Radiation dose-dependent risk on individuals due to ingestion of uranium and radon concentration in drinking water samples of four districts of Haryana, India

Science.gov (United States)

Panghal, Amanjeet; Kumar, Ajay; Kumar, Suneel; Singh, Joga; Sharma, Sumit; Singh, Parminder; Mehra, Rohit; Bajwa, B. S.

2017-06-01

Uranium gets into drinking water when the minerals containing uranium are dissolved in groundwater. Uranium and radon concentrations have been measured in drinking water samples from different water sources such as hand pumps, tube wells and bore wells at different depths from various locations of four districts (Jind, Rohtak, Panipat and Sonipat) of Haryana, India, using the LED flourimetry technique and RAD7, electronic silicon solid state detector. The uranium (238U) and radon (222Rn) concentrations in water samples have been found to vary from 1.07 to 40.25 µg L-1 with an average of 17.91 µg L-1 and 16.06 ± 0.97 to 57.35 ± 1.28 Bq L-1 with an average of 32.98 ± 2.45 Bq L-1, respectively. The observed value of radon concentration in 43 samples exceeded the recommended limits of 11 Bq L-1 (USEPA) and all the values are within the European Commission recommended limit of 100 Bq L-1. The average value of uranium concentration is observed to be within the safe limit recommended by World Health Organization (WHO) and Atomic Energy Regulatory Board. The annual effective dose has also been measured in all the water samples and is found to be below the prescribed dose limit of 100 µSv y-1 recommended by WHO. Risk assessment of uranium in water is also calculated using life time cancer risk, life time average daily dose and hazard quotient. The high uranium concentration observed in certain areas is due to interaction of ground water with the soil formation of this region and the local subsurface geology of the region.

Prevalence and epidemiology of Salmonella enterica serovar Gallinarum from poultry in some parts of Haryana, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Devan Arora

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Aim: The present study was investigated to ascertain the epidemiological status of fowl typhoid (FT in broilers in some parts of Haryana during January 2011 to December 2013. Materials and Methods: To elucidate the epidemiological status of FT in broiler chickens for the 3 years (2011-2013 and to study the prevalence of various Salmonella serovars in poultry on the basis of culture characteristics, biochemical features, serotyping, and their antibiogram profile from some parts of Haryana (India. Results: A total of 309 outbreaks of FT were recorded in chickens during this period. Overall percent morbidity, mortality, case-fatality rate (CFR in broiler chicks due to FT during this period was 9.45, 6.77, and 71.55. The yearly observations were divided into quarters A (January-March, B (April-June, C (July-September and D (October-December. Maximum number of outbreaks - 106 (34.3% was recorded in quarter D followed by quarters B - 84 (27.3%, C - 64 (20.7%, and A - 55 (17.7%. Salmonella isolates (253 were recovered from disease outbreaks in broilers from different parts of Haryana. Typical morphology and colony characters on MacConkeys Lactose Agar and Brilliant Green agar, biochemical reactions, serotyping along with antibiogram profiles were able to group these isolates into 3 groups namely Salmonella Gallinarum (183, Salmonella Enteritidis (41 and Salmonella Typhimurium (29. The antibiogram pattern of 183 isolates of S. Gallinarum revealed that most of the isolates were sensitive to gentamicin (76% followed by amikacin (72%, kanamycin (71%. Conclusion: FT is prevalent in commercial broiler flocks in different parts of Haryana and is responsible for considerably high morbidity and mortality in affected flocks. Isolation of S. Gallinarum (9, 12:183 from FT cases suggest it to be the primary pathogen, however, isolation of S. Typhimurium and S. Enteritidis from these cases is a major concern. The detection of S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium from

Recourse to Dry Land Farming as a Possible Way to Arrest the Degradation of Groundwater, Soil and Land in Haryana, India

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, A.; Lunkad, S.

2007-12-01

The Green Revolution enabled the small state of Haryna to become the wheat granary of India - though occupying 1.3% of geographical area of India, it accounts for 13% of wheat, and 3% of quality rice production in India. Haryana paid a heavy price for the impressive agricultural development - one-third of the irrigated land is salinity affected, water level declined by 3-12 m, and excessive nitrate levels in the groundwater (114-1800 mg/l) have rendered the groundwater non-potable in many areas. Groundwater in the arid western Haryana has become mostly saline ( TDS > 4000 mg/l). Improper canal irrigation has raised the water table by 3.0 -9.0 m in some areas, causing water logging over 2346 km2 of land. One possible way to arrest the degradation of groundwater and soil, is to switch to dryland farming. This would involve change in the irrigation method as well as proper selection and rotation of food crops like barley, sorghum, maize, different types of beans (pulses) and oil seeds like mustard, groundnut, etc and restricted use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Dryland farming could go hand in hand with the plantation of fruit trees, grasses and medicinal plants suitable to this agro- climatic zone, and animal husbandry. The same considerations hold good to eastern Rajasthan as well.

Effectiveness of Multiple-Strategy Community Intervention in Reducing Geographical, Socioeconomic and Gender Based Inequalities in Maternal and Child Health Outcomes in Haryana, India.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Madhu Gupta

Full Text Available The implemented multiple-strategy community intervention National Rural Health Mission (NRHM between 2005 and 2012 aimed to reduce maternal and child health (MCH inequalities across geographical, socioeconomic and gender categories in India. The objective of this study is to quantify the extent of reduction in these inequalities pre- and post-NRHM in Haryana, North India.Data of district-level household surveys (DLHS held before (2002-04, during (2007-08, and after (2012-13 the implementation of NRHM has been used. Geographical, socioeconomic and gender inequalities in maternal and child health were assessed by estimating the absolute differences in MCH indicators between urban and rural areas, between the most advantaged and least advantaged socioeconomic groups and between male and female children. Logistic regression analyses were done to observe significant differences in these inequalities between 2005 and 2012.There were significant improvements in all MCH indicators (p<0.05. The geographical and socioeconomic differences between urban and rural areas, and between rich and poor were significantly (p<0.05 reduced for pregnant women who had an institutional delivery (geographical difference declining from 22% to 7.6%; socioeconomic from 48.2% to 13%, post-natal care within 2 weeks of delivery (2.8% to 1.5%; 30.3% to 7%; and for children with full vaccination (10% to 3.5%, 48.3% to 14% and who received oral rehydration solution (ORS for diarrhea (11% to -2.2%; 41% to 5%. Inequalities between male and female children were significantly (p<0.05 reversed for full immunization (5.7% to -0.6% and BCG immunization (1.9 to -0.9 points, and a significant (p<0.05 decrease was observed for oral polio vaccine (4.0% to 0% and measles vaccine (4.2% to 0.1%.The implemented multiple-strategy community intervention National Rural Health Mission (NRHM between 2005 and 2012 might have resulted in significant reductions in geographical, socioeconomic and gender

Effectiveness of a multiple-strategy community intervention to reduce maternal and child health inequalities in Haryana, North India: a mixed-methods study protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Madhu Gupta

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Background: A multiple-strategy community intervention, known as National Rural Health Mission (NRHM, launched in India to improve the availability of and access to better-quality healthcare, especially for rural, poor mothers and children. The final goal of the intervention is to reduce maternal and child health inequalities across geographical areas, socioeconomic status groups, and sex of the child. Extensive, in-depth research is necessary to assess the effectiveness of NRHM, on multiple outcome dimensions. This paper presents the design of a new study, able to overcome the shortcomings of previous research. Objective: To propose a comprehensive, methodologically sound protocol to assess the extent of implementation and the effectiveness of NRHM measures to improve maternal and child health outcomes and reduce maternal and child health inequalities. Design: A mixed-methods approach (quantitative and qualitative is proposed for this study in Haryana, a state in North India. NRHM's health sector plans included health system strengthening, specific maternal and child healthcare strategies, and communitization. Mission documents and reports on progress, financial monitoring, and common and joint review will be reviewed in-depth to assess the extent of the implementation of plans. Data on maternal and child health indicators will be obtained from demographic health surveys held before, during, and after the implementation of the first phase of the NRHM (2005–2012 and compared over time. Differences in maternal and child health indicators will be used to measure maternal and child health inequalities; these will be compared pre- and post-NRHM. Focus group discussions (FGDs with service providers and in-depth interviews with program managers, community representatives, and mothers will be conducted until data saturation is achieved, in two districts of Haryana. Using Nvivo software, an inductive qualitative content analysis will be performed to

"No one says 'No' to money" - a mixed methods approach for evaluating conditional cash transfer schemes to improve girl children's status in Haryana, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Krishnan, Anand; Amarchand, Ritvik; Byass, Peter; Pandav, Chandrakant; Ng, Nawi

2014-01-31

Haryana was the first state in India to launch a conditional cash transfer (CCT) scheme in 1994. Initially it targeted all disadvantaged girls but was revised in 2005 to restrict it to second girl children of all groups. The benefit which accrued at girl attaining 18 years and subject to conditionalities of being fully immunized, studying till class 10 and remaining unmarried, was increased from about US$ 500 to US$ 2000. Using a mixed methods approach, we evaluated the implementation and possible impact of these two schemes. A survey was conducted among 200 randomly selected respondents of Ballabgarh Block in Haryana to assess their perceptions of girl children and related schemes. A cohort of births during this period was assembled from population database of 28 villages in this block and changes in sex ratio at birth and in immunization coverage at one year of age among boys and girls was measured. Education levels and mean age at marriage of daughters were compared with daughters-in-law from outside Haryana. In-depth interviews were conducted among district level implementers of these schemes to assess their perceptions of programs' implementation and impact. These were analyzed using a thematic approach. The perceptions of girls as a liability and poor (9% to 15%) awareness of the schemes was noted. The cohort analysis showed that while there has been an improvement in the indicators studied, these were similar to those seen among the control groups. Qualitative analysis identified a "conspiracy of silence" - an underplaying of the pervasiveness of the problem coupled with a passive implementation of the program and a clash between political culture of giving subsidies and a bureaucratic approach that imposed many conditionalities and documentary needs for availing of benefits. The apparent lack of impact on the societal mindset calls for a revision in the current approach of addressing a social issue by a purely conditional cash transfer program.

Coverage and Financial Risk Protection for Institutional Delivery: How Universal Is Provision of Maternal Health Care in India?

Science.gov (United States)

Prinja, Shankar; Bahuguna, Pankaj; Gupta, Rakesh; Sharma, Atul; Rana, Saroj Kumar; Kumar, Rajesh

2015-01-01

India aims to achieve universal access to institutional delivery. We undertook this study to estimate the universality of institutional delivery care for pregnant women in Haryana state in India. To assess the coverage of institutional delivery, we analyze service coverage (coverage of public sector institutional delivery), population coverage (coverage among different districts and wealth quintiles of the population) and financial risk protection (catastrophic health expenditure and impoverishment as a result of out-of-pocket expenditure for delivery). We analyzed cross-sectional data collected from a randomly selected sample of 12,191 women who had delivered a child in the last one year from the date of data collection in Haryana state. Five indicators were calculated to evaluate coverage and financial risk protection for institutional delivery--proportion of public sector deliveries, out-of-pocket expenditure, percentage of women who incurred no expenses, prevalence of catastrophic expenditure for institutional delivery and incidence of impoverishment due to out-of-pocket expenditure for delivery. These indicators were calculated for the public and private sectors for 5 wealth quintiles and 21 districts of the state. The coverage of institutional delivery in Haryana state was 82%, of which 65% took place in public sector facilities. Approximately 63% of the women reported no expenditure on delivery in the public sector. The mean out-of-pocket expenditures for delivery in the public and private sectors in Haryana were INR 771 (USD 14.2) and INR 12,479 (USD 229), respectively, which were catastrophic for 1.6% and 22% of households, respectively. Our findings suggest that there is considerably high coverage of institutional delivery care in Haryana state, with significant financial risk protection in the public sector. However, coverage and financial risk protection for institutional delivery vary substantially across districts and among different socio

“No one says ‘No’ to money” – a mixed methods approach for evaluating conditional cash transfer schemes to improve girl children’s status in Haryana, India

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Introduction Haryana was the first state in India to launch a conditional cash transfer (CCT) scheme in 1994. Initially it targeted all disadvantaged girls but was revised in 2005 to restrict it to second girl children of all groups. The benefit which accrued at girl attaining 18 years and subject to conditionalities of being fully immunized, studying till class 10 and remaining unmarried, was increased from about US$ 500 to US$ 2000. Using a mixed methods approach, we evaluated the implementation and possible impact of these two schemes. Methods A survey was conducted among 200 randomly selected respondents of Ballabgarh Block in Haryana to assess their perceptions of girl children and related schemes. A cohort of births during this period was assembled from population database of 28 villages in this block and changes in sex ratio at birth and in immunization coverage at one year of age among boys and girls was measured. Education levels and mean age at marriage of daughters were compared with daughters-in-law from outside Haryana. In-depth interviews were conducted among district level implementers of these schemes to assess their perceptions of programs’ implementation and impact. These were analyzed using a thematic approach. Results The perceptions of girls as a liability and poor (9% to 15%) awareness of the schemes was noted. The cohort analysis showed that while there has been an improvement in the indicators studied, these were similar to those seen among the control groups. Qualitative analysis identified a “conspiracy of silence” - an underplaying of the pervasiveness of the problem coupled with a passive implementation of the program and a clash between political culture of giving subsidies and a bureaucratic approach that imposed many conditionalities and documentary needs for availing of benefits. Conclusion The apparent lack of impact on the societal mindset calls for a revision in the current approach of addressing a social issue by a purely

Life time fatality risk assessment due to variation of indoor radon concentration in dwellings in western Haryana, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kansal, Sandeep; Mehra, Rohit; Singh, N.P.

2012-01-01

Indoor radon measurements in 60 dwellings belonging to 12 villages of Sirsa, Fatehbad and Hisar districts of western Haryana, India, have been carried out, using LR-115 type II cellulose nitrate films in the bare mode. The annual average indoor radon value in the studied area varies from 76.00 to 115.46 Bq m −3 , which is well within the recommended action level 200–300 Bq m −3 (). The winter/summer ratio of indoor radon ranges from 0.78 to 2.99 with an average of 1.52. The values of annual average dose received by the residents and Life time fatality risk assessment due to variation of indoor radon concentration in dwellings of studied area suggests that there is no significance threat to the human beings due to the presence of natural radon in the dwellings. - Highlights: ► The radon concentration values in the dwellings are 2–3 times more than the world average of 40 Bq m −3 . ► These values are lower than the recommended action level of 200–300 Bq m −3 (). ► The annual effective dose is less than the recommended action level of 3–10 mSv per year (). ► The values of life time fatality risk determined for the studied area are within safe standards. ► There is no significant threat to the human beings due to the presence of natural radon in the dwellings.

Detection and molecular characterization of Newcastle disease virus in peafowl (Pavo cristatus) in Haryana State, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Aman; Maan, Sushila; Mahajan, Nand Kishore; Rana, Virender Pratap; Jindal, Naresh; Batra, Kanisht; Ghosh, Arnab; Mishra, Shiv Kumar; Kapoor, Sanjay; Maan, Narender Singh

2013-12-01

Present study was undertaken to investigate the cause of deaths of peafowls in Haryana State. In total, 145 birds were sick and 28 birds were reported dead during July to September 2012. Some of the sick birds were showing signs of shaking of heads, torticollis and paresis. Blood and cloacal swab samples from sick birds along with brain and intestinal tissues from dead birds were collected for further investigation. Although post-mortem examination showed no typical lesions of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) yet raised HI tires against NDV in some serum samples and clinical signs indicated the presence of NDV. One of the brain tissues (NDV/IND2012/01) from the field case was processed and adapted to Vero cell line for virus isolation. The fusion (F) gene based nested RT-PCR (RT-nPCR) confirmed the presence of NDV in all field samples and cell culture isolate. Sequencing of the partial F gene amplicons (216 bp) using the PCR primers as sequencing primers confirmed the PCR results. The deduced amino acid sequences of partial F gene were found to have the amino acid motif (111)GRRQKR/F(117) in the fusion protein cleavage site (FPCS). This amino acid motif is indicative of the velogenic nature of these NDVs. Phylogenetic studies have shown that the virus belonged to class II genotype VII very closely related to virus isolates originated from outbreaks in Western Europe, Israel, Indonesia, Taiwan and India. Phylogenetic grouping of the virus and sequence of FPCS is indicative of pathogenic potential of virus strain circulating in peacocks in Haryana.

Cyclone hazard proneness of districts of India

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

tems of the earth atmosphere coupled system and are extreme weather ... intense low pressure systems (India Meteorological. Department (IMD) .... which is responsible for the structural damage due to TC. ..... It fails to distinguish the more prone districts .... References. BMTPC 2006 Vulnerability Atlas of India: Earthquake,.

Status of governmental oral health care delivery system in Haryana, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ashish Vashist

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Health system should be organized to meet the needs of entire population of the nation. This means that the state has the direct responsibility for the health of its population and improving the quality of life through research, education, and provision of health services. The present study was conducted to evaluate the government oral health care delivery system in Haryana, India. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted among 135 dental care units (DCUs of various primary health centers (PHCs, community health centers (CHCs, and general hospitals (GHs existing in the state by employing a cluster random sampling technique. Data regarding the provision of water and electricity supply, dental man power and their qualification, number and type of instruments in the dental operatory unit, etc., were collected on a structured format. Statistical analysis was done using number and percentages (SPSS package version 16. Results: Alternative source of electricity (generator existed in only a few of health centers. About 93.4% (155 of the staff were graduates (BDS and 6.6% (11 were postgraduates (MDS. Ultrasonic scaler was available at dental units of 83.1% (64 of PHCs, 73.1% (19 of CHCs, and 93.8% (30 of GHs. Patient drapes were provided in 48.1% (65 of the DCUs, doctor′s aprons were provided in 74.1% (100 of the places. Conclusion: There is a shortfall in infrastructure and significant problem with the adequacy of working facilities. A great deal of effort is required to harmonize the oral health care delivery system.

Burden of anaemia in rural and urban jat women in haryana state, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Maninder, Kaur; Kochar, G K

2009-09-01

A cross-sectional study was undertaken on 600 Jat women (rural=300, urban=300), aged 40 to 70 years from Haryana state in North India. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of anaemia and the dietary intake of rural and urban middle-aged (40-59 years) and older (60 and above) Jat women. The findings indicated that all the subjects exhibited a decline in the mean values of haemoglobin (Hb) concentration with advancement in age. The mean blood Hb concentration of urban middle-aged and older women was 10.1±1.3g/dl and 9.91.4g/dl respectively, which was higher than their rural counterparts at all age groups, although the differences were statistically non-significant (p>0.05). The overall prevalence of anaemia reached 88.7% (rural women= 91.3%, urban women =86%). Daily dietary intake of rural and urban subjects was below the recommended dietary allowances. Physical performance of both groups of the women showed a decline with a decrease in Hb concentration. A significant and positive correlation of Hb status was observed with grip strength and vital capacity while a negative association was witnessed with blood pressure and pulse rate in both the rural and urban women. Anaemia among these women may be attributed to inadequate dietary intake, illiteracy, and poor access to health services.

MEASUREMENT OF INDOOR RADON-THORON IN AIR AND EXHALATION FROM SOIL IN THE ENVIRONMENT OF WESTERN HARYANA, INDIA.

Science.gov (United States)

Mann, Nisha; Kumar, Amit; Kumar, Sushil; Chauhan, R P

2016-10-01

Measurement of indoor radon and thoron is important because the inhalation of radon-thoron and their daughters contributes more than 50 % of the total dose from natural sources. One of the important parameters to find out the contribution of soil and building materials towards indoor radon is radon exhalation rates, which can be used for estimation of indoor radon levels. The indoor radon and thoron levels from the air and radon exhalation rates from soil samples collected from two districts (Hisar and Fatehabad) of Western Haryana are measured using pin-hole-based radon-thoron dosimeter and LR-115 solid-state nuclear track detector by canister technique. The results show that the indoor radon and thoron levels from Hisar district varied from 11 to 112 and 11 to 80 Bq m -3 , while for Fatehabad district from 5 to 24 and 59 to 105 Bq m -3 , respectively, in summer season. In winter season, indoor radon and thoron levels from Hisar district varied from 15 to 43 and 32 to 102 Bq m -3 , while for Fatehabad district from 18 to 31 and 11 to 80 Bq m -3 , respectively. The indoor radon levels of 95 % locations lie well below the limit recommended by International Commission of Radiation Protection, 2011. The radon mass exhalation rate varied from 6 to 56 mBq kg -1 h -1 The radon mass exhalation rates from the soil samples were lower than the worldwide average, i.e. 56 mBq kg -1 h -1 There exists a poor correlation between indoor radon and exhalation rates. More investigations of measurement of radionuclide contents from rock and stone of study area can improve the understanding. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Slum Conditions in Haryana and Pro-poor Housing Initiatives in Faridabad, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nirmala

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Rapid urbanization forces urban poor to live in slums and squatter settlement. In neo-liberal development approach, participatory planning and collaborative actions are becoming popular in slum upgrading programmes. This paper discusses the slum scenario in state of Haryana along with detailed pro-poor housing attempts in industrial city of Haryana i.e. Faridabad. The paper reviews the three projects that aimed to improve the living conditions and lives of urban poor communities in Faridabad. The study examines in detail BSUP projects at Dabua Colony and Bapu Nagar taken up under India’s first urban renewal mission i.e. JNNURM within the context of community participation. Results reveal that contrary to the state’s rhetoric of inclusive governance, the urban poor are completely excluded from settlement planning, leading to a lack of understanding of their needs by the state. BSUP housing scheme has failed to mobilize slum dwellers. Drawing on the experience of these projects, the paper seeks to answer the question: why the stated objectives were not achieved and makes recommendation that community led initiatives and slum mapping should be at the core of slum improvement strategy so that qualitatively superior areas can be planned for the unprivileged.

Engaging Actors for Integrating Health Policy and Systems Research into Policy Making: Case Study from Haryana State in India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shankar Prinja

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Background & objective: Good examples of evidence generation using Health Policy and Systems Research (HPSR in low and middle income countries (LMIC; and its application in policy making are scarce. In this paper, we describe the experience of establishing a system of HPSR from the Haryana state in India, outline how the HPSR is being utilized for policy making and programmatic decision making, and analyse the key factors which have been critical to the implementation and uptake of HPSR. Methods: Multiple methods are employed in this case study, ranging from unstructured in-depth interviews, review of the program and policy documents, and participatory notes from the meetings. The steps towards creation of a knowledge partnership between stakeholders are outlined. Four case studies i.e. development of a plan for universal health care (UHC, nutrition policy, centralized drug procurement system and use of RAPID appraisal method highlight the use of research evidence in agenda setting, policy formulation and policy implementation respectively. Results: Our analysis shows that the most important factor which contributed to Haryana model of HPSR was the presence of a dedicated and motivated team in National Rural Health Mission (NRHM at state level, many of whom were researchers by previous training. Overall, we conclude by highlighting the need for establishing an institutional mechanism at Central and State level where health service administrators and managers, academicians and researchers working in the field of health system from medical colleges, public health schools, management and technology institutions and social science universities can identify health system research priorities. Increased budgetary allocation for HPSR is required.

Engaging Actors for Integrating Health Policy and Systems Research into Policy Making: Case Study from Haryana State in India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shankar Prinja

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Background & objective: Good examples of evidence generation using Health Policy and Systems Research (HPSR in low and middle income countries (LMIC; and its application in policy making are scarce. In this paper, we describe the experience of establishing a system of HPSR from the Haryana state in India, outline how the HPSR is being utilized for policy making and programmatic decision making, and analyse the key factors which have been critical to the implementation and uptake of HPSR. Methods: Multiple methods are employed in this case study, ranging from unstructured in-depth interviews, review of the program and policy documents, and participatory notes from the meetings. The steps towards creation of a knowledge partnership between stakeholders are outlined. Four case studies i.e. development of a plan for universal health care (UHC, nutrition policy, centralized drug procurement system and use of RAPID appraisal method highlight the use of research evidence in agenda setting, policy formulation and policy implementation respectively. Results: Our analysis shows that the most important factor which contributed to Haryana model of HPSR was the presence of a dedicated and motivated team in National Rural Health Mission (NRHM at state level, many of whom were researchers by previous training. Overall, we conclude by highlighting the need for establishing an institutional mechanism at Central and State level where health service administrators and managers, academicians and researchers working in the field of health system from medical colleges, public health schools, management and technology institutions and social science universities can identify health system research priorities. Increased budgetary allocation for HPSR is required.

Assessment of crop yield losses in Punjab and Haryana using two years of continuous in-situ ozone measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Sinha, B.; Singh Sangwan, K.; Maurya, Y.; Kumar, V.; Sarkar, C.; Chandra, B. P.; Sinha, V.

2015-01-01

In this study we use a high quality dataset of in-situ ozone measurements at a suburban site called Mohali in the state of Punjab to estimate ozone related crop yield losses for wheat, rice, cotton and maize for Punjab and the neighbouring state Haryana for the years 2011-2013. We inter-compare crop yield loss estimates according to different exposure metrics such as AOT40 and M7 for the two major crop growing seasons of Kharif (June-October) and Rabi (November-April) and establish a new crop yield exposure relationship for South Asian wheat and rice cultivars. These are a factor of two more sensitive to ozone induced crop yield losses compared to their European and American counterparts. Relative yield losses based on the AOT40 metrics ranged from 27-41% for wheat, 21-26% for rice, 9-11% for maize and 47-58% for cotton. Crop production losses for wheat amounted to 20.8 million t in fiscal year 2012-2013 and 10.3 million t in fiscal year 2013-2014 for Punjab and Haryana jointly. Crop production losses for rice totalled 5.4 million t in fiscal year 2012-2013 and 3.2 million t year 2013-2014 for Punjab and Haryana jointly. The Indian National Food Security Ordinance entitles ~ 820 million of India's poor to purchase about 60 kg of rice/wheat per person annually at subsidized rates. The scheme requires 27.6 Mt of wheat and 33.6 Mt of rice per year. Mitigation of ozone related crop production losses in Punjab and Haryana alone could provide >50% of the wheat and ~10% of the rice required for the scheme. The total economic cost losses in Punjab and Haryana amounted to USD 6.5 billion in the fiscal year 2012-2013 and USD 3.7 billion in the fiscal year 2013-2014. This economic loss estimate represents a very conservative lower limit based on the minimum support price of the crop, which is lower than the actual production costs. The upper limit for ozone related crop yield losses in entire India currently amounts to 3.5-20% of India's GDP. Mitigation of high surface ozone

Prevalence of three rooted permanent mandibular first molars in Haryana (North Indian population

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alpa Gupta

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Mandibular first molars typically have two roots but sometimes a supernumerary root presents distolingually called as radix entomolaris (RE. Aim: The present study evaluated the prevalence of permanent mandibular first molars featuring a distolingual root in Haryana (North India. Materials and Methods: Five hundred patients possessing bilateral mandibular first molars were selected for this study. The intraoral periapical radiographs were taken. The radiographs of these patients were evaluated under optimal conditions. A total of 1000 mandibular first molars were screened, and the incidence of three-rooted mandibular first molars, RE and the correlation between left and right side occurrence and between either gender were recorded. Statistical Analysis: The binary logistic regression test and Pearson's Chi-square test were used for statistical analysis. Results: The prevalence of three-rooted permanent mandibular first molars was 13% of the patients examined and 8.3% of the teeth examined. There was no statistically significant difference between gender and side of occurrence (P ≥ 0.05. The bilateral incidence of a symmetric distribution was 27.6 (18/65 among the RE teeth examined. Conclusion: RE is considered as an Asiatic trait. The occurrence of this macrostructure in the Haryana (North India population was found to be 13%. The clinician must thoroughly examine the radiographs before the initiation of endodontic therapy.

Short-Term Introduction of Air Pollutants from Fireworks During Diwali in Rural Palwal, Haryana, India: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Gautam, S.; Yadav, A.; Pillarisetti, A.; Smith, K.; Arora, N.

2018-03-01

The contribution of firework-related air pollutants into the rural atmosphere was monitored by measuring ambient air concentrations of PM2.5, CO, and metals over Mitrol- Aurangabad, Haryana, India, before, during, and after the 2015 Diwali celebration. PM2.5 concentrations were observed to be approximately 5 times and 12 times higher than Indian and WHO 24-h standards, respectively. CO concentrations on the day of Diwali were found to be nearly 7.5 times and nearly 1.5 times higher than Indian standards and WHO 8-h standards, respectively. Increased concentrations of SO4, K, N3, Al, and Na were observed. SO4, K, N3, Al, and Na were found between approximately 2 and 5 times higher on festival days than on a normal, non-festival day in November. Use of firecrackers during Diwali and surrounding celebrations thus contribute to decreased air quality and elevated levels of air pollutants associated with adverse health impacts. Optimization or controlled use of firecrackers during Diwali is suggested in rural areas.

Prevalence and determinants of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among male migrant factory workers in Haryana, North India.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdulkader, Rizwan Suliankatchi; Kant, Shashi; Rai, Sanjay Kumar; Goswami, Kiran; Misra, Puneet

2015-01-01

Male migrant workers display high risk sexual behavior and have been shown to have higher prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which make them more vulnerable to HIV infection. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of self-reported STIs and delineate their determinants among male migrant factory workers in Faridabad, Haryana. Male workers in two selected factories, who were aged ≥18 years, were born outside Haryana (destination), and who had migrated to Haryana after the age of 15 years were eligible. Socio-demographic information, HIV/AIDS knowledge and behavior, and self-reported STI symptoms in the last 1 year were ascertained by face-to-face interview. Determinants of STIs were identified by regression analysis. Totally 755 eligible workers participated. Mean ± SD age was 31.4 ± 8.2 years and migration duration was 9.5 ± 6.7 years. At least one STI symptom was reported by 41.7% of the participants (burning micturition- 35%, inguinal bubos-5.2%, genital ulcers- 2.6%, urethral pus discharge- 1.3%). Factors associated with STIs were higher age at migration, lower HIV/AIDS knowledge, paid sex in the last year, non-use of condoms during the last non-spousal sex, and unfavorable intention to use condom. Prevalence of self-reported STIs among these migrant men was high. Targeted Interventions among migrant workers need to be strengthened for control and prevention of STIs.

Measurement of health system performance at district level: A study protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Atul Sharma

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Limited efforts have been observed in low and middle income countries to undertake health system performance assessment at district level. Absence of a comprehensive data collection tool and lack of a standardised single summary measure defining overall performance are some of the main problems. Present study has been undertaken to develop a summary composite health system performance index at district level. Methods: A broad range of indicators covering all six domains as per building block framework were finalized by an expert panel. The domains were classified into twenty sub-domains, with 70 input and process indicators to measure performance. Seven sub-domains for assessing health system outputs and outcomes were identified, with a total of 28 indicators. Districts in Haryana state from north India were selected for the study. Primary and secondary data will be collected from 378 health facilities, district and state health directorate headquarters. Indicators will be normalized, aggregated to generate composite performance index at district level. Domain specific scores will present the quality of individual building block domains in the public health system. Robustness of the results will be checked using sensitivity analysis. Expected impact for public health: The study presents a methodology for comprehensive assessment of all health system domains on basis of input, process, output and outcome indicators which has never been reported from India. Generation of this index will help identify policy and implementation areas of concern and point towards potential solutions. Results may also help understand relationships between individual building blocks and their sub-components.

Measurement of natural radioactivity contents in air and soil from Western, Haryana, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mann, Nisha; Sushil Kumar; Amit Kumar; Garg, Ajay; Chauhan, R.P.

2015-01-01

Measurement of indoor radon and thoron is of importance because the radiation dose to human population due to inhalation of radon and its daughters contributes more than 50% of the total dose from natural sources. Thus it is important to study their levels in the dwellings and workplace. The gases are exhaled by soil and building materials due to presence of radium and thorium. One of the important index to find out the contribution of soil and building materials towards indoor radon is radon exhalation rates, which can be used for estimation of indoor radon levels. In present work the indoor radon and thoron levels from the air and radon exhalation rates from soil samples collected from the some districts (Sirsa, Hisar and Fatehabad) of North Haryana are reported. The indoor radon levels were measured by pin hole based radon thoron dosimeter and LR-115 solid state nuclear track detector while the radon exhalation rates from soil samples by well known canister techniques. The results show that indoor radon and thoron levels varied from 11 to 112 Bq/m 3 and 44 to 204 Bq/m 3 from the study area and within the ICRP safety limits. The radon mass exhalation rates from the soil sample varied from 12 to 37 mBq/kg/h. There exists a poor correlation between indoor radon and exhalation rates. An effort is made to explain the observed correlation. The results of the measurement are also compared with various National and International studies. (author)

Deprivation, Violence, and Conflict: An Analysis of Naxalite Activity in the Districts of India

OpenAIRE

Borooah, Vani

2008-01-01

This paper asks: is it a fact that there is more violence in districts affected by Naxalite (Maoist) activity compared to those which are free of Naxalite activity? And can the existence of Naxalite activity in some districts of India, but not in others, be explained by differences in economic and social conditions? This study identifies districts in India in which there was significant Naxalite activity and correlating the findings with district-level economic, social, and crime indicators. ...

Assessment of crop yield losses in Punjab and Haryana using 2 years of continuous in situ ozone measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Sinha, B.; Singh Sangwan, K.; Maurya, Y.; Kumar, V.; Sarkar, C.; Chandra, B. P.; Sinha, V.

2015-08-01

In this study we use a high-quality data set of in situ ozone measurements at a suburban site called Mohali in the state of Punjab to estimate ozone-related crop yield losses for wheat, rice, cotton and maize for Punjab and the neighbouring state Haryana for the years 2011-2013. We intercompare crop yield loss estimates according to different exposure metrics, such as AOT40 (accumulated ozone exposure over a threshold of 40) and M7 (mean 7-hour ozone mixing ratio from 09:00 to 15:59), for the two major crop growing seasons of kharif (June-October) and rabi (November-April) and establish a new crop-yield-exposure relationship for southern Asian wheat, maize and rice cultivars. These are a factor of 2 more sensitive to ozone-induced crop yield losses compared to their European and American counterparts. Relative yield losses based on the AOT40 metrics ranged from 27 to 41 % for wheat, 21 to 26 % for rice, 3 to 5 % for maize and 47 to 58 % for cotton. Crop production losses for wheat amounted to 20.8 ± 10.4 million t in the fiscal year of 2012-2013 and 10.3 ± 4.7 million t in the fiscal year of 2013-2014 for Punjab and Haryana taken together. Crop production losses for rice totalled 5.4 ± 1.2 million t in the fiscal year of 2012-2013 and 3.2 ± 0.8 million t in the year 2013-2014 for Punjab and Haryana taken together. The Indian National Food Security Ordinance entitles ~ 820 million of India's poor to purchase about 60 kg of rice or wheat per person annually at subsidized rates. The scheme requires 27.6 Mt of wheat and 33.6 Mt of rice per year. The mitigation of ozone-related crop production losses in Punjab and Haryana alone could provide > 50 % of the wheat and ~ 10 % of the rice required for the scheme. The total economic cost losses in Punjab and Haryana amounted to USD 6.5 ± 2.2 billion in the fiscal year of 2012-2013 and USD 3.7 ± 1.2 billion in the fiscal year of 2013-2014. This economic loss estimate represents a very conservative lower limit based on

Deprivation, Violence, and Conflict: An Analysis of Naxalite Activity in the Districts of India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vani K. Borooah

2008-11-01

Full Text Available This paper asks: is it a fact that there is more violence in districts affected by Naxalite (Maoist activity compared to those which are free of Naxalite activity? And can the existence of Naxalite activity in some districts of India, but not in others, be explained by differences in economic and social conditions? This study identifies districts in India in which there was significant Naxalite activity and correlating the findings with district-level economic, social, and crime indicators. The econometric results show that, after controlling for other variables, Naxalite activity in a district had, if anything, a dampening effect on its level of violent crime and crimes against women. Furthermore, even after controlling for other variables, the probability of a district being Naxalite- affected rose with an increase in its poverty rate and fell with a rise in its literacy rate. So, one prong in an anti-Naxalite strategy would be to address the twin issues of poverty and illiteracy in India.

Molecular composition of particulate matter emissions from dung and brushwood burning household cookstoves in Haryana, India

Science.gov (United States)

Fleming, Lauren T.; Lin, Peng; Laskin, Alexander; Laskin, Julia; Weltman, Robert; Edwards, Rufus D.; Arora, Narendra K.; Yadav, Ankit; Meinardi, Simone; Blake, Donald R.; Pillarisetti, Ajay; Smith, Kirk R.; Nizkorodov, Sergey A.

2018-02-01

Emissions of airborne particles from biomass burning are a significant source of black carbon (BC) and brown carbon (BrC) in rural areas of developing countries where biomass is the predominant energy source for cooking and heating. This study explores the molecular composition of organic aerosols from household cooking emissions with a focus on identifying fuel-specific compounds and BrC chromophores. Traditional meals were prepared by a local cook with dung and brushwood-fueled cookstoves in a village in Palwal district, Haryana, India. Cooking was done in a village kitchen while controlling for variables including stove type, fuel moisture, and meal. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions were collected on filters, and then analyzed via nanospray desorption electrospray ionization-high-resolution mass spectrometry (nano-DESI-HRMS) and high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array-high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-PDA-HRMS) techniques. The nano-DESI-HRMS analysis provided an inventory of numerous compounds present in the particle phase. Although several compounds observed in this study have been previously characterized using gas chromatography methods a majority of the species in the nano-DESI spectra were newly observed biomass burning compounds. Both the stove (chulha or angithi) and the fuel (brushwood or dung) affected the composition of organic aerosols. The geometric mean of the PM2.5 emission factor and the observed molecular complexity increased in the following order: brushwood-chulha (7.3 ± 1.8 g kg-1 dry fuel, 93 compounds), dung-chulha (21.1 ± 4.2 g kg-1 dry fuel, 212 compounds), and dung-angithi (29.8 ± 11.5 g kg-1 dry fuel, 262 compounds). The mass-normalized absorption coefficient (MACbulk) for the organic-solvent extractable material for brushwood PM2.5 was 3.7 ± 1.5 and 1.9 ± 0.8 m2 g-1 at 360 and 405 nm, respectively, which was approximately a factor of two higher than that for dung PM2.5. The HPLC-PDA-HRMS analysis

A composite indicator to measure universal health care coverage in India: way forward for post-2015 health system performance monitoring framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Prinja, Shankar; Gupta, Rakesh; Bahuguna, Pankaj; Sharma, Atul; Kumar Aggarwal, Arun; Phogat, Amit; Kumar, Rajesh

2017-02-01

There is limited work done on developing methods for measurement of universal health coverage. We undertook a study to develop a methodology and demonstrate the practical application of empirically measuring the extent of universal health coverage at district level. Additionally, we also develop a composite indicator to measure UHC. A cross-sectional survey was undertaken among 51 656 households across 21 districts of Haryana state in India. Using the WHO framework for UHC, we identified indicators of service coverage, financial risk protection, equity and quality based on the Government of India and the Haryana Government's proposed UHC benefit package. Geometric mean approach was used to compute a composite UHC index (CUHCI). Various statistical approaches to aggregate input indicators with or without weighting, along with various incremental combinations of input indicators were tested in a comprehensive sensitivity analysis. The population coverage for preventive and curative services is presented. Adjusting for inequality, the coverage for all the indicators were less than the unadjusted coverage by 0.1-6.7% in absolute term and 0.1-27% in relative term. There was low unmet need for curative care. However, about 11% outpatient consultations were from unqualified providers. About 30% households incurred catastrophic health expenditures, which rose to 38% among the poorest 20% population. Summary index (CUHCI) for UHC varied from 12% in Mewat district to 71% in Kurukshetra district. The inequality unadjusted coverage for UHC correlates highly with adjusted coverage. Our paper is an attempt to develop a methodology to measure UHC. However, careful inclusion of others indicators of service coverage is recommended for a comprehensive measurement which captures the spirit of universality. Further, more work needs to be done to incorporate quality in the measurement framework. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London

Newborn care practices and home-based postnatal newborn care programme – Mewat, Haryana, India, 2013

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Latika Nath Sinha

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Background: In India, the Home Based Postnatal Newborn Care programme by Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs under the National Rural Health Mission was initiated in 2011 to reduce neonatal mortality rates (NMRs. ASHAs get cash incentives for six postnatal home visits for newborn care. We studied newborn care practices among mothers in Mewat, Haryana, having a high NMR and determined risk factors for unsafe practices and described the knowledge and skills of ASHAs during home visits. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among mothers who had delivered a child during the previous seven months using cluster sampling. We interviewed mothers and ASHAs in the selected subcentres using semi–structured questionnaires on the six safe newborn care practices, namely safe breastfeeding, keeping cord and eyes clean, wrapping baby, kangaroo care, delayed bathing and hand washing. Results: We interviewed 320 mothers, 61 ASHAs and observed 19 home visits. Overall, 60% of mothers adopted less than three safe practices. Wrapping newborns (96% and delayed bathing (64% were better adopted than cord care (49%, safe breastfeeding (48%, hand washing (30%, kangaroo care (20% and eye care (9%. Cultural beliefs and traditional birth attendants influenced the mother’s practices. The lack of supervision by auxiliary nurse midwives (ANM, delayed referral and transportation were the other challenges. Conclusion: Knowledge–practice gaps existed among mothers counselled by ASHAs. Poor utilization of reproductive and child health services decreased opportunities for ASHA–mother dialogue on safe practices. Recommendations included training ANMs, training TBAs as ASHAs, innovative communication strategies for ASHAs and improved referral system.

The economic performance of four (agro-) forestry systems on alkaline soils in the state of Haryana in India

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stille, L.; Smeets, E.M.W.; Wicke, B.; Singh, R.; Singh, G.

2011-01-01

This study evaluates and compares the economic performance of four (agro-) forestry plantations on alkaline soils in semi-arid conditions in the North Indian state of Haryana. The plantations were located in the villages of Gudha, Kohand, Nain and Sutana. The plantations varied with respect to the

Urinary tract infection among pregnant women at a secondary level hospital in Northern India

OpenAIRE

Shashi Kant; Ayush Lohiya; Arti Kapil; Sanjeev Kumar Gupta

2017-01-01

Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI) during pregnancy is frequently associated with complications. Currently, in India, there is no regular screening for UTI, and facility for diagnosis of UTI is not available at peripheral government health centers. Objective: To estimate the proportion of pregnant women with UTI among antenatal clinic attendees in rural Haryana. Methods: Eligible participants were pregnant women attending antenatal clinic of secondary care center of rural Haryana from ...

Modeling groundwater quality in an arid agricultural environment in the face of an uncertain climate: the case of Mewat District, India

Science.gov (United States)

Weber, M. C.; Ward, A. S.; Muste, M.

2014-12-01

The salinization of groundwater resources is a widespread problem in arid agricultural environments. In Mewat District (Haryana, India), groundwater salinity has rendered much of the accessible supply unfit for human consumption or agriculture. Historically, this closed basin retained fresh pockets of water at the foothills of the Aravalli Hills, where monsoonal precipitation runoff from the mountains was recharged through infiltration or facilitated by man-made structures. To date, an increasing number of pumps supply the region with fresh water for consumption and agriculture leading to shrinking the freshwater zone at an accelerated pace. The potential for increased human consumption corroborated with the effects of climate change bring uncertainty about the future of water security for the Mewat communities, most of them critically bound to the existence of local water. This study addresses the sustainability of the freshwater supply under a range of land interventions and climate scenarios, using a 2-D groundwater flow and transport model. Our results quantify potential futures for this arid, groundwater-dependent location, using numerical groundwater modeling to quantify interactions between human water use, infrastructure, and climate. Outcomes of this modeling study will inform an NGO active in the area on sustainable management of groundwater resources.

