epidemiological importance were detected. Phylogenetic analysis of HA gene sequences revealed that clade 7, 6A, and 6B viruses were in circulation. Oseltamivir resistance was detected in three fatal cases. Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses having genetic diversity were detected from central India and continues to be a concern for public health. This study highlights the need of year-round monitoring by establishment of strong molecular and clinical surveillance program. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Selected risk factors associated with pulmonary tuberculosis among Saharia tribe of Madhya Pradesh, central India.

    PubMed

    Rao, Vikas G; Gopi, P G; Bhat, Jyothi; Yadav, Rajiv; Selvakumar, N; Wares, Douglas F

    2012-04-01

    Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health problem among the Saharia, a marginalized tribal group in Madhya Pradesh state, central India. However, there is no information on the risk factors associated with the development of TB disease in this community. A cross-sectional TB prevalence survey was conducted among the Saharia residing in Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh. Information on tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption was collected from all the individuals. Persons aged ≥45 years, males, smokers and alcohol consumers had higher risks of developing TB disease. There is an urgent need to develop and implement culturally appropriate awareness raising activities to target smoking and alcohol consumption to support the efforts to control TB in this community.

  8. Comparison of Opinion Referendum of Medical and Dental Postgraduates Towards Plagiarism in Bhopal - Central India.

    PubMed

    Jain, Shubham; Saxena, Vrinda; Hongal, Sudheer; Jain, Manish; Torwane, Nilesh; Sharva, Vijayta

    2015-07-01

    To evaluate awareness and attitude towards plagiarism of postgraduates of health fraternity in Bhopal, Central India. Across-sectional survey. People's University, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India, from January to March 2014. A total of 164 postgraduates, medical (n = 80) and dental postgraduates (n = 84) were included in the study. A standard pre-tested self-administered questionnaire assessing positive, negative and subjective norms towards plagiarism was the assessing tool. Data was captured through distribution of the instrument and collected as scheduled from the study participants. The distribution of scores based on the responses to the individual questions in each dimension between the groups were compared using Mann-Whitney U-test. Among dental and medical postgraduates the median values for the questions under positive attitude was 34.0 and 32.0, negative attitude was 21.5 and 19, subjective norms was 29.0 and 27.5 respectively. The difference in the opinion regarding positive attitude was found to be statistically significant in between the groups (p < 0.05). Overall plagiarism was favored more by dental students as compared to medical students. Moreover, inadequate level of knowledge and awareness was observed in both the streams. Efforts should be undertaken to motivate health professionals to instill honest behavior in order to preserve the intellectual property right.

  9. A synoptic climatology of derecho producing mesoscale convective systems in the North-Central Plains

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bentley, Mace L.; Mote, Thomas L.; Byrd, Stephen F.

    2000-09-01

    Synoptic-scale environments favourable for producing derechos, or widespread convectively induced windstorms, in the North-Central Plains are examined with the goal of providing pattern-recognition/diagnosis techniques. Fifteen derechos were identified across the North-Central Plains region during 1986-1995. The synoptic environment at the initiation, mid-point and decay of each derecho was then evaluated using surface, upper-air and National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)/National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) reanalysis datasets.Results suggest that the synoptic environment is critical in maintaining derecho producing mesoscale convective systems (DMCSs). The synoptic environment in place downstream of the MCS initiation region determines the movement and potential strength of the system. Circulation around surface low pressure increased the instability gradient and maximized leading edge convergence in the initiation region of nearly all events regardless of DMCS location or movement. Other commonalities in the environments of these events include the presence of a weak thermal boundary, high convective instability and a layer of dry low-to-mid-tropospheric air. Of the two corridors sampled, northeastward moving derechos tend to initiate east of synoptic-scale troughs, while southeastward moving derechos form on the northeast periphery of a synoptic-scale ridge. Other differences between these two DMCS events are also discussed.

  10. Avian use of Sheyenne Lake and associated habitats in central North Dakota

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Faanes, Craig A.

    1982-01-01

    A study of avian use of various habitats was conducted in the Sheyenne Lake region of central North Dakota during April-June 1980. Population counts of birds were made in wetlands of various classes, prairie thickets, upland native prairie, shelterbelts, and cropland. About 22,000 breeding bird pairs including 92 species that nested occupied the area. Population means for most species were equal to or greater than statewide means. Red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), yellow-headed blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus), mourning dove (Zenaida macroura), and blue-winged teal (Anas discors) were the most numerous species, and made up 32.9% of the total population . Highest densities of breeding birds occurred in shelterbelts, semipermanent wetlands, and prairie thickets. Lowest densities occurred in upland native prairie and cropland. The study area was used by 49.6% of the total avifauna of the State, and 51% of the breeding avifauna of North Dakota probably nested in the study area. The diversity of birds using the area was unusual in that such a large number of species occupied a relatively small area. The close interspersion of many native habitats, several of which are unique in North Dakota, probably accounted for this diversity. Data on dates of occurrence, nesting records, and habitat use are presented for the 175 species recorded in 1980. Observations of significance by refuge staff are also provided.

  11. Foods of Buller's shearwaters (Puffinus bulleri) associated with driftnet fisheries in the central North Pacific Ocean

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gould, P.; Ostrom, P.; Walker, W.

    1998-01-01

    We examined digestive tract contents and stable nitrogen isotope ratios (??15N) in breast muscles of Buller's shearwaters (Puffinus bulleri) salvaged from squid and largemesh driftnets in the central North Pacific Ocean. The epipelagic Pacific saury (Cololabis saira) was the predominant prey, making up 71% of prey mass in digestive tracts. The remainder of the diet included small numbers of crustaceans, small fishes, and squids. The high degree of specialization in the diet seems to indicate that in the North Pacific, Buller's Shearwaters usually feed at or near the water surface and rarely pursue food under water. Although these birds have been observed feeding on scraps from fishing vessels, our data suggest that offal comprises less than 10% of the diet. Stable nitrogen isotope values provided quantified information on the timing of arrival of migrants into the North Pacific.

  12. In vitro regeneration of Drosera burmannii Vahl.: a carnivorous plant of north-east India.

    PubMed

    Yanthan, J Sureni; Kehie, Mechuselie; Kumaria, Suman; Tandon, Pramod

    2017-06-01

    An efficient in vitro regeneration protocol has been developed from shoot tips of Drosera burmannii Vahl., a carnivorous plant of north-east India. Various plant growth regulators were used to study their efficacy in the induction of multiple shoots and roots. Of the various treatments, the maximum number of shoots (28.8 ± 1.5) and roots (9.7 ± 0.6) was observed in one-fourth strength standard medium (MS with 50 mg/l citric acid and 10 mg/l ascorbic acid) supplemented with 4 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 4 mg/l α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) followed by 26.8 ± 1.4 shoots in one-fourth strength SM fortified with 4 mg/l kinetin (KN) and 4 mg/l NAA. The well-developed plantlets with shoots and roots were potted in small plastic glasses filled with a mixture of sand and farmyard manure (3:1); these plantlets when transferred to a glasshouse for hardening and acclimatization showed 90% survival.

  13. Residential grid-connected photovoltaics adoption in north central Texas: Lessons from the Solarize Plano project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jack, Katherine G.

    Residential Grid-Connected Photovoltaics (GPV) systems hold remarkable promise in their potential to reduce energy use, air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy costs to consumers, while also providing grid efficiency and demand-side management benefits to utilities. Broader adoption of customer-sited GPV also has the potential to transform the traditional model of electricity generation and delivery. Interest and activity has grown in recent years to promote GPV in north central Texas. This study employs a mixed methods design to better understand the status of residential GPV adoption in the DFW area, and those factors influencing a homeowner's decision of whether or not to install a system. Basic metrics are summarized, including installation numbers, distribution and socio-demographic information for the case study city of Plano, the DFW region, Texas, and the United States. Qualitative interview methods are used to gain an in-depth understanding of the factors influencing adoption for the Solarize Plano case study participants; to evaluate the effectiveness of the Solarize Plano program; and to identify concepts that may be regionally relevant. Recommendations are presented for additional research that may advance GPV adoption in north central Texas.

  14. Socio-cultural and service delivery dimensions of maternal mortality in rural central India: a qualitative exploration using a human rights lens

    PubMed Central

    Jat, Tej Ram; Deo, Prakash R.; Goicolea, Isabel; Hurtig, Anna-Karin; San Sebastian, Miguel

    2015-01-01

    Background Despite the avoidable nature of maternal mortality, unacceptably high numbers of maternal deaths occur in developing countries. Considering its preventability, maternal mortality is being increasingly recognised as a human rights issue. Integration of a human rights perspective in maternal health programmes could contribute positively in eliminating avertable maternal deaths. This study was conducted to explore socio-cultural and service delivery–related dimensions of maternal deaths in rural central India using a human rights lens. Design Social autopsies were conducted for 22 maternal deaths during 2011 in Khargone district in central India. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The factors associated with maternal deaths were classified by using the ‘three delays’ framework and were examined by using a human rights lens. Results All 22 women tried to access medical assistance, but various factors delayed their access to appropriate care. The underestimation of the severity of complications by family members, gender inequity, and perceptions of low-quality delivery services delayed decisions to seek care. Transportation problems and care seeking at multiple facilities delayed reaching appropriate health facilities. Negligence by health staff and unavailability of blood and emergency obstetric care services delayed receiving adequate care after reaching a health facility. Conclusions The study highlighted various socio-cultural and service delivery–related factors which are violating women's human rights and resulting in maternal deaths in rural central India. This study highlights that, despite the health system's conscious effort to improve maternal health, normative elements of a human rights approach to maternal health (i.e. availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality of maternal health services) were not upheld. The data and analysis suggest that the deceased women and their relatives were unable to claim their

  15. Socio-cultural and service delivery dimensions of maternal mortality in rural central India: a qualitative exploration using a human rights lens.

    PubMed

    Jat, Tej Ram; Deo, Prakash R; Goicolea, Isabel; Hurtig, Anna-Karin; San Sebastian, Miguel

    2015-01-01

    Despite the avoidable nature of maternal mortality, unacceptably high numbers of maternal deaths occur in developing countries. Considering its preventability, maternal mortality is being increasingly recognised as a human rights issue. Integration of a human rights perspective in maternal health programmes could contribute positively in eliminating avertable maternal deaths. This study was conducted to explore socio-cultural and service delivery-related dimensions of maternal deaths in rural central India using a human rights lens. Social autopsies were conducted for 22 maternal deaths during 2011 in Khargone district in central India. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The factors associated with maternal deaths were classified by using the 'three delays' framework and were examined by using a human rights lens. All 22 women tried to access medical assistance, but various factors delayed their access to appropriate care. The underestimation of the severity of complications by family members, gender inequity, and perceptions of low-quality delivery services delayed decisions to seek care. Transportation problems and care seeking at multiple facilities delayed reaching appropriate health facilities. Negligence by health staff and unavailability of blood and emergency obstetric care services delayed receiving adequate care after reaching a health facility. The study highlighted various socio-cultural and service delivery-related factors which are violating women's human rights and resulting in maternal deaths in rural central India. This study highlights that, despite the health system's conscious effort to improve maternal health, normative elements of a human rights approach to maternal health (i.e. availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality of maternal health services) were not upheld. The data and analysis suggest that the deceased women and their relatives were unable to claim their entitlements and that the duty bearers were not

  16. Host-seeking height preferences of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in North-central Florida suburban and sylvatic locales

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The response of Aedes albopictus to the BG-Sentinel™, Omni-directional-Fay-Prince and Mosquito Magnet-X traps was evaluated in four suburban and four sylvatic habitats in North-Central Florida to ascertain potential height preference of this species. These traps, which are primarily designed to att...

  17. Expansion of Economic Base Analysis: Labor Availability in North-Central New Mexico. Research Report No. 264.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carruthers, Garrey E.; And Others

    Estimates of the number of persons willing to commute, at alternative wage rates, to job opportunities in north-central New Mexico have been based on results of basic research in the region and 1970 census data. Expressed willingness to commute and socio-economic characteristics data were accumulated from a regional survey of 643 households. The…

  18. Diseases of intensively cultured hybrid poplars: a summary of recent research in the north central region

    Treesearch

    M. E. Ostry; H. S. McNabb

    1983-01-01

    Several potentially damaging diseases of hybrid poplars hue been identified in the north-central United States. Among the most serious are leaf and stem diseases caused by Melampsora, Marssonina, and Septoria. Short-term chemical controls are of limited usefulness. The most practical control strategy appears to be the use of resistant clones obtained through local...

  19. Life History Of The Yazoo Darter (Percidae: Etheostoma Raneyi), A Species Endemic To North-Central Mississippi

    Treesearch

    Carol E. Johnston; Wendell R. Haag

    1996-01-01

    The Yazoo darter, Etheostoma raneyi, is restricted to tributaries of the Little Tallahatchie and Yocona Rivers (Yazoo River drainage) in north-central Mississippi. The species inhabits small, clear streams, many of which are spring-fed, and have a variety of substrate types including silt, clay, sand and gravel. In Morris Creek, a second-order stream...

  20. North Central Texas Council of Governments peer exchange on bicycle and pedestrian count programs : a TPCB peer exchange

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2013-05-29

    This report highlights key recommendations and best practices identified at the peer exchange on bicycle and pedestrian count programs, held on May 29 and May 30, 2013 in Arlington, Texas. The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) reque...

  1. Complex routes into HIV care for migrant workers: a qualitative study from north India

    PubMed Central

    Rai, Tanvi; Lambert, Helen S.; Ward, Helen

    2015-01-01

    ABSTRACT Migrant workers are designated a bridge population in the spread of HIV and therefore if infected, should be diagnosed and treated early. This study examined pathways to HIV diagnosis and access to care for rural-to-urban circular migrant workers and partners of migrants in northern India, identifying structural, social and individual level factors that shaped their journeys into care. We conducted a qualitative study using in-depth interviews with HIV-positive men (n = 20) and women (n = 13) with a history of circular migration, recruited from an antiretroviral therapy centre in one district of Uttar Pradesh, north India. Migrants and partners of migrants faced a complex series of obstacles to accessing HIV testing and care. Employment insecurity, lack of entitlement to sick pay or subsidised healthcare at destination and the household's economic reliance on their migration-based livelihood led many men to continue working until they became incapacitated by HIV-related morbidity. During periods of deteriorating health they often exhausted their savings on private treatments focused on symptom management, and sought HIV testing and treatment at a public hospital only following a medical or financial emergency. Wives of migrants had generally been diagnosed following their husbands' diagnosis or death, with access to testing and treatment mediated via family members. For some, a delay in disclosure of husband's HIV status led to delays in their own testing. Diagnosing and treating HIV infection early is important in slowing down the spread of the epidemic and targeting those at greatest risk should be a priority. However, despite targeted campaigns, circumstances associated with migration may prevent migrant workers and their partners from accessing testing and treatment until they become sick. The insecurity of migrant work, the dominance of private healthcare and gender differences in health-seeking behaviour delay early diagnosis and treatment

  2. Complex routes into HIV care for migrant workers: a qualitative study from north India.

    PubMed

    Rai, Tanvi; Lambert, Helen S; Ward, Helen

    2015-01-01

    Migrant workers are designated a bridge population in the spread of HIV and therefore if infected, should be diagnosed and treated early. This study examined pathways to HIV diagnosis and access to care for rural-to-urban circular migrant workers and partners of migrants in northern India, identifying structural, social and individual level factors that shaped their journeys into care. We conducted a qualitative study using in-depth interviews with HIV-positive men (n = 20) and women (n = 13) with a history of circular migration, recruited from an antiretroviral therapy centre in one district of Uttar Pradesh, north India. Migrants and partners of migrants faced a complex series of obstacles to accessing HIV testing and care. Employment insecurity, lack of entitlement to sick pay or subsidised healthcare at destination and the household's economic reliance on their migration-based livelihood led many men to continue working until they became incapacitated by HIV-related morbidity. During periods of deteriorating health they often exhausted their savings on private treatments focused on symptom management, and sought HIV testing and treatment at a public hospital only following a medical or financial emergency. Wives of migrants had generally been diagnosed following their husbands' diagnosis or death, with access to testing and treatment mediated via family members. For some, a delay in disclosure of husband's HIV status led to delays in their own testing. Diagnosing and treating HIV infection early is important in slowing down the spread of the epidemic and targeting those at greatest risk should be a priority. However, despite targeted campaigns, circumstances associated with migration may prevent migrant workers and their partners from accessing testing and treatment until they become sick. The insecurity of migrant work, the dominance of private healthcare and gender differences in health-seeking behaviour delay early diagnosis and treatment initiation.

  3. Medical barriers to emergency contraception: a cross-sectional survey of doctors in North India.

    PubMed

    Khan, M E; Dixit, Anvita; Bhatnagar, Isha; Brady, Martha

    2014-05-01

    Some medical doctors in India have publicly expressed opposition to making emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) easily accessible, even though ECPs are included in the method mix of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare program and as an over-the-counter (OTC) product. Such opposition affects access to ECPs by influencing policy, procurement, and distribution, besides stigmatizing the ECP user. This study was conducted to assess ECP knowledge, attitudes, and practices of doctors in North India. A cross-sectional survey of 83 doctors who provide ECPs, randomly selected from 3 cities in the state of Uttar Pradesh, was conducted in 2011. The quantitative data were complemented by 19 in-depth interviews with purposively selected senior gynecologists and other opinion leaders. All surveyed physicians cited the correct dose and regimen for ECPs. However, the large majority of those surveyed believed that ECPs work by preventing implantation. (The best evidence currently indicates that ECPs do not work by preventing implantation.) Most doctors also believed incorrectly that ECPs have several contraindications and side effects. They also had strong reservations against OTC provision of ECPs by pharmacists and community health workers (CHWs) and negative attitudes toward ECP users, which serve as serious medical barriers to mainstreaming use of ECPs. Physicians and their professional associations exert a strong influence on the operationalization of national contraceptive policies. Evidence-based advocacy and educational campaigns targeting doctors are needed to address and resolve their reservations about ECPs, particularly about its provision as an OTC product and its distribution by CHWs. Partnerships with medical associations can help reduce doctors' negative attitudes and create a conducive environment for influencing clinical practices. Such changes are needed to increase the availability and use of ECPs as part of a package of a full range of contraceptive method

  4. Health care inequities in north India: role of public sector in universalizing health care.

    PubMed

    Prinja, Shankar; Kanavos, Panos; Kumar, Rajesh

    2012-09-01

    Income inequality is associated with poor health. Inequities exist in service utilization and financing for health care. Health care costs push high number of households into poverty in India. We undertook this study to ascertain inequities in health status, service utilization and out-of-pocket (OOP) health expenditures in two States in north India namely, Haryana and Punjab, and Union Territory of Chandigarh. Data from National Sample Survey 60 th Round on Morbidity and Health Care were analyzed by mean consumption expenditure quintiles. Indicators were devised to document inequities in the dimensions of horizontal and vertical inequity; and redistribution of public subsidy. Concentration index (CI), and equity ratio in conjunction with concentration curve were computed to measure inequity. Reporting of morbidity and hospitalization rate had a pro-rich distribution in all three States indicating poor utilization of health services by low income households. Nearly 57 and 60 per cent households from poorest income quintile in Haryana and Punjab, respectively faced catastrophic OOP hospitalization expenditure at 10 per cent threshold. Lower prevalence of catastrophic expenditure was recorded in higher income groups. Public sector also incurred high costs for hospitalization in selected three States. Medicines constituted 19 to 47 per cent of hospitalization expenditure and 59 to 86 per cent OPD expenditure borne OOP by households in public sector. Public sector hospitalizations had a pro-poor distribution in Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh. Our analysis indicates that public sector health service utilization needs to be improved. OOP health care expenditures at public sector institutions should to be curtailed to improve utilization of poorer segments of population. Greater availability of medicines in public sector and regulation of their prices provide a unique opportunity to reduce public sector OOP expenditure.

  5. Health care inequities in north India: Role of public sector in universalizing health care

    PubMed Central

    Prinja, Shankar; Kanavos, Panos; Kumar, Rajesh

    2012-01-01

    Background & objectives: Income inequality is associated with poor health. Inequities exist in service utilization and financing for health care. Health care costs push high number of households into poverty in India. We undertook this study to ascertain inequities in health status, service utilization and out-of-pocket (OOP) health expenditures in two States in north India namely, Haryana and Punjab, and Union Territory of Chandigarh. Methods: Data from National Sample Survey 60th Round on Morbidity and Health Care were analyzed by mean consumption expenditure quintiles. Indicators were devised to document inequities in the dimensions of horizontal and vertical inequity; and redistribution of public subsidy. Concentration index (CI), and equity ratio in conjunction with concentration curve were computed to measure inequity. Results: Reporting of morbidity and hospitalization rate had a pro-rich distribution in all three States indicating poor utilization of health services by low income households. Nearly 57 and 60 per cent households from poorest income quintile in Haryana and Punjab, respectively faced catastrophic OOP hospitalization expenditure at 10 per cent threshold. Lower prevalence of catastrophic expenditure was recorded in higher income groups. Public sector also incurred high costs for hospitalization in selected three States. Medicines constituted 19 to 47 per cent of hospitalization expenditure and 59 to 86 per cent OPD expenditure borne OOP by households in public sector. Public sector hospitalizations had a pro-poor distribution in Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh. Interpretation & conclusions: Our analysis indicates that public sector health service utilization needs to be improved. OOP health care expenditures at public sector institutions should to be curtailed to improve utilization of poorer segments of population. Greater availability of medicines in public sector and regulation of their prices provide a unique opportunity to reduce public

  6. Educational Research in North-East India: A Source Material.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Malhotra, Nirmal; Mittal, Pratibha

    The Northeast region of India has a distinct geophysical structure and concomitant socio-economic development. New educational development initiatives for Northeastern states include bridging gaps in basic minimum services, enhancing teachers training facilities, and preparing state specific holistic plans. This annotated bibliography represents…

  7. Computer and photogrammetric general land use study of central north Alabama

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jayroe, R. R.; Larsen, P. A.; Campbell, C. W.

    1974-01-01

    The object of this report is to acquaint potential users with two computer programs, developed at NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center. They were used in producing a land use survey and maps of central north Alabama from Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS) digital data. The report describes in detail the thought processes and analysis procedures used from the initiation of the land use study to its completion, as well as a photogrammetric study that was used in conjunction with the computer analysis to produce similar land use maps. The results of the land use demonstration indicate that, with respect to computer time and cost, such a study may be economically and realistically feasible on a statewide basis.

  8. Ecology driving genetic variation: a comparative phylogeography of jungle cat (Felis chaus) and leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) in India.

    PubMed

    Mukherjee, Shomita; Krishnan, Anand; Tamma, Krishnapriya; Home, Chandrima; Navya, R; Joseph, Sonia; Das, Arundhati; Ramakrishnan, Uma

    2010-10-29

    Comparative phylogeography links historical population processes to current/ecological processes through congruent/incongruent patterns of genetic variation among species/lineages. Despite high biodiversity, India lacks a phylogeographic paradigm due to limited comparative studies. We compared the phylogenetic patterns of Indian populations of jungle cat (Felis chaus) and leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis). Given similarities in their distribution within India, evolutionary histories, body size and habits, congruent patterns of genetic variation were expected. We collected scats from various biogeographic zones in India and analyzed mtDNA from 55 jungle cats (460 bp NADH5, 141 bp cytochrome b) and 40 leopard cats (362 bp NADH5, 202 bp cytochrome b). Jungle cats revealed high genetic variation, relatively low population structure and demographic expansion around the mid-Pleistocene. In contrast, leopard cats revealed lower genetic variation and high population structure with a F(ST) of 0.86 between North and South Indian populations. Niche-model analyses using two approaches (BIOCLIM and MaxEnt) support absence of leopard cats from Central India, indicating a climate associated barrier. We hypothesize that high summer temperatures limit leopard cat distribution and that a rise in temperature in the peninsular region of India during the LGM caused the split in leopard cat population in India. Our results indicate that ecological variables describing a species range can predict genetic patterns. Our study has also resolved the confusion over the distribution of the leopard cat in India. The reciprocally monophyletic island population in the South mandates conservation attention.

  9. Ecology Driving Genetic Variation: A Comparative Phylogeography of Jungle Cat (Felis chaus) and Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) in India

    PubMed Central

    Mukherjee, Shomita; Krishnan, Anand; Tamma, Krishnapriya; Home, Chandrima; R, Navya; Joseph, Sonia; Das, Arundhati; Ramakrishnan, Uma

    2010-01-01

    Background Comparative phylogeography links historical population processes to current/ecological processes through congruent/incongruent patterns of genetic variation among species/lineages. Despite high biodiversity, India lacks a phylogeographic paradigm due to limited comparative studies. We compared the phylogenetic patterns of Indian populations of jungle cat (Felis chaus) and leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis). Given similarities in their distribution within India, evolutionary histories, body size and habits, congruent patterns of genetic variation were expected. Methodology/Principal Findings We collected scats from various biogeographic zones in India and analyzed mtDNA from 55 jungle cats (460 bp NADH5, 141 bp cytochrome b) and 40 leopard cats (362 bp NADH5, 202 bp cytochrome b). Jungle cats revealed high genetic variation, relatively low population structure and demographic expansion around the mid-Pleistocene. In contrast, leopard cats revealed lower genetic variation and high population structure with a F ST of 0.86 between North and South Indian populations. Niche-model analyses using two approaches (BIOCLIM and MaxEnt) support absence of leopard cats from Central India, indicating a climate associated barrier. We hypothesize that high summer temperatures limit leopard cat distribution and that a rise in temperature in the peninsular region of India during the LGM caused the split in leopard cat population in India. Conclusions/Significance Our results indicate that ecological variables describing a species range can predict genetic patterns. Our study has also resolved the confusion over the distribution of the leopard cat in India. The reciprocally monophyletic island population in the South mandates conservation attention. PMID:21060831

  10. The End of Tethys: Opening and Closing of Oceans between Australia, India and SE Asia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hall, R.

    2008-12-01

    SE Asia has grown by closure of Tethyan oceans south of Asia, principally by addition of fragments rifted from the Gondwana margins, resulting in a mosaic of continental crust and arc/ophiolite sutures. A new reconstruction identifies the blocks rifted from West and NW Australia in the Late Jurassic. They are now in Borneo, Java and Sulawesi, not West Burma as often assumed. Rifting in the Banda and Argo regions began at about 160 Ma, possibly due to south-directed subduction at the north Gondwana margin. Greater India is proposed to have extended north to the northern edge of the Exmouth Plateau and began to separate from Australia at about 140 Ma. The Banda and Argo blocks collided with the SE Asian margin between 110 and 90 Ma. At 90 Ma the Woyla intra-oceanic arc also collided with the Sumatra margin. This terminated subduction beneath Sundaland. The Indian and Australian plates were separated by a leaky transform from about 90 to 75 Ma which became a slightly convergent transform from about 75 to 55 Ma. This transform boundary is considered the eastern end of Tethys from the mid Cretaceous. There was a completely different history of subduction north of India compared to that north of Australia. The subduction history is recorded in the deep mantle by distinctive velocity anomalies which change from east to west abruptly at about 110°E. Between 90 and 45 Ma, India moved rapidly north with north-directed subduction within Tethys and at the Asian margin. It collided with an intra-oceanic arc at about 57 Ma, west of Sumatra, but continued to move north. The first contact of India with Asia was probably about 45 Ma, an estimate dependent on the shape of Greater India and the Asian margin; final ocean closure was later. North of Australia, between 90 and 45 Ma, there was no subduction beneath Sumatra and Java. During this interval south Sundaland was a mainly passive margin with some strike-slip deformation and extension. At 45 Ma Australia began to move north and

  11. Impacts of Aerosol-Monsoon Interaction on Rainfall and Circulation over Northern India and the Himalaya Foothills

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lau, William K. M.; Kim, Kyu-Myong; Shi, Jainn-Jong; Matsui, T.; Chin, M.; Tan, Qian; Peters-Lidard, C.; Tao, W. K.

