Status of women in two Bengals: evidence from large scale surveys.

PubMed

Chattopadhyay, Aparajita; Goswami, Baishali

2007-03-01

Greater female autonomy is mirrored through better performance in the major demographic and social indicators. This study attempts to capture the effect of religion on the status of women considering 'Greater Bengal'. There is much evidence suggesting that when cultural factors are constant, religion does not have a significant effect on any demographic issue. In this paper, the validity of this proposition is examined using two datasets, namely NFHS II (98-99) and BDHS 2000. It is clear from the analyses that not only region but also religion has a distinct effect on the status of women. In West Bengal, the religious gap for all the indicators considered is pretty high, whereas in Bangladesh the gap is not that wide. A state-level population policy is needed in West Bengal to act as a social leveller.

Emergence of West Nile virus in West Bengal, India: a new report.

PubMed

Khatun, Tanuja; Chatterjee, Shyamalendu

2017-04-01

The ICMR virus unit in Kolkata functions as an Appex Referral Laboratory for the detection of dengue (DENV) and chikungunya (CHIKV) infections in the eastern part of India. In spite of efforts for confirmatory diagnosis, some samples remain undiagnosed every year. West Nile virus (WNV) infection may mimic either dengue (flavivirus) or chikungunya (alphavirus) like illness. WNV is endemic in the tropical region where its principal/potential vectors are Aedes and Culex. We explored the existence of WNV within undiagnosed samples to identify the emergence of a new public health problem. Of 1278 sera samples, 574 were negative for DENV and CHIKV either by ELISA or by reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR. Of these 574 negative samples, 83 (14.5%) and 141 (24.56%) were positive for WNV by ELISA and RT-PCR, respectively; no samples were positive for WNV by both methods. After assembling raw sequencing data, partial envelope genome sequence of West Bengal isolates, WNV was compared through BLAST with other WNV Indian strains and 98% homology detected. Phylogenetic analysis of one West Bengal isolates (Accession No. KY421790) and 28 Indian isolates available in GenBank, indicated close clustering. The serological and molecular approaches have clearly established the emergence of WNV in West Bengal. Hence, for proper case management, detection of WNV in common febrile illness is strongly recommended. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Evaluation of chronic arsenic poisoning due to consumption of contaminated ground water in West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Ghosh, Asutosh

2013-08-01

Chronic arsenic poisoning is an important public health problem and most notable in West Bengal and Bangladesh. In this study different systemic manifestations in chronic arsenic poisoning were evaluated. A nonrandomized, controlled, cross-sectional, observational study was carried out in Arsenic Clinic, Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Kolkata, West Bengal, over a period of 1 year 4 months. Seventy-three cases diagnosed clinically, consuming water containing arsenic ≥50 μg/L and having hair and nail arsenic level >0.6 μg/L, were included. Special investigations included routine parameters and organ-specific tests. Arsenic levels in the drinking water, hair, and nail were measured in all. Twenty-five nonsmoker healthy controls were evaluated. Murshidabad and districts adjacent to Kolkata, West Bengal, were mostly affected. Middle-aged males were the common sufferers. Skin involvement was the commonest manifestation (100%), followed by hepatomegaly [23 (31.5%)] with or without transaminitis [7 (9.58%)]/portal hypertension [9 (12.33%)]. Restrictive abnormality in spirometry [11 (15.06%)], bronchiectasis [4 (5.47%)], interstitial fibrosis [2 (2.73%)], bronchogenic carcinoma [2 (2.73%)], oromucosal plaque [7 (9.58%)], nail hypertrophy [10 (13.69%)], alopecia [8 (10.95%)], neuropathy [5 (6.84%)], and Electrocardiography abnormalities [5 (6.84%)] were also observed. Mucocutaneous and nail lesions, hepatomegaly, and restrictive change in spirometry were the common and significant findings. Other manifestations were characteristic but insignificant.

Eriophyoid mites from Eastern India: description of three new species (Acari: Prostigmata: Eriophyoidea).

PubMed

Debnath, Pranab; Karmakar, Krishna

2016-01-11

Three new eriophyoid mite species, namely Dichopelmus puncti n. sp. (Eriophyidae) from cogan grass, Imperata cylindrica (Poaceae); Calacarus kalyaniensis n. sp. (Eriophyidae) from Siam weed, Chromolaena odorata (Asteraceae) and Neorhynacus bidhanae n. sp. (Diptilomiopidae) from Croton caudatus (Euphorbiaceae), are described and illustrated from West Bengal, India. The new species are vagrants on the leaves of their respective host plants with no visible damage observed. Keys to the known species of Dichopelmus and Neorhynacus are provided along with a checklist of eriophyoid mites species present in West Bengal.

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.

Dynamics of Fluvial Regime and its impact on the population displacement in the Gangetic Plain of West Bengal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasad, Suraj; Sen, Anjan

2017-04-01

River bank erosion is one of the major natural hazards in India. Basically it is a natural phenomenon, but the role of anthropogenic factor to trigger the problem is undeniable. In West Bengal, river bank erosion in Ganga River has become an acute problem in Malda and Murshidabad districts. In Musrshidabad district alone, more than 350 Km2 land has been lost in the past four decades and more than 80000 persons have been displaced in the entire state of West Bengal. The trigger for such large scale erosional work has been both natural as well as anthropogenic. Ganga River in West Bengal flows through an underdeveloped river channel, leading to frequent changes in the course of the river that further cause riverbank erosion along the riparian zones of the river. The construction of Farakka Barrage in Malda district in 1975 has only exacerbated the problem, causing siltation and associated erosional processes. The present work deals with the social impacts of the physical process of erosion, and primarily focuses on the migration pattern of uprooted communities of Malda and Murshidabad districts. The study uses Landsat Images and SRTM DEM to assess the changes in the course of Ganga River and primary survey to discern the present and future trends of migration in the affected areas, and concludes with an assessment of the social-ecological-landscape relationships in a region undergoing large scale physical as well as demographic change. Keywords: River Bank Erosion, Ganga River, Farakka Barrage, Landsat, SRTM DEM, Migration

The Maharashtra Felling of Trees (Regulation) (Amendment) Act, 1988 (No. 26 of 1989), 5 August 1989.

PubMed

1989-01-01

Among other things, this Act amends the Maharashtra (India) Felling of Trees (Regulation) Act, 1964, to authorize the Tree Officer to order the planting of trees in any land (other than government-designated drought land) that he thinks does not contain an adequate number of trees. Owners and occupiers of the land must comply with the order, after being given a reasonable opportunity to be heard. If they do not comply, they can be charged for expenses incurred in having the trees planted. In 1989 the government of West Bengal enacted The Indian Forest (West Bengal Amendment) Act, 1989 (No. 22 of 1988) (Calcutta Gazette, Extraordinary, Part III, 3 February 1989). This Act increases the punishment for various infractions of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, as applied to West Bengal and inserts new language relating to the power of officers to stop and search vehicles; the ability of the state government to seize contraband and related tools, vehicles, boats, and cattle; and punishment for abetting offenses delineated by the Act.

Air Pollution over North-West Bay of Bengal in the Early Post-Monsoon Season Based on NASA MERRAero Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kishcha, Pavel; DaSilva, Arlindo M.; Starobinets, Boris; Alpert, Pinhas

2013-01-01

The MERRA Aerosol Reanalysis (MERRAero) has been recently developed at NASA's Global Modeling Assimilation Office (GMAO). This reanalysis is based on a version of the GEOS-5 model radiatively coupled with GOCART aerosols, and it includes assimilation of bias-corrected Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT) from the MODIS sensor on both Terra and Aqua satellites. Our main finding is that, in October, in the absence of aerosol sources in north-west Bay of Bengal (BoB), MERRAero showed increasing AOT trends over north-west BoB exceeding those over the east of the Ganges basin. The Ganges basin is characterized by significant population growth accompanied by developing industry, agriculture, and increasing transportation: this has resulted in declining air quality. MERRAero data for the period 2002-2009 was used to study AOT trends over north-west Bay of Bengal (BoB) in the early post-monsoon season. This season is characterized by aerosol transport from the Ganges basin to north-west BoB by prevailing winds; and still significant rainfall of over 150 mmmonth. Different aerosol components showed strong increasing AOT trends over north-west BoB. The following factors contributed to the increasing AOT trend over the area in question in October: an increasing number of days when prevailing winds blew from land to sea, resulting in a drier environment and an increase in air pollution over north-west BoB; wind convergence was observed over north-west BoB causing the accumulation of aerosol particles over that region, when prevailing winds blew from land to sea. MERRAero aerosol reanalysis can be used on a global scale.

Gene differentiation among ten endogamous groups of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Chakraborty, R; Walter, H; Mukherjee, B N; Malhotra, K C; Sauber, P; Banerjee, S; Roy, M

1986-11-01

Ten endogamous populations of West Bengal, India have been surveyed for genetic variation in 12 systems. These populations encompass all social ranks in the caste hierarchy and cover almost the entire geographic area of the state. Gene diversity analysis suggests that these groups exhibit significant allele frequency variation at all but three loci. The overall genetic difference is not, however, in accord with the classification based on caste. Two low-ranking scheduled caste groups are, in fact, in close proximity with the high-caste ones, suggesting evidence of past generations of gene flow among them. Three different clusters of groups emerge from the present data, providing support for the anthropologic assertion that in Bengal Proto-Australoid, Caucasoid, and Mongoloid racial elements generally coexist. However, these three components are not uniformly present in all groups. Geographic separation of the groups is a strong determinant of the gene differentiation that exists among these populations.

Application of the Classification Tree Model in Predicting Learner Dropout Behaviour in Open and Distance Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yasmin, Dr.

2013-01-01

This paper demonstrates the meaningful application of learning analytics for determining dropout predictors in the context of open and distance learning in a large developing country. The study was conducted at the Directorate of Distance Education at the University of North Bengal, West Bengal, India. This study employed a quantitative research…

Molecular evidence for the occurrence of Japanese encephalitis virus genotype I and III infection associated with acute Encephalitis in Patients of West Bengal, India, 2010

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), a mosquito-borne zoonotic pathogen, is the sole etiologic agent of Japanese Encephalitis (JE); a neurotropic killer disease which is one of the major causes of viral encephalitis worldwide with prime public health concern. JE was first reported in the state of West Bengal, India in 1973. Since then it is being reported every year from different districts of the state, though the vaccination has already been done. Therefore, it indicates that there might be either partial coverage of the vaccine or the emergence of mutated/new strain of JEV. Considering this fact, to understand the JEV genotype distribution, we conducted a molecular epidemiological study on a total of 135 serum/cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples referred and/or collected from the clinically suspected patients with Acute encephalitis syndrome (AES), admitted in different district hospitals of West Bengal, India, 2010. Findings JEV etiology was confirmed in 36/135 (26.6%) and 13/61 (21.3%) 2–15 days’ febrile illness samples from AES cases by analyzing Mac-ELISA followed by RT-PCR test respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on complete envelope gene sequences of 13 isolates showed the emergence of JEV genotype I (GI), co-circulating with genotype III (GIII). Conclusion This study represents the first report of JEV GI with GIII, co-circulating in West Bengal. The efficacy of the vaccine (derived from JEV GIII strain SA-14-14-2) to protect against emerging JEV GI needs careful evaluation. In future, JE outbreak is quite likely in the state, if this vaccine fails to protect sufficiently against GI of JEV. PMID:23153306

An assessment of rural health care delivery system in some areas of West Bengal-an overview.

PubMed

Ray, Sandip Kumar; Basu, Subhra S; Basu, Amal Kumar

2011-01-01

A cross sectional observational study was carried out in three districts of West Bengal by following observational, quantitative and qualitative methods during July to December 2006 to find out the extent of utilization, strengths, weaknesses and gap as well as suggest recommendations in connection with health care delivery system for the state of West Bengal, India. A total of 672 episodes of illnesses were reported (2 weeks recall) by the study population of the three selected districts in three geographically separated divisions of West Bengal. None did seek care from any health facilities for treatment in case of 221 (32.89%) episodes; especially from tribal areas where in case of 76.19% none sought any health care from any facilities depended on their home remedies. In rest of episodes the (451), majority preferred government health facilities (38.58%), followed by Unqualified quacks (29.27%) due to low cost as well as living in close proximity, 27.27% preferred qualified Private practitioners and only 4.88% preferred AYUSH, as a first choice. Referral was mostly by self or by close relatives/families (61%) and not by a doctor. Awareness is required to avoid unnecessary referral. Cleanliness of the premises, face-lift, and clean toilet with privacy and availability of safe drinking water facilities could have an improved client satisfaction in rural health care delivery systems. This could be achieved through community participation with the involvement of PRI. However, as observed in the study RCH services including Family Planning as well as immunization services (preventive services) were utilized much better while there was a strong need of improvement of Post Natal Care, otherwise, Neonatal and Maternal mortality and morbidity will continue to be high.

On the importance of Sri Lanka for sea-level variability along the west coast of India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suresh, I.; Vialard, J.; Izumo, T.; Lengaigne, M.; Han, W.; McCreary, J. P., Jr.; Pillathu Moolayil, M.

2015-12-01

Earlier studies have illustrated the strong influence of remote forcing from the equator and the Bay of Bengal on the sea-level variability off the west coast of India, especially at the seasonal timescale. More recently, Suresh et al. [2013] demonstrated with a simple, linear, continuously-stratified (LCS) model that the equatorial zonal winds contribute to more than 60% of intraseasonal sea-level variability along the Indian west coast. In the present study, we quantify the contributions from various processes to the sea-level variability along the west coast of India at different timescales with the help of a LCS model through both idealized and realistic sensitivity experiments. We demonstrate that remote forcing dominates the sea-level variability along the west coast of India at intraseasonal to interannual timescales. Sri Lanka and the southern tip of India play an important role on Indian west coast sea-level variability at all timescales for two reasons: First, the geometry of the coast favors a strong alongshore wind-stress forcing of coastal Kelvin waves across timescales there. Second, Sri Lanka interacts with low-order meridional mode equatorial Rossby waves forced by equatorial winds or southern Bay of Bengal wind- stress curl. This interaction of coastal waveguide with equatorial waveguide creates a new pathway for the equatorial signals to arrive at the west coast of India, alternative to the "classical" coastal waveguide around the rim of the Bay of Bengal. Reference: Suresh, I., J. Vialard, M. Lengaigne, W. Han, J. McCreary, F. Durand, and P. M. Muraleedharan (2013), Origins of wind-driven intraseasonal sea level variations in the North Indian Ocean coastal waveguide, Geophys. Res. Lett., 40, 5740-5744, doi:10.1002/2013GL058312.

Anvil Clouds of Tropical Mesoscale Convective Systems in Monsoon Regions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cetrone, J.; Houze, R. A., Jr.

2009-01-01

The anvil clouds of tropical mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) in West Africa, the Maritime Continent and the Bay of Bengal have been examined with TRMM and CloudSat satellite data and ARM ground-based radar observations. The anvils spreading out from the precipitating cores of MCSs are subdivided into thick, medium and thin portions. The thick portions of anvils show distinct differences from one climatological regime to another. In their upper portions, the thick anvils of West Africa MCSs have a broad, flat histogram of reflectivity, and a maximum of reflectivity in their lower portions. The reflectivity histogram of the Bay of Bengal thick anvils has a sharply peaked distribution of reflectivity at all altitudes with modal values that increase monotonically downward. The reflectivity histogram of the Maritime Continent thick anvils is intermediate between that of the West Africa and Bay of Bengal anvils, consistent with the fact this region comprises a mix of land and ocean influences. It is suggested that the difference between the statistics of the continental and oceanic anvils is related to some combination of two factors: (1) the West African anvils tend to be closely tied to the convective regions of MCSs while the oceanic anvils are more likely to be extending outward from large stratiform precipitation areas of MCSs, and (2) the West African MCSs result from greater buoyancy, so that the convective cells are more likely to produce graupel particles and detrain them into anvils

Push-Pull Factors of Undocumented Migration from Bangladesh to West Bengal: A Perception Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Datta, Pranati

2004-01-01

Movement is an integral part of human existence. While talking about transborder migration from Bangladesh to India, we are, however, aware that this is a controversial subject. The partition of Bengal in 1947 was the cruelest partition in the history of the world and caused forced illegal migration from erstwhile East Pakistan. It is estimated…

Understanding Himalayan erosion and the significance of the Nicobar Fan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNeill, Lisa C.; Dugan, Brandon; Backman, Jan; Pickering, Kevin T.; Pouderoux, Hugo F. A.; Henstock, Timothy J.; Petronotis, Katerina E.; Carter, Andrew; Chemale, Farid; Milliken, Kitty L.; Kutterolf, Steffen; Mukoyoshi, Hideki; Chen, Wenhuang; Kachovich, Sarah; Mitchison, Freya L.; Bourlange, Sylvain; Colson, Tobias A.; Frederik, Marina C. G.; Guèrin, Gilles; Hamahashi, Mari; House, Brian M.; Hüpers, Andre; Jeppson, Tamara N.; Kenigsberg, Abby R.; Kuranaga, Mebae; Nair, Nisha; Owari, Satoko; Shan, Yehua; Song, Insun; Torres, Marta E.; Vannucchi, Paola; Vrolijk, Peter J.; Yang, Tao; Zhao, Xixi; Thomas, Ellen

2017-10-01

A holistic view of the Bengal-Nicobar Fan system requires sampling the full sedimentary section of the Nicobar Fan, which was achieved for the first time by International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 362 west of North Sumatra. We identified a distinct rise in sediment accumulation rate (SAR) beginning ∼9.5 Ma and reaching 250-350 m/Myr in the 9.5-2 Ma interval, which equal or far exceed rates on the Bengal Fan at similar latitudes. This marked rise in SAR and a constant Himalayan-derived provenance necessitates a major restructuring of sediment routing in the Bengal-Nicobar submarine fan. This coincides with the inversion of the Eastern Himalayan Shillong Plateau and encroachment of the west-propagating Indo-Burmese wedge, which reduced continental accommodation space and increased sediment supply directly to the fan. Our results challenge a commonly held view that changes in sediment flux seen in the Bengal-Nicobar submarine fan were caused by discrete tectonic or climatic events acting on the Himalayan-Tibetan Plateau. Instead, an interplay of tectonic and climatic processes caused the fan system to develop by punctuated changes rather than gradual progradation.

Study of HLA Class I gene in Indian schizophrenic patients of Siliguri, West Bengal.

PubMed

Singh, Bisu; Bera, Nirmal Kumar; De, Santanu; Nayak, Chittaranjan; Chaudhuri, Tapas Kumar

2011-09-30

The authors studied the prevalence of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) Class I gene in 136 (85 male, 51 female) India-born schizophrenia patients residing in and around the Siliguri subdivision of West Bengal by the PCR-SSP method. The control group consisted of 150 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals from the same ethnic group as the patients. Increased frequency of HLA A*03 as well as decreased frequencies of HLA A*31 and HLA B*51, was noted. The study suggests the possible existence of a susceptibility locus for schizophrenia within the HLA region. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Food security and anthropometric failure among tribal children in Bankura, West Bengal.

PubMed

Mukhopadhyay, D K; Biswas, A B

2011-04-01

We conducted a cross-sectional study among 188 tribal children aged 6-59 months using two-stage sampling in Bankura-I Block of Bankura district, West Bengal, India, to assess their nutritional status and its relation with household food security. Weight and height/length were measured and analyzed as per new WHO Growth Standards. Mothers of the study children were interviewed to obtain relevant information. Prevalence of Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure was 69.1%; and multiple anthropometric failures were more likely among tribal children aged 24-59 months with irregular utilization of supplementary nutrition and from households with severe grades of food security.

Molecular analysis of microbial community in arsenic-rich groundwater of Kolsor, West Bengal.

PubMed

Sarkar, Angana; Paul, Dhiraj; Kazy, Sufia K; Sar, Pinaki

2016-01-01

Bacterial community composition within the highly arsenic (As) contaminated groundwater from Kolsur, West Bengal was analyzed over a period of 3 years using 16S rRNA gene clone library and Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE). Molecular phylogenetic study revealed abundance of α-Proteobacteria (56%) and Firmicutes (29%) along with members of β-Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia and Sphingobacteria as relatively minor groups. Along with consistent physicochemical environment, a stable microbial community structure comprising of bacterial genera Agrobacterium-Rhizobium, Ochrobactrum, Pseudomonas, Anoxybacillus and Penibacillus was recorded over the three years study period. Presence of cytosolic arsenate reductase (arsC) gene was observed within the microbial community. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that all the arsC sequences were closely related to the same gene from γ-proteobacterial members while the community was consisted of mainly α-proteobacterial groups. Such phylogenetic incongruence between 16S rRNA and arsC genes possibly indicated horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of the ars genes within the groundwater community. Overall, the study reported a nearly stable geomicrobial environment and genetic determinant related to As homeostasis gene, and provided a better insight on biogeochemistry of As contaminated aquifer of West Bengal.

The development of mental hospitals in West Bengal: A brief history and changing trends.

PubMed

Bhattacharyya, Ranjan

2018-02-01

The communication between G. S Bose and Sigmund Freud is a well-documented fact, and philosophical blend of rich cultural experiences is unique to modification of traditional psychoanalysis in the context of development of psychiatry in West Bengal. The Calcutta lunatic asylum was established at Bhowanipore, and first general hospital psychiatric unit was formed at R. G. Kar Medical College, Calcutta. Prof. Ajita Chakraborty was a pioneer to describe her struggling days in the early career and shared her views with experiences in her autobiography. The volume and quality of research work, especially in the field of epidemiology led by Dr. D. N. Nandi is worth mentioning. A jail had been converted to mental hospital which is the largest in terms of bed strength ( n = 350) at Berhampore, Murshidabad district where Kazi Nazrul Islam and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose had spent some period as prisoner during British rules. Bankura was the first district in West Bengal to start District Mental Health program. The various nongovernmental organizations are working together in public-private partnership model or indigenous ways in tandem over years for the betterment of mental health services both at institutional and community level.

Ground water arsenic contamination in West Bengal, India: a risk of sub-clinical toxicity in cattle as evident by correlation between arsenic exposure, excretion and deposition.

PubMed

Bera, Asit Kumar; Rana, Tanmoy; Das, Subhshree; Bhattacharya, Debasis; Bandyopadhyay, Subhasish; Pan, Diganta; De, Sumanta; Samanta, Srikanta; Chowdhury, Atalanta Narayan; Mondal, Tapan Kumar; Das, Subrata Kumar

2010-11-01

Arsenic contamination of ground water in West Bengal, India, is a great concern for both human and livestock populations. Our study investigated and correlated the arsenic concentration in the drinking water, urinary excretion and deposition of total arsenic in hair of cattle at an arsenic contaminated zone in West Bengal. The results of our study indicated that the average concentration of arsenic in tube well water in contaminated villages ranged from 0.042 to 0.251 ppm and a statistical significant (p < 0.01) difference was seen when compared to samples from a non-contaminated zone. The arsenic concentration in urine and hair of cattle ranged between 0.245-0.691 ppm and 0.461-0.984 ppm, respectively. A close relationship was found between the total arsenic in drinking water urinary excretion (r² = 0.03664, p < 0.05) and the arsenic concentration in hair (r² = 0.03668, p < 0.05). Our findings indicate that quantification of arsenic concentration in cattle urine and hair can serve as biomarkers for both present and past exposure in cattle population.

Lessons Learned From Developing a Sustainable Arsenic-Safe Water Program in West Bengal, India Over a Period of Eight Years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, M. M.; Liaw, J.; Hira, A.; Guha, P.; Pal, S. S.; Hore, T.; Smith, A. H.

2010-12-01

Arsenic is a carcinogen, and causes many cancers and noncancer diseases. Recent findings have shown that exposure to arsenic in drinking water as a child or before birth can cause illness and death even as an adult. In the West Bengal region of India, more than six million people are drinking crystal clear but arsenic-contaminated water from tubewells. Project Well, a non-profit organization based in California, has provided safe drinking water to villages in West Bengal since 2001 through modern modified dugwells, currently numbering 163. Along the way, Project Well has faced the challenge of persuading people to stop consuming good-tasting, arsenic-laced water and instead drink chlorinated water, which is safe but may have the smell of chlorine. Additionally, West Bengal receives abundant annual rainfall, and hence it is difficult to convince people to pay for treated water. From its inception, the Project Well program was set up with a tracking system to assess the efficacy of the modern dugwells, which has helped identify where technical improvements were needed. Continuous interaction with community-based user groups has also helped overcome many constraints and make the program sustainable. Project Well monitoring records from August 2010 show that out of 163 modern dugwells, 48 percent were being used, providing water for 2948 villagers; 23 percent were closed; 6 percent were dry (11 districts of West Bengal were in a drought); 6 percent required maintenance; and 7 percent were not used. Arsenic concentrations in the modern dugwells were measured every year during peak season when the water table was low and the median arsenic concentration of operational dugwells over the eight years between 2002 and 2010 was 15 ppb (the permissible limit in India is 50 ppb). Each year, about 6 to 10 percent of the dugwells have arsenic levels above 50 ppb during the summer season, when the water level is low. Bacterial counts, i.e., total coliform and fecal coliform, are also measured in newly constructed modern dugwells. Theoline, a chlorine-based disinfectant, is applied weekly at a dose of 4 ounces per 100 gallons of water. There have been no reports of diarrheal diseases related to these modern dugwell water. Some dugwell sites have been very successful, with more than 100 users, and Project Well is now expanding to other districts.

KORO SOCIAL RESPONSE (URBAN) : A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF NORTH BENGAL KORO EPIDEMIC

PubMed Central

Chowdhury, Arabinda N.

1992-01-01

Social responses to Koro illness was studied from an urban population (n = 118) of Darjeeling district of West Bengal State, during and after the North Bengal Koro epidemic. The prevalent social cognition of Koro as a positive illness paradigm, both among the Koro-affected and non-affected families, was the important social dynamics that helped the epidemic to spread as the illness in the region. The cognition-intensity related to the Koro vulnerability has diminished gradually with the passing of time, which was well corroborated with the gradually weaning incidence curve of Koro illness in the region. PMID:21776098

Health impact of supplying safe drinking water on patients having various clinical manifestations of fluorosis in an endemic village of west bengal.

PubMed

Majumdar, Kunal K; Sundarraj, Shunmuga N

2013-01-01

Excessive fluoride in drinking water causes dental, skeletal and non-skeletal fluorosis which is encountered in endemic proportions in several parts of the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) guideline value and the permissible limit of fluoride as per the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is 1.5 mg/L. Studies showed that withdrawal of sources identified for fluoride, often leads to reduction of fluoride in the body fluids (re-testing urine and serum after a week or ten days) and results in the disappearance of non-skeletal fluorosis within a short duration of 10-15 days. To determine the prevalence of signs and symptoms of suspected dental, skeletal and non-skeletal fluorosis along with food habits, addictions and use of fluoride-containing toothpaste among participants taking water with fluoride concentration above permissible limit and to assess the changes in clinical manifestations of the above participants after consumption of safe drinking water with fluoride concentration below permissible limit. A longitudinal intervention study was conducted from October 2010 to December 2011 in a village selected randomly in Purulia District of West Bengal which is endemic for fluorosis. Thirty-six families with 104 family members in the above village having history of taking unsafe water containing high level of fluoride were selected for the study. The occurrence of various dental, skeletal and non-skeletal manifestations of fluorosis along with food habits, addictions and use of fluoride-containing toothpaste among the study population was assessed; the impact of taking safe water with fluoride concentration below permissible limit from a supplied community filter on these clinical manifestations was studied by follow-up examination of the above participants for six months. The data obtained is compared with the collected data from the baseline survey. The prevalence of signs and symptoms of dental, skeletal and non-skeletal fluorosis was (18.26%), (18.26-43.26%) and (12.49-38.46%) among the study population. Withdrawal of source(s) identified for fluoride by providing community filters supplying safe water along with nutritional interventions lead to 1.92% decrease of manifestation of dental fluorosis, 2.88-18.26% decrease of manifestations of skeletal fluorosis and 3.8-5.77% decrease in manifestations of non-skeletal fluorosis within six months. Following repeated motivation of participants during visit there was also 2.88% decrease in the usage of fluoride-containing toothpaste, 4.81% decrease in consumption of black lemon tea, supari and tobacco which are known sources of fluoride ingestion in our body. Increased prevalence of dental, skeletal and non-skeletal fluorosis was found among the study population. Withdrawal of sources(s) identified for fluoride by supplying community filter, dietary restriction and other nutritional interventions led to decrease of manifestations of the three types of fluorosis within six months. The government should play a vital role in ensuring drinking water safety at the household and community level by supplying domestic filters at affordable costs and community filter along with nutritional intervention to the fluorosis-affected villages on a priority basis to mitigate the problem.

Effectiveness of training on infant feeding practices among community influencers in a rural area of west Bengal.

PubMed

Haldar, A; Ray, S; Biswas, R; Biswas, B; Mukherjee, D

2001-01-01

Total 34 Influencers were trained in a subcentre area of South 24-parganas district of West Bengal. Knowledge was imparted to community influencers on infant feeding practices through lecture, group discussion, question-answer session and hand-on-training by trained health workers. Pre-assessment was done before initiation of training. Repeat training was conducted at frequent intervals within a period of 3 months. Mean score of knowledge of influencers during pre-training assessment was 13.3 and improved thereafter-following training to 20.8 (1st assessment), 20.6 (2nd assessment), 23.7 (3rd assessment) and 25.2 (final-assessment). Repeat training had also desired impact.

Gender inequality in nutritional status among under five children in a village in Hooghly district, West Bengal.

PubMed

Dey, I; Chaudhuri, R N

2008-01-01

A community based, cross-sectional study was conducted in the Mollasimla village of Hooghly district of West Bengal, to examine the differences in nutritional status of under-five males and females and to determine the different bio-social factors associated with such differences. It was found that 55.9%, 51.4% and 42.3% of the girls were underweight, stunted and wasted respectively compared to 46.6%, 40.5% and 35.3% of the boys and a significantly higher proportion of malnutrition was found to be present among female children of higher birth order and those belonging to families with lower per capita income compared to the males.

Positive deviance--the West Bengal experience.

PubMed

Mustaphi, P; Dobe, M

2005-01-01

There are 11.1 million children in the age group 0-6 years in West Bengal. Of these, every second child under 3 years of age is underweight, more than four out of ten are stunted, and one out of eight are wasted. The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme in West Bengal has 355 operational projects covering 53,064 operational anganwadi centers reaching out to more than four million beneficiaries--approximately half of whom are children in the age group 0-3 years. The Department of Women and Child Development (DWCD) is trying to identify and replicate innovative, community-based, sustainable approaches. One such innovative initiative has been the "Keno Parbo Na" project based on the Positive Deviance (PD) approach which aims to reduce and prevent malnutrition among children under 3 years of age by focusing on local solutions and resources, local behaviors and practices. Behavior change is emphasized through participatory learning and community mobilization. The pilot phase of the project has been completed in two districts [Four blocks (2 in each District) and 32 villages/AWCs (8 in each block)] of West Bengal (Murshidabad and South 24 Parganas). The analysis of the project activities so far reveals that the issue of malnutrition and its prevention is now visible in the villages covered. Acceptance of desirable behavioral practices is observed within the community. A steady reduction in the moderate and severe level of malnutrition was noted across four districts. A general preponderance of girl children was noted at the entry stage indicating higher levels of severe and moderate malnutrition among girl children to begin with but also suggesting PD as an important strategy in reducing the gender gap in malnutrition. The boys gain in terms of nutritional status faster than the girls so in the intermediate phase malnourished girls are more in number. However, by the sixth / ninth round, as the malnutrition levels decline substantially, the gender gap tends to close.

On a new species of Aplectana (Nematoda, Cosmocercidae) from Kulti, Burdwan, West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Sou, Sujan K; Sow, Kanchan K; Nandi, Anadi P

2014-10-01

During routine survey for amphibian nematodes from coalfield areas of West Bengal, India 7 male and 12 female nematodes were recovered from the rectum of one out of three Duttaphrynus melanostictus (Schneider, 1899) examined for helminth infection from Kulti, Burdwan. On examination the recovered nematodes were found to belong to a new species of the genus Aplectana (Nematoda: Cosmocercidae) and the name Aplectana duttaphryni sp. nov. is proposed for them. This species is most similar to those species which possess gubernaculum but differs from all by distribution pattern of caudal papillae. Aplectana duttaphryni sp. nov. represents 49(th) species assigned to the genus, but only the 4(th) species reported from Oriental realm and second from India.

Pyridine Based Fluorescence Probe: Simultaneous Detection and Removal of Arsenate from Real Samples with Living Cell Imaging Properties.

PubMed

Nandi, Sandip; Sahana, Animesh; Sarkar, Bidisha; Mukhopadhyay, Subhra Kanti; Das, Debasis

2015-09-01

Pyridine based fluorescence probe, DFPPIC and its functionalized Merrifield polymer has been synthesized, characterized and used as an arsenate selective fluorescence sensor. Arsenate induced fluorescence enhancement is attributed to inter-molecular H-bonding assisted CHEF process. The detection limit for arsenate is 0.001 μM, much below the WHO recommended tolerance level in drinking water. DFPPIC can detect intracellular arsenate in drinking water of Purbasthali, West Bengal, India efficiently. Graphical Abstract DFPPIC and its Merrifield conjugate polymer are used for selective determination and removal of arsenate from real drinking water samples of Purbasthali, a highly arsenic contaminated region of West Bengal, India. DFPPIC is very promising to imaging arsenate in living cells.

High Probability of Cyclone Development in the Bay of Bengal

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-05-22

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center states that formation of a significant tropical cyclone is possible in the Bay of Bengal within the next 12 - 24 hours as of 0730Z on May 21, 2014. Along with deep convective banding associated with a consolidating low-level circulation center, warm sea surface temperatures are conducive for further development. This image was taken by the Suomi NPP satellite's VIIRS instrument in two passes, the east pass around 0615Z and the west pass around 0755Z on May 21, 2014. Credit: NASA/NOAA/NPP/VIIRS The Joint Typhoon Warning Center states that formation of a significant tropical cyclone is possible in the Bay of Bengal within the next 12 - 24 hours as of 0730Z on May 21, 2014. Along with deep convective banding associated with a consolidating low-level circulation center, warm sea surface temperatures are conducive for further development. This image was taken by the Suomi NPP satellite's VIIRS instrument in two passes, the east pass around 0615Z and the west pass around 0755Z on May 21, 2014.

Sources of low-arsenic groundwater in the Bengal Basin: investigating the influence of the last glacial maximum palaeosol using a 115-km traverse across Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoque, M. A.; McArthur, J. M.; Sikdar, P. K.

2014-05-01

Pollution of groundwater in the Bengal Basin (Bangladesh and West Bengal, India) by arsenic (As) puts at risk the health of more than 100 million consumers. Using 1,580 borehole lithological logs and published hydrochemistry on 2,387 wells, it was predicted that low-As (<10 μg/L) groundwater exists, in palaeo-interfluvial aquifers of brown sand capped by a protective palaeosol, beneath at least 45,000 km2 of the Bengal Basin. The aquifers were predicted to be at a depth of as little as 25 m below ground level (mbgl), and typically no more than 50 mbgl. The predictions were confirmed along an east-west traverse 115 km in length (i.e. across half of Bangladesh) by drilling 28 new boreholes to 91-m depth to reveal subsurface sedimentology, and by mapping As distribution in groundwater. The aquifers identified occur at typically <40 mbgl and so are accessible with local drilling methods. A protective palaeosol that caps the palaeo-interfluvial aquifers prevents downward movement into them of As-polluted groundwater present in shallower palaeo-channel aquifers and ensures that the palaeo-interfluvial aquifers will yield low-As groundwater for the foreseeable future. Their use, in place of the shallower As-polluted palaeo-channel aquifers, would rapidly mitigate the health risks from consumption of As-polluted groundwater.

Effects of health empowerment intervention on resilience of adolescents in a tribal area: A study using the Solomon four-groups design.

PubMed

Sarkar, Kaushik; Dasgupta, Aparajita; Sinha, Multipada; Shahbabu, Bhaskar

2017-10-01

Resilience prevents the emergence of stress-related mental health problems among adolescents. Adolescents in tribal areas of India are more prone to develop such problems. The primary objective was to determine the effect of combined life skills-based health empowerment intervention on the resilience of school-going adolescents in a tribal area. The secondary objectives were to determine the effect of the intervention on internal health locus of control and self-determination and to compare the effect of intervention on resilience between non-tribal and tribal adolescents. We conducted this quasi-experimental study using a Solomon four-group design among 742 adolescents in two schools of Purulia, West Bengal, India. Students of the pretested group were examined for resilience using the Child Youth Resilience Measurement scale. A life skills education-based health empowerment intervention was administered among students of the experimental group. Post-test data on resilience, self-determination, internal health locus of control and pathological behaviour was obtained 3 months after the completion of intervention. A multi-level general linear mixed model was constructed to determine the effect of intervention on resilience. Resilience was less among tribal adolescents at baseline. The intervention significantly improved resilience [β Adjusted  = 11.19 (95% CI = 10.55, 11.83], with a greater increase for tribal adolescents [β tribal-nontribal  = 1.53 (95% CI = 0.03, 3.03)]. The intervention also significantly improved internal health locus of control (marginal mean increment 1.38 ± 0.05), self-determination (marginal mean increment 3.71 ± 0.09) and reduced pathological behaviour of the adolescents. Our study informed the current health policy that the existing life skills education-based programme should be reviewed and modified to include generic life skills, and the life skills education-based programme should be coupled with developmental interventions aimed at improving adult education and family climate for optimum effect on mental health and health behaviour of adolescents. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of Tinea capitis in school going children in Kolkata, West Bengal.

PubMed

Kundu, D; Mandal, L; Sen, G

2012-07-01

In recent years the incidence of Tinea capitis, infection of scalp by dermatophytes, has increased in United Kingdom and North America. The trend may be similar in India. The objective of this study is to find the prevalence of Tinea capitis in school going urban children in Kolkata, West Bengal state. The present study is a cross-sectional study conducted in a government higher primary school in Kolkata. Totally 505 students were screened and 52 were diagnosed to have Tinea capitis by clinical examination, giving a prevalence rate of 10% among school children. Prevalence rates among the age groups of 6-8, 9-11 and 12-14 years were almost the same, ranging from 9 to 11%. The prevalence rate was significantly high among the boys (14%). There was no significant difference in prevalence of infection among coconut oil users and castor oil users. Measures of general hygiene were similar among those who were infected with Tinea capitis and those who were not. The commonest clinical type of infection found was dull grey patches. Itching with hair loss was the major symptom and most of the infected children had cervical lymphadenopathy. The potassium hydroxide studies revealed endothrix spores in majority of samples. Tinea capitis in prevalent in school going urban children in Kolkata, West Bengal state and necessary measures must be undertaken to curtail this incidence.

Human and cattle population changes in deltaic West Bengal, India between 1977-1987

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

Odend'hal, S.

1988-03-01

In 1967-1970, 3.81 km/sup 2/ of a densely populated deltaic area of Hooghly district in West Bengal, India was intensively studied. This same area was resurveyed in 1977 and 1987. From 1977-1987, the human population has increased 10.1%, while the number of households has increased 25%. The total number of children below 10 years of age has diminished. The cattle have increased 26.5%. The number of working-age male cattle has dropped significantly with reliance, primarily on hand tractor power for field cultivation. The number of female cattle has increased substantially. Artificial insemination and the use of temperate breeds of bullsmore » have had an obvious impact. Improvements in the general environment were observed.« less

Prevalence and association of metabolic syndrome and vitamin D deficiency among postmenopausal women in a rural block of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Srimani, Soumi; Saha, Indranil; Chaudhuri, Debnath

2017-01-01

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) and vitamin D deficiency was reported among postmenopausal women (PMW) in India. However, no report is available regarding the association of MS and 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] among PMW in India. This study aimed to find out the prevalence of MS and 25(OH)D status as well as their association among rural PMW of West Bengal, India. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 222 randomly selected rural PMW in Singur Block, West Bengal, India. Serum 25(OH)D, Blood pressure (BP), waist circumference (WC), fasting blood glucose (FBG), triglycerides (TG) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were measured using standard procedures. MS was defined as per International Diabetes Federation, 2005 (for Asian-Indians) criteria. Statistical tests were done using SPSS software. Prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 46%. 51% and 19% PMW were vitamin D insufficient and deficient, respectively. 22% and 53% women having MS were vitamin D insufficient and deficient, respectively. Among the PMW, 21% and 47% with WC≥80cm; 22% and 62% with FBG≥110mg/dl; 21% and 54% with TG≥150mg/dl; 23% and 51% with HDL-C<50mg/dl, 15% and 55% with BP≥130/85mm of Hg were vitamin D insufficient and deficient, respectively. Significant statistical association between FBG and 25(OH)D status existed (p = 0.01). Significant positive correlation between WC and 25(OH)D level (p = 0.004) and significant negative correlation between FBG and 25(OH)D level observed (p = 0.02). WC was the only statistically significant predictor of the dependent variable. Odds of non-sufficient 25(OH)D level increased with decrease in WC. High prevalence of MS as well as vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency existed among PMW of Singur block, West Bengal, India. 25(OH)D had significant inverse and direct relationship with FBG and WC. Low 25(OH)D may be one of the potential risk factors for developing MS in PMW or vice-versa.

Tectonics and petroleum prospects in Bangladesh

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

Chowdhury, A.N.

1995-07-10

Bangladesh is a part of the Bengal basin, bordered to the west and northwest by Jurassic-early Cretaceous volcanic trap rocks of the Rajmahal Hills, underlain by Precambrian shield and Gondwana sediments. The Bengal basin is the largest delta basin (approximately 23,000 sq miles) in the world, at the confluence of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers. The deep sea fan complex that is being built outward into the Bay of Bengal has in excess of 12 km of sediments. Rate of sediment transportation within the basin, from the Himalayas and the mountains and hills to the north, east, and west, exceedsmore » 1 billion tons/year. The tectonic and sedimentary history of Bangladesh is favorable for hydrocarbon accumulation. The basin is an underexplored region of 207,000 sq km where only 52 exploratory wells have been drilled with a success rate of more than 30%. In addition to the folded belt in the east, where gas and some oil have been found, the Garo-Rajmahal gap to the north and the deep sea fan to the south merit detailed exploration using state of the art technology. The paper describes the tectonics, sedimentation, petroleum prospects, and seismic surveys.« less

[Current development of acupuncture-moxibustion in India:a case study of West Bengal].

PubMed

Yang, Yuyang; Liu, Jingyuan; Luo, Lu

2017-03-12

Acupuncture-moxibustion was introduced to India in mid-20th century and has been legislated in two provinces in India where the registration of acupuncture practitioners is implemented at present. In India, the central government recognizes that acupuncture-moxibustion is an approach of treatment and is permitted by the licensed doctor. Because of the weakness of the basic development of acupuncture-moxibustion in India, the go-vernment put great effort to support and protect their national traditional medicine. Acupuncture-moxibustion development is mainly in the folk and in the progression for the provincial and governmental legislation. In the paper, by taking West Bengal as example, the legislation, clinical application, education and scientific research of acupuncture-moxibustion are analyzed so that an approach is explored for the further development of acupuncture-moxibustion in India.

Monitoring of mass measles campaign in AILA-affected areas of West Bengal.

PubMed

Dasgupta, Samir; Bagchi, Saumendra Nath; Ghosh, Pramit; Sardar, Jadab Chandra; Roy, Amal Sinha; Sau, Manabendra

2010-01-01

A mass measles campaign was organized in AILA-affected areas of West Bengal in July-August 2009. The present cross-sectional study was conducted with the objectives to monitor and assess the cold chain maintenance, safe injection practices, IEC methods adopted, and to observe the conduction of the sessions in the campaign. All the cold chain points at the block level had adequate vaccines and equipments, twice monitoring of temperature which was in optimal range. 82% sessions had team according to microplan, AWW was present and team members were actively mobilizing the children in 83% sessions, puncture proof container was used and vaccines were given in correct sites in more than 95% sessions. The study observed satisfactory conduction of the whole campaign, still the injection safety procedures should be strengthened considering the potential harm to the health care providers.

Environmental footprints of brick kiln bottom ashes: Geostatistical approach for assessment of metal toxicity.

PubMed

Mondal, Ananya; Das, Subhasish; Sah, Rajesh Kumar; Bhattacharyya, Pradip; Bhattacharya, Satya Sundar

2017-12-31

Coal fired brick kiln factories generate significant of brick kiln bottom ash (BKBA) that contaminate soil and water environments of areas near the dumping sites through leaching of toxic metals (Pb, Cr, Cd, Zn, Mn, and Cu). However, characteristics and environmental effects of BKBAs are yet unknown. We collected BKBA samples from 32 strategic locations of two rapidly developing States (West Bengal and Assam) of India. Scanning electron microscope images indicated spherical and granular structures of BKBAs produced in West Bengal (WBKBA) and Assam (ABKBA) respectively; while energy dispersive spectroscopy and analytical assessments confirmed substantial occurrence of total organic C and nutrient elements (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S) in both the BKBAs. FTIR analysis revealed greater predominance of organic matter in ABKBAs than WBKBAs. Occurrence of toxic metals (Cd, Cr, Pb, Zn, Mn, and Cu) was higher in ABKBAs than in WBKBAs; while organic and residual fractions of metals were highly predominant in most of the BKBAs. Principal component analysis showed that metal contents and pH were the major distinguishing characteristics of the BKBAs generated in the two different environmental locations. Human health risk associated with BKBAs generated in Assam is of significant concern. Finally, geo-statistical tools enabled to predict the spatial distribution patterns of toxic metals contributed by the BKBAs in Assam and West Bengal respectively. Assessment of contamination index, geo-accumulation index, and ecological risk index revealed some BKBAs to be more toxic than others. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Impact of extension interventions in improving livelihood of dairy farmers of Nadia district of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Garai, Suman; Garai, Sanchita; Maiti, Sanjit; Meena, B S; Ghosh, M K; Bhakat, Champak; Dutta, T K

2017-03-01

Livestock is a one of the major sources of livelihood for most of the small and marginal farmers in India, particularly for rural households who live in below poverty line. Extension interventions have long been seen as a key element for enabling farmers to obtain information and technologies that can improve their livelihoods. It is also recognized that extension is an important factor in promoting dairy development. Ex-post-facto cause to effect research design was applied in this study to trace out the impact of extension interventions in improving knowledge, attitude, adoption towards scientific dairy farming practices and improvement in milk production of dairy animal and income from dairying which will be resulted into improved livelihood of rural poor in Nadia district of West Bengal, India. Therefore, 60 dairy farmers of experimental villages who were considered as beneficiaries and 60 dairy farmers of control villages who were considered as non-beneficiaries were selected as sample for the study. It was found that beneficiaries had significantly higher score in all the five components of livelihood improvement with its all sub components, i.e., knowledge, attitude, adoption of scientific dairy farming practices, milk production per household per day and monthly income from dairying except disease control, and marketing component of adoption. Hence, it may be concluded that extension interventions had a significant impact on improving livelihood of rural dairy farmers in Nadia district of West Bengal, India.

Unsafe Disposal of Child Faeces: A Community-based Study in a Rural Block in West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Ps, Preeti; Sahoo, Sanjaya Kumar; Biswas, Dhiraj; Dasgupta, Aparajita

2016-09-01

A clean India is the responsibility of all Indians. One of the objectives of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Initiative) is to bring about behavioural changes regarding healthy sanitation practices. While large-scale programs in India have increased latrine coverage, they have to some extent failed to bring behavioural changes ensuring optimal latrine use, including the safe disposal of child faeces, which is a significant source of exposure to faecal pathogens. Hence, this study was done to explore child faeces disposal practices in rural West Bengal and to elicit the determinants of unhygienic faeces disposal. Data collection was done using an interview method among the mothers of 502 under-5 children, following a pre-designed, semi-structured schedule during house-to-house visits in a set of villages in the Hooghly district of West Bengal. The prevalence of unsafe disposal of child faeces was 72.4%, and maternal education, per capita income, and water source were found to be significantly associated with unsafe child faeces disposal. This study draws attention to the unsafe disposal of child faeces in this area of India and raises questions about the efficiency of sanitation campaigns in rural India that focus on expanding coverage rather than emphasizing behavioural changes, which are crucial to ensure the safe disposal of child faeces. Thus, it is urgently necessary to strengthen efforts focusing on behavioural changes regarding the safe disposal of child faeces in order to minimise adverse health outcomes.

Prevalence of Tinea capitis in school going children in Kolkata, West Bengal

PubMed Central

Kundu, D.; Mandal, L.; Sen, G.

2012-01-01

Background: In recent years the incidence of Tinea capitis, infection of scalp by dermatophytes, has increased in United Kingdom and North America. The trend may be similar in India. The objective of this study is to find the prevalence of Tinea capitis in school going urban children in Kolkata, West Bengal state. Materials and Methods: The present study is a cross-sectional study conducted in a government higher primary school in Kolkata. Results: Totally 505 students were screened and 52 were diagnosed to have Tinea capitis by clinical examination, giving a prevalence rate of 10% among school children. Prevalence rates among the age groups of 6–8, 9–11 and 12–14 years were almost the same, ranging from 9 to 11%. The prevalence rate was significantly high among the boys (14%). There was no significant difference in prevalence of infection among coconut oil users and castor oil users. Measures of general hygiene were similar among those who were infected with Tinea capitis and those who were not. The commonest clinical type of infection found was dull grey patches. Itching with hair loss was the major symptom and most of the infected children had cervical lymphadenopathy. The potassium hydroxide studies revealed endothrix spores in majority of samples. Conclusion: Tinea capitis in prevalent in school going urban children in Kolkata, West Bengal state and necessary measures must be undertaken to curtail this incidence. PMID:23225977

Determinants of Skilled Delivery Assistance in a Rural Population: Findings from an HDSS Site of Rural West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Ghosh, Saswata; Siddiqui, Md Zakaria; Barik, Anamitra; Bhaumik, Sunil

2015-11-01

This study examines the determinants of utilisation of skilled birth attendants (SBAs) amongst 2886 rural women in the state of West Bengal, India, using data from a survey of 2012-2013 conducted by the Birbhum Health and Demographic Surveillance System. Multilevel logit regression models were estimated and qualitative investigations conducted to understand the determinants of utilisation of SBAs in rural West Bengal. Among women who delivered their last child during the 3 years preceding the survey, 69.1 % of deliveries were assisted by SBAs, while 30.9 % were home deliveries without any SBA assistance. Multivariate analysis revealed that apart from socio-demographic and economic factors (such as household affluence, women's education, birth order, uptake of comprehensive ANC check-ups, advice regarding danger signs of pregnancy and household's socio-religious affiliation), supply side factors, such as availability of skilled birth attendants in the village and all-weather roads, have significant effect on seeking skilled assistance. Our findings also show that unobserved factors at village level independently influence uptake of SBA-assisted delivery. The present findings emphasise that both demand and supply side intervention strategies are essential prerequisites to enhance skilled birth attendance. Ample communication is observed at the individual level, but improving community level outreach and advocacy activities could generate further demand. SBAs can be better integrated by accommodating the socio-religious needs of local communities, such as providing female doctors and doctors with similar socio-religious backgrounds.

Voices of the poor from the margins of Bengal: structural inequities and health.

PubMed

Dutta, Mohan J; Dutta, Uttaran

2013-01-01

In opposition to the traditional approaches to health communication that treat the subaltern sectors as passive recipients of messages of enlightenment configured in top-down interventions, the culture-centered approach foregrounds the importance of listening to subaltern communities at the margins through dialogue. We build on earlier culture-centered projects in rural communities of West Bengal, India, to develop participatory research strategies for understanding the local processes through which the structural marginalization of the poor plays out in rural Bengal. Study results point toward the marginalization of the poor both communicatively and economically, attending to the ways in which communicative marginalization lies at the heart of economic oppressions. Through locally articulated concepts of "health as shortage" and "communication as shortage," community members put forth alternative rationalities of health that highlight structural resources at the heart of health. These local articulations of shortage offer an alternative rationality for organizing health promotion efforts in the rural margins of Bengal through the foregrounding of discourses of shortage.

Popular perceptions of emerging influences on mortality and longevity in Bangladesh and West Bengal.

PubMed

Amin, Sajeda; Basu, Alaka Malwade

2004-01-01

Relatively little is known about how environmental and pathological threats to human survival and longevity are perceived by the public. In this study in rural Bangladesh and West Bengal, India, which used individual interviews and focus-group discussions to investigate the changing costs of and motivations for reproduction, respondents were questioned about their perceptions of changes in mortality. The findings show that, while child mortality levels are perceived to have fallen dramatically in recent times, the health and survival prospects of the middle aged and the elderly are seen to have been better in the past. The perceived decline in adult health is attributed to environmental deterioration and lifestyle changes accompanying modernization. This paper explores people's reasons for this unexpected worldview. References to pesticides and chemical fertilizers as causes of death abound in their explanations and are seen to be associated with unhealthy agricultural practices and impiety.

Identification of Chromium Resistant Bacteria from Dry Fly Ash Sample of Mejia MTPS Thermal Power Plant, West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Roychowdhury, Roopali; Mukherjee, Pritam; Roy, Madhumita

2016-02-01

Eight chromium resistant bacteria were isolated from a dry fly ash sample of DVC-MTPS thermal power plant located in Bankura, West Bengal, India. These isolates displayed different degrees of chromate reduction under aerobic conditions. According to 16S rDNA gene analysis, five of them were Staphylococcus, two were Bacillus and one was Micrococcus. The minimum inhibitory concentration towards chromium and the ability to reduce hexavalent chromium to trivalent chromium was highest in Staphylococcus haemolyticus strain HMR17. All the strains were resistant to multiple heavy metals (As, Cu, Cd, Co, Zn, Mn, Pb and Fe) and reduced toxic hexavalent chromium to relatively non toxic trivalent chromium even in the presence of these multiple heavy metals. All of them showed resistance to different antibiotics. In a soil microcosm study, S. haemolyticus strain HMR17 completely reduced 4 mM hexavalent chromium within 7 days of incubation.

Detection of Nipah virus RNA in fruit bat (Pteropus giganteus) from India.

PubMed

Yadav, Pragya D; Raut, Chandrashekhar G; Shete, Anita M; Mishra, Akhilesh C; Towner, Jonathan S; Nichol, Stuart T; Mourya, Devendra T

2012-09-01

The study deals with the survey of different bat populations (Pteropus giganteus, Cynopterus sphinx, and Megaderma lyra) in India for highly pathogenic Nipah virus (NiV), Reston Ebola virus, and Marburg virus. Bats (n = 140) from two states in India (Maharashtra and West Bengal) were tested for IgG (serum samples) against these viruses and for virus RNAs. Only NiV RNA was detected in a liver homogenate of P. giganteus captured in Myanaguri, West Bengal. Partial sequence analysis of nucleocapsid, glycoprotein, fusion, and phosphoprotein genes showed similarity with the NiV sequences from earlier outbreaks in India. A serum sample of this bat was also positive by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for NiV-specific IgG. This is the first report on confirmation of Nipah viral RNA in Pteropus bat from India and suggests the possible role of this species in transmission of NiV in India.

Mosquitoes of the mangrove forests of India: part 2--Sundarbans, West Bengal.

PubMed

Rajavel, A R; Natarajan, R; Vaidyanathan, K

2005-06-01

Mosquitoes of 19 species belonging to 9 subgenera and 6 genera, Aedes, Aedeomyia, Anopheles, Armigeres, Culex, and Mansonia, were recorded in Sundarbans mangrove forest in West Bengal, India. With 6 and 5 species, respectively, the 2 genera Culex and Anopheles were found to be more diverse while less than 3 species were recorded in the other 4 genera. Adults were mainly collected resting on walls in the guesthouse, tree holes in the forest, landing on humans in the guesthouse, and in the forest, and in light traps. Larvae were obtained from tree holes in the forest. The list of species recorded is not conclusive due to the restriction in access to most parts of the mangroves due to the presence of tigers. The occurrence of the urban species Cx. quinquefasciatus within the Sajnakhali sanctuary is indicative of the need to monitor environmental changes that result with the introduction of man-made facilities.

Tobacco abuse among school going adolescents in a rural area of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Mukherjee, Anindya; Sinha, Abhik; Taraphdar, Pranita; Basu, Gandhari; Chakrabarty, Debadatta

2012-01-01

Adolescents are vulnerable targets of tobacco industry with all consequences of usage. Studies reveal that tobacco abuse is rising in this age group in India. A cross sectional survey was carried out in two coeducational high schools of Anandanagar village of Singur block, Hooghly district, West Bengal among 276 students of VIII-IX standard to study the knowledge and abuse of tobacco and to find out influencing socio-demographic factors. Knowledge score was higher in females, students from nuclear families, and those with literate parents. Low prevalence of tobacco intake was obtained among the students, with 9.8% reported having ever used smokeless tobacco and 4.3% ever smoked. Tobacco intake was higher among those with a history of parental tobacco intake. Continued information education and communication (IEC) activities should be conducted by the school authorities, with involvement of nongovernment organizations (NGOs) and parents for primary prevention.

Isolation of an arsenate-respiring bacterium from a redox front in an arsenic-polluted aquifer in West Bengal, Bengal Basin.

PubMed

Osborne, Thomas H; McArthur, John M; Sikdar, Pradip K; Santini, Joanne M

2015-04-07

Natural pollution of groundwater by arsenic adversely affects the health of tens of millions of people worldwide, with the deltaic aquifers of SE Asia being particularly polluted. The pollution is caused primarily by, or as a side reaction of, the microbial reduction of sedimentary Fe(III)-oxyhydroxides, but the organism(s) responsible for As release have not been isolated. Here we report the first isolation of a dissimilatory arsenate reducer from sediments of the Bengal Basin in West Bengal. The bacterium, here designated WB3, respires soluble arsenate and couples its reduction to the oxidation of acetate; WB3 is therefore implicated in the process of arsenic pollution of groundwater, which is largely by arsenite. The bacterium WB3 is also capable of reducing dissolved Fe(III) citrate, solid Fe(III)-oxyhydroxide, and elemental sulfur, using acetate as the electron donor. It is a member of the Desulfuromonas genus and possesses a dissimilatory arsenate reductase that was identified using degenerate polymerase chain reaction primers. The sediment from which WB3 was isolated was brown, Pleistocene sand at a depth of 35.2 m below ground level (mbgl). This level was some 3 cm below the boundary between the brown sands and overlying reduced, gray, Holocene aquifer sands. The color boundary is interpreted to be a reduction front that releases As for resorption downflow, yielding a high load of labile As sorbed to the sediment at a depth of 35.8 mbgl and concentrations of As in groundwater that reach >1000 μg/L.

Arsenic contamination of groundwater and its health impact on residents in a village in West Bengal, India.

PubMed Central

Rahman, Mohammad Mahmudur; Sengupta, Mrinal Kumar; Ahamed, Sad; Chowdhury, Uttam Kumar; Lodh, Dilip; Hossain, Amir; Das, Bhaskar; Roy, Niladri; Saha, Kshitish Chandra; Palit, Shyamal Kanti; Chakraborti, Dipankar

2005-01-01

An in-depth study was carried out in Rajapur, an arsenic-affected village in West Bengal, India, to determine the degree of groundwater contamination with arsenic and the impact of this contamination on residents. The flow injection hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (FI-HG-AAS) method was used to measure arsenic concentrations in water and biological samples. Dermatologists recorded the dermatological features of arsenicosis. Out of a total of 336 hand-pumped tube-wells in Rajapur, 91% (307/336) contained arsenic at concentrations > 10 microg/l, and 63% (213/336) contained arsenic at > 50 microg/l. The type of arsenic in groundwater, the variation in concentrations of arsenic as the depth of tube-wells changed, and the iron concentration in the wells were also measured. Altogether 825 of 3500 residents were examined for skin lesions; of these, 149 had lesions caused by exposure to arsenic. Of the 420 biological samples collected and analysed, 92.6% (389) contained arsenic at concentrations that were above normal. Thus many villagers might be subclinically affected. Although five arsenic-filtering devices had been installed in Rajapur, it appears that villagers are still exposed to raised concentrations of arsenic in their drinking-water. Detailed village-level studies of arsenic-affected areas in West Bengal are required in order to understand the magnitude of contamination and its effects on people. Villagers are ill-informed about the dangers of drinking arsenic-contaminated water. The contamination could be brought under control by increasing community awareness of the dangers and implementing proper watershed management techniques that involve local people. PMID:15682249

Nomophobic behaviors among smartphone using medical and engineering students in two colleges of West Bengal.

PubMed

Dasgupta, Pallabi; Bhattacherjee, Sharmistha; Dasgupta, Samir; Roy, Jayanta Kumar; Mukherjee, Abhijit; Biswas, Romy

2017-01-01

Growing smartphone usage among global and Indian college students has resulted in considerable issues of "nomophobia" (NMP) or feelings of discomfort or anxiety experienced by individuals whenever unable to use their smartphones. This significantly impacts their health, work, and study. The objective of this study is to find out the prevalence of NMP among smartphone using medical and engineering undergraduates of West Bengal and to compare the nomophobic behaviors, its predictors, and smartphone usage among them. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 303 medical and 305 engineering undergraduates in West Bengal using a validated NMP questionnaire consisting of four factors. Comparison of means of individual questions and factor scores was done. Nomophobic clusters among the two groups were identified using two-stage cluster analysis. Binary logistic regression was used for comparison of predictors of NMP. Engineering students showed a higher proportion of nomophobics (44.6%) than medical students (42.6%). Significant higher means was observed among engineering students for the factor "giving upconvenience" and individual variables like "scared due to running out of battery," "nervous due to disconnection from online identity," "uncomfortable when unable stay up-to-date with social media" and "anxious when unable to check E-mails." A Higher proportion of nomophobics among both groups were females, those owning smartphone beyond 2 years, having monthly mobile bill above Rs. 200 and spending over 4 h daily on smartphone. NMP has emerged as a significant cause of concern among both the groups. Standardized measures for identification and appropriate psychobehavioral therapy for those seeking help might alleviate the problem.

Investigation on the Bay of Bengal branch of summer monsoon during normal and delayed onset over Gangetic West Bengal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Debanjana; Mondal, Paramita; Saha, Poulomi; Chaudhuri, Sutapa

2018-06-01

The regional features of Bay of Bengal (BOB) branch of summer monsoon (SM) are examined to identify the causes of delayed onset over Gangetic West Bengal (GWB) in the years having normal onset over Kerala coast. The normal onset over both GWB and Kerala is designated as Normal-Normal (NN) years, while delayed onset over GWB and normal onset over Kerala is termed Normal-Delayed (ND) years. The temperature gradient (TTg), winds at 850 and 150 hPa pressure levels, sea-surface temperature (SST), outgoing long wave radiation (OLR), low-level moisture convergence, instability, and rainfall rate (RR) are analyzed in this study using National Centers for Environmental Prediction and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reanalysis dataset during the period from 1981 to 2015. The result shows that TTg over BOB plays a significant role in controlling the movement of BOB branch of SM. Warm SST is observed to prevail over north BOB during NN years. The divergence at 150 hPa and convergence at 850 hPa pressure levels are found to influence the propagation of BOB branch of SM during both NN and ND years. The winds at 850 hPa level converge over BOB and GWB during NN years, whereas winds converge more over eastern BOB and Indo-Chinese peninsula during ND years. Result depicts abundance of low-level (850-1000 hPa) moisture over eastern BOB and Indo-Chinese peninsula during ND years, whereas moisture is observed to converge over north and north-eastern BOB during NN years. The RR is observed to be slightly higher during NN than ND years. However, it may not be concluded from the analysis that delayed onset over GWB will be responsible for less RR over the study region.

Decentralization and Development: The Indian Balancing Act

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-01

Kerala Model’,” Working Paper 361, Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram, 2004, 39-40. 146 Pranab Bardhan and Dilip Mookherjee...in Federal States.” World Politics 59 (2006): 1-36. Bardhan , Pranab, and Dilip Mookherjee. “Panchayati Raj and Poverty Alleviation in West Bengal

ABO, Rhesus, and Kell Antigens, Alleles, and Haplotypes in West Bengal, India

PubMed Central

Basu, Debapriya; Datta, Suvro Sankha; Montemayor, Celina; Bhattacharya, Prasun; Mukherjee, Krishnendu; Flegel, Willy A.

2018-01-01

Background Few studies have documented the blood group antigens in the population of eastern India. Frequencies of some common alleles and haplotypes were unknown. We describe phenotype, allele, and haplotype frequencies in the state of West Bengal, India. Methods We tested 1,528 blood donors at the Medical College Hospital, Kolkata. The common antigens of the ABO, Rhesus, and Kell blood group systems were determined by standard serologic methods in tubes. Allele and haplotype frequencies were calculated with an iterative method that yielded maximum-likelihood estimates under the assumption of a Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Results The prevalence of ABO antigens were B (34%), O (32%), A (25%), and AB (9%) with ABO allele frequencies for O = 0.567, A = 0.189, and B = 0.244. The D antigen (RH1) was observed in 96.6% of the blood donors with RH haplotype frequencies, such as for CDe = 0.688809, cde = 0.16983 and CdE = 0.000654. The K antigen (K1) was observed in 12 donors (0.79%) with KEL allele frequencies for K = 0.004 and k = 0.996. Conclusions: For the Bengali population living in the south of West Bengal, we established the frequencies of the major clinically relevant antigens in the ABO, Rhesus, and Kell blood group systems and derived estimates for the underlying ABO and KEL alleles and RH haplotypes. Such blood donor screening will improve the availability of compatible red cell units for transfusion. Our approach using widely available routine methods can readily be applied in other regions, where the sufficient supply of blood typed for the Rh and K antigens is lacking. PMID:29593462

Role of microRNAs in senescence and its contribution to peripheral neuropathy in the arsenic exposed population of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Chatterjee, Debmita; Bandyopadhyay, Apurba; Sarma, Nilendu; Basu, Santanu; Roychowdhury, Tarit; Roy, Sib Sankar; Giri, Ashok K

2018-02-01

Arsenic induced senescence (AIS) has been identified in the population of West Bengal, India very recently. Also there is a high incidence of arsenic induced peripheral neuropathy (PN) throughout India. However, the epigenetic regulation of AIS and its contribution in arsenic induced PN remains unexplored. We recruited seventy two arsenic exposed and forty unexposed individuals from West Bengal to evaluate the role of senescence associated miRNAs (SA-miRs) in AIS and their involvement if any, in PN. The downstream molecules of the miRNA associated with the disease outcome, was also checked by immuoblotting. In vitro studies were conducted with HEK 293 cells and sodium arsenite exposure. Our results show that all the SA-miRs were upregulated in comparison to unexposed controls. miR-29a was the most significantly altered, highest expression being in the arsenic exposed group with PN, suggesting its association with the occurrence of PN. We looked for the expression of peripheral myelin protein 22 (PMP22), a specific target of miR-29a associated with myelination and found that both in vitro and in vivo results showed over-expression of the protein. Since this was quite contrary to miRNA regulation, we checked for intermediate players β-catenin and GSK-3β upon arsenic exposure which affects PMP22 expression. We found that β-catenin was upregulated in vitro and was also highest in the arsenic exposed group with PN while GSK-3β followed the reverse pattern. Our findings suggest that arsenic exposure alters the expression of SA-miRs and the mir-29a/beta catenin/PMP22 axis might be responsible for arsenic induced PN. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Nutritional deficiency and arsenical manifestations: a perspective study in an arsenic-endemic region of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Deb, Debasree; Biswas, Anirban; Ghose, Aloke; Das, Arabinda; Majumdar, Kunal K; Guha Mazumder, Debendra N

2013-09-01

To assess whether nutritional deficiency increases susceptibility to arsenic-related health effects. Assessment of nutrition was based on a 24 h recall method of all dietary constituents. Epidemiological cross-sectional study was conducted in an arsenic endemic area of West Bengal with groundwater arsenic contamination. The study was composed of two groups – Group 1 (cases, n 108) exhibiting skin lesions and Group 2 (exposed controls, n 100) not exhibiting skin lesions – age- and sex-matched and having similar arsenic exposure through drinking water and arsenic levels in urine and hair. Both groups belonged to low socio-economic strata (Group 1 significantly poorer, P<0·01) and had low BMI (prevalence of BMI<18·5 kg/m2: in 38% in Group 1 and 27% in Group 2). Energy intake was below the Recommended Daily Allowance (set by the Indian Council of Medical Research) in males and females in both groups. Increased risk of arsenical skin lesions was found for those in the lowest quintile of protein intake (v. highest quintile: OR=4·60, 95% CI 1·36, 15·50 in males; OR=5·62, 95% CI 1·19, 34·57 in females). Significantly lower intakes of energy, protein, thiamin, niacin, Mg, Zn and choline were observed in both males and females of Group 1 compared with Group 2. Significantly lower intakes of carbohydrate, riboflavin, niacin and Cu were also observed in female cases with skin lesions compared with non-cases. Deficiencies of Zn, Mg and Cu, in addition to protein, B vitamins and choline, are found to be associated with arsenical skin lesions in West Bengal.

Factors influencing private health providers' technical quality of care for acute respiratory infections among under-five children in rural West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Chakraborty, Sarbani; Frick, Kevin

2002-11-01

In many developing countries, private health practitioners provide a significant portion of curative care for diseases which are of public health importance. Currently, health sector reform efforts in these countries are fostering increased participation of private providers in the delivery of health services, including those of public health importance. Guaranteeing good technical quality of care is critical to the process. However, little is known about private providers' technical quality of care (disease management practices) and the factors influencing these services. The purpose of this study was to contribute information on this topic. The study was conducted among private providers in rural West Bengal, India and focused on providers' disease management practices for acute respiratory infections (ARI) among under-five children. World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for ARI case management were used as the expected standard of care. Observations of patient-provider encounters and interviews with the providers and mothers were the main sources of data. The study found that private health providers in rural West Bengal have inadequate technical quality of care. The problem was related both to low levels of performance (limited potential) and inconsistency in performance (within-provider variation). Limited potential for good technical quality for ARI among the providers was related to lack of knowledge (technical incompetence). One of the important factors influencing within-provider variation was patient load. Since rural private providers operate on a fee-for-service payment system, there are incentives related to seeing many patients. The study concluded that to bring about sustainable improvements in private providers' ARI disease management practices, training programs and interventions that improved compliance were necessary.

Surface mesoscale features associated with leading convective line-trailing stratiform squall lines over the Gangetic West Bengal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dawn, S.; Mandal, M.

2014-08-01

In this paper an attempt is made to identify the mesoscale features in surface pressure pattern, if any, associated with thunderstorm over the Gangetic West Bengal region in India. The study was conducted over Kharagpur and the adjoining area in the Gangetic West Bengal, frequently affected by thunderstorms during the pre-monsoon seasons of April-May. Observations recorded at 50 m instrumented micro-meteorological tower and upper air sounding at Kharagpur under nationally coordinated Severe Thunderstorm Observations and Regional Modeling (STORM) Programme are used to study the variation in surface pressure, wind speed and direction, temperature and relative humidity associated with the squall lines with trailing stratiform precipitation region. In the surface pressure variation, pre-squall mesolow, mesohigh and wake low are identified with the passage of the squall line at Kharagpur. It is observed that in the squall line with trailing stratiform precipitation shield, the mesohigh is associated with convective line and wake low exists at the rear of the storms. The position of the mesohigh is typically found in the vicinity of the heavy rain directly beneath the downdraft. The mesohigh seems to be initiated by the cooling due to evaporation of precipitation in the downdraft and intensified due to the non-hydrostatic effect because of the rainfall directly beneath the downdraft. It is also observed that the passage of trailing edges of the stratiform precipitation coincided with the wake low. Upper air sounding shows mid-tropospheric cooling and lower tropospheric warming. It may be possible due to the dominance of evaporative cooling in the mid-levels and dynamically forced descending motion leading to adiabatic warming in the low levels which may lead to the formation of the wake low.

Diversity of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor genes in the Bengali population of northern West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Guha, P; Bhattacharjee, S; Chaudhuri, T K

2014-12-01

The Indian Subcontinent exhibits extensive diversity in its culture, religion, ethnicity and linguistic heritage, which symbolizes extensive genetic variations within the populations. The highly polymorphic Killer cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptor (KIR) family plays an important role in tracing genetic differentiation in human population. In this study, we aimed to analyse the KIR gene polymorphism in the Bengali population of northern West Bengal, India. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the KIR gene polymorphism in the Bengalis of West Bengal, India. Herein, we have studied the distribution of 14 KIR genes (KIR3DL1-3DL3, KIR2DL1-2DL5, KIR2DS1-2DS5 AND KIR3DS1) and two pseudogenes (KIR3DP1 and 2DP1) in the Bengalis. Apart from the framework genes (KIR2DL4, 3DL2, 3DL3 and 3DP1), which are present in all the individuals, the gene frequencies of other KIR genes varied between 0.34 and 0.88. Moreover, upon comparing the KIR polymorphism of the Bengalis with the available published data of other world populations, it has been found that the Indo-European-speaking Bengalis from the region share both Dravidian and Indo-Aryan gene pool with considerable influences of mongoloid and European descents. Furthermore, evidences from previously published data on human leucocyte antigen and Y-chromosome haplogroup diversity support the view. Our results will help to understand the genetic background of the Bengali population, in illustrating the population migration events in the eastern and north-eastern part of India, in explaining the extensive genetic admixture amongst the different linguistic groups of the region and also in KIR-related disease researches. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Obstetric care practice in Birbhum District, West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Bharati, Susmita; Pal, Manoranjan; Bharati, Premananda

2007-08-01

The study area is the Birbhum district of the State of West Bengal in India. It is one of the backward districts in India. The paper investigates the existing pattern of obstetric health care practices and the factors associated with the utilization of such care. The present analysis includes 495 adult married women of both rural and urban areas of nine Blocks of Birbhum district. Besides performing chi2 tests to see the association of the relevant individual and household characteristics, logistic regression was also carried out to measure the effect of these characteristics on the use of obstetric health care. In Birbhum district of West Bengal 65 percent mothers go to doctors for antenatal check-up during their pregnancy, but only 26 percent mothers deliver their babies in institutions and 30 percent mothers get the help of professional health assistants during delivery. Educated women have emphasized role in the practice of obstetric health care. Husband's education and the standard of living of the family also have some effect on the practice of antenatal check up, place of delivery and assistance of health professional. While most of the family background variables have significant effect on the practice of antenatal check up, these variables do not have much effect on the choice of delivery or seeking assistance of health professionals. Contrary to the popular belief the working status of women does not have favourable influence on the obstetric health care practices. In developing countries like India, it is the poverty, which compels the women to take jobs-that too in low paid jobs especially in rural backward areas. The status of literacy of mothers and standard of living of the family are of prime importance in improving the obstetric health care practices.

New report of additional enterobacterial species causing wilt in West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Sarkar, Shamayeeta; Chaudhuri, Sujata

2015-07-01

Ralstonia solanacearum is known to be the most prominent causal agent of bacterial wilt worldwide. It has a wide host range comprising solanaceous and nonsolanaceous plants. Typical symptoms of the disease are leaf wilt, browning of vascular tissues, and collapsing of the plant. With the objective of studying the diversity of pathogens causing bacterial wilt in West Bengal, we collected samples of diseased symptomatic crops and adjacent symptomatic and asymptomatic weeds from widespread locations in West Bengal. By means of a routine molecular identification test specific to "R. solanacearum species complex", the majority of these strains (68 out of 71) were found to not be R. solanacearum. Presumptive identification of these isolates with conventional biochemicals, extensive testing of pathogenicity of a subset involving greenhouse trials fulfilling Koch's postulate test, and scanning electron microscopic analysis for the presence of pathogen in diseased plants were done. 16S rDNA sequencing of a subset of these strains (GenBank accession Nos. JX880249-JX880251) and analysis of sequences with the nBLAST programme showed a high similarity (97%-99%) to sequences of the Enterobacteriaceae group available in GenBank. Molecular phylogeny further established the taxonomic position of the strains. The 3 bacterial strain cultures have been submitted to MTCC, Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh, India, and were identified as Klebsiella oxytoca, Enterobacter cowanii, and Klebsiella oxytoca, respectively. Although Enterobacter sp. has previously been reported to cause wilt in many plants, susceptibility of most of the dedicated hosts of R. solanacearum to wilt caused by Enterobacter and other bacteria from Enterobacteriaceae is being reported for the first time in this work.

Source of marine turbidites on the Andaman-Nicobar Islands: Nicobar Fan, Bengal Fan or paleo-Irrawaddy?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carter, A.

2017-12-01

Marine turbidites from an axially fed submarine fan are intermittently exposed across the entire chain of the Andaman-Nicobar Islands. Known as the Andaman Flysch (AF) and loosely assigned to the Paleogene, it has been proposed that these rocks are sourced from the Himalaya and thus provide a unique window into early stages of orogenesis. Where the turbidites came from has been subject to debate; they are either Bengal Fan or forearc deposits cut off from the Bengal Fan and possibly sourced from the Irrawaddy delta. Following recent IODP drilling in the eastern Indian Ocean (Expeditions 354 and 362) it is now possible resolve this by comparing the provenance of AF turbidites with the Bengal and Nicobar Fans. The Andaman Flysch can be traced as detached outcrops all along the western side of the main islands of Andaman over a strike length of more than 200 km. Exposures along the east coast are confined to South Andaman Island. Petrographic and geochemical data show a common continental crust signal with minor contributions from arc material. But, there are also differences whereby west coast sandstones show significantly higher quartz content and less feldspars and rock fragments. Staurolite is also present in all samples from the western side, but is absent from east coast samples. Both detrital zircon U-Pb and Bulk rock Nd data record the presence of arc material likely from Myanmar. Detrital zircon data from the Nicobar Fan match the Andaman turbidites and indicate sources from the Greater and Tethyan Himalaya mixed with sediment from the Burmese arc. Transfer of Irrawaddy derived sediment to the Nicobar Fan is ruled out as sediment transfer across the fore-arc to the west was restricted by the then exposed Yadana and M8 highs in the north and the Sewell and Alcock Rises to the south. Sediment isopachs of the Martaban back arc basin, the main north-south-oriented depocentre in the Andaman Sea related to the development of the Thanlwin -Irrawaddy delta system also show no significant transfer of sediment to the west. The provenance of the western Andaman Flysch matches the Nicobar Fan and is similar to the provenance of Neogene sands deposited in the eastern Bengal and Surma basins linked to the westward migration of the Indo-Burmese wedge that reduced accommodation and diverted sediments south to the shelf and Nicobar Fan.

Leveraging microfinance to impact HIV and financial behaviors among adolescents and their mothers in West Bengal: a cluster randomized trial.

PubMed

Spielberg, Freya; Crookston, Benjamin T; Chanani, Sheila; Kim, Jaewhan; Kline, Sean; Gray, Bobbi L

2013-01-01

Microfinance can be used to reach women and adolescent girls with HIV prevention education. We report findings from a cluster-randomized control trial among 55 villages in West Bengal to determine the impact of non-formal education on knowledge, attitudes and behaviors for HIV prevention and savings. Multilevel regression models were used to evaluate differences between groups for key outcomes while adjusting for cluster correlation and differences in baseline characteristics. Women and girls who received HIV education showed significant gains in HIV knowledge, awareness that condoms can prevent HIV, self-efficacy for HIV prevention, and confirmed use of clean needles, as compared to the control group. Condom use was rare and did not improve for women. While HIV testing was uncommon, knowledge of HIV-testing resources significantly increased among girls, and trended in the positive direction among women in intervention groups. Conversely, the savings education showed no impact on financial knowledge or behavior change.

Coverage and Awareness of and Compliance with Mass Drug Administration for Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis in Burdwan District, West Bengal, India

PubMed Central

Sarkar, Aditya Prasad; Misra, Raghunath; Chakroborty, Amitava; Mondal, Tusar Kanti; Bag, Kanad

2013-01-01

India adopted WHO's strategy of repeated rounds of mass drug administration (MDA) with diethylcarbamazine to eliminate lymphatic filariasis. The present study attempted to assess the coverage and awareness of and compliance with MDA for elimination of lymphatic filariasis in Burdwan district of India, following MDA round in July 2010. A cross-sectional study was conducted among the four randomly-selected clusters in the district of Burdwan, West Bengal, India, covering 603 individuals from 154 households, using a predesigned pretested schedule. The drug distribution coverage, compliance, and effective coverage were 48.76 %, 70.07%, and 34.16% respectively. Only 41.4% of the study population was aware of the MDA activity. This evaluation study noted that MDA is restricted to tablet distribution only. There is an urgent need to improve compliance with drug intake through strengthening of the awareness programme involving both government health workers and community volunteers. PMID:23930334

Solar-energy an American India (SAI) partnership: The Ramakrishna Mission PV Project

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

Ullal, H.S.; Stone, J.L.

1997-12-01

This paper describes a cooperative program which was established in 1993 by the Minister of the Indian Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources (MNES) and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE). Eventually it fielded one project, funded 50-50 for a total of 500k dollars. The project selected was a sustainable rural economic development initiative with Ramakrishna Mission in West Bengal, India, as the nongovernment organization (NGO). The objectives of the program were to establish the economic viability of photovoltaic power in the Sundarbans region of West Bengal. To have the project self-sustaining with minimal subsidies to the beneficiaries.more » To establish the infrastructure for financing, training, installation and maintenance with the NGO taking the lead. To work with the NGO to expand utilization of photovoltaics in the region. To perform a before and after social, economic, and environmental impact study with the Tata Energy Research Institute.« less

A new species of Monocystis stein, 1848 (Protista: Apicomplexa: Eugregarinida) from the Indian earthworm, Amynthas Hawayanus Rosa, 1891 (Annelida: Oligochaeta).

PubMed

Bandyopadhyay, Probir K; Göçmen, Bayram; Bhowmik, Biplab; Mitra, Amlan Kumar

2006-01-01

As a part of an ongoing biodiversity survey of aseptate gregarine fauna of oligochaete hosts of West Bengal, an expedition was carried out in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal and most of the earthworms collected were found to be infested with a species of Monocystis Stein, 1848. The monocystid species was collected from the seminal vesicles of the earthworm and was identified as a new species, Monocystis amynthae sp. nov. The gamont of the new species is characterized by having an elongated body with broad anterior end, separated from the narrow posterior end by a prominent constriction measuring 49.0-77.0 (66.0+/-1.3) microm x 32.0-41.0 (37.0+/-2.8) microm. The gametocysts are oval-shaped, measuring 40.0-65.0 (58.0+/-2.1) microm. The oocysts are navicular, measuring 8.0-12.0 (10.5+/-1.1) microm x 4.0-6.0 (5.5+/-1.1) microm.

Integrated geophysical investigations for the delineation of source and subsurface structure associated with hydro-uranium anomaly: A case study from South Purulia Shear Zone (SPSZ), India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, S. P.; Biswas, A.