Contamination of ground water as a consequence of land disposal of dye waste mixed sewage effluents: a case study of Panipat district of Haryana, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Dubey, S K; Yadav, Rashmi; Chaturvedi, R K; Yadav, R K; Sharma, V K; Minhas, P S

2010-09-01

Spatial samples of surface and ground water collected from land disposal site of dye waste mixed sewage effluents at Binjhole, in Haryana, India were analyzed to evaluate its effect on quality of pond, hand pumps and ground waters for human health and irrigation purposes. It was found that average COD and TDS of dye houses discharge (310 and 3,920 mg/L) and treated sewage (428 and 1,470 mg/L) on mixing acquired the values of 245 and 1,780 mg/L and only Pb (0.24 microg/L) was above the permissible limit for irrigation purpose. Disposal of this mixed water to village pond changes the COD and TDS to 428 and 1,470 mg/L, respectively. COD and TDS of hand pump water samples were 264 and 1,190 mg/L, where as in tube well water these values were 151 and 900 mg/L. Though the ground water contamination seemed to decrease with the increasing distance from the pond but COD, TDS and BOD values continued to be quite high in water samples drawn from the hand pumps up to a distance of 500 m from pond. However, the major cause of the concern in these waters was Pb (0.11-0.45 ppm). Crops grown with this water shows accumulation of heavy metals like Pb,Cd, Fe, Mn, Ni, Cu, and Zn but in few crops they (Zn, Pb and Cd) exceed the safe limits. Regular consumption of these crop products may lead heavy metal toxicity. It was concluded from this study that the deep seepage of effluents led to deterioration of ground water quality for drinking purposes and the well waters rendered unfit for irrigation purposes within a span of 2 years. This warrants appropriate disposal measures for sewage and dye industry effluents in order to prevent deterioration of ground water and health of human and animals.

Radon exhalation rates from slate stone samples in Aravali Range in Haryana

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Upadhyay, S.B.; Kant, K.; Chakarvarti, S.K.

2012-01-01

The slate stone tiles are very popular in covering the walls of the rooms. Radon is released into ambient air from slate stones due to ubiquitous uranium and radium in them, thus increasing the airborne radon concentration. The radioactivity in slates stones is related to radioactivity in the rocks from which the slate stone tiles are formed. In the present investigation, the radon emanated from slate stone samples collected from different slate mines in Aravali range of hills in the Haryana state of Northern India has been estimated. For the measurement of radon concentration emanated from these samples, alpha-sensitive LR-115 type II plastic track detectors have been used. The alpha particles emitted from the radon form tracks in these detectors. After chemical etching the track density of registered tracks is used to calculate radon concentration and exhalation rates of radon using required formulae. The measurements indicate normal to some higher levels of radon concentration emanated from the slat stone samples collected from Aravali range of hills in north India. The results will be discussed in full paper. (author)

An Alternative Approach for Supportive Supervision and Skill Measurements of Health Workers for Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illnesses Program in 10 Districts of Haryana.

Science.gov (United States)

Aggarwal, Arun K; Gupta, Rakesh; Das, Dhritiman; Dhakar, Anar S; Sharma, Gourav; Anand, Himani; Kaur, Kamalpreet; Sheoran, Kiran; Dalpath, Suresh; Khatri, Jaidev; Gupta, Madhu

2018-01-01

"Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illnesses" (IMNCI) needs regular supportive supervision (SS). The aim of this study was to find suitable SS model for implementing IMNCI. This was a prospective interventional study in 10 high-focus districts of Haryana. Two methods of SS were used: (a) visit to subcenters and home visits (model 1) and (b) organization of IMNCI clinics/camps at primary health center (PHC) and community health center (CHC) (model 2). Skill scores were measured at different time points. Routine IMNCI data from study block and randomly selected control block of each district were retrieved for 4 months before and after the training and supervision. Change in percentage mean skill score difference and percentage difference in median number of children were assessed in two areas. Mean skill scores increased significantly from 2.1 (pretest) to 7.0 (posttest 1). Supportive supervisory visits sustained and improved skill scores. While model 2 of SS could positively involve health system officials, model 1 was not well received. Outcome indicator in terms of number of children assessed showed a significant improvement in intervention areas. SS in IMNCI clinics/camps at PHC/CHC level and innovative skill scoring method is a promising approach.

Natural gamma radioactivity in the villages of Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Padua, Jeni Chandar; Basil Rose, M R

2013-01-01

In situ radiometric survey carried out in 81 revenue villages of Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu, India, using a portable radiation dosemeter/detector, revealed the existence of radiation hotspots along the coastal belt. A close observation of the coastal villages specifically revealed high background radioactivity in 14 coastal villages. A very high intrinsic anomalous radioactivity of 41.03 μSv h(-1) was observed, in a famous tourist spot in the coastal belt of Kanyakumari District. This is the highest level of radiation registered in South India, which is extremely higher than the permissible world average and is suggestive of causing severe clinical problems on continuous and prolonged exposure.

Natural gamma radioactivity in the villages of Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Padua, J. C.; Basil Rose, M. R.

2013-01-01

In situ radiometric survey carried out in 81 revenue villages of Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu (India), using a portable radiation dosemeter/detector, revealed the existence of radiation hotspots along the coastal belt. A close observation of the coastal villages specifically revealed high background radioactivity in 14 coastal villages. A very high intrinsic anomalous radioactivity of 41.03 μSv h -1 was observed, in a famous tourist spot in the coastal belt of Kanyakumari District. This is the highest level of radiation registered in South India, which is extremely higher than the permissible world average and is suggestive of causing severe clinical problems on continuous and prolonged exposure. (authors)

Status of Iodine Nutrition among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinic of a Secondary Care Hospital: A Cross-sectional Study from Northern India.

Science.gov (United States)

Kant, Shashi; Haldar, Partha; Lohiya, Ayush; Yadav, Kapil; Pandav, Chandrakant S

2017-01-01

Daily requirement of iodine increases during pregnancy making pregnant women a high-risk group for iodine deficiency disorders. The limited available literature shows that even in iodine sufficient population, pregnant women are iodine deficient. The objective of this study is to assess the current iodine nutrition status among pregnant women in Ballabgarh, district Faridabad, Haryana. Pregnant women were recruited from antenatal clinic (ANC) of subdistrict hospital (SDH), Ballabgarh, Haryana. Consecutive sampling strategy was followed to recruit pregnant women, and women of all trimesters were included in the study. Urinary iodine estimation was done using simple microplate method, and salt iodine was estimated using iodometric titration. The study was approved by Institute Ethics Committee, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. Out of the total 1031 pregnant women, 90.9% were using adequately iodized salt. Median (interquartile range [IQR]) salt consumption by the pregnant women was 8.3 (6.7, 11.1) g/day. Median (IQR) urinary iodine concentration (UIC) for the pregnant women was 260 (199, 323) μg/L. Only 13.5% of pregnant women had insufficient iodine intake (UIC 90% adequately iodized salt coverage in the study population.

Good City Governance in India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raj Kumar Siwach

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Good governance is identified as imperative for enhancing the performance of Municipal councils in India. This is against the backdrop of mounting service delivery challenges confronting these Municipalities especially in the Haryana province. Using a case-study design, the study assesses performance in the context of basic elements of participative governance, transparency and accountability. The article contributes to growing literature on public sector issues in the discipline.

Helminth parasite communities in anuran amphibians of Kalesar Wildlife Sanctuary (Haryana), India.

Science.gov (United States)

Rizvi, Anjum N; Bhutia, Pasang T

2010-10-01

Helminth parasite fauna in anuran amphibia were investigated during the general faunistic surveys of Kalesar Wildlife Sanctuary, situated in Haryana state. Three species of amphibian hosts were found to harbour 12 genera of helminth parasites. The prevalence, intensity and abundance were studied. Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis harboured maximum parasite species followed by Fejervarya limnocharis and Duttaphrynus melanostictus. In E. cyanophlyctis, among nematode parasites, the genus Camallanus was most prevalent followed by Cosmocerca and Cosmocercoides, whereas, Rhabdias and Aplectana were the least prevalent genera. Among trematode parasites, Ganeo was the most prevalent genus and least was Diplodiscus. Acanthocephalus was recovered only once and no cestode infection was found. In F. limnocharis, the most prevalent nematode genus was Oxysomatium, followed by Cosmocerca and the only trematode recorded was Ganeo, whereas, cestode Proteocephalus was also recovered once. In D. melanostictus, only two nematode genera were recovered of which Oxysomatium was dominant followed by Cosmocerca. The helminth parasite community in anuran amphibia of Kalesar WLS comprised 52.9% of nematodes, 46.2% of trematodes, 0.58% cestodes and 0.29% acanthocephala.

Assessment of oral health status and periodontal treatment needs among rural, semi-urban, urban, and metropolitan population of Gurgaon District, Haryana State

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harpreet Singh Grover

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Role of various etiologic factors in periodontal disease has been investigated by means of epidemiologic surveys and clinical studies. The community periodontal index of treatment needs (CPITN provides a picture of the public health requirements in the periodontal field, which is essential for national oral health policy-making and specific interventions. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on 4000 individuals among rural, semi-urban, and metro population of Gurgaon District, Haryana State, to find out the oral health status and periodontal treatment needs (TNs using CPITN index. Results: An inference was drawn from the results that among 4000 participants from all the four population groups' maximum, i.e., 63.80% of individuals needed TN2 whereas 18.20% of individuals needed TN3 and 18.10% of individuals needed TN1. Conclusion: It can be concluded with a word of hope and a word of warning. Hope lies in the fact that the measurement of periodontal diseases by epidemiological study of this condition is improving and receiving wide spread attention. The warning lies in the varied nature of the condition which goes to make up periodontal disease and perplexing ways in which these conditions blend. In addition to dental practitioner, periodontist and public health workers must devote more time and effort toward controlling periodontal disease than they seem to be devoting at present.

Prevalence of early childhood caries in 3- to 5-year-old preschool children in Rohtak City, Haryana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mamta Ghanghas

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Early childhood caries (ECC is a significant dental public health problem that affects infants and preschool children all over the world, and there is scarcity of epidemiological data regarding ECC in Rohtak city. Aim: This study aims to assess the prevalence of ECC among 3- to 5-year-old preschool children in Rohtak city, Haryana, India. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 489 preschool children aged 3–5 years in Rohtak city, Haryana. Children were randomly selected from preschools of Rohtak. Caries experience was recorded using “deft” index, and questionnaire comprising sociodemographic details and oral hygiene practices was also used. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20.0. Chi-square tests were used for the comparison of proportions. P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: The overall prevalence of ECC was found to be 32% with mean deft 1.08 ± 2.27. No significant association of dental caries was found with sociodemographic factors such as gender, parental education, parental occupation, socioeconomic status, number of children, birth order, type of family, and oral hygiene practices. Conclusion: As burden of dental caries is high, treatment of dental caries would impose a great financial burden; hence, effective preventive strategies should be developed and implemented.

A Synoptic Account of Flora of Solapur District, Maharashtra (India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krushnadeoray Garad

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The present paper provides the first systematic and comprehensive account of the flora of Solapur district of Maharashtra (India. The flora of this region demonstrates a wide range of species diversity and growth forms. The vegetation of the district mainly represents tropical dry deciduous forests, thorny open scrub and vast grasslands. During the present work, a total of 1441 taxa belonging to 699 genera and 125 families of flowering plants were recorded. A new species Crinum solapurense Gaikwad et al. is described. Fabaceae is the dominant family with 210 taxa, followed by Poaceae (157 taxa, Asteraceae (85 taxa, Malvaceae (68 taxa and Euphorbiaceae (48 taxa. Acacia is the largest genus with 25 taxa, followed by Euphorbia (23, Cyperus (22, Crotalaria (19 and Ipomoea (19. The herbaceous flora of the district is notable as it amounts to 56.21% of the whole of flora. The ratio of indigenous woody to herbaceous components is 1:1.28. The proportion of indigenous taxa (978 to the cultivated ones (460 is 1.35: 0.5 in the district.

A synoptic account of flora of solapur district, maharashtra (India).

Science.gov (United States)

Garad, Krushnadeoray U; Gore, Ramchandra D; Gaikwad, Sayajirao P

2015-01-01

The present paper provides the first systematic and comprehensive account of the flora of Solapur district of Maharashtra (India). The flora of this region demonstrates a wide range of species diversity and growth forms. The vegetation of the district mainly represents tropical dry deciduous forests, thorny open scrub and vast grasslands. During the present work, a total of 1441 taxa belonging to 699 genera and 125 families of flowering plants were recorded. A new species Crinumsolapurense Gaikwad et al. is described. Fabaceae is the dominant family with 210 taxa, followed by Poaceae (157 taxa), Asteraceae (85 taxa), Malvaceae (68 taxa) and Euphorbiaceae (48 taxa). Acacia is the largest genus with 25 taxa, followed by Euphorbia (23), Cyperus (22), Crotalaria (19) and Ipomoea (19). The herbaceous flora of the district is notable as it amounts to 56.21% of the whole of flora. The ratio of indigenous woody to herbaceous components is 1:1.28. The proportion of indigenous taxa (978) to the cultivated ones (460) is 1.35: 0.5 in the district.

Pregnancy wastage among HIV infected women in a high HIV prevalence district of India.

Science.gov (United States)

Halli, Shiva S; Khan, C G Hussain; Shah, Iqbal; Washington, Reynold; Isac, Shajy; Moses, Stephen; Blanchard, James F

2015-07-02

Bagalkot district in Karnataka state is one of the highest HIV prevalence districts in India. A large proportion of the girls also marry at early age in the district and negative pregnancy outcomes among the HIV positive women likely to have large pregnancy wastages. Therefore, this study examined the pregnancy wastages and the associated factors among HIV positive women in a high prevalent district in India. We used data from a cross-sectional survey conducted recently among randomly selected currently married HIV positive women, 15-29 years of age, in one of the high HIV prevalence districts in India. The study used the experience of reported pregnancy wastage as an outcome variable, and both bi-variate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out to understand the factors associated with the pregnancy wastage among HIV infected women. Overall, 17% of the respondents reported pregnancy wastage, of which 81% were due to spontaneous abortions. Respondents who became pregnant since testing HIV positive reported significantly higher level of pregnancy wastage as compared to those were pregnant before they were tested for HIV. (AOR = 1.9; p = 0.00). While a positive association between duration of marriage and pregnancy wastage was noticed (AOR = 7.4; p = 0.01), there was a negative association between number of living children and pregnancy wastage (AOR = 0.24; p = 0.00). Living in a joint family was associated with increased reporting of pregnancy wastage as compared to those living in nuclear families (AOR = 1.7; p = 0.03). HIV prevention and care programs need to consider the reproductive health needs of HIV infected married women as a priority area since large proportion of these women reported negative pregnancy outcomes. There is also a need to explore ways to raise the age at marriage in order to stop women getting married before the legal age at marriage.

Stability of the beaches in Nagapattinam District, Tamilnadu, India

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Manickaraj, D.S.; Chandrasekaran, R.; Gujar, A.R.; Loveson, V.J.; Angusamy, N.; Chandrasekar, N.; Rajamanickam, G.V.

in Nagapattinam District, Tamilnadu, India Soosai Manickaraj, D 1 ., Chandrasekaran, R 1 ., Gujar, A.R 2 ., Loveson, V.J 3 ., Angusamy, N 4 ., Chandrasekar, N 5 ., and Victor Rajamanickam, G 1 1 Disaster Management, SASTRA Deemed University, Thanjavur... measurements are necessary. By comparing measurements taken at different times, a beach's stability is determined. Shoreline change data has many uses. This information is needed to evaluate the carrying capacity of the beach. It is also used to set...

Convergence of PPTCT with RCH Services in a District Hospital, Haryana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Puneet Bhagat

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Background: The integration of PPTCT and RCH activities is an important strategy for universal screening of ANC mothers through available government health infrastructure in a district. The objective of this study was to understand process and analyzing outcome of convergence of PPTCT & RCH services in a District Hospital. Methods: The study was a descriptive study conducted in district hospital, Gurgaon. Results: In the district hospital Gurgaon percentage of women counseled at ICTC has increased from 77% to 89.4% and percentage of women tested has increased from 75% to 87.8% during 2010 and 2011. However, not all women tested positive delivered at hospital. Only 6.7% women were knowing about transmission of HIV from mother to baby. About 60% ANC registration are delayed primarily due to lack of family support (71%. Majority of ANC women got HIV screening at district hospital due to non-availability of facility at CHC/PHC levels. About 58% of Institutional deliveries in the State are in private hospitals, but they still need to be involved in PPTCT. Conclusion: Currently, convergence of PPTCT and RCH services seems to be fragmented and at initial stage. Convergence need to be taken up at policy, planning, implementation, capacity building, resource mobilization and monitoring for success of the initiative in the state.

Convergence of PPTCT with RCH Services in a District Hospital, Haryana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Puneet Bhagat

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Background: The integration of PPTCT and RCH activities is an important strategy for universal screening of ANC mothers through available government health infrastructure in a district. The objective of this study was to understand process and analyzing outcome of convergence of PPTCT & RCH services in a District Hospital. Methods: The study was a descriptive study conducted in district hospital, Gurgaon. Results: In the district hospital Gurgaon percentage of women counseled at ICTC has increased from 77% to 89.4% and percentage of women tested has increased from 75% to 87.8% during 2010 and 2011. However, not all women tested positive delivered at hospital. Only 6.7% women were knowing about transmission of HIV from mother to baby. About 60% ANC registration are delayed primarily due to lack of family support (71%. Majority of ANC women got HIV screening at district hospital due to non-availability of facility at CHC/PHC levels. About 58% of Institutional deliveries in the State are in private hospitals, but they still need to be involved in PPTCT. Conclusion: Currently, convergence of PPTCT and RCH services seems to be fragmented and at initial stage. Convergence need to be taken up at policy, planning, implementation, capacity building, resource mobilization and monitoring for success of the initiative in the state.

Determination of Phosphate in Water Samples of Nashik District (Maharashtra State, India) Rivers by UV-Visible Spectroscopy

OpenAIRE

Kharat, Sanjeevan J.; Pagar, Sanjay D.

2009-01-01

The major rivers of Nashik District (Maharashtra State, India) are Godavari, Kadawa, Girna, Punad and Mosam. The major water pollutant of Nashik District Rivers is Phosphate. The amount of phosphate has been determined by the molybdenum blue phosphorous method in conjugation with UV-Visible Spectrophotometer. The data has been analyzed by least square method. The more phosphate polluted river in Nashik district is Godavari. The least phosphate polluted river in Nashik District is Punad.

Impact of deforestation on known malaria vectors in Sonitpur district of Assam, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Saxena, Rekha; Nagpal, B N; Singh, V P; Srivastava, Aruna; Dev, Vas; Sharma, M C; Gupta, H P; Tomar, Arvind Singh; Sharma, Shashi; Gupta, Sanjeev Kumar

2014-09-01

An alarming rate of deforestation has been reported from Sonitpur district of Assam, India therefore, a study was initiated during 2009 using remote sensing (RS) to assess deforested areas in the district and to study the impact on malaria vectors in order to formulate appropriate control strategy. RS imageries of 2000 and 2009 were used to assess deforested areas in the selected district. Entomological data were collected in four surveys during 2009-2011. The data were analyzed statistically using test of single proportions (χ 2 ) and pair-wise comparison. Vector incrimination was done using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and entomological inoculation rate (EIR) was calculated to estimate transmission intensity. The deforested areas were identified in north-western parts of Sonitpur district falling in Dhekiajuli Primary Health Centre (PHC). The forest cover of the PHC decreased >50% during 2000-2009. Five species of anopheline vectors were collected. Anopheles minimus sensu lato (s.l.) was collected least abundantly while An. culicifacies s.l. prevailed most abundantly and significant difference was observed between proportions of the collected vector species. Pair-wise comparison between An. culicifacies s.l. and An. minimus s.l. was also found statistically significant indicating that An. culicifacies s.l. is establishing its population in deforested areas. An. culicifacies s.l. was found ELISA positive and EIR was measured as 4.8 during transmission season. An. culicifacies s.l. replaced An. minimus s.l., the vector of malaria in northeast India and was found ELISA positive, therefore could have possible role in malaria transmission in the deforested areas of the district.

Determination of Phosphate in Water Samples of Nashik District (Maharashtra State, India Rivers by UV-Visible Spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanjeevan J. Kharat

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The major rivers of Nashik District (Maharashtra State, India are Godavari, Kadawa, Girna, Punad and Mosam. The major water pollutant of Nashik District Rivers is Phosphate. The amount of phosphate has been determined by the molybdenum blue phosphorous method in conjugation with UV-Visible Spectrophotometer. The data has been analyzed by least square method. The more phosphate polluted river in Nashik district is Godavari. The least phosphate polluted river in Nashik District is Punad.

A mixed methods study on evaluating the performance of a multi-strategy national health program to reduce maternal and child health disparities in Haryana, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Madhu Gupta

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A multi pronged community based strategy, known as National Rural Health Mission (NRHM, was implemented from 2005–06 to 2012–13 in India to curtail maternal and child health (MCH disparities between poor and rich, rural and urban areas, and boys and girls,. This study aimed to determine the degree to which MCH plans of NRHM implemented, and resulted in improving the MCH outcomes and reducing the inequalities. Methods An explanatory sequential mixed methods study was conducted, first to assess the degree of implementation of MCH plans by estimating the budget utilization rates of each MCH plan, and the effectiveness of these plans by comparing demographic health surveys data conducted post (2012–13, during (2007–08 and pre- (2002–04 NRHM implementation period, in the quantitative study. Then, perceptions and beliefs of stakeholders regarding extent and effectiveness of NRHM in Haryana were explored in the qualitative study during 2013. A logistic regression analysis was done for quantitative data, and inductive applied thematic analysis for qualitative data. The findings of the quantitative and qualitative parts of study were mixed at the interpretation level. Results The MCH plans, like free ambulance service, availability of free drugs and logistics, accredited social health activists were fully implemented according to the budget spent on implementing these activities in Haryana. This was also validated by qualitative study. Availability of free medicines and treatment in the public health facilities had benefitted the poor patients the most. Accredited Social Health Activists scheme was also the most appreciated scheme that had increased the institutional delivery rates. There was acute shortage of human resources in-spite of full utilization of funds allocated for this plan. The results of the qualitative study validated the findings of quantitative study of significant (p < 0.05 improvement in MCH

Measuring and understanding motivation among community health workers in rural health facilities in India-a mixed method study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tripathy, Jaya Prasad; Goel, Sonu; Kumar, Ajay M V

2016-08-09

Motivated human resource is the key to improve health system performance and retention of health workers. There is scanty literature on measuring motivation of health workers in India. Thus, the objective of this study was to measure and identify important aspects of health workers' motivation in North India. A mixed method study design was adopted. Under the quantitative component, we interviewed randomly selected 62 community health workers (CHWs) in 18 sub-centres in two blocks of District Ambala, Haryana, India using a structured motivation scale. In-depth interviews were also carried out with 18 CHWs to explore the sources of motivation. The age of respondents and training in the past 12 months were found to be significantly associated with motivation. Job burnout, poor personal health, job insecurity and less career development opportunities were the individual level de-motivators, whereas not being able to fulfil family roles and poor supportive supervision were identified as environmental factors for poor motivation. Love for work, and financial incentives were individual level motivators, while community support and recognition, organizational commitment and pride, regular training were identified as environmental level motivators. Non-financial motivators such as interpersonal relations, family support, skill and career development opportunities require more attention. Regular need-based training is essential to maintain high levels of motivation.

Zooanthroponotic transmission of rotavirus in Haryana State of Northern India.

Science.gov (United States)

Choudhary, P; Minakshi, P; Ranjan, K; Basanti, B

Rotaviruses are the major cause of severe gastroenteritis and mortality in young children and animals. Due to segmented nature of dsRNA genome and wide host range, vast genetic and antigenic diversity exists amongst different isolates of rotaviruses. A total of 230 fecal ovine and caprine samples collected from organized farms and villages in Haryana were screened for rotavirus detection. Samples were screened by latex agglutination test and RNA-PAGE followed by RT-PCR and nucleic acid sequencing. The latex agglutination test showed 25 newborn lamb and 4 kid fecal samples positive for rotavirus. However, RNA-PAGE showed only 9 lamb fecal samples positive for rotavirus. All the samples were subjected to RT-PCR employing vp4 and vp7 gene specific primers of group A rotavirus of ovine, bovine and human origin. Only two samples from lamb (Sheep18/Hisar/2013 and Sheep22/Hisar/2013) showed vp4 and vp7 gene specific amplification with human group A rotavirus (GAR) specific primer. However, they did not show any amplification with ovine and bovine rotavirus specific primers. The nucleotide as well as deduced amino acid sequence analysis of vp4 gene of these isolates showed >98/97% and vp7 gene >95/94% nt/aa identity with human GAR from different regions of the world. Based on nucleotide similarity search, Sheep18/Hisar/2013 and Sheep22/Hisar/2013 isolates were genotyped as G1P[8] and G1P[4]. Phylogenetic analysis also confirmed that these isolates were clustered closely with human rotaviruses from different regions of the world. Earlier, higher prevalence of human rotaviruses was reported from the sample collecting area. The amplification of ovine samples with human rotavirus gene specific primers, sequence identity and phylogenetic analysis strongly suggests the zoonotic transmission of human GAR to sheep.

Female infertility in India: Causes, treatment and impairment of fertility in selected districts with high prevalence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shraboni Patra

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Although the ‘universal access to sexual and reproductive health care’ has received priority in the SDG‐3, the rural women experiencing infertility problem in India are unable to access and afford quality reproductive health care. The study investigates the present infertility situation, with a focus on risk factors, treatment seeking for infertility, and impact of infertility on fertility in India and its districts with high infertility prevalence. The DLHS‐3 data is used. Top fifteen districts with high infertility prevalence are selected for analysis. Simple bivariate and multivariate techniques are applied. In India, the prevalence of ever‐experienced primary, secondary, and current infertility is 6.6%, 2.1% and 4.6% respectively, whereas, in the selected districts, the estimates for the same indicators are 15%, 3.1%, and 5% respectively. A higher prevalence of reported symptoms of RTIs/STIs and menstrual problems is observed among women who ever had infertility. Treatment seeking for infertility is low in Korba and Koryia. The MCEB is less among women who ever had experienced infertility. The prevalence of ever‐experienced infertility and current infertility is considerably higher among women from socio‐economically disadvantaged sections. Awareness of RTIs, STIs, and menstrual problems, and preventive care can reduce infertility among rural women.

Linking the morphology of fluvial fan systems to aquifer stratigraphy in the Sutlej-Yamuna plain of northwest India

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Dijk, W. M.; Densmore, A. L.; Singh, A.; Gupta, S.; Sinha, R.; Mason, P. J.; Joshi, S. K.; Nayak, N.; Kumar, M.; Shekhar, S.; Kumar, D.; Rai, S. P.

The Indo-Gangetic foreland basin has some of the highest rates of groundwater extraction in the world, focused in the states of Punjab and Haryana in northwest India. Any assessment of the effects of extraction on groundwater variation requires understanding of the geometry and sedimentary

Discussing implications of fast depleting rural ponds on the globally threatened wetland winter migratory bird in Haryana: a Case Study of Nigdu village pond in Karnal District

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rohtash Chand Gupta

2013-05-01

Full Text Available The Nigdu-Sarovar is located in Nilokheri block in Karnal district in Haryana (29°50′N 76°55′E. The duration of observations span over seven years (September, 2005 to March, 2012. The recording of wetland winter visitor birds during 2005-08 in winter season included atleast 58 species of birds belonging to 10 orders and 18 families. It is important to mention that 29 species of wetland birds were winter migratory, 17 residents, 9 local migratory and three species of wetland birds like Lesser-whistling Duck Dendrocygna javanica, Pheasant-tailed Jacana Hydrophasianus chirurgus and Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops persicus were summer migratory. The special features of 2005-06 winter was the huge populations of birds like Northern Shoveller Anas clypeata, Northern Pintail Anas acuta, Common Teal Anas crecca, Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhynchus, Common Pochard Aythya ferina, Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus, Greylag Goose Anser anser, Gadwall Anas strepera, Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo, Mallard Anas platyrhynchos and Common Redshank Tringa totanus etc.In successive years, the scenario was more or less a substantial one depicting stability with respect to diversity of birds, number of birds upto the year of 2008. The popular birds included Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala, Openbill Stork Anastomus oscitans, White-necked Stork Ciconia episcopus, Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus, Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia, Spotted Greenshank Tringa guttifer and Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrines. The sharp decline in winter migratory birds at “Nigdu-Sarovar” started in the year of 2008 when the pond was leased out for FISH-FARMING as per the policies of Govt. of Haryana. Fish Farming based deepening of the pond by excavation of bottom resulting in total decimation of rooted, floating, submerged and ejecting plants along with its subsidiary fauna, Zooplanktons, phytoplankton etc. The age old structural regime of the pond

TRADITIONAL RURAL WETLANDS IN HARYANA STATE OF INDIA ARE CURRENTLY CONFRONTING MULTICORNERED THREATS LEADING TO EXTINCTION SOONER THAN LATER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rohtash chand Gupta

2012-05-01

Full Text Available The most serious threat to traditional rural ponds in Haryana is associated with transformed societal behavioural patterns, ethics, values and life style, amongst several others. The siltation of ponds with adjoining areas, soil coming in with rain water is a very serious cause of stratification of rural ponds. Also contracting of village community land for sun drying of cow dung cakes inspires villagers to overload periphery of each pond with cow dung turning the premises into grave-yard of dung. This dung is the major source of polluting pond water into blackish water with high load of organic matter. Moreover, it leads to over excessive eutrophication. Building of major highways and connectivity roads have resulted into compartmentalization and degradation of village ponds. Inhabitation of peripheral village ponds boundaries by lower section of society for dwelling purposes is more threat to wetlands. The indifferent inclination of villagers towards silted ponds drenched in bad odour and blackish sludge is the story of 80% of the cases. The total blockage of run-off rainy water towards the natural age old rural ponds due to obstruction by way of human inhabitation has resulted into desertification of shallow water sheet in 90% of the cases. The oblivion of harvesting dried silt in summer for brick making has spelled doom for the ponds turning them into flat ground through successive decades and so on. The water quality in all ponds was overshooting the decaying stage due to the continuous mixing of cow dung drenched rainy water. Over excessive usage of ponds for bathing of cattle, dumping of cow dung and rotten vegetables waste has turned ponds into live sinks of dirt, garbage and rural dairy wastes. Majority of village ponds are now out of existence or in deep black sludge laden or converted into Fish-Farming wetlands. The present studies have indicated that Winter migratory birds like Greylag Goose Anser anser, Bar-headed Goose Anser

Climate Change Impact Assessment for Wheat and Rice Productivity, Haryana, India

Science.gov (United States)

Rana, M.; Singh, K. K.; Kumari, N.

2017-12-01

Agriculture presents a core of the India Economy and provides food and livelihood activities to much of the Indian population. However, the changing climate is putting challenges to agriculture. The mean temperature in India is increased by 0.1-0.3 degC in Kharif and 0.3-0.7 degC during rabi by 2010, and projected to further increase by 0.4-0.2 degC during Kharif and to 1.1-4.5degC in rabi by 2070. Similarly mean rainfall is projected to increase up to 10% during kharif and rabi by 2070.At same time, there is an increased possibility of climate extremes, such as the timing of onset of monsoon, intensities and frequency of floods and droughts (S.A. Khan et al.,2009).In addition, the rapid population growth at a rate of 1.2% per annum, expected to reach 1.53 billion by the end of 2030; is also a critical issue of this century. Keeping in mind the above facts, this study is carried out in one of major agriculture state in India. The related field data collected from the ongoing experiments in agriculture universities/institutes in the respective state and observed weather data from India Meteorological Dept.(IMD), New Delhi and future climate scenarios data from India Institute of Tropical Meteorology(IITM). Validated CERES Wheat and Rice model embedded in DSSATv4.6 used for simulating the climate change impacts. The yield simulations of crop models were obtained separately for baseline and future data The simulation result indicates significant impact of climate change on both wheat and rice yield. The reason for same attributed to increase in temperature that majorly impact rabi wheat and extreme weather events for Kharif rice. Keywords: Climate Change, CERES Rice-Wheat, Yield, Validation

Restructuring the State Electricity Boards (SEB'S) in India: the case of HSEB

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kanika, T.Bhal [Haryana State Electricity Board, HSEB, Dept. of Management (India); Abhishek, Kalra; Madhuri, Agarwal [Haryana State Electricity Board, HSEB, B. Tech, Mechanical Engineering (India)

2001-11-01

In India, power generation and distribution is the responsibility of the different States that have their own electricity boards through which this is done. Of late, in the wake of liberalization, many attempts have been made to reform the power sector, in the light of the poor performance of these boards. The Haryana State Electricity Board (HSEB) is the primary supplier of power in one of the States called Haryana. For quite some years, it was facing problems with revenues, low PLF etc. A review was done and counselling help sought from prominent Consultancy firms. As a result a large scale restructuring was planned. The present paper looks at the attempts of HSEB at restructuring and the consequences of the restructuring efforts. (authors)

Urinary tract infection among pregnant women at a secondary level hospital in Northern India.

Science.gov (United States)

Kant, Shashi; Lohiya, Ayush; Kapil, Arti; Gupta, Sanjeev Kumar

2017-01-01

Urinary tract infection (UTI) during pregnancy is frequently associated with complications. Currently, in India, there is no regular screening for UTI, and facility for diagnosis of UTI is not available at peripheral government health centers. To estimate the proportion of pregnant women with UTI among antenatal clinic attendees in rural Haryana. Eligible participants were pregnant women attending antenatal clinic of secondary care center of rural Haryana from March to May 2015. Consecutive sampling was done to select pregnant women. Interview schedule was administered to the selected women, and midstream urine sample was collected. Urine sample was plated on MacConkey agar, and colony count was done using standard methods. A total of 1253 pregnant women were included in the study. The proportion of women with symptoms of UTI on the basis of history was 33.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] - 30.7, 35.9), and UTI by colony count was 3.3% (95% CI - 2.4, 4.5). The presence of UTI was found to be significantly associated with the presence of any symptom of UTI on multivariate analysis (odds ratio [95% CI] - 7.35 [1.95, 27.77]). The burden of UTI among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic of a sub-district hospital was considerable, more so among the women that presented with symptoms suggestive of UTI. The study suggested that considering the burden of UTI and its complications, diagnosis of UTI at a resource-constrained setting like a secondary care hospital can be done after screening women for symptoms suggestive of UTI.

Ethnobotanical relevance in tribal life: A study on Warli tribe of Thane district, Maharashtra, India

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Pereira, N.

An ethnobotanical study of Warli tribe belonging to the Thane district of Maharashtra, India was conducted. Plants of social, religious, medicinal as well as domestic uses were studied. Totally 59 species of plants are documented. Of these, 23...

Where is the bride? Progressively declining sex ratio in India: an alarming signal for imbalanced society

OpenAIRE

Nirmala Sharma; Kana Ram; Anand Sharma; Shashi Sharma

2014-01-01

Female feticide is an extreme form of violence against women, the most active part is being played by the women themselves just for the mere want of a boy, mothers dont feel bad in strangulating their own daughters in their wombs. From decades of sex determination and female feticide is creating a statistical imbalance regarding the commonly expected and lsquo;male: female' birth ratio in India. This offense have been spreaded to the states in India like Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Gujarat and R...

District-level variations in childhood immunizations in India: The role of socio-economic factors and health infrastructure.

Science.gov (United States)

Rammohan, Anu; Awofeso, Niyi

2015-11-01

Routine childhood immunizations against measles and DPT are part of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) set up in 1974, with the aim of reducing childhood morbidity and mortality. Despite this, immunization rates are sub-optimal in developing countries such as India, with wide heterogeneity observed across districts and socio-economic characteristics. The aim of this paper is to examine district-level variations in the propensity to vaccinate a child in India for measles and DPT3, and analyse the extent to which these immunizations are given age-inappropriately, either prematurely or delayed. The present study uses data from the Indian District Level Household Survey (DLHS-3) collected in 2008, and the final sample contains detailed information on 42157 children aged between 12 and 60 months, across 549 Indian districts for whom we have complete information on immunization history. Our empirical study analyses: (i) the district-level average immunization rates for measles and DPT3, and (ii) the extent to which these immunizations have been given age-appropriately. A key contribution of this paper is that we link the household-level data at the district level to data on availability and proximity to health infrastructure and district-level socio-economic factors. Our results show that after controlling for an array of socio-economic characteristics, across all our models, the district's income per capita is a strong predictor of better immunization outcomes for children. Mother's education level at the district-level has a statistically significant and positive influence on immunization outcomes across all our models. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Research protocol for an epidemiological study on estimating disease burden of pediatric HIV in Belgaum district, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anju Sinha

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Pediatric HIV is poised to become a major public health problem in India with the rising trend of HIV infection in pregnant women (Department of AIDS Control, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, http://www.naco.gov.in. There is lack of information on the epidemiology of pediatric HIV infection in India. Existing surveillance systems tend to underestimate the Pediatric burden. The overall aim of the present study is to estimate the disease burden of pediatric HIV among children in Belgaum district in the state of Karnataka in Southern India. An innovative multipronged epidemiological approach to comb the district is proposed. Methods The primary objectives of the study would be attained under three strategies. A prospective cohort design for objective (i to determine the incidence rate of HIV by early case detection in infants and toddlers (0–18 months born to HIV infected pregnant women; and cross sectional design for objectives (ii to determine the prevalence of HIV infection in children (0–14 years of HIV infected parents and (iii to determine the prevalence of HIV in sick children (0–14 years presenting with suspected signs and symptoms using age specific criteria for screening. Burden of pediatric HIV will be calculated as a product of cases detected in each strategy multiplied by a net inflation factor for each strategy. Study participants (i (ii (iii: HIV infected pregnant women and their live born children (ii Any HIV-infected man/woman, of age 18–49 years, having a biological child of age 0–14 years (iii Sick children of age 0–14 years presenting with suspected signs and symptoms and satisfying age-specific criteria for screening. Setting and conduct: Belgaum district which is a Category ‘A’ district (with more than 1 % antenatal prevalence in the district over the last 3 years before the study. Age-appropriate testing is used to detect HIV infection. Discussion There is a need to strengthen

Research protocol for an epidemiological study on estimating disease burden of pediatric HIV in Belgaum district, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Sinha, Anju; Nath, Anita; Sethumadhavan, Rajeev; Isac, Shajy; Washington, Reynold

2016-05-26

Pediatric HIV is poised to become a major public health problem in India with the rising trend of HIV infection in pregnant women (Department of AIDS Control, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, http://www.naco.gov.in). There is lack of information on the epidemiology of pediatric HIV infection in India. Existing surveillance systems tend to underestimate the Pediatric burden. The overall aim of the present study is to estimate the disease burden of pediatric HIV among children in Belgaum district in the state of Karnataka in Southern India. An innovative multipronged epidemiological approach to comb the district is proposed. The primary objectives of the study would be attained under three strategies. A prospective cohort design for objective (i) to determine the incidence rate of HIV by early case detection in infants and toddlers (0-18 months) born to HIV infected pregnant women; and cross sectional design for objectives (ii) to determine the prevalence of HIV infection in children (0-14 years) of HIV infected parents and (iii) to determine the prevalence of HIV in sick children (0-14 years) presenting with suspected signs and symptoms using age specific criteria for screening. Burden of pediatric HIV will be calculated as a product of cases detected in each strategy multiplied by a net inflation factor for each strategy. Study participants (i) (ii) (iii): HIV infected pregnant women and their live born children (ii) Any HIV-infected man/woman, of age 18-49 years, having a biological child of age 0-14 years (iii) Sick children of age 0-14 years presenting with suspected signs and symptoms and satisfying age-specific criteria for screening. Setting and conduct: Belgaum district which is a Category 'A' district (with more than 1 % antenatal prevalence in the district over the last 3 years before the study). Age-appropriate testing is used to detect HIV infection. There is a need to strengthen existing pediatric HIV estimation methods in India and other

Studies on indoor radon concentrations in Karimanagar district of Telangana State, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Srinivas Reddy, G.; Vinay Kumar Reddy, K.; Sreenivasa Reddy, B.; Ch Gopal Reddy, P.; Yadagiri Reddy, P.; Rama Reddy, K.

2015-01-01

Karimnagar district of Telangana state in India falls geologically under the Karimnagar Granulite Terrain (KGT) and, is well known for several types of granites. Studies revealed that the radiation levels are elevated with these granitic rocks. The indoor radon concentrations are estimated in about 80 dwellings, selected randomly in Karimnagar district, using LR-115 Type-II Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors based Twin Chamber Cup dosimeters for a period of one year on quarterly basis. The dose rates due to the radon concentrations are calculated. The seasonal variations of the indoor radon concentrations have been studied. Further, the dependency of indoor radon concentrations on different types of dwellings is also discussed in the present paper. (author)

Intergenerational Transmission of Gender Attitudes: Evidence from India

OpenAIRE

Diva Dhar; Tarun Jain; Seema Jayachandran

2015-01-01

This paper examines the intergenerational transmission of gender attitudes in India, a setting where discrimination against women and girls is severe. We use survey data on gender attitudes (specifically, views about the appropriate roles and rights of women and girls) collected from adolescents attending 314 schools in the state of Haryana, and their parents. We find that when a parent holds a more discriminatory attitude, his or her child is about 15 to 20 percentage points more likely to h...

Awareness regarding eye donation among stakeholders in Srikakulam district in South India.

Science.gov (United States)

Ronanki, Venkata Ramana; Sheeladevi, Sethu; Ramachandran, Brinda P; Jalbert, Isabelle

2014-03-06

There is a huge need for the availability of transplantable donor corneas worldwide to reduce the burden of corneal blindness due to corneal opacity. Voluntary eye donation depends on the awareness levels of various stakeholders in the community. This study aimed to assess the awareness level regarding eye donation among various stakeholders in Srikakulam district in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. 355 subjects were selected from the district using multi stage random sampling. A pre tested semi structured questionnaire was used to collect information regarding each individual's awareness, knowledge, and perception regarding eye donation. Each response was scored individually and a total score was calculated. Univariate and multivariate regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with willingness towards eye donation and increased awareness levels. Of the 355 subjects interviewed, 192 (54%) were male and 163 (46%) were female. The mean age of the stakeholders was 35.9 years (SD ±16.1) and all the study subjects were literate. Ninety-three percent of subjects were aware of the concept of eye donation. Knowledge levels were similar among the teaching community and persons engaged in social service, but lower among students (p stakeholders, there was considerable ambiguity regarding whether persons currently wearing spectacles or suffering from a chronic illnesses could donate their eyes. Older age group (p stakeholders in Srikakulam district in India. The services of stakeholders could be utilized, in conjunction with other community based eye donation counselors, to promote awareness regarding eye donation among the general population.

Assessment of Fluoride Level in Groundwater and Prevalence of Dental Fluorosis in Didwana Block of Nagaur District, Central Rajasthan, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Arif

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Background: In India, for the high concentration of fluoride in groundwater, people are at risk of dental fluorosis. The problem is common in various states of India. The condition in Rajasthan is worse where all districts have such a problem. Objective: To study the fluoride concentration in groundwater and prevalence of dental fluorosis in Didwana block of Nagaur district, Central Rajasthan, India. Methods: The fluoride concentration in water of 54 villages was measured electrochemically, using fluoride ion selective electrode. Dental fluorosis was assessed in 1136 people residing in study area by Dean's classification for dental fluorosis. Results: The fluoride concentration in groundwater in studied sites ranged from 0.5 to 8.5 mg/L. The concentration of fluoride was more than the maximum permissible limit set by WHO and Bureau of Indian Standards (1 mg/L in 48 groundwater sources. Of 1136 people studied, 788 (69.4%; 95% CI: 66.7%–72.1% had dental fluorosis—252 had mild and 74 had severe dental fluorosis. Conclusion: High level of fluoride in drinking water of Didwana block of Nagaur district, Central Rajasthan, India, causes dental fluorosis in most people in the region and is an important health problem that needs prompt attention.