    2016-01-01

    The boreal summer of 2008 was unusual for the Indian monsoon, featuring exceptional heavy loading of dust aerosols over the Arabian Sea and northern-central India, near normal all- India rainfall, but excessive heavy rain, causing disastrous flooding in the Northern Indian Himalaya Foothills (NIHF) regions, accompanied by persistent drought conditions in central and southern India. Using NASA Unified-physics Weather Research Forecast (NUWRF) model with fully interactive aerosol physics and dynamics, we carried out three sets of 7-day ensemble model forecast experiments: 1) control with no aerosol, 2) aerosol radiative effect only and 3) aerosol radiative and aerosol-cloud-microphysics effects, to study the impacts of aerosol monsoon interactions on monsoon variability over the NIHF during the summer of 2008. Results show that aerosol-radiation interaction (ARI), i.e., dust aerosol transport, and dynamical feedback processes induced by aerosol-radiative heating, plays a key role in altering the large scale monsoon circulation system, reflected by an increased north-south tropospheric temperature gradient, a northward shift of heavy monsoon rainfall, advancing the monsoon onset by 1-5 days over the HF, consistent with the EHP hypothesis (Lau et al. 2006). Additionally, we found that dust aerosols, via the semi-direct effect, increase atmospheric stability, and cause the dissipation of a developing monsoon onset cyclone over northeastern India northern Bay of Bengal. Eventually, in a matter of several days, ARI transforms the developing monsoon cyclone into mesoscale convective cells along the HF slopes. Aerosol-Cloud-microphysics Interaction (ACI) further enhances the ARI effect in invigorating the deep convection cells and speeding up the transformation processes. Results indicate that even in short-term (up to weekly) numerical forecasting of monsoon circulation and rainfall, effects of aerosol-monsoon interaction can be substantial and cannot be ignored.

  12. Impacts of aerosol-monsoon interaction on rainfall and circulation over Northern India and the Himalaya Foothills

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lau, William K. M.; Kim, Kyu-Myong; Shi, Jainn-Jong; Matsui, T.; Chin, M.; Tan, Qian; Peters-Lidard, C.; Tao, W. K.

    2017-09-01

    The boreal summer of 2008 was unusual for the Indian monsoon, featuring exceptional heavy loading of dust aerosols over the Arabian Sea and northern-central India, near normal all-India rainfall, but excessive heavy rain, causing disastrous flooding in the Northern Indian Himalaya Foothills (NIHF) regions, accompanied by persistent drought conditions in central and southern India. Using the NASA Unified-physics Weather Research Forecast (NUWRF) model with fully interactive aerosol physics and dynamics, we carried out three sets of 7-day ensemble model forecast experiments: (1) control with no aerosol, (2) aerosol radiative effect only and (3) aerosol radiative and aerosol-cloud-microphysics effects, to study the impacts of aerosol-monsoon interactions on monsoon variability over the NIHF during the summer of 2008. Results show that aerosol-radiation interaction (ARI), i.e., dust aerosol transport, and dynamical feedback processes induced by aerosol-radiative heating, plays a key role in altering the large-scale monsoon circulation system, reflected by an increased north-south tropospheric temperature gradient, a northward shift of heavy monsoon rainfall, advancing the monsoon onset by 1-5 days over the HF, consistent with the EHP hypothesis (Lau et al. in Clim Dyn 26(7-8):855-864, 2006). Additionally, we found that dust aerosols, via the semi-direct effect, increase atmospheric stability, and cause the dissipation of a developing monsoon onset cyclone over northeastern India/northern Bay of Bengal. Eventually, in a matter of several days, ARI transforms the developing monsoon cyclone into meso-scale convective cells along the HF slopes. Aerosol-Cloud-microphysics Interaction (ACI) further enhances the ARI effect in invigorating the deep convection cells and speeding up the transformation processes. Results indicate that even in short-term (up to weekly) numerical forecasting of monsoon circulation and rainfall, effects of aerosol-monsoon interaction can be

  13. The youngest silicic eruptions from the Valles Caldera and volcanic hazard potential in north-central New Mexico

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    WoldeGabriel, Giday; Kelley, Richard E.; Miller, Elizabeth D.

    Here, sporadic mafic and felsic eruptions, representing at least five major and several smaller pulses of effusive and explosive volcanic products that range in age from 25.5 Ma to 68.3 ka, crop out within the Jemez volcanic field and the surrounding areas in north central New Mexico.

  14. Impact of Sustainable Agriculture on Secondary School Agricultural Education Teachers and Programs in the North Central Region.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Agbaje, Kehinde Aderemi Ajaiyeoba; Martin, Robert A.; Williams, David L.

    2001-01-01

    Responses from 298 of 600 secondary agriculture teachers in north central United States revealed limited impact of sustainable agriculture. Most teachers had neutral perceptions; a moderate number taught it, but not from a systems perspective. However, related agronomy topics were taught, providing a possible foundation for future inclusion of…

  15. The youngest silicic eruptions from the Valles Caldera and volcanic hazard potential in north-central New Mexico

    DOE PAGES

    WoldeGabriel, Giday; Kelley, Richard E.; Miller, Elizabeth D.; ...

    2016-05-01

    Here, sporadic mafic and felsic eruptions, representing at least five major and several smaller pulses of effusive and explosive volcanic products that range in age from 25.5 Ma to 68.3 ka, crop out within the Jemez volcanic field and the surrounding areas in north central New Mexico.

  16. Genetic and morphological divergence among Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) populations breeding in north-central and western North America

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sonsthagen, Sarah A.; Rosenfield, Robert N.; Bielefeldt, John; Murphy, Robert K.; Stewart, Andrew C.; Stout, William C.; Driscoll, Timothy G.; Bozek, Michael A.; Sloss, Brian L.; Talbot, Sandra L.

    2012-01-01

    Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) populations breeding in the northern portion of the species' range exhibit variation in morphological traits that conforms to predictions based on differences in prey size, tree stand density, and migratory behavior. We examined genetic structure and gene flow and compared divergence at morphological traits (PST) and genetic markers (FST) to elucidate mechanisms (selection or genetic drift) that promote morphological diversification among Cooper's Hawk populations. Cooper's Hawks appear to conform to the genetic pattern of an east-west divide. Populations in British Columbia are genetically differentiated from north-central populations (Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota; pairwise microsatellite FST= 0.031-0.050; mitochondrial DNA ΦST = 0.177-0.204), which suggests that Cooper's Hawks were restricted to at least two Pleistocene glacial refugia. The strength of the Rocky Mountains—Great Plains area as a barrier to dispersal is further supported by restricted gene-flow rates between British Columbia and other sampled breeding populations. Divergence in morphological traits (PST) was also observed across study areas, but with British Columbia and North Dakota differentiated from Wisconsin and Minnesota, a pattern not predicted on the basis of FST and ΦST interpopulation estimates. Comparison of PSTand FSTestimates suggests that heterogeneous selection may be acting on Cooper's Hawks in the northern portion of their distribution, which is consistent with hypotheses that variation in prey mass and migratory behavior among populations may be influencing overall body size and wing chord. We were unable to distinguish between the effects of genetic drift and selection on tail length in the study populations.

  17. Drinking habits in ancient India

    PubMed Central

    Somasundaram, Ottilingam; Raghavan, D. Vijaya; Murthy, A. G. Tejus

    2016-01-01

    Consumption of one or other form of intoxicating substances has been present throughout the history of the world. This article traces such use in the Indian subcontinent, both in North and South India. References to the use of intoxicants are to be found in the Vedas, the Great Epics, and the ancient Tamil literature. PMID:26985113

  18. HIV-malaria interactions in North-East India: A prospective cohort study

    PubMed Central

    Mohapatra, Pradhyumn K.; Pachuau, Elsa; Kumar, Chandra; Borkakoty, Biswajit; Zomawia, Eric; Singh, Achouba; Walia, Kamini; Arora, Rashmi; Mahanta, Jagdish; Subbarao, Sarala K.

    2017-01-01

    Background & objectives: The interactions between HIV and malaria co-infection have been shown to influence each other in their clinical outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study was carried out in the two States of north east India endemic for both HIV and malaria infections, to study the interactions between the two diseases in the HIV-infected population. Methods: In this prospective study, a total of 333 HIV-infected individuals were followed up for a period of 6-18 months in Mizoram and Manipur during 2010-2011. The study assessed the changes in viral load and also the therapeutic efficacy of artesunate plus sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (AS+SP) combination therapy in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected individuals with Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Results: Viral load in HIV-infected malaria patients on day zero (D0) ranged from 1110 to 147,000 copies/ml. The log transformation of the geometric means of HIV viral loads revealed no significant difference on different days of follow up. There was 100 per cent adequate clinical and parasitological response (ACPR) after treating with artemisinin based combination therapy (ACT) both in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected P. falciparum-positive individuals. Similarly, chloroquine showed 100 per cent ACPR in P. vivax HIV-infected individuals. Interpretation & conclusion: The study showed no significant increase in HIV viral load in malaria cases. All HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected P. falciparum malaria-positive cases responded to the treatment with 100 per cent ACPR. PMID:28749403

  19. Online Bullying among High-School Students in India

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bhat, Christine Suniti; Ragan, Moira A.; Selvaraj, Priscilla R.; Shultz, Benjamin J.

    2017-01-01

    Six hundred and forty high-school students (Grades 7-12) from a large central government school in South India participated in this exploratory study of online bullying (cyberbullying) in India. Participants responded to the Survey on Social Use of Information and Communications Technology (SSUICT; Bhat and Ragan 2013). Findings indicated that…

  20. A Clinicomycological Study of Cutaneous Mycoses in Sawai Man Singh Hospital of Jaipur, North India

    PubMed Central

    Vyas, Aruna; Pathan, Nazneen; Sharma, Rajni; Vyas, Leela

    2013-01-01

    Background: Because of the widespread prevalence of the various cutaneous mycoses in a tropical country like India, it is important to know their patterns of etiology and clinical presentations. Aim: The present study was conducted in order to identify the clinical pattern of various cutaneous mycoses and the common etiological agents affecting the study populations admitted in SMS Hospital, Jaipur, in North India. Materials and Methods: Skin scrapings and hair and nail samples of 160 patients with clinical suspicion of dermatophytosis were collected and subjected to direct microscopy and were cultured in Sabouraud's dextrose agar. Fungal species were identified by macroscopic and microscopic examination. Data were presented as simple descriptive statistics (SPSS, Version 17.0 (Chicago Il, USA). Epi Info Version 3.5.1 (CDC, Atlanta, Georgia, USA). Results: Among the 160 clinically suspected patients of cutaneous mycoses, 60 (37.5%) were confirmed by culture. Dermatophytes and non-dermatophytes (NDM) were isolated from 66.6% (40/60) and 33.3% (20/60) of the positive cultures, respectively. Tinea capitis (50%) 30/60 was the most frequent clinical pattern and genus Trichophyton violaceum 32.5% (13/40) was the most common isolate in dermatophytosis-positive samples. Among the patients positive for NDM by culture, Tinea unguium 35% (7/20) was the most common clinical presentation and Aspergillus species 40% (8/20) were the most common etiological agents isolated. Conclusion: Although dermatophtes have been isolated from the cases of cutaneous mycoses all over the world with various frequencies, the role of NDM in the different cutaneous infections other than those of nail infections need to be evaluated. PMID:24380015

  1. Male involvement in reproductive health among scheduled tribe: experience from Khairwars of central India.

    PubMed

    Saha, Kalyan B; Singh, Neeru; Chatterjee Saha, Uma; Roy, Jyotirmoy

    2007-01-01

    Indian tribal men's lack of participation in reproductive health not only damages their own health, but also contributes to the reproductive ill health of their female partners and children. In India the involvement of men in such matters is a new concept. There is a paucity of data particularly on Scheduled tribesmen's knowledge and the extent of their participation in reproductive health. This inhibits planning. The present study aims to understand the involvement of Scheduled tribesmen in reproductive health and the barriers to their involvement by generating a database from the Khairwar tribe of Central India. A door-to-door survey on knowledge, attitude and practice relating to aspects of reproductive health was conducted by canvassing a pre-designed interview schedule among 15-40 year old, currently married Khairwar males in the Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh, India. As far as reproductive morbidity is concerned, only 17% of the respondents had heard of HIV/AIDS, and most had no proper knowledge of its transmission. Although 74% of the respondents had heard about reproductive tract infections, the majority of them were unaware of the mechanism of transmission and seriousness of the problem. The duel role of condoms, both as a method of family planning and a protective measure against sexually transmitted infections, was also unknown to them. Approximately 59% of the males were aware of family planning but only 13% were using any method (mostly female sterilization) at the time of survey. Their view on the ideal number of children (3.56) exceeded the actual number of children born and living. High infant and child mortality influenced their preference for higher fertility. Very few among them (29%) had knowledge of antenatal care. They expressed faulty knowledge, myths and unhelpful attitudes towards sexual health matters. The study revealed the male Scheduled tribe population's lack of knowledge and misinformation regarding male sexual health issues, the

  2. East Meets West: An Earthquake in India Helps Hazard Assessment in the Central United States

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    ,

    2002-01-01

    Although geographically distant, the State of Gujarat in India bears many geological similarities to the Mississippi Valley in the Central United States. The Mississippi Valley contains the New Madrid seismic zone that, during the winter of 1811-1812, produced the three largest historical earthquakes ever in the continental United States and remains the most seismically active region east of the Rocky Mountains. Large damaging earthquakes are rare in ‘intraplate’ settings like New Madrid and Gujarat, far from the boundaries of the world’s great tectonic plates. Long-lasting evidence left by these earthquakes is subtle (fig. 1). Thus, each intraplate earthquake provides unique opportunities to make huge advances in our ability to assess and understand the hazards posed by such events.

  3. Molecular characterization of hepatitis A virus strains in a tertiary care health set up in north western India

    PubMed Central

    Singh, Mini Pritam; Majumdar, Manasi; Thapa, Babu Ram; Gupta, Puneet Kumar; Khurana, Jasmine; Budhathoki, Bimal; Ratho, Radha Kanta

    2015-01-01

    Background & objectives: Hepatitis A virus usually causes acute viral hepatitis (AVH) in the paediatric age group with a recent shift in age distribution and disease manifestations like acute liver failure (ALF). This has been attributed to mutations in 5’non-translated region (5’NTR) which affects the viral multiplication. The present study was aimed to carry out the molecular detection and phylogenetic analysis of hepatitis A virus strains circulating in north western India. Methods: Serum samples from in patients and those attending out patient department of Pediatric Gastroenterology in a tertiary care hospital in north India during 2007-2011 with clinically suspected AVH were tested for anti-hepatitis A virus (HAV) IgM antibodies. Acute phase serum samples were subjected to nested PCR targeting the 5’NTR region followed by sequencing of the representative strains. Results: A total of 1334 samples were tested, 290 (21.7%) were positive for anti-HAV IgM antibody. Of these, 78 serum samples (< 7 days old) were subjected to PCR and 47.4% (37/78) samples showed the presence of HAV RNA. Children < 15 yr of age accounted for majority (94%) of cases with highest seropositivity during rainy season. Sequencing of 15 representative strains was carried out and the circulating genotype was found to be III A. The nucleotide sequences showed high homology among the strains with a variation ranging from 0.1-1 per cent over the years. An important substitution of G to A at 324 position was shown by both AVH and ALF strains. The cumulative substitution in AVH strains Vs ALF strains as compared to GBM, Indian and prototype strain in the 200-500 region of 5’ NTR was comparable. Interpretation & conclusion: Our results showed hepatitis A still a disease of children with III A as a circulating genotype in this region. The mutations at 5’NTR region warrant further analysis as these affect the structure of internal ribosomal entry site which is important for viral

  4. Molecular characterization of hepatitis A virus strains in a tertiary care health set up in north western India.

    PubMed

    Singh, Mini Pritam; Majumdar, Manasi; Thapa, Babu Ram; Gupta, Puneet Kumar; Khurana, Jasmine; Budhathoki, Bimal; Ratho, Radha Kanta

    2015-02-01

    Hepatitis A virus usually causes acute viral hepatitis (AVH) in the paediatric age group with a recent shift in age distribution and disease manifestations like acute liver failure (ALF). This has been attributed to mutations in 5'non-translated region (5'NTR) which affects the viral multiplication. The present study was aimed to carry out the molecular detection and phylogenetic analysis of hepatitis A virus strains circulating in north western India. Serum samples from in patients and those attending out patient department of Pediatric Gastroenterology in a tertiary care hospital in north India during 2007-2011 with clinically suspected AVH were tested for anti-hepatitis A virus (HAV) IgM antibodies. Acute phase serum samples were subjected to nested PCR targeting the 5'NTR region followed by sequencing of the representative strains. A total of 1334 samples were tested, 290 (21.7%) were positive for anti-HAV IgM antibody. Of these, 78 serum samples (< 7 days old) were subjected to PCR and 47.4% (37/78) samples showed the presence of HAV RNA. Children < 15 yr of age accounted for majority (94%) of cases with highest seropositivity during rainy season. Sequencing of 15 representative strains was carried out and the circulating genotype was found to be III A. The nucleotide sequences showed high homology among the strains with a variation ranging from 0.1-1 per cent over the years. An important substitution of G to A at 324 position was shown by both AVH and ALF strains. The cumulative substitution in AVH strains Vs ALF strains as compared to GBM, Indian and prototype strain in the 200-500 region of 5' NTR was comparable. Our results showed hepatitis A still a disease of children with III A as a circulating genotype in this region. The mutations at 5'NTR region warrant further analysis as these affect the structure of internal ribosomal entry site which is important for viral replication.

  5. Temporal fluctuations and frontal area change of Bangni and Dunagiri glaciers from 1962 to 2013, Dhauliganga Basin, central Himalaya, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, Vinit; Mehta, Manish; Mishra, Ajai; Trivedi, Anjali

    2017-05-01

    Glaciers have been receding for the last 100 years in many glaciated regions of the world, and the rate of recession has accelerated during the last 60 years. Recent assessments of changes in glaciers in the Himalaya have usually recognized their variable rate of recession. The present study deals with snout retreat, frontal area vacation, and estimation of the equilibrium line altitude (ELA) of Bangni and Dunagiri glaciers, in the Dhauliganga Basin, central Himalaya (India), using multi-image satellite data (Landsat MSS, 1976; Landsat TM, 1990; Landsat ETM +, 2005) and Survey of India topographic maps (1962; 1:50,000) along with field surveys (2012 to 2014) for the period of 1962-2013. The meteorological data of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and TRMM suggested that the central Himalaya received less precipitation between 1960 and 1990. Because of the less precipitation, glaciers receded rapidly during this period. The present study shows that Bangni and Dunagiri glaciers retreated 2080 ± 162 m and 484 ± 38 m with average rates of 41 ± 3.2 m a- 1 and 9 ± 0.6 m a- 1 between 1962 and 2013, respectively. During this period Bangni and Dunagiri glaciers lost about 17% and 11% of their length, respectively. The result also suggested that Bangni Glacier vacated 598,948 ± 12,257 m2 frontal area, while Dunagiri Glacier vacated 170,428 ± 7833 m2 frontal area between 1962 and 2013. Moreover, the estimated ELA change for Bangni Glacier was 64 ± 30 m upward during the study period. The Geological Survey of India (GSI, 1998a,b) suggested that the ELA of Dunagiri Glacier rose 28 m between 1984 and 1992 and that the glacier lost (-)16 × 106 m3 w.e. ice with an average rate of loss of (-)1.04 m w.e. a- 1. The geomorphology of the Dunagiri Valley reflected that Bangni and Dunagiri glaciers were joined together in the past. Nevertheless, these two glaciers retreat at different rates, indicating that climate change is not the only factor in glacier retreat but that

  6. Social class and all-cause mortality in an urban population of North India.

    PubMed

    Singh, Ram B; Singh, Vijender; Kulshrestha, Shelendra K; Singh, Surendra; Gupta, Pankaj; Kumar, Rajeev; Krishna, Atul; Srivastav, Shiv S L; Gupta, Shashi B; Pella, Daniel; Cornelissen, Germaine

    2005-12-01

    There is a rapid emergence of cardiovascular disease in India with economic development, leading to an increase in mortality due to these diseases. The exact causes of death in India, however, are not known. We studied randomly selected death records from 2222 (1385 men and 837 women) victims, aged 25-64 years, out of 3034 death records during 1999-2001 at the Municipal Corporation, Moradabad. All the families of these victims could be contacted individually to find out the causes of death, by scientists/doctors-administered pre-tested verbal autopsy questionnaires, completed with the help of spouses and local treating doctors practising in the concerned lane. Social classes were assessed by a questionnaire based on attributes of per capita income, occupation, education, housing and ownership of consumer luxury items in the household. Causes of mortality included infectious diseases (41.1%, n = 915) such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diarrhea/dysentery, hepatitis B, and inflammatory brain infections as the commonest causes of death in the urban population of North India. The second most common causes of death were circulatory diseases (29.1%, n = 646), including heart attacks (10.0%), strokes (7.8%), valvular heart disease (7.2%, n = 160), sudden cardiac death, and inflammatory cardiac disease (each 2.0%, n = 44). Malignant neoplasm (5.8%, n = 131), injury (14.0%, n = 313), including accidents, fire and falls, and poisonings were also quite common causes of death. Miscellaneous causes of death were noted in 9.1% (n = 202) death records, including diabetes mellitus (2.2%, n = 49), suicides (1.8%, n = 41), congenital anomalies (1.0, n = 37), dental caries infections (1.9, n = 42), and burns (1.3%, n = 33). Pregnancy and perinatal causes (0.72%, n = 15) were not commonly recorded in our study. Circulatory diseases as the cause of mortality were statistically significantly more common among higher social classes (1-3) than in lower

  7. Biotic agents responsible for rapid crown decline and mortality of hickory in northeastern and north central USA

    Treesearch

    Jennifer Juzwik; Hi-Hyun Park; Mark T. Banik; Linda Haugen

    2013-01-01

    Severe decline and mortality of hickory (Carya spp.) occur periodically in the eastern United States. Recently, rapidly declining crowns followed by tree mortality were found to be the predominant symptoms based on a 2 year survey in six north central and northeastern states. Stems of actively declining bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis...

  8. A 13-WEEK COMPARISON OF PASSIVE AND CONTINUOUS OZONE MONITORS AT FORESTED SITES IN NORTH-CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA

    EPA Science Inventory

    Ogawa passive 03 samplers were used in a 13-233k study (June 1-September 1, 1999) involving 11 forested and mountaintop sites in north-central Pennsylvania. Four of the sites were collocated with TECO model 49 O3 analyzers. A significant correlation (p<0.0001) was found for 2...

  9. Mother and child nutrition among the Chakhesang tribe in the state of Nagaland, North-East India.

    PubMed

    Longvah, Thingnganing; Khutsoh, Bewe; Meshram, Indrapal Ishwarji; Krishna, Sreerama; Kodali, Venkaiah; Roy, Phrang; Kuhnlein, Harriet V

    2017-11-01

    Despite the importance of the nutritional status and food systems of Indigenous Peoples, the subject has received very little attention, especially in North-East India. Therefore, a community-based cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out among Chakhesang mothers with children under 5 years of age to evaluate their nutritional status and prevalence of chronic diseases in the context of their dietary habits. From 558 households (HHs), 661 children and 540 mothers were covered using standard anthropometric measurements as well as blood collection for haemoglobin and vitamin A. Data were collected from mothers on HH socio-demographic particulars and infant and young child feeding practices. The results showed that the prevalence of underweight, stunting, and wasting among children <5 years of age was 14%, 22%, and 7%, respectively. The prevalence of anaemia and vitamin A deficiency was 26% and 33% among children <5 years, whereas it was 33% and 26%, respectively, among mothers. Hypertension was observed in 16% of women, whereas diabetes was seen in 0.8%. Approximately 35% and 24% of HHs suffered mild or moderate food insecurity, respectively, which was associated with literacy of the parents, per capita income, and family size. Utilization of the rich agrobiodiversity and wild foods by the Chakhesangs appears to be a strong reason for their better nutritional and health status as compared to the rest of India. Therefore, this Indigenous knowledge and food system must be documented and kept vital, especially in policies and intervention programmes addressing food and nutrition security among the Chakhesangs. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. The study on achievement of motor milestones and associated factors among children in rural North India

    PubMed Central

    Gupta, Arti; Kalaivani, Mani; Gupta, Sanjeev Kumar; Rai, Sanjay K.; Nongkynrih, Baridalyne

    2016-01-01

    Background: Nearly 14% of children worldwide do not reach their developmental potential in early childhood. The early identification of delays in achieving milestones is critical. The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed normal age ranges for the achievement of motor milestones by healthy children. This study aimed to assess the gross motor developmental achievements and associated factors among children in rural India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with rural children in North India. A pretested questionnaire was used to collect the data. The median age at the time of the highest observed milestone was calculated and compared with the WHO windows of achievement. Results: Overall, 221 children aged 4–18 months were included in the study. The median age of motor development exhibited a 0.1–2.1-month delay compared to the WHO median age of motor milestone achievement. The prevalence of the gross motor milestone achievements for each of the six milestones ranged from 91.6% to 98.4%. Developmental delay was observed in 6.3% of the children. After adjusting for different variables, children with birth order of second or more were found to be significantly associated with the timely achievement of gross motor milestones. Conclusion: The apparently healthy children of the rural area of Haryana achieved gross motor milestones with some delay with respect to the WHO windows of achievement. Although the median value of this delay was low, awareness campaigns should be implemented to promote timely identification of children with development delays. PMID:27843845

  11. Prevalence of enteric pathogens in dogs of north-central Colorado.

    PubMed

    Hackett, Tim; Lappin, Michael R

    2003-01-01

    To evaluate the prevalence of enteric pathogens in dogs of north-central Colorado, fecal samples were obtained from client-owned dogs presented to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Colorado State University for evaluation of acute small-bowel, large-bowel, or mixed-bowel diarrhea (n=71) and from age-matched, client-owned, healthy dogs (n=59). Infectious agents potentially associated with gastrointestinal disease were detected in 34 of 130 (26.1%) fecal samples. Agents with zoonotic potential were detected in feces from 21 (16.2%) of 130 dogs and included Giardia spp. (5.4%), Cryptosporidium parvum (3.8%), Toxocara canis (3.1%), Salmonella spp. (2.3%), Ancylostoma caninum (0.8%), and Campylobacter jejuni (0.8%). Positive test results occurred in dogs with or without gastrointestinal signs of disease. Dogs, particularly those in homes of immunocompromised humans, should be evaluated for enteric zoonotic agents.