2012-12-01

South Purulia Shear Zone (SPSZ) is an important region for prospecting of uranium mineralization. Geological studies and hydro-uranium anomaly suggest the presence of Uranium deposit around Raghunathpur village which lies about 8 km north of SPSZ. However, detailed geophysical investigations have not been carried out in this region for investigation of uranium mineralization. Since surface signature of uranium mineralization is not depicted near the location, a deeper subsurface source is expected for hydro uranium anomaly. To delineate the subsurface structure and to investigate the origin of hydro-uranium anomaly present in the area, Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) using Schlumberger array and Gradient Resistivity Profiling (GRP) were performed at different locations along a profile perpendicular to the South Purulia Shear Zone. Apparent resistivity computed from the measured sounding data at various locations shows a continuously increasing trend. As a result, conventional apparent resistivity data is not able to detect the possible source of hydro uranium anomaly. An innovative approach is applied which depicts the apparent conductivity in the subsurface revealed a possible connection from SPSZ to Raghunathpur. On the other hand resistivity profiling data suggests a low resistive zone which is also characterized by low Self-Potential (SP) anomaly zone. Since SPSZ is characterized by the source of uranium mineralization; hydro-uranium anomaly at Raghunathpur is connected with the SPSZ. The conducting zone has been delineated from SPSZ to Raghunathpur at deeper depths which could be uranium bearing. Since the location is also characterized by a low gravity and high magnetic anomaly zone, this conducting zone is likely to be mineralized zone. Keywords: Apparent resistivity; apparent conductivity; Self Potential; Uranium mineralization; shear zone; hydro-uranium anomaly.

ARSENIC IN DRINKING WATER AND THE PREVALENCE OF RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS IN WEST BENGAL, INDIA. (R826137)

EPA Science Inventory

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

Caste, Class and the Love-Marriage: Social Change in India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corwin, Lauren A.

1977-01-01

The present study of a small town in rural West Bengal, India, reveals a number of "love-marriages" involving individuals from castes of distinctly different ranks in the local caste hierarchy. Despite the prevailing rule of caste endogamy, inter-caste couples appear to face little difficulty. (Author)

ARSENIC LEVELS IN DRINKING WATER AND THE PREVALENCE OF SKIN LESIONS IN WEST BENGAL, INDIA. (R826137)

EPA Science Inventory

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

A Village of Painters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gomez, Aurelia

2007-01-01

In West Bengal, India, a traditional caste community of artists, called "patuas", paint colorful scrolls to accompany songs which they sing to relate historic, current, religious, and cultural events to their audiences. These itinerant painter/singers are part of a long lineage that has passed the tradition down for generations. In this…

Comic books can educate children about burn safety in developing countries.

PubMed

Sinha, Indranil; Patel, Anup; Kim, Francis Sun; Maccorkle, Mary Lu; Watkins, James Frease

2011-01-01

Burns in developing countries account for significant morbidity and many occur within the pediatric population. This study investigates whether a comic book can increase burn awareness in primary school age children, both domestically and abroad. Based on demographic data regarding pediatric burns in developing nations, a comic book was developed to educate primary school age children on key risk factors regarding burn safety, including teaching children to not touch active stoves, not to light fireworks without supervision, and to "stop, drop, and roll" after burn injury. Students, aged 5 to 7 years, in both West Virginia, United States (N = 74), and West Bengal, India (N = 39), answered a three-question survey regarding these issues both before and after reading the comic book. Groups were compared using Fisher's exact test and significance was defined as P < .05. Initially, students answered 67.8 and 66.9% of the questionnaire correctly overall in West Virginia and West Bengal, respectively. These scores improved to 81.6 and 99.1% (P < .01 for each group), respectively, after reading the comic as a class. Specifically, there were significant increases in both groups for the questions regarding avoiding hot stoves (P < .01) and fireworks (P < .01). The lesson required 30 minutes total per class. The teachers reported that students enjoyed reading the comic and were engaged during the sessions. This study demonstrates that a comic book has value in teaching children about burn awareness. Comic books may be a cost-effective method as an outreach tool for children.

Urban Development and Employment: The Prospects for Calcutta.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lubell, Harold

The study, one of the World Employment Program projects, discusses the general state of the economy as it has affected employment in West Bengal and Calcutta. It also examines the body of existing information on migration, employment, and unemployment in Calcutta. A consideration of the economic effect of development of Calcutta's infrastructure…

Unemployment of Educated Youth in Asia: A Comparative Analysis of the Situation in India, Bangladesh and the Philippines.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Das, A. K.

This study of unemployment among university graduates in West Bengal (India), Bangladesh, and the Philippines provides socioeconomic and educational characteristics of these areas, a comparative analysis of unemployment, and suggested measures for reducing unemployment. The International Institute for Educational Planning studies, focusing on…

Arm span as a proxy measure for height and estimation of nutritional status: a study among Dhimals of Darjeeling in West Bengal India.

PubMed

Datta Banik, Sudip

2011-11-01

This study aimed to understand the interrelationship between height and arm span and also to estimate nutritional status from arm span. In an anthropometric survey conducted among the Dhimals (227 males and 223 females, total = 450) of Naxalbari in West Bengal, India, measurements were recorded in age groups ranging between 10-59 years. Males were taller and had longer arm spans than females. The height-arm span ratio was 0.98-0.99, indicating height to be slightly less than arm span in both sexes. High correlation between these two dimensions was also observed. Regression equations provided a good model for estimating height from arm span (predictor). In all age groups of both sexes, values of standardized coefficient beta exhibited high significance (p ( 0.001). Residuals showed no pattern and were random. No significant difference between height-based body mass index or BMI (body weight/height(2)) and estimated arm span-based BMI (body weight/arm span(2)) was observed in any age group. Arm span was found to be an effective surrogate measure for BMI.

An operational study on implementation of oral rehydration therapy in a rural community of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Sircar, B K; Deb, B C; Sengupta, P G; Mondal, S; Gupta, D N; Sarkar, S; Sikder, S N; Ghosh, S; Saha, N C; Pal, S C

1991-09-01

An operational study of a 3-tier strategy for implementation of oral rehydration therapy (ORT) was conducted in a block of West Bengal with 216,825 population through the existing health services facilities. All the grassroot level, health workers including their supervisors at various levels were trained regarding the management of patients of diarrhoea with mild to moderate degree of dehydration, by ORT. Another block in the same district with similar demographic features where this intervention was not provided served as control. After 22 months of observation, it was evident that despite adequate training, the performance of Community Health Guides (CHGs) and Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) was not encouraging because of the low utilization of both home available fluids (32.0%) and oral rehydration solution (18.0%) in the study area. Similarly, diarrhoea associated mortality could not be reduced significantly. Lack of motivation and failure to maintain sustained level of skill by the CHGs and AWWs constitute the major bottlenecks for the successful implementation of the programme at the community level.

Arsenic in the breast milk of lactating women in arsenic-affected areas of West Bengal, India and its effect on infants.

PubMed

Samanta, Gautam; Das, Dipankar; Mandal, Badal K; Chowdhury, Tarit Roy; Chakraborti, Dipankar; Pal, Arup; Ahamed, Sad

2007-10-01

Two hundred and twenty-six breast milk samples were collected from lactating women from 3 blocks of North-24 Paragans, one of the arsenic-affected districts of West Bengal, India. Out of 226 samples, only in 39 samples arsenic was detected. Urine, hair, and nail samples were also analyzed to know the arsenic body burden of the lactating women. Arsenic in drinking water was also analyzed. Principle component analysis (PCA) revealed that hair and nail arsenic was highly correlated with water arsenic concentrations, whereas arsenic in urine and breast milk did not cluster with water arsenic. Our present study indicated that among the lactating women who had high arsenic body burden and arsenical skin lesions, they had elevated level of arsenic in their breast milk. Arsenic in hair, nails, and urine samples of infants were analyzed, and the results showed significantly high-body burden of infants in those areas. PCA showed the age-dependent relationship between the hair and nail arsenic concentrations of the mothers and their babies.

Multivariate erosion risk assessment of lateritic badlands of Birbhum (West Bengal, India): A case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghosh, Sandipan; Bhattacharya, Kamala

2012-12-01

Each geomorphic hazard involves a degree of risk which incorporates quantification of the probability that a hazard will be harmful. At present, the categorization of sub-watersheds into erosion risk is considered as the fundamental step to conserve the soil loss. Development of badlands over the laterites of Birbhum district is an indicative of excessive soil loss in the monsoonal wet-dry type of climate. Slope erosion and channel erosion have generated huge amount of sediment from the small watersheds during intense monsoonal rainfall (June-September). The adjoining areas of Rampurhat I Block, Birbhum (West Bengal) and Shikaripara Block, Dumka (Jharkhand) have lost the lateritic soil cover at a rate of 20-40 ton/ha/year (Sarkar et al. 2005). In order to estimate the progressive removal of soil particles from the gully-catchments of the above-mentioned area, different morphometric parameters, soil parameters, hydrologic parameters and empirical models are employed. Side by side, the study is carried out to categorize the gully-catchments into different magnitude of erosion risk using several multivariate statistical techniques.

Sedimentology and arsenic pollution in the Bengal Basin: insight into arsenic occurrence and subsurface geology.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hills, Andrew; McArthur, John

2014-05-01

The Bengal delta system is a geologically recent feature overlying a deeply incised palaeo-surface formed during the Last Glacial Maximum. This surface is a series of terraces and valleys created by river incision (Goodbred & Kuehl 2003). The terraces were weathered, forming a thin, indurated laterite deposit (Goodbred & Kuehl 2000) at depths greater than 50 m. McArthur et al. (2008) define this as a palaeosol and have identified it at depths greater than 30 m though out Bangladesh and West Bengal. It has been observed that arsenic concentrations at these sites are lower than the rest of the delta. It has been assumed that the surface morphology at sites where there is a palaeosol are similar and can therefore be characterised by remote sensing, in the form of Google Earth images. Sites were selected in Bangladesh and West Bengal, from work by McArthur et al. (2011); Hoque et al. (2012), where groundwater chemistry and sedimentology data are available making it possible to determine if the subsurface is a palaeo-channel or palaeo-interfluve. Arsenic concentration data have been inputted into Google Earth and the palaeo-channels marked where the arsenic concentration is greater than 10 µg/L, and palaeo-interfluves where arsenic concentration is less than 10 µg/L. The surface morphologies in these domains have been examined for similarities, and it was shown that avulsion scars and abandoned river channels are found where arsenic concentrations are greater than 10 µg/L. Conversely the surrounding areas that are devoid of channel scars have arsenic concentrations less than 10 µg/L. Using the correlation between avulsion features being representative of palaeo-channels and high arsenic concentrations, sites were selected that had a similar surface morphology to the type localities. A comparison of these images and arsenic concentrations showed that the postulate is valid for over 80 percent of cases. Where this is not valid, this could indicate that the subsurface is more complex than previously thought. References 1. Goodbred, S. L. & Kuehl, S. A. 2000. Enormous Ganges-Brahmaputra sediment discharge during strengthened early Holocene monsoon. Geology, 28, 1083-1086. 2. Goodbred, S. L., Kuehl, S. A., Steckler, M. S., & Sarkar, M. H. 2003. Controls on facies distribution and stratigraphic preservation in the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta sequence. Sedimentary Geology, 155, 301-316. 3. Hoque, M. A., McArthur, J. M., & Sikdar, P. K. 2012. The palaeosol model of arsenic pollution of groundwater tested along a 32 km traverse across West Bengal, India. Science of the Total Environment, 431, 157-165. 4. McArthur, J. M., Ravenscroft, P., Banerjee, D. M., Milsom, J., Hudson-Edwards, K. A., Sengupta, S., Bristow, C., Sarkar, A., & Purohit, R. 2008. How palaeosols influence groundwater flow and arsenic pollution: A model from the Bengal Basin and its worldwide implication. Water Resources Research, 44, W11411, doi: 10.1029/2007WR0067552. 5. McArthur, J. M., Nath, B., Banerjee, D. M., Purohit, R., & Grassineau, N. 2011. Palaeosol control on groundwater flow and pollutant distribution: The example of arsenic. Environmental Science and Technology, 45, 1376-1383.

Refining the Bengal Fan stratigraphy - A first correlation of IODP Expedition 354 results and seismic data from the Bay of Bengal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwenk, Tilmann; Spiess, Volkhard; Bergmann, Fenna; France-Lanord, Christian; Klaus, Adam

2016-04-01

The Bengal Fan covers the floor of the entire Bay of Bengal from the continental margins of India and Bangladesh to the sediment-filled Sunda Trench off Myanmar and the Andaman Islands, and along the west side of the Ninetyeast Ridge. The deposition and progradation of the Bengal Fan started in the Eocene after the collision of India with Asia resulting in the build-up of the Himalaya and the formation of a large proto-Bay of Bengal. Continued convergence of the Indian and Australian plates with the Southeast Asian plate reduced the size of the bay and focused the source of turbidites finally into the present Bengal Basin, Bangladesh shelf, and the shelf canyon "Swatch of no Ground". Today, the Bengal Fan is mainly fed by the sediment load of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, which drain the Himalayas at its southern and northern slope, respectively, and deliver their load to the delta in the Bengal Basin, to the Bengal Shelf and to the deep sea fan. Thus the Bengal Fan is a suitable recorder to study interactions among the growth of the Himalaya and Tibet, the development of the Asian monsoon, and processes affecting the carbon cycle and global climate. Because sedimentation in the Bengal Fan responds to both, climate and tectonic processes, its terrigenous sediment records the past evolution of both the Himalaya and regional climate. This evolution is also expressed in the stratigraphy of the fan in terms of unconformities and key horizons, average sedimentation rates as a function of distance from the basement ridges at 85°E and 90°E and the presence or absence of channel-levee systems. The histories of the Himalaya/Tibetan system and the Asian monsoon require sampling different periods of time with different levels of precision. Therefore IODP Expedition 354 drilled in February-March 2015 a seven site, 320 km-long transect across the Bengal Fan at 8°N. This strategy has been chosen because sediment transport took place by turbidity currents following transport channels leading to deposition on and between levees. As a consequence, depocenters were laterally shifting over hundreds of kilometers on millennial time scales. To archive a spatial and temporal overview of this primarily turbiditic depositional system, three deep penetration and additional four shallow holes were drilled. By that Expedition 354 has extended back the record of early fan deposition by 10 Ma into the Late Oligocene. As result of this drilling, numerous stratigraphic marker horizons across the transect could be identified, cored and dated. In combination with the available seismic data collected during the RV Sonne cruises SO125 and SO188, a detailed reconstruction of channel-levee growing, migration, abandonment, reoccupation and overall uniform growth of the fan can be carried out.

Entomological investigations into an epidemic of Japanese encephalitis (JE) in northern districts of West Bengal, India (2011-2012).

PubMed

Mariappan, T; Samuel, P Philip; Thenmozhi, V; Paramasivan, R; Sharma, Puran Kumar; Biswas, Asit Kumar; Tyagi, B K

2014-05-01

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is one of the most important arboviral diseases of human beings with outbreaks in many parts of Southeast Asia including India. We present the entomological findings of an outbreak occurred in northern part of West Bengal during 2011-2012 with special emphasis on the role of JE vectors in different seasons. Adult mosquito collections were made with the help of mouth aspirators, aided by flash lights during day time resting inside human and animal habitations as indoor, and resting outside field grasses, bushes, underneath of culverts and bridges as outdoor, and in and around the pig enclosures and cattle sheds during dusk period in JE affected villages from Cooch Behar, Dakshin Dinajpur, Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts in North West Bengal. In all study villages, a long handled with enamel bowl dipper was used to obtain immature stages of mosquitoes from various breeding habitats. A total of 19 different types of mosquito breeding habitats were examined for vectors of JE. From these habitats, 23.7 per cent were positive for breeding during the study period. Overall, nine different species were recorded through emergence, but none was positive for JE virus when subjected for detection of virus. Adult mosquitoes of more than 50 per cent of the potential JE vector species obtained through dusk and the rest through indoor and outdoor collections in all seasons. Altogether, 27 different species were recorded. Most of these were JE vectors. Our results showed that in addition to Cx. vishnui subgroup, detection of JE virus antigen in Cx. quinquefasciatus indicated the possible maintenance of JE virus in nature through poor vector mosquitoes throughout the year. Since, all potential vector species reported elsewhere in India were also found in this region and fluctuated in density in different seasons, a proper integrated vector control programme needs to be implemented to control JE transmission.

Arsenic Removal from Groundwater by Solar Driven Inline-Electrolytic Induced Co-Precipitation and Filtration-A Long Term Field Test Conducted in West Bengal.

PubMed

Otter, Philipp; Malakar, Pradyut; Jana, Bana Bihari; Grischek, Thomas; Benz, Florian; Goldmaier, Alexander; Feistel, Ulrike; Jana, Joydev; Lahiri, Susmita; Alvarez, Juan Antonio

2017-10-02

Arsenic contamination in drinking water resources is of major concern in the Ganga delta plains of West Bengal in India and Bangladesh. Here, several laboratory and field studies on arsenic removal from drinking water resources were conducted in the past and the application of strong-oxidant-induced co-precipitation of arsenic on iron hydroxides is still considered as the most promising mechanism. This paper suggests an autonomous, solar driven arsenic removal setting and presents the findings of a long term field test conducted in West Bengal. The system applies an inline-electrolytic cell for in situ chlorine production using the natural chloride content of the water and by that substituting the external dosing of strong oxidants. Co-precipitation of As(V) occurs on freshly formed iron hydroxide, which is removed by Manganese Greensand Plus ® filtration. The test was conducted for ten months under changing source water conditions considering arsenic (187 ± 45 µg/L), iron (5.5 ± 0.8 mg/L), manganese (1.5 ± 0.4 mg/L), phosphate (2.4 ± 1.3 mg/L) and ammonium (1.4 ± 0.5 mg/L) concentrations. Depending on the system setting removal rates of 94% for arsenic (10 ± 4 µg/L), >99% for iron (0.03 ± 0.03 mg/L), 96% for manganese (0.06 ± 0.05 mg/L), 72% for phosphate (0.7 ± 0.3 mg/L) and 84% for ammonium (0.18 ± 0.12 mg/L) were achieved-without the addition of any chemicals/adsorbents. Loading densities of arsenic on iron hydroxides averaged to 31 µgAs/mgFe. As the test was performed under field conditions and the here proposed removal mechanisms work fully autonomously, it poses a technically feasible treatment alternative, especially for rural areas.

Arsenic Removal from Groundwater by Solar Driven Inline-Electrolytic Induced Co-Precipitation and Filtration—A Long Term Field Test Conducted in West Bengal

PubMed Central

Malakar, Pradyut; Jana, Bana Bihari; Benz, Florian; Goldmaier, Alexander; Feistel, Ulrike; Jana, Joydev; Lahiri, Susmita; Alvarez, Juan Antonio

2017-01-01

Arsenic contamination in drinking water resources is of major concern in the Ganga delta plains of West Bengal in India and Bangladesh. Here, several laboratory and field studies on arsenic removal from drinking water resources were conducted in the past and the application of strong-oxidant-induced co-precipitation of arsenic on iron hydroxides is still considered as the most promising mechanism. This paper suggests an autonomous, solar driven arsenic removal setting and presents the findings of a long term field test conducted in West Bengal. The system applies an inline-electrolytic cell for in situ chlorine production using the natural chloride content of the water and by that substituting the external dosing of strong oxidants. Co-precipitation of As(V) occurs on freshly formed iron hydroxide, which is removed by Manganese Greensand Plus® filtration. The test was conducted for ten months under changing source water conditions considering arsenic (187 ± 45 µg/L), iron (5.5 ± 0.8 mg/L), manganese (1.5 ± 0.4 mg/L), phosphate (2.4 ± 1.3 mg/L) and ammonium (1.4 ± 0.5 mg/L) concentrations. Depending on the system setting removal rates of 94% for arsenic (10 ± 4 µg/L), >99% for iron (0.03 ± 0.03 mg/L), 96% for manganese (0.06 ± 0.05 mg/L), 72% for phosphate (0.7 ± 0.3 mg/L) and 84% for ammonium (0.18 ± 0.12 mg/L) were achieved—without the addition of any chemicals/adsorbents. Loading densities of arsenic on iron hydroxides averaged to 31 µgAs/mgFe. As the test was performed under field conditions and the here proposed removal mechanisms work fully autonomously, it poses a technically feasible treatment alternative, especially for rural areas. PMID:28974053

Entomological investigations into an epidemic of Japanese encephalitis (JE) in northern districts of West Bengal, India (2011-2012)

PubMed Central

Mariappan, T.; Samuel, P. Philip; Thenmozhi, V.; Paramasivan, R.; Sharma, Puran Kumar; Biswas, Asit Kumar; Tyagi, B.K.

2014-01-01

Background & objectives: Japanese encephalitis (JE) is one of the most important arboviral diseases of human beings with outbreaks in many parts of Southeast Asia including India. We present the entomological findings of an outbreak occurred in northern part of West Bengal during 2011-2012 with special emphasis on the role of JE vectors in different seasons. Methods: Adult mosquito collections were made with the help of mouth aspirators, aided by flash lights during day time resting inside human and animal habitations as indoor, and resting outside field grasses, bushes, underneath of culverts and bridges as outdoor, and in and around the pig enclosures and cattle sheds during dusk period in JE affected villages from Cooch Behar, Dakshin Dinajpur, Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts in North West Bengal. In all study villages, a long handled with enamel bowl dipper was used to obtain immature stages of mosquitoes from various breeding habitats. Results: A total of 19 different types of mosquito breeding habitats were examined for vectors of JE. From these habitats, 23.7 per cent were positive for breeding during the study period. Overall, nine different species were recorded through emergence, but none was positive for JE virus when subjected for detection of virus. Adult mosquitoes of more than 50 per cent of the potential JE vector species obtained through dusk and the rest through indoor and outdoor collections in all seasons. Altogether, 27 different species were recorded. Most of these were JE vectors. Interpretation & conclusions: Our results showed that in addition to Cx. vishnui subgroup, detection of JE virus antigen in Cx. quinquefasciatus indicated the possible maintenance of JE virus in nature through poor vector mosquitoes throughout the year. Since, all potential vector species reported elsewhere in India were also found in this region and fluctuated in density in different seasons, a proper integrated vector control programme needs to be implemented to control JE transmission. PMID:25027086

Comparison of drinking water, raw rice and cooking of rice as arsenic exposure routes in three contrasting areas of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Mondal, Debapriya; Banerjee, Mayukh; Kundu, Manjari; Banerjee, Nilanjana; Bhattacharya, Udayan; Giri, Ashok K; Ganguli, Bhaswati; Sen Roy, Sugata; Polya, David A

2010-12-01

Remediation aimed at reducing human exposure to groundwater arsenic in West Bengal, one of the regions most impacted by this environmental hazard, are currently largely focussed on reducing arsenic in drinking water. Rice and cooking of rice, however, have also been identified as important or potentially important exposure routes. Quantifying the relative importance of these exposure routes is critically required to inform the prioritisation and selection of remediation strategies. The aim of our study, therefore, was to determine the relative contributions of drinking water, rice and cooking of rice to human exposure in three contrasting areas of West Bengal with different overall levels of exposure to arsenic, viz. high (Bhawangola-I Block, Murshidibad District), moderate (Chakdha Block, Nadia District) and low (Khejuri-I Block, Midnapur District). Arsenic exposure from water was highly variable, median exposures being 0.02 μg/kg/d (Midnapur), 0.77 μg/kg/d (Nadia) and 2.03 μg/kg/d (Murshidabad). In contrast arsenic exposure from cooked rice was relatively uniform, with median exposures being 0.30 μg/kg/d (Midnapur), 0.50 μg/kg/d (Nadia) and 0.84 μg/kg/d (Murshidabad). Cooking rice typically resulted in arsenic exposures of lower magnitude, indeed in Midnapur, median exposure from cooking was slightly negative. Water was the dominant route of exposure in Murshidabad, both water and rice were major exposure routes in Nadia, whereas rice was the dominant exposure route in Midnapur. Notwithstanding the differences in balance of exposure routes, median excess lifetime cancer risk for all the blocks were found to exceed the USEPA regulatory threshold target cancer risk level of 10(-4)-10(-6). The difference in balance of exposure routes indicate a difference in balance of remediation approaches in the three districts.

Sibling composition and household room sharing are associated with menarcheal status among rural Bengalee girls of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Biswas, Sadaruddin; Koziel, Slawomir; Chakraborty, Raja; Bose, Kaushik

2013-08-01

Menarche, the first menstruation, is one of the most important events in a woman's reproductive life. The timing of menarche varies across populations and depends upon social interaction and family environment. It is also associated with several biological as well as social factors. The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between sibling composition and age at menarche (AAM) and to assess the association between the pattern of room sharing with family members of different sexes and menarcheal occurrence among rural Bengalee girls from West Bengal, India. The total sample comprised 577 Bengalee girls, 6-17 years of age, from various schools and madrasas in two blocks of the Nadia District of West Bengal State in India. The effects of room sharing on the occurrence of menarche, and of sibling composition on the menarcheal age, were assessed by analyses of covariance. The room-sharing pattern had a significant effect on menarcheal status (yes÷no): a significantly higher percentage of girls who shared a room with the mother and÷or sisters were postmenarcheal compared with those who shared a room with male family members. AAM did not differ significantly between girls having brothers or sisters. However, sibling order had a significant impact on AAM. Girls who had a younger sibling only (brother or sister) had a higher mean AAM, and girls who had both younger brothers and younger sisters had significantly higher mean AAM, than did the girls who had no younger sibling (singletons or having only elder siblings). There was no difference in AAM between the girls who had younger sister(s) and those who had younger brother(s). These differences were also independent of body mass index. In conclusion, the room sharing characteristics and the sibling sex composition, particularly their order, had significant effect on menarche in adolescent rural Bengalee girls. Copyright © 2013 Wayne State University Press, Detroit, Michigan 48201-1309.

AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) to Estimate the Pattern and Correlates of Alcohol Consumption among the Adult Population of West Bengal, India: A Community Based Cross-sectional Study

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Introduction Pattern of alcohol consumption substantially changed in India with in last 20 to 25 years. Excessive alcohol consumption is a major risk factor for various morbidity and mortality. So, scientific study to identify alcohol consumption patterns and its correlates will be helpful to formulate preventive strategies. Aim To estimate the pattern of alcohol consumption and to determine its correlates, among the adult population of the state of West Bengal in India. Materials and Methods A community based cross-sectional study was conducted among the adult population of the state of West Bengal at Gram Panchayat (GP) level. Ninety-nine (n=99) adult (≥ 18 years) men and women of Guchati GP at Paschim Medinipur district, was selected using Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) technique. The study participants were interviewed using a pre-designed and pre-tested schedule. Results It was estimated that the prevalence of low risk drinking or abstinence (Zone I) was 65.5% (95% CI 55.5% to 75.5%) and the prevalence of alcohol use in excess of low-risk (Zone II) was 17.6% (95% CI 7.6% to 27.6%), and the prevalence of harmful and hazardous drinking (Zone III) was 8.5% (95% CI 0% to 18.5%) and the prevalence alcohol dependence (Zone-IV) was 8.4% (0% to 18.4%). Logistic regression model shows that “gender” (p = 0.00) and “employment status” (p = 0.01) added significantly to the model with adjusted odds ratio of 82.27 (95% CI 18.17-372.58) and 0.13 (0.03–0.66). Conclusion There is a need for comprehensive screening and treatment programme to deal with the problems of Alcohol Use Disorders among adults to achieve good health and well being for sustainable development. PMID:28571168

Quality of life among menopausal women: A community-based study in a rural area of West Bengal.

PubMed

Karmakar, Nabarun; Majumdar, Somak; Dasgupta, Aparajita; Das, Sulagna

2017-01-01

During menopausal transition, there is a lot of fluctuation in the hormone levels making the peri and postmenopausal women susceptible to various mental and physical disorders. There is considerably lack of awareness about the effects of the menopausal symptoms in women in India. Studies on issues relating to menopause, especially among rural women, are also lacking. With this background, the current study was carried out in a rural area of West Bengal with the objective to assess the quality of life (QOL) of peri-menopausal women. The study was carried out among 100 peri and postmenopausal women (40-60 years) in Dearah village of West Bengal which is the rural field practice area of All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health during February-March 2014. The questionnaire used as study tool had two parts - Part 1: Sociodemographic characteristics. Part 2: About QOL due to menopausal symptoms based on four domains (vasomotor, psychosocial, physical, and sexual) using the 29-item Menopause-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire. Occurrence of vasomotor symptoms was average with 60% of them reporting hot flushes and 47% sweating. Most prevalent psychosocial symptoms reported were feeling of anxiety and nervousness (94%) and overall depression (88%). Physical symptoms were quite varying in occurrence with some symptoms such as feeling tired or worn out, decrease in physical strength and lack of energy occurring in 93% of the women to only 5% suffering from growth of facial hair. Overall sexual changes were reported among 49% who reported of avoiding intimacy with a partner and 26% complained of vaginal dryness. The results support that menopause causes both physical and psychiatric problems. Education, creating awareness and providing suitable intervention to improve their QOL are important which should be imparted to menopausal women at both individual and community level.

AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) to Estimate the Pattern and Correlates of Alcohol Consumption among the Adult Population of West Bengal, India: A Community Based Cross-sectional Study.

PubMed

Sau, Arkaprabha

2017-04-01

Pattern of alcohol consumption substantially changed in India with in last 20 to 25 years. Excessive alcohol consumption is a major risk factor for various morbidity and mortality. So, scientific study to identify alcohol consumption patterns and its correlates will be helpful to formulate preventive strategies. To estimate the pattern of alcohol consumption and to determine its correlates, among the adult population of the state of West Bengal in India. A community based cross-sectional study was conducted among the adult population of the state of West Bengal at Gram Panchayat (GP) level. Ninety-nine (n=99) adult (≥ 18 years) men and women of Guchati GP at Paschim Medinipur district, was selected using Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) technique. The study participants were interviewed using a pre-designed and pre-tested schedule. It was estimated that the prevalence of low risk drinking or abstinence (Zone I) was 65.5% (95% CI 55.5% to 75.5%) and the prevalence of alcohol use in excess of low-risk (Zone II) was 17.6% (95% CI 7.6% to 27.6%), and the prevalence of harmful and hazardous drinking (Zone III) was 8.5% (95% CI 0% to 18.5%) and the prevalence alcohol dependence (Zone-IV) was 8.4% (0% to 18.4%). Logistic regression model shows that "gender" (p = 0.00) and "employment status" (p = 0.01) added significantly to the model with adjusted odds ratio of 82.27 (95% CI 18.17-372.58) and 0.13 (0.03-0.66). There is a need for comprehensive screening and treatment programme to deal with the problems of Alcohol Use Disorders among adults to achieve good health and well being for sustainable development.

Earth Observation and Geospatial techniques for Soil Salinity and Land Capability Assessment over Sundarban Bay of Bengal Coast, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Sumanta; Choudhury, Malini Roy; Das, Subhasish; Nagarajan, M.

2016-12-01

To guarantee food security and job creation of small scale farmers to commercial farmers, unproductive farms in the South 24 PGS, West Bengal need land reform program to be restructured and evaluated for agricultural productivity. This study established a potential role of remote sensing and GIS for identification and mapping of salinity zone and spatial planning of agricultural land over the Basanti and Gosaba Islands(808.314sq. km) of South 24 PGS. District of West Bengal. The primary data i.e. soil pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC) and Sodium Absorption ratio (SAR) were obtained from soil samples of various GCP (Ground Control Points) locations collected at 50 mts. intervals by handheld GPS from 0-100 cm depths. The secondary information is acquired from the remotely sensed satellite data (LANDSAT ETM+) in different time scale and digital elevation model. The collected field samples were tested in the laboratory and were validated with Remote Sensing based digital indices analysisover the temporal satellite data to assess the potential changes due to over salinization. Soil physical properties such as texture, structure, depth and drainage condition is stored as attributes in a geographical soil database and linked with the soil map units. The thematic maps are integrated with climatic and terrain conditions of the area to produce land capability maps for paddy. Finally, The weighted overlay analysis was performed to assign theweights according to the importance of parameters taken into account for salineareaidentification and mapping to segregate higher, moderate, lower salinity zonesover the study area.

Numerical modelling of groundwater flow to understand the impacts of pumping on arsenic migration in the aquifer of North Bengal Plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sikdar, P. K.; Chakraborty, Surajit

2017-03-01

In this paper, numerical simulations of regional-scale groundwater flow of North Bengal Plain have been carried out with special emphasis on the arsenic (As)-rich alluvium filled gap between the Rajmahal hills on the west and the Garo hills on the east. The proposed concern of this modelling arose from development that has led to large water table declines in the urban area of English Bazar block, Malda district, West Bengal and possible transport of As in the near future from the adjacent As-polluted aquifer. Groundwater occurs under unconfined condition in a thick zone of saturation within the Quaternary alluvial sediments. Modelling indicates that current pumping has significantly changed the groundwater flowpaths from pre-development condition. At the present pumping rate, the pumping wells of the urban area may remain uncontaminated till the next 25 yrs, considering only pure advection of water but some water from the As-polluted zone may enter wells by 50 yrs. But geochemical and other processes such as adsorption, precipitation, redox reaction and microbial activity may significantly retard the predicted rate by advective transport. In the rural areas, majority of the water pumped from the aquifer is for irrigation, which is continuously re-applied on the surface. The near-vertical nature of the flowpaths indicates that, where As is present or released at shallow depths, it will continue to occur in pumping wells. Modelling also indicates that placing all the pumping wells at depths below 100 m may not provide As-free water permanently.

Clinicohaematological profile of aplastic anaemia in a rural medical college of Northern West Bengal.

PubMed

Chakrabarti, Sudipta; Goswami, Bidyut Krishna; Paul, Prabir Chandra; Sarkar, Supriya; Mondal, Srikrishna; Das, Shikha

2013-10-01

There is a scarcity of clinical data in the field of aplastic anaemia from rural India. Present study was conducted in North Bengal Medical College to find out the clinicohaematological profile and the possible aetiological factors in patients with aplastic anaemia. The study population (n = 83) included 21 children with male to female ratio 4.93:1. Weakness was present in all cases and pallor was present in 74.70% cases. Fever, bleeding episodes and localised infection were found in 55.42%, 48.19% and 27.71% cases respectively. There was no difference in clinical manifestations between children and adult except occurrence of fever (p = 0.0365). We identified possible aetiological factors in 32.53% cases as relevant drug intake in 10.84%, exposure to chemicals in 13.25% and hepatitis in 8.43% cases. We found low mean haemoglobin (3.81 +/- 1.71 g/dl), leucocyte and platelet (3.05 +/- 1.3 and 37.30 +/- 35 x 10(3)/cmm), neutrophil (30.28 +/- 21.76%) and high lymphocyte (67.27 +/- 22.50%) in peripheral blood. At the time of presentation, aplastic anaemia was moderate in 59.04% cases, severe in 48.19% cases and mild in 4.82% cases. We estimated the prevalence of aplastic anaemia in 4 districts of West Bengal including tea garden areas was 2.98/million populations per year. It was concluded that aplastic anaemia is a major non-malignant haematological disease in this part of India, and an increasing use of chemicals in agricultural and tea garden areas might be the responsible factor. Larger population based study is suggested.

Whether Experience and Training of Teachers Affect Their Attitude towards Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE)?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sahanowas, S. K.; Halder, Santoshi

2016-01-01

Teaching experience and training of the teachers are important variables for teaching and evaluating effectively having an immense impact to their inclination, attitude and perfection. West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (W.B.B.S.E), India, has taken the initiative to implement Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation system up to class VIII…

The Sexual Lives of Muslim Girls in the "Bustees" of Kolkata, India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chakraborty, Kabita

2010-01-01

This paper aims to understand why and how young Muslim women pursue sexual relationships in the urban bustees (slums) of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. I discuss how girls in heterosexual romantic relationships decide where, when and how to have sex, and the importance of class discourses and popular Bollywood culture in this decision-making…

Eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids enriched polyunsaturated fatty acids from the coastal marine fish of Bay of Bengal and their therapeutic value.

PubMed

Bera, Rabindranath; Dhara, Tushar K; Bhadra, Ranjan; Majumder, Gopal C; Sen, Parimal C

2010-12-01

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)/docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) enriched polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) significantly present in marine fish oil emerge as preventive agents for combating many health problems specially in chronic or metabolic disorders. The fish in the coastal area of Bay of Bengal has remained unexplored with respect to EPA/DHA enriched PUFA content in its oils, although it may be a potential source in harnessing the health benefit. In this study, seven varieties of the coastal fish were analysed for the content of EPA/DHA. The one locally known as lotte, (Harpadon nehereus) though has low content of total lipids, was found to have high EPA/DHA in its oil. The phospholipids rich fraction was extracted from the total fish oil. The EPA/DHA enriched PUFA was isolated to investigate the potential use for health benefits. EPA/DHA is found to act as protective agent against mercury poisoning studied in cell culture as well as in animal mode. It is found to be highly preventive in diabetes. The lotte is available in the coastal area of Bay of Bengal adjoining West Bengal, India in large scale and it is the first report showing EPA/DHA enriched PUFA in these fish oil that can be availed to harness in important health benefits.

Unusual presentation of Enterobius vermicularis in conjunctival sac.

PubMed

Mallick, Sanjay Kumar; Sengupta, Ranadeep; Banerjee, Arup Kumar

2015-10-01

We report an unusual case of extraintestinal infection with adult Enterobius vermicularis worms in the conjunctival sac of a two-and-a-half year old boy from Alipurduar, West Bengal, India. Only two other similar cases have been reported in the English literature, one from Assam, India in 1976, and the other from Illinois and California in 2011. © The Author(s) 2014.

Two Blades of Grass: A Summary of Two Studies on Agricultural Innovation in India.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roy, Prodipto; And Others

Under contract with the United States Agency for International Development and Michigan State University, a study was made comparing diffusion of innovations in Brazil, Nigeria, and India. In India, the study was in two phases: a survey of 108 villages in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and West Bengal; and a study of adoption behavior among 680…

Role of the Elected Panchayat Samity Members in National Health and Family Welfare Programs: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barman, Subhash

2009-01-01

The geographical area of this study is West Bengal--a constituent state (province) of India. The state government policy aims at administrative decentralization through Panchayats (or Village Councils) in rural areas. It is a 3-tier system, comprising a Gram Panchayat in every village, Panchayat Samity (block level), and Zilla Parishad (district…

Integrating the Poor through e-Governance: A Case Study of the National e-Governance Plan in India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dasgupta, Shib Shankar

2010-01-01

This dissertation examines the adoption and implementation mechanism of the national e-Governance plan in the regional state of West Bengal in India. The questions that this dissertation seek to illuminate are (i) the various potentials and challenges in integrating the ordinary citizens in the implementation of the national e-Governance plan in…

Status of Educational Performance of Tribal Students: A Study in Paschim Medinipur District, West Bengal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Basu, Abhisek; Chatterjee, Soumendu

2014-01-01

Education is a very important factor of human resource development and management. After a long period of independence, our nation is yet to achieve desired level of education. This is worst in tribal societies. Tribes are the primeval communities that constitute a considerable proportion of national population. Each of the tribal communities has…

Standardization of the Revised Token Test in Bangla

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kumar, Suman; Kumar, Prashant; Kumari, Punam

2013-01-01

Bengali or Bangla is an Indo-Aryan language. It is the state language of West Bengal and Tripura and also spoken in some parts of Assam. Bangla is the official language of Bangladesh. With nearly 230 million speakers (Wikipedia 2010), Bangla is one of the most spoken language in the world. Bangla language is the most commonly used language in West…

A Poem in a Medium Not of Words: Music, Dance and Arts Education in Rabindranath Tagore's Santiniketan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pritchard, Matthew

2014-01-01

In light of recent attempts to defend the role of the arts in education against the effects of policies based on utilitarian principles, this paper examines the arts educational writings and practical projects of Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) at Santiniketan in West Bengal, showing how they were motivated by a Romantic and Upanishadic philosophy…

Arsenic exposure through drinking water increases the risk of liver and cardiovascular diseases in the population of West Bengal, India

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Arsenic is a natural drinking water contaminant affecting 26 million people in West Bengal, India. Chronic arsenic exposure causes cancer, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, neuropathies and ocular diseases. The aims of the present study were to assess bioindicators of hepatocellular injury as indicated by the levels of liver enzymes, to determine the auto immune status, as indicated by the amounts of anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) and anti-dsDNA antibodies in their serum, and to predict cardiovascular risk in the arsenic exposed population. Methods Effect of chronic arsenic exposure on liver was determined by liver function tests. Autoimmune status was measured by measuring ANA and anti-dsDNA in serum. Inflammatory cytokines associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk, IL6, IL8 and MCP-1 were determined. Results Our results indicated that serum levels of bilirubin, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase and ANA were increased in the arsenic exposed population. Serum levels of IL6 and IL8 also increased in the arsenic exposed group. Conclusions Chronic arsenic exposure causes liver injury, increases the serum levels of autoimmune markers and imparts increased cardiovascular risk. PMID:22883023

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Related to Diabetes Mellitus Among Diabetics and Nondiabetics Visiting Homeopathic Hospitals in West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Koley, Munmun; Saha, Subhranil; Arya, Jogendra Singh; Choubey, Gurudev; Ghosh, Shubhamoy; Chattopadhyay, Rajat; Das, Kaushik Deb; Ghosh, Aloke; Hait, Himangsu; Mukherjee, Rajarshi; Banerjee, Tanapa

2016-01-01

High prevalence of undiagnosed cases of diabetes mellitus and poor knowledge, awareness, and practice has increased premature death, costly complications, and financial burden. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in November 2014 on 273 diabetics and 355 nondiabetics in 3 government homeopathic hospitals in West Bengal, India. A self-administered questionnaire assessing knowledge, awareness, and practice related to diabetes was used. A total of 17.5% to 29.3% of the participants were aware of the normal blood sugar level. Lack of insulin, frequent urination, hypertension, and poor wound healing were identified most frequently as the cause, symptom, association, and complications. A total of 35.5% to 46.5% said that diabetes was preventable; 14.1% to 31.9% knew that diabetes was controllable rather than curable. Consumption of planned diet, avoiding sugar, and testing blood sugar were the most frequently identified components of healthy lifestyle, diabetic diet, and diagnostic domain. Diabetics had higher knowledge and awareness than nondiabetics (P < .0001); still the latter need to be made aware and knowledgeable to curtail the ever-increasing burden of diabetes. © The Author(s) 2015.

A comprehensive screening program for β-thalassemia and other hemoglobinopathies in the Hooghly District of West Bengal, India, dealing with 21 137 cases.

PubMed

Bhattacharyya, Kallol Kumar; Chatterjee, Tridip; Mondal, Ujjalendu Bikash

2016-11-01

We here present a report of population screening programs (January 2012-December 2015) conducted by the Thalassemia Control Unit, Imambara Sadar Hospital, Chinsurah, Hooghly in the Hooghly District of West Bengal, India for prevention of thalassemia. We screened β-thalassemia (β-thal) heterozygotes and homozygotes, and Hb E (HBB: c.79G > A)-β-thal compound heterozygotes. Among 21 137 cases, we found 1968 heterozygotes and 192 homozygotes or compound heterozygotes. Results were evaluated with standard hematological analyses including red cell indices, hemoglobin (Hb) typing and quantification. The participants of the screening program were divided into six groups (children, pre-marriage cases, post-marital cases, family members of affected individuals, family members of carriers and pregnant women). While considering the average frequency of carriers, many reports recorded both related individuals (family members of trait and affected individuals) as well as unrelated individuals such as school children and pregnant women. These would have to be considered separately and only the unrelated individuals taken to estimate carrier frequencies in this article that would give more realistic data on carrier frequency of unrelated individuals.

Illustrated accounts of coccinellid predators of Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green) (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Pseudococcidae) on mulberry in India, with description of a new species of Scymnus Kugelann (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) from West Bengal.

PubMed

Poorani, J; Lalitha, N

2018-02-20

The pink hibiscus mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green), is a major pest of mulberry (Morus alba L.), the sole host of the mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori (L.), which is a source of livelihood to millions of sericulture farmers in India. Several predators, mainly Coccinellidae (Coleoptera), have been reported to feed on M. hirsutus on mulberry. Coccinellid predators of M. hirsutus collected on mulberry from different parts of India are illustrated here with brief diagnostic notes to facilitate their identification. An account of mycophagous species of coccinellids commonly found on mulberry and misreported as predators of mulberry pests is also given with illustrations. Scymnus (Pullus) latifolius sp. nov., a promising predator of M. hirsutus, hitherto misidentified and reported as Scymnus pallidicollis Mulsant, is described and illustrated from West Bengal, India, with detailed biological notes. Keiscymnus taiwanensis Yang Wu, 1972 is reduced to a new junior synonym of Scymnus pallidicollis Mulsant, 1853 (syn. nov.). Illeis bielawskii Ghorpade, 1976 is found to be a valid species and removed from synonymy with I. bistigmosa Mulsant, 1850 (stat. rev.).

Bioavailability of iodine and hardness (magnesium and calcium salt) in drinking water in the etiology of endemic goitre in Sundarban delta of West Bengal (India).

PubMed

Chandra, Amar K; Tripathy, Smritiratan; Debnath, Arijit; Ghosh, Dishari

2007-04-01

Endemic goitre has been reported from the ecologically diverse Sundarban delta of West Bengal (India). To study the etiological factors for the persistence of endemic goitre, bioavailability of iodine and hardness of water used for drinking in the region were evaluated because these common environmental factors are inversely and directly related with goitre prevalence in several geographical regions. For the present study from 19 Community Development Blocks of Sundarban delta, 19 areas were selected at random. From each area at least 8 drinking water samples were collected and analyzed for iodine and the hardness (calcium and magnesium salt content). Iodine content in the drinking water samples was found in the range from 21 to 119 mg/L and total hardness of drinking water was found to range from 50 to 480 ppm. Presence of magnesium salt was found higher than the calcium salts in most of the samples. These findings suggest that the entire delta region is environmentally iodine sufficient but water is relatively hard and thus possibility of hardness of water for the persistence of endemic goitre may not be ruled out.

Impact of integrated child development scheme on child malnutrition in West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Dutta, Arijita; Ghosh, Smritikana

2017-10-01

With child malnutrition detected as a persistent problem in most of the developing countries, public policy has been directed towards offering community-based supplementary feeding provision and nutritional information to caregivers. India, being no exception, has initiated these programs as early as 1970s under integrated child development scheme. Using propensity score matching technique on primary data of 390 households in two districts of West Bengal, an Eastern state in India, the study finds that impact of being included in the program and receiving supplementary feeding is insignificant on child stunting measures, though the program can break the intractable barriers of child stunting only when the child successfully receives not only just the supplementary feeding but also his caregiver collects crucial information on nutritional awareness and growth trajectory of the child. Availability of regular eggs in the feeding diet too can reduce protein-related undernutrition. Focusing on just feeding means low depth of other services offered under integrated child development scheme, including pre-school education, nutritional awareness, and hygiene behavior; thus repealing a part of the apparent food-secure population who puts far more importance on the latter services. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Comparative Study of Labour Participation in Three Wetland Regions of West Bengal, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, Malabika Biswas; Roy, Pankaj Kumar; Samal, Nihar Ranjan; Mazumdar, Asis

2016-06-01

Wetlands are invaluable components of the environment, ecology, resource potential and biodiversity in India. In the Gangetic flood plain of West Bengal, wetlands are used for multiple purposes, and have significant role in the livelihoods of the local people. Thus an awareness of the importance of wetland is raised from few decades, because Government authorities and private organizations are started to realize the fact that wetlands are complex ecological systems, whose structure provides numerous goods and various services, including food storage, water quality sustenance, agriculture production, fisheries and recreation. The objective of this work is to analyze the conditions of unemployed people through labour participation and to evolve an adaptation for the sustainable use of wetlands, emphasizing the economic upliftment for the selected floodplain region. It may be concluded that as some of the floodplain wetlands serves as bird sanctuaries, national parks and reserves of biodiversity, it results in several environmental issues to mitigate and are also used for irrigation, jute retting, collection of edible aquatic plants and animals as well as birds. Thus a plan for floodplain wetlands may be developed to integrate the various uses of the water body with a holistic approach.

Food Security in Households of People Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome: A Cross-sectional Study in a Subdivision of Darjeeling District, West Bengal

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Objectives: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) adversely impacts food security in households of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Little research has focused on food insecurity among PLWHA in India. The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of and factors relating to food security in households of PLWHA in the Siliguri subdivision of Darjeeling, West Bengal, India. Methods: A cross-sectional community-based study was carried out among 173 PLWHA residing in Siliguri and registered at the Anti-retroviral Therapy Centre of North Bengal Medical College & Hospital. Data was collected at the household level with interviews of PLWHA using a food security survey instrument. We analyzed the associations using logistic regression. Results: The prevalence of household food security among the participants was 50.9% (88/173). Five years or more of schooling, higher socioeconomic class and males were found to be significantly associated with a higher likelihood of food security. A later stage of the disease and the presence of other family members with HIV/AIDS were significantly associated with a lower likelihood of food security. The major coping strategies to deal with food insecurity in the acute phase HIV infection included borrowing money (56.1%), followed by spousal support, loans from microfinance institutions, banks, or money lenders, borrowing food, or selling agricultural products. Conclusions: The present study revealed that only about half of households with PLWHA were food secure. Prior interventions relating to periods of food and economic crisis as well as strategies for sustaining food security and economic status are needed in this area. PMID:27499166

Prevalence of Psychiatric Morbidity Among Undergraduate Students of a Dental College in West Bengal.

PubMed

Makhal, Manabendra; Ray, Pradip Kumar; Ray Bhattacharya, Sampa; Ghosh, Subhankar; Majumder, Uttam; DE, Shantanu; Bandyopadhyay, Gautam Kumar; Bera, Nirmal Kumar

2015-07-01

Stresses of medical course affects the academic performance as well as physical and psychological health of the students negatively. In the present day scenario every one of us has vulnerability to have psychiatric morbidity. Like other young adults, undergraduate dental students are similarly vulnerable to turmoil due to academic and social stresses, which often hamper the educational achievement. Early detection and treatment of psychological morbidities shorten the suffering leading to less social impairment in long term. The aim of this study was to assess the psychiatric morbidity of dental students and the factors affecting their mental health. This cross sectional, descriptive and correlation study was conducted in North Bengal Dental College, a rural dental college of West Bengal, India. The study sample consisted of a total of 89 dental students. The student enrollment was done by "simple random sampling method". The semi-structured proforma and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)-28 were used to collect data and to assess the psychiatric morbidity. Pearson's correlation followed by multivariate linear regression analysis was done to assess the effect of academic achievement, positive and negative event on the GHQ total score. The overall mean GHQ total score in the study population was 5.33, with a SD of 4.85 which was above the cutoff (>4) score. Karl Pearson correlation co-efficient r-values for GHQ total score with 'academic achievement' and 'negative events' score were 0.718 and 0.628 respectively and p-values were 0.001 and 0.001. The poor academic performance and negative events had strong impact on psychological morbidity of dental students. The findings of our study can't be generalized for all undergraduate dental student due to small sample size and non inclusion of many other variables.

Food Security in Households of People Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome: A Cross-sectional Study in a Subdivision of Darjeeling District, West Bengal.

PubMed

Dasgupta, Pallabi; Bhattacherjee, Sharmistha; Das, Dilip Kumar

2016-07-01

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) adversely impacts food security in households of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Little research has focused on food insecurity among PLWHA in India. The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of and factors relating to food security in households of PLWHA in the Siliguri subdivision of Darjeeling, West Bengal, India. A cross-sectional community-based study was carried out among 173 PLWHA residing in Siliguri and registered at the Anti-retroviral Therapy Centre of North Bengal Medical College & Hospital. Data was collected at the household level with interviews of PLWHA using a food security survey instrument. We analyzed the associations using logistic regression. The prevalence of household food security among the participants was 50.9% (88/173). Five years or more of schooling, higher socioeconomic class and males were found to be significantly associated with a higher likelihood of food security. A later stage of the disease and the presence of other family members with HIV/AIDS were significantly associated with a lower likelihood of food security. The major coping strategies to deal with food insecurity in the acute phase HIV infection included borrowing money (56.1%), followed by spousal support, loans from microfinance institutions, banks, or money lenders, borrowing food, or selling agricultural products. The present study revealed that only about half of households with PLWHA were food secure. Prior interventions relating to periods of food and economic crisis as well as strategies for sustaining food security and economic status are needed in this area.

Partnership in Action: Introducing Family-Based Intervention for Children with Disability in Urban Slums of Kolkata, India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sen, Reena; Goldbart, Juliet

2005-01-01

This paper presents the processes and findings of a three-year action research project implemented in a small number of urban slums in the city of Kolkata (previously known as Calcutta), the capital of the state of West Bengal in Eastern India. The project involved partnership between an established institute for cerebral palsy in Kolkata, two…

Initiation and Propagation of Earth-directed Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs)

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-02-28

Prof. Prasad Subramanian 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) Indian ...CMEs) February 28 2015 Name of Principal Investigators (PI and Co-PIs): Prasad Subramanian (PI), Indian Institute of Science Education...Exellence in Space Sciences India Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata Mohanpur 741252, West Bengal, India. Email: dnandi

Geochemical evolution of groundwater in southern Bengal Basin: The example of Rajarhat and adjoining areas, West Bengal, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahu, Paulami; Sikdar, P. K.; Chakraborty, Surajit

2016-02-01

Detailed geochemical analysis of groundwater beneath 1223 km2 area in southern Bengal Basin along with statistical analysis on the chemical data was attempted, to develop a better understanding of the geochemical processes that control the groundwater evolution in the deltaic aquifer of the region. Groundwater is categorized into three types: `excellent', `good' and `poor' and seven hydrochemical facies are assigned to three broad types: `fresh', `mixed' and `brackish' waters. The `fresh' water type dominated with sodium indicates active flushing of the aquifer, whereas chloride-rich `brackish' groundwater represents freshening of modified connate water. The `mixed' type groundwater has possibly evolved due to hydraulic mixing of `fresh' and `brackish' waters. Enrichment of major ions in groundwater is due to weathering of feldspathic and ferro-magnesian minerals by percolating water. The groundwater of Rajarhat New Town (RNT) and adjacent areas in the north and southeast is contaminated with arsenic. Current-pumping may induce more arsenic to flow into the aquifers of RNT and Kolkata cities. Future large-scale pumping of groundwater beneath RNT can modify the hydrological system, which may transport arsenic and low quality water from adjacent aquifers to presently unpolluted aquifer.

Fisheries and Limnological Studies on West Point Reservoir, Alabama-Georgia. Phase IV.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-05-01

opportunities. In this resepct newly impounded reservoirs provide exceptional fishing, especially for carnivorous species such as the largemough bass...formalin containing rose bengal, a stain selective for tissues . The stain facilitated sorting and removal of the invertebrates from the ’ P remaining debris...notable increases in abundance of aquatic plants during 1979-80. Observations indicated a reduction in the area of coverage of the most abundant aquatic

Once a physicist: Subhankar Banerjee

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banerjee, Subhankar

2008-11-01

Why did you originally choose to study engineering and physics? I was born in Berhampore, a small town in West Bengal, India. I was immersed in literature and cinema from early in my life, and at 13 my great uncle introduced me to painting. But growing up in a middle-income family, art was not something I could pursue as a career. I chose science and engineering as a practical option.

Study on work load and work-related musculoskeletal disorders amongst male jute mill workers of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Sett, Moumita; Sahu, Subhashis

2012-01-01

Work-related problems, many of which could be prevented with proper ergonomic techniques are particularly common in developing countries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the work stress and the development of the work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) of workers employed in the jute mills of India. About 219 male workers engaged in different departments of three jute industries in 24-Parganas (North) and Hooghly districts of West Bengal, India volunteered for this study. Questionnaires along with direct observation of work postures were conducted. Physical parameters such as body weight, height; physiological parameters like heart rate response, blood pressure and psycho-physiological parameters such as perceived exertion rating were studied during different tasks performed by them. It was observed that the 'hacklers' are mostly stressed. Analyses of working postures (OWAS) suggested that their adopted awkward postures were very stressful. A large number of hacklers (92.5% suffer from intense pain in different body parts as compared to workers in other departments of the jute industries. Workers report that the pain even lasts many hours after work. Since most of the workers perform repetitive tasks, so both the workplace as well as the work-rest schedule must be reorganized.

Determinants of better health: a cross-sectional assessment of positive deviants among women in West Bengal

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Rural women in West Bengal have been found to have low rates of formal education, poor health knowledge, high rates of malnutrition and anemia, and low levels of empowerment. Despite these difficult circumstances, some women have positive health outcomes compared to women with similarly disadvantaged backgrounds. The purpose of this study is to identify factors associated with positive health outcomes among women with primary education or less. Methods Multivariable regression models were built for outcomes of positive deviance to better characterize the factors in a woman’s life that most impact her ability to deviate from the status quo. Results Positive deviants in this context are shown to be women who are able to earn an income, who have access to information through media sources, and who, despite little schooling, have marginally higher levels of formal education that lead to improved health outcomes. Conclusions Study findings indicate that positive deviant women in disadvantaged circumstances can achieve positive outcomes amidst a host of contextual barriers that would predict poor health outcomes. Focusing on areas such as enhancing access to media sources, facilitating self-help groups for married women, and promoting prolonged education and delayed marriage for girls may improve health knowledge and behavior among married women with low levels of education. PMID:23601509

Determinants of the use of alternatives to arsenic-contaminated shallow groundwater: an exploratory study in rural West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Delaire, Caroline; Das, Abhijit; Amrose, Susan; Gadgil, Ashok; Roy, Joyashree; Ray, Isha

2017-10-01

Shallow groundwater containing toxic concentrations of arsenic is the primary source of drinking water for millions of households in rural West Bengal, India. Often, this water also contains unpleasant levels of iron and non-negligible fecal contamination. Alternatives to shallow groundwater are increasingly available, including government-built deep tubewells, water purchased from independent providers, municipal piped water, and household filters. We conducted a survey of 501 households in Murshidabad district in 2014 to explore what influenced the use of available alternatives. Socioeconomic status and the perceived likelihood of gastrointestinal (GI) illness (which was associated with dissatisfaction with iron in groundwater) were the primary determinants of the use of alternatives. Arsenic knowledge was limited. The choice amongst alternatives was influenced by economic, social, and aesthetic factors, but not by health risk perceptions. The use of purchased water was rarely exclusive and was strongly associated with socioeconomic status, suggesting that this form of market-based water provision does not ensure universal access. Demand for purchased water appeared to decrease significantly shortly after free piped water became available at public taps. Our results suggest that arsenic mitigation interventions that also address co-occurring water problems (iron, GI illness) could be more effective than a focus on arsenic alone.

Geochemical appraisal of fluoride-laden groundwater in Suri I and II blocks, Birbhum district, West Bengal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Shreya; Nag, S. K.

2017-09-01

The present study has been carried out covering two blocks—Suri I and II in Birbhum district, West Bengal, India. The evaluation focuses on occurrence, distribution and geochemistry in 26 water samples collected from borewells spread across the entire study area homogeneously. Quantitative chemical analysis of groundwater samples collected from the present study area has shown that samples from two locations—Gangta and Dhalla contain fluoride greater than the permissible limit prescribed by WHO during both post-monsoon and pre-monsoon sampling sessions. Significant factor controlling geochemistry of groundwater has been identified to be rock-water interaction processes during both sampling sessions based on the results of Gibb's diagrams. Geochemical modeling studies have revealed that fluorite (CaF2) is, indeed, present as a significant fluoride-bearing mineral in the groundwaters of this study area. Calcite or CaCO3 is one of the most common minerals with which fluorite remains associated, and saturation index calculations have revealed that the calcite-fluorite geochemistry is the dominant factor controlling fluoride concentration in this area during both post- and pre-monsoon. High fluoride waters have also been found to be of `bicarbonate' type showing increase of sodium in water with decrease of calcium.

Incidence of multiple Herpesvirus infection in HIV seropositive patients, a big concern for Eastern Indian scenario.

PubMed

Chakraborty, Nilanjan; Bhattacharyya, Sohinee; De, Chandrav; Mukherjee, Anirban; Bhattacharya, Dwipayan; Santra, Shantanu; Sarkar, Rathindra N; Banerjee, Dipanjan; Guha, Shubhasish K; Datta, Utpal K; Chakrabarti, Sekhar

2010-07-06

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated with an increased risk for human herpes viruses (HHVs) and their related diseases and they frequently cause disease deterioration and therapeutic failures. Methods for limiting the transmission of HHVs require a better understanding of the incidence and infectivity of oral HHVs in HIV-infected patients. This study was designed to determine the seroprevalence of human herpes viruses (CMV, HSV 2, EBV-1, VZV) antibodies and to evaluate their association with age, sex as well as other demographic and behavioral factors. A study of 200 HIV positive patients from Eastern India attending the Calcutta Medical College Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, Apex Clinic, Calcutta Medical College Hospital and ART Center, School of Tropical Medicine, Kolkata, West Bengal was done. Serum samples were screened for antibodies to the respective viruses using the indirect ELISA in triplicates.CytoMegalo virus (CMV), Herpes Simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), Varicella Zoster virus (VZV), and Epstein Barr virus (EBV-1) were detected in 49%, 47%, 32.5%, and 26% respectively. This study has contributed baseline data and provided insights in viral OI and HIV co-infection in Eastern India. This would undoubtedly serve as a basis for further studies on this topic.

Phytoremediation of arsenic contaminated soil by Pteris vittata L. I. Influence of phosphatic fertilizers and repeated harvests.

PubMed

Mandal, Asit; Purakayastha, T J; Patra, A K; Sanyal, S K

2012-12-01

A greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of diammonium phosphate (DAP), single superphosphate (SSP) and two growing cycles on arsenic removal by Chinese Brake Fern (Pteris vittata L.) from an arsenic contaminated Typic Haplustept of the Indian state of West Bengal. After harvest of Pteris vittata the total, Olsen's extractable and other five soil arsenic fractions were determined. The total biomass yield of P. vittata ranged from 10.7 to 16.2 g pot(-1) in first growing cycle and from 7.53 to 11.57 g pot(-1) in second growing cycle. The frond arsenic concentrations ranged from 990 to 1374 mg kg(-1) in first growing cycle and from 875 to 1371 mg kg(-1) in second growing cycle. DAP was most efficient in enhancing biomass yield, frond and root arsenic concentrations and total arsenic removal from soil. After first growing cycle, P. vittata reduced soil arsenic by 10 to 20%, while after two growing cycles Pteris reduced it by 18 to 34%. Among the different arsenic fractions, Fe-bound arsenic dominated over other fractions. Two successive harvests with DAP as the phosphate fertilizer emerged as the promising management strategy for amelioration of arsenic contaminated soil of West Bengal through phyotoextraction by P. vittata.

Economic benefits of arsenic removal from ground water--a case study from West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Roy, Joyashree

2008-07-01

People living in almost 50% of the districts in West Bengal are exposed to arsenic contaminated water. This paper seeks to estimate the economic costs imposed by arsenic-related health problems. We use data from a primary survey of 473 households carried out in the districts of North 24 Parganas and Midnapore. We take into account household actions to either decrease the exposure of family members to unsafe water or to alleviate the health effects of consuming arsenic-contaminated water. This allows us to assess the benefits of arsenic-safe water by estimating a three equation system that includes averting actions, medical expenditures and a sickness function. We find that by reducing arsenic concentration to the safe limit of 50 microg/l, a representative household will benefit by Rs 297 ($7) per month. The current cost of supplying filtered piped water by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation to households is Rs 127 ($3) per month per household. Thus, investing in safe drinking water is economically feasible and households are willing to pay for such investments if made aware of the effective gain in welfare. Poor households, who make up the highest proportion of arsenic-affected households and incur the largest number of sick days, will be major beneficiaries of such investments.

Body weight and body shape concerns and related behaviours among Indian urban adolescent girls.

PubMed

Som, Nivedita; Mukhopadhyay, Susmita

2015-04-01

To assess the associations of body weight and body shape concerns and related behaviours with actual weight status among urban adolescent girls. In the present cross-sectional study, a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on body weight and body shape concerns and related behaviours. Sociodemographic information was collected using a pre-tested schedule. Weight and height of each girl were measured to assess actual weight status. Twin cities of Kolkata and Howrah, West Bengal, India. A total of 1223 adolescent girls aged 14-19 years were selected from nine schools in Kolkata and Howrah in West Bengal. Many overweight girls perceived themselves as overweight and engaged in weight-reducing activities. However, several normal-weight girls also perceived them as overweight and attempted to lose weight. Unhealthy eating practices to reduce weight were followed by both overweight and normal-weight girls and even by a few underweight girls. Multivariate binary logistic regression showed a significant association between actual weight status and use of unhealthy weight-loss measures. The likelihood of adopting unhealthy eating practices was significantly higher among overweight than normal-weight girls. Health education programmes should be introduced at schools to promote effective weight-control practices that help dispel myths about weight loss.

Pesticide poisoning in nonfatal, deliberate self-harm: A public health issue

PubMed Central

Chowdhary, A. N.; Banerjee, Sohini; Brahma, Arabinda; Biswas, M. K.

2007-01-01

Background: Nonfatal, deliberate self-harm (DSH), particularly with pesticides, is a major public health problem in many developing countries of the world. Agriculture is the primary occupation of most people living in the Sundarban region in West Bengal, India. Pesticides are extensively used in agriculture and these agents are most frequently used in DSH. Aim: This study sought to identify the nature of methods and agents used in nonfatal DSH attempts in the Sundarban area under South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. Materials and Methods: Detailed demographic and clinical data on DSH cases of 13 Block Primary Health Centres (BPHCs') admission registers were analysed. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were conducted with the Panchayat Samithy of each block to elicit their perception about the problem of pesticide-related DSH or suicide in the region. Results: Five thousand, one hundred and seventy-eight (1,887 male and 3,291 female) subjects were admitted in the BPHCs during the study period from 1999 to 2001. Organophosphorous pesticide poisoning was found to be the most common method (85.1%) in DSH. This emphasizes the importance of developing an urgent poisoning prevention program with a special focus on improving clinical services as well as initiating farmers' education programs focusing on safe pesticide practices at the primary care level. PMID:20711394

Electro-chemical arsenic remediation: field trials in West Bengal.

PubMed

Amrose, Susan E; Bandaru, Siva R S; Delaire, Caroline; van Genuchten, Case M; Dutta, Amit; DebSarkar, Anupam; Orr, Christopher; Roy, Joyashree; Das, Abhijit; Gadgil, Ashok J

2014-08-01

Millions of people in rural South Asia are exposed to high levels of arsenic through groundwater used for drinking. Many deployed arsenic remediation technologies quickly fail because they are not maintained, repaired, accepted, or affordable. It is therefore imperative that arsenic remediation technologies be evaluated for their ability to perform within a sustainable and scalable business model that addresses these challenges. We present field trial results of a 600 L Electro-Chemical Arsenic Remediation (ECAR) reactor operating over 3.5 months in West Bengal. These results are evaluated through the lens of a community scale micro-utility business model as a potential sustainable and scalable safe water solution for rural communities in South Asia. We demonstrate ECAR's ability to consistently reduce arsenic concentrations of ~266 μg/L to <5 μg/L in real groundwater, simultaneously meeting the international standards for iron and aluminum in drinking water. ECAR operating costs (amortized capital plus consumables) are estimated as $0.83-$1.04/m(3) under realistic conditions. We discuss the implications of these results against the constraints of a sustainable and scalable business model to argue that ECAR is a promising technology to help provide a clean water solution in arsenic-affected areas of South Asia. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Probable psychiatric disorder in a rural community of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Barik, Anamitra; Sarkhel, Sujit; Basu, Saugata; Chowdhury, Abhijit; Rai, Rajesh Kumar

2017-12-01

India faces multiple challenges to mitigate a high burden of psychiatric disorders. The risk of developing psychiatric disorder among the rural Indian population is poorly investigated. This study aims to understand the factors associated with probable psychiatric disorder (PPD) among a select rural Indian population. Data from the Birbhum population project of the society for health and demographic surveillance, West Bengal, India, were utilized. Cross-sectional data covering a sample of 31,135 respondents (male 15,384 and female 15,751) aged ≥ 16 years were used. The General Health Questionnaire-28 was administered and the responses were computed into three categories: psychological case, psychological caseness, and normal. Bivariate and multivariate ordered logit regression analyses were applied to attain the study objective. Of the total population, 26% of respondents were identified with PPD. People aged ≥ 60 years, females, divorced/separated/widowed individuals, the unemployed and people with no formal education, individuals from the poorest economic group, and people with a history of selling or mortgaging assets towards their healthcare expenditure had a higher prevalence of psychiatric case within their respective group. A high burden of PPD was estimated in the select rural community. While designing an intervention for measuring and addressing psychiatric disorders, the socioeconomic gradient of PPD could be helpful.

Prevalence of low back pain among handloom weavers in West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Durlov, Santu; Chakrabarty, Sabarni; Chatterjee, Arijit; Das, Tamal; Dev, Samrat; Gangopadhyay, Somnath; Haldar, Prasun; Maity, Santi Gopal; Sarkar, Krishnendu; Sahu, Subhashis

2014-10-01

Handloom is one of the oldest industries in India, particularly in West Bengal, where a considerable number of rural people are engaged in weaving. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of low back pain among the handloom weavers in India. A modified Nordic Musculoskeletal Disorder Questionnaire and Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire along with a body part discomfort scale were administered to handloom weavers (n = 175). Working posture of the participants was assessed using the Ovako Working Posture Analysis System (OWAS). Sixty eight per cent of the participants reported suffering from low back pain, making it the most prevalent disorder in our sample. Analysis of the Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire data revealed that among those with low back pain (n = 119), 2% had severe disabilities, 46% had moderate disabilities, and 52% had minimal disabilities. Statistical analyses revealed a positive significant association between the intensity of pain in the lower back and an increased number of years of work experience (P<0·05). The study underlines the need for further research regarding the postural strain of weavers and also suggests the implementation of ergonomic design into weaver workstations to minimize the adverse effect of their current working postures. Improving upon the weaver's work-posture could improve their quality of life.

A study on the prevalence of upper extremity repetitive strain injuries among the handloom weavers of West Bengal.

PubMed

Banerjee, Prasun; Gangopadhyay, Somnath

2003-06-01

Handloom is one of the oldest cottage industries in India, particularly in West Bengal, where a considerable number of rural people are engaged in weaving. Purposes of the present investigation were to clarify the prevalence of repetitive strain injuries in upper extremities among the handloom weavers and to identify the risk factors leading to its development. Fifty male handloom weavers were randomly selected from the population. A questionnaire (Kourinka et al., 1987) method including Borg scale assessment of pain, checklist analyses of the work, and time-motion studies for analyzing the repetitiveness/non-repetitiveness of the job were implemented. The time-motion analyses demonstrated that weaving occupied over 50% of the work cycle time for majority of subjects, and thus could be regarded as a repetitive activity. Statistical analyses revealed a highly significant correlation between the intensity of pain feeling and the repetitiveness on one hand, and the year of experience as a weaver on the other. By contrast, no significant relationship was observed between chronological ages of weavers and the pain intensity. These results suggested that highly repetitive works engaged for a long time could increase the intensity of the pain felt and would lead to repetitive strain injuries.

Effect of air and noise pollution on species diversity and population density of forest birds at Lalpahari, West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Saha, Dulal C; Padhy, Pratap K

2011-11-15

The Rajmahal-type quality stones for building purposes are found abundantly in Birbhum district, West Bengal, India, where stone mining and crushing have become the main industrial activity. Although crusher dust is injurious to health, demand for crushed stone is ever-increasing as a result of rapid infrastructural growth in the country. Most of the crusher units at Rampurhat are situated along the roadways adjacent to forest under Tumboni Beat of Rampurhat Range of Birbhum Forest Division. Excessive load of air pollution in this area has led to degradation of this forest. The status of the ambient air and noise level was evaluated. The effect of air and noise pollution on abundance and variability of birds in this forest have been compared to an almost non-polluted forest of the same bio-geographic zone. Both species diversity and population density of birds were found to decrease in the polluted forest, especially in the areas adjacent to crushers. For comparing the pollution status of two different forest sites and for establishing whether the density of birds have any correlation between the sites, the Student's t-test and the chi-square test were applied respectively. Most of the results proved to be significant. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Observation on Nematocystis kailashi sp. nov. (Apicomplexa: Eugregarinida) from an Indian earthworm Glyphidrilus tuberosus Stephenson (Annelida: Oligochaeta)

PubMed

Mallik, Partha; Bandyopadhyay, Prabir K

Surveys on aseptate gregarines in earthworm hosts in different districts of West Bengal state of India revealed the existence of one new species of aseptate gregarine of the genus Nematocystis Hesse, 1909 have been identified from the seminal vesicles of the earthworm, Glyphidrilus tuberosus Stephenson, 1916 in the district of Purba Midnapur, West Bengal of India. Gamonts of the organism are very much elongated, cylindrical, nematoid and without mucron. The terminal end adjacent to the nucleus rounded and the distal end pointed. The gamonts measure 846.45-1031.13 (931.86±70.48) μm in length and 18.40-20.45 (19.43±1.05) μm in width. Nucleus elongated or depressed elliptoid, measures 53.17-63.39 (60.33±3.28) μm in length and 13.29-16.36 (14.15±0.89) μm in width. The gametocysts are slightly ovoid, measuring 110.43-120.65 (114.31±3.44) μm in diameter. Oocysts navicular and measure 9.24-10.39 (9.78±0.40) μm×5.77-6.16 (6.04±0.18) μm. Based on critical analysis and comparison with earlier reported species, the species under discussion established as new one.

Immunoglobulin (Gm and Km) allotypes in nine endogamous groups of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Chakraborty, R; Walter, H; Sauber, P; Mukherjee, B N; Malhotra, K C; Banerjee, S; Roy, M

1987-01-01

Blood samples from 898 individuals of nine endogamous groups of West Bengal, India were typed for determining the haplotypic structure in the gamma-light chain (Gm) and kappa-light chain (Km) of immunoglobulin (IgG). The Gm haplotype frequencies detected by Glm (1), Glm (2) and G3m (5) markers suggest that in this eastern state of India there is considerable variation of frequencies of the typical Mongoloid haplotype Gm1,5, which shows a high incidence in Rajbanshi, Rabha, Garo and Lodha groups. On the contrary, this haplotype is probably absent in the high caste groups, Rarhi Brahmin and Vaidya, and is relatively infrequent in Jalia Kaibarta, a scheduled caste of the south-western part of the state. The Km1 allele is also high in frequency among Rajbanshi, Rabha, Garo and Munda in comparison with Rarhi Brahmin and Vaidya, suggesting the former four groups' strong Mongoloid affiliation. This survey signifies that there is considerable variation in the extent of Mongoloid admixture in Bengali populations. Such admixture is not restricted in specific social class either. It further demonstrates that heterogeneity of the genetic structure of Bengali populations do not correspond to the present social ranking on the basis of caste hierarchy.

Assessment of indoor pollutants generated from bio and synthetic fuels in selected villages of Burdwan, West Bengal.

PubMed

Mondal, N K; Bhaumik, R; Das, C R; Aditya, P; Datta, J K; Banerjee, A; Das, K

2013-09-01

The objective of the present study was to access the pollutant generated from bio-fuels like bamboo sticks, cow dung, paddy straw, carbon dust cake, gobar gas, jute stick, and mustard stick and synthetic fuel like LPG during cooking in rural villages of Burdwan, West Bengal, India and its fluctuation in living room. The average SO2 released from the fuels was found in the following order: bamboo stick > cow dung > paddy straw > carbon cake > gobar gas > jute stick > LPG > mustard stick; NO2 emission was in the following order : mustard stick > carbon dust cake > paddy straw > cow dung cake > LPG, jute stick > gobar gas > bamboo stick > and SPM was obtained in the following sequence: cow dung cake > bamboo stick > carbon dust cake > gobar gas > LPG > mustard stick > paddy straw > jute stick, respectively. The highest living room to kitchen room (L/K) ratio of SO2, NO, and SPM was found in LPG, gobar gas, jute stick respectively in 2009 and followed by bamboo stick > paddy straw > jute stick > cow dung cake, respectively in 2010. Results of this study suggest that different fuels released different amount of air pollutants, but more extensive study is needed to confirm the relationship between fuels and released air pollutants.

Socioeconomic Condition and Anaemia among the Mahishya Population of Southern West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Bharati, Premananda; Ghosh, Rohini; Gupta, Ranjan

2004-03-01

A cross-sectional study was conducted among the Mahishya population of Chakpota village in Southern West Bengal to determine the relationship between socio-economic conditions and certain haematological parameters, haemoglobin level and haemotocrit. Households were divided into high, middle and low socioeconomic groups on the basis of per capita income per year. The demographic data were collected from all the 255 households comprising 404 adult males and 383 adult females (above 20 years of age). Higher values in the parameters were observed among the males in all the three socioeconomic sub-groups. Significant differences in haemoglobin level and haemotocrit of males were observed between the three socioeconomic groups (p= <.01). On the contrary, insignificant differences in haemoglobin level and haemocrit were observed between the three socioeconomic groups among the females. Higher nutritional intake and lower parasitic infections may be responsible for the higher levels of the haematological parameters in the higher socioeconomic groups. Our study reveals that sex discrimination in food sharing seems to be the major cause for the gender difference in haemoglobin status in all the three economic groups. It is apparent from the study that cultural factors play an important role in determining the haemoglobin status at micro-level, even in high-income households.

Definition of the continent-ocean boundary of India and the surrounding oceanic regions from Magsat data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, B. P.; Rajaram, Mita; Bapat, V. J.

1991-06-01

Magsat studies over the Indian region and adjoining areas show that the continental-oceanic contrasts appear more distinctly in the equivalent magnetization solution than in the anomaly maps. The vertical component ( Z) is found to be more useful for the equatorial regions. It is also noted that, in general, the continental crust has a higher magnetization than the oceanic crust. Further, the continental crust seems to extend into the Arabian Sea across a part of the west coast. A similar continuation is seen in the northern part of the Bay of Bengal. The west coast result is corroborated using land and marine Bouguer gravity anomalies.

JPRS Report, Near East and South Asia, Bangladesh

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-08-18

set up a strong base in POLITICAL JPRS-NEA-92-105 18 August 1992 the Cooch Behar District of West Bengal (headed by Kamal Guha, who was very...increased in the Cooch Behar District JPRS-NEA-92-105 18 August 1992 POLITICAL compared to previously it did not multiply that remark- ably where the...people to work their democratic institution and the existence everywhere in the northern states of self-governing administrative unit, such as

Time evolution of atmospheric parameters and their influence on sea level pressure over the head Bay of Bengal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patra, Anindita; Bhaskaran, Prasad K.; Jose, Felix

2018-06-01

A zonal dipole in the observed trends of wind speed and significant wave height over the Head Bay of Bengal region was recently reported in the literature attributed due to the variations in sea level pressure (SLP). The SLP in turn is governed by prevailing atmospheric conditions such as local temperature, humidity, rainfall, atmospheric pressure, wind field distribution, formation of tropical cyclones, etc. The present study attempts to investigate the inter-annual variability of atmospheric parameters and its role on the observed zonal dipole trend in sea level pressure, surface wind speed and significant wave height. It reports on the aspects related to linear trend as well as its spatial variability for several atmospheric parameters: air temperature, geopotential height, omega (vertical velocity), and zonal wind, over the head Bay of Bengal, by analyzing National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Reanalysis 2 dataset covering a period of 38 years (1979-2016). Significant warming from sea level to 200 mb pressure level and thereafter cooling above has been noticed during all the seasons. Warming within the troposphere exhibits spatial difference between eastern and western side of the domain. This led to fall in lower tropospheric geopotential height and its east-west variability, exhibiting a zonal dipole pattern across the Head Bay. In the upper troposphere, uplift in geopotential height was found as a result of cooling in higher levels (10-100 mb). Variability in omega also substantiated the observed variations in geopotential height. The study also finds weakening in the upper level westerlies and easterlies. Interestingly, a linear trend in lower tropospheric u-wind component also reveals an east-west dipole pattern over the study region. Further, the study corroborates the reported dipole in trends of sea level pressure, wind speed and significant wave height by evaluating the influence of atmospheric variability on these parameters.

Diversity, metabolic properties and arsenic mobilization potential of indigenous bacteria in arsenic contaminated groundwater of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Paul, Dhiraj; Kazy, Sufia K; Gupta, Ashok K; Pal, Taraknath; Sar, Pinaki

2015-01-01

Arsenic (As) mobilization in alluvial aquifers is caused by a complex interplay of hydro-geo-microbiological activities. Nevertheless, diversity and biogeochemical significance of indigenous bacteria in Bengal Delta Plain are not well documented. We have deciphered bacterial community compositions and metabolic properties in As contaminated groundwater of West Bengal to define their role in As mobilization. Groundwater samples showed characteristic high As, low organic carbon and reducing property. Culture-independent and -dependent analyses revealed presence of diverse, yet near consistent community composition mostly represented by genera Pseudomonas, Flavobacterium, Brevundimonas, Polaromonas, Rhodococcus, Methyloversatilis and Methylotenera. Along with As-resistance and -reductase activities, abilities to metabolize a wide range carbon substrates including long chain and polyaromatic hydrocarbons and HCO3, As3+ as electron donor and As5+/Fe3+ as terminal electron acceptor during anaerobic growth were frequently observed within the cultivable bacteria. Genes encoding cytosolic As5+ reductase (arsC) and As3+ efflux/transporter [arsB and acr3(2)] were found to be more abundant than the dissimilatory As5+ reductase gene arrA. The observed metabolic characteristics showed a good agreement with the same derived from phylogenetic lineages of constituent populations. Selected bacterial strains incubated anaerobically over 300 days using natural orange sand of Pleistocene aquifer showed release of soluble As mostly as As3+ along with several other elements (Al, Fe, Mn, K, etc.). Together with the production of oxalic acid within the biotic microcosms, change in sediment composition and mineralogy indicated dissolution of orange sand coupled with As/Fe reduction. Presence of arsC gene, As5+ reductase activity and oxalic acid production by the bacteria were found to be closely related to their ability to mobilize sediment bound As. Overall observations suggest that indigenous bacteria in oligotrophic groundwater possess adequate catabolic ability to mobilize As by a cascade of reactions, mostly linked to bacterial necessity for essential nutrients and detoxification.