Female married illiteracy as the most important continual determinant of total fertility rate among districts of Empowered Action Group States of India: Evidence from Annual Health Survey 2011–12

OpenAIRE

Rajesh Kumar; Vishal Dogra; Khushbu Rani; Kanti Sahu

2017-01-01

Background: District level determinants of total fertility rate in Empowered Action Group states of India can help in ongoing population stabilization programs in India. Objective: Present study intends to assess the role of district level determinants in predicting total fertility rate among districts of the Empowered Action Group states of India. Material and Methods: Data from Annual Health Survey (2011-12) was analysed using STATA and R software packages. Multiple linear regression models...

Plants utilization by the communities of Bharsar and adjoining area of Pauri Garhwal District, Uttarakhand, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ANAND S. BISHT

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Bisht AS, Sharma KD. 2014. Plants utilization by the communities of Bharsar and adjoining area of Pauri Garhwal District, Uttarakhand, India. Biodiversitas 15: 92-98. Garhwal Himalaya possesses luxuriant a varied vegetation with in the Himalaya region. Almost every plant has economic value in the form of shelter, food, water, medicine, fuel and industrial products and fodder. Surveys were conducted in entire Bharsar, Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, India in order to get information on traditional uses of plants by local inhabitants. A total of 169 plants were collected of which 40 species of vegetables, 19 species of forest and agroforestry, 24 species of ornamental flower, 71 species of less known medicinal plants and 15 species of agricultural crops were found economically important as they are used by the people frequently for various purposes.

Demographic surveillance and health status of population within 0-5 km radius of proposed nuclear power plant at village Gorakhpur, District Fatehabad, Haryana, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Takdir; Nimble, Sarina; Jyotsana; Garg, Vinod Kumar; Narayanan, Usha

2012-01-01

Generation of power is a fundamental catalyst to the economic development of a country. India needs more power in order to have a strong industrial base and for infrastructure development. It is essential to take a baseline of the target area with an objective to know demographic details, health status of the area. This study was conducted to find out the demographic details and health status of the population within 0-5 km radius of proposed Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) site covering five villages of Fatehabad and Hisar districts. The study methodology includes Interview Schedule for data collection. Of the total population from 4501 households covered, 51.60% were male and 48.40% were females. The total population of the study area is 24415. The core observation in the study area pertaining to demographic and health status studies indicate that the literacy rate is 62.92% and mostly population is literate up to metric (50.16%), mostly population falls in the age group between 11-30 years, unemployment status of population is 70.50%. Most prevalent diseases at the time of study were Fever (6.10%), Cold/Cough (7.07%), Wounds (5 .22%), Irritation/Skin rashes (1.62%) and Respiratory Problems (2.36%). Talking about other important diseases like Cancer (0.0002.86%), Congenital Malformation (0.0002.86%), Deaf and dumb (0.0011%), Mental Retardation (0.0007%) and Polio are found (0.0006%) out of total population. So in the nut shell it can be concluded that the literacy rate is good and most of the surveyed population is healthy and there are no serious health problems in the area related to health point of view. (author)

Measurement of natural radionuclides in bricks and brick-making clays from Cuddalore district, Tamilnadu, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Viruthagirl, G.; Rajamanan, B.; Ravisankar, R.; Thilaivelavan, K.; Chandrasekaran, A.; Meenkshisundram, V.

2010-01-01

In India, bricks as building materials are mainly prepared by clay using the deposited sediments of rivers, and the radionuclide contents in bricks and brick-making clays should vary with origin and geological condition. In this paper, the radionuclide contents of these materials from river bank areas of Cuddalore district, Tamilnadu India are measured by gamma ray spectrometer using NaI (Tl) detector, and compared with those of other countries. The radiation hazard indices, which are evaluated by radium-equivalent (Raeq) activity, are lower than that of NEA-OECD. (authors)

Estimating population salt intake in India using spot urine samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Petersen, Kristina S; Johnson, Claire; Mohan, Sailesh; Rogers, Kris; Shivashankar, Roopa; Thout, Sudhir Raj; Gupta, Priti; He, Feng J; MacGregor, Graham A; Webster, Jacqui; Santos, Joseph Alvin; Krishnan, Anand; Maulik, Pallab K; Reddy, K Srinath; Gupta, Ruby; Prabhakaran, Dorairaj; Neal, Bruce

2017-11-01

To compare estimates of mean population salt intake in North and South India derived from spot urine samples versus 24-h urine collections. In a cross-sectional survey, participants were sampled from slum, urban and rural communities in North and in South India. Participants provided 24-h urine collections, and random morning spot urine samples. Salt intake was estimated from the spot urine samples using a series of established estimating equations. Salt intake data from the 24-h urine collections and spot urine equations were weighted to provide estimates of salt intake for Delhi and Haryana, and Andhra Pradesh. A total of 957 individuals provided a complete 24-h urine collection and a spot urine sample. Weighted mean salt intake based on the 24-h urine collection, was 8.59 (95% confidence interval 7.73-9.45) and 9.46 g/day (8.95-9.96) in Delhi and Haryana, and Andhra Pradesh, respectively. Corresponding estimates based on the Tanaka equation [9.04 (8.63-9.45) and 9.79 g/day (9.62-9.96) for Delhi and Haryana, and Andhra Pradesh, respectively], the Mage equation [8.80 (7.67-9.94) and 10.19 g/day (95% CI 9.59-10.79)], the INTERSALT equation [7.99 (7.61-8.37) and 8.64 g/day (8.04-9.23)] and the INTERSALT equation with potassium [8.13 (7.74-8.52) and 8.81 g/day (8.16-9.46)] were all within 1 g/day of the estimate based upon 24-h collections. For the Toft equation, estimates were 1-2 g/day higher [9.94 (9.24-10.64) and 10.69 g/day (9.44-11.93)] and for the Kawasaki equation they were 3-4 g/day higher [12.14 (11.30-12.97) and 13.64 g/day (13.15-14.12)]. In urban and rural areas in North and South India, most spot urine-based equations provided reasonable estimates of mean population salt intake. Equations that did not provide good estimates may have failed because specimen collection was not aligned with the original method.

Bat mortality due to collision with wind turbines in Kutch District, Gujarat, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S.R. Kumar

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Globally, India is at fifth position in wind power generation with an installed capacity of 14550 MW. Based onrecent reports from certain parts of the world there is also a growing concern on the environmental impact of wind turbines on bats and birds in other places too. In the Indian context the impact of wind farms on birds and bats are less studied with very little scientific literature available on the subject. Since September 2011, we have been conducting research on birds and bats mortality in wind farms of Kutch District, Gujarat, India. During the study period two carcasses of the Greater Mouse-tailed Bat Rhinopoma microphyllum were recorded due to collision with wind turbines.

An Epidemiological Study of Malnutrition Among Under Five Children of Rural and Urban Haryana.

Science.gov (United States)

Yadav, Sachin Singh; Yadav, Shweta Tomar; Mishra, Prabhaker; Mittal, Anshu; Kumar, Randhir; Singh, Jagjeet

2016-02-01

A child is future of nation. Malnutrition is a big public health problem in India as it can be attributed for more than half (54 percent) of all under five mortality in India. To assess prevalence of malnutrition among urban and rural population of Haryana using newly developed WHO growth standards. A community based cross-sectional survey was conducted in children of 3-60 months age living in the urban and rural field practice areas of Department of Community Medicine MMIMSR, Mullana, Ambala during January 2012 to December 2012. Seven hundred and fifty children, aged 3-60 months, were studied for nutritional status, socio-demographic measures were obtained from structured questionnaire and followed by anthropometric assessment using standards methods. Z score for Anthropometric data was calculated by WHO Anthro 2010 software (beta version). Descriptive statistics as well as simple proportion were calculated with SPSS 20. We found that 41.3% children were underweight and 14% were severe underweight. Female children were more nutritionally deprived than males. Among sociodemographic factors maternal educational and working status as well as SES class and rural background of family had greater impact on nutritional status of child. We found that almost half of our under five children are underweight, girl child being affected more. For attainment of best possible nutrition and growth in children, targeted short-term strategies addressing underlying risk factors and more long-term poverty alleviation strategies may be needed.

Quantifying the impact of rising food prices on child mortality in India: a cross-district statistical analysis of the District Level Household Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Fledderjohann, Jasmine; Vellakkal, Sukumar; Khan, Zaky; Ebrahim, Shah; Stuckler, David

2016-04-01

Rates of child malnutrition and mortality in India remain high. We tested the hypothesis that rising food prices are contributing to India's slow progress in improving childhood survival. Using rounds 2 and 3 (2002-08) of the Indian District Level Household Survey, we calculated neonatal, infant and under-five mortality rates in 364 districts, and merged these with district-level food price data from the National Sample Survey Office. Multivariate models were estimated, stratified into 27 less deprived states and territories and 8 deprived states ('Empowered Action Groups'). Between 2002 and 2008, the real price of food in India rose by 11.7%. A 1% increase in total food prices was associated with a 0.49% increase in neonatal (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.13% to 0.85%), but not infant or under-five mortality rates. Disaggregating by type of food and level of deprivation, in the eight deprived states, we found an elevation in neonatal mortality rates of 0.33% for each 1% increase in the price of meat (95% CI: 0.06% to 0.60%) and 0.10% for a 1% increase in dairy (95% CI: 0.01% to 0.20%). We also detected an adverse association of the price of dairy with infant (b = 0.09%; 95% CI: 0.01% to 0.16%) and under-five mortality rates (b = 0.10%; 95% CI: 0.03% to 0.17%). These associations were not detected in less deprived states and territories. Rising food prices, particularly of high-protein meat and dairy products, were associated with worse child mortality outcomes. These adverse associations were concentrated in the most deprived states. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association.

MIGRATION AND CHANGING CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR: A STUDY OF BALASORE DISTRICT IN INDIA

OpenAIRE

Nihar Ranjan Rout; Reshma Senapati

2013-01-01

In an attempt to understand the association between migration and consumer behavior, a primary survey based. on 84 sample households was conducted in Balasore district of Orissa in India. It was well evident from the current study that not only migration was associated with the household article possession diffirential but also by one way or the other it could bring lots of changes in the perception, attitude and behavior of the individuals, related to consumption and market...

Natural radioactivity levels in Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reddy, K.V.K.; Reddy, C.G.; Reddy, P.Y.; Reddy, K.R.; Reddy, B.S.; Sagar, D.V.

2006-01-01

For the past few years, there has been a great deal of concern and awareness all over the world about the exposure from environmental radiation and its perceived detrimental effects. Therefore, it becomes mandatory to estimate the radiation levels not only for the purpose of prospecting for nuclear fuels but also for determination of safe human habitat regions. In the present study, an attempt is made to estimate the natural radioactivity levels in the soils of Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh, India using NaI(Tl) gamma scintillation spectrometer. The mean uranium, thorium and potassium concentrations in soils of the district are found to be 27±17, 81±51 and 726±289 Bq Kg -1 , respectively. The gamma dose rates are calculated using conversion factors recommended by UNSCEAR 2000. The gamma radiation dose in air is also measured directly by using thermoluminescence dosimetry and G.M.(Geiger - Muller) tube based survey meter. The correlation between the dose rates derived from these two techniques is discussed. The dose variation with the geology has been analysed. (authors)

Water quality around proposed nuclear power plant at Gorakhpur Haryana, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Kuldeep; Yadav, Anoop; Garg, V.K.; Bishnoi, Mukul; Pal, Jitender; Pulhani, Vandana; Narayanan, Usha

2012-01-01

The surface and ground water are being polluted by natural as well as anthropogenic activities. Natural pollutants include acid rain and salts from rocks. Pollution added by anthropogenic activities include sewage and other wastes, industrial effluent as hardly 5% of total industries have adequate measures for the treatment of effluents. Water quality was assessed for its suitability for drinking purposes around proposed Nuclear Plant Site at Dist. Hisar/Fatehabad, Haryana. The study was undertaken to established baseline levels of water parameters during pre-operational phase of the proposed nuclear power plant. A total 103 samples were have been collected from different sampling locations around of around proposed Nuclear Plant Site. Water samples were collected from the bore-wells, wells, municipal water supplies, ponds, canal and hand pumps were analyzed for the various physico-chemical parameters including pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Salts (TDS), Total Hardness (TH), Total Alkalinity (TA), Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Carbonate, Bicarbonate, Chloride, Fluoride, Sulphate, Nitrate and phosphate. The samples were collected and analysed as per standard methods within 24h of sampling. The results indicate considerable variations in physic-chemical properties of the analysed water samples. The pH was neutral to alkaline at all the studied locations, ranging from 7.0-9.7 at different locations. Salinity ranged from 0.1-0.63 mg/l and Total alkalinity (as CaCO 3 ) ranged from 43.2-528 mg/l. Most of the samples were slightly to moderately hard. Total hardness content (as CaCO 3 ) ranged from 1.7-1512 mg/l. Fluoride content in the groundwater of the study area ranged from 0.4-2.1 mg/l for fluoride. Majority of the samples do not comply with Indian as well as WHO standards for most of the water quality parameters measured. Mostly, surface water (canal water) is supplied to the general public by the public water supply department for

Radiological impact of exposure to radon-thoron and their progeny present in the environment of fly ash dumping site in Faridabad (Haryana)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, Nitin; Kant, Krishan; Garg, Maneesha

2013-01-01

Radon-Thoron and their Progeny monitoring was carried out in dwellings near fly ash dumping sites in Faridabad (Haryana), as it is very important from health and hygiene point of view of the occupants. For the measurements, the track etch technique was used. The dosimeter employed for the measurement consisted of twin chamber systems with LR-115 Type II SSNTDs placed on the two sides of the central partition inside the cup and a bare film placed outside it. The detectors were exposed in the mixed field of radon-thoron in the environment of dwellings. The detectors were placed in about 100 dwellings and the choice of the dwelling was random. The value of PAEC, radon concentration, annual exposure, annual effective dose in the dwellings near fly ash dumping sites in District Faridabad (Haryana) varied from 1.34 mWL to 14.05 mWL with an average value of (4.95 0.85) mWL, 12.41 Bqm -3 to 129.91 Bqm -3 with an average value of (45.77 7.87) Bqm -3 , 0.55 10 -1 WLM to 5.83 10 -1 WLM with an average value of (2.04 0.28) 10 -1 WLM and 0.21 mSv to 2.23 mSv with an average value of (0.79 0.13) mSv. The value of PAEC, thoron concentration, annual exposure, annual effective dose in the dwellings near fly ash dumping sites in District Faridabad (Haryana) varied from 1.34 mWL to 14.0 SmWL with an average value of (4.95 0.85) mWL, 1.16 Bq/m 3 to 65.08 Bq/m 3 with an average value of (32.77 7.87) Bqm -3 , 0.55 10 -1 WLM to 5.83 10 -1 WLM with an average value of (2.04 0.28) 10 -1 WLM and 0.21 mSv to 2.23 mSv with an average value of (0.79 0.13) mSv. The measurements indicate that the radon concentration was below the safety levels (action levels) as recommended by various regulatory bodies. The maximum value of 129.91 Bqm -3 was found in a cave inside a temple, where there was no ventilation. The different values of radon concentrations are due to different ventilation conditions and house structures. The radon concentration was found to decrease with the increase in distance of the

Data on haplotype diversity in the hypervariable region I, II and III of mtDNA amongst the Brahmin population of Haryana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kapil Verma

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA is routinely analysed for pathogenic mutations, evolutionary studies, estimation of time of divergence within or between species, phylogenetic studies and identification of degraded remains. The data on various regions of human mtDNA has added enormously to the knowledge pool of population genetics as well as forensic genetics. The displacement-loop (D-loop in the control region of mtDNA is rated as the most rapidly evolving part, due to the presence of variations in this region. The control region consists of three hypervariable regions. These hypervariable regions (HVI, HVII and HVIII tend to mutate 5–10 times faster than nuclear DNA. The high mutation rate of these hypervariable regions is used in population genetic studies and human identity testing. In the present data, potentially informative hypervariable regions of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA i.e. HVI (np 16024–16365, HVII (np 73–340 and HVIII (np 438–576 were estimated to understand the genetic diversity amongst Brahmin population of Haryana. Blood samples had been collected from maternally unrelated individuals from the different districts of Haryana. An array of parameters comprising of polymorphic sites, transitions, transversions, deletions, gene diversity, nucleotide diversity, pairwise differences, Tajima's D test, Fu's Fs test, mismatch observed variance and expected heterozygosity were estimated. The observed polymorphisms with their respective haplogroups in comparison to rCRS were assigned. Keywords: Mitochondrial DNA, D-loop, Hypervariable regions, Forensic genetics

The ground subsidence anomaly investigation around Ambala, India by InSAR and spatial analyses: Why and how the Ambala city behaves as the most significant subsidence region in the Northwest India?

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, J.; Lin, S. Y.; Tsai, Y.; Singh, S.; Singh, T.

2017-12-01

A large ground deformation which may be caused by a significant groundwater depletion of the Northwest India Aquifer has been successfully observed throughout space geodesy techniques (Tsai et al, 2016). Employing advanced time-series ScanSAR InSAR analysis and Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites data, it revealed 400-km wide huge ground deformation in and around Haryana. It was further notified that the Ambala city located in northern Haryana district shown the most significant ground subsidence with maximum cumulative deformation up to 0.2 meters within 3 years in contrast to the nearby cities such as Patiala and Chandigarh that did not present similar subsidence. In this study, we investigated the details of "Ambala Anomaly" employing advanced time-series InSAR and spatial analyses together with local geology and anthropogenic contexts and tried to identify the factors causing such a highly unique ground deformation pattern. To explore the pattern and trend of Ambala' subsidence, we integrated the time-series deformation results of both ascending L-band PALSAR-1 (Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar) from 2007/1 to 2011/1 and descending C-band ASAR (Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar) from 2008/9 to 2010/8 to process the 3D decomposition, expecting to reveal the asymmetric movement of the surface. In addition. The spatial analyses incorporating detected ground deformations and local economical/social factors were then applied for the interpretation of "Ambala Anomaly". The detailed interrelationship of driving factors of the "Ambala Anomaly" and the spatial pattern of corresponding ground subsidence will be further demonstrated. After all, we determined the uniqueness of Ambala subsidence possibly be driven by both anthropogenic behaviors including the rapid growth rate of population and constructing of industrial centers as well as the natural geological characteristics and sediment deposition.

Health care inequities in north India: role of public sector in universalizing health care.

Science.gov (United States)

Prinja, Shankar; Kanavos, Panos; Kumar, Rajesh

2012-09-01

Income inequality is associated with poor health. Inequities exist in service utilization and financing for health care. Health care costs push high number of households into poverty in India. We undertook this study to ascertain inequities in health status, service utilization and out-of-pocket (OOP) health expenditures in two States in north India namely, Haryana and Punjab, and Union Territory of Chandigarh. Data from National Sample Survey 60 th Round on Morbidity and Health Care were analyzed by mean consumption expenditure quintiles. Indicators were devised to document inequities in the dimensions of horizontal and vertical inequity; and redistribution of public subsidy. Concentration index (CI), and equity ratio in conjunction with concentration curve were computed to measure inequity. Reporting of morbidity and hospitalization rate had a pro-rich distribution in all three States indicating poor utilization of health services by low income households. Nearly 57 and 60 per cent households from poorest income quintile in Haryana and Punjab, respectively faced catastrophic OOP hospitalization expenditure at 10 per cent threshold. Lower prevalence of catastrophic expenditure was recorded in higher income groups. Public sector also incurred high costs for hospitalization in selected three States. Medicines constituted 19 to 47 per cent of hospitalization expenditure and 59 to 86 per cent OPD expenditure borne OOP by households in public sector. Public sector hospitalizations had a pro-poor distribution in Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh. Our analysis indicates that public sector health service utilization needs to be improved. OOP health care expenditures at public sector institutions should to be curtailed to improve utilization of poorer segments of population. Greater availability of medicines in public sector and regulation of their prices provide a unique opportunity to reduce public sector OOP expenditure.

Natural radioactivity measurements in soil samples from Hamirpur district, Himachal Pradesh, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Surinder; Singh, Baldev; Kumar, Ajay

2003-01-01

Radium, thorium and potassium analysis have been made in soil samples collected from some villages of Hamirpur district, Himachal Pradesh, India using gamma ray spectrometry. The work has been undertaken keeping in view the health hazard effects of these radioelements in the environment. The results for radium activity are also compared using track etch technique employing radon alpha method developed by Somogyi (Technical reports series no. 310, vol. 1, IAEA, Vienna, 1990, p. 229). The measurements have been taken using 5''x4'' NaI(Tl) detector. The gamma ray lines of 1.46, 1.76 and 2.62 MeV were employed for potassium, radium and thorium analysis. The results for radium content in soil obtained by gamma ray spectrometry agrees with that determined by the track etch technique. The radium activity in soil samples of Hamirpur district is found to be within the safe limits

Open defecation and childhood stunting in India: an ecological analysis of new data from 112 districts.

Science.gov (United States)

Spears, Dean; Ghosh, Arabinda; Cumming, Oliver

2013-01-01

Poor sanitation remains a major public health concern linked to several important health outcomes; emerging evidence indicates a link to childhood stunting. In India over half of the population defecates in the open; the prevalence of stunting remains very high. Recently published data on levels of stunting in 112 districts of India provide an opportunity to explore the relationship between levels of open defecation and stunting within this population. We conducted an ecological regression analysis to assess the association between the prevalence of open defecation and stunting after adjustment for potential confounding factors. Data from the 2011 HUNGaMA survey was used for the outcome of interest, stunting; data from the 2011 Indian Census for the same districts was used for the exposure of interest, open defecation. After adjustment for various potential confounding factors--including socio-economic status, maternal education and calorie availability--a 10 percent increase in open defecation was associated with a 0.7 percentage point increase in both stunting and severe stunting. Differences in open defecation can statistically account for 35 to 55 percent of the average difference in stunting between districts identified as low-performing and high-performing in the HUNGaMA data. In addition, using a Monte Carlo simulation, we explored the effect on statistical power of the common practice of dichotomizing continuous height data into binary stunting indicators. Our simulation showed that dichotomization of height sacrifices statistical power, suggesting that our estimate of the association between open defecation and stunting may be a lower bound. Whilst our analysis is ecological and therefore vulnerable to residual confounding, these findings use the most recently collected large-scale data from India to add to a growing body of suggestive evidence for an effect of poor sanitation on human growth. New intervention studies, currently underway, may shed more

First record of Variable Wheatear Oenanthe picata (Aves: Passeriformes: Muscicapidae from Osmanabad District and range extension to southeastern Maharashtra, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanjay Thakur

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The paper describes sighting of Variable Wheatear Oenanthe picata, near Tuljapur. This is a first record from Osmanabad District and constitutes a range extension to southeastern India. 

Factors influencing the spatial distribution of Anopheles larvae in Coimbatore District, Tamil Nadu, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Arjunan, Naresh Kumar; Kadarkarai, Murugan; Kumar, Shobana; Pari, Madhiyazhagan; Thiyagarajan, Nataraj; Vincent, C Thomas; Barnard, Donald R

2015-12-01

Malaria causes extensive morbidity and mortality in humans and results in significant economic losses in India. The distribution of immature malaria-transmitting Anopheles mosquitoes was studied in 17 villages in Coimbatore District as a prelude to the development and implementation of vector control strategies that are intended to reduce the risk of human exposure to potentially infectious mosquitoes. Eight Anopheles species were recorded. The most numerous species were Anopheles vagus, Anopheles subpictus, and Anopheles hyrcanus. The location of mosquito development sites and the density of larvae in each village was evaluated for correlation with selected demographic, biologic, and land use parameters using remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) technology. We found the number of mosquito development sites in a village and the density of larvae in such sites to be positively correlated with human population density but not the surface area (km(2)) of the village. The number of mosquito development sites and the density of larvae in each site were not correlated. Data from this study are being used to construct a GIS-based mapping system that will enable the location of aquatic habitats with Anopheles larvae in the Coimbatore District, Tamil Nadu, India as target sites for the application of vector control. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Availability of medicines in public sector health facilities of two North Indian States.

Science.gov (United States)

Prinja, Shankar; Bahuguna, Pankaj; Tripathy, Jaya Prasad; Kumar, Rajesh

2015-12-23

Access to free essential medicines is a critical component of universal health coverage. However availability of essential medicines is poor in India with more than two-third of the people having limited or no access. This has pushed up private out-of-pocket expenditure due to medicines. The states of Punjab and Haryana are in the process of institutionalizing drug procurement models to provide uninterrupted access to essential medicines free of cost in all public hospitals and health centres. We undertook this study to assess the availability of medicines in public sector health facilities in the 2 states. Secondly, we also ascertained the quality of storage and inventory management systems in health facilities. The present study was carried out in 80 public health facilities across 12 districts in Haryana and Punjab states. Overall, within each state 1 MC, 6 DHs, 11 CHCs and 22 PHCs were selected for the study. Drug procurement mechanisms in both the states were studied through document reviews and in-depth interviews with key stakeholders. Stock registers were reviewed to collect data on availability of a basket of essential medicines -92 at Primary Health Centre (PHC) level, 132 at Community Health Centre (CHC) level and 160 at tertiary care (District Hospital/Medical College) level. These essential medicines were selected based on the Essential Medicine List (EML) of the Department of Health (DOH). Overall availability of medicines was 45.2% and 51.1% in Punjab and Haryana respectively. Availability of anti-hypertensives was around 60% in both the states whereas for anti-diabetics it was 44% and 47% in Punjab and Haryana respectively. Atleast one drug in each of the categories including analgesic/antipyretic, anti-helminthic, anti-spasmodic, anti-emetic, anti-hypertensive and uterotonics were nearly universally available in public sector facilities. On the contrary, medicines such as thrombolytics, anti-cancer and endocrine medicines were available in less

Micro-Women Entrepreneurship and its potential for hospitality and tourism related enterprises amongst others: a study on YSR District, Andhra Pradesh, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P Saritha

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The position of women and their status in any society is an index of its level of civilization. Women are to be considered as equal partners in the process of development. But, because of centuries of exploitation and subjugation, Indian women have remained at the receiving end. Women in India have been neglected a great deal. The rate of growth of women employment in India is very low when compared to developed nations. This is because of the low growth rate of new and productive employment. There is a scheme which women can access with less effort than the traditional routes to business development in areas such as food production and even hospitality and tourism, and this is the Self Help Group (SHG which is categorized as micro finance. It is a tool to eradicate poverty and improve entrepreneurship and financial support for women in India. An SHG is a small economically homogeneous affinity group of the rural poor which voluntarily comes together to save small amounts of money but on a regular basis. SHGs enhance the equality and status of women as participants, decision-makers and beneficiaries in the democratic, economic, social and cultural spheres of life. The article focuses on SHG formation, women entrepreneurship and economic empowerment of women after they have joined SHGs in YSR district, A.P. India. YSR district (Kadapa district is one of the pioneering districts for the implementation of the SHG programme as a pilot project in the Andhra Pradesh state. At the present time there are 21 Mandals in YSR district of Andhra Pradesh which consist of a total of 35,338 SHGs. Of these, the best two mandals, namely, Kodur and Ramapuram were selected for this study because of the SHGs in these mandals which are operating very successfully. This success is based on age, education, income level, nature of family, size of the family, reasons for joining SHGs and the amount of loan availed of by the selected women entrepreneurs. There are 19087

A checklist of butterflies of Dakshina Kannada District, Karnataka, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deepak Naik

2016-10-01

Full Text Available In a preliminary study on the butterflies of Dakshina Kannada District, located in the southwestern part of the Karnataka along the Western Ghats in Karnataka State in India, a total of 172 species of butterflies belonging to 117 genera, from six families was prepared by visiting various landscapes during the period September 2012 to December 2015.  Of the various species recorded, Papilio clytia (Linnaeus, Papilio lio medon (Moore, Pachlio ptahector (Linnaeus, Castalius rosimon (Fabricius, Acytolepis puspa (Horsefield, Lethe europa (Fabricius, Neptis jumbah (Moore, Dophlae velina (Stoll, Hypolimnas misippus (Linnaeus and Doleschallia bisaltide (Cramer comes under the Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act 1972.  The present study provides the baseline data of butterfly species of Dakshina Kannada. 

Recent Trends of Arsenic Contamination in Groundwater of Ballia District, Uttar Pradesh, India

OpenAIRE

Ali, Imran; Rahman, Atiqur; Khan, Tabrez; alam, syed; Khan, Joheb

2012-01-01

Arsenic in the ground water is a worldwide problem as about 150 million people are at risk and more than 70 countries are suffering from this havoc. Arsenic is a carcinogen and responsible of various types of cancers. India is also having this problem in some parts including Ballia District, UP. The overall objective of this study is to study the mitigation of arsenic by using chemical data and GIS application.It is a GIS-based approach to monitor the changes in arsenic concentrations in diff...

Relationship between water, urine and serum fluoride and fluorosis in school children of Jhajjar District, Haryana, India

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Sunil; Lata, Suman; Yadav, Jyoti; Yadav, J. P.

2017-10-01

The present study was undertaken to determine the relationship between fluoride in water, urine and serum and dental fluorosis. The fluoride level in water and urine were measured spectrophotometrically by using acid zirconyl and SPADNS reagents, while the fluoride level in serum was determined by ion selective electrode meter. Dental fluorosis survey was conducted with the help of Performa prescribed by Rajiv Gandhi Drinking Water Mission and the use of Tooth Surface Index for Fluorosis. Mean fluoride values in water samples of Jhajjar City and Dadanpur and Dariyapur villages of Jhajjar District were measured to be 2.17 (range from 1.92 to 2.60 mg/L), 2.81 (range from 2.53 to 3.14 mg/L) and 2.22 mg/L (range from 1.63 to 3.33 mg/L), respectively. The mean fluoride values in the urine samples of children were found to be 1.51 (range from 0.05 to 2.64 mg/L), 1.71 (range from 0.69 to 2.80 mg/L) and 1.45 mg/L (range from 0.31 to 2.50 mg/L) at Jhajjar City and Dadanpur and Dariyapur sites, respectively. Serum fluoride was detected in the blood samples of children, who have high urinary fluoride at these three sites. The mean serum fluoride level was reported to be 0.15, 0.34 and 0.17 mg/L, respectively. A total of 842 children were also analyzed for dental fluorosis. The mean values of fluorosis-affected children in Jhajjar, Dadanpur and Dariyapur were 51.90, 94.63 and 36.84 %, respectively. A significantly positive correlation between water, urine, serum fluoride concentration and fluorosis was seen.

Prevalence of hypothyroidism in term pregnancies in North India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bharti Kalra

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Hypothyroidism is common in pregnancy. No study has determined the prevalence of hypothyroidism in term pregnancies in India. Aim: This study aims to determine the prevalence and correlates of hypothyroidism in women who delivered at a center in Karnal, Haryana, North India. Results: Indoor records of all women who had delivered at this centre from April 2016 to March 2017 were reviewed. The prevalence of hypothyroidism was 12.3%, of which 15.5% were diagnosed during pregnancy. The dose requirement of L-thyroxine ranged from 25 to 200 μg (mean 76.38 +- 43.02. With this, 80% were able to achieve trimester-specific thyroid-stimulating hormone targets. Hypothyroidism did not correlate with any medical or obstetric complications. Conclusion: Hypothyroidism is common in term pregnancies. If treated adequately, healthy fetomaternal outcomes can be achieved.

Seasonal Distribution of Trace Metals in Ground and Surface Water of Golaghat District, Assam, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Boarh

2010-01-01

Full Text Available A study has been carried out on the quality of ground and surface water with respect to chromium, manganese, zinc, copper, nickel, cadmium and arsenic contamination from 28 different sources in the predominantly rural Golaghat district of Assam (India. The metals were analysed by using atomic absorption spectrometer. Water samples were collected from groundwater and surface water during the dry and wet seasons of 2008 from the different sources in 28 locations (samples. The results are discussed in the light of possible health hazards from the metals in relation to their maximum permissible limits. The study shows the quality of ground and surface water in a sizeable number of water samples in the district not to be fully satisfactory with respect to presence of the metals beyond permissible limits of WHO. The metal concentration of groundwater in the district follows the trend As>Zn>Mn>Cr>Cu>Ni>Cd in both the seasons.

Dynamics of forest malaria transmission in Balaghat district, Madhya Pradesh, India.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neeru Singh

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: An epidemiological and entomological study was carried out in Balaghat district, Madhya Pradesh, India to understand the dynamics of forest malaria transmission in a difficult and hard to reach area where indoor residual spray and insecticide treated nets were used for vector control. METHODS: This community based cross-sectional study was undertaken from January 2010 to December 2012 in Baihar and Birsa Community Health Centres of district Balaghat for screening malaria cases. Entomological surveillance included indoor resting collections, pyrethrum spray catches and light trap catches. Anophelines were assayed by ELISA for detection of Plasmodium circumsporozoite protein. FINDINGS: Plasmodium falciparum infection accounted for >80% of all infections. P. vivax 16.5%, P. malariae 0.75% and remaining were mixed infections of P. falciparum, P. vivax and P. malariae. More than, 30% infections were found in infants under 6 months of age. Overall, an increasing trend in malaria positivity was observed from 2010 to 2012 (chi-square for trend  =  663.55; P<0.0001. Twenty five Anopheles culicifacies (sibling species C, D and E were positive for circumsporozoite protein of P. falciparum (44% and P. vivax (56%. Additionally, 2 An. fluviatilis, were found positive for P. falciparum and 1 for P. vivax (sibling species S and T. An. fluviatilis sibling species T was found as vector in forest villages for the first time in India. CONCLUSION: These results showed that the study villages are experiencing almost perennial malaria transmission inspite of indoor residual spray and insecticide treated nets. Therefore, there is a need for new indoor residual insecticides which has longer residual life or complete coverage of population with long lasting insecticide treated nets or both indoor residual spray and long lasting bed nets for effective vector control. There is a need to undertake a well designed case control study to evaluate the efficacy

Profile of pregnant women using delivery hut services of the Ballabgarh Health and Demographic Surveillance System in rural north India.

Science.gov (United States)

Kant, Shashi; Haldar, Partha; Singh, Arvind K; Archana, S; Misra, Puneet; Rai, Sanjay

2016-08-01

To describe women who attended two delivery huts in rural Haryana, India. The present observational study assessed routinely collected service provision data from two delivery huts located at primary health centers in the district of Faridabad. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, prenatal care, use of free transport services, and maternal and neonatal indicators at delivery were assessed for all pregnant women who used the delivery hut services from January 2012 to June 2014. During the study period, 1796 deliveries occurred at the delivery huts. The mean age of the mothers was 23.3 ± 3.3 years (95% confidence interval 23.1-23.5). Of 1648 mothers for whom data were available, 1039 (63.0%) had travelled less than 5 km to the delivery hut. The proportion of mothers who belonged to a lower caste increased from 31.0% (193/622) in 2012 to 41.1% (162/394) in 2014. The proportion of mothers who were illiterate also increased, from 8.1% (53/651) in 2012 to 26.4% (104/394) in 2014. Belonging to a disadvantaged social group (in terms of caste or education) was not an obstacle to use of delivery hut services. The delivery huts might have satisfied some unmet needs of community members in rural India. Copyright © 2016 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Iodine deficiency in children: A comparative study in two districts of south-interior Karnataka, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Mansoor; Zama, Syed Y; Nagarajarao, Vadiraja; Khan, Mudassir A

2014-01-01

Iodine is an essential component of the hormones produced by the thyroid gland that are essential for mammalian life. Although goiter is the most visible sequelae of iodine deficiency, the major impact of hypothyroidism as a result of iodine deficiency is impaired neurodevelopment, particularly early in life. According to the World Health Organization, it is the single most preventable cause of mental retardation and brain damage. The simplest, most effective and inexpensive preventive method is the consumption of iodized salt. The objective of the following study is to estimate the prevalence of goiter in children in the rural areas of Mysore and Coorg districts in India and estimate iodine levels in salt samples. A cross-sectional study in the age group of 6-12 years, using population proportionate to size systematic sampling method. The total sample size was 10,082: out of which 5337 was from Mysore and the rest from Coorg district. Clinical examination of the thyroid gland was done and salt samples collected for the estimation of Iodine. The total prevalence of goiter was 19.01% in children of 6-12 years in Coorg district and 8.77% in Mysore district and it was more in females than in males. It was observed that iodine deficiency disorders is endemic in both districts, with a prevalence of 19.01% in children aged 6-12 years in Coorg district and 8.77% in Mysore district. Analysis of salt samples suggested that most of the samples were inadequately iodised (73.92% in Coorg and 45.92% in Mysore).

Prevalence & factors associated with chronic obstetric morbidities in Nashik district, Maharashtra, India

Science.gov (United States)

Chauhan, Sanjay; Kulkarni, Ragini; Agarwal, Dinesh

2015-01-01

Background & objectives: In India, community based data on chronic obstetric morbidities (COM) are scanty and largely derived from hospital records. The main aim of the study was to assess the community based prevalence and the factors associated with the defined COM - obstetric fistula, genital prolapse, chronic pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and secondary infertility among women in Nashik district of Maharashtra State, India. Methods: The study was cross-sectional with self-reports followed by clinical and gynaecological examination. Six primary health centre areas in Nashik district were selected by systematic random sampling. Six months were spent on rapport development with the community following which household interviews were conducted among 1560 women and they were mobilized to attend health facility for clinical examination. Results: Of the 1560 women interviewed at household level, 1167 women volunteered to undergo clinical examination giving a response rate of 75 per cent. The prevalence of defined COM among 1167 women was genital prolapse (7.1%), chronic PID (2.5%), secondary infertility (1.7%) and fistula (0.08%). Advancing age, illiteracy, high parity, conduction of deliveries by traditional birth attendants (TBAs) and obesity were significantly associated with the occurrence of genital prolapse. History of at least one abortion was significantly associated with secondary infertility. Chronic PID had no significant association with any of the socio-demographic or obstetric factors. Interpretation & conclusions: The study findings provided an insight in the magnitude of community-based prevalence of COM and the factors associated with it. The results showed that COM were prevalent among women which could be addressed by interventions at personal, social and health services delivery level. PMID:26609041

Changing trends in the prevalence of blindness and visual impairment in a rural district of India: Systematic observations over a decade

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rohit C Khanna

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Context : Globally, limited data are available on changing trends of blindness from a single region. Aims : To report the changing trends in the prevalence of blindness, visual impairment (VI, and visual outcomes of cataract surgery in a rural district of Andhra Pradesh, India, over period of one decade. Settings and Design : Rural setting; cross-sectional study. Materials and Methods : Using a validated Rapid Assessment of Cataract Surgical Services (RACSS method, population-based, cross-sectional survey was done in a rural district in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. Two-stage sampling procedure was used to select participants ≥50 years of age. Further, a comparative analysis was done with participants ≥50 years from the previously concluded Andhra Pradesh Eye Disease Study (APEDS study, who belonged to the same district. Statistical Analysis : Done using 11 th version of Stata. Results : Using RACSS, 2160/2300 (93.9% participants were examined as compared with the APEDS dataset (n=521. Age and sex adjusted prevalence of blindness in RACSS and APEDS was 8% (95% CI, 6.9-9.1% and 11% (95% CI, 8.3-13.7%, while that of VI was 13.6% (95% CI, 12.2-15.1% and 40.3% (95% CI, 36.1-44.5%, respectively. Cataract was the major cause of blindness in both the studies. There was a significant reduction in blindness following cataract surgery as observed through RACSS (17.3%; 95% CI, 13.5-21.8% compared with APEDS (34%; 95% CI, 20.9-49.3%. Conclusion : There was a significant reduction in prevalence of blindness and VI in this rural district of India over a decade.

Resonance – Journal of Science Education | Indian Academy of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Keywords. History of brain research; localization of function in the brain. ... Manesar, Haryana. National Brain Research Centre N.H. 8, Manesar 122050 Haryana, India. ... Resonance – Journal of Science Education | News. © 2017 Indian ...

Distributed ecohydrological modelling to evaluate irrigation system performance in Sirsa district, India II: Impact of viable water management scenarios

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Singh, R.; Jhorar, R.K.; Dam, van J.C.; Feddes, R.A.

2006-01-01

This study focuses on the identification of appropriate strategies to improve water management and productivity in an irrigated area of 4270 km2 in India (Sirsa district). The field scale ecohydrological model SWAP in combination with field experiments, remote sensing and GIS has been applied in a

The Assessment of Indoor Air Pollution associated with household fuel use in Bagalkot District, Karnataka, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yogesh Gopal Parajuli

2012-03-01

Full Text Available India is one of the developing countries with high incidence of traditional fuel use in the rural areas such as Wood, Dung cakes, Agricultural residues and so on. The available literature shows the traditional fuels as a major contributor for increased levels of indoor air pollution in the developing countries. Aim: To estimate the prevalence of traditional fuel use and the exposure time among people in Bagalkot District, Karnataka, India. Settings and Design: Sirur Village, Bagalkot District. A Cross-Sectional Study. Methods and Material: The sample size N=185 was calculated according to the prevalence of traditional fuel use in rural India, Prevalence=86% shown by National Sample Survey report in 2001. The total households surveyed were 215. Statistical analysis used :Data collected was analyzed using SPSS (version 16.0 package. Results: The total population in 215 houses was 1,177. The prevalence of traditional fuel use was 100%. None of the kitchen had improved stoves with the presence of outlet pipeline (flue. The average cooking hours for a day was 5.6 hours divided into three sessions (Morning- 2.5 hours, Afternoon- 1 hour and Evening- 2.1 hours. There was a significant difference found between the prevalence of tuberculosis among adults and the type of the house. (Fisher’s exact test, at 0.05 level of significance. Conclusions: Women primarily cook in the rural houses using the traditional fuel and children in the age group of 0-15 years accounted for more than half of total people who were present in kitchen while cooking.

The Assessment of Indoor Air Pollution associated with household fuel use in Bagalkot District, Karnataka, India.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yogesh Gopal Parajuli

2012-01-01

Full Text Available India is one of the developing countries with high incidence of traditional fuel use in the rural areas such as Wood, Dung cakes, Agricultural residues and so on. The available literature shows the traditional fuels as a major contributor for increased levels of indoor air pollution in the developing countries. Aim: To estimate the prevalence of traditional fuel use and the exposure time among people in Bagalkot District, Karnataka, India. Settings and Design: Sirur Village, Bagalkot District. A Cross-Sectional Study. Methods and Material: The sample size N=185 was calculated according to the prevalence of traditional fuel use in rural India, Prevalence=86% shown by National Sample Survey report in 2001. The total households surveyed were 215. Statistical analysis used :Data collected was analyzed using SPSS (version 16.0 package. Results: The total population in 215 houses was 1,177. The prevalence of traditional fuel use was 100%. None of the kitchen had improved stoves with the presence of outlet pipeline (flue. The average cooking hours for a day was 5.6 hours divided into three sessions (Morning- 2.5 hours, Afternoon- 1 hour and Evening- 2.1 hours. There was a significant difference found between the prevalence of tuberculosis among adults and the type of the house. (Fisher’s exact test, at 0.05 level of significance. Conclusions: Women primarily cook in the rural houses using the traditional fuel and children in the age group of 0-15 years accounted for more than half of total people who were present in kitchen while cooking.