  12. Loktak Lake, India

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-04-13

    Loktak Lake is the largest freshwater lake in northeast India, and is famous for the floating "phudmis," masses of vegetation, soil and organic material. The lake is a source of water for hydropower, irrigation, drinking water, and livelihood for fish farmers. The image was acquired March 19, 2018, covers an area of 20.5 by 27.3 kilometers, and is located at 24.5 degrees north, 93.8 degrees east. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22369

  13. Earth view over India taken during STS-121

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2006-07-04

    STS121-331-019 (4-17 July 2006) --- (North is toward the lower right corner of the image). This vertical view over glaciers in the Karakoram Mountain range of Northern India was photographed from the Space Shuttle Discovery during the STS-121 mission. The glaciers are centered at 34.8 degrees north latitude and 77.8 degrees east longitude. The small peak in the center of the photo stands 25,170 feet high.

  14. Morphometric changes in Yellow-headed Blackbirds during summer in central North Dakota

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Twedt, D.J.; Linz, G.M.

    2002-01-01

    Temporal stability of morphometric measurements is desirable when using avian morphology as a predictor of geographic origin. Therefore, to assess their temporal stability, we examined changes in morphology of Yellow-headed Blackbirds (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) from central North Dakota during summer. Measurements differed among age classes and between sexes. As expected, due to growth and maturation, measurements on hatching-year birds increased over summer. Measurements of adult plumage fluctuated with prebasic molt and exhibited age-specific discontinuities. Body mass of adult birds increased over summer, whereas both culmen length and skull length decreased. Only body length and length of internal skeletal elements were temporally stable in adult Yellow-headed Blackbirds.

  15. An invasive Mimosa in India does not adopt the symbionts of its native relatives.

    PubMed

    Gehlot, Hukam Singh; Tak, Nisha; Kaushik, Muskan; Mitra, Shubhajit; Chen, Wen-Ming; Poweleit, Nicole; Panwar, Dheeren; Poonar, Neetu; Parihar, Rashmita; Tak, Alkesh; Sankhla, Indu Singh; Ojha, Archana; Rao, Satyawada Rama; Simon, Marcelo F; Reis Junior, Fabio Bueno Dos; Perigolo, Natalia; Tripathi, Anil K; Sprent, Janet I; Young, J Peter W; James, Euan K; Gyaneshwar, Prasad

    2013-07-01

    The large monophyletic genus Mimosa comprises approx. 500 species, most of which are native to the New World, with Central Brazil being the main centre of radiation. All Brazilian Mimosa spp. so far examined are nodulated by rhizobia in the betaproteobacterial genus Burkholderia. Approximately 10 Mya, transoceanic dispersal resulted in the Indian subcontinent hosting up to six endemic Mimosa spp. The nodulation ability and rhizobial symbionts of two of these, M. hamata and M. himalayana, both from north-west India, are here examined, and compared with those of M. pudica, an invasive species. Nodules were collected from several locations, and examined by light and electron microscopy. Rhizobia isolated from them were characterized in terms of their abilities to nodulate the three Mimosa hosts. The molecular phylogenetic relationships of the rhizobia were determined by analysis of 16S rRNA, nifH and nodA gene sequences. Both native Indian Mimosa spp. nodulated effectively in their respective rhizosphere soils. Based on 16S rRNA, nifH and nodA sequences, their symbionts were identified as belonging to the alphaproteobacterial genus Ensifer, and were closest to the 'Old World' Ensifer saheli, E. kostiensis and E. arboris. In contrast, the invasive M. pudica was predominantly nodulated by Betaproteobacteria in the genera Cupriavidus and Burkholderia. All rhizobial strains tested effectively nodulated their original hosts, but the symbionts of the native species could not nodulate M. pudica. The native Mimosa spp. in India are not nodulated by the Burkholderia symbionts of their South American relatives, but by a unique group of alpha-rhizobial microsymbionts that are closely related to the 'local' Old World Ensifer symbionts of other mimosoid legumes in north-west India. They appear not to share symbionts with the invasive M. pudica, symbionts of which are mostly beta-rhizobial.

  16. An invasive Mimosa in India does not adopt the symbionts of its native relatives

    PubMed Central

    Gehlot, Hukam Singh; Tak, Nisha; Kaushik, Muskan; Mitra, Shubhajit; Chen, Wen-Ming; Poweleit, Nicole; Panwar, Dheeren; Poonar, Neetu; Parihar, Rashmita; Tak, Alkesh; Sankhla, Indu Singh; Ojha, Archana; Rao, Satyawada Rama; Simon, Marcelo F.; dos Reis Junior, Fabio Bueno; Perigolo, Natalia; Tripathi, Anil K.; Sprent, Janet I.; Young, J. Peter W.; James, Euan K.; Gyaneshwar, Prasad

    2013-01-01

    Background and Aims The large monophyletic genus Mimosa comprises approx. 500 species, most of which are native to the New World, with Central Brazil being the main centre of radiation. All Brazilian Mimosa spp. so far examined are nodulated by rhizobia in the betaproteobacterial genus Burkholderia. Approximately 10 Mya, transoceanic dispersal resulted in the Indian subcontinent hosting up to six endemic Mimosa spp. The nodulation ability and rhizobial symbionts of two of these, M. hamata and M. himalayana, both from north-west India, are here examined, and compared with those of M. pudica, an invasive species. Methods Nodules were collected from several locations, and examined by light and electron microscopy. Rhizobia isolated from them were characterized in terms of their abilities to nodulate the three Mimosa hosts. The molecular phylogenetic relationships of the rhizobia were determined by analysis of 16S rRNA, nifH and nodA gene sequences. Key Results Both native Indian Mimosa spp. nodulated effectively in their respective rhizosphere soils. Based on 16S rRNA, nifH and nodA sequences, their symbionts were identified as belonging to the alphaproteobacterial genus Ensifer, and were closest to the ‘Old World’ Ensifer saheli, E. kostiensis and E. arboris. In contrast, the invasive M. pudica was predominantly nodulated by Betaproteobacteria in the genera Cupriavidus and Burkholderia. All rhizobial strains tested effectively nodulated their original hosts, but the symbionts of the native species could not nodulate M. pudica. Conclusions The native Mimosa spp. in India are not nodulated by the Burkholderia symbionts of their South American relatives, but by a unique group of alpha-rhizobial microsymbionts that are closely related to the ‘local’ Old World Ensifer symbionts of other mimosoid legumes in north-west India. They appear not to share symbionts with the invasive M. pudica, symbionts of which are mostly beta-rhizobial. PMID:23712450

  17. NeMedPlant: a database of therapeutic applications and chemical constituents of medicinal plants from north-east region of India

    PubMed Central

    Meetei, Potshangbam Angamba; Singh, Pankaj; Nongdam, Potshangbam; Prabhu, N Prakash; Rathore, RS; Vindal, Vaibhav

    2012-01-01

    The North-East region of India is one of the twelve mega biodiversity region, containing many rare and endangered species. A curated database of medicinal and aromatic plants from the regions called NeMedPlant is developed. The database contains traditional, scientific and medicinal information about plants and their active constituents, obtained from scholarly literature and local sources. The database is cross-linked with major biochemical databases and analytical tools. The integrated database provides resource for investigations into hitherto unexplored medicinal plants and serves to speed up the discovery of natural productsbased drugs. Availability The database is available for free at http://bif.uohyd.ac.in/nemedplant/orhttp://202.41.85.11/nemedplant/ PMID:22419844

  18. Resource management and operations in central North Dakota: Climate change scenario planning workshop summary November 12-13, 2015, Bismarck, ND

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fisichelli, Nicholas A.; Schuurman, Gregor; Symstad, Amy J.; Ray, Andrea; Friedman, Jonathan M.; Miller, Brian; Rowland, Erika

    2016-01-01

    The Scaling Climate Change Adaptation in the Northern Great Plains through Regional Climate Summaries and Local Qualitative-Quantitative Scenario Planning Workshops project synthesizes climate data into 3-5 distinct but plausible climate summaries for the northern Great Plains region; crafts quantitative summaries of these climate futures for two focal areas; and applies these local summaries by developing climate-resource-management scenarios through participatory workshops and, where possible, simulation models. The two focal areas are central North Dakota and southwest South Dakota (Figure 1). The primary objective of this project is to help resource managers and scientists in a focal area use scenario planning to make management and planning decisions based on assessments of critical future uncertainties.This report summarizes project work for public and tribal lands in the central North Dakota focal area, with an emphasis on Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site. The report explainsscenario planning as an adaptation tool in general, then describes how it was applied to the central North Dakota focal area in three phases. Priority resource management and climate uncertainties were identified in the orientation phase. Local climate summaries for relevant, divergent, and challenging climate scenarios were developed in the second phase. In the final phase, a two-day scenario planning workshop held November 12-13, 2015 in Bismarck, ND, featured scenario development and implications, testing management decisions, and methods for operationalizing scenario planning outcomes.

  19. Late quaternary geologic framework, north-central Gulf of Mexico

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kindinger, Jack G.; Penland, Shea; Williams, S. Jeffress; Brooks, Gregg R.; Suter, John R.; McBride, Randolph A.

    1991-01-01

    The geologic framework of the north-central Gulf of Mexico shelf is composed of multiple, stacked, delta systems. Shelf and nearshore sedimentary facies were deposited by deltaic progradation, followed by shoreface erosion and submergence. A variety of sedimentary facies has been identified, including prodelta, delta fringe, distributary, lagoonal, barrier island, and shelf sand sheet. This study is based on the interpretation and the synthesis of > 6,700 km of high-resolution seismic profiles, 75 grab samples, and 77 vibracores. The nearshore morphology, shallow stratigraphy, and sediment distribution of the eastern Louisiana shelf are the products of transgressive sedimentary processes reworking the abandoned St. Bernard delta complex. Relatively recent Mississippi delta lobe consists primarily of fine sand, silt, and clay. In the southern portion of the St. Bernard delta complex, asymmetrical sand ridges (>5 m relief) have formed as the result of marine reworking of distributary mouth-bar sands. Silty sediments from the modern Mississippi Birdsfoot delta onlap the St. Bernard delta complex along the southern edge. The distal margin of the St. Bernard complex is distinct and has a sharp contact on the north near the Mississippi Sound barrier island coastline and a late Wisconsinan delta to the south. The Chandeleur Islands and the barrier islands of Mississippi Sound have been formed by a combination of Holocene and Pleistocene fluvial processes, shoreface erosion, and ravinement of the exposed shelf. Sediments underlying the relatively thin Holocene sediment cover are relict fluvial sands, deposited during the late Wisconsinan lowstand. Subsequent relative sea-level rise allowed marine processes to rework and redistribute sediments that formed the nearshore fine-grained facies and the shelf sand sheet.

  20. Assessment of orthodontic treatment need among tribal children of Indore division, Central India

    PubMed Central

    MURALIDHARAN, SHRIKANTH; GOWDA, SRINIVASA; AMBEKAR, RUTUJA; RATHORE, BHUPENDRA S.; CHABRA, SAKSHI; LALANI, AFSHEEN; HARANI, HARSH

    2018-01-01

    Introduction India is home to many tribes which have an interesting and varied history of origins, customs and social practices. Oral health care in tribal areas is limited due to shortage of dental manpower, financial constraints and the lack of perceived need for dental care among tribal masses. Objective To assess orthodontic treatment need among tribal children of Indore division, Central India. Methods A cross-sectional house to house survey was carried out among 800 tribal children aged 5 to 15 years old in two major tribal districts of Indore division. Permissions and consent were obtained from local administrative authorities, ethical committee and parents respectively. A structured proforma was used to record demographic data. Examination for dentofacial anomalies was conducted according to WHO 1997 survey methods. Descriptive tables and analytical tests like ANOVA, post-hoc and chi-square test were employed. Results The mean age was 9.75(±2.43) years. The mean DAI score among 12 to 15 years old children was 23.19±5.22. Female exhibited higher (24.51±5.34) mean DAI score compared to males (22.12±4.87) (p<0.05). The Patelia tribes (24.38±5.13) reported higher mean DAI score than Bhilala (23.02±5.69) and Bhil tribe (22.73±4.79) (p<0.005). Conclusion The tribal children had minor malocclusion with no or slight treatment need. Categorization of orthodontic treatment need according to malocclusion severity is particularly important for the planning of corresponding public policies. The isolation of the villages, lack of transportation options imposes limitations on the availability of health professionals to provide dental services. PMID:29440959

  1. Assessment of orthodontic treatment need among tribal children of Indore division, Central India.

    PubMed

    Muralidharan, Shrikanth; Chauhan, Astha; Gowda, Srinivasa; Ambekar, Rutuja; Rathore, Bhupendra S; Chabra, Sakshi; Lalani, Afsheen; Harani, Harsh

    2018-01-01

    India is home to many tribes which have an interesting and varied history of origins, customs and social practices. Oral health care in tribal areas is limited due to shortage of dental manpower, financial constraints and the lack of perceived need for dental care among tribal masses. To assess orthodontic treatment need among tribal children of Indore division, Central India. A cross-sectional house to house survey was carried out among 800 tribal children aged 5 to 15 years old in two major tribal districts of Indore division. Permissions and consent were obtained from local administrative authorities, ethical committee and parents respectively. A structured proforma was used to record demographic data. Examination for dentofacial anomalies was conducted according to WHO 1997 survey methods. Descriptive tables and analytical tests like ANOVA, post-hoc and chi-square test were employed. The mean age was 9.75(±2.43) years. The mean DAI score among 12 to 15 years old children was 23.19±5.22. Female exhibited higher (24.51±5.34) mean DAI score compared to males (22.12±4.87) (p<0.05). The Patelia tribes (24.38±5.13) reported higher mean DAI score than Bhilala (23.02±5.69) and Bhil tribe (22.73±4.79) (p<0.005). The tribal children had minor malocclusion with no or slight treatment need. Categorization of orthodontic treatment need according to malocclusion severity is particularly important for the planning of corresponding public policies. The isolation of the villages, lack of transportation options imposes limitations on the availability of health professionals to provide dental services.

  2. A shared Y-chromosomal heritage between Muslims and Hindus in India.

    PubMed

    Gutala, Ramana; Carvalho-Silva, Denise R; Jin, Li; Yngvadottir, Bryndis; Avadhanula, Vasanthi; Nanne, Khaja; Singh, Lalji; Chakraborty, Ranajit; Tyler-Smith, Chris

    2006-11-01

    Arab forces conquered the Indus Delta region in 711 AD: and, although a Muslim state was established there, their influence was barely felt in the rest of South Asia at that time. By the end of the tenth century, Central Asian Muslims moved into India from the northwest and expanded throughout the subcontinent. Muslim communities are now the largest minority religion in India, comprising more than 138 million people in a predominantly Hindu population of over one billion. It is unclear whether the Muslim expansion in India was a purely cultural phenomenon or had a genetic impact on the local population. To address this question from a male perspective, we typed eight microsatellite loci and 16 binary markers from the Y chromosome in 246 Muslims from Andhra Pradesh, and compared them to published data on 4,204 males from East Asia, Central Asia, other parts of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Iran, the Middle East, Turkey, Egypt and Morocco. We find that the Muslim populations in general are genetically closer to their non-Muslim geographical neighbors than to other Muslims in India, and that there is a highly significant correlation between genetics and geography (but not religion). Our findings indicate that, despite the documented practice of marriage between Muslim men and Hindu women, Islamization in India did not involve large-scale replacement of Hindu Y chromosomes. The Muslim expansion in India was predominantly a cultural change and was not accompanied by significant gene flow, as seen in other places, such as China and Central Asia.

  3. Sociodemographic Correlates of Unipolar and Bipolar Depression in North-East India: A Cross-sectional Study

    PubMed Central

    Kalita, Kamal Narayan; Hazarika, Jyoti; Sharma, Mohan; Saikia, Shilpi; Patangia, Priyanka; Hazarika, Pranabjyoti; Sarmah, Anil Chandra

    2017-01-01

    Introduction: Early diagnosis and management of depression is important for better therapeutic outcome. Strategies for distinguishing between unipolar and bipolar depression are yet to be defined, resulting improper management. This study aims at comparing the socio-demographic and other variables between patients with unipolar and bipolar depression, along with assessment of severity of depression. Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care psychiatry hospital in North-East India. The study included total of 330 subjects selected through purposive sampling technique from outpatient department after obtaining due informed consent. Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) version 6.0 and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were applied. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16.0 was applied for analysis. Results: Bipolar group had onset of illness at significantly younger age with more chronicity (32.85 ± 11.084). Mean BDI score was significantly higher in the unipolar depressive group. Conclusion: Careful approach in eliciting symptom severity and associated socio demographic profiles in depressed patients may be helpful in early diagnosis of bipolar depression. PMID:28250558

  4. Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Chad Basin Province, North-Central Africa

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Brownfield, Michael E.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Charpentier, Ronald R.; Klett, Timothy R.; Cook, Troy A.; Pollastro, Richard M.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.

    2010-01-01

    The Chad Basin Province located in north-central Africa recently was assessed for undiscovered, technically recoverable oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids resources as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) World Oil and Gas Assessment. Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the USGS estimated mean volumes of 2.32 billion barrels of oil, 14.65 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 391 million barrels of natural gas liquids.

  5. Molecular detection and genetic diversity of Babesia gibsoni in dogs in India.

    PubMed

    Singh, M N; Raina, O K; Sankar, M; Rialch, Ajayta; Tigga, M N; Kumar, G Ravi; Banerjee, P S

    2016-07-01

    Babesia gibsoni is a tick borne intraerythrocytic protozoan parasite causing piroplasmosis in dogs and has been predominantly reported in Asian countries, including Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Bangladesh and India. The present communication is the first evidence on the genetic diversity of B. gibsoni of dogs in India. Blood samples were collected from 164 dogs in north and northeast states of India and 13 dogs (7.9%) were found positive for B. gibsoni infection by microscopic examination of blood smears. Molecular confirmation of these microscopic positive cases for B. gibsoni was carried out by 18S rRNA nested-PCR, followed by sequencing. Nested-PCR for the 18S rRNA gene was also carried out on microscopically B. gibsoni negative samples that detected a higher percentage of dogs (28.6%) infected with B. gibsoni. Genetic diversity in B. gibsoni in India was determined by studying B. gibsoni thrombospondin-related adhesive protein (BgTRAP) gene fragments (855bp) in 19 isolates from four north and northeast states of India. Phylogenetic analysis of the BgTRAP gene revealed that B. gibsoni parasite in India and Bangladesh formed a distinct cluster away from other Asian B. gibsoni isolates available from Japan, Taiwan and Korea. In addition, tandem repeat analysis of the BgTRAP gene clearly showed considerable genetic variation among Indian isolates that was shared by B. gibsoni isolates of Bangladesh. These results suggested that B. gibsoni parasites in a different genetic clade are endemic in dogs in India and Bangladesh. Further studies are required for better understanding of the genetic diversity of B. gibsoni prevalent in India and in its neighbouring countries. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Resistivity structures across the Humboldt River basin, north-central Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Rodriguez, Brian D.; Williams, Jackie M.

    2002-01-01

    Magnetotelluric data collected along five profiles show deep resistivity structures beneath the Battle Mountain-Eureka and Carlin gold trends in north-central Nevada, which appear consistent with tectonic breaks in the crust that possibly served as channels for hydrothermal fluids. It seems likely that gold deposits along these linear trends were, therefore, controlled by deep regional crustal fault systems. Two-dimensional resistivity modeling of the magnetotelluric data generally show resistive (30 to 1,000 ohm-m) crustal blocks broken by sub-vertical, two-dimensional, conductive (1 to 10 ohmm) zones that are indicative of large-scale crustal fault zones. These inferred fault zones are regional in scale, trend northeast-southwest, north-south, and northwest-southeast, and extend to mid-crustal (20 km) depths. The conductors are about 2- to 15-km wide, extend from about 1 to 4 km below the surface to about 20 km depth, and show two-dimensional electrical structure. By connecting the locations of similar trending conductors together, individual regional crustal fault zones within the upper crust can be inferred that range from about 4- to 10-km wide and about 30- to 150-km long. One of these crustal fault zones coincides with the Battle Mountain-Eureka mineral trend. The interpreted electrical property sections also show regional changes in the resistive crust from south to north. Most of the subsurface in the upper 20 km beneath Reese River Valley and southern Boulder Valley are underlain by rock that is generally more conductive than the subsurface beneath Kelly Creek Basin and northern Boulder Valley. This suggests that either elevated-temperature or high-salinity fluids, alteration, or carbonaceous rocks are more pervasive in the more conductive area (Battle Mountain Heat-Flow High), which implies that the crust beneath these valleys is either more fractured or has more carbonaceous rocks than in the area surveyed along the 41st parallel.

  7. Evolution of ice sheets in the early Quaternary of the central North Sea: 2.58 Ma to 0.78 Ma

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lamb, R.; Huuse, M.; Stewart, M.; Brocklehurst, S. H.

    2016-12-01

    Integration of chronostratigraphic proxies with 3D seismic and well-log data has allowed for a basin-wide re-interpretation of the onset of glaciation in the central North Sea during the Quaternary. Mapping of seismic geomorphology, calculations of water depth and sediment accumulation rates, and other basin analysis techniques unravel the evolution of the North Sea basin during the early Pleistocene, a period of dramatic global cooling and rapid 41 kyr glacial-interglacial cycles, identifying a system which is increasingly dominated by large, continental-scale ice sheets. Prior to this study continental-scale ice sheets were generally not considered able to grow in a 41 kyr cycle and the earliest date for such an ice sheet in the North Sea was identified at the onset of tunnel valley formation in the Elsterian (0.48 Ma; MIS 12) which forms a large regional-scale glacial unconformity. At the onset of the Pleistocene at 2.58 Ma the North Sea basin was an elongate `mega-fjord' with water depths of up to 350 m, infilling rapidly as the European river systems deposited a large clinoform complex in the southern end of the basin. This period corresponds to the preservation of large scale ice-berg scouring on clinoform topsets, suggesting the presence of marine-terminating ice sheets with repeated calving events. As the Pleistocene progressed and global climate became increasingly colder the North Sea became smaller and shallower due to the continual infill of the basin. At 1.72 Ma the basin reached a critical point between the cold climate and the shallowing of the basin and the first evidence for grounded glaciation in the form of mega-scale glacial lineations is seen at this level. Between 1.72 and 0.48 Ma there is evidence for ice-streaming in the form of multiple MSGL flow sets re-occupying the central North Sea, as well as a large glaciotectonic complex. The glacial geomorphological evidence presented pushes back the date of grounded glaciation in the central North

  8. Characterizing dynamic spatial and temporal residential density patterns from 1940-1990 across the North Central United States

    Treesearch

    Roger B. Hammer; Susan I. Stewart; Richelle L. Winkler; Volker C. Radeloff; Paul R. Voss

    2004-01-01

    The spatial deconcentration of population during the 20th century and the resulting expansion of human settlements has been a significant cause of anthropogenic landscape change in the United States and many other countries. In the seven-state North Central Region, as in other regions of the US, changing human settlement patterns are most prominent at the outlying...

  9. A Comparative Economic Analysis of North-Central New Mexico. New Mexico Agricultural Experiment Station Research Report 211.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carruthers, Garrey E.; Eastman, Clyde

    North-Central New Mexico has many of the problems common to other rural areas. Unemployment and underemployment rates tend to be high and per capita income relatively low. This study evaluated regional economic performance over a 19-year period (1949-1968) as compared to other regions and the nation. Shift analysis (a means of examining regional…

  10. Re-Engineering Vocational and Technical Education (VTE) for Sustainable Development in North Central Geo-Political Zone, Nigeria

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sofoluwe, Abayomi Olumade

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of the study is to re-engineer vocational and technical education for sustainable development in the North Central Geo-Political Zone in Nigeria. The research design adopted was a survey inferential type. Stratified random was used to select 36 schools out of 98 schools while 920 students out of 3680 students were sampled. The data…

  11. Land cover mapping of North and Central America—Global Land Cover 2000

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Latifovic, Rasim; Zhu, Zhi-Liang

    2004-01-01

    The Land Cover Map of North and Central America for the year 2000 (GLC 2000-NCA), prepared by NRCan/CCRS and USGS/EROS Data Centre (EDC) as a regional component of the Global Land Cover 2000 project, is the subject of this paper. A new mapping approach for transforming satellite observations acquired by the SPOT4/VGTETATION (VGT) sensor into land cover information is outlined. The procedure includes: (1) conversion of daily data into 10-day composite; (2) post-seasonal correction and refinement of apparent surface reflectance in 10-day composite images; and (3) extraction of land cover information from the composite images. The pre-processing and mosaicking techniques developed and used in this study proved to be very effective in removing cloud contamination, BRDF effects, and noise in Short Wave Infra-Red (SWIR). The GLC 2000-NCA land cover map is provided as a regional product with 28 land cover classes based on modified Federal Geographic Data Committee/Vegetation Classification Standard (FGDC NVCS) classification system, and as part of a global product with 22 land cover classes based on Land Cover Classification System (LCCS) of the Food and Agriculture Organisation. The map was compared on both areal and per-pixel bases over North and Central America to the International Geosphere–Biosphere Programme (IGBP) global land cover classification, the University of Maryland global land cover classification (UMd) and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Global land cover classification produced by Boston University (BU). There was good agreement (79%) on the spatial distribution and areal extent of forest between GLC 2000-NCA and the other maps, however, GLC 2000-NCA provides additional information on the spatial distribution of forest types. The GLC 2000-NCA map was produced at the continental level incorporating specific needs of the region.

