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The research work was undertaken in four villages near Ranchi, Jharkhand under the Farmer FIRST Project to test the effectiveness of the technological options in improving the profitability of peri-urban agriculture system. Based on Principal Component Analysis of data on agri-economic conditions of farmers, the farm households could be classified into five broad typologies, viz. 1: Marginal farmers and landless labourers, 2: Cereal dominated small farmers, 3: IFS based small farmers, 4: Livestock based marginal farmers and 5: Cereal based medium farmers. Results of two years of experimentation indicated promising technological options like rainy season cultivation of solanaceous vegetables, cultivation of crops like wheat, chickpea and other rabi and summer season vegetables in rice fallow, management of ecto- and endo parasite in the animals and supplementation of area specific mineral mixture, cultivation of oyster mushroom for increasing income from agricultural production system. The project has resulted in increase in income of all typologies of farmers with a maximum increase in case of small farmers practising integrated farming and minimum increase in case of marginal farmers and landless labourers. Notably, income from non-farm sources saw a decrease in all five typologies.

Abstract: This study is aimed at making a calculation about the impact of the two most commonly used solar EUV flux models – SOLAR2000 (S2K) of and EUVAC model of – on photoelectron fluxes, volume emission rates, ion densities and CO Cameron and CO2 + UV doublet band dayglow emissions on Mars in three solar activity conditions: minimum, moderate, and maximum. Calculated limb intensities profiles are compared with SPICAM/Mars Express and Mariner observations. Analytical Yield Spectrum (AYS) approach has been used to calculate photoelectron fluxes in Martian upper atmosphere. Densities of prominent ions and CO molecule in excited triplet state are calculated using major ion–neutral reactions. Volume emission rates of CO Cameron and CO2 + UV doublet bands have been calculated for different observations (Viking condition, Mariner and Mars Express SPICAM observations) on Mars. For the low solar activity condition, dayglow intensities calculated using the S2K model are higher than those calculated using the EUVAC model. During high solar activity, due to the higher EUV fluxes at wavelengths below 250Å in the EUVAC model, intensities calculated using EUVAC model are slightly higher than those calculated using S2K model. Irrespective of the solar activity condition, production of Cameron band due to photodissociative excitation of CO2 is around 50% higher when S2K model is used. Altitude of peak limb brightness of CO Cameron and CO2 + UV doublet band is found to be independent of solar EUV flux models. Calculated limb intensities of CO Cameron and CO2 + UV doublet bands are on an average a factor of and , respectively, higher than the SPICAM Mars Express observation, while they are consistent with the Mariner observations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Recently the Cassini Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) has revealed the presence of N2 Vegard–Kaplan (VK) band emissions in Titan’s dayglow limb observation. We present model calculations for the production of various N2 triplet states (viz., , and B3Σ u ) in the upper atmosphere of Titan. The Analytical Yield Spectra technique is used to calculate steady state photoelectron fluxes in Titan’s atmosphere, which are in agreement with those observed by the Cassini’s CAPS instrument. Considering direct electron impact excitation, inter-state cascading, and quenching effects, the population of different levels of N2 triplet states are calculated under statistical equilibrium. Densities of all vibrational levels of each triplet state and volume production rates for various triplet states are calculated in the model. Vertically integrated overhead intensities for the same date and lighting conditions as reported by the UVIS observations for N2 Vegard–Kaplan , First Positive , Second Positive (C 3Π u − B 3Π g ), Wu–Benesch (W 3Δ u − B 3Π g ), and Reverse First Positive bands of N2 are found to be 132, 114, 19, 22, and 22R, respectively. Overhead intensities are calculated for each vibrational transition of all the triplet band emissions of N2, which span a wider spectrum of wavelengths from ultraviolet to infrared. The calculated limb intensities of total and prominent transitions of VK band are presented. The model limb