Indigenous chicken production system in different agro-ecology of Indian Himalayan Region: implication on food and economic security.

The indigenous chicken production system (ICPS) has several use values and ecosystem services. In the last few years, ICPS has been recognized for its possible contribution to household food security, income generation, wildlife protection, and bettering the women's lives. This study aimed to collect, for the first time, comprehensive information about ICPS in three different agro-ecologies (tropical, sub-tropical, and sub-temperate) of the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) and its role in food and economic security of traditional communities. In this study region, ICPS is semi-extensive, providing homegrown feed and temporary night shelter. In sub-temperate agro-ecology, females owned non-significant (p = 0.170) more indigenous chicken flocks than males. Households in sub-temperate agro-ecologies had significantly (p ≤ 0.001) larger flock sizes and tropical livestock units (chicken-TLU). However, the livestock diversity index (LDI) was significantly higher (p ≤ 0.001) in tropical and subtropical agro-ecology. The households in the sub-temperate region highly (p ≤ 0.001) valued indigenous chicken because of its survivability and adaptability. In absolute numbers significant (p ≤ 0.001) higher numbers of adult birds died in past 1 year in sub-temperate agro-ecology. The mortality rate of adult birds in sub-temperate agro-ecology was 9%, and it was 14 and 15% in tropical and sub-tropical agro-ecologies, respectively. In sub-temperate agro-ecology, larger flock size translated into significantly higher (p ≤ 0.001) egg production and subsequently a significant (p ≤ 0.001) higher egg consumption per household per month. In sub-temperate agro-ecology, households' dietary diversity score was significantly (p ≤ 0.001) higher. Similarly, the average annual income from ICPS was significantly higher (p ≤ 0.001) in sub-temperate agro-ecology and accounted for 18% of household income. ICPS' marketing chain was relatively short in the sub-temperate region. In all agro-ecologies, indigenous chicken and egg demand was significantly higher (p ≤ 0.001) in the winter. ICPS litter is used as farmyard manure, enhancing ecological resilience. In all agro-ecologies, the three most frequently cited obstacles to extending the indigenous chicken production system are illnesses, predators, and a lack of chicks availability. ICPS contributes to food and nutritional security, economic stability, and ecological resilience in this hilly and fragile ecosystem. Even though the system is self-sustaining, management and health interventions can increase production and productivity.

Participatory assessment of management and biosecurity practices of smallholder pig farms in North East India.

The present study was aimed at describing the pig production system, farm management, pig movement, and existing biosecurity level of smallholders' pig production system in North East India. A cross-sectional survey of 1,000 pig producers in four districts (two urban and two rural) in core pig-producing regions of India, where ASF occurrence had been reported, was conducted. The mean pig population was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in urban districts. In urban districts, most of the pig houses were isolated but located on the roadside, while in rural districts, commune pig houses along the roadside were more common. The majority of the respondent purchased (91%) or sold (60%) the pigs during the past 12 months. Swill feeding was common in the entire study area. The majority of the respondent (80%) in rural districts were unaware of ASF. Significant pig trade of live pigs and pork products was observed in the urban district. In the case of on-farm biosecurity measures, only 6.9% of respondents had fencing for the pig farm, 99.3% did not have provision for a footbath, and only 17.2% of the respondents restricted visitors' access to the pig farm. The study revealed that the pig production system is dominated by smallholding units with a frequent introduction or exit of pigs along with poor on-farm biosecurity measures. With the current level of farm management and biosecurity practices, smallholder pig farmers are at an increased risk of ASF and other contagious diseases.

Dynamics of soil organic carbon of jhum agriculture land-use system in the heterogeneous hill of Arunachal Pradesh, India.

Land-use conversion affects soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics. Therefore, an in-depth study of change in SOC, SOC pool, fractions of SOC and enzymatic activities of soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) and dehydrogenase (DHA) with the conversion of forest land to jhum, fallow jhum and settle cultivation use has been undertaken on the hills of Arunachal Pradesh of India. Geo-referenced soil samples from eight different locations, each from different land uses were collected at three depth. One part of the soil sample had been used for the analysis of SOC and its carbon fraction. The second portion was kept in a deep freezer for determining SMBC and DHA. The third part was used for the analysis of bulk density. The result revealed that the highest loss of SOC pool was recorded in jhum land (41.8 to 13.4%), and the labile carbon was also found to decrease in jhum land. The highest SMBC was observed on the surface soil of the natural forest; the highest DHA was found in the natural forest; and the lowest DHA was recorded in jhum land. This study found that the converting natural forest to jhum reduces SOC storage, enzymatic activities and C fractions significantly whereas fallow jhum shows sign of recovery because all of these parameters improved when compared to the jhum land-use system. This study also confirms that the fallow period helps restore the initial situation.