  12. Low Zika virus seroprevalence among pregnant women in North Central Nigeria, 2016.

    PubMed

    Mathé, Philipp; Egah, Daniel Z; Müller, Janis A; Shehu, Nathan Y; Obishakin, Emmanuel T; Shwe, David D; Pam, Victor C; Okolo, Mark O; Yilgwan, Christopher; Gomerep, Simji S; Fuchs, Jonas; Abok, Ibrahim; Onyedibe, Kenneth I; Olugbo, Ewa J; Isa, Samson E; Machunga-Mambula, Salamatu S; Attah, Caleb J; Münch, Jan; Oguche, Stephen; Panning, Marcus

    2018-05-26

    Zika virus (ZIKV) has been known for decades in Africa but contemporary data is lacking at large. To describe the seroepidemiology of ZIKV in North Central Nigeria. We performed a cross-sectional study at six health care facilities in North Central Nigeria from January to December 2016. Detection of ZIKV antibodies was done using an anti-ZIKV recombinant non-structural protein 1 (NS1)-based ELISA. A colorimetric assay to detect ZIKV neutralizing antibodies was used on ELISA reactive and randomly selected ELISA non-reactive samples. ZIKV real-time RT-PCR was done on a subset of samples. A total of 468 individual samples were included with almost 60% from pregnant women. Using NS1-based ELISA, an anti-ZIKV positive rate of 6% for IgM and 4% for IgG was found. Pregnant women showed anti-ZIKV positive rates of 4% for IgM and 3% for IgG. None of the ZIKV antibody positive samples tested ZIKV RT-PCR positive. An association with male sex was found for anti-ZIKV IgG ELISA positivity (prevalence ratio 3.49; 95% confidence interval: 1.48-8.25; p = .004). No association with pregnancy, yellow fever vaccination or malaria was found for anti-ZIKV IgM or IgG positivity. ZIKV neutralizing antibodies were detected in 17/18 (94%) anti-ZIKV NS1 positive/borderline samples and in one sample without detectable ZIKV NS1 antibodies. Partial ZIKV E gene sequence was retrieved in one sample without ZIKV antibodies, which clustered within the West African ZIKV lineage. Our results show a largely ZIKV immunologically naïve population and reinforce the importance of ZIKV surveillance in Africa. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Geologic controls on the formation of lakes in north-central Florida

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kindinger, Jack G.; Davis, Jeffrey B.; Flocks, James G.; Pitman, Janet K.; Carroll, Alan R.

    1998-01-01

    Fluid exchange between surficial waters and groundwater, as well as the processes that control this exchange, are of critical concern to water management districts and planners. Digital high-resolution seismic systems were used to collect geophysical data from 30 lakes of north-central Florida. Although using seismic profile data in the past has been less than successful, the use of digital technology has increased the potential for success. Seismic profiles collected from the lakes of north-central Florida have shown the potential application of these techniques in understanding the formation of individual lakes. In each case study, lake structure and geomorphology were controlled by solution and/or mechanical processes. Processes that control lake development are twofold: 1) karstification or dissolution of the underlying limestone, and 2) me collapse, subsidence, or slumping of overburden to form sinkholes. Initial lake formation is directly related to the karst topography of the underlying host limestone. Lake size and shape are a factor of the thickness of overburden and size of the collapse or subsidence and/or clustering of depressions allowing for lake development. Lake development is through progressive sequence stages to maturity that can be delineated into geomorphic types. Case studies have shown that lakes can be divided by geomorphic types into progressive developmental phases: (1) active subsidence or collapse phase (young) - the open to partially filled collapse structures typically associated with sink holes; (2) transitional phase (middle age) - the sinkhole is plugged as the voids within the collapse are filled with sediment, periodic reactivation may occur; (3) baselevel phase (mature) - active sinkholes are progressively plugged by the continual erosion of material into the basin, and eventually sediment fills the basins; and (4) polje (drowned prairie) - broad flat-bottom basins located within the epiphreatic zone that are inundated at high

  14. Pseudotachylitic breccia from the Dhala impact structure, north-central India: Texture, mineralogy and geochemical characterization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pati, J. K.; Reimold, W. U.; Greshake, A.; Schmitt, R. T.; Koeberl, C.; Pati, P.; Prakash, K.

    2015-05-01

    Pseudotachylitic breccia (PTB) occurs in a drill core from the crater floor of the 11 km diameter, Proterozoic Dhala impact structure, India. PTBs were intersected in late Archean granitoids between 348.15 m and 502.55 m depth in the MCB-10 drill core from the center of the Dhala structure. The breccias comprise both cataclastic-matrix as well as melt breccias. The presence of microlites and vesicles in the groundmass and a widely observed flow fabric in the PTB support the presence of melt in the groundmass of some samples. Clasts in PTB are derived from the Archean granitoid basement. PTB matrix, the matrix of impact melt breccia also occurring between 256.50 m and 502.55 m depth, and the target granitoids vary in terms of silica, total alkali, magnesium and iron oxide contents. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns of PTB and target granitoids are similar, but the elemental abundances in the PTB are lower. The restricted size of PTB as veins and pods of up to 2.5 cm width, their occurrence at varied depths over a core length of 150 m, the clast population, and the chemical relationships between PTB and their host rocks all suggest the derivation of these breccias locally from the fractured basement granitoids involving in-situ melting. We favor that this took place due to rapid decompression during the collapse and modification stage of impact cratering, with, locally, additional energy input from frictional heating. Locally, amphibolite and dioritic mylonite occur in the host granitoids and their admixture could have contributed to the comparatively more mafic composition of PTB. Alteration of these crater floor rocks could have involved preferential reduction of silica and alkali element abundances, possibly due to impact-induced hydrothermal activity at crater floor level. This process, too, could have resulted in more mafic compositions.

  15. Effectiveness of a multicomponent school based intervention to reduce bullying among adolescents in Chandigarh, North India: A quasi-experimental study protocol.

    PubMed

    Rana, Monica; Gupta, Madhu; Malhi, Prahbhjot; Grover, Sandeep; Kaur, Manmeet

    2018-02-05

    Bullying perpetration and victimization is associated with significant academic, psychosocial and health related problems among adolescents. There is a need to develop effective interventions to prevent bullying among adolescents, especially in low and middle income countries. This paper presents the study protocol to develop, and evaluate the effect of multi-component school based prevention program for bullying in India. Quasi-experimental study. The study will be conducted among 846 students of grade 7 th and 8 th in the intervention and control schools in Chandigarh, Union Territory, North India. A government and a private school will be selected purposively in each of the intervention and control arm. The intervention is based on socio-ecological model, and will be administered at individual, relationship (parents and teachers) and school level. The primary study outcome will be the proportion of students experiencing any kind of bullying (bullying, victimization, or both), in each study arm. The effectiveness of the intervention will be measured by performing difference in difference analysis and generalized estimating equations. Bullying is an aggressive behaviour with significant morbidities, including psychological or physical trauma, affecting individuals not only in their adolescence, but also later in their adulthood. This quasi-experimental study is expected to provide evidence on whether multi-component bullying prevention intervention program, can reduce the burden of bullying perpetration and victimization among school adolescents in India. The results of the study will add in the exiting literature on bullying intervention program, especially, from the low middle-income countries, as there are limited studies available on this topic in these countries.

  16. Changes in erosional and depositional processes with time and management of Goa Coast, central west coast of India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nayak, Ganapati; D'Souza, Joseph

    2010-05-01

    Coastal and estuarine environments, world over are facing immense impact due to both natural and anthropogenic processes. The natural processes include climatic changes, rise in sea level, cyclone, flood, tsunamis, coastal erosion, salinity ingress and siltation. Likewise, anthropogenic pressures include population expansion, ocean traffic, dredging, resource exploitation, pollution, unplanned urbanization and intensive industrialization. Due to these impacts the fragile coastal ecosystem and its entities, like sub ecosystems, resources, morphological units are undergoing unprecedented degradation, rendering these coastal regions vulnerable, impinging risk to human population, livestock, properties, as also, devastation of resourceful lands. This accelerates economic fatalities and irreversible obliteration to the ecosystems. Evidences on the global concern towards this issue have been well established. The countries world over, including India, pledged consensus towards the protection of the fragile coastal ecosystems through UNCED, Agenda-21. India, on 19th February 1991, has designated specified corridors along the landward side of the coastline as "Coastal Regulatory Zones" (CRZ), through appropriate policy and law. In context with the CRZ notification, scientific database at local and site-specific areas, developed. Synergy of ecosystems, landscape and resources with demographic, tourism data, vis-à-vis, economic corridors/sectors aided the paradigms and criterion for local and site specific prescriptions for Goa Coast. The Goa coast is a part of central west coast of India and is characterized by pocket beaches flanked by rocky cliffs, estuaries, bays, and at some places mangroves. Beaches in southern Goa are long and linear in nature with sand dunes. The Mandovi and Zuari estuarine system in Goa is the largest in this part of the coast. Mud flats, swampy marshes and wetlands are found mainly along estuaries and creeks. The beaches of Goa are stable beaches

  17. Enhanced Sidescan-Sonar Imagery, North-Central Long Island Sound

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    McMullen, K.Y.; Poppe, L.J.; Schattgen, P.T.; Doran, E.F.

    2008-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection have been working cooperatively to map the sea-floor geology within Long Island Sound. Sidescan-sonar imagery collected during three NOAA hydrographic surveys (H11043, H11044, and H11045) was used to interpret the surficial-sediment distribution and sedimentary environments within the Sound. The original sidescan-sonar imagery generated by NOAA was used to evaluate hazards to navigation, which does not require consistent tonal matching throughout the survey. In order to fully utilize these data for geologic interpretation, artifacts within the imagery, primarily due to sidescan-system settings (for example, gain changes), processing techniques (for example, lack of across-track normalization) and environmental noise (for example, sea state), need to be minimized. Sidescan-sonar imagery from surveys H11043, H11044, and H11045 in north-central Long Island Sound was enhanced by matching the grayscale tones between adjacent sidescan-sonar lines to decrease the patchwork effect caused by numerous artifacts and to provide a more coherent sidescan-sonar image for use in geologic interpretation.

  18. Aircraft measurement of dicarboxylic acids in the free tropospheric aerosols over the western to central North Pacific

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Narukawa, M.; Kawamura, K.; Okada, K.; Zaizen, Y.; Makino, Y.

    2003-07-01

    Aircraft observation of aerosols was conducted in February 2000, for spatial and vertical distributions of dicarboxylic acids in the free troposphere over the western to central North Pacific. Oxalic, malonic, adipic and azelaic acids were detected in the aerosol samples as the major species. Concentrations of these diacids decreased exponentially with an increase in altitude. They were higher in the western North Pacific (130°E) and decrease eastward. Local flights conducted over Naha (Okinawa), Iwo-jima and Saipan showed that diacid concentrations decreased from the lower to upper troposphere. In the atmosphere over Saipan, where the air is not strongly affected from polluted East Asia, diacid concentrations were almost below the detection limit. Vertical profiles of diacids over Naha and Iwo-jima would be typical over the western North Pacific during winter, suggesting that diacids were significantly injected to the free troposphere from East Asia. Backward air mass trajectories also suggested that the diacids in the free troposphere over the North Pacific are strongly affected by the outflow from East Asia. Diacids, which were produced by both primary emission and secondary photochemical processes in polluted air of East Asia, could alter the physico-chemical properties of aerosols in the free troposphere over the western North Pacific.

  19. Geology and ground water in north-central Santa Cruz County, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Johnson, Michael J.

    1980-01-01

    North-central Santa Cruz County is underlain mainly by folded sedimentary rocks of Tertiary and Cretaceous age that have been highly fractured by movements in the San Andreas fault system. Ground water is stored in fractures within shale and mudstone formations and in intergranular pore spaces within fine- to very fine-grained sandstone and siltstone formations. Fewer than 10% of the wells yield more than 15 gallons of water per minute. The water in most wells is moderately hard to very hard, is generally of a sodium bicarbonate or calcium bicarbonate type, and commonly has excessive concentrations of iron or manganese. Of the many geologic units in the study area, only the Purisima Formation of Pliocene age has the potential to sustain well yields greater than 100 gallons per minute. (USGS)

  20. NCA North Central Association and the Federal Government: The DoDDS Department of Defense Dependents Schools/NCA Partnership.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buntain, Wendell L.; And Others

    1994-01-01

    Discusses the cooperative relationship between Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS) and the North Central Association, highlighting its evolution from the need to substantiate DoDDS student gains and ensure access to higher education. Suggests that the partnership enhances the ability of the DoDDS to provide quality education to…

  1. Calculating the ecosystem service of water storage in isolated wetlands using LiDAR in north central Florida, USA (presentation)

    EPA Science Inventory

    This study used remotely-sensed Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data to estimate potential water storage capacity of isolated wetlands in north central Florida. The data were used to calculate the water storage potential of >8500 polygons identified as isolated wetlands. We f...

  2. In Silico Studies of Medicinal Compounds Against Hepatitis C Capsid Protein from North India

    PubMed Central

    Mathew, Shilu; Faheem, Muhammad; Archunan, Govindaraju; Ilyas, Muhammad; Begum, Nargis; Jahangir, Syed; Qadri, Ishtiaq; Qahtani, Mohammad Al; Mathew, Shiny

    2014-01-01

    Hepatitis viral infection is a leading cause of chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Over one million people are estimated to be persistently infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) worldwide. As capsid core protein is the key element in spreading HCV; hence, it is considered to be the superlative target of antiviral compounds. Novel drug inhibitors of HCV are in need to complement or replace the current treatments such as pegylated interferon’s and ribavirin as they are partially booming and beset with various side effects. Our study was conducted to predict 3D structure of capsid core protein of HCV from northern part of India. Core, the capsid protein of HCV, handles the assembly and packaging of HCV RNA genome and is the least variable of all the ten HCV proteins among the six HCV genotypes. Therefore, we screened four phytochemicals inhibitors that are known to disrupt the interactions of core and other HCV proteins such as (a) epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), (b) ladanein, (c) naringenin, and (d) silybin extracted from medicinal plants; targeted against active site of residues of HCV-genotype 3 (G3) (Q68867) and its subtypes 3b (Q68861) and 3g (Q68865) from north India. To study the inhibitory activity of the recruited flavonoids, we conducted a quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR). Furthermore, docking interaction suggests that EGCG showed a maximum number of hydrogen bond (H-bond) interactions with all the three modeled capsid proteins with high interaction energy followed by naringenin and silybin. Thus, our results strongly correlate the inhibitory activity of the selected bioflavonoid. Finally, the dynamic predicted capsid protein molecule of HCV virion provides a general avenue to target structure-based antiviral compounds that support the hypothesis that the screened inhibitors for viral capsid might constitute new class of potent agents but further confirmation is necessary using in vitro and in vivo

  3. Tree-ring records of near-Younger Dryas time in central North America - Preliminary results from the Lincoln quarry site, central Illinois, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Panyushkina, Irina P.; Leavitt, Steven W.; Wiedenhoeft, A.; Noggle, S.; Curry, B.; Grimm, E.

    2004-01-01

    The abrupt millennial-scale changes associated with the Younger Dryas (YD) event ("chronozone") near the dawn of the Holocene are at least hemispheric, if not global, in extent. Evidence for the YD cold excursion is abundant in Europe but fairly meager in central North America. We are engaged in an investigation of high-resolution environmental changes in mid-North America over several millennia (about 10,000 to 14,000 BP) during the Late Glacial-Early Holocene transition, including the YD interval. Several sites containing logs or stumps have been identified and we are in the process of initial sampling or re-sampling them for this project. Here, we report on a site in central Illinois containing a deposit of logs initially thought to be of YD age preserved in alluvial sands. The assemblage of wood represents hardwood (angiosperm) trees, and the ring-width characteristics are favorable to developing formal tree-ring chronologies. However, 4 new radiocarbon dates indicate deposition of wood may have taken place over at least 8000 14C yr (6000-14,000 BP). This complicates the effort to develop a single floating chronology of several hundred years at this site, but it may provide wood from a restricted region over a long period of time from which to develop a sequence of floating chronologies, the timing of deposition and preservation of which could be related to paleoclimatic events and conditions.

  4. Assessment of College Students' Knowledge and Attitudes toward Solid Waste Management in North Central Zone of Nigeria

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dung, Mohammed Dauda; Makilik, Mangut; Ozoji, Bernadette Ebele

    2017-01-01

    This study focused on assessment of colleges of education students' knowledge and attitudes toward solid waste management in the North Central zone of Nigeria. The cross-sectional survey design was adopted. A students' knowledge and attitudes toward solid waste management questionnaire were used to collect data from 1,800 students. The findings…

  5. The Ritual "Play of the Congos" of North-Central Panama: Its Sociolinguistic Implications. Sociolinguistic Working Paper Number 85.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Joly, Luz Graciela

    An excerpt from the "Play of the Congos," given in Congo, Spanish, and English, exemplifies the sociolinguistic features of the combined play and ritual language used by the Afro-Hispanic population in the Caribbean region of the Costa Abajo in north-central Panama. The sociolinguistic norms are an important part of the "regulation…

  6. Enhanced formation of secondary air pollutants and aggravation of urban smog due to crop residue burning emissions in North India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sarkar, Chinmoy; Kumar, Vinod; Sinha, Vinayak

    2013-04-01

    Biomass burning causes intense perturbations to regional atmospheric chemistry and air quality and is a significant global source of reactive pollutants to the atmosphere (Andreae and Merlet, 2001). In November 2012, large areas in North India including New Delhi experienced several weeks of aggravated smog and poor air quality due to the impact of crop residue burning, which is a biannual post harvest activity that occurs during Oct-Nov and April-May every year in the agricultural belts of North western India. In-situ high temporal resolution (1 measurement every minute) measurements of a suite of volatile organic compounds measured using proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) such as acetonitrile (biomass burning tracer) and aromatic hydrocarbons were performed simultaneously with carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone and aerosol mass concentrations (PM 2.5 and PM 10) at a suburban site (30.667°N, 76.729°E and 310 m asl), impacted by air masses that had passed over the burning fields less than 72 hours ago. By using data from the same season but before the post harvest crop residue burning activity had commenced, we were able to quantify enhancements in ambient levels of the measured species due to the crop residue burning activity. When air masses influenced by the fire emissions reached the measurement site, peak values of about 8 ppbV acetonitrile, 4 ppmV CO, 100 ppbV NOx , 30 ppbV toluene and 15 ppbV benzene were observed which represented a factor of 2-5 increase over their ambient levels in the non-fire influenced period. Emission ratios of aromatic hydrocarbons/CO also showed a marked increase. Non fire event (N.F. E.) influenced and fire event (F.E.) influenced air masses had the following emission ratio enhancements: benzene/CO (N.F.E = 3; F.E. = 5), toluene/CO (N.F.E = 4; F.E. = 8.7) and sum of C8 aromatics/CO (N.F.E = 4; F.E. = 7.3) and sum of C9 aromatics/CO (N.F.E = 2.6; F.E. = 3.4). The OH reactivity of air masses which has strong

  7. Science For Decision-Makers: Climate Change Indicators For The North-Central California Coast And Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Duncan, B.; Higgason, K.; Suchanek, T.; Stachowicz, J.; Largier, J. L.; Cayan, D. R.

    2013-12-01

    Resource managers and decision-makers in North-central California recognize a need for increased information about the impacts of climate change on the region's coast and ocean to ensure that adaptation and conservation decisions are grounded in sound science. To help meet this need, ocean climate indicators were developed in a project based at NOAA's Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary for the North-central California coast and ocean, from Año Nuevo to Point Arena, including the Pacific coastline of the San Francisco Bay Area. These represent the first regional ocean climate indicators in the National Marine Sanctuary System. The indicators were developed in collaboration with over 50 regional research scientists and resource managers representing federal and state agencies, research universities and institutions, and non-governmental organizations. Following the indicator development process, an interdisciplinary working group incorporated the indicators into a regional indicators monitoring inventory and plan that will be used by scientists, natural resource managers, and state and municipal planners to monitor, track, and develop adaptation strategies for the impacts of climate change on the region. The working group collaborated extensively to co-identify key measurements and data sources for the indicators, and to ensure that the monitoring plan was accessible and convenient for decision-makers while still providing a valuable resource for research scientists.

  8. The ophiolitic North Fork terrane in the Salmon River region, central Klamath Mountains, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ando, C.J.; Irwin, W.P.; Jones, D.L.; Saleeby, J.B.

    1983-01-01

    The North Fork terrane is an assemblage of ophiolitic and other oceanic volcanic and sedimentary rocks that has been internally imbricated and folded. The ophiolitic rocks form a north-trending belt through the central part of the region and consist of a disrupted sequence of homogeneous gabbro, diabase, massive to pillowed basalt, and interleaved tectonitic harzburgite. U-Pb zircon age data on a plagiogranite pod from the gabbroic unit indicate that at least this part of the igneous sequence is late Paleozoic in age.The ophiolitic belt is flanked on either side by mafic volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks, limestone, bedded chert, and argillite. Most of the chert is Triassic, including much of Late Triassic age, but chert with uncertain stratigraphic relations at one locality is Permian. The strata flanking the east side of the ophiolitic belt face eastward, and depositional contacts between units are for the most part preserved. The strata on the west side of the ophiolitic belt are more highly disrupted than those on the east side, contain chert-argillite melange, and have unproven stratigraphic relation to either the ophiolitic rocks or the eastern strata.Rocks of the North Fork terrane do not show widespread evidence of penetrative deformation at elevated temperatures, except an early tectonitic fabric in the harzburgite. Slip-fiber foliation in serpentinite, phacoidal foliation in chert and mafic rocks, scaly foliation in argillite, and mesoscopic folds in bedded chert are consistent with an interpretation of large-scale anti-formal folding of the terrane about a north-south hinge found along the ophiolitic belt, but other structural interpretations are tenable. The age of folding of North Fork rocks is constrained by the involvement of Triassic and younger cherts and crosscutting Late Jurassic plutons. Deformation in the North Fork terrane must have spanned a short period of time because the terrane is bounded structurally above and below by Middle or Late

  9. Estimation of the health and economic burden of neurocysticercosis in India.

    PubMed

    Singh, B B; Khatkar, M S; Gill, J P S; Dhand, N K

    2017-01-01

    Taenia solium is an endemic parasite in India which occurs in two forms in humans: cysticercosis (infection of soft tissues) and taeniosis (intestinal infection). Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is the most severe form of cysticercosis in which cysts develop in the central nervous system. This study was conducted to estimate health and economic impact due to human NCC-associated active epilepsy in India. Input data were sourced from published research literature, census data and other official records. Economic losses due to NCC-associated active epilepsy were estimated based on cost of treatment, hospitalisation and severe injury as well as loss of income. The disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) due to NCC were estimated by combining years of life lost due to early death and the number of years compromised due to disability taking the disease incidence into account. DALYs were estimated for five age groups, two genders and four regions, and then combined. To account for uncertainty, probability distributions were used for disease incidence data and other input parameters. In addition, sensitivity analyses were conducted to determine the impact of certain input parameters on health and economic estimates. It was estimated that in 2011, human NCC-associated active epilepsy caused an annual median loss of Rupees 12.03 billion (uncertainty interval [95% UI] Rs. 9.16-15.57 billion; US $ 185.14 million) with losses of Rs. 9.78 billion (95% UI Rs. 7.24-13.0 billion; US $ 150.56 million) from the North and Rs. 2.22 billion (95% UI Rs. 1.58-3.06 billion; US $ 34.14 million) from the South. The disease resulted in a total of 2.10 million (95% UI 0.99-4.10 million) DALYs per annum without age weighting and time discounting with 1.81 million (95% UI 0.84-3.57 million) DALYs from the North and 0.28 million (95% UI 0.13-0.55 million) from the South. The health burden per thousand persons per year was 1.73 DALYs (95% UI 0.82-3.39). The results indicate that human NCC causes

  10. Influence of river discharge on abundance and dissemination of heterotrophic, indicator and pathogenic bacteria along the East Coast of India.

    PubMed

    Prasad, V R; Srinivas, T N R; Sarma, V V S S

    2015-06-15

    In order to examine the influence of discharge from different rivers from peninsular India and urban sewage on intensity and dissemination of heterotrophic, indicator and pathogenic bacteria, a study was carried out during peak discharge period along coastal Bay of Bengal. The coastal Bay received freshwater inputs from the river Ganges while Godavari and Krishna contributed to the south. Contrasting difference in salinity, temperature, nutrients and organic matter was observed between north and south east coast of India. The highest heterotrophic, indicator and pathogenic bacterial abundance was observed in the central coastal Bay that received urban sewage from the major city. Intensity and dissemination of heterotrophic, indicator and pathogenic bacteria displayed linear relation with magnitude of discharge. The coliform load was observed up to 100km from the coast suggesting that marine waters were polluted during the monsoon season and its impact on the ecosystem needs further studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. 15. Detail view of Boston Bridge Works builders plate, north ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    15. Detail view of Boston Bridge Works builders plate, north portal brace, looking southwest - India Point Railroad Bridge, Spanning Seekonk River between Providence & East Providence, Providence, Providence County, RI

  12. Recent increases in atmospheric deposition of mercury to North-Central Wisconsin lakes inferred from sediment analyses

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Rada, R.G.; Wiener, J.G.; Winfrey, M.R.; Powell, D.E.

    1989-01-01

    Profiles of total mercury (Hg) concentrations in sediments were examined in 11 lakes in north-central Wisconsin having a broad range of pH (5.1 to 7.8) and alkalinity (-12 to 769 μeq/L). Mercury concentrations were greatest in the top 15 cm of the cores and were much lower in the deeper strata. The Hg content in the most enriched stratum of individual cores ranged from 0.09 to 0.24 μg/g dry weight, whereas concentrations in deep, precolonial strata ranged from 0.04 to 0.07 μg/g. Sediment enrichment factors varied from 0.8 to 2.8 and were not correlated with lake pH. The increase in the Hg content of recent sediments was attributed to increased atmospheric deposition of the metal. Eight of the 11 systems studied were low-alkalinity lakes that presumably received most (≥90%) of their hydrologic input from precipitation falling directly onto the lake surface. Thus, the sedimentary Hg in these lakes seems more likely linked to direct atmospheric deposition onto the lake surfaces than to influxes from the watershed. The data imply that a potentially significant fraction of the high Hg burdens measured in game fish in certain lakes in north-central Wisconsin originated from atmospheric sources.

  13. Coal Rank and Stratigraphy of Pennsylvanian Coal and Coaly Shale Samples, Young County, North-Central Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Guevara, Edgar H.; Breton, Caroline; Hackley, Paul C.

    2007-01-01

    Vitrinite reflectance measurements were made to determine the rank of selected subsurface coal and coaly shale samples from Young County, north-central Texas, for the National Coal Resources Database System State Cooperative Program conducted by the Bureau of Economic Geology at The University of Texas at Austin. This research is the continuation of a pilot study that began in adjacent Archer County, and forms part of a larger investigation of the coalbed methane resource potential of Pennsylvanian coals in north-central Texas. A total of 57 samples of coal and coaly shale fragments were hand-picked from drill cuttings from depths of about 2,000 ft in five wells, and Ro determinations were made on an initial 10-sample subset. Electric-log correlation of the sampled wells indicates that the collected samples represent coal and coaly shale layers in the Strawn (Pennsylvanian), Canyon (Pennsylvanian), and Cisco (Pennsylvanian-Permian) Groups. Coal rank in the initial sample subset ranges from lignite (Ro=0.39), in a sample from the Cisco Group at a depth of 310 to 320 ft, to high volatile bituminous A coal (Ro=0.91) in a sample from the lower part of the Canyon Group at a depth of 2,030 to 2,040 ft.

  14. Who benefits from free institutional delivery? evidence from a cross sectional survey of North Central and Southwestern Nigeria.