Geographic Variation in Household and Catastrophic Health Spending in India: Assessing the Relative Importance of Villages, Districts, and States, 2011-2012.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohanty, Sanjay K; Kim, Rockli; Khan, Pijush Kanti; Subramanian, S V

2018-03-01

Policy Points: Per-capita household health spending was higher in economically developed states and was associated with ability to pay, but catastrophic health spending (CHS) was equally high in both poorer and more developed states in India. Based on multilevel modeling, we found that the largest geographic variation in health spending and CHS was at the state and village levels, reflecting wide inequality in the accessibility to and cost of health care at these levels. Contextual factors at macro and micro political units are important to reduce health spending and CHS in India. In India, health care is a local good, and households are the major source of financing it. Earlier studies have examined diverse determinants of health care spending, but no attempt has been made to understand the geographical variation in household and catastrophic health spending. We used multilevel modeling to assess the relative importance of villages, districts, and states to health spending in India. We used data on the health expenditures of 101,576 households collected in the consumption expenditure schedule (68th round) carried out by the National Sample Survey in 2011-2012. We examined 4 dependent variables: per-capita health spending (PHS), per-capita institutional health spending (PIHS), per-capita noninstitutional health spending (PNHS), and catastrophic health spending (CHS). CHS was defined as household health spending exceeding 40% of its capacity to pay. We used multilevel linear regression and logistic models to decompose the variation in each outcome by state, region, district, village, and household levels. The average PHS was 1,331 Indian rupees (INR), which varied by state-level economic development. About one-fourth of Indian households incurred CHS, which was equally high in both the economically developed and poorer states. After controlling for household level factors, 77.1% of the total variation in PHS was attributable to households, 10.1% to states, 9.5% to

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

Science.gov (United States)

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.

Geo - hydrological investigations and impact of water harvesting structures on groundwater potential in Anantapur District, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Suryanarayana, K V; Krishnaiah, S; Khokalay, Murthy Rao V

2010-10-01

In this paper, the data pertaining to the rainfall, its departure from normal, moving mean rainfall, depth of water levels in pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons, groundwater availability, groundwater utilization and impact of storage of water in large water bodies are analyzed graphically. The results indicate that the groundwater is over exploited in many places in Anantapur District (India). The groundwater levels found fluctuating, when compared the observations in pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. Hence, it is concluded that the construction of water harvesting structures at suitable locations will have a definite impact on the groundwater potential in Anantapur District.

Sequence polymorphism data of the hypervariable regions of mitochondrial DNA in the Yadav population of Haryana.

Science.gov (United States)

Verma, Kapil; Sharma, Sapna; Sharma, Arun; Dalal, Jyoti; Bhardwaj, Tapeshwar

2018-06-01

Genetic variations among humans occur both within and among populations and range from single nucleotide changes to multiple-nucleotide variants. These multiple-nucleotide variants are useful for studying the relationships among individuals or various population groups. The study of human genetic variations can help scientists understand how different population groups are biologically related to one another. Sequence analysis of hypervariable regions of human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has been successfully used for the genetic characterization of different population groups for forensic purposes. It is well established that different ethnic or population groups differ significantly in their mtDNA distributions. In the last decade, very little research has been conducted on mtDNA variations in the Indian population, although such data would be useful for elucidating the history of human population expansion across the world. Moreover, forensic studies on mtDNA variations in the Indian subcontinent are also scarce, particularly in the northern part of India. In this report, variations in the hypervariable regions of mtDNA were analyzed in the Yadav population of Haryana. Different molecular diversity indices were computed. Further, the obtained haplotypes were classified into different haplogroups and the phylogenetic relationship between different haplogroups was inferred.

Natural radionuclide concentration in Hassan District of Southern India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jagadeesha, B.G.; Narayana, Y.

2017-01-01

The soil samples were collected from Hassan district of Southern India. The analysis was carried out using NaI(Tl) gamma ray spectrometer. The 232 Th activity was found to vary from 20.4±1.3 Bq kg -1 to 136.3±3.3 Bq kg -1 with a mean value of 56.9±2.0 Bq kg -1 and 226 Ra activity was found to vary from 22.5±1.4 Bq kg -1 to 90.6±3.4 Bq kg -1 with a mean value of 41.4±2.1 Bq kg -1 . The activity of 40 K was ranged from 278.2±4.0 Bq kg -1 to 650.7±6.7 Bq kg -1 with a mean value of 388.4±5.1 Bq kg -1 . Relatively higher levels of thorium were observed in soil. The radium equivalent activity and other radiological parameters were also determined. (author)

Iodine deficiency in children: A comparative study in two districts of south-interior Karnataka, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mansoor Ahmed

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Iodine is an essential component of the hormones produced by the thyroid gland that are essential for mammalian life. Although goiter is the most visible sequelae of iodine deficiency, the major impact of hypothyroidism as a result of iodine deficiency is impaired neurodevelopment, particularly early in life. According to the World Health Organization, it is the single most preventable cause of mental retardation and brain damage. The simplest, most effective and inexpensive preventive method is the consumption of iodized salt. Objectives: The objective of the following study is to estimate the prevalence of goiter in children in the rural areas of Mysore and Coorg districts in India and estimate iodine levels in salt samples. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study in the age group of 6-12 years, using population proportionate to size systematic sampling method. The total sample size was 10,082: out of which 5337 was from Mysore and the rest from Coorg district. Clinical examination of the thyroid gland was done and salt samples collected for the estimation of Iodine. Results: The total prevalence of goiter was 19.01% in children of 6-12 years in Coorg district and 8.77% in Mysore district and it was more in females than in males. Conclusions: It was observed that iodine deficiency disorders is endemic in both districts, with a prevalence of 19.01% in children aged 6-12 years in Coorg district and 8.77% in Mysore district. Analysis of salt samples suggested that most of the samples were inadequately iodised (73.92% in Coorg and 45.92% in Mysore.

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of the Inhabitants of the Kani Forest Tribal Settlements of Tiruvananthapuram District, Kerala, India

Science.gov (United States)

Nandha, B.; Srinivasan, R.; Jambulingam, P.

2014-01-01

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is reported among Kani tribes in forest settlements of Tiruvananthapuram district, Kerala, India. Epidemiological investigations are ongoing and 27 histopathologically confirmed cases of CL have been reported from five settlements indicating transmission of disease within settlements. One of the priorities for…

Prevalence of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Normal-weight and Overweight Preadolescent Children in Haryana, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Manoja Kumar; Bhatia, Vidyut; Sibal, Anupam; Gupta, Abha; Gopalan, Sarath; Sardana, Raman; Sahni, Reeti; Roy, Ankur; Arora, Narendra K

2017-12-15

To document the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and metabolic parameters among normal-weight and overweight schoolchildren. Cross-sectional study. Thirteen private schools in urban Faridabad, Haryana. 961 school children aged 5-10 years. Ultrasound testing was done, and 215 with fatty liver on ultrasound underwent further clinical, biochemical and virological testing. Prevalence of fatty liver on ultrasound, and NAFLD and its association with biochemical abnormalities and demographic risk factors. On ultrasound, 215 (22.4%) children had fatty liver; 18.9% in normal-weight and 45.6% in overweight category. Presence and severity of fatty liver disease increased with body mass index (BMI) and age. Among the children with NAFLD, elevated SGOT and SGPT was observed in 21.5% and 10.4% children, respectively. Liver enzyme derangement was significantly higher in overweight children (27% vs 19.4% in normal-weight) and severity of fatty liver (28% vs 20% in mild fatty liver cases). Eleven (8.1%) children with NAFLD had metabolic syndrome. Higher BMI (OR 35.9), severe fatty liver disease (OR 1.7) and female sex (OR 1.9) had strong association with metabolic syndrome. 22.4% of normal-weight and overweight children aged 5-10 years had fatty liver. A high proportion (18.9%) of normal-weight children with fatty liver on ultrasound indicates the silent burden in the population.

Assessment of fluoride in groundwater and urine, and prevalence of fluorosis among school children in Haryana, India

Science.gov (United States)

Haritash, A. K.; Aggarwal, Ankur; Soni, Jigyasa; Sharma, Khyati; Sapra, Mohnish; Singh, Bhupinder

2018-05-01

Considering the health effects of fluoride, the present study was undertaken to assess the concentration of fluoride in groundwater, and urine of school children in Bass region of Haryana state. Fluoride in groundwater was observed to vary from 0.5 to 2.4 mg/l with an average concentration of 0.46 mg/l. On the other hand, F- in urine ranged from below the detection limit to 1.8 mg/l among girls and 0.17-1.2 mg/l among the boys. Higher average concentration of fluoride in urine (0.65 mg/l for boys and 0.34 mg/l for girls) may be ascribed to exposure to bioavailable fluoride through food, milk, tea, toothpaste, etc., in addition to intake through groundwater. Relatively more intake of water and food by the boys might be the reason for more cases of severe dental fluorosis (44%) among boys compared to girls (29% cases of moderate to severe dental fluorosis). The groundwater quality for drinking was compromised with respect to dissolved solids, hardness, magnesium ions, and dissolved iron. Hydro-geochemical investigation revealed that rock-water interaction, in terms of direct cation exchange, dominantly regulates groundwater chemistry, and groundwater is of Ca-Na-HCO3 type.

Spatial distribution of biomass consumption as energy in rural areas of the Indo-Gangetic plain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saud, T.; Singh, D.P.; Gadi, Ranu; Mandal, T.K.; Saxena, M.; Sharma, S.K.; Gautam, R.; Mukherjee, A.; Bhatnagar, R.P.; Pathak, H.

2011-01-01

Biomass is widely used as energy source in rural households in India. Biomass samples and socio-economic data have been collected at district level in the rural areas of Indo-Gangetic plain (IGP), India to determine the emissions of trace gases and aerosols from domestic fuels. Dung cake, fuelwood and crop residue are main sources of energy in rural areas of the IGP. Dung cake is the major domestic fuel (80-90%) in the rural areas of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, whereas, 99% of rural households in Uttarakhand use wood as the main energy source. Using crop production data and usage of crop residues as energy, new consumption values have been estimated (21.13 Mt). Present information on the domestic fuel usage would be helpful in determining budgets estimates of trace gases and aerosols for India. (author)

Female married illiteracy as the most important continual determinant of total fertility rate among districts of Empowered Action Group States of India: Evidence from Annual Health Survey 2011-12.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Rajesh; Dogra, Vishal; Rani, Khushbu; Sahu, Kanti

2017-01-01

District level determinants of total fertility rate in Empowered Action Group states of India can help in ongoing population stabilization programs in India. Present study intends to assess the role of district level determinants in predicting total fertility rate among districts of the Empowered Action Group states of India. Data from Annual Health Survey (2011-12) was analysed using STATA and R software packages. Multiple linear regression models were built and evaluated using Akaike Information Criterion. For further understanding, recursive partitioning was used to prepare a regression tree. Female married illiteracy positively associated with total fertility rate and explained more than half (53%) of variance. Under multiple linear regression model, married illiteracy, infant mortality rate, Ante natal care registration, household size, median age of live birth and sex ratio explained 70% of total variance in total fertility rate. In regression tree, female married illiteracy was the root node and splits at 42% determined TFR illiteracy with splits at 23% to determine TFR illiteracy is one of the most important determinants explaining total fertility rate among the districts of an Empowered Action Group states. Focus on female literacy is required to stabilize the population growth in long run.

Assessment of Groundwater quality in Krishnagiri and Vellore Districts in Tamil Nadu, India

Science.gov (United States)

Shanmugasundharam, A.; Kalpana, G.; Mahapatra, S. R.; Sudharson, E. R.; Jayaprakash, M.

2017-07-01

Groundwater quality is important as it is the main factor determining its suitability for drinking, domestic, agricultural and industrial purposes. The suitability of groundwater for drinking and irrigation has been assessed in north and eastern part of Krishnagiri district, South-western part of Vellore district and contiguous with Andhra Pradesh states, India. A total of 31 groundwater samples were collected in the study area. The groundwater quality assessment has been carried out by evaluating the physicochemical parameters such as pH, EC, TDS, {HCO}3^{ - }, Cl-, {SO}4^{2 - }, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+ and K+. The dominant cations are in the order of Na+ > K+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ while the dominant anions have the trends of Cl- > {HCO}3^{ - } > {SO}4^{2 - } > CO3. The quality of the water is evaluated using Wilcox diagram and the results reveals that most of the samples are found to be suitable for irrigation. Based on these parameters, groundwater has been assessed in favor of its suitability for drinking and irrigation purpose.

Oral Health Status and Treatment Needs among Pregnant Women of Raichur District, India: A Population Based Cross-Sectional Study

Science.gov (United States)

Acharya, Arun Kumar

2016-01-01

Background and Objectives. Pregnancy can be a risk factor for dental diseases as oral tissues are liable to changes due to hormonal variations. The aim of the study was to assess the oral health status and treatment needs among pregnant women of Raichur district, Karnataka, India. Methods. Cross-sectional data was collected from 300 primigravidae from all the 5 taluks of Raichur district visiting the respective community health centre at taluk headquarters. A specially designed questionnaire was used to assess the demographic variables and oral hygiene practices. A clinical examination was done according to WHO (World Health Organization) criteria 1997 and recorded using WHO Oral Health Assessment Form. Results. The mean age of the pregnant women in the study was 21.8 (2.12) years. The prevalence of caries and periodontal diseases was 62.7% and 95%, respectively. The mean DT, MT, FT, and DMFT were 2.06 (2.5), 0.03 (0.17), 0.04 (0.27), and 2.13 (2.54), respectively. The mean OHI-S was 2.87 (1.27). Chi-square test showed that CPI scores increased with the trimester of pregnancy. Conclusion. The present study demonstrates poor oral hygiene and high prevalence of periodontal diseases, as well as a large proportion of unmet dental treatment needs among pregnant women of Raichur district, India. PMID:27293984

Oral Health Status and Treatment Needs among Pregnant Women of Raichur District, India: A Population Based Cross-Sectional Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ritu Gupta

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background and Objectives. Pregnancy can be a risk factor for dental diseases as oral tissues are liable to changes due to hormonal variations. The aim of the study was to assess the oral health status and treatment needs among pregnant women of Raichur district, Karnataka, India. Methods. Cross-sectional data was collected from 300 primigravidae from all the 5 taluks of Raichur district visiting the respective community health centre at taluk headquarters. A specially designed questionnaire was used to assess the demographic variables and oral hygiene practices. A clinical examination was done according to WHO (World Health Organization criteria 1997 and recorded using WHO Oral Health Assessment Form. Results. The mean age of the pregnant women in the study was 21.8 (2.12 years. The prevalence of caries and periodontal diseases was 62.7% and 95%, respectively. The mean DT, MT, FT, and DMFT were 2.06 (2.5, 0.03 (0.17, 0.04 (0.27, and 2.13 (2.54, respectively. The mean OHI-S was 2.87 (1.27. Chi-square test showed that CPI scores increased with the trimester of pregnancy. Conclusion. The present study demonstrates poor oral hygiene and high prevalence of periodontal diseases, as well as a large proportion of unmet dental treatment needs among pregnant women of Raichur district, India.

Oral Health Status and Treatment Needs among Pregnant Women of Raichur District, India: A Population Based Cross-Sectional Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Ritu; Acharya, Arun Kumar

2016-01-01

Background and Objectives. Pregnancy can be a risk factor for dental diseases as oral tissues are liable to changes due to hormonal variations. The aim of the study was to assess the oral health status and treatment needs among pregnant women of Raichur district, Karnataka, India. Methods. Cross-sectional data was collected from 300 primigravidae from all the 5 taluks of Raichur district visiting the respective community health centre at taluk headquarters. A specially designed questionnaire was used to assess the demographic variables and oral hygiene practices. A clinical examination was done according to WHO (World Health Organization) criteria 1997 and recorded using WHO Oral Health Assessment Form. Results. The mean age of the pregnant women in the study was 21.8 (2.12) years. The prevalence of caries and periodontal diseases was 62.7% and 95%, respectively. The mean DT, MT, FT, and DMFT were 2.06 (2.5), 0.03 (0.17), 0.04 (0.27), and 2.13 (2.54), respectively. The mean OHI-S was 2.87 (1.27). Chi-square test showed that CPI scores increased with the trimester of pregnancy. Conclusion. The present study demonstrates poor oral hygiene and high prevalence of periodontal diseases, as well as a large proportion of unmet dental treatment needs among pregnant women of Raichur district, India.

Ecology and conservation status of canebrakes in Warangal District of Andhra Pradesh, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Suthari

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The article describes cane-cum-bat roost site at Palampet (Warangal District, Andhra Pradesh, India. Although notified as a cane reserve by the state government, it is not spared off the usual habitat depletion and destruction. The functional pyramid formed of Calamus-Terminalia-Pteropus is reported here as first of its kind. This article also places on record seven more cane sites besides noting the importance of the ecology of Morancha Vagu and stressing the need for preserving its banks by planting Calamus rotang L. Ecological education to the local people about biodiversity value and conservation at all levels of its organization is called for.

Malaria prevalence among pregnant women in two districts with differing endemicity in Chhattisgarh, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Singh Neeru

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In India, malaria is not uniformly distributed. Chhattisgarh is a highly malarious state where both Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax are prevalent with a preponderance of P. falciparum. Malaria in pregnancy (MIP, especially when caused by P. falciparum, poses substantial risk to the mother and foetus by increasing the risk of foetal death, prematurity, low birth weight (LBW, and maternal anaemia. These risks vary between areas with stable and unstable transmission. The specific objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of malaria, its association with maternal and birth outcomes, and use of anti-malarial preventive measures for development of evidence based interventions to reduce the burden of MIP. Methods A cross-sectional study of pregnant women presenting to antenatal clinics (ANC or delivery units (DU, or hospitalized for non-obstetric illness was conducted over 12 months in high (Bastar and low (Rajnandgaon transmission districts in Chhattisgarh state. Intensity of transmission was defined on the basis of slide positivity rates with a high proportion due to P. falciparum. In each district, a rural and an urban health facility was selected. Results Prevalence of peripheral parasitaemia was low: 1.3% (35/2696 among women at ANCs and 1.9% at DUs (19/1025. Peripheral parasitaemia was significantly more common in Bastar (2.8% than in Rajnandgaon (0.1% (p  Conclusions Given the overall low prevalence of malaria, a strategy of enhanced anti-vector measures coupled with intermittent screening and targeted treatment during pregnancy should be considered for preventing malaria-associated morbidity in central India.

Bottom-up approach for decentralised energy planning. Case study of Tumkur district in India

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hiremath, Rahul B. [Walchand Institute of Technology, Solapur 413006 (India); Kumar, Bimlesh [Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati 781039 (India); Balachandra, P. [Energy Technology Innovation Policy, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Ravindranath, N.H. [CST, IISc, Bangalore 560012 (India)

2010-02-15

Decentralized Energy Planning (DEP) is one of the options to meet the rural and small-scale energy needs in a reliable, affordable and environmentally sustainable way. The main aspect of the energy planning at decentralized level would be to prepare an area-based DEP to meet energy needs and development of alternate energy sources at least-cost to the economy and environment. Present work uses goal-programming method in order to analyze the DEP through bottom-up approach. This approach includes planning from the lowest scale of Tumkur district in India. The scale of analysis included village level - Ungra, panchayat level (local council) - Yedavani, block level - Kunigal and district level - Tumkur. The approach adopted was bottom-up (village to district) to allow a detailed description of energy services and the resulting demand for energy forms and supply technologies. Different scenarios are considered at four decentralized scales for the year 2005 and are developed and analyzed for the year 2020. Decentralized bioenergy system for producing biogas and electricity, using local biomass resources, are shown to promote development compared to other renewables. This is because, apart from meeting energy needs, multiple goals could be achieved such as self-reliance, local employment, and land reclamation apart from CO{sub 2} emissions reduction. (author)

Bottom-up approach for decentralised energy planning: Case study of Tumkur district in India

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hiremath, Rahul B., E-mail: rahulhiremath@gmail.co [Walchand Institute of Technology Solapur 413006 (India); Kumar, Bimlesh, E-mail: bimk@iitg.ernet.i [Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati 781039 (India); Balachandra, P., E-mail: balachandra_patil@hks.harvard.ed [Energy Technology Innovation Policy, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Ravindranath, N.H., E-mail: ravi@ces.iisc.ernet.i [CST, IISc, Bangalore 560012 (India)

2010-02-15

Decentralized Energy Planning (DEP) is one of the options to meet the rural and small-scale energy needs in a reliable, affordable and environmentally sustainable way. The main aspect of the energy planning at decentralized level would be to prepare an area-based DEP to meet energy needs and development of alternate energy sources at least-cost to the economy and environment. Present work uses goal-programming method in order to analyze the DEP through bottom-up approach. This approach includes planning from the lowest scale of Tumkur district in India. The scale of analysis included village level-Ungra, panchayat level (local council)-Yedavani, block level-Kunigal and district level-Tumkur. The approach adopted was bottom-up (village to district) to allow a detailed description of energy services and the resulting demand for energy forms and supply technologies. Different scenarios are considered at four decentralized scales for the year 2005 and are developed and analyzed for the year 2020. Decentralized bioenergy system for producing biogas and electricity, using local biomass resources, are shown to promote development compared to other renewables. This is because, apart from meeting energy needs, multiple goals could be achieved such as self-reliance, local employment, and land reclamation apart from CO{sub 2} emissions reduction.

Limnological study with reference to fish culture of Bothali (Mendha) reservoir, district - Gadchiroli (India).

Science.gov (United States)

Tijare, Rajendra V

2012-04-01

Limnological study with reference to fish culture was carried out at Bothali (Mendha) reservoir, district Gadchiroli, India. Water samples from different sampling locations were collected and processed for physico-chemical analysis. The physico-chemical analysis revealed that the reservoir is favourable for fish culture as the phosphate content in water is moderate in amount. This reservoir can produce a good yield of fishes. Though the reservoir is presently exploited and is under pisciculture, a better treatment of the reservoir such as prevention of entry of organic matter, reduction of phosphate ion concentration to certain extent is necessary to obtain a maximum fish yield.

Oral health status of fishermen and non-fishermen community of Kutch district, Gujarat, India: a comparative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Asawa, Kailash; Pujara, Piyush; Tak, Mridula; Nagarajappa, Ramesh; Aapaliya, Pankaj; Bhanushali, Nikhil; Mishra, Prashant; Sharma, Abhishek

2014-01-01

Fishing is one such hazardous occupation, which involves irregular diet, stress, alcoholism, tobacco and pernicious habits. Fishermen have lower socio-economic status and their illiteracy adds to their poor oral hygiene, which may influence general and oral health. The aim of the study was to assess and compare the oral health status of fishermen and non-fishermen population of Kutch District, Gujarat, India. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted to assess and compare the oral health status of the fishermen and non-fishermen community of Mundra taluka of Kutch district, Gujarat, India, from January 2013 to June 2013. Fishermen had significantly higher periodontal disease and dental caries than non-fishermen group (p = 0.001). Malocclusion was significantly higher in non-fishermen group (p = 0.001). Extraction was the most prevalent treatment need among both groups. Occupation and educational status were respectively identified as the best predictors for dental caries and periodontal disease. Findings of the present study suggest that oral health status of the fishermen population was relatively poor, with high caries prevalence and poor periodontal health when compared to the non-fishermen population. In the light of high treatment needs of the study population, health policy that emphasises oral health promotion and prevention would seem more advantageous in addition to traditional curative care.

Angiosperms, Hydrophytes of five ephemeral lakes of Thiruvallur District, Tamil Nadu, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Udayakumar, M.

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to document the Angiosperm diversity of five ephemeral lakes of ThiruvallurDistrict of Tamil Nadu South India. Qualitative floristic surveys were carried out during 2005-2007. Herbarium specimenswith voucher number, taxonomical and ecological information were deposited to the herbarium, Pachaiyappa’s College(PCH Chennai, Tamilnadu. Forty five species of hydrophytes belonging to 21 families and 34 genera were documented.Most speciose families were Poaceae with 5 species followed by Polygalaceae and Nymphaeaceae (4 Cyperaceae,Hydrocharitaceae, Najadaceae, and Scrophulariaceae (3 species each. Mean depth of all five lakes shrinking gradually dueto severe anthropogenic pressure. Conservation of wetlands is the need of the hour to protect the biota as well as quality ofdrinking water.

Practice and perception of first aid among lay first responders in a southern district of India.

Science.gov (United States)

Pallavisarji, Uthkarsh; Gururaj, Gopalkrishna; Girish, Rao Nagaraja

2013-01-01

Injuries rank among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and are steadily increasing in developing countries like India. However, it is often possible to minimize injury and crash consequences by providing effective pre-hospital services promptly. In most low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), transportation of road traffic victims, is usually provided by relatives, taxi drivers, truck drivers, police officers and other motorists who are often untrained. The current study was conducted to understand the current practice and perception of first aid among lay first responders in a rural southern district of India. The current cross sectional descriptive study was conducted in the southern district of Tumkur in India within three months from January to March 2011 and covered the population including all police, ambulance personnel, taxi drivers, bus and auto drivers, and primary and middle school teachers within the study area. Nearly 60% of the responders had witnessed more than two emergencies in the previous six months and 55% had actively participated in helping the injured person. The nature of the help was mainly by calling for an ambulance (41.5%), transporting the injured (19.7%) and consoling the victim (14.9%). Majority (78.1%) of the responders informed that they had run to the victim (42.4%) or had called for an ambulance. The predominant reason for not providing help was often the 'fear of legal complications' (30%) that would follow later. Significant number (81.4%) of respondents reported that they did not have adequate skills to manage an emergency and were willing to acquire knowledge and skills in first aid to help victims. Regular and periodical community-based first aid training programs for first care responders will help to provide care and improve outcomes for injured persons.

Status of Indigenous Chicken Farming in Dhemaji District of Assam ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT Open Access DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT Subscription or Fee Access. Status of Indigenous Chicken Farming in Dhemaji District of Assam, India. H Chutia, N Kalita, N Barua, P Hazarika. Abstract. A survey was conducted in Dhemaji district of Assam, India comprising 15 villages and 300 households.

Female married illiteracy as the most important continual determinant of total fertility rate among districts of Empowered Action Group States of India: Evidence from Annual Health Survey 2011–12

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Rajesh; Dogra, Vishal; Rani, Khushbu; Sahu, Kanti

2017-01-01

Background: District level determinants of total fertility rate in Empowered Action Group states of India can help in ongoing population stabilization programs in India. Objective: Present study intends to assess the role of district level determinants in predicting total fertility rate among districts of the Empowered Action Group states of India. Material and Methods: Data from Annual Health Survey (2011-12) was analysed using STATA and R software packages. Multiple linear regression models were built and evaluated using Akaike Information Criterion. For further understanding, recursive partitioning was used to prepare a regression tree. Results: Female married illiteracy positively associated with total fertility rate and explained more than half (53%) of variance. Under multiple linear regression model, married illiteracy, infant mortality rate, Ante natal care registration, household size, median age of live birth and sex ratio explained 70% of total variance in total fertility rate. In regression tree, female married illiteracy was the root node and splits at 42% determined TFR illiteracy with splits at 23% to determine TFR illiteracy is one of the most important determinants explaining total fertility rate among the districts of an Empowered Action Group states. Focus on female literacy is required to stabilize the population growth in long run. PMID:29416999

Association of Climatic Variability, Vector Population and Malarial Disease in District of Visakhapatnam, India: A Modeling and Prediction Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Srimath-Tirumula-Peddinti, Ravi Chandra Pavan Kumar; Neelapu, Nageswara Rao Reddy; Sidagam, Naresh

2015-01-01

Malarial incidence, severity, dynamics and distribution of malaria are strongly determined by climatic factors, i.e., temperature, precipitation, and relative humidity. The objectives of the current study were to analyse and model the relationships among climate, vector and malaria disease in district of Visakhapatnam, India to understand malaria transmission mechanism (MTM). Epidemiological, vector and climate data were analysed for the years 2005 to 2011 in Visakhapatnam to understand the magnitude, trends and seasonal patterns of the malarial disease. Statistical software MINITAB ver. 14 was used for performing correlation, linear and multiple regression analysis. Perennial malaria disease incidence and mosquito population was observed in the district of Visakhapatnam with peaks in seasons. All the climatic variables have a significant influence on disease incidence as well as on mosquito populations. Correlation coefficient analysis, seasonal index and seasonal analysis demonstrated significant relationships among climatic factors, mosquito population and malaria disease incidence in the district of Visakhapatnam, India. Multiple regression and ARIMA (I) models are best suited models for modeling and prediction of disease incidences and mosquito population. Predicted values of average temperature, mosquito population and malarial cases increased along with the year. Developed MTM algorithm observed a major MTM cycle following the June to August rains and occurring between June to September and minor MTM cycles following March to April rains and occurring between March to April in the district of Visakhapatnam. Fluctuations in climatic factors favored an increase in mosquito populations and thereby increasing the number of malarial cases. Rainfall, temperatures (20°C to 33°C) and humidity (66% to 81%) maintained a warmer, wetter climate for mosquito growth, parasite development and malaria transmission. Changes in climatic factors influence malaria directly by

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

Science.gov (United States)

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.

Evaluation of Maternal Health Component of Reproductive and Child Health (RCH II Programme in Beed District, Maharashtra, India 2013

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dnyaneshwar Nipte,

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Situation analysis of Reproductive and Child Health programme of Government of India in Beed district of Maharashtra state in India indicated lack of achievement of targeted maternal health indicators. Evaluation of the utilization of maternal health services component of Reproductive and Child Health (RCH II programme in Beed district of Maharashtra state in India was undertaken. Material and Methods: A cross sectional survey in the rural area of Beed district using cluster sampling method was conducted. The information about the utilization of maternal health services was collected from mothers who delivered between 1st April and 30th June 2013. A facility survey using pre tested check list was undertaken. Analysis of the data using Epi Info Version 3.5.3 and proportion for selected maternal health care indicators were calculated. Results: Out of the 374 mothers included in the study, 122 (33.0% had registered within first trimester of pregnancy; nearly 50% had received more than three antenatal care (ANC visits and 90% had institutional delivery. Of the 70 mothers, who made phone call for ambulance service, 56 (80% utilized ambulance from their residence to the hospitals. Of the 183 mothers who delivered in Government hospitals, 103 (56.3% utilized it to reach home from hospitals after delivery. Of the eligible women, 96 (76.2% were registered for Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY scheme of the Government and 67 (69.8% received the benefit. In all 46 (16.4% Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs were trained as Skilled Birth Attendant (SBA. Of the 22 facilities, 14 (63.6% had delivery kits and in 6 (27.3% facilities maternal health services were monitored by medical officers. Conclusion: The utilization of maternal health care services and knowledge and implementation regarding JSY Scheme and ambulance service utilization among mothers was less than desirable. The coverage of training of ANMs as SBA was low. Provision of antenatal services in

Knowledge Attitude and Perception of Sex Education among School Going Adolescents in Ambala District, Haryana, India: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Randhir; Goyal, Anmol; Singh, Parmal; Bhardwaj, Anu; Mittal, Anshu; Yadav, Sachin Singh

2017-03-01

Adolescence is a highly dynamic period characterised by rapid growth and development. Adolescents have limited knowledge about sexual and reproduction health, and know little about the natural processes of puberty, sexual health, pregnancy or reproduction. Sex education should be an integral part of the learning process beginning in childhood and continuing into adult life, because it is lifelong process. This study was carried out to identify the knowledge and attitude of imparting sex education in school going adolescents in rural and urban area of Ambala district. A cross sectional study design was used to study the knowledge of reproductive and sexual health among school going children. A total of 743 adolescents from age group of 13-19 year were studied, using self designed semi-structured questionnaire to assess the knowledge regarding reproductive and sexual health among adolescents. The mean age of study subjects was 15.958±1.61 years, majority of adolescents i.e., 93.5% favour sex education. An 86.3% said sex education can prevent the occurrence of AIDS and 91.5% of adolescents prefer doctors should give them sex education followed by 83.0% school/teacher and least preference was parents 37.3%. There were substantial lacunae in the knowledge about reproductive and sexual health. Students felt that sex education is necessary and should be introduced in the school curriculum.

Dairy cattle; Farming system; Animal feeding; Milk; Productivity; Work organization; Role of women; India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Alary

2008-01-01

Full Text Available To satisfy Indian consumers’ rising demand for milk products, Indian breeders will have to boost their production rapidly, especially through improved feeding practices. Many experts point out that currently used crop by-products will not be sufficient to meet increasing feed requirements from cow and buffalo herds and that it will be necessary to turn to grains such as wheat and maize. But other experts think that grain will not be enough and that the increasing animal consumption of grain will affect human consumption, unless India decides on massive grain imports, putting pressure on the world grain market. The present survey carried out in two districts of Haryana showed that grain was not an essential feed for cattle and buffaloes, and that improving cotton and mustard by-products, and green fodder had great potential. A second finding was that wealthier farmers tended to underuse the genetic potential of milk cows and buffaloes. Moreover, biotechnical management of the herd, in particular the feeding system, was closely related to the socioeconomic management of the family farming system; family strategies aimed at ensuring sufficient milk production for the family in larger farms and to provide a regular income in smaller ones. This paper also stressed out the need to design, implement, and monitor development programs that integrate sociocultural and, especially, gender issues, to facilitate technological innovation with respect to forage storage.

The Female Sex Work Industry in a District of India in the Context of HIV Prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Buzdugan, Raluca; Halli, Shiva S; Hiremath, Jyoti M; Jayanna, Krishnamurthy; Raghavendra, T; Moses, Stephen; Blanchard, James; Scambler, Graham; Cowan, Frances

2012-01-01

HIV prevalence in India remains high among female sex workers. This paper presents the main findings of a qualitative study of the modes of operation of female sex work in Belgaum district, Karnataka, India, incorporating fifty interviews with sex workers. Thirteen sex work settings (distinguished by sex workers' main places of solicitation and sex) are identified. In addition to previously documented brothel, lodge, street, dhaba (highway restaurant), and highway-based sex workers, under-researched or newly emerging sex worker categories are identified, including phone-based sex workers, parlour girls, and agricultural workers. Women working in brothels, lodges, dhabas, and on highways describe factors that put them at high HIV risk. Of these, dhaba and highway-based sex workers are poorly covered by existing interventions. The paper examines the HIV-related vulnerability factors specific to each sex work setting. The modes of operation and HIV-vulnerabilities of sex work settings identified in this paper have important implications for the local programme.

The Female Sex Work Industry in a District of India in the Context of HIV Prevention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raluca Buzdugan

2012-01-01

Full Text Available HIV prevalence in India remains high among female sex workers. This paper presents the main findings of a qualitative study of the modes of operation of female sex work in Belgaum district, Karnataka, India, incorporating fifty interviews with sex workers. Thirteen sex work settings (distinguished by sex workers' main places of solicitation and sex are identified. In addition to previously documented brothel, lodge, street, dhaba (highway restaurant, and highway-based sex workers, under-researched or newly emerging sex worker categories are identified, including phone-based sex workers, parlour girls, and agricultural workers. Women working in brothels, lodges, dhabas, and on highways describe factors that put them at high HIV risk. Of these, dhaba and highway-based sex workers are poorly covered by existing interventions. The paper examines the HIV-related vulnerability factors specific to each sex work setting. The modes of operation and HIV-vulnerabilities of sex work settings identified in this paper have important implications for the local programme.

Mineragraphic study of uraninites in precambrian quartzites of Kulu district, Himachal Pradesh, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parthasarthy, T.N.

1993-01-01

Uraninites from the precambrian quartzites at Kandi-Panihar, Giagi-Khalandi, Dharagad-Bandal and Sajwar areas of Kulu district, Himachal Pradesh (Survey of India Sheet 53 E/NW) have been studied under ore-microscope and by X-ray diffraction. Besides uraninite, kasolite has also been identified occurring as oxidation product of the uraninite, and both occur filling up the macro- and micro-shear fractures developed in the quartzites. Uraninites show brecciation and recrystallization in these veins indicating that the mineralisation has been affected by a tectonic event. Two generations of uraninite have been noted in the veins. Later supergene alteration has resulted in the development of kasolite, curite, and wolsendorfite from the uraninite along the joint-planes. The only gangue mineral associated with the uraninite is quartz. Spectrographic data indicates that these uraninites are extremely poor in La and Ce compared to the hydrothermal uraninites reported from Singhbhum area of Bihar, India. In the light of the present studies it is difficult to comment on the genesis of Kulu uraninite at this stage, though X-ray powder data indicate high temperature origin for the early uraninite, with the unit cell size of around 5.4677A. (author). 19 refs., 4 tabs., 9 figs

Oral health status and adverse pregnancy outcomes among pregnant women in Haryana, India: A prospective study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Puneet Singh Talwar

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Women′s oral health is affected by certain conditions such as pregnancy, puberty, menstrual cycle, menopause and nonphysiological conditions such as hormonal contraception and hormonal therapy. This study was conducted to assess the oral health status and treatment needs of pregnant women and to correlate periodontal health with adverse pregnancy outcomes like preterm birth (PTB and low birth weight (LBW. Materials and Methods: A prospective study was undertaken at a Government Hospital in Haryana. Pregnant women who were in their third trimester of pregnancy and visited the hospital for routine ante-natal check-up constituted the final sample size (223. Dental caries and periodontal status were assessed using a WHO Proforma-1997. None of the subjects were in the habit of taking alcohol, chewing and smoking tobacco. The main outcome measures were gestational age and weight of the newborn. Data were analyzed using SPSS package version 13. Results: Decayed, missing and filled teeth index of the subjects was 2.87. Extraction was indicated in younger subjects when compared to the older ones. Bleeding was the main finding, which was present in 47.5% of the study subjects, followed by calculus. 63 more than 60% of subjects of subjects with 4-5 mm attachment loss belonged to 20-24 years age-group. There was a statistically significant association of probing depths and attachment loss with adverse pregnancy outcomes (P < 0.05 (PTB and LBW. Conclusion: There is a significant association between maternal periodontitis and pregnancy outcomes in the present study. It is recommended that suitable measures be undertaken by various health organizations to prevent periodontal problems among this particular group.

Female married illiteracy as the most important continual determinant of total fertility rate among districts of Empowered Action Group States of India: Evidence from Annual Health Survey 2011–12

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rajesh Kumar

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: District level determinants of total fertility rate in Empowered Action Group states of India can help in ongoing population stabilization programs in India. Objective: Present study intends to assess the role of district level determinants in predicting total fertility rate among districts of the Empowered Action Group states of India. Material and Methods: Data from Annual Health Survey (2011-12 was analysed using STATA and R software packages. Multiple linear regression models were built and evaluated using Akaike Information Criterion. For further understanding, recursive partitioning was used to prepare a regression tree. Results: Female married illiteracy positively associated with total fertility rate and explained more than half (53% of variance. Under multiple linear regression model, married illiteracy, infant mortality rate, Ante natal care registration, household size, median age of live birth and sex ratio explained 70% of total variance in total fertility rate. In regression tree, female married illiteracy was the root node and splits at 42% determined TFR = 2.7. The next left side branch was again married illiteracy with splits at 23% to determine TFR = 2.1. Conclusion: We conclude that female married illiteracy is one of the most important determinants explaining total fertility rate among the districts of an Empowered Action Group states. Focus on female literacy is required to stabilize the population growth in long run.

District decision-making for health in low-income settings: a case study of the potential of public and private sector data in India and Ethiopia

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharyya, Sanghita; Berhanu, Della; Taddesse, Nolawi; Srivastava, Aradhana; Wickremasinghe, Deepthi; Schellenberg, Joanna

2016-01-01

Many low- and middle-income countries have pluralistic health systems where private for-profit and not-for-profit sectors complement the public sector: data shared across sectors can provide information for local decision-making. The third article in a series of four on district decision-making for health in low-income settings, this study shows the untapped potential of existing data through documenting the nature and type of data collected by the public and private health systems, data flow and sharing, use and inter-sectoral linkages in India and Ethiopia. In two districts in each country, semi-structured interviews were conducted with administrators and data managers to understand the type of data maintained and linkages with other sectors in terms of data sharing, flow and use. We created a database of all data elements maintained at district level, categorized by form and according to the six World Health Organization health system blocks. We used content analysis to capture the type of data available for different health system levels. Data flow in the public health sectors of both counties is sequential, formal and systematic. Although multiple sources of data exist outside the public health system, there is little formal sharing of data between sectors. Though not fully operational, Ethiopia has better developed formal structures for data sharing than India. In the private and public sectors, health data in both countries are collected in all six health system categories, with greatest focus on service delivery data and limited focus on supplies, health workforce, governance and contextual information. In the Indian private sector, there is a better balance than in the public sector of data across the six categories. In both India and Ethiopia the majority of data collected relate to maternal and child health. Both countries have huge potential for increased use of health data to guide district decision-making. PMID:27591203

Indoor radon monitoring in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh, India, for health hazard assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, G.; Kumar, A.; Walia, V.; Kumar, M.; Tuccu, M.A.; Prasher, S.

2016-01-01

In the present study, indoor radon equilibrium equivalent concentration monitoring was carried out using Solid-State Nuclear Track Detectors in some residential areas of the Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh, India. The average value of the indoor radon equilibrium equivalent concentration in the study area was found to be 94 Bq m -3 , with an annual effective dose of 1.61 mSv. The average value of the indoor radon equilibrium equivalent concentration in the studied areas was found to be higher than the world average indoor radon value of 40 Bq m -3 but lower than the value of the action level 300 Bq m -3 , except for two locations. (authors)

Health System Competency for Maternal Health Services in Balasore District and Jaleswar Block, Balasore, Odisha, India: An Assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Dehury, Ranjit Kumar; Samal, Janmejaya

2016-08-01

A competent health system is of paramount importance in delivering the desired health services in a particular community. The broad objective of this study was to assess the health system competency for the maternal health services in Balasore District and Jaleswar block of Balasore district, Odisha, India. A mixed method approach was adopted in order to understand the health system competency for maternal health services in the study area. There was poor accessibility through road, poor electricity connection and piped water for the health care centers in the district. Even, existing Primary Health Centres (PHCs) lack ECG and X-Ray machines for proper diagnostic services which jeopardize the catering of health services. Community Health Centres (CHC) lack basic diagnostic and ambulance services making the tribal pockets inaccessible. The tribal dominated Jaleswar block shows poor performance in terms of total registered Antenatal Checkups (ANC) (only 77%). A gradual decrease in the rate of ANC, from first to fourthcheckup, was observed in the district. Lack of public health infrastructure in general and non-compliance to Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) in particular, affect the health of tribal women resulting in lack of interest in availing the institutional delivery services and other pertinent maternal health services.

Correlation of indoor radon levels with physical properties of local soil in Khammam district, Andhra Pradesh, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sreenivasa Reddy, B.; Bhaskar Reddy, G.; Sreenath Reddy, M.; Gopal Reddy, Ch; Yadagiri Reddy, P.; Rama Reddy, K.

2006-01-01

Indoor radon contributes significantly to the total radiation exposure caused to human beings. As might be expected, the physical characteristics of soil play key roles in determining the radon concentration in nearby buildings. The physical characteristics of soil, such as density, specific gravity and porosity in the vicinity of the dwellings of Khammam district, Andhra Pradesh, India, have been determined using core cutter and specific gravity bottle. In the present paper, these parameters are correlated with the average indoor radon levels estimated for a year using solid state nuclear track detectors. (author)

Identification of Suitable Water Harvesting Zones Based on Geomorphic Resources for Drought Areas: A Case Study of Una District, Himachal Pradesh, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Prakasam, D. C., Jr.; Zaman, B.