intensity of VK emission within the 150–190nm wavelength region is in good agreement with the Cassini UVIS observed limb profile. An assessment of the impact of solar EUV flux on the N2 triplet band emission intensity has been made by using three different solar flux models, viz., Solar EUV Experiment (SEE), SOLAR2000 (S2K) model of Tobiska (Tobiska, W.K. [2004]. Adv. Space Res. 34, 1736–1746), and HEUVAC model of Richards et al. (Richards, P.G., Woods, T.N., Peterson, W.K. [2006]. Adv. Space Res. 37 (2), 315–322). The calculated N2 VK band intensity at the peak of limb intensity due to S2K and HEUVAC solar flux models is a factor of 1.2 and 0.9, respectively, of that obtained using SEE solar EUV flux. The effects of higher N2 density and solar zenith angle on the emission intensity are also studied. The model predicted N2 triplet band intensities during moderate (F10.7=150) and high (F10.7=240) solar activity conditions, using SEE solar EUV flux, are a factor of 2 and 2.8, respectively, higher than those during solar minimum (F10.7=68) condition. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A model for N2 triplet states band emissions in the venusian dayglow has been developed for low and high solar activity conditions. Steady state photoelectron fluxes and volume excitation rates for N2 triplet states have been calculated using the Analytical Yield Spectra (AYS) technique. Model calculated photoelectron flux is in good agreement with Pioneer Venus Orbiter-observed electron flux. Since inter-state cascading is important for the triplet states of N2, populations of different levels of N2 triplet states are calculated under statistical equilibrium considering direct electron impact excitation, and cascading and quenching effects. Densities of all vibrational levels of each triplet state are calculated in the model. Height-integrated overhead intensities of N2 triplet band emissions are calculated, the values for Vegard–Kaplan , First Positive , Second Positive (C 3Π u − B 3Π g ), and Wu–Benesch (W 3Δ u − B 3Π g ) bands of N2, are 1.9 (3.2), 3 (6), 0.4 (0.8), and 0.5 (1.1)kR, respectively, for solar minimum (maximum) conditions. The intensities of the three strong Vegard–Kaplan bands (0,5), (0,6), and (0,7) are 94 (160), 120 (204), and 114 (194) R, respectively, for solar minimum (maximum) conditions. Limb profiles are calculated for VK(0,4),(0,5),(0,6) and (0,7) bands. The calculated intensities on Venus are about a factor 10 higher than those on Mars. The present study provides a motivation for a search of N2 triplet band emissions in the dayglow of Venus. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aims of this study were to review the evidence on the Mini-Clinical Evaluation Exercise (Mini-CEX) for work- based assessment and to assess, in a pilot study, the utility of the Mini-CEX in an advanced orthodontic education program. Three evaluators and six first-year orthodontic residents at one U.S. dental school were recruited for the study between July and December 2017. The evaluators used a modified Mini-CEX instrument with a nine-point scale (1=unsatisfactory to 9=superior) to observe 24 resident-patient encounters (four encounters per resident) that involved orthodontic screening and comprehensive consultation procedures. Seven domains were assessed: interviewing skills, clinical examination, professionalism, clinical judgment, counseling, organization, and overall competence. Evaluators gave individualized feedback immediately after each encounter and recorded the duration of encounter and feedback in minutes. Evaluators and residents also reported their satisfaction with the experience. The mean scores for the screening and consultation encounters were 7.21±1.39 and 7.96±0.97, respectively. Overall, the highest score of all the domains was in organization (8.00±1.14) and the lowest was in clinical judgment (7.11±0.96). Clinical performance improved over four encounters (7.80±0.92, 8.72±1.29, 8.98±1.13, and 8.52±1.45, respectively); however, the difference was not statistically significant. The mean duration of encounters was 15.05±2.39 minutes and of feedback was 8.25±4.64 minutes. Encounter duration was significantly longer in difficult cases than in moderate or simple cases (ANOVA, post-hoc p=0.004). The mean satisfaction rates of residents and evaluators were high (90% and 84%, respectively). Although there is no gold standard to assess clinical competence in dentistry, this study found that the Mini-CEX may be a potentially effective method of work-based assessment in advanced orthodontic education.