    PubMed

    Ajayi, Anthony I; Akpan, Wilson

    2017-09-02

    The reasons for low utilisation of maternal health services in settings where the user-fee removal policy has been implemented continue to generate scholarly debates. Evidence of whether user-fee removal benefits the poor women in underserved settings is scanty and inconsistent. This article examines use of maternal health care services in the context of free maternal healthcare and profiles the beneficiaries of user-fee removal. The study adopted a descriptive design. A three-stage cluster sampling method was used to select a representative sample of 1227 women who gave birth between 2011 and 2015. Questionnaires were administered using a face-to-face interview approach and data generated were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The analysis shows that the use of maternal healthcare services has improved considerably in North Central and Southwestern Nigeria. While socioeconomic and geographical inequality in the use of maternal healthcare services appear to be disappearing in Southwestern Nigeria, it appears to be widening in North Central Nigeria. The findings indicate that 33.6% of women reported to have benefitted from the free child-delivery programme; however, substantial variation exists across the two regions. The proportion of beneficiaries of user-fee removal policy was highest in urban areas (35.9%), among women belonging to the middle income category (38.3%), among women who gave birth in primary health centres (63.1%) and among women who resided in communities where there was availability of health facilities (37.2%). The study concludes that low coverage of the free maternal health programme, especially among women of low socioeconomic status residing in underserved settings is among the reasons for persistent poor maternal health outcomes in the context of free maternal healthcare. A model towards improving maternal health in underserved settings, especially in North Central Nigeria, would entail provisioning of health facilities

  15. Estimates of Internal Tide Energy Fluxes from Topex/Poseidon Altimetry: Central North Pacific

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ray, Richard D.; Cartwright, David E.; Smith, David E. (Technical Monitor)

    2000-01-01

    Energy fluxes for first-mode M(sub 2) internal tides are deduced throughout the central North Pacific Ocean from Topex/Poseidon satellite altimeter data. Temporally coherent internal tide signals in the altimetry, combined with climatological hydrographic data, determine the tidal displacements, pressures, and currents at depth, which yield power transmission rates. For a variety of reasons the deduced rates should be considered lower bounds. Internal tides were found to emanate from several large bathymetric structures, especially the Hawaiian Ridge, where the integrated flux amounts to about six gigawatts. Internal tides are generated at the Aleutian Trench near 172 deg west and propagate southwards nearly 2000 km.

  16. Prevalence and causes of low birth weight in India.

    PubMed

    Bharati, P; Pal, M; Bandyopadhyay, M; Bhakta, A; Chakraborty, S; Bharati, P

    2011-12-01

    The aims of the study are (i) to understand inter-zone and interstate variation of low birth weight (LBW) and (ii) to determine the key variables to reduce LBW in India. Using the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data of 2005-06 which showed the percentage distribution of LBW infants, ANOVA and post-hoc test were performed to determine the spatial variation of birth weight. The covariates which influence LBW fell into three categories: (i) social variables which included location, mother's education, religion, access of mothers to newspapers, television and family structure; (ii) economic variable namely, the wealth index, and (iii) biological variables which consisted of sex of the children, birth order, and mother's body mass index (BMI). Three models of Logistic regression were carried out to examine the influence of the combinations of these direct and indirect factors. In India, nearly 20% of new borns have LBW. Males have less frequency of LBW than females. The North-east zone has the lowest prevalence of LBW while the north zone has the highest. Mother's education, access to TV and nuclear family, and intake of iron tablets are the most important socio-economic influences on the determination of birth weight in India. It is essential to provide proper diet and nutritional care of mothers during pregnancy. Increased education of mothers through programmes in TV and newspapers articles have significant roles to play in reducing LBW in India.

  17. New insights into the earliest Quaternary environments in the Central North Sea from 3D seismic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lamb, Rachel; Huuse, Mads; Stewart, Margaret; Brocklehurst, Simon H.

    2014-05-01

    In the past the transition between an unconformable surface in the south to a conformable horizon towards the north has made identification and mapping the base-Quaternary in the central North Sea difficult (Sejrup et al 1991; Gatliff et al 1994). However recent integration of biostratigraphy, pollen analysis, paleomagnetism and amino acid analysis in the Dutch and Danish sectors (Rasmussen et al 2005; Kuhlmann et al 2006) has allowed greater confidence in the correlation to the region 3D seismic datasets and thus has allowed the base-Quaternary to be mapped across the entire basin. The base-Quaternary has been mapped using the PGS MegaSurvey dataset from wells in the Danish Sector along the initially unconformable horizon and down the delta front into the more conformable basin giving a high degree of confidence in the horizon pick. The revised base-Quaternary surface reaches a depth of 1248 ms TWT with an elongate basin shape which is significantly deeper than the traditionally mapped surface. Using RMS amplitudes and other seismic attributes the revised base-Quaternary has been investigated along the horizon and in time slice to interpret the environments of the earliest Quaternary prior to the onset of glaciation. Combined with analysis of aligned elongate furrows over 10 km long, 100 m wide and 100 m deep suggest a deep marine environment in an almost enclosed basin with persistent strong NW-SE bottom currents in the deepest parts. Pockmarks were formed by the escape of shallow gas on the sides of a small delta in the eastern part of the basin. The progradation of large deltas from both the north and south into the basin make up the majority of the deposition of sediment into the basin. Key Words: base-Quaternary; seismic interpretation; paleoenvironments References: Gatliff, R.W, Richards, P.C, Smith, K, Graham, C.C, McCormac, M, Smith, N.J.P, Long, D, Cameron, T.D.J, Evans, D, Stevenson, A.G, Bulat, J, Ritchie, J.D, (1994) 'United Kingdom offshore regional

  18. Data on nearshore wave process and surficial beach deposits, central Tamil Nadu coast, India.

    PubMed

    Joevivek, V; Chandrasekar, N

    2017-08-01

    The chronicles of nearshore morphology and surficial beach deposits provide valuable information about the nature of the beach condition and the depositional environment. It imparts an understanding about the spatial and temporal relationship of nearshore waves and its influence over the distribution of beach sediments. This article contains data about wave and sediment dynamics of the ten sandy beaches along the central Tamil Nadu coast, India. This present dataset comprises nearshore wave parameters, breaker wave type, beach morphodynamic state, grain size distribution and weight percentage of heavy and light mineral distribution. The dataset will figure out the beach morphology and hydrodynamic condition with respect to the different monsoonal season. This will act as a field reference to realize the coastal dynamics in an open sea condition. The nearshore entities were obtained from the intensive field survey between January 2011 and December 2011, while characteristics of beach sediments are examined by the chemical process in the laboratory environment.

  19. Relationship between aerosol and lightning over Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP), India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lal, D. M.; Ghude, Sachin D.; Mahakur, M.; Waghmare, R. T.; Tiwari, S.; Srivastava, Manoj K.; Meena, G. S.; Chate, D. M.

    2017-08-01

    The relationship between aerosol and lightning over the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP), India has been evaluated by utilising aerosol optical depth (AOD), cloud droplet effective radius and cloud fraction from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer. Lightning flashes have been observed by the lightning Imaging sensor on the board of Tropical Rainfall and Measuring Mission and humidity from modern-era retrospective-analysis for research and applications for the period of 2001-2012. In this study, the role of aerosol in lightning generation over the north-west sector of IGP has been revealed. It is found that lightning activity increases (decreases) with increasing aerosols during normal (deficient) monsoon rainfall years. However, lightning increases with increasing aerosol during deficient rainfall years when the average value of AOD is less than 0.88. We have found that during deficient rainfall years the moisture content of the atmosphere and cloud fraction is smaller than that during the years with normal or excess monsoon rainfall over the north-west IGP. Over the north-east Bay of Bengal and its adjoining region the variations of moisture and cloud fraction between the deficient and normal rainfall years are minimal. We have found that the occurrence of the lightning over this region is primarily due to its topography and localised circulation. The warm-dry air approaching from north-west converges with moist air emanating from the Bay of Bengal causing instability that creates an environment for deep convective cloud and lightning. The relationship between lightning and aerosol is stronger over the north-west sector of IGP than the north-east, whereas it is moderate over the central IGP. We conclude that aerosol is playing a major role in lightning activity over the north-west sector of IGP, but, local meteorological conditions such as convergences of dry and moist air is the principal cause of lightning over the north-east sector of IGP. In addition

  20. The record of India-Asia collision preserved in Tethyan ocean basin sediments.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Najman, Yani; Jenks, Dan; Godin, Laurent; Boudagher-Fadel, Marcelle; Bown, Paul; Horstwood, Matt; Garzanti, Eduardo; Bracialli, Laura; Millar, Ian

    2015-04-01

    The timing of India-Asia collision is critical to the understanding of crustal deformation processes, since, for example, it impacts on calculations regarding the amount of convergence that needs to be accommodated by various mechanisms. In this research we use sediments originally deposited in the Tethyan ocean basin and now preserved in the Himalayan orogeny to constrain the timing of collision. In the NW Himalaya, a number of workers have proposed a ca 55-50 Ma age for collision along the Indus suture zone which separates India from the Kohistan-Ladakh Intraoceanic Island arc (KLA) to the north. This is based on a number of factors including the age of youngest marine sediments in the Indus suture (e.g. Green et al. 2008), age of eclogites indicative of onset of Indian continental subduction (e.g. de Sigoyer et al. 2000), and first evidence of detritus from north of the suture zone deposited on the Indian plate (e.g. Clift et al. 2002). Such evidence can be interpreted as documenting the age of India-Asia collision if one takes the KLA to have collided with the Asian plate prior to its collision with India (e.g. Petterson 2010 and refs therein). However, an increasing number of workers propose that the KLA collided with Asia subsequent to its earlier collision with India, dated variously at 85 Ma (Chatterjee et al. 2013), 61 Ma (Khan et al. 2009) and 50 Ma (Bouilhol et al. 2013). This, plus the questioning of earlier provenance work (Clift et al. 2002) regarding the validity of their data for constraining timing of earliest arrival of material north of the suture deposited on the Indian plate (Henderson et al. 2011) suggests that the time is right for a reappraisal of this topic. We use a provenance-based approach here, using combined U-Pb and Hf on detrital zircons from Tethyan ocean basin sediments, along with petrography and biostratigraphy, to identify first arrival of material from north of the Indian plate to arrive on the Indian continent, to constrain

  1. 37. NORTH TO BINS ALONG NORTH WALL OF FACTORY BUILDING ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    37. NORTH TO BINS ALONG NORTH WALL OF FACTORY BUILDING WHICH REMAIN FILLED WITH NEW OLD STOCK AND USED PARTS FOR ELI WINDMILLS. THE ROPE AT THE LOWER FOREGROUND WAS USED IN ERECTING WINDMILLS AND TOWERS FOR CUSTOMERS. - Kregel Windmill Company Factory, 1416 Central Avenue, Nebraska City, Otoe County, NE

  2. Water-food-energy nexus with changing agricultural scenarios in India during recent decades

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barik, Beas; Ghosh, Subimal; Saheer Sahana, A.; Pathak, Amey; Sekhar, Muddu

    2017-06-01

    Meeting the growing water and food demands in a densely populated country like India is a major challenge. It requires an extensive investigation into the changing patterns of the checks and balances behind the maintenance of food security at the expense of depleting groundwater, along with high energy consumption. Here we present a comprehensive set of analyses which assess the present status of the water-food-energy nexus in India, along with its changing pattern, in the last few decades. We find that with the growth of population and consequent increase in the food demands, the food production has also increased, and this has been made possible with the intensification of irrigation. However, during the recent decade (after 1996), the increase in food production has not been sufficient to meet its growing demands, precipitating a decline in the per-capita food availability. We also find a statistically significant declining trend of groundwater storage in India during the last decade, as derived from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite datasets. Regional studies reveal contrasting trends between northern and western-central India. North-western India and the middle Ganga basin show a decrease in the groundwater storage as opposed to an increasing storage over western-central India. Comparison with well data reveals that the highest consistency of GRACE-derived storage data with available well measurements is in the middle Ganga basin. After analysing the data for the last 2 decades, we further showcase that, after a drought, the groundwater storage drops but is unable to recover to its original condition even after good monsoon years. The groundwater storage reveals a very strong negative correlation with the electricity consumption for agricultural usage, which may also be considered as a proxy for groundwater pumped for irrigation in a region. The electricity usage for agricultural purposes has an increasing trend and, interestingly

  3. New paleomagnetic results from the Paleocene redbeds in the Tethyan Himalaya: Insights into the precollisional extension of Greater India and the time of the India-Asia collision

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, T.; Jin, J.; Ma, Y.; Bian, W.; Zhang, S.; Gao, F.; Wu, H.; Li, H.; Yang, Z.; Cao, L.

    2017-12-01

    The collision and ongoing convergence between the India and Asia continents have produced the Himalayan-Tibetan Orogen. The precollisional extension of Greater India and the time of the India-Asia collision are very important to understand the tectonic evolution of the Tibetan Plateau, but disputes still remain concerning these two problems. A paleomagnetic and rock-magnetic study has been carried out on the Sangdanlin and Zheya Formation redbeds, which were dated at 60-58.5 Ma, in the Saga area of the Tethyan Himalaya. Thirty-six Paleocene redbed sites provide a tilt-corrected site-mean direction of D=178.3°, I=9.8° with ɑ95=5.5°, corresponding to a paleopole at 55.6°N, 268.5°E with A95 = 4.9°. This Paleocene paleomagnetic dataset passes positive fold tests and shows that the Saga area (29.3°N, 85.3°E) was located at 5.1°S during 60-58.5 Ma. Comparing the Paleocene (60-58.5 Ma) paleomagnetic results observed from the Tethyan Himalaya with those expected from the Indian APWP indicates a paleolatitude difference of 2.1°, which, combined with that the Early Cretaceous paleomagnetic results obtained from the Tethyan Himalaya and the Indian craton also showed a similar paleolatitude difference, suggests that neither a great north-south crustal shortening occurred between the Indian craton and the Tethyan Himalaya after the India-Asia collision, nor that a wide ocean extended between them after the Early Cretaceous. Therefore, high-quality paleomagnetic results show no a big Greater India. Based on our new Paleocene results obtained from the Tethyan Himalaya and the reliable Cretaceous-Early Eocene paleomagnetic results observed from the Lhasa terrane, as well as on extrapolating a constant Indian northward velocity of 18.8 cm/yr, the India-Asia collision occurred at 49.2 Ma for the reference point at 29.3°N, 85.3°E. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41572205) and the Fundamental Research Fund for the Central

  4. Multiple constitutional aetiological factors in bone marrow failure syndrome (BMFS) patients from north India.

    PubMed

    Varma, Neelam; Varma, Subhash; Marwaha, Ram Kumar; Malhotra, Pankaj; Bansal, Deepak; Malik, Kiran; Kaur, Sukhdeep; Garewal, Gurjeevan

    2006-07-01

    A large number of patients diagnosed with bone marrow failure syndromes (BMFS), comprising aplastic anaemia (AA) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), remain aetiologically uncharacterized worldover, especially in resource constrained set up. We carried out this study to identify a few constitutional causes in BMFS patients attending a tertiary care hospital in north India. Peripheral blood lymphocyte cultures were performed (with and without clastogens) in a cohort of 135 consecutive BMFS patients, in order to detect Fanconi anaemia (FA), Down's syndrome (+21), trisomy 8 (+8) and monosomy 7 (-7). Constitutional factors were detected in 17 (12.6%) patients. FA defect was observed in 24.07 percent (13/54), 16.66 percent (1/6) and 2.85 percent (1/35) paediatric aplastic anaemia, paediatric MDS and adult MDS patients respectively. Down's syndrome was detected in 5.00 percent (2/40) adult aplastic anaemia patients. None of the patients revealed trisomy 8 or monosomy 7. Presence of an underlying factor determines appropriate management, prognostication, family screening and genetic counselling of BMFS patients. Special tests required to confirm or exclude constitutional aetiological factors are not available to majority of the patients in our country. Diepoxybutane (DEB) test yielded better results than mitomycin C (MMC) test in our experience.

  5. Characterization of smallholder pig breeding practices within a rural commune of North Central Vietnam.

    PubMed

    Ieda, Nahoko; Van Bui, Quang; Nguyen, Nga Thi Duong; Lapar, Lucy; Marshall, Karen

    2015-08-01

    This case study focused on a pig production system in a rural area of North Central Vietnam, with a focus on describing household pig breeding practices and estimating herd demographic parameters, particularly on reproduction. One hundred five households undertaking small-scale piglet production were surveyed, with information gathered on 3268 individual pigs. Pig keeping contributed variably to the overall household livelihood portfolio, with female household members as the main decision makers, contributors to labor, and beneficiaries of income from the pig enterprise. All households kept between one and four young or adult sows, with 69% of these sows of a local breed type (predominantly Mong Cai), 28% a cross between a local sow and an exotic sow (predominantly Large White), and the remainder (3%) as exotic sows. Eighty-eight percent of the piglets produced were cross-bred, while 12% were local breed. No adult males were kept by the surveyed households, reflecting the common use of artificial insemination for mating purposes. The most common breeding system practiced-the keeping of Mong Cai females and production of cross-bred piglets-capitalizes on the small body size and high fecundity of the sows and the fast growth rate and leanness of the cross-bred piglets. The survey tool used, which was based on farmer recall of events over the preceding 12-month period, appeared to give reasonable results although some recall bias could be detected. This case study will serve as an entry point to planned broader scale characterization and development of pig breeding systems in North Central Vietnam.

  6. First record of the Genus Lichnofugia from India with description of a new species (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae; Conocephalinae; Agraeciini; Liarina).

    PubMed

    Hajong, Sudhanya Ray

    2014-10-24

    The genus Lichnofugia is reported for the first time from India with a description of Lichnofugia umshingensis sp. nov. from Shillong, Meghalaya. The distribution of Lichnofugia thus extends eastward from Peninsular Malaysia and Thailand to north- eastern India.

  7. Instantaneous deformation and kinematics of the India-Australia Plate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Delescluse, Matthias; Chamot-Rooke, Nicolas

    2007-02-01

    Active intraplate deformation of the India-Australia Plate is now being captured by far-field global positioning system (GPS) measurements as well as measurements on a few islands located within the deforming zone itself. In this paper, we combine global and regional geodetic solutions with focal mechanisms of earthquakes to derive the present-day strain field of the India-Australia Plate. We first compile an updated catalogue of 131 Indian intraplate earthquakes (M > 5) spanning the period between the two Asian mega earthquakes of Assam 1897 and Sumatra 2004. Using Haines and Holt's numerical approach applied to a fully deformable India-Australia Plate, we show that the use of GPS data only or earthquakes data only has severe drawbacks, related, respectively, to the small number of stations and the incompleteness of the earthquakes catalogue. The combined solution avoids underestimation of the strain inherent to the Kostrov summation of seismic moments and provides details that cannot be reached by pure GPS modelling. We further explore the role of heterogeneity of the India-Australia Plate and find that the best model, in terms of geodetic vectors fit, relative distribution of strain, style and direction of principal strain from earthquakes, is obtained using the surface heat-flow as a proxy for rheological weakness of the oceanic lithosphere. The present-day deformation is distributed around the Afanasy Nikitin Chain in the Central Indian Basin (CIB)-where it is almost pure shortening-and within the Wharton Basin (WB) off Sumatra-where it is almost pure lateral strike-slip. The northern portion of NinetyEast ridge (NyR) appears as a major discontinuity for both strain and velocity. The new velocity field gives an India/Australia rotation pole located at 11.3°S, 72.8°E (-0.301°Myr-1) overlapping with previous solutions, with continental India moving eastward at rates ranging from 13 mm yr-1 (southern India) to 26 mm yr-1 (northern India) with respect to

  8. Greenhouse gas fluxes of a shallow lake in south-central North Dakota, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Tangen, Brian; Finocchiaro, Raymond; Gleason, Robert A.; Dahl, Charles F.

    2016-01-01

    Greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes of aquatic ecosystems in the northern Great Plains of the U.S. represent a significant data gap. Consequently, a 3-year study was conducted in south-central North Dakota, USA, to provide an initial estimate of GHG fluxes from a large, shallow lake. Mean GHG fluxes were 0.02 g carbon dioxide (CO2) m−2 h−1, 0.0009 g methane (CH4) m−2 h−1, and 0.0005 mg nitrous oxide (N2O) m−2 h−1. Fluxes of CO2 and CH4 displayed temporal and spatial variability which is characteristic of aquatic ecosystems, while fluxes of N2O were consistently low throughout the study. Comparisons between results of this study and published values suggest that mean daily fluxes of CO2, CH4, and N2O fromLong Lakewere low, particularly when compared to the well-studied prairie pothole wetlands of the region. Similarly, cumulative seasonal CH4 fluxes, which ranged from 2.68–7.58 g CH4 m−2, were relatively low compared to other wetland systems of North America. The observed variability among aquatic ecosystems underscores the need for further research.

  9. The flight periodicity, attack patterns, and life history of Dryocoetes confusus Swaine (Coleoptera: Curculionida: Scolytinae), the western balsam bark beetle, in north central Colorado

    Treesearch

    Jose F. Negron; John B. Popp

    2009-01-01

    Dryocoetes confusus Swaine, the western balsam bark beetle, is an important bark beetle associated with Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt. (subalpine fir) in western North America. Little information is available on the life cycle and ecology of this insect in Colorado. In this study in north central Colorado, we examined its...

  10. Ovitrap Efficacy Using Plant Infusions to Monitor Vertical Distribution of Aedes albopictus Skuse (Diptera: Culicidae) in North-Central Florida

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The response of Aedes albopictus to ovitraps containing water, oak or oak-pine was evaluated in four suburban and four sylvatic habitats in North-Central Florida to ascertain potential egg-laying heights. A total of 48 ovitraps were suspended at 1 and 6 meters and monitored weekly for five months....

  11. Spatiotemporal patterns of paddy rice croplands in China and India from 2000 to 2015.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Geli; Xiao, Xiangming; Biradar, Chandrashekhar M; Dong, Jinwei; Qin, Yuanwei; Menarguez, Michael A; Zhou, Yuting; Zhang, Yao; Jin, Cui; Wang, Jie; Doughty, Russell B; Ding, Mingjun; Moore, Berrien

    2017-02-01

    Due to rapid population growth and urbanization, paddy rice agriculture is experiencing substantial changes in the spatiotemporal pattern of planting areas in the two most populous countries-China and India-where food security is always the primary concern. However, there is no spatially explicit and continuous rice-planting information in either country. This knowledge gap clearly hinders our ability to understand the effects of spatial paddy rice area dynamics on the environment, such as food and water security, climate change, and zoonotic infectious disease transmission. To resolve this problem, we first generated annual maps of paddy rice planting areas for both countries from 2000 to 2015, which are derived from time series Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data and the phenology- and pixel-based rice mapping platform (RICE-MODIS), and analyzed the spatiotemporal pattern of paddy rice dynamics in the two countries. We found that China experienced a general decrease in paddy rice planting area with a rate of 0.72 million (m) ha/yr from 2000 to 2015, while a significant increase at a rate of 0.27mha/yr for the same time period happened in India. The spatial pattern of paddy rice agriculture in China shifted northeastward significantly, due to simultaneous expansions in paddy rice planting areas in northeastern China and contractions in southern China. India showed an expansion of paddy rice areas across the entire country, particularly in the northwestern region of the Indo-Gangetic Plain located in north India and the central and south plateau of India. In general, there has been a northwesterly shift in the spatial pattern of paddy rice agriculture in India. These changes in the spatiotemporal patterns of paddy rice planting area have raised new concerns on how the shift may affect national food security and environmental issues relevant to water, climate, and biodiversity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Application of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) in the Management of Universities in the North-Central State of Nigeria

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oboegbulem, Angie Ijeoma; Godwin, Ochai

    2013-01-01

    This study investigated the application of ICT (information and communication technology) in the management of universities in the north-central Nigeria. The study was a descriptive survey. The population of the study comprised 1,294 respondents in federal and state universities (763 in federal and 531 in state universities). The sample size…

  13. Prominent November Coldwaves in the North Central United States Since 1901.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wendland, Wayne M.

    1987-06-01

    The frequency and intensity of early winter (November) coldwaves were investigated for the north central United States. Twenty-two such storms occurred from 1901 to 1985, and were most frequent in the 1950s and early 1960s, and again from the mid 1970s to the present.November coldwaves are most often the result of Colorado cyclones moving to the cast northeast. On average, temperature declines of 22°C or more within 24 hours, falling to at least 0°C, impacted about 40 percent of the 12-state region. The storms were most often accompanied by strong winds, wind chill, heavy snow to the west, and thunderstorms to the cast, i.e., the trappings of a severe winter storm. Many of these storms inflicted severe damage on land and on the Great Lakes, sometimes taking lives of those not anticipating such a severe "winter" storm in November.

  14. Comparing Soil Carbon of Short Rotation Poplar Plantations with Agricultural Crops and Woodlots in North Central United States

    Treesearch

    Mark D. Coleman; J.G. Isebrands; David N. Tolsted; Virginia R. Tolbert

    2004-01-01

    We collected soil samples from 27 study sites across North Central United States to compare the soil carbon of short rotation poplar plantations to adjacent agricultural crops and woodlots. Soil organic carbon (SOC) ranged from 20 to more than 160 Mg/ha across the sampled sites. Lowest SOC levels were found in uplands and highest levels in riparian soils. We attributed...

  15. Genotoxicity and oxidative stress in chromium-exposed tannery workers in North India.

    PubMed

    Ambreen, Khushboo; Khan, Faizan Haider; Bhadauria, Smrati; Kumar, Sudhir

    2014-06-01

    Trivalent chromium (Cr) is an environmental contaminant, which is extensively used in tanning industries throughout the world and causes various forms of health hazards in tannery workers. Therefore, a cross-sectional study design was used to evaluate the DNA damage and oxidative stress condition in tannery workers exposed to Cr in North India. The study population comprised 100 male tanners in the exposed group and 100 healthy males (no history of Cr exposure) in the comparable control group. Baseline characteristics including age, smoking, alcohol consumption habits and duration of exposure were recorded via interviewing the subjects. Blood Cr level (measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry), DNA damage (measured by comet assay) and oxidative stress parameters (malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD)) were estimated in both the groups. As a result of statistical analysis, exposed group showed significantly higher level of Cr (p < 0.0001), DNA damage (p < 0.0001), MDA (p < 0.0001), SOD (p < 0.05) and lower level of GSH (p < 0.001) when compared with controls. Smoking, alcohol consumption habits and age had no significant effect (p > 0.05) on DNA damage and oxidative stress parameters in both the groups. In simple and multiple correlation analysis, DNA damage and oxidative stress parameters showed significant correlation with Cr level and duration of exposure in exposed group. The findings of the present study revealed that chronic occupational exposure to trivalent Cr may cause DNA damage and oxidative stress in tannery workers. © The Author(s) 2012.