Diversity, Metabolic Properties and Arsenic Mobilization Potential of Indigenous Bacteria in Arsenic Contaminated Groundwater of West Bengal, India

PubMed Central

Paul, Dhiraj; Kazy, Sufia K.; Gupta, Ashok K.; Pal, Taraknath; Sar, Pinaki

2015-01-01

Arsenic (As) mobilization in alluvial aquifers is caused by a complex interplay of hydro-geo-microbiological activities. Nevertheless, diversity and biogeochemical significance of indigenous bacteria in Bengal Delta Plain are not well documented. We have deciphered bacterial community compositions and metabolic properties in As contaminated groundwater of West Bengal to define their role in As mobilization. Groundwater samples showed characteristic high As, low organic carbon and reducing property. Culture-independent and -dependent analyses revealed presence of diverse, yet near consistent community composition mostly represented by genera Pseudomonas, Flavobacterium, Brevundimonas, Polaromonas, Rhodococcus, Methyloversatilis and Methylotenera. Along with As-resistance and -reductase activities, abilities to metabolize a wide range carbon substrates including long chain and polyaromatic hydrocarbons and HCO3, As3+ as electron donor and As5+/Fe3+ as terminal electron acceptor during anaerobic growth were frequently observed within the cultivable bacteria. Genes encoding cytosolic As5+ reductase (arsC) and As3+ efflux/transporter [arsB and acr3(2)] were found to be more abundant than the dissimilatory As5+ reductase gene arrA. The observed metabolic characteristics showed a good agreement with the same derived from phylogenetic lineages of constituent populations. Selected bacterial strains incubated anaerobically over 300 days using natural orange sand of Pleistocene aquifer showed release of soluble As mostly as As3+ along with several other elements (Al, Fe, Mn, K, etc.). Together with the production of oxalic acid within the biotic microcosms, change in sediment composition and mineralogy indicated dissolution of orange sand coupled with As/Fe reduction. Presence of arsC gene, As5+ reductase activity and oxalic acid production by the bacteria were found to be closely related to their ability to mobilize sediment bound As. Overall observations suggest that indigenous bacteria in oligotrophic groundwater possess adequate catabolic ability to mobilize As by a cascade of reactions, mostly linked to bacterial necessity for essential nutrients and detoxification. PMID:25799109

A Study on Gender Preference and Awareness Regarding Prenatal Sex Determination among Antenatal Women in a Rural Area of Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India

PubMed Central

Roy, Archak

2017-01-01

Introduction Sex ratio is one of the major indicators to find the gender preferences in the community. Change in sex ratio reflects underlying socioeconomic, cultural patterns of a society. Aim The present study was conducted with the aim to find out the knowledge of antenatal women regarding the prenatal sex determination and the Pre Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act in a rural area along with assessing the gender preference in family among the study population. Materials and Methods A community based, descriptive, cross-sectional study was undertaken in the villages of Matigara Block of Darjeeling district of West Bengal, which serves as a field practice area of North Bengal Medical College & Hospital for two months. A total of 116 pregnant women were included and a pre designed pre tested questionnaire was used to collect the socio demographic details. The data were analysed by SPSS 20.0 software for proportions with chi-square tests. Results Knowledge of sex determination and the PNDT Act were found to be 44.82% and 18.10% among antenatal women. Knowledge regarding assessment of gender preference showed 52.58% expect a boy in this pregnancy. It was found that the determinants for gender preference were caste, sex of the last pregnancy and current gender composition. It was found that the determinants for knowledge of sex determination are age of the mother and the gravida of the mother. It was also found that the factor for the knowledge regarding the PNDT Act is age of the mother. These associations are statistically significant. Conclusion This situation calls for a strategy which includes community based awareness campaigns, women employment, education, and empowerment and by ensuring effective implementation of PNDT Act by the government so that families find it difficult to undertake sex determination. PMID:28384893

Gravity anomalies and associated tectonic features over the Indian Peninsular Shield and adjoining ocean basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, D. C.; Arora, K.; Tiwari, V. M.

2004-02-01

A combined gravity map over the Indian Peninsular Shield (IPS) and adjoining oceans brings out well the inter-relationships between the older tectonic features of the continent and the adjoining younger oceanic features. The NW-SE, NE-SW and N-S Precambrian trends of the IPS are reflected in the structural trends of the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal suggesting their probable reactivation. The Simple Bouguer anomaly map shows consistent increase in gravity value from the continent to the deep ocean basins, which is attributed to isostatic compensation due to variations in the crustal thickness. A crustal density model computed along a profile across this region suggests a thick crust of 35-40 km under the continent, which reduces to 22/20-24 km under the Bay of Bengal with thick sediments of 8-10 km underlain by crustal layers of density 2720 and 2900/2840 kg/m 3. Large crustal thickness and trends of the gravity anomalies may suggest a transitional crust in the Bay of Bengal up to 150-200 km from the east coast. The crustal thickness under the Laxmi ridge and east of it in the Arabian Sea is 20 and 14 km, respectively, with 5-6 km thick Tertiary and Mesozoic sediments separated by a thin layer of Deccan Trap. Crustal layers of densities 2750 and 2950 kg/m 3 underlie sediments. The crustal density model in this part of the Arabian Sea (east of Laxmi ridge) and the structural trends similar to the Indian Peninsular Shield suggest a continent-ocean transitional crust (COTC). The COTC may represent down dropped and submerged parts of the Indian crust evolved at the time of break-up along the west coast of India and passage of Reunion hotspot over India during late Cretaceous. The crustal model under this part also shows an underplated lower crust and a low density upper mantle, extending over the continent across the west coast of India, which appears to be related to the Deccan volcanism. The crustal thickness under the western Arabian Sea (west of the Laxmi ridge) reduces to 8-9 km with crustal layers of densities 2650 and 2870 kg/m 3 representing an oceanic crust.

Respiratory effect related to exposure of different concentrations of arsenic in drinking water in West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Chattopadhyay, B P; Mukherjee, A K; Gangopadhyay, P K; Alam, J; Roychowdhury, A

2010-04-01

Arsenic toxicity due to drinking of arsenic contaminated water has been one of the worst environmental health hazards. High levels of arsenic have been reported in different natural water sources from West Bengal for more than two decades. Groundwater contamination by arsenic and its adverse effects on the health of a big population in nine districts of West Bengal have been reported. The problems found were mainly related to skin and respiratory, digestive, cardiovascular and nervous systems. The respiratory effects are largely confined to those who had the skin lesion. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the respiratory effects of exposure to different levels of arsenic in drinking water. The water samples were collected from different tube wells and wells in the study area. Analysis of arsenic was done by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer with hydride generation system. Based on the consumption of arsenic concentrations in drinking water the populations were divided into three categories, i.e., <=50 microg/L, >50 - <= 150 microg/L and >150 microg/L. Standard techniques of medical examination were applied to elicit signs and recorded in the pre-designed proforma. A written consent was taken from each subject for their voluntary participation in the study. 112 subjects were investigated. The respiratory effect was evaluated by measuring the pulmonary function test (PFT). Vital Capacity (VC) and Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) were measured by Spirovit-SP-10 (Schiller Health Care Pvt Ltd., Switzerland) and Peak Expiratory Flow Rate by Wrights Peak Flow Meter (Clement and Clarke, UK). The PFT values showed gradual decrement among the males following skin pigmentation, keratosis and arsenicosis. The respiratory function impairment among the male subjects found as restrictive type (26.41%), obstructive type (3.77%) and combined type (7.54%), whereas in females only the restrictive type of impairment (10.16%) was found. Restrictive type of impairments among the subjects increased as the concentration of arsenic in drinking water increased, in males 15.78%, 29.41% and 35.29% and in females 4.54%, 5.00% and 23.52% respectively. The pathophysiologic mechanism, by which ingested arsenic leads to impairments of lung function and increased respiratory symptoms, is yet to be understood and needs further investigation.

Glycoproteins in circulating immune complexes are biomarkers of patients with Indian PKDL: A study from endemic districts of West Bengal, India

PubMed Central

Jaiswal, Priyank; Datta, Souvik; Sardar, Bikash; Chaudhuri, Surya Jyoti; Maji, Dipankar; Ghosh, Manab; Saha, Bibhuti

2018-01-01

Background Post Kala Azar Dermal Leishmaniasis (PKDL) occurs as dermal consequence of previous Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) infection and serves as an important reservoir for transmission of VL. Diagnosis of PKDL is often challenging for its symptomatic resemblance to other co-endemic diseases like Leprosy or Vitiligo. Parasitological examination by slit-skin smear and culture are the standard methods but lack high sensitivity. Thus, for efficient control of VL, reliable diagnostic and prognostic assay of PKDL are required. Objective Previously, glycoproteins (9-OAcSA) have been reported as promising biomarkers of Indian VL patients. However, till date, the status of glycans in Indian PKDL patients remains unexplored. Accordingly, in this study, the glyco-profile of PKDL Circulating Immune Complexes (CICs) as compared to other cross diseases like Vitiligo and Leprosyhas been investigated. Further, a novel Glyco CIC assay has been developed for efficient Indian PKDL patient diagnosis. Methods/principal finding In the present study, 90 PKDL patients were enrolled from 3 VL endemic districts of West Bengal during 2015–16. Glycosylation profile of isolated CICs from sera of PKDL patients were initially analyzed through gradient SDS gel electrophoresis followed by PAS silver double staining, which revealed the presence of several glycan rich PKDL specific proteins of varying molecular weights. To further characterize the glyco-profile of acid dissociated affinity purified immuno-reactive antigens present in the CICs, glycosylation was demonstrated in these purified CIC antigens by DIG glycan differentiation kit with or without glycosidase as well as neuraminidase treatment. Diagnostic evaluation of the newly developed colorimetric Glyco CIC assay through Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed excellent (0.99) AUC value as compared to other conventional serodiagnostic assays like PEG CIC, Parasite ELISA (IgG and IgM). Additionally, longitudinal monitoring of 18 PKDL patients further revealed its good prognostic utility. Conclusion These results highlight the glycosylation status of CICs among Indian PKDL patients present in all the studied endemic districts of West Bengal. These PKDL biomarkers were completely absent in cross diseases like Vitiligo and Leprosy. Further, the newly developed Glyco CIC assay had an improved sensitivity of 95.6%, specificity of 99.3%, NPV of 97.1% and PPV of 98.9%. PMID:29420575

Transmission of Sarcoptes scabiei from animal to man and its control.

PubMed

Mitra, M; Mahanta, S K; Sen, S; Ghosh, C; Hati, A K

1995-04-01

Outbreak of Sarcoptes scabiei in animals spilling over to man in close association was observed in two adjacent villages, Fewgram and Nurpur in the district of Birbhum, West Bengal, from mid-November to mid-December, 1991. Nineteen goats and one calf who did not receive any treatment died of sarcoptic manage. All infected animals got cured with external application of deltamethrin, a synthetic pyrethroid and triazapentadiene. Human cases were treated successfully with benzene hexachloride (2%).

Groundwater assessment in Salboni Block, West Bengal (India) using remote sensing, geographical information system and multi-criteria decision analysis techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jha, Madan K.; Chowdary, V. M.; Chowdhury, Alivia

2010-11-01

An approach is presented for the evaluation of groundwater potential using remote sensing, geographic information system, geoelectrical, and multi-criteria decision analysis techniques. The approach divides the available hydrologic and hydrogeologic data into two groups, exogenous (hydrologic) and endogenous (subsurface). A case study in Salboni Block, West Bengal (India), uses six thematic layers of exogenous parameters and four thematic layers of endogenous parameters. These thematic layers and their features were assigned suitable weights which were normalized by analytic hierarchy process and eigenvector techniques. The layers were then integrated using ArcGIS software to generate two groundwater potential maps. The hydrologic parameters-based groundwater potential zone map indicated that the `good' groundwater potential zone covers 27.14% of the area, the `moderate' zone 45.33%, and the `poor' zone 27.53%. A comparison of this map with the groundwater potential map based on subsurface parameters revealed that the hydrologic parameters-based map accurately delineates groundwater potential zones in about 59% of the area, and hence it is dependable to a certain extent. More than 80% of the study area has moderate-to-poor groundwater potential, which necessitates efficient groundwater management for long-term water security. Overall, the integrated technique is useful for the assessment of groundwater resources at a basin or sub-basin scale.

Incidence of Fanconi anaemia in phenotypically normal aplastic anaemia patients in West Bengal.

PubMed

Dutta, Atreyee; De, Rajib; Dolai, Tuphan Kanti; Pal, Pritha; Ghosh, Shanoli; Mitra, Pradip Kumar; Halder, Ajanta

2018-01-07

Fanconi anaemia (FA) is a rare inherited bone marrow failure and autosomal recessive blood disorder. FA patients have a higher risk of cancer, including acute myeloid leukaemia and squamous cell carcinoma. Maximum, but not all, affected individuals have one or more somatic abnormalities, including skin, skeletal, genitourinary, gastrointestinal, cardiac and neurological anomalies, etc. Positive stress cytogenetics has immense implications for the treatment and management of FA. The aim of our study was to find out the incidence of FA in the population of phenotypically normal aplastic anaemia (AA) patients in West Bengal. Ethical clearances were obtained from the corresponding institutional committees. A total of 117 AA cases was selected. Stress cytogenetics was performed from peripheral venous blood (PVB) samples of 63 AA patients (age ≤ 50 years) and 63 age- and sex-matched healthy individual (control) using Mitomycin C (MMC). Out of 63 AA patients, 6 (9.25%) cases showed positive stress cytogenetics suggestive of FA, which is statistically significant (p-value - 0.000532), analysed by chi-square test. A considerable percentage of patients showing sensitivity towards MMC, even if they are phenotypically normal and did not have any distinguishable features which are generally found in FA. This observation may indicate that stress cytogenetics analysis of phenotypically normal AA patients (≤50 years) is essential for the improvement of the treatment procedure.

Arsenic mobilization in the aquifers of three physiographic settings of West Bengal, India: understanding geogenic and anthropogenic influences.

PubMed

Bhowmick, Subhamoy; Nath, Bibhash; Halder, Dipti; Biswas, Ashis; Majumder, Santanu; Mondal, Priyanka; Chakraborty, Sudipta; Nriagu, Jerome; Bhattacharya, Prosun; Iglesias, Monica; Roman-Ross, Gabriela; Guha Mazumder, Debendranath; Bundschuh, Jochen; Chatterjee, Debashis

2013-11-15

A comparative hydrogeochemical study was carried out in West Bengal, India covering three physiographic regions, Debagram and Chakdaha located in the Bhagirathi-Hooghly alluvial plain and Baruipur in the delta front, to demonstrate the control of geogenic and anthropogenic influences on groundwater arsenic (As) mobilization. Groundwater samples (n = 90) from tube wells were analyzed for different physico-chemical parameters. The low redox potential (Eh = -185 to -86 mV) and dominant As(III) and Fe(II) concentrations are indicative of anoxic nature of the aquifer. The shallow (<100 m) and deeper (>100 m) aquifers of Bhagirathi-Hooghly alluvial plains as well as shallow aquifers of delta front are characterized by Ca(2+)HCO3(-) type water, whereas Na(+) and Cl(-) enrichment is found in the deeper aquifer of delta front. The equilibrium of groundwater with respect to carbonate minerals and their precipitation/dissolution seems to be controlling the overall groundwater chemistry. The low SO4(2-) and high DOC, PO4(3-) and HCO3(-) concentrations in groundwater signify ongoing microbial mediated redox processes favoring As mobilization in the aquifer. The As release is influenced by both geogenic (i.e. geomorphology) and anthropogenic (i.e. unsewered sanitation) processes. Multiple geochemical processes, e.g., Fe-oxyhydroxides reduction and carbonate dissolution, are responsible for high As occurrence in groundwaters. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Does quality of drinking water matter in kidney stone disease: A study in West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Mitra, Pubali; Pal, Dilip Kumar; Das, Madhusudan

2018-05-01

The combined interaction of epidemiology, environmental exposure, dietary habits, and genetic factors causes kidney stone disease (KSD), a common public health problem worldwide. Because a high water intake (>3 L daily) is widely recommended by physicians to prevent KSD, the present study evaluated whether the quantity of water that people consume daily is associated with KSD and whether the quality of drinking water has any effect on disease prevalence. Information regarding residential address, daily volume of water consumption, and source of drinking water was collected from 1,266 patients with kidney stones in West Bengal, India. Drinking water was collected by use of proper methods from case (high stone prevalence) and control (zero stone prevalence) areas thrice yearly. Water samples were analyzed for pH, alkalinity, hardness, total dissolved solutes, electrical conductivity, and salinity. Average values of the studied parameters were compared to determine if there were any statistically significant differences between the case and control areas. We observed that as many as 53.6% of the patients consumed <3 L of water daily. Analysis of drinking water samples from case and control areas, however, did not show any statistically significant alterations in the studied parameters. All water samples were found to be suitable for consumption. It is not the quality of water, rather the quantity of water consumed that matters most in the occurrence of KSD.

Concentrations of arsenic and other elements in groundwater of Bangladesh and West Bengal, India: potential cancer risk.

PubMed

Rahman, Mohammad Mahmudur; Dong, Zhaomin; Naidu, Ravi

2015-11-01

We investigated the concentrations of 23 elements in groundwater from arsenic (As) contaminated areas of Bangladesh and West Bengal, India to determine the potential human exposure to metals and metalloids. Elevated concentrations of As was found in all five study areas that exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline value of 10μg/L. The mean As concentrations in groundwater of Noakhali, Jalangi and Domkal, Dasdia Nonaghata, Deganga and Baruipur were 297μg/L, 262μg/L, 115μg/L, 161μg/L and 349μg/L, respectively. Elevated concentrations of Mn were also detected in all areas with mean concentrations were 139μg/L, 807μg/L, 341μg/L, 579μg/L and 584μg/L for Noakhali, Jalangi and Domkal, Dasdia Nonaghata, Deganga and Baruipur, respectively. Daily As intakes from drinking water for adults and the potential cancer risk for all areas was also estimated. Results suggest that mitigation activities such as water treatment should not only be focused on As but must also consider other elements including Mn, B and Ba. The groundwater used for public drinking purposes needs to be tested periodically for As and other elements to ensure the quality of drinking water is within the prescribed national guidelines. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pesticide poisoning in non-fatal deliberate self-harm: A public health issue: Study from Sundarban delta, India

PubMed Central

Chowdhury, A. N.; Banerjee, Sohini; Brahma, Arabinda; Biswas, M. K.

2007-01-01

Background: Non-fatal deliberate self-harm (DSH), particularly with pesticides, is a major public health problem in many developing countries of the world. Agriculture is the primary occupation of most people living in the Sundarban region in West Bengal, India. Pesticides are extensively used in agriculture, and these agents are most frequently used in DSH. Aim: This study aimed to identify the nature of methods and agents used in non-fatal DSH attempts in the Sundarban area under South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. Materials and Methods: Detailed demographic and clinical data on DSH cases of 13 Block Primary Health Centres' (BPHCs') admission registers were analyzed. One Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with the Panchayat Samiti of each block (totally 13 FDGs) was conducted to elicit the Samiti members' perception about the problem of pesticide-related DSH or suicide in the region. Results: A total of 5,178 (1,887 male and 3,291 female) subjects were admitted at the BPHCs during the study period from 1999 to 2001. Organophosphorous pesticide poisoning was found to be the most common method (85.1%) in DSH. This emphasizes the importance of developing an urgent poisoning-prevention program with a special focus on improving clinical services, as well as initiating farmers' education programs focusing on safe pesticide practices at the primary-care level. PMID:20680138

Anthropometric and body frame size characteristics in relation to body mass index and percentage body fat among adult Bengalee male brick-kiln workers from Murshidabad, West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Banik, Sudip Datta; Ghosh, Mihir; Bose, Kaushik

2016-11-01

Anthropometric and body frame size parameters (ABFSP) are used to interpret body mass and to evaluate nutritional status. Objective of the present study was to investigate the interrelationships between ABFSP, percentage body fat (BF%) and body mass index (BMI). The study was carried out in a sample of 141 adult Bengalee healthy male brick-kiln workers (age range 18-59 years) from Murshidabad district in West Bengal, India. Body weight was recorded; anthropometric measurements included height, breadth (elbow, wrist, hand, foot, ankle, knee), circumferences (mid-upper arm, chest, waist, hip, thigh, medial calf) and skinfolds (biceps, triceps, subscapular, suprailiac). Derived ABFSP included sum of breadth and circumferences, frame index, BMI, BF%, sum of skinfolds, ratio of central and peripheral skinfolds, arm muscle area, arm muscle circumference, arm fat area and brachial adipo-muscular ratio. Correlations (age-controlled) between ABFSP, BMI and BF% were highly significant ( p < 0.001). The ABFSP and BF% varied significantly ( p < 0.0001) in relation to BMI-based nutritional status (BNS). Multinomial logistic regression analysis (age-adjusted) showed ABFSP had statistically significant ( p < 0.01) relationships with BNS. There were strong interrelationships between ABFSP, BMI and BF% independent of age. The ABFSP in individuals with normal BMI, suffering from undernutrition (low BMI) or overweight are different.

Comparative study of the microstructural and magnetic properties of fly ashes obtained from different thermal power plants in West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Bhattacharjee, Ashis; Mandal, Haradhan; Roy, Madhusudan; Kusz, Joachim; Hofmeister, Wolfgang

2013-10-01

This paper deals with the physical nature of the fly ashes obtained from two thermal power plants, situated in West Bengal, India. The fly ash samples are characterized by using comprehensive techniques with an emphasis on their ultrafine nature. The particle sizes of the samples are estimated using scanning electron microcopy (SEM) and found to lie within 0.18-5.90 μm. For morphology and compositional analysis, we also use SEM coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. From X-ray study of the fly ashes the nature of conglomeration is seen to be crystalline, and the major components are mullite (Al6Si2O13) and quartz (SiO2). The magnetic measurement of the fly ash samples was carried out by SQUID magnetometer. (57)Fe Mössbauer spectra are obtained using a conventional constant-acceleration spectrometer with a (57)Co/Rh Mössbauer source. The hyperfine parameters obtained, in general, support the findings as made from XRD analysis and provide a quantitative measure of different iron ions present in the samples. The paper presents experimental data on the physical aspects of the fly ash samples of the thermal power plants which comprise coarse, fine, and ultrafine magnetic particulate materials and attempts to provide an exhaustive analysis.

Arsenic-induced health crisis in peri-urban Moyna and Ardebok villages, West Bengal, India: an exposure assessment study.

PubMed

Maity, Jyoti Prakash; Nath, Bibhash; Kar, Sandeep; Chen, Chien-Yen; Banerjee, Satabdi; Jean, Jiin-Shuh; Liu, Ming-Yie; Centeno, José A; Bhattacharya, Prosun; Chang, Christina L; Santra, Subhas Chandra

2012-10-01

Drinking of arsenic (As)-contaminated groundwater has adverse effects on health of millions of people worldwide. This study aimed to determine the degree of severity of As exposure from drinking water in peri-urban Moyna and Ardebok villages, West Bengal, India. Arsenic concentrations in hair, nail and urine samp les of the individuals were determined. Arsenical dermatosis, keratosis and melanosis were investigated through medical evaluation. We have evaluated the association between As exposure from drinking water, and keratosis and melanosis outcomes. The results showed that 82.7 % of the sampled tube wells contain As concentrations above 10 μg/L, while 57.7 % contain As concentrations above 50 μg/L. The hair, nail and urine As concentrations were positively correlated with As concentrations in drinking water. In our study population, we observed a strong association between As concentrations ranging 51-99 μg/L and keratosis and melanosis outcomes, although the probability decreases at higher concentration ranges perhaps due to switching away from the use of As-contaminated tube wells for drinking and cooking purposes. High As concentrations in hair, nail and urine were observed to be associated with the age of the study population. The level of As concentrations in hair, nail and urine samples of the study population indicated the degree of severity of As exposure in the study region.

Inferring the fluoride hydrogeochemistry and effect of consuming fluoride-contaminated drinking water on human health in some endemic areas of Birbhum district, West Bengal.

PubMed

Mondal, D; Dutta, G; Gupta, S

2016-04-01

This research work is carried out to evaluate fluoride (F) hydrogeochemistry and its effect on the population of two endemic villages of Birbhum district, West Bengal. Fluoride concentration in drinking water varies from 0.33 to 18.08 mg/L. Hydrogeochemical evolution suggests that ion-exchange mechanism is the major controlling factor for releasing F in the groundwater. Most of the groundwater samples are undersaturated with respect to calcite and fluorite. Health survey shows that out of 235 people, 142 people suffer from dental fluorosis. According to fluoride impact severity, almost 80 and 94 % people in an age group of 11-20 and 41-50 suffer from dental and skeletal fluorosis, respectively. Statistically drinking water F has a positive correlation with dental and skeletal fluorosis. Bone mineral density test reveals that 33 and 45 % of the studied population suffer from osteopenic and osteoporosis disease. IQ test also signifies that F has a bearing on the intelligence development of the study area school children. The existence of significant linear relationship (R (2) = 0.77) between drinking water F and urinary F suggests that consumption of F-contaminated drinking water has a major control over urinary F (0.39-20.1 mg/L) excretion.

Gender differences in healthcare-seeking during common illnesses in a rural community of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Pandey, Aparna; Sengupta, Priya Gopal; Mondal, Sujit Kumar; Gupta, Dhirendra Nath; Manna, Byomkesh; Ghosh, Subrata; Sur, Dipika; Bhattacharya, S K

2002-12-01

This follow-up observational study examined gender disparities in seeking healthcare and in home management of diarrhoea, acute respiratory infections, and fever among 530 children (263 boys and 267 girls) aged less than five years in a rural community of West Bengal, India, from June 1998 to May 1999. Of 790 episodes detected by a weekly surveillance, 380 occurred among boys and 410 among girls. At the household level, girls were less likely to get home fluids and oral rehydration solutions (ORS) during diarrhoea. Qualified health professionals were consulted more often (p = 0.0094) and sooner for boys than for girls (8.3 +/- 4.5 hours vs 21.2 +/- 9.5 hours), for which parents also travelled longer distances (3.3 km for boys vs 1.6 km for girls). Expenditure per treated episode (Rs 76.76 +/- 69.23 in boys and Rs 44.73 +/- 67.60 in girls) differed significantly (p = 0.023). Results of logistic regression analysis showed that chance of spending more money was 4.2 [confidence interval (CI) 1.6-10.9] times higher for boys. The boys were 4.9 (CI 1.8-11.9) times more likely to be taken early for medical care and 2.6 (CI 1.2-6.5) times more likely to be seen by qualified allopathic doctors compared to girls. Persistence of gender disparities calls for effective interventions for correction.

Prevalence of low back pain among handloom weavers in West Bengal, India

PubMed Central

Durlov, Santu; Chakrabarty, Sabarni; Chatterjee, Arijit; Das, Tamal; Dev, Samrat; Gangopadhyay, Somnath; Haldar, Prasun; Maity, Santi Gopal; Sarkar, Krishnendu; Sahu, Subhashis

2014-01-01

Background: Handloom is one of the oldest industries in India, particularly in West Bengal, where a considerable number of rural people are engaged in weaving. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of low back pain among the handloom weavers in India. Methods: A modified Nordic Musculoskeletal Disorder Questionnaire and Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire along with a body part discomfort scale were administered to handloom weavers (n = 175). Working posture of the participants was assessed using the Ovako Working Posture Analysis System (OWAS). Results: Sixty eight per cent of the participants reported suffering from low back pain, making it the most prevalent disorder in our sample. Analysis of the Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire data revealed that among those with low back pain (n = 119), 2% had severe disabilities, 46% had moderate disabilities, and 52% had minimal disabilities. Statistical analyses revealed a positive significant association between the intensity of pain in the lower back and an increased number of years of work experience (P<0.05). Conclusions: The study underlines the need for further research regarding the postural strain of weavers and also suggests the implementation of ergonomic design into weaver workstations to minimize the adverse effect of their current working postures. Improving upon the weaver’s work-posture could improve their quality of life. PMID:25224808

Measurement of natural radioactivity in chemical fertilizer and agricultural soil: evidence of high alpha activity.

PubMed

Ghosh, Dipak; Deb, Argha; Bera, Sukumar; Sengupta, Rosalima; Patra, Kanchan Kumar

2008-02-01

People are exposed to ionizing radiation from the radionuclides that are present in different types of natural sources, of which phosphate fertilizer is one of the most important sources. Radionuclides in phosphate fertilizer belonging to 232Th and 238U series as well as radioisotope of potassium (40K) are the major contributors of outdoor terrestrial natural radiation. The study of alpha activity in fertilizers, which is the first ever in West Bengal, has been performed in order to determine the effect of the use of phosphate fertilizers on human health. The data have been compared with the alpha activity of different types of chemical fertilizers. The measurement of alpha activity in surface soil samples collected from the cultivated land was also performed. The sampling sites were randomly selected in the cultivated land in the Midnapore district, which is the largest district in West Bengal. The phosphate fertilizer is widely used for large agricultural production, mainly potatoes. The alpha activities have been measured using solid-state nuclear track detectors (SSNTD), a very sensitive detector for alpha particles. The results show that alpha activity of those fertilizer and soil samples varies from 141 Bq/kg to 2,589 Bq/kg and from 109 Bq/kg to 660 Bq/kg, respectively. These results were used to estimate environmental radiation exposure on human health contributed by the direct application of fertilizers.

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, atmospheric humidity also plays an important role in regulating the effect of aerosol on the microphysical properties of clouds over IGP region.

Socio-demographic Correlates of Rhinosporidiosis: A Hospital-Based Epidemiologic Study in Purulia, India.

PubMed

Dutta, Sirshak; Haldar, Dibakar; Dutta, Mainak; Barik, Sabyasachi; Das Biswas, Kaustuv; Sinha, Ramanuj

2017-03-01

The present paper attempts to explore the socio-demographic profile of patients with rhinosporidiosis in an endemic area. A cross-sectional study was carried out in a tertiary-care hospital in Purulia district, India, including consecutive patients with histologically-proved rhinosporidiosis. Their socio-demographic profiles were obtained through a pre-designed proforma with given epidemiologic parameters. Data was statistically analyzed with inputs from literature review. Of the 39 patients included, 87 % were fresh/new cases. The age-group of 10-20 years was mostly involved, with multiple peaks around 50. About 82 % were from rural background, commonly involved in cattle farming and agriculture, with a universal habit of pond-bathing. There was a male preponderance; however women were being increasingly affected. Nasal cavity was the predominant site involved; nasal obstruction and epistaxis were the primary complaints. About 13 % had recurrent lesions that were statistically related to higher age-group (≥15 years) and occupation (agriculture, labor). Rhinosporidiosis is predominantly the disease of young rural adults engaged in field activities and habituated to pond-bathing. A bimodal age distribution was noticed. The present article provides an update on the socio-demographic perspectives of rhinosporidiosis in an endemic zone. It also summarizes the factors that would identify the vulnerable population and help formulate preventive measures.

India-Japan Strategic Cooperation and Implications for U.S. Strategy in the Indo-Asia-Pacific Region

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-01

Pradesh, Maharashtra, and West Bengal. In a 2015 ex post facto evaluation of Japan’s ODA Rural Electrification Project, project evaluator Keishi...rights are observed and extended. Implicit in the rebalance was a hedge against a China acting to challenge the existing post –World War II rules-based...during the last 45 years of the 20th century. In the immediate post –World War II era, India provided urgent supplies of food and other equipment to

Insecticide susceptibility of Phlebotomus argentipes & assessment of vector control in two districts of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Kumar, Vijay; Shankar, Lokesh; Kesari, Shreekant; Bhunia, Gouri Shankar; Dinesh, Diwakar Singh; Mandal, Rakesh; Das, Pradeep

2015-08-01

Kala-azar or visceral leishmanisis (VL) is known to be endemic in several States of India including West Bengal (WB). Only meager information is available on the vector dynamics of its vector species, Phlebotomus argentipes particularly in relation to control measure from this State. Hence, a pilot study was undertaken to assess the control strategy and its impact on vector in two endemic districts of WB, India. Two villages each from the two districts, Maldah and Burdwan, were selected for the study. Seasonal variation of sandflies was observed during pre-monsoon, post-monsoon and winter seasons. Susceptibility test of P. argentipes against DDT and bioassay on DDT sprayed wall and on long lasting insecticide nets (LN) Perma Net [®] 2.0 were conducted as per the WHO standard methods. P. argentipes density was high during March to October. Susceptibility status of P. argentipes ranged from 40 to 61.54 per cent. Bioassay test showed 57.89 per cent mortality against LN PermaNet [®] -2.0. and 50 per cent against DDT on wall within 30 min of exposure. Despite the integrated vector management approach, the sandfly population was high in the study area. The reason could be development of resistance in P. argentipes against DDT and low effectiveness of LN PermaNet [®] -2.0. The more pragmatic step will be to conduct large studies to monitor the susceptibility level in P. argentipes against DDT.

Thermodynamics of Cadmium Sorption on Different Soils of West Bengal, India

PubMed Central

Paul, Ranjit Kumar; Das, D. K.; Boruah, Romesh K.; Sonar, Indira

2014-01-01

A sorption study was conducted on different soils collected from five agroecological zones of West Bengal, India, to understand the soil environmental behavior and fate of cadmium. For this purpose batch adsorption experiments were carried out at the native soil pH and at three different temperatures (25°C, 35°C, and 45°C). The adsorption data fitted by a linear least squares technique to the different sorption isotherms. Most data obtained give the good fit to both Freundlich and modified Langmuir isotherms, but they are not consistent with the linear Langmuir adsorption model. Thermodynamic parameters, namely, thermodynamics equilibrium constant at a particular temperature T  (K T 0), Gibbs free energy at a particular temperature T  (ΔG T 0), and change of enthalpy (ΔH 0) and change of entropy at temperature T  (ΔS T 0), were also determined by applying sorption value and concentrations of Cd in equilibrium solution within the temperature range. The thermodynamic parameters revealed that Cd sorption increases as the values of K T 0, ΔG T 0, ΔH 0, and ΔS T 0 were increased on reaction temperatures. The spontaneous sorption reaction can be concluded due to high values of ΔG T 0. The positive values of ΔH 0 indicated that the Cd sorption is an endothermic one. Under these present conditions, the soil and its components possibly supply a number of sites having different adsorption energies for cadmium sorption. PMID:24683322

Landscapes of Protection: Forest Change and Fragmentation in Northern West Bengal, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagendra, Harini; Paul, Somajita; Pareeth, Sajid; Dutt, Sugato

2009-11-01

In the tropics and sub-tropics, where high levels of biodiversity co-exist with some of the greatest levels of population density, achieving complete exclusion in protected area contexts has proved close to impossible. There is a clear need to recognize that parks are significantly impacted by human-environment interactions in the larger landscape within which they are embedded, and to move the frontier of research beyond the boundaries of protected areas in order to examine larger landscapes where multiple forms of ownership and access are embedded. This research evaluates forest change and fragmentation between 1990 and 2000, in a landscape surrounding the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary in the Indian state of West Bengal. This protected forest is bounded to the south by a less intensively protected area, the Baikunthapur Reserve Forest, and surrounded by a mosaic of unprotected, largely private land holdings. Results indicate differences in the extent and spatial pattern of forest cover change in these three zones, corresponding to different levels of government protection, access and monitoring. The two protected areas experience a trend toward forest regrowth, relating to the cessation of commercial logging by park management during this period. Yet, there is still substantial clearing toward peripheral areas that are well connected to illegal timber markets by transportation networks. The surrounding landscape, although experiencing some forest regrowth within less intensively cultivated tea plantations, is also becoming increasingly fragmented, with potentially critical impacts on the maintenance of effective wildlife corridors in this ecologically critical region.

Landscapes of protection: forest change and fragmentation in Northern West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Nagendra, Harini; Paul, Somajita; Pareeth, Sajid; Dutt, Sugato

2009-11-01

In the tropics and sub-tropics, where high levels of biodiversity co-exist with some of the greatest levels of population density, achieving complete exclusion in protected area contexts has proved close to impossible. There is a clear need to recognize that parks are significantly impacted by human-environment interactions in the larger landscape within which they are embedded, and to move the frontier of research beyond the boundaries of protected areas in order to examine larger landscapes where multiple forms of ownership and access are embedded. This research evaluates forest change and fragmentation between 1990 and 2000, in a landscape surrounding the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary in the Indian state of West Bengal. This protected forest is bounded to the south by a less intensively protected area, the Baikunthapur Reserve Forest, and surrounded by a mosaic of unprotected, largely private land holdings. Results indicate differences in the extent and spatial pattern of forest cover change in these three zones, corresponding to different levels of government protection, access and monitoring. The two protected areas experience a trend toward forest regrowth, relating to the cessation of commercial logging by park management during this period. Yet, there is still substantial clearing toward peripheral areas that are well connected to illegal timber markets by transportation networks. The surrounding landscape, although experiencing some forest regrowth within less intensively cultivated tea plantations, is also becoming increasingly fragmented, with potentially critical impacts on the maintenance of effective wildlife corridors in this ecologically critical region.

Mucocutaneous features of Chikungunya fever: a study from an outbreak in West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Bandyopadhyay, Debabrata; Ghosh, Sudip Kumar

2008-11-01

Chikungunya fever (CF) epidemic has recently re-emerged in India on a large scale affecting many parts of the country. We have reviewed the mucocutaneous manifestations of the disease in a number of cases. Twenty six serologically proven cases of CF with rash from the district of 24-Paraganas (North) in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal were subjected to detailed clinical study to investigate the chronology and evolution of mucocutaneous lesions, the type and distribution of the rash, and systemic changes. Most patients were in their 3rd and 4th decade (23% each). Males and females were equally affected. Most patients developed the rash concomitantly with the onset or during the febrile illness, but 5 (19.2%) developed rash after defervescence. Most (57.7%) patients developed rash within the first 2 days of fever. The upper limb was the most common site of first appearance of lesions. Morbilliform eruption was the most common type of lesion noted, followed by scaling, macular erythema, intertrigo, hypermelanosis, xerosis, excoriated papules, urticaria and petechial spots. Cutaneous lesions were generally asymptomatic but 5 (19.2%) patients had intense pruritus. Mucosal lesions were found in 4 (15.4%) patients. Moderate to marked joint involvement was universal. CF exanthem may have varying morphology. Since the disease is spreading widely in different parts of the world, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of any acute febrile arthropathy with rash.

Stigma towards mental illness: A hospital-based cross-sectional study among caregivers in West Bengal.

PubMed

Mukherjee, Shrabani; Mukhopadhyay, Dipta Kanti

2018-01-01

Stigma among caregivers of people with mental illness has a serious impact on the disease outcome and lives of people with mental illness as well as other family members. The objectives of this study were (i) To determine the level of self-perceived stigma toward mental illness, (ii) To measure perception to it among caregivers of people with mental illness, and (iii) To identify the factors associated with self-perceived stigma of caregivers. In this cross-sectional study, a structured interview was conducted among 200 caregivers of people with mental illness in the psychiatry outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital in West Bengal, India. Stigma and perception regarding mental illness were assessed with a validated 12-item Explanatory Model Interview Catalogue and 20-item perception scale, respectively. Information on their sociodemographic characteristics was also collected. Average stigma score (53.3 ± 13.2) was higher than 50% of maximum attainable score. Caregivers of higher age, female gender, low income, higher education, manual job, rural residence, and those who are single or widowed scored higher in stigma scale. Caregivers with female gender (P = 0.007) and rural residence (P = 0.01) were more likely to have stigma while the perception score was negatively associated (P < 0.001) with stigma score. The study highlighted that health-care providers can play a pivotal role to address caregivers' stigma in order to alleviate its effect on the course of illness and improve family life.

Arsenic contamination in food chain: Thread to global food security

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kashyap, C. A.

2016-12-01

The supply of good quality food is a necessity for economic and social health of urban and rural population. Over the last several decades groundwater contamination in developing countries has assumed dangerous levels as a result millions of people are at risk. This is so particularly with respect to arsenic that has registered high concentration in groundwater in countries like India and Bangladesh. The arsenic content in groundwater varies from 10 to 780 µg/L, which is far above the levels for drinking water standards prescribed by World Health Organization (WHO). Currently arsenic has entered in food chain due to irrigation with arsenic contaminated water. In the present study reports the arsenic contamination in groundwater that is being used for irrigating paddy in Manipur and West Bengal. The arsenic content in irrigation water is 475 µg/L and 780 µg/L in Manipur and West Bengal, respectively. In order to assess the effect of such waters on the rice crop, we collected rice plant from Manipur and determined the arsenic content in roots, stem, and grain. The arsenic content in grain varies from 110 to 190 mg/kg while the limit of arsenic intake by humans is 10 mg/kg (WHO). This problem is not confine to the area, it spread global level, and rice being cultivated in these regions is export to the other countries like USA, Middle East and Europe and will be thread to global food security.

Arsenic contamination in food chain: Thread to food security

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shekhar Azad Kashyap, Chandra; Singh, Swati

2017-04-01

The supply of good quality food is a necessity for economic and social health welfare of urban and rural population. Over the last several decades groundwater contamination in developing countries has assumed dangerous levels as a result millions of people are at risk. This is so particularly with respect to arsenic that has registered high concentration in groundwater in countries like India and Bangladesh. The arsenic content in groundwater varies from 10 to 780 µg/L, which is far above the levels for drinking water standards prescribed by World Health Organization (WHO). Currently arsenic has entered in food chain due to irrigation with arsenic contaminated water. In the present study reports the arsenic contamination in groundwater that is being used for irrigating paddy in Manipur and West Bengal. The arsenic content in irrigation water is 475 µg/L and 780 µg/L in Manipur and West Bengal, respectively. In order to assess the effect of such waters on the rice crop, we collected rice plant from Manipur and determined the arsenic content in roots, stem, and grain. The arsenic content in grain varies from 110 to 190 mg/kg while the limit of arsenic intake by humans is 10 mg/kg (WHO). This problem is not confine to the area, it spread global level, and rice being cultivated in these regions is export to the other countries like USA, Middle East and Europe and will be thread to global food security.

Mass Measles Vaccination Campaign in Aila Cyclone-Affected Areas of West Bengal, India: An In-depth Analysis and Experiences.

PubMed

Mallik, Sarmila; Mandal, Pankaj Kumar; Ghosh, Pramit; Manna, Nirmalya; Chatterjee, Chitra; Chakrabarty, Debadatta; Bagchi, Saumendra Nath; Dasgupta, Samir

2011-12-01

Disaster-affected populations are highly vulnerable to outbreaks of measles. Therefore, a mass vaccination against measles was conducted in Aila cyclone-affected blocks of West Bengal, India in July 2009. The objectives of the present report were to conduct an in depth analysis of the campaign, and to discuss the major challenges. A block level micro-plan, which included mapping of the villages, health facilities, temporary settlements of disaster-affected population, communications available, formation of vaccination team, information education communication, vaccine storage, waste disposal, surveillance for adverse events following immunization, supervision and monitoring was developed. The rate of six months to five years old children, who were vaccinated by measles vaccine, was 70.7% and that of those who received one dose of vitamin A was 71.3%. Wastage factor for vaccine doses and auto-disable syringes were 1.09 and 1.07, respectively. Only 13 cases of adverse events following immunization were reported. An average of 0.91 puncture-proof containers per vaccination session was used. Despite the major challenges faced due to difficult to reach areas, inadequate infrastructure, manpower and communication, problems of vaccine storage and transport, the campaign achieved a remarkable success regarding measles vaccine coverage, improvements of cold chain infrastructure, formulating an efficient surveillance and reporting system for adverse events following immunization, building self-confidence of the stakeholders, and developing a biomedical waste disposal system.

Does quality of drinking water matter in kidney stone disease: A study in West Bengal, India

PubMed Central

Mitra, Pubali; Pal, Dilip Kumar

2018-01-01

Purpose The combined interaction of epidemiology, environmental exposure, dietary habits, and genetic factors causes kidney stone disease (KSD), a common public health problem worldwide. Because a high water intake (>3 L daily) is widely recommended by physicians to prevent KSD, the present study evaluated whether the quantity of water that people consume daily is associated with KSD and whether the quality of drinking water has any effect on disease prevalence. Materials and Methods Information regarding residential address, daily volume of water consumption, and source of drinking water was collected from 1,266 patients with kidney stones in West Bengal, India. Drinking water was collected by use of proper methods from case (high stone prevalence) and control (zero stone prevalence) areas thrice yearly. Water samples were analyzed for pH, alkalinity, hardness, total dissolved solutes, electrical conductivity, and salinity. Average values of the studied parameters were compared to determine if there were any statistically significant differences between the case and control areas. Results We observed that as many as 53.6% of the patients consumed <3 L of water daily. Analysis of drinking water samples from case and control areas, however, did not show any statistically significant alterations in the studied parameters. All water samples were found to be suitable for consumption. Conclusions It is not the quality of water, rather the quantity of water consumed that matters most in the occurrence of KSD. PMID:29744472

Intraseasonal-to-semiannual variability of sea-surface height in the eastern, equatorial Indian Ocean and southern Bay of Bengal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, X.; McCreary, J. P., Jr.; Qiu, B.; Yu, Z.; DU, Y.

2016-12-01

Intraseasonal-to-semiannual variability of sea-surface height (SSH) in the eastern, equatorial Indian Ocean (EEIO) and southern Bay of Bengal (BoB) is investigated using altimetric data, and solutions to 1½-layer (first-baroclinic-mode) and linear, continuously stratified (LCS; multi-baroclinic-mode) models. The amplitude and dominant period of SSH variability differ regionally. Large-amplitude variability is found along the west coast of Sumatra, in a zonal band across the BoB centered along 5°N, east of Sri Lanka, and in the northwestern BoB. Along the Sumatran west coast, SSH variability peaks at 30-60 days, 90 days, and 180 days. Along 5°N and east of Sri Lanka, 30-60-day variability is dominant. Sensitivity experiments using a nonlinear version of the 1½-layer model forced by realistic winds reproduce the observed patterns of intraseasonal variability in the southern BoB. At 30-60 days, the solutions show that eddies (nonlinear Rossby waves) propagating from the east, rather than local wind forcing, account for most of the variance east of Sri Lanka; furthermore, they demonstrate that the variance is significantly enhance by the nonlinear transfer of 90-120-day energy into the intraseasonal band. The LCS solutions show that the first two baroclinic modes explain most of the SSH variance at 90-180 days. The second-baroclinic-mode dominates the SSH variance at 180 days, a consequence of basin resonance and strong wind forcing.

Bioaccumulation and translocation of metals in the natural vegetation growing on fly ash lagoons: a field study from Santaldih thermal power plant, West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Maiti, Subodh Kumar; Jaiswal, Shishir

2008-01-01

A field study was conducted in the fly ash lagoons of Santandih Thermal Power Plant located in West Bengal (India) to find out total, EDTA and DTPA extractable metals in fly ash and their bioaccumulation in root and shoot portion of the naturally growing vegetation. Fly ash sample has alkaline pH and low conductivity. The concentration of total Cu, Zn, Pb and Ni were found higher than weathered fly ash and natural soil, where as Co, Cd and Cr were found traces. Five dominant vegetation namely, Typha latifolia, Fimbristylis dichotoma, Amaranthus defluxes, Saccharum spontaenum and Cynodon dactylon were collected in the winter months (November-December). Bioaccumulation of metals in root and shoot portions were found varied significantly among the species, but all concentration were found within toxic limits. Correlation between total, DTPA and EDTA extractable metals viz. root and shoot metals concentration were studied. Translocation factor (TF) for Cu, Zn and Ni were found less than unity, indicates that these metals are immobilized in the root part of the plants. Metals like Mn have TF greater than unity. The study infers that natural vegetation removed Mn by phytoextraction mechanisms (TF > 1), while other metals like Zn, Cu, Pb and Ni were removed by rhizofiltration mechanisms (TF < 1). The field study revealed that T. latifolia and S. spontaenum plants could be used for bioremediation of fly ash lagoon.

Application of multivariate statistical analysis concepts for assessment of hydrogeochemistry of groundwater—a study in Suri I and II blocks of Birbhum District, West Bengal, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Shreya; Nag, S. K.

2017-05-01

Multivariate statistical techniques, cluster and principal component analysis were applied to the data on groundwater quality of Suri I and II Blocks of Birbhum District, West Bengal, India, to extract principal factors corresponding to the different sources of variation in the hydrochemistry as well as the main controls on the hydrochemistry. For this, bore well water samples have been collected in two phases, during Post-monsoon (November 2012) and Pre-monsoon (April 2013) from 26 sampling locations spread homogeneously over the two blocks. Excess fluoride in groundwater has been reported at two locations both in post- and in pre-monsoon sessions, with a rise observed in pre-monsoon. Localized presence of excess iron has also been observed during both sessions. The water is found to be mildly alkaline in post-monsoon but slightly acidic at some locations during pre-monsoon. Correlation and cluster analysis studies demonstrate that fluoride shares a moderately positive correlation with pH in post-monsoon and a very strong one with carbonate in pre-monsoon indicating dominance of rock water interaction and ion exchange activity in the study area. Certain locations in the study area have been reported with less than 0.6 mg/l fluoride in groundwater, leading to possibility of occurrence of severe dental caries especially in children. Low values of sulfate and phosphate in water indicate a meager chance of contamination of groundwater due to anthropogenic factors.

Impact of rest breaks on musculoskeletal discomfort of Chikan embroiderers of West Bengal, India: a follow up field study

PubMed Central

Chakrabarty, Sabarni; Sarkar, Krishnendu; Dev, Samrat; Das, Tamal; Mitra, Kalpita; Sahu, Subhashis; Gangopadhyay, Somnath

2016-01-01

Objectives: This study aimed to determine risk factors that predict musculoskeletal discomfort in Chikan embroiderers of West Bengal, India, and to compare the effect of two rest break schedules to reduce these symptoms. Methods: The Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire was performed on 400 Chikan embroiderers at baseline containing questions on job autonomy, working behavior, and work stress factors. Relative risk was calculated to identify prognostic factors for musculoskeletal discomfort in different body regions. Two groups of workers received two rest break schedules for 4 months and compared in a between-subject design. Outcome variables were scores of Body Part Discomfort (BPD) scale. Results: Chikan embroiderers are afflicted with musculoskeletal discomfort mainly in the lower back, neck/shoulder and wrist/forearm region, which is attributed to their prolonged working timeinvolving hands and wrists, being in a static seating posture. Rigidity in working methods, prolonged working time, inadequate rest break during the working day, dissatisfaction regarding earning, monotonous work, static sitting posture, and repetitive movement of wrist and forearm were the significant predictors of these symptom developments. Rest break schedule 1 with more frequent and shorter breaks had more significant improvement on the severity of these musculoskeletal discomforts. Conclusions: Chikan embroiderers perform a highly dreary occupation and various ergonomics conditions work as predictors for developing musculoskeletal discomforts among them. Design of proper rest break schedule involving shorter and frequent breaks was competent for reducing these discomforts to a certain extent. PMID:27265529

Mass Measles Vaccination Campaign in Aila Cyclone-Affected Areas of West Bengal, India: An In-depth Analysis and Experiences

PubMed Central

Mallik, Sarmila; Mandal, Pankaj Kumar; Ghosh, Pramit; Manna, Nirmalya; Chatterjee, Chitra; Chakrabarty, Debadatta; Bagchi, Saumendra Nath; Dasgupta, Samir

2011-01-01

Disaster-affected populations are highly vulnerable to outbreaks of measles. Therefore, a mass vaccination against measles was conducted in Aila cyclone-affected blocks of West Bengal, India in July 2009. The objectives of the present report were to conduct an in depth analysis of the campaign, and to discuss the major challenges. A block level micro-plan, which included mapping of the villages, health facilities, temporary settlements of disaster-affected population, communications available, formation of vaccination team, information education communication, vaccine storage, waste disposal, surveillance for adverse events following immunization, supervision and monitoring was developed. The rate of six months to five years old children, who were vaccinated by measles vaccine, was 70.7% and that of those who received one dose of vitamin A was 71.3%. Wastage factor for vaccine doses and auto-disable syringes were 1.09 and 1.07, respectively. Only 13 cases of adverse events following immunization were reported. An average of 0.91 puncture-proof containers per vaccination session was used. Despite the major challenges faced due to difficult to reach areas, inadequate infrastructure, manpower and communication, problems of vaccine storage and transport, the campaign achieved a remarkable success regarding measles vaccine coverage, improvements of cold chain infrastructure, formulating an efficient surveillance and reporting system for adverse events following immunization, building self-confidence of the stakeholders, and developing a biomedical waste disposal system. PMID:23115416

Respiratory Morbidity among Rice Mill Workers in an Urban Area of Burdwan District, West Bengal: A Cross-sectional Study.

PubMed

Rana, Madhab Ch; Naskar, Somnath; Roy, Ramaprasad; Das, Dilip Kr; Das, Soumya

2018-01-01

Rice mill workers constitute a special group from the perspective of occupational health. Unprotected dust exposure among them adversely affects their respiratory health, which needs to be evaluated. Adequate evidence is still lacking in many parts of India including West Bengal. Burdwan is one of the main rice-producing districts in the state with abundant rice mills. The aim of the study was to find out the prevalence and pattern of respiratory morbidity and associated background characteristics of rice mill workers. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Burdwan municipality area during July-December 2016. Considering 44.2% prevalence, 95% confidence interval, 15% allowable error, 10% non-response, a sample of 252 directly engaged rice mill workers were selected through multistage random sampling. With prior consent, the subjects were interviewed, clinically examined, and underwent spirometry; relevant records were also reviewed using a pre-designed schedule. Any abnormal spirometry finding was considered as respiratory morbidity. Ethical approval was obtained from institutional ethics committee. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression were applied. Prevalence of respiratory morbidity was 40.73% with obstructive and restrictive respiratory morbidity being 24.60% and 16.13%, respectively. Non-use of any protective measure, duration (years) of working in rice mill and average daily working hours were significant predictors of respiratory morbidity. Respiratory morbidity is quite high in the area. Proper health education and provision of personal protective equipments need to be provided.

Evolution of community-based arsenic removal systems in remote villages in West Bengal, India: assessment of decade-long operation.

PubMed

Sarkar, Sudipta; Greenleaf, John E; Gupta, Anirban; Ghosh, Debabrata; Blaney, Lee M; Bandyopadhyay, P; Biswas, R K; Dutta, Amal K; Sengupta, Arup K

2010-11-01

In Bangladesh and the neighboring state of West Bengal, India, over 100 million people are affected by widespread arsenic poisoning through drinking water drawn from underground sources containing arsenic at concentrations well above the permissible limit of 50 μg/L. The health effects caused by arsenic poisoning in this area is as catastrophic as any other natural calamity that occurred throughout the world in recent times. Since 1997, over 200 community level arsenic removal units have been installed in Indian subcontinent through collaboration between Bengal Engineering and Science University (BESU), India and Lehigh University, USA. Approximately 200,000 villagers collect arsenic-safe potable water from these units on a daily basis. The treated water is also safe for drinking with regard to its total dissolved solids, hardness, iron and manganese content. The units use regenerable arsenic-selective adsorbents. Regular maintenance and upkeep of the units is administered by the villagers through formation of villagers' water committee. The villagers contribute towards the cost of operation through collection of a small water tariff. Upon exhaustion, the adsorbents are regenerated in a central facility by a few trained villagers. The process of regeneration reduces the volume of disposable arsenic-laden solids by nearly two orders of magnitude and allows for the reuse of the adsorbent material. Finally, the arsenic-laden solids are contained on well-aerated coarse sand filters with minimum arsenic leaching. This disposal technique is scientifically more appropriate than dumping arsenic-loaded adsorbents in the reducing environment of landfills as currently practiced in developed countries including the United States. The design of the units underwent several modifications over last ten years to enhance the efficiency in terms of arsenic removal, ease of maintenance and ecologically safe containment and disposal of treatment residuals. The continued safe operation of these units has amply demonstrated that use of regenerable arsenic-selective adsorbents is quite viable in remote locations. The technology and associated socio-economic management of the units have matured over the years, generating promise for rapid replication in other severely arsenic-affected countries in Southeast Asia. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modulation of low-latitude west wind on abnormal track and intensity of tropical cyclone Nargis (2008) in the Bay of Bengal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Wei-Wei; Wang, Chunzai; Wang, Dongxiao; Yang, Lei; Deng, Yi

2012-03-01

Tropical cyclone (TC) Nargis (2008) made landfall in Myanmar on 02 May 2008, bringing a storm surge, major flooding, and resulting in a significant death toll. TC Nargis (2008) displayed abnormal features, including rare eastward motion in its late stage, rapid intensification before landing. Using reanalysis data and a numerical model, we investigated how a low-latitude westerly wind modulated TC Nargis' (2008) track and provided favorable atmospheric conditions for its rapid intensification. More importantly, we found a possible counterbalance effect of flows from the two hemispheres on the TC track in the Bay of Bengal. Our analysis indicates that a strong westerly wind burst across the Bay of Bengal, resulting in TC Nargis' (2008) eastward movement after its recurvature. This sudden enhancement of westerly wind was mainly due to the rapidly intensified mid-level cross-equatorial flow. Our results show that a high-pressure system in the Southern Hemisphere induced this strong, mid-level, cross-equatorial flow. During the rapid intensification period of TC Nargis (2008), this strong and broad westerly wind also transported a large amount of water vapor to TC Nargis (2008). Sufficient water vapor gave rise to continuously high and increased mid-level relative humidity, which was favorable to TC Nargis' (2008) intensification. Condensation of water vapor increased the energy supply, which eventuated the intensification of TC Nargis (2008) to a category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

Northern Indian Ocean Salt Transport (NIOST): Estimation of Fresh and Salt Water Transports in the Indian Ocean using Remote Sensing, Hydrographic Observations and HYCOM Simulations

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-30

Here we use the newly launched Aquarius satellite derived Sea Surface Salinity ( SSS ) data as well as Argo salinity profiles, model simulations and...dipolar sea surface salinity ( SSS ) structure with the salty Arabian Sea (AS) on the west and the fresher Bay of Bengal (BoB) on the east. At the surface...interconnected, region is quantified. PRELIMINARY RESULTS Figure 1 shows the mean Aquarius SSS during August 2011-May 2014 and several boxes that

Pattern of clustering of menopausal problems: A study with a Bengali Hindu ethnic group.

PubMed

Dasgupta, Doyel; Pal, Baidyanath; Ray, Subha

2016-01-01

We attempted to find out how menopausal problems cluster with each other. The study was conducted among a group of women belonging to a Bengali-speaking Hindu ethnic group of West Bengal, a state located in Eastern India. We recruited 1,400 participants for the study. Information on sociodemographic aspects and menopausal problems were collected from these participants with the help of a pretested questionnaire. Results of cluster analysis showed that vasomotor, vaginal, and urinary problems cluster together, separately from physical and psychosomatic problems.

Biosocial factors influencing women to become prostitutes in India.

PubMed

Chattopadhyay, M; Bandyopadhyay, S; Duttagupta, C

1994-01-01

Based on materials collected during a study of risk factors associated with cervix cancer among prostitutes in Domjur, Howrah, West Bengal, this report explores various biosocial factors which may lead women to prostitution. When family and marital ties fail or disintegrate for various reasons, the life situations which a woman encounters may themselves generate a "process" of anchorlessness. The failure of family support along with the lack of ability to provide for themselves due to poverty and illiteracy were key factors why the women in this study had adopted prostitution.

Development and testing of monoclonal antibody-based rapid immunodiagnostic test kits for direct detection of Vibrio cholerae O139 synonym Bengal.

PubMed

Hasan, J A; Huq, A; Nair, G B; Garg, S; Mukhopadhyay, A K; Loomis, L; Bernstein, D; Colwell, R R

1995-11-01

We report on the development and testing of two monoclonal antibody-based rapid immunodiagnostic test kits, BengalScreen, a coagglutination test, and Bengal DFA, a direct fluorescent-antibody test, for direct detection of Vibrio cholerae O139 synonym Bengal in clinical and environmental specimens. The BengalScreen test requires less than 5 min to complete and can be used in the field. Bengal DFA, being more sensitive than BengalScreen, requires only one reagent and less than 20 min for detection and enumeration of V. cholerae O139 synonym Bengal. In tests for specificity, all 40 strains of V. cholerae O139 reacted with both test kits, whereas 157 strains of heterologous species examined did not, yielding 100% specificity in this study. A field trial was conducted in with both BengalScreen and Bengal DFA, and the results were compared with those obtained by conventional culture methods. BengalScreen demonstrated a sensitivity of 95%, a specificity of 100%, a positive predictive value of 100%, and a negative predictive value of 94%. Results obtained by Bengal DFA, on the other hand, were 100% sensitive and 100% specific and yielded 100% positive and negative predictive values compared with culture methods. In a second evaluation, 93 stool specimens from Mexico that were negative for V. cholerae O139 by culture were also tested with both the BengalScreen and Bengal DFA kits. None of the 93 specimens were positive for V. cholerae O139 by both tests. A concentration method was optimized for screening of environmental water samples for V. cholerae O139 synonym Bengal with rapid test kits. BengalScreen results were unequivocally positive when water samples contained at least 2.0 x 10(3) CFU/ml, whereas Bengal DFA demonstrated an unequivocally positive reaction when the water sample contained at least 1.5 x 10(2) CFU/ml. When Bengal DFA was compared with conventional culture methods for enumeration of V. cholerae O139 synonym Bengal organisms, no difference was observed.

Geo-spatial analysis of the temporal trends of kharif crop phenology metrics over India and its relationships with rainfall parameters.

PubMed

Chakraborty, Abhishek; Seshasai, M V R; Dadhwal, V K

2014-07-01

The Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies bimonthly Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data of 8 × 8 km spatial resolution for the period of 1982-2006 were analyzed to detect the trends of crop phenology metrics (start of the growing season (SGS), seasonal NDVI amplitude (AMP), seasonally integrated NDVI (SiNDVI)) during kharif season (June to October) and their relationships with the amount of rainfall and the number of rainy days over Indian subcontinent. Direction and magnitude of trends were analyzed at pixel level using the Mann-Kendall test and further assessed at meteorological subdivision level using field significance test (α = 0.1). Significant pre-occurrence of the SGS was observed over northern (Punjab, Haryana) and central (Marathwada, Vidarbha and Madhya Maharashtra) parts, whereas delay was found over southern (Rayalaseema, Coastal Andhra Pradesh) and eastern (Bihar, Gangetic West Bengal and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal) parts of India. North, west, and central India showed significant increasing trends of SiNDVI, corroborating the kharif food grain production performance during the time frame. Significant temporal correlation (α = 0.1) between the rainfall/number of rainy days and crop phenology metrics was observed over the rainfed region of India. About 35-40 % of the study area showed significant correlation between the SGS and the rainfall/number of rainy days during June to August. June month rainfall/number of rainy days was found to be the most sensitive to the SGS. The amount of rainfall and the number of rainy days during monsoon were found to have significant influence over the SiNDVI in 24-30 % of the study area. The crop phenology metrics had significant correlation with the number of rainy days over the larger areas than that of the rainfall amount.

Creatinine, diet, micronutrients, and arsenic methylation in West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Basu, Arin; Mitra, Soma; Chung, Joyce; Guha Mazumder, D N; Ghosh, Nilima; Kalman, David; von Ehrenstein, Ondine S; Steinmaus, Craig; Liaw, Jane; Smith, Allan H

2011-09-01

Ingested inorganic arsenic (InAs) is methylated to monomethylated (MMA) and dimethylated metabolites (DMA). Methylation may have an important role in arsenic toxicity, because the monomethylated trivalent metabolite [MMA(III)] is highly toxic. We assessed the relationship of creatinine and nutrition--using dietary intake and blood concentrations of micronutrients--with arsenic metabolism, as reflected in the proportions of InAS, MMA, and DMA in urine, in the first study that incorporated both dietary and micronutrient data. We studied methylation patterns and nutritional factors in 405 persons who were selected from a cross-sectional survey of 7,638 people in an arsenic-exposed population in West Bengal, India. We assessed associations of urine creatinine and nutritional factors (19 dietary intake variables and 16 blood micronutrients) with arsenic metabolites in urine. Urinary creatinine had the strongest relationship with overall arsenic methylation to DMA. Those with the highest urinary creatinine concentrations had 7.2% more arsenic as DMA compared with those with low creatinine (p < 0.001). Animal fat intake had the strongest relationship with MMA% (highest tertile animal fat intake had 2.3% more arsenic as MMA, p < 0.001). Low serum selenium and low folate were also associated with increased MMA%. Urine creatinine concentration was the strongest biological marker of arsenic methylation efficiency, and therefore should not be used to adjust for urine concentration in arsenic studies. The new finding that animal fat intake has a positive relationship with MMA% warrants further assessment in other studies. Increased MMA% was also associated, to a lesser extent, with low serum selenium and folate.

Arsenic contamination of ground water and its health impact on population of district of nadia, west bengal, India.

PubMed

Mazumder, Debendra Nath Guha; Ghosh, Aloke; Majumdar, Kunal Kanti; Ghosh, Nilima; Saha, Chandan; Mazumder, Rathindra Nath Guha

2010-04-01

The global health impact and disease burden due to chronic arsenic toxicity has not been well studied in West Bengal. To ascertain these, a scientific epidemiological study was carried out in a district of the state. Epidemiological study was carried out by house-to-house survey of arsenic affected villages in the district of Nadia. A stratified multi-stage design has been adopted for this survey for the selection of the participants. A total number of 2297 households of 37 arsenic affected villages in all the 17 blocks were surveyed in the district. Out of 10469 participants examined, prevalence rate of arsenicosis was found to be 15.43%. Out of 0.84 million people suspected to be exposed to arsenic, 0.14 million people are estimated to be suffering from arsenicosis in the district. Highest level of arsenic in drinking water sources was found to be 1362 μg/l, and in 23% cases it was above 100 μg/l. Majority of the population living in the arsenic affected villages were of low socio-economic condition, inadequate education and were farmers or doing physical labour. Chronic lung disease was found in 207 (12.81%) subjects among cases and 69 (0.78%) in controls. Peripheral neuropathy was found in 257 (15.9%) cases and 136 (1.5%) controls. Large number of people in the district of Nadia are showing arsenical skin lesion. However, insufficient education, poverty, lack of awareness and ineffective health care support are major factors causing immense plight to severely arsenic affected people.

Intraseasonal-to-semiannual variability of sea-surface height in the astern, equatorial Indian Ocean and southern Bay of Bengal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Xuhua; McCreary, Julian P.; Qiu, Bo; Qi, Yiquan; Du, Yan

2017-05-01

Intraseasonal-to-semiannual variability of sea-surface height (SSH) in the eastern, equatorial Indian Ocean (EEIO) and southern Bay of Bengal (BoB) is investigated using altimetric data, and solutions to 1½ layer (first baroclinic mode) and linear, continuously stratified (LCS; multibaroclinic-mode) models. The amplitude and dominant periods of SSH variability differ regionally. Large-amplitude variability is found along the west coast of Sumatra, in a zonal band across the BoB centered along 5°N, east of Sri Lanka, and in the northwestern BoB, respectively. Along the Sumatran west coast, SSH variability peaks at 30-60, 90, and 180 days. Along 5°N and east of Sri Lanka, the 30-60 day variability is dominant. Sensitivity experiments using a nonlinear version of the 1½ layer model forced by realistic winds reproduce the observed patterns of intraseasonal variability in the southern BoB. At 30-60 days, the solutions show that eddies (nonlinear Rossby waves) propagating from the east, rather than local wind forcing, account for most of the variance east of Sri Lanka; furthermore, they demonstrate that the variance is significantly enhanced by the nonlinear transfer of 90-120 day energy into the intraseasonal band of 30-60 days. The LCS solutions show that the first two baroclinic modes explain most of the SSH variance at 90-180 days. The second baroclinic mode dominates the SSH variance at 180 days, a consequence of basin resonance and strong wind forcing.

Decrements in lung function related to arsenic in drinking water in West Bengal, India.

PubMed

von Ehrenstein, Ondine S; Mazumder, D N Guha; Yuan, Yan; Samanta, Sambit; Balmes, John; Sil, Arabinda; Ghosh, Nilima; Hira-Smith, Meera; Haque, Reina; Purushothamam, Radhika; Lahiri, Sarbari; Das, Subhankar; Smith, Allan H

2005-09-15

During 1998-2000, the authors investigated relations between lung function, respiratory symptoms, and arsenic in drinking water among 287 study participants, including 132 with arsenic-caused skin lesions, in West Bengal, India. The source population involved 7,683 participants who had been surveyed for arsenic-related skin lesions in 1995-1996. Respiratory symptoms were increased among men with arsenic-caused skin lesions (versus those without lesions), particularly "shortness of breath at night" (odds ratio (OR) = 2.8, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1, 7.6) and "morning cough" (OR = 2.8, 95% CI: 1.2, 6.6) in smokers and "shortness of breath ever" (OR = 3.8, 95% CI: 0.7, 20.6) in nonsmokers. Among men with skin lesions, the average adjusted forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) was reduced by 256.2 ml (95% CI: 113.9, 398.4; p < 0.001) and the average adjusted forced vital capacity (FVC) was reduced by 287.8 ml (95% CI: 134.9, 440.8; p < 0.001). In men, a 100-microg/liter increase in arsenic level was associated with a 45.0-ml decrease (95% CI: 6.2, 83.9) in FEV1 (p = 0.02) and a 41.4-ml decrease (95% CI: -0.7, 83.5) in FVC (p = 0.054). Women had lower risks than men of developing skin lesions and showed little evidence of respiratory effects. In this study, consumption of arsenic-contaminated water was associated with respiratory symptoms and reduced lung function in men, especially among those with arsenic-related skin lesions.

Educating for the future: adolescent girls' health and education in West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Rees, Chris A; Long, Katelyn N; Gray, Bobbi; West, Joshua H; Chanani, Sheila; Spielberg, Freya; Crookston, Benjamin T

2012-01-01

Adolescent girls in India carry a disproportionate burden of health and social risks; girls that do not finish secondary education are more likely to have an earlier age of sexual initiation, engage in risky sexual behavior, and consequentially be at greater risk of dying from pregnancy-related causes. This paper presents a comparison of girls in school and girls not in school from 665 participants in rural West Bengal, India. The social cognitive theory (SCT), a comprehensive theoretical model, was used as a framework to describe the personal, behavioral, and environmental factors affecting the lives of these adolescent girls. There were significant differences between girls in and out of school in all three categories of the SCT; girls in school were more likely to have heard of sexually transmitted diseases or infections than girls not in school (p<0.0001). Girls in school were also more likely than girls not in school to boil water before drinking (p=0.0078), and girls in school lived in dwellings with 2.3 rooms on average, whereas girls not in school lived in dwellings with only 1.7 rooms (p<0.0001). Indian adolescent girls who are not in school are disadvantaged both economically and by their lack of health knowledge and proper health behaviors when compared with girls who are still in school. In addition, to programs to keep girls in school, efforts should also be made to provide informal education to girls not in school to improve their health knowledge and behaviors.

A physiological exploration on operational stance and occupational musculoskeletal problem manifestations amongst construction labourers of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Chatterjee, Arijit; Sahu, Subhashis

2018-03-29

A huge number of labourers engaged in construction industry in India both in organized and unorganized sectors. The construction labourers most often work for an extended period of time and they are compelled to uphold altered static and dynamic operational stance in awkward positions during the complete period of work which raises the demand on the musculoskeletal system and may lead to work related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs). This study is intended to explore the operational stance and occupation related musculoskeletal manifestations amongst the construction labourers. One sixty four male labourers from different construction sites of West Bengal was randomly taken for this study. A modified Nordic questionnaire on MSD and the 12 item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ12) were administered on the construction labourers. Rapid Entire Body Assessment [REBA] and Ovako Work Analysis System [OWAS] methods were applied to analyze the operational stance. Finally, discomfort levels of the specific operational stance were calculated by the use of risk level and BPD scale. From the study it was revealed that most of the construction labourers habitually in awkward operational stance and were affected by altering musculoskeletal manifestations like pain in low back, neck, and wrist. It has been also found that there is a significant (p< 0.05) association between the intensity of pain feeling, age, year of working experience and risk level of the individual working postures of the labourers. Appropriate work-rest schedule, amendments of some working techniques and use of some ergonomically designed equipment may lessen the WRMSDs and improve the health eminence of construction labourers in unorganized sectors.

Students' perception of quality of medical education in a medical college in west Bengal, India.

PubMed

Mukhopadhyay, Dipta Kanti

2016-01-01

Students' perceived quality of educational service is an important field of educational research. To identify the gaps in the quality of educational services as perceived by students in a medical college in West Bengal, India. In a cross-sectional study, educational quality was measured using validated SERVQUAL instrument between two randomly selected groups of undergraduate medical students (n = 179). This five-point Likert scale questionnaire measured the expectation and perception of students on 26 items under five dimensions of quality of educational services, viz., tangible (physical facilities, equipment, and appearance of personnel), reliability (accuracy and consistency of a department in providing educational services), responsiveness (eagerness to help and commitment), assurance (ability of teaching departments to earn students' confidence), and empathy (ability to communicate care and understanding). Dimension-wise difference in the mean scores for expectation and perception was calculated and was considered as quality gaps in educational services. Significant negative quality gaps were noted in all five dimensions. The highest gap was found in tangible (-1.67) followed by empathy (-1.64) although the mean score of perceived quality in the dimension of empathy was the lowest (2.53). This indicates the need for improvement in physical facilities as well as behavior of teachers and staff toward students. The smallest gap was noted in the dimension of assurance (-1.29), which indicates the students' overall confidence in teaching departments regarding their management or content expertise. These findings underscore students' aspiration for the overall improvement of educational services that can be taken into consideration during development planning.

Performance evaluation of PPTCT (Prevention of parent to child transmission of HIV) programme: An experience from West Bengal

PubMed Central

Mukherjee, Shuvankar; Ghosh, Santanu; Goswami, Dipendra Narayan; Samanta, Amrita

2012-01-01

Background & objectives: Prevention of parent-to-child transmission (PPTCT) services are an integral part of National AIDS Control Programme and their critical appraisal is necessary for improving quality care. The present study was conducted to evaluate the performance of PPTCT services in West Bengal during April, 2008 - March 2009 and April 2009 - March 2010 and identify gaps in service delivery for making suitable recommendations. Methods: Data were collected from the Computerized Management Information System and validated by cross-checking records at each district. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted among programme managers, counsellors and antenatal women attending the Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres. Performance indicators and outcomes of FGDs were analyzed. Results: The proportion of antenatal women tested declined in 2009-2010 from 2008-2009 (64.3 to 63.8%). Proportions of counseled cases also declined (72.5 vs. 68.4%). HIV positivity rates among those tested were 0.13 and 0.14 per cent, respectively in two years. Proportion of mother-baby pairs receiving nevirapine prophylaxis was increased by 5 per cent. Medical colleges, and category A districts having high HIV prevalence provided better services. Follow up services of HIV-exposed birth cohorts were grossly unsatisfactory. Interpretation & conclusions: Gaps were identified at each step of service delivery for which capacity building, improvement of infrastructure including laboratory services and ensuring emergency labour room testing up to the sub-district level were imperative. Outsourcing follow up services to other community based organizations may also be considered. PMID:23391798

Issues around childhood disclosure of HIV status - findings from a qualitative study in West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Das, A; Detels, R; Javanbakht, M; Panda, S

2016-07-01

Informing the children living with HIV (CLH) about their disease (disclosure) is important from the perspective of disease treatment and overall psychosocial development. There are no published studies that qualitatively explored HIV disclosure-related issues among CLH in India. Our aim was to provide insights into the perceptions of informal caregivers of CLH regarding childhood disclosure. Children were defined as those aged <16 years. In-depth interviews were conducted with 34 primary caregivers of CLH aged 8 to 15 years old who were residing in West Bengal, India. The participants were recruited with the help of a community-based organization that provides need-based services to people living with HIV. We obtained caregivers' perspectives on the motivators and barriers of childhood disclosure. Health benefits such as medication adherence emerged as an important motivator, while distress caused by disclosure and potential for stigma were identified as barriers. Health care providers were the preferred disclosers for most caregivers, followed by the caregivers themselves. Some caregivers wanted their child to learn about his/her HIV status by him/herself. There was no consensus among the caregivers about the ideal age for disclosure. Many preferred to wait until the child attained maturity or was of marriageable age. Disclosure of HIV status to children is an emotional issue, both for the caregiver and the child. Like most low-or middle-income countries, no standardized, age-appropriate disclosure guidelines exist in India. Our findings advocate adoption of a multi-faceted approach, including increased availability of social and familial support, for childhood HIV disclosure. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Hypertension, Prehypertension and Normotension among Police Personnel in a District of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Mallik, Debabrata; Mukhopadhyay, Dipta Kanti; Kumar, Pranav; Sinhababu, Apurba

2014-11-01

We conducted the present study to assess the prevalence of hypertension, prehypertension, normotension and the associated factors along with awareness, treatment and control of hypertension among police personnel in Bankura, West Bengal, India. We collected information on individual, lifestyle, service-related and anthropometric characteristics of 1817 police personnel. We also measured blood pressure (BP) and plasma glucose level of the participants. Individuals were classified as hypertensive (BP ≥ 140/ 90 mmHg), prehypertensive (BP 120-139/ 80-89 mmHg) and normotensive (BP < 120/ 80 mmHg) on the basis of BP and their prevalence were expressed in percentages. Relation of individual, lifestyle, service-related and anthropometric characteristics with hypertension and/or prehypertension was examined with binary logistic regression. Prevalence of hypertension, prehypertension and normotension are 41.9%, 42.9% and 15.2% respectively. Even one-quarter of below 40 years subjects have hypertension. Mean BP remains in the prehypertensive range. Prevalence of hypertension and mean BP increases with age. Cardiovascular risk factors show clustering in higher age and with hypertension. Older age group, male gender, abdominal obesity, diabetes and service length are positively associated with hypertension and/or prehypertension. Around 40% of hypertensive knew their status, three-quarter of aware subjects received treatment and only one-third of treated subjects have controlled BP (< 140/ 90 mmHg). High prevalence of hypertension and prehypertension, high mean BP, mean age above 40 years and clustering of other risk factors pose a greater risk of cardiovascular morbidity in the current study population.

Relationship between Nutritional Support and Tuberculosis Treatment Outcomes in West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Samuel, Blesson; Volkmann, Tyson; Cornelius, Sushma; Mukhopadhay, Sugata; MejoJose; Mitra, Kaushik; Kumar, Ajay M V; Oeltmann, John E; Parija, Sidhajyoti; Prabhakaran, Aslesh Ottapura; Moonan, Patrick K; Chadha, Vineet K

2016-12-01

Poverty and poor nutrition are associated with the risk of developing tuberculosis (TB). Socioeconomic factors may interfere with anti-tuberculosis treatment compliance and its outcome. We examined whether providing nutritional support (monthly supply of rice and lentil beans) to TB patients who live below the poverty line was associated with TB treatment outcome. This was a retrospective cohort study of sputum smear-positive pulmonary TB patients living below the poverty line (income of <$1.25 per day) registered for anti-tuberculosis treatment in two rural districts of West Bengal, India during 2012 to 2013. We compared treatment outcomes among patients who received nutritional support with those who did not. A log-binomial regression model was used to assess the relation between nutritional support and unsuccessful treatment outcome (loss-to-follow-up, treatment failure and death). Of 173 TB patients provided nutritional support, 15 (9%) had unsuccessful treatment outcomes, while 84 (21%) of the 400 not provided nutrition support had unsuccessful treatment outcomes (p < 0.001). After adjusting for age, sex and previous treatment, those who received nutritional support had a 50% reduced risk of unsuccessful treatment outcome than those who did not receive nutritional support (Relative Risk: 0.51; 95% Confidence Intervals: 0.30 - 0.86). Under programmatic conditions, monthly rations of rice and lentils were associated with lower risk of unsuccessful treatment outcome among impoverished TB patients. Given the relatively small financial commitment needed per patient ($10 per patient per month), the national TB programme should consider scaling up nutritional support among TB patients living below the poverty line.

Relationship between Nutritional Support and Tuberculosis Treatment Outcomes in West Bengal, India

PubMed Central

Samuel, Blesson; Volkmann, Tyson; Cornelius, Sushma; Mukhopadhay, Sugata; MejoJose; Mitra, Kaushik; Kumar, Ajay M. V.; Oeltmann, John E.; Parija, Sidhajyoti; Prabhakaran, Aslesh Ottapura; Moonan, Patrick K.; Chadha, Vineet K.

2016-01-01

Introduction Poverty and poor nutrition are associated with the risk of developing tuberculosis (TB). Socioeconomic factors may interfere with anti-tuberculosis treatment compliance and its outcome. We examined whether providing nutritional support (monthly supply of rice and lentil beans) to TB patients who live below the poverty line was associated with TB treatment outcome. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of sputum smear-positive pulmonary TB patients living below the poverty line (income of <$1.25 per day) registered for anti-tuberculosis treatment in two rural districts of West Bengal, India during 2012 to 2013. We compared treatment outcomes among patients who received nutritional support with those who did not. A log-binomial regression model was used to assess the relation between nutritional support and unsuccessful treatment outcome (loss-to-follow-up, treatment failure and death). Results Of 173 TB patients provided nutritional support, 15 (9%) had unsuccessful treatment outcomes, while 84 (21%) of the 400 not provided nutrition support had unsuccessful treatment outcomes (p < 0.001). After adjusting for age, sex and previous treatment, those who received nutritional support had a 50% reduced risk of unsuccessful treatment outcome than those who did not receive nutritional support (Relative Risk: 0.51; 95% Confidence Intervals: 0.30 - 0.86). Conclusion Under programmatic conditions, monthly rations of rice and lentils were associated with lower risk of unsuccessful treatment outcome among impoverished TB patients. Given the relatively small financial commitment needed per patient ($10 per patient per month), the national TB programme should consider scaling up nutritional support among TB patients living below the poverty line. PMID:28042591

High arsenic groundwater: mobilization, metabolism and mitigation--an overview in the Bengal Delta Plain.

PubMed

Bhattacharyya, Rupa; Chatterjee, Debashis; Nath, Bibhash; Jana, Joydev; Jacks, Gunnar; Vahter, Marie

2003-11-01

The widespread occurrence of high inorganic arsenic in natural waters is attributed to human carcinogen and is identified as a major global public health issue. The scale of the problem in terms of population exposure (36 million) and geographical area coverage (173 x 10(3) Km2) to high arsenic contaminated groundwater (50-3200 microgL(-1)) compared to the National drinking water standard (50 microgL(-1)) and WHO recommended provisional limit (10 microgL(-1)) is greatest in the Holocene alluvium and deltaic aquifers of the Bengal Delta Plain (Bangladesh and West Bengal, India). This large-scale 'natural' high arsenic groundwater poses a great threat to human health via drinking water. Mobilization, metabolism and mitigation issues of high arsenic groundwater are complex and need holistic approach for sustainable development of the resource. Mobilization depends on the redox geochemistry of arsenic that plays a vital role in the release and subsequent transport of arsenic in groundwater. Metabolism narrates the biological response vis-à-vis clinical manifestations of arsenic due to various chemical and biological factors. Mitigation includes alternative source for safe drinking water supply. Drinking water quality regulatory standards as well as guidelines are yet to cover risk assessments for such metal toxicity. Lowering of the ingested inorganic arsenic level and introduction of newer treatment options (implementation of laterite, the natural material) to ensure safe water supply (arsenic free and/or low arsenic within permissible limit) are the urgent need to safe guard the mass arsenic poisoning and internal arsenic related health problems.