2014-12-01

Water is one of the most vital natural resource and its availability and quality determine ecosystem productivity, both for agricultural and natural systems. Una district is one of the major potential agricultural districts in Himachal Pradesh, India. More than 70% of the population of this district is engaged in agriculture and allied sectors and major crops grown are maize, wheat, rice, sugarcane, pulses and vegetables. The region faces drought every year and about 90 per cent of the area is water stressed. This has resulted in crop loss and shortage of food and fodder. The sources of drinking water, small ponds and bowlies dry-up during summer season resulting in scarcity of drinking water. Una district receives rainfall during monsoons from June to September and also during non-monsoon period (winter). The annual average rainfall in the area is about 1040 mm with 55 average rainy days. But due to heavy surface run-off the farmers not able to cultivate the crops more than once in a year. Past research indicate that the geomorphology of the Una district might be responsible for such droughts as it controls the surface as well as ground water resources. The research proposes to develop a water stress model for Una district using the geomorphic parameters, water resource and land use land cover data of the study area. Using Survey of India topographical maps (1:50000), the geomorphic parameters are extracted. The spatial layers of these parameters i.e. drainage density, slope, relative relief, ruggedness index, surface water body's frequency are created in GIS. A time series of normalized remotely sensed data of the study area is used for land use land cover classification and analyses. Based on the results from the water stress model, the drought/water stress areas and water harvesting zones are identified and documented. The results of this research will help the general population in resolving the drinking water problem to a certain extent and also the

Abortion and sex determination: conflicting messages in information materials in a District of Rajasthan, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Nidadavolu, Vijaya; Bracken, Hillary

2006-05-01

Public information campaigns are an integral component of reproductive health programmes, including on abortion. In India, where sex selective abortion is increasing, public information is being disseminated on the illegality of sex determination. This paper presents findings from a study undertaken in 2003 in one district in Rajasthan to analyse the content of information materials on abortion and sex determination and people's perceptions of them. Most of the informational material about abortion was produced by one abortion service provider, but none by the public or private sector. The public sector had produced materials on the illegality of sex determination, some of which failed to distinguish between sex selection and other reasons for abortion. In the absence of knowledge of the legal status of abortion, the negative messages and strong language of these materials may have contributed to the perception that abortion is illegal in India. Future materials should address abortion and sex determination, including the legal status of abortion, availability of providers and social norms that shape decision-making. Married and unmarried women should be addressed and the participation of family members acknowledged, while supporting independent decisions by women. Sex determination should also be addressed, and the conditions under which a woman can and cannot seek an abortion clarified, using media and materials accessible to low-literate audiences. Based on what we learned in this research, a pictorial booklet and educator's manual were produced, covering both abortion and sex determination, and are being distributed in India.

Lithological mapping of Kanjamalai hill using hyperspectral remote sensing tools in Salem district, Tamil Nadu, India

Science.gov (United States)

Arulbalaji, Palanisamy; Balasubramanian, Gurugnanam

2017-07-01

This study uses advanced spaceborne thermal emission and reflection radiometer (ASTER) hyperspectral remote sensing techniques to discriminate rock types composing Kanjamalai hill located in the Salem district of Tamil Nadu, India. Kanjamalai hill is of particular interest because it contains economically viable iron ore deposits. ASTER hyperspectral data were subjected to principal component analysis (PCA), independent component analysis (ICA), and minimum noise fraction (MNF) to improve identification of lithologies remotely and to compare these digital data results with published geologic maps. Hyperspectral remote sensing analysis indicates that PCA (R∶G∶B=2∶1∶3), MNF (R∶G∶B=3∶2∶1), and ICA (R∶G∶B=1∶3∶2) provide the best band combination for effective discrimination of lithological rock types composing Kanjamalai hill. The remote sensing-derived lithological map compares favorably with a published geological map from Geological Survey of India and has been verified with ground truth field investigations. Therefore, ASTER data-based lithological mapping provides fast, cost-effective, and accurate geologic data useful for lithological discrimination and identification of ore deposits.

Hemoglobin status of non-school going adolescent girls in three districts of Orissa, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Bulliyy, Gandham; Mallick, Gitanjali; Sethy, Girija Sankar; Kar, Santanu Kumar

2007-01-01

Anemia is a major public health problem in young children and pregnant women in SouthEast Asia, but a paucity of data on anemia in adolescent girls in India. Studies are lacking on the entire non-school going adolescent population. To determine the prevalence of anemia in non-school going adolescent girls and the association between hemoglobin (Hb) concentration and socioeconomic and nutritional factors. A cross-sectional community study conducted on a sample of 1937 healthy adolescent girls aged 11-19 years from three districts of Orissa, India. Sample size was determined using a probability proportionate to size cluster sampling. The adolescent girls were interviewed and anthropometric measurements were collected. The Hb estimation was carried out in capillary blood samples using the cyanmethemoglobin method. Anemia and nutritional status were evaluated according to standard procedures. The mean Hb concentration was 9.7 +/- 1.4 g/dL (range, 4.5-13.4 g/dL). Of the total adolescent girls, 1869 (96.5%) were anemic (Hb education levels of girls and their parents' family income, body mass index, and mid-upper arm circumference. This study revealed that prevalence of anemia was extremely high in non-school going adolescent girls (most were moderately anemic) and stressed the need for more research and public health interventions.

The Oft-Ignored Mr. Turton: The Role of District Collector in A Passage to India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Allen Mendenhall

2010-12-01

Full Text Available E.M. Forster’s A Passage to India presents Brahman Hindu jurisprudence as an alternative to British rule of law, a utilitarian jurisprudence that hinges on mercantilism, central planning, and imperialism. Building on John Hasnas’s critiques of rule of law and Murray Rothbard’s critiques of Benthamite utilitarianism, this essay argues that Forster’s depictions of Brahman Hindu in the novel endorse polycentric legal systems. Mr. Turton is the local district collector whose job is to pander to both British and Indian interests; positioned as such, Turton is a site for critique and comparison. Forster uses Turton to show that Brahman Hindu jurisprudence is fair and more effective than British bureaucratic administration. Forster’s depictions of Brahman Hindu are not verisimilar, and Brahman Hindu does not recommend a particular jurisprudence. But Forster appropriates Brahman Hindu for aesthetic and political purposes and in so doing advocates a jurisprudence that does not reduce all experience to mathematical calculation. Forster writes against the Benthamite utilitarianism adopted by most colonial administrators in India. A tough figure to pin down politically, Forster celebrates the individual and personal relations: things that British rule of law seeks to suppress.

Microbiological analysis of drinking water quality of Ananthanar channel of Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raju Mary Antony

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Bacteriological analyses were carried out on Ananthanar channel water of Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India. The Ananthanar channel was selected in this study because this channel runs about nearly 28 km and supplies water for many villages for drinking and bathing purposes. Fecal and total coliform counts were performed using the standard membrane filtration technique and multiple tube technique. The results obtained were compared with reports of All India Institute of Medical Sciences Standards for Drinking and Recreational Water. Faecal coliform counts varied from 12 to 180 MPN/100 ml while Escherichia coli counts ranged from 6 to 161 MPN/100 ml for all the sampled sites. Among the total coliform Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Shewanella putrefaciens, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Citrobacter freundii and Proteus mirabilis are reported. The Faecal coliform and the E. coli counts exceeding acceptable limits are indicative of pollution from domestic wastes from several informal settlements located along the riverbank. Water uses in the area were determined and were found to be mainly domestic and recreational. The gross pollution of the river exposes the local people who depend on it for their primary water source to serious health risk.

Journal of Genetics | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Author Affiliations. Mamta Chauhan1 A. K. Gupta1 S. Dhillon2. National Research Centre on Equines, Sirsa Road, Hisar 125 001, India; Department of Biotechnology, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agriculture University, Hisar 125 001, India ...

District decision-making for health in low-income settings: a case study of the potential of public and private sector data in India and Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharyya, Sanghita; Berhanu, Della; Taddesse, Nolawi; Srivastava, Aradhana; Wickremasinghe, Deepthi; Schellenberg, Joanna; Iqbal Avan, Bilal

2016-09-01

Many low- and middle-income countries have pluralistic health systems where private for-profit and not-for-profit sectors complement the public sector: data shared across sectors can provide information for local decision-making. The third article in a series of four on district decision-making for health in low-income settings, this study shows the untapped potential of existing data through documenting the nature and type of data collected by the public and private health systems, data flow and sharing, use and inter-sectoral linkages in India and Ethiopia. In two districts in each country, semi-structured interviews were conducted with administrators and data managers to understand the type of data maintained and linkages with other sectors in terms of data sharing, flow and use. We created a database of all data elements maintained at district level, categorized by form and according to the six World Health Organization health system blocks. We used content analysis to capture the type of data available for different health system levels. Data flow in the public health sectors of both counties is sequential, formal and systematic. Although multiple sources of data exist outside the public health system, there is little formal sharing of data between sectors. Though not fully operational, Ethiopia has better developed formal structures for data sharing than India. In the private and public sectors, health data in both countries are collected in all six health system categories, with greatest focus on service delivery data and limited focus on supplies, health workforce, governance and contextual information. In the Indian private sector, there is a better balance than in the public sector of data across the six categories. In both India and Ethiopia the majority of data collected relate to maternal and child health. Both countries have huge potential for increased use of health data to guide district decision-making. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford

Audit of emergency obstetric referrals from a secondary level hospital in Haryana, North India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shashi Kant

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The maternal mortality ratio in India is high. An effective emergency obstetric care (EmOC strategy has been identified as a priority to reduce maternal deaths. Since the capacity of different levels of public health facilities to provide EmOC is varied, an effective referral system is crucial. However, few studies have evaluated the functioning and quality of referral systems in India. A systematic monitoring of referrals helps to identify current gaps in the provision of essential obstetric care. Objective: This study was conducted to identify the medical and logistic reasons for emergency obstetric referrals from a subdistrict hospital (SDH. Methods: An audit of emergency referrals during the period January 2015–December 2015 was carried out. Records of all obstetric patients referred from the maternity ward during the study period were reviewed. Results: The referral rate was found to be 31.7%. Preterm labor (30.6%, pregnancy-induced hypertension (17%, and fetal distress (10.6% were the main reasons for referral. Deficiencies were found in critical determinants of functionality, that is, nonavailability of emergency cesarean, neonatal care unit, and blood bank. Conclusions: The referral rate at the SDH was high. Lack of workforce and infrastructural facilities led to referrals of women who ought to have been managed at this level of the hospital.

Evaluating the Burden of Lymphedema Due to Lymphatic Filariasis in 2005 in Khurda District, Odisha State, India.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victoria Walsh

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Over 1.1 billion people worldwide are at risk for lymphatic filariasis (LF, and the global burden of LF-associated lymphedema is estimated at 16 million affected people, yet country-specific estimates are poor.A house-to-house morbidity census was conducted to assess the burden and severity of lymphedema in a population of 1,298,576 persons living in the LF-endemic district of Khurda in Odisha State, India. The burden of lymphedema in Khurda is widespread geographically, and 1.3% (17,036 of the total population report lymphedema. 51.3% of the patients reporting lymphedema were female, mean age 49.4 years (1-99. Early lymphedema (Dreyer stages 1 & 2 was reported in two-thirds of the patients. Poisson regression analysis was conducted in order to determine risk factors for advanced lymphedema (Dreyer stages 4-7. Increasing age was significantly associated with advanced lymphedema, and persons 70 years and older had a prevalence three times greater than individuals ages 15-29 (aPR: 3.21, 95% CI 2.45, 4.21. The number of adenolymphangitis (ADL episodes reported in the previous year was also significantly associated with advanced lymphedema (aPR 4.65, 95% CI 2.97-7.30. This analysis is one of the first to look at potential risk factors for advanced lymphedema using morbidity census data from an entire district in Odisha State, India.These data highlight the magnitude of lymphedema in LF-endemic areas and emphasize the need to develop robust estimates of numbers of individuals with lymphedema in order to identify the extent of lymphedema management services needed in these regions.

Knowledge of hepatitis B among healthy population: A community-based survey from two districts of Gujarat, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Yasobant, Sandul; Trivedi, Poonam; Saxena, Deepak; Puwar, Tapasvi; Vora, Kranti; Patel, Mayur

2017-01-01

Hepatitis B is the world's most common blood-borne viral infection, accounting for 2 billion infections, 350 million carriers, and 6 lakh deaths annually. Country like India still harbors approximately 30-60 million hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers. A modest estimate would put the number of deaths occurring due to HBV infection per year in India to around 100,000. To prevent transmission and progression of the disease, proper community awareness including prevention is necessary. Therefore, this study aims to study the knowledge awareness among the healthy population about hepatitis B including knowledge regarding vaccine. A community-based cross-sectional study was undertaken in two districts of Gujarat. Cluster sampling (30 clusters) was used, and pretested questionnaire was administered to 600 (with a prevalence rate of 5% in Gujarat having design effect of 2 within 95% confidence interval and 10% nonrespondent) healthy individuals, who heard about hepatitis B. Data handled and analyzed in EpiData Analysis V2.2.2.183. Majority of the participants knew about symptoms whereas only 41% knew about prevention methods and few 34% knew about the mode of transmission. Although 40% sample has knowledge about the availability of vaccination, only 20% were self-vaccinated. The common reason for nonvaccination was lack of awareness. Only one-third of the populations in study districts are aware about hepatitis B and its vaccine. Less than one-fifth of the populations are vaccinated for hepatitis B. Important knowledge deficits about the routes of hepatitis B transmission/prevention were identified. Continued efforts should be made to develop and implement hepatitis B educational campaigns/health promotion for these communities.

Knowledge of hepatitis B among healthy population: A community-based survey from two districts of Gujarat, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandul Yasobant

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Hepatitis B is the world's most common blood-borne viral infection, accounting for 2 billion infections, 350 million carriers, and 6 lakh deaths annually. Country like India still harbors approximately 30–60 million hepatitis B virus (HBV carriers. A modest estimate would put the number of deaths occurring due to HBV infection per year in India to around 100,000. To prevent transmission and progression of the disease, proper community awareness including prevention is necessary. Therefore, this study aims to study the knowledge awareness among the healthy population about hepatitis B including knowledge regarding vaccine. Methodology: A community-based cross-sectional study was undertaken in two districts of Gujarat. Cluster sampling (30 clusters was used, and pretested questionnaire was administered to 600 (with a prevalence rate of 5% in Gujarat having design effect of 2 within 95% confidence interval and 10% nonrespondent healthy individuals, who heard about hepatitis B. Data handled and analyzed in EpiData Analysis V2.2.2.183. Results: Majority of the participants knew about symptoms whereas only 41% knew about prevention methods and few 34% knew about the mode of transmission. Although 40% sample has knowledge about the availability of vaccination, only 20% were self-vaccinated. The common reason for nonvaccination was lack of awareness. Conclusions: Only one-third of the populations in study districts are aware about hepatitis B and its vaccine. Less than one-fifth of the populations are vaccinated for hepatitis B. Important knowledge deficits about the routes of hepatitis B transmission/prevention were identified. Continued efforts should be made to develop and implement hepatitis B educational campaigns/health promotion for these communities.

Decadal changes in the land use/land cover and shoreline along the coastal districts of southern Gujarat, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Misra, A; Balaji, R

2015-07-01

The coastal zone along the districts of Surat, Navsari, and Valsad in southern Gujarat, India, is reported to be facing serious environmental challenges in the form of shoreline erosion, wetland loss, and man-made encroachments. This study assesses the decadal land use/ land cover (LULC) changes in these three districts for the years 1990, 2001, and 2014 using satellite datasets of Landsat TM, ETM, and OLI. The LULC changes are identified by using band ratios as a pre-classification step, followed by implementation of hybrid classification (a combination of supervised and unsupervised classification). An accuracy assessment is carried out for each dataset, and the overall accuracy ranges from 90 to 95%. It is observed that the spatial extents of aquaculture, urban built-up, and barren classes have appreciated over time, whereas the coverage of mudflats has depreciated due to rapid urbanization. The changes in the shoreline of these districts have also been analyzed for the same years, and significant changes are found in the form of shoreline erosion. The LULC maps prepared as well as the shoreline change analysis done for this study area will enable the local decision makers to adopt better land-use planning and shoreline protection measures, which will further aid in sustainable future developments in this region.

Excess under-5 female mortality across India: a spatial analysis using 2011 census data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christophe Z Guilmoto, PhD

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Summary: Background: Excess female mortality causes half of the missing women (estimated deficit of women in countries with suspiciously low proportion of females in their population today. Globally, most of these avoidable deaths of women occur during childhood in China and India. We aimed to estimate excess female under-5 mortality rate (U5MR for India's 35 states and union territories and 640 districts. Methods: Using the summary birth history method (or Brass method, we derived district-level estimates of U5MR by sex from 2011 census data. We used data from 46 countries with no evidence of gender bias for mortality to estimate the effects and intensity of excess female mortality at district level. We used a detailed spatial and statistical analysis to highlight the correlates of excess mortality at district level. Findings: Excess female U5MR was 18·5 per 1000 livebirths (95% CI 13·1–22·6 in India 2000–2005, which corresponds to an estimated 239 000 excess deaths (169 000–293 000 per year. More than 90% of districts had excess female mortality, but the four largest states in northern India (Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh accounted for two-thirds of India's total number. Low economic development, gender inequity, and high fertility were the main predictors of excess female mortality. Spatial analysis confirmed the strong spatial clustering of postnatal discrimination against girls in India. Interpretation: The considerable effect of gender bias on mortality in India highlights the need for more proactive engagement with the issue of postnatal sex discrimination and a focus on the northern districts. Notably, these regions are not the same as those most affected by skewed sex ratio at birth. Funding: None.

Plants used for treatment of dysentery and diarrhoea by the Bhoxa community of district Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Gairola, Sumeet; Sharma, Jyotsana; Gaur, R D; Siddiqi, T O; Painuli, R M

2013-12-12

Dysentery and diarrhoea are major causes of morbidity and mortality in rural communities of developing world. The Bhoxa community is an important primitive indigenous community of Uttarakhand, India. In this paper we have tried to scientifically enumerate ethnomedicinal plants and herbal preparations used by Bhoxa community to treat dysentery and diarrhoea, and discuss their antidiarrhoeal properties in the light of previous ethnomedicinal, pharmacological, microbiological and phytochemical studies. To record plants and herbal preparations used by Bhoxa community of district Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India in treatment of dysentery and diarrhoea, and to discuss antidiarrhoeal and antimicrobial properties of the recorded plants. Ethnomedicinal survey was conducted in different villages of Bhoxa community located in district Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India. Thirty Bhoxa traditional healers were interviewed to collect information on plants used by them for treating dysentery and diarrhoea. For each of the recorded plant species the use value (UV) and fidelity level (FL) was calculated. Detailed literature survey was conducted to summarize ethnomedicinal, pharmacological, microbiological and phytochemical information on the medicinal plants listed in the present study. Fifty medicinal plants (45 genera and 30 families) were used by Bhoxa community to treat dysentery and diarrhoea, among which 27 species were used for dysentery, 41 for diarrhoea and 18 for both dysentery and diarrhoea. Three plants viz., Dioscorea bulbifera L., Euphorbia thymifolia L. and Prunus persica (L.) Stokes, recorded in the present survey have been reported for the first time in treatment of dysentery and diarrhoea by any indigenous communities in India. FL and UV values revealed that most preferred species for the treatment of dysentery and diarrhoea by Bhoxa community are Euphorbia hirta L. followed by Holarrhena pubescens Wall., Helicteres isora L. and Cassia fistula L. Earlier pharmacological

Evaluation of registered visually disabled individuals in a district of West Bengal, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ghosh Sambuddha

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: To identify the sociodemographic characteristics, degree and cause of visual disability among certified visually disabled individuals in a rural district of West Bengal, India and to identify possible lacunae, if any, in the existing certification system. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study by secondary data analysis of medical records of 155 visually disabled individuals and their 310 eyes. Demographical features, diagnosis, percentage of visual disability and work activity status of each individual were analyzed. Results: One hundred and thirty one (84.52% individuals had 100% disability. The number of males was significantly higher than that of females. Fifty eight (37.42% individuals were below 21 years of age. Phthisis bulbi was the most common cause followed by microphthalmos. Further, 81.29% patients had the same lesion bilaterally. Conclusion: Patients with higher grades of disability have attended certification boards. A large number of disabled individuals comprised children and young adults. Male gender bias demands concern.

Natural radionuclides in ceramic building materials available in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Rajamannan, B; Viruthagiri, G; Suresh Jawahar, K

2013-10-01

The activity concentrations of radium, thorium and potassium can vary from material to material and they should be measured as the radiation is hazardous for human health. Thus, studies have been planned to obtain the radioactivity of ceramic building materials used in Cuddalore District, Tamilnadu, India. The radioactivity of some ceramic materials used in this region has been measured using a gamma-ray spectrometry, which contains an NaI(Tl) detector connected to multichannel analyzer. The specific activities of (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K, from the selected ceramic building materials, were in the range of 9.89-30.75, 24.68-70.4, 117.19-415.83 Bq kg(-1), respectively. The radium equivalent activity, absorbed gamma dose rate (D) and annual effective dose rate associated with the natural radionuclides are calculated to assess the radiation hazards of the natural radioactivity in the ceramic building materials. It was found that none of the results exceeds the recommended limit value.

Hydrogeological Studies of Mendhwan Watershed, Ahmadnagar District, Maharashtra, India

Science.gov (United States)

Muley, R. B.; Babar, Md.; Kulkarni, P. S.

2011-07-01

The Mendhwan watershed area is a part of chronic drought prone region of Ahmadnagar district of Maharashtra state, India which is considered for the study with reference to hydrogeological characteristics in Deccan basaltic terrain. In order to enhance groundwater availability and to demarcate the area of high groundwater potential, Geoforum, Parbhani Chapter has carried out hydrological investigation of this watershed area. Geologically, the study area belongs to the Deccan trap basalts of late Cretaceous to early Eocene period. The entire study area consists of thin irregular vesicular-amygdaloidal basalt flows also known as compound pahoehoe flows. The area is traversed by two prominent dykes, which are almost perpendicular to each other. In most of the southern part of the area, amygdaloidal basalt is exposed at the surface. The fresh amygdaloidal basalt flow is free from joints and occurs as homogeneous watertight mass. As dykes are jointed, they provide favorable conditions for percolation and ground water potential of this area is found to be satisfactory. It was observed that in Mendhwan area a large number of water conservation structures have been constructed across the streams. Incidentally groundwater potential shows notable increase only in those localities where the structures had been constructed on the dyke rock. The result of the study is found to be very much beneficial to the rural populace of this draught prone area so as to plan the optimum utilization of this precious natural resource.

Impact of health education on knowledge and practices about menstruation among adolescent school girls of rural part of district Ambala, Haryana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A Arora

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Background: This study was undertaken to assess the impact of health education on knowledge regarding menstruation, misconceptions related to it as the prevalence of RTI is still very high in India.  Aims: To study the existing level of status of hygiene, knowledge and practices regarding menstruation among adolescent school girls and to assess the change in their knowledge level and practices after health education. Materials A community-based pre and post interventional study was conducted among 200 adolescents’ girls of class IX and X of rural part of district Ambala. Multistage random sampling technique was used to draw the representative sample. A pre-tested questionnaire was administered and later health education regarding menstruation and healthy menstrual practices was imparted to the girls. Post-test was done after 3 months to assess the impact of health education. Pre- and post-intervention, data were compared using the paired t test, z test for proportions, chi-squared test for paired proportions. Difference between Proportions of the pre-post data and its 95% confidence interval has been calculated of the findings. SPSS for Windows software version 20 (IBM, Chicago, USA have been used for data analysis. The level of significance has been considered at p value 0.05 while in the post-test preceding health education, significant improvements were observed in their practices. Conclusion: Overall significant improvement was found in knowledge and practices regarding menstruation among adolescent school girls.

Study of CNSL Processing Plants Located in Cuddalore District of Tamil Nadu, India

Science.gov (United States)

Bhaskaran, E.

2017-06-01

Basic chemicals and their related products like petrochemicals, fertilisers, paints, varnishes, glass, perfumes, toiletries, pharmaceuticals, etc. form a very significant part of the Indian economy and account for about 3% of India's GDP. Among the most diversified industrial sectors, it covers an array of more than 70,000 commercial products. The chemicals sector accounts for about 14% in overall index of industrial production, 11% of total exports and about 7.2% of total imports. The total Foreign Direct Investment in Chemicals (excluding fertilizers) was US 7252 million from April 2011 to March 2012. For inclusive growth and sustainable development most of the Chemical manufacturers should adopt the Cluster Development Approach. The objective is to Study the Occupational Hazards in Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (CNSL) Oil Processing Industries in Panruti Block of Cuddalore District. The methodology adopted is collection of primary processing data during November 2012 from 14 CNSL Processing Industries in Panruti Block of Cuddalore District. Majority of Industries has not processed the CNSL oil as per standards and there is much scope for occupational hazards. In two processes the CNSL oil is let out in the tank constructed equal to ground height where there is possibility of workers getting trapped inside the high temperature CNSL oil. The electric motor is also placed in the ground so that there is possibility of current passing in the ground which leads to occupational hazards for the workers. To conclude, Cashew Shell Oil Processing Industries in Panruti Block of Cuddalore District needs is re-engineering in design and operation starting from Cashew Shell storage, extraction of shell oil from expeller, processing and packaging of CNSL in barrels for better safety from occupational hazards and Cyclones. Moreover for sustainable development, they should adopt cluster development approach, so that infrastructure interrelationships, technology interrelationships

Effective smoke-free policies in achieving a high level of compliance with smoke-free law: experiences from a district of North India.

Science.gov (United States)

Goel, Sonu; Ravindra, Khaiwal; Singh, Rana J; Sharma, Deepak

2014-07-01

Compliance survey of smoke-free law is an effective means of measuring progress towards a smoke-free society. They also help policy makers to take action where strengthening measures are required. India has a comprehensive tobacco control law known as Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA 2003) which prohibits smoking in public places and requires display of 'No smoking' signages with proper specifications at conspicuous points. However, its implementation and enforcement are still a matter of concern. To ascertain the level of compliance with smoke-free law in public places of a district of North India. A cross sectional study was conducted in the months of November-December 2011 in district SAS Nagar Mohali of North India. The public places including hotels/restaurants/bars/shopping malls, government offices, educational institutions, healthcare facilities and transit stations were surveyed. The study tool was adapted from the guide on 'Assessing compliance with smoke-free law' developed jointly by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. The overall compliance rate towards section 4 of COTPA was 92.3%. No active smoking was observed in 94.2% of the public places. In 90% of the public places 'No Smoking' signage were displayed as per COTPA. Health and educational institutions had maximum compliance with the smoke-free law while transit sites showed the least compliance. Compliance to the smoke-free law was high in the study. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Domestic and environmental factors of chikungunya-affected families in Thiruvananthapuram (Rural district of Kerala, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T S Anish

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The world is experiencing a pandemic of chikungunya which has swept across Indian Ocean and the Indian subcontinent. Kerala the southernmost state of India was affected by the chikungunya epidemic twice, first in 2006 and then in 2007. Kerala has got geography and climate which are highly favorable for the breeding of Aedes albopictus, the suspected vector. Aim: The aim of the study was to highlight the various domestic and environmental factors of the families affected by chikungunya in 2007 in Thiruvananthapuram district (rural of Kerala. Settings and design: This is a cross-sectional survey conducted in Thiruvananthapuram (rural district during November 2007. Materials and Methods : Samples were selected from field area under three Primary Health Centers. These areas represent the three terrains of the district namely the highland, midland, and lowland. The sample size was estimated to be 134 houses from each study area. The field area of health workers was selected as clusters and six subcenters from each primary health center were randomly selected (lot method. Results and Conclusions: The proportion of population affected by chikungunya fever is 39.9% (38.9-40.9%. The investigators observed water holding containers in the peri-domestic area of 95.6% of the houses. According to regression (binary logistic analysis, the area of residence [adjusted odds ratio (OR = 8.01 (6.06-14.60], residing in a non-remote area [adjusted OR=0.25 (0.16-0.38], perceived mosquito menace [adjusted OR=3.07 (2.31-4.64], and containers/tires outside the house [adjusted OR=5.61 (2.74-27.58] were the independent predictors of the occurrence of chikungunya in households.

Assessment of Water Pollution in Tipparthy Revenue Sub-Division, Nalgonda (District, Andhra Pradesh, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Medikondu Kishore

2010-01-01

Full Text Available A systematic study has been carried out to explore the physicochemical characteristics of drinking water sources of Tipparthy revenue sub-division, Nalgonda (District, Andhra Pradesh, India. Totally 49 water samples were collected from the different locations (22 villages of the study area including bore well, open well and hand pump water and analyzed for pH, EC, TDS, turbidity, total hardness, fluoride, chloride, nitrate, nitrite, sulphate, phosphates, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, Iron and dissolved oxygen. On an average, in almost all the samples, one or the other chemical constituent was beyond the permissible limits it was also concluded that water sources in the study area not fit for potability. Sodium absorption ratio (SAR and water quality (WQI studies indicate water available from all sources not fit for irrigation also. The study indicates the need for periodic monitoring of ground water in the study area.

A Study on Land Suitability for Rice Cultivation in Khordha District of Odisha (India) Using Remote Sensing and GIS

Science.gov (United States)

Rath, Sudhansu S.; Panda, Jagabandhu; Annadurai, R.; Nanda, Sachikanta

2018-05-01

With the global population on the rise, it is important to address the increasing demand for food. According to FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations), by 2050, the developing countries must double their food production to meet the growing demand. Proper land utilization can be one of the solutions for this problem. In view of this, the current study focussed on land suitability analysis for Khordha district of Odisha (India) for rice crop. This study estimated that the amount of land suitable for rice cropping was 195,731 ha against the currently cultivated land of 122,183.38 ha. Therefore, there was a possibility of more amount of land that could be available for rice cultivation in Khordha district than the currently cultivated area. In order to perform this exercise, the land use and land cover data from IRS (Indian remote sensing satellite), soil nutrient parameters like pH values and nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous and organic carbon contents were considered. In addition, the climatic parameters such as near surface temperature, rainfall and number of rainy days were taken into account. The unused land identified in Khordha district in this study might be utilized for cultivating rice crop in this region.

A Study on Land Suitability for Rice Cultivation in Khordha District of Odisha (India) Using Remote Sensing and GIS

Science.gov (United States)

Rath, Sudhansu S.; Panda, Jagabandhu; Annadurai, R.; Nanda, Sachikanta

2018-02-01

With the global population on the rise, it is important to address the increasing demand for food. According to FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations), by 2050, the developing countries must double their food production to meet the growing demand. Proper land utilization can be one of the solutions for this problem. In view of this, the current study focussed on land suitability analysis for Khordha district of Odisha (India) for rice crop. This study estimated that the amount of land suitable for rice cropping was 195,731 ha against the currently cultivated land of 122,183.38 ha. Therefore, there was a possibility of more amount of land that could be available for rice cultivation in Khordha district than the currently cultivated area. In order to perform this exercise, the land use and land cover data from IRS (Indian remote sensing satellite), soil nutrient parameters like pH values and nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous and organic carbon contents were considered. In addition, the climatic parameters such as near surface temperature, rainfall and number of rainy days were taken into account. The unused land identified in Khordha district in this study might be utilized for cultivating rice crop in this region.

A study on agricultural drought vulnerability at disaggregated level in a highly irrigated and intensely cropped state of India.

Science.gov (United States)

Murthy, C S; Yadav, Manoj; Mohammed Ahamed, J; Laxman, B; Prawasi, R; Sesha Sai, M V R; Hooda, R S

2015-03-01

Drought is an important global hazard, challenging the sustainable agriculture and food security of nations. Measuring agricultural drought vulnerability is a prerequisite for targeting interventions to improve and sustain the agricultural performance of both irrigated and rain-fed agriculture. In this study, crop-generic agricultural drought vulnerability status is empirically measured through a composite index approach. The study area is Haryana state, India, a prime agriculture state of the country, characterised with low rainfall, high irrigation support and stable cropping pattern. By analysing the multiyear rainfall and crop condition data of kharif crop season (June-October) derived from satellite data and soil water holding capacity and groundwater quality, nine contributing indicators were generated for 120 blocks (sub-district administrative units). Composite indices for exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity components were generated after assigning variance-based weightages to the respective input indicators. Agricultural Drought Vulnerability Index (ADVI) was developed through a linear combination of the three component indices. ADVI-based vulnerability categorisation revealed that 51 blocks are with vulnerable to very highly vulnerable status. These blocks are located in the southern and western parts of the state, where groundwater quality is saline and water holding capacity of soils is less. The ADVI map has effectively captured the spatial pattern of agricultural drought vulnerability in the state. Districts with large number of vulnerable blocks showed considerably larger variability of de-trended crop yields. Correlation analysis reveals that crop condition variability, groundwater quality and soil factors are closely associated with ADVI. The vulnerability index is useful to prioritise the blocks for implementation of long-term drought management plans. There is scope for improving the methodology by adding/fine-tuning the indicators and

Improving malaria treatment and prevention in India by aiding district managers to manage their programmes with local information: a trial assessing the impact of Lot Quality Assurance Sampling on programme outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Valadez, Joseph J; Devkota, Baburam; Pradhan, Madan Mohan; Meherda, Pramod; Sonal, G S; Dhariwal, Akshay; Davis, Rosemary

2014-10-01

This paper reports the first trial of Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) assessing associations between access to LQAS data and subsequent improvements in district programming. This trial concerns India's approach to addressing an increase in malaria-attributable deaths by training community health workers to diagnose, treat and prevent malaria, while using LQAS to monitor sub-district performance and make programme improvements. The Ministry of Health introduced LQAS into four matched high malaria burden districts (Annual Parasite Incidence >5) (N > 5 million). In each sub-district, we sampled four populations in three 6-monthly surveys: households, children LQAS results appeared to support district managers to increase coverage in underperforming areas, especially for vertical strategies in the presence of diligent managers. © 2014 The Authors. Tropical Medicine & International Health published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The quiet revolution in agri-food value chains in Asia: Understanding the fast emergence of cold storages in poor districts in India

OpenAIRE

Minten, Bart; Reardon, Thomas; Singh, K.M.; Sutradhar, Rajib

2012-01-01

In disadvantaged districts of Bihar, one of the poorest states in India and an area where smallholders dominate, we find that there have been dramatic increases and rapid up-scaling of modern cold storages, triggered by market reform, investment subsidies, and better overall public service provision and governance. Almost all potato farmers, small and large, participate in these cold storages. The availability of cold storages has seemingly led to improved efficiency in value chains because o...

Excess under-5 female mortality across India: a spatial analysis using 2011 census data.

Science.gov (United States)

Guilmoto, Christophe Z; Saikia, Nandita; Tamrakar, Vandana; Bora, Jayanta Kumar

2018-06-01

Excess female mortality causes half of the missing women (estimated deficit of women in countries with suspiciously low proportion of females in their population) today. Globally, most of these avoidable deaths of women occur during childhood in China and India. We aimed to estimate excess female under-5 mortality rate (U5MR) for India's 35 states and union territories and 640 districts. Using the summary birth history method (or Brass method), we derived district-level estimates of U5MR by sex from 2011 census data. We used data from 46 countries with no evidence of gender bias for mortality to estimate the effects and intensity of excess female mortality at district level. We used a detailed spatial and statistical analysis to highlight the correlates of excess mortality at district level. Excess female U5MR was 18·5 per 1000 livebirths (95% CI 13·1-22·6) in India 2000-2005, which corresponds to an estimated 239 000 excess deaths (169 000-293 000) per year. More than 90% of districts had excess female mortality, but the four largest states in northern India (Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh) accounted for two-thirds of India's total number. Low economic development, gender inequity, and high fertility were the main predictors of excess female mortality. Spatial analysis confirmed the strong spatial clustering of postnatal discrimination against girls in India. The considerable effect of gender bias on mortality in India highlights the need for more proactive engagement with the issue of postnatal sex discrimination and a focus on the northern districts. Notably, these regions are not the same as those most affected by skewed sex ratio at birth. None. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Identification of burden hotspots and risk factors for cholera in India: An observational study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Mohammad; Sen Gupta, Sanjukta; Arora, Nisha; Khasnobis, Pradeep; Venkatesh, Srinivas; Sur, Dipika; Nair, Gopinath B; Sack, David A; Ganguly, Nirmal K

2017-01-01

Even though cholera has existed for centuries and many parts of the country have sporadic, endemic and epidemic cholera, it is still an under-recognized health problem in India. A Cholera Expert Group in the country was established to gather evidence and to prepare a road map for control of cholera in India. This paper identifies cholera burden hotspots and factors associated with an increased risk of the disease. We acquired district level data on cholera case reports of 2010-2015 from the Integrated Disease Surveillance Program. Socioeconomic characteristics and coverage of water and sanitation was obtained from the 2011 census. Spatial analysis was performed to identify cholera hotspots, and a zero-inflated Poisson regression was employed to identify the factors associated with cholera and predicted case count in the district. 27,615 cholera cases were reported during the 6-year period. Twenty-four of 36 states of India reported cholera during these years, and 13 states were classified as endemic. Of 641 districts, 78 districts in 15 states were identified as "hotspots" based on the reported cases. On the other hand, 111 districts in nine states were identified as "hotspots" from model-based predicted number of cases. The risk for cholera in a district was negatively associated with the coverage of literate persons, households using treated water source and owning mobile telephone, and positively associated with the coverage of poor sanitation and drainage conditions and urbanization level in the district. The study reaffirms that cholera continues to occur throughout a large part of India and identifies the burden hotspots and risk factors. Policymakers may use the findings of the article to develop a roadmap for prevention and control of cholera in India.

Women's Political Empowerment and Investments in Primary Schooling in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Halim, Nafisa; Yount, Kathryn M; Cunningham, Solveig A; Pande, Rohini P

2016-02-01

Using a national district-level dataset of India composed of information on investments in primary schooling (data from the District Information Survey for Education [DISE, 2007/8]) and information on demographic characteristics of elected officials (data from the Election Commission of India [ECI, 2000/04]), we examined the relationship between women's representation in State Legislative Assembly (SLA) seats and district-level investments in primary schooling. We used OLS regressions adjusting for confounders and spatial autocorrelation, and estimated separate models for North and South India. Women's representation in general SLA seats typically was negatively associated with investments in primary-school amenities and teachers; women's representation in SLA seats reserved for under-represented minorities, i.e., scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, typically was positively associated with investments in primary schooling, especially in areas addressing the basic needs of poor children. Women legislators' gender and caste identities may shape their decisions about redistributive educational policies.

Type 1 diabetes in India: Overall insights.

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Ashok Kumar

2015-04-01

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is also on increase like type 2 diabetes, even though not in the same proportion, but still with a trend of 3-5% increase/year. India has three new cases of T1DM/100,000 children of 0-14 years. Three sets of prevalence data shows 17.93 cases/100,000 children in Karnataka, 3.2 cases/100,000 children in Chennai, and 10.2 cases/100,000 children in Karnal (Haryana). T1DM may be autoimmune or idiopathic in nature and is present in 9% cases of insulin deficiency. T1DM is primarily caused by genetic factors, environmental factors, and disorder of the immune regulatory mechanism. A combination of all these three factors causes autoimmune disease, which may ultimately result in the destruction of pancreatic beta cells leading to hyperglycemia, ketoacidosis and potentially death, if not treated with insulin. Prediabetes is the phase before the onset of T1DM, which provides a window of opportunity for early intervention. All available interventions including steroids, immunosuppressants, and cyclosporins can be possibly applied during the prediabetes phase. The treatment goals for T1DM are simple and include maintaining near normal blood glucose levels and avoiding long-term complications, which is a constant juggle between insulin and maintaining an appropriate lifestyle. The Indian Council of Medical Research funded Registry of People with diabetes in India with young age at onset (YDR) was started in the year 2006 with 10 collaborating centres across India. This registry is focusing on to provide an overview of diabetes in the young.

Type 1 diabetes in India: Overall insights

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ashok Kumar Das

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM is also on increase like type 2 diabetes, even though not in the same proportion, but still with a trend of 3-5% increase/year. India has three new cases of T1DM/100,000 children of 0-14 years. Three sets of prevalence data shows 17.93 cases/100,000 children in Karnataka, 3.2 cases/100,000 children in Chennai, and 10.2 cases/100,000 children in Karnal (Haryana.T1DM may be autoimmune or idiopathic in nature and is present in 9% cases of insulin deficiency. T1DM is primarily caused by genetic factors, environmental factors, and disorder of the immune regulatory mechanism. A combination of all these three factors causes autoimmune disease, which may ultimately result in the destruction of pancreatic beta cells leading to hyperglycemia, ketoacidosis and potentially death, if not treated with insulin. Prediabetes is the phase before the onset of T1DM, which provides a window of opportunity for early intervention. All available interventions including steroids, immunosuppressants, and cyclosporins can be possibly applied during the prediabetes phase. The treatment goals for T1DM are simple and include maintaining near normal blood glucose levels and avoiding long-term complications, which is a constant juggle between insulin and maintaining an appropriate lifestyle. The Indian Council of Medical Research funded Registry of People with diabetes in India with young age at onset (YDR was started in the year 2006 with 10 collaborating centres across India. This registry is focusing on to provide an overview of diabetes in the young.

Population-based estimate of urinary stones from Ballabgarh, northern India.

Science.gov (United States)

Lohiya, Ayush; Kant, Shashi; Kapil, Arti; Gupta, Sanjeev Kumar; Misra, Puneet; Rai, Sanjay K

2017-01-01

Stones in the urinary tract are a common condition but there is paucity of data on their population-based estimates in India. We describe our findings of the burden of urinary stones during a cross-sectional study with another primary goal. We conducted the study at Ballabgarh Health and Demographic Surveillance System, Haryana, among residents aged 18 years or above. We used simple random sampling to enrol participants. Self-reported history of urinary stones was elicited through an interview schedule. Results of the descriptive analysis were described as proportions with 95% confidence intervals (CI) or as mean wherever applicable. Bivariate analysis was done using t-test and chi-square test as applicable. The response rate for our study was 86.6%; lifetime prevalence (95% CI) of urinary stones was 7.9% (5.7, 10.8). In a majority of participants, urinary stones were diagnosed at an age of 20-40 years (55.9%), mostly by an ultrasonography examination (94.1%). A high burden of urinary stones is indicated in the working-age population in northern India at the community level. Untreated urinary stones can lead to an acute emergency (colic) or may have long-term adverse consequences, e.g. hydronephrosis, which have implications for the healthcare delivery system.

Performance assessment of junior public health nurse in maternal and child health services in a district of Kerala, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Achampattu Mridulal

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Performance assessment of health services provided to maternal and child population is an important area of concern especially in developing countries including India. Aim: This study was conducted to assess the performance of Junior Public Health Nurses (JPHN on services provided to maternal and child health at sub-centers in Malappuram district of Kerala, India. Methods: Maternal and child health services were assessed based on record analysis and interviewing JPHN in 30 randomly selected sub-centers using a predesigned questionnaire prepared according to Indian Public Health Standards for sub-centers. The work performed by the JPHNs was graded as excellent, very good, good, satisfactory, and poor based on the standard guidelines. Results: Population covered by the 30 JPHNs at their sub-centers ranges from 5050 to 9869. Services were excellent in all the sub-centers for tetanus toxoid immunization and institutional deliveries. Although antenatal care (ANC registration was excellent in 70% of the sub-centers, it was poor for the 1 st trimester ANC registration in 50% of sub-centers. In the case of referral services and postnatal care (PNC, 27% and 33% of the centers were excellent, respectively. 50% of the centers have had poor performance in PNC. Detection of beneficiaries for immunization by JPHNs was excellent in 60% of the sub-centers. Measles and full immunization coverage was poor in 40% of sub-centers. Around 77% JPHNs attended in-service training, and 90% of them could prepare sub-center annual action-plan. Conclusion: There is a variation in performance of JPHNs at a sub-district level which highlights the importance of further studies to elucidate the factors associated with it.

Prevalence of Exposure to Secondhand Smoke among Higher Secondary School Students in Ernakulam District, Kerala, Southern India.

Science.gov (United States)

Rakesh, P S; Lalu, Jishnu Satheesh; Leelamoni, K

2017-01-01

The association between secondhand smoke and health outcomes, such as frequent respiratory infections, ischemic heart disease, lung cancer, asthma, and stroke, has long been established. The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of secondhand smoking exposure among higher secondary school students in Ernakulam district, Kerala, Southern India. A structured questionnaire was administered to all students from four randomly selected higher secondary schools in Ernakulam district. Descriptive statistics was done using frequencies and percentages. Univariate and multivariate analyses were done for factors associated with household exposure to tobacco smoke generating odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A total of 629 students participated in the study. The prevalence of ever smokers was 11.9% and of current smokers was 5.2%. Among the study participants, 23.2% were exposed to secondhand smoking from a family member and 18.8% from friends. Lower educational status of father was associated with the household exposure to secondhand smoke (adjusted OR 4.51 [95% CI 1.66-12.22]). More than half of the study participants (56.3%) reported that they were exposed to cigarette smoke in past 1 week in a public place and 10.2% in closed public places. Nearly one-third of the students reported that they have seen somebody smoking inside school campus in the past 30 days. Exposure to secondhand smoke at home, schools, and public places was higher among the late adolescent higher secondary school students in Ernakulam district. The findings underscore the urgent need for increased efforts to implement the strategies to reduce secondhand smoke exposure among adolescents.