  16. Towards seasonal forecasting of malaria in India.

    PubMed

    Lauderdale, Jonathan M; Caminade, Cyril; Heath, Andrew E; Jones, Anne E; MacLeod, David A; Gouda, Krushna C; Murty, Upadhyayula Suryanarayana; Goswami, Prashant; Mutheneni, Srinivasa R; Morse, Andrew P

    2014-08-10

    Malaria presents public health challenge despite extensive intervention campaigns. A 30-year hindcast of the climatic suitability for malaria transmission in India is presented, using meteorological variables from a state of the art seasonal forecast model to drive a process-based, dynamic disease model. The spatial distribution and seasonal cycles of temperature and precipitation from the forecast model are compared to three observationally-based meteorological datasets. These time series are then used to drive the disease model, producing a simulated forecast of malaria and three synthetic malaria time series that are qualitatively compared to contemporary and pre-intervention malaria estimates. The area under the Relative Operator Characteristic (ROC) curve is calculated as a quantitative metric of forecast skill, comparing the forecast to the meteorologically-driven synthetic malaria time series. The forecast shows probabilistic skill in predicting the spatial distribution of Plasmodium falciparum incidence when compared to the simulated meteorologically-driven malaria time series, particularly where modelled incidence shows high seasonal and interannual variability such as in Orissa, West Bengal, and Jharkhand (North-east India), and Gujarat, Rajastan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra (North-west India). Focusing on these two regions, the malaria forecast is able to distinguish between years of "high", "above average" and "low" malaria incidence in the peak malaria transmission seasons, with more than 70% sensitivity and a statistically significant area under the ROC curve. These results are encouraging given that the three month forecast lead time used is well in excess of the target for early warning systems adopted by the World Health Organization. This approach could form the basis of an operational system to identify the probability of regional malaria epidemics, allowing advanced and targeted allocation of resources for combatting malaria in India.

  17. Linking a sea level pressure anomaly dipole over North America to the central Pacific El Niño

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ding, Ruiqiang; Li, Jianping; Tseng, Yu-heng; Sun, Cheng; Zheng, Fei

    2017-08-01

    This study demonstrates the close connection between the north-south dipole pattern of sea level pressure anomalies over northeastern North America to the western tropical North Atlantic, referred to as the North American dipole (NAD), and the central Pacific (CP)-type El Niño a year later. In contrast to other ENSO precursors, such as the North Pacific Oscillation (NPO) and Pacific-North America (PNA) pattern, the NAD appears more closely related to the CP-type El Niño than to the eastern Pacific (EP)-type El Niño, indicating that the NAD may serve as a unique precursor for the CP El Niño. The wintertime NAD induces sea surface temperature anomalies in the northern tropical Atlantic (NTA), which subsequently play an important role in developing the CP El Niño-like pattern in the tropical Pacific over the course of the following year. It appears that the NAD influence on CP El Niño involves air-sea interaction over several major basins, including the subtropical/tropical Pacific and the NTA. Additional analysis indicates that the correlation of either the NAD index or the NPO index with the CP El Niño state a year later depends on the status of the other index. When the wintertime NAD index is of the opposite sign to the simultaneous NPO index, the correlation of the NAD or NPO index with the Niño4 index becomes much weaker.

  18. Tectonic interactions between India and Arabia since the Jurassic reconstructed from marine geophysics, ophiolite geology, and seismic tomography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gaina, Carmen; van Hinsbergen, Douwe J. J.; Spakman, Wim

    2015-05-01

    Gondwana breakup since the Jurassic and the northward motion of India toward Eurasia were associated with formation of ocean basins and ophiolite obduction between and onto the Indian and Arabian margins. Here we reconcile marine geophysical data from preserved oceanic basins with the age and location of ophiolites in NW India and SE Arabia and seismic tomography of the mantle below the NW Indian Ocean. The North Somali and proto-Owen basins formed due to 160-133 Ma N-S extension between India and Somalia. Subsequent convergence destroyed part of this crust, simultaneous with the uplift of the Masirah ophiolites. Most of the preserved crust in the Owen Basin may have formed between 84 and 74 Ma, whereas the Mascarene and the Amirante basins accommodated motion between India and Madagascar/East Africa between 85 and circa 60 Ma and 75 and circa 66 Ma, respectively. Between circa 84 and 45 Ma, oblique Arabia-India convergence culminated in ophiolite obduction onto SE Arabia and NW India and formed the Carlsberg slab in the lower mantle below the NW Indian Ocean. The NNE-SSW oriented slab may explain the anomalous bathymetry in the NW Indian Ocean and may be considered a paleolongitudinal constraint for absolute plate motion. NW India-Asia collision occurred at circa 20 Ma deforming the Sulaiman ranges or at 30 Ma if the Hindu Kush slab north of the Afghan block reflects intra-Asian subduction. Our study highlights that the NW India ophiolites have no relationship with India-Asia motion or collision but result from relative India-Africa/Arabia motions instead.

  19. Measuring changes in stress and vitality indicators in limed sugar maple on the Allegheny Plateau in north-central Pennsylvania

    Treesearch

    Philip M. Wargo; Rakesh Minocha; Betty Wong; Robert P. Long; Stephen B. Horsley; Thomas J. Hall

    2002-01-01

    A study established in 1985 in north-central Pennsylvania to determine effects of lime fertilization on declining sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) was evaluated in 1993 and showed that liming positively affected growth and crown vitality in sugar maple. This effect of lime on sugar maple offered an opportunity to assess other indicators of tree...

  20. AIDS in India: emerging from initial chaos.

    PubMed

    Chatterjee, A

    1991-01-01

    India's response to AIDS has ranged from a 3-phase official surveillance program begun by the India Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in 1985, to legislation criticized as "bigoted and superficial", to conflicting messages, panic and confusion. The ICMR has determined that HIV is transmitted mainly by heterosexual contacts in India. In the media the Director-General of the ICMR was cited as recommending that sex with foreign visitors be banned, as a way to contain the HIV epidemic. Media also reported that defective ELISA screening kits were imported into India that infection control in some hospitals is sub-optimal, that the blood and blood products supply is grossly contaminated with HIV and that certain commercial blood donors were infected from giving blood. All foreign students currently must be HIV-negative to get a visa. It is a major problem to plan an AIDS education campaign with India's large illiterate population and dozens of languages. An AIDS network is emerging incorporating ICMR, the All India Institute of Medical Science, the Central Health Education Bureau, Mother Teresa's order, and a newly formed gay awareness group with the newsletter "Bombay Dost."

  1. A refined age grid for the Central North Atlantic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luis, J. M.; Miranda, J.

    2012-12-01

    We present a digital model for the age of the Central North Atlantic as a geographical grid with 1 arc minute resolution. Our seafloor isochrons are identified following the 'grid procedure' described in the work of Luis and Miranda (2008). The grid itself, which was initially a locally improved version of the Verhoef et al. (1996) compilation, was improved in 2011 (Luis and Miranda, 2011) and further refined with the inclusion of Russian data north of Charlie Gibbs FZ (personal communication, S. Mercuriev). The location and geometry of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is now very well constrained by both magnetic anomalies and swath bathymetry data down to ~10 degrees N. We identified an extensive set of chrons 0, 2A, 3, 3A, 4, 4A, 5, 6, 6C, 11-12, 13, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33r, M0, M2, M4, M10, M16, M21 and M25. The ages at each grid node are computed by linear interpolation of adjacent isochrons along the direction of the flow-lines. As a pre-processing step each conjugate pair of isochrones was simplified by rotating one of them about the finite pole of that anomaly and use both, original picks plus rotated ones, to calculate an average segment. Fractures zones are used to constrain the chron's shape. These procedures minimize the uncertainties in locations where on one side of the basin one has good identifications but the other is poorly defined as is typical of many of the old isochrones. Care has also taken to account for locations where significant ridge jumps were found. Ages of the ocean floor between the oldest identified magnetic anomalies and continental crust are interpolated using the oldest ages of the Muller at al. (2008), which were themselves estimated from the ages of passive continental margin segments. This is a contribution to MAREKH project (PTDC/MAR/108142/2008) funded by the Portuguese Science Foundation.

  2. Paleomagnetic study of 1765 Ma dyke swarm from the Singhbhum Craton: Implications to the paleogeography of India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shankar, Ravi; Srinivasa Sarma, D.; Ramesh Babu, N.; Parashuramulu, V.

    2018-05-01

    We report the first key paleopole as a result of paleomagnetic study on a precisely dated 1765.3 ± 1.0 Ma WNW-ESE trending dyke swarm from Singhbhum Craton. This pole has been used in this study to propose the paleogeographic reconstruction of India with Baltica Craton and North China Craton. Incremental alternating field (AF) and thermal demagnetization, isolated high coercivity components with north to north-westerly declination and shallow negative inclination from 9 sampling sites which are representing different individual dykes. The primary origin of the ChRM is supported by the positive baked contact test. The WNW-ESE trending dykes yield a mean paleomagnetic direction with a declination = 329.2° and an inclination = -22.8° (k = 31.6; α95 = 9.3°). The positive bake contact test proves the primary nature of remanence. The pole position of Singhbhum Craton at 1765 Ma is 45°N, 311°E (dp = 5.2 and dm = 9.9). Paleogeographic reconstruction at ca. 1770 Ma, supported by geological, tectonic and metallogenic evidences indicate that the Baltica Craton and India linkage can be stable for at least ∼370 Ma (∼1770-1400 Ma). There is also reasonable evidence in support of India-North China Craton spatial proximity at ∼1770 Ma.

  3. "El Miedo y El Hambre": Understanding the Familial, Social, and Educational Realities of Undocumented Latino Families in North Central Indiana

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Viramontez Anguiano, Ruben P.; Lopez, Anayeli

    2012-01-01

    This study explored how different ecological factors, within and outside the family, affected the educational success of the children of undocumented families. The sample consisted of 63 immigrant Latino parents (40 families) who resided in North Central Indiana. This study utilized an ethnographic research design. Findings demonstrated that…

  4. Designing Contemporary Teacher Education Curricula. Report of the Annual North Central Association Teacher Education Workshop (38th, Flagstaff, Arizona, 1985).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jones, Donald W., Ed.

    The theme of the 1985-1986 Teacher Education Workshop, sponsored by the North Central Association Teacher Education Project, was "Designing Contemporary Teacher Education Curricula." Group reports are presented on: (1) "Forces Affecting Parameters of Teacher Education"; (2) "A Window of Analysis for Examining One Major Curriculum Recommendation";…

  5. Identifying Pelagic Habitat Hotspots of Neon Flying Squid in the Temperate Waters of the Central North Pacific.

    PubMed

    Alabia, Irene D; Saitoh, Sei-Ichi; Mugo, Robinson; Igarashi, Hiromichi; Ishikawa, Yoichi; Usui, Norihisa; Kamachi, Masafumi; Awaji, Toshiyuki; Seito, Masaki

    2015-01-01

    We identified the pelagic habitat hotspots of the neon flying squid (Ommastrephes bartramii) in the central North Pacific from May to July and characterized the spatial patterns of squid aggregations in relation to oceanographic features such as mesoscale oceanic eddies and the Transition Zone Chlorophyll-a Front (TZCF). The data used for the habitat model construction and analyses were squid fishery information, remotely-sensed and numerical model-derived environmental data from May to July 1999-2010. Squid habitat hotspots were deduced from the monthly Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) models and were identified as regions of persistent high suitable habitat across the 12-year period. The distribution of predicted squid habitat hotspots in central North Pacific revealed interesting spatial and temporal patterns likely linked with the presence and dynamics of oceanographic features in squid's putative foraging grounds from late spring to summer. From May to June, the inferred patches of squid habitat hotspots developed within the Kuroshio-Oyashio transition zone (KOTZ; 37-40°N) and further expanded north towards the subarctic frontal zone (SAFZ; 40-44°N) in July. The squid habitat hotspots within the KOTZ and areas west of the dateline (160°W-180°) were likely influenced and associated with the highly dynamic and transient oceanic eddies and could possibly account for lower squid suitable habitat persistence obtained from these regions. However, predicted squid habitat hotspots located in regions east of the dateline (180°-160°W) from June to July, showed predominantly higher squid habitat persistence presumably due to their proximity to the mean position of the seasonally-shifting TZCF and consequent utilization of the highly productive waters of the SAFZ.

  6. North-African paleodrainage discharges to the central Mediterranean during the last 18,000 years: A multiproxy characterization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Jiawang; Liu, Zhifei; Stuut, Jan-Berend W.; Zhao, Yulong; Schirone, Antonio; de Lange, Gert J.

    2017-05-01

    Using elemental geochemistry, clay mineralogy, grain size end-member modeling, and planktonic foraminiferal δ18O, we characterize the provenance of central-Mediterranean sediments over the past 18 ka. The provenance is dust-dominated before and after the African Humid Period (AHP). By contrast, during the AHP (∼11-5 ka), largely concurrent with organic-rich sapropel S1 formation, it is predominantly riverine from North-African sources. Such fluvial supply is suggested to come from paleodrainage networks that were reactivated by intensified monsoon precipitation during the AHP. The supply is characterized by high Mg/Al and smectite contents, and has been accompanied by considerable freshwater influx, as indicated by the enhanced grain size and lighter foraminiferal δ18O. The clay-mineral assemblages in our core and in nearby cores correspond with a provenance from the Libyan-Tunisian margin, mainly via the paleo-river Irharhar. The inferred fluvial discharge is strongest during the late-AHP (∼8-5.5 ka), coinciding with reported enhanced fluvial dynamics and wettest conditions over western Libya and Tunisia/Algeria. This period is not only synchronous with the largest extension of open-water bodies in North Africa and lowest Saharan dust inputs, but also consistent with precipitation records of the West-African monsoon. Moreover, our records show a remarkable correspondence with that of a paleodrainage system towards the Atlantic West-African margin, inferring a common headwater region in the central Saharan mountains, and a similar climate mechanism. Taken together, we suggest a dominant control of North-African humid surfaces on the paleodrainage delivery, modulated by groundwater level, in response to the insolation-driven West-African monsoon precipitation.

  7. Magmatic record of India-Asia collision

    PubMed Central

    Zhu, Di-Cheng; Wang, Qing; Zhao, Zhi-Dan; Chung, Sun-Lin; Cawood, Peter A.; Niu, Yaoling; Liu, Sheng-Ao; Wu, Fu-Yuan; Mo, Xuan-Xue

    2015-01-01

    New geochronological and geochemical data on magmatic activity from the India-Asia collision zone enables recognition of a distinct magmatic flare-up event that we ascribe to slab breakoff. This tie-point in the collisional record can be used to back-date to the time of initial impingement of the Indian continent with the Asian margin. Continental arc magmatism in southern Tibet during 80–40 Ma migrated from south to north and then back to south with significant mantle input at 70–43 Ma. A pronounced flare up in magmatic intensity (including ignimbrite and mafic rock) at ca. 52–51 Ma corresponds to a sudden decrease in the India-Asia convergence rate. Geological and geochemical data are consistent with mantle input controlled by slab rollback from ca. 70 Ma and slab breakoff at ca. 53 Ma. We propose that the slowdown of the Indian plate at ca. 51 Ma is largely the consequence of slab breakoff of the subducting Neo-Tethyan oceanic lithosphere, rather than the onset of the India-Asia collision as traditionally interpreted, implying that the initial India-Asia collision commenced earlier, likely at ca. 55 Ma. PMID:26395973

  8. Seroprevalence of anti-HCV antibodies among blood donors of north India

    PubMed Central

    Makroo, R.N.; Walia, Rimpreet Singh; Chowdhry, Mohit; Bhatia, Aakanksha; Hegde, Vikas; Rosamma, N.L.

    2013-01-01

    Background & objectives: Transfusion of blood and blood products although considered as a life saving treatment modality, but may lead to certain infectious and non-infectious complications in the recipients. The purpose of this analysis was to monitor the seroprevalence of anti-HCV antibody in the blood donor population in a hospital based blood bank in north India, to evaluate the trends over the years (2001-2011). Methods: Relevant information of all the blood donors who donated whole blood at the department of Transfusion Medicine, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi from the January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2011 was retrieved from the departmental records. The number of donors who were found reactive for anti-HCV anatibodies was calculated. Results: Of the 2,06,022 blood donors, 1,93,661 were males and 12,361 were females. The percentage of whole blood donors found seroreactive for anti-HCV antibodies was 0.39 per cent (n=795). The seroprevalence of anti-HCV in male blood donors was 0.38 per cent (n=750) and the respective seroprevalence in female blood donors was 0.36 per cent (n=45). No significant change in the trend of HCV seroprevalence was observed over the period under consideration. Maximum seroprevalence of anti-HCV was observed in the age group of 18 to 30 yr (0.41%) and the minimum in the age group of 51 to 60 yr (0.26%). Interpretation & conclusion: HCV seroprevalence in our study was 0.39 per cent and a decreasing trend with age was observed. No significant change in the trend of anti-HCV seroprevalence was seen over a decade. Since, no vaccine is presently available for immunization against HCV infection, transfusion transmitted HCV infection remains a potential threat to the safety of the blood supply. PMID:24056566

  9. Precipitation climatology over India: validation with observations and reanalysis datasets and spatial trends

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kishore, P.; Jyothi, S.; Basha, Ghouse; Rao, S. V. B.; Rajeevan, M.; Velicogna, Isabella; Sutterley, Tyler C.

    2016-01-01

    north central Indian region.

  10. Aerosol characteristics in north-east India using ARFINET spectral optical depth measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pathak, B.; Subba, T.; Dahutia, P.; Bhuyan, P. K.; Moorthy, K. Krishna; Gogoi, M. M.; Babu, S. Suresh; Chutia, L.; Ajay, P.; Biswas, J.; Bharali, C.; Borgohain, A.; Dhar, P.; Guha, A.; De, B. K.; Banik, T.; Chakraborty, M.; Kundu, S. S.; Sudhakar, S.; Singh, S. B.

    2016-01-01

    Four years (2010-2014) of spectral aerosol optical depth (AOD) data from 4 Indian Space Research Organisation's ARFINET (Aerosol Radiative Forcing over India) stations (Shillong, Agartala, Imphal and Dibrugarh) in the North-Eastern Region (NER) of India (lying between 22-30°N and 89-98°E) are synthesized to evolve a regional aerosol representation, for the first time. Results show that the columnar AOD (an indicator of the column abundance of aerosols) is highest at Agartala (0.80 ± 0.24) in the west and lowest at Imphal (0.59 ± 0.23) in the east in the pre-monsoon season due to intense anthropogenic bio-mass burning in this region aided by long-range transport from the high aerosol laden regions of the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP), polluted Bangladesh and Bay of Bengal. In addition to local biogenic aerosols and pollutants emitted from brick kilns, oil/gas fields, household bio-fuel/fossil-fuel, vehicles, industries. Aerosol distribution and climatic impacts show a west to east gradient within the NER. For example, the climatological mean AODs are 0.67 ± 0.26, 0.52 ± 0.14, 0.40 ± 0.17 and 0.41 ± 0.23 respectively in Agartala, Shillong, Imphal and Dibrugarh which are geographically located from west to east within the NER. The average aerosol burden in NER ranks second highest with climatological mean AOD 0.49 ± 0.2 next to the Indo-Gangetic Plains where the climatological mean AOD is 0.64 ± 0.2 followed by the South and South-East Asia region. Elevated aerosol layers are observed over the eastern most stations Dibrugarh and Imphal, while at the western stations the concentrations are high near the surface. The climate implications of aerosols are evaluated in terms of aerosol radiative forcing (ARF) and consequent heating of the atmosphere in the region which follows AOD and exhibit high values in pre-monsoon season at all the locations except in Agartala. The highest ARF in the atmosphere occurs in the pre-monsoon season ranging from 48.6 Wm-2 in Agartala

  11. Geological mapping of the Schuppen belt of north-east India using geospatial technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghosh, Tanaya; Basu, Surajit; Hazra, Sugata

    2014-01-01

    A revised geologic map of the Schuppen belt of northeast India has been prepared based on interpretation of digitally enhanced satellite images. The satellite image interpretation is supported by limited field work and existing geologic maps. Available geological maps of this fold thrust belt are discontinuous and multi-scaled. The authors are of multiple opinions regarding the trajectory of formation boundaries and fault contacts. Digital image processing of satellite images and limited field surveys have been used to reinterpret and modify the existing geological maps of this fold thrust belt. Optical data of Landsat Thematic Mapper, Enhanced Thematic Mapper and elevation data of ASTER have been used to prepare this revised geological map. The study area extends from Hajadisa in south to Digboi oilfield in north, bounded by Naga thrust in the west and Disang thrust in the east. PCA, Image fusion, Linear Contrast stretch, Histogram Equalization and Painted relief algorithms have been used for the delineation of major geological lineaments like lithological boundary, thrust and strike slip faults. Digital elevation maps have enabled in the discrimination between thrust contacts and lithological boundaries, with the former being located mostly in the valleys. Textural enhancements of PCA, colour composites and Painted relief algorithm have been used to discriminate between different rock types. Few geological concepts about the terrain have been revisited and modified. It is assumed that this revised map should be of practical use as this terrain promises unexploited hydrocarbon reserves.

  12. Sources and Characteristics of Brown Carbon Aerosols over North India through Real-time Measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rastogi, N.; Satish, R. V.; Shamjad, P.; Thambam, N.; Tripathi, S. N.

    2016-12-01

    Recent studies have documented that a certain type of organic carbon (predominantly water soluble) significantly absorb light at near-UV (300-400) and visible regions, and termed as "Brown Carbon (BrC)". Recent global models estimate that light absorption by BrC in different regions of the world may be 30-70% of that due to black carbon (BC). To assess the role of BrC on regional and global level, it is important to understand their sources and characteristics on temporal and spatial scale, which is severely lacking in literature. The major focus of present study is to fill this gap over India. The study site, Kanpur (26.5°N, 80.3°E, 142 m amsl) located in North India, receives emissions majorly from industries, vehicles, biofuel and biomass burning. Semi-continuous measurements of water soluble organic carbon (WSOC), BrC, BC and chemical composition of organic and inorganic aerosols were performed during winter season (December, 2015-Dec to February, 2016) using state-of-the-art instruments. Diurnal variability in the absorption coefficient of BrC at 365 nm (babs_365) showed higher values during late evening through early morning and attributed to primary emissions from biomass burning (BB) and fossil fuel burning (FFB). The babs_365 reduces as day progresses, which is ascribed to photo bleaching/dissociation of BrC. Primary BrC, assessed based on H:C ratios from HR-ToF-AMS, dominates the total BrC abundance with higher babs_365. Secondary BrC, assessed based on O:C ratios, was abundant in the morning and afternoon with lower babs_365. Further, diurnal variability in ratios of babs_365 with babs_405 and babs_420 suggests that BrC composition is not uniform throughout the day. Using BC370/BC880 ratio as an indicator of BB vis-à-vis FFB derived component, BB derived BrC was found to be more absorbing than that derived from FFB. Fog processing of BrC was also found to be affecting babs_365 positively. Detailed results will be presented.

  13. Working Together to Make a Difference in Rural America: North Central Regional Center for Rural Development, 2010 Annual Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    North Central Regional Center for Rural Development, 2011

    2011-01-01

    The North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD) is one of four regional centers in the United States that have worked to improve the quality of life in rural communities for nearly 40 years. With funding from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the land-grant universities in our 12-state region, the NCRCRD…

  14. Correlates of school dropout and absenteeism among adolescent girls from marginalized community in north Karnataka, south India.

    PubMed

    Prakash, Ravi; Beattie, Tara; Javalkar, Prakash; Bhattacharjee, Parinita; Ramanaik, Satyanarayana; Thalinja, Raghavendra; Murthy, Srikanta; Davey, Calum; Blanchard, James; Watts, Charlotte; Collumbien, Martine; Moses, Stephen; Heise, Lori; Isac, Shajy

    2017-12-01

    Secondary education among lower caste adolescent girls living in rural Karnataka, South India, is characterized by high rates of school drop-out and absenteeism. A cross-sectional baseline survey (N=2275) was conducted in 2014 as part of a cluster-randomized control trial among adolescent girls (13-14 year) and their families from marginalized communities in two districts of north Karnataka. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used. Overall, 8.7% girls reported secondary school dropout and 8.1% reported frequent absenteeism (past month). In adjusted analyses, economic factors (household poverty; girls' work-related migration), social norms and practices (child marriage; value of girls' education), and school-related factors (poor learning environment and bullying/harassment at school) were associated with an increased odds of school dropout and absenteeism. Interventions aiming to increase secondary school retention among marginalized girls may require a multi-level approach, with synergistic components that address social, structural and economic determinants of school absenteeism and dropout. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  15. Review of continental North and Central American Paracloeodes Day 1955 (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae), including description of a new species from Minnesota, U.S.A.

    PubMed

    Cruz, Paulo Vilela; Usher, Andrew K; Jacobus, Luke M

    2017-05-09

    Paracloeodes Day is a western hemisphere genus with 20 species, but only three of these valid species are known from continental North and Central America. Based on available literature comparisons, species-level identifications of these three species can be difficult. Considering the apparent similarity between them, the main objective of this study was to examine type and other material housed in the Purdue Entomological Research Collection and the University of Minnesota in order to evaluate species status and to elucidate additional diagnostic characters. The evaluation resulted in validation of P. fleeki McCafferty & Lenat, P. lugoi Randolph & McCafferty and P. minutus (Daggy) and the confirmation of P. abditus Day as a junior synonym of P. minutus. Furthermore, we discovered a new species from the type locality of P. minutus. Paracloedes lotor n. sp. is described based on the nymph stage and a putative male imago from the Mississippi River in Minnesota. Paracloeodes lotor n. sp. differs from the other continental North and Central American species of the genus by the apical half of the paraglossa having an abrupt decrease in width (the "subtriangular" condition) in nymphs, and by having the posterior margin of the styliger plate with a small and pointed spine in the male imago. We provide a new identification key for nymphs of the four continental North and Central American species.

  16. Concentrations of Heavy Metals in Commercially Important Oysters from Goa, Central-West Coast of India.

    PubMed

    Shenai-Tirodkar, Prachi S; Gauns, Mangesh U; Ansari, Zakir A

    2016-12-01

    The major beds of oyster along the central-west coast of India are exposed to different anthropogenic activities and are severely exploited for human consumption. In this viewpoint, tissues of oyster Crassostrea madrasensis, C. gryphoides and Saccostrea cucullata were analyzed for Cu, Ni, Cd and Pb concentrations (dry weight) from Chicalim Bay, Nerul Creek and Chapora Bay in pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. A higher concentration of Cu (134.4-2167.9 mg kg -1 ) and Cd (7.1-88.5 mg kg -1 ) was found, which is greater than the recommended limits in all the three species (and sites). Moreover, significant (p < 0.05) variations were observed for all the metals concentrations among the species, seasons and sites. The high concentrations of Cd and Cu in tissues of edible oyster pose a threat to human health. Therefore, continuous monitoring, people awareness and a stringent government policy should be implemented to mitigate the metal pollution along the studied sites.