Spatial and temporal analysis of a 17-year lightning climatology over Bangladesh with LIS data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dewan, Ashraf; Ongee, Emmanuel T.; Rahman, Md. Masudur; Mahmood, Rezaul; Yamane, Yusuke

2017-10-01

Using NASA's TRMM Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) data from 1998 to 2014, this paper presents a 17-year lightning climatology of Bangladesh, at 0.5° × 0.5° spatial resolution. Diurnal, seasonal, monthly and annual variations in the occurrence of lightning flashes were explored. The diurnal regime of lightning is dominated by afternoon/evening events. Overall, peak lightning activity occurs in the early morning (0200 LST) and evening (1900 LST). The distribution of lightning flash counts by season over Bangladesh landmass is as follows: pre-monsoon (69.2%), monsoon (24.1%), post-monsoon (4.6%) and winter (2.1%). Flash rate density (FRD) hotspots were primarily located in the north and north-eastern parts of Bangladesh, with a maximum of 72 fl km-2 year-1. Spatially, the distribution of FRD increases from the Bay of Bengal in the south to relatively higher elevations (of the Himalayan foothills) in the north. A spatial shift in FRD hotspots occurs with change in season. For example, in monsoon season, hotspots of lightning activity move in a south-westerly direction from their pre-monsoon location (i.e. north-eastern Bangladesh) towards West Bengal in India. South and south-eastern parts of Bangladesh experience high lightning activity during post-monsoon season due to regional orographic lifting and low-pressure systems (i.e. cyclone) in the Bay of Bengal. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study focused on LIS-based lightning climatology over Bangladesh. This baseline study, therefore, is an essential first step towards effective management of lightning-related hazards in Bangladesh.

Effect of arsenic contaminated drinking water on human chromosome: a case study.

PubMed

Singh, Asha Lata; Singh, Vipin Kumar; Srivastava, Anushree

2013-10-01

Arsenic contamination of ground water has become a serious problem all over the world. Large number of people from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal of India are suffering due to consumption of arsenic contaminated drinking water. Study was carried out on 30 individuals residing in Ballia District, UP where the maximum concentration of arsenic was observed around 0.37 ppm in drinking water. Blood samples were collected from them to find out the problem related with arsenic. Cytogenetic study of the blood samples indicates that out of 30, two persons developed Klinefelter syndrome.

Effect of Monsoon on spatio-temporal variation of groundwater chemistry and stable isotopic signatures: insights for concomitant arsenic mobilization in West Bengal, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majumder, S.; Datta, S.; Nath, B.; Neidhardt, H.; Roman-Ross, G.; Berner, Z.; Hidalgo, M.; Chatterjee, D.; Sarkar, S.

2017-12-01

Large-scale groundwater abstraction was hypothesized to be one of the important factors controlling release and distribution of arsenic (As) in aquifers of Bengal Basin. In this study, we studied the groundwater/surface water geochemistry of two different geomorphic domains within the Chakdaha Block, West Bengal, to identify potential influences of groundwater withdrawal on the hydrochemical evolution of the aquifer. This has been done as a function of different water inputs (monsoon rain, irrigation and downward percolation from surface water impoundments) to the groundwater system and associated As mobilization. A low-land flood plain (with relatively more reducing aquifer) and a natural levee (less reducing aquifer) have been chosen for this purpose. The stable isotopic signatures of oxygen (δ18O) and hydrogen (δ2H) falls sub-parallel to the Global Meteoric Water Line (GMWL), with precipitation and subsequent evaporation seems to be the major controlling factor on the water isotopic composition. This shows a contribution of evaporation influenced water, derived from various surface water bodies, pointing at large-scale groundwater withdrawal helping drawdown of the evaporated surface water. In case of flood plain wells, the stable isotope composition and the Cl/Br molar ratio in local groundwater have revealed vertical recharge within the flood plain area to be the major recharge process, especially during the post-monsoon season. However, both evaporation and vertical mixing are visibly controlling the groundwater recharge in the natural levee area. A possible inflow of organic carbon to the aquifer during the monsoonal recharge process is noticeable, with an increase in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration from 1.33 to 6.29 mg/L on passing from pre- to post-monsoon season. Concomitant increase in AsT, Fe(II) and HCO3- during the post monsoon season, being more pronounced in the flood plain samples, indicates a possible initial episode of reductive dissolution of As-rich Fe-oxihydroxides. The subsequent increase in As(III) (> 200%) proportions relative to the overall concentration of AsT (7%), may refer to anaerobic microbial degradation of DOC coupled with the reduction of As(V) to As(III) without triggering additional As release from the aquifer sediments.

Simulations of Cyclone Sidr in the Bay of Bengal with a High-Resolution Model: Sensitivity to Large-Scale Boundary Forcing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kumar, Anil; Done, James; Dudhia, Jimy; Niyogi, Dev

2011-01-01

The predictability of Cyclone Sidr in the Bay of Bengal was explored in terms of track and intensity using the Advanced Research Hurricane Weather Research Forecast (AHW) model. This constitutes the first application of the AHW over an area that lies outside the region of the North Atlantic for which this model was developed and tested. Several experiments were conducted to understand the possible contributing factors that affected Sidr s intensity and track simulation by varying the initial start time and domain size. Results show that Sidr s track was strongly controlled by the synoptic flow at the 500-hPa level, seen especially due to the strong mid-latitude westerly over north-central India. A 96-h forecast produced westerly winds over north-central India at the 500-hPa level that were notably weaker; this likely caused the modeled cyclone track to drift from the observed actual track. Reducing the model domain size reduced model error in the synoptic-scale winds at 500 hPa and produced an improved cyclone track. Specifically, the cyclone track appeared to be sensitive to the upstream synoptic flow, and was, therefore, sensitive to the location of the western boundary of the domain. However, cyclone intensity remained largely unaffected by this synoptic wind error at the 500-hPa level. Comparison of the high resolution, moving nested domain with a single coarser resolution domain showed little difference in tracks, but resulted in significantly different intensities. Experiments on the domain size with regard to the total precipitation simulated by the model showed that precipitation patterns and 10-m surface winds were also different. This was mainly due to the mid-latitude westerly flow across the west side of the model domain. The analysis also suggested that the total precipitation pattern and track was unchanged when the domain was extended toward the east, north, and south. Furthermore, this highlights our conclusion that Sidr was influenced from the west side of the domain. The displacement error was significantly reduced after the domain size from the western model boundary was decreased. Study results demonstrate the capability and need of a high-resolution mesoscale modeling framework for simulating the complex interactions that contribute to the formation of tropical cyclones over the Bay of Bengal region

Elevated arsenic and manganese in groundwaters of Murshidabad, West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Sankar, M S; Vega, M A; Defoe, P P; Kibria, M G; Ford, S; Telfeyan, K; Neal, A; Mohajerin, T J; Hettiarachchi, G M; Barua, S; Hobson, C; Johannesson, K; Datta, S

2014-08-01

High levels of geogenic arsenic (As) and manganese (Mn) in drinking water has led to widespread health problems for the population of West Bengal, India. Here we delineate the extent of occurrences of As and Mn in Murshidabad, where the contaminated aquifers occur at shallow depths between 35 and 40 m and where access to safe drinking water is a critical issue for the local population. A total of 78 well-water samples were taken in 4 blocks on either side of the river Bhagirathi: Nabagram and Kandi (west, Pleistocene sediments), Hariharpara and Beldanga (east, Holocene sediments). High As, total iron (FeT) and low Mn concentrations were found in waters from the Holocene gray sediment aquifers east of the river Bhagirathi, while the opposite was found in the Pleistocene reddish-brown aquifer west of the river Bhagirathi in Murshidabad. Speciation of As in water samples from Holocene sediments revealed the dominant species to be As(III), with ratios of As(III):AsT ranging from 0.55 to 0.98 (average 0.74). There were indications from saturation index estimations that Mn solubility is limited by the precipitation of MnCO3. Tubewells from high As areas in proximity to anthropogenic waste influx sources showing high molar Cl/Br ratios, low SO4(2-) and low NO3(-) demonstrate relatively lower As concentrations, thereby reducing As pollution in those wells. Analyses of core samples (2 in each of the blocks) drilled to a depth of 45 m indicate that there is no significant variation in bulk As (5-20mg/kg) between the Holocene and Pleistocene sediments, indicating that favorable subsurface redox conditions conducive to mobilization are responsible for the release of As. The same applies to Mn, but concentrations vary more widely (20-2000 mg/kg). Sequential extraction of Holocene sediments showed As to be associated with 'specifically sorbed-phosphate-extractable' phases (10-15%) and with 'amorphous and well crystalline Fe-oxyhydroxide' phases (around 37%) at As-contaminated well depths, suggesting that the main As release mechanisms could be either competitive ion exchange with PO4(3-), or the dissolution of Fe oxyhydroxides. In the Pleistocene sediments Mn is predominantly found in the easily exchangeable fraction. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Spatial variation of chemical constituents from the burning of commonly used biomass fuels in rural areas of the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP), India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saud, T.; Saxena, M.; Singh, D. P.; Saraswati; Dahiya, Manisha; Sharma, S. K.; Datta, A.; Gadi, Ranu; Mandal, T. K.

2013-06-01

In the present paper, we have determined emission factor of chemical composition of the emission from the burning of biomass (e.g. Dung cake, Acacia, Neem, Mulberry, Indian Rosewood, Pigeon pea etc.) commonly used as a residential fuel in the rural sector of Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) (Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal), India. For comparison, we have selected only those biomass fuels, which are used in at least three of the above mentioned states. Dung cake from all the states reports highest emission of particulate matter (PM) (15.68 g kg-1), Organic Carbon (OC) (4.32 g kg-1) and Elemental Carbon (EC) (0.51 g kg-1). Among all biomass fuels studied, agricultural residue reports substantial amount of emission of Na+ (104 mg kg-1), K+ (331 mg kg-1) and Cl- (447 mg kg-1) particularly in Pigeon pea and Mustard stem. Eucalyptus (fuel wood) emits large amounts of Ca2+ (21.47 mg kg-1) and NO3- (614 mg kg-1). The emission of PM from dung cake is higher in Delhi (19.31 g kg-1) and followed by Uttar Pradesh (17.58 g kg-1) > Haryana (15.46 g kg-1) > Bihar (14.99 g kg-1) > Punjab (12.06 g kg-1) > West Bengal (5.90 g kg-1). Carbonaceous aerosols (OC and EC) and dominant Ionic species (Cl-, K+, SO42-, NO3- and PO43-) are altogether contributing 40-70% of total emissions. Characteristics and ratios of chemical species of emissions may help to develop a methodology of discriminating the sources of ambient particulate matter. Using a laboratory determined emission factor of chemical species, we have determined the emission budget over IGP, India.

Issues around childhood disclosure of HIV status – findings from a qualitative study in West Bengal, India

PubMed Central

Das, A.; Detels, R.; Javanbakht, M.; Panda, S.

2016-01-01

Introduction Informing the children living with HIV (CLH) about their disease (disclosure) is important from the perspective of disease treatment and overall psychosocial development. There are no published studies that qualitatively explored HIV disclosure-related issues among CLH in India. Our aim was to provide insights into the perceptions of informal caregivers of CLH regarding childhood disclosure. Methods Children were defined as those aged <16 years. In-depth interviews were conducted with 34 primary caregivers of CLH aged 8 to 15 years old who were residing in West Bengal, India. The participants were recruited with the help of a community-based organization that provides need-based services to people living with HIV. Results We obtained caregivers’ perspectives on the motivators and barriers of childhood disclosure. Health benefits such as medication adherence emerged as an important motivator, while distress caused by disclosure and potential for stigma were identified as barriers. Health care providers were the preferred disclosers for most caregivers, followed by the caregivers themselves. Some caregivers wanted their child to learn about his/her HIV status by him/herself. There was no consensus among the caregivers about the ideal age for disclosure. Many preferred to wait until the child attained maturity or was of marriageable age. Discussion Disclosure of HIV status to children is an emotional issue, both for the caregiver and the child. Like most low-or middle-income countries, no standardized, age-appropriate disclosure guidelines exist in India. Our findings advocate adoption of a multi-faceted approach, including increased availability of social and familial support, for childhood HIV disclosure. PMID:27116937

Pethia aurea (Teleostei: Cyprinidae), a new species of barb from West Bengal, India, with redescription of P. gelius and P. canius.

PubMed

Knight, J D Marcus

2013-01-01

Fishes currently assigned to Pethia gelius Hamilton from West Bengal are shown to belong to a closely-related group of three species: P gelius, its erstwhile synonym P canius Hamilton and a new species, P aurea. The three species are distinguished from all other species of Pethia by having the lateral line incomplete, with 3-4 pored scales; 20-26 scales in lateral series on body; ½4-5/l/2-3½ scales in transverse line on body; 8-9 predorsal scales; barbels absent and by a unique colour pattern consisting of two or three black blotches on the body (which, however, fade on preservation), the first behind the opercle, the second beneath the origin of the dorsal fin, extending to the mid-lateral region, and the third above the origin of the anal fin. A black spot is also present at the base of the dorsal and anal fins. Additionally, P gelius is distinguished by having the last unbranched dorsal-fin ray thick, straight, serrated, with 20-25 serrae on its posterior margin; a snout length of 6.1-8.4% standard length (SL); a body depth of 32.6-37.7% SL; and a dorsal-fin height of 19.4-22.8% SL. Pethia canius is additionally distinguished by having a snout length of 8.9-11.8% SL; a body depth of 28.1-32.2% SL; and dorsal-fin height of 26.9-32.8% SL. Pethia aurea, new species, is additionally distinguished from all its congeners by having ½5/1/3-3½ scales in transverse line on body; 9 pre-dorsal scales; and last unbranched dorsal-fin ray slender, serrated, with 19-22 serrae on posterior margin.

Magnitude, types and sex differentials of aggressive behaviour among school children in a rural area of West Bengal.

PubMed

Dutt, Debashis; Pandey, Girish Kumar; Pal, Dipak; Hazra, Suprakas; Dey, Tushar Kanti

2013-04-01

Aggression affects academic learning and emotional development, can damage school climate and if not controlled early and may precipitate extreme violence in the future. (1) To determine the magnitude and types of aggressive behavior in school children. (2) To identify the influence of age and sex on aggressive behavior. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Anandanagar High School, Singur village, West Bengal. Participants were 161 boys and 177 girls of classes VII to IX. The students were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire indicating the types of aggressive behavior by them in the previous month and to assess themselves with reference to statements indicating verbal/physical aggression. Overall, 66.5% of the children were physically aggressive in the previous month: Boys 75.8%, girls 58.2% (P = 0.001); 56.8% were verbally aggressive: Boys 55.2%, girls 61% (P = 0.97). Verbal indirect passive aggression was more common among girls (55.3%) than among boys (22.3%) (P = 0.000 [1.17E(-09)]). Boys were more liable to physical aggression, viz. 60.2% of the boys would hit on provocation compared with only 9% of the girls (P = 0.000 [6.6E(-23)]). Regarding attributes indicating verbal aggression, girls were more argumentative (63.8%) than boys (55.2%) (P = 0.134) and disagreeing (41.8%) compared with boys (33.5%) (P = 0.145). With increasing age/class, physical direct active aggression decreased while physical indirect passive and verbal indirect passive aggression increased. No classes had been taken on anger control/management by school the authorities. Aggressive behavior was common both among boys and girls. Life skills education/counseling/classroom management strategies are recommended.

Factors affecting the work productivity of Oraon agricultural laborers of Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal.

PubMed

Roy, Subrata K

2002-03-01

In developing countries like India, where the incidence of protein-calorie malnutrition is high and mechanization is at a minimum, human labor provides much of the power for physical activity. This study presents anthropometric measurements, somatotypes, food intakes, energy expenditures, and work outputs of Oraon agricultural laborers of the Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal, in an attempt to identify the factors that predict high work productivity. Specifically, this study investigates 1) the relationship between morphological variation (anthropometric measurements and somatotype) and work productivity, 2) the nature and extent of the relationship between nutritional status and work productivity, and 3) the best predictor variables of work output. Classification of groups on the basis of median values of work output show that in the aggregate, the high productive groups are significantly younger than low-productive groups in both sexes. Before age-adjustment, the high productive groups show higher mean values of a few body dimensions, though these differ by sex, and both males and females exhibit a normal range of blood pressure and pulse rate values. Mean values of grip strength and back strength are higher in high-output men and women. Mean values of both food intake and energy expenditure are also higher among men in high-output groups, with only food intake higher in high-output women. However, after eliminating the effects of age, the differences between low-productive groups and high-productive groups in most of the variables are not significant. Productivity predictors in males consist of age, food intake and chest girth (inhalation). Females, on the other hand, show age and grip strength (left) as work output predictors. Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The Effectiveness of Sanitary Inspections as a Risk Assessment Tool for Thermotolerant Coliform Bacteria Contamination of Rural Drinking Water: A Review of Data from West Bengal, India

PubMed Central

Snoad, Christian; Nagel, Corey; Bhattacharya, Animesh; Thomas, Evan

2017-01-01

The use of sanitary inspections combined with periodic water quality testing has been recommended in some cases as screening tools for fecal contamination. We conducted sanitary inspections and tested for thermotolerant coliforms (TTCs), a fecal indicator bacteria, among 7,317 unique water sources in West Bengal, India. Our results indicate that the sanitary inspection score has poor ability to identify TTC-contaminated sources. Among deep and shallow hand pumps, the area under curve (AUC) for prediction of TTC > 0 was 0.58 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.53–0.61) and 0.58 (95% CI = 0.54–0.62), respectively, indicating that the sanitary inspection score was only marginally better than chance in discriminating between contaminated and uncontaminated sources of this type. A slightly higher AUC value of 0.64 (95% CI=0.57–0.71) was observed when the sanitary inspection score was used for prediction of TTC > 0 among the gravity-fed piped sources. Among unprotected springs (AUC = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.38–0.55) and unprotected dug wells (AUC = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.20–0.66), the sanitary inspection score performed more poorly than chance in discriminating between sites with TTC < 1 and TTC > 0. Aggregating over all source types, the sensitivity (true positive rate) of a high/very high sanitary inspection score for TTC contamination (TTC > 1 CFU/100 mL) was 29.4% and the specificity (true negative rate) was 77.9%, resulting in substantial misclassification of the sites when using the established risk categories. These findings suggest that sanitary surveys are inappropriate screening tools for identifying TTC contamination at water points. PMID:28115676

Hydrogeologic and hydraulic characterization of aquifer and nonaquifer layers in a lateritic terrain (West Bengal, India)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biswal, Sabinaya; Jha, Madan K.; Sharma, Shashi P.

2018-02-01

The hydrogeologic and hydraulic characteristics of a lateritic terrain in West Bengal, India, were investigated. Test drilling was conducted at ten sites and grain-size distribution curves (GSDCs) were prepared for 275 geologic samples. Performance evaluation of eight grain-size-analysis (GSA) methods was carried out to estimate the hydraulic conductivity (K) of subsurface formations. Finally, the GSA results were validated against pumping-test data. The GSDCs indicated that shallow aquifer layers are coarser than the deeper aquifer layers (uniformity coefficient 0.19-11.4). Stratigraphy analysis revealed that both shallow and deep aquifers of varying thickness exist at depths 9-40 and 40-79 m, respectively. The mean K estimates by the GSA methods are 3.62-292.86 m/day for shallow aquifer layers and 0.97-209.93 m/day for the deeper aquifer layers, suggesting significant aquifer heterogeneity. Pumping-test data indicated that the deeper aquifers are leaky confined with transmissivity 122.69-693.79 m2/day, storage coefficient 1.01 × 10-7-2.13 × 10-4 and leakance 2.01 × 10-7-34.56 × 10-2 day-1. Although the K values yielded by the GSA methods are generally larger than those obtained from the pumping tests, the Slichter, Harleman and US Bureau Reclamation (USBR) GSA methods yielded reasonable values at most of the sites (1-3 times higher than K estimates by the pumping-test method). In conclusion, more reliable aquifers exist at deeper depths that can be tapped for dependable water supply. GSA methods such as Slichter, Harleman and USBR can be used for the preliminary assessment of K in lateritic terrains in the absence of reliable field methods.

Size-fractionation of groundwater arsenic in alluvial aquifers of West Bengal, India: the role of organic and inorganic colloids.

PubMed

Majumder, Santanu; Nath, Bibhash; Sarkar, Simita; Chatterjee, Debashis; Roman-Ross, Gabriela; Hidalgo, Manuela

2014-01-15

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and Fe mineral phases are known to influence the mobility of arsenic (As) in groundwater. Arsenic can be associated with colloidal particles containing organic matter and Fe. Currently, no data is available on the dissolved phase/colloidal association of As in groundwater of alluvial aquifers in West Bengal, India. This study investigated the fractional distribution of As (and other metals/metalloids) among the particulate, colloidal and dissolved phases in groundwater to decipher controlling behavior of organic and inorganic colloids on As mobility. The result shows that 83-94% of As remained in the 'truly dissolved' phases (i.e., <0.05 μm size). Strong positive correlation between Fe and As (r(2) between 0.65 and 0.94) is mainly observed in the larger (i.e., >0.05 μm size) colloidal particles, which indicates the close association of As with larger Fe-rich inorganic colloids. In smaller (i.e., <0.05 μm size) colloidal particles strong positive correlation is observed between As and DOC (r(2)=0.85), which highlights the close association of As with smaller organic colloids. As(III) is mainly associated with larger inorganic colloids, whereas, As(V) is associated with smaller organic/organometallic colloids. Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy confirm the association of As with DOC and Fe mineral phases suggesting the formation of dissolved organo-Fe complexes and colloidal organo-Fe oxide phases. Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy further confirms the formation of As-Fe-NOM organometallic colloids, however, a detailed study of these types of colloids in natural waters is necessary to underpin their controlling behavior. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Risk factors associated with default among tuberculosis patients in Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Roy, Nirmalya; Basu, Mausumi; Das, Sibasis; Mandal, Amitava; Dutt, Debashis; Dasgupta, Samir

2015-01-01

The treatment outcome "default" under Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP) is a patient who after treatment initiation has interrupted treatment consecutively for more than 2 months. To assess the timing, characteristics and distribution of the reasons for default with relation to some sociodemographic variables among new sputum-positive (NSP) tuberculosis (TB) patients in Darjeeling District, West Bengal. A case-control study was conducted in three tuberculosis units (TUs) of Darjeeling from August'2011 to December'2011 among NSP TB patients enrolled for treatment in the TB register from 1(st) Qtr'09 to 2(nd) Qtr'10. Patients defaulted from treatment were considered as "cases" and those completed treatment as "controls" (79 cases and 79 controls). The enrolled cases and controls were interviewed by the health workers using a predesigned structured pro-forma. Logistic regression analysis, odds ratios (OR), adjusted odds ratios (AOR). 75% of the default occurred in the intensive phase (IP); 54.24% retrieval action was done within 1 day during IP and 75% within 1 week during continuation phase (CP); cent percent of the documented retrieval actions were undertaken by the contractual TB program staffs. Most commonly cited reasons for default were alcohol consumption (29.11%), adverse effects of drugs (25.32%), and long distance of DOT center (21.52%). In the logistic regression analysis, the factors independently associated were consumption of alcohol, inadequate knowledge about TB, inadequate patient provider interaction, instances of missed doses, adverse reactions of anti-TB drugs, Government Directly Observed Treatment (DOT) provider and smoking. Most defaults occurred in the intensive phase; pre-treatment counseling and initial home visit play very important role in this regard. Proper counseling by health care workers in patient provider meeting is needed.

Risk factors associated with default among retreatment tuberculosis patients on DOTS in Paschim Medinipur district (West Bengal).

PubMed

Sarangi, S S; Dutt, D

2014-07-01

In India in 2010, 14.1% of retreatment of TB patients' treatment outcome was 'default'. Since 2002, in Paschim Midnapur District (West Bengal), it has been around 15-20%. To determine the timing, characteristics and risk factors associated with default among retreatment TB patients on DOTS. It was a case control study, conducted in six TB units (TU) of Paschim Midnapur District, which were selected by simple random sampling. Data was collected from treatment records of TUs/DTC. Data was also collected through interviews of the patients using the same pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire from 87 defaulters and 86 consecutively registered non-defaulters registered in first quarter, 2009 to second quarter, 2010. Median duration of treatment taken before default was 121 days (inter-quartile range of 64-176 days). Median number of doses of treatment taken before default was 36 (inter -quartile range of 26-63 doses). No retrieval action was documented in 57.5% cases. Retrieval was done between 0-7 days of missed doses in 29.9% cases. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated the following important risk factors for default at 95% confidence interval: male-sex limit: [aOR 3.957 (1.162-13.469)], alcoholic inebriation[ aOR6.076 (2.088-17.675)], distance from DOT centre [aOR 4.066 (1.675-9.872)], number of missed doses during treatment [aOR 1.849 (1.282-2.669)] and no initial home visit [aOR 10.607 (2.286 -49.221)]. In Paschim Midnapur district, default of retreatment TB occurs mostly after a few doses in continuation phase. Initial home visit, patient provider meeting, retrieval action, community-based treatment as per RNTCP guidelines are required to uplift the programme.

Pattern of domestic violence amongst non-fatal deliberate self-harm attempters: A study from primary care of West Bengal.

PubMed

Chowdhury, Arabinda N; Brahma, Arabinda; Banerjee, S; Biswas, M K

2009-04-01

Evaluation of various clinico-demographic variables and pattern of domestic violence in non-fatal deliberate self-harm (DSH) attempters admitted in 3 Block Primary Health Centers (BPHC) of Sundarban region of West Bengal, India in the year 2002. A prospective study of 89 DSH cases admitted at 3 Sundarban BPHCs by using a specially designed DSH register and a questionnaire on domestic violence in Bengali along with detail clinical interview. Among the total of 89 DSH cases (23 male and 66 female), young (less than 30 years), female sex, low education and married status constituted major part of the sample. Pesticide poisoning was the commonest mode of DSH attempt. Typical stressors found were marital conflict or conflict with in-laws or guardian. A majority of DSH attempters (69.6%) experienced more than one form of domestic violence. Poverty and unemployment in the family were strongly associated with domestic violence. Among female DSH attempters, the most common perpetrator was husband (48.48%) followed by in-laws (16.67%) and parent (34.78%) was the most common perpetrator among males. Both DSH and domestic violence are serious socio-clinical issue of a major public health concern in the Sundarban region. Stressful life situations and various types of victimizations in the family intermixed with easy availability of lethal pesticides in this agriculture dependent community may facilitate the impulse of self-harm behavior, especially among the young housewives. Timely psychosocial intervention through community psychiatry program may mitigate the impact of psycho-cultural stressors and thus may help to reduce the morbidity and mortality from DSH.

Source and chemical species characterization of PM10 and human health risk assessment of semi-urban, urban and industrial areas of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Ghosh, Suraj; Rabha, Rumi; Chowdhury, Mallika; Padhy, Pratap Kumar

2018-09-01

Levels of particulate matter of size ten micron (PM 10 ) in outdoor air, potential PM 10 -bound seven metals - manganese, zinc, cadmium, lead, copper, nickel and cobalt - and twelve water-soluble organic and inorganic ionic components - fluoride, acetate, chloride, nitrite, bromide, nitrate, phosphate, sulfate, oxalate, sodium, potassium and calcium - were investigated during two different season. Atmospheric PM 10 samples were collected concurrently from three different sites, i.e., Durgapur (Industrial), Berhampore (Urban) and Bolpur (Semi-urban), West Bengal, India, during summer (April-June 2014) and winter (December 2014-February 2015). Average PM 10 levels were found to be in the range of 189.58-219.96 μg/m 3 at the semi-urban site, 293.41-324.27 μg/m 3 at the urban site and 316.93-344.69 μg/m 3 at the industrial site during summer and winter season respectively. Data on metals and water soluble ions were analyzed statistically (Principal Component Analysis and Factor Analysis) for their source identification and apportionment in the study areas. Principle component analysis models, from three different sites, identified four different factors which share common sources, viz., soil & road re-suspension, motor vehicle and traffic, waste dumping, biomass aerosols, and construction. The pollution load and health risk assessments of selected metals were undertaken in three different sites, within children and adults of the study areas, and were found to be within the safe range. Furthermore, an attempt has also been made to provide basic information on pollution, their sources and exposure pathways for humans in the vicinity of semi-urban, urban and industrial regions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pattern of domestic violence amongst non-fatal deliberate self-harm attempters: A study from primary care of West Bengal

PubMed Central

Chowdhury, Arabinda N.; Brahma, Arabinda; Banerjee, S.; Biswas, M. K.

2009-01-01

Objective: Evaluation of various clinico-demographic variables and pattern of domestic violence in non-fatal deliberate self-harm (DSH) attempters admitted in 3 Block Primary Health Centers (BPHC) of Sundarban region of West Bengal, India in the year 2002. Materials and Methods: A prospective study of 89 DSH cases admitted at 3 Sundarban BPHCs by using a specially designed DSH register and a questionnaire on domestic violence in Bengali along with detail clinical interview. Results: Among the total of 89 DSH cases (23 male and 66 female), young (less than 30 years), female sex, low education and married status constituted major part of the sample. Pesticide poisoning was the commonest mode of DSH attempt. Typical stressors found were marital conflict or conflict with in-laws or guardian. A majority of DSH attempters (69.6%) experienced more than one form of domestic violence. Poverty and unemployment in the family were strongly associated with domestic violence. Among female DSH attempters, the most common perpetrator was husband (48.48%) followed by in-laws (16.67%) and parent (34.78%) was the most common perpetrator among males. Conclusion: Both DSH and domestic violence are serious socio-clinical issue of a major public health concern in the Sundarban region. Stressful life situations and various types of victimizations in the family intermixed with easy availability of lethal pesticides in this agriculture dependent community may facilitate the impulse of self-harm behavior, especially among the young housewives. Timely psychosocial intervention through community psychiatry program may mitigate the impact of psycho-cultural stressors and thus may help to reduce the morbidity and mortality from DSH. PMID:19823627

Characterization of arsenic resistant bacteria from arsenic rich groundwater of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Sarkar, Angana; Kazy, Sufia K; Sar, Pinaki

2013-03-01

Sixty-four arsenic (As) resistant bacteria isolated from an arsenic rich groundwater sample of West Bengal were characterized to investigate their potential role in subsurface arsenic mobilization. Among the isolated strains predominance of genera Agrobacterium/Rhizobium, Ochrobactrum and Achromobacter which could grow chemolitrophically and utilize arsenic as electron donor were detected. Higher tolerance to As(3+) [maximum tolerable concentration (MTC): ≥10 mM], As(5+) (MTC: ≥100 mM) and other heavy metals like Cu(2+), Cr(2+), Ni(2+) etc. (MTC: ≥10 mM), presence of arsenate reductase and siderophore was frequently observed among the isolates. Ability to produce arsenite oxidase and phosphatase enzyme was detected in 50 and 34 % of the isolates, respectively. Although no direct correlation among taxonomic identity of bacterial strains and their metabolic abilities as mentioned above was apparent, several isolates affiliated to genera Ochrobactrum, Achromobacter and unclassified Rhizobiaceae members were found to be highly resistant to As(3+) and As(5+) and positive for all the test properties. Arsenate reductase activity was found to be conferred by arsC gene, which in many strains was coupled with arsenite efflux gene arsB as well. Phylogenetic incongruence between the 16S rRNA and ars genes lineages indicated possible incidence of horizontal gene transfer for ars genes. Based on the results we propose that under the prevailing low nutrient condition inhabitant bacteria capable of using inorganic electron donors play a synergistic role wherein siderophores and phosphatase activities facilitate the release of sediment bound As(5+), which is subsequently reduced by arsenate reductase resulting into the mobilization of As(3+) in groundwater.

Promotion of well-switching to mitigate the current arsenic crisis in Bangladesh.

PubMed Central

Van Geen, Alexander; Ahsan, Habibul; Horneman, Allan H.; Dhar, Ratan K.; Zheng, Yan; Hussain, Iftikhhar; Ahmed, Kazi Matin; Gelman, Andrew; Stute, Martin; Simpson, H. James; Wallace, Sean; Small, Christopher; Parvez, Faruque; Slavkovich, Vesna; Loiacono, Nancy J.; Becker, Marck; Cheng, Zhongqi; Momotaj, Hassina; Shahnewaz, Mohammad; Seddique, Ashraf Ali; Graziano, Joseph H.

2002-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To survey tube wells and households in Araihazar upazila, Bangladesh, to set the stage for a long-term epidemiological study of the consequences of chronic arsenic exposure. METHODS: Water samples and household data were collected over a period of 4 months in 2000 from 4997 contiguous tube wells serving a population of 55000, the position of each well being determined to within +/- 30 m using Global Positioning System receivers. Arsenic concentrations were determined by graphite-furnace atomic-absorption spectrometry. In addition, groundwater samples collected every 2 weeks for an entire year from six tube wells were analysed for arsenic by high-resolution inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. FINDINGS: Half of the wells surveyed in Araihazar had been installed in the previous 5 years; 94% were privately owned. Only about 48% of the surveyed wells supplied water with an arsenic content below 50 micro g/l, the current Bangladesh standard for drinking-water. Similar to other regions of Bangladesh and West Bengal, India, the distribution of arsenic in Araihazar is spatially highly variable (range: 5-860 micro g/l) and therefore difficult to predict. Because of this variability, however, close to 90% of the inhabitants live within 100 m of a safe well. Monitoring of six tube wells currently meeting the 50 micro g/l standard showed no indication of a seasonal cycle in arsenic concentrations coupled to the hydrological cycle. This suggests that well-switching is a viable option in Araihazar, at least for the short term. CONCLUSIONS: Well-switching should be more systematically encouraged in Araihazar and many other parts of Bangladesh and West Bengal, India. Social barriers to well-switching need to be better understood and, if possible, overcome. PMID:12378292

A comparative evaluation of dental caries status among hearing-impaired and normal children of Malda, West Bengal, evaluated with the Caries Assessment Spectrum and Treatment.

PubMed

Kar, Sudipta; Kundu, Goutam; Maiti, Shyamal Kumar; Ghosh, Chiranjit; Bazmi, Badruddin Ahamed; Mukhopadhyay, Santanu

2016-01-01

Dental caries is one of the major modern-day diseases of dental hard tissue. It may affect both normal and hearing-impaired children. This study is aimed to evaluate and compare the prevalence of dental caries in hearing-impaired and normal children of Malda, West Bengal, utilizing the Caries Assessment Spectrum and Treatment (CAST). In a cross-sectional, case-control study of dental caries status of 6-12-year-old children was assessed. Statistically significant difference was found in studied (hearing-impaired) and control group (normal children). In the present study, caries affected hearing-impaired children found to be about 30.51% compared to 15.81% in normal children, and the result was statistically significant. Regarding individual caries assessment criteria, nearly all subgroups reflect statistically significant difference except sealed tooth structure group, internal caries-related discoloration in dentin, and distinct cavitation into dentine group, and the result is significant at P < 0.05. Statistical analysis was carried out utilizing Z-test. Statistically significant difference was found in studied (hearing-impaired) and control group (normal children). In the present study, caries effected hearing-impaired children found about 30.51% instead of 15.81% in normal children, and the result was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Regarding individual caries assessment criteria, nearly all subgroups reflect statistically significant difference except sealed tooth structure group, internal caries-related discoloration in dentin, and distinct cavitation into dentine group. Dental health of hearing-impaired children was found unsatisfactory than normal children when studied in relation to dental caries status evaluated with CAST.

Arsenicosis and its relationship with nutritional status in two arsenic affected areas of West Bengal, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samal, Alok Chandra; Kar, Sandeep; Maity, Jyoti Prakash; Santra, Subhas Chandra

2013-11-01

Incidence of chronic arsenicosis in the lower Gangetic plain has led to intensive research on arsenic (As) contamination in groundwater and potential health crisis associated with exposure to groundwater As. Arsenic toxicity of local inhabitants and their nutritional status were investigated in two As affected villages (Nonaghata and Doulatpur) of West Bengal, India. Population-based case study on randomly selected subjects was used to assess chronic As exposure through medical evaluation and individual health survey. Groundwater As concentrations were found as high as 870 μg/L and 1752 μg/L in Nonaghata and Doulatpur respectively at a depth 50-100 ft. In Nonaghata, 26.7% of people (among 385 surveyed) showed dermatological manifestation and As skin lesions were dominant in age group of 15-30 and 30-45 years old. In both the age groups, cases of melanosis were higher (22.5% and 31.5%) compared to keratosis (15.4% and 12.5%). In Doulatpur 27.4% of people (among 440 surveyed) was found with dermatological manifestations and As skin lesions were dominant in age group of 15-30 and 30-45 years old. Cases of melanosis are higher (27.2% and 31.4%) compared to keratosis (10.8% and 30.7%) in these two age groups. Assessment on calories intake (mainly carbohydrate and protein) by local inhabitants showed that 67.5% and 66.8% people of these two villages belongs to poor nutrition. Assessment of odds ratios (OR) suggested that the stronger associations were with low nutrition which may increase susceptibility to arsenical skin lesions. Thus it is a matter of concern that nutritional status may be an important factor causing prevalence of As toxicity among local inhabitants.

Using community health workers to refer pregnant women and young children to health care facilities in rural West Bengal, India: A prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Wagner, Abram L; Xia, Lu; Ghosh, Aparna; Datta, Sandip; Pandey, Priyamvada; Santra, Sujay; Chattopadhyay, Sharmila; Nandi, Uddip; Mazumder, Tanusree; Joshi, Sucheta; Pal, Joyojeet; Mukherjee, Bhramar

2018-01-01

Community health workers (CHWs) have been placed in many rural areas in India to increase villagers' connections to basic preventive health care. In this study, we describe how pregnant women and mothers of young children react when CHWs inform them that they, or their child, are at high risk of pregnancy-related complications or early childhood developmental delays, and further screening and health care from a physician is recommended. In this longitudinal study in rural villages in West Bengal, India, pregnant mothers, as well as mothers of children aged 12-24 months, were screened for high risk complications. They were re-contacted and asked questions regarding how and to what extent did visits by the CHWs improve their household's overall health behavior, along with details about what additional care, if any, they sought. These responses are presented by different demographic and medical characteristics. Of the 231 pregnant women, all said they had sought additional care in response to the CHW visit, and all stated that feedback from the CHW resulted in improvement to their health behaviors. Most (90%) pregnant women gave birth at an institution. Among the 213 mothers of young children who were followed up, all sought additional care in response to the CHW's visit. Most (67%) mentioned that they had a significant improvement in their health behaviors following feedback from the CHW, and the rest stated that they had some improvement. With the proper training, CHWs can be partners in health care to improve the health of vulnerable populations, not only in rural areas of India, but also in other developing countries. CHWs can promote positive health outcomes in their villages of residence.

Polymorphisms in voltage-gated sodium channel gene and susceptibility of Aedes albopictus to insecticides in three districts of northern West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Chatterjee, Moytrey; Ballav, Sudeep; Maji, Ardhendu K; Basu, Nandita; Sarkar, Biplab Chandra; Saha, Pabitra

2018-01-01

The control and prevention of dengue largely depends on vector control measures, environmental management, and personal protection. Dengue control programmes are facing great challenges due to development of insecticide resistance among vector mosquitoes. Information on susceptibility status to different insecticides is important for national programmes to formulate vector control strategies. We have studied the larval susceptibility of Aedes albopictus to temephos and adult susceptibility to 4% DDT, 0.05% deltamethrin, and 5% malathion as per WHO protocols in the northern districts of West Bengal. Polymorphisms in the VGSC gene were studied by direct sequencing of PCR products. The Ae. albopictus larval population showed sensitive [Resistance Ratio (RR99)<3] to moderate levels of resistance (510) to temephos at different study sites. Adult bioassay results revealed that Ae. albopictus was highly resistant to DDT [Corrected Mortality (CM) < 90%] in all the study sites and susceptible to deltamethrin and malathion (CM > 98%), except in Dhupguri where a low level of resistance to deltamethrin (CM = 96.25%) was recorded. None of the six important kdr mutations (S953P, I975M/V, L978, V980G, F1474C, D1703Y) were found in the VGSC of studied mosquitoes, but we identified 11 synonymous and 1 non-synonymous mutation in the VGSC gene. The higher susceptibility level to deltamethrin and malathion, along with the absence of important kdr mutations indicates that these two insecticides are still effective against Ae. albopictus in the study areas. The susceptibility status of temephos should be monitored closely as low to moderate levels of resistance were observed in few sites. A similar study is recommended for monitoring and early detection of insecticide resistance in other parts of the country.

Does Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram ensure cost-free institutional delivery? A cross-sectional study in rural Bankura of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Mondal, Janmenjoy; Mukhopadhyay, Dipta Kanti; Mukhopadhyay, Sujishnu; Sinhababu, Apurba

2015-01-01

Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) was launched in India to ensure cost-free institutional delivery. 1) To assess the awareness of recently delivered women regarding JSSK 2) To estimate the cost of institutional delivery and its differentials. A community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted in a rural community in Bankura, West Bengal, India in 2013, among 210 women who delivered babies in the last 12 months. Information regarding sociodemographic and health service-related variables as well as item-wise costs incurred for institutional delivery were collected. Costs were expressed in Indian National Rupee (INR). A nonparametric, bivariate analysis was performed to examine the difference in median cost. All components of JSSK were known to 12.9% women; the highest (77.1%) for admission and lowest (29.0%) for blood transfusion. The median (±IQR) costs of delivery in the Block level Primary Health Center (PHC), medical college, and private facilities were INR 205.0 (±825.0), 900.0 (±1013.0), and 6600.0 (±16195.0), respectively. Median cost of normal delivery in a private facility (INR 2750.0) was 3.6 times of that in a government facility (INR 765.0). Median direct cost of caesarian section (CS) in a government facility (INR 1100.0) was nearly one-fifteenth of that in a private facility (INR 16,350.0). Cash incentives under Janani Suraksha Yojana for poor and socially marginalized women could not cover the cost of CS delivery in a government facility. Gaps existed in the awareness of beneficiaries regarding entitlement under JSSK. Drugs and transport were two major causes of out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure in public health facilities.

Adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy in a tertiary care hospital in West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Saha, Rajib; Saha, Indranil; Sarkar, Aditya Prasad; Das, Dilip Kumar; Misra, Raghunath; Bhattacharya, Krishnadas; Roy, Rabindra Nath; Bhattacharya, Abantika

2014-02-01

The introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) has led to the reduction of mortality and the improvement of the quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). The present study was conducted to determine the pattern of adherence to HAART among PLWHA, and to assess the factor(s) affecting nonadherence, if any. This study was a hospital-based analytical, cross-sectional epidemiological study conducted between July and October 2011. A total of 370 adult HIV-positive patients registered in the Antiretroviral Therapy Centre of Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, West Bengal, India, were included. Nonadherence was defined as missing at least a single dose of medicine within the last four days. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 19.0 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY, USA). A total of 87.6% of patients were found to be adherent to HAART. Principal causes of nonadherence were forgetting to take medicine (70.2%), being away from home (65.2%), and busyness with other things (64.7%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that nonadherence was significantly associated with a positive family history of HIV/AIDS (odds ratio [OR] 16; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.2-114.3; p = 0.01), occurrence of side effects with HAART (OR 9.81; 95% CI 1.9-51.7; p = 0.01) and employment (OR 5.93; 95% CI 1.5-23.2; p = 0.01). Although overall adherence was high, the factors that affect nonadherence can be addressed with proper counselling and motivation of patients and their family members. Adherence to HAART could delay the progression of this lethal disease and minimise the risk of developing drug resistance.

Generic versus branded medicines: An observational study among patients with chronic diseases attending a public hospital outpatient department

PubMed Central

Das, Manisha; Choudhury, Supriyo; Maity, Somnath; Hazra, Avijit; Pradhan, Tirthankar; Pal, Aishee; Roy, Ranendra Kumar

2017-01-01

Background: The concept of generic prescription is widely accepted in various parts of the world. Nevertheless, it has failed to gain popularity in India due to factors such as nonavailability and distrust on the product quality. However, since 2012, the Government of West Bengal, India, has initiated exclusive generic drug outlets called “fair price medicine shop” (FPMS) inside the government hospital premises in a “public-private-partnership” model. This study was undertaken to evaluate the experience and attitude of patients who were consuming generic drugs purchased from these FPMS. Materials and Methods: It was a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study where we have interviewed 100 patients each consuming generic and branded drugs, respectively. The perceived effectiveness, reported safety, medication adherence, cost of therapy, and availability of drugs was compared between two mentioned groups. Medication adherence was estimated through Drug Attitude Inventory-10. Results: 93% of generic and 87% branded drug users believed that their drugs were effective (P = 0.238) in controlling their ailments. No significant difference (9% generic, 10% branded drug users, P = 1.000) was observed in reported adverse effects between generic and branded drug users. 82% and 77% of patients were adherent generic and branded drugs, respectively (P = 0.289). As expected, a significantly lower cost of generic drugs was observed compared to its branded counterpart. Conclusion: The policy of FPMS implemented by the Government of West Bengal, India appeared to be promising in terms of perceived effectiveness, safety, and adherence of generic drugs from FPMS compared to drugs purchased from open market retailers. Therefore, this study might act as an impetus for the policy-makers to initiate similar models across the country. PMID:28250671

The Effectiveness of Sanitary Inspections as a Risk Assessment Tool for Thermotolerant Coliform Bacteria Contamination of Rural Drinking Water: A Review of Data from West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Snoad, Christian; Nagel, Corey; Bhattacharya, Animesh; Thomas, Evan

2017-04-01

AbstractThe use of sanitary inspections combined with periodic water quality testing has been recommended in some cases as screening tools for fecal contamination. We conducted sanitary inspections and tested for thermotolerant coliforms (TTCs), a fecal indicator bacteria, among 7,317 unique water sources in West Bengal, India. Our results indicate that the sanitary inspection score has poor ability to identify TTC-contaminated sources. Among deep and shallow hand pumps, the area under curve (AUC) for prediction of TTC > 0 was 0.58 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.53-0.61) and 0.58 (95% CI = 0.54-0.62), respectively, indicating that the sanitary inspection score was only marginally better than chance in discriminating between contaminated and uncontaminated sources of this type. A slightly higher AUC value of 0.64 (95% CI=0.57-0.71) was observed when the sanitary inspection score was used for prediction of TTC > 0 among the gravity-fed piped sources. Among unprotected springs (AUC = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.38-0.55) and unprotected dug wells (AUC = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.20-0.66), the sanitary inspection score performed more poorly than chance in discriminating between sites with TTC < 1 and TTC > 0. Aggregating over all source types, the sensitivity (true positive rate) of a high/very high sanitary inspection score for TTC contamination (TTC > 1 CFU/100 mL) was 29.4% and the specificity (true negative rate) was 77.9%, resulting in substantial misclassification of the sites when using the established risk categories. These findings suggest that sanitary surveys are inappropriate screening tools for identifying TTC contamination at water points.

Prospecting Russula senecis: a delicacy among the tribes of West Bengal

PubMed Central

Khatua, Somanjana; Dutta, Arun Kumar

2015-01-01

Russula senecis, a worldwide distributed mushroom, is exclusively popular among the tribal communities of West Bengal for food purposes. The present study focuses on its reliable taxonomic identification through macro- and micro-morphological features, DNA barcoding, confirmation of its systematic placement by phylogenetic analyses, myco-chemicals and functional activities. For the first time, the complete Internal Transcribed Spacer region of R. senecis has been sequenced and its taxonomic position within subsection Foetentinae under series Ingratae of the subgen. Ingratula is confirmed through phylogenetic analysis. For exploration of its medicinal properties, dried basidiocarps were subjected for preparation of a heat stable phenol rich extract (RusePre) using water and ethanol as solvent system. The antioxidant activity was evaluated through hydroxyl radical scavenging (EC50 5 µg/ml), chelating ability of ferrous ion (EC50 0.158 mg/ml), DPPH radical scavenging (EC50 1.34 mg/ml), reducing power (EC50 2.495 mg/ml) and total antioxidant activity methods (13.44 µg ascorbic acid equivalent/mg of extract). RusePre exhibited antimicrobial potentiality against Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, different parameters were tested to investigate its chemical composition, which revealed the presence of appreciable quantity of phenolic compounds, along with carotenoids and ascorbic acid. HPLC-UV fingerprint indicated the probable existence of at least 13 phenolics, of which 10 were identified (pyrogallol > kaempferol > quercetin > chlorogenic acid > ferulic acid, cinnamic acid > vanillic acid > salicylic acid > p-coumaric acid > gallic acid). Result from the present work suggests that the fraction, RusePre, may open novel prospect as a functional ingredient in antioxidant supplements and in drugs to treat infectious disease. PMID:25780764

Arsenic accumulation in native plants of West Bengal, India: prospects for phytoremediation but concerns with the use of medicinal plants.

PubMed

Tripathi, Preeti; Dwivedi, Sanjay; Mishra, Aradhana; Kumar, Amit; Dave, Richa; Srivastava, Sudhakar; Shukla, Mridul Kumar; Srivastava, Pankaj Kumar; Chakrabarty, Debasis; Trivedi, Prabodh Kumar; Tripathi, Rudra Deo

2012-05-01

Arsenic (As) is a widespread environmental and food chain contaminant and class I, non-threshold carcinogen. Plants accumulate As due to ionic mimicry that is of importance as a measure of phytoremediation but of concern due to the use of plants in alternative medicine. The present study investigated As accumulation in native plants including some medicinal plants, from three districts [Chinsurah (Hoogly), Porbosthali (Bardhman), and Birnagar (Nadia)] of West Bengal, India, having a history of As pollution. A site-specific response was observed for Specific Arsenic Uptake (SAU; mg kg(-1) dw) in total number of 13 (8 aquatic and 5 terrestrial) collected plants. SAU was higher in aquatic plants (5-60 mg kg(-1) dw) than in terrestrial species (4-19 mg kg(-1) dw). The level of As was lower in medicinal plants (MPs) than in non-medicinal plants, however it was still beyond the WHO permissible limit (1 mg kg(-1) dw). The concentration of other elements (Cu, Zn, Se, and Pb) was found to be within prescribed limits in medicinal plants (MP). Among the aquatic plants, Marsilea showed the highest SAU (avg. 45 mg kg(-1) dw), however, transfer factor (TF) of As was the maximum in Centella asiatica (MP, avg. 1). Among the terrestrial plants, the maximum SAU and TF were demonstrated by Alternanthera ficoidea (avg. 15) and Phyllanthus amarus (MP, avg. 1.27), respectively. In conclusion, the direct use of MP or their by products for humans should not be practiced without proper regulation. In other way, one fern species (Marsilea) and some aquatic plants (Eichhornia crassipes and Cyperus difformis) might be suitable candidates for As phytoremediation of paddy fields.

Status of groundwater arsenic contamination in all 17 blocks of Nadia district in the state of West Bengal, India: A 23-year study report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahman, Mohammad Mahmudur; Mondal, Debapriya; Das, Bhaskar; Sengupta, Mrinal Kumar; Ahamed, Sad; Hossain, M. Amir; Samal, Alok Chandra; Saha, Kshitish Chandra; Mukherjee, Subhash Chandra; Dutta, Rathindra Nath; Chakraborti, Dipankar

2014-10-01

A comprehensive study was conducted in Nadia, one of the nine arsenic (As) affected districts in West Bengal, India to determine the extent and severity of groundwater As contamination and its health effects in particular, dermatological effects and neurological complications. We collected 28,947 hand tube-well water samples from all 17 blocks of Nadia district and analyzed for As by the flow injection-hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometer (FI-HG-AAS). We found 51.4% and 17.3% of the tube-wells had As above 10 and 50 μg/L, respectively and observed that groundwater of all 17 blocks contained As above 50 μg/L with maximum observed level of 3200 μg/L. We estimated that about 2.1 million and 0.6 million people could be drinking As contaminated water above 10 and 50 μg/L, respectively, while 0.048 million could be at risk of drinking As-contaminated water above 300 μg/L, the concentration predicted to cause overt arsenical skin lesions. We screened 15,153 villagers from 50 villages and registered 1077 with arsenical skin lesions resulting in a prevalence rate of 7.1%. Analyzing 2671 biological samples (hair, nail and urine), from people with and without arsenical skin symptoms we found 95% of the samples had As above the normal level, indicating many people in Nadia district are sub-clinically affected. Arsenical neuropathy was observed in 33% of 255 arsenicosis patients with 28.2% prevalence for predominant sensory neuropathy and 4.7% for sensorimotor. As groundwater is still the main source of drinking water, targeting low-As aquifers and switching tube-well from unsafe to nearby safe sources are two visible options to obtain safe drinking water.

Hydrogeochemical contrast between brown and grey sand aquifers in shallow depth of Bengal Basin: consequences for sustainable drinking water supply.

PubMed

Biswas, Ashis; Nath, Bibhash; Bhattacharya, Prosun; Halder, Dipti; Kundu, Amit K; Mandal, Ujjal; Mukherjee, Abhijit; Chatterjee, Debashis; Mörth, Carl-Magnus; Jacks, Gunnar

2012-08-01

Delineation of safe aquifer(s) that can be targeted by cheap drilling technology for tubewell (TW) installation becomes highly imperative to ensure access to safe and sustainable drinking water sources for the arsenic (As) affected population in Bengal Basin. This study investigates the potentiality of brown sand aquifers (BSA) as a safe drinking water source by characterizing its hydrogeochemical contrast to grey sand aquifers (GSA) within shallow depth (<70 m) over an area of 100 km(2) in Chakdaha Block of Nadia district, West Bengal, India. The results indicate that despite close similarity in major ion composition, the redox condition is markedly different in groundwater of the two studied aquifers. The redox condition in the BSA is delineated to be Mn oxy-hydroxide reducing, not sufficiently lowered for As mobilization into groundwater. In contrast, the enrichments of NH(4)(+), PO(4)(3-), Fe and As along with lower Eh in groundwater of GSA reflect reductive dissolution of Fe oxy-hydroxide coupled to microbially mediated oxidation of organic matter as the prevailing redox process causing As mobilization into groundwater of this aquifer type. In some portions of GSA the redox status even has reached to the stage of SO(4)(2-) reduction, which to some extent might sequester dissolved As from groundwater by co-precipitation with authigenic pyrite. Despite having low concentration of As in groundwater of the BSA the concentration of Mn often exceeds the drinking water guidelines, which warrants rigorous assessment of attendant health risk for Mn prior to considering mass scale exploitation of the BSA for possible sustainable drinking water supply. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Aqueous and solid phase speciation of arsenic in a Bengali aquifer using IC-ICP-MS and EXAFS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gault, A. G.; Davidson, L. E.; Lythgoe, P. R.; Charnock, J. M.; Chatterjee, D.; Abou-Shakra, F. R.; Walker, H. J.; Polya, D. A.

2003-04-01

Contamination of groundwater and drinking water supplies with arsenic has been reported in many parts of the world and constitutes a serious public health threat. Nowhere is this more apparent than in West Bengal and Bangladesh where arsenic concentrations exceed both World Health Organisation (WHO) and national limits in drinking water supplies leading to what has been described as the worst mass poisoning of a human population in history. Knowledge of both aqueous and solid phase speciation of arsenic in such hazardous arsenic-rich groundwaters is crucial to understanding the processes controlling arsenic release. We report here preliminary work involving the determination of dissolved arsenic speciation in West Bengali groundwaters and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analysis of the associated sediment. Groundwater samples collected from Nadia district, West Bengal were analysed for arsenic speciation by ion chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (IC-ICP-MS) within 14 days of collection. Total arsenic concentrations exceeding 850 ug/L were determined; inorganic arsenic constituted the bulk of the dissolved arsenic burden with As(III) as the dominant form. Minor amounts of methylated arsenicals were also detected, however, their concentration did not exceed 5 ug/L. The local coordination environment of arsenic in sediment associated with such groundwaters was probed using K-edge As EXAFS. This revealed that arsenic exists predominantly in its oxidised form, As(V), most likely adsorbed as bidentate arsenate tetrahedra on metal (Fe and/or Al) oxide/hydroxide surfaces, although incorporation of arsenic into a metal oxide structure cannot be unequivocally ruled out. Arsenic was found to occur in several different coordination environments and this, together with the low concentration (< 5 ug/g) of arsenic in the sediment, prevented the unambiguous assignment of the second coordination sphere. The analysis of the trends of key groundwater constituents in our data suggest that arsenic is released due to the reductive dissolution of arsenic laden-hydrous ferric oxides, however, further work is required to fully evaluate the mode of arsenic release.

Missing girls and son preference in rural India: looking beyond popular myth.

PubMed

Bandyopadhyay, Mridula

2003-12-01

Survival chances of girls in parts of South and East Asia have been adverse. Female foeticide, infanticide, abandonment, out-adoption, under-reporting of female births, and selective neglect of girls leading to higher death rates, have contributed to this adversity. Here, I reflect on an observed skewed sex ratio at birth in rural West Bengal, and discuss female foeticide, infanticide, son preference, and abortion. More boys were recorded at birth, and the majority of women desired sons. Trajectories of selective neglect of and discrimination against daughters have been researched extensively, but the related issues of female foeticide and infanticide have been less examined.

Source Apportionment of the Size-Fractionated Urban Aerosols in and around Kolkata, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkar, Ujjaini; Haque, Monirul; Roy, Rajdeep; Chakraborty, Sanjoy

Our main objective was to estimate the heavy metals like the Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Aluminium, and Iron, in addition to ammonium, chloride, nitrate, and sulphate ions, by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry and Ion Chromatography and apportion the most probable sources using the Chemical Mass Balance Model. The three urban locations of Behala Chowrasta, Rabindra Sadan, and Shyam Bazaar Five Points were chosen within the city of Kolkata. One rural location was chosen at the Indian Institute of Technology campus, Kharagpur, a rural site in the Midnapur District of the state of West Bengal, India. The results look quite encouraging.

Interaction between rose bengal and different protein components.

PubMed

Tseng, S C; Zhang, S H

1995-07-01

Bindings of rose bengal to several proteins were determined by Sephadex G-75 chromatography. Their respective blocking effect against dye uptake was demonstrated in an assay using a rabbit corneal epithelial cell layer. The total binding capacity of nonmucin proteins was measured using fluorometry and Scatchard analysis. The results showed that albumin, lactoferrin, transferrin, and lysozyme could--but serum prealbumin, IgA, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and Sepharose 4B-purified porcine stomach mucin (PSM) could not--bind rose bengal. Lysozyme formed precipitates with rose bengal. Sufficient concentrations of albumin, lactoferrin, transferrin, or lysozyme premixed with rose bengal could block dye uptake by cells, but IgA and serum prealbumin could not. Premixed PSM was not as effective as precoated PSM in blocking dye uptake. The dissociation constant (Kd) was 1.2 x 10(-7) M, 3.6 x 10(-7) M, 3.9 x 10(-7) M, and 1.6 x 10(-6) M for albumin, transferrin, lactoferrin, and lysozyme, respectively. Based on these values, the total maximal binding capacity of nonmucin proteins in normal 7-microliters tears was extrapolated to be 0.249 micrograms rose bengal, which is too small to explain the negative staining of rose bengal on the normal ocular surface. Rose bengal, but not fluorescein, could interact with carbohydrate-containing Sephadex, CMC, and PSM to slow down its elution via Sephadex column chromatography. Therefore, the normal negative staining to rose bengal might be caused by the blocking effect of preocular mucus tear layer, which serves as a diffusion barrier. Rose bengal remains a unique dye for detecting the protective function of the preocular mucus tear.

Mucin characteristics of human corneal-limbal epithelial cells that exclude the rose bengal anionic dye.

PubMed

Argüeso, Pablo; Tisdale, Ann; Spurr-Michaud, Sandra; Sumiyoshi, Mika; Gipson, Ilene K

2006-01-01

Rose bengal is an organic anionic dye used to assess damage of the ocular surface epithelium in ocular surface disease. It has been proposed that mucins have a protective role, preventing rose bengal staining of normal ocular surface epithelial cells. The current study was undertaken to evaluate rose bengal staining in a human corneal-limbal epithelial (HCLE) cell line known to produce and glycosylate membrane-associated mucins. HCLE cells were grown to confluence in serum-free medium and switched to DMEM/F12 with 10% serum to promote differentiation. Immunolocalization of the membrane-associated mucins MUC1 and MUC16 and the T-antigen carbohydrate epitope was performed with the monoclonal antibodies HMFG-2 and OC125 and jacalin lectin, respectively. To assess dye uptake, cultures were incubated for 5 minutes with 0.1% rose bengal and photographed. To determine whether exclusion of negatively charged rose bengal requires a negative charge at the cell surface, cells were incubated with fluoresceinated cationized ferritin. The effect of hyperosmotic stress on rose bengal staining in vitro was evaluated by increasing the ion concentration (Ca+2 and Mg+2) in the rose bengal uptake assay. The cytoplasm and nucleus of confluent HCLE cells cultured in media without serum, lacking the expression of MUC16 but not MUC1, as well as human corneal fibroblasts, which do not express mucins, stained with rose bengal. Culture of HCLE cells in medium containing serum resulted in the formation of islands of stratified cells that excluded rose bengal. Apical cells of the stratified islands produced MUC16 and the T-antigen carbohydrate epitope on their apical surfaces. Colocalization experiments demonstrated that fluoresceinated cationized ferritin did not bind to these stratified cells, indicating that rose bengal is excluded from cells that lack negative charges. Increasing the amounts of divalent cations in the media reduced the cellular area protected against rose bengal uptake. These results indicate that stratification and differentiation of corneal epithelial cells, as measured by the capacity to produce the membrane-associated mucin MUC16 and the mucin-associated T-antigen carbohydrate on their apical surfaces provide protection against rose bengal penetrance in vitro and suggest a role for membrane-associated mucins and their oligosaccharides in the protection of ocular surface epithelia.

Mucin Characteristics of Human Corneal-Limbal Epithelial Cells that Exclude the Rose Bengal Anionic Dye

PubMed Central

Argüeso, Pablo; Tisdale, Ann; Spurr-Michaud, Sandra; Sumiyoshi, Mika; Gipson, Ilene K.

2005-01-01

Purpose Rose bengal is an organic anionic dye used to assess damage of the ocular surface epithelium in ocular surface disease. It has been proposed that mucins have a protective role, preventing rose bengal staining of normal ocular surface epithelial cells. The current study was undertaken to evaluate rose bengal staining in a human corneal-limbal epithelial (HCLE) cell line known to produce and glycosylate membrane-associated mucins. Methods HCLE cells were grown to confluence in serum-free medium and switched to DMEM/F12 with 10% serum to promote differentiation. Immunolocalization of the membrane-associated mucins MUC1 and MUC16 and the T-antigen carbohydrate epitope was performed with the monoclonal antibodies HMFG-2 and OC125 and jacalin lectin, respectively. To assess dye uptake, cultures were incubated for 5 minutes with 0.1% rose bengal and photographed. To determine whether exclusion of negatively charged rose bengal requires a negative charge at the cell surface, cells were incubated with fluoresceinated cationized ferritin. The effect of hyperosmotic stress on rose bengal staining in vitro was evaluated by increasing the ion concentration (Ca+2 and Mg+2) in the rose bengal uptake assay. Results The cytoplasm and nucleus of confluent HCLE cells cultured in media without serum, lacking the expression of MUC16 but not MUC1, as well as human corneal fibroblasts, which do not express mucins, stained with rose bengal. Culture of HCLE cells in medium containing serum resulted in the formation of islands of stratified cells that excluded rose bengal. Apical cells of the stratified islands produced MUC16 and the T-antigen carbohydrate epitope on their apical surfaces. Colocalization experiments demonstrated that fluoresceinated cationized ferritin did not bind to these stratified cells, indicating that rose bengal is excluded from cells that lack negative charges. Increasing the amounts of divalent cations in the media reduced the cellular area protected against rose bengal uptake. Conclusions These results indicate that stratification and differentiation of corneal epithelial cells, as measured by the capacity to produce the membrane-associated mucin MUC16 and the mucin-associated T-antigen carbohydrate on their apical surfaces provide protection against rose bengal penetrance in vitro and suggest a role for membrane-associated mucins and their oligosaccharides in the protection of ocular surface epithelia. PMID:16384952

An Efficient Composition for Bengal Lights.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Comet, M.; Schreyeck, L.; Fuzellier, H.

2002-01-01

Reports the discovery of an efficient base composition for making bengal lights that is obtained with potassium chlorate and thiourea. Combining this mixture with appropriate flame coloring can produce several impressive bengal lights. (DDR)

Cationic Phosphorus Dendrimer Enhances Photodynamic Activity of Rose Bengal against Basal Cell Carcinoma Cell Lines.

PubMed

Dabrzalska, Monika; Janaszewska, Anna; Zablocka, Maria; Mignani, Serge; Majoral, Jean Pierre; Klajnert-Maculewicz, Barbara

2017-05-01

In the last couple of decades, photodynamic therapy emerged as a useful tool in the treatment of basal cell carcinoma. However, it still meets limitations due to unfavorable properties of photosensitizers such as poor solubility or lack of selectivity. Dendrimers, polymers widely studied in biomedical field, may play a role as photosensitizer carriers and improve the efficacy of photodynamic treatment. Here, we describe the evaluation of an electrostatic complex of cationic phosphorus dendrimer and rose bengal in such aspects as singlet oxygen production, cellular uptake, and phototoxicity against three basal cell carcinoma cell lines. Rose bengal-cationic dendrimer complex in molar ratio 5:1 was compared to free rose bengal. Obtained results showed that the singlet oxygen production in aqueous medium was significantly higher for the complex than for free rose bengal. The cellular uptake of the complex was 2-7-fold higher compared to a free photosensitizer. Importantly, rose bengal, rose bengal-dendrimer complex, and dendrimer itself showed no dark toxicity against all three cell lines. Moreover, we observed that phototoxicity of the complex was remarkably enhanced presumably due to high cellular uptake. On the basis of the obtained results, we conclude that rose bengal-cationic dendrimer complex has a potential in photodynamic treatment of basal cell carcinoma.

A study on the activities of a few free radicals scavenging enzymes present in five roadside plants.

PubMed

Mandal, M; Mukherji, S

2001-10-01

The road side plants are continuously exposed to the high levels of oxides of nitrogen and sulphur dioxide, emitted from automobile. Resistance to automobile exhaust pollution was studied with Nerium indicum Mill, Boerhaavia diffusa L., Amaranthus spinosus L., Cephalandra indica Naud., and Tabernaemontana divaricata L., growing on the edges of Delhi Road, National Highway 2 (NH 2) near Dankuni, West Bengal. By analysing the activities of a few enzymes like superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase and phenolic peroxidase, it appears that among the five plants examined,Amaranthus and Cephalandra are equipped with a very good scavenging system to combat effects of air pollution.

Life cycle of a plant parasitic mite, Tetranychus sayedi Baker & Pitchard (Acari: Tetranychidae) on two hosts from West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Mondal, Sagata; Gupta, Salil Kumar

2017-09-01

The present paper reports duration of different developmental stages as well as fecundity, longevity, oviposition periods, sex ratio, etc. of Tetranychus sayedi Baker & Pitchard on two medicinal plants, viz. Cryptolepis buchanani Roem & Schult and Justicia adhatoda L. under laboratory condition at 27.5 °C and 65% R.H. during February-March, 2016. The two hosts in which the life cycle was studied form two new records of hosts for this mite. It appears that C. buchanani is better host among the two hosts as because the life cycle (egg to adult) was completed in shorter time, recording high fecundity and longer longevity.

Regional modeling of groundwater flow and arsenic transport in the Bengal Basin: challenges of scale and complexity (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michael, H. A.; Voss, C. I.

2009-12-01

Widespread arsenic poisoning is occurring in large areas of Bangladesh and West Bengal, India due to high arsenic levels in shallow groundwater, which is the primary source of irrigation and drinking water in the region. The high-arsenic groundwater exists in aquifers of the Bengal Basin, a huge sedimentary system approximately 500km x 500km wide and greater than 15km deep in places. Deeper groundwater (>150m) is nearly universally low in arsenic and a potential source of safe drinking water, but evaluation of its sustainability requires understanding of the entire, interconnected regional aquifer system. Numerical modeling of flow and arsenic transport in the basin introduces problems of scale: challenges in representing the system in enough detail to produce meaningful simulations and answer relevant questions while maintaining enough simplicity to understand controls on processes and operating within computational constraints. A regional groundwater flow and transport model of the Bengal Basin was constructed to assess the large-scale functioning of the deep groundwater flow system, the vulnerability of deep groundwater to pumping-induced migration from above, and the effect of chemical properties of sediments (sorption) on sustainability. The primary challenges include the very large spatial scale of the system, dynamic monsoonal hydrology (small temporal scale fluctuations), complex sedimentary architecture (small spatial scale heterogeneity), and a lack of reliable hydrologic and geologic data. The approach was simple. Detailed inputs were reduced to only those that affect the functioning of the deep flow system. Available data were used to estimate upscaled parameter values. Nested small-scale simulations were performed to determine the effects of the simplifications, which include treatment of the top boundary condition and transience, effects of small-scale heterogeneity, and effects of individual pumping wells. Simulation of arsenic transport at the large scale adds another element of complexity. Minimization of numerical oscillation and mass balance errors required experimentation with solvers and discretization. In the face of relatively few data in a very large-scale model, sensitivity analyses were essential. The scale of the system limits evaluation of localized behavior, but results clearly identified the primary controls on the system and effects of various pumping scenarios and sorptive properties. It was shown that limiting deep pumping to domestic supply may result in sustainable arsenic-safe water for 90% of the arsenic-affected region over a 1000 year timescale, and that sorption of arsenic onto deep, oxidized Pleistocene sediments may increase the breakthrough time in unsustainable zones by more than an order of magnitude. Thus, both hydraulic and chemical defenses indicate the potential for sustainable, managed use of deep, safe groundwater resources in the Bengal Basin.

Characterization of Rose Bengal binding to sinusoidal and bile canalicular plasma membrane from rat liver.

PubMed

Yachi, K; Sugiyama, Y; Sawada, Y; Iga, T; Ikeda, Y; Toda, G; Hanano, M

1989-01-16

The binding of Rose bengal, a model organic anion, to sinusoidal and bile canalicular membrane fractions isolated from rat liver was compared. The fluorescence change of Rose bengal after being bound to liver plasma membranes was utilized for measuring the binding. The dissociation constants (Kd = 0.1-0.12 microM) and the binding capacities (n = 11-15 nmol/mg protein) for Rose bengal are comparable between the two membrane fractions, although the n value for sinusoidal membrane is somewhat larger than that for bile canalicular membrane. The Rose bengal binding to both membrane fractions was inhibited by various organic anions at relatively low concentrations, i.e., the half-inhibition concentrations (IC50) for Indocyanine green, sulfobromophthalein, Bromophenol blue and 1-anilino-8-naphthalene sulfonate were 0.1, 100, 1.5-2.5 and 100 microM, respectively, while taurocholate did not inhibit the Rose bengal binding to either membrane fraction at these low concentration ranges. The type of inhibition of sulfobromophthalein and Indocyanine green for Rose bengal binding is different between the two membrane domains. That is, in sinusoidal and bile canalicular membrane fractions, these organic anions exhibit mixed-type and competitive-type inhibition, respectively. It was suggested that the fluorescence method using Rose bengal may provide a simple method for detecting the specific organic anion binding protein(s) in the liver plasma membrane.

A skilful prediction scheme for West China autumn precipitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Ting; Song, Wenling; Dong, Wenjie; Ke, Zongjian; Sun, Linhai; Wen, Xiaohang

2018-01-01

West China is one of the country's largest precipitation centres in autumn. This region's agriculture and people are highly vulnerable to the variability in the autumn rain. This study documents that the water vapour for West China autumn precipitation (WCAP) is from the Bay of Bengal, the South China Sea and the Western Pacific. A strong convergence of the three water vapour transports (WVTs) and their encounter with the cold air from the northern trough over Lake Barkersh-Lake Baikal result in the intense WCAP. Three predictors in the preceding spring or summer are identified for the interannual variability of WCAP: (1) sea surface temperature in the Indo-Pacific warm pool in summer, (2) soil moisture from the Hexi Corridor to the Hetao Plain in summer and (3) snow cover extent over East Europe and West Siberian in spring. The cold SSTAs contribute to an abnormal regional meridional circulation and intensified WVTs. The wet soil results in greater air humidity and anomalous southerly emerging over East Asia. Reduced snow cover stimulates a Rossby wave train that weakens the cold air, favouring autumn rainfall in West China. The three predictors, which demonstrate the influences of air-sea interaction, land surface processes and the cryosphere on the WCAP, have clear physical significance and are independent with each other. We then develop a new statistical prediction model with these predictors and the multilinear regression analysis method. The predicted and observed WCAP shows high correlation coefficients of 0.63 and 0.51 using cross-validation tests and independent hindcasts, respectively.

Safe limit of arsenic in soil in relation to dietary exposure of arsenicosis patients from Malda district, West Bengal- A case study.

PubMed

Golui, Debasis; Guha Mazumder, D N; Sanyal, S K; Datta, S P; Ray, P; Patra, P K; Sarkar, S; Bhattacharya, K

2017-10-01

Safe limit of arsenic in soil in relation to dietary exposure of arsenicosis patients was established in Malda district of West Bengal. Out of 182 participants examined, 80 (43.9%) participants showed clinical features of arsenicosis, characterized by arsenical skin lesion (pigmentation and keratosis), while 102 participants did not have any such lesion (control). Experimental results of the twenty eight soils (own field) of the participants showed the mean Olsen extractable and total arsenic concentration of 0.206 and 6.70mgkg -1 , respectively. Arsenic concentration in rice grain ranged from 2.00 to 1260μgkg -1 with the mean value of 146μgkg -1 . The hazard quotient (HQ) for intake of As by human through consumption of rice varied from 0.03 to 3.52. HQ exceeds 1.0 for drinking water and rice grain grown in the study area in many cases. As high as 77.6% variation in As content in rice grain could be explained by the solubility-free ion activity model. Toxic limit of extractable As in soil for rice in relation to soil properties and human health hazard, associated with consumption of rice grain by human, was established. For example, the permissible limit of Olsen extractable As in soil would be 0.43mgkg -1 for rice cultivation, if soil pH and organic carbon content were 7.5% and 0.50%, respectively. However, the critical limit of Olsen extractable As in soil would be 0.54mgkg -1 , if soil pH and organic carbon were 8.5% and 0.75%, respectively. The conceptual framework of fixing the toxic limit of arsenic in soils with respect to soil properties and human health under modeling-framework was established. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A comparative study on the decomposition of edible and non-edible oil cakes in the Gangetic alluvial soil of West Bengal.

PubMed

Mondal, Sudeshna; Das, Ritwika; Das, Amal Chandra

2014-08-01

An experiment has been conducted under laboratory conditions to investigate the effect of decomposition of two edible oil cakes, viz. mustard cake (Brassica juncea L) and groundnut cake (Arachis hypogaea L), and two non-edible oil cakes, viz. mahua cake (Madhuca indica Gmel) and neem cake (Azadirachta indica Juss), at the rate of 5.0 t ha(-1) on the changes of microbial growth and activities in relation to transformations and availability of some plant nutrients in the Gangetic alluvial (Typic Haplustept) soil of West Bengal, India. Incorporation of oil cakes, in general, highly induced the proliferation of total bacteria, actinomycetes, and fungi, resulting in greater retention and availability of oxidizable C, N, and P in soil. As compared to untreated control, the highest stimulation of total bacteria and actinomycetes was recorded with mustard cake (111.9 and 84.3 %, respectively) followed by groundnut cake (50.5 and 52.4 %, respectively), while the fungal colonies were highly accentuated due to the incorporation of neem cake (102.8 %) in soil. The retention of oxidizable organic C was highly increased due to decomposition of non-edible oil cakes, more so under mahua cake (14.5 %), whereas edible oil cakes and groundnut cake in particular exerted maximum stimulation (16.7 %) towards the retention of total N in soil. A similar trend was recorded towards the accumulation of available mineral N in soil and this was more pronounced with mustard cake (45.6 %) for exchangeable NH4 (+) and with groundnut cake (63.9 %) for soluble NO3 (-). The highest retention of total P (46.9 %) was manifested by the soil when it was incorporated with neem cake followed by the edible oil cakes; while the available P was highly induced due to the addition of edible oil cakes, the highest being under groundnut cake (23.5 %) followed by mustard cake (19.6 %).

Tuberculosis related stigma and its effect on the delay for sputum examination under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program in India.

PubMed

Chakrabartty, Arupkumar; Basu, Pampa; Ali, Kazi Monjur; Sarkar, Aditi Kishore; Ghosh, Debidas

2018-04-01

One major barrier to achieve goal of tuberculosis (TB) control program globally, is the stigma attached to the disease. Perceived stigma can delay sputum test in time. Delay will lead to spread of infection in the community. There is no scientific information available in India exactly looking into the association between delay in sputum examination and stigma. We conducted a study in rural West Bengal among persons with cough for 2 weeks or more to assess their level of stigma, its influence on delay for sputum test and identify factors those shape the level of stigma. A community based cross sectional survey was conducted from February to June 2015 in West Bengal, India. We interviewed 135 persons of 15-60 years. Data were collected using a pretested structured questionnaire. Chi-square and logistic regression analysis were done using SPSS 23.0 statistical software. Among the 'lower stigma' group (score 4-24), 'delay' (14-25 days) is found among 46.2% respondents and 'much delay' (26-120 days) among 53.8%. Among the 'higher stigma' (score 25-36) group, 'delay' is found among 20.5% respondents and 'much delay' among 79.5%. Persons with lower stigma are 0.17 times likely to delay than persons with higher stigma [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 0.17 (0.044-0.668), p=0.011)]. Important influencers of stigma are caste [AOR: 5.90 (1.66-20.90), p=0.006], number of family members [AOR: 3.46 (1.08-11.06), p=0.009] and residence in urban or rural [AOR: 3.97 (1.03-15.27), p=0.045]. Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program in India should de-stigmatize the community giving priorities to lower castes, big families and rural areas. Copyright © 2017 Tuberculosis Association of India. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Arsenic release and geochemical evolution of groundwater in an alluvial aquitard, West Bengal, India.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desbarats, A. J.; Pal, T.; Mukherjee, P. K.; Beckie, R. D.

2017-12-01

According to the World Health Organization, contamination of groundwater by geogenic arsenic (As) represents the largest mass poisoning in history. At a field site in West Bengal, India, the source of As affecting a shallow aquifer was traced to silty sediments filling an abandoned river meander. Along with As-bearing phases, these sediments also contain 0.46 % organic carbon. The release of As within the channel fill is investigated using a geochemical mass balance model supported by detailed field observations of aqueous chemistry, sequential extraction analyses of sediment chemistry, and analyses of sediment mineralogy. The model explores the evolution of groundwater chemistry along a flow path extending from its recharge point in an abandoned channel pond, through the channel-fill sequence, to the underlying aquifer. Variations in groundwater composition within the host sediments are explained in terms of mineral weathering driven by organic carbon decay. The model yields reaction coefficients expressing amounts of minerals (and gases) reacting or precipitating along the flow path. Arsenic and phosphorus cycles appear closely linked as these species are hosted by goethite, Fe-rich chlorite, and vivianite. Arsenic is released through the rapid reductive dissolution of goethite and the slower weathering of chlorite. Concomitantly, some As is sequestered in precipitating vivianite. These competing processes reach equilibrium deeper in the channel-fill sequence as groundwater As concentrations stabilize. Using groundwater residence time in channel fill obtained from a numerical flow model and the calculated reaction coefficients, rates of organic carbon oxidation, goethite dissolution, and net As release are estimated at 1.15 mmol C L-1 a-1, 0.18 mmol L-1 a-1, and 4.57 10-4 mmol L-1 a-1, respectively. Fine-grained yet slightly permeable deposits such as channel-fill silts containing reactive organic carbon and As-bearing goethite and phyllosilicates are localized centers of intense chemical weathering conducive to As mobilization.

A typhoid fever outbreak in a slum of South Dumdum municipality, West Bengal, India, 2007: evidence for foodborne and waterborne transmission.

PubMed

Bhunia, Rama; Hutin, Yvan; Ramakrishnan, Ramachandran; Pal, Nishith; Sen, Tapas; Murhekar, Manoj

2009-04-27

In April 2007, a slum of South Dumdum municipality, West Bengal reported an increase in fever cases. We investigated to identify the agent, the source and to propose recommendations. We defined a suspected case of typhoid fever as occurrence of fever for > or = one week among residents of ward 1 of South Dumdum during February - May 2007. We searched for suspected cases in health care facilities and collected blood specimens. We described the outbreak by time, place and person. We compared probable cases (Widal positive > or = 1:80) with neighbourhood-matched controls. We assessed the environment and collected water specimens. We identified 103 suspected cases (Attack rate: 74/10,000, highest among 5-14 years old group, no deaths). Salmonella (enterica) Typhi was isolated from one of four blood specimens and 65 of 103 sera were > or = 1:80 Widal positive. The outbreak started on 13 February, peaked twice during the last week of March and second week of April and lasted till 27 April. Suspected cases clustered around three public taps. Among 65 probable cases and 65 controls, eating milk products from a sweet shop (Matched odds ratio [MOR]: 6.2, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.4-16, population attributable fraction [PAF]: 53%) and drinking piped water (MOR: 7.3, 95% CI: 2.5-21, PAF-52%) were associated with illness. The sweet shop food handler suffered from typhoid in January. The pipelines of intermittent non-chlorinated water supply ran next to an open drain connected with sewerage system and water specimens showed faecal contamination. The investigation suggested that an initial foodborne outbreak of typhoid led to the contamination of the water supply resulting in a secondary, waterborne wave. We educated the food handler, repaired the pipelines and ensured chlorination of the water.

Perception, awareness and practice of research-oriented medical education among undergraduate students of a medical college in Kolkata, West Bengal.