Groundwater fluoride contamination and its possible health implications in Indi taluk of Vijayapura District (Karnataka State), India.

Science.gov (United States)

Ugran, Vidyavati; Desai, Naveen N; Chakraborti, Dipankar; Masali, Kallappa A; Mantur, Prakash; Kulkarni, Shreepad; Deshmukh, Niranjan; Chadchan, Kailash S; Das, Swastika N; Tanksali, Anuradha S; Arwikar, Asha S; Guggarigoudar, Suresh P; Vallabha, Tejaswini; Patil, Shailaja S; Das, Kusal K

2017-10-01

Groundwater fluoride concentration and fluoride-related health problems were studied in twenty-two villages of Indi taluk of Vijayapura district, Karnataka, India. Present study (2015) was also used to compare groundwater fluoride concentration in same 22 villages with previous government report (2000). Groundwater fluoride concentrations of 62 bore wells of 22 villages were analyzed by using an ion-sensitive electrode. A total of 660 adults and 600 children were screened for fluorosis symptoms and signs. Sixty clinically suspected fluorosis patients' urine samples were further analyzed for fluoride. The mean value (1.22 ± 0.75 mg/L) of fluoride concentration of 62 bore wells and 54.83 % bore wells with ≥1.0 mg/L of fluoride concentrations in Indi taluk indicates higher than the permissible limit of drinking water fluoride concentration recommended for India. Clinical symptoms like arthritis, joint pains, gastrointestinal discomfort and lower limb deformities with high urinary fluoride concentrations in some subjects suggest fluorosis. Results also showed an increase in groundwater fluoride concentration of the same 22 villages between previous and present study. Preliminary arthritis symptom of the villagers could be due to drinking fluoride-contaminated water. Increase in fluoride concentration with time to the bore wells definitely indicates future danger.

Assessment of age-dependent radiation dose due to intake of uranium and thorium in drinking water from Sikar District, Rajasthan, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duggal, Vikas; Rani, Asha; Balaram, V.

2016-01-01

The concentrations of 238 U and 232 Th have been determined in drinking water samples collected from the Sikar district of Rajasthan State, India. The samples have been analysed by using high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. 238 U content in water samples ranged from 8.20 to 202.63 μg l -1 and 232 Th content ranged from 0.57 to 1.46 μg l -1 . The measured 238 U content in 25 % of the analysed samples exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) and United States Environmental Protection Agency drinking water guidelines of 30 μg l -1 and 12.5 % of the samples exceeded the 60 μg l -1 Indian maximum acceptable concentration recommended by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, India. The annual effective doses (μSv y -1 ) due to ingestion of 238 U and 232 Th for different age groups were also calculated. The results compared with the recommended value reported by the WHO. (authors)

Self Help Groups (SHGs and Women’s Development: A Case Study of the Varanasi District, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tripti Kumari

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Development is a multi-dimensional process that affects society in multiple ways. It is well documented that women constitute about half of the world’s population but their share in the economy and other development spheres remain neglected. In addition, this large section of population (including Indian women have been suffering from various disadvantages - lack of accessibility to resources, non-recognition of their economic contribution within the family and society. In order to resolve these emerging challenges, Government of India (GOI has implemented various programmes and policies since Independence. Among these programmes, Self Help Groups (SHGs may be considered as a significant initiative of the government as well as the non-governmental organisations (NGOs. These are based on the principle of democratic process of development. The democratic institution provides a platform to the socially and economically deprived sections and encourages them for economic participation. Since the 1970s, SHGs have been working in many states of India and contributing to the development processes. The present paper is an attempt to analyse the contribution of SHGs in women’s development in the district of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. The impact of these groups on women’s development has been analysed by Gender Development Index (GDI, which focused on the male-female differences in terms of longevity of life, knowledge and economic betterment.

Skewed sex ratios and criminal victimization in India.

Science.gov (United States)

South, Scott J; Trent, Katherine; Bose, Sunita

2014-06-01

Although substantial research has explored the causes of India's excessively masculine population sex ratio, few studies have examined the consequences of this surplus of males. We merge individual-level data from the 2004-2005 India Human Development Survey with data from the 2001 India population census to examine the association between the district-level male-to-female sex ratio at ages 15 to 39 and self-reports of victimization by theft, breaking and entering, and assault. Multilevel logistic regression analyses reveal positive and statistically significant albeit substantively modest effects of the district-level sex ratio on all three victimization risks. We also find that higher male-to-female sex ratios are associated with the perception that young unmarried women in the local community are frequently harassed. Household-level indicators of family structure, socioeconomic status, and caste, as well as areal indicators of women's empowerment and collective efficacy, also emerge as significant predictors of self-reported criminal victimization and the perceived harassment of young women. The implications of these findings for India's growing sex ratio imbalance are discussed.

Women’s Political Empowerment and Investments in Primary Schooling in India

Science.gov (United States)

Yount, Kathryn M.; Cunningham, Solveig A.; Pande, Rohini P.

2015-01-01

Using a national district-level dataset of India composed of information on investments in primary schooling (data from the District Information Survey for Education [DISE, 2007/8]) and information on demographic characteristics of elected officials (data from the Election Commission of India [ECI, 2000/04]), we examined the relationship between women’s representation in State Legislative Assembly (SLA) seats and district-level investments in primary schooling. We used OLS regressions adjusting for confounders and spatial autocorrelation, and estimated separate models for North and South India. Women’s representation in general SLA seats typically was negatively associated with investments in primary-school amenities and teachers; women’s representation in SLA seats reserved for under-represented minorities, i.e., scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, typically was positively associated with investments in primary schooling, especially in areas addressing the basic needs of poor children. Women legislators’ gender and caste identities may shape their decisions about redistributive educational policies. PMID:26924878

Prevalence of Dental Fluorosis Among 6–12-Year-Old School Children of Mahabubnagar District, Telangana State, India − A Cross-Sectional Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kola S Reddy

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Telangana state in southern India has many areas which have high–low fluoride levels in drinking water, and Mahabubnagar district is one among them, where people are affected with dental and skeletal fluorosis, with the majority belonging to low socio-economic status. Aims: To assess the prevalence of dental fluorosis in school going children of Mahabubnagar district and also to assess fluoride levels in drinking water from different areas of Mahabubnagar district. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 2000 children in the age group 6–12 years in different areas of Mahabubnagar district. Dental fluorosis status was assessed by using Modified Dean’s Fluorosis Index. Alizarin visual method was used to estimate fluoride levels in water. The data collected were subjected to statistical analysis. Results: Dental fluorosis in primary and permanent dentition was 15 and 70.3%, respectively. In the northern part of Mahabubnagar district, primary dentition was more affected by fluorosis whereas in southern part, the permanent dentition was more affected. The prevalence of dental fluorosis in primary dentition was more in 6–7-year-old children (35.5%, and in permanent dentition, it was more in 9–10-year-old children (70%. The fluoride level in drinking water was more in Kosghi, Kalwakurthy (2.0 ppm. Conclusion: Dental fluorosis was more in 10-year-old and less in 6-year-old children. It was more in eastern and northern zones of Mahabubnagar district and less in local villages of Mahabubnagar.

HIV infection in India: Epidemiology, molecular epidemiology and ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

PRAKASH KUMAR

The first case of HIV infection as well as first case of AIDS was reported in India ... There are very few studies on host genetic factors in India in context with ... In 2006, the surveillance network was expanded to. 1,122 sentinel sites covering almost every district in the ... A series of regional workshops in the country organized.

A population-based survey of visual impairment and its correlates in Mahabubnagar district, Telangana State, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Mactaggart, Islay; Polack, Sarah; Murthy, Gvs; Kuper, Hannah

2018-06-01

To estimate the prevalence and correlates of visual impairment in Mahabubnagar district, Telangana, India. Fifty-one clusters of 80 people (all ages) were sampled with probability proportionate to size. Households within clusters were selected through the compact segment sampling. Visual acuity (VA) was measured with a tumbling "E" chart. An Ophthalmic Assistant or Vision Technician examined people with VAimpairments (hearing, physical) were clinically assessed and self-reported functional difficulties measured using the Washington Group Extended Set. People with visual impairment and age-sex matched controls with normal vision were interviewed about poverty, employment and education. 4,125 people were enumerated and 3,574 screened (86.6%). The prevalence of visual impairment (VAvisual impairment, and cataract the leading cause of blindness. Cataract surgical coverage (proportion of all cataracts that had received surgery) was relatively low (41% of people at VAvisual impairment, 15% had a moderate/severe physical impairment or epilepsy and 25% had a moderate/severe hearing impairment. Self-reported difficulties in vision were relatively closely related to visual acuity. People with visual impairment were more likely to be in the poorest quartile (OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.0-3.4) or unemployed (5.0, 2.2-10.0), compared to controls. Visual impairment was common in Mahabubnagar district, was mostly avoidable, and was correlated with poverty markers.

Characterization of coriander (Coriandrum sativum L

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Windows

2013-03-13

Mar 13, 2013 ... varieties using SDS-PAGE and RAPD markers. R. K. Singh1,2*, S. S. Verma1, R. S. Meena3 and Rajesh Kumar4. 1Department of Seed Science and Technology, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, India. 2Scientist (SS), Central Potato Research Station, Sahaynagar, Patna-801506, Bihar, India.

A note on the high elevation distribution record of Red Panda Ailurus fulgens (Mammalia: Carnivora: Ailuridae in Tawang District, Arunachal Pradesh, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Dorjee

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The present record provides one of the highest documented presence information of red pandas in India, in remote parts of western Arunachal Pradesh. The record came in the form of carcass of a Red Panda which was accidentally caught in an animal snare in remote sub-alpine mountain slopes at 4325m above sea level inside a Community Conserved Area in Tawang District, discovered during a monitoring trip by the villagers. The record also showcases the rich biodiversity of the area and the local community’s efforts to safeguard it.

India's JSY cash transfer program for maternal health: Who participates and who doesn't - a report from Ujjain district

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sidney Kristi

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background India launched a national conditional cash transfer program, Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY, aimed at reducing maternal mortality by promoting institutional delivery in 2005. It provides a cash incentive to women who give birth in public health facilities. This paper studies the extent of program uptake, reasons for participation/non participation, factors associated with non uptake of the program, and the role played by a program volunteer, accredited social health activist (ASHA, among mothers in Ujjain district in Madhya Pradesh, India. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to May 2011 among women giving birth in 30 villages in Ujjain district. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 418 women who delivered in 2009. Socio-demographic and pregnancy related characteristics, role of the ASHA during delivery, receipt of the incentive, and reasons for place of delivery were collected. Multinomial regression analysis was used to identify predictors for the outcome variables; program delivery, private facility delivery, or a home delivery. Results The majority of deliveries (318/418; 76% took place within the JSY program; 81% of all mothers below poverty line delivered in the program. Ninety percent of the women had prior knowledge of the program. Most program mothers reported receiving the cash incentive within two weeks of delivery. The ASHA's influence on the mother's decision on where to deliver appeared limited. Women who were uneducated, multiparious or lacked prior knowledge of the JSY program were significantly more likely to deliver at home. Conclusion In this study, a large proportion of women delivered under the program. Most mothers reporting timely receipt of the cash transfer. Nevertheless, there is still a subset of mothers delivering at home, who do not or cannot access emergency obstetric care under the program and remain at risk of maternal death.

"India Population Projects" in Karnataka.

Science.gov (United States)

Reddy, P H; Badari, V S

1991-12-01

An overview, objectives, implementation, and research and evaluation studies of 2 India Population Projects in Karnataka are presented. The India Population Project I (IPP-I) was conducted in Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. India Population Project III (IPP-III) took place between 1984-92 in 6 districts of Karnataka: Belgaum, Bijapur, Dharwad, Bidar, Gulbarga, and Raichur, and 4 districts in Kerala. The 6 districts in Karnataka accounted for 36% (13.2 million) of the total national population. The project cost was Rs. 713.1 million which was shared by the World Bank, and the Indian national and regional government. Due to poor past performance, these projects were undertaken to improve health and family welfare status. Specific project objectives are outlined. IPP-I included an urban component, and optimal Government of India program, and an intensive rural initiative. The urban program aimed to improved pre- and postnatal services and facilities, and the family planning (FP) in Bangalore city. The rural program was primarily to provide auxiliary nurse-midwives and hospitals and clinics, and also supplemental feeding program for pregnant and nursing mothers and children up to 2 years. The government program provided FP staff and facilities. IPP-I had 3 units to oversee building construction, to recruit staff and provide supplies and equipment, and to establish a Population Center. IPP-III was concerned with service delivery; information, education, and communication efforts (IEC) and population education; research and evaluation; and project management. Both projects contributed significantly to improving the infrastructure. A brief account of the types and kinds of studies undertaken is given. Studies were grouped into longitudinal studies of fertility, mortality, and FP; management information and evaluation systems for health and family welfare programs; experimental strategies; and other studies. Research and evaluation studies in IPP-III encompassed studies in

Prevalence of exposure to secondhand smoke among higher secondary school students in Ernakulam District, Kerala, Southern India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P S Rakesh

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The association between secondhand smoke and health outcomes, such as frequent respiratory infections, ischemic heart disease, lung cancer, asthma, and stroke, has long been established. The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of secondhand smoking exposure among higher secondary school students in Ernakulam district, Kerala, Southern India. Materials and Methods: A structured questionnaire was administered to all students from four randomly selected higher secondary schools in Ernakulam district. Descriptive statistics was done using frequencies and percentages. Univariate and multivariate analyses were done for factors associated with household exposure to tobacco smoke generating odds ratios (ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs. Results: A total of 629 students participated in the study. The prevalence of ever smokers was 11.9% and of current smokers was 5.2%. Among the study participants, 23.2% were exposed to secondhand smoking from a family member and 18.8% from friends. Lower educational status of father was associated with the household exposure to secondhand smoke (adjusted OR 4.51 [95% CI 1.66–12.22]. More than half of the study participants (56.3% reported that they were exposed to cigarette smoke in past 1 week in a public place and 10.2% in closed public places. Nearly one-third of the students reported that they have seen somebody smoking inside school campus in the past 30 days. Conclusion: Exposure to secondhand smoke at home, schools, and public places was higher among the late adolescent higher secondary school students in Ernakulam district. The findings underscore the urgent need for increased efforts to implement the strategies to reduce secondhand smoke exposure among adolescents.

One-neutron stripping reactions of 11Be and 19C on light target

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Department of Physics, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra 136 119, India. ∗. Department of Applied Sciences, Haryana College of Technology and Management, ... Mn; 25.60.Dz. 1. ... cleon density distribution via uncertainty principle [2].

Geospatial analysis of forest fragmentation in Uttara Kannada District, India

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Ramachandra T V; Bharath Setturu; Subash Chandran

2016-01-01

Background: Landscapes consist of heterogeneous interacting dynamic elements with complex ecological,economic and cultural attributes. These complex interactions help in the sustenance of natural resources through bio-geochemical and hydrological cycling. The ecosystem functions are altered with changes in the landscape structure. Fragmentation of large contiguous forests to small and isolated forest patches either by natural phenomena or anthropogenic activities leads to drastic changes in forest patch sizes, shape, connectivity and internal heterogeneity, which restrict the movement leading to inbreeding among Meta populations with extirpation of species.Methods: Landscape dynamics are assessed through land use analysis by way of remote sensing data acquired at different time periods. Forest fragmentation is assessed at the pixel level through computation of two indicators,i.e., Pf(the ratio of pixels that are forested to the total non-water pixels in the window) and Pff(the proportion of all adjacent(cardinal directions only) pixel pairs that include at least one forest pixel, for which both pixels are forested).Results: Uttara Kannada District has the distinction of having the highest forest cover in Karnataka State, India. This region has been experiencing changes in its forest cover and consequent alterations in functional abilities of its ecosystem. Temporal land use analyses show the trend of deforestation, evident from the reduction of evergreen-semi evergreen forest cover from 57.31 %(1979) to 32.08 %(2013) Forest fragmentation at the landscape level shows a decline of interior forests 64.42 %(1979) to 25.62 %(2013) and transition of non-forest categories such as crop land, plantations and built-up areas, amounting now to 47.29 %. PCA prioritized geophysical and socio variables responsible for changes in the landscape structure at local levels.Conclusion: Terrestrial forest ecosystems in Uttara Kannada District of Central Western Ghats have been

Study on natural radioactive elements in soil and rock samples around Mandya district, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shivakumara, B.C.; Paramesh, L.; Shashikumar, T.S.; Chandrashekara, M.S.

2012-01-01

The soil is a complex mixture of different compounds and rocks. In the natural environment, it is an important source of exposure to radiation due to naturally occurring, gamma emitting radionuclides which include 226 Ra, 232 Th and 40 K present in the soil. The study of distribution of these radionuclides in soil and rock is of great importance for radiation protection and measurements. The activity concentrations of 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 40 K in soil and rock samples collected in Mandya District, Karnataka state, India have been measured by gamma ray spectrometry. The average activity concentrations of 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 40 K (Bq/kg) are found to be 40.2, 62.3, and 317.5 Bq/kg, respectively, in soil samples and 30.5, 34.4, and 700.2 Bq/kg, respectively, in rock samples. The concentrations of radionuclides in soil samples are found to higher than in rock samples. The concentrations of radionuclides in soil and rock samples in the study area are slightly higher than Indian average and world average values. (author)

Fertility Differentials among Religious Minorities : Cross-national and Regional Evidence from India and Bangladesh

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sahu, Biswamitra; van Wissen, L. J. G.; Hutter, Inge; Bosch, Alinda

2012-01-01

The article examines the independent effect of religious minority status on fertility at two levels i.e. cross-country level of India and Bangladesh and intra-country level (district) of India. Demographic and health survey data from India (20052006) and Bangladesh (20062007) are used for the

Evaluation of some selected herbs on arsenic-affected cattle in Nadia District, West Bengal, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Hazarika, Jantu M; Sarkar, Prasanta K; Chattopadhyay, Abichal; Mandal, Tapan K; Sarkar, Samar

2015-04-01

Arsenic poisoning due to contaminated subsoil water is one of the most alarming environment hazards in West Bengal, India. Cattle are also affected by arsenic due to ingestion of arsenic contaminated water, paddy straw, crops and vegetables. Thirty milch cattle having arsenic content in the range of 3.5 to 4.5 mg/kg in hair were chosen for this experiment from cattle of five respective villages in Nadia District, West Bengal, India. The cattle were divided into three groups containing 10 animals each. Group I cattle were treated with turmeric powder (Curcuma longa) 20 g/day orally for 60 days. Group II cattle were treated with turmeric powder (10 g/day) and Amaranthus spinosus powder (10 g/day) orally for 60 days. Group III cattle were treated with turmeric powder (10 g/day) and Eclipta alba powder (10 g/day) orally for 60 days. Ten apparently healthy milch cows with no history of exposure to arsenic were selected and kept as control group (group IV). Arsenic content in hair, faeces, urine and milk; different biochemical and haematological parameters and DNA fragmentation percentage assay were carried out before commencement of the treatment, after 30 days and after 60 days of treatment. The test drugs were found significantly (p < 0.05) effective to eliminate arsenic from the body and lead to significant improvement in different biochemistry, pathology and DNA fragmentation assay. These drugs also give protection from possible damage caused by arsenic exposure.

An assessment of the radiological scenario around uranium mines in Singhbhum East district, Jharkhand, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Tripathi, R M; Sahoo, S K; Mohapatra, S; Patra, A C; Lenka, P; Dubey, J S; Jha, V N; Puranik, V D

2012-07-01

The present work deals with the prevalent radiological scenario around uranium-mining sites in the Singhbhum East district of Jharkhand state, India. The concentration of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs) was estimated from 27 soil samples collected around three regions in the study area, namely Bagjata, Turamdih and Jaduguda. The mean activity concentrations of (238)U in Bagjata, Turamdih and Jaduguda regions were found to be 128.6, 95.7 and 49.2 Bq kg(-1), respectively. Similarly for (232)Th and (40)K the activity concentrations were found to be 57.3, 78.4, 68.9 and 530, 425 and 615 Bq kg(-1) in the Bagjata, Turamdih and Jaduguda regions, respectively, which are comparable with other reported values worldwide, except for some high values. The calculated gamma dose rate, obtained from the concentrations of (238)U, (232)Th and (40)K in the samples, was compared with the observed dose rate in air. A good correlation (0.96) was observed between the calculated and the observed gamma dose rate. The annual outdoor effective dose rate was estimated and the values falls between 0.04-0.3, 0.07-0.3 and 0.07-.14 mSv y(-1) with mean values of 0.14, 0.12 and 0.11 mSv y(-1) for the Bagjata, Turamdih and Jaduguda regions, respectively. The terrestrial dose rates in all the three regions are comparable with other reported values worldwide, except for a few high values in Greece, Rio Grande Do Norte (Brazil) and Kalpakkam (India).

Foraging behavior of selected insectivorous birds in Cauvery Delta region of Nagapattinam District, Tamil Nadu, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Asokan

2010-02-01

Full Text Available This paper reports the foraging behavior of five insectivorous birds, namely White-breasted Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis, Small Bee-eater Merops orientalis, Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis, Common Myna Acridotheres tristis and Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus in Nagapattinam District of Tamil Nadu, India. The birds used a variety of perch types for hunting insect prey; in general the electric power line was a common perch type used by all species except the Common Myna. The perching and foraging height used by birds were classified into 3 meter categories, up to 12m. Aerial feeding or hawking in Bee-eaters and ground feeding in Common Mynas were major feeding techniques, recorded 68% and 86% of the time respectively. The other three species used gleaning as a feeding technique. The highest niche overlap was recorded between Indian Rollers and Black Drongos and between White-breasted Kingfishers and Indian Rollers.

Dissociated reality vis-a-vis integrative planning of AYUSH in Maternal Health Program: A situational analysis in Jaleswar block of Balasore district of Odisha, India

OpenAIRE

Dehury, Ranjit Kumar; Chatterjee, Suhita Chopra

2016-01-01

Mainstreaming of AYUSH and revitalization of local health traditions is one of the innovative components of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in the state of Odisha, India. In this study, an attempt was made to assess the potential of collocating AYUSH to improve maternal health services in tribal dominated Jaleswar block of the Balasore district. In addition, the study aimed at unearthing the underlying challenges and constraints in mainstreaming AYUSH and linking it with the Maternal...

A case study, districts Dhar and Jhabua, Madhya

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

streaming sustainable natural resources management, and building upon the existing adaptive capacities of communities and ... development through action plans for combating desertification. In India, under ... country, among which Jhabua and Dhar districts of Madhya ... fuel wood production in the watershed perspective.

Preventing the preventable through effective surveillance: the case of diphtheria in a rural district of Maharashtra, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Phalkey, Revati K; Bhosale, Rajesh V; Joshi, Abhijeet P; Wakchoure, Sushil S; Tambe, Muralidhar P; Awate, Pradip; Marx, Michael

2013-04-08

Epidemic diphtheria is still poorly understood and continues to challenge both developing and developed countries. In the backdrop of poor immunization coverage, non-existent adult boosters, weak case based surveillance and persistence of multiple foci, there is a heightened risk of re-emergence of the disease in epidemic forms in India. Investigating each outbreak to understand the epidemiology of the disease and its current status in the country is therefore necessary. Dhule a predominantly tribal and rural district in Northern Maharashtra has consistently recorded low vaccination coverages alongside sporaidic cases of diphtheria over the last years. This study reports the findings of an onsite survey conducted to assess a recent outbreak of diphtheria in Dhule district and the response mounted to it. Secondary data regarding outbreak detection and response were obtained from the district surveillance office. Clinical data were extracted from hospital records of eleven lab confirmed cases including one death case. Frequency distributions were calculated for each identified clinical and non- clinical variable using Microsoft™ Excel® 2010. Our findings suggest a shift in the median age of disease to adolescents (10-15 years) without gender differences. Two cases (18%) reported disease despite immunization. Clinical symptoms included cough (82%), fever (73%), and throat congestion (64%). About 64% and 36% of the 11 confirmed cases presented with a well defined pseudomembrane and a tonsillar patch respectively. Drug resistance was observed in all three culture positive cases. One death occurred despite the administration of Anti-Diphtheric Serum in a partially immunized case (CFR 9%). Genotyping and toxigenicity of strain was not possible due to specimen contamination during transport as testing facilities were unavailable in the district. The outbreak raises several concerns regarding the epidemiology of diphtheria in Dhule. The reason for shift in the median

Baseline studies of radon/thoron concentration levels in and around the Lambapur and Peddagattu areas in Nalgonda district, Andhra Pradesh, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vinay Kumar Reddy, K.; Sreenivasa Reddy, B.; Sreenath Reddy, M.; Gopal Reddy, Ch.; Yadagiri Reddy, P.; Rama Reddy, K.

2003-01-01

Studies conducted by Atomic Minerals Directorate of Exploration and Research (AMD) of Hyderabad, India had established the presence of higher concentrations of uranium in Lambapur and Peddagattu areas of Nalgonda district, AP, India and it was estimated that it could be a viable source for commercial extraction. The envisaged extraction process involves dispersion of radioactive particulate matter into atmosphere. Environmental radioactive studies in and around proposed mining areas at this point of time will be extremely useful for establishing base line data before a large scale uranium extraction process comes into existence. To this end, Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors were installed to evaluate indoor radon and thoron concentration levels in the dwellings of the area. The geometric means of radon and thoron concentration levels were found to be (7.1±0.2)x10 1 and (6.7±0.3)x10 1 Bq/m 3 , respectively. Simultaneously, natural background radiation measurements were also made and these levels are found to vary from 770 to 3995 μGy/y in the spatial distribution

Public sector scale-up of zinc and ORS improves coverage in selected districts in Bihar, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Christa L Fischer; Taneja, Sunita; Lamberti, Laura M; Black, Robert E; Mazumder, Sarmila

2015-12-01

In Bihar, India, a new initiative to enhance diarrhea treatment with zinc and ORS in the public sector was rolled out in selected districts. We conducted an external evaluation to measure changes in diarrhea careseeking and treatment in intervention districts. We conducted baseline and endline household surveys among caregivers of children 2-59 months of age. We calculated summary statistics for household characteristics, knowledge, careseeking and treatments given to children with a diarrhea episode in the last 14 days and built logistic regression models to compare baseline and endline values. Caregivers named a public health center as an appropriate source of care for childhood diarrhea more often at endline (71.3%) compared to baseline (38.4%) but did not report increased careseeking to public sector providers for the current diarrhea episode. In logistic regression analyses, the odds of receiving zinc, with or without oral rehydration salts (ORS), increased at endline by more than 2.7 as compared to baseline. Children who were taken to the public sector for care were more likely to receive zinc (odds ratio, OR = 3.93) and zinc in addition to ORS (OR = 6.10) compared to children who were not taken to the public sector. Coverage of zinc and ORS can improve with public sector programs targeted at training and increasing product availability, but demand creation may be needed to increase public sector careseeking in areas where the private sector has historically provided much of the care.

School dropout susceptibility mapping with fuzzy logic – a study in the District of Purulia, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mukunda Mishra

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Multi-input prediction models are gradually finding their places in the arena of social and economic sciences to assess, locate and address the complicated socio-economic issues arising around the globe. These models treat the problems as the output aroused from a complex interaction between a range of variables linked with physical, socio-cultural, economic as well as ambient political systems. The discussion on dropout from the education system belongs to the core of the educational researchers. The researchers within this domain are attempting to develop the ‘tools and techniques’ for efficiently demarcating the space with a given degree of susceptibility. The scope is to drop out and examine the internal functions of the interactive variables associated with the process. In the present study, we try to apply the fuzzy logic in mapping the spatial variation of the susceptibility of school dropout in the district of Purulia, a backwards district in India regarding achieved level of human development. The training datasets for building the fuzzy model based on the available secondary data from different reports published by the Government and a range of primary data collected through a socio-economic survey. The model output is an index, namely the Index of Susceptibility of School Drop Out (ISDO which reflects the levels of susceptibility to school dropout at different parts of the study area. The proposed model should allow the success within the larger social and economic system.

Menstrual pattern and prevalence of dysmenorrhea among school going adolescent girls in a rural block of Haryana: A cross sectional study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Garima Sangwan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background The World Health Organization (WHO has defined adolescence as the age group of 10-19 years. Adolescents in India comprise 19.3% of the total Indian population. Adolescence is a transition phase through which a child becomes an adult. It is characterized by rapid growth and development; physiologically, psychologically and socially. This period is marked by the onset of menarche. Menstruation is a natural, normal biological process experienced by all adolescent girls and women in reproductive age. Objectives To study the menstrual pattern and prevalence of dysmenorrhea among school going adolescent girls in a rural block of Haryana. Methods There were 18 government high and senior secondary schools in block Lakhanmajra. Out of these 5 were exclusively girls’ schools, 10 were co-ed schools and 3 were exclusively boys’ schools. All the 5 schools meant exclusively for girls were included in the study. All girls studying in 6th to 12th classes from these schools, after applying the exclusion criteria were included in the study. Results The mean age at menarche was 12.83±1.326 years. The inter-menstrual interval was 21 to 35 days in majority (80.1% of the adolescent girls and the duration of menstruation was more than 7 days in 9.4% of the girls. Majority of the girls (52.1% reported the duration of menstruation to be 2-3 days.

Groundwater quality from a part of Prakasam District, Andhra Pradesh, India

Science.gov (United States)

Subba Rao, N.

2018-03-01

Quality of groundwater is assessed from a part of Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh, India. Groundwater samples collected from thirty locations from the study area were analysed for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), bicarbonate ( {HCO}3^{ - } ), chloride (Cl-), sulphate ( {SO}4^{2 - } ), nitrate ( {NO}3^{ - } ) and fluoride (F-). The results of the chemical analysis indicate that the groundwater is alkaline in nature and are mainly characterized by Na+- {HCO}3^{ - } and Na+-Cl- facies. Groundwater chemistry reflects the dominance of rock weathering and is subsequently modified by human activities, which are supported by genetic geochemical evolution and hydrogeochemical relations. Further, the chemical parameters (pH, TDS, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, {HCO}3^{ - } , Cl-, {SO}4^{2 - } , {NO}3^{ - } and F-) were compared with the drinking water quality standards. The sodium adsorption ratio, percent sodium, permeability index, residual sodium carbonate, magnesium ratio and Kelly's ratio were computed and USSL, Wilcox and Doneen's diagrams were also used for evaluation of groundwater quality for irrigation. For industrial purpose, the pH, TDS, {HCO}3^{ - } , Cl- and {SO}4^{2 - } were used to assess the impact of incrustation and corrosion activities on metal surfaces. As a whole, it is observed that the groundwater quality is not suitable for drinking, irrigation and industrial purposes due to one or more chemical parameters exceeding their standard limits. Therefore, groundwater management measures were suggested to improve the water quality.

Fertility differentials among religious minorities: cross-national and regional evidence from India and Bangladesh

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sahu, B.; van Wissen, L.J.G.; Hutter, I.; Bosch, A.

2012-01-01

The article examines the independent effect of religious minority status on fertility at two levels i.e. cross-country level of India and Bangladesh and intra-country level (district) of India. Demographic and health survey data from India (2005–2006) and Bangladesh (2006–2007) are used for the

Prevalence of hypothyroidism in pregnancy: An epidemiological study from 11 cities in 9 states of India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dinesh Kumar Dhanwal

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background: A previous hospital based study from Delhi revealed a high prevalence of hypothyroidism in pregnant women. Several other studies with small sample size also indicate a rising trend of prevalence of hypothyroidism during pregnancy in India. Objective: To assess prevalence of hypothyroidism in pregnant women from various states/cities across India. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional multicenter study conducted at Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh, Bengaluru (Karnataka, Chennai (Tamil Nadu, Kolkata (West Bengal, Hyderabad (Telangana, Nasik (Maharashtra, Rohtak (Haryana, Pune (Maharashtra, New Delhi (Delhi, Srinagar (Kashmir, and Vizag (Andhra Pradesh enrolling 2599 pregnant women. Estimation of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH, free T4, and antithyroid peroxidase (TPO antibodies was carried out using Roche modular kit using ECLIA technology in a central laboratory. Results: We found in our study population that 13.13% of pregnant women have hypothyroidism (n = 388, using a cutoff TSH level of 4.5 μIU/ml. This prevalence was much higher using the American Thyroid Association criteria. Anti-TPO antibodies were positive in 20.74% of all pregnant women (n = 613, whereas 40% (n = 155 of hypothyroid pregnant women were positive for anti-TPO antibodies. Conclusion: This study concludes that there is a high prevalence of hypothyroidism (13.13%, majority being subclinical in pregnant women during the first trimester from India and universal screening of hypothyroidism may be desirable in our country.

M5 model tree based predictive modeling of road accidents on non-urban sections of highways in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Gyanendra; Sachdeva, S N; Pal, Mahesh

2016-11-01

This work examines the application of M5 model tree and conventionally used fixed/random effect negative binomial (FENB/RENB) regression models for accident prediction on non-urban sections of highway in Haryana (India). Road accident data for a period of 2-6 years on different sections of 8 National and State Highways in Haryana was collected from police records. Data related to road geometry, traffic and road environment related variables was collected through field studies. Total two hundred and twenty two data points were gathered by dividing highways into sections with certain uniform geometric characteristics. For prediction of accident frequencies using fifteen input parameters, two modeling approaches: FENB/RENB regression and M5 model tree were used. Results suggest that both models perform comparably well in terms of correlation coefficient and root mean square error values. M5 model tree provides simple linear equations that are easy to interpret and provide better insight, indicating that this approach can effectively be used as an alternative to RENB approach if the sole purpose is to predict motor vehicle crashes. Sensitivity analysis using M5 model tree also suggests that its results reflect the physical conditions. Both models clearly indicate that to improve safety on Indian highways minor accesses to the highways need to be properly designed and controlled, the service roads to be made functional and dispersion of speeds is to be brought down. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Environmental justice implications of industrial hazardous waste generation in India: a national scale analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Basu, Pratyusha; Chakraborty, Jayajit

2016-12-01

While rising air and water pollution have become issues of widespread public concern in India, the relationship between spatial distribution of environmental pollution and social disadvantage has received less attention. This lack of attention becomes particularly relevant in the context of industrial pollution, as India continues to pursue industrial development policies without sufficient regard to its adverse social impacts. This letter examines industrial pollution in India from an environmental justice (EJ) perspective by presenting a national scale study of social inequities in the distribution of industrial hazardous waste generation. Our analysis connects district-level data from the 2009 National Inventory of Hazardous Waste Generating Industries with variables representing urbanization, social disadvantage, and socioeconomic status from the 2011 Census of India. Our results indicate that more urbanized and densely populated districts with a higher proportion of socially and economically disadvantaged residents are significantly more likely to generate hazardous waste. The quantity of hazardous waste generated is significantly higher in more urbanized but sparsely populated districts with a higher proportion of economically disadvantaged households, after accounting for other relevant explanatory factors such as literacy and social disadvantage. These findings underscore the growing need to incorporate EJ considerations in future industrial development and waste management in India.

PREVENTION OF DISABILITY IN MULTI DRUG TREATED LEPROSY AFFECTED PERSONS THROUGH HOMOEOPATHY IN TWO DISTRICTS OF CHHATTISGARH, INDIA – A PILOT STUDY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Chakraborty

2015-12-01

Full Text Available A project was undertaken and total 2785 leprosy patients of two districts namely Janjgir-Champa and Raigarh of a state of Chhattisgarh in India, who completed MDT but suffering from loss of sensation in their hand and feet and/or chronic ulcer were registered. Homeopathic medicines were applied and the effects were analyzed by different parameters and documented. Complete regain of sensation was recorded in 63.2% patients and 28.73% showed partial regain whereas no regain of sensation recorded in patients 8.04% and healing of ulcer was recorded in 69% of patients. Key words:

A Global Approach to School Education and Local Reality: A Case Study of Community Participation in Haryana, India

Science.gov (United States)

Narwana, Kamlesh

2015-01-01

In post-Jomtien phase, community participation in school education management has appeared as one of the most prominent features in all educational development programmes at global level. In line with this trend, India has also placed a significant focus on local communities in school management through various programmes such as LokJumbish,…

Competitive exercise-induced urinary incontinence in adolescent ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2017-07-31

Jul 31, 2017 ... adult female athletes, has not been described in adolescent female athletes. ... an active lifestyle. Lack of awareness amongst physicians and ... Medanta – The Medicity, Gurgaon 122001, Haryana, India. Tel: + 91 983 830 ...

Dietary mineral status of lactating buffaloes in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra State in India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P.L. Sherasia

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Kolhapur district is located in the Western part of India and is well known for buffalo rearing. Buffaloes are mainly fed on crop residues and local grasses and need to be supplemented with deficient minerals for proper production and reproduction functions. In view of this, area specific mineral mixture was developed for the district by testing feeds and fodders for macro and micro minerals. The average calcium (Ca content in straws of groundnut, ragi and soybean was high (0.97%, whereas, straws of sorghum and paddy had low (0.23% level. Ca content in green fodder was 0.38 percent. Concentrate ingredients were particularly low (0.22% in Ca. The phosphorus (P content in crop residues and green fodders was 0.14 and 0.19 per cent, respectively, which was low, but higher (0.67% in concentrate ingredients. The magnesium (Mg content in roughages and concentrate ingredients was 0.38 and 0.32 percent, respectively. The sulphur (S content was deficient in concentrate ingredients (0.13% and crop residues (0.12%. Cobalt (Co was deficient in the diet of animals; however, iron and manganese levels in most of the feed ingredients were adequate. The average copper (Cu content was low in dry and green fodders (7.34 ppm, whereas, concentrate ingredients were better source of Cu (15.19 ppm. Molybdenum (Mo content in feeds was within the safe limit (average level<0.31 ppm. Selenium (Se content in most of the feed and fodders was adequate (0.40 ppm. Zinc (Zn was deficient in most of the feedstuffs (average level<35.0 ppm. From the present study, it was apparent that certain minerals such as Ca, P, S, Zn, Cu and Co were deficient in the diet and needed to be supplemented.

Prospects of apicultural entrepreneurship in coastal districts of eastern India: a melissopalynological evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Upadhyay, Debasis; Bhattacharya, Swapan; Ferguson, David K; Bera, Subir

2014-01-01

A melissopalynological analysis of fifty-one natural honey samples (twenty four spring, fifteen summer and twelve winter) collected during 2010-2011 from two east-coastal districts (20(0)20/ to 22(0)11/ N, 82(0)39/ to 87(0)01/ E) of Orissa, India was performed. Out of 37 unifloral samples found 25 were contributed by Apis cerana indica, seven by A. dorsata and the remaining five by A. florea. Out of 14 multifloral samples five were contributed by A. cerana indica, five by A. dorsata and the remaining four by A. florea. Principal component analysis confirmed the palynological classification of the unifloral honey samples. Eighty-two bee-plant taxa belonging to forty four families were recovered. The predominant nectariferous taxa of the spring season were Acanthus ilicifolius, Avicennia marina, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Cocos nucifera, Eucalyptus globulus, Phoenix paludosa, Pongamia pinnata, Prosopis juliflora, Sonneratia apetala and Syzygium cumini. In the summer the predominant nectariferous taxa were Borassus flabellifer, C. nucifera, E. globulus, Syzygium cumini, Terminalia arjuna, Aegiceras corniculatum, P. paludosa and Sonneratia apetala while those of the winter were Brassica nigra, Coriandrum sativum, Zizyphus jujuba, Alstonia scholaris, E. globulus and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza. Very low (entrepreneurship. This should improve the socio-economic status of the people of this region.

Geospatial analysis of forest fragmentation in Uttara Kannada District, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramachandra T V

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Landscapes consist of heterogeneous interacting dynamic elements with complex ecological, economic and cultural attributes. These complex interactions help in the sustenance of natural resources through bio-geochemical and hydrological cycling. The ecosystem functions are altered with changes in the landscape structure. Fragmentation of large contiguous forests to small and isolated forest patches either by natural phenomena or anthropogenic activities leads to drastic changes in forest patch sizes, shape, connectivity and internal heterogeneity, which restrict the movement leading to inbreeding among Meta populations with extirpation of species. Methods: Landscape dynamics are assessed through land use analysis by way of remote sensing data acquired at different time periods. Forest fragmentation is assessed at the pixel level through computation of two indicators, i.e., Pf (the ratio of pixels that are forested to the total non-water pixels in the window and Pff (the proportion of all adjacent (cardinal directions only pixel pairs that include at least one forest pixel, for which both pixels are forested. Results: Uttara Kannada District has the distinction of having the highest forest cover in Karnataka State, India. This region has been experiencing changes in its forest cover and consequent alterations in functional abilities of its ecosystem. Temporal land use analyses show the trend of deforestation, evident from the reduction of evergreen - semi evergreen forest cover from 57.31 % (1979 to 32.08 % (2013 Forest fragmentation at the landscape level shows a decline of interior forests 64.42 % (1979 to 25.62 % (2013 and transition of non-forest categories such as crop land, plantations and built-up areas, amounting now to 47.29 %. PCA prioritized geophysical and socio variables responsible for changes in the landscape structure at local levels. Conclusion: Terrestrial forest ecosystems in Uttara Kannada District of Central

Public sector scale–up of zinc and ORS improves coverage in selected districts in Bihar, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christa L. Fischer Walker

2015-02-01

Full Text Available In Bihar, India, a new initiative to enhance diarrhea treatment with zinc and ORS in the public sector was rolled out in selected districts. We conducted an external evaluation to measure changes in diarrhea careseeking and treatment in intervention districts. We conducted baseline and endline household surveys among caregivers of children 2–59 months of age. We calculated summary statistics for household characteristics, knowledge, careseeking and treatments given to children with a diarrhea episode in the last 14 days and built logistic regression models to compare baseline and endline values. Caregivers named a public health center as an appropriate source of care for childhood diarrhea more often at endline (71.3% compared to baseline (38.4% but did not report increased careseeking to public sector providers for the current diarrhea episode. In logistic regression analyses, the odds of receiving zinc, with or without oral rehydration salts (ORS, increased at endline by more than 2.7 as compared to baseline. Children who were taken to the public sector for care were more likely to receive zinc (odds ratio, OR = 3.93 and zinc in addition to ORS (OR = 6.10 compared to children who were not taken to the public sector. Coverage of zinc and ORS can improve with public sector programs targeted at training and increasing product availability, but demand creation may be needed to increase public sector careseeking in areas where the private sector has historically provided much of the care.

A large-scale investigation of the quality of groundwater in six major districts of Central India during the 2010-2011 sampling campaign.

Science.gov (United States)

Khare, Peeyush

2017-09-01

This paper investigates the groundwater quality in six major districts of Madhya Pradesh in central India, namely, Balaghat, Chhindwara, Dhar, Jhabua, Mandla, and Seoni during the 2010-2011 sampling campaign, and discusses improvements made in the supplied water quality between the years 2011 and 2017. Groundwater is the main source of water for a combined rural population of over 7 million in these districts. Its contamination could have a huge impact on public health. We analyzed the data collected from a large-scale water sampling campaign carried out by the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), Government of Madhya Pradesh between 2010 and 2011 during which all rural tube wells and dug wells were sampled in these six districts. Eight hundred thirty-one dug wells and 47,606 tube wells were sampled in total and were analyzed for turbidity, hardness, iron, nitrate, fluoride, chloride, and sulfate ion concentrations. Our study found water in 21 out of the 228 dug wells in Chhindwara district unfit for drinking due to fluoride contamination while all dug wells in Balaghat had fluoride within the permissible limit. Twenty-six of the 56 dug wells and 4825 of the 9390 tube wells in Dhar district exceeded the permissible limit for nitrate while 100% dug wells in Balaghat, Seoni, and Chhindwara had low levels of nitrate. Twenty-four of the 228 dug wells and 1669 of 6790 tube wells in Chhindwara had high iron concentration. The median pH value in both dug wells and tube wells varied between 6 and 8 in all six districts. Still, a significant number of tube wells exceeded a pH of 8.5 especially in Mandla and Seoni districts. In conclusion, this study shows that parts of inhabited rural Madhya Pradesh were potentially exposed to contaminated subsurface water during 2010-2011. The analysis has been correlated with rural health survey results wherever available to estimate the visible impact. We next highlight that the quality of drinking water has enormously improved

Common plants of medicinal values in kolams of Adilabad district ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

McRoy

the Utnoor division of Adilabad district, Andhra Pradesh, India. Aim: This paper ... prepared from stem, root, and leaves to treat diseases by the tribal people. Key words: .... Bheemrao (Scorpion bite), Atram Bheemu (Snake bite) belonging to ...