Distribution of hypertension subtypes in a hill tribe of Mizoram, Northeast India.

OBJECTIVE: Hypertension is a potential risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. With increasing age there is differential rise of systolic and diastolic blood pressure leading to development of various hypertension subtypes which have its own clinical implications. Present study assessed distribution and risk factors of hypertensive subtypes in the hill tribe of Mizoram. METHODS: The present study was a community-based cross-sectional study carried out in Aizawl, Mizoram representing both rural (fourteen villages) and urban (six wards) population and which were selected by PPS method. Individuals aged 18 years and above providing informed verbal consent were included for collection of sociodemographic and clinical data including blood pressure. Of the total 12,313 subjects (Urban: 5853, Rural: 6460) & (Male: 5459, Female: 6854) surveyed, 549 hypertensive subjects who were under antihypertensive treatment were excluded. Hypertension subtype was defined as per standard guidelines. RESULTS: Out of 11,764 study individuals, 88.03% (CI: 87.43-88.61) were normotensive and 11.97% (CI: 11.39-12.57) individuals were hypertensive. Prevalence of ISH, IDH and SDH were 241(2.05%), 403 (3.43%) and 764 (6.49%) respectively. Older age, unmarried participants, physical inactivity and obesity are found to be associated with ISH. Male gender, older age, higher educational status, physical inactivity, consumption of extra salt, alcohol consumption, use of tuibur and high BMI were significantly associated with SDH. CONCLUSIONS: The overall prevalence of hypertension with its subtypes specifically isolated systolic hypertension are low in this hill tribe of Mizoram. It is the right time for initiating intervention programme to modify the risk factors associated with hypertension.

Cytotoxic and genotoxic affects of acid mine drainage on fish Channa punctata (Bloch).

The investigation deals with the effects of Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) of coal mine on fish Channa punctata (Bloch) by examining the incidence of haematological, morphological, histological changes and DNA fragmentation in tissues of C. punctata in laboratory condition. For this study fishes were exposed to 10% of AMD for a period of 30 days. The fusion of the primary and secondary gill lamellae, distortion, loss of alignment, deposition of worn out tissues and mucous on the surface of the lamella in the gills; degeneration of morphological architecture, loss of alignment of tubules, mucous deposition in the kidney; cellular damage, cellular necrosis, extraneous deposition on the surface, pore formation in the liver are some important changes detected by scanning electron microscopy. Fishes of AMD treated group showed gradual significant decrease in TEC, Hb and, increase in TLC and DLC as compared to that of the control. DNA fragmentation observed in kidney of fishes from treated group indicates an intricate pollutant present in the AMD. The high incidence of morphological and histological alterations, haematological changes along with DNA breakage in C. punctata is an evidence of the cytotoxic and genotoxic potential of AMD of coal mines.

Evaluation of genetic toxicity caused by acid mine drainage of coal mines on fish fauna of Simsang River, Garohills, Meghalaya, India.

Fishery ecology of the Simsang River, Meghalaya is being threatened by large scale environmental degradation due to acid mine drainage (AMD) of coal mines. In the present paper, effort has been made to evaluate the genotoxicity caused due to AMD of coal mines on Channa punctata under laboratory condition through comet assay, micronucleus and chromosome aberration tests. Water samples were collected seasonally from affected and unaffected sites of the River and physico-chemical quality of water indicated low pH (4.6), high concentration of sulphates (270mgL(-1)) and iron (7.2mgL(-1)) beyond permissible limits. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) showed highest concentration of 4-ring PAH and Benzo[a]anthracene was the most important pollutant in the water collected from affected sites. The highest and the lowest mean concentrations of PAHs were estimated in monsoon and winter season, respectively. The index of DNA damage assessed by comet assay, micronucleus and chromosome aberration tests demonstrated significant differences season wise in different sampling sites. Frequency of DNA-damaged cells was found highest in the water samples collected from affected site in monsoon season.

Evaluation of soy-based surface active copolymers as surfactant ingredients in model shampoo formulations.

OBJECTIVE: A new non-toxic soybean oil-based polymeric surfactant (SBPS) for personal-care products was developed and extensively characterized, including an evaluation of the polymeric surfactant performance in model shampoo formulations. METHODS: To experimentally assure applicability of the soy-based macromolecules in shampoos, either in combination with common anionic surfactants (in this study, sodium lauryl sulfate, SLS) or as a single surface-active ingredient, the testing of SBPS physicochemical properties, performance and visual assessment of SBPS-based model shampoos was carried out. RESULTS: The results obtained, including foaming and cleaning ability of model formulations, were compared to those with only SLS as a surfactant as well as to SLS-free shampoos. Overall, the results show that the presence of SBPS improves cleaning, foaming, and conditioning of model formulations. CONCLUSIONS: SBPS-based formulations meet major requirements of multifunctional shampoos - mild detergency, foaming, good conditioning, and aesthetic appeal, which are comparable to commercially available shampoos. In addition, examination of SBPS/SLS mixtures in model shampoos showed that the presence of the SBPS enables the concentration of SLS to be significantly reduced without sacrificing shampoo performance.

Population-specific left ventricular hypertrophy in three groups from the northeastern region of India.

BACKGROUND: People living in the hills are continuously exposed to strenuous physical activity for their day-to-day work. Besides hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy in different populations may be related to continuous physical activity. METHODS: Electrocardiogram, blood pressure and sociodemographic information of 12 252 subjects > or = 30 years of age from three different population groups living in Mizoram (hilly) and Assam (plain) were recorded. Of them, 8058 were from Mizoram and 3180 and 1014 were Indigenous Assamese and tea garden workers of Assam. RESULTS: Among the subjects from Mizoram the percentage of smokers (41.9%), mean (SD) BMI (21.9 [3.8]) and waist-hip ratio (0.87 [0.02]) were significantly higher than in those from other groups. Tea garden workers had a higher mean systolic blood pressure (145.2 [25.7]) and diastolic blood pressure (87.6 [13.6]). The prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy was highest among tea garden workers (16.5%) followed by people from Mizoram (3.7%) and the indigenous Assamese (2%) people. In spite of a significantly higher prevalence of hypertension among the indigenous Assamese community than among those from Mizoram, left ventricular hypertrophy was found to be lower in the former. CONCLUSION: High prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy among tea garden workers was possibly related to a higher prevalence of hypertension but the higher prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy among people from Mizoram might be related to more physical activity.

Prevalence of Citrus tristeza virus in Mandarin of Sikkim Himalayan Region.

The assessment of Citrus tristeza virus incidence in mandarin of Sikkim, involving sampling techniques, was estimated by DAS-ELISA. Mandarin orchards had high CTV incidence (46.32%), however, differential prevalence with regard to age of plant and location was observed. The CTV prevalence was relatively high in older orchards (51.01%) than that of younger ones (40.80%). Under all the plant age groups, south district had the highest CTV incidence (52.50%) and east district had the lowest (37.71%). The spatial distribution of CTV in plants indicates high concentration in twig followed by leaf tissue, however, stem had relatively less concentration. High aphid infestation was observed in all mandarin growing groves with the maximum in south district and minimum in east district. Taxoptera citricida was the predominating aphid species followed by T. aurantii, however, Aphis spp population was significantly less. Aphid infestation and CTV prevalence were positively and significantly correlated.

Removal of iron from groundwater by ash: a systematic study of a traditional method.

A traditional method for removal of iron from ground water by using ash has been systematically investigated. Ashes from five different sources, viz., banana rind, banana pseudostem, banana leaf, rice husk and bamboo has been studied. The principle applied is enhanced precipitation of iron at high pH caused by ash. The study included laboratory analysis of some relevant chemical parameters of the ashes and the efficiency of the ashes in removing iron from prefabricated water with respect to quantity of ash and corresponding increase in pH of water. The ash of banana pseudostem has been found to be most suitable for removal of iron. A low-cost and easily made iron removal system for household use has been designed and tested in the laboratory. The ash of banana pseudostem has been found to remove iron to below 0.3ppm without increasing the pH above the acceptable limit. The optimum values of the different parameters for removal of iron are 200-300mgl(-1) ash, 1.0lh(-1) flow rate and 1h of contact time with ash for groundwater having [Fe] of about 2.20ppm. The amount of ash can be increased for groundwater having higher [Fe] and can be decreased gradually during continuous use of the system. Acceptability of the method has been examined based on chemical analysis of the treated water. Increase in the essential minerals such as Ca, K has been observed in the water after treatment. The designed iron removing system is expected to be suitable for household use.

Hypertension in the native rural population of Assam.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have reported an increasing prevalence of hypertension in India. However, there are few epidemiological data with regard to the occurrence of hypertension in the native population of Assam. METHODS: Three thousand one hundred and eighty individuals (1441 men and 1739 women), > or =30 years of age and from 25 villages of 5 districts in Assam were selected by the stratified random sampling method. They were interviewed and their blood pressure measured along with other anthropometric variables. Hypertension was defined according to the Sixth Report of the Joint National Committee on prevention, detection, evaluation and treatment of high blood pressure (JNC-VI). RESULTS: The overall prevalence of hypertension was 33.3%. Among the patients with hypertension, 21.6% were aware of their illness. The determinants of hypertension were age, intake of extra salt in the diet, body mass index and waist-hip ratio (derived by multiple logistic regression analysis with backward elimination of non-significant factors). Multivariate analysis showed that females had a higher risk of hypertension than males. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of hypertension in the native population of Assam is high. Implementation of an effective awareness programme with lifestyle modifications is necessary to control the cardiovascular disease burden in this population.

Hypertension and its risk factors in tea garden workers of Assam.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is emerging as a major public health problem in India. The diversity and heterogeneity of distribution of the population makes it difficult to arrive at the precise prevalence. In Assam, reports from hospitals in tea gardens reveal a high prevalence of hypertension among workers in tea gardens. However, no systematic study has been carried out in this population. METHODS: We selected, by systematic sampling, 1015 individuals (512 men and 503 women) 30 years or more in age, who were interviewed and clinically examined for hypertension. Blood pressure of all the study participants was measured using a standardized technique. Crude and adjusted odds ratios were estimated by unconditional simple and multiple logistic regression analyses. Mantel-Haenszel chi2 analysis was also used to test for the association of potential risk factors with hypertension after controlling for co-variables in a stratified analysis. Risk factors considered for hypertension included age, gender, marital status, occupation, alcohol consumption (locally prepared), extra salt intake, smoking history, khaini (a form of tobacco quid containing a mixture of tobacco and lime) intake, body mass index and waist-hip ratio. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of hypertension was 60.8%. Increasing age, consumption of locally prepared alcohol, intake of extra salt in food and beverages and the habit of taking khaini were found to increase the risk of hypertension. Multivariate logistic regression models showed that the independent determinants of hypertension were age, gender, consumption of locally prepared alcohol and intake of extra salt. Gender-specific and age-stratified analyses showed the association of increased risk with intake of khaini in women only, while consumption of locally prepared alcohol was an important risk factor for hypertension in both men and women. CONCLUSION: The disease burden of hypertension among workers in tea gardens is large, despite the community not being obese. Interventions directed at these workers as well as studies to determine the reasons for the high prevalence of hypertension are required.

Differences in blood pressure level and hypertension in three ethnic groups of northeastern India.

A cross sectional study on hypertension was done on 294 subjects aged 30 years and above. 150 households were selected randomly representing 50 households from each locality inhabited exclusively by the rural Mizos, indigenous rural Assamese and the tea-garden workers respectively, in the northeastern region of India. Blood pressure was measured by sphygmo-manometer in sitting posture. Anthro-pometric measurements were taken using standard procedure for measuring height, weight, waist and hip girth. Information on age, sex, ethnicity, literacy, alcohol intake, smoking pattern, physical activity, occupation, amount of salt consumption was collected using a standard and pre-tested questionnaire. Significant differences were observed in both the systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels among the three different ethnic groups selected for this study (p < 0.0001). Multiple regression analyses indicated that in Mizos, age, waist circumference and alcohol intake were independently associated with increase in systolic blood pressure whereas smoking was found to be negatively associated with systolic blood pressure (R2 = 0.391, p < 0.001). Factors, which were the best predictors of diastolic blood pressure, were age and body mass index [(kg/m2) (R2 = 0.227, p < 0.001)]. In the rural Assamese population, the best predictors of systolic blood pressure were age and waist circumference (R2 = 0.263, p = 0.018). For the diastolic blood pressure, age, alcohol intake and body mass index were important correlates (R2 = 0.131, p < 0.001). In the tea garden community, important predictors of systolic blood pressure were age, gender and marital status (R2 = 0.187, p < 0.001). On the other hand, age and alcohol intake were best predictors for diastolic blood pressure (R2 = 0.09, p < 0.001).

Left anterior fascicular block: an ischaemic response during treadmill testing.

A patient in whom exercise induced reversible ischaemic left anterior fascicular block is reported. Glyceryl trinitrate relieved the fascicular block. Coronary angiography showed a 90% obstruction of the left anterior descending artery. The left anterior fascicular block induced by exercise disappeared after a successful coronary angioplasty.