Spatial Patterns of Heaping in Age Data among Literates, Illiterates, and Numeracy-Literacy Correlates: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Census 2011, of India.

Background: Accurate information on age is an essential prerequisite for demographic and epidemiological studies. This study analyzed the age data quality among the literate and illiterate (combined, rural, urban) population and examined the association between data quality and literacy. Material and Method: Secondary data on age statistics and literacy were obtained from census 2011. We measured age data quality for literates and illiterates (combined, rural, urban) by transforming Whipple's index known as ABCC, abbreviated based on surnames of the developers A'Hearn, Baten, and Crayen (2009). Correlation tests between literacy and ABCC were performed. RStudio (Version 1.3.1073) was used. Result: Computed ABCC indices in majority states (union territories) for literates (data quality rough) were higher than illiterates (data quality very rough). Urban data among literates and rural data among illiterates were comparatively superior. Correlation between ABCC and literacy rates for (i) literate combined (R = 0.84, P = 3.5e-10), (ii) literate rural (R = 0.8, P = 1.1e-08), (iii) literate urban (R = 0.8, P = 1e-08), (iv) illiterate combined (R = 0.54, P = 9e-04), (v) illiterate rural (R = 0.48, P = 0.0034), and (vi) illiterate urban (R = 0.73, P = 6.4e-07) was significant. Age data quality for both literates and illiterates was poor. There was heaping at terminal digits "0" and "5" even among literates, which contradicts the theoretical expectation of quality data among literates. Conclusion: Correlations between data quality and literacy were significant, with comparatively lower magnitude among illiterates, which indicates the role of literacy in yielding quality data. Awareness, training, ADHAAR-based enumeration, and digitization may be suggested for better age data.

A Rare Case of Blood & Sweat: Hematohidrosis.

Hematohidrosis is an uncommon pathophysiological condition of sweating blood. A young lady with abrupt bleeding from the skin (since January 2017) was brought to the emergency. The bleeding was vanished after mopping with no site of injury, but it reappeared soon enough confirming its nature. Bleeding time (BT), clotting time (CT), and the prothrombin time (PT) was within normal limit. This patient is confirmed as a case of hematohidrosis by the method of exclusion and the presence of blood was finalized by benzidine test as well as biochemical and microscopic examination of it. Now, no treatment is available as per the latest pieces of evidence. Also, the cause of it is not known till date. Psychological anxiety is a predisposing cause for hematohidrosis.

Fast Convolution Filter-Bank Based Non-Orthogonal Multiplexed Cognitive Radio (NOMCR) Receiver Design Using Cyclostationarity Based FRESH Filtering.

Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) systems are being considered as candidates for 5G wireless systems due to their promise of improved spectral efficiency. NOMA schemes are being combined with popular multicarrier schemes such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) to take advantage of the benefits of multicarrier signals. A variant of the power domain NOMA is Layer Division Multiplexing (LDM). The most commonly deployed power domain LDM scheme involves successive interference cancellation (SIC) based decoding at the receiver. Fast convolution based filtered-OFDM (FC-F-OFDM) systems are becoming popular among 5G wireless access technologies due to their ability to process 5G physical layer signals efficiently. In this work, firstly, a cognitive multicarrier non-orthogonal multiplexed system based on the concept of LDM is discussed, which uses FC-F-OFDM and conventional OFDM as its component layers. Secondly, cyclostationary FREquency SHift (FRESH) filter based SIC decoding is used at the receiver side, which also utilizes artificial neural network (ANN) processing. Computer simulations indicate that the system provides good bit error rate (BER) performance under frequency selective Rayleigh fading channels.

Ecophysiological evaluation of tree species for biomonitoring of air quality and identification of air pollution-tolerant species.

Identification of tree species that can biologically monitor air pollution and can endure air pollution is very much important for a sustainable green belt development around any polluted place. To ascertain the species, ten tree species were selected on the basis of some previous study from the campus of the University of Burdwan and were studied in the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. The study has been designed to investigate biochemical and physiological activities of selected tree species as the campus is presently exposed to primary air pollutants and their impacts on plant community were observed through the changes in several physical and biochemical constituents of plant leaves. As the plant species continuously exchange different gaseous pollutants in and out of the foliar system and are very sensitive to gaseous pollutants, they serve as bioindicators. Due to air pollution, foliar surface undergoes different structural and functional changes. In the selected plant species, it was observed that the concentration of primary air pollutants, proline content, pH, relative water holding capacity, photosynthetic rate, and respiration rate were higher in the pre-monsoon than the post-monsoon season, whereas the total chlorophyll, ascorbic acid, sugar, and conductivity were higher in the post-monsoon season. From the entire study, it was observed that the concentration of sulfur oxide (SO x ), nitrogen oxide (NO x ), and suspended particulate matter (SPM) all are reduced in the post-monsoon season than the pre-monsoon season. In the pre-monsoon season, SO x , NO x , and SPM do not have any significant correlation with biochemical as well as physiological parameters. SPM shows a negative relationship with chlorophyll 'a' (r = -0.288), chlorophyll 'b' (r = -0.267), and total chlorophyll (r = -0.238). Similarly, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and the total chlorophyll show negative relations with SO x and NO x (p < 0.005) during the post-monsoon season. Proline shows a positive relationship with SO x in the pre-monsoon season whereas in the post-monsoon season proline content shows a positive relationship with both SO x and NO x . The present study facilitates to screen eight sensitive and two moderately tolerant tree species according to their air pollution tolerance index (APTI) values.