  17. Unlocking India’s Strategic Potential in Central Asia

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-10-01

    influence via the newly created Eurasian Economic Union. China is expanding its reach through a recently launched Silk Road Eco- nomic Belt. Other...argues that India needs not only to compete but also cooperate with its perceived rivals in the broader region, especially China and Pakistan. Most...a comparative perspec- tive with China , another aspiring Asian great power poised to stiffen competition for resources and influ- ence worldwide

  18. Helminth parasites of the raccoon (Procyon lotor) from north-central Arkansas.

    PubMed

    Richardson, D J; Owen, W B; Snyder, D E

    1992-02-01

    Twenty-three species of helminths (4 trematodes, 2 cestodes, 14 nematodes, and 3 acanthocephalans) were found in the gastrointestinal tract, lungs, pancreas, tongue, urinary bladder, and subcutaneous tissues of 30 live-trapped or hunter-shot raccoons from north-central Arkansas between November 1989 and April 1990. Helminths were not detected in the brain, diaphragm, gallbladder, heart, liver, reproductive system, or trachea. Each raccoon examined was infected with 3 or more of the following helminths: Brachylaima virginiana, Eurytrema procyonis, Fibricola cratera, Pharyngostomoides procyonis, Atriotaenia procyonis, Mesocestoides spp., Arthrocephalus lotoris, Capillaria aerophila, Capillaria plica, Capillaria procyonis, Capillaria putorii, Crenosoma goblei, Cruzia americana, Dirofilaria tenuis, Dracunculus insignis, Enterobius sp., Gnathostoma procyonis, Molineus barbatus, Physaloptera rara, Trichinella spiralis, Centrorhynchus wardae, Macracanthorhynchus ingens, and Oligacanthorhynchus tortuosa. All helminths collected with the exception of D. insignis constitute new geographic distribution records. Occurrences of C. aerophila, C. wardae, and O. tortuosa are new host records. One nymphal pentastome, Porocephalus crotali, was found in the liver of 1 raccoon, constituting a new host record.

  19. Population responses of hymenopteran parasitoids to the emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Bupresitidae) in recently invaded areas in north central United States

    Treesearch

    Jian J. Duan; Leah S. Bauer; Kristopher J. Abell; Roy. van Driesch

    2012-01-01

    Populations of hymenopteran parasitoids associated with larval stages of the invasive emerald ash borer (EAB) Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) were surveyed in 2009 and 2010 in the recently invaded areas in north central United States (Michigan), where two introduced EAB larval parasitoids, Tetrastichus planipennisi...

  20. Building Geosciences Departments for the Future: Geospatial Initiatives at North Carolina Central University

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vlahovic, G.; Malhotra, R.; Renslow, M.; Albert, B.; Harris, J.

    2007-12-01

    Two ongoing initiatives funded by the NSF-GEO and NSF-HRD directorates are being used to enhance the geospatial program at the North Carolina Central University (NCCU) to make it a leader, regionally and nationally, in geoscience education. As one of only two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the southeast offering Geography as a major, NCCU has established a Geospatial Research, Innovative Teaching, and Service (GRITS) Center and has partnered with American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) to offer "Provisional" GIS certification to students graduating with Geography degrees. This presentation will focus on the role that ongoing geospatial initiatives are playing in attracting students to this program, increasing opportunities for academic and industry internships and employment in the field after graduation, and increasing awareness of the NCCU geosciences program among GIS professionals in North Carolina. Some of the program highlights include "Provisional" ASPRS certification recently awarded to three NCCU graduate students - the first three students in the nation to complete the provisional certification process. This summer GRITS Center faculty conducted two GIS workshops for academic users and three more are planned in the near future for North Carolina GIS professionals. In addition, a record number of students were awarded paid internship positions with government agencies, non profit organizations and the industry. This past summer our students worked at NOAA, NC Conservation Fund, UNC Population Center, and Triangle Aerial Surveys. NCCUs high minority enrollment (at the present above 90%) and quality and tradition of geoscience program make it an ideal incubator for accreditation and certification activities and a possible role model for other HBCUs.

  1. Development and characterization of a new set of genomic microsatellite markers in rice bean (Vigna umbellata (Thunb.) Ohwi and Ohashi) and their utilization in genetic diversity analysis of collections from North East India.

    PubMed

    Iangrai, Banshanlang; Pattanayak, Arunava; Khongwir, D Evanoreen Ann; Pale, Gratify; Gatphoh, Emica Mary; Das, Alpana; Chrungoo, Nikhil Kumar

    2017-01-01

    Rice bean [Vigna umbellate (Thumb.) Ohwi and Ohashi] is an underutilized crop believed to be domesticated in the Myanmar-Thailand region of Asia. In India, rice bean is mainly cultivated in the North-Eastern Hills, which is a hotspot for biological diversity. A 5' anchored PCR was used to develop microsatellite markers in rice bean. Twenty-eight specific primer pairs were designed and employed to characterize sixty five ricebean accessions collected from North East India. A total of 179 alleles were amplified with an average of 6.393 alleles per locus. The gene diversity was high (mean 0.534) in the accessions collected from Darjeeling, Nagaland and Manipur, which are bordering areas with East Nepal and Myanmar, respectively. Exceptionally high outcrossing rate was observed in the entire population. Population structure analysis identified three distinct clusters in which accessions collected from areas bordering Myanmar and East Nepal grouped separately. Using a combination of STRUCTURE and Principal Coordinate Analysis, relative affinity of the intermediate accessions could be established. However, differences in allelic counts among populations were non-significant. The results showed that there is a high level of genetic diversity within the accessions, with high outcrossing rate.

  2. North American Biome

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The North America biome includes the major ecoregions that make up the land area of Canada, the United States, Mexico, and countries in Central America. The biome is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the west and south by the Pacific Ocean, and to the s...

  3. Genetic diversity and structure in hill rice (Oryza sativa L.) landraces from the North-Eastern Himalayas of India.

    PubMed

    Roy, Somnath; Marndi, B C; Mawkhlieng, B; Banerjee, A; Yadav, R M; Misra, A K; Bansal, K C

    2016-07-13

    Hill rices (Oryza sativa L.) are direct seeded rices grown on hill slopes of different gradients. These landraces have evolved under rainfed and harsh environmental conditions and may possess genes governing adaptation traits such as tolerance to cold and moisture stress. In this study, 64 hill rice landraces were collected from the state of Arunachal Pradesh of North-Eastern region of India, and assessed by agro-morphological variability and microsatellite markers polymorphism. Our aim was to use phenotypic and genetic diversity data to understand the basis of farmers' classification of hill rice landraces into two groups: umte and tening. Another goal was to understand the genetic differentiation of hill rices into Indica or japonica subspecies. According to farmers' classification, hill rices were categorized into two groups: umte (large-grained, late maturing) and tening (small-grained, early maturing). We did not find significant difference in days to 50 % flowering between the groups. Principal component analysis revealed that two groups can be distinguished on the basis of kernel length-to-width ration (KLW), kernel length (KL), grain length (GrL), grain length-to-width ration (GrLW) and plant height (Ht). Stepwise canonical discriminant analysis identified KL and Ht as the main discriminatory characters between the cultivar groups. Genetic diversity analysis with 35 SSR markers revealed considerable genetic diversity in the hill rice germplasm (gene diversity: 0.66; polymorphism information content: 0.62). Pair-wise allelic difference between umte and tening groups was not statistically significant. The model-based population structure analysis showed that the hill rices were clustered into two broad groups corresponding to Indica and Japonica. The geographic distribution and cultivars grouping of hill rices were not congruent in genetic clusters. Both distance- and model-based approaches indicated that the hill rices were predominantly japonica or

  4. Nuclear programs in India and Pakistan

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mian, Zia

    India and Pakistan launched their respective nuclear programs in the 1940s and 1950s with considerable foreign technical support, especially from the United States Atoms for Peace Program. The technology and training that was acquired served as the platform for later nuclear weapon development efforts that included nuclear weapon testing in 1974 and in 1998 by India, and also in 1998 by Pakistan - which had illicitly acquired uranium enrichment technology especially from Europe and received assistance from China. As of 2013, both India and Pakistan were continuing to produce fissile material for weapons, in the case of India also formore » nuclear naval fuel, and were developing a diverse array of ballistic and cruise missiles. International efforts to restrain the South Asian nuclear build-up have been largely set aside over the past decade as Pakistani support became central for the U.S. war in Afghanistan and as U.S. geopolitical and economic interests in supporting the rise of India, in part as a counter to China, led to India being exempted both from U.S non-proliferation laws and international nuclear trade guidelines. In the absence of determined international action and with Pakistan blocking the start of talks on a fissile material cutoff treaty, nuclear weapon programs in South Asia are likely to keep growing for the foreseeable future.« less

  5. Nuclear programs in India and Pakistan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mian, Zia

    2014-05-01

    India and Pakistan launched their respective nuclear programs in the 1940s and 1950s with considerable foreign technical support, especially from the United States Atoms for Peace Program. The technology and training that was acquired served as the platform for later nuclear weapon development efforts that included nuclear weapon testing in 1974 and in 1998 by India, and also in 1998 by Pakistan - which had illicitly acquired uranium enrichment technology especially from Europe and received assistance from China. As of 2013, both India and Pakistan were continuing to produce fissile material for weapons, in the case of India also for nuclear naval fuel, and were developing a diverse array of ballistic and cruise missiles. International efforts to restrain the South Asian nuclear build-up have been largely set aside over the past decade as Pakistani support became central for the U.S. war in Afghanistan and as U.S. geopolitical and economic interests in supporting the rise of India, in part as a counter to China, led to India being exempted both from U.S non-proliferation laws and international nuclear trade guidelines. In the absence of determined international action and with Pakistan blocking the start of talks on a fissile material cutoff treaty, nuclear weapon programs in South Asia are likely to keep growing for the foreseeable future.

  6. Dental manpower in India: changing trends since 1920.

    PubMed

    Jaiswal, Ashish K; Srinivas, Pachava; Suresh, Sanikommu

    2014-08-01

    To analyse the changing trends in dental manpower production of India since 1920 and its development to date. The databases consulted were those provided by the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence, Dental Council of India, and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Descriptive statistics. In India, dental education was formally established in 1920 when the first dental college was started. Current data revealed that there are 301 colleges nationwide granting degrees in dentistry, with a total of 25,270 student positions offering annually. Both the distribution of dental colleges and of dentists varies among the regions of the country with the greatest concentration in major urban areas, resulting in limited coverage in rural regions. The current scenario indicates that there is lack of systematic planning in the allocation and development of dental colleges in India. © 2014 FDI World Dental Federation.

  7. Asking the Presidents: The Most Pressing Issues at Community Colleges in the North Central Region. AIR 1988 Annual Forum Paper.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Budig, Jeanne E.

    A survey of 350 presidents at two-year colleges in the North Central Accreditation Region generated a list of their perceptions of the currently most pressing issues related to accreditation, academic transfer and vocational/technical education. A total of 162 usable responses was received. Results included the finding that the most pressing issue…

  8. Phase III (final) evaluation report : national evaluation of the FY01 earmark, area transportation authority of North Central Pennsylvania--regional GIS/ITS initiative.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2009-08-31

    This report presents the results of the United States Department of Transportation evaluation of a federally funded earmark project implemented by the Area Transportation Authority of North Central Pennsylvania (ATA). The project implemented a suite ...

  9. Workers Education Programme in India

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chansarkar, M. A.

    1970-01-01

    The philosophy of Workers Education in India is that strong and enlightened trade unions could be of great value in the rapid industrialization of the country. The Central Board for Workers Education has devised a number of training programs, the most important of which are training of education officers, worker-teachers training, and training…

  10. Forty-two years of change in an old-growth and second-growth beech-maple forest of north central Ohio

    Treesearch

    Natalie R. Pinheiro; P. Charles Goebel; David M. Hix

    2008-01-01

    Using data collected in 1964 and 2006, we examined changes in the composition and structure of a second-growth and old-growth beech-maple forest of Crall Woods, located in Ashland County of north central Ohio. Over the 42 years, the old-growth forest (estimated to be at least 250 years old) experienced a significant shift in species composition as American beech,...

  11. Constructed wetlands and solar-driven disinfection technologies for sustainable wastewater treatment and reclamation in rural India: SWINGS project.

    PubMed

    Álvarez, J A; Ávila, C; Otter, P; Kilian, R; Istenič, D; Rolletschek, M; Molle, P; Khalil, N; Ameršek, I; Mishra, V K; Jorgensen, C; Garfi, A; Carvalho, P; Brix, H; Arias, C A

    2017-09-01

    SWINGS was a cooperation project between the European Union and India, aiming at implementing state of the art low-cost technologies for the treatment and reuse of domestic wastewater in rural areas of India. The largest wastewater treatment plant consists of a high-rate anaerobic system, followed by vertical and horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands with a treatment area of around 1,900 m 2 and a final step consisting of solar-driven anodic oxidation (AO) and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection units allowing direct reuse of the treated water. The implementation and operation of two pilot plants in north (Aligarh Muslim University, AMU) and central India (Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, IGNTU) are shown in this study. The overall performance of AMU pilot plant during the first 7 months of operation showed organic matter removal efficiencies of 87% total suspended solids, 95% 5-day biological oxygen demand (BOD 5 ) and 90% chemical oxygen demand, while Kjeldahl nitrogen removal reached 89%. The UV disinfection unit produces water for irrigation and toilet flushing with pathogenic indicator bacteria well below WHO guidelines. On the other hand, the AO disinfection unit implemented at IGNTU and operated for almost a year has been shown to produce an effluent of sufficient quality to be reused by the local population for agriculture and irrigation.

  12. Sero-epizootiological investigation of infectious laryngotracheitis infection in commercial poultry of Plateau State, north central Nigeria.

    PubMed

    Shittu, Ismaila; Sulaiman, Lanre K; Gado, Dorcas A; Egbuji, Anthony N; Ndahi, Mwapu D; Pam, Ezekiel; Joannis, Tony M

    2016-01-01

    Infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) is a highly contagious acute respiratory disease of chickens with outbreaks resulting in high economic losses due to increased mortality and drop in egg production. This study reports a survey of ILT virus antibody conducted in nine local government areas (LGAs) of Plateau State involving 67 randomly selected commercial poultry flocks. In all, 938 sera were tested using the Agar Gel Immuno-diffusion (AGID) technique. Overall prevalence of 1.2% (N = 11) was recorded. ILT virus antibody was found in 2.5% (n = 9) and 7.1% (n = 2) of the tested sera from Jos South and Langtang North LGAs, respectively. No detectable ILT virus antibody was found from the other seven LGAs. This is the first report of ILT infection in poultry from the North central part of Nigeria. It is therefore recommended that the economic implication of ILT infection in Nigerian poultry population be conducted in order to know if vaccination should be adopted for control.

  13. Identifying Pelagic Habitat Hotspots of Neon Flying Squid in the Temperate Waters of the Central North Pacific

    PubMed Central

    Alabia, Irene D.; Saitoh, Sei-Ichi; Mugo, Robinson; Igarashi, Hiromichi; Ishikawa, Yoichi; Usui, Norihisa; Kamachi, Masafumi; Awaji, Toshiyuki; Seito, Masaki

    2015-01-01

    We identified the pelagic habitat hotspots of the neon flying squid (Ommastrephes bartramii) in the central North Pacific from May to July and characterized the spatial patterns of squid aggregations in relation to oceanographic features such as mesoscale oceanic eddies and the Transition Zone Chlorophyll-a Front (TZCF). The data used for the habitat model construction and analyses were squid fishery information, remotely-sensed and numerical model-derived environmental data from May to July 1999–2010. Squid habitat hotspots were deduced from the monthly Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) models and were identified as regions of persistent high suitable habitat across the 12-year period. The distribution of predicted squid habitat hotspots in central North Pacific revealed interesting spatial and temporal patterns likely linked with the presence and dynamics of oceanographic features in squid’s putative foraging grounds from late spring to summer. From May to June, the inferred patches of squid habitat hotspots developed within the Kuroshio-Oyashio transition zone (KOTZ; 37–40°N) and further expanded north towards the subarctic frontal zone (SAFZ; 40–44°N) in July. The squid habitat hotspots within the KOTZ and areas west of the dateline (160°W-180°) were likely influenced and associated with the highly dynamic and transient oceanic eddies and could possibly account for lower squid suitable habitat persistence obtained from these regions. However, predicted squid habitat hotspots located in regions east of the dateline (180°-160°W) from June to July, showed predominantly higher squid habitat persistence presumably due to their proximity to the mean position of the seasonally-shifting TZCF and consequent utilization of the highly productive waters of the SAFZ. PMID:26571118

  14. Estimation of speciated and total mercury dry deposition at monitoring locations in eastern and central North America

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Zhang, L.; Blanchard, P.; Gay, D.A.; Prestbo, E.M.; Risch, M.R.; Johnson, D.; Narayan, J.; Zsolway, R.; Holsen, T.M.; Miller, E.K.; Castro, M.S.; Graydon, J.A.; St. Louis, V.L.; Dalziel, J.

    2012-01-01

    Dry deposition of speciated mercury, i.e., gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM), particulate-bound mercury (PBM), and gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), was estimated for the year 2008–2009 at 19 monitoring locations in eastern and central North America. Dry deposition estimates were obtained by combining monitored two- to four-hourly speciated ambient concentrations with modeled hourly dry deposition velocities (Vd) calculated using forecasted meteorology. Annual dry deposition of GOM+PBM was estimated to be in the range of 0.4 to 8.1 μg m−2 at these locations with GOM deposition being mostly five to ten times higher than PBM deposition, due to their different modeled Vd values. Net annual GEM dry deposition was estimated to be in the range of 5 to 26 μg m−2 at 18 sites and 33 μg m−2 at one site. The estimated dry deposition agrees very well with limited surrogate-surface dry deposition measurements of GOM and PBM, and also agrees with litterfall mercury measurements conducted at multiple locations in eastern and central North America. This study suggests that GEM contributes much more than GOM+PBM to the total dry deposition at the majority of the sites considered here; the only exception is at locations close to significant point sources where GEM and GOM+PBM contribute equally to the total dry deposition. The relative magnitude of the speciated dry deposition and their good comparisons with litterfall deposition suggest that mercury in litterfall originates primarily from GEM, which is consistent with the limited number of previous field studies. The study also supports previous analyses suggesting that total dry deposition of mercury is equal to, if not more important than, wet deposition of mercury on a regional scale in eastern North America.

  15. Metagenetic Sequencing of Zooplankton Communities in the High-Diversity Central North Pacific

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Matthews, S. A.; van Woudenberg, L.; Iacchei, M.; Lenz, P. H.; Goetze, E.

    2016-02-01

    Marine zooplankton are important intermediate trophic level consumers in the ocean, and the subtropical North Pacific holds global maxima in species diversity for these communities. Zooplankton assemblages in this region include several species complexes, with many understudied and morphologically cryptic species. We used metagenetic sequencing to characterize zooplankton community composition across depth (0-1500m) at an open ocean time series site in the central North Pacific (Station ALOHA), using depth-stratified 1m2 MOCNESS samples that were size fractionated into 5 size classes (0.2-0.5 mm, 0.5-1 mm, 1-2 mm, 2-5 mm, >5 mm). Our goals were to quantify the fraction of the community that is currently undescribed, identify taxonomic groups that contain large numbers of undescribed species and may be important to biogeochemical cycling in the ocean, and establish a metagenetic method that can be used to effectively characterize the species richness of epipelagic and mesopelagic communities in this region. Amplicons from several DNA loci, including mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and 12S rRNA, and nuclear 18S and 28S rRNA genes were sequenced on the MiSeq Illumina platform to characterize community composition. We evaluate species composition across metagenetic marker regions, pelagic depth zones, day and night-time MOCNESS tows, and compare our findings with prior species lists from the region. Our results are an important contribution to establishing standardized metagenetic methods for marine zooplankton communities.

  16. Self-Study Report for Candidacy. Prepared by Mennonite College of Nursing for the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mennonite Coll. of Nursing, Bloomington, IN.

    A self-evaluation report by the Mennonite College of Nursing, which is applying for candidacy status with the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, is presented. Information is provided on the evolution of the program and the program evaluation process, as well as strengths and concerns of the college and plans for further…

  17. Soil gas radon-thoron monitoring in Dharamsala area of north-west Himalayas, India using solid state nuclear track detectors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, Gulshan; Kumar, Arvind; Walia, Vivek; Kumar, Jitender; Gupta, Vikash; Yang, Tsanyao Frank; Singh, Surinder; Bajwa, Bikramjit Singh

    2013-10-01

    The study described here is based on the measurements of soil gas radon-thoron concentrations performed at Dharamsala region of north-west (NW) Himalayas, India. The study area is tectonically and environmentally significant and shows the features of ductile shear zone due to the presence of distinct thrust planes. Solid state nuclear track detectors (LR-115 films) have been used for the soil gas radon-thoron monitoring. Twenty five radon-thoron discriminators with LR-115 films were installed in the borehole of about 50 cm in the study areas. The recorded radon concentration varies from 1593 to 13570 Bq/m3 with an average value of 5292 Bq/m3. The recorded thoron concentration varies from 223 to 2920 Bq/m3 with an average value of 901 Bq/m3. The anomalous value of radon-thoron has been observed near to the faults like main boundary thrust (MBT and MBT2) as well as neotectonic lineaments in the region.

  18. Effects of water deprivation on behavioral Changes in BALB/c mice in hot humid climate of north east India.

    PubMed

    Chattopadhyay, Pronobesh; Pandey, Anurag; Karmakar, Sanjeev; Singh, Lokendra

    2011-07-01

    Abnormalities in water balance are manifested as hyponatremia and hypernatremia and the present investigation shows the effect of water deprivation in hot and humid climatic condition of north eastern part of India. Twenty four BALB/c mice of either sex (weight 30-40 g) were used for a 13-week experiment to determine the effects of water deprivation on behavioral and physiological changes. Mice were divided into control group (I) (n = 8), given water ad libitum, water-deprivation male group (15 ml/day) (Group II, n=8) and water-deprivation female group (15 ml/day) (Group III, n=8). The water deprivation mice shows significantly (P<0.05) deteriorated of reflex, progressive visual placement, emotional whereas body weight, grip strength and rectal temperature were significantly (P<0.05) increased as compared to the control group. This information is useful to those living or deployed in crisis situations where the water supply limited in a hot-humid climate.

  19. A short history of the development of homeopathy in India.

    PubMed

    Ghosh, Ajoy Kumar

    2010-04-01

    Homeopathy was introduced in India the early 19th century. It flourished in Bengal at first, and then spread all over India. In the beginning, the system was extensively practised by amateurs in the civil and military services and others. Mahendra Lal Sircar was the first Indian who became a homeopathic physician. A number of allopathic doctors started homeopathic practice following Sircar's lead. The 'Calcutta Homeopathic Medical College', the first homeopathic medical college was established in 1881. This institution took on a major role in popularising homeopathy in India. In 1973, the Government of India recognised homeopathy as one of the national systems of medicine and set up the Central Council of Homeopathy (CCH) to regulate its education and practice. Now, only qualified registered homeopaths can practice homeopathy in India. At present, in India, homeopathy is the third most popular method of medical treatment after allopathy and Ayurveda. There are over 200,000 registered homeopathic doctors currently, with approximately 12,000 more being added every year.

  20. History of India-Asia Suturing in Tibet: Constraints and Questions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kapp, P. A.; Ding, L.

    2011-12-01

    The India-Asia collision zone is widely pointed to as the type Cenozoic example of continental suturing and collision, yet there remains considerable controversy about its geological and geodynamical evolution. This in part may reflect the richness and complexity of the geological records exposed across the collision zone and how much remains to be extracted from them. Separating the formerly Andean-style continental margin of southern Asia (Gangdese arc and forearc of the Lhasa terrane) in the north, from Indian-affinity strata deformed in the Tethyan Himalayan thrust belt to the south, is the Indus-Yarlung suture zone (IYSZ). In Tibet, ophiolitic rocks along the IYSZ crystallized and were obducted in a suprasubduction zone setting during Early Cretaceous time. The ophiolitic rocks are of the appropriate age to have formed the basement upon which Gangdese forearc strata accumulated. Alternatively, they may represent remnants of an intra-oceanic subduction system that persisted in the Tethys, far from Asia, until Greater India collided with it during the latest Cretaceous to Paleocene. There has been no documentation, however, of ophiolitic or arc fragments younger than Early Cretaceous within the IYSZ. Distinguishing between these two end-member scenarios is important for interpreting detrital records of orogenesis and seismic tomographic images of the mantle. A preponderance of evidence suggests that collision between the Tethyan Himalaya and Asia initiated by 52 Ma. Initial collision led abruptly to profound and far-field changes in paleogeography and tectonism such that by 45 Ma, major shortening and potassic volcanism was ongoing in northern Tibet, plateau-like conditions were established in central Tibet, Tethyan Himalayan crust was undergoing anatexis, and Eo-Himalayan prograde metamorphism was underway. Additional constraints on the shortening history of the Tethyan Himalayan thrust belt will be key to assessing when and how much Greater Indian lithosphere

  1. Modern Education and the Revolt of 1857 in India

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rao, Parimala V.

    2016-01-01

    In May 1857, a number of battalions in the Bengal army of the East India Company rebelled against their immediate British officers and the British administration in the North Western Provinces (NWP), Oudh and Bihar. The protracted conflict that stretched over a year was extremely violent, killed thousands of British officers and civilians and…

  2. Beneficial role of D allele in controlling ACE levels: a study among Brahmins of north India.

    PubMed

    Kumari, Shobha; Sharma, Nidhi; Thakur, Sunil; Mondal, Prakash R; Saraswathy, Kallur N

    2016-06-01

    India being a country with vast diversity is expected to have different dietary and life style patterns which in turn may lead to population-specific environmental risk factors. Further, the interaction of these risk factors with the genetic makeup of population makes it either susceptible or resistant to cardiovascular disease. One such candidate gene is angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) for various cardiovascular mechanisms. ACE is the key enzyme of the renin angiotensin aldosterone system pathway which maintains homeostasis blood pressure in the body and any variation in the levels is reported to be associated with various complex diseases. The DD genotype is found to increase ACE levels, which is associated with cardiovascular diseases and decrease in ACE levels are associated with kidney diseases. The aim of this study was to understand the distribution of ACE I/D polymorphism and ACE levels among Brahmins of National Capital Region (NCR) north India, with respect to age and sex ratio distribution. In this study, 136 subjects of which 50 males and 86 females, who were unrelated up to first cousin, aged 25 to70 years were studied. ACE gene was found to be polymorphic with high frequency of heterozygote (ID) followed by II and DD genotypes. The studied population was found to be in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium with respect to ACE I/D polymorphism (P = 0.55). I allele frequency was found to be higher (0.560) than the D allele (0.44). The median level of ACE was found to be 65.96 ng/mL (48.12-86.24) which is towards lower side of the normal range. ACE levels were found to be increased among individual having either of the homozygotes that is II or DD and higher frequency of heterozygote (ID) is indicative of advantage in the population by maintaining lower ACE levels. The limitation of the present study is low sample size, however, the merit is that the subjects belonged to a Mendalian population with a common gene pool.

  3. Baseflow and peakflow chemical responses to experimental applications of ammonium sulphate to forested watersheds in north-central West Virginia, USA

    Treesearch

    Pamela J. Edwards; Frederica Wood; James N. Kochenderfer

    2002-01-01

    Stream water was analysed to determine how induced watershed acidification changed the chemistry of peakflow and baseflow and to compare the relative timing of these changes. Two watersheds in north-central West Virginia, WS3 and WS9, were subjected to three applications of ammonium sulphate fertilizer per year to induce acidification. A third watershed, WS4, was the...