OUTBREAK OF HEMORRHAGIC SEPTICEMIA IN FREE RANGE BUFFALO AND CATTLE GRAZING AT RIVERSIDE GRASSLAND IN MURSHIDABAD DISTRICT, WEST BENGAL, INDIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joyjit Mitra

2013-12-01

Full Text Available An outbreak of Haemorrhegic Septicaemia among free ranging buffaloes and cattle reared at the natural grassland at the embankment and surrounding area of Bhagirathi river in 3 blocks of Murshidabad district of West Bengal, India was diagnosed by clinical symptoms, postmortem examination, bacteriological study and biochemical tests. Among 154 affected animals (2.16% of total animals at risk buffalo were 85.71% and cattle were 14.28%. A total of 52 affected animals (33.76% died before starting treatment. Among the dead animals, 86.53% was buffalo and 13.46% was cattle. The ailing animals were successfully treated with antibiotic, analgesic and corticosteroid. The epidemic was finally controlled by vaccination, restriction of animal movement and proper disposal of carcasses.

Iodine nutritional status and goiter prevalence in primary school children aged 6-12 of Panchmahal district, Gujarat, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vihang Mazumdar

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD create major public health problems in India, including Gujarat. Panchmahal district is known for endemic iodine deficiency. The present study was conducted to (1 estimate the prevalence of goiter in primary school children, (2 determine median urinary iodine concentration, (3 assess the level of iodine in salt samples at the household and retail shop level, and (4 profile of salt sold at retail shops in Panchmahal district, Gujarat. Methods: A total of 70 students including five boys and five girls from 1st to 7th standard who were present on the day of the first visit were selected randomly for goiter examination from each village. Urine samples were collected from one boy and one girl from each standard in each cluster. From the community, at least 28 students, including two boys and two girls from each standard in the same age group, were examined, and salt samples were tested from their households. A total of 2100 students were examined in schools and 928 students were examined in the selected villages. From each village, one retail shop was visited, and salts purchased from those shops were immediately tested for iodine with spot kits.Results: Among young primary school children, goiter prevalence was 23.35% (grade 1—18.35%, grade 2—5.0%. As the ages increase, goiter prevalence also increases except for 9-year-olds. The median urinary iodine excretion level was 110 µg/L. An iodine level >15 ppm was found in 78.3% of the salt samples tested at household level. Conclusion: The present study showed considerable goiter prevalence in primary school children in Panchmahal district of Gujarat and an inadequate iodine content of salt at the household level.

Evaluation of Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram scheme and out of pocket expenditure in a rural area of Northern India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandeep Chaudhary

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The stagnant performance of countries with regard to maternal and child health is linked to low investment in health and out of pocket expenditure (OOP. To address issue of OOP expenses related to maternal and newborn care, Janani Shishu SUraksha Karyakram (JSSK was launched in the year 2011 in Mewat district of Haryana with the objective to eliminate OOP expenses of obstetric women and sick infants. Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was undertaken in rural area of Haryana to know the utilization of JSSK scheme and OOP expenditure. A total of 200 delivered mothers were included as study subjects. The study was conducted from July 20113 to September 2014. Results: Out of 200, 134 subjects delivered in government institutions and hence were eligible for benefits of JSSK scheme. Twenty nine percent of deliveries occurred in private facilities and 17% newborns were sick within 30 days of birth. OOP expenditure was done by 83.5% subjects with median amount Rs. 1100. Most common suggestions given by subjects were the availability of ultrasound facility, cooperative staff and crowd management in hospitals. Conclusion: For reducing OOP expenses, up-gradation and constant supervision is required to maintain the adequacy of services. More evaluation studies need to be conducted to know the utilization pattern of JSSK so as to improve the coverage and removing the bottlenecks to further increase the utilization of JSSK scheme.

Trends and variability of meteorological drought over the districts of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

P Guhathakurta

2017-12-02

Dec 2, 2017 ... districts of India using standardized precipitation index. P Guhathakurta* ... Drought is one of the most serious problems for human societies and ... development of conditions leading up to the three main flood events in the ...

Intensified summer monsoon and the urbanization of Indus Civilization in northwest India.

Science.gov (United States)

Dixit, Yama; Hodell, David A; Giesche, Alena; Tandon, Sampat K; Gázquez, Fernando; Saini, Hari S; Skinner, Luke C; Mujtaba, Syed A I; Pawar, Vikas; Singh, Ravindra N; Petrie, Cameron A

2018-03-09

Today the desert margins of northwest India are dry and unable to support large populations, but were densely occupied by the populations of the Indus Civilization during the middle to late Holocene. The hydroclimatic conditions under which Indus urbanization took place, which was marked by a period of expanded settlement into the Thar Desert margins, remains poorly understood. We measured the isotopic values (δ 18 O and δD) of gypsum hydration water in paleolake Karsandi sediments in northern Rajasthan to infer past changes in lake hydrology, which is sensitive to changing amounts of precipitation and evaporation. Our record reveals that relatively wet conditions prevailed at the northern edge of Rajasthan from ~5.1 ± 0.2 ka BP, during the beginning of the agricultural-based Early Harappan phase of the Indus Civilization. Monsoon rainfall intensified further between 5.0 and 4.4 ka BP, during the period when Indus urban centres developed in the western Thar Desert margin and on the plains of Haryana to its north. Drier conditions set in sometime after 4.4 ka BP, and by ~3.9 ka BP an eastward shift of populations had occurred. Our findings provide evidence that climate change was associated with both the expansion and contraction of Indus urbanism along the desert margin in northwest India.

Factors influencing caries status and treatment needs among pregnant women attending a maternity hospital in Udaipur city, India

OpenAIRE

Kumar, Santhosh; Tadakamadla, Jyothi; Tibdewal, Harish; Duraiswamy, Prabu; Kulkarni, Suhas

2013-01-01

To estimate the prevalence and severity of dental caries along with the treatment needs; to determine the factors that influence dental caries status among pregnant women attending a district maternity hospital in Udaipur, India. Study design: Study sample comprised of 206 pregnant women attending a district maternity hospital in Udaipur, India. Clinical data were collected on dental caries by DMFT and treatment needs as described in World Health Organization Dentition statu...

Intra-District Disparities in Primary Education: A Case Study of Bankura District, West Bengal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krishnendu Maji

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The level of education and its response to different educational opportunities vary from one spatial unit to another depending on various factors like social, economic, cultural, and institutional. It is understood that certain regions acquire relative advancements over others in terms of human resource development and human capital formation. The key purpose of this research is to examine the intra-district disparities in primary education in Bankura District one of the districts of West Bengal. It ranks 11thamong the 19 districts of West Bengal (Human Development Report, 2007.  Overall literacy rate of the district stands at 70.26% but the district scores low in terms of female literacy rates, which is 60.05%,whereas the male literacy rate is 80.05%, which is a huge gender literacy gap of 20%. There are also regional inequalities existing at block level. Kotulpur ranks first with a literacy rate of 78.01% while Saltora occupies the bottom position with literacy rate of just 61.45% (Census of India, 2011. The level of educational development is dependent on several factors—enrolment ratio, dropout and repetition rates, pupil-teacher ratio, habitations covered by educational institutions, space-student ratio, drinking water and sanitation facilities in school, etc. In this context, the present study aims at examining the issues of intra-district disparities in educational attainment with regard to various educational amenities of Bankura district, West Bengal. Ten attributes have been selected to examine the level of development in primary education. It is clear from the study that the level of development in eastern part of the district is relatively better in comparison to other regions. Economic backwardness and physical bottlenecks continue to be major issues in western blocks.

Acute Physiological and Chronic Health Evaluation II Score and its ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2015 Journal of Surgical Technique and Case Report | Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow ... Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak,. Haryana, India. ABSTRACT. Introduction: Ileal perforation peritonitis is a common surgical emergency in the Indian subcontinent and in tropical countries.

Pre Surgical Evaluation of Scrotal Cystocele by Conventional ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Conventional Radiography (Cystogram). Mohinder Kumar Malhotra, Yamini Kapoor. Department of Surgery, SGT Medical College, Hospital and Research Institute, Village-Budhera, Gurgaon, Haryana, India. ABSTRACT. Urinary bladder is a known content of sliding inguinal hernias but rarely presents as irreducible direct ...

Reflection of plane waves from free surface of a microstretch elastic ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

R. Narasimhan (Krishtel eMaging) 1461 1996 Oct 15 13:05:22

Department of Mathematics, Jat College, Rohtak 124 001, Haryana, India. e-mail: baljeet−gill@hotmail.com. In the present investigation, it is shown that there exists five basic waves in a ..... in layered media, (New York: McGraw-Hill). Gauthier ...

Consumption Habits and Innovation Potential of Mung Bean Foods in Hisar District of Haryana State, India

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dahiya, P.K.; Linnemann, A.R.; Nout, M.J.R.; Boekel, van M.A.J.S.; Khetarpaul, N.K.; Grewal, R.B.

2014-01-01

Consumption habits for mung bean foods were assessed by the free word association method and interview techniques. Four groups of closely related products and perceived quality were revealed. The largest group comprised sweets and snacks, which were associated with unhealthiness, expensiveness and

Prevalence of Diabetic Retinopathy and its Associated Factors in a Rural Area of Villupuram District of Tamil Nadu, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Nadarajan, Balasubramanian; Saya, Ganesh Kumar; Krishna, Ramesh Babu; Lakshminarayanan, Subitha

2017-07-01

There is limited information on prevalence of Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) among diabetic subjects and its associated factors in a rural setting in developing countries including India. The information will be useful for initiating early screening strategies for this group in the community. To assess the prevalence and certain associated factors of DR among diabetic subjects in a rural area of Tamil Nadu, India. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 105 Type 2 diabetic subjects in Pakkam and Mandagapattu sub-center area of Kondur Primary Health Center in Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu, India. Data on associated factors which include sociodemographic factors, duration of disease, family history, and frequency of blood test, treatment regularity, hypertension, visual acuity and cataract were collected. Detailed eye examination including visual acuity, direct ophthalmoscope and Non Mydriatic Fundus Camera was done. Data was analysed by univariate analysis and described in proportion or percentages. The mean age of the study population was 56.69 years. About 47 (44.8%) of the subjects were more than 60 years of age followed by 44 subjects (41.9%) in age group 45-59 years. Fundus examination in at least one eye was seen in 83 people (79.0%). Prevalence of DR in any eye and both the eye was 32.53% (27/83) and 31.58% (24/76) respectively. Severity of DR was moderate (51.9%) followed by mild (44.4%) and severe (3.7%). DR prevalence was more among >60 years age group (p=0.032) and lesser education level (p=0.057). There was no association of DR with duration of disease, family history of diabetes, treatment regularity, presence of hypertension, visual acuity and cataract (p>0.05). The prevalence of DR was inferred to be high and further larger follow up studies will explore the role of associated factors and its quantification in the causation of DR.

Factors influencing caries status and treatment needs among pregnant women attending a maternity hospital in Udaipur city, India

OpenAIRE

Kumar, Santhosh; Tadakamadla, Jyothi; Tibdewal, Harish; Duraiswamy, Prabu; Kulkarni, Suhas

2013-01-01

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence and severity of dental caries along with the treatment needs; to determine the factors that influence dental caries status among pregnant women attending a district maternity hospital in Udaipur, India. Study design: Study sample comprised of 206 pregnant women attending a district maternity hospital in Udaipur, India. Clinical data were collected on dental caries by DMFT and treatment needs as described in World Health Organization Dentition status and ...

Unmet Needs of Family Planning Among Women: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Rural Area of Kanchipuram District, Tamil Nadu, South India.

Science.gov (United States)

Vishnu Prasad, R; Venkatachalam, J; Singh, Zile

2016-10-01

Global contraceptive usage was 63.3 % in 2010 which was 9 % more than that in 1990. NFHS-III 2005-2006 revealed that the contraceptive prevalence rate was 56 % while in the past decade it was 48 %. In India, female sterilization is the most commonly preferred method of contraception accounting for 76 %, while in Tamil Nadu it was 90 %. Thus, this study aims at measuring the prevalence of unmet needs of family planning and its determinants in a rural area of Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu. The study was carried out as a community-based cross-sectional study in Chunambed panchayat, a rural area in Kanchipuram District, Tamil Nadu, India, among 505 women of age group 15-49 years. Cluster random sampling was done to select the households to include in the study. In every household, all the available and eligible women were explained about the study and recruited after obtaining informed consent. Chi-square test was applied for finding the difference in proportion, and p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. The prevalence of unmet need for family planning in our study population was nearly 31 %; it was even more for younger age groups and for the women whose family size was less. 51.7 % of the participants were currently using a contraceptive measure and very few of their partners used contraception. Government health facilities were the major source of contraceptive service and majority of our participants were well aware about the various contraceptive methods. Unmet needs of family planning were high in our study population, and the knowledge about the contraceptive use and family planning was found to be fairly adequate.

Evaluation of water quality and hydrogeochemistry of surface and groundwater, Tiruvallur District, Tamil Nadu, India

Science.gov (United States)

Krishna Kumar, S.; Hari Babu, S.; Eswar Rao, P.; Selvakumar, S.; Thivya, C.; Muralidharan, S.; Jeyabal, G.

2017-09-01

Water quality of Tiruvallur Taluk of Tiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu, India has been analysed to assess its suitability in relation to domestic and agricultural uses. Thirty water samples, including 8 surface water (S), 22 groundwater samples [15 shallow ground waters (SW) and 7 deep ground waters (DW)], were collected to assess the various physico-chemical parameters such as Temperature, pH, Electrical conductivity (EC), Total dissolved solids (TDS), cations (Ca, Mg, Na, K), anions (CO3, HCO3, Cl, SO4, NO3, PO4) and trace elements (Fe, Mn, Zn). Various irrigation water quality diagrams and parameters such as United states salinity laboratory (USSL), Wilcox, sodium absorption ratio (SAR), sodium percentage (Na %), Residual sodium carbonate (RSC), Residual Sodium Bicarbonate (RSBC) and Kelley's ratio revealed that most of the water samples are suitable for irrigation. Langelier Saturation Index (LSI) values suggest that the water is slightly corrosive and non-scale forming in nature. Gibbs plot suggests that the study area is dominated by evaporation and rock-water dominance process. Piper plot indicates the chemical composition of water, chiefly controlled by dissolution and mixing of irrigation return flow.

Nitrate pollution and its distribution in the groundwater of Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh, India

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, Nagireddi Srinivasa

2006-12-01

The complex depositional pattern of clay and sand in most of the areas controlled the vertical and lateral movement of nitrate in groundwater. The variation of nitrate concentration at different groundwater levels and the lateral distribution of nitrate in the groundwater at two sites indicated the filtration of nitrate by clayey formations. A rural agricultural district located in the Vamsadhara river basin, India was selected for studying the lateral and vertical distribution of nitrate in the groundwater and the association of nitrate with other chemical constituents. The nitrate concentrations in the groundwater are observed to vary between below detectable limit and 450 mg NO3/L. The sources for nitrate are mainly point sources (poultry farms, cattleshed and leakages from septic tanks) and non-point sources (nitrogenous fertilisers). The nitrate concentrations are increased after fertiliser applications. However, very high concentrations of nitrate are derived from animal wastes. Relatively better correlations between nitrate and potassium are observed ( R = 0.74 to 0.82). The better relationship between these two chemical constituents in the groundwater may be due to the release of potassium and nitrate from both point and non-point sources. The nitrate and potassium concentrations are high in the groundwater from clayey formations.

(Mohar) impact structure, Shivpuri district., Madhya Pradesh, India

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

8

The melt breccia, occurring as sparse isolated outcrops around the structure, is an extremely .... The clast, under the naked eye (Fig.7a; sample no. ..... Mohar Cauldron, Shivpuri district, M.P. Unpublished Annual Report of Field Season 2005-2006 ... induced shock metamorphism in the basement granitoids and rhyolitic melt ...

Ecological context of infant mortality in high-focus states of India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laishram Ladusingh

2016-03-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: This goal of this study was to shed light on the ecological context as a potential determinant of the infant mortality rate in nine high-focus states in India. METHODS: Data from the Annual Health Survey (2010-2011, the Census of India (2011, and the District Level Household and Facility Survey 3 (2007-08 were used in this study. In multiple regression analysis explanatory variable such as underdevelopment is measured by the non-working population, and income inequality, quantified as the proportion of households in the bottom wealth quintile. While, the trickle-down effect of education is measured by female literacy, and investment in health, as reflected by neonatal care facilities in primary health centres. RESULTS: A high spatial autocorrelation of district infant mortality rates was observed, and ecological factors were found to have a significant impact on district infant mortality rates. The result also revealed that non-working population and income inequality were found to have a negative effect on the district infant mortality rate. Additionally, female literacy and new-born care facilities were found to have an inverse association with the infant mortality rate. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions at the community level can reduce district infant mortality rates.

The daughter deficit

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

situation is just the opposite, where the gender ratio — or the number ... males were registered in India over this particular decade. ... of the states, except in Punjab and Haryana where .... in sex ratios is a sign of continued inequality between ...

Identification of a threshold for biomass exposure index for chronic bronchitis in rural women of Mysore district, Karnataka, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P A Mahesh

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background & objectives: Exposure to air pollution due to combustion of biomass fuels remains one of the significant risk factors for chronic respiratory diseases such as chronic bronchitis. There is a need to identify the minimum threshold level of biomass index that is significantly associated with chronic bronchitis. This study was undertaken to identify a threshold for biomass exposure index in a rural women population in Mysore district, south India. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a representative population of Mysore and Nanjangud taluks. Eight villages each from Mysore and Nanjangud were randomly selected based on the list of villages from census 2001. A house-to-house survey was carried out by trained field workers using the Burden of Obstructive Diseases questionnaire, which evaluated the biomass smoke exposure and chronic bronchitis. All the women aged above 30 yr were included in the study. Results: A total of 2011 women from Mysore and 1942 women from Nanjangud participated in the study. All women were non-smoking and used biomass fuels as the primary fuel for cooking. A threshold of biomass fuel exposure of 60 was identified on multivariate analysis in Mysore district after adjusting for age, passive smoking and working in a occupational exposure to dust, as the minimum required for a significant association with chronic bronchitis. One in every 20 women in Mysore district exposed to biomass fuel exposure index of 110 or more developed chronic bronchitis. Interpretation & conclusions: The minimum threshold of biomass exposure index of 60 is necessary to have a significant risk of developing chronic bronchitis in women. The number needed to harm to develop chronic bronchitis reduces with increasing biomass exposure index and women residing in rural Nanjangud have a higher risk for developing chronic bronchitis as compared to women in Mysore.

Identification of a threshold for biomass exposure index for chronic bronchitis in rural women of Mysore district, Karnataka, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahesh, P A; Jayaraj, B S; Prabhakar, A K; Chaya, S K; Vijaysimha, R

2013-01-01

Exposure to air pollution due to combustion of biomass fuels remains one of the significant risk factors for chronic respiratory diseases such as chronic bronchitis. There is a need to identify the minimum threshold level of biomass index that is significantly associated with chronic bronchitis. This study was undertaken to identify a threshold for biomass exposure index in a rural women population in Mysore district, south India. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a representative population of Mysore and Nanjangud taluks. Eight villages each from Mysore and Nanjangud were randomly selected based on the list of villages from census 2001. A house-to-house survey was carried out by trained field workers using the Burden of Obstructive Diseases questionnaire, which evaluated the biomass smoke exposure and chronic bronchitis. All the women aged above 30 yr were included in the study. A total of 2011 women from Mysore and 1942 women from Nanjangud participated in the study. All women were non-smoking and used biomass fuels as the primary fuel for cooking. A threshold of biomass fuel exposure of 60 was identified on multivariate analysis in Mysore district after adjusting for age, passive smoking and working in a occupational exposure to dust, as the minimum required for a significant association with chronic bronchitis. One in every 20 women in Mysore district exposed to biomass fuel exposure index of 110 or more developed chronic bronchitis. The minimum threshold of biomass exposure index of 60 is necessary to have a significant risk of developing chronic bronchitis in women. The number needed to harm to develop chronic bronchitis reduces with increasing biomass exposure index and women residing in rural Nanjangud have a higher risk for developing chronic bronchitis as compared to women in Mysore.

Birth preparedness and complication readiness among the women beneficiaries of selected rural primary health centers of Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka, India.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kibballi Madhukeshwar Akshaya

Full Text Available Birth preparedness and complication readiness (BPCR is a strategy to promote timely use of skilled maternal and neonatal care during childbirth. According to World Health Organization, BPCR should be a key component of focused antenatal care. Dakshina Kannada, a coastal district of Karnataka state, is categorized as a high-performing district (institutional delivery rate >25% under the National Rural Health Mission. However, a substantial proportion of women in the district experience complications during pregnancy (58.3%, childbirth (45.7%, and postnatal (17.4% period. There is a paucity of data on BPCR practice and the factors associated with it in the district. Exploring this would be of great use in the evidence-based fine-tuning of ongoing maternal and child health interventions.To assess BPCR practice and the factors associated with it among the beneficiaries of two rural Primary Health Centers (PHCs of Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka, India.A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 217 pregnant (>28 weeks of gestation and recently delivered (in the last 6 months women in two randomly selected PHCs from June -September 2013. Exit interviews were conducted using a pre-designed semi-structured interview schedule. Information regarding socio-demographic profile, obstetric variables, and knowledge of key danger signs was collected. BPCR included information on five key components: identified the place of delivery, saved money to pay for expenses, mode of transport identified, identified a birth companion, and arranged a blood donor if the need arises. In this study, a woman who recalled at least two key danger signs in each of the three phases, i.e., pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum (total six was considered as knowledgeable on key danger signs. Optimal BPCR practice was defined as following at least three out of five key components of BPCR.Proportion, Odds ratio, and adjusted Odds ratio (adj OR for optimal BPCR

Birth preparedness and complication readiness among the women beneficiaries of selected rural primary health centers of Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Akshaya, Kibballi Madhukeshwar; Shivalli, Siddharudha

2017-01-01

Birth preparedness and complication readiness (BPCR) is a strategy to promote timely use of skilled maternal and neonatal care during childbirth. According to World Health Organization, BPCR should be a key component of focused antenatal care. Dakshina Kannada, a coastal district of Karnataka state, is categorized as a high-performing district (institutional delivery rate >25%) under the National Rural Health Mission. However, a substantial proportion of women in the district experience complications during pregnancy (58.3%), childbirth (45.7%), and postnatal (17.4%) period. There is a paucity of data on BPCR practice and the factors associated with it in the district. Exploring this would be of great use in the evidence-based fine-tuning of ongoing maternal and child health interventions. To assess BPCR practice and the factors associated with it among the beneficiaries of two rural Primary Health Centers (PHCs) of Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka, India. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 217 pregnant (>28 weeks of gestation) and recently delivered (in the last 6 months) women in two randomly selected PHCs from June -September 2013. Exit interviews were conducted using a pre-designed semi-structured interview schedule. Information regarding socio-demographic profile, obstetric variables, and knowledge of key danger signs was collected. BPCR included information on five key components: identified the place of delivery, saved money to pay for expenses, mode of transport identified, identified a birth companion, and arranged a blood donor if the need arises. In this study, a woman who recalled at least two key danger signs in each of the three phases, i.e., pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum (total six) was considered as knowledgeable on key danger signs. Optimal BPCR practice was defined as following at least three out of five key components of BPCR. Proportion, Odds ratio, and adjusted Odds ratio (adj OR) for optimal BPCR practice. A

Women Entrepreneurship Through “Self Help Group” in YSR District, India

OpenAIRE

Rajani Levaku

2014-01-01

The position of women and their status in any society is an index of its civilization. Women are to be considered as equal partners in the process of development. But, because of centuries of exploitation and subjugation, Indian women have remained at the receiving end. Women in India have been the neglected lot. The rate of growth of women employment in India is very low. This is because of the low growth rate of new and productive employment. The more attractive scheme with less effort is “...

Reproductive Tract Infections and Treatment Seeking Behavior among Married Adolescent Women 15-19 Years in India

OpenAIRE

Prusty, Ranjan Kumar; Unisa, Sayeed

2013-01-01

Background: India is home to the highest number of adolescents in the world. Adolescents in India suffer from lack of knowledge and empowerment to make informed sexual and reproductive health decisions. This paper analyses the prevalence of reproductive tract infections and sexually transmitted infections (RTI/STI) and treatment seeking behavior among married adolescent women in India aged 15-19 years. Methods: Data from the District Level Household Survey (DLHS, 2007-08) of India were us...

Reducing neonatal mortality in India: critical role of access to emergency obstetric care.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anu Rammohan

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Neonatal mortality currently accounts for 41% of all global deaths among children below five years. Despite recording a 33% decline in neonatal deaths between 2000 and 2009, about 900,000 neonates died in India in 2009. The decline in neonatal mortality is slower than in the post-neonatal period, and neonatal mortality rates have increased as a proportion of under-five mortality rates. Neonatal mortality rates are higher among rural dwellers of India, who make up at least two-thirds of India's population. Identifying the factors influencing neonatal mortality will significantly improve child survival outcomes in India. METHODS: Our analysis is based on household data from the nationally representative 2008 Indian District Level Household Survey (DLHS-3. We use probit regression techniques to analyse the links between neonatal mortality at the household level and households' access to health facilities. The probability of the child dying in the first month of birth is our dependent variable. RESULTS: We found that 80% of neonatal deaths occurred within the first week of birth, and that the probability of neonatal mortality is significantly lower when the child's village is closer to the district hospital (DH, suggesting the critical importance of specialist hospital care in the prevention of newborn deaths. Neonatal deaths were lower in regions where emergency obstetric care was available at the District Hospitals. We also found that parental schooling and household wealth status improved neonatal survival outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Addressing the main causes of neonatal deaths in India--preterm deliveries, asphyxia, and sepsis--requires adequacy of specialised workforce and facilities for delivery and neonatal intensive care and easy access by mothers and neonates. The slow decline in neonatal death rates reflects a limited attention to factors which contribute to neonatal deaths. The suboptimal quality and coverage of Emergency

Coverage and Compliance of Mass Drug Administration in Lymphatic Filariasis: A Comparative Analysis in a District of West Bengal, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tanmay Kanti Panja

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Despite several rounds of Mass Drug Administration (MDA as an elimination strategy of Lymphatic Filariasis (LF from India, still the coverage is far behind the required level of 85%.Objectives: The present study was carried out with the objectives to assess the coverage and compliance of MDA and their possible determinants. Methods: A cross-sectional community based study was conducted in Paschim Midnapur district of West Bengal, India for consecutive two years following MDA. Study participants were chosen by 30-cluster sampling technique. Data was collected by using pre-tested semi-structured proforma to assess the coverage and compliance of MDA along with possible determinants for non-attaining the expected coverage. Results: In the year 2009, coverage, compliance, coverage compliance gap (CCG and effective coverage was seen to be 84.1%, 70.5%, 29.5% and 59.3% respectively. In 2010, the results further deteriorated to 78.5%, 66.9%, 33.3% and 57% respectively. The poor coverage and compliance were attributed to improper training of service providers and lack of community awareness regarding MDA.Conclusion: The study emphasized supervised consumption, retraining of service providers before MDA activities, strengthening behaviour change communication strategy for community awareness. Advocacy by the program managers and policy makers towards prioritization of MDA program will make the story of filaria elimination a success.

Identification of soil erosion risk areas for conservation planning in different states of India.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharda, V N; Mandal, Debashis; Ojasvi, P R

2013-03-01

Assessment of soil erosion risks, especially in the developing countries, is a challenging task mainly due to non-availability or insufficiency of relevant data. In this paper, the soil erosion risks have been estimated by integrating the spatial data on potential erosion rates and soil loss tolerance limits for conservation planning at state level in India. The erosion risk classes have been prioritized based upon the difference between the prevailing erosion rates and the permissible erosion limits. The analysis revealed that about 50% of total geographical area (TGA) of India, falling in five priority erosion risk classes, requires different intensity of conservation measures though about 91% area suffers from potential erosion rates varying from 40 t ha(-1) yr(-1). Statewise analysis indicated that Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan share about 75% of total area under priority Class 1 (6.4 M ha) though they account for only 19.4% of the total area (36.2 M ha) under very severe potential erosion rate category (> 40 t ha(-1)yr(-1)). It was observed that about 75% of total geographical area (TGA) in the states of Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Kerala and Punjab does not require any specific soil conservation measure as the potential erosion rates are well within the tolerance limits. The developed methodology can be successfully employed for prioritization of erosion risk areas at watershed, region or country level.

Reductions in India's crop yield due to ozone

Science.gov (United States)

Ghude, Sachin D.; Jena, Chinmay; Chate, D. M.; Beig, G.; Pfister, G. G.; Kumar, Rajesh; Ramanathan, V.

2014-08-01

This bottom-up modeling study, supported by emission inventories and crop production, simulates ozone on local to regional scales. It quantifies, for the first time, potential impact of ozone on district-wise cotton, soybeans, rice, and wheat crops in India for the first decade of the 21st century. Wheat is the most impacted crop with losses of 3.5 ± 0.8 million tons (Mt), followed by rice at 2.1 ± 0.8 Mt, with the losses concentrated in central and north India. On the national scale, this loss is about 9.2% of the cereals required every year (61.2 Mt) under the provision of the recently implemented National Food Security Bill (in 2013) by the Government of India. The nationally aggregated yield loss is sufficient to feed about 94 million people living below poverty line in India.

Gender differences, routes of transmission, socio-demographic characteristics and prevalence of HIV related infections of adults and children in an HIV cohort from a rural district of India.

Science.gov (United States)

Alvarez-Uria, Gerardo; Midde, Manoranjan; Pakam, Raghavakalyam; Naik, Praveen Kumar

2012-01-02

Despite 67% of HIV infected people in India are rural residents, the epidemiology of HIV in rural areas is not well known. This is an observational cohort study of 11,040 HIV infected people living in a rural district of India. The prevalence of hepatitis B, hepatitis C and syphilis of HIV infected patients were compared to the seroprevalence in 16,641 blood donors from the same area. The age of diagnosis in adults was below 35 years in 70% of cases and 56% were illiterate. One third of women were widows and only 3.6% of adults had a permanent job. Women were diagnosed at earlier age, had lower level of education, had poorer employment conditions and depended more on their relatives than men. In a survey performed to a subgroup of patients, 81% of women referred to have acquired HIV from their spouse, whereas 51% of men acquired HIV from commercial sex. Patients with HIV had significantly higher prevalence of hepatitis B, hepatitis C and syphilis than blood donors. Seroprevalence of HIV-2, hepatitis C and toxoplasmosis were low compared to other sites. Six percent were children (illiteracy of people living with HIV in rural India, especially women. Future health programmes of HIV in India should take into account the particularities of the HIV epidemic in rural areas.

Status of Indigenous Chicken Farming in Dhemaji District of Assam ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A survey was conducted in Dhemaji district of Assam, India comprising 15 villages and 300 households. Both purposive and random sampling methods were used to evaluate the socio-economic status of the farmers involved in rearing of indigenous chicken, systems of management of indigenous chicken, their ...

Examining Implementation of Tobacco Control Policy at the District Level: A Case Study Analysis from a High Burden State in India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Divya Persai

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. While extensive scientific evidence exists on the tobacco epidemic, a lack of understanding of both policies and their appropriate way of implementation continues to hinder effective tobacco control. This is especially so in the developing countries such as India. The present study aims to understand current implementation practices and the challenges faced in mainstreaming tobacco control policy and program. Methods. We chose a qualitative study design to conduct the case analysis. A total of 42 in-depth interviews were undertaken with seven district officials in six districts of Andhra Pradesh. A conceptual framework was developed by applying grounded theory for analysis. Analysis was undertaken using case analysis approach. Results and Discussion. Our study revealed that most program managers were unfamiliar with the comprehensive tobacco control policy. Respondents have an ambiguous opinion regarding integration of tobacco control program into existing health and development programs. Respondents perceive lack of resources, low prioritization of tobacco control, and lack of monitoring and evaluation of smoke-free laws as limiting factors affecting implementation of tobacco control policy. Conclusion. The findings of this study highlighted the need for a systematic, organized action plan for effective implementation of tobacco control policy and program.

High prescription of antimicrobials in a rural district hospital in India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alvarez-Uria G

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Background: The World Health Organization (WHO recommends surveillance of antibiotic use as part of the strategy to fight against antimicrobial resistance. However, there is little information about the antibiotic consumption in developing countries, especially in rural areas. Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the antimicrobial consumption in a rural hospital in India Methods: The study was performed in a district hospital situated in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh. In accordance with WHO recommendations, we used the defined daily dose (DDD methodology to measure the antibiotic use during one year (from 1st August 2011 to 1st August 2012. The antibiotic use was measured using DDDs/100 admissions and DDDs/100 patient-days for inpatients, and DDDs/100 visits for outpatients. Results: During the study period, there were 15,735 admissions and 250,611 outpatient visits. Antibiotics were prescribed for 86% of inpatients and 12.5% of outpatients. Outpatient prescriptions accounted for 2/3 of the overall antibiotic consumption. For inpatients, the total antibiotic use was 222 DDDs/ 100 patient-days, 693 DDDs/ 100 admissions and the mean number of antibiotics prescribed was 1.8. For outpatients, the total antibiotic use was 86 DDDs/ 100 outpatient visits and the mean number of antibiotics prescribed was 1.2. The most common antibiotics prescribed were aminopenicillins and 3rd generation cephalosporins for inpatients, and tetracyclines and quinolones for outpatients. In a sample of patients with diarrhoea or upper respiratory tract infections (URTI, the proportion of patients who received antibiotics was 84% (95% confidence interval [CI], 67-93 and 52% (95% CI, 43-62, respectively. Conclusion: In this rural setting, the use of antimicrobials was extremely high, even in conditions with a predominantly viral aetiology such as diarrhoea or URTI.

Morbidity profile of elderly outpatients attending selected sub-district Siddha health facilities in Tamil Nadu, India

Science.gov (United States)

Selvaraj, Kalaiselvi; Srinivasan, Manikandan; Duraisamy, Venkatachalam; Ramaswamy, Gomathi; Venugopal, Vinayagamurthy; Chinnakali, Palanivel

2016-01-01

Background: Recently, under National Health Mission alternate systems of Medicine are mainstreamed in public health care system. Effective action plan generation, logistic arrangement and roll out of these alternate systems of Medicine needs understanding on profile of morbidities among attendees who come to these facilities. Objectives: This study was planned to report profile of morbidities, age and sex differentials in specific morbidities among geriatric attendees in secondary level siddha health facilities. Materials and Methods: A facility based cross sectional study was conducted among elderly person (60 years and above) attending Siddha outpatient department (OPD) from two of the randomly selected sub district level siddha facilities in Erode district, Tamil Nadu, India. Information on socio-demographic variables like age, gender, education and clinical profile (diagnosis) were collected from records already maintained in the siddha OPD. Morbidities were summarized in terms of proportions based on age and gender. Age and sex specific differentials on specific morbidities were compared using ‘z’ test. Results: Of 2710 patients who visited these two siddha facilities during the reference period, 763 (28.1%) patients were elderly. Arthritis (45.2%), neuritis (8.8%), diabetes (6.6%), bronchial asthma (5.2%), hemiplegia (3.7%) were the top five morbidities diagnosed and treated among elderly attending the siddha OPD. There was a predilection towards elderly male for morbidities such as bronchial asthma and hemiplegia compared to elderly female. Similarly, higher proportions of lumbar spondylosis, hypertension and fungal skin diseases were reported among aged 80 years or more compared to elderly aged 60-79 years. Conclusion: Elderly constitute more than one fourth of outpatients load from siddha health facilities. Degenerative diseases like arthritis and non-communicable diseases were the common morbidities in this age group. Geriatric clinics and mobile

Study on prevalence of ancylostomosis in dogs at Anand district, Gujarat, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nilima N. Brahmbhatt

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Aim: This study was undertaken to derive the prevalence rate of ancylostomosis in dogs by a collection of fecal samples from Anand district. Materials and Methods: The fecal samples were collected from the dogs brought to the Hospital of Veterinary College (Teaching Veterinary Clinical Service Complex and the surrounding areas of Anand district. On the day of collection, fecal samples were collected and brought to the Department of Veterinary Parasitology and processed for standard qualitative examination. The sedimentation technique was used to detect the presence of Ancylostoma spp. eggs in the samples. Result: The highest prevalence rate was observed in the month of May (36.66% fecal samples and the lowest in the month of December (13.79% fecal samples at Anand district. Conclusion: It can be concluded that heavy infection is present in Anand district especially in the season of summer followed by monsoon and the least in winter.

Assessment of natural radioactivity and radiation hazard indices in soil samples of East Khasi Hills District, Meghalaya, India

Science.gov (United States)

Lyngkhoi, B.; Nongkynrih, P.

2018-04-01

The Activity Concentrations of naturally occurring radionuclides such as 40K, 238U and 232Th were determined from 20 (twenty) villages of East Khasi Hills District of Meghalaya, India using gamma-ray spectroscopy. This District is adjacent to the South-West Khasi Hills District located in the same state where heavy deposit of uranium has been identified [1]. The measured activities of 40K, 238U and 232Th were found ranging from 93.4 to 606.3, 23.2 to 140.9 and 25.1 to 158.9 Bq kg-1 with their average values of 207.9, 45.6 and 63.8 Bq kg-1, respectively. The obtained value of activity concentration for 40K is lower than the world average value 400.0 Bq kg-1 while for 238U and 232Th, the average concentrations are above the world average values 35.0 and 30.0 Bq kg-1, respectively. The calculated Absorbed Dose Rate gamma-radiation of the natural radionuclides ranged from 37.4 to 186.5 nGy h-1 with an average of 71.3 nGy h-1. The outdoor Annual Effective Dose Rate received by an individual ranged from 50.0-230.0 µSv y-1 with an average value of 87.5 µSv y-1. The physical and chemical properties of the soil have no effects on the naturally occurring radionuclides concentrations. This has been revealed by the results obtained as there is no positive correlation between physical/chemical parameters and the radionuclides concentrations in the soil samples [2]. It is observed that good positive correlations among the radionuclides concentrations and with the measured dose rate prevail. The findings show that the values of external and internal hazard indices resulting from the measured activity concentrations of natural radionuclides in soil from the collected sampling areas are less than the International Recommended safety limits of 1 (unity) with the exception of Mylliem (1.12) where the External hazard index is slightly higher.

Data on soil PH of Barddhaman district, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sumanta Bid

2017-06-01

Full Text Available PH (Puissance de Hydrogen is an essential ingredient of soil that effects on fertility and productivity of dirt. Barddhaman district is a part of Lower Gangetic Plain fully covered by alluvial soil and popularly known as ‘rice bowl of West Bengal’ owing to its lofty production. This data article provides a block level data on soil PH that is essential for further investigation of the relationship among soil ph, plant growth, plant health and productivity. This data is valuable in the field of soil geography and soil science. Soil PH data is more relevant in the ground of plant biology, agricultural geography and agricultural science. It helps to explain the acidic and alkaline nature of alluvial soil. The data consist of 195 samples (n=195 taken from the entire district. Samples have been collected from March, 2014 to March, 2015 and experimented in the laboratory. Theoretically PH value is limited within 0–14. Experiment result exemplifies the highest value 8.5 found in Khandaghosh block whereas lowest value is 4.5 and the samples which result in lowest value are gathered from 4 different blocks like Manteswar, Burdwan - II, Barabani and Salanpur.

Factors associated with delays in treatment initiation after tuberculosis diagnosis in two districts of India.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Durba Paul

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Excessive time between diagnosis and initiation of tuberculosis (TB treatment contributes to ongoing TB transmission and should be minimized. In India, Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP focuses on indicator start of treatment within 7 days of diagnosis for patients with sputum smear-positive PTB for monitoring DOTS implementation. OBJECTIVES: To determine length of time between diagnosis and initiation of treatment and factors associated with delays of more than 7 days in smear-positive pulmonary TB. METHODS: Using existing programme records such as the TB Register, treatment cards, and the laboratory register, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of all patients with smear-positive pulmonary TB registered from July-September 2010 in two districts in India. A random sample of patients with pulmonary TB who experienced treatment delay of more than 7 days was interviewed using structured questionnaire. RESULTS: 2027 of 3411 patients registered with pulmonary TB were smear-positive. 711(35% patients had >7 days between diagnosis and treatment and 262(13% had delays >15 days. Mean duration between TB diagnosis and treatment initiation was 8 days (range = 0-128 days. Odds of treatment delay >7 days was 1.8 times more likely among those who had been previously treated (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.5-2.3 and 1.6 (95% CI 1.3-1.8 times more likely among those diagnosed in health facilities without microscopy centers. The main factors associated with a delay >7 days were: patient reluctance to start a re-treatment regimen, patients seeking second opinions, delay in transportation of drugs to the DOT centers and delay in initial home visits. To conclude, treatment delay >7 days was associated with a number of factors that included history of previous treatment and absence of TB diagnostic services in the local health facility. Decentralized diagnostic facilities and improved referral procedures may reduce such treatment

Mineral shock signatures in rocks from Dhala (Mohar) impact structure, Shivpuri district, Madhya Pradesh, India

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, Madhuparna; Pandey, Pradeep; Kumar, Shailendra; Parihar, P. S.

2017-12-01

A concrete study combining optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometry, was carried out on subsurface samples of basement granite and melt breccia from Mohar (Dhala) impact structure, Shivpuri district, Madhya Pradesh, India. Optical microscopy reveals aberrations in the optical properties of quartz and feldspar in the form of planar deformation feature-like structures, lowered birefringence and mosaics in quartz, toasting, planar fractures and ladder texture in alkali feldspar and near-isotropism in bytownite. It also brings to light incidence of parisite, a radioactive rare mineral in shocked granite. Raman spectral pattern, peak positions, peak widths and multiplicity of peak groups of all minerals, suggest subtle structural/crystallographic deviations. XRD data further reveals minute deviations of unit cell parameters of quartz, alkali feldspar and plagioclase, with respect to standard α-quartz, high- and low albite and microcline. Reduced cell volumes in these minerals indicate compression due to pressure. The c0/a0 values indicate an inter-tetrahedral angle roughly between 120o and 144o, further pointing to a possible pressure maxima of around 12 GPa. The observed unit cell aberration of minerals may indicate an intermediate stage between crystalline and amorphous stages, thereby, signifying possible overprinting of decompression signatures over shock compression effects, from a shock recovery process.