PubMed

Chatterjee, Subhankar; Adhikari, Anjan; Haldar, Dibakar; Biswas, Payel

2016-01-01

The addition of research-oriented medical education (ROME) to the existing curriculum could promote logical thinking, rapid literature search and a better understanding of research methodology. Creation of research temperament could lead to innovations in healthcare. We assessed the perception, awareness and practice of ROME among undergraduate students. We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 234 students of R.G. Kar Medical College, Kolkata selected by the simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using a pre-designed, pre-tested, validated questionnaire by direct interviews. The mean (SD) perception score was 44.2 (5.03). Students from outside West Bengal (p=0.05), women (p=0.03) and students whose parents were doctors (p=0.01) had significantly higher scores. Students in the second and fourth semesters had a better perception than those in the sixth and eighth semesters. Awareness of research fellowships granted to undergraduate students such as the Indian Council of Medical Research-Short-term studentship (ICMR-STS) was low among the second semester students (13.9%), but more than half (59.3%) of the students in the eighth semester were aware (difference across semesters, p<0.001). Awareness about journals, conferences and 'research bodies promoting student research' was low. Students in the senior semesters spent more time on research (6th semester 72.2% and 8th semester 88.9%) than those in the junior semesters (2nd: 66.7% and 4th: 77.8%; difference across semesters, p=0.03). About 3% of students participated in extracurricular research and/or had presented work at a conference. There is a good perception about the need for research but a lack of awareness of the why and how, as well as hardly any practice of ROME among medical students of this medical college.

Risk factors associated with default among tuberculosis patients in Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India

PubMed Central

Roy, Nirmalya; Basu, Mausumi; Das, Sibasis; Mandal, Amitava; Dutt, Debashis; Dasgupta, Samir

2015-01-01

Background: The treatment outcome “default” under Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP) is a patient who after treatment initiation has interrupted treatment consecutively for more than 2 months. Aims: To assess the timing, characteristics and distribution of the reasons for default with relation to some sociodemographic variables among new sputum-positive (NSP) tuberculosis (TB) patients in Darjeeling District, West Bengal. Settings and Design: A case-control study was conducted in three tuberculosis units (TUs) of Darjeeling from August’2011 to December’2011 among NSP TB patients enrolled for treatment in the TB register from 1st Qtr’09 to 2nd Qtr’10. Patients defaulted from treatment were considered as “cases” and those completed treatment as “controls” (79 cases and 79 controls). Materials and Methods: The enrolled cases and controls were interviewed by the health workers using a predesigned structured pro-forma. Statistical Analysis Used: Logistic regression analysis, odds ratios (OR), adjusted odds ratios (AOR). Results: 75% of the default occurred in the intensive phase (IP); 54.24% retrieval action was done within 1 day during IP and 75% within 1 week during continuation phase (CP); cent percent of the documented retrieval actions were undertaken by the contractual TB program staffs. Most commonly cited reasons for default were alcohol consumption (29.11%), adverse effects of drugs (25.32%), and long distance of DOT center (21.52%). In the logistic regression analysis, the factors independently associated were consumption of alcohol, inadequate knowledge about TB, inadequate patient provider interaction, instances of missed doses, adverse reactions of anti-TB drugs, Government Directly Observed Treatment (DOT) provider and smoking. Conclusions: Most defaults occurred in the intensive phase; pre-treatment counseling and initial home visit play very important role in this regard. Proper counseling by health care workers in patient provider meeting is needed. PMID:26288779

GC-MS/MS determination and ecological risk assessment of pesticides in aquatic system: A case study in Hooghly River basin in West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Mondal, Rahul; Mukherjee, Ayan; Biswas, Subrata; Kole, Ramen Kumar

2018-04-30

A liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) for water and modified QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) method for sediment combined with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) detection in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode was standardized for determination of 31 pesticides. Performance characteristics for the selected pesticides were acceptable according to European Commission's (EC) guidelines for method validation (recovery 70-120%, RSD <20% and R 2 value ≥ 0.99). River, pond and tubewell water and river sediment samples (64 nos.) were collected from Hooghly River basin in West Bengal, India during 2014-2016. About 42% of the samples showed the presence of 19 pesticides with the highest loading of total pesticides (T-pesticides) in river water (3.01 ng mL -1 ) followed by sediment (1.25 ng g -1 ), pond (0.40 ng mL -1 ) and tubewell (0.02 ng mL -1 ) water. The non-agricultural OC (organochlorine) insecticides were detected in all river water and sediment samples mainly due to HCHs (hexachlorocyclohexane) from old source and fresh use of DDTs (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) in local areas. No OC insecticides were detected in pond and tubewell water. Maximum residues of some recommended pesticides in agriculture were obtained in pond water. Most of the river water samples (93.7%) were in excess of EC limit (0.50 ng mL -1 ) of T-pesticides for drinking followed by pond water samples (56.2%). Tubewell water samples were free from T-pesticide threat but exceeded the EC limit (0.10 ng mL -1 ) for single pesticide in case of chlorpyrifos only. Ecological risk on aquatic animals was observed for OCs in river and chlorpyrifos in pond aquatic ecosystem. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Insecticide susceptibility status and major detoxifying enzymes' activity in Aedes albopictus (Skuse), vector of dengue and chikungunya in Northern part of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Bharati, Minu; Saha, Dhiraj

2017-06-01

Mosquitoes belonging to Aedes genus, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus transmit many globally important arboviruses including Dengue (DENV) and Chikungunya (CHIKV). Vector control with the use of insecticide remains the suitable method of choice to stop the transmission of these diseases. However, vector control throughout the world is failing to achieve its target results because of the worldwide development of insecticide resistance in mosquitoes. To assess the insecticide susceptibility status of Aedes albopictus from northern part of West Bengal, the susceptibility of eight different Aedes albopictus populations were tested against a commonly used larvicide (temephos) and some adulticides (malathion, deltamethrin and lambda cyhalothrin) along with the major insecticide detoxifying enzymes' activity in them. Through this study, it was revealed that most of the populations were found susceptible to temephos except Nagrakata (NGK) and Siliguri (SLG), which showed both a higher resistance ratio (RR 99 ) and a lower susceptibility, thereby reflecting the development of resistance against temephos in them. However, all tested adulticides caused 100% mortality in all the population implying their potency in control of this mosquito in this region of India. Through the study of carboxylesterase activity, it was revealed that the NGK population showed a 9.6 fold higher level of activity than susceptible population. The same population also showed a lower level of susceptibility and a higher resistance ratio (RR 99 ), indicating a clear correlation between susceptibility to temephos and carboxylesterase enzymes' activity in this population. This preliminary data reflects that the NGK population is showing a trend towards resistance development and with time, there is possibility that this resistance phenomenon will spread to other populations. With the recurrence of dengue and chikungunya, this data on insecticide susceptibility status of Aedes albopictus could help the authorities engaged in vector control programmes to formulate effective measures against this mosquito in this region. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sensitivity to House Dust Mites Allergens with Atopic Asthma and Its Relationship with CD14 C(-159T) Polymorphism in Patients of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Ghosh, Amlan; Dutta, Shampa; Podder, Sanjoy; Mondal, Priti; Laha, Arghya; Saha, Nimai Chandra; Moitra, Saibal; Saha, Goutam Kumar

2018-01-10

India is the home to around 15-20 million asthmatics, and asthma prevalence is increasing in Indian metropolitan area, including Kolkata, West Bengal. Complex interactions of genetic and environmental factors are involved in asthma. Genome-wide search for susceptible loci regulating IgE response (atopy) have identified a candidate gene CD14 which is most important in the context of allergic responses of respiratory system. This study was aimed to investigate the role of house dust and house dust mites in development of bronchial asthma and to explore the possible association of candidate gene CD14 with disease manifestation among Kolkata patient population. Skin-prick test was done among 950 asthmatic patients against 8 aeroallergens, including house dust and house dust mites and total serum IgE and allergen-specific IgE were measured. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism was done in patients and nonasthmatic control (n = 255 in each) to characterize a functional polymorphism, C(-159)T, of CD14, a positional candidate gene for allergy. We identified house dust as the most common aeroallergen sensitizer among atopic patients in Kolkata followed by Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farinae Hughes (Acari: Pyroglyphidae) mites. Patient's sera contain significantly higher IgE level than that of control. Allergen-specific IgE antibody test revealed that 76.36% patients had specific IgE antibody against D. pteronyssinus mite. There was a significant difference in the distribution of alleles and genotypes for CD14 polymorphism with an increase in disease severity. So, in Kolkata, house dust mite is a common aeroallergen and D. pteronyssinus is predominant among mites. The present study revealed that bronchial asthma has a genetic background. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Incidence of the Hb E [β26(B8)Glu→Lys, GAG>AAG] variant in Totos, one of the smallest primitive tribes in the world.

PubMed

Bhattacharyya, Deboshree; Mukhopadhyay, Ashis; Chakraborty, Abhijit; Dasgupta, Swati; Mukhopadhyay, Soma; Pal, Nabamita; Basak, Jayasri

2013-01-01

Toto is one of the smallest tribes in the world. This primitive sub Himalayan, endogamous tribe lives in a small, isolated village called Totopara in the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal in India. The tribal communities of West Bengal are vulnerable to various genetic disorders such as β-thalassemia (β-thal). We have studied 443 Totos to define their Hb E [β26(B8)Glu→Lys, GAG>AAG] status. Awareness and screening camps have been organized in various parts of Totopara during the last 2 years. We collected 3 mL peripheral blood from each individual aseptically on which to use the naked eye single tube red cell osmotic fragility test (NESTROFT); complete hemogram and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were done to detect their carrier status. The Hb E variant had been found to be prevalent among the Totos. To confirm the codon 26 (GAG>AAG) mutation in the β-globin gene, amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR) was performed. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP)-PCR was carried out with 44 Hb E alleles to construct the haplotype(s) of the Totos. Our extensive studies have revealed that 49.21% of Totos are Hb E heterozygotes and 19.19% Totos are Hb E homozygotes. The most prevalent haplotype linked with the codon 26 mutation in the Totos is [+ - - - - -] (HincII 5'ϵ, HindIII (G)γ, HindIII (A)γ, HincII 5'ψβ, HincII 3'ψβ and HinfI 3'β). Consanguineous marriages have resulted in a significant increase of the percentages of heterozygotes and homozygotes of Hb E in the Totos. Genetic counseling is essential and important to prevent the spread of this mutation and hence to save them from having any kind of clinically significant hemoglobinopathy in the future.

Role of phosphate solubilizing Burkholderia spp. for successful colonization and growth promotion of Lycopodium cernuum L. (Lycopodiaceae) in lateritic belt of Birbhum district of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Ghosh, Ranjan; Barman, Soma; Mukherjee, Rajib; Mandal, Narayan C

2016-02-01

Profuse growth of Lycpodium cernuum L. was found in phosphate deficient red lateritic soil of West Bengal, India. Interaction of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM) with Lycopodium rhizoids were described earlier but association of PGPR with their rhizoids were not studied. Three potent phosphate solubilizing bacterial strains (P4, P9 and P10) associated with L. cernuum rhizoids were isolated and identified by 16S rDNA homologies on Ez-Taxon database as Burkholderia tropica, Burkholderia unamae and Burkholderia cepacia respectively. Day wise kinetics of phosphate solubilization against Ca3(PO4)2 suggested P4 (580.56±13.38 μg ml(-1)) as maximum mineral phosphate solubilizer followed by P9 (517.12±17.15 μg ml(-1)) and P10 (485.18±14.23 μg ml(-1)) at 28 °C. Release of bound phosphates by isolated strains from ferric phosphate (FePO4), aluminum phosphate (AlPO4) and four different complex rock phosphates indicated their very good phosphate solubilizng efficacy. Nitrogen independent solubilizition also supports their nitrogen fixing capabilities. Inhibition of P solubilization by calcium salts and induction by EDTA suggested pH dependent chelation of metal cations by all of the isolates. Rhizoidal colonization potentials of Burkholderia spp. were confirmed by in planta experiment and also using scanning electron microscope (SEM). Increases of total phosphate content in Lycopodium plants upon soil treatment with these isolates were also recorded. In addition siderophore production on CAS agar medium, tryptophan dependent IAA production and antifungal activities against pathogenic fungi by rhizospheric isolates deep-rooted that they have definite role in nutrient mobilization for successful colonization of L. cernuum in nutrient deficient lateritic soil. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of first-aid training on school students in Singur Block of Hooghly District, West Bengal.

PubMed

Bandyopadhyay, Lina; Manjula, M; Paul, Bobby; Dasgupta, Aparajita

2017-01-01

First aid is the helping behavior and initial care provided for an acute illness or injury. Students have the potential for changing the health scenario of the society if properly groomed and educated. The objective of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of educational intervention on the first aid among middle school students of a rural school in West Bengal. A total of 230, 6 th and 7 th standard students were given a self-administered questionnaire for assessing their baseline knowledge about management of common injuries followed by educational intervention with a systematically devised teaching module during February to March 2016. Post intervention evaluation of their knowledge acquisition was done after 2 weeks with same questionnaire. The baseline knowledge on the management of selected injuries was found to be insufficient among the study subjects. Paired t -test was performed to compare the pre- and post-test scores of knowledge and attitude of the students about first aid, and there was a significant change in knowledge from pretest score (mean = 1.50, standard deviation [SD] =0.47) to posttest score (mean = 6.53, SD = 1.30). To quantify the effectiveness of health education, effect size (Cohen's d) was derived. For knowledge score, Cohen's d was 5.14 with large effect size indicating highly effective impact of the training program. Significant change was also noticed regarding attitude regarding first aid as evident from increase in pretest score (mean = 1.19, SD = 0.96) to posttest score (mean = 3.17, SD = 1.03); Cohen's d was 1.88 with medium effect size. Inculcating first-aid training in the school curriculum can be a fruitful investment in ensuring proper and timely management of illnesses and injuries not only for the school children but also for the community at large.

Role of Family and Peers in Initiation and Continuation of Substance Use

PubMed Central

Tsering, Dechenla; Pal, Ranabir

2009-01-01

Aims: To assess the impact of family and peers on both initiation and continuation of substance use among eighth, ninth and tenth grade adolescent high school students. Design: Population based cross-sectional study. Setting: Two high schools of West Bengal, India. Participants: 416 students in class VIII, IX, and X in two schools. Interventions: None. Measurements: Substance use: initiation, sources, reasons for continuation. Then proportions and chi-square test was used for statistical analysis. Materials and Methods: This was a population based cross sectional study conducted among 416 students from class VII, IX and X in two high schools( urban and rural) of West Bengal, India selected by Multistage random sampling. A self administered anonymous pretested close ended questionnaire was used with the main outcome measures of initiation, sources, reasons for continuation of substance use based on WHO study team questionnaire. Results: Prevalence of substance use was found to be higher among the urban students (15.1%) than their rural counterparts (10.7%). The proportion of users was higher in the higher grades as compared to the lower grades. Among urban as well as rural students, 16 years and above were significantly more likely than their counterparts aged 15 years and below to report lifetime use. The mean age of initiation ranged from 12.6 to 13.9 years. Family members and friends were found to have a considerable influence not only on initiation but also important sources for money as well as the substance. Easy availability in the neighborhood was also an important correlate to continuation of substances. Conclusions: Family environment as well as peer groups has an important bearing on initiation and continuation of substance use. Experimentation of substance use motivated by peer groups is common among adolescents and starts early in life. Hence, it is necessary to provide health promotion programs directed toward students and their families which encourage attitude shaping among school children towards self-confidence and adequacy. PMID:21938088

Polymorphisms in voltage-gated sodium channel gene and susceptibility of Aedes albopictus to insecticides in three districts of northern West Bengal, India

PubMed Central

Chatterjee, Moytrey; Ballav, Sudeep; Maji, Ardhendu K.; Basu, Nandita; Sarkar, Biplab Chandra

2018-01-01

Background The control and prevention of dengue largely depends on vector control measures, environmental management, and personal protection. Dengue control programmes are facing great challenges due to development of insecticide resistance among vector mosquitoes. Information on susceptibility status to different insecticides is important for national programmes to formulate vector control strategies. Methods We have studied the larval susceptibility of Aedes albopictus to temephos and adult susceptibility to 4% DDT, 0.05% deltamethrin, and 5% malathion as per WHO protocols in the northern districts of West Bengal. Polymorphisms in the VGSC gene were studied by direct sequencing of PCR products. Results The Ae. albopictus larval population showed sensitive [Resistance Ratio (RR99)<3] to moderate levels of resistance (510) to temephos at different study sites. Adult bioassay results revealed that Ae. albopictus was highly resistant to DDT [Corrected Mortality (CM) < 90%] in all the study sites and susceptible to deltamethrin and malathion (CM > 98%), except in Dhupguri where a low level of resistance to deltamethrin (CM = 96.25%) was recorded. None of the six important kdr mutations (S953P, I975M/V, L978, V980G, F1474C, D1703Y) were found in the VGSC of studied mosquitoes, but we identified 11 synonymous and 1 non-synonymous mutation in the VGSC gene. Conclusion The higher susceptibility level to deltamethrin and malathion, along with the absence of important kdr mutations indicates that these two insecticides are still effective against Ae. albopictus in the study areas. The susceptibility status of temephos should be monitored closely as low to moderate levels of resistance were observed in few sites. A similar study is recommended for monitoring and early detection of insecticide resistance in other parts of the country. PMID:29309419

Waste-water impacts on groundwater: Cl/Br ratios and implications for arsenic pollution of groundwater in the Bengal Basin and Red River Basin, Vietnam.

PubMed

McArthur, J M; Sikdar, P K; Hoque, M A; Ghosal, U

2012-10-15

Across West Bengal and Bangladesh, concentrations of Cl in much groundwater exceed the natural, upper limit of 10 mg/L. The Cl/Br mass ratios in groundwaters range up to 2500 and scatter along mixing lines between waste-water and dilute groundwater, with many falling near the mean end-member value for waste-water of 1561 at 126 mg/L Cl. Values of Cl/Br exceed the seawater ratio of 288 in uncommon NO(3)-bearing groundwaters, and in those containing measurable amounts of salt-corrected SO(4) (SO(4) corrected for marine salt). The data show that shallow groundwater tapped by tube-wells in the Bengal Basin has been widely contaminated by waste-water derived from pit latrines, septic tanks, and other methods of sanitary disposal, although reducing conditions in the aquifers have removed most evidence of NO(3) additions from these sources, and much evidence of their additions of SO(4). In groundwaters from wells in palaeo-channel settings, end-member modelling shows that >25% of wells yield water that comprises ≥10% of waste-water. In palaeo-interfluvial settings, only wells at the margins of the palaeo-interfluvial sequence contain detectable waste water. Settings are identifiable by well-colour survey, owner information, water composition, and drilling. Values of Cl/Br and faecal coliform counts are both inversely related to concentrations of pollutant As in groundwater, suggesting that waste-water contributions to groundwater in the near-field of septic-tanks and pit-latrines (within 30 m) suppress the mechanism of As-pollution and lessen the prevalence and severity of As pollution. In the far-field of such sources, organic matter in waste-water may increase groundwater pollution by As. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Photodynamic antimicrobial therapy to inhibit pseudomonas aeruginosa of corneal isolates (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durkee, Heather A.; Relhan, Nidhi; Arboleda, Alejandro; Halili, Francisco; De Freitas, Carolina; Alawa, Karam; Aguilar, Mariela C.; Amescua, Guillermo; Miller, Darlene; Parel, Jean-Marie

2016-03-01

Keratitis associated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa is difficult to manage. Treatment includes antibiotic eye drops, however, some strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa are resistant. Current research efforts are focused on finding alternative and adjunct therapies to treat multi-drug resistant bacteria. One promising alternate technique is photodynamic therapy (PDT). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of riboflavin- and rose bengal-mediated PDT on Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis isolates in vitro. Two isolates (S+U- and S-U+) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were derived from keratitis patients and exposed to five experimental groups: (1) Control (dark, UV-A irradiation, 525nm irradiation); (2) 0.1% riboflavin (dark, UV-A irradiation); and (3) 0.1% rose bengal, (4) 0.05% rose bengal and (5) 0.01% rose bengal (dark, 525nm irradiation). Three days after treatment, in dark conditions of all concentration of riboflavin and rose bengal showed no inhibition in both S+U- and S-U+ strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In 0.1% and 0.05% rose bengal irradiated groups, for both S+U- and S-U+ strains, there was complete inhibition of bacterial growth in the central 50mm zone corresponding to the diameter of the green light source. These in vitro results suggest that rose bengal photodynamic therapy may be an effective adjunct treatment for Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis.

Impact of Equatorial Waves on the Variability of Upwelling Process Along West Coast of India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prakash, K. R.; Nigam, T.; Pant, V.

2017-12-01

Coastal upwelling is a seasonal phenomenon along the south eastern Arabian Sea (SEAS) due to favourable wind setup during Indian Summer Monsoon Season (June-September). This upwelling brings subsurface cold and nutrient rich water to the surface layers. The cold water transported northward by the altered along shore current of west coast of India in the post-monsoon season. The different climatological forcing of positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and normal years were utilised to simulate the upwelling off the west coast of India using a three dimensional Regional Ocean Modelling System (ROMS). Strength of upwelling and the northward transport were found to be weaken for positive IOD simulations as compared to normal years. Analysis suggests that the meridional wind stress weakening resulted into a decrease in strength of West India Coastal Current (WICC) and, therefore, reduced magnitude of offshore Ekman transport. The mixed layer heat budget calculation also supports the findings by showing dominated vertical process in comparison to net heat flux effect. The post-monsoon northward transport of cold water was found to be correlated with the coastally trapped downwelling Kelvin waves. These waves are the only remote forcing from the Bay of Bengal that reaches to the south-eastern Arabian Sea during the months of October-December. The composite of sea surface height anomalies for the positive IOD and normal years shows that the downwelling Kelwin wave was absent during October-December.

Site specific seismic hazard analysis and determination of response spectra of Kolkata for maximum considered earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shiuly, Amit; Sahu, R. B.; Mandal, Saroj

2017-06-01

This paper presents site specific seismic hazard analysis of Kolkata city, former capital of India and present capital of state West Bengal, situated on the world’s largest delta island, Bengal basin. For this purpose, peak ground acceleration (PGA) for a maximum considered earthquake (MCE) at bedrock level has been estimated using an artificial neural network (ANN) based attenuation relationship developed on the basis of synthetic ground motion data for the region. Using the PGA corresponding to the MCE, a spectrum compatible acceleration time history at bedrock level has been generated by using a wavelet based computer program, WAVEGEN. This spectrum compatible time history at bedrock level has been converted to the same at surface level using SHAKE2000 for 144 borehole locations in the study region. Using the predicted values of PGA and PGV at the surface, corresponding contours for the region have been drawn. For the MCE, the PGA at bedrock level of Kolkata city has been obtained as 0.184 g, while that at the surface level varies from 0.22 g to 0.37 g. Finally, Kolkata has been subdivided into eight seismic subzones, and for each subzone a response spectrum equation has been derived using polynomial regression analysis. This will be very helpful for structural and geotechnical engineers to design safe and economical earthquake resistant structures.

Vertical Structure of Aerosols and Mineral Dust Over the Bay of Bengal From Multisatellite Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lakshmi, N. B.; Nair, Vijayakumar S.; Suresh Babu, S.

2017-12-01

The vertical distribution of aerosol and dust extinction coefficient over the Bay of Bengal is examined using the satellite observations (Cloud Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)) for the period from 2006 to 2017. Distinct seasonal pattern is observed in the vertical structure of both aerosol and dust over the Bay of Bengal with an enhancement of 24% in the aerosol extinction above 1 km from winter (December, January and February) to premonsoon (March, April, and May). Significant contribution of dust is observed over the northern Bay of Bengal during premonsoon season where 22% of the total aerosol extinction is contributed by dust aerosols transported from the nearby continental regions. During winter, dust transport is found to be less significant with fractional contribution of 10%-13% to the total aerosol optical depth over the Bay of Bengal. MODIS-derived dust fraction (fine mode based) shows an overestimation up to twofold compared to CALIOP dust fraction (depolarization based), whereas the Goddard Chemistry Aerosol Radiation and Transport-simulated dust fraction underestimates the satellite-derived dust fractions over the Bay of Bengal. Though the long-term variation in dust aerosol showed a decreasing trend over the Bay of Bengal, the confidence level is insufficient in establishing the robustness of the observed trend. However, significant dust-induced heating is observed above the boundary layer during premonsoon season. This dust-induced elevated heating can affect the convection over the Bay of Bengal which will have implication on the monsoon dynamics over the Indian region.

Quantitative dermatoglyphic asymmetry: a comparative study between schizophrenic patients and control groups of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Karmakar, B; Sengupta, M

2012-01-01

Quantitative Fluctuating (FA) and Directional asymmetry (DA) of dermatoglyphics on digito-palmar complex were analyzed in a group of 111 patients (males: 61, females: 50) with schizophrenia (SZ), and compared to an ethnically matched phenotypically healthy control (males: 60, females: 60) through MANOVA, ANOVA and canonical Discriminant analyses. With few exceptions, asymmetries are higher among patients, and this is more prominent in FA than DA. Statistically significant differences were observed between patient and control groups, especially in males. In both sexes, FA of combined dermatoglyphic traits (e.g. total finger ridge count, total palmar pattern ridge count) are found to be a strong discriminator between the two groups with a correct classification of over 83% probability.

Sediment dispersal pattern in the Bay of Bengal - evidence for commencement of Bengal Fan sedimentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krishna, K. S.; Ismaiel, M.; Karlapati, S.; Gopala Rao, D.; Mishra, J.; D, S.

2015-12-01

The sediment succession in the Bay of Bengal records signatures corresponding to India-Asia collision, regional climate, and erosional processes of the Himalayan orogeny and the Indian subcontinent. The Bengal Fan - world's largest submarine fan - has been long studied to understand the link between the Himalayan tectonics and Asian monsoon climate, but early phase information of the Himalaya erosion is not retrieved from the Indian Ocean due to lack of deep-core samples. Therefore, the missing corresponding signals hampered the understanding of coupled processes between tectonics, climate and erosion. Seismic reflection profiles and industrial drill wells from the western Bay of Bengal show two different modes of sediment deposition: initially Indian peninsular rivers discharged sediments to the ocean at a rate ~20 m/m.y. until Oligocene-Miocene time (~23 Ma) with the exception of two fairly-enhanced sediment pulses from 65 to 54 and again from 34 to 23 Ma; since 23 Ma the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers added huge volumes of sediments to the bay with variable rates range from 40 to >1000 m/m.y. Using seismic stratigraphic technique we found a distinct increase in sediment discharge (~140 m/m.y.) at 23 Ma is an important age marker for the onset of Bengal Fan sedimentation as a coupled connection between the Himalayan tectonics and Asian climate. Further rise in sedimentation rate during the period 6.8 - 0.8 Ma is surprisingly not in agreement with the decrease in sediment rate reported at ODP Leg 116 sites in the distal Bengal Fan, but coincident with the change in monsoon intensity. Here we provide well constrained ages for the growth of the Bengal Fan, which can serve as benchmark for interactions between the Himalayan exhumation and Asian climate.

Who's behind that mask and cape? The Asian leopard cat's Agouti (ASIP) allele likely affects coat colour phenotype in the Bengal cat breed.

PubMed

Gershony, L C; Penedo, M C T; Davis, B W; Murphy, W J; Helps, C R; Lyons, L A

2014-12-01

Coat colours and patterns are highly variable in cats and are determined mainly by several genes with Mendelian inheritance. A 2-bp deletion in agouti signalling protein (ASIP) is associated with melanism in domestic cats. Bengal cats are hybrids between domestic cats and Asian leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis), and the charcoal coat colouration/pattern in Bengals presents as a possible incomplete melanism. The complete coding region of ASIP was directly sequenced in Asian leopard, domestic and Bengal cats. Twenty-seven variants were identified between domestic and leopard cats and were investigated in Bengals and Savannahs, a hybrid with servals (Leptailurus serval). The leopard cat ASIP haplotype was distinguished from domestic cat by four synonymous and four non-synonymous exonic SNPs, as well as 19 intronic variants, including a 42-bp deletion in intron 4. Fifty-six of 64 reported charcoal cats were compound heterozygotes at ASIP, with leopard cat agouti (A(P) (be) ) and domestic cat non-agouti (a) haplotypes. Twenty-four Bengals had an additional unique haplotype (A2) for exon 2 that was not identified in leopard cats, servals or jungle cats (Felis chaus). The compound heterozygote state suggests the leopard cat allele, in combination with the recessive non-agouti allele, influences Bengal markings, producing a darker, yet not completely melanistic coat. This is the first validation of a leopard cat allele segregating in the Bengal breed and likely affecting their overall pelage phenotype. Genetic testing services need to be aware of the possible segregation of wild felid alleles in all assays performed on hybrid cats. © 2014 The Authors. Animal Genetics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Stichting International Foundation for Animal Genetics.

Increase in the Intensity of Postmonsoon Bay of Bengal Tropical Cyclones

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

Balaguru, Karthik; Taraphdar, Sourav; Leung, Lai-Yung R.

2014-05-28

The post-monsoon (October-November) tropical cyclone (TC) season in the Bay of Bengal has spawned many of the deadliest storms in recorded history. Here it is shown that the intensity of post-monsoon Bay of Bengal TCs, and the contribution of major TCs to total TC power, increased during 1981-2010. It is found that changes in environmental parameters are responsible for the observed increases in TC intensity. Increases in sea surface temperature and upper ocean heat content made the ocean more conducive to TC development, while enhanced convective instability made the atmosphere more favorable for the growth of TCs. The largest changesmore » in the atmosphere and ocean occurred in the eastern Bay of Bengal, where nearly all major TCs form. These changes are part of positive linear trends, suggesting that the intensity of post-monsoon Bay of Bengal TCs may continue to increase in the future.« less

Groundwater arsenic contamination in Bangladesh-21 Years of research.

PubMed

Chakraborti, Dipankar; Rahman, Mohammad Mahmudur; Mukherjee, Amitava; Alauddin, Mohammad; Hassan, Manzurul; Dutta, Rathindra Nath; Pati, Shymapada; Mukherjee, Subhash Chandra; Roy, Shibtosh; Quamruzzman, Quazi; Rahman, Mahmuder; Morshed, Salim; Islam, Tanzima; Sorif, Shaharir; Selim, Md; Islam, Md Razaul; Hossain, Md Monower

2015-01-01

Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE), Bangladesh first identified their groundwater arsenic contamination in 1993. But before the international arsenic conference in Dhaka in February 1998, the problem was not widely accepted. Even in the international arsenic conference in West-Bengal, India in February, 1995, representatives of international agencies in Bangladesh and Bangladesh government attended the conference but they denied the groundwater arsenic contamination in Bangladesh. School of Environmental Studies (SOES), Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India first identified arsenic patient in Bangladesh in 1992 and informed WHO, UNICEF of Bangladesh and Govt. of Bangladesh from April 1994 to August 1995. British Geological Survey (BGS) dug hand tube-wells in Bangladesh in 1980s and early 1990s but they did not test the water for arsenic. Again BGS came back to Bangladesh in 1992 to assess the quality of the water of the tube-wells they installed but they still did not test for arsenic when groundwater arsenic contamination and its health effects in West Bengal in Bengal delta was already published in WHO Bulletin in 1988. From December 1996, SOES in collaboration with Dhaka Community Hospital (DCH), Bangladesh started analyzing hand tube-wells for arsenic from all 64 districts in four geomorphologic regions of Bangladesh. So far over 54,000 tube-well water samples had been analyzed by flow injection hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (FI-HG-AAS). From SOES water analysis data at present we could assess status of arsenic groundwater contamination in four geo-morphological regions of Bangladesh and location of possible arsenic safe groundwater. SOES and DCH also made some preliminary work with their medical team to identify patients suffering from arsenic related diseases. SOES further analyzed few thousands biological samples (hair, nail, urine and skin scales) and foodstuffs for arsenic to know arsenic body burden and people sub-clinically affected. SOES and DCH made a few follow-up studies in some districts to know their overall situations after 9 to 18 years of their first exposure. The overall conclusion from these follow-up studies is (a) villagers are now more aware about the danger of drinking arsenic contaminated water (b) villagers are currently drinking less arsenic contaminated water (c) many villagers in affected village died of cancer (d) arsenic contaminated water is in use for agricultural irrigation and arsenic exposure from food chain could be future danger. Since at present more information is coming about health effects from low arsenic exposure, Bangladesh Government should immediately focus on their huge surface water management and reduce their permissible limit of arsenic in drinking water. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Pre-Monsoon Drought and Heat Waves in India

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-09-12

In June 2015, news organizations around the world reported on a deadly heat wave in India that killed more than 2,300 people. Prior to the arrival of the summer monsoon in India, weather conditions had been extremely hot and dry. Such conditions can lead to economic and agricultural disaster, human suffering and loss of life. NASA satellite sensors are allowing scientists to characterize pre-monsoon droughts and heat waves and postulate their scientific cause. This figure shows the longitude-time variations, averaged between 21 and 22 degrees North, across the middle of the India subcontinent from mid-April to mid-June. Longitude from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal is represented on the horizontal axis; while the vertical axis shows the timeframe. Rainfall is shown on the left, soil moisture is in the center, and surface air temperature is on the right. For both years (2012 and 2015), the summer monsoon begins in June, with sharp rises in rainfall and soil moisture, and a sharp drop in air temperature. The hottest and driest weeks occurred just before the summer monsoon onsets. Similar dry and hot periods, varying from one to a few weeks, were observed in 2013 and 2014. Soil moisture as an indication of drought as measured by NASA's Aquarius mission was first available in 2012. Rainfall data are from NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), and surface air temperature is from NASA's Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite. The TRMM and Aquarius missions ended in April 2015, before the drought and heat waves. Their data were replaced by those presently available from NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive Mission (SMAP) and Global Precipitation Mission (GPM) to show the drought and heatwave in 2015. Scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, have shown that during the summer monsoon season, moisture is transported into the India Subcontinent from the Arabian Sea and out to the Bay of Bengal. The difference between moisture input from the west and output to the east is deposited as rain over land. The pre-monsoon drought and heat waves coincide with the short period when moisture is advected out to the Bay of Bengal ahead of input from the Arabian Sea. The onset of southwest monsoon winds begins in the Bay of Bengal and sucks moisture out from the subcontinent earlier than the onset in the Arabian Sea. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19939

Assessment of Rose Bengal vs. Riboflavin Photodynamic Therapy for Inhibition of Fungal Keratitis Isolates

PubMed Central

Arboleda, Alejandro; Miller, Darlene; Cabot, Florence; Taneja, Mukesh; Aguilar, Mariela C.; Alawa, Karam; Amescua, Guillermo; Yoo, Sonia H.; Parel, Jean-Marie

2014-01-01

Purpose To compare the in vitro effect of rose bengal and riboflavin as photosensitizing agents for photodynamic therapy (PDT) on fungal isolates that are common causes of fungal keratitis Design Experimental study Methods Three isolates (Fusarium solani, Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans) recovered from patients with confirmed fungal keratitis were used in the experiments. Isolates were grown on Sabouraud-Dextrose agar, swabbed and prepared in suspension, and one milliliter aliquots were inoculated onto test plates in triplicate. Test plates were separated into 5 groups: Group 1 - no treatment, Group 2 - 0.1% rose bengal alone, Group 3 - 518 nm irradiation alone, Group 4 - riboflavin PDT (riboflavin + 375 nm irradiation), and Group 5 - rose bengal PDT (rose bengal + 518 nm irradiation). Irradiation was performed over a circular area using either a green LED array (peak wavelength: 518 nm) or a UV-A LED array (peak wavelength: 375 nm). Test plates were irradiated with an energy density of 5.4 J/cm2. Later, plates were placed in a 30° C incubator and observed for growth. Results Rose bengal-mediated PDT successfully inhibited the growth of all three fungal isolates in the irradiated area. All other groups exhibited unrestricted growth throughout the plate. Conclusions Rose bengal-mediated PDT successfully inhibited the growth of three types of fungi. No other experimental groups, including riboflavin-mediated PDT, had any inhibitory effect on the isolates. The results might be useful for the treatment of patients suffering from corneal infection. PMID:24792103

Active intraplate deformation in south India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subrahmanya, K. R.

1996-09-01

Two characteristics of the Indian plate are the intraplate deformation of the oceanic crust to the south of Bay of Bengal and the ongoing uplift of the continental crust in the southern Indian peninsula. An irregular line connecting Mulki on the West Coast and Pulicat Lake on the East Coast (close to 13°N) constitutes a major drainage divide. Several large rivers of south India diverge from this line. This nearly east-west-trending ridge is characterised by gravity high, relatively thinner crust and microseismicity. The shoreline at either ends is convex towards sea. The coastal region particularly in the west is highly dissected. The coastal zone consists of series of beach ridges and swales indicating uplift of land. A close scrutiny of the river channels indicates that the rivers south of the major water divide have successively shifted southward leaving behind paleochannels on the Quaternary terrain. There is similar migration of streams to the north shifting northward. Even in areas where the gradient is low, the rivers have elevated terraces, resulting from valley deepending. The tide gauge records for Mangalore and Madras show a relative fall in sea-level. Occurrence of a dead oyster colony above the intertidal zone substantiates the tide gauge data. These observations indicate that the continental crust close to Mulki-Pulicat Lake axis is undergoing compression and uplift, related to the north-south oriented regional stress field.

Skin score correlates with global DNA methylation and GSTO1 A140D polymorphism in arsenic-affected population of Eastern India.

PubMed

Majumder, Moumita; Dasgupta, Uma B; Guha Mazumder, D N; Das, Nilansu

2017-07-01

Arsenic is a potent environmental toxicant causing serious public health concerns in India, Bangladesh and other parts of the world. Gene- and promoter-specific hypermethylation has been reported in different arsenic-exposed cell lines, whereas whole genome DNA methylation study suggested genomic hypo- and hypermethylation after arsenic exposure in in vitro and in vivo studies. Along with other characteristic biomarkers, arsenic toxicity leads to typical skin lesions. The present study demonstrates significant correlation between severities of skin manifestations with their whole genome DNA methylation status as well as with a particular polymorphism (Ala 140 Asp) status in arsenic metabolizing enzyme Glutathione S-transferase Omega-1 (GSTO1) in arsenic-exposed population of the district of Nadia, West Bengal, India.

An ergonomics study on compatibility of controls of overhead cranes in a heavy engineering factory in West Bengal.

PubMed

Sen, R N; Das, S

2000-04-01

Ergonomics studies, on the machine control and the resultant movements of the cabins and the hooks in 51 electric overhead travelling cranes in a heavy engineering factory, showed that control-movement compatibility is absent in most of the cranes. Also, the layout of the groups of controls and the orientations of each of the individual controls with respect to the operators' seats varied from one crane to another. As the operators were shifted from one crane to another every week, there was a high chance of making mistakes during moving the controls, which might have resulted in severe accidents, especially during periods of high workload. A number of low-cost ergonomics solutions have been recommended to minimize these problems.

Undernutrition among adult Bengalees of Dearah, Hooghly District, West Bengal, India: relationship with educational status and food habit.

PubMed

Bose, Kaushik; Bisai, Samiran; Sadhukhan, Sanjay; Mukhopadhyay, Ashish; Bhadra, Mithu

2009-06-01

A cross-sectional study of 1203 adult (> 18 years of age) Bengalees of Dearah, Hooghly District, West Bengal, India, was undertaken to evaluate the prevalence of undernutrition and the relationship of educational level and food habit with undernutrition. Height and weight were measured and body mass index (BMI) computed following the standard equation. A BMI < 18.5 kg/m2 was classified as undernutrition or chronic energy deficiency (CED) as per World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. The public health problem of low BMI in this population was classified according to the WHO criteria. Educational status was coded as: no formal education, 1-8 years of schooling and > 8 years of schooling. Food habit was recorded as vegetarian or non-vegetarian. The mean ages of males and females were (39.6 +/- 15.0 years) and (39.6 +/- 15.0 years), respectively. There were significant (p < 0.001) sex differences in mean height and weight; both sexes had a similar BMI. The overall (sex combined) prevalence of undernutrition was 27.7%. The frequency of undernutrition was significantly (p < 0.001) higher among females (31.7%) compared to males (23.6%). According to the WHO classification of low BMI, the prevalence of CED was high (20-39%) indicating a serious situation. There existed a significant (p < 0.001) relationship between the level of formal education and nutritional status. Overall, the frequencies of CED (43.5%) were much higher than overweight (7.0%) among subjects with no formal education. The frequencies of CED and overweight among subjects with 1-8 years of formal education were 25.7% and 9.7%, respectively. Similarly, significantly (p < 0.001) higher rates of CED were found among subjects with no formal education in both sexes (males = 39.5%; females = 45.6%) compared to the presence of overweight (males = 1.8%; females = 9.8%). Sex-combined frequency of undernutrition was significantly (p < 0.001) higher among vegetarians (48.3%) compared with non-vegetarians (25.5%). The respective frequencies of overweight were 1.7% and 12.8%. This significant (p < 0.001) trend existed in both sexes with 46.9% male and 49.3% female vegetarians having CED. The corresponding figures for overweight among vegetarians were 0.0% and 2.9%, respectively. The rates of CED were significantly (p < 0.001) lower among non-vegetarians (males = 21.5%; females = 29.6%). Non-vegetarians had significantly higher rates of overweight in both males (8.7%) and females (16.9%). Multiple regression analysis revealed that both educational status as well as food habit had significant effect on BMI in both sexes. In general, the educational status had a stronger impact (males: t = 6.356, females: t = 5.017) than food habit (males: t = 3.373; females: t = 2.763) on BMI. This significant impact remained even after controlling for the effect of age. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that adult Bengalees of Dearah were under serious nutritional stress indicating a public health problem. In addition, a strong inverse relationship existed between educational level and CED. Moreover, vegetarianism was significantly associated with CED. Urgent public health measures are required, particularly among females, to reduce the high prevalence of CED in this population. Similar studies should be conducted in other parts of West Bengal before any general conclusions can be inferred about the relationship between educational status, food habit and CED in the state.

Health impact of supplying safe drinking water containing fluoride below permissible level on flourosis patients in a fluoride-endemic rural area of West Bengal.

PubMed

Majumdar, Kunal Kanti

2011-01-01

The problem of high fluoride concentration in groundwater resources has become one of the most important toxicological and geo-environmental issues in India. Excessive fluoride in drinking water causes dental and skeletal fluorosis, which is encountered in endemic proportions in several parts of the world. World Health Organization (WHO) guideline value and the permissible limit of fluoride as per Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) is 1.5 mg/L. About 20 states of India, including 43 blocks of seven districts of West Bengal, were identified as endemic for fluorosis and about 66 million people in these regions are at risk of fluoride contamination. Studies showed that withdrawal of sources identified for fluoride often leads reduction of fluoride in the body fluids (re-testing urine and serum after a week or 10 days) and results in the disappearance of non-skeletal fluorosis within a short duration of 10-15 days. To determine the prevalence of signs and symptoms of suspected dental, skeletal, and non-skeletal fluorosis, along with food habits, addictions, and use of fluoride containing toothpaste among participants taking water with fluoride concentration above the permissible limit, and to assess the changes in clinical manifestations of the above participants after they started consuming safe drinking water. A longitudinal intervention study was conducted in three villages in Rampurhat Block I of Birbhum district of West Bengal to assess the occurrence of various dental, skeletal, and non-skeletal manifestations of fluorosis, along with food habits, addictions, and use of fluoride containing toothpaste among the study population and the impact of taking safe water from the supplied domestic and community filters on these clinical manifestations. The impact was studied by follow-up examination of the participants for 5 months to determine the changes in clinical manifestations of the above participants after they started consuming safe drinking water from supplied domestic filters and community filter with fluoride concentration below the permissible limit. The data obtained were compared with the collected data from the baseline survey. The prevalence of signs of dental, skeletal, and non-skeletal fluorosis was 66.7%, 4.8-23.8%, and 9.5-38.1%, respectively, among the study population. Withdrawal of source(s) identified for fluoride by providing domestic and community filters supplying safe water led to 9.6% decrease in manifestation of dental fluorosis, 2.4-14.3% decrease in various manifestations of skeletal fluorosis, and 7.1-21.5% decrease in various non-skeletal manifestations within 5 months. Following repeated motivation of participants during visit, there was also 9.7-38.1% decrease in the usage of fluoride containing toothpaste, and 9.8-45.3% and 7.3-11.9% decrease in the consumption of black lemon tea and tobacco, respectively, which are known sources of fluoride ingestion in our body and have an effect on the occurrence of various manifestations of fluorosis following drinking of safe water from domestic and community filters. Increased prevalence of dental, skeletal, and non-skeletal fluorosis was found among the study population. Withdrawal of source(s) identified for fluoride by supplying domestic and community filters, dietary restriction, and other nutritional interventions led to decrease in manifestation of the three types of fluorosis within 5 months.

Dynamics of Andaman Sea circulation and its role in connecting the equatorial Indian Ocean to the Bay of Bengal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chatterjee, Abhisek; Shankar, D.; McCreary, J. P.; Vinayachandran, P. N.; Mukherjee, A.

2017-04-01

Circulation in the Bay of Bengal (BoB) is driven not only by local winds, but are also strongly forced by the reflection of equatorial Kelvin waves (EKWs) from the eastern boundary of the Indian Ocean. The equatorial influence attains its peak during the monsoon-transition period when strong eastward currents force the strong EKWs along the equator. The Andaman Sea, lying between the Andaman and Nicobar island chains to its west and Indonesia, Thailand, and Myanmar to the south, east, and north, is connected to the equatorial ocean and the BoB by three primary passages, the southern (6°N), middle (10°N), and northern (15°N) channels. We use ocean circulation models, together with satellite altimeter data, to study the pathways by which equatorial signals pass through the Andaman Sea to the BoB and associated dynamical interactions in the process. The mean coastal circulation within the Andaman Sea and around the islands is primarily driven by equatorial forcing, with the local winds forcing a weak sea-level signal. On the other hand, the current forced by local winds is comparable to that forced remotely from the equator. Our results suggest that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands not only influence the circulation within the Andaman Sea, but also significantly alter the circulation in the interior bay and along the east coast of India, implying that they need to be represented accurately in numerical models of the Indian Ocean.

Bay of Bengal Surface and Thermocline and the Arabian Sea

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-30

oceanographic processes that exchange low salinity surface and upper thermocline water of the Bay of Bengal with the salty Arabian Sea and tropical Indian Ocean ...two northern embayments of the Indian Ocean . OBJECTIVES Two northern Indian Ocean embayments, the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, are so close...e.g. where do the eddies come from? 2. Investigating advective pathways, and the role of isopycnal mixing, exchanging upper ocean water between the

Coastal and Submesoscale Process Studies for ASIRI

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-01-30

of upper ocean processes and air- sea interaction in the Bay of Bengal. This, in the long run , would contribute toward improving the intra-seasonal...and air- sea interaction in the Bay of Bengal. This, in the long run, would contribute toward improving the intra-seasonal Monsoonal forecast in...different times of year, and to understand its relationship with air- sea fluxes of heat and moisture in the Bay of Bengal. 2. To determine what

Numerical simulation of mesoscale surface pressure features with trailing stratiform squall lines using WRF -ARW model over Gangetic West Bengal region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dawn, Soma; Satyanarayana, A. N. V.

2018-01-01

In the present study, an attempt has been made to investigate the simulation of mesoscale surface pressure patterns like pre-squall mesolow, mesohigh and wake low associated with leading convective line-trailing stratiform (TS) squall lines over Gangetic West Bengal (GWB). For this purpose, a two way interactive triple nested domain with high resolution WRF model having2 km grid length in the innermost domain is used. The model simulated results are compared with the available in-situ observations obtained as a part of Severe Thunderstorm: Observations and Regional Modeling (STORM) programme, reflectivity products of Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) Kolkata and TRMM rainfall. Three TS squall lines (15 May 2009, 5 May 2010 and 7 May 2010) are chosen during pre-monsoon thunderstorm season for this study. The model simulated results of diurnal variation of temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction at the station Kharagpur in GWB region reveal a sudden fall in temperature, increase in the amount of relative humidity and sudden rise in wind speed during the arrival of the storms. Such results are well comparable with the observations though there are some leading or lagging of time in respect of actual occurrences of such events. The study indicates that the model is able to predict the occurrences of three typical surface pressure features namely: pre-squall mesolow, meso high and wake low. The predicted surface parameters like accumulated rainfall, maximum reflectivity and vertical profiles (temperature, relative humidity and winds) are well accorded with the observations. The convective and stratiform precipitation region of the TS squall lines are well represented by the model. A strong downdraft is observed to be a contributory factor for formation of mesohigh in the convective region of the squall line. Wake low is observed to reside in the stratiform rain region and the descending dry air at this place has triggered the wake low through adiabatic warming. This study has established the usefulness of the high resolution model in predicting trailing stratiform squall lines and its associated features over the study region.

Triple Burden of Obesity, Undernutrition, and Cardiovascular Disease Risk among Indian Tribes

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Background Socio-cultural transitions among individuals from vulnerable groups introduce epidemiological transition, with a concomitant increase in the prevalence of undernutrition, obesity, and cardiovascular disease risks. An accepted conventional wisdom exists for Indian tribes that they are undernourished and away from lifestyle-related diseases. However, the extent of this triple burden affecting them is unknown. In this study, we assessed this triple burden among the 9 major tribes of India. Methods and Findings During January 2011 to December 2013, we conducted a cross-sectional study among 1066 men and 1090 women constituting a total of 2156 adults belonging to the 9 major tribal groups: Santals, Oraons, and Koras (West Bengal); Santals, Bhumijs, and Bathudis (Odisha); and Dhodias, Kuknas, and Chaudharis (Gujarat) to estimate the prevalence of the triple burden (undernutrition, overweight or obesity, and hypertension). A high prevalence of undernutrition and hypertension was observed among the Koras (51.9%and 10.6%, respectively), Bathudis (51.3% and 12.1%, respectively), and Oraons (49.6% and 16.5%, respectively). However, the prevalence of overweight and hypertension among the Bhumijs (17.7% and 14.7%, respectively), Dhodias (23.8% and 12.9%, respectively), Kuknas (15.8% and 11.3%, respectively), and Santals of West Bengal (12.2% and 11.8%, respectively) and Odisha (15% and 9.6%, respectively) was most alarming. The prevalence of overweight or obesity among the women was 10.9% and 1.5%, respectively, with 14.0% hypertensive women. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among the men was 14.8% and 1.7%, respectively, with 9.2% hypertensive men. Undernutrition was highly prevalent among men and women. However, data from the past 30 years on systolic blood pressure (SBP) and body mass index (BMI) revealed that the studied tribes were at a higher risk than the general Indian population. In addition, a vast gender disparity with relation to the disease and risk prevalence was observed. Conclusion The alarming trend of an increasing prevalence of overweight/obesity, undernutrition, and hypertension is observed among indigenous populations of India, emphasizing the incorporation of a specific health management policy. PMID:26808418

Prevalence of β-thalassemia and other haemoglobinopathies in six cities in India: a multicentre study.

PubMed

Mohanty, D; Colah, R B; Gorakshakar, A C; Patel, R Z; Master, D C; Mahanta, J; Sharma, S K; Chaudhari, U; Ghosh, M; Das, S; Britt, R P; Singh, S; Ross, C; Jagannathan, L; Kaul, R; Shukla, D K; Muthuswamy, V

2013-01-01

The population of India is extremely diverse comprising of more than 3,000 ethnic groups who still follow endogamy. Haemoglobinopathies are the commonest hereditary disorders in India and pose a major health problem. The data on the prevalence of β-thalassemias and other haemoglobinopathies in different caste/ethnic groups of India is scarce. Therefore the present multicentre study was undertaken in six cities of six states of India (Maharashtra, Gujarat, West Bengal, Assam, Karnataka and Punjab) to determine the prevalence of haemoglobinopathies in different caste/ethnic groups using uniform methodology. Fifty-six thousand seven hundred eighty individuals (college students and pregnant women) from different caste/ethnic groups were screened. RBC indices were measured on an automated haematology counter while the percentage of HbA(2), HbF and other abnormal Hb variants were estimated by HPLC on the Variant Hemoglobin Testing System. The overall prevalence of β-thalassemia trait was 2.78 % and varied from 1.48 to 3.64 % in different states, while the prevalence of β-thalassemia trait in 59 ethnic groups varied from 0 to 9.3 %. HbE trait was mainly seen in Dibrugarh in Assam (23.9 %) and Kolkata in West Bengal (3.92 %). In six ethnic groups from Assam, the prevalence of HbE trait varied from 41.1 to 66.7 %. Few subjects with δβ-thalassemia, HPFH, HbS trait, HbD trait, HbE homozygous and HbE β-thalassemia as well as HbS homozygous and HbS-β-thalassemia (<1 %) were also identified. This is the first large multicentre study covering cities from different regions of the country for screening for β-thalassemia carriers and other haemoglobinopathies where uniform protocols and methodology was followed and quality control ensured by the co-ordinating centre. This study also shows that establishment of centres for screening for β-thalassemia and other haemoglobinopathies is possible in medical colleges. Creating awareness, screening and counselling can be done at these centres. This experience will help to formulate a national thalassemia control programme in India.

Diverse Gene Cassettes in Class 1 Integrons of Facultative Oligotrophic Bacteria of River Mahananda, West Bengal, India

PubMed Central

Chakraborty, Ranadhir; Kumar, Arvind; Bhowal, Suparna Saha; Mandal, Amit Kumar; Tiwary, Bipransh Kumar; Mukherjee, Shriparna

2013-01-01

Background In this study a large random collection (n = 2188) of facultative oligotrophic bacteria, from 90 water samples gathered in three consecutive years (2007–2009) from three different sampling sites of River Mahananda in Siliguri, West Bengal, India, were investigated for the presence of class 1 integrons and sequences of the amplification products. Methodology/Principal Findings Replica plating method was employed for determining the antibiotic resistance profile of the randomly assorted facultative oligotrophic isolates. Genomic DNA from each isolate was analyzed by PCR for the presence of class 1 integron. Amplicons were cloned and sequenced. Numerical taxonomy and 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses were done to ascertain putative genera of the class 1 integron bearing isolates. Out of 2188 isolates, 1667 (76.19%) were antibiotic-resistant comprising of both single-antibiotic resistance (SAR) and multiple-antibiotic resistant (MAR), and 521 (23.81%) were sensitive to all twelve different antibiotics used in this study. Ninety out of 2188 isolates produced amplicon(s) of varying sizes from 0.15 to 3.45 KB. Chi-square (χ2) test revealed that the possession of class 1 integron in sensitive, SAR and MAR is not equally probable at the 1% level of significance. Diverse antibiotic-resistance gene cassettes, aadA1, aadA2, aadA4, aadA5, dfrA1, dfrA5, dfrA7, dfrA12, dfrA16, dfrA17, dfrA28, dfrA30, dfr-IIe, blaIMP-9, aacA4, Ac-6′-Ib, oxa1, oxa10 and arr2 were detected in 64 isolates. The novel cassettes encoding proteins unrelated to any known antibiotic resistance gene function were identified in 26 isolates. Antibiotic-sensitive isolates have a greater propensity to carry gene cassettes unrelated to known antibiotic-resistance genes. The integron-positive isolates under the class Betaproteobacteria comprised of only two genera, Comamonas and Acidovorax of family Comamonadaceae, while isolates under class Gammaproteobacteria fell under the families, Moraxellaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, Aeromonadaceae and Enterobacteriaceae. Conclusions Oligotrophic bacteria are good sources of novel genes as well as potential reservoirs of antibiotic resistance gene casettes. PMID:23951238

Arsenic and other heavy metal accumulation in plants and algae growing naturally in contaminated area of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Singh, N K; Raghubanshi, A S; Upadhyay, A K; Rai, U N

2016-08-01

The present study was conducted to quantify the arsenic (As) and other heavy metal concentrations in the plants and algae growing naturally in As contaminated blocks of North-24-Pargana and Nandia district, West Bengal, India to assess their bioaccumulation potential. The plant species included five macrophytes and five algae were collected from the nine selected sites for estimation of As and other heavy metals accumulated therein by using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrophotometer (ICP-MS). Results revealed that maximum As concentration (117mgkg(-1)) was recorded in the agricultural soil at the Barasat followed by Beliaghat (111mgkg(-1)) sites of North-24-Pargana. Similarly, concentration of selenium (Si, 249mgkg(-1)), lead (Pb, 79.4mgkg(-1)), chromium (Cr, 138mgkg(-1)) was also found maximum in the soil at Barasat and cadmium (Cd, 163mgkg(-1)) nickel (Ni, 36.5mgkg(-1)) at Vijaynagar site. Among the macrophytes, Eichhornia crassipes found more dominating species in As contaminated area and accumulate As (597mgkg(-1)) in the shoot at kanchrapara site. The Lemna minor found to accumulate maximum As (735mgkg(-1)) in the leaves at Sonadanga and Pistia stratiotes accumulated minimum As (24.5mgkg(-1)) in the fronds from Ranaghat site. In case of diatoms, maximum As (760mgkg(-1)) was accumulated at Kanchrapara site followed by Hydrodictiyon reticulatum (403mgkg(-1)) at the Ranaghat site. High concentration of As and other heavy metal in soil indicates long term effects of irrigation with contaminated ground water, however, high concentration of heavy metals in naturally growing plants and algae revealed their mobilization through leaching and possible food chain contamination. Therefore, efficient heavy metal accumulator macrophytes Eichhornia crassipes, Lemna minor, Spirodela polyrhiza may be exploited in removing metals from contaminated water by developing a plant based treatment system. However, As accumulator algal species may be used as a bioresource for understanding algae mediated As detoxification and bioindication studies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Inequity in hospitalization care: a study on utilization of healthcare services in West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Bose, Montu; Dutta, Arijita

2015-01-01

Out of eight commonly agreed Millennium Development Goals (MDG), six are related to the attainment of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) throughout the globe. This universalization of health status suggests policies to narrow the gap in access and benefit sharing between different socially and economically underprivileged classes with that of the better placed ones and a consequent expansion of subsidized healthcare appears to be a common feature for most of the developing nations. The National Health Policy in India (2002) suggests expansion of market-based care for the affording class and subsidized care for the deserving class of the society. So, the benefit distribution of this limited public support in health sector is important to examine to study the welfare consequences of the policy. This paper examines the nature of utilization to inpatient care by different socio-economic groups across regions and gender in West Bengal (WB), India. The benefit incidence of public subsidies across these socio-economic groups has also been verified for different types of services like medicines, diagnostics and professional care etc. National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) has collected information on all hospitalized cases (60(th) round, 2004) with a recall period of 365 days from the sampled households through stratified random sampling technique. The data has been used to assess utilization of healthcare services during hospitalization and the distribution of public subsidies among the patients of different socio-economic background; a Benefit Incidence Analysis (BIA) has also been carried out. Analysis shows that though the rate of utilization of public hospitals is quite high, other complementary services like medicine, doctor and diagnostic tests are mostly purchased from private market. This leads to high Out-of-Pocket (OOP) expenditure. Moreover, BIA reveals that the public subsidies are mostly enjoyed by the relatively better placed patients, both socially and economically. The worse situation is observed for gender related inequality in access and benefit from public subsidies in the state. Focused policies are required to ensure proper distribution of public subsidies to arrest high OOP expenditure. Drastic change in policy targeting is needed to secure equity without compromising efficiency.

Inequity in hospitalization care: a study on utilization of healthcare services in West Bengal, India

PubMed Central

Bose, Montu; Dutta, Arijita

2015-01-01

Background: Out of eight commonly agreed Millennium Development Goals (MDG), six are related to the attainment of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) throughout the globe. This universalization of health status suggests policies to narrow the gap in access and benefit sharing between different socially and economically underprivileged classes with that of the better placed ones and a consequent expansion of subsidized healthcare appears to be a common feature for most of the developing nations. The National Health Policy in India (2002) suggests expansion of market-based care for the affording class and subsidized care for the deserving class of the society. So, the benefit distribution of this limited public support in health sector is important to examine to study the welfare consequences of the policy. This paper examines the nature of utilization to inpatient care by different socio-economic groups across regions and gender in West Bengal (WB), India. The benefit incidence of public subsidies across these socio-economic groups has also been verified for different types of services like medicines, diagnostics and professional care etc. Methods: National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) has collected information on all hospitalized cases (60th round, 2004) with a recall period of 365 days from the sampled households through stratified random sampling technique. The data has been used to assess utilization of healthcare services during hospitalization and the distribution of public subsidies among the patients of different socio-economic background; a Benefit Incidence Analysis (BIA) has also been carried out. Results: Analysis shows that though the rate of utilization of public hospitals is quite high, other complementary services like medicine, doctor and diagnostic tests are mostly purchased from private market. This leads to high Out-of-Pocket (OOP) expenditure. Moreover, BIA reveals that the public subsidies are mostly enjoyed by the relatively better placed patients, both socially and economically. The worse situation is observed for gender related inequality in access and benefit from public subsidies in the state. Conclusion: Focused policies are required to ensure proper distribution of public subsidies to arrest high OOP expenditure. Drastic change in policy targeting is needed to secure equity without compromising efficiency. PMID:25584350

Deposition of chromium in aquatic ecosystem from effluents of handloom textile industries in Ranaghat-Fulia region of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Sanyal, Tanmay; Kaviraj, Anilava; Saha, Subrata

2015-11-01

Accumulation of chromium (Cr) was determined in water, sediment, aquatic plants, invertebrates and fish in aquatic ecosystems receiving effluents from handloom textile industries in Ranaghat-Fulia region of West Bengal in India. Cr was determined in the samples by atomic absorption spectrophotometer and data were analyzed functionally by Genetic Algorithm to determine trend of depositions of Cr in the sediment and water. Area plot curve was used to represent accumulation of Cr in biota. The results indicate that the aquatic ecosystems receiving the effluents from handloom textile factories are heavily contaminated by Cr. The contamination is hardly reflected in the concentration of Cr in water, but sediment exhibits seasonal fluctuation in deposition of Cr, concentration reaching to as high as 451.0 μg g(-1) during the peak production period. There is a clear trend of gradual increase in the deposition of Cr in the sediment. Aquatic weed, insect and mollusk specimens collected from both closed water bodies (S1 & S2) and riverine resources (S3 & S4) showed high rate of accumulation of Cr. Maximum concentration of Cr was detected in roots of aquatic weeds (877.5 μg g(-1)). Fish specimens collected from the polluted sites (S3 & S4) of river Churni showed moderate to high concentration of Cr in different tissues. Maximum concentration was detected in the liver of Glossogobius giuris (679.7 μg g(-1)) during monsoon followed by gill of Mystus bleekeri (190.0 μg g(-1)) and gut of G. giuris (123.7 μg g(-1)) during summer. Eutropiichthys vacha showed moderately high concentration of Cr in different tissues (65-99 μg g(-1)) while Puntius sarana showed relatively low concentration of Cr (below detection limit to 18.0 μg g(-1)) in different tissues except in gill (64.4 μg g(-1)).

Deposition of chromium in aquatic ecosystem from effluents of handloom textile industries in Ranaghat–Fulia region of West Bengal, India

PubMed Central

Sanyal, Tanmay; Kaviraj, Anilava; Saha, Subrata

2014-01-01

Accumulation of chromium (Cr) was determined in water, sediment, aquatic plants, invertebrates and fish in aquatic ecosystems receiving effluents from handloom textile industries in Ranaghat–Fulia region of West Bengal in India. Cr was determined in the samples by atomic absorption spectrophotometer and data were analyzed functionally by Genetic Algorithm to determine trend of depositions of Cr in the sediment and water. Area plot curve was used to represent accumulation of Cr in biota. The results indicate that the aquatic ecosystems receiving the effluents from handloom textile factories are heavily contaminated by Cr. The contamination is hardly reflected in the concentration of Cr in water, but sediment exhibits seasonal fluctuation in deposition of Cr, concentration reaching to as high as 451.0 μg g−1 during the peak production period. There is a clear trend of gradual increase in the deposition of Cr in the sediment. Aquatic weed, insect and mollusk specimens collected from both closed water bodies (S1 & S2) and riverine resources (S3 & S4) showed high rate of accumulation of Cr. Maximum concentration of Cr was detected in roots of aquatic weeds (877.5 μg g−1). Fish specimens collected from the polluted sites (S3 & S4) of river Churni showed moderate to high concentration of Cr in different tissues. Maximum concentration was detected in the liver of Glossogobius giuris (679.7 μg g−1) during monsoon followed by gill of Mystus bleekeri (190.0 μg g−1) and gut of G. giuris (123.7 μg g−1) during summer. Eutropiichthys vacha showed moderately high concentration of Cr in different tissues (65–99 μg g−1) while Puntius sarana showed relatively low concentration of Cr (below detection limit to 18.0 μg g−1) in different tissues except in gill (64.4 μg g−1). PMID:26644938

Fate of cadmium at the soil-solution interface: a thermodynamic study as influenced by varying pH at South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Karak, Tanmoy; Paul, Ranjit Kumar; Das, Sampa; Das, Dilip K; Dutta, Amrit Kumar; Boruah, Romesh K

2015-11-01

A study on the sorption kinetics of Cd from soil solution to soils was conducted to assess the persistence of Cd in soil solution as it is related to the leaching, bioavailability, and potential toxicity of Cd. The kinetics of Cd sorption on two non-contaminated alkaline soils from Canning (22° 18' 48.02″ N and 88° 39' 29.0″ E) and Lakshmikantapur (22° 06' 16.61″ N and 88° 19' 08.66″ E) of South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India, were studied using conventional batch experiment. The variable soil suspension parameters were pH (4.00, 6.00, 8.18, and 9.00), temperatures (308, 318, and 328 K) and Cd concentrations (5-100 mg L(-1)). The average rate coefficient (kavg) and half-life (t1/2) values indicate that the persistence of Cd in soil solution is influenced by both temperature and soil suspension pH. The concentration of Cd in soil solution decreases with increase of temperature; therefore, Cd sorption on the soil-solution interface is an endothermic one. Higher pH decreases the t 1/2 of Cd in soil solution, indicating that higher pH (alkaline) is not a serious concern in Cd toxicity than lower pH (acidic). Based on the energy of activation (Ea) values, Cd sorption in acidic pH (14.76±0.29 to 64.45±4.50 kJ mol(-1)) is a surface control phenomenon and in alkaline pH (9.33±0.09 to 44.60±2.01 kJ mol(-1)) is a diffusion control phenomenon The enthalpy of activation (ΔH∓) values were found to be between 7.28 and 61.73 kJ mol(-1). Additionally, higher positive energy of activation (ΔG∓) values (46.82±2.01 to 94.47±2.36 kJ mol(-1)) suggested that there is an energy barrier for product formation.

Netting the malaria menace: Distribution and utilization of long-lasting insecticidal net in a malaria endemic area in Bankura, West Bengal.

PubMed

Mukhopadhyay, D K; Basu, S S; Roy, D; Das, N; Akbar, F; Sarkar, G N

2016-03-01

Long-lasting insecticidal net (LLIN) is considered to be a highly effective intervention against malaria under National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme in India. A cross-sectional study was undertaken to assess the coverage and utilization of LLIN and the factors related thereto. A survey of 1300 households was carried out in Ranibandh block of Bankura district in West Bengal, India, using lot quality assurance sampling (LQAS) method. Coverage/utilization of 80% was considered as minimum acceptable norm. The weighted sample size was calculated from each village of the block. The sociodemographic, economic information of the household along with the availability and use of LLIN was collected through interview and observation. In total, 7320 individuals including 840 children ≤ 5 yr were visited. Overall coverage of adequate LLIN was 65.4% (± 1.5%) and for children ≤ 5 yr, it was 60.5% (± 1.3%). Overall, 66.1% (± 1.4%) people of all ages and 63.7% (± 1.4%) children ≤ 5 yr slept under LLINs in the night before the survey. Out of 26 sub-centres, distribution of LLINs in 10 sub-centres was below the accepted norm, whereas utilization was sub-optimal in 19 sub-centres. In only 18.2% (± 0.5%) households, LLINs remained hanging during daytime. Poverty, caste, education, perception regarding malarial morbidity and preventive action of LLIN were associated significantly with the distribution of LLIN. Similarly, poverty (AOR = 2.14), threat perception regarding malarial morbidity (AOR = 1.51) and mortality (AOR = 2.52) were positively associated with the use of LLIN. Full utilization of bednets by under-fives of the households was higher in villages with sub-centres. Around two-third population of the study area was effectively covered with LLIN. Higher proportion of socially marginalized people received LLIN. Threat perception regarding malaria was directly associated with both receipt and use of LLIN. Behaviour change communication on utilization along with adequate access to LLIN needs to be strengthened.

Molecular and eco-physiological characterization of arsenic (As)-transforming Achromobacter sp. KAs 3-5T from As-contaminated groundwater of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Mohapatra, Balaram; Satyanarayana, Tulasi; Sar, Pinaki

2018-05-02

Molecular and eco-physiological characterization of arsenic (As)-transforming and hydrocarbon-utilizing Achromobacter type strain KAs 3-5 T has been investigated in order to gain an insight into As-geomicrobiology in the contaminated groundwater. The bacterium is isolated from As-rich groundwater of West Bengal, India. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence phylogenetic analysis confirmed that the strain KAs 3-5 T is closely related to Achromobacter mucicolens LMG 26685 T (99.17%) and Achromobacter animicus LMG 26690 T (99.17%), thus affiliated to the genus Achromobacter. Strain KAs 3-5 T is nonflagellated, mesophilic, facultative anaerobe, having a broad metabolic repertoire of using various sugars, sugar-/fatty acids, hydrocarbons as principal carbon substrates, and O 2 , NO 3 - , NO 2 - , and Fe 3+ as terminal electron acceptors. Growth with hydrocarbons led to cellular aggregation and adherence of the cells to the hydrocarbon particles confirmed through electron microscopic observations. The strain KAs 3-5 T showed high As resistance (MIC of 5 mM for As 3+ , 25 mM for As 5+ ) and reductive transformation of As 5+ under aerobic conditions while utilizing both sugars and hydrocarbons. Molecular taxonomy specified a high genomic GC content (65.5 mol %), ubiquinone 8 (UQ-8) as respiratory quinone, spermidine as predominant polyamine in the bacterium. The differential presence of C 12:0 , C 14:0 2-OH, C 18:1 ω7c, and C 14:0 iso 3-OH/ C 16:1 iso fatty acids, phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylcholine (PC), two unknown phospholipid (PL1, PL2) as polar lipids, low DNA-DNA relatedness (33.0-41.0%) with the Achromobacter members, and unique metabolic capacities clearly indicated the distinct genomic and physiological properties of strain KAs 3-5 T among known species of the genus Achromobacter. These findings lead to improve our understanding on metabolic flexibility of bacteria residing in As-contaminated groundwater and As-bacteria interactions within oligotrophic aquifer system.

Anthropometric characteristics and evaluation of nutritional status amongst female brick field workers of the unorganized sectors of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Sett, M; Sahu, S

2016-06-01

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the body composition and hand grip strength as indirect measures of nutritional status of 162 female workers and the status of the serum oxidative stress enzymes of 35 female workers engaged in the manual brick making units of the unorganized sectors of West Bengal, India. Results show that the waist-hip ratio values (mean 0.79 vs. 0.83; p=0.0034) are significantly greater amongst the brick carriers than the moulders. The body density (mean 1067.0 vs. 1056.0kg/m(3); p<0.0001) is lower and the body fat % (mean 10.63% vs. 13.09%; p<0.0001) of the brick carriers is significantly higher. The hand grip strength (HGS) (horizontal) of the brick workers in right (mean 379.52 vs. 267.72N; p<0.0001) and left (mean 268.78 vs. 162.79N; p<0.0001) hands are significantly greater than the control group. The serum malondialdehyde level is significantly higher (mean 99.97 vs. 160.21nmol/mg of protein; p<0.0001) but the superoxide dismutase level (mean 6.71 vs. 3.34unit/mg of protein; p<0.0001), glutathione level (GSH) (mean 3.93 vs. 2.11μg/mg of protein; p<0.0001) and glutathione-s-transferase (GST) activity (mean 5.4 vs. 2.73nmole/min/mg of protein; p<0.0001) are significantly lower than that of the control group. The indirect nutritional assessments have shown that the women are poorly nourished. The hand grip strength is quite high in both groups of workers but consecutively decreases with the passage of time. Reduced levels of GSH and GST indicate that there is a higher level of reactive oxygen species inducing oxidative stress in the body. The probable causes of this state might be the intake of less nutritious food, polluted environment, excess ambient temperature and improper workstation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Can water quality of tubewells be assessed without chemical testing?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoque, Mohammad A.; Butler, Adrian P.

2016-04-01

Arsenic is one of the major pollutants found in aquifers on a global scale. The screening of tubewells for arsenic has helped many people to avoid drinking from highly polluted wells in the Bengal Delta (West Bengal and Bangladesh). However, there are still many millions of tubewells in Bangladesh yet to be tested, and a substantial proportion of these are likely to contain excessive arsenic. Due to the level of poverty and lack of infrastructure, it is unlikely that the rest of the tubewells will be tested quickly. However, water quality assessment without needing a chemical testing may be helpful in this case. Studies have found that qualitative factors, such as staining in the tubewell basement and/or on utensils, can indicate subsurface geology and water quality. The science behind this staining is well established, red staining is associated with iron reduction leading to release of arsenic whilst black staining is associated with manganese reduction (any release of arsenic due to manganese reduction is sorbed back on the, yet to be reduced, iron), whereas mixed staining may indicate overlapping manganese and iron reduction at the tubewell screen. Reduction is not uniform everywhere and hence chemical water quality including dissolved arsenic varies from place to place. This is why coupling existing tubewell arsenic information with user derived staining data could be useful in predicting the arsenic status at a particular site. Using well location, depth, along with colour of staining, an assessment of both good (nutrients) and bad (toxins and pathogens) substances in the tubewell could be provided. Social-network technology, combined with increasing use of smartphones, provides a powerful opportunity for both sharing and providing feedback to the user. Here we outline how a simple digital application can couple the reception both qualitative and quantitative tubewell data into a centralised interactive database and provide manipulated feedback to an individual user. This technology has the potential to reach more than 50 million people in the Bengal delta and can play an effective role in arsenic mitigation and water quality assessment in similar geological terrains.

Poleward shift and weakening of summer season synoptic activity over India in a warming climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ravindran, A. M.; Sandeep, S.; Boos, W. R.; TP, S.; Praveen, V.

2017-12-01

One of the main components of the Indian summer monsoon is the presence of low intensity cyclonic systems popularly known as Low Pressure Systems (LPS), which contribute more than half of the precipitation received over the fertile Central Indian region. An average of 13 (±2.5) storms develop each boreal summer, with most originating over the Bay of Bengal (BoB) and adjoining land. These systems typically follow a north-west track along the monsoon trough. Despite its significance, the future variability of these storms is not studied, due to the inadequate representation of these systems in current generation climate models. A series of numerical experiments are performed here using the High Resolution Atmospheric Model (HiRAM) with a horizontal grid spacing of 50 km globally to simulate these rain-bearing systems. One set of simulations represents the historical (HIST) period and the other a late 21st century climate scenario based on the strongest Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP8.5). Four ensemble members of these simulations are run, with sea surface temperatures (SSTs) taken from different CMIP5 GCMs selected for their skill in simulating the Indian monsoon. In addition, ten ensemble members of `decadal' experiments are run for both HIST and RCP8.5 to assess model uncertainty, in which the model is forced with annual cycles of decadal mean SSTs. We show that the strength of monsoon LPS activity would decline as much as 50% by the end of the 21st century, under business as usual emission scenario. The overall reduction in the LPS activity is contributed by a 60% decrease in the frequency of storms over the Bay of Bengal, while the weaker systems that form over the land has increased 10% in a warmer climate. Further analysis suggests that a relatively slower rate of warming over the Bay of Bengal compared to the surrounding regions has resulted in an enhanced moist stability over the main genesis region of LPS, which in turn suppressed the growth of these storms in a warmer climate. The change in extreme precipitation may be mentioned as a consequence of ocean-to-land shift in LPS activity.

The last glacial cycle documented on the Lower Bengal Fan - chronological and paleoclimate implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, M. E.; Dekens, P.; Reilly, B.; Lantzsch, H.; Selkin, P. A.; Das, S. K.; Williams, T.; Martos, Y. M.; Adhikari, R. R.; Gyawali, B. R.; Jia, G.; Fox, L. R.; Ge, J.; Manoj, M. C.; Savian, J. F.; Meynadier, L.; Spiess, V.; France-Lanord, C.; Klaus, A.

2016-12-01

IODP Expedition 354 set out in February to March 2015 to drill seven sites along an east west oriented core transect of 320 km length at 8°N in the Bengal Fan (France-Lanord et al., 2015). Sediments show complex intercalation of turbiditic and hemipelagic deposits, documenting the interaction of fan evolution and paleoceanographic history. Hemipelagic sequences represent a several meter thick top layer of Late Quaternary sediment. Deposits are either rich in biogenic opal/clay or in carbonate. We studied physical, optical, geochemical, grain-size, and stable isotopic properties of this top layer to establish a time frame, estimate sedimentary properties, and assess the development of the region during the last glacial cycle. For this purpose, we sampled Site U1452C-1H continuously for the uppermost 480 cm in 2-cm increments. Preliminary results indicate the Toba Ash 1 (74 ka) is a distinct time marker in most physical property data sets. Records of wet-bulk density as well as color reflectance b* (the red-green component) and L* (the lightness) show a dominant precession cyclicity. Hence, we are able to provide an insolation-tuned chronology for the last 200 ka (MIS1 - 7). These records agree well with d18O records retrieved from Chinese caves. An independent age model is derived from records of relative paleointensity (RPI), including the assessment of the Laschamp Event ( 40 ka), and on RPI tuning to global templates. We will compare both chronologies and evaluate their chronological and paleoclimatic implications. We will also present preliminary grain-size and paleoceanographic proxy data (sea-surface temperature, sea-surface salinity, and Mg/Ca) as well as color endmember modeling to reconstruct ice volume, marine biological productivity, nutrient supply, and deep-water circulation. The sedimentologic, oceanographic and climatic conditions are linked to changes in monsoonal strength and terrestrial input, which will also be studied using sedimentary proxies to reconstruct chemical weathering, sediment sources, and transport time. Our work addresses primary cruise objectives - linking monsoon variability, regional and global climate, and Bay of Bengal sediment deposition.

Tiger, Bengal and Domestic Cat Embryos Produced by Homospecific and Interspecific Zona-Free Nuclear Transfer.

PubMed

Moro, L N; Jarazo, J; Buemo, C; Hiriart, M I; Sestelo, A; Salamone, D F

2015-10-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate three different cloning strategies in the domestic cat (Felis silvestris) and to use the most efficient to generate wild felid embryos by interspecific cloning (iSCNT) using Bengal (a hybrid formed by the cross of Felis silvestris and Prionailurus bengalensis) and tiger (Panthera tigris) donor cells. In experiment 1, zona-free (ZP-free) cloning resulted in higher fusion and expanded blastocyst rates with respect to zona included cloning techniques that involved fusion or injection of the donor cell. In experiment 2, ZP-free iSCNT and embryo aggregation (2X) were assessed. Division velocity and blastocyst rates were increased by embryo aggregation in the three species. Despite fewer tiger embryos than Bengal and cat embryos reached the blastocyst stage, Tiger 2X group increased the percentage of blastocysts with respect to Tiger 1X group (3.2% vs 12.1%, respectively). Moreover, blastocyst cell number was almost duplicated in aggregated embryos with respect to non-aggregated ones within Bengal and tiger groups (278.3 ± 61.9 vs 516.8 ± 103.6 for Bengal 1X and Bengal 2X groups, respectively; 41 vs 220 ± 60 for Tiger 1X and Tiger 2X groups, respectively). OCT4 analysis also revealed that tiger blastocysts had higher proportion of OCT4-positive cells with respect to Bengal blastocysts and cat intracytoplasmic sperm injection blastocysts. In conclusion, ZP-free cloning has improved the quality of cat embryos with respect to the other cloning techniques evaluated and was successfully applied in iSCNT complemented with embryo aggregation. © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Wind-driven Circulation and Freshwater Fluxes off Sri Lanka: 4D-Sampling with Autonomous Gliders

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-30

riverine freshwater input, precipitation and atmospheric forcing act to govern Bay of Bengal upper ocean variability, water mass formation and...fraction of the water moving through the section is going south, carrying freshwater out of the Bay of Bengal. Currents near the coast have the same...transport of freshwater from the Northern Bay of Bengal, as well of the import of salty Arabian Sea Water , are being investigated are using all the

Instantaneous radioiodination of rose bengal at room temperature and a cold-kit therefor. [DOE patent application

DOEpatents

O'Brien, H. Jr.; Hupf, H.B.; Wanek, P.M.

The disclosure relates to the radioiodination of rose bengal at room temperature and a cold-kit therefor. A purified rose bengal tablet is stirred into acidified ethanol at or near room temperature, until a suspension forms. Reductant-free /sup 125/I/sup -/ is added and the resulting mixture stands until the exchange label reaction occurs at room temperature. A solution of sterile isotonic phosphate buffer and sodium hydroxide is added and the final resulting mixture is sterilized by filtration.

Instantaneous radioiodination of rose bengal at room temperature and a cold kit therefor

DOEpatents

O'Brien, Jr., Harold A.; Hupf, Homer B.; Wanek, Philip M.

1981-01-01

The disclosure relates to the radioiodination of rose bengal at room temperature and a cold-kit therefor. A purified rose bengal tablet is stirred into acidified ethanol at or near room temperature, until a suspension forms. Reductant-free .sup.125 I.sup.- is added and the resulting mixture stands until the exchange label reaction occurs at room temperature. A solution of sterile isotonic phosphate buffer and sodium hydroxide is added and the final resulting mixture is sterilized by filtration.

Crust And Upper Mantle Structure Of The Bengal Basin And Bay Of Bengal From Surface Wave Group Velocity Dispersion Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhali, K. K.; Majhi, S.; Mitra, S.; Priestley, K.

2007-12-01

Fundamental mode Rayleigh and Love wave group velocity dispersion for paths crossing the Bay of Bengal have been calculated for earthquakes in the Indo-Burman arc and the Andaman-Sumatra subduction zone recorded at seismographs in the eastern part of Peninsula India and Sri Lanka. The ray-path coverage in this study provides a better spatial sampling than any previous studies of the region. The individual dispersion curves range from 12 to 70~s and have been clustered in four spatial groups to form average dispersion curves representative of the Bengal basin, northern, central and southern Bay of Bengal. These average dispersion curves for Rayleigh and Love waves are jointly inverted to obtain shear wave velocity structure of the lithosphere. The higher frequencies/shorter periods (12--30~s) used in the inversion constrains the sediment shear wave speed and thickness while the longer periods provide information of the upper mantle structure. The results show a remarkable increase in the sediments thickness along the Bengal Fan from south to north ranging from 6 km, around the southern tip of India, to 23 km beneath the Bengal basin. The shear wave velocity models reveal a sediment saturation beyond 7-10 km of burial leading to metamorphism and eventual increase in velocity to continent like material with depth. The average crustal thickness (loose sediments overlying consolidated sediments followed by metasediments and oceanic crust) is anomalously continental (~20-36 km) rather than being simply oceanic crust overlain by sediments. The average shear wave velocity is about 3.5-3.8 km/s which is more representative of continental crusts. Finally the low velocity zone in the uppermost mantle is possibly an effect of the expected increase in temperature due to blanketing of the fan sediments over the Bay of Bengal crust. The misfits to parts of the dispersion data using a 1D isotropic model provides an indication of the presence of polarization anisotropy in the lithosphere and sets a good starting point for modeling the anisotropic structure.

Miocene denudation history of Himalaya deduced from IODP Exp. 354 Bengal Fan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohki, Y.; Cruz, J. W.; Osaki, A.; Manoj, M. C.; Hatano, N.; France-Lanord, C.; Spiess, V.; Klaus, A.

2017-12-01

The submarine Bengal Fan is the largest submarine fan on Earth and covers the whole Bay of Bengal. The sediments are fed by the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers reflecting India-Asia plate collision. The sediments recovered from IODP Expedition 354 Bengal Fan record the uplift history of the Himalayan orogenic system. We examined the chemical composition of detrital garnets in the Miocene deposits from Site U1451, where drilling reached to basal horizon of the fan deposits, in order to reveal the detailed denudation history of Himalayan metamorphic rocks. For this purpose, the comparison of chemical composition between detrital garnet in the Bengal Fan deposits and metamorphic garnet in Himalayan metamorphic rocks was carried out. The chemical composition of the metamorphic garnet from Higher Himalayan Crystalline (HHC) in Karnali and Kaligandaki areas, western Nepal, was examined for chemical reference to detrital garnets in Bengal Fan. The metamorphic garnets in "Formation I (Le Fort, 1975)" in HHC are characterized by almandine-rich garnet with high pyrope content. Also, the garnets in "Formation II" are remarked by two types of garnets, i.e., almandine-rich and grandite-rich garnets. Meanwhile, the composition of garnets in "Formation III" is almandine-rich garnet with low pyrope content. In the Bengal Fan deposits, the characteristic garnets, which show the similarity to the metamorphic garnet in HHC, is not found from the Lower Miocene (Burdigalian) deposits. In the Middle and Upper Miocene deposits, the almandine-rich garnets characteristic in Formation I, are normally included. At the basal part of the Middle Miocene (Langhian), almandine-rich garnets with low pyrope content, suggesting the derivation from Formation III, are remarkable. The grandite-rich garnets from Formation II are sporadically found In the Upper Miocene deposits (Tortonian-Messinian). Above chemical comparison between the detrital garnets in Bengal Fan and metamorphic garnets from HHC demonstrates that exposure and sediment production started from Formation III in HHC in onset of the Middle Miocene time. The wide exposure of HHC was propagated to Formation I and II until the Middle Miocene period.

Arsenic residue in the products and by-products of chicken and ducks: a possible concern of avian health and environmental hazard to the population in West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Rana, Tanmoy; Bera, Asit Kumar; Mondal, Dipak Kumar; Das, Subhashree; Bhattacharya, Debasis; Samanta, Srikanta; Pan, Diganta; Das, Subrata Kumar

2014-07-01

Arsenicosis caused due to drinking of arsenic contaminated ground water is a major environmental health hazard throughout the world. We evaluated the ecotoxicological effect of arsenic on chicken and duck in an arsenic endemic zone. The concentration of arsenic was higher in chicken and duck feed and their by-products than that in the respective samples of control area. Arsenic concentration in the eggs of both chicken and duck was higher than that in the respective samples of control area. Thus, we concluded that arsenic enters into food chain through the intake of contaminated eggs. Furthermore, adverse health effect of arsenic on avian population is due to the alteration in haematobiochemical indices. © The Author(s) 2012.

Complete genome sequence of the chromate-reducing bacterium Thermoanaerobacter thermohydrosulfuricus strain BSB-33

DOE PAGES

Bhattacharya, Pamela; Barnebey, Adam; Zemla, Marcin; ...

2015-10-05

Thermoanaerobacter thermohydrosulfuricus BSB-33 is a thermophilic gram positive obligate anaerobe isolated from a hot spring in West Bengal, India. Unlike other T. thermohydrosulfuricus strains, BSB-33 is able to anaerobically reduce Fe(III) and Cr(VI) optimally at 60 °C. BSB-33 is the first Cr(VI) reducing T. thermohydrosulfuricus genome sequenced and of particular interest for bioremediation of environmental chromium contaminations. Here we discuss features of T. thermohydrosulfuricus BSB-33 and the unique genetic elements that may account for the peculiar metal reducing properties of this organism. The T. thermohydrosulfuricus BSB-33 genome comprises 2597606 bp encoding 2581 protein genes, 12 rRNA, 193 pseudogenes and hasmore » a G + C content of 34.20 %. Lastly, putative chromate reductases were identified by comparative analyses with other Thermoanaerobacter and chromate-reducing bacteria.« less

Child mortality in new industrial localities and opportunities for change: a survey in an Indian steel town.

PubMed

Crook, N; Malaker, C R

1992-10-01

As Asia becomes increasingly urbanized the effect of new industrial development on child mortality becomes of increasing interest. In India, considerable investment has been made in the social infrastructure of industrial new towns. This survey of Durgapur steel town in West Bengal shows that although the average level of child mortality in the working class population is favourable in comparison with other Indian cities, considerable differentials, that can be related to social, economic and environmental differences within the population, have arisen since the creation of the city in the late 1950s. The paper argues that the undertaking of selective sanitary interventions to improve access to drinking water (in particular) would be administratively feasible in these industrial new towns, of immediate impact, and indeed necessary if the differentials in mortality are to be eliminated.

Perceptions of couples about contraception in eastern India.

PubMed

Mundle, Malay; Haldar, Anima; Baur, Baijayanti; Haldar, Santanu; Chattopadhyay, Sita; Soren, Asit Baran

2011-03-01

This community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted in sampled villages and municipal wards of Paschim Medinipur District of West Bengal, India among 2,000 respondents, 3/4 were from rural and 1/4 from urban areas, to determine perceptions of couples about contraception. Decision-making about fertility and contraception was mostly made by the husband. Forty-four point three percent of rural and 77.6% of urban women preferred a birth spacing of > or = 3 years. The ideal interval between marriage and first pregnancy was considered to be > or = 3 years in nearly two thirds of women. With increasing literacy level among women, the ideal birth interval between pregnancies also increased. Eighty-nine point four percent of women had correct knowledge of family planning. Only 49.4% of women knew about the Copper-T contraceptive device.

Feature analysis and primary causes of pre-flood season "cumulative effect" of torrential rain over South China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Qu-cheng; Wang, Qi-guang; Qiao, Shao-bo; Feng, Guo-lin

2018-01-01

When persistent rainfall occurs frequently over South China, meso-scale and micro-scale synoptic systems persist and expand in space and time and eventually form meso-scale and long-scale weather processes. The accumulation of multiple torrential rain processes is defined as a "cumulative effect" of torrential rain (CETR) event. In this paper, daily reanalysis datasets collected by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction-Department of Energy (NCEP-DOE) during 1979-2014 are used to study the anomalous features and causes of heavy CETR events over South China. The results show that there is a significant difference in the spatial distribution of the heavy CETR events. Based on the center position of the CETR, the middle region displayed middle-region-heavy CETR events while the western region displayed west-region-heavy CETR events. El Niño events in the previous period (December, January, February, March (DJFM)) are major extra-forcing factors of middle-region-heavy CETR events, which is beneficial for the continuous, anomalous Philippine Sea anticyclone and strengthens the West Pacific Subtropical High (WPSH), extending it more westward than normal. The primary water vapor source for precipitation in middle-region-heavy CETR events is the Tropical Western Pacific Ocean. The major extra-forcing factor of a west-region-heavy CETR is the negative anomaly in the southern Tropical Indian Ocean (TIO) during the previous period (DJFM). This factor is beneficial for strengthening the cross-equatorial flow and westerly winds from the Bay of Bengal to the South China Sea (SCS) and early SCS summer monsoon onset. The primary water vapor source of precipitation in the west-region-heavy CETR is the southern TIO.

Patterns of genetic diversity at the nine forensically approved STR loci in the Indian populations.

PubMed

Dutta, Ranjan; Reddy, B Mohan; Chattopadhyay, P; Kashyap, V K; Sun, Guangyun; Deka, Ranjan

2002-02-01

Genetic diversity at the nine short tandem repeat (STR) loci, which are universally approved and widely used for forensic investigations, has been studied among nine Indian populations with diverse ethnic, linguistic, and geographic backgrounds. The nine STR loci were profiled on 902 individuals using fluorescent detection methods on an ABI377 System, with the aid of an Amp-F1 Profiler Plus Kit. The studied populations include two upper castes, Brahmin and Kayastha; a tribe, Garo, from West Bengal; a Hindu caste, Meitei, with historical links to Bengal Brahmins; a migrant group of Muslims; three tribal groups, Naga, Kuki and Hmar, from Manipur in northeast India; and a middle-ranking caste, Golla, who are seminomadic herders from Andhra Pradesh. Gene diversity analysis suggests that the average heterozygosity is uniformly high (>0.8) in the studied populations, with the coefficient of gene differentiation at 0.050 +/- 0.0054. Both neighbor-joining (NJ) and unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) trees based on DA distances bring out distinct clusters that are consistent with ethnic, linguistic, and/or geographic backgrounds of the populations. The fit of the Harpending and Ward model of regression of average heterozygosity on the gene frequency centroid is found to be good, and the observed outliers are consistent with the population structure and history of the studied populations. Our study suggests that the nine STR loci, used so far mostly for forensic investigations, can be used fruitfully for microevolutionary studies as well, and for reconstructing the phylogenetic history of human populations, at least at the local level.

Approaches for Sustainable Mitigation of Arsenic Calamity in Bangladesh: Search for Safe Drinking Water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alauddin, M.; Bhattacharjee, M.; Zakaria, A. B.; Rahman, M. M.; Seraji, M. S.

2008-05-01

Arsenic contamination of groundwater in Gangetic plain of Bihar, West Bengal in India and Bengal delta plain Bangladesh is shaping up as the greatest environmental health disaster in the current century. About 450 million combined population in these regions are at risk of developing adverse health effects due to arsenic contamination in groundwater. For an effective and sustainable mitigation, it is essential that we improve our understanding of fundamental processes of arsenic mobilization in sediments, biogeochemistry of arsenic in aquifer sediments and weigh a wide range of options for arsenic safe water for the vast population. In this paper, aspects of arsenic removal technology from groundwater in affected areas, sustainable development of household water filtration systems, deep aquifer water as potential arsenic safe water will be presented. In addition, sustainable development of water purification systems such as pond sand filtration (PSF), river sand filtration (RSF), rain water harvesting (RWH), dug well and their acceptability by the community will be discussed. A recent development of indigenous technology by local masons involves searching safe water through bore hole sediment color. The viability of this option in certain areas of Bangladesh will be discussed. Also, one of the household filtration systems approved by the government and locally known as SONO filter was recognized recently by the National Academy of Engineering -Grainger Challenge Prize for sustainability. Over 30, 000 of this unit were deployed in arsenic affected areas of Bangladesh. The affordability, ease of maintenance, social acceptability and environmental friendliness of all options will be addressed in the presentation.

Challenges associated with the prediction of tropical storms in the Bay of Bengal when using the WRF model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Machineni, N.; Veldore, V.; Mesquita, M. D. S.

2016-12-01

Accuracy in predicting tropical cyclones over low lying coastal regions is pivotal for understanding storm tracks and their subsequent impacts. The present study highlights the challenges in predicting the Bay of Bengal (BOB) cyclone "AILA" (during 23rd to 25th May 2009) using the Weather Research and Forecast model, Advanced research core module (WRF-ARW). The model configuration uses a two-way interactive nested domain with 10 km resolution over BOB. Its initial and boundary conditions are driven from the NCEP FNL operational global analysis data at every 6 hours. A total of 74 sensitivity experiments were conducted to test the following factors and levels: a) parametrization schemes: two microphysics and two cumulus physics schemes used to select appropriate combination over study region, b) model domain:including/excluding Himalayas, c) vertical resolution: eight various increasing/decreasing vertical levels have been carried out to evaluate the storm track dependencies on these factors, d) domain size: and increasing (decreasing) the grid points of model domain in east-west direction shows that approximately 50-100 km track difference for every two points. Our results show that, the experiments including the Himalayas provide a better representation of cyclone track and speed. In order to reduce the computational time required to do such tremendous amount of experiment, we hypothesize to use statistical tools of experimental design which can involve all the factors that determine the cyclone tracks. A proper experimental design might provide unbiased results and also we might need less number of experiments.

Challenges associated with the prediction of tropical storms in the Bay of Bengal when using the WRF model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Machineni, Nehru; Veldore, Vidyunmala; Mesquita, Michel d. S.

2017-04-01

Accuracy in predicting tropical cyclones over low lying coastal regions is pivotal for understanding storm tracks and their subsequent impacts. The present study highlights the challenges in predicting the Bay of Bengal (BOB) cyclone "AILA" (during 23rd to 25th May 2009) using the Weather Research and Forecast model, Advanced research core module (WRF-ARW). The model configuration uses a two-way interactive nested domain with 10 km resolution over BOB. Its initial and boundary conditions are driven from the NCEP FNL operational global analysis data at every 6 hours. A total of 74 sensitivity experiments were conducted to test the following factors and levels: a) parametrization schemes: two microphysics and two cumulus physics schemes used to select appropriate combination over study region, b) model domain:including/excluding Himalayas, c) vertical resolution: eight various increasing/decreasing vertical levels have been carried out to evaluate the storm track dependencies on these factors, d) domain size: and increasing (decreasing) the grid points of model domain in east-west direction shows that approximately 50-100 km track difference for every two points. Our results show that, the experiments including the Himalayas provide a better representation of cyclone track and speed. In order to reduce the computational time required to do such tremendous amount of experiment, we hypothesize to use statistical tools of experimental design which can involve all the factors that determine the cyclone tracks. A proper experimental design might provide unbiased results and also we might need less number of experiments.

Enrichment of pasta with different plant proteins.

PubMed

Kaur, Gurpreet; Sharma, Savita; Nagi, H P S; Ranote, P S

2013-10-01

Effects of supplementation of plant proteins from mushroom powder, Bengal gram flour and defatted soy flour at different levels were assessed on the nutritional quality of pasta. Supplementation of wheat semolina was done with mushroom powder (0-12%), Bengal gram flour (0-20%) and defatted soy flour (0-15%). Mushroom powder and defatted soy flour increased the cooking time of pasta whereas non significant variation was observed in cooking time of Bengal gram supplemented pasta. Significant correlation (r = 0.97, p ≤ 0.05) was observed between water absorption and volume expansion of pasta. Instantization of pasta by steaming improved the cooking quality. Steamed pasta absorbed less water and leached fewer solids during cooking. On the basis of cooking and sensory quality, pasta in combination with 8% mushroom powder, 15% Bengal gram flour and 9% defatted soy flour resulted in a better quality and nutritious pasta.

Population Vulnerability to Biannual Cholera Outbreaks and Associated Macro-Scale Drivers in the Bengal Delta

PubMed Central

Akanda, Ali Shafqat; Jutla, Antarpreet S.; Gute, David M.; Sack, R. Bradley; Alam, Munirul; Huq, Anwar; Colwell, Rita R.; Islam, Shafiqul

2013-01-01

The highly populated floodplains of the Bengal Delta have a long history of endemic and epidemic cholera outbreaks, both coastal and inland. Previous studies have not addressed the spatio-temporal dynamics of population vulnerability related to the influence of underlying large-scale processes. We analyzed spatial and temporal variability of cholera incidence across six surveillance sites in the Bengal Delta and their association with regional hydroclimatic and environmental drivers. More specifically, we use salinity and flood inundation modeling across the vulnerable districts of Bangladesh to test earlier proposed hypotheses on the role of these environmental variables. Our results show strong influence of seasonal and interannual variability in estuarine salinity on spring outbreaks and inland flooding on fall outbreaks. A large segment of the population in the Bengal Delta floodplains remain vulnerable to these biannual cholera transmission mechanisms that provide ecologic and environmental conditions for outbreaks over large geographic regions. PMID:24019441

Predecessor rain events over China's low-latitude highlands associated with Bay of Bengal tropical cyclones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Junpeng; Zhao, Di; Yang, Ruowen; Yang, Hongfei

2018-02-01

A predecessor rain event (PRE) is defined as organized heavy rainfall that occurs far ahead of tropical cyclone (TC), yet directly associated with the deep tropical moisture originating from the TC vicinity. The PREs occurring over China's low-latitude highlands (CLLH) in association with Bay of Bengal TCs were investigated from 1981 to 2012. Results indicate that about 19% of Bay of Bengal TCs produces PRE. The PREs frequently occur when TCs are active in the northern Bay of Bengal with northeastward paths. The PREs are more likely to appear in the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons, with peaks in May and October, respectively. The median lifetime of the PREs was approximately two days. The distances between PREs and parent TCs are ranged from 745 to 1849 km, with a median distance of 1118 km. Composite results of PREs suggested that deep moisture is advected from the TC vicinity to the remote CLLH region, which is situated beneath the equatorward entrance of the upper-level East Asia subtropical jet (EASJ). The lower-level southwesterly flow, which is associated with a strong pressure gradient between the western Pacific subtropical high and a trough in Bay of Bengal, steers TCs conveying abundant moisture from the Bay of Bengal to the CLLH region. The enhancement of the ascent and frontogenesis within the equatorward entrance region of the EASJ is favorable for occurrence of PREs in CLLH. TCs may also have a dynamical role in occurrence of PREs by intensifying the upper-level EASJ.

Assessing the suitability of benthic foraminiferal morpho-groups to reconstruct paleomonsoon from Bay of Bengal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manasa, M.; Saraswat, Rajeev; Nigam, Rajiv

2016-04-01

Temporal changes in benthic foraminiferal morpho-groups were suggested as an effective proxy to reconstruct past monsoon intensity from the Arabian Sea. Here, in order to test the applicability of temporal variation in morpho-groups to reconstruct past monsoon intensity from the Bay of Bengal, we have documented recent benthic foraminiferal distribution from the continental shelf region of the northwestern Bay of Bengal. Based on the external morphology, benthic foraminifera were categorized into rounded symmetrical (RSBF) and angular asymmetrical benthic foraminifera (AABF). Additionally, a few other dominant groups were also identified based on test composition (agglutinated, calcareous) and abundance (Asterorotalids and Nonions). The relative abundance of each group was compared with the ambient physico-chemical conditions, including dissolved oxygen, organic matter, salinity and temperature. We report that the RSBF are abundant in comparatively warm and well oxygenated waters of low salinity, suggesting a preference for high energy environment, whereas AABF dominate relatively cold, hypersaline deeper waters with low dissolved oxygen, indicating a low energy environment. The agglutinated foraminifera, Asterorotalids and Nonions dominate shallow water, low salinity regions, whereas the calcareous benthic foraminiferal abundance increases away from the riverine influx regions. Food availability, as estimated from organic carbon abundance in sediments, has comparatively less influence on faunal distribution in the northwestern Bay of Bengal, as compared to dissolved oxygen, temperature and salinity. We conclude that the factors associated with freshwater influx affect the distribution of benthic foraminiferal morpho-groups in the northwestern Bay of Bengal and thus it can be used to reconstruct past monsoon intensity from the Bay of Bengal.

Influence of El Niño and Indian Ocean Dipole on sea level variability in the Bay of Bengal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sreenivas, P.; Gnanaseelan, C.; Prasad, K. V. S. R.

2012-01-01

Zonally oscillating seasonal equatorial winds generate pairs of upwelling and downwelling Kelvin waves in the Equatorial Indian Ocean, which then advance in to the coastal Bay of Bengal. The first (second) equatorial upwelling Kelvin wave has its origin in the western (eastern) basin, whereas the downwelling Kelvin waves originate in the central basin. The observed interannual variability of these Kelvin waves is highly governed by the associated zonal wind changes in the central and eastern equatorial Indian Ocean during the anomalous years. The second downwelling (upwelling) Kelvin wave is absent (weak) during El Niño (La Niña) years, whereas the second upwelling Kelvin wave strengthened during El Niño years both in the equatorial Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal. The large scale off equatorial Rossby waves occasionally feedback the equatorial Kelvin waves, which then strengthen the Bay of Bengal coastal Kelvin waves. The coastal Kelvin waves and the associated radiated Rossby waves from east play a dominant role in the mesoscale eddy generation in Bay of Bengal. The analysis of cyclogenesis characteristics in the bay over the past 65 years revealed that the active (suppressed) phases of cyclogenesis are coinciding with the downwelling (upwelling) planetary waves which influence the cyclone heat potential by altering the thermocline depth.

Assessment of respiratory symptoms and lung function values among the brick field workers of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Das, Banibrata

2016-07-03

Brick manufacturing process releases large amounts of silica dust into the work environment due to the use of silica-containing materials. The main aim of the study was to investigate the impairment of lung function and prevalence of respiratory symptoms among the different groups of brick field workers in comparison with control subjects. A total of 250 brick field workers and 130 unexposed control subjects were randomly selected in which demographic characteristics, respiratory symptoms, and lung function values were recorded. The result showed significantly lower p value (<.001) in lung function and respiratory symptoms among brick field workers when compared with control group. The prevalence of respiratory symptoms was dyspnea (46.8%), phlegm (39.2%), and chest tightness (27.6%). Dust exposure in working environment affected the lung function values and increased the respiratory symptoms among the brick field workers.

Review of the genus Signoretia (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Signoretiinae) of the Oriental region with description of nine new species.

PubMed

Viraktamath, C A

2016-11-17

Species of Signoretia Stål from the Oriental region are reviewed and types of five species described by Baker, two species described by Distant and one species described by Schmidt are illustrated. A checklist of 20 species of the genus from the Oriental region including 9 new species is given. The new species described and illustrated are Signoretia dulitensis sp. nov. (Malaysia: Mt Dulit), S. lunglei sp. nov. (India: Mizoram), S. mishmiensis sp. nov. (Myanmar: Mishmi Hills), S. quoinensis sp. nov. (Malaysia: Quoin Hill), S. rubra sp. nov. (Thailand: Chiang Mai), S. sahyadrica sp. nov. (India: Kerala), S. similaris sp. nov. (Vietnam: Fyan), S. sinuata sp. nov. (India: West Bengal) and S. takiyae sp. nov. (India: Andaman Is.). Both S. aureola Distant and S. maculata Baker are redescribed and illustrated. Lectotypes are designated for S. greeni Distant and S. aureola Distant.

High early life mortality in free-ranging dogs is largely influenced by humans

PubMed Central

Paul, Manabi; Sen Majumder, Sreejani; Sau, Shubhra; Nandi, Anjan K.; Bhadra, Anindita

2016-01-01

Free-ranging dogs are a ubiquitous part of human habitations in many developing countries, leading a life of scavengers dependent on human wastes for survival. The effective management of free-ranging dogs calls for understanding of their population dynamics. Life expectancy at birth and early life mortality are important factors that shape life-histories of mammals. We carried out a five year-long census based study in seven locations of West Bengal, India, to understand the pattern of population growth and factors affecting early life mortality in free-ranging dogs. We observed high rates of mortality, with only ~19% of the 364 pups from 95 observed litters surviving till the reproductive age; 63% of total mortality being human influenced. While living near people increases resource availability for dogs, it also has deep adverse impacts on their population growth, making the dog-human relationship on streets highly complex. PMID:26804633

A study for evaluation of contaminant transport characteristics through fine-grained soil.

PubMed

Kumar, Sunil; Mukherjee, S N; Ghosh, S; Ray, R

2006-10-01

Transport of soluble toxic substances through porous media lead to some significant geoenvironmental problems, for example, leachate migration from municipal and industrial solid waste resulting from unregulated disposal. Advection, dispersion, diffusion, and decay are reported to be the principal mechanisms in such phenomena. Geotechnical properties of the soil also play a significant role in this deterioration. In the present study, laboratory tests were conducted to formulate an appropriate method for assessment of migration of metal ions, such as nickel, through the soil. Relevant kinetic and process parameters, such as aquifer data, surface area, dielectric constant, pH of zero point charge (pHzpc), and permeability were also studied. One-dimensional mathematical modeling was used to describe the dynamics of the process. The present investigation was carried out at an ash pond site of a thermal power plant situated in West Bengal, India.

Propolis: A Wonder Bees Product and Its Pharmacological Potentials

PubMed Central

Wagh, Vijay D.

2013-01-01

Propolis is a natural resinous mixture produced by honey bees from substances collected from parts of plants, buds, and exudates. Due to its waxy nature and mechanical properties, bees use propolis in the construction and repair of their hives for sealing openings and cracks and smoothing out the internal walls and as a protective barrier against external invaders like snakes, lizards, and so forth, or against weathering threats like wind and rain. Bees gather propolis from different plants, in the temperate climate zone mainly from poplar. Current antimicrobial applications of propolis include formulations for cold syndrome (upper respiratory tract infections, common cold, and flu-like infections), wound healing, treatment of burns, acne, herpes simplex and genitalis, and neurodermatitis. Worldwide propolis has a tremendous popularity, but in India the studies over propolis have just started, not extensively reported except few regions of India like Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Gujrat, and Madhya Pradesh. PMID:24382957

Can Homeopathic Arsenic Remedy Combat Arsenic Poisoning in Humans Exposed to Groundwater Arsenic Contamination?: A Preliminary Report on First Human Trial

PubMed Central

2005-01-01

Groundwater arsenic (As) has affected millions of people globally distributed over 20 countries. In parts of West Bengal (India) and Bangladesh alone, over 100 million people are at risk, but supply of As-free water is grossly inadequate. Attempts to remove As by using orthodox medicines have mostly been unsuccessful. A potentized homeopathic remedy, Arsenicum Album-30, was administered to a group of As affected people and thereafter the As contents in their urine and blood were periodically determined. The activities of various toxicity marker enzymes and compounds in the blood, namely aspartate amino transferase, alanine amino transferase, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, lipid peroxidation and reduced glutathione, were also periodically monitored up to 3 months. The results are highly encouraging and suggest that the drug can alleviate As poisoning in humans. PMID:16322812

Observation on Monocystis kuidongae sp. nov. (Apicomplexa: Eugregarinida) from an Indian earthworm Perionyx excavatus Perrier (Annelida: Oligochaeta).

PubMed

Mallik, Partha; Bandyopadhyay, Probir K

2017-06-01

A survey to know the diversity of endoparasitic protozoan parasites of the earthworms of West Bengal, revealed a new species of the genus Monocystis Stein, 1848, that resides in the seminal vesicle of the earthworm Perionyx excavatus Perrier. Monocystis kuidongae sp. nov. is characterized by ovoidal gamonts (trophozoites) with inconspicuous mucron and measure 69.53-102.25 (86.29 ± 11.48) μm × 24.54-61.35 (35.17 ± 12.82) μm. Shape of the gametocysts are almost rounded and measure 81.80-110.43 (96.11 ± 8.85) μm in diameter. Oocysts are navicular with pointed ends and measure 11.55-12.32 (11.78 ± 0.36) µm × 5.00-5.77 (5.39 ± 0.25) µm.

Risk factors of breast cancer among women in eastern India: a tertiary hospital based case control study.

PubMed

Das, Soumen; Sen, Santanu; Mukherjee, Anindya; Chakraborty, Debadatta; Mondal, Pankaj Kumar

2012-01-01

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers of women in India with high fatality rate. Over a 1 year study period 105 consecutive biopsy or fine needle aspiration cytology confirmed breast cancer patients were interviewed by direct questionnaire method regarding risk factors attending Surgery and Radiotherapy OPD of Medical College Kolkata, West Bengal while taking other 105 patients attending Surgery Department for some other disease as controls. The data were compiled in MS Excel 2007 and analyzed by Epi info 3.5.1 software. Among the cases, rural residence, illiteracy and low socio-economic status was significantly higher than controls. Late onset of menarche, late onset of menopause, ever OCP usage, breast feeding for 1-2 years and age of 1st childbirth between 20-30 years were found to be significant protective factors. People should be made aware regarding the modifiable risk factors to prevent breast cancer.

Human fatalities from wild elephant attacks--a study of fourteen cases.

PubMed

Das, Sobhan Kr; Chattopadhyay, Saurabh

2011-05-01

Human-wild elephant conflicts are frequently reported from various parts of the country. Encroaching of animal habitat by human civilization is a primary reason for this. The present study comprises of fourteen autopsy cases conducted at the department of Forensic Medicine, B.S Medical College, Bankura, West Bengal, India over a period of three years. The study attempts to find out the nature of injuries caused by wild elephant attack and the common factors contributing to human-wild elephant conflict so that vulnerable population can be cautioned to avoid conflicts. A distinct seasonal as well as diurnal variation of attack incidences was noted. Attacks were sudden and unprovoked. Killer elephants were wild tuskers in all the cases. Victims were from the low socioeconomic group and the cause of death was due to trampling on the vital organs like chest and head. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Predicting summer monsoon of Bhutan based on SST and teleconnection indices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dorji, Singay; Herath, Srikantha; Mishra, Binaya Kumar; Chophel, Ugyen

2018-02-01

The paper uses a statistical method of predicting summer monsoon over Bhutan using the ocean-atmospheric circulation variables of sea surface temperature (SST), mean sea-level pressure (MSLP), and selected teleconnection indices. The predictors are selected based on the correlation. They are the SST and MSLP of the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea and the MSLP of Bangladesh and northeast India. The Northern Hemisphere teleconnections of East Atlantic Pattern (EA), West Pacific Pattern (WP), Pacific/North American Pattern, and East Atlantic/West Russia Pattern (EA/WR). The rainfall station data are grouped into two regions with principal components analysis and Ward's hierarchical clustering algorithm. A support vector machine for regression model is proposed to predict the monsoon. The model shows improved skills over traditional linear regression. The model was able to predict the summer monsoon for the test data from 2011 to 2015 with a total monthly root mean squared error of 112 mm for region A and 33 mm for region B. Model could also forecast the 2016 monsoon of the South Asia Monsoon Outlook of World Meteorological Organization (WMO) for Bhutan. The reliance on agriculture and hydropower economy makes the prediction of summer monsoon highly valuable information for farmers and various other sectors. The proposed method can predict summer monsoon for operational forecasting.

EVALUATION AND IMPORTANCE OF SELECTED MICROBIOLOGICAL METHODS IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF HUMAN BRUCELLOSIS

PubMed Central

Šiširak, Maida; Hukić, Mirsada

2009-01-01

Brucellosis is an important public health problem in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The diagnosis of bru-cellosis in the country without any experiences with this kind of infection may be very difficult. The aim of this study was to evaluate diagnostic methods: Rose Bengal test, blood cultures and ELISA IgM and IgG in the patients with brucellosis. The study included 91 brucellosis patients in the period 2004 to 2007. All the patients were treated at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases, University of Sarajevo Clinics Centre. Blood cultures were positive in 28/91 (30, 8%) patients. This method often needs a long period of incubation and specimens need to be obtained early. These limitations make serology the most useful tool for the laboratory diagnosis of Brucella infection. Rose Bengal is a rapid plate agglutination test, very sensitive irrespective of the stage of the disease. In our study, Rose Bengal test was positive in all patients 91/91 (100, 0%). Brucella IgM antibodies with ELISA were positive in 59/91 (64, 8%). Brucella IgG antibodies with ELISA were positive in 51/91 (56%). In order to determine the diagnostic value of the different tests, we compared the sensitivity among test-methods: Rose Bengal test-100.0%, blood culture-30.8%, ELISA IgM-64.8% and ELISA IgG-56.1%. Sensitivity of test methods was different in the different stages of illness. It is necessary to use combination of different tests such are blood culture, Rose Bengal test and ELISA in order to ensure the diagnosis. Rose Bengal test is excellent for the screening. Blood culture is a method of choice for the diagnosis acute infection. ELISA is a very good method for the diagnostic chronic disease and relapse. PMID:19754473

Use of ARM observations and numerical models to determine radiative and latent heating profiles of mesoscale convective systems for general circulation models

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

Robert A. Houze, Jr.

2013-11-13

We examined cloud radar data in monsoon climates, using cloud radars at Darwin in the Australian monsoon, on a ship in the Bay of Bengal in the South Asian monsoon, and at Niamey in the West African monsoon. We followed on with a more in-depth study of the continental MCSs over West Africa. We investigated whether the West African anvil clouds connected with squall line MCSs passing over the Niamey ARM site could be simulated in a numerical model by comparing the observed anvil clouds to anvil structures generated by the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) mesoscale model at highmore » resolution using six different ice-phase microphysical schemes. We carried out further simulations with a cloud-resolving model forced by sounding network budgets over the Niamey region and over the northern Australian region. We have devoted some of the effort of this project to examining how well satellite data can determine the global breadth of the anvil cloud measurements obtained at the ARM ground sites. We next considered whether satellite data could be objectively analyzed to so that their large global measurement sets can be systematically related to the ARM measurements. Further differences were detailed between the land and ocean MCS anvil clouds by examining the interior structure of the anvils with the satellite-detected the CloudSat Cloud Profiling Radar (CPR). The satellite survey of anvil clouds in the Indo-Pacific region was continued to determine the role of MCSs in producing the cloud pattern associated with the MJO.« less

An Intrathermocline Eddy and a tropical cyclone in the Bay of Bengal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gordon, Arnold L.; Shroyer, Emily; Murty, V. S. N.

2017-04-01

The Bay of Bengal, subjected to monsoonal forcing and tropical cyclones, displays a complex field of ocean eddies. On 5 December 2013 a sub-surface vortex or Intrathermocline Eddy (ITE) composed of water characteristic of the Andaman Sea was observed within the thermocline of the western Bay of Bengal. We propose that the ITE was the product of Tropical Cyclone Lehar interaction on 27 November 2013 with a westward propagating surface eddy from the eastern Bay of Bengal. While Lehar’s interaction with the ocean initially removes heat from the upper layers of the eddy, air-sea flux is limited as the deeper portions of the eddy was subducted into the stratified thermocline, inhibiting further interaction with the atmosphere. The ITE core from 30 to 150 m is thus isolated from local air-sea fluxes by strong stratification at the mixed layer base, and its periphery is stable to shear instability, suggestive of longevity and the ability to carry water far distances with minimal modification.

An Intrathermocline Eddy and a tropical cyclone in the Bay of Bengal.

PubMed

Gordon, Arnold L; Shroyer, Emily; Murty, V S N

2017-04-12

The Bay of Bengal, subjected to monsoonal forcing and tropical cyclones, displays a complex field of ocean eddies. On 5 December 2013 a sub-surface vortex or Intrathermocline Eddy (ITE) composed of water characteristic of the Andaman Sea was observed within the thermocline of the western Bay of Bengal. We propose that the ITE was the product of Tropical Cyclone Lehar interaction on 27 November 2013 with a westward propagating surface eddy from the eastern Bay of Bengal. While Lehar's interaction with the ocean initially removes heat from the upper layers of the eddy, air-sea flux is limited as the deeper portions of the eddy was subducted into the stratified thermocline, inhibiting further interaction with the atmosphere. The ITE core from 30 to 150 m is thus isolated from local air-sea fluxes by strong stratification at the mixed layer base, and its periphery is stable to shear instability, suggestive of longevity and the ability to carry water far distances with minimal modification.

An Intrathermocline Eddy and a tropical cyclone in the Bay of Bengal

PubMed Central

Gordon, Arnold L.; Shroyer, Emily; Murty, V. S. N.

2017-01-01

The Bay of Bengal, subjected to monsoonal forcing and tropical cyclones, displays a complex field of ocean eddies. On 5 December 2013 a sub-surface vortex or Intrathermocline Eddy (ITE) composed of water characteristic of the Andaman Sea was observed within the thermocline of the western Bay of Bengal. We propose that the ITE was the product of Tropical Cyclone Lehar interaction on 27 November 2013 with a westward propagating surface eddy from the eastern Bay of Bengal. While Lehar’s interaction with the ocean initially removes heat from the upper layers of the eddy, air-sea flux is limited as the deeper portions of the eddy was subducted into the stratified thermocline, inhibiting further interaction with the atmosphere. The ITE core from 30 to 150 m is thus isolated from local air-sea fluxes by strong stratification at the mixed layer base, and its periphery is stable to shear instability, suggestive of longevity and the ability to carry water far distances with minimal modification. PMID:28401909

Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) Trends Over Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salam, A.

2016-12-01

An important omission in the Southeast Asian observing network is the border region with the Indian subcontinent. Significant amounts of pollution are generated and transported down the Indo-Gangenic Plain into the Bay of Bengal. High population density in a semi-arid region leads to the development of a complex mixture of absorbing pollution coupled with dust. Transport patterns of this mixture takes pollutants into Bangladesh, where more pollution is added to the atmosphere-leading to what is one of the highest non urban emission loading in the world (AOD500= 0.75 during the premonsoon season). Bangladesh is essentially a riverine country, and atmospheric outflow is over delta regions fed by over 500 rivers, including the Ganges, Bramaputra, Jamuna, and Padma systems forming the massive Meghna river. This combination of atmospheric and riverine components makes for an optically complex littoral region which challenges a host of environmental sensors and modeling systems. Data is needed to understand the sources, transport and optical characteristics of aerosol particles in the region. Dhaka (23.8103° N, 90.4125° E) is the capital of Bangladesh with a population of about 16 million. It has been growing rapidly with all the problem of a mega city. We have installed a sun photometer with NASA Aeronet project at the roof of the Chemistry Department, Dhaka University with other aerosol particles and gas measuring instruments. Bhola is an Island of the Bay of Bengal. It is surrounded by the Meghna River on the north and east, the Tatulia River on the west and the Bay of Bengal on the south. The observatory is located at Charfashion Bazar, Bhola (N 22o10´01″, E 90o45´00″, 3m asl). There is very little influence from traffic and industrial emissions. A Cimel sunphotometer (NASA AERONET) was installed for AOD measurements at this locations since 2013. Aerosol optical depth (AOD) trends between 2012 and 2016 at two different locations (Dhaka and Bhola) will be presented including seasonal variations. Size distribution, single scattering albedo (SSA) and other physical properties of the aerosol particles will also be presented There is a good correlation between black carbon (BC) and brown carbon (BrC) derived from sun photometer AOD (870 and 380nm) and Aethalometer based BC and BrC measurements.

Ozone in the marine boundary layer of Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea during post winter period - continental influence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nair, Prabha R.; George, Susan K.; David, Liji Mary; Parameswaran, Krishnaswamy

Ozone plays a key role in controlling the oxidation capacity of the troposphere and hence the lifetime of a variety of trace gases in the atmosphere. In pristine marine boundary layer (MBL), entire chemistry is initiated by the photolysis of ozone and the subsequent formation of OH radical from water vapour. Also in such environment, photochemical destruction is considered as a major sink in global ozone budget. Even though large number of studies on near surface ozone has been carried out over land such studies are very few over oceanic environments. This paper presents the observational results on the spatial variations of near-surface ozone over Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea as revealed by the cruise-based measurements (cruise No. SK223) conducted as part of Integrated Campaign for Aerosol gases and Radiation Budget (ICARB) under the Geosphere Biosphere Programme of Indian Space Research Organisation (IGBP). Online measurements of ozone have been carried out by using a UV Photometric Analyser (model 49C of Thermo Electron Corporation, USA). Ozone mixing ratio was observed to be significantly high over northern Bay of Bengal (20-28 ppb) compared to southern Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. Minimum levels of ozone ( 5 ppb) have been measured in the central Bay of Bengal region. Over Arabian Sea latitudinal variation was not prominently observed. The over all latitudinal gradient is estimated to be 1.2 ppb/o latitude over Bay of Bengal with longitudinal gradient showing variation depending on the latitude sector. It was maximum (of 1.2ppb/o longitude) over the mid Bay of Bengal region ( 15o N). Longitudinal variation was not significant over northern and southern regions. A close examination of surface airflow patterns and the air mass back trajectories revealed increase in ozone level associated with continental outflow from the northern and central parts of the subcontinent. The diurnal pattern also showed variations depending on the proximity to inhabited land mass and also with meteorological parameters.

Burden and Correlates of HIV among Men Who Have Sex with Men in West Bengal, India: Analysis of Sentinel Surveillance Data.

PubMed

Mahapatra, Tanmay; Biswas, Subrata; Nandi, Srijita; Ghosh, Piyali; Ghosh, Mallika; Mondal, Soumya; Saha, Malay K

2015-01-01

Little is known about the socio-behavioral risk factors for HIV acquisition among hard-to-reach men who have sex with men (MSM) population in India, particularly from the densely populated eastern part. Thus to measure the burden and correlates of HIV among MSM in West Bengal state of eastern India, a cross-sectional analysis of the national HIV Sentinel Surveillance (HSS) data was conducted. In 2011, between July and September, involving all sentinel sites of the state, 1237 consenting MSM were anonymously interviewed and tested for HIV following national guidelines. Using a short, structured questionnaire, information was collected on socio-behavioral factors along with sexual practices and was analyzed to determine burden of HIV and the role of its socio-behavioral correlates on HIV acquisition. Among participants, mean age was 23.4 years, 44.55% were "Kothis" (usually receptive partner) and 25.1% admitted receiving money for sex with man. HIV sero-positivity was 5.09%. Using logistic regression method, for both bivariate and multivariate (with saturated model) analyses, transport-workers [adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=8.95, 95% confidence interval (95%CI): 1.09-73.71), large business-owners/self-employed (AOR=8.46, 95%CI: 1.25-57.49), small business-owners/cultivators (AOR=7.90, 95%CI: 1.67-37.38), those who visited the sentinel site for official purposes (AOR=7.60, 95%CI: 1.21-47.83) and paying money for having sex with men (AOR=3.03, 95%CI: 1.10-8.33) were strongly associated with higher HIV sero-positivity with than their counterparts. Using the parsimonious model for multivariate analysis, Kothis (AOR=4.64, 95%CI: 1.03-20.89), paying (AOR=2.96, 95%CI: 1.15-7.58) or receiving (AOR=2.06, 95%CI: 1.06-3.99) money for having sex with a man were associated with higher risk of HIV. Focused intervention targeting the high risk MSM subgroups including Kothis, transport-workers, business-owners/self-employed and those who exchanged money for having sex with men, seemed to be the need of the hour for preventing the spread of HIV infection within and from this understudied population.

Modelling the increased frequency of extreme sea levels in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta due to sea level rise and other effects of climate change.

PubMed

Kay, S; Caesar, J; Wolf, J; Bricheno, L; Nicholls, R J; Saiful Islam, A K M; Haque, A; Pardaens, A; Lowe, J A

2015-07-01

Coastal flooding due to storm surge and high tides is a serious risk for inhabitants of the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) delta, as much of the land is close to sea level. Climate change could lead to large areas of land being subject to increased flooding, salinization and ultimate abandonment in West Bengal, India, and Bangladesh. IPCC 5th assessment modelling of sea level rise and estimates of subsidence rates from the EU IMPACT2C project suggest that sea level in the GBM delta region may rise by 0.63 to 0.88 m by 2090, with some studies suggesting this could be up to 0.5 m higher if potential substantial melting of the West Antarctic ice sheet is included. These sea level rise scenarios lead to increased frequency of high water coastal events. Any effect of climate change on the frequency and severity of storms can also have an effect on extreme sea levels. A shelf-sea model of the Bay of Bengal has been used to investigate how the combined effect of sea level rise and changes in other environmental conditions under climate change may alter the frequency of extreme sea level events for the period 1971 to 2099. The model was forced using atmospheric and oceanic boundary conditions derived from climate model projections and the future scenario increase in sea level was applied at its ocean boundary. The model results show an increased likelihood of extreme sea level events through the 21st century, with the frequency of events increasing greatly in the second half of the century: water levels that occurred at decadal time intervals under present-day model conditions occurred in most years by the middle of the 21st century and 3-15 times per year by 2100. The heights of the most extreme events tend to increase more in the first half of the century than the second. The modelled scenarios provide a case study of how sea level rise and other effects of climate change may combine to produce a greatly increased threat to life and property in the GBM delta by the end of this century.

Comparison of telemedicine with in-person care for follow-up after elective neurosurgery: results of a cost-effectiveness analysis of 1200 patients using patient-perceived utility scores.

PubMed

Thakar, Sumit; Rajagopal, Niranjana; Mani, Subramaniyan; Shyam, Maya; Aryan, Saritha; Rao, Arun S; Srinivasa, Rakshith; Mohan, Dilip; Hegde, Alangar S

2018-05-01

OBJECTIVE The utility of telemedicine (TM) in neurosurgery is underexplored, with most of the studies relating to teletrauma or telestroke programs. In this study, the authors evaluate the cost-effectiveness of TM consultations for follow-up care of a large population of patients who underwent neurosurgical procedures. METHODS A decision-analytical model was used to assess the cost-effectiveness of TM for elective post-neurosurgical care patients from a predominantly nonurban cohort in West Bengal, India. The model compared TM care via a nodal center in West Bengal to routine, in-person, per-episode care at the provider site in Bangalore, India. Cost and effectiveness data relating to 1200 patients were collected for a 52-month period. The effectiveness of TM care was calculated using efficiency in terms of the percentage of successful TM consultations, as well as patient-perceived utility values for overall experience of the type of health care access that they received. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) analysis was done using the 4-quadrant charting of the cost-effectiveness plane. One-way sensitivity and tornado analyses were performed to identify thresholds where the care strategy would change. RESULTS The overall utility for the 3 TM scenarios was found to be higher (89%) than for the utility of routine care (80%). TM was found to be more cost-effective (Indian rupee [INR] 2630 per patient) compared to routine care (INR 6848 per patient). The TM strategy "dominates" that of routine care by being more effective and less expensive (ICER value of -39,400 INR/unit of effectiveness). Sensitivity analysis revealed that cost-effectiveness of TM was most sensitive to changes in the number of TM patients, utility and success rate of TM, and travel distance to the TM center. CONCLUSIONS TM care dominates the in-person care strategy by providing more effective and less expensive follow-up care for a remote post-neurosurgical care population in India. In the authors' setting, this benefit of TM is sustainable even if half the TM consultations turn out to be unsuccessful. The viability of TM as a cost-effective care protocol is attributed to a combination of factors, like an adequate patient volume utilizing TM, patient utility, success rate of TM, and the patient travel distance.

Human trafficking for organ removal in India: a victim-centered, evidence-based report.

PubMed

Budiani-Saberi, Debra A; Raja, Kallakurichi Rajendiran; Findley, Katie C; Kerketta, Ponsian; Anand, Vijay

2014-02-27

Enhancements in the national transplant law to prohibit commercial transplants in India have curbed the trade. Yet, the human rights abuse of human trafficking for organ removal (HTOR) continues in various transplant centers throughout India. Beginning in September 2010 until May 2012, in-depth interviews were conducted with 103 victims of HTOR in India in which victims described their experiences of a commercial kidney removal in compelling detail. Victims were located in Tamil Nadu, and reference is made to the broader study that included 50 additional victims in small towns and villages in West Bengal and Karnataka. Fourteen cases (14%) in Tamil Nadu and an additional 20 cases (40%) from West Bengal and Karnataka occurred between 2009 to May 2012. The cases in Tamil Nadu ranged in age from 19 to 55 years, with an average age of 33 years in Erode and 36 years in Chennai. Fifty-seven percent of the victims in Erode are female, and 87% of the victims in Chennai are female. Twelve percent of the individuals were widowed or abandoned, 79% were married, and 91% were parents with an average of two kids. Of those interviewed, 28% had no formal education, 19% had some primary schooling, 22% had some secondary schooling, and no individuals reported schooling above high school. All victims interviewed lived in abject poverty with monthly income levels well below the national average. The majority of victims reported long lasting health, economic, social, and psychological consequences. No matter the reason expressed for an organ sale, all victims reported that they would not have agreed to the organ removal if their economic circumstances were not so dire. One hundred percent of the victims interviewed expressed that they need assistance to cope with these consequences. Human trafficking for an organ removal continues in private transplant centers throughout India, service to foreign patients is ongoing, and victims' consequences are long lasting. A rights-based response to HTOR that invokes a universal commitment to prevent, protect, and suppress its continued practice is recommended. The United Nations Trafficking Protocol is the key international instrument to address trafficking of persons, including for organ removal. India has signed the UN Trafficking Protocol and should ratify it to better address this form of human trafficking.

Sex differences in the effect of birth order and parents' educational status on stunting: a study on Bengalee preschool children from eastern India.

PubMed

Biswas, Sadaruddin; Bose, Kaushik

2010-08-01

One of the greatest problems facing developing countries, including rural India, is undernutrition in terms of stunting among under 5-year-old children. However, there exists scanty information on the prevalence of stunting among preschool children in India and in particular in West Bengal. This study investigated prevalence of stunting and identified the predictor(s) of stunting among 1-5-year-old Bengalee rural preschool children of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) centres. This cross-sectional study was undertaken at different ICDS centres of Chapra Block, Nadia District, West Bengal, India. A total of 673 preschool children (323 boys and 350 girls), aged 1-5 years were selected from 30 randomly selected ICDS centres to study the impact of parents' educational status and child birth order on stunting. The overall (age and sex combined) rate of stunting was 39.2%. Child birth order (BO) (chi(2)=14.10, df=1, p<0.001), father educational status (FES) (chi(2)=21.11, p<0.001) and mother educational status (MES) (chi(2)=14.34, df=1, p>0.001) were significantly associated with the prevalence of stunting among girls. Logistic regression analyses revealed that both FES (Wald=19.97, p<0.001) as well as MES (Wald=13.95, p<0.001) were strong predictors of stunting among girls. Similarly BO (Wald=13.71, p<0.001) was a strong predictor of stunting among girls. Girls with >or=3rd BO had significantly higher risk (OR=2.49, CI=1.54-4.03) of stunting than those with or=secondary level. Similarly, girls with MESor=secondary level. In conclusion our study revealed that BO as well as parents' educational status were strong predictors of stunting among girls but not boys. Sex discrimination could be a likely cause for this sex difference in the impact of BO and parents' educational status.

Changing Pattern of Crop Fraction in Late Blight Induced Potato Crops in Potato Bowl of West Bengal by using Multi-temporal Time Series AWiFs Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakrabarty, Abhisek

2016-07-01

Crop fraction is the ratio of crop occupying a unit area in ground pixel, is very important for monitoring crop growth. One of the most important variables in crop growth monitoring is the fraction of available solar radiation intercepted by foliage. Late blight of potato (Solanum tuberosum), caused by the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora infestans, is considered to be the most destructive crop diseases of potato worldwide. Under favourable climatic conditions, and without intervention (i.e. fungicide sprays), the disease can destroy potato crop within few weeks. Therefore it is important to evaluate the crop fraction for monitoring the healthy and late blight affected potato crops. This study was conducted in potato bowl of West Bengal, which consists of districts of Hooghly, Howrah, Burdwan, Bankuara, and Paschim Medinipur. In this study different crop fraction estimation method like linear spectral un-mixing, Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) based DPM model (Zhang et al. 2013), Ratio vegetation index based DPM model, improved Pixel Dichotomy Model (Li et al. 2014) ware evaluated using multi-temporal IRS AWiFs data in two successive potato growing season of 2012-13 and 2013-14 over the study area and compared with measured crop fraction. The comparative study based on measured healthy and late blight affected potato crop fraction showed that improved Pixel Dichotomy Model maintain the high coefficient of determination (R2= 0.835) with low root mean square error (RMSE=0.21) whereas the correlation values of NDVI based DPM model and RVI based DPM model is 0.763 and 0.694 respectively. The changing pattern of crop fraction profile of late blight affected potato crop was studied in respect of healthy potato crop fraction which was extracted from the 269 GPS points of potato field. It showed that the healthy potato crop fraction profile maintained the normal phenological trend whereas the late blight affected potato crop fraction profile suddenly fallen after late blight disease affected in potato crops. Therefore, it can be concluded that based on the result of this study the improved Pixel Dichotomy Model is the most convenient method for crop fraction estimation for this region with satisfactory accuracy.

Comparison of continuous versus pulsed photodynamic antimicrobial therapy for inhibition of fungal keratitis isolates in vitro (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nolan, Nicholas; Durkee, Heather A.; Aguilar, Mariela C.; Arboleda, Alejandro; Relhan, Nidhi; Martinez, Anna; Rowaan, Cornelis; Gonzalez, Alex; Alawa, Karam A.; Amescua, Guillermo; Flynn, Harry W.; Miller, Darlene; Parel, Jean-Marie A.

2017-02-01

Fungal keratitis can lead to pain and impaired vision. Current treatment options include antifungal agents and therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty. An emerging option for the management of keratitis is photodynamic antimicrobial therapy (PDAT) which uses a photosensitizer rose bengal activated with green light. Utilizing a pulsed irradiation, rather than the standard continuous irradiation may have a similar antimicrobial effect with less total energy. This study is to compare pulsed and continuous rose bengal mediated PDAT for inhibition of six fungal isolates on agar plates: Fusarium solani, Fusarium keratoplasticum, Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans, Paecilomyces variotti, and Pseudoallescheria boydii. Isolates were mixed with 0.1% rose bengal and exposed to three irradiation conditions: (1) 30-minute continuous (10.8J/cm2), (2) 15-minute continuous (5.4J/cm2), (3) 30-minute pulsed (5.4J/cm2). Plates were photographed at 72 hours and analyzed with custom software. At 72 hours, 30-minute continuous rose bengal mediated PDAT inhibited all six fungal species. Fungal inhibition was analogous between 30-minute continuous and 30-minute pulsed test groups, with the exception of A. fumigatus. The 15-minute continuous irradiation was less effective when compared to both 30-minute continuous and 30-minute pulsed groups. These in vitro results demonstrate the potential strength of pulsed rose bengal mediated PDAT as an adjunct treatment modality for fungal keratitis.

Optimal error analysis of the intraseasonal convection due to uncertainties of the sea surface temperature in a coupled model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiaojing; Tang, Youmin; Yao, Zhixiong

2017-04-01

The predictability of the convection related to the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) is studied using a coupled model CESM (Community Earth System Model) and the climatically relevant singular vector (CSV) approach. The CSV approach is an ensemble-based strategy to calculate the optimal initial error on climate scale. In this study, we focus on the optimal initial error of the sea surface temperature in Indian Ocean, where is the location of the MJO onset. Six MJO events are chosen from the 10 years model simulation output. The results show that the large values of the SVs are mainly located in the bay of Bengal and the south central IO (around (25°S, 90°E)), which is a meridional dipole-like pattern. The fast error growth of the CSVs have important impacts on the prediction of the convection related to the MJO. The initial perturbations with the SV pattern result in the deep convection damping more quickly in the east Pacific Ocean. Moreover, the sensitivity studies of the CSVs show that different initial fields do not affect the CSVs obviously, while the perturbation domain is a more responsive factor to the CSVs. The rapid growth of the CSVs is found to be related to the west bay of Bengal, where the wind stress starts to be perturbed due to the CSV initial error. These results contribute to the establishment of an ensemble prediction system, as well as the optimal observation network. In addition, the analysis of the error growth can provide us some enlightment about the relationship between SST and the intraseasonal convection related to the MJO.

Body mass index and body adiposity index in relation to percent body fat: a study in adult men of three endogamous groups of South Bengal.

PubMed

Datta Banik, Sudip; Das, Subal

2015-02-01

Body adiposity index (BAI), based on height and hip circumference data from Mexican-Americans and African-Americans established its relation to body fat (BF). The aim of our study was to compare body mass index (BMI) and BAI in relation to BF%. Participants were adult men of three endogamous social groups (Brahmin, Muslim and Namasudra) in a village of South 24 Parganas district in West Bengal, India. Height, weight and hip circumference of 952 individuals (370 Brahmins, 307 Muslims and 275 Namasudras) were recorded. The BMI-based nutritional status and bioelectrical impedance-based BF% were evaluated. Namasudras (33.8%) and Muslims (33.6%) had high frequency undernutrition compared to Brahmins (7.3%). High prevalence (46.22%) of excess weight (overweight+obesity) was recorded only among Brahmins. There was significant social group difference in rates of nutritional status (χ(2) = 93.10, p < 0.0001). The BF% had higher correlation with BMI than BAI. A cut-off value of BAI (22%) was determined by binomial logistic regression analysis (BLRA). The value had best estimated relation to BF% and also coincided with WHO standard mean BF (22%) for overweight adults at BMI (≥ 25 kg/m(2)). However, greater area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, higher correct prediction rate, and other results of BLRA for the cut-off value of BMI-based overweight (≥ 25 kg/m(2)) showed its better relation to BF% than that observed for BAI cut-off at 22%. The BMI was observed to be a better indicator of adiposity compared to BAI in relation with body fat (%). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Molecular epidemiology of goat pox viruses.

PubMed

Roy, P; Jaisree, S; Balakrishnan, S; Senthilkumar, K; Mahaprabhu, R; Mishra, A; Maity, B; Ghosh, T K; Karmakar, A P

2018-02-01

Goat pox disease outbreaks were observed in different places affecting Black Bengal Goats in West Bengal (WB) and Tellicherry, Vembur and non-descriptive breeds in Tamil Nadu (TN) causing severe lesions and mortality up to 30%. Clinical specimens from all the outbreaks were screened by polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and confirmed the diseases as Goat Pox. Virus isolation in Vero cell line was done with randomly selected ten samples, cytopathic effects (CPE) characterized by syncytia and intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies were observed after several blind passages. Nucleotide sequence of complete p32 gene using randomly selected two isolates and three clinical specimens revealed presence of Goat pox virus (GTPV)-specific signature residues in all the sequences. Phylogenetic analysis using the present five sequences along with GenBank data of GTPV complete p32 gene sequences showed all the GTPV sequences cluster together except Pellor strain (NC004003) and FZ Chinese strain (KC951854). The five sequences either from WB or TN cluster more closely with GTPV isolates of Maharashtra state that were responsible for cross species outbreak of pox disease in both sheep (KF468759) and goats (KF468762) in India during the year 2010. All the Indian goat pox viruses, including the Mukteswar strain, isolated in 1946 and sequence reported in 2004 clustered together with the GTPVs causing the recent outbreaks. It was observed that GTPVs caused similar clinical manifestation irrespective of their geographical locations and breed characteristics, no variation observed among the Indian isolates based on p32 gene over the period of seventy years and disease outbreaks could not be observed or reported in vaccinated goats. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

RiceCAP: Comparison of sheath blight QTLs in two Bengal/O. nivara advanced backcross mapping populations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Two advanced backcross populations were developed between a popular southern US tropical japonica rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivar Bengal and two different of Oryza nivara (IRGC100898; IRGC104705) accessions to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) related to sheath blight (SB) disease resistance. ...

The Political Economy of English Education in Muslim Bengal: 1871-1912.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rahim, Aminur

1992-01-01

Examines explanations for lack of progress by Muslims in English education in East Bengal, colonial British India (now Bangladesh). Argues that urban-based, elitist English education failed to provide opportunities to rural Muslim farmers, and that, after the British formulated educational policies meeting Muslim needs, that community responded…

STS-54 Earth observation of a ship wake in the Bay of Bengal

NASA Image and Video Library

1993-01-19

STS054-72-056 (13-19 Jan 1993) --- A ship wake in the Bay of Bengal is noticeable in this 70mm frame. The sun glint pattern on the ocean reveals many patterns of sea surface roughness related to currents, waves, wind roughening, and biology that and are not apparent when the ocean is viewed away from the Sun's reflection. In this view of the Bay of Bengal, southeast of Madras, India, sun glint highlights convergence zones between ocean currents (bright, linear features), a eddy, and the wake of a ship. In several locations where the ship has passed areas of current shear, the ship wake is distorted, indicating the relative current direction.

Godavari River Delta Panorama, Bay of Bengal, India

NASA Image and Video Library

1993-01-19

STS054-80-024 (13-19 Jan 1993) --- As the Shuttle was passing southeast over the coast of India, approaching the Bay of Bengal, Endeavour's crew took this picture of the Godavari River Delta. The sun glint pattern was centered directly over the delta and highlighted well the intricate drainage pattern. Offshore, water features associated with current boundaries and river plumes are readily visible. The line of clouds along the coast south of the delta suggest that surface winds are blowing onshore from the Bay of Bengal. As the air passes over the warmer coastal water and land, it is warmed and begins to rise. The moisture in the air condenses, forming a line of low-level clouds.

STS-54 Earth observation of a ship wake in the Bay of Bengal

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

STS-54 Earth observation taken aboard Endeavour, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 105, is of a ship wake in the Bay of Bengal. The sun glint pattern on the ocean reveals many patterns of sea surface roughness related to currents, waves, wind roughening, and biology that and are not apparent when the ocean is viewed away from the sun's reflection. In this view of the Bay of Bengal, southeast of Madras, India, sun glint highlights convergence zones between ocean currents (bright, linear features), a eddy, and the wake of a ship. In several locations where the ship has passed areas of current shear, the ship wake is distorted, indicating the relative current direction.

Comparison of counter-immunoelectrophoresis with other serological tests in the diagnosis of human brucellosis

PubMed Central

Díaz, R.; Maravi-Poma, E.; Rivero, A.

1976-01-01

Sera from 65 persons with clinical brucellosis were employed in a comparison of standard and rapid serological tests. The results obtained with the Rose Bengal test correlated very well with those of the standard tube agglutination test, whereas results with the rapid plate agglutination test and the Coombs (antiglobulin) test were inferior. Absorption of patients' sera with specific anti-human immunoglobulin sera showed that IgM was active in the Rose Bengal test but not in the Coombs test, whereas IgG and IgA were active in both tests. In addition to the A & M antigen, which plays the most important role in the agglutination, Rose Bengal, and Coombs tests, other antigenic fractions of Brucella were examined in precipitation tests. A protein antigen reacted with 94% of the sera in counter-immunoelectrophoresis. On the basis of the results with both groups of sera, the Rose Bengal test and counter-immunoelectrophoresis appear to be the most promising methods for diagnosing clinical brucellosis. The tests differ qualitatively since different Brucella antigens are employed. PMID:791532

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

Virts, Katrina S.; Houze, Robert A.

Seasonal and intraseasonal differences in mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) over South Asia are examined using A-Train satellites, a ground-based lightning network, and reanalysis fields. Pre-monsoon (April-May) MCSs occur primarily over Bangladesh and the eastern Bay of Bengal. During the monsoon (June-September), small MCSs occur over the Meghalaya Plateau and northeast Himalayan notch, while large and connected MCSs are most widespread over the Bay of Bengal. Monsoon MCSs produce less lightning and exhibit more extensive stratiform and anvil reflectivity structures in CloudSat observations than do pre-monsoon MCSs. During the monsoon season, Bay of Bengal and Meghalaya Plateau MCSs vary with themore » 30-60 day northward-propagating intraseasonal oscillation, while northeast Himalayan notch MCSs are associated with weak large-scale anomalies but locally enhanced CAPE. During intraseasonal active periods, a zone of enhanced large and connected MCSs, precipitation, and lightning extends from the northeastern Arabian Sea southeast over India and the Bay of Bengal, flanked by suppressed anomalies. Spatial variability is observed within this enhancement zone: lightning is most enhanced where MCSs are less enhanced, and vice versa. Reanalysis composites indicate that Bay of Bengal MCSs are associated with monsoon depressions, which are frequent during active monsoon periods, while Meghalaya Plateau MCSs are most frequent at the end of break periods, as anomalous southwesterly winds strengthen moist advection toward the terrain. Over both regions, MCSs exhibit more extensive stratiform and anvil regions and less lightning when the large-scale environment is moister, and vice versa.« less

Application of individual foraminifera Mg/Ca and δ18O analyses for paleoceanographic reconstructions in the Bay of Bengal and other active depositional environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fritz-Endres, T.; Dekens, P.; Fehrenbacher, J. S.; Spero, H. J.; Stine, A.

2017-12-01

Paleoceanographic research traditionally focuses on regions where sediment deposition is minimally affected by transport. However, sediment fans near tectonically active regions provide an opportunity to link oceanographic climate to terrestrial processes. Sediment cores recovered during IODP Expedition 354 in the Bay of Bengal include hemipelagic sections that record the history of tectonic uplift and the development of the Indian Monsoon through the last 10 Ma. Although these cores provide a unique opportunity to link marine and terrestrial climate, the complex depositional environment requires that the source of foraminifera is carefully considered before using these proxies to reconstruct oceanographic conditions. Foraminifera in Bengal Fan sediments may have been transported via turbidity currents from the northern Bay of Bengal, where the seasonal variability of SST and SSS is larger compared to the southern Bay of Bengal. We measured single Globigerinoides sacculifer Mg/Ca and δ18O from mudline samples of IODP Site U1454 (8.4°N, 85.5°E, 3721 m water depth) near the modern active channel and Site U1449 (8.4°N, 88.7°E, 3653 m water depth) far from channel activity. We compare these sites to single G. sacculifer from the core-top sample of Site 342KL (20.6°N, 90.1°E, 1256 m water depth) located on the continental shelf. Each foraminifera lives 2-4 weeks and the distribution of 60 to 80 data points reflects the seasonal range of SST and SSS at the location where the foraminifera calcified. Measurements in foraminifera from Site U1449 (away from active channel) are statistically different from the site in the northern Bay of Bengal and more consistent with local conditions. Conversely, foraminifera from the site near the active channel reflect a combined signal of local conditions recorded from the site far from channel activity and those recorded from the continental shelf. This suggests a portion of foraminifera from the active channel site have been transported from the northern Bay of Bengal. Our data show that foraminifera can be used to reconstruct SST and δ18O in this complex depositional environment, but caution must be taken when the down-core lithology indicates turbidites and possible sediment transport

Evidence of ongoing brucellosis in livestock animals in North West Libya.

PubMed

Al-Griw, Huda H; Kraim, Elfurgani Salem; Farhat, Milad E; Perrett, Lorraine L; Whatmore, Adrian M

2017-12-01

Animal brucellosis is thought to be present in small ruminants, cattle, and camels in Libya, particularly in the west coastal strip. Before the system collapsed due to political unrest in 2011, prevalence of the disease did not exceed 0.2% in cattle, 0.1% in camels, 8.3% in sheep, and 14.8% in goats. The aim of this study was to highlight outbreaks of disease that took place during the 18-month period from November 2014 to April 2016. A total of 1612 serum samples, collected opportunistically from 29 herds in 12 different localities in the northwest region of Libya, were investigated for brucellosis. The samples were screened for Brucella antibodies using the Rose Bengal test, and confirmed with either indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay in the case of sheep, and/or a serum agglutination test, followed with a complement fixation test, in the case of cattle and camels. Our results showed the highest rates of brucellosis seropositivity in goats (33.4%) and sheep (9.2%). The overall percentage of brucellosis seropositivity was 21%. The high level of brucellosis identified by this study, particularly in small ruminants, strongly suggests re-emergence of the disease in the region. Re-evaluation of intervention measures applied to the control of brucellosis is highly recommended. Copyright © 2017 Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tetralogy of Fallot and atrial septal defect in a white Bengal Tiger cub (Panthera tigris tigris)

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

A 3-week-old female white Bengal Tiger cub (Panthera tigris tigris) presented with acute onset tachypnoea, cyanosis and hypothermia. The cub was severely hypoxaemic with a mixed acid–base disturbance. Echocardiography revealed severe pulmonic stenosis, right ventricular hypertrophy, high membranous ventricular septal defect and an overriding aorta. Additionally, an atrial septal defect was found on necropsy, resulting in the final diagnosis of Tetralogy of Fallot with an atrial septal defect (a subclass of Pentalogy of Fallot). This report is the first to encompass arterial blood gas analysis, thoracic radiographs, echocardiography and necropsy findings in a white Bengal Tiger cub diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot with an atrial septal defect. PMID:24594084

Photodynamic treatment of culture medium containing serum induces long-lasting toxicity in vitro.

PubMed

Olivier, David; Douillard, Samuel; Lhommeau, Isabelle; Patrice, Thierry

2009-10-01

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) produces singlet oxygen and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that damage tumor cells and the vasculature. The resulting effect is a balance between photo-oxidations through primary or secondary ROS and scavenging activity. Sensitizers are distributed in the extracellular space before and during cell sensitization, suggesting that PDT could act directly on cell structures and on extracellular compartments, including sera. In this study we endeavored to determine whether the application of PDT to culture medium could affect cell survival. Culture medium [RPMI 1640 supplemented with fetal calf serum (FCS)] was incubated with Rose Bengal and irradiated before being added to cells for various contact times as a replacement for untreated medium. Cells were then kept in darkness until the survival assay. Treated medium reduced cell survival by up to 40% after 30 min of contact for 10 microg/ml of Rose Bengal and 20 J/cm(2). Rose Bengal or m-THPC alone or irradiated in water had no effect. This effect was dependent on the doses of Rose Bengal and light and decreased when FCS was replaced by human serum mixed with FCS. The reduction in survival observed with treated medium was more pronounced when the cell doubling time was shorter. Analysis of ROS or peroxide production in treated medium by DCFH added at the end of irradiation of Rose Bengal in serum-containing medium revealed a long-lasting oxidizing activity. Our findings support the hypothesis of an ROS- or peroxide-mediated, PDT-induced, long-lasting cell toxicity.

Inventorization of some ayurvedic plants and their ethnomedicinal use in Kakrajhore forest area of West Bengal.

PubMed

Biswas, Soumyajit; Shaw, Rupa; Bala, Sanjay; Mazumdar, Asis

2017-02-02

Medicinal Plant resources of forest origin are extensively used in India for various systems of medicine like Ayurveda, Unani, Homeopathy, Allopathy, Siddha and Ethnic etc. The tribal communities around the Kakrajhore forest in West Medinipur district of West Bengal have their own traditional knowledge based system of curing many diseases using the forest based plant resources similar to ayurveda. The forest comprises of one of the unique treasure and rich source of diversified ethno-botanical wealth and therefore extensive studies is required for proper documentation including ethnomedicinal knowledge of local tribes. The present study was initiated with an aim to inventorize the ayurvedic medicinal plant recourses and explore the traditional knowledge of tribal people of Kakrajhore forest to treat several diseases along with the sustainable management and conservation of medicinal plants. The information on the medicinal plant resources were gathered through floristic inventorization with proper sampling method in the study area (N22°42'57.05″, E86°34'58.02″) during the year 2015. For floristic inventorization the study area of 312 ha was delineated by using GPS Receiver. Then total mapped area was divided by virtual grid of 100m apart in both East-West and North-South direction to allocate 60 sample plots by random sampling. In addition to inventorization, the use value (UV) of the species was determined and the informant consensus factor (ICF) was calculated for the medicinal plants found in the study area based on personal interview. Further exploration was carried out to establish linkage with Ayurveda. The present survey has identified 57 numbers of ethno-medicinal plants belonging to 39 families, used for preparing medicinal remedies. The habit of the plants includes 35% trees, 28% shrubs, 23% herbs and 14% climbers. The most frequently utilized plant parts were the Roots & Tuber roots (26%), Stem which includes Bark, Tubers, Bulb, Rhizome, Gum, Wood & Young shoots (24%), Leaves (18%), Fruits (13%), and Seeds (10%). The most frequent happening ailments are asthma and bronchitis, constipation and dyspepsia, diarrhea, dysentery, ulcer, rheumatism, arthritis, fistula and piles troubles. Most of the Plants (88%) had more than a single therapeutic use. The most important plant species on the basis of use value were Smilex ovalifolia, Emblica officinalis, Curculigo orchioides, Croton roxburghii, Asparagus racemosus, Ziziphus nummularia, Ichnocarpus frutescens, Cisssus adnata, Buettneria herbacea, Litsea glutinosa, Vernonia anthelmintica and Chlorophytum borivilianum. There was a strong agreement among the informants related to the usage of the plants (ICF 0.65-0.93). As per the standard literature in Ayurveda, maximum numbers of documented species (33) are found to be used for 'digestive system disorder' which is analogous to ethnomedicinal use (30), followed by 'skin related problem' i.e. 13 and 20 respectively. Results show that people living around Kakrajhore forest area hold valuable knowledge of the uses of plant resources and some of the ayurvedic plants represent an important component in local livelihood. Though the Kakrajhore Forest area is rich in medicinal plant resources but the species are susceptible to be endangered by intense exploitation by human communities. More in-depth investigations are required for plants with high UV values on their possible phytochemical and pharmacological activity. Apart from this, sustainable management approach and proper conservation strategy for the area is recommended by involvement of local communities and forest department. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Towards Ladyland: Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain and the Movement for Women's Education in Bengal, "c." 1900-"c." 1932

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bagchi, Barnita

2009-01-01

This paper analyses the work of Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain (1880-1932), urban Bengali Muslim educator and writer, placing her in the wider context of women organising themselves in associations to create social change through education for women, in the province of undivided Bengal in colonial India, from "c." 1900 to "c." 1932. A…

Variability of resistance in Black Bengal goats naturally infected with Haemonchus contortus.

PubMed

Kumar, Ratnesh; Ranjan, Sanjeev; Vishnu, P Guru; Negi, Mamta; Senapati, P K; Charita, V Gnani

2015-03-01

A total 290 Black Bengal goats (6 buck, 109 doe and 175 kids born from 11 sires) were studied to evaluate the variability of resistance in Black Bengal goats naturally infected with Haemonchus contortus. The variability of resistance in Black Bengal goat was studied for both genetic and non-genetic factors like village, sex, age dam, sire, dam resistance group and offspring resistance group. Male kids have slightly higher resistance than female kids although it was not significant. Resistance of kids was increased as age increases and kid population showed significantly different resistance status among the offspring resistant groups. The doe population showed significantly different LEPG as per the resistance group in all the collections. The present study found that the resistance of kids under sire were varied significantly and observed that the kids under sire 1, 6-8 were significantly more resistant than the kids of the sire 2, 5 and 11 in 3rd collection and it is also noticed that maternal genetic effect has a very little impact on resistance of kids. Males (buck) were most resistant and the kids were least resistant and the resistance of dam was in between the male and kids population.

Distribution of Heavy Metals in Surface Sediments of the Bay of Bengal Coast

PubMed Central

Hasan, M. R.; Khan, M.; Aktar, S.; Fatema, K.

2017-01-01

The concentrations of major (Si, Al, Ca, Fe, and K) and minor (Cd, Mn, Ni, Pb, U, Zn, Co, Cr, As, Cu, Rb, Sr, and Zr,) elements in the surficial sediments were studied in an attempt to establish their concentration in the Bengal coast. It was revealed that the majority of the trace elements have been introduced into the Bengal marine from the riverine inflows that are also affected by the impact of industrial, ship breaking yard, gas production plant, and urban wastes. The concentration of heavy metals was measured using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy and Energy Dispersive X-ray fluorescence instruments. The highest concentrations for several trace elements were thus recorded which generally decrease with distance from the coast. It was observed that the heavy metal concentrations in the sediments generally met the criteria of international marine sediment quality. However, both the contamination factor and pollution load index values suggested the elevation of some metals' concentrations in the region. Constant monitoring of the Bengal coast water quality needs to be recorded with a view to minimizing the risk of health of the population and the detrimental impacts on the aquatic ecosystem. PMID:28255298

Deficiency and sources of nutrition among an Indian tribal population.

PubMed

Ghosh, Sudipta

2014-09-01

This paper is an attempt to explore the relationship between protein consumption and BMI for the adult Santhals, a tribal community of West Bengal, India. For this purpose, a cross sectional sample of 1262 adult Santhals were mea- sured. A high incidence (46.9%) of chronic energy deficiency (CED) is observed. A low production of protein rich food items such as pulses, poultry and fishing within their own economy reveal that the barter system fails to provide enough protein rich food items for the community. Along with this, low income earning opportunities lead to a low consumption of protein rich food and hence a high incidence of undernutrition. The occupational pattern reveals that the Santhals who derive livelihood by the means of hard physical activities are more prone to develop CED. The study suggests that the overdependence on forests and their own economy for consumption needs may not be helping this community in attaining a better health status.

Genetic identification of arsenate reductase and arsenite oxidase in redox transformations carried out by arsenic metabolising prokaryotes - A comprehensive review.

PubMed

Kumari, Nisha; Jagadevan, Sheeja

2016-11-01

Arsenic (As) contamination in water is a cause of major concern to human population worldwide, especially in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India. Arsenite (As(III)) and arsenate (As(V)) are the two common forms in which arsenic exists in soil and groundwater, the former being more mobile and toxic. A large number of arsenic metabolising microorganisms play a crucial role in microbial transformation of arsenic between its different states, thus playing a key role in remediation of arsenic contaminated water. This review focuses on advances in biochemical, molecular and genomic developments in the field of arsenic metabolising bacteria - covering recent developments in the understanding of structure of arsenate reductase and arsenite oxidase enzymes, their gene and operon structures and their mechanism of action. The genetic and molecular studies of these microbes and their proteins may lead to evolution of successful strategies for effective implementation of bioremediation programs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Brevibacillus sp. KUMAs2, a bacterial isolate for possible bioremediation of arsenic in rhizosphere.

PubMed

Mallick, Ivy; Hossain, Sk Tofajjen; Sinha, Sangram; Mukherjee, Samir Kumar

2014-09-01

Arsenic (As) contamination of soil and water has been considered as a major global environmental issue during last few decades. Among the various methods so far reported for reclamation of As contaminated rhizosphere soil, bioremediation using bacteria has been found to be most promising. An As resistant bacterial isolate Brevibacillus sp. KUMAs2 was obtained from As contaminated soil of Nadia, West Bengal, India, which could resist As(V) and As(III) a maximum of 265mM and 17mM, respectively. The strain could remove ~40 percent As under aerobic culture conditions. As resistant property in KUMAs2 was found to be plasmid-borne, which carried both As oxidizing and reducing genes. The strain could promote chilli plant growth under As contaminated soil environment by decreasing As accumulation in plant upon successful colonization in the rhizosphere, which suggests the possibility of using this isolate for successful bioremediation of As in the crop field. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Spatial variability of theaflavins and thearubigins fractions and their impact on black tea quality.

PubMed

Bhuyan, Lakshi Prasad; Borah, Paban; Sabhapondit, Santanu; Gogoi, Ramen; Bhattacharyya, Pradip

2015-12-01

The spatial distribution of theaflavin and thearubigin fractions and their impact on black tea quality were investigated using multivariate and geostatistics techniques. Black tea samples were collected from tea gardens of six geographical regions of Assam and West Bengal, India. Total theaflavin (TF) and its four fractions of upper Assam, south bank and North Bank teas were higher than the other regions. Simple theaflavin showed highest significant correlation with tasters' quality. Low molecular weight thearubigins of south bank and North Bank were significantly higher than other regions. Total thearubigin (TR) and its fractions revealed significant positive correlation with tasters' organoleptic valuations. Tea tasters' parameters were significantly and positively correlated with each other. The semivariogram for quality parameters were best represented by gaussian models. The nugget/sill ratio indicated a strong/moderate spatial dependence of the studied parameters. Spatial variation of tea quality parameters may be used for quality assessment in the tea growing areas of India.

Phosphate interference during in situ treatment for arsenic in groundwater.

PubMed

Brunsting, Joseph H; McBean, Edward A

2014-01-01

Contamination of groundwater by arsenic is a problem in many areas of the world, particularly in West Bengal (India) and Bangladesh, where reducing conditions in groundwater are the cause. In situ treatment is a novel approach wherein, by introduction of dissolved oxygen (DO), advantages over other treatment methods can be achieved through simplicity, not using chemicals, and not requiring disposal of arsenic-rich wastes. A lab-scale test of in situ treatment by air sparging, using a solution with approximately 5.3 mg L(-1) ferrous iron and 200 μg L(-1) arsenate, showed removal of arsenate in the range of 59%. A significant obstacle exists, however, due to the interference of phosphate since phosphate competes for adsorption sites on oxidized iron precipitates. A lab-scale test including 0.5 mg L(-1) phosphate showed negligible removal of arsenate. In situ treatment by air sparging demonstrates considerable promise for removal of arsenic from groundwater where iron is present in considerable quantities and phosphates are low.

Importance of population-based studies in clinical practice

PubMed Central

Ronnie, George; Ve, Ramesh Sathyamangalam; Velumuri, Lokapavani; Asokan, Rashima; Vijaya, Lingam

2011-01-01

In the last decade, there have been reports on the prevalence of glaucoma from the Vellore Eye Survey, Andhra Pradesh Eye Diseases Survey, Aravind Comprehensive Eye Survey, Chennai Glaucoma Study and West Bengal Glaucoma Study. Population-based studies provide important information regarding the prevalence and risk factors for glaucoma. They also highlight regional differences in the prevalence of various types of glaucoma. It is possible to gather important insights regarding the number of persons affected with glaucoma and the proportion with undiagnosed disease. We reviewed the different population-based studies from India and compare their findings. The lacunae in ophthalmic care that can be inferred from these studies are identified and possible reasons and solutions are discussed. We also discuss the clinical relevance of the various findings, and how it reflects on clinical practice in the country. Since India has a significantly high disease burden, we examine the possibility of population-based screening for disease in the Indian context. PMID:21150021

Measurement of secondary cosmic ray intensity at Regener-Pfotzer height using low-cost weather balloons and its correlation with solar activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkar, Ritabrata; Chakrabarti, Sandip K.; Pal, Partha Sarathi; Bhowmick, Debashis; Bhattacharya, Arnab

2017-09-01

Cosmic ray flux in our planetary system is primarily modulated by solar activity. Radiation effects of cosmic rays on the Earth strongly depend on latitude due to the variation of the geomagnetic field strength. To study these effects we carried out a series of measurements of the radiation characteristics in the atmosphere due to cosmic rays from various places (geomagnetic latitude: ∼14.50°N) in West Bengal, India, located near the Tropic of Cancer, for several years (2012-2016) particularly covering the solar maximum in the 24th solar cycle. We present low energy (15-140 keV) secondary radiation measurement results extending from the ground till the near space (∼40 km) using a scintillator detector on board rubber weather balloons. We also concentrate on the cosmic ray intensity at the Regener-Pfotzer maxima and find a strong anti-correlation between this intensity and the solar activity even at low geomagnetic latitudes.

A study to assess the usage of MCR footwear in West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Lal, Vivek; Sarkar, Debajit; Das, Sukumar; Mahato, Mukunda; Srinivas, Govindrajulu

2015-09-01

The routine use of appropriate footwear is an important intervention to prevent disability in leprosy. We conducted a study to assess utilisation of MCR footwear and observe the condition of footwear. Fifty-six persons affected by leprosy who had been provided MCR footwear in the preceding 3 years were paid home visit and administered a semi-structured interview schedule. Although a total of 30 participants reported using special footwear currently, only 10 reported usage during participation in social events. On observation, 16 pairs were found to be in an unusable condition owing to foot deformity and another 14 pairs in poor condition. In order to ensure greater utilisation of special footwear, the National Programme may seek local solutions through engagement of cobblers and shoemakers with appropriate training in customisation. Persons affected by leprosy should be empowered to appreciate the benefits of special footwear and to take care of themselves, including taking responsibility for using their footwear.

Religious Fragmentation, Social Identity and Conflict: Evidence from an Artefactual Field Experiment in India

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

We examine the impact of religious identity and village-level religious fragmentation on behavior in Tullock contests. We report on a series of two-player Tullock contest experiments conducted on a sample of 516 Hindu and Muslim participants in rural West Bengal, India. Our treatments are the identity of the two players and the degree of religious fragmentation in the village where subjects reside. Our main finding is that the effect of social identity is small and inconsistent across the two religious groups in our study. While we find small but statistically significant results in line with our hypotheses in the Hindu sample, we find no statistically significant effects in the Muslim sample. This is in contrast to evidence from Chakravarty et al. (2016), who report significant differences in cooperation levels in prisoners’ dilemma and stag hunt games, both in terms of village composition and identity. We attribute this to the fact that social identity may have a more powerful effect on cooperation than on conflict. PMID:27768713

Complete genome sequence of Enterobacter sp. IIT-BT 08: A potential microbial strain for high rate hydrogen production.

PubMed

Khanna, Namita; Ghosh, Ananta Kumar; Huntemann, Marcel; Deshpande, Shweta; Han, James; Chen, Amy; Kyrpides, Nikos; Mavrommatis, Kostas; Szeto, Ernest; Markowitz, Victor; Ivanova, Natalia; Pagani, Ioanna; Pati, Amrita; Pitluck, Sam; Nolan, Matt; Woyke, Tanja; Teshima, Hazuki; Chertkov, Olga; Daligault, Hajnalka; Davenport, Karen; Gu, Wei; Munk, Christine; Zhang, Xiaojing; Bruce, David; Detter, Chris; Xu, Yan; Quintana, Beverly; Reitenga, Krista; Kunde, Yulia; Green, Lance; Erkkila, Tracy; Han, Cliff; Brambilla, Evelyne-Marie; Lang, Elke; Klenk, Hans-Peter; Goodwin, Lynne; Chain, Patrick; Das, Debabrata

2013-12-20

Enterobacter sp. IIT-BT 08 belongs to Phylum: Proteobacteria, Class: Gammaproteobacteria, Order: Enterobacteriales, Family: Enterobacteriaceae. The organism was isolated from the leaves of a local plant near the Kharagpur railway station, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India. It has been extensively studied for fermentative hydrogen production because of its high hydrogen yield. For further enhancement of hydrogen production by strain development, complete genome sequence analysis was carried out. Sequence analysis revealed that the genome was linear, 4.67 Mbp long and had a GC content of 56.01%. The genome properties encode 4,393 protein-coding and 179 RNA genes. Additionally, a putative pathway of hydrogen production was suggested based on the presence of formate hydrogen lyase complex and other related genes identified in the genome. Thus, in the present study we describe the specific properties of the organism and the generation, annotation and analysis of its genome sequence as well as discuss the putative pathway of hydrogen production by this organism.

Persistence of thiacloprid and deltamethrin residues in tea grown at different locations of North-East India.

PubMed

Sharma, Nitesh; Banerjee, Hemanta; Pal, Srikumar; Sharma, K K

2018-07-01

In order to examine the residues of thiacloprid (90 and 180 g a.i./ha) and deltamethrin (10 and 20 g a.i./ha) in fresh tea leaves, made tea and tea infusion, field experiments were conducted at three different locations viz. Kamalpur tea estate, Darjeeling; West Bengal, Teok tea Estate and AAU, Jorhat; Assam in India. Regardless of location and doses, residues of both the insecticides dissipated following first order kinetics. The half-life of Thiacloprid (4.93-5.38 days) was longer than that of deltamethrin (1.78-1.94 days). Processing of green tea leaves reduced the residue level of thiacloprid and deltamethrin in made tea. No residues of both these insecticides could be detected in tea infusion. With respect to the phenolic distribution in tea, a marked increase in total catechin monomers with thiacloprid and greater accumulation of EGCG and ECG (indices of phenol quality) with deltamethrin were observed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Status of domestic wastewater management in relation to drinking-water supply in two states of India.

PubMed

Pandey, R A; Kaul, S N

2000-01-01

In India, supply of drinking water, treatment and disposal of domestic wastewater including faecal matter are managed by local bodies. The existing status of water supply, characteristics of domestic wastewater, modes of collection, treatment and disposal system for sewage and faecal matter in 82 municipalities and 4 municipal corporations were assessed in the States of Bihar and West Bengal in India. Domestic wastewater in the municipal areas is collected and discharged through open kachha (earthen), pucca (cement-concrete) and natural drains and discharged into water courses or disposed on land. Scavenger carriage system for night soil disposal is in-vogue at several places in the surveyed States. Open defecation by the inhabitants in some of the municipalities also occurs. The existing methods of collection, treatment and disposal of sewage impairs the water quality of different water sources. Techno-economically viable remedial measures for providing basic amenities, namely safe drinking-water supply and proper sanitation to the communities of these two States of India are suggested and discussed.

How paramagnetic and diamagnetic LMOCs detect picric acid from surface water and the intracellular environment: a combined experimental and DFT-D3 study.

PubMed

Ghosh, Pritam; Banerjee, Priyabrata

2016-08-17

Diamagnetic and Paramagnetic Luminescent Metal Organic Complexes (LMOCs) have been reported for Explosive and Pollutant Nitro Aromatic (epNAC) recognition. The diamagnetic complex shows a highly intense AIE induced by NEt3H(+), which disappears after picric acid recognition and subsequently RET will quench the emission intensity. Radical stabilized paramagnetic LMOCs seem to be active but show lower sensing efficiency in comparison with diamagnetic LMOCs. Solution and solid state spectroscopy studies along with DFT-D3 have been executed to enlighten the host guest interaction. Limit of PA detection is ∼250 ppb with a binding constant of 1.2 × 10(5) M(-1). Time-stepping, i.e. intervening in the problem of picric acid recognition from surface water collected from several places of West Bengal, India, has been performed. Mutagenic picric acid has been successfully detected in an aqueous medium inside both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells at a ppm level using fluorescence microscopy.

Are institutional deliveries promoted by Janani Suraksha Yojana in a district of West Bengal, India?

PubMed

Panja, Tanmay Kanti; Mukhopadhyay, Dipta Kanti; Sinha, Nirmalya; Saren, Asit Baran; Sinhababu, Apurba; Biswas, Akhil Bandhu

2012-01-01

'Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)' was implemented in India to promote institutional deliveries among the poorer section of the society. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Bankura district among 324 women who delivered in last 12 months selected through 40 cluster technique to find out institutional delivery rate, utilization of JSY during antenatal period and relation between cash benefit under JSY during antenatal period and institutional delivery. Overall institutional delivery rate was 73.1% and utilization of JSY among eligible women was 50.5%. Institutional delivery (84.0%), consumption of 100 iron-folic acid tablets (46.0%) and three or more antenatal check-ups (91.0%) were better in women who received financial assistance from JSY during antenatal period than other women. After adjustment for socio-demographic factors, JSY utilization came out to be significantly (P=0.031) associated with institutional deliveries. The study showed that cash incentive under JSY in antenatal period had positive association on institutional deliveries.

Prospective Evaluation of Few Homeopathic Rubrics of Kent's Repertory From Bayesian Perspective.

PubMed

Koley, Munmun; Saha, Subhranil; Das, Kaushik Deb; Roy, Sushabhan; Goenka, Rachna; Chowdhury, Pulak Roy; Hait, Himangsu; Bhattacharyya, Chapal Kanti; Sadhukhan, Sanjoy Kumar

2016-10-01

Absolute grading system of homeopathic repertories poses substantial threat to reliability; however, it may be resolved by evaluating rubrics prospectively using likelihood ratio (LR). The authors evaluated few "physical general" rubrics from Kent's repertory-"chilly," "hot," "ambithermal," "preference for hot/cold food," "desire/aversion for fish/egg/meat/sour/pungent/salt/sweet/bitter"-prospectively in West Bengal, India, for 1.5 years using the Outcome Related to Impact on Daily Living scale. Per symptom/rubric, LRs < 1.5 were discarded. A total of 2039 encounters were analyzed for thermal relations and 4715 for desires/aversions for specific food items. Comparison with Kent's repertory revealed discrepancies. One new rubric with corresponding medicines was suggested to be introduced, new entries of medicines were recommended, and some seemed to maintain their ascribed importance. The authors refrained from converting LRs into typefaces prematurely; still they propose introducing LR to repertories for a structural update, changing its use, and enabling homeopaths to make more reliable predictions. © The Author(s) 2015.

A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled feasibility study evaluating individualized homeopathy in managing pain of knee osteoarthritis.

PubMed

Koley, Munmun; Saha, Subhranil; Ghosh, Shubhamoy

2015-07-01

Few homeopathic complexes seemed to produce significant effects in osteoarthritis; still, individualized homeopathy remained untested. We evaluated the feasibility of conducting an efficacy trial of individualized homeopathy in osteoarthritis. A prospective, parallel-arm, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study was conducted from January to October 2014 involving 60 patients (homeopathy, n = 30; placebo, n = 30) who were suffering from acute painful episodes of knee osteoarthritis and visiting the outpatient clinic of Mahesh Bhattacharyya Homeopathic Medical College and Hospital, West Bengal, India. Statistically significant reduction was achieved in 3 visual analog scales (measuring pain, stiffness, and loss of function) and Osteoarthritis Research Society International scores in both groups over 2 weeks (P < .05); however, group differences were not significant (P > .05). Overall, homeopathy did not appear to be superior to placebo; still, further rigorous evaluation in this design involving a larger sample size seems feasible in future. Clinical Trials Registry, India (CTRI/2014/05/004589). © The Author(s) 2015.

Meanings of health: interrogating structure and culture.

PubMed

Dutta, Mohan Jyoti; Basu, Ambar

2008-11-01

Based on the argument that context ought to be centralized in discourses of health communication, this article applies the culture-centered approach to engage in dialogue about issues of health with 18 men in rural West Bengal. The culture-centered approach is based on dialogue between the researcher and the community members, with the goals of listening to the voices of cultural members in suggesting culture-based health solutions. In this project, our discursive engagement with the participants suggests that health is primarily constructed as an absence, framed in the realm of minimal access to healthcare resources. In a situation where the resources are limited, the participants discussed the importance of trust in their relationship with the local provider. Health was also seen as a collective resource that was both an asset of the collective and a responsibility of the collective. Finally, the participants also pointed out the ways in which corruption in the structure introduced a paradox in policy discourse and the material conditions of the participants.

Religious Fragmentation, Social Identity and Conflict: Evidence from an Artefactual Field Experiment in India.

PubMed

Chakravarty, Surajeet; Fonseca, Miguel A; Ghosh, Sudeep; Marjit, Sugata

2016-01-01

We examine the impact of religious identity and village-level religious fragmentation on behavior in Tullock contests. We report on a series of two-player Tullock contest experiments conducted on a sample of 516 Hindu and Muslim participants in rural West Bengal, India. Our treatments are the identity of the two players and the degree of religious fragmentation in the village where subjects reside. Our main finding is that the effect of social identity is small and inconsistent across the two religious groups in our study. While we find small but statistically significant results in line with our hypotheses in the Hindu sample, we find no statistically significant effects in the Muslim sample. This is in contrast to evidence from Chakravarty et al. (2016), who report significant differences in cooperation levels in prisoners' dilemma and stag hunt games, both in terms of village composition and identity. We attribute this to the fact that social identity may have a more powerful effect on cooperation than on conflict.

Fe3O4@Au@mSiO2 as an enhancing nanoplatform for Rose Bengal photodynamic activity.

PubMed

Rosa-Pardo, I; Roig-Pons, M; Heredia, A A; Usagre, J V; Ribera, A; Galian, R E; Pérez-Prieto, J

2017-07-27

A novel nanoplatform composed of three types of materials with different functionalities, specifically core-shell Fe 3 O 4 @Au nanoparticles encapsulated near the outer surface of mesoporous silica (mSiO 2 ) nanoparticles, has been successfully synthesised and used to enhance the efficiency of a photosensitiser, namely Rose Bengal, in singlet oxygen generation. Fe 3 O 4 is responsible for the unusual location of the Fe 3 O 4 @Au nanoparticle, while the plasmonic shell acts as an optical antenna. In addition, the mesoporous silica matrix firmly encapsulates Rose Bengal by chemical bonding inside the pores, thus guaranteeing its photostability, and in turn making the nanosystem biocompatible. Moreover, the silica surface of the nanoplatform ensures further functionalisation on demand.

Delivery of halogenated very short-lived substances from the west Indian Ocean to the stratosphere during the Asian summer monsoon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiehn, Alina; Quack, Birgit; Hepach, Helmke; Fuhlbrügge, Steffen; Tegtmeier, Susann; Toohey, Matthew; Atlas, Elliot; Krüger, Kirstin

2017-06-01

Halogenated very short-lived substances (VSLSs) are naturally produced in the ocean and emitted to the atmosphere. When transported to the stratosphere, these compounds can have a significant influence on the ozone layer and climate. During a research cruise on RV Sonne in the subtropical and tropical west Indian Ocean in July and August 2014, we measured the VSLSs, methyl iodide (CH3I) and for the first time bromoform (CHBr3) and dibromomethane (CH2Br2), in surface seawater and the marine atmosphere to derive their emission strengths. Using the Lagrangian particle dispersion model FLEXPART with ERA-Interim meteorological fields, we calculated the direct contribution of observed VSLS emissions to the stratospheric halogen burden during the Asian summer monsoon. Furthermore, we compare the in situ calculations with the interannual variability of transport from a larger area of the west Indian Ocean surface to the stratosphere for July 2000-2015. We found that the west Indian Ocean is a strong source for CHBr3 (910 pmol m-2 h-1), very strong source for CH2Br2 (930 pmol m-2 h-1), and an average source for CH3I (460 pmol m-2 h-1). The atmospheric transport from the tropical west Indian Ocean surface to the stratosphere experiences two main pathways. On very short timescales, especially relevant for the shortest-lived compound CH3I (3.5 days lifetime), convection above the Indian Ocean lifts oceanic air masses and VSLSs towards the tropopause. On a longer timescale, the Asian summer monsoon circulation transports oceanic VSLSs towards India and the Bay of Bengal, where they are lifted with the monsoon convection and reach stratospheric levels in the southeastern part of the Asian monsoon anticyclone. This transport pathway is more important for the longer-lived brominated compounds (17 and 150 days lifetime for CHBr3 and CH2Br2). The entrainment of CHBr3 and CH3I from the west Indian Ocean to the stratosphere during the Asian summer monsoon is lower than from previous cruises in the tropical west Pacific Ocean during boreal autumn and early winter but higher than from the tropical Atlantic during boreal summer. In contrast, the projected CH2Br2 entrainment was very high because of the high emissions during the west Indian Ocean cruise. The 16-year July time series shows highest interannual variability for the shortest-lived CH3I and lowest for the longest-lived CH2Br2. During this time period, a small increase in VSLS entrainment from the west Indian Ocean through the Asian monsoon to the stratosphere is found. Overall, this study confirms that the subtropical and tropical west Indian Ocean is an important source region of halogenated VSLSs, especially CH2Br2, to the troposphere and stratosphere during the Asian summer monsoon.

Mixing to Monsoons: Air-Sea Interactions in the Bay of Bengal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucas, A. J.; Shroyer, E. L.; Wijesekera, H. W.; Fernando, H. J. S.; D'Asaro, E.; Ravichandran, M.; Jinadasa, S. U. P.; MacKinnon, J. A.; Nash, J. D.; Sharma, R.; Centurioni, L.; Farrar, J. T.; Weller, R.; Pinkel, R.; Mahadevan, A.; Sengupta, D.; Tandon, A.

2014-07-01

More than 1 billion people depend on rainfall from the South Asian monsoon for their livelihoods. Summertime monsoonal precipitation is highly variable on intraseasonal time scales, with alternating "active" and "break" periods. These intraseasonal oscillations in large-scale atmospheric convection and winds are closely tied to 1°C-2°C variations of sea surface temperature in the Bay of Bengal.

Effect of number of rooms and sibs on nutritional status among rural Bengalee preschool children from eastern India.

PubMed

Biswas, Sadaruddin; Bose, Kaushik

2011-12-01

In developing countries including rural India, undernutrition among preschool children is one of the main barriers of the national development. However, there exists scanty information on the prevalence of underweight and stunting and their socio-demographic predictors among preschool children in India and West Bengal. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of underweight and stunting and the impact of two socio-demographic indicators, namely number of living rooms (NLR) and number of sibs (NS), on them among 1-5 year old Bengalee rural preschool children of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Centres. This cross sectional study was undertaken at 30 randomly selected ICDS centre of Chapra Block, Nadia District, West Bengal, India. A total of 673 children, aged 1-5 years were studied. The overall (age and sex combined) rates of underweight and stunting were 54.40% and 39.20%, respectively. NLR was significantly associated with the prevalence of underweight (chi2 = 4.34, df = 1, p < 0.05) and stunting (chi2 = 8.98, df = 1, p < 0.01) among girls. Similarly, NS had a significant association with prevalence of underweight (chi2 = 10.29, df = 1, p < 0.001) and stunting (chi2 = 5.42, df = 1, p < 0.05) among girls. Girls with < 2 NLR had significant higher risk of being underweight (OR = 1.64, C.I = 1.30-2.62) or stunted (OR=2.23, C.I = 1.31-3.80) than those with > or = 2 NLR. Moreover, girls with > or = 3 NS had significant higher rate of underweight (OR = 2.03, CI = 1.32-3.146) or stunting (OR = 1.69, C.I = 1.09-2.63) than those with < 3 sibs. Logistic regression analyses also revealed that both NLR as well as NS were strong predictors of underweight (NLR: Wald = 4.30, p < 0.05; NS: Wald = 8.74, p < 0.001) and stunting (NLR: Wald = 10.17, p < 0.001; NS: Wald = 5.38, p < 0.05) among girls. Gender discrimination could be a likely cause for this sex difference in the impact of NRL and NS. Moreover, logistic regression were also undertaken with underweight and stunting status (yes/ no) as dependent variables and NLR and NS (combined) as independent variables to identify their effects, when considered together, on undernutrition. Results showed that NS had significant impact on underweight (Wald = 8.28, p < 0.001) rather than NLR among girls. Results also demonstrated that NLR had significant impact on stunting (Wald = 6.874, p < 0.01) rather than NS.

Variability in ozone and its precursor gases over the Bay of Bengal during post-monsoon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mallik, Chinmay; Lal, Shyam; Venkataramani, Sethuram; Naja, Manish; Ojha, Narendra

2013-04-01

O3 and precursor gases were measured during a ship campaign over the Bay of Bengal (BoB) during 28 October -17 November, 2010. The measurements revealed the large spatial heterogeneity in trace gas levels over the BoB during post-monsoon months. The heterogeneity was attributed to unique transport patterns over north and south BoB during this period. Four distinct types of air-masses influenced by heavy pollution from nearby source regions (49% time over North-West Myanmar, East Bangladesh and North-East India), mixed type (25% time over Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam and 75% time over East BoB), affected by long-range transport of pollutants (59% time over continental South Myanmar, Vietnam and Hong-Kong region of China) and pristine marine (99% time over oceanic regions) were identified. Among these, the continental air masses were fresher compared to marine air masses. High O3 and CO levels were observed in air masses coming from South-East Asia. O3, C4H10 and alkenes were highest in air masses arriving from eastern IGP, Bangladesh, Myanmar via the North BoB. The C2H2 to CO slope of 0.004 and C3H8 to CO slope of 0.003 indicated predominance of biofuel/biomass burning in air masses from South-East Asia. The i-C4H10 to n- C4H10 value of 0.62 indicated contributions of urban/industrial sources in air masses arriving from Bangladesh, India and North-West Myanmar. 'Potential Source Contribution Function' analysis indicated fire impacted South of Myanmar and Thailand regions as potential contributors to high CO levels above 260 ppbv measured on 14 November. Observed enhancements in surface CO during 2-3 November were attributed to the faster transport of continental pollutants associated with cyclonic winds. The O3 e-fold time of 2.3 days indicated the higher rate of O3 destruction over the BoB due to higher precursor levels. Principle component analysis indicated that transport from continental source regions played a major role in determining the chemical composition of the air masses during the campaign and presence of regional sources of NOx. Diurnal variations of surface O3 revealed effects of advection, entrainment and photochemistry. Chemical box model simulations of O3 diurnal variations over the BoB were found to be very sensitive to background O3 and NO2 levels as well as dilution.

Geostatistical approach for management of soil nutrients with special emphasis on different forms of potassium considering their spatial variation in intensive cropping system of West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Chatterjee, Sourov; Santra, Priyabrata; Majumdar, Kaushik; Ghosh, Debjani; Das, Indranil; Sanyal, S K

2015-04-01

A large part of precision agriculture research in the developing countries is devoted towards precision nutrient management aspects. This has led to better economics and efficiency of nutrient use with off-farm advantages of environmental security. The keystone of precision nutrient management is analysis and interpretation of spatial variability of soils by establishing management zones. In this study, spatial variability of major soil nutrient contents was evaluated in the Ghoragacha village of North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India. Surface soil samples from 100 locations, covering different cropping systems of the village, was collected from 0 to 15 cm depth using 100×100 m grid system and analyzed in the laboratory to determine organic carbon (OC), available nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) contents of the soil as well as its water-soluble K (KWS), exchangeable K (KEX), and non-exchangeable forms of K (KNEX). Geostatistical analyses were performed to determine the spatial variation structure of each nutrient content within the village, followed by the generation of surface maps through kriging. Four commonly used semivariogram models, i.e., spherical, exponential, Gaussian, and linear models were fitted to each soil property, and the best one was used to prepare surface maps through krigging. Spherical model was found the best for available N and P contents, while linear and exponential model was the best for OC and available K, and for KWS and KNEK, Gausian model was the best. Surface maps of nutrient contents showed that N content (129-195 kg ha(-1)) was the most limiting factor throughout the village, while P status was generally very high ( 10-678 kg ha(-1)) in the soils of the present village. Among the different soil K fractions, KWS registered the maximum variability (CV 75%), while the remaining soil K fractions showed moderate to high variation. Interestingly, KNEX content also showed high variability, which essentially indicates reserve native K exploitation under intensive cultivation. These maps highlight the necessity of estimating the other soil K fractions as well for better understanding of soil K supplying capacity and K fertilization strategy rather than the current recommendations, based on the plant-available K alone. In conclusion, the present study revealed that the variability of nutrient distribution was a consequence of complex interactions between the cropping system, nutrient application rates, and the native soil characteristics, and such interactions could be utilized to develop the nutrient management strategies for intensive small-holder system.

Assessment of toxic metals in groundwater and saliva in an arsenic affected area of West Bengal, India: A pilot scale study.

PubMed

Bhowmick, Subhamoy; Kundu, Amit Kumar; Adhikari, Jishnu; Chatterjee, Debankur; Iglesias, Monica; Nriagu, Jerome; Guha Mazumder, Debendra Nath; Shomar, Basem; Chatterjee, Debashis

2015-10-01

Communities in many parts of the world are unintentionally exposed to arsenic (As) and other toxic metals through ingestion of local drinking water and foods. The concentrations of individual toxic metals often exceed their guidelines in drinking water but the health risks associated with such multiple-metal exposures have yet to receive much attention. This study examines the co-occurrence of toxic metals in groundwater samples collected from As-rich areas of Nadia district, West Bengal, India. Arsenic in groundwater (range: 12-1064 µg L(-1); mean ± S.D: 329±294 µg L(-1)) was the most important contaminant with concentrations well above the WHO guideline of 10 µg L(-1). Another important toxic metal in the study area was manganese (Mn) with average concentration of 202±153 µg L(-1), range of 18-604 µg L(-1). The average concentrations (µg L(-1)) of other elements in groundwater were: Cr (5.6±5.9), Mo (3.5±2.1), Ni (8.3±8.7), Pb (2.9±1.3), Ba (119±43), Zn (56±40), Se (0.60±0.33), U (0.50±0.74). Saliva collected from the male participants of the area had mean concentrations of 6.3±7.0 µg As L(-1) (0.70-29 µg L(-1)), 5.4±5.5 µg Mn L(-1) (0.69-22 µg L(-1)), 2.6±3.1 µg Ni L(-1) (0.15-13 µg L(-1)), 0.78±1.0µg Cr L(-1) (

Morpho-tectonic depression and early holocene land-ocean interaction vis-à-vis trace metals adsorption in sediment and groundwater contamination a case study from the Bengal delta, Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, A. A.; Hoque, M. A.; Ali, M.; Hasan, M. A.

2003-05-01

The query mires the geoenvironmental status of the Bengal delta, especially the physico-chemical status of the Holocene sedimentation. Fluvio-deltaic Holocene sediments have developed potential groundwater aquifer system in the Bengal delta. Groundwater contamination by arsenic bas emerged as one of the most serious health hazard. The occurrence and distribution of high arsenic as well as other trace metals viz., Co, Cu, Cr, Ti, Mo, Ni, Zn etc are restricted within the morphotectonic depressions and occur in the shallow aquifer (~70m) of transgressive system tract. Moreover, arsenic hot spots are found to be related with the Holocene land-ocean interface lobes. These interface lobes are also susceptible to other trace metals enrichment and subsequent sediment-water contamination. The sedimentary structures and types of deposition bear the signatures of transgressive phase those are intrinsically associated with the trace metals enrichment. The Bengal delta, the mighty gateway to the sea in the world carries the largest load of the suspended matters those adsorbed and/or redeposited in the land-ocean interface through flocculation and accumulation processes. The adsorbed elements are released from the sediments in reducing environment through iron and manganese desolution.

Assessment of Water Sustainability Index Using Reliability-Resilience-Vulnerability Criteria Considering Climatic Variation over India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lakshmi, V.; Mondal, A.; Kundu, S.

2016-12-01

Abstract:Precipitation can be considered as a key factor in Water Resources Sustainability (WRS). In India, WRS varies with widely varying distribution of precipitation. The economy of the India is based on agricultural production which mainly depends on rainfall. The main focus of the paper is assessment of Water Sustainability based on Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) method for evaluating drought and non-drought conditionsin India using a precipitation data of a long time period (1871-2014). The study area has been divided into thirty sub-regions on the basis homogeneity pattern of rainfall distribution. The performance criteria such as, Reliability, Resilience, Vulnerability and Relative Vulnerability (RV) have been applied in this study. The ranges of water sustainably (WS), vulnerability, relative vulnerability and drought resilience are 0.26 to 0.67, 0.52 to 1.06, 0.22 to 0.61 and 0.72 to 1 respectively. Specifically, WS of Gangetic West Bengal, Naga-Mani-Mizo-trip, Konkan-Goa, Chattisgarh and Kerala are less (0.26, 0.31, 0.35, 0.38 and 0.38 respectively) while Punjab, Marathwada, West Rajasthan and Vidarbha are more (0.57, 0.60, 0.67 and 0.57 respectively).Finally, WS and RV have shown negative correlation (R2=0.86) while WS and drought resilience have shown positive correlation (R2=0.60). The results have clearly illustrated a scenario of entire India, which can be helpful in agricultural management in future. Key Words: Sustainability, SPI, Reliability, Resilience, Vulnerability

Integrating Observations of the Boundary Current Flow around Sri Lanka

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-30

around Sri Lanka Uwe Send and Matthias Lankhorst Scripps Institution of Oceanography 9500 Gilman Drive, Mail Code 0230 La Jolla, CA 92093-0230...of Bengal. For this, the flow around Sri Lanka is critical since it exchanges salt and freshwater between the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea...OBJECTIVES In-situ continuous observations of the boundary current flow around Sri Lanka will be collected over a period of several years. In order

Differentiation of the serological response to Yersinia enterocolitica and Brucella abortus in cattle

PubMed Central

Corbel, M. J.; Cullen, G. A.

1970-01-01

The serological responses of cattle to inoculation with Brucella abortus and Yersinia enterocolitica type IX were compared. Complete cross-reactions were found in serum agglutination, antiglobulin, complement fixation and Rose Bengal plate tests. The cross-reaction between Br. abortus and Y. enterocolitica IX was confirmed by immunodiffusion tests. Although antibodies specific for each organism could also be detected by immunodiffusion tests with high titre rabbit or bovine sera, these tests were insufficiently sensitive for routine diagnostic use. A quantitative Rose Bengal plate test, using Rose Bengal stained Br. abortus and Y. enterocolitica IX, was developed which enabled the antibody responses to the two organisms to be differentiated. The specificity of this test was confirmed by cross-absorption experiments and its sensitivity was sufficient to permit evaluation of all bovine sera giving positive reactions to the serum agglutination test. ImagesFig. 1Fig. 2 PMID:4992575

Modeling the effect of Rose Bengal on growth and decay patterns of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Akhras, M.-Ali H.; Shorman, Mohammad Al; Masadeh, Majed M.; Aljarrah, Khaled; Ababneh, Zaid

2018-02-01

Most infections caused by (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus) are hospital and community acquired infections in patients. Bacterial growths incorporated with photosensitizing material (Rose Bengal) with and without light were investigated. The results demonstrated that the viable counts are increasing in absence of light (in dark) for all samples incorporated with Rose Bengal. Variation in growth phases were noticed as expected, but there is no significant change in decay phases. Convenient and adequate mathematical modeling is in very good agreement with the experimental results and showed to be a very good approach of characterization the growth behaviors of the bacteria. Bandwidths are independent of bacteria group (gram-positive or gram-negative) but it seems totally dependent on the oxygen requirements; an anaerobic bacterium takes broader bandwidths than aerobic bacteria. This concludes that the growth and lethal rates of anaerobic are much greater than aerobic.

Combined effect of MJO, ENSO and IOD on the intraseasonal variability of northeast monsoon rainfall over south peninsular India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sreekala, P. P.; Rao, S. Vijaya Bhaskara; Rajeevan, K.; Arunachalam, M. S.

2018-02-01

The present study has examined the combined effect of MJO, ENSO and IOD on the intraseasonal and interannual variability of northeast monsoon rainfall over south peninsular India. The study has revealed that the intraseasonal variation of daily rainfall over south peninsular India during NEM season is associated with various phases of eastward propagating MJO life cycle. Positive rainfall anomaly over south peninsular India and surrounding Indian Ocean (IO) is observed during the strong MJO phases 2, 3 and 4; and negative rainfall anomaly during the strong MJO phases 5,6,7,8 and 1. Above normal (below normal) convection over south peninsular India and suppressed convection over east Indian and West Pacific Ocean, high pressure (low pressure) anomaly over West Pacific Ocean, Positive (negative) SST anomalies over equatorial East and Central Pacific Ocean and easterly wind anomaly (westerly anomaly) over equatorial Indian Ocean are the observed features during the first three MJO (5, 6, 7) phases and all these features are observed in the excess (drought) NEMR composite. This suggests that a similar mode of physical mechanism is responsible for the intraseasonal and interannual variability of northeast monsoon rainfall. The number of days during the first three phases (last four phases) of MJO, where the enhanced convection and positive rainfall anomaly is over Indian Ocean (East Indian ocean and West Pacific Ocean), is more (less) during El Nino and IOD years and less during La Nina and NIOD years and vice versa. The observed excess (deficit) rainfall anomaly over west IO and south peninsular India and deficit (excess) rainfall anomaly over east IO including Bay of Bengal and West Pacific Ocean suggest that the more (less) number of first three phases during El Nino and IOD (La Nina and Negative IOD) is due to the interaction between eastward moving MJO and strong easterlies over equatorial IO present during El Nino and IOD years. This interaction would inhibit the development of long duration MJO and would result in short duration high frequency MJO type which confined over Indian Ocean and south peninsular India and hence make all the El Nino and IOD years to be excess rainfall years for NEM season.

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.

'Rakter dosh'--corrupting blood: The challenges of preventing thalassemia in Bengal, India.

PubMed

Chattopadhyay, Sreeparna

2006-11-01

Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder that has been receiving increasing attention in India. However, prevention of thalassemia in India continues to be difficult despite efforts of public health professionals and the government. Using West Bengal as a case study, this paper attempts to unravel some of the barriers to the prevention campaign and the consequent under utilization of the program. Lack of access, low awareness, low-risk perception and poverty are all important proximate constraints; however, one of the greatest barriers to the program is rooted in cultural notions of blood, marriage, identity, personhood and kinship in Bengali society. Blood is so deeply valued in the Bengali kinship system that this genetic mutation is perceived to be corrupting the blood (rakter dosh). Being a thalassemia carrier (i.e., having thalassemia minor) renders an individual unfit as a suitable marriage partner because of beliefs related to purity of blood, its association with the continuity of the lineage, and subsequent transmission of desirable traits to future generations. The risk of non-marriage affects women disproportionately, and parents are not inclined to test their daughters because of the possibility of not being able to marry them off to eligible suitors. The stigma associated with having thalassemia minor (TMI) is a deterrent to the disclosure of thalassemia status as well as to testing. Using anthropological theories and ethnographic methods, this paper focuses on the gendered process by which the diagnosis of a thalassemia carrier 'spoils' identities, thereby creating a disjuncture between the goals of the prevention program and people's need for social conformity, and ultimately between medical desirability and social desirability. The paper also suggests policies for enhancing the utilization of the program. Finally the conclusions from this study have potential applications for public health prevention programs that confront problems of stigma in program acceptability.

Multi-hazard risk assessment of coastal vulnerability from tropical cyclones - A GIS based approach for the Odisha coast.

PubMed

Sahoo, Bishnupriya; Bhaskaran, Prasad K

2018-01-15

The coastal region bordering the East coast of India is a thickly populated belt exposed to high risk and vulnerability from natural hazards such as tropical cyclones. Tropical cyclone frequencies that develop over the Bay of Bengal (average of 5-6 per year) region are much higher as compared to the Arabian Sea thereby posing a high risk factor associated with storm surge, inland inundation, wind gust, intense rainfall, etc. The Odisha State in the East coast of India experiences the highest number of cyclone strikes as compared to West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. To express the destructive potential resulting from tropical cyclones the Power Dissipation Index (PDI) is a widely used metric globally. A recent study indicates that PDI for cyclones in the present decade have increased about six times as compared to the past. Hence there is a need to precisely ascertain the coastal vulnerability and risk factors associated with high intense cyclones expected in a changing climate. As such there are no comprehensive studies attempted so far on the determination of Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) for Odisha coast that is highly prone to cyclone strikes. With this motivation, the present study makes an attempt to investigate the physical, environmental, social, and economic impacts on coastal vulnerability associated with tropical cyclones for the Odisha coast. The study also investigates the futuristic projection of coastal vulnerability over this region expected in a changing climate scenario. Eight fair weather parameters along with storm surge height and onshore inundation were used to estimate the Physical Vulnerability Index (PVI). Thereafter, the PVI along with social, economic, and environmental vulnerability was used to determine the overall CVI using the GIS based approach. The authors believe that the comprehensive nature of this study is expected to benefit coastal zone management authorities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Paleoclimate Reconstrcution on the Lower Bengal Fan for the last 200 ka - Implications for Monsoonal Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, M. E.; Lantzsch, H.; Reilly, B. T.; Dekens, P.; Das, S. K.; Martos, Y. M.; Williams, T.

2017-12-01

IODP Expedition 354 drilled seven sites along an east west oriented core transect of 320 km length at 8°N in the lower Bengal Fan (France-Lanord et al., 2015). The sites were recovered to reconstruct the Himalayan uplift, the monsoonal development, and the turbiditic depositional mechanisms. Here, we concentrate on the hemipelagic sequences that represent a several meter thick top layer of Late Quaternary age. We studied a number of physical, optical, geochemical, stable isotopic, and grain-size properties of the top layer in order to estimate sedimentary properties, and to assess the climate and monsoonal development of the region during the last glacial cycle. The Toba Ash 1 (74 ka) is a distinct time marker in most physical property data sets. We first derived age models from records of wet-bulk density as well as color reflectance b*. Both show dominant precession cyclicity, which is in good agreement with ^18O records derived from Chinese caves. We then derived age models from the strong correlation of color reflectance L* to the ^18O record of Antarctic ice core EDML. Independent age models originate from ^18O measurements of planktonic foraminifer Globigerinoides sacculifer and from records of relative paleointensity. We will compare the various age models obtained from tuning experiments and discuss their chronologic and paleoclimatic implications for the last 200 ka (MIS1-7). Preliminary results further indicate that grain sizes vary in-phase with monsoonal strength, showing coarser grains for insolation minima. Elemental geochemical ratios indicate higher relative terrigenous input on obliquity time scales, primarily during stadials, whereas total organic carbon and total nitrogen vary stronger on glacial-to-interglacial time scales with lower contents usually for interglacials. We will discuss these preliminary results in the context of the regional monsoon development.

Protein/energy ratios of current diets in developed and developing countries compared with a safe protein/energy ratio: implications for recommended protein and amino acid intakes.

PubMed

Millward, D Joe; Jackson, Alan A

2004-05-01

Revised estimates of protein and amino acid requirements are under discussion by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/World Health Organizaion (WHO), and have been proposed in a recent report on Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) from the USA. The nature and magnitude of these requirements are not entirely resolved, and no consideration has been given to the potential influence of metabolic adaptation on dietary requirements. We have examined the implications of these new values, and of the conceptual metabolic framework in which they are used, for defining the nutritional adequacy of protein intakes in developed and developing countries. We have expressed proposed values for protein requirements in relation to energy requirements, predicted for physical activity levels of 1.5, 1.75 and 2.0 times basal metabolic rate, in order to generate reference ratios for protein energy/total energy (reference P/E ratio) as a function of age, body weight, gender and physical activity level. Proposed values for amino acid requirements have been used to adjust the available digestible P/E ratio of foods and diets for protein quality. Focusing on the diets of UK omnivores and vegetarians and on diets in India, the risk of protein deficiency is evaluated from a comparison of P/E ratios of metabolic requirements with protein-quality-adjusted P/E ratios of intakes. A qualitative and conservative estimate of risk of deficiency is made by comparing the adjusted P/E ratio of the intake with a reference P/E ratio calculated for age, body weight, gender and physical activity according to FAO/WHO/United Nations University. A semi-quantitative estimate of risk of deficiency has also been made by the cut point approach, calculated as the proportion of the intake distribution below the mean P/E ratio of the requirement. Values for the quality-adjusted P/E ratio of the diet range from 0.126 for the UK omnivore diet to 0.054 for a rice-based diet of adults in West Bengal, which is lysine-limited, falling to 0.050 for 1-year-old children. The reference P/E ratio for men and women increases with age, is higher for females than males, is higher for small compared with large adults at any age and decreases with physical activity. Thus if a particular diet is potentially limiting in protein, protein deficiency is most likely in large, elderly sedentary women followed by the adolescent female and least likely in moderately active young children, the opposite of what has usually been assumed. Within the currently accepted framework, the diets do not meet the protein needs of the entire population of the UK, have a significant risk of deficiency throughout India for all except extremely active small adults, and are grossly inadequate for all population groups, apart from physically active young children in West Bengal, regardless of body weight or level of food intake. The lysine limitation of the cereal-based Indian diets is dependent on the choice of lysine requirement values from the published range. We consider that the value selected is too high, because of uncertainties and inconsistencies in the approaches used. A more appropriate choice from the lower end of the range would remove the lysine limitation of cereal-based diets, and reduce some of the perceived risk of deficiency. However, diets remain limited by the amount of digestible protein for many population groups, especially in West Bengal. In the context of risk management, one option would be to accept the current values and the conceptual metabolic framework within which they have been derived. This would have major implications for the supplies of high-quality protein to the developing countries. An alternative option would be to re-evaluate the currently proposed values for the requirements for protein and amino acids. We conclude that the choice of values for the adult lysine requirement should be re-evaluated and that serious consideration should be given to the extent to which adaptive mechanisms might enable the metabolic requirement for protein to be met from current intakes. This will entail a better understanding of the relationships between dietary protein and health.

Regional Climate Effects of Aerosols Over South Asia: a Synthesis of Hybrid-Synergistic Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subba, T.; Gogoi, M. M.; Pathak, B.; Bhuyan, P. K.

2017-12-01

The south-Asian region faces formidable challenges in the accurate estimation of the aerosol-climate forcing due to the increasing demographic pressure and the rapid socio-economic growth which intensify the anthropogenic emissions causing degradation of regional air quality and climate. In this context, the present study employs a hybrid-method synergizing the aerosol data from ground-based measurements, satellite retrievals and radiative transfer simulations over the south-Asian region. The ground based aerosol and solar radiation data (2010-2015) are considered for nine selected locations of India as well as the adjoining Bay of Bengal representing distinct aerosol environment. The land use land cover (LULC) data from Indian remote sensing satellite (IRS-P6) is used to understand the association of aerosol environment with the change in the land surface pattern.The results indicate that the northern part, pre-dominantly the Indo-Gangetic plains (IGP) experiences the highest aerosol optical depth throughout the year. While the presence of dust plays a significant role in modifying the radiation balance over the west Asian region, extending to IGP; the highest Fire Radiative Power is observed over Eastern India ( 30 MW), the hotspot of biomass burning sources, followed by Central, South/West and Northern India. Considering the distinct source processes, incoming ground reaching fluxes are simulated using radiative transfer model, which showed a good correlation with the measured values (R2 0.97) with the mean bias errors between -40 to +7 Wm-2 (an overestimation of 2-4%). Estimated aerosol direct radiative forcing efficiency (DRFE) is highest over the eastern IGP due to heavy loading of long range transported aerosols from the arid region in the west, followed by the Himalayan foothills and west-Asian regions which are mostly dominated by agro-industrial and dust activities. However, a pristine high altitude location in the Western Ghats showed lower DRFE compared to north, with the values still higher than that over a marine location in the Andaman and Nicobar Island. The quantitative information of the dominating influence of anthropogenic aerosol sources over distinct regions of south Asia are useful for the improvement and validation of climate-model simulations over the region.

Reconstructing Sea Surface Conditions in the Bay of Bengal during the Mid-Pleistocene Transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lagos, A. D.; Dekens, P.; Reilly, B. T.; Selkin, P. A.; Meynadier, L.; Savian, J. F.

2017-12-01

During the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT, 0.8-1.2Ma) Earth's glacial cycles transitioned from responding primarily to 41kyr obliquity cycles to responding to 100kyr eccentricity cycles. In the tropics, sea surface temperature (SST) in the eastern tropical Pacific cooled through the MPT, suggesting a strengthening of the equatorial Pacific zonal temperature gradient (Medina-Elizalde & Lea, 2005). The strong SST gradient would have intensified Walker Cell convection during the MPT and built up latent heat in the western Pacific, which could cause cold SST anomalies in the northern Indian Ocean (Liu et al., 2015). Due to a scarcity of records, it is unclear how climate and oceanic conditions evolved in the Indian Ocean during the MPT. A set of recent IODP expeditions, including 353 and 354, cored sediment from the Bay of Bengal. Several sites recovered by expedition 353 will be ideal for reconstructing monsoon intensity through time, while the expedition 354 cores from a longitudinal transect at 8°N are in a region not directly impacted by changes in freshwater input due to direct precipitation or run off. The sites are influenced by the northeastern migration of equatorial Indian Ocean water via the Southwest Monsoon Current, which supplies significant moisture to the monsoon. Expedition 354's southern Bay of Bengal sites are well situated for better understanding the link between the tropical Indian Ocean and the northern Bay of Bengal. We reconstructed sea surface conditions at IODP site 1452 (8°N, 87°E, 3670m water depth) in the distal Bengal Fan. A 3 meter long section of the core has been identified as the MPT using the Bruhnes/Matuyama, Jaramillo, and Cobb Mountain paleomagnetic reversals (France-Lanord et al., 2016). This section of site 1452 was sampled every 2cm ( 2kyr resolution). Approximately 30 G. sacculifer, a surface dwelling planktonic foraminifera, were picked from the 355-425μm size fraction. We measured Mg/Ca and δ18O on splits of the same material to reconstruct SST and δ18OSW. While this study will not reconstruct monsoon intensity, establishing the sea surface conditions for the southern Bay of Bengal will improve our understanding of the connection between the Indian Ocean and the monsoons through the MPT.

Oceanic and atmospheric conditions associated with the pentad rainfall over the southeastern peninsular India during the North-East Indian Monsoon season

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shanmugasundaram, Jothiganesh; Lee, Eungul

2018-03-01

The association of North-East Indian Monsoon rainfall (NEIMR) over the southeastern peninsular India with the oceanic and atmospheric conditions over the adjacent ocean regions at pentad time step (five days period) was investigated during the months of October to December for the period 1985-2014. The non-parametric correlation and composite analyses were carried out for the simultaneous and lagged time steps (up to four lags) of oceanic and atmospheric variables with pentad NEIMR. The results indicated that NEIMR was significantly correlated: 1) positively with both sea surface temperature (SST) led by 1-4 pentads (lag 1-4 time steps) and latent heat flux (LHF) during the simultaneous, lag 1 and 2 time steps over the equatorial western Indian Ocean, 2) positively with SST but negatively with LHF (less heat flux from ocean to atmosphere) during the same and all the lagged time steps over the Bay of Bengal. Consistently, during the wet NEIMR pentads over the southeastern peninsular India, SST significantly increased over the Bay of Bengal during all the time steps and the equatorial western Indian Ocean during the lag 2-4 time steps, while the LHF decreased over the Bay of Bengal (all time steps) and increased over the Indian Ocean (same, lag 1 and 2). The investigation on ocean-atmospheric interaction revealed that the enhanced LHF over the equatorial western Indian Ocean was related to increased atmospheric moisture demand and increased wind speed, whereas the reduced LHF over the Bay of Bengal was associated with decreased atmospheric moisture demand and decreased wind speed. The vertically integrated moisture flux and moisture transport vectors from 1000 to 850 hPa exhibited that the moisture was carried away from the equatorial western Indian Ocean to the strong moisture convergence regions of the Bay of Bengal during the same and lag 1 time steps of wet NEIMR pentads. Further, the moisture over the Bay of Bengal was transported to the southeastern peninsular India through stronger cyclonic circulations, which were confirmed by the moisture transport vectors and positive vorticity. The identified ocean and atmosphere processes, associated with the wet NEIMR conditions, could be a valuable scientific input for enhancing the rainfall predictability, which has a huge socioeconomic value to agriculture and water resource management sectors in the southeastern peninsular India.

200,000 years of monsoonal history recorded on the lower Bengal Fan - strong response to insolation forcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, Michael E.; Lantzsch, Hendrik; Dekens, Petra; Das, Supriyo K.; Reilly, Brendan T.; Martos, Yasmina M.; Meyer-Jacob, Carsten; Agrahari, Sandip; Ekblad, Alf; Titschack, Jürgen; Holmes, Beth; Wolfgramm, Philipp

2018-07-01

We conducted a multidisciplinary study to provide the stratigraphic and palaeoclimatic context of monsoonal rainfall dynamics and their responses to orbital forcing for the Bay of Bengal. Using sediment lightness we established an age model at orbital resolution for International Ocean Discovery Programme (IODP) Core U1452C-1H that covers the last 200 ka in the lower Bengal Fan. The low-resolution δ18O of G. sacculifer is consistent with global δ18O records, at least for major glacial-to-interglacial transitions. The variability of total organic carbon, total nitrogen, and the δ13C composition of organic matter indicate the marine origin of organic matter. Marine primary productivity likely increased during insolation minima, indicative for an enhanced NE monsoon during glacials and stadials. Pristine insolation forcing is also documented for wet-bulk density, red-green color variability, and grain-size variations, indicating that darker and coarser-grained material deposited at higher sedimentation rates during insolation minima. Stronger NE monsoon likely amplified ocean-atmosphere interactions over the Indian Ocean, leading to stronger upwelling through shoaling the thermocline, and higher delivery of sediment to the Bay of Bengal due to higher soil erosion on land. In addition, lower glacial and stadial sea levels as well as stronger westward surface circulation favored delivery of coarser-grained fluvial material to the lower Bengal Fan. At the same time the stronger NE monsoon might have increased the aeolian supply. Total inorganic carbon, the Ca/Ti ratio, and biogenic silica vary dominantly on obliquity frequencies, suggesting mobilization and transport of lithogenic material primarily during lowered sea levels and/or higher influence of the Northern Hemisphere westerlies on the dust transport from the Tibetan Plateau. The close resemblance of sediment lightness and the climate record of Antarctic ice cores over multiple glacial cycles indicate close relationship between high southern latitude and tropical Asian climate through shifts in position of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. The Bengal Fan monsoonal record shows very clear and strict responses to insolation forcing in the lower part from 200 ka to the Younger Toba Tuff during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 7 - 5, and less distinct response patterns after deposition of the ash during MIS 4 - 2, consistent with low-amplitude changes in insolation.

Variations of the Indian summer monsoon over the Mio-Pliocene recorded in the Bengal Fan (IODP Exp354): implications for the evolution of the terrestrial biosphere.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galy, Valier; Feakins, Sarah; Karkabi, Elias; Ponton, Camilo; Galy, Albert; France-Lanord, Christian

2017-04-01

A pressing challenge in climate research is understanding the temporal evolution of the Indian monsoon system; its response to global and regional climatic controls (including warming); as well as implications in terms of vegetation (C4 expansion), erosion of the Himalaya and carbon sequestration in the Bengal Fan. Studies on climate dynamics have recently offered new insights into the mechanistic controls on the monsoon: the tectonic boundary of the Himalaya is implicated as the major control on Indian summer monsoon dynamics today. Since this region has been uplifted since at least the late Oligocene, it is possible to test the response of monsoon precipitation to global and regional climate change, and also understand feedbacks on the climate system via carbon sequestration in the Bengal Fan. The evidence for monsoon intensity changes across the Miocene and Pliocene is currently incomplete given temporal uncertainty and diagenesis in terrestrial records; biases in the records reconstructed from the distal fan; and conflicting evidence from wind speed and aridity metrics for a stronger or weaker monsoon. Our alternative approach is therefore to study the basin-wide hydrological changes recorded in a multi-proxy, multi-site study of the marine sediments of the Bengal Fan recovered during IODP expedition 354. In turbiditic sediments of Himalayan origin, the late Miocene C4 expansion was found in all three long records recovered during expedition 354 (i.e. at sites U1451, U1450 and U1455, from East to West) based on stable carbon isotope composition of terrestrial leaf-wax compounds. Cores from sites U1455 (a reoccupation of DSDP Leg 22 Site 218) provide the highest resolution record of the C4 transition, which appears to occur abruptly within a relatively continuous series of turbiditic sequences. Bio- and magneto-stratigraphic dating of these records by members of Expedition 354 science party is underway and will provide the best stratigraphic constraint of the C4 expansion in the Himalayan system. Hemipelagic sediments generally carry 13C enriched signatures indicative of C4-dominated source areas, and based on a combination of the wind field climatology and the wetness and ecosystems of source regions today, we suggest that these would likely represent wind transport, likely from peninsular India. Interestingly we found hemipelagic horizons carrying this enriched 13C character prior to the C4 expansion recorded in turbiditic sediments, likely revealing an earlier C4 colonization of peninsular India. Based on our preliminary data we thus propose that C4 plants colonized peninsular India around 9-10 Ma. The hydrogen isotopic composition of the same leaf-wax compounds reveals a surprisingly small (on the order of 10 ‰) isotopic shift associated with the late Miocene C4 expansion. In contrast, the hydrogen isotope composition shift observed across the last deglaciation is far greater (ca. 40‰; Hein et al., in prep.). Cores from site U1451, provide a low resolution record across at least the last 26 Myr and appear to indicate a long term hydrological change from ca. 11Ma to ca. 7Ma, as inferred from progressive D enrichment in the biomarker records. These compound specific hydrogen isotope data will be discussed in the context of changing erosion patterns and attendant variations in the strength of the Indian summer monsoon as well as with respect to the mechanisms that led to the C4 expansion.

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 and Arakan-Yuma Zone (BAZ) : Qc= 301 f 0.87, Shillong Plateau Zone (SPZ): Qc=126 fo 0.85. It indicates Northeastern India is seismically active but comparing of all zones in the study region the Shillong Plateau Zone (SPZ): Qc= 126 f 0.85 is seismically most active. Where as the Bengal Alluvium and Arakan-Yuma Zone (BAZ) are less active and out of three the Tibetan Plateau Zone (TPZ)is intermediate active. This study may be useful for the seismic hazard assessment. The estimated seismic moments (Mo), range from 5.98×1020 to 3.88×1023 dyne-cm. The source radii(r) are confined between 152 to 1750 meter, the stress drop ranges between 0.0003×103 bar to 1.04×103 bar, the average radiant energy is 82.57×1018 ergs and the strain drop for the earthquake ranges from 0.00602×10-9 to 2.48×10-9 respectively. The estimated stress drop values for NE India depicts scattered nature of the larger seismic moment value whereas, they show a more systematic nature for smaller seismic moment values. The estimated source parameters are in agreement to previous works in this type of tectonic set up. Key words: Coda wave, Seismic source parameters, Lapse time, single back scattering model, Brune's model, Stress drop and North East India.

Cetacean Community Ecology in the Waters of Sri Lanka and the Bay of Bengal

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-30

1 DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Cetacean Community Ecology in the Waters of Sri Lanka ...evidence that a sub-population of blue whales in the waters of Sri Lanka (Alling et al. 2 1991, Branch et al. 2007) may be year-round residents...Oceans. OBJECTIVES We hypothesize that the cetacean community of the oceanic Bay of Bengal and the waters of Sri Lanka varies with seasonal

Hydroacoustic Propagation and Reflection Loss Using Explosions Found in the Indian Ocean

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

Indonesia . The explosions in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal are likely of military origin, while the western Indonesian explosions are more likely... Indonesia have bubble pulses clustered near 0.2 seconds suggesting that the explosions have similar sizes and depths. Bubble pulse estimates for the same...off northwestern India, the Bay of Bengal, and along the islands of western Indonesia . Figure 1 shows the number of explosions observed in each

Risk of arsenic exposure from drinking water and dietary components: implications for risk management in rural Bengal.

PubMed

Halder, Dipti; Bhowmick, Subhamoy; Biswas, Ashis; Chatterjee, Debashis; Nriagu, Jerome; Guha Mazumder, Debendra Nath; Šlejkovec, Zdenka; Jacks, Gunnar; Bhattacharya, Prosun

2013-01-15

This study investigates the risk of arsenic (As) exposure to the communities in rural Bengal, even when they have been supplied with As safe drinking water. The estimates of exposure via dietary and drinking water routes show that, when people are consuming water with an As concentration of less than 10 μg L(-1), the total daily intake of inorganic As (TDI-iAs) exceeds the previous provisional tolerable daily intake (PTDI) value of 2.1 μg day(-1) kg(-1) BW, recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 35% of the cases due to consumption of rice. When the level of As concentration in drinking water is above 10 μg L(-1), the TDI-iAs exceeds the previous PTDI for all the participants. These results imply that, when rice consumption is a significant contributor to the TDI-iAs, supplying water with an As concentration at the current national drinking water standard for India and Bangladesh would place many people above the safety threshold of PTDI. We also found that the consumption of vegetables in rural Bengal does not pose a significant health threat to the population independently. This study suggests that any effort to mitigate the As exposure of the villagers in Bengal must consider the risk of As exposure from rice consumption together with drinking water.

Relationship between summer monsoon rainfall and cyclogenesis over Bay of Bengal during post-monsoon (October-December) season

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadhuram, Y.; Maneesha, K.

2016-10-01

In this study, an attempt has been made to examine the relationship between summer monsoon rainfall (June-September) and the total number of depressions, cyclones and severe cyclones (TNDC) over Bay of Bengal during the post-monsoon (October-December) season. The seasonal rainfall of the subdivisions (located in south India) (referred as rainfall index - RI), is positively and significantly correlated ( r=0.59; significant at >99% level) with the TNDC during the period, 1984-2013. By using the first differences (current season minus previous season), the correlations are enhanced and a remarkably high correlation of 0.87 is observed between TNDC and RI for the recent period, 1993-2013. The average seasonal genesis potential parameter (GPP) showed a very high correlation of 0.84 with the TNDC. A very high correlation of 0.83 is observed between GPP and RI for the period, 1993-2013. The relative vorticity and mid-tropospheric relative humidity are found to be the dominant terms in GPP. The GPP was 3.5 times higher in above (below) normal RI in which TNDC was 4 (2). It is inferred that RI is playing a key role in TNDC by modulating the environmental conditions (low level vorticity and relative humidity) over Bay of Bengal during post-monsoon season which could be seen from the very high correlation of 0.87 (which explains 76% variability in TNDC). For the first time, we show that RI is a precursor for the TNDC over Bay of Bengal during post-monsoon season. Strong westerlies after the SW monsoon season transport moisture over the subdivisions towards Bay of Bengal due to cyclonic circulation. This circulation favours upward motion and hence transport moisture vertically to mid-troposphere which causes convective instability and this in turn favour more number of TNDC, under above-normal RI year.

The Tsunami Geology of the Bay of Bengal Shores and the Predecessors of the 2004 Indian Ocean Event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajendran, C.; Rajendran, K.; Seshachalam, S.; Andrade, V.

2010-12-01

The 2004 Aceh-Andaman earthquake exceeded the known Indian Ocean precedents by its 1,300-km long fault rupture and the height and reach of its tsunami. Literature of the ancient Chola dynasty (AD 9-11 centuries) of south India and the archeological excavations allude to a sea flood that crippled the historic port at Kaveripattinam, a trading hub for Southeast Asia. Here, we combine a variety of data from the rupture zone as well as the distant shores to build a tsunami history of the Bay of Bengal. A compelling set of geological proxies of possible tsunami inundation include boulder beds of Car Nicobar Island in the south and the East Island in the northernmost Andaman, a subsided fossil mangrove forest near Port Blair and a washover sedimentation identified in the Kaveripattinam coast of Tamil Nadu, south India. We have developed an extensive chronology for these geological proxies, and we analyze them in conjunction with the historical information culled from different sources for major sea surges along the Bay of Bengal shores. The age data and the depositional characteristics of these geological proxies suggest four major tsunamis in the last 2000 years in the Bay of Bengal, including the 1881 Car Nicobar tsunami. Among these, the evidence for the event of 800-1200 cal yr BP is fairly well represented on both sides of the Bay of Bengal shores. Thus, we surmise that the 800-1000-year old tsunami mimics the transoceanic reach of the 2004 Indian Ocean and the age constraints also agree with the sea surge during the Chola period. We also obtained clues for a possible medieval tsunami from the islands occurred probably a few hundred years after the Chola tsunami, but its size cannot constrained, nor its source. The convergence of ages and the multiplicity of sites would suggest at least one full size predecessor of the 2004 event 1000-800 years ago.

Mesozooplankton production, grazing and respiration in the Bay of Bengal: Implications for net heterotrophy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandes, Veronica; Ramaiah, N.

2016-03-01

Mesozooplankton samples were collected from the mixed layer along a central (along 88°E) and a western transect in the Bay of Bengal during four seasons covered between 2001 and 2006 in order to investigate spatio-temporal variability in their biomass. At these stations, grazing and respiration rates were measured from live zooplankton hauled in from the surface during December 2005. Akin to the mesozooplankton "paradox" in the central and eastern Arabian Sea, biomass in the mixed layer was more or less invariant in the central and western Bay of Bengal, even as the chl a showed marginal temporal variation. By empirical equation, the mesozooplankton production rate calculated to be 70-246 mg C m- 2 d- 1 is on par with the Arabian Sea. Contrary to the conventional belief, mesozooplankton grazing impact was up to 83% on primary production (PP). Low PP coupled with very high zooplankton production (70% of PP) along with abundant bacterial production (50% of the PP; Ramaiah et al., 2009) is likely to render the Bay of Bengal net heterotrophic, especially during the spring intermonsoon. Greater estimates of fecal pellet-carbon egestion by mesozooplankton compared to the average particulate organic carbon flux in sediment traps, implies that much of the matter is recycled by heterotrophic communities in the mixed layer facilitating nutrient regeneration for phytoplankton growth. We also calculated that over a third of the primary production is channelized for basin-wide zooplankton respiration that accounts for 52 Mt C annually. In the current scenario of global warming, if low (primary) productive warm pools like the Bay of Bengal continue to be net heterotrophic, negative implications like enhanced emission of CO2 to the atmosphere, increased particulate flux to the deeper waters and greater utilization of dissolved oxygen resulting in expansion of the existing oxygen minimum zone are imminent.

The Bay of Bengal : an ideal laboratory for studying salinity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vialard, jerome; Lengaigne, Matthieu; Akhil, Valiya; Chaitanya, Akurathi; Krishna-Mohan, Krishna; D'Ovidio, Francesco; Keerthi, Madhavan; Benshila, Rachid; Durand, Fabien; Papa, Fabrice; Suresh, Iyappan; Neetu, Singh

2017-04-01

The Bay of Bengal combines several unique features that make it an excellent laboratory to study the variability of salinity and its potential effects on the oceanic circulation and climate. This basin receives very large quantities of freshwater in association to the southwest monsoon, either directly from rain or indirectly through the runoffs of the Ganges-Brahmaputra and Irrawaddy. This large quantity of freshwater in a small, semi enclosed basin results in some of the lowest sea surface salinities (SSS) and strongest near-surface haline stratification in the tropical band. The strong monsoon winds also drive an energetic circulation, which exports the excess water received during the monsoon and results in strong horizontal salinity gradients. In this talk, I will summarize several studies of the Bay of Bengal salinity variability and its impacts undertaken in the context of an Indo-French collaboration. In situ data collected along the coast by fishermen and model results show that the intense, coastally-trapped East India Coastal Current (EICC) transports the very fresh water near the Ganges-Brahmaputra river mouth along the eastern Bay of Bengal rim to create a narrow, very fresh "river in the sea" after the southwest monsoon. The salinity-induced pressure gradient contributes to almost 50% of the EICC intensity and sustains mesoscale eddy generation through its effect on horizontal current shears and baroclinic gradients. Oceanic eddies play a strong role in exporting this fresh water from the coast to the basin interior. This "river in the sea" has a strong interannual variability related to the EICC remote modulation by the Indian Ocean Dipole (a regional climate mode). I will also discuss the potential effect of haline stratification on the regional climate through its influence on the upper ocean budget. Finally, I will briefly discuss the performance of remote-sensing for observing SSS in the Bay of Bengal.

Bay of Bengal Surface and Thermocline and the Arabian Sea

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-30

to the atmosphere. How low the SSS gets in the Bay of Bengal or how high in the Arabian Sea, depends on the oceanic exchanges between them via a...potential impact on the SST. 3 Figure 1a: Sea surface temperature (SST) and salinity ( SSS ) relationship during ASIRI 2013 cruises. The left panel...shows the hull ADCP vector, color-coded for SSS . The SST/ SSS scatter falls along a line from the warm/salty southern regions to the cool/fresher

Further evidence of a relationship between the retinoic acid receptor alpha locus and nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL [+-] P)

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

Shaw, D.; Field, L.; Ray, A.

1993-11-01

Chenevix-Trench et al. (1992) reported a significant difference between nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL [+-] P) cases and unrelated controls in the frequency of alleles at the retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARA) PstI RFLP located at 17q21.1. They also observed borderline significant (P = .055) differences between allele frequencies in subjects with cleft lip and palate (CL + P) compared with those with cleft lip only (CL). Retinoic acid (RA) is a known teratogen capable of producing cleft palate in rodents (Abbott and Birnbaum 1990). Chenevix-Tench et al. (1992) hypothesized that variation in susceptibility to themore » effects of RA in humans may result from alterations at the RARA locus. We have investigated association and linkage between CL [+-] P and a microsatellite marker (D17S579) located at 17q21 (Hall et al. 1992), selected for its proximity to RARA, in 14 extended multiplex families from rural West Bengal, India.« less

A pH-based biosensor for detection of arsenic in drinking water.

PubMed

de Mora, K; Joshi, N; Balint, B L; Ward, F B; Elfick, A; French, C E

2011-05-01

Arsenic contaminated groundwater is estimated to affect over 100 million people worldwide, with Bangladesh and West Bengal being among the worst affected regions. A simple, cheap, accurate and disposable device is required for arsenic field testing. We have previously described a novel biosensor for arsenic in which the output is a change in pH, which can be detected visually as a colour change by the use of a pH indicator. Here, we present an improved formulation allowing sensitive and accurate detection of less than 10 ppb arsenate with static overnight incubation. Furthermore, we describe a cheap and simple high-throughput system for simultaneous monitoring of pH in multiple assays over time. Up to 50 samples can be monitored continuously over the desired time period. Cells can be stored and distributed in either air-dried or freeze-dried form. This system was successfully tested on arsenic-contaminated groundwater samples from the South East region of Hungary. We hope to continue to develop this sensor to produce a device suitable for field trials.

Enduring starvation in silent population: a study on prevalence and factors contributing to household food security in the tribal population in Bankura, West Bengal.

PubMed

Mukhopadhyay, Dipta Kanti; Mukhopadhyay, Sujishnu; Biswas, Akhil Bandhu

2010-01-01

Strengthening food security enhancement intervention should be based on the assessment of household food security and its correlates. The objective was to find out the prevalence and factors contributing to household food security in a tribal population in Bankura. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 267 tribal households in Bankura-I CD Block selected through cluster random sampling. Household food security was assessed using a validated Bengali version of Household Food Security Scale-Short Form along with the collection of information regarding the monthly per capita expenditure (MPCE), total to earning member ratio, BPL card holding, utilization of the public distribution system (PDS) and receipt of any social assistance through a house-to-house survey. Overall, 47.2% of study households were food secure whereas 29.6% and 23.2% were low and very low food secure, respectively. MPCE ≥ Rs. 356, total to earning member ratio ≤ 4:1, regular utilization of PDS, and nonholding of the BPL card were significantly related with household food security.

Stimulatory Effects of Arsenic-Tolerant Soil Fungi on Plant Growth Promotion and Soil Properties

PubMed Central

Srivastava, Pankaj Kumar; Shenoy, Belle Damodara; Gupta, Manjul; Vaish, Aradhana; Mannan, Shivee; Singh, Nandita; Tewari, Shri Krishna; Tripathi, Rudra Deo

2012-01-01

Fifteen fungi were obtained from arsenic-contaminated agricultural fields in West Bengal, India and examined for their arsenic tolerance and removal ability in our previous study. Of these, the four best arsenic-remediating isolates were tested for plant growth promotion effects on rice and pea in the present study. A greenhouse-based pot experiment was conducted using soil inocula of individual fungi. The results indicated a significant (P<0.05) increase in plant growth and improvement of soil properties in inoculated soils compared to the control. A significant increase in plant growth was recorded in treated soils and varied from 16–293%. Soil chemical and enzymatic properties varied from 20–222% and 34–760%, respectively, in inoculated soil. Plants inoculated with inocula of Westerdykella and Trichoderma showed better stimulatory effects on plant growth and soil nutrient availability than Rhizopus and Lasiodiplodia. These fungi improved soil nutrient content and enhanced plant growth. These fungi may be used as bioinoculants for plant growth promotion and improved soil properties in arsenic-contaminated agricultural soils. PMID:23047145

Stimulatory effects of arsenic-tolerant soil fungi on plant growth promotion and soil properties.

PubMed

Srivastava, Pankaj Kumar; Shenoy, Belle Damodara; Gupta, Manjul; Vaish, Aradhana; Mannan, Shivee; Singh, Nandita; Tewari, Shri Krishna; Tripathi, Rudra Deo

2012-01-01

Fifteen fungi were obtained from arsenic-contaminated agricultural fields in West Bengal, India and examined for their arsenic tolerance and removal ability in our previous study. Of these, the four best arsenic-remediating isolates were tested for plant growth promotion effects on rice and pea in the present study. A greenhouse-based pot experiment was conducted using soil inocula of individual fungi. The results indicated a significant (P<0.05) increase in plant growth and improvement of soil properties in inoculated soils compared to the control. A significant increase in plant growth was recorded in treated soils and varied from 16-293%. Soil chemical and enzymatic properties varied from 20-222% and 34-760%, respectively, in inoculated soil. Plants inoculated with inocula of Westerdykella and Trichoderma showed better stimulatory effects on plant growth and soil nutrient availability than Rhizopus and Lasiodiplodia. These fungi improved soil nutrient content and enhanced plant growth. These fungi may be used as bioinoculants for plant growth promotion and improved soil properties in arsenic-contaminated agricultural soils.

Reaching adolescents: a role for radio.

PubMed

1999-12-01

The radio is a powerful means to reach adolescents and to address their concerns, particularly those that are not being addressed by their families or by the school curriculum. Proving this point is a radio program, "Sandhikhan" (Bengali for adolescence), which aired on national radio covering adolescent health issues, particularly reproductive health. The program's impact was the subject of a WBVHA survey among adolescent radio listeners in West Bengal. About 79% (369 individual listeners) of the respondents rated the radio program very good, with only a negligible 1% describing it as unnecessary. Only 21% of respondents listened to the program alone, with the majority listening in the company of friends, mothers, sisters, brothers, fathers, and other relatives. This suggested a wider group of listeners in addition to the program's primary target audience. Clearly, findings pointed to the effectiveness of teaching adolescent health on the air and the role that was played by WBVHA in developing healthy attitudes and habits among its young audience. The findings of the survey will provide the basis for producing educational materials on reproductive health for students as well as teachers. full text

Awareness regarding risk factors, symptoms and treatment facilities for cancer in selected states of India.

PubMed

Raj, Sherin; Piang, Lam Khan; Nair, K S; Tiwari, V K; Kaur, H; Singh, Bacchu

2012-01-01

To study the level of awareness and knowledge about cancers and associated risk factors among households in selected states of India. In the study 3070 households were interviewed from six states viz, West Bengal, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Mizoram. Knowledge of cancers other than those related to tobacco was very low (prostate 8%, colon 11% ) among the communities, with a poor awareness of warning signs and symptoms. The knowledge varied from state to state. It is found that the major source of information related to cancers was television (38%) followed by friends and relatives (36%). Only about 15 % of respondents had knowledge about cancer awareness camps organized in their districts but they did not have knowledge about the organizers of the camp. Findings suggested a strong need for strengthening of DCCP. It is important to create awareness among community through educational programs on cancer prevention, preventable cancer risk factors, benefits of early diagnosis, and availability of screening facilities. Integration of District Cancer Control activities with NRHM could be the most cost-effective strategy to prevent cancers and rural population.

Occurrence of Organic Contaminants in Lower Reaches of River Ganges, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutta Gupta, S.; Bhattacharya, A.; Mukherjee, A.; Bhattacharya, J.

2016-12-01

The Gangetic plain of eastern India has been long known as the "bread basket" of the Indian subcontinent. However, indiscriminate use of pesticides in the agricultural fields is to increase crop production. These resulted to increased vulnerability of pesticide pollution of the hydrological systems of the area, potentially exposing to significant human health consequences. Our present study delineate pesticides occurrence in lower Ganges in West Bengal. The major organic contaminants regularly detected in the studied reaches of the Ganges belong to wide range of herbicides and insecticides, which especially include organochlorides and organophosphates such as Aldrin, Alachlor, Lindane, Malathion, Chlorpyrifos and Methyl parathion. Results show Alachlor and Malathion were the most abundant organic contaminant in the river. Among the other pesticides, one of the most venomous substances, Malathion has been noticed from the last year insecticide screening study. The mean concentration of river water Malathion was found to be 5 times higher than the maximum concentration limit (MCL). Presence of Malathion or its derivative Malaoxon in river water is suspected to be caused by agricultural run-off and it showed a good correlation with river water chlorine concentrations.

Approximation of personal exposure to fine particulate matters (PM2.5) during cooking using solid biomass fuels in the kitchens of rural West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Nayek, Sukanta; Padhy, Pratap Kumar

2018-06-01

More than 85% of the rural Indian households use traditional solid biofuels (SBFs) for daily cooking. Burning of the easily available unprocessed solid fuels in inefficient earthen cooking stoves produce large quantities of particulate matters. Smaller particulates, especially with aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM 2.5 ), largely generated during cooking, are considered to be health damaging in nature. In the present study, kitchen level exposure of women cooks to fine particulate matters during lunch preparation was assessed considering kitchen openness as surrogate to the ventilation condition. Two-way ANCOVA analysis considering meal quantity as a covariate revealed no significant interaction between the openness and the seasons explaining the variability of the personal exposure to the fine particulate matters in rural kitchen during cooking. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed the openness as the only significant predictor for personal exposure to the fine particulate matters. In the present study, the annual average fine particulate matter exposure concentration was found to be 974 μg m -3 .

Prevalence of dental attrition in in vitro fertilization children of West Bengal.

PubMed

Kar, Sudipta; Sarkar, Subrata; Mukherjee, Ananya

2014-01-01

Dental attrition is one of the problems affecting the tooth structure. It may affect both in vitro fertilization (IVF) and spontaneously conceived children. This study was aimed to evaluate and to compare the prevalence of dental attrition in deciduous dentition of IVF and spontaneously conceived children. In a cross-sectional case control study dental attrition status of 3-5 years old children were assessed. The case group consisted of term, singleton babies who were the outcome of IVF in the studied area in 2009. The control group consisted of term, first child, singleton and spontaneously conceived 3-5 years old children who were also resident of the studied area. A sample of 153 IVF and 153 spontaneously conceived children was examined according to Hansson and Nilner classification. Statistical analysis was carried out using Chi-square tests (χ(2) ) or Z test. No statistically significant difference found in studied (IVF children) and control group (spontaneously conceived children). IVF children are considered same as spontaneously conceived children when studied in relation to dental attrition status.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ON PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES OF UNDERGROUND COAL MINERS IN THE EASTERN PART OF INDIA.

PubMed

Dey, Netai Chandra; Nath, Suva; Sharma, Gourab Dhara; Mallik, Avijit

2014-12-01

Coal in India is extracted generally by semi-mechanized and mechanized underground mining methods. The Bord and Pillar (B & P) mining method still continues to be popular where deployment of manual miners is more than that of other mining methods. The study is conducted at haulage based mine of Eastern Coalfields of West Bengal. Underground miners confront with a lot of hazards like extreme hostile environment, awkward working posture, dust, noise as well as low luminosity. It is difficult to delay the onset of fatigue. In order to study the physiological responses of trammers, various parameters like working heart rates, net cardiac cost and relative cardiac cost including recovery heart rate patterns are recorded during their work at site. Workload classification of trammers has been done following various scales of heaviness. The effect of environment on the physiological responses has been observed and suitable recommendations are made. The work tasks are bound to induce musculoskeletal problems and those problems could be better managed through rationalizing the work-rest scheduling.

Dynamics of contraceptive use in India: apprehension versus future intention among non-users and traditional method users.

PubMed

Rai, Rajesh Kumar; Unisa, Sayeed

2013-06-01

This study examines the reasons for not using any method of contraception as well as reasons for not using modern methods of contraception, and factors associated with the future intention to use different types of contraceptives in India and its selected states, namely Uttar Pradesh, Assam and West Bengal. Data from the third wave of District Level Household and Facility Survey, 2007-08 were used. Bivariate as well as logistic regression analyses were performed to fulfill the study objective. Postpartum amenorrhea and breastfeeding practices were reported as the foremost causes for not using any method of contraception. Opposition to use, health concerns and fear of side effects were reported to be major hurdles in the way of using modern methods of contraception. Results from logistic regression suggest considerable variation in explaining the factors associated with future intention to use contraceptives. Promotion of health education addressing the advantages of contraceptive methods and eliminating apprehension about the use of these methods through effective communication by community level workers is the need of the hour. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Oblique strike-slip motion off the Southeastern Continental Margin of India: Implication for the separation of Sri Lanka from India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desa, Maria Ana; Ismaiel, Mohammad; Suresh, Yenne; Krishna, Kolluru Sree

2018-05-01

The ocean floor in the Bay of Bengal has evolved after the breakup of India from Antarctica since the Early Cretaceous. Recent geophysical investigations including updated satellite derived gravity map postulated two phases for the tectonic evolution of the Bay of Bengal, the first phase of spreading occurred in the NW-SE direction forming its Western Basin, while the second phase occurred in the N-S direction resulting in its Eastern Basin. Lack of magnetic data along the spreading direction in the Western Basin prompted us to acquire new magnetic data along four tracks (totaling ∼3000 km) to validate the previously identified magnetic anomaly picks. Comparison of the synthetic seafloor spreading model with the observed magnetic anomalies confirmed the presence of Mesozoic anomalies M12n to M0 in the Western Basin. Further, the model suggests that this spreading between India and Antarctica took place with half-spreading rates of 2.7-4.5 cm/yr. The trend of the fracture zones in the Western Basin with respect to that of the Southeastern Continental Margin of India (SCMI) suggests that SCMI is an oblique transform margin with 37° obliquity. Further, the SCMI consists of two oblique transform segments separated by a small rift segment. The strike-slip motion along the SCMI is bounded by the rift segments of the Northeastern Continental Margin of India and the southern margin of Sri Lanka. The margin configuration and fracture zones inferred in its conjugate Western Enderby Basin, East Antarctica helped in inferring three spreading corridors off the SCMI in the Western Basin of the Bay of Bengal. Detailed grid reconstruction models traced the oblique strike-slip motion off the SCMI since M12n time. The strike-slip motion along the short northern transform segment ended by M11n time. The longer transform segment, found east of Sri Lanka lost its obliquity and became a pure oceanic transform fault by M0 time. The eastward propagation of the Africa-Antarctica spreading center initiated the anticlockwise separation of Sri Lanka from India by M12n time. Seafloor spreading south of Sri Lanka due to the India-Antarctica spreading episode and the simultaneously occurring strike-slip motion east of Sri Lanka restricted this separation resulting in a failed rift. Thus Sri Lanka with strike-slip motion to its east, failed rift towards west, continental extension to its north and rifting to its south behaved as a short lived microplate during the Early Cretaceous period and remained attached to India thereafter.

Phosphorus dendrimers and photodynamic therapy. Spectroscopic studies on two dendrimer-photosensitizer complexes: Cationic phosphorus dendrimer with rose bengal and anionic phosphorus dendrimer with methylene blue.

PubMed

Dabrzalska, Monika; Zablocka, Maria; Mignani, Serge; Majoral, Jean Pierre; Klajnert-Maculewicz, Barbara

2015-08-15

Dendrimers due to their unique architecture may play an important role in drug delivery systems including chemotherapy, gene therapy and recently, photodynamic therapy as well. We investigated two dendrimer-photosensitizer systems in context of potential use of these systems in photodynamic therapy. The mixtures of an anionic phosphorus dendrimer of the second generation and methylene blue were studied by UV-vis spectroscopy while that of a cationic phosphorus dendrimer (third generation) and rose bengal were investigated by spectrofluorimetric methods. Spectroscopic analysis of these two systems revealed the formation of dendrimer-photosensitizer complexes via electrostatic interactions as well as π stacking. The stoichiometry of the rose bengal-cationic dendrimer complex was estimated to be 7:1 and 9:1 for the methylene blue-anionic dendrimer complex. The results suggest that these polyanionic or polycationic phosphorus dendrimers can be promising candidates as carriers in photodynamic therapy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydroclimatic mechanisms of cholera transmission in the Bengal Delta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tretkoff, Ernie

2011-07-01

Cholera, a deadly waterborne disease, remains a major threat in many areas of the world, including the Bengal Delta region. In this region, cholera outbreaks have two annual peaks; the first occurs during the dry season in the spring, and the second occurs in the fall following the wet season. However, the large-scale hydroclimatic processes underlying the propagation of the disease have not been well understood. Akanda et al. show that cholera outbreaks in the Bengal Delta region propagate from the coast to inland and from spring to fall following two distinct transmission cycles. The first outbreak begins in the spring near the coast when northward movement of plankton-rich seawater and increasing salinity promote the growth of cholera-causing bacteria in rivers, which are used for irrigation, sanitation, and consumption. The second outbreak begins in the fall, after summer floods and monsoons affect sanitation conditions that aid in bacterial transmission by contaminating waters over much of Bangladesh. (Water Resources Research, doi:10.1029/ 2010WR009914, 2011)

Comparisons between data assimilated HYCOM output and in situ Argo measurements in the Bay of Bengal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, E. A.; Riser, S.

2014-12-01

This study evaluates the performance of data assimilated Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) output for the Bay of Bengal from September 2008 through July 2013. We find that while HYCOM assimilates Argo data, the model still suffers from significant temperature and salinity biases in this region. These biases are most severe in the northern Bay of Bengal, where the model tends to be too saline near the surface and too fresh at depth. The maximum magnitude of these biases is approximately 0.6 PSS. We also find that the model's salinity biases have a distinct seasonal cycle. The most problematic periods are the months following the summer monsoon (Oct-Jan). HYCOM's near surface temperature estimates compare more favorably with Argo, but significant errors exist at deeper levels. We argue that optimal interpolation will tend to induce positive salinity biases in the northern regions of the Bay. Further, we speculate that these biases are introduced when the model relaxes to climatology and assimilates real-time data.

About "Save the Children Committee (India)".

PubMed

1996-01-01

This article describes the activity among charitable committees to provide education and shelter to orphans and homeless children in India. "Save The Children Committee" of the All India Women's Conference began operations during the Bengal famine of 1943 by providing shelter to children who were homeless or did not know where their parents were. The Bengal Relief Committee also provided shelters, which later became Children's Homes, which were operated by the Save The Children Committee. Funding support for the homes came from individual donors and organizations. The Bengal government provided Rs.25/month/child for 450 children. Children's homes were set up in Phola, Mymensingh, and Brahmanberia, in the present day Bangladesh, and in Bankura. The Committee took over homes in Mahishadal, Khagda, and Belbeni. After 1948, the Children's Homes in East Pakistan were transferred to India. In 1952, several Children's Committees merged. Funds were supplied by international organizations. Government support levels varied over time. Schools for orphans changed from an emphasis on self-reliance and work to ordinary schooling. Brief descriptions are provided for homes at Pifa, Mangalgunge in Bongaon Subdivision, Thakurpukur in 24-Parganas, and Khagda in Midnapore district. For example, the home at Khagda was begun by the Bengal Relief Committee at the time of the famine of 1944. Save The Children Committee took over its operations in 1946. It is now a home for 21 boys. The boys have access to a good high school, have achieved academically, and received respect from the community.

A novel method to remove arsenic from water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDonald, Kyle J.

Arsenic is a toxic metalloid that is found ubiquitously in earth's crust. The release of arsenic into the aqueous environment and the subsequent contamination in drinking water supplies is a worldwide health crisis. Arsenic is the culprit of the largest mass poisoning of a population in history and the number one contaminant of concern in the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) Priority List of Hazardous Substances. Practical, affordable, and reliable treatment technologies have yet to be developed due to the difficulty in overcoming many socioeconomic and geochemical barriers. Recent studies have reported that cupric oxide (CuO) nanoparticles have shown promising characteristics as a sorbent to remove arsenic from water. However, these studies were conducted in controlled environments and have yet to test the efficacy of this treatment technology in the field. In this manuscript, a flow through adsorption column containing CuO nanoparticles was developed for lab based studies to remove arsenic from water. These studies were expanded to include a field demonstration of the CuO nanoparticle flow through adsorption column to remove naturally occurring arsenic from groundwater associated with agriculture, domestic groundwater, and in situ recovery (ISR) uranium production process water. A major limitation for many treatment technologies is the difficulties presented in the disposal of waste byproducts such as sludge and spent media. In the research contained in this manuscript, we investigate the processes of regenerating the CuO nanoparticles using sodium hydroxide (NaOH). The use of the regenerated CuO nanoparticles was examined in batch experiments and implemented in the flow through column studies. The ability to regenerate and reuse a sorbent drastically reduces costs involved in manufacturing and disposal of spent media. Also, the CuO nanoparticles were evaluated in batch experiments for the removal of naturally occurring arsenic in water from West Bengal, India. This is, to our knowledge, the first time CuO nanoparticles have been used to treat groundwater from West Bengal which has been recognized for greater than two decades as some of the most significantly arsenic affected regions in the world. Our results show that CuO nanoparticles can remove arsenic from water under a wide range of geochemistries without pretreatments. In addition, CuO nanoparticles can be regenerated by desorbing arsenic using NaOH and are effective in removing arsenic following the regeneration. Further, field demonstration of a point-of-use flow through adsorption column was successful in removing arsenic from a variety of waters that contain naturally high concentrations of arsenic. This research suggests that CuO nanoparticles show promise as a viable treatment technology for removing arsenic from water.

Leveraging Somali Basin Magnetic Anomalies to Constrain Gondwana Breakup and Early Indian Ocean Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, J. K.; Lawver, L. A.; Norton, I. O.; Gahagan, L.

2015-12-01

The Somali Basin, found between the Horn of Africa and Madagascar was formed during the rifting of East and West Gondwana. Understanding the evolution of the basin has historically been hindered by enigmatic seafloor fabric and an apparent paucity of magnetic anomaly data. Recent iterations of satellite gravity data have revealed nearly complete fracture zones as well as a distinct extinct spreading ridge within the basin. Through a thorough compilation of available Somali Basin shiptrack profiles, we have been able to successfully model and interpret magnetic anomalies with exceptional detail. This complication is unrivaled in completeness and provides unprecedented insight into basin formation. Using this high quality data, we have interpreted magnetic anomalies M0r (120.8 Ma) to M24Bn (152.43 Ma) about the extinct ridge. The interpreted Somali Basin spreading rate and spreading direction, through anomaly M15n (135.76 Ma), are similar to those observed in the neighboring coeval Mozambique Basin. This similarity suggests that East Gondwana separated from West Gondwana as a cohesive unit, and that the internal rifting of East Gondwana began later around 135 Ma. Our magnetic anomaly interpretations have been combined with additional magnetic interpretations from around the Indian Ocean to build a regionally consistent plate model of Gondwana breakup and early Indian Ocean formation. This plate model will be crucial for future efforts unraveling a precise history of East Gondwana fragmentation and constraining the formation of the Enderby Basin offshore East Antarctica and Bay of Bengal offshore East India.

Green-fuel-mediated synthesis of self-assembled NiO nano-sticks for dual applications—photocatalytic activity on Rose Bengal dye and antimicrobial action on bacterial strains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iyyappa Rajan, P.; Vijaya, J. Judith; Jesudoss, S. K.; Kaviyarasu, K.; Kennedy, L. John; Jothiramalingam, R.; Al-Lohedan, Hamad A.; Vaali-Mohammed, Mansoor-Ali

2017-08-01

With aim of promoting the employability of green fuels in the synthesis of nano-scaled materials with new kinds of morphologies for multiple applications, successful synthesis of self-assembled NiO nano-sticks was achieved through a 100% green-fuel-mediated hot-plate combustion reaction. The synthesized NiO nano-sticks show excellent photocatalytic activity on Rose Bengal dye and superior antibacterial potential towards both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

A revised geological range (Late Pliocene) for foraminifer taxon Bolliella adamsi Banner et Blow, 1959

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reddy, A. Nallapa; Nagendra, R.

2017-12-01

The foraminifer taxon Bolliella adamsi Banner et Blow, 1959 is found to co-occur with index planktic foraminifer taxa of the Late Pliocene (Zone N21) in a core of 2.60 m at 1300 m water depth off Tuticorin, Bay of Bengal. This taxon has been previously known as a Holocene taxon of the Indo-Pacific province. This study significantly revises the known stratigraphic range of B. adamsi from the Late Pliocene (uppermost part of Zone N21) to the Holocene in the Bay of Bengal area.

An Efficient Composition for Bengal Lights

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Comet, M.; Schreyeck, L.; Fuzellier, H.

2002-01-01

Fuel-oxidizer mixtures based on potassium chlorate or sodium chlorate are well known. These mixtures have interesting properties of deflagration and are often used in propellants. Drastic reactivity of alkaline chlorates with ammonium salts due to the formation of ammonium chlorate NH4ClO3, a very unstable salt, is famous. By analogy, we tested the reactivity of different molecules containing nitrogen atoms, and we found an efficient fuel-oxidizer composed of potassium chlorate and thiocarbamide. Impressive bengal lights of various colors can easily be achieved using this basic composition.

Trace metal dynamics in zooplankton from the Bay of Bengal during summer monsoon.

PubMed

Rejomon, G; Kumar, P K Dinesh; Nair, M; Muraleedharan, K R

2010-12-01

Trace metal (Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) concentrations in zooplankton from the mixed layer were investigated at 8 coastal and 20 offshore stations in the western Bay of Bengal during the summer monsoon of 2003. The ecotoxicological importance of trace metal uptake was apparent within the Bay of Bengal zooplankton. There was a distinct spatial heterogeneity of metals, with highest concentrations in the upwelling zones of the southeast coast, moderate concentrations in the cyclonic eddy of the northeast coast, and lowest concentrations in the open ocean warm gyre regions. The average trace metal concentrations (μg g⁻¹) in coastal zooplankton (Fe, 44894.1 ± 12198.2; Co, 46.2 ± 4.6; Ni, 62.8 ± 6.5; Cu, 84.9 ± 6.7; Zn, 7546.8 ± 1051.7; Cd, 46.2 ± 5.6; Pb, 19.2 ± 2.6) were higher than in offshore zooplankton (Fe, 3423.4 ± 681.6; Co, 19.5 ± 3.81; Ni, 25.3 ± 7.3; Cu, 29.4 ± 4.2; Zn, 502.3 ± 124.3; Cd, 14.3 ± 2.9; Pb, 3.2 ± 2.0). A comparison of average trace metal concentrations in zooplankton from the Bay of Bengal showed enrichment of Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb in coastal zooplankton may be related to metal absorption from primary producers, and differences in metal concentrations in phytoplankton from coastal waters (upwelling zone and cyclonic eddy) compared with offshore waters (warm gyre). Zooplankton showed a great capacity for accumulations of trace metals, with average concentration factors of 4 867 929 ± 569 971, 246 757 ± 51 321, 337 180 ± 125 725, 43 480 ± 11 212, 1 046 371 ± 110 286, 601 679 ± 213 949, and 15 420 ± 9201 for Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb with respect to dissolved concentrations in coastal and offshore waters of the Bay of Bengal. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2009. Copyright © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Panel of polymorphic heterologous microsatellite loci to genotype critically endangered Bengal tiger: a pilot study.

PubMed

Mishra, Sudhanshu; Singh, Sujeet Kumar; Munjal, Ashok Kumar; Aspi, Jouni; Goyal, Surendra Prakash

2014-01-03

In India, six landscapes and source populations that are important for long-term conservation of Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) have been identified. Except for a few studies, nothing is known regarding the genetic structure and extent of gene flow among most of the tiger populations across India as the majority of them are small, fragmented and isolated. Thus, individual-based relationships are required to understand the species ecology and biology for planning effective conservation and genetics-based individual identification has been widely used. But this needs screening and describing characteristics of microsatellite loci from DNA from good-quality sources so that the required number of loci can be selected and the genotyping error rate minimized. In the studies so far conducted on the Bengal tiger, a very small number of loci (n = 35) have been tested with high-quality source of DNA, and information on locus-specific characteristics is lacking. The use of such characteristics has been strongly recommended in the literature to minimize the error rate and by the International Society for Forensic Genetics (ISFG) for forensic purposes. Therefore, we describe for the first time locus-specific genetic and genotyping profile characteristics, crucial for population genetic studies, using high-quality source of DNA of the Bengal tiger. We screened 39 heterologous microsatellite loci (Sumatran tiger, domestic cat, Asiatic lion and snow leopard) in captive individuals (n = 8), of which 21 loci are being reported for the first time in the Bengal tiger, providing an additional choice for selection. The mean relatedness coefficient (R = -0.143) indicates that the selected tigers were unrelated. Thirty-four loci were polymorphic, with the number of alleles ranging from 2 to 7 per locus, and the remaining five loci were monomorphic. Based on the PIC values (> 0.500), and other characteristics, we suggest that 16 loci (3 to 7 alleles) be used for genetic and forensic study purposes. The probabilities of matching genotypes of unrelated individuals (3.692 × 10(-19)) and siblings (4.003 × 10(-6)) are within the values needed for undertaking studies in population genetics, relatedness, sociobiology and forensics.

Allogenic and Autogenic Signals in the Detrital Zircon U-Pb Record of the Deep-Sea Bengal Fan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blum, M. D.; Rogers, K. G.; Gleason, J. D.; Najman, Y.

2017-12-01

The Himalayan-sourced Ganges-Brahmaputra river system and the deep-sea Bengal Fan represent Earth's largest sediment-dispersal system. This presentation summarizes a new detrital zircon U-Pb (DZ) provenance record from the Bengal Fan from cores collected during IODP Expedition 354, with coring sites located 1350 km downdip from the shelf margin. Each of our 15 samples were collected from medium- to fine-grained turbidite sand and, based on shipboard biostratigraphic analyses, our samples are late Miocene to late Pleistocene in age. Each sample was analyzed by LA-ICPMS at the Arizona Laserchron facility, with an average of n=270 concordant U-Pb ages per sample. Our goals are to use these data to evaluate the influence of allogenic controls vs. autogenic processes on signal propagation from source-to-sink. At the first order, large-scale sediment transfer to the Bengal Fan clearly records the strong tectonic and climatic forcing associated with the Himalayas and Ganges-Brahmaputra system: after up to 2500 km of river transport, and 1350 km of transport in turbidity currents, the DZ record faithfully represents Himalayan source terrains. The sand-rich turbidite part of the record is nevertheless biased towards glacial periods when rivers extended across the shelf in response to climate-forced sea-level fall, and discharged directly to slope canyons. However, only part of the Bengal Fan DZ record represents either the Ganges or the Brahmaputra, with most samples representing varying degrees of mixing of sediments from the two systems: this mixing, or the lack thereof, represents the signal of autogenic avulsions on the delta plain that result in the two river systems delivering sediment separately to the shelf margin, or together as they do today. Within the allogenic framework established by tectonic processes, the climatic system, and global climate-forced sea-level change, the DZ U-Pb record of sediment mixing or the lack thereof provides a fingerprint of autogenic avulsions on signal transfer from source-to-sink in the world's largest sediment-dispersal system.

On the dynamics of the Sri Lanka Dome in the Bay of Bengal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burns, Jessica M.; Subrahmanyam, Bulusu; Murty, V. S. N.

2017-09-01

East of Sri Lanka, in the northern Indian Ocean, a cold dome, known as the Sri Lanka Dome (SLD), develops during southwest monsoon season (June-September). The SLD first forms around May, matures in July, and decays around September, in association with the strong cyclonic wind stress curl. In this study, the structure and dynamics of SLD in response to the climatic events such as the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) are examined. Our results reveal that these climatic events modulated the subsurface temperature variability in the thermocline at ˜100 m depth, whose signature was also evident in the satellite-derived sea surface height (SSH) anomaly in the SLD region. We find that the mechanisms for the formation of SLD are consistent with previous research, and there is year-to-year variability in the SLD dynamics. This study also reveals that the atmospheric parameters including vertical wind shear and midtropospheric relative humidity are high over the SLD region and adjacent southern Bay of Bengal and show an upward (increasing) trend over the decades. This has impacted the atmospheric parameters over the northern Bay of Bengal over the decades and as a consequence the total number of monsoon depressions (June-September) decreased over the decades from 1980 to 2015, as reported by the India Meteorological Department, New Delhi. Thus, the new insight emerged from this study is the variability in the cyclogenesis and the occurrence of total number of monsoon depressions over northern Bay of Bengal over the decades is much related to the SLD dynamics.

Site-Directed Photoproteolysis of 8-Oxoguanine DNA Glycosylase 1 (OGG1) by Specific Porphyrin-Protein Probe Conjugates: A Strategy to Improve the Effectiveness of Photodynamic Therapy for Cancer

PubMed Central

Conlon, Kimberly A.; Berrios, Miguel

2007-01-01

The specific light-induced, non-enzymatic photolysis of mOGG1 by porphyrin-conjugated or rose bengal-conjugated streptavidin and porphyrin-conjugated or rose bengal-conjugated first specific or secondary anti-IgG antibodies is reported. The porphyrin chlorin e6 and rose bengal were conjugated to either streptavidin, rabbit anti-mOGG1 primary specific antibody fractions or goat anti-rabbit IgG secondary antibody fractions. Under our experimental conditions, visible light of wavelengths greater than 600 nm induced the non-enzymatic degradation of mOGG1 when this DNA repair enzyme either directly formed a complex with chlorin e6-conjugated anti-mOGG1 primary specific antibodies or indirectly formed complexes with either streptavidin-chlorin e6 conjugates and biotinylated first specific anti-mOGG1 antibodies or first specific anti-mOGG1antibodies and chlorin e6-conjugated anti-rabbit IgG secondary antibodies. Similar results were obtained when rose bengal was used as photosensitizer instead of chlorine e6. The rate of the photochemical reaction of mOGG1 site-directed by all three chlorine e6 antibody complexes was not affected by the presence of the singlet oxygen scavenger sodium azide. Site-directed photoactivatable probes having the capacity to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) while destroying the DNA repair system in malignant cells and tumors may represent a powerful strategy to boost selectivity, penetration and efficacy of current photodynamic (PDT) therapy methodologies. PMID:17251034

The background state leading to arsenic contamination of Bengal basin groundwater.

PubMed

Adel, Miah M

2005-12-01

The Bengal basin has the world's densest water diversion constructions on the natural courses of rivers. The most damaging water diversion construction is the Farakka Barrage upon the international River Ganges. The diversion of water through this barrage and other constructions upstream of it has reduced the Ganges flow rate by 2.5 times. The resulting downstream effects are the depletion of surface water resources, more withdrawal than recharge of groundwater, sinking groundwater table, spread in depth and extension of the vadose zone, changes in surface features, climatic changes, etc. An investigation was carried out to find the contributions of water diversion to the arsenic contamination of groundwater in the Bengal basin. The reasonable scenario for arsenic contamination is the oxygen deficiency in groundwater and aeration of arsenopyrites buried in the sediment that would remain under water prior to 1975. The mineral forms water-soluble compounds of arsenic when react with atmospheric oxygen. These soluble arsenic compounds infiltrates to the groundwater. This article summarizes the short-time and incomplete study-based quick conclusions reached by investigators that have totally avoided the vital issue of water diversion. It then shows the depleting condition of the water resources under continuing diversions, the generation of favorable condition for arsenic release, the reasons for low sulfur concentration, the reason for first contamination in the Hugly basin, and the hindrance to water's self-purification. The articles advocates that the restoration of the virgin wetland ecosystems in the Bengal basin following the stoppage of the inordinate amount of unilateral upstream water withdrawals can remove the catastrophe.

Variation in contents of total phenolics and flavonoids and antioxidant activities in the leaves of 11 Eriobotrya species.

PubMed

Hong, Yanping; Lin, Shunquan; Jiang, Yueming; Ashraf, Muhammad

2008-12-01

Eriobotrya plants are known to have significant amounts of phenolics and flavonoids, and exhibit a strong antioxidant activity. Experiments were conducted to examine variation in the contents of total phenolics and flavonoids, and antioxidant activities in the leaves of 11 Eriobotrya species (Tibet loquat, Daduhe loquat, Hengchun loquat, Taiwan loquat, Oak leaf loquat, Bengal loquat, Fragrant loquat, Guangxi loquat, Obovate loquat, Big flower loquat, and common loquat, the last species include two materials, one is a cultivar 'Zaozhong 6', another is a wild tree). In these species, 'Zaozhong 6' loquat is a cultivar. The leaf extracts of 'Tibet', 'Obovate', 'Taiwan', 'Bengal' and 'Hengchun' loquats exhibited significantly higher contents of total flavonoids and total phenolics, compared with those of other species. Of these 11 species, the highest contents of total phenolics and total flavonoids were observed in 'Tibet' and 'Obovatae' loquats, respectively. The significantly stronger antioxidant abilities assessed by the DPPH radical scavenging activity and reducing power were obtained in the leaf extracts of 'Taiwan', 'Tibet', 'Bengal', 'Oak leaf', 'Hengchun' and 'Obovate' loquats, compared with the other species. In addition, significant correlations were found between the contents of total phenolics or flavonoids and DPPH radical scavenging activity/reducing power. This work indicates that the leaf extracts of the wild Eriobotrya species, 'Tibet', 'Obovatae', 'Taiwan', 'Bengal', 'Oak leaf' and 'Hengchun' loquats, exhibited significantly higher levels of total phenolics and flavonoids, and significantly stronger antioxidant activities, compared with the cultivated species, 'Zaozhong 6' loquat, which suggests that these wild species have a better utilization value.

Trichodesmium blooms and warm-core ocean surface features in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.

PubMed

Jyothibabu, R; Karnan, C; Jagadeesan, L; Arunpandi, N; Pandiarajan, R S; Muraleedharan, K R; Balachandran, K K

2017-08-15

Trichodesmium is a bloom-forming, diazotrophic, non-heterocystous cyanobacteria widely distributed in the warmer oceans, and their bloom is considered a 'biological indication' of stratification and nitrogen limitation in the ocean surface layer. In the first part of this paper, based on the retrospective analyses of the ocean surface mesoscale features associated with 59 Trichodesmium bloom incidences recorded in the past, 32 from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, and 27 from the rest of the world, we have showed that warm-core features have an inducing effect on bloom formation. In the second part, we have considered the environmental preferences of Trichodesmium bloom based on laboratory and field studies across the globe, and proposed a view about how warm-core features could provide an inducing pre-requisite condition for the bloom formation in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. Proposed that the subsurface waters of warm-core features maintain more likely chances for the conducive nutrient and light conditions required for the triggering of the blooms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Controls on groundwater flow in the Bengal Basin of India and Bangladesh: Regional modeling analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Michael, H.A.; Voss, C.I.

2009-01-01

Groundwater for domestic and irrigation purposes is produced primarily from shallow parts of the Bengal Basin aquifer system (India and Bangladesh), which contains high concentrations of dissolved arsenic (exceeding worldwide drinking water standards), though deeper groundwater is generally low in arsenic. An essential first step for determining sustainable management of the deep groundwater resource is identification of hydrogeologic controls on flow and quantification of basin-scale groundwater flow patterns. Results from groundwater modeling, in which the Bengal Basin aquifer system is represented as a single aquifer with higher horizontal than vertical hydraulic conductivity, indicate that this anisotropy is the primary hydrogeologic control on the natural flowpath lengths. Despite extremely low hydraulic gradients due to minimal topographic relief, anisotropy implies large-scale (tens to hundreds of kilometers) flow at depth. Other hydrogeologic factors, including lateral and vertical changes in hydraulic conductivity, have minor effects on overall flow patterns. However, because natural hydraulic gradients are low, the impact of pumping on groundwater flow is overwhelming; modeling indicates that pumping has substantially changed the shallow groundwater budget and flowpaths from predevelopment conditions. ?? Springer-Verlag 2009.

Estimation of Geotropic Currents in the Bay of Bengal using In-situ Observations.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

T, V. R.

2014-12-01

Geostraphic Currents (GCs) can be estimated from temperature and salinity observations. In this study an attempt has been made to compute GC using temperature and salinity observations from Expendable Bathy Thermograph (XBT) and CTD over Bay of Bengal (BoB). Although in recent time we have Argo observations but it is for a limited period and coarse temporal resolutions. In BoB Bengal, where not enough simultaneous hydrographic temperature and salinity data are available with reasonable spatial resolution (~one degree spatial resolution) and for a longer period. To overcome the limitations of GC computed from XBT profiles, temperature-salinity relationships were used from simultaneous temperature and salinity observations. We have demonstrated that GCs can be computed with an accuracy of less than 8.5 cm/s (root mean square error) at the surface with respect to temperature from XBT and salinity from climatological record. This error reduces with increasing depth. Finally, we demonstrated the application of this approach to study the temporal variation of the GCs during 1992 to 2012 along an XBT transect.

Controls on groundwater flow in the Bengal Basin of India and Bangladesh: regional modeling analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michael, Holly A.; Voss, Clifford I.

2009-11-01

Groundwater for domestic and irrigation purposes is produced primarily from shallow parts of the Bengal Basin aquifer system (India and Bangladesh), which contains high concentrations of dissolved arsenic (exceeding worldwide drinking water standards), though deeper groundwater is generally low in arsenic. An essential first step for determining sustainable management of the deep groundwater resource is identification of hydrogeologic controls on flow and quantification of basin-scale groundwater flow patterns. Results from groundwater modeling, in which the Bengal Basin aquifer system is represented as a single aquifer with higher horizontal than vertical hydraulic conductivity, indicate that this anisotropy is the primary hydrogeologic control on the natural flowpath lengths. Despite extremely low hydraulic gradients due to minimal topographic relief, anisotropy implies large-scale (tens to hundreds of kilometers) flow at depth. Other hydrogeologic factors, including lateral and vertical changes in hydraulic conductivity, have minor effects on overall flow patterns. However, because natural hydraulic gradients are low, the impact of pumping on groundwater flow is overwhelming; modeling indicates that pumping has substantially changed the shallow groundwater budget and flowpaths from predevelopment conditions.

A Plume Head and Tail in the Bengal Basin and Bay of Bengal: Rajmahal and Sylhet Traps with Surrounding Alkalic Volcanism and the Ninetyeast Ridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basu, A. R.; Weaver, K. L.; Sengupta, S.

2001-12-01

Although the 116-113 Ma-old Rajmahal-Sylhet Traps of the Bengal basin, potentially covering an area > 2x105 km2, can be directly linked via Ninetyeast Ridge to the Kerguelen Plume, more than 5,000 kms away, it is generally believed that this flood basalt volcanism originated from a normal MORB-type mantle at the boundary of a mantle plume. This model, primarily based on geochemical analysis of a limited number of Rajmahal basalts, requires initiation of rifting of the eastern Indian margin by a smaller thermal flux than necessary for creating a large igneous province. Here we show that the extent of volcanism associated with the Rajmahal-Sylhet Traps is far greater than usually assumed, thus requiring a direct involvement of the Kerguelen Plume. In addition to the surface exposures of the flood basalts in Rajmahal-Sylhet, the basaltic rocks have been encountered in many parts of the Bengal Basin in bore holes reaching a maximum thickness of 600 m in the western margin of the Basin (Sengupta, Bull. AAPG, 1966) Most importantly, several suites of ultrapotassic and alkalic intrusive complexes, similar to those associated with the Deccan and Siberia Traps, occur over wide areas within and outside the Basin: i) southwest of the surface exposures of Rajmahal basalts, distance 200km, intrusive in Lower Gondwana coalbeds, Ar-Ar age 114 Ma (P.R. Renne, personal communication), ii) 400 km north of Rajmahal, exposed in Sikkim, intrusive into metamorphic crystalline nappes of the Himalayas; distance here is not real and must be a minimum as the nappes have been transported from the north, iii) northeast of Rajmahal in Meghalaya State, distance 550 km, intrusive into metamorphic Precambrian basement rocks. Nd-Sr isotopic ratios and trace element characteristics of these above ultrapotassic and alkaline rocks are consistent with their origin associated with the Kerguelen Plume. The wide range in Nd-Sr array for these rocks, including the Sylhet and Rajmahal basalts, shows initial \\epsilonNd(T) values of +4 to -8 and 87Sr/86Sr of 0.7045 to 0.7100, which are similar to Kerguelen transitional and alkaline basalts, Bunburry Gosselin lavas and Naturaliste plateau basalts. Therefore, the zone of influence of the plume head with Rajmahal at the center would be at least 700 km in diameter, and such a large area would require direct involvement of the Kerguelen Plume head for magma genesis in the Bengal basin. Recognition of associated volcanism in the northeast of Sylhet Traps allows Nintyeast Ridge to be the appropriate hotspot track in the Bay of Bengal.

Arsenic in groundwaters of rural India: its geochemistry and mitigation approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chatterjee, Debashis; Majumder, Santanu; Kundu, Amit; Barman, Sandipan; Chatterjee, Debankur; Bhattacharya, Prosun

2016-04-01

During the last few decades, arsenic (As) has been recognized as the most threatening contaminant in natural waters (especially groundwater). It has become a menace to the health of millions of people worldwide. Many large and small communities experience As contamination in groundwater and/or drinking water supplies in south-east Asia and the problem is grave in West Bengal and Bangladesh (Bengal Delta Plain, BDP) both in terms of human exposure as well as spatial coverage. It is frequently observed that As concentration in contaminated wells exceeds both WHO guideline value (10 mg/l) and stipulated National standard (50 mg/l) for both Bangladesh and India. Dissolved forms of As in the BDP water include arsenite (~50-70%), arsenate (~30-50%) and ultra-trace amount of monomethylarsonic acid and dimethylarsinic acid. Arsenite and arsenate species can interchange depending on redox potential (Eh), pH and biological processes. The prevailing local geomorphological features (surface water, sanitation, agricultural activity) can also influence the mobilization of As in addition to the dominant geological factors. Therefore, the local sedimentology and hydrogeology should also be given importance prior to implement or consider any policy to mitigate the As contamination of groundwater. Conventional treatment techniques to remove As from groundwater are costly and difficult to practice in rural areas of the BDP. There are several techniques available for groundwater As removal. Iron and Alum coagulation, softening [mediated by calcite or Mg(OH)2 formation], by reverse osmosis, using zero-valent iron and nanoparticulate zero-valent iron, several natural/synthetic metal oxides, naturally found minerals like siderite, hematite, using iron doped activated carbons, development of bio-physicochemical techniques, using granular TiO2 adsorbent are some of the many proposed removal techniques investigated by various researchers. Instead of using hazardous chemicals (e.g. chlorine, ozone in conventional method) As from groundwater can also be removed by exposure to sunlight (solar oxidation) in presence of dissolved iron (Fe) and a chelating agent (citrate, naturally available) followed by filtration with cloth or simple decantation. The technique is user friendly, low cost and easy to perform by the rural mass of the BDP.

Are Low Salinity Waters the Remedy to Noctiluca scintillans Blooms in the Arabian Sea?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibson, J.

2017-12-01

Noctiluca scintillans (Noctiluca) is a mixotrophic, green dinoflagellate that for the past two decades has been producing problematic algal blooms in the Arabian Sea (AS). As a mixotroph, Noctiluca obtains energy from both consumption of phytoplankton as well as its intracellular photosynthesizing endosymbionts named, Pedinomonas noctilucae. It is this autotrophic and heterotrophic dual capability that has largely enabled Noctiluca to be a highly dominant species at the planktonic trophic layer in the AS. Exacerbated by non-point source/point-source pollution in the AS, ocean acidification, and intensified monsoons, Noctiluca currently algal blooms can be as big as three times the size of Texas. By depleting the AS of oxygen, clogging the gills of fish, and altering the AS food web, these algal blooms result in mass fish die offs. In turn this propagates financial and food insecurity issues in countless coastal communities. However, through satellite imaging over the years, it has been observed that the proliferation of Noctiluca is precluded or encounters a "wall" about mid-way along the west coast of India. It is theorized that this "wall" is due to a significant change in salinity. Snow from atop the Himalayan Mountains melts and adds fresh water to the Bay of Bengal (BB), and in winter the East Indian Coastal Current (EICC) carries this fresher water around the southern tip of India and towards the AS. It is believed that this dilution effect impedes the growth of Noctiluca further south. Ultimately, in this study the salinity gradient from the Bay of Bengal (BB) around the horn of India into the AS was replicated in six pairs of culture bottles. Noctiluca was grown in six different salinities including 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, and 38 psu. Algae grown in the 34 and 38 psu bottles, were healthier and 38 psu treated Noctiluca provided optimal conditions for its photosynthesizing endosymbionts. Noctiluca does not grow well at lower salinities, thus applications of low salinity/fresh water and desalinization technology, may offer a potential remedy to the Noctiluca crisis.

Arsenic Groundwater Contamination in Bengal: a Coupled Geochemical and Geophysical Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charlet, L.; Ansari, A. A.; Dietrich, M.; Latscha, A.; LeBeux, A.; Chatterjee, D.; Mallik, S. B.

2001-05-01

Arsenic contamination in drinking water is a problem of great concern in Ganges delta region, and could be one of the largest natural calamity in the world. In the present study, a contamination plume located in the Lalpur area (Chakdaha Block, Nadia District, West Bengal, India) was studied. A coupled geochemical and geophysical approach was employed to understand the mechanism of arsenic mobilisation from the sediments to groundwater, as a first step towards a global explanation of the phenomenon for other contaminated areas in the Ganges delta. The groundwater As concentration, in the 10 km x 10 km studied area, ranges from 10 to 500 ppb. In situ chemical speciation of arsenic was carried out and various geochemical parameters were measured in representative contaminated wells to interpret the mobilization mechanism in terms of redox kinetics. Through geophysical investigations, subsurface lithology, sediment depositional and geomorphological characteristics were determined and correlated with the arsenic contamination processes. From a geomorphological viewpoint, the contaminated area is located in an abandoned paleochannel of the Hooghly river, interpreted as the active site of deposition of fine sediments which were preserved as clay pockets at certain depths. These clay pockets are rich in organic matter, which may be the driving force for redox potential change and thus, may have driven the mobilisation of arsenic in groundwater. The clay pockets rich in organic matter presumably represent the major reservoir where arsenic is sitting and getting released due to redox mechanism. They are sampled at present. A piezometric depression cone characterized by a radial groundwater flow is located underneath the highly populated Lalpur area. The arsenic plume appears to migrate from the Hooghly river towards the cone of depression following the water flowpath, and this shall be verified in forthcoming field campaigns. As (III) constitutes 42 % of the total As concentration. It is several times more toxic than As (V). The As (III) / As (V) and S (-II) / S (VI) ratios are not at equilibrium with the Eh measured in groundwater. The groundwater is at equilibrium with Ba(II) and Fe(II) arsenate minerals, barite and siderite. The reactive transport modeling of the data is explored.

The atmospheric branch of the hydrological cycle over the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra river basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sorí, Rogert; Nieto, Raquel; Drumond, Anita; Vicente-Serrano, Sergio M.; Gimeno, Luis

2017-12-01

The atmospheric branch of the hydrological cycle over the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra river basins (IRB, GRB, and BRB respectively) in the South Asian region was investigated. The 3-dimensional model FLEXPART v9.0 was utilized. An important advantage of this model is that it permits the computation of the freshwater budget on air parcel trajectories both backward and forward in time from 0.1 to 1000 hPa in the atmospheric vertical column. The analysis was conducted for the westerly precipitation regime (WPR) (November-April) and the monsoonal precipitation regime (MPR) (May-October) in the period from 1981 to 2015. The main terrestrial and oceanic climatological moisture sources for the IRB, GRB, and BRB and their contribution to precipitation over the basins were identified. For the three basins, the most important moisture sources for precipitation are (i) in the continental regions, the land masses to the west of the basins (in this case called western Asia), the Indian region (IR), and the basin itself, and (ii) from the ocean, the utmost sources being the Indian Ocean (IO) and the Bay of Bengal (BB), and it is remarkable that despite the amount of moisture reaching the Indus and Ganges basins from land sources, the moisture supply from the IO seems to be first associated with the rapid increase or decrease in precipitation over the sources in the MPR. The technique of the composites was used to analyse how the moisture uptake values spatially vary from the sources (the budget of evaporation minus precipitation (E - P) was computed in a backward experiment from the basins) but during the pre-onset and pre-demise dates of the monsoonal rainfall over each basin; this confirmed that over the last days of the monsoon at the basins, the moisture uptake areas decrease in the IO. The Indian region, the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal, and the basins themselves are the main sources of moisture responsible for negative (positive) anomalies of moisture contribution to the basins during composites of driest (wettest) WPR and MPR.

The INCOMPASS project field and modelling campaign: Interaction of Convective Organization and Monsoon Precipitation, Atmosphere, Surface and Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turner, Andrew; Bhat, Ganapati; Evans, Jonathan; Madan, Ranju; Marsham, John; Martin, Gill; Mitra, Ashis; Mrudula, Gm; Parker, Douglas; Pattnaik, Sandeep; Rajagopal, En; Taylor, Christopher; Tripathi, Sachchida

2017-04-01

The INCOMPASS project uses data from a field and aircraft measurement campaign during the 2016 monsoon onset to better understand and predict monsoon rainfall. The monsoon supplies the majority of water in South Asia, however modelling and forecasting the monsoon from days to the season ahead is limited by large model errors that develop quickly. Likely problems lie in physical parametrizations such as convection, the boundary layer and land surface. At the same time, lack of detailed observations prevents more thorough understanding of monsoon circulation and its interaction with the land surface; a process governed by boundary layer and convective cloud dynamics. From May to July 2016, INCOMPASS used a modified BAe-146 jet aircraft operated by the UK Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM), for the first project of this scale in India. The India and UK team flew around 100 hours of science sorties from bases in northern and southern India. Flights from Lucknow in the northern plains took measurements to the west and southeast to allow sampling of the complete contrast from dry desert air to the humid environment over the north Bay of Bengal. These routes were repeated in the pre-monsoon and monsoon phases, measuring contrasting surface and boundary layer structures. In addition, flights from the southern base in Bengaluru measured contrasts from the Arabian Sea, across the intense rains of the Western Ghats mountains, over the rain shadow in southeast India and over the southern Bay of Bengal. Flight planning was performed with the aid of forecasts from a new UK Met Office 4km limited area model. INCOMPASS also installed a network of surface flux towers, as well as operating a cloud-base ceilometer and performing intensive radiosonde launches from a supersite in Kanpur. Here we will outline preliminary results from the field campaign including new observations of the surface, boundary layer structure and atmospheric profiles from aircraft data. We also include initial results from nested high-resolution modelling experiments of the 2016 monsoon, at a resolution of 4km in comparison with bespoke regional forecasts run throughout the field campaign.

Spatial variability of upper ocean POC export in the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean determined using particle-reactive 234Th

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subha Anand, S.; Rengarajan, R.; Sarma, V. V. S. S.; Sudheer, A. K.; Bhushan, R.; Singh, S. K.

2017-05-01

The northern Indian Ocean is globally significant for its seasonally reversing winds, upwelled nutrients, high biological production, and expanding oxygen minimum zones. The region acts as sink and source for atmospheric CO2. However, the efficiency of the biological carbon pump to sequester atmospheric CO2 and export particulate organic carbon from the surface is not well known. To quantify the upper ocean carbon export flux and to estimate the efficiency of biological carbon pump in the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean, seawater profiles of total 234Th were measured from surface to 300 m depth at 13 stations from 19.9°N to 25.3°S in a transect along 87°E, during spring intermonsoon period (March-April 2014). Results showed enhanced in situ primary production in the equatorial Indian Ocean and the central Bay of Bengal and varied from 13.2 to 173.8 mmol C m-2 d-1. POC export flux in this region varied from 0 to 7.7 mmol C m-2 d-1. Though high carbon export flux was found in the equatorial region, remineralization of organic carbon in the surface and subsurface waters considerably reduced organic carbon export in the Bay of Bengal. Annually recurring anticyclonic eddies enhanced organic carbon utilization and heterotrophy. Oxygen minimum zone developed due to stratification and poor ventilation was intensified by subsurface remineralization. 234Th-based carbon export fluxes were not comparable with empirical statistical model estimates based on primary production and temperature. Region-specific refinement of model parameters is required to accurately predict POC export fluxes.

Submesoscale features and their interaction with fronts and internal tides in a high-resolution coupled atmosphere-ocean-wave model of the Bay of Bengal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jensen, Tommy G.; Shulman, Igor; Wijesekera, Hemantha W.; Anderson, Stephanie; Ladner, Sherwin

2018-03-01

Large freshwater fluxes into the Bay of Bengal by rainfall and river discharges result in strong salinity fronts in the bay. In this study, a high-resolution coupled atmosphere-ocean-wave model with comprehensive physics is used to model the weather, ocean circulation, and wave field in the Bay of Bengal. Our objective is to explore the submesoscale activity that occurs in a realistic coupled model that resolves mesoscales and allows part of the submesoscale field. Horizontal resolution in the atmosphere varies from 2 to 6 km and is 13 km for surface waves, while the ocean model is submesoscale permitting with resolutions as high as 1.5 km and a vertical resolution of 0.5 m in the upper 10 m. In this paper, three different cases of oceanic submesoscale features are discussed. In the first case, heavy rainfall and intense downdrafts produced by atmospheric convection are found to force submesoscale currents, temperature, and salinity anomalies in the oceanic mixed layer and impact the mesoscale flow. In a second case, strong solitary-like waves are generated by semidiurnal tides in the Andaman Sea and interact with mesoscale flows and fronts and affect submesoscale features generated along fronts. A third source of submesoscale variability is found further north in the Bay of Bengal where river outflows help maintain strong salinity gradients throughout the year. For that case, a comparison with satellite observations of sea surface height anomalies, sea surface temperature, and chlorophyll shows that the model captures the observed mesoscale eddy features of the flow field, but in addition, submesoscale upwelling and downwelling patterns associated with ageostrophic secondary circulations along density fronts are also captured by the model.

Biogeochemistry of Arsenic in Groundwater Flow Systems: The Case of Southern Louisiana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johannesson, K. H.; Yang, N.; Datta, S.

2017-12-01

Arsenic (As) is a highly toxic and carcinogenic metalloid that can cause serious health effects, including increased risk of cancers, infant mortality, and reduced intellectual and motor function in children to populations chronically exposed to As. Recent estimates suggest that more than 140 million people worldwide are drinking As-contaminated groundwater (i.e., As ≥ 10 µg kg-1), and the most severely affected region is the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta in Bangladesh and India (i.e., Bengal Basin). Arsenic appears to be mobilized to Bengal Basin groundwaters by reductive dissolution of Fe oxides in aquifer sediments with the source of the labile organic matter occurring in the aquifer sediments. Studies within the lower Mississippi River delta of southern Louisiana (USA) also reveal high As concentrations (up to 640 µg kg-1) in shallow groundwaters. It is not known what affects, if any, the elevated groundwater As has had on local communities. The regional extent of high As shallow groundwaters is controlled, in part, by the distribution of Holocene sediments, deltaic deposits, and organic-rich sediments, similar to the Bengal Basin. Field and laboratory studies suggest that As is largely of geogenic origin, and further that microbial reduction of Fe(III)/Mn(IV) oxides/oxyhydroxides within the sediments contributes the bulk of the As to the groundwaters. Incubation studies are supported by biogeochemical reactive transport modeling, which also indicates reductive dissolution of metal oxides/oxyhydroxides as the likely source of As to these groundwaters. Finally, reactive transport modeling of As in shallow groundwaters suggests that sorption to aquifer mineral surfaces limits the transport of As after mobilization, which may explain, in part, the heterogeneous distribution of As in groundwaters of southern Louisiana and, perhaps, the Bengal Basin.

Pleistocene Through Oligocene Record of Himalayan Orogeny and Climate. The Iodp Expedition 354 Drilling Transect across the Middle Bengal Fan at 8°N

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spiess, V.; France-Lanord, C.; Schwenk, T.; Klaus, A.

2015-12-01

IODP Expedition 354 in the Bay of Bengal February-March 2015 drilled a seven site, 320 km-long transect across the Bengal Fan at 8°N. Three deep penetration and additional four shallow holes provided a spatial overview of the primarily turbiditic depositional system, comprising the Bengal deep sea fan. Sediments originate from Himalayan rivers, documenting terrestrial changes of the monsoon evolution and Himalayan erosion and weathering, and are transported through a delta and shelf canyon, supplying turbidity currents loaded with a full spectrum of grain sizes. Mostly following transport channels, sediments deposit on and between levees, while depocenters are laterally shifting over hundreds of kilometers on millennial time scales. Expedition 354 documented these deposits in space and time by identifying, coring and dating numerous stratigraphic marker horizons across the transect, allowing a detailed reconstruction of channel-levee migration, abandonment, reoccupation and overall uniform growth in the late Pleistocene. High resolution records of these growth patterns were acquired in several levee, interlevee and hemipelagic successions. Miocene through Pliocene fan development was studied at three deeper sites, which document and recovered sand rich facies throughout most of the cores acquired by the half-APC coring technology, intercalated by longer periods of hemipelagic deposition and absence of turbiditic input as the results of major depocenter shifts. Recovered sediments have Himalayan mineralogical and geochemical signatures suitable to reconstruct time series of erosion, weathering and changes in source regions as well as impacts on the global carbon cycle. Miocene shifts in terrestrial vegetation, in sediment budget and in style of sediment transport have been tracked. Expedition 354 has extended the record of early fan deposition by 10 Ma into the Late Oligocene.

Topical liposomal Rose Bengal for photodynamic white hair removal: randomized, controlled, double-blind study.

PubMed

Samy, Nevien; Fadel, Maha

2014-04-01

Blond and white hair removal by laser is a complicated task with weak satisfactory results due to the deficiency in laser-absorbing chromophore. To investigate if repetitive sessions of photodynamic therapy (PDT) using external application of liposomal Rose bengal (RB) photosensitizer followed by intense pulsed light (IPL) exposure enables removal of gray and white hair. Rose bengal loaded in liposomes (LRB) was constructed, prepared in hydrogel, and was studied for some pharmaceutical properties. Penetration and selective hair follicle damage in mice skin were studied. Topical gel containing LRB was used for treating fifteen adult females who were complaining of facial white terminal hair. Unwanted facial hair was treated for three sessions at intervals of 4-6 weeks using intense pulsed light (IPL). At each session, the treatment area was pre-treated with topical LRB gel, while a control group of another 15 patients applied placebo gel before IPL treatment. Evaluations included hair regrowth, which was measured 4 weeks after each treatment session and at 6 months follow-up by counting the number of terminal hair compared with baseline pretreatment values. Treatment outcomes and complications if any were also reported. Average hair regrowth in the LRB group was 56% after 3 treatment cycles. After six-months follow up, average terminal hair count compared with baseline pretreatment showed 40% reduction and no recorded side effects. A significant difference (P<0.05) was seen compared with the control group; the clinical results were promising. Photodynamic hair removal using rose bengal-encapsulated liposomal gel in combination with IPL treatment showed significant efficacy in the treatment of white hair compared with a control group.

The effects of PPR on the reproductive health of Black Bengal goats and the possible role played by oxidative stress.

PubMed

Kumar, Pankaj; Dey, Amitava; Kumar, Abhay; Ray, Pradeep Kumar; Chandran, Poolangulam Chinnakkan; Kumari, Rashmi Rekha; Kumar, Manish

2018-03-28

Outbreaks of Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) viral disease in Black Bengal goats were investigated from the middle Indo-Gangetic Plains of India. Clinical profile of PPR-affected flocks was recorded from four different outbreak sites of the region. The PPR outbreak was diagnosed serologically using commercially available sandwich ELISA kit. Relatively, low mortality rate (mean 26.75%) for PPR outbreak was recorded due to the endemic status of the disease. To understand the role of oxidative stress in PPR virus pathogenesis, various oxidant and antioxidant parameters in goats infected with PPR were estimated and compared with the uninfected/healthy goats of the same flock. The measured high level of pro-oxidant malondialdehyde (MDA) obtained from lipid peroxidation along with lower levels of anti-oxidants viz. superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT) in PPR-affected Black Bengal goats suggests oxidative stress as one of the mechanism of pathogenesis of PPR virus. In addition, the correlation of oxidative stress due to PPR and the resulting reproductive disorders in the female goats were evaluated. The abortion in pregnant does observed during PPR outbreak was proportional to debility and oxidative stress manifested during PPR infection. The reproductive performance of recovered female goats in the period of 18 months of monitoring was significantly compromised in terms of kidding and twinning frequency. The mortality rate in kids born from PPR-recovered goats was significantly higher compared to those from health goats in the first 9 months post-recovery. From the present study, it may be concluded that together with the PPR virus, infection in goats and the resulting oxidative stress play a vital role for abortion and reduced post-reproductive performance in Black Bengal female goat.

Experiences of sexual harassment of women health workers in four hospitals in Kolkata, India.

PubMed

Chaudhuri, Paramita

2007-11-01

In 1997, the Supreme Court of India recognised sexual harassment in the workplace as a violation of human rights. However, little is known about the extent or persistence of sexual harassment. To obtain an understanding of women's experiences of sexual harassment in the health sector, an exploratory study was undertaken in 2005-2006 among 135 women health workers, including doctors, nurses, health care attendants, administrative and other non-medical staff working in two government and two private hospitals in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Four types of experiences were reported by the 77 women who had experienced 128 incidents of sexual harassment: verbal harassment (41), psychological harassment (45), sexual gestures and exposure (15), and unwanted touch (27). None of the women reported rape, attempted rape or forced sex but a number of them knew of other women health workers who had experienced these. The women who had experienced harassment were reluctant to complain, fearing for their jobs or being stigmatised, and most were not aware of formal channels for redress. Experiences of sexual harassment reflected the obstacles posed by power imbalances and gender norms in empowering women to make a formal complaint, on the one hand, and receive redress on the other.

Study of the impact of epidemiological factors on intelligence of rural children of 3 to 6 years age group belonging to low socio-economic status.

PubMed

Lahiri, S K; Mukhopadhyay, S P; Das, K K; Ray, S K; Biswas, D

1994-01-01

There are many factors which affect intelligence as well as physical growth of children, although genetic factor plays a prime role but social, environmental and psychological factors influence significantly the physical growth and intelligence of the child and the same can be improved through intervention. Community based studies are therefore useful to understand effect of these factors for future planning. The present study was therefore undertaken in Burdwan district of West Bengal with the objectives of studying level of intelligence of children of 3 to 6 years age group and impact of the factors related to the level of intelligence of these children. 72 children of 3 to 6 years age group were studied, of which 2/3 were either normal or having Grade-I undernutrition and the rest were either Grade-II or Grade-III. A significant positive association was found between DST IQ score (Bharat Raj) and the nutritional grade. Non-formal education also was found to have significant bearing on the IQ level. No significant relationship was however found between DST IQ score and the religion indicating culture independence of the scoring system.

Health-related morphological characteristics and physiological fitness in connection with nutritional, socio-economic status, occupational workload of tea garden workers.

PubMed

Sengupta, Pallav; Sahoo, Sobhana

2014-09-01

Reports on the cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition of male workers engaged in processing of tea leaves in factories within the tea-estates of West Bengal, under the influence of physiological workload, are quite scanty. This cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate morphometric characteristics based on physiological status and physical fitness of tea factory laborers who are continuously exposed to tea dust in their work environment for more than two years. Subjects were divided into control and tea garden workers groups. Height and weight were measured and the body mass index (BMI) was computed. Physiological parameters such as resting heart rate, blood pressure, fitness variables like physical fitness index (PFI), energy expenditure (EE), handgrip strength and anthropometric parameters like mid-upper arm (MUAC), thigh circumference (TC), head circumference (HC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were measured. Body surface area (BSA), BMI, body fat percentage and fitness variables (PFI, EE) showed significant difference (p < 0.05) between the two groups. Anthropometric measures (MUAC, TC, HC, WHR) reflected poor status among laborers. The present study shows that the majority of workers had ectomorph stature, good physical fitness, but had poor nutritional status (BMI and WHR).

Phosphate-solubility and phosphatase activity in Gangetic alluvial soil as influenced by organophosphate insecticide residues.

PubMed

Majumder, Shyam Prasad; Das, Amal Chandra

2016-04-01

An experiment was conducted under laboratory conditions to investigate the effect of four organophosphate insecticides, viz. monocrotophos, profenophos, quinalphos and triazophos at their field application rates (0.75, 1.0, 0.5 and 0.6 kg a.i.ha(-1), respectively), on the growth and activities of phosphate solubilizing microorganisms in relation to availability of insoluble phosphates in the Gangetic alluvial soil of West Bengal, India. The proliferation of phosphate solubilizing microorganisms was highly induced with profenophos (38.3%), while monocrotophos exerted maximum stimulation (20.8%) towards the solubility of insoluble phosphates in soil. The phosphatase activities of the soil (both acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase) were significantly increased due to the incorporation of the insecticides in general, and the augmentation was more pronounced with quinalphos (43.1%) followed by profenophos (27.6%) for acid phosphatase, and with monocrotophos (25.2%) followed by profenophos (16.1%) for alkaline phosphatase activity in soil. The total phosphorus was highly retained by triazophos (19.9%) followed by monocrotophos (16.5%), while incorporation of triazophos and quinalphos manifested greater availability of water soluble phosphorus in soil. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characterization of a fluoride-resistant bacterium Acinetobacter sp. RH5 towards assessment of its water defluoridation capability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukherjee, Shraboni; Yadav, Vaibhav; Mondal, Madhumanti; Banerjee, Soumya; Halder, Gopinath

2017-07-01

The present study investigates the defluoridation capability of fluoride-resistant bacteria from contaminated groundwater collected from Asanjola and Madhabpur, West Bengal, India. Seven strains of fluoride-resistant bacteria were isolated employing culture media containing 10-250 mg/L of fluoride to evaluate their ability in reducing fluoride concentration in water. Five isolates exhibited significant amount of reduction in fluoride. Isolate RH5 achieved a maximum fluoride removal of 25.7 % from the media at 30 °C and pH 7 after 8 days of incubation. Based on morphological, physiological characteristics and analysis of 16S rDNA gene sequence, isolate RH5 was identified as Acinetobacter sp. RH5. Growth of RH5 was analysed at a diverse pH range, and it could thrive at pH 5-10. The present investigation revealed that the selective pressure of fluoride results in growth of fluoride-resistant bacteria capable of secreting high-affinity anion-binding compounds. This bacterium played a dominant bioremediative role by concentrating the anions so that they become less available. Hence, the fluoride-resistant bacteria, Acinetobacter sp. RH5, could be used as a promising strain for application in water defluoridation from contaminated sites.

Doctors and Padma awards.

PubMed

Arya, Bhawna; Chopra, Parul R; Goel, Manisha; Sharma, Anuj; Krishna, Anurag; Nundy, Samiran

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND; The announcement of the annual Padma awards in January always generates a great deal of interest as well as controversy and, some believe that many good candidates are excluded and many less deserving ones included. We analysed the recipients in the field of medicine to determine whether or not a pattern emerged regarding who were bestowed these honours. We were not able to objectively evaluate whether or not the honours were 'deserved'. We obtained and then analysed the list of awardees from newspapers and the official website of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Between 2000 and 2010, a total of 1166 awards were announced, of which 157 (13.4%) were in the field of medicine. We excluded foreigners and those from 'alternative' fields (20), and evaluated the remaining 137 in detail. Sixty-two (45.3%) recipients were from Delhi, 18 (13.1%) from Maharashtra and 17 (12.4%) from Tamil Nadu. Of the 137 awardees, 31 (22.6%) were cardiologists or cardiac surgeons. Many large states of the country, such as West Bengal, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana, did not have a single awardee. The over-representation of Delhi and cardiology in the Padma awards for medicine suggests that their distribution is not entirely fair.

Serratia ureilytica sp. nov., a novel urea-utilizing species.

PubMed

Bhadra, Bhaskar; Roy, Pradosh; Chakraborty, Ranadhir

2005-09-01

A Gram-negative, rod-shaped, urea-dissolving and non-spore-forming bacterium, designated strain NiVa 51(T), was isolated from water of the River Torsa in Hasimara, Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal, India. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, strain NiVa 51(T) was shown to belong to the gamma-Proteobacteria and to be related to Serratia marcescens subsp. sakuensis (98.35%) and S. marcescens subsp. marcescens (98.30%); however, strain NiVa 51(T) exhibited only 43.7% similarity to S. marcescens by DNA-DNA hybridization. The G+C content of the genomic DNA of the isolate was 60 mol%. Both biochemical characteristics and fatty acid analysis data supported the affiliation of strain NiVa 51(T) to the genus Serratia. Furthermore, strain NiVa 51(T) was found to utilize urea as nitrogen source. The results of DNA-DNA hybridization as well as physiological and biochemical tests allowed genotypic and phenotypic differentiation of strain NiVa 51(T) from recognized Serratia species. Strain NiVa 51(T) therefore represents a novel species, for which the name Serratia ureilytica sp. nov. is proposed, with type strain NiVa 51(T) (=LMG 22860(T)=CCUG 50595(T)).

Alcohol Use-Related Problems Among a Rural Indian Population of West Bengal: An Application of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT).

PubMed

Barik, Anamitra; Rai, Rajesh Kumar; Chowdhury, Abhijit

2016-03-01

To examine alcohol use and related problems among a rural subset of the Indian population. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) was used as part of Health and Demographic Surveillance of 36,611 individuals aged ≥18 years. From this survey data on 3671 current alcohol users were analysed using bivariate and multivariate ordered logit regression. Over 19% of males and 2.4% of females were current alcohol users. Mean ethanol consumption on a typical drinking day among males was estimated to be higher (96.3 gm) than females (56.5 gm). Mean AUDIT score was 11 among current alcohol users. AUDIT showed in the ordered logit regression estimated alcohol use-related problems to be low among women, Scheduled Tribes and unmarried people, whereas alcohol use-related problems registered high among Muslims. This rural population appears to be in need of an effective intervention program, perhaps targeting men and the household, aimed at reducing the level of alcohol use and related problems. © The Author 2015. Medical Council on Alcohol and Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

Pharmacological and Ethnomedicinal Overview of Heritiera fomes: Future Prospects

PubMed Central

Islam, Md Khirul; Barman, Apurba Kumar; Rahman, Md Mustafizur; Rahman, Taufiq; Al-Nahain, Abdullah; Jahan, Rownak

2014-01-01

Mangrove plants are specialized woody plants growing in the swamps of tidal-coastal areas and river deltas of tropical and subtropical parts of the world. They have been utilized for medicinal and other purposes by the coastal people over the years. Heritiera fomes Buch. Ham. (family: Sterculiaceae) commonly known as Sundari (Bengali) is a preeminent mangrove plant occurring in the Sundarbans forest located in the southern part of Bangladesh and adjoining West Bengal province of India. The plant has applications in traditional folk medicine as evidenced by its extensive use for treating diabetes, hepatic disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, goiter, and skin diseases by the local people and traditional health practitioners. A number of investigations indicated that the plant possesses significant antioxidant, antinociceptive, antihyperglycemic, antimicrobial, and anticancer activities. Phytochemical analyses have revealed the presence of important chemical constituents like saponins, alkaloids, glycosides, tannins, steroids, flavonoids, gums, phytosterols, and reducing sugars. The present study is aimed at compiling information on phytochemical, biological, pharmacological, and ethnobotanical properties of this important medicinal plant, with a view to critically assess the legitimacy of the use of this plant in the aforementioned disorders as well as providing directions for further research. PMID:27382611

Epidemiological predictors of metabolic syndrome in urban West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Chakraborty, Sasthi Narayan; Roy, Sunetra Kaviraj; Rahaman, Md Abdur

2015-01-01

Metabolic syndrome is one of the emerging health problems of the world. Its prevalence is high in urban areas. Though pathogenesis is complex, but the interaction of obesity, sedentary lifestyle, dietary, and genetic factors are known as contributing factors. Community-based studies were very few to find out the prevalence or predictors of the syndrome. To ascertain the prevalence and epidemiological predictors of metabolic syndrome. A total of 690 study subjects were chosen by 30 clusters random sampling method from 43 wards of Durgapur city. Data were analyzed in SPSS version 20 software and binary logistic regression was done to find out statistical significance of the predictors. Among 32.75% of the study population was diagnosed as metabolic syndrome according to National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III definition with a modification for Asia Pacific cut-off of waist circumference. Odds were more among females (2.43), upper social class (14.89), sedentary lifestyle (17.00), and positive family history. The overall prevalence of metabolic syndrome was high in urban areas of Durgapur. Increased age, female gender, higher social status, sedentary lifestyle, positive family history, and higher education were the statistically significant predictors of metabolic syndrome.

Financial Management and Control for Decision Making in Urban Local Bodies in India Using Statistical Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharyya, Sidhakam; Bandyopadhyay, Gautam

2010-10-01

The council of most of the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) has a limited scope for decision making in the absence of appropriate financial control mechanism. The information about expected amount of own fund during a particular period is of great importance for decision making. Therefore, in this paper, efforts are being made to present set of findings and to establish a model of estimating receipts of own sources and payments thereof using multiple regression analysis. Data for sixty months from a reputed ULB in West Bengal have been considered for ascertaining the regression models. This can be used as a part of financial management and control procedure by the council to estimate the effect on own fund. In our study we have considered two models using multiple regression analysis. "Model I" comprises of total adjusted receipt as the dependent variable and selected individual receipts as the independent variables. Similarly "Model II" consists of total adjusted payments as the dependent variable and selected individual payments as independent variables. The resultant of Model I and Model II is the surplus or deficit effecting own fund. This may be applied for decision making purpose by the council.

Prevalence of dental attrition in in vitro fertilization children of West Bengal

PubMed Central

Kar, Sudipta; Sarkar, Subrata; Mukherjee, Ananya

2014-01-01

CONTEXT: Dental attrition is one of the problems affecting the tooth structure. It may affect both in vitro fertilization (IVF) and spontaneously conceived children. AIMS: This study was aimed to evaluate and to compare the prevalence of dental attrition in deciduous dentition of IVF and spontaneously conceived children. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: In a cross-sectional case control study dental attrition status of 3-5 years old children were assessed. The case group consisted of term, singleton babies who were the outcome of IVF in the studied area in 2009. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The control group consisted of term, first child, singleton and spontaneously conceived 3-5 years old children who were also resident of the studied area. A sample of 153 IVF and 153 spontaneously conceived children was examined according to Hansson and Nilner classification. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Statistical analysis was carried out using Chi-square tests (χ2 ) or Z test. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference found in studied (IVF children) and control group (spontaneously conceived children). CONCLUSIONS: IVF children are considered same as spontaneously conceived children when studied in relation to dental attrition status. PMID:24829529

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.

Abdominal pythiosis in a Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris).

PubMed

Buergelt, Claus; Powe, Joshua; White, Tamara

2006-06-01

An adult Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) housed in an outdoor sanctuary in Florida exhibited vomiting, diarrhea, and weight loss. A clinical workup did not reveal the source of the clinical signs and antibiotic therapy was unrewarding. Radiographs revealed the presence of an abdominal mass. The tiger died during an immobilization for a follow-up clinical examination. A necropsy was performed and tissue samples of intestine and mesenteric lymph nodes were submitted for histopathologic diagnosis. A pyogranulomatous panenteritis and lymphadenitis with intralesional hyphae led to a presumptive etiologic diagnosis of intestinal/abdominal pythiosis. The diagnosis of pythiosis was confirmed by serology and immunoblotting.

Mixed Layer Heat and Fresh Water Balance in North Bay of Bengal (18N, 90E) Using a Seaglider and Mooring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thangaprakash, V. P.; Girishkumar, M. S.; S, S.; Chaudhuri, D.; Sureshkumar, N.; Ravichandran, M.; Sengupta, D.; Weller, R. A.

2016-02-01

The Bay of Bengal (BoB) receives the large quantity of freshwater by excess precipitation over evaporation and runoff. This large freshwater flux into the BoB leads to strong haline stratification in the near surface layer, which have significant impact on the evolution of near thermo-haline structure and air-sea interactions process in those areas. However, lack of systematic measurements of observations, the factors that are modulating near mixed layer salinity and temperature in these freshwater pool in the northern BoB is not yet understood clearly. Under OMM - ASIRI (Ocean mixing and monsoon - Air sea interaction regional initiatives in the Northern Indian Ocean) programme, 3 month repeated hydrographic survey using seaglider in a butterfly (or bowtie) track centered around a mooring in the North Bay of Bengal (18N, 89E) equipped with near surface ASIMET sensors and subsurface temperature and salinity measurements, which provides unprecedental data source to quantify the relative contribution of different process on the evolution of near surface thermo-haline field through mixed layer heat and salt budget. The results of the analysis will be presented.

Biotype-specific tcpA genes in Vibrio cholerae.

PubMed

Iredell, J R; Manning, P A

1994-08-01

The tcpA gene, encoding the structural subunit of the toxin-coregulated pilus, has been isolated from a variety of clinical isolates of Vibrio cholerae, and the nucleotide sequence determined. Strict biotype-specific conservation within both the coding and putative regulatory regions was observed, with important differences between the El Tor and classical biotypes. V. cholerae O139 Bengal strains appear to have El Tor-type tcpA genes. Environmental O1 and non-O1 isolates have sequences that bind an El Tor-specific tcpA DNA probe and that are weakly and variably amplified by tcpA-specific polymerase chain reaction primers, under conditions of reduced stringency. The data presented allow the selection of primer pairs to help distinguish between clinical and environmental isolates, and to distinguish El Tor (and Bengal) biotypes from classical biotypes of V. cholerae. While the role of TcpA in cholera vaccine preparations remains unclear, the data strongly suggest that TcpA-containing vaccines directed at O1 strains need include only the two forms of TcpA, and that such vaccines directed at (O139) Bengal strains should include the TcpA of El Tor biotype.

Bay of Bengal Exhibits Warming Trend During the Younger Dryas: Implications of AMOC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panmei, Champoungam; Divakar Naidu, Pothuri; Mohtadi, Mahyar

2017-12-01

A sharp decline in temperature during the Younger Dryas (YD) preceding the current warmer Holocene is well documented in climate archives from the Northern Hemisphere high latitudes. Although the magnitude of YD cooling varied spatially, the response of YD cooling was well documented in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans but not in the Indian Ocean. Here we investigate whether the modern remote forcing of tropical Indian Ocean sea surface temperature (SST) by Northern Hemisphere climate changes holds true for events such as the YD. Our SST reconstruction from the western Bay of Bengal exhibits an overall warming of ˜1.8°C during the YD. We further compared our data with other existing Mg/Ca-based SST records from the Northern Indian Ocean and found no significant negative SST anomalies in both the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal compared to pre- and post-YD, suggesting that no apparent cooling occurred during the YD in the Northern Indian Ocean. In contrast, most part of the YD exhibits positive SST anomalies in the Northern Indian Ocean that coincide with the slowdown of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation during this period.

A meridional dipole in premonsoon Bay of Bengal tropical cyclone activity induced by ENSO: TROPICAL CYCLONES, MONSOON AND ENSO

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

Balaguru, Karthik; Leung, L. Ruby; Lu, Jian

2016-06-27

Analysis of Bay of Bengal tropical cyclone (TC) track data for the month of May during 1980-2013 reveals a meridional dipole in TC intensification: TC intensification rates increased in the northern Bay and decreased in the southern Bay. The dipole was driven by an increase in low-level vorticity and atmospheric humidity in the northern Bay, making the environment more favorable for TC intensification, and enhanced vertical wind shear in the southern Bay, tending to reduce TC development. These environmental changes were associated with a strengthening of the monsoon circulation for the month of May, driven by a La Nin˜a-like shiftmore » in tropical Pacific SSTs andassociated tropical wave dynamics. Analysis of a suite of climate models fromthe CMIP5 archive for the 150-year historical period shows that most models correctly reproduce the link between ENSO and Bay of Bengal TC activity through the monsoon at interannual timescales. Under the RCP 8.5 scenario the same CMIP5 models produce an El Nin˜o like warming trend in the equatorial Pacific, tending to weaken the monsoon circulation. These results suggest« less

Effect of red dyes on blue light phototoxicity against VSC producing bacteria in an experimental oral biofilm.

PubMed

Jeffet, U; Nasrallah, R; Sterer, N

2016-11-21

Oral malodour is considered to be caused mainly by the production of volatile sulfide compounds (VSC) by anaerobic Gram-negative oral bacteria. Previous study showed that these bacteria were susceptible to blue light (wavelengths of 400-500 nm). In the present study, we tested the effect of blue light in the presence of red dyes on malodour production in an experimental oral biofilm. Biofilms were exposed to a plasma-arc light source for 30, 60, and 120 s (i.e. fluences of 41, 82, and 164 J cm -2 , respectively) with the addition of erythrosine, natural red and rose bengal (0.01, 0.1 and 1% w/v). Following light exposure biofilm samples were examined for malodour production (Odour judge), VSC production (Halimeter ™ ), VSC producing bacteria quantification using microscopy sulfide assay (MSA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Results showed that the exposure of experimental oral biofilm to blue light in the presence of rose bengal caused an increased reduction in VSC and malodour production concomitant with an increase in ROS production. These results suggest that rose bengal might be effective as a blue light photosensitizer against VSC producing bacteria.

Quantification of tidally-influenced seasonal groundwater discharge to the Bay of Bengal by seepage meter study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Debnath, Palash; Mukherjee, Abhijit

2016-06-01

Submarine groundwater discharges (SGD) play a major role in solute transport and nutrient flux to the ocean. We have conducted a spatio-temporal high-resolution lunar-tidal cycle-scale seepage meter experiment during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons, to quantify the spatio-temporal patterns and variability of SGD, its terrestrial (T-SGD) and marine components (M-SGD). The measured daily average SGD rates range from no discharge to 3.6 m3 m-2 d-1 during pre-monsoon season and 0.08-5.9 m3 m-2 d-1 during post-monsoon seasons, depending on the tidal pattern. The uncertainty for SGD measurement is calculated as ±0.8% to ±11% for pre-monsoon and ±1.8% to ±17% for post-monsoon respectively. A linear, inverse relationship was observed between the calculated T-SGD and M-SGD components, which varied along the distance from the coast and position in the tidal-cycle, spatial and temporal (daily) variations of seepage rates within the lunar tidal cycle period distinctly demonstrate the influence of tides on groundwater seepage rate. As an instance, for the identification of the bulk discharge location, the centroid of the integrated SGD rate has been calculated and found to be near 20 m offshore area. The average discharge rate per unit area further extrapolated to total SGD fluxes to the Bay of Bengal from eastern Indian coast by extrapolation of the annual and seasonal fluxes observed in the study area, which are first direct/experimental estimate of SGD to the Bay of Bengal. Approximations suggest that in present-day condition, total average annual SGD to the Bay of Bengal is about 8.98 ± 0.6 × 108 m3/y. This is suggested that the SGD input to the ocean through the Bay of Bengal is approximately 0.9% of the global input from the inter-tidal zone and that has an implication on the mass balance of discharging solutes/nutrients to the global oceans. High T-SGD input is observed for all season, which is largest toward landward direction from the delineated saltwater-freshwater interface. The high magnitude of T-SGD could play an important role in mass balance of fresh water discharge and solute transport to the global ocean, thereby influence coastal ecohydrological systems.

Sedimentary Controls on Foraminifera Deposition in the Bay of Bengal: Implications from Single Shell Mg/Ca and δ18O

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fritz-Endres, T.; Dekens, P.; Spero, H. J.; Fehrenbacher, J. S.; Spiess, V.; France-Lanord, C.

2016-12-01

Sediment cores from the Bay of Bengal present an opportunity to improve our understanding of the links between terrestrial and oceanographic climate variability. Foraminifera archive key proxies for reconstructing oceanographic conditions, but in Bengal fan sediments, fossils may have been transported via turbidity currents. Given the difference in SST and SSS variability in the southern (29.0±0.8°C; 33.9 ±0.3‰) and the northern Bay of Bengal (28.0±1.4°C; 31.6±0.8‰), it is important to determine the source of foraminifera to the sediment cores before attempting paleoceanographic reconstructions. We present paired Mg/Ca and δ18O data from single Globigerinoides sacculifer in mudline samples from three locations with differing oceanographic conditions. Two sites are from IODP Expedition 354 and one site is from the continental shelf. IODP Site U1454 (8.4°N, 85.5°E, 3721 m water depth) is near the modern active channel and more likely to be influenced by transport, while IODP site U1449 (8.4°N, 88.7°E, 3653 m water depth) is 200 km from channel activity and site 342KL (20.6°N, 90°E, 1256 m water depth) is on the continental shelf. The distribution of 70 to 80 Mg/Ca and δ18O data-points reflects the seasonal signal at the location foraminifera calcified. Mg/Ca and δ18O data from site U1449 (far from channel activity) have a distribution that most closely reflects the seasonal oceanographic conditions of the overlying water column. However, the distribution of G. sacculifer Mg/Ca and δ18O from site U1454 (near the active channel) has similarities to the distribution of the G. sacculifer Mg/Ca and δ18O data from the continental shelf. Our data suggest that foraminifera near the active channel are a mixture of shells from the overlying water column and shells transported from the northern Bay of Bengal. We suggest foraminifera can be used to reconstruct SST and δ18O in this complex depositional environment, but caution must be taken when the down-core lithology indicates regional turbidite activity and other evidence of sediment redeposition.

Human Impacts On The Bengal Delta's Response To Rapid Climate And Sea-Level Changes: Who Threatens Whom? (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodbred, S. L.

2009-12-01

The densely populated country of Bangladesh is often cited as being severely threatened by predicted changes in climate and accelerated sea-level rise. Justification for this grave assessment is founded in part on the low-lying nation's frequent inundation by river floods and storm surges, which affect millions of people annually. Indeed, nearly 50% of the delta system lies <3 m above sea level, and the 2001 IPCC report suggested that a 1.5 m rise could inundate 22,000 km2 of coastal lowland and displace 17 million people. However, these signs of pending trouble contrast in many ways with patterns of delta behavior observed in the geological record. Sedimentary deposits from the early Holocene demonstrate that the Bengal delta remained largely stable in the face of very rapid sea-level rise, owing to a strengthened Asian monsoon, enhanced fluvial sediment fluxes, and an effective dispersal system. So how can we assess this system's likely response to environmental change based on such seemingly contradictory patterns from the modern and Holocene delta? A first step would be to acknowledge that flooding and land loss are very different processes, and often negatively correlated. For the Bengal delta in particular, coastal and upland flooding is the very process that maintains the system's stability in the facing of rising seas. While such flooding is a strain on humans, for the natural environment it speaks more to a healthful future than decline. Here I present field-based observations of sediment dispersal in the modern Bengal delta, which demonstrate how the system may remain relatively stable over the next century. However, this potentially acceptable outcome becomes increasingly unlikely if human interferences are considered. For example, short-term strategies to mitigate flooding would likely involve artificial leveeing of the river and the diking of coastal lowlands, both of which would limit sedimentation and diminish relative elevation of the delta surface. Threats upstream of the delta also include river damming to address demands for hydroelectric power and water resources in India, with a resulting decline in sediment discharge to the coast. Ultimately, it may be the impacts of such direct human-modification to the Bengal delta and river systems that outpace - in time and severity - those resulting from climate and sea-level changes alone.

Deciphering groundwater quality for irrigation and domestic purposes - a case study in Suri I and II blocks, Birbhum District, West Bengal, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Shreya; Nag, S. K.

2015-07-01

Assessment of the hydrochemical characteristics of water and aquifer hydraulic properties is important for groundwater planning and management in the study area. It is not only the basic need for human existence but also a vital input for all development activities. The present hydro-geochemical study of groundwater samples from the Suri I and II blocks of Birbhum district, West Bengal (23.76 ∘-23.99 ∘N; 87.42 ∘-87.64 ∘E) was carried out to assess their suitability for agricultural, domestic and drinking purposes. For this study, samples were collected from 26 locations during the post-monsoon and pre-monsoon sessions spanning over 2012 and 2013. Groundwater samples were analyzed for their physical and chemical properties using standard laboratory methods. Physical and chemical parameters of groundwater such as pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cl, HCO3, SO4 and F were determined. Various water quality indices like SAR, SSP, PI, RSC, MAR and KR have been calculated for each water sample to identify the irrigational suitability standard. According to most of these parameters, the groundwater has been found to be well to moderately suitable for irrigation. In the post-monsoon session exceptionally high RSC values for around 80% samples indicate an alkaline hazard to the soil. The ion balance histogram for post-monsoon indicates undesirable ion balance values according to fresh water standards whereas in pre-monsoon, the samples show good ion balance in water. For determination of the drinking suitability standard of groundwater, three parameters have been considered - total hardness (TH), Piper's trilinear diagram and water quality index study. Groundwater of the present study area has been found to be moderately-hard to hard during both sampling sessions and hence poses no health risk which could arise due to excess consumption of calcium or magnesium. Hydrogeochemical facies in the form of Piper's trilinear diagram plot which helps in identification of the water `type' which can render a particular taste or odour to water, indicates that groundwater in the study area is majorly of CaMgHCO 3 and NaHCO 3 type (fresh type) during both post-monsoon and pre-monsoon sessions barring a couple of samples which are of CaMgSO 4/CaMgClSO 4 type in pre-monsoon. Water quality index study reveals that close to 90% of the water samples are suitable for drinking during post-monsoon compared to pre-monsoon during which period only 60% of water samples fall under the suitable drinking water category. Gibbs' diagrams, which help in identification of natural processes controlling hydrogeochemistry of groundwater indicates that for both post-monsoon and pre-monsoon sessions, the overall hydrogeochemistry of the study area is dominated by rock-water interaction processes.

Regional Aerosol Forcing over India: Preliminary Results from the South West Asian Aerosol-Monsoon Interactions (SWAAMI) Aircraft Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgan, W.; Brooks, J.; Fox, C.; Haslett, S.; Liu, D.; Kompalli, S. K.; Pathak, H.; Manoj, M. R.; Allan, J. D.; Haywood, J. M.; Highwood, E.; Langridge, J.; Nanjundaiah, R. S.; Krishnamoorthy, K.; Babu, S. S.; Satheesh, S. K.; Turner, A. G.; Coe, H.

2016-12-01

Aerosol particles from multiple sources across the Indian subcontinent build up to form a dense and extensive haze across the region in advance of the monsoon. These aerosols are thought to perturb the regional radiative balance and hydrological cycle, which may have a significant impact on the monsoon circulation, as well as influencing the associated cloud and rainfall of the system. However the nature and magnitude of such impacts are poorly understood or constrained. Major uncertainties relevant to the regional aerosol burden include its vertical distribution, the relative contribution of different pollution sources and natural emissions and the role of absorbing aerosol species (black carbon and mineral dust). The South West Asian Aerosol-Monsoon Interactions (SWAAMI) project sought to address these major uncertainties by conducting an airborne experiment during June/July 2016 on-board the UK Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurement (FAAM) BAe-146 research aircraft. Based out of Lucknow in the), The aircraft conducted multiple flights from Lucknow in the heart of the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) in advance of the monsoon and during the onset phase. The spatial and vertical distribution of aerosol was evaluated across northern India, encompassing drier desert-like regions to the west, heavily populated urban and industrial centres over the IGP and air masses in outflow regions to the south-east towards the Bay of Bengal. Principal measurements included aerosol chemical composition using an Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometer and a DMT Single Particle Soot Photometer, alongside a Leosphere backscatter LIDAR. Sulphate was a major contributor to the aerosol burden across India, while the organic aerosol was elevated and more dominant over the most polluted regions of the IGP. Substantial aerosol concentrations were frequently observed up to altitudes of approximately 6km, with notable changes in aerosol chemical and physical properties when comparing different layers between there and the surface. Black carbon concentrations were enhanced at lower altitudes (approximately 0-2km), with reduced concentrations above this. Further observations will be presented and used to characterise the regional aerosol burden and its associated interactions with the monsoon.

Elicitation of spreading depression by rose bengal photodynamic action.

PubMed

Netto, M; Martins-Ferreira, H

1989-08-01

Spreading depression refers to a slowly propagating depression of the ordinary electrical activity of the nervous tissue. It can be elicited by different types of physical or chemical non-specific stimuli. Various evidences suggest that transient alterations of cell membranes are involved. For this reason, and considering the action of free radicals on cell membranes, the elicitation of the reaction by dye photoactivation has been investigated. Isolated chick retina superfused in the dark with Ringer solution was able to regularly exhibit spreading depression when submitted to 1 microM rose bengal pulse of 5 min in duration, followed by 2.1 x 10(4) to 4.2 x 10(4) Jm-2 light pulse. The phenomenon was monitored either by visual inspection of the light-scattering milky wave that accompanies the reaction or by recording its characteristic slow voltage variation. The reaction was not triggered if the retina, superfused with the dye, was (a) maintained in the dark; (b) illuminated with red light (3.75 x 10(2) to 2.25 x 10(4) Jm-2), or (c) stimulated by white light but superfused with nitrogen-saturated solutions. It is concluded that, under the present conditions, the elicitation of spreading depression is contingent on the photoactivation of rose bengal in the presence of oxygen.

Allogenic and Autogenic Signals in the Stratigraphic Record of the Deep-Sea Bengal Fan.

PubMed

Blum, Mike; Rogers, Kimberly; Gleason, James; Najman, Yani; Cruz, Jarrett; Fox, Lyndsey

2018-05-22

The Himalayan-sourced Ganges-Brahmaputra river system and the deep-sea Bengal Fan represent Earth's largest sediment-dispersal system. Here we present detrital zircon U-Pb provenance data from Miocene to middle Pleistocene Bengal Fan turbidites, and evaluate the influence of allogenic forcing vs. autogenic processes on signal propagation from the Himalaya to the deep sea. Our data record the strong tectonic and climatic forcing characteristic of the Himalayan system: after up to 2500 km of river transport, and >1400 km of transport by turbidity currents, the U-Pb record faithfully represents Himalayan sources. Moreover, specific U-Pb populations record Miocene integration of the Brahmaputra drainage with the Asian plate, as well as the rapid Plio-Pleistocene incision through, and exhumation of, the eastern Himalayan syntaxis. The record is, however, biased towards glacial periods when rivers were extended across the shelf in response to climate-forced sea-level fall, and discharged directly to slope canyons. Finally, only part of the record represents a Ganges or Brahmaputra provenance end-member, and most samples represent mixing from the two systems. Mixing or the lack thereof likely represents the fingerprint of autogenic delta-plain avulsions, which result in the two rivers delivering sediment separately to a shelf-margin canyon or merging together as they do today.

Compound-Specific Radiocarbon Dating Reveals the Age Distribution of Plant-Wax Biomarkers Exported to the Bengal Fan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galy, V.; French, K. L.; Hein, C. J.; Haghipour, N.; Wacker, L.; Kudrass, H.; Eglinton, T. I.

2017-12-01

The stable isotope composition of leaf-wax compounds preserved in lacustrine and marine sediments has been widely used to reconstruct terrestrial paleo-environments. However, the timescales of plant-wax storage in continental reservoirs before riverine export are not well known, representing a key uncertainty in paleo-environment studies. We couple numerical models with bulk and leaf-wax fatty acid organic 13C and 14C signatures hosted in a high-deposition-rate sediment core from the Bengal shelf canyon in order to estimate storage timescales within the Ganges-Brahmaputra catchment area. The fatty acid 14C record reveals a muted nuclear weapons bomb spike, requiring that the Ganges-Brahmaputra river system exports a mixture of young and old (pre-aged) leaf-wax compounds. According to numerical simulations, 79-83% of the leaf-wax fatty acids in this core are sourced from continental reservoirs that store organic carbon on an average of 1000-1200 calendar years, while the remainder has an average age of 15 years. These results demonstrate that a majority of the leaf-wax compounds produced in the Ganges-Brahmaputra river basin was stored in soils, floodplains, and wetlands prior to its export to the Bengal Fan. We will discuss the implications of these findings for plant-wax based paleoenvironmental records.

Rose Bengal Photothrombosis by Confocal Optical Imaging In Vivo: A Model of Single Vessel Stroke.

PubMed

Talley Watts, Lora; Zheng, Wei; Garling, R Justin; Frohlich, Victoria C; Lechleiter, James Donald

2015-06-23

In vivo imaging techniques have increased in utilization due to recent advances in imaging dyes and optical technologies, allowing for the ability to image cellular events in an intact animal. Additionally, the ability to induce physiological disease states such as stroke in vivo increases its utility. The technique described herein allows for physiological assessment of cellular responses within the CNS following a stroke and can be adapted for other pathological conditions being studied. The technique presented uses laser excitation of the photosensitive dye Rose Bengal in vivo to induce a focal ischemic event in a single blood vessel. The video protocol demonstrates the preparation of a thin-skulled cranial window over the somatosensory cortex in a mouse for the induction of a Rose Bengal photothrombotic event keeping injury to the underlying dura matter and brain at a minimum. Surgical preparation is initially performed under a dissecting microscope with a custom-made surgical/imaging platform, which is then transferred to a confocal microscope equipped with an inverted objective adaptor. Representative images acquired utilizing this protocol are presented as well as time-lapse sequences of stroke induction. This technique is powerful in that the same area can be imaged repeatedly on subsequent days facilitating longitudinal in vivo studies of pathological processes following stroke.

The threat from sea and land. Regional report 2: the Bay of Bengal.

PubMed

1994-01-01

This article reports on the environmental threat caused by the Bay of Bengal on the economic situation in Bangladesh and India. More than four-fifths of Bangladesh amount to an extended delta at the confluence of one of the largest river systems in the world, comprising the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna. In the Brahmaputra watershed, the rate of deforestation caused soil erosion in the Himalayas is five times as much as in the geological past. This sediment loading is often considered to be a prime factor in downstream flooding. Because of this, Bangladesh agriculture products were damaged, which led to economic instability. Furthermore, as a result of the combined impacts of population growth, poverty, no land, and inadequate food supplies, many migrated into the neighboring Indian areas. Moreover, the susceptibility of the Bay of Bengal to cyclones has caused a great number of deaths leaving millions of people homeless. Cyclone episodes are expected to be more frequent as global warming continues. Furthermore, Bangladesh was estimated to be only 5 meters above sea level, which is considered vulnerable to sea level rise. On top of these problems, trouble from the other side of Bangladesh was also predicted with the combined outflow of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna leading to more national damage.