Effect of mercury on seedling growth, nodulation and ultrastructural deformation of Vigna radiata (L) Wilczek.

Heavy metals are major environmental pollutant when they present in high concentration in soil and have toxic effects on growth, nodulation and nitrogen fixation of legumes and development of plants. Mercury stress triggers disturbances in cellular structure, and metabolismn is poorly understood. The response of seedling growth and nodulation of Vigna radiata (L) Wilczek to different concentrations (0.1, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 ppm) of mercury (Hg) salt solutions were studied. Morphological parameters like root and shoot length, dry weight, nodule number, total leaf area and biochemical constituents (chlorophyll, malondialdehyde and leghaemoglobin) of bean plants were recorded at an interval of 30 days. The successive growth deformaties in seedlings and nodules were recorded at lower concentration (0.1 ppm), but marginal (0.5 ppm) and higher (1.0 ppm) level of Hg salt solution showed significant suppression. The maximum level of Hg concentration (1.5 ppm) shows high level of tolerance index without any nodule. The control treatment shows maximum level of leghaemoglobin (0.219 mM) and all other morpho-physiological and bio-chemical properties of roots and shoots excepting tolerance index (0.00) and chlorophyll 'a' (7.52 mg g(-1) FW). Mercury accumulation pattern follows the sequences: leaf > nodule > root ≈ shoot at lower level of Hg (0.1 and 0.5 ppm). However, higher level of Hg (1.0 and 1.5 ppm) showed shoot > root > leaf > nodule. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) study of root also highlights the deleterious effect of Hg salt at higher concentration.

Characterization of fluoride-tolerant halophilic Bacillus flexus NM25 (HQ875778) isolated from fluoride-affected soil in Birbhum District, West Bengal, India.

A new Gram-positive, nonpigmented, rod-shaped fluoride-tolerant bacterial strain, NM25, was isolated from waterlogged muddy field soil collected from the fluoride endemic area of Rampurhat II block (average fluoride in water, 4.7 mg/l, and in soil, 1.5 mg/kg) in Birbhum District, West Bengal, India. The study was undertaken to characterize the fluoride-tolerant bacterial isolate, to determine its role in bioaccumulation of fluoride, and to analyze the water and soil quality of the bacterial environment. The isolate was positive for catalase, lipase, urease, protease, oxidase, and H2S production, but negative for indole production, nitrate reduction, and Vogues-Proskauer test. The organisms were sensitive to recommended doses of ofloxacin, kanamycin, rifampicin, levofloxacin, vancomycin, gatifloxacin, gentamicin, doxycycline, streptomycin, and nalidixic acid but resistant to ampicillin. Based on the phenotypic characteristics, 16S rRNA gene sequence, and phylogenetic analysis, the bacterial isolate NM25 was identified as Bacillus flexus. The G+C content of the 16S rDNA was 53.14 mol%. This strain tolerated up to 20% (w/v) NaCl in nutrient agar medium and was grown at the pH range 4-12. It reduced fluoride concentration up to 67.45% and tolerated more than 1,500 ppm of fluoride in brain-heart infusion agar medium.

Studies on phytotoxic effect of aluminium on growth and some morphological parameters of Vigna radiata L. Wilczek.

Aluminium toxicity is a major deterrent for plant growth in acid soils below pH 5.0. This study deals with effect of aluminium toxicity on growth of mungbean (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek) seedlings. Seed germination (in %) declined with increased content of Al2(SO4)3, while promotive effect was observed at very low dosage. Different concentrations of aluminum sulphate salt were applied to mungbean seeds. Measurement of aluminium content in mungbean leaves was done through atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Root length (root and hypocotyl length) and shoot length (shoot and epicotyl length) was measured at seven days old seedling stage. Different concentrations of Al2(SO4)3 were found to have significant effect both on shoot and root length. Leaf area, fresh and dry weight was significantly reduced. Increased stomatal frequency and trichome density with an increase in concentrations of Al2(S04)3 was observed through scanning electron microscope.