Prevalence, causes of blindness, visual impairment and cataract surgical services in Sindhudurg district on the western coastal strip of India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shailbala Patil

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background : Konkan coast of India is geographically distinct and its pattern of blindness has never been mapped. Aim : To study the prevalence and causes of blindness and cataract surgical services in Sindhudurg district of West Coast. Subjects : Individual aged > 50 years. Materials and Methods: Rapid assessment of avoidable blindness used to map blindness pattern in the district. Statistical analysis: SPSS version 19. Results: Amongst those examined 1415 (51.7% had visual acuity (VA >20/60, 924 (33.8%, confidence interval (C.I 30.5%-36.8% had VA 20/200-<20/60(visual impairment, 266 (9.7%, C.I. 6.1%-13.3% had VA < 20/200-20/400 (severe visual impairment and 132 (4.8%, C. I. 1.1%-8.5% had VA < 20/400 (blindness by WHO standards. There was no significant gender difference in prevalence of blindness, but blindness and visual impairment was more in older and rural residing individuals. Amongst those with presenting vision < 20/200 in better eye, 309 (82.4% had cataract, 36 (9.7% had corneal scars, 13 (3.5% had diabetic retinopathyand 3 (0.8% had glaucoma. Cataract surgical coverage for the district was only 30.5%; 32% for males and 28.4% for females. Unable to afford, lack of knowledge and lack of access to services were the commonest barriers responsible for cataract patients not seeking care. Amongst those who had undergone cataract surgery, only 50% had visual acuity ≥ 20/60.46.9% of the population had spectacles for near, but only 53.3% of the population had presenting near vision < N10. Conclusion : Cataract, refractive errors and diabetes were significant causes of visual impairment and blindness.

Ethnomedicinal plants used by local inhabitants of Jakholi block, Rudraprayag district, western Himalaya, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Ankit; Nautiyal, Mohan C; Kunwar, Ripu M; Bussmann, Rainer W

2017-08-24

Ethnomedicinal knowledge of the Indian Himalayas is very interesting because of the wide range of medicinal plants used in traditional medical practice. However, there is a danger of knowledge being lost because the knowledge sharing is very limited and passed on orally. The present study is the first ethnomedicinal study in Jakholi area of Rudraprayag district of Northwestern India. The aim of present study was to identify traditional medicinal plants used by the inhabitants to treat different ailments and document the associated knowledge of these medicinal plants. An ethnomedicinal survey was carried out in 72 of 133 villages and alpine pastures of Jakholi block (800-4000 m asl). Door to door surveys and group discussions, applying semi-structured questionnaires were conducted with traditional healers and villagers in local language (Garhwali). Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) was computed to analyse collected ethnomedicinal data. A total of 78 species (Gymnosperms 3 species, Monocotyledons 12 and 63 Dicotyledons) belonging to 73 genera in 46 families were identified to treat 14 different ailments categories. Most dominant family is Asteraceae (5 species). In disease treated categories, Diseases of the skin (DE) have the highest proportion (29.55%) followed by Gastro- intestinal disorder (GA) (25.89%). The most life form of plants used was herb (56%) followed by tree (23%) while root was the most frequently used part of the plants and the traditional preparation was mainly applied in the form of paste (37%). The highest ICF value (0.99) was found for hair ailments (HA) followed ophthalmologic complaints (OP) and mental afflictions (MA) (0.98). The present study provides valuable information about traditional knowledge of medicinal plants of Jakholi Block in the Northwestern Himalaya, India. Local communities still possess large traditional knowledge of plants and their therapeutic uses and that the link of that traditional knowledge to modern research could be

Spatial variability of groundwater quality of Sabour block, Bhagalpur district (Bihar, India)

Science.gov (United States)

Verma, D. K.; Bhunia, Gouri Sankar; Shit, Pravat Kumar; Kumar, S.; Mandal, Jajati; Padbhushan, Rajeev

2017-07-01

This paper examines the quality of groundwater of Sabour block, Bhagalpur district of Bihar state, which lies on the southern region of Indo-Gangetic plains in India. Fifty-nine samples from different sources of water in the block have been collected to determine its suitability for drinking and irrigational purposes. From the samples electrical conductivity (EC), pH and concentrations of Calcium (Ca2+), Magnesium (Mg2+), Sodium (Na+), Potassium (K+), carbonate ion (CO 3 2- ), Bicarbonate ion (HCO 3 - ), Chloride ion (Cl-), and Fluoride (F-) were determined. Surface maps of all the groundwater quality parameters have been prepared using radial basis function (RBF) method. RBF model was used to interpolate data points in a group of multi-dimensional space. Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) is employed to scrutinize the best fit of the model to compare the obtained value. The mean value of pH, EC, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, HCO3 -, Cl-, and F- are found to be 7.26, 0.69, 38.98, 34.20, 16.92, 1.19, 0.02, and 0.28, respectively. Distribution of calcium concentration is increasing to the eastern part and K+ concentrations raise to the downstream area in the southwestern part. Low pH concentrations (less than 6.71) occur in eastern part of the block. Spatial variations of hardness in Sabour block portraying maximum concentration in the western part and maximum SAR (more than 4.23) were recorded in the southern part. These results are not exceeding for drinking and irrigation uses recommended by World Health Organization. Therefore, the majority of groundwater samples are found to be safe for drinking and irrigation management practices.

A study on sexually transmitted diseases in patients in a STD clinic in a district hospital in North India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neerja Puri

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs are a global health problem of great magnitude. The pattern of STDs differs from country to country and from region to region. The increased risk of the transmission of HIV is known to be associated with the presence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs and despite the presence of the National STD Control Program in India the number of people with STDs remains high. Aim: The aim of our study was to study the profile of patients in a STD clinic in North India and to study various sexually transmitted infections in both male and female patients. Material and Methods: A prospective study of the patients attending STD clinic in a district hospital in North India from December 2009 to December 2012 was done. A total of 2700 patients attending the STDclinic in three years from December 2009 to December 2012 were taken up for the study. Results: The commonest sexually transmitted infection in males was herpes genitalis (30% followed by 20% cases of genital warts. 10% patients had gonorrhoea, genital molluscum contagiosum, syphilis and genital scabies each and 5% patients had nongonococcal urethritis. Only 5% of the total patients had chancroid, donovanosis and LGV. The commonest sexually transmitted infection in females was vaginal discharge seen in 40% patients, lower abdominal pain in 20% patients, herpes genitalis in 15% patients followed by 20% cases of genital warts and syphilis each. Genital molluscum contagiosum was seen in 5% patients only. Conclusions: The treatment of STD’s is important as both non-ulcerative and ulcerative STDs increase the susceptibility to or transmissibility of HIV infection and as such, an increase in STD prevalence as revealed by clinic attendance in this study was bound to facilitate the spread of HIV/AIDS. Perhaps it is high time health planners adopted a more aggressive and result oriented HIV/AIDS/STD awareness campaign strategy.

Quantitative ethnomedicinal survey of medicinal plants given for cardiometabolic diseases by the non-institutionally trained siddha practitioners of Tiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Esakkimuthu, S; Mutheeswaran, S; Arvinth, S; Paulraj, M Gabriel; Pandikumar, P; Ignacimuthu, S

2016-06-20

The burden of cardiometabolic diseases such as dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, hypertension, visceral obesity and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases and the use of traditional medicine for the management of such diseases are high in India; hence there is a need to document and analyze such therapies. This study documented and analyzed the medicinal plants prescribed for cardiometabolic diseases by the non-institutionally trained siddha practitioners of Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu, India. The field survey was conducted between December 2014 to November 2015. Successive free listing assisted with field-walks was used to interview the informants. After assessing the sampling sufficiency using rarefaction curve analysis, indices such as Informant Consensus Factor (Fic) and Index of Agreement on Remedies (IAR) were calculated for the data. The indicators of informant's medicinal plant knowledge such as Shannon's index, equitability index, etc., were regressed with the demographic profile of the informants. For this study 70 non-institutionally trained Siddha medical practitioners were approached; the data from 36 practitioners who were treating cardiometabolic diseases were documented. This study recorded the use of 188 species which were used to prepare 368 formulations to treat illnesses categorized under cardiometabolic diseases. In this, 53.04% claims were singletons. Regression analysis showed that single species dominance was reduced and the diversity of medicinal plants was increased with the increase in the age and experience. Increase in the years of formal education increased the equitability in the uses. The plants such as Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. (cardiovascular diseases), Allium sativum L. (dyslipidemia), Cuminum cyminum L. (hypertension), Macrotyloma uniflorum Verdc. (obesity) and Azadirachta indica A. Juss. (type 2 diabetes) were the highly cited medicinal plants. This survey has identified the plants most commonly used by Siddha practitioners of

Short Communication

African Journals Online (AJOL)

hp

2012-05-17

May 17, 2012 ... ingredient, asarone which is found in three isomeric forms viz. alpha, beta and gamma asarone and posses- .... ecological regions of India, which cover three states: Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan (Deshwal et al., 2005). The level ... Chauhan NS (1999). Acorus calamus, In Medicinal and Aromatic Plants.

Effect of punping on temporal changes in groundwater quality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kamra, S.K.; Khajanchi Lal,; Singh, O.P.; Boonstra, J.

2002-01-01

Pumping studies were conducted at five sites distributed over a 3000 ha area in the Gohana block in Haryana state of India. The project area is a part of the Indo-Gangetic plain and lies in a topographical depression susceptible to waterlogging, soil salinity and groundwater pollution from

Four Insectivorous Birds in Search of Foraging Niche in and Around an Agricultural Ecosystem of Nalgonda District of Telangana, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Buddi Laxmi Narayana

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Foraging niche of Small Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis, Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis, Common Myna Acridotheres tristis and Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus was studied in and around agricultural landscapes of Sherpally, Nalgonda District of Telangana, India. Data on perch types, perching height, foraging height, foraging substrates types and foraging methods were transformed into percent use. Small Green Bee-eater predominantly perched on electric power lines (67.21%, Common Myna used plants (75.44% as a substrate and gleaning was the common feeding technique used by all the birds with height of 0-3m, Indian Roller fed mostly at 3-6m (30.91%. Black Drongo and Indian Roller had the highest niche overlap (O=0.96 for perch types while the lowest overlap was observed for small Green Bee-eater and Common Myna (O=0.34 in the foraging substrate.

Factors which may limit the value of dietary diversity and its association with nutritional outcomes in preschool children in high burden districts of India.

Science.gov (United States)

Nithya, Devanesan Jacinth; Bhavani, Ramanathapuram Vaidyanathan

2018-01-01

Dietary diversity plays a critical role in infants as they need energy and nutrient dense foods for both physical and mental development. This study examines whether three dietary diversity indices validate against Nutrient Adequacy Ratio (NAR) and Mean Adequacy Ratio (MAR) and studies the relationship of dietary diversity with nutritional status of preschool children, in two districts of India: Wardha district in Maharashtra state and Koraput district in Odisha state. Dietary diversity was calculated using: individual food scores calculated using 24 hour diet recall (FS24hr) data; household dietary diversity using Berry's index (DDI) and food scores calculated using food frequency data (FSFFQ). Nutritional status was assessed by anthropometric indices. It was observed that 42.7% of 1 to 5 years children were underweight, 38% stunted and 27.6% wasted across both locations. The dietary diversity was found to be relatively better in Wardha when compared with Koraput with mean diversity of FS24hr 7, DDI 90 and FSFFQ 63 in both locations. Preschool children in both locations consumed a cereal based diet. Apart from protein in both locations and energy in Koraput, the NAR of all nutrients consumed was indicating that dietary diversity calculated using 24 hour diet recall ensures nutrient adequacy but showed association only with Height-for-Age scores. Dietary diversity calculated using three methods did not show any correlation with nutritional status of 1 to 5 years children.

Essential oil of Curcuma amada Roxb. from Northeastern India

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Choudhury, S.N.; Rabha, L.C.; Kanjilal, P.B.; Ghosh, A.C.; Leclercq, P.A.

1996-01-01

The oil, which was obtained by the steam distn. of the fresh rhizomes of C. amada (Zingiberaceae) growing in the plain districts of Northeastern India, was investigated by GC/MS. Nine components (97.4%) were identified. Myrcene was the major (88.6%) component. [on SciFinder (R)

Impact assessment of El Nino and La Nina episodes on local/regional monsoon rainfall in India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Sureuder; Rao, V.U.M.; Shigh, Diwan

2002-08-01

Large scale atmospheric circulation's and climatic anomalies have been shown to have a significant impact on seasonal weather over many parts of the world. In the present paper an attempt has been made to examine regional monsoon dynamics in relation with El Nino and La Nina episodes. The investigation was earned out for the meteorological sub- division's comprising the areas of Haryana, Delhi and Chandigarh in India. The monthly monsoon rainfall data of different locations in the region and corresponding data on El Nino and La Nina episodes for the period of 30 years (1970-99) were used for this investigation. During the El Nino episodes, various locations experienced excess rainfall in monsoon ranged between 11 and 22 percent. Under the influence of La Nina episodes, the probability of excess monsoon rainfall at different locations in the sub-division ranged between 13 and 25 percent. However, many locations viz., Hisar, Bhiwani, Gurgaon, Delhi and Chandigarh received deficient monsoon rainfall which was contrary to the global belief of the association between SST anomalies and rainfall distribution. No significant association was observed between El Nino and La Nina and monsoon rainfall at different locations in the entire sub-division. However, there was a strong relationship between these SST anomalies and all India monsoon rainfall over the period under study (1970-99). (author)

Recent trends in rainfall and temperature over North West India during 1871-2016

Science.gov (United States)

Saxena, Rani; Mathur, Prasoon

2018-03-01

Rainfall and temperature are the most important environmental factors influencing crop growth, development, and yield. The northwestern (NW) part of India is one of the main regions of food grain production of the country. It comprises of six meteorological subdivisions (Haryana, Punjab, West Rajasthan, East Rajasthan, Gujarat and Saurashtra, Kutch and Diu). In this study, attempts were made to study variability and trends in rainfall and temperature during 30-year climate normal periods (CN) and 10-year decadal excess or deficit rainfall frequency during the historical period from 1871 to 2016. The Mann-Kendall and Spearman's rank correlation (Spearman's rho) tests were used to determine significance of trends. Least square linear fitting method was adopted to find out the slopes of the trend lines. The long-term mean annual rainfall over North West India is 587.7 mm (standard deviation of 153.0 mm and coefficient of variation 26.0). There was increasing trend in minimum and maximum temperatures during post monsoon season in entire study period and current climate normal period (1991-2016) due to which the sowing of rabi season crops may be delayed and there may be germination problem too. There was a non-significant decreasing trend in rainfall during monsoon season and an increasing trend in rainfall during post monsoon over North West India during entire study period. During current CN5 (1991-2016), all the subdivision (except the Saurashtra region) showed a decreasing trend in rainfall during monsoon season which is a matter of concern for kharif crops and those rabi crops which are grown as rainfed on conserved soil moisture. The decadal annual and seasonal frequencies of excess and deficit years results revealed that the annual total deficit rainfall years (24) exceeded total excess rainfall years (22) in North West India during the entire study period. While during the current decadal period (2011 to 2016), single year was the excess year and 2 years were

Molecular characterization, isolation, pathology and pathotyping of peafowl (Pavo cristatus) origin Newcastle disease virus isolates recovered from disease outbreaks in three states of India.

Science.gov (United States)

Desingu, Perumal Arumugam; Singh, Shambhu Dayal; Dhama, Kuldeep; Vinodhkumar, Obli Rajendran; Barathidasan, Rajamani; Malik, Yashpal Singh; Singh, Rajendra; Singh, Raj Kumar

2016-12-01

Disease outbreak investigations were carried out in three states of Northern India namely Haryana (Rewari), Uttar Pradesh (Noida) and Delhi, where a total of 110 Indian peafowls (Pavo cristatus) showed sudden onset of nervous signs and died within a period of two weeks during June, 2012. The F (fusion) gene-based RT-PCR detection of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) in affected tissues confirmed the presence of the virus. Three NDV isolates were selected (one from each area under investigation) and further characterized. They were found to be of virulent pathotype (velogenic NDV) based on both pathogenicity assays (MDT, ICPI and IVPI) and partial F gene sequence analysis. Additionally, the phylogenetic analysis revealed that the isolates belonged to the genotype VIIi and XIII of class II avian Paramyxovirus serotype1 (APMV-1) and related closely to new emerging sub-genotypes. This is the first report regarding the presence of the fifth panzootic vNDV genotype VIIi from India. In this scenario, extensive epidemiological studies are suggested for surveillance of NDV genotypes in wild birds and poultry flocks of the country along with adopting suitable prevention and control measures.

Wootz Crucible Steel: A Newly Discovered Production Site in South India

OpenAIRE

Sharad Srinivasan

1994-01-01

During the course of field investigations of copper mining and smelting in South India, the author of this paper came across a previously unrecorded archaeometallurgical site in Mel-siruvalur, South Arcot district, Tamil Nadu, which investigations have confinned was a production centre for wootz crucible steel in the Deccan. The find of this production centre supports the idea that wootz steel production was relatiYely widespread in South India, and extends the known horizons of this technolo...

Documentation and quantitative analysis of local ethnozoological knowledge among traditional healers of Theni district, Tamil Nadu, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Chellappandian, M; Pandikumar, P; Mutheeswaran, S; Gabriel Paulraj, M; Prabakaran, S; Duraipandiyan, V; Ignacimuthu, S; Al-Dhabi, N A

2014-05-28

This study investigated the use of animals among the traditional healers in Theni district of Tamil Nadu, India. The data regarding the medicinal animals/animal products were documented and their usages were analyzed quantitatively. Based on free list interviews with the traditional healers, we documented the medicinal usage of animals/animal products and calculated the indices such as informant consensus factor (Fic) to determine the consensus over the species for an illness category, as well as the Index Agreement on Remedies (IAR) to determine the extent of potential utilization of each species. In this study, 69 medicinal animals/animal products were documented with the help of standardized questionnaires among the local healers. The results were tabulated and Fic value for each illness category was calculated. Three illness categories viz., jaundice (milk of Capra aegagrus hircus), orthopedics (egg white and meat of Gallus gallus domesticus) and pediatrics (milk of Equus africanus asinus) had got high Fic values. Fifteen illness categories had moderate Fic values. Highly cited animals in these illness categories were: Rusa unicolor (antiemetic), Reticulitermes spp. (diabetes), flesh of Varanus benghalensis (oral ailments), milk (eye ailments, fever) and urine (antidote) of Homo sepians, meat of Trachypithecus johnii (respiratory ailments), various parts of C. aegagrus hircus (blood ailments, coolants, diarrhea, pulmonary and urinary ailments), flesh of Chamaeleon zeyalnica (neural ailments), meat of Passer domesticus (aphrodisiac), curd and dung of Bos primigenius taurus (dermatological ailments), meat of G. domesticus (musculo-skeletal disorders, analgesic), meat of Lissemys punctata (hemorrhoids), and Pherthima posthuma (psychological ailments). Six illness categories had low Fic values. This study indicated that the animals are still being used by the local healers of Theni district, to treat various illnesses. Cross-disciplinary approaches to explore the

Download this PDF file

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Mr HMM Mzimela

2014-08-01

Aug 1, 2014 ... 1Department of Chemistry and Physics, CCS Haryana Agricultural University Hisar-125 004, India. ... natural products, which can be obtained from a wide .... molecular mass 403.4 in azoxystrobin at four different collision .... matter. Bending et al. (2006) reported variability in the degradation rates of the ...

Comparative study of Wenner and Schlumberger electrical resistivity method for groundwater investigation: a case study from Dhule district (M.S.), India

Science.gov (United States)

Vasantrao, Baride Mukund; Bhaskarrao, Patil Jitendra; Mukund, Baride Aarti; Baburao, Golekar Rushikesh; Narayan, Patil Sanjaykumar

2017-12-01

The area chosen for the present study is Dhule district, which belongs to the drought prone area of Maharashtra State, India. Dhule district suffers from water problem, and therefore, there is no extra water available to supply for the agricultural and industrial growth. To understand the lithological characters in terms of its hydro-geological conditions, it is necessary to understand the geology of the area. It is now established fact that the geophysical method gives a better information of subsurface geology. Geophysical electrical surveys with four electrodes configuration, i.e., Wenner and Schlumberger method, were carried out at the same selected sites to observe the similarity and compared both the applications in terms of its use and handling in the field. A total 54 VES soundings were carried out spread over the Dhule district and representing different lithological units. The VES curves are drawn using inverse slope method for Wenner configuration, IPI2 win Software, and curve matching techniques were used for Schlumberger configuration. Regionwise lithologs are prepared based on the obtained resistivity and thickness for Wenner method. Regionwise curves were prepared based on resistivity layers for Schlumberger method. Comparing the two methods, it is observed that Wenner and Schlumberger methods have merits or demerits. Considering merits and demerits from the field point of view, it is suggested that Wenner inverse slope method is more handy for calculation and interpretation, but requires lateral length which is a constrain. Similarly, Schlumberger method is easy in application but unwieldy for their interpretation. The work amply proves the applicability of geophysical techniques in the water resource evaluation procedure. This technique is found to be suitable for the areas with similar geological setup elsewhere.

Prevalence of goiter and urinary iodine status in six-twelve-year-old rural primary school children of Bharuch district, Gujarat, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haresh Rameshkumar Chandwani

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Iodine deficiency disorder (IDD creates major public health problems in India, including Gujarat. The Bharuch district is a known iodine deficiency endemic area. This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of goiter in primary school children; to determine the median urinary iodine concentration; to assess the level of iodine in salt samples at the household and retail shop levels; and to study the profile of salt sold at retail shops. Methods: This study was carried out by using the 30-cluster survey method in the primary schools of the rural areas in Bharuch district. A total of 70 students, including five boys and five girls from the first to seventh classes, who were present in class on the day of the visit were selected randomly for goiter examination from each village. Urine samples were collected from one boy and one girl from each class in each cluster. From each community, a maximum of two boys and two girls from each standard in the same age group were examined and also salt samples were tested from their households. From each village, one retail shop was visited and the salt purchased from those shops was immediately tested for iodine with spot kits. Results: We found a goiter prevalence of 23.2% (grade 1 - 17.4% and grade 2 - 5.8%. As the age increased, the goiter prevalence decreased except in nine-year-olds. The median urinary iodine excretion level was 110 μg/L. An Iodine level > 15 ppm was found in 93% of the salt samples tested at the household level. Conclusion: The present study showed moderate goiter prevalence in primary school children in the Bharuch district of Gujarat and an inadequate iodine content of salt at some household levels.

EVALUATION OF CHEMICAL AND ELECTROLYTE COMPONENTS OF MILK IN SUBCLINICAL MASTITIS IN HOLSTEIN X HARYANA CATTLE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anirban Guha

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The present investigation was carried out to investigate whether the chemical and electrolyte components of milk can be used as an indicator to detect subclinical mastitis in Holstein X Haryana cows. The bacterial cultural examination revealed 32 cows comprising 34 quarters are SCM positive. SCM positive and negative samples were estimated for electrical conductivity (EC and pH with respective meters, sodium (Na+ and potassium (K+ with Flame photometer and chloride (Cl- by titremetric method. The result demonstrated statistically significant (p<0.01 increase in EC, Na+ and Cl- and decrease in K+. After studying the correlation coefficient among the milk components and comparing them with a Gold standard (Log10 SCC separately in normal and infected milk it was found that Na+, Cl- and K+ are the indicators of SCM in the present study.

Relevance of water quality index for groundwater quality evaluation: Thoothukudi District, Tamil Nadu, India

Science.gov (United States)

Singaraja, C.

2017-09-01

The present hydrogeochemical study was confined to the Thoothukudi District in Tamilnadu, India. A total of 100 representative water samples were collected during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon and analyzed for the major cations (sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium) and anions (chloride, sulfate, bicarbonate, fluoride and nitrate) along with various physical and chemical parameters (pH, total dissolved salts and electrical conductivity). Water quality index rating was calculated to quantify the overall water quality for human consumption. The PRM samples exhibit poor quality in greater percentage when compared with POM due to dilution of ions and agricultural impact. The overlay of WQI with chloride and EC corresponds to the same locations indicating the poor quality of groundwater in the study area. Sodium (Na %), sodium absorption ratio (SAR), residual sodium carbonate (RSC), residual sodium bicarbonate, permeability index (PI), magnesium hazards (MH), Kelly's ratio (KR), potential salinity (PS) and Puri's salt index (PSI) and domestic quality parameters such as total hardness (TH), temporary, permanent hardness and corrosivity ratio (CR) were calculated. The majority of the samples were not suitable for drinking, irrigation and domestic purposes in the study area. In this study, the analysis of salinization/freshening processes was carried out through binary diagrams such as of mole ratios of {SO}_{ 4}^{ 2- } /Cl- and Cl-/EC that clearly classify the sources of seawater intrusion and saltpan contamination. Spatial diagram BEX was used to find whether the aquifer was in the salinization region or in the freshening encroachment region.

CEPF Western Ghats Special Series: First record of the genus Tigidia Simon, 1892 (Araneae: Barychelidae from India with description of three new species from the Western Ghats, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Siliwal

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Prior to this study the genus Tigidia Simon, 1892 of the Brush-footed Spider family Barychelidae was represented by eight species endemic to Madagascar and Mauritius Islands. The first occurrence of Tigidia in India is reported here with the description of three new species from the Western Ghats, T. sahyadri sp. nov. from Uttara Kannada District, Karnataka; T. nilgiriensis sp. nov. from Kotagiri, Nilgiri District, Tamil Nadu and T. rutilofronis sp. nov. from Maruthamalai, Coimbatore District, Tamil Nadu. This genus is probably a Gondwana relict. Natural history information is provided for all the species.

Memecylon clarkeanum Cogn. (Melastomataceae - a Threatened Species, New Record for India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ambikabai Raghavanpillai Sivu

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Memecylon clarkeanum Cogn., an endemic and threatened species of Sri Lanka characterized by narrowly filiform foliar sclereids is reported and described as a new record for India from Wayanad, Kozhikode, Malappuram and Palakkad districts of Kerala.

Oral health status of Tibetan and local school children of Kushalnagar, Mysore district, India: A comparative study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K S Havaldar

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The presence of migrants culturally different from inhabitants of the host country is now a widespread phenomenon. It is known that dietary habits and oral hygiene practices vary from country to country, which in turn has a profound effect on oral health. Objectives: To assess and compare the oral health status of Tibetan school children and local school children of Kushalnagar (Bylakuppe. Study design: A survey was conducted at Kushalnagar (Bylakuppe, in Mysore district, India to assess the oral health status of Tibetan school children (n = 300 and local school children (n = 300 and compared using World Health Organization oral health proforma (1997. Results: The proportional values are compared using chi-square test and the mean values are compared using Student′s t-test. Statistically significant results were obtained for soft tissue lesions, dental caries, malocclusion, and treatment needs. However, results were not significant when gingivitis was compared in the two populations. Conclusions: Tibetan school children showed higher prevalence of Angular cheilitis, gingival bleeding, dental caries experience, malocclusion, and treatment needs in comparison with non-Tibetans. Among the Tibetan school children, the requirement for two or more surface filling was more.

Romance and sex: pre-marital partnership formation among young women and men, Pune district, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Alexander, Mallika; Garda, Laila; Kanade, Savita; Jejeebhoy, Shireen; Ganatra, Bela

2006-11-01

Using qualitative and survey data in a rural and an urban slum setting in Pune district, India, this paper describes patterns of pre-marital romantic partnerships among young people aged 15-24, in spite of norms that discourage opposite-sex interaction before marriage. 25-40% of young men and 14-17% of young women reported opposite-sex friends. Most young people devised strategies to interact with others, largely from the same neighbourhood. There were wide gender differences with regard to making or receiving romantic proposals, having a romantic partner and experiencing hand-holding, kissing and sexual relations. For those who engaged in sexual relations, the time from the onset of the partnership to having sexual relations was short. Sex most often took place without protection or communication, and for a disturbing minority of young women only after persuasion or without consent. Among those who were unmarried, a large percentage had expected to marry their romantic partner, but for a third of young women and half of young men the relationship had been discontinued. Partnership formation often leads to physical intimacy, but intimacy should be wanted, informed and safe. Findings call for programmes that inform youth in non-threatening, non-judgmental and confidential ways, respect their sexual rights and equip them to make safe choices and negotiate wanted outcomes.

Skewed Sex Ratios and Criminal Victimization in India

Science.gov (United States)

South, Scott J.; Trent, Katherine; Bose, Sunita

2014-01-01

Although substantial research has explored the causes of India’s excessively masculine population sex ratio, few studies have examined the consequences of this surplus of males. We merge individual-level data from the 2004–2005 India Human Development Survey with data from the 2001 India population census to examine the association between the district-level male-to-female sex ratio at ages 15 to 39 and self-reports of victimization by theft, breaking and entering, and assault. Multilevel logistic regression analyses reveal positive and statistically significant albeit substantively modest effects of the district-level sex ratio on all three victimization risks. We also find that higher male-to-female sex ratios are associated with the perception that young unmarried women in the local community are frequently harassed. Household-level indicators of family structure, socioeconomic status, and caste, as well as areal indicators of women’s empowerment and collective efficacy, also emerge as significant predictors of self-reported criminal victimization and the perceived harassment of young women. The implications of these findings for India’s growing sex ratio imbalance are discussed. PMID:24682921

Measurement of alpha radioactive air pollutants in fly ash brick dwellings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chauhan, R.P.; Kant, K.; Sharma, S.K.; Chakarvarti, S.K.

2003-01-01

The exposure of population to high concentrations of radon and its daughters for a long period lead to pathological effects like the respiratory functional changes and the occurrence of lung cancer. In the present study indoor radon monitoring has been carried out in fly ash brick dwellings in some villages/towns of district Faridabad, Haryana (India) using alpha sensitive LR-115 type II solid-state nuclear track detectors. The radon concentration levels in fly ash brick dwellings varied from 197 to 448 Bq m -3 with an average of 277±13 Bq m -3 while annual effective dose received by the occupants varied from 3.4 to 7.7 mSv with an average of 4.8±0.2 mSv. These results have been compared with the radon levels found in cemented and mud dwellings taken from our studies for these dwellings. These studies were also made simultaneously along with fly ash dwellings using same technique and in the same regions

Rapid Vulnerability Assessment of Yartsa Gunbu (Ophiocordyceps sinensis [Berk.] G.H. Sung et al in Pithoragarh District, Uttarakhand State, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chandra S. Negi

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Any resource of high value and relevance to rural livelihoods is at risk of overexploitation. The anthropogenic pressure on the caterpillar fungus, Ophiocordyceps sinensis (Berk. G.H. Sung, J.M. Sung, Hywel-Jones & Spatafora 2007, commonly referred to as yartsa gunbu, is intense, especially given the absence of traditional sustainable collection techniques. Stable harvests are the result of 2 factors: more people searching more intensely and extensively and the ongoing discovery of new areas for harvest. Increasing international demand and prices (presently around US$ 20,000 per kg have resulted not just in overexploitation but also in the degradation of the fungus’s habitat, thus endangering its future viability. This article reports on a rapid vulnerability assessment involving 2511 harvesters in 9 broad study sites and 110 villages in the Pithoragarh district in Uttarakhand state, India, in the central Himalaya, and recommends ways to lessen the pressure on this valuable species.

CHP and District Cooling: An Assessment of Market and Policy Potential in India

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2008-07-01

This report contains an assessment of India's CHP/DC status and recommendations for addressing barriers to allow India to meet its energy efficiency targets. Such barriers include a lack of governmental emphasis on CHP, the absence of a clear methodology for calculating CO2 emission reductions from CHP/DHC, and a tax and duty structure for CHP capital equipment that is not as attractive as for other renewable energy technologies.

Distribution of sibling species of Anopheles culicifacies s.l. and Anopheles fluviatilis s.l. and their vectorial capacity in eight different malaria endemic districts of Orissa, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Asima Tripathy

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The study was undertaken in eight endemic districts of Orissa, India, to find the members of the species complexes of Anopheles culicifacies and Anopheles fluviatilis and their distribution patterns. The study area included six forested districts (Keonjhar, Angul, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Nayagarh and Khurda and two non-forested coastal districts (Puri and Jagatsingpur studied over a period of two years (June 2007-May 2009. An. culicifacies A, B, C and D and An. fluviatilis S and T sibling species were reported. The prevalence of An. culicifacies A ranged from 4.2-8.41%, B from 54.96-76.92%, C from 23.08-33.62% and D from 1.85-5.94% (D was reported for the first time in Orissa, except for occurrences in the Khurda and Nayagarh districts. The anthropophilic indices (AI were 3.2-4.8%, 0.5-1.7%, 0.7-1.37% and 0.91-1.35% for A, B, C and D, respectively, whereas the sporozoite rates (SR were 0.49-0.54%, 0%, 0.28-0.37% and 0.41-0.46% for A, B, C and D, respectively. An. fluviatilis showed a similarly varied distribution pattern in which S was predominant (84.3% overall; its AI and SR values ranged from 60.7-90.4% and 1.2-2.32%, respectively. The study observed that the co-existence of potential vector sibling species of An. culicifacies (A, C and D and An. fluviatilis S (> 50% was responsible for the high endemicity of malaria in forested districts such as Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Angul, Ganjam, Nayagarh and Khurda (> 5% slide positivity rate. Thus, the epidemiological scenario for malaria is dependent on the distribution of the vector sibling species and their vectorial capacity.

Distribution of sibling species of Anopheles culicifacies s.l. and Anopheles fluviatilis s.l. and their vectorial capacity in eight different malaria endemic districts of Orissa, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Tripathy, Asima; Samanta, Luna; Das, Sachidananda; Parida, Sarat Kumar; Marai, Nitisheel; Hazra, Rupenansu Kumar; Kar, Santanu Kumar; Mahapatra, Namita

2010-12-01

The study was undertaken in eight endemic districts of Orissa, India, to find the members of the species complexes of Anopheles culicifacies and Anopheles fluviatilis and their distribution patterns. The study area included six forested districts (Keonjhar, Angul, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Nayagarh and Khurda) and two non-forested coastal districts (Puri and Jagatsingpur) studied over a period of two years (June 2007-May 2009). An. culicifacies A, B, C and D and An. fluviatilis S and T sibling species were reported. The prevalence of An. culicifacies A ranged from 4.2-8.41%, B from 54.96-76.92%, C from 23.08-33.62% and D from 1.85-5.94% (D was reported for the first time in Orissa, except for occurrences in the Khurda and Nayagarh districts). The anthropophilic indices (AI) were 3.2-4.8%, 0.5-1.7%, 0.7-1.37% and 0.91-1.35% for A, B, C and D, respectively, whereas the sporozoite rates (SR) were 0.49-0.54%, 0%, 0.28-0.37% and 0.41-0.46% for A, B, C and D, respectively. An. fluviatilis showed a similarly varied distribution pattern in which S was predominant (84.3% overall); its AI and SR values ranged from 60.7-90.4% and 1.2-2.32%, respectively. The study observed that the co-existence of potential vector sibling species of An. culicifacies (A, C and D) and An. fluviatilis S (> 50%) was responsible for the high endemicity of malaria in forested districts such as Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Angul, Ganjam, Nayagarh and Khurda (> 5% slide positivity rate). Thus, the epidemiological scenario for malaria is dependent on the distribution of the vector sibling species and their vectorial capacity.

Study of fossil wood from the Middle-Late Miocene sediments of Dhemaji and Lakhimpur districts of Assam, India and its palaeoecological and palaeophytogeographical implications

Science.gov (United States)

Mehrotra, R. C.; Bera, S. K.; Basumatary, S. K.; Srivastava, G.

2011-08-01

In order to reconstruct the palaeoclimate, a number of fossil wood pieces were collected and investigated from two new fossil localities situated in the Dhemaji and Lakhimpur districts of Assam. They belong to the Tipam Group considered to be of Middle-Late Miocene in age and show affinities with Gluta (Anacardiaceae), Bischofia (Euphorbiaceae), Bauhinia, Cynometra, Copaifera-Detarium-Sindora, Millettia-Pongamia, and Afzelia-Intsia (Fabaceae). The flora also records a new species of Bauhinia named Bauhinia miocenica sp. nov. The assemblage indicates a warm and humid climate in the region during the deposition of the sediments. The occurrence of some southeast Asian elements in the fossil flora indicates that an exchange of floral elements took place between India and southeast Asia during the Miocene.

Administrative issues involved in disaster management in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaur, Jagdish

2006-12-01

India as a country is vulnerable to a number of disasters, from earthquakes to floods. Poor and weaker members of the society have always been more vulnerable to various types of disasters. Disasters result in unacceptably high morbidity and mortality amongst the affected population. Damage to infrastructure and reduction in revenues from the affected region due to low yield add to the economic losses. Poor co-ordination at the local level, lack of early-warning systems, often very slow responses, paucity of trained dedicated clinicians, lack of search and rescue facilities and poor community empowerment are some of the factors, which have been contributing to poor response following disasters in the past. The first formal step towards development of policies relating to disaster care in India was the formulation of the National Disaster Response Plan (NDRP) which was formulated initially by the Government of India for managing natural disasters only. However, this was subsequently amended to include man-made disasters as well. It sets the scene for formulating state and district level plans in all states to bring cohesiveness and a degree of uniform management in dealing with disasters. A National Disaster Management Authority has been constituted which aims to provide national guidelines and is headed by the Prime Minister of India. It is the highest decision-making body for the management of disasters in the country. The authority has the responsibility for co-ordinating response and post-disaster relief and rehabilitation. Each state is required to set up Disaster Management Authorities and District Disaster Management Committees for co-ordination and close supervision of activities and efforts related to the management of disasters.

Gender differences, routes of transmission, socio-demographic characteristics and prevalence of HIV related infections of adults and children in an HIV cohort from a rural district of India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gerardo Alvarez-Uria

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Despite 67% of HIV infected people in India are rural residents, the epidemiology of HIV in rural areas is not well known. This is an observational cohort study of 11,040 HIV infected people living in a rural district of India. The prevalence of hepatitis B, hepatitis C and syphilis of HIV infected patients were compared to the seroprevalence in 16,641 blood donors from the same area. The age of diagnosis in adults was below 35 years in 70% of cases and 56% were illiterate. One third of women were widows and only 3.6% of adults had a permanent job. Women were diagnosed at earlier age, had lower level of education, had poorer employment conditions and depended more on their relatives than men. In a survey performed to a subgroup of patients, 81% of women referred to have acquired HIV from their spouse, whereas 51% of men acquired HIV from commercial sex. Patients with HIV had significantly higher prevalence of hepatitis B, hepatitis C and syphilis than blood donors. Seroprevalence of HIV-2, hepatitis C and toxoplasmosis were low compared to other sites. Six percent were children (<15 years and almost half of them had lost one or both of their parents. The study shows the poor socio-economical situation and the high level of illiteracy of people living with HIV in rural India, especially women. Future health programmes of HIV in India should take into account the particularities of the HIV epidemic in rural areas.

Power imbalance and consumerism in the doctor-patient relationship: health care providers' experiences of patient encounters in a rural district in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Fochsen, Grethe; Deshpande, Kirti; Thorson, Anna

2006-11-01

The aim of this study is to explore health care providers' experiences and perceptions of their encounters with male and female patients in a rural district in India with special reference to tuberculosis (TB) care. The authors conducted semistructured interviews with 22 health care providers, 17 men and 5 women, from the public and private health care sectors. Findings reveal that doctors adopted an authoritarian as well as a consumerist approach in the medical encounter, indicating that power imbalances in the doctor-patient relationship are negotiable and subject to change. Gender was identified as an influencing factor of the doctor's dominance. A patient-centered approach, acknowledging patients' own experiences and shared decision making, is called for and should be included in TB control activities. This seems to be especially important for female patients, whose voices were not heard in the medical encounter.

Prevalence of peste des petits ruminants in goats in North-East India

OpenAIRE

Balamurugan, V.; Das, Sutopa; Raju, D. S. N.; Chakravarty, Indirani; Nagalingam, M.; Hemadri, D.; Govindaraj, G.; Ibotombi Singh, N.; Ltu, Keduzol; Devi, Maitryee; Sharma, K.; Gajendragad, M. R.; Rahman, H.

2014-01-01

The present study describes prevalence of peste des petits ruminants (PPR) virus infection in goats in various parts of North-East (NE) India by screening of suspected serum samples collected during outbreak investigation and random samples during 2013–2014 survey. A total of 391 serum samples (318 random and 73 outbreak/suspected) were collected from 28 districts in 7 states (Meghalaya, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Mizoram) of NE India. Serum samples were screened...

Mitigating the Health Risks of Stone Quarrying and Crushing in India ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

In Pratapura Industrial Area (Tikamgarh district, Bundelkhand region, Madhya ... In the context of weak regulatory enforcement, worksite health and safety ... in stone quarrying and crushing through better ecosystem management. ... India, Central Asia, Far East Asia, South Asia ... LVIF announces five more funded projects.

First record of Galeodes indicus Pocock, 1900 (Arachnida: Solifugae: Galeodidae from Rajasthan, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruquaeya Bano

2016-03-01

Full Text Available During a regular survey to collect soil arthropods in Lasiurus sindicus Henrard grassland by pitfall methods at Chandan Village near Jaisalmer City, Rajasthan, we found a dead specimen of Galeodes indicus in a sample.  Galeodes indicus (Pocock, 1900 has been reported from Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana but so far was unknown to Rajasthan, India.  In this communication, we report Galeodes indicus from Jaisalmer District, Rajasthan, India. 

Prospects of Apicultural Entrepreneurship in Coastal Districts of Eastern India: A Melissopalynological Evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Upadhyay, Debasis; Bhattacharya, Swapan; Ferguson, David K.; Bera, Subir

2014-01-01

A melissopalynological analysis of fifty-one natural honey samples (twenty four spring, fifteen summer and twelve winter) collected during 2010–2011 from two east-coastal districts (20020/ to 22011/ N, 82039/ to 87001/ E) of Orissa, India was performed. Out of 37 unifloral samples found 25 were contributed by Apis cerana indica, seven by A. dorsata and the remaining five by A. florea. Out of 14 multifloral samples five were contributed by A. cerana indica, five by A. dorsata and the remaining four by A. florea. Principal component analysis confirmed the palynological classification of the unifloral honey samples. Eighty-two bee-plant taxa belonging to forty four families were recovered. The predominant nectariferous taxa of the spring season were Acanthus ilicifolius, Avicennia marina, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Cocos nucifera, Eucalyptus globulus, Phoenix paludosa, Pongamia pinnata, Prosopis juliflora, Sonneratia apetala and Syzygium cumini. In the summer the predominant nectariferous taxa were Borassus flabellifer, C. nucifera, E. globulus, Syzygium cumini, Terminalia arjuna, Aegiceras corniculatum, P. paludosa and Sonneratia apetala while those of the winter were Brassica nigra, Coriandrum sativum, Zizyphus jujuba, Alstonia scholaris, E. globulus and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza. Very low (<0.09) HDE/P for 98% of the samples and absence of toxic palynotaxa assure that these honeys are suitable for human consumption. Quite extended honey flow period with spring and summer as best forage seasons for the honeybees and occurrence of 82% of these honeys with APC Group II, III and IV justify the sustainability of the present study area for establishing moderate to large-scale apicultural entrepreneurship. This should improve the socio-economic status of the people of this region. PMID:24740144

Prospects of apicultural entrepreneurship in coastal districts of eastern India: a melissopalynological evaluation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Debasis Upadhyay

Full Text Available A melissopalynological analysis of fifty-one natural honey samples (twenty four spring, fifteen summer and twelve winter collected during 2010-2011 from two east-coastal districts (20(020/ to 22(011/ N, 82(039/ to 87(001/ E of Orissa, India was performed. Out of 37 unifloral samples found 25 were contributed by Apis cerana indica, seven by A. dorsata and the remaining five by A. florea. Out of 14 multifloral samples five were contributed by A. cerana indica, five by A. dorsata and the remaining four by A. florea. Principal component analysis confirmed the palynological classification of the unifloral honey samples. Eighty-two bee-plant taxa belonging to forty four families were recovered. The predominant nectariferous taxa of the spring season were Acanthus ilicifolius, Avicennia marina, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Cocos nucifera, Eucalyptus globulus, Phoenix paludosa, Pongamia pinnata, Prosopis juliflora, Sonneratia apetala and Syzygium cumini. In the summer the predominant nectariferous taxa were Borassus flabellifer, C. nucifera, E. globulus, Syzygium cumini, Terminalia arjuna, Aegiceras corