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Mulching is highly beneficial for resource conservation under rainfed conditions, but non-availability of organic biomass and easy availability of fertilizers and herbicides has led to a gradual discontinuation of this practice. Various vegetative materials, including some troublesome weedy perennials, are available locally, which can be recycled for enhanced soil moisture and nutrient conservation. A field experiment was conducted at Dehradun, India, from 2001-2004 to study the effect of mulching with kudzu (Peuraria hirsuta), wild sage (Lantana camara), and subabul (Leucaena leucocephala) applied at 30 and 60 days of growth of maize (Zea mays), maize harvest, and sowing of wheat (Triticum aestivum). Application of 10 t/ha (fresh biomass) added 1.6-2.3 t dry matter through Peuraria, 2.5-3.2 t through Lantana, and 2.9-3.9 t/ha through Leuceana, which contributed 47.7-60.9 kg N, 58.4-70.9 kg N, and 118.4-148.4 kg N/ha, respectively. All mulching materials were beneficial and improved productivity of maize significantly by 16.6-20.6% over no mulching. Wheat yield also increased because of mulching in previous maize (+11.2%), and the beneficial effect was relatively greater (12.4-25.1%) when mulching was done at maize harvest or wheat sowing. Mulching showed improvement in organic C and total N status, and a decrease in bulk density associated with an increase in infiltration rate across three cropping cycles. Wheat gave three to five times more net profit than maize, and the net benefit-cost ratio of the system was the highest (1.34-1.35) when mulching was done at 60 days of maize growth with Peuraria and Leucaena. It was concluded that mulching with available vegetative materials in standing crop of maize or after harvest was beneficial for improving moisture conservation, productivity, and profitability of a maize-wheat cropping system under Doon valley conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses evidence related to the genesis and occurrence of mixed lead-tin ore deposit consisting of cassiterite and the secondary minerals formed from galena. These evidences belong to a very long time period ranging from pre-historic to as late as the nineteenth century a.d. This type of mixed ore deposits was smelted to prepare lead-tin alloys. The composition of the alloy depended on the composition of the starting ore mixture. A nineteenth century evidence for the production of directly smelted lead-tin alloys in southern Thailand is discussed. A unique and rather uncommon metallurgical terminology in Sanskrit language— Nāgaja—was introduced in India for the tin recovered from impure lead. This suggests that Indians developed a process for recovering tin from lead-tin alloys, which in all probability was based on the general principle of fire refining. It has been shown that in the context of India the possibility of connection between the word Nāgaja and the directly smelted lead-tin alloys cannot be ruled out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literary evidence for the use of particulate silver as money and currency material in India is reported. It has been shown that the Sanskrit name of the particulate silver currency-unit Cūrnī (i.e. made up with powdered or particulate material) was in use in some parts of India during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries AD. The possible reasons for using particulate silver as money and currency material, together with methods of its manufacture, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wide variety of ferrous arrowheads were in use in ancient India. Several typical chemical analyses of arrowheads found from archaeological excavation carried out at Kaushambi are reported in this paper. The average carbon content of these arrowheads varied from as low as 0.1 wt.% to approximately 0.9 wt. %. Literary evidence for oil quench hardening of ferrous arrowheads, as reported in famous Sanskrit epics--the Rāmāyana and the Mahābhārata--have been discussed in this paper. This type of quench hardening was intentionally adopted as it helped in preventing distortion and formation of quench cracks in arrowheads. The oil quench-hardened arrowheads were rubbed on stones to sharpen them, which also brought about tempering of martensite due to frictional heat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coagulation studies were performed in 61 patients of acute infective hepatitis. 18 with clinical signs of liver failure had bleeding and all succumbed. The 47 patients without liver failure showed no haemorrhagic diathesis and all of them had uneventful recovery. Though coagulopathy was present in most of the patients, the severity and frequency of coagulation defects were more in those with signs of hepatic failure. Hypofibrinogenemia, elevated serum fibrinogen degradation products and accelerated euglobulin lysis were conspicuous in patients with hepatic failure. It appears that while diminished synthesis of coagulation factors is the main basis for coagulopathy in patients without hepatic failure, additional factors like local or disseminated intravascular coagulation and increased fibrinolysis also contribute significantly to the coagulopathy in cases of liver failure.

Twelve Indian patients with pre-eclampsia, 15 with eclampsia and 15 with normal pregnancy in the third trimester were investigated. A systemic bleeding diathesis was encountered in two patients with eclampsia and in none with pre-eclampsia; two patients with pre-eclampsia, however, had excessive uterine haemorrhage. Coagulation studies showed statistically significant prolongation of thrombin time, elevation of serum fibrinogen degradation products (FDP) and hypofibrinogenaemia in patients with pre-eclampsia as well as eclampsia. In patients with eclampsia, significant thrombocytopenia also occurred. Euglobulin lysis time showed no significant change in patients with pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. There was no significant difference in the coagulation profile between patients with eclampsia and pre-eclampsia, except for more hypofibrinogenaemia in the former. The laboratory findings suggest the occurrence of intravascular coagulation in patients with pre-eclampsia and eclampsia.

Four hundred and thirty prospective nursing graduates from ten schools and five colleges in India were studied to identify factors related to their preferences for work in urban or rural areas. Seventy per cent expressed a preference for urban work. Significant factors related to rural preferences were: religion and background (rural or urban); type of educational institution (government or non-government); and living in a rural setting during community nursing experience. Of the personal, professional and socio-cultural factors related to rural work preference, the most significant were: accomodation, sanitation and safe water; job availability for spouse, security, and school for children. Of the personal and professional factors, the most important were: continuing education opportunities, job satisfaction, and intellectual stimulation.