  4. Effects of air-sea coupling over the North Sea and the Baltic Sea on simulated summer precipitation over Central Europe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ho-Hagemann, Ha Thi Minh; Gröger, Matthias; Rockel, Burkhardt; Zahn, Matthias; Geyer, Beate; Meier, H. E. Markus

    2017-12-01

    This study introduces a new approach to investigate the potential effects of air-sea coupling on simulated precipitation inland over Central Europe. We present an inter-comparison of two regional climate models (RCMs), namely, the COSMO-CLM (hereafter CCLM) and RCA4 models, which are configured for the EURO-CORDEX domain in the coupled and atmosphere-only modes. Two versions of the CCLM model, namely, 4.8 and 5.0, join the inter-comparison being almost two different models while providing pronouncedly different summer precipitation simulations because of many changes in the dynamics and physics of CCLM in version 5.0. The coupling effect on the prominent summer dry bias over Central Europe is analysed using seasonal (JJA) mean statistics for the 30-year period from 1979 to 2009, with a focus on extreme precipitation under specific weather regimes. The weather regimes are compared between the coupled and uncoupled simulations to better understand the mechanism of the coupling effects. The comparisons of the coupled systems with the atmosphere-only models show that coupling clearly reduces the dry bias over Central Europe for CCLM 4.8, which has a large dry summer bias, but not for CCLM 5.0 and RCA4, which have smaller dry biases. This result implies that if the atmosphere-only model already yields reasonable summer precipitation over Central Europe, not much room for improvement exists that can be caused by the air-sea coupling over the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. However, if the atmosphere-only model shows a pronounced summer dry bias because of a lack of moisture transport from the seas into the region, the considered coupling may create an improved simulation of summer precipitation over Central Europe, such as for CCLM 4.8. For the latter, the benefit of coupling varies over the considered timescales. The precipitation simulations that are generated by the coupled system COSTRICE 4.8 and the atmosphere-only CCLM 4.8 are mostly identical for the summer mean

  5. Nutritional status and its correlates among tribal children of Melghat, central India.

    PubMed

    Talapalliwar, Manoj Rajanna; Garg, Bishan S

    2014-11-01

    To find out the magnitude and epidemiological determinants of malnutrition among 0-6 y tribal children. A community based cross sectional study was done in the villages of Melghat in central India. The information of 540 children in the age group 0-6 y was collected. The newly developed WHO growth standards were used to calculate conventional indices of malnutrition (underweight, stunting and wasting) and composite index of anthropometric failure (CIAF). Univariate and multiple logistic regression analysis were used to find out the correlates of malnutrition. The prevalence of malnutrition among these tribal children in terms of underweight, stunting, and wasting were 60.9 %, 66.4 % and 18.8 % respectively. Malnutrition in terms of composite index of anthropometric failure (CIAF) was 76.3 %. The important correlates of malnutrition that emerged out of this study were the age of child, age of mother less than 20 y at her first pregnancy, practice of not feeding colostrum, calorie deficit diet, anemia and morbidities like diarrhea and acute respiratory illnesses. The prevalence of malnutrition was high in tribal children. The health care delivery at village level should be strengthened for early diagnosis and prompt treatment of anemia and other morbidities in children. The strategies are needed to delay the child bearing age in this community and improve breast feeding practices.

  6. Tracking Seed Fates of Tropical Tree Species: Evidence for Seed Caching in a Tropical Forest in North-East India

    PubMed Central

    Sidhu, Swati; Datta, Aparajita

    2015-01-01

    Rodents affect the post-dispersal fate of seeds by acting either as on-site seed predators or as secondary dispersers when they scatter-hoard seeds. The tropical forests of north-east India harbour a high diversity of little-studied terrestrial murid and hystricid rodents. We examined the role played by these rodents in determining the seed fates of tropical evergreen tree species in a forest site in north-east India. We selected ten tree species (3 mammal-dispersed and 7 bird-dispersed) that varied in seed size and followed the fates of 10,777 tagged seeds. We used camera traps to determine the identity of rodent visitors, visitation rates and their seed-handling behavior. Seeds of all tree species were handled by at least one rodent taxon. Overall rates of seed removal (44.5%) were much higher than direct on-site seed predation (9.9%), but seed-handling behavior differed between the terrestrial rodent groups: two species of murid rodents removed and cached seeds, and two species of porcupines were on-site seed predators. In addition, a true cricket, Brachytrupes sp., cached seeds of three species underground. We found 309 caches formed by the rodents and the cricket; most were single-seeded (79%) and seeds were moved up to 19 m. Over 40% of seeds were re-cached from primary cache locations, while about 12% germinated in the primary caches. Seed removal rates varied widely amongst tree species, from 3% in Beilschmiedia assamica to 97% in Actinodaphne obovata. Seed predation was observed in nine species. Chisocheton cumingianus (57%) and Prunus ceylanica (25%) had moderate levels of seed predation while the remaining species had less than 10% seed predation. We hypothesized that seed traits that provide information on resource quantity would influence rodent choice of a seed, while traits that determine resource accessibility would influence whether seeds are removed or eaten. Removal rates significantly decreased (p < 0.001) while predation rates increased (p = 0

  7. Aerosol optical depth over central north Asia based on MODIS-Aqua data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Avgousta Foutsi, Athina; Korras Carraca, Marios Bruno; Matsoukas, Christos; Biskos, George

    2016-04-01

    Atmospheric aerosols, both natural and anthropogenic, can affect the regional and global climate through their direct, indirect, and semi-direct effects on the radiative energy budget of the Earth-atmosphere system. To quantify these effects it is important to determine the aerosol load, and an effective way to do that is by measuring the aerosol optical depth (AOD). The central Asia region (mainly the Caspian and Aral sea basins), the arid and semi-arid regions of Western China as well as Siberia are of great interest due to the significant natural sources of mineral aerosols originating from local deserts and biomass burning from wildfires in boreal forests. What is of particular interest in the region is the phenomenal shrinking and desertification of the Aral Sea that drives an intense salt and dust transport from the exposed sea-bed to the surrounding regions with important implications in regional air quality. Anthropogenic particles are also observed due to fossil-fuel combustion occurring mainly at oil refineries in the Caspian Sea basin. Here we investigate the spatial and temporal variability of the AOD at 550 nm over central Asia, Siberia and western China, in the region located between 35° N - 65° N and 45° E - 110° E. For our analysis we use Level-3 daily MODIS - Aqua Dark Target - Deep Blue combined product, from the latest collection (006), available in a 1°×1° resolution (ca. 100 km × 100 km) over the period 2002-2014. Our results indicate a significant spatial variability of the aerosol load over the study region. The highest AODs are observed over the Aral Sea year-round, with extreme values reaching 2.1 during July. In the rest of our study region a clear seasonal cycle with highest AOD values (up to 1.2 over the Taklamakan Desert) during spring and summer is observed. The arid parts of central north Asia are characterized by larger aerosol loads during spring, lower but still high AOD in summer and much lower values in autumn and spring

  8. Head and Neck Tuberculosis: Scenario in a Tertiary Care Hospital of North Eastern India

    PubMed Central

    Das, Debajit; Bhuyan, Uttal Taranga; Saikia, Nabajyoti

    2016-01-01

    Introduction Tuberculosis has affected mankind since time immemorial and with emergence of AIDS both extrapulmonary and pulmonary tuberculosis presents increased morbidity and mortality along with an increased financial burden upon the developing nations. Materials and Methods The study is a hospital based observational study of one year duration carried out in the Department of ENT in a tertiary care hospital of North Eastern India. Results Total of 63 cases were detected. Females comprised 60.3% of the study population as against 39.7% males. Most commonly affected age group were of 15 to 24 years age (57.1%). Cervical tubercular lymphadenitis was the most common lesion 90.5% (57 cases) followed by laryngeal tuberculosis 7.9% (5 cases) and tubercular otitis media with mastoiditis 1.6% (1 case). Level II lymph node was mostly affected either single or in groups (75.4%) followed by level III node (57.9%). Successful outcome of the treatment with Category I regimen was achieved in 96.8% of the cases. Conclusion Head and neck tuberculosis is not an uncommon disease and though cervical lymphadenitis is the most common presentation, isolated involvement of the larynx, ear and other subsites are not an entirely unknown entity. The clinical presentation of tuberculosis of the head and neck region can be varied and often misleading. It is therefore important for the clinician to be aware of the condition and consider it in their differential diagnosis. PMID:26894099

  9. Retention in Differentiated Care: Multiple Measures Analysis for a Decentralized HIV Care and Treatment Program in North Central Nigeria

    PubMed Central

    Agaba, Patricia A; Genberg, Becky L; Sagay, Atiene S; Agbaji, Oche O; Meloni, Seema T; Dadem, Nancin Y; Kolawole, Grace O; Okonkwo, Prosper; Kanki, Phyllis J; Ware, Norma C

    2018-01-01

    Objective Differentiated care refers collectively to flexible service models designed to meet the differing needs of HIV-infected persons in resource-scarce settings. Decentralization is one such service model. Retention is a key indicator for monitoring the success of HIV treatment and care programs. We used multiple measures to compare retention in a cohort of patients receiving HIV care at “hub” (central) and “spoke” (decentralized) sites in a large public HIV treatment program in north central Nigeria. Methods This retrospective cohort study utilized longitudinal program data representing central and decentralized levels of care in the Plateau State Decentralization Initiative, north central Nigeria. We examined retention with patient- level (retention at fixed times, loss-to-follow-up [LTFU]) and visit-level (gaps-in-care, visit constancy) measures. Regression models with generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to estimate the effect of decentralization on visit-level measures. Patient-level measures were examined using survival methods with Cox regression models, controlling for baseline variables. Results Of 15,650 patients, 43% were enrolled at the hub. Median time in care was 3.1 years. Hub patients were less likely to be LTFU (adjusted hazard ratio (AHR)=0.91, 95% CI: 0.85-0.97), compared to spoke patients. Visit constancy was lower at the hub (−4.5%, 95% CI: −3.5, −5.5), where gaps in care were also more likely to occur (adjusted odds ratio=1.95, 95% CI: 1.83-2.08). Conclusion Decentralized sites demonstrated better retention outcomes using visit-level measures, while the hub achieved better retention outcomes using patient-level measures. Retention estimates produced by incorporating multiple measures showed substantial variation, confirming the influence of measurement strategies on the results of retention research. Future studies of retention in HIV care in sub-Saharan Africa will be well-served by including multiple measures

  10. Retention in Differentiated Care: Multiple Measures Analysis for a Decentralized HIV Care and Treatment Program in North Central Nigeria.

    PubMed

    Agaba, Patricia A; Genberg, Becky L; Sagay, Atiene S; Agbaji, Oche O; Meloni, Seema T; Dadem, Nancin Y; Kolawole, Grace O; Okonkwo, Prosper; Kanki, Phyllis J; Ware, Norma C

    2018-01-01

    Differentiated care refers collectively to flexible service models designed to meet the differing needs of HIV-infected persons in resource-scarce settings. Decentralization is one such service model. Retention is a key indicator for monitoring the success of HIV treatment and care programs. We used multiple measures to compare retention in a cohort of patients receiving HIV care at "hub" (central) and "spoke" (decentralized) sites in a large public HIV treatment program in north central Nigeria. This retrospective cohort study utilized longitudinal program data representing central and decentralized levels of care in the Plateau State Decentralization Initiative, north central Nigeria. We examined retention with patient- level (retention at fixed times, loss-to-follow-up [LTFU]) and visit-level (gaps-in-care, visit constancy) measures. Regression models with generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to estimate the effect of decentralization on visit-level measures. Patient-level measures were examined using survival methods with Cox regression models, controlling for baseline variables. Of 15,650 patients, 43% were enrolled at the hub. Median time in care was 3.1 years. Hub patients were less likely to be LTFU (adjusted hazard ratio (AHR)=0.91, 95% CI: 0.85-0.97), compared to spoke patients. Visit constancy was lower at the hub (-4.5%, 95% CI: -3.5, -5.5), where gaps in care were also more likely to occur (adjusted odds ratio=1.95, 95% CI: 1.83-2.08). Decentralized sites demonstrated better retention outcomes using visit-level measures, while the hub achieved better retention outcomes using patient-level measures. Retention estimates produced by incorporating multiple measures showed substantial variation, confirming the influence of measurement strategies on the results of retention research. Future studies of retention in HIV care in sub-Saharan Africa will be well-served by including multiple measures.

  11. Increasing Diversity in Geosciences: Geospatial Initiatives at North Carolina Central University

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vlahovic, G.; Malhotra, R.; Renslow, M.; Harris, J.; Barnett, A.

    2006-12-01

    Two new initiatives funded by the NSF-GEO and NSF-HRD directorates have potential to advance the geospatial program at the North Carolina Central University (NCCU). As one of only two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the southeast offering Geography as a major, NCCU is establishing a GIS Research, Innovative Teaching, and Service (GRITS) Laboratory and has partnered with American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) to offer GIS certification to Geography graduates. This presentation will focus on the role that GRITS and GIS certification will play in attracting students to the geoscience majors, the planned curriculum changes, and the emerging partnership with ASPRS to develop and offer "provisional certification" to NCCU students. In addition, authors would also like to describe plans to promote geospatial education in partnership with other educational institutions. NCCUs high minority enrollment (at the present approximately 90%) and quality and tradition of geoscience program make it an ideal incubator for accreditation and certification activities and possible role model for other HBCUs.

  12. Survival of wood duck and mallard broods in north-central Minnesota

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ball, I.J.; Gilmer, D.S.; Cowardin, L.M.

    Duckling survival in wood duck (Aix sponsa) and mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) broods was estimated from data obtained from 71 radio-marked brood hens on a study area in north-central Minnesota. Radio-marked hens produced 30 broods during the study, and 41 hens already leading broods were captured and radio-marked. Production estimates based on brood size counts were inflated by about 38 percent for wood ducks and 30 percent for mallards if total-brood losses were not taken into account. Mortality during the first 2 weeks of life was most severe, accounting for 86 percent of total recorded mortality in wood ducks and 70more » percent in mallards. Rearing success was about 41 percent for wood ducks and 44 percent for mallards. Duckling survival was negatively correlated with distance of overland travel by young broods. Wood ducks had a shorter hen-brood bond than mallards, and presence of the hen appeared to affect duckling survival less in wood duck broods than in mallards.« less

  13. Recent deformation in the Turan and South Kazakh platforms, western central Asia, and its relation to Arabia-Asia and India-Asia collisions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thomas, Jean-Charles; Grasso, Jean-Robert; Bossu, RéMy; Martinod, Joseph; Nurtaev, Bakhthiar

    1999-04-01

    In this study, we investigate the recent and active tectonics of the Turan and South Kazakh platforms in western central Asia. This area, which has been considered stable during the Tertiary, was struck in its eastern part (Gazli and Kyzyl-Kum) by three earthquakes of magnitude Ms ˜7.0 between 1976 and 1984. From structural observations we show that in the Kyzyl-Kum, Cenozoic deformation on structures oriented NW-SE is dominated by dextral strike-slip motion on a flower structure involving reactivated Late Paleozoic faults. This deformation is compatible with the stress pattern induced by the Pamir/Tien Shan collision zone. At the scale of the Turan-South Kazakh platform, comparison of repeated leveling measurements gives mean uplift rates of 5 mm yr-1 for most of the area south of the 44° latitude including the Kyzyl-Kum. These observations indicate that the Turan-South Kazakh platform has been actively deforming since recent times (Pleistocene) in response to the collision of both India and Arabia with Asia. Earthquake data also reveal that propagation of deformation from the Kopet Dagh and the Pamir/Tien Shan collision zones into the Turan-South Kazakh platform is accommodated aseismically except in the Kyzyl-Kum. This might reflect differences in the deformation style and nature of the upper crust in the Kyzyl-Kum and north of the Kopet Dagh respectively. We propose that the Gazli earthquakes highlight the northwestward continuation, within the Turan-South Kazakh platform and along reactivated older structures, of the deformation related to the Pamir indentation and to a lesser degree to the Arabia-Asia convergence.

  14. Infection Profile in Chronic Granulomatous Disease: a 23-Year Experience from a Tertiary Care Center in North India.

    PubMed

    Rawat, Amit; Vignesh, Pandiarajan; Sharma, Avinash; Shandilya, Jitendra K; Sharma, Madhubala; Suri, Deepti; Gupta, Anju; Gautam, Vikas; Ray, Pallab; Rudramurthy, Shivaprakash M; Chakrabarti, Arunaloke; Imai, Kohsuke; Nonoyama, Shigeaki; Ohara, Osamu; Lau, Yu L; Singh, Surjit

    2017-04-01

    Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is an inherited phagocytic disorder characterized by recurrent infections with usually catalase-positive organisms. Infections in CGD from developing countries are expected to be different from those in the Western countries. We report the profile of infections in children diagnosed with CGD from a tertiary care center in North India. Case records of children diagnosed with CGD at Pediatric Immunodeficiency Clinic, Advanced Pediatrics Centre, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India, from August 1993 to April 2016 (23 years) were analyzed. Thirty-eight children were diagnosed to have CGD. Median follow-up of patients was 2 years (interquartile range 0.75, 6.0). Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas spp. were the two most common causative bacteria isolated. Aspergillus was the most common fungus isolated. The most common organ involved was the lung (94.7%). Liver abscesses were identified in 5 patients (13.2%), and 20 (52.6%) patients had lymphadenitis. Infections with Pseudomonas spp. were high in our cohort (15.7%) compared to the other studies. Infections with some unusual organisms (e.g., Fusarium dimerium and Chryseobacterium gleum) were also seen in our cohort. Children with X-linked CGD presented earlier and also had a greater number of infections as compared to autosomal recessive CGD. Various socioeconomic factors coupled with the lack of awareness and paucity of readily available diagnostic facilities for primary immunodeficiencies accounted for a late clinical presentation with severe infections and increased mortality (28.9%) in our cohort. However, mortality was similar in X-linked and autosomal recessive CGD as was the number of fungal infections. The incidence of infections and mortality was significantly lower after initiation of antibacterial and antifungal prophylaxis.

  15. Structure of the Upper Mantle and Mantle Transition Zone in Central Mongolia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cui, Z.; Meltzer, A.; Stachnik, J.; Fischer, K. M.; Russo, R. M.; Munkhuu, U.; Baasanbat, T.

    2016-12-01

    Located between two major Archean cratons, the Siberian Craton to the north and the Tarim and Sino-Korean Cratons to the south, the lithosphere of Central Mongolia was constructed over an extended period of orogenesis associated with the Central Asian Orogenic Belt. Archean to Early Proterozoic basement was modified by accreted subduction complexes during the Paleozoic and early Mesozoic and basalt magmatism in the Cenozoic. Central and western Mongolia constitute a significant portion of the greater Mongolian plateau, an approximately 2.6 million km2area of Central Asia with an average elevation of 1500 meters. The high topography of the Mongolian Plateau has been attributed to far-field effects of India-Asia convergence, Pacific plate subduction, mantle plume activity, convective mantle flow, and magmatic underplating. The origin and persistence of continental plateaus through time provides insight into the evolution of continents and interactions between mantle dynamics and surface processes. As part of a larger interdisciplinary project to understand the origin of high topography in continental interiors we deployed 112 seismic broadband stations in central Mongolia as three separate subarrays in two separate mobilizations over a four year period (2012-2016). The stations extend from the Hovsgol rift in northern Mongolia, through the Hangay Dome, and into the Gobi Altai in southern Mongolia. We use S wave Receiver functions (SRF) to examine the lithosphere asthenosphere boundary and P wave Receiver functions (PRF) to investigate the mantle transition zone (MTZ). Preliminary SRF results from the subarray in the Hangay show lithospheric thinning and E-W variation. The LAB beneath the Hangay is 100km. It gradually thins to 90 km at the western end of the central Hangay and thins more abruptly to 80km at the eastern end of the central Hangay. These results are in agreement with results from joint inversion of receiver functions and surface waves and teleseismic

  16. Profile of inhalant users seeking treatment at a de-addiction centre in north India.

    PubMed

    Gupta, Sunil; Nebhinani, Naresh; Basu, Debasish; Mattoo, Surendra Kumar

    2014-05-01

    Inhalants are substances whose chemical vapors are inhaled to produce euphoric, disinhibiting, and exciting effects. Data on inhalant abuse in India are relatively scarce. We report the demographic and clinical profile of inhalant users among the treatment seekers at a Drug De-addiction and Treatment Centre in north India. The records of treatment seekers at the Drug De-addiction and Treatment Centre, over 10 years (2002-2011) were scanned to identify 92 cases reporting inhalant use. Of these 92 cases, the complete record files were available for 87 (94.6%) cases. These case files were reviewed and the relevant data were collected and analyzed. Over the study period of 10 years, the number of cases with inhalant abuse per year rose steadily to peak at 20 cases (4.08% of new cases) in 2006 and then stabilized at 1-3 per cent of new cases annually. Of the 87 cases studied, all were males with a mean age of 18.9±4.12 yr, mean education of 9.8±3.42 yr and mean family income of Rs. 7676±7343.15 (median: Rs. 5000). Majority of subjects were unmarried (89.7%), urban resident (79.3%), and from a nuclear family (78.2%). About half of the subjects were students (50.6%). The most common inhalant used was typewriter correction fluid (73.6%) followed by typewriter diluent fluid (19.5%) and glue (6.9%). The most common reason for initiation was curiosity. The mean age of onset of inhalant use was 16.3±4.22 yr. Most subjects fulfilled the criteria for inhalant dependence (85.1%). Psychiatric co-morbidity and the family history of substance dependence were present in 26.4 and 32.9 per cent subjects, respectively. Majority of the subjects reported drug related problems, occupation and finance being the worst affected. Interpretations & conclusions: Our results showed that the inhalant users were mostly urban youth belonging to middle socio-economic class families. The principal sources of inhalant abuse were the commonly available substances like typewriter correction fluids

  17. Short communication: Massive erosion in monsoonal central India linked to late Holocene land cover degradation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Giosan, Liviu; Ponton, Camilo; Usman, Muhammed; Blusztajn, Jerzy; Fuller, Dorian Q.; Galy, Valier; Haghipour, Negar; Johnson, Joel E.; McIntyre, Cameron; Wacker, Lukas; Eglinton, Timothy I.

    2017-12-01

    Soil erosion plays a crucial role in transferring sediment and carbon from land to sea, yet little is known about the rhythm and rates of soil erosion prior to the most recent few centuries. Here we reconstruct a Holocene erosional history from central India, as integrated by the Godavari River in a sediment core from the Bay of Bengal. We quantify terrigenous fluxes, fingerprint sources for the lithogenic fraction and assess the age of the exported terrigenous carbon. Taken together, our data show that the monsoon decline in the late Holocene significantly increased soil erosion and the age of exported organic carbon. This acceleration of natural erosion was later exacerbated by the Neolithic adoption and Iron Age extensification of agriculture on the Deccan Plateau. Despite a constantly elevated sea level since the middle Holocene, this erosion acceleration led to a rapid growth of the continental margin. We conclude that in monsoon conditions aridity boosts rather than suppresses sediment and carbon export, acting as a monsoon erosional pump modulated by land cover conditions.

  18. Drinking Water Quality Assessment Studies for an Urbanized Part of the Nagpur District, Central India.

    PubMed

    Varade, Abhay M; Yenkie, Rajshree; Shende, Rahul; Kodate, Jaya

    2014-01-01

    The water quality of Hingna area of Nagpur district, Central India was assessed for its suitability as drinking water. 22 water samples, representing both the surface and groundwater sources, were collected and analysed for different inorganic constituents by using the standard procedures. The result depicted abundance of major ions; Ca2+ > Mg2+ > Na+ > K+ = HCO3- > Cl- > SO4(2-) > NO3-. The concentrations of different elements in water were compared with the drinking water standards defined by World Health Organization (WHO). The hydro-chemical results reveal that most of the samples were within the desirable limits of the drinking water quality. However, few samples of the area, showed higher values of total dissolved solids (TDS), total hardness (TH), and magnesium (Mg) indicating their 'hard water type' nature and found to be unfit for the drinking purpose. Such poor water quality of these samples is found due to the combined effect of urbanization and industrial activities. The potential health risks associated with various water parameters have also been documented in this paper.

  19. Appraising the spectrum of firework trauma and the related laws during Diwali in North India.

    PubMed

    Venkatesh, Ramesh; Gurav, Prachi; Tibrewal, Shailja; Agarwal, Manisha; Dubey, Suneeta; Mathur, Umang; Ganesh, Suma; Das, Sima

    2017-02-01

    To evaluate the epidemiological characteristics and outcomes of ocular injuries resulting from the use of firecrackers during the Diwali festival in all age groups. A single-center, retrospective, hospital-based case series presenting with ocular trauma consequent to fireworks usage in a tertiary eye care center in North India during the 5 days of Diwali festival from 2011 to 2015 was conducted. A total of 53 eyes of 45 patients were included in the study, out of which the vast majority (39/87%) were males. The mean age was 20.55 years. Almost an equal number of bystanders (25/55.5%) were affected as compared to people handling the fireworks (20/44.44%). Five (9.43%) eyes had open-globe injury, whereas 48 (90.56%) eyes had closed-globe injury. Eighteen (33.96%) eyes underwent surgical intervention. Thirty-three (62.26%) eyes had final vision >20/200 with eight (15.09%) eyes being vision <3/60 in the affected eye. Firework-related ocular trauma can lead to serious visual impairment. Mandatory legislative laws pertaining to the manufacture, sale, and use of fireworks and creating public awareness can reduce the incidence of this preventable cause of blindness in the society. Initiating new policies for retailers involved in sale of these firecrackers can also bring in decrease of such morbidities.

  20. Appraising the spectrum of firework trauma and the related laws during Diwali in North India

    PubMed Central

    Venkatesh, Ramesh; Gurav, Prachi; Tibrewal, Shailja; Agarwal, Manisha; Dubey, Suneeta; Mathur, Umang; Ganesh, Suma; Das, Sima

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the epidemiological characteristics and outcomes of ocular injuries resulting from the use of firecrackers during the Diwali festival in all age groups. Materials and Methods: A single-center, retrospective, hospital-based case series presenting with ocular trauma consequent to fireworks usage in a tertiary eye care center in North India during the 5 days of Diwali festival from 2011 to 2015 was conducted. Results: A total of 53 eyes of 45 patients were included in the study, out of which the vast majority (39/87%) were males. The mean age was 20.55 years. Almost an equal number of bystanders (25/55.5%) were affected as compared to people handling the fireworks (20/44.44%). Five (9.43%) eyes had open-globe injury, whereas 48 (90.56%) eyes had closed-globe injury. Eighteen (33.96%) eyes underwent surgical intervention. Thirty-three (62.26%) eyes had final vision >20/200 with eight (15.09%) eyes being vision <3/60 in the affected eye. Conclusion: Firework-related ocular trauma can lead to serious visual impairment. Mandatory legislative laws pertaining to the manufacture, sale, and use of fireworks and creating public awareness can reduce the incidence of this preventable cause of blindness in the society. Initiating new policies for retailers involved in sale of these firecrackers can also bring in decrease of such morbidities. PMID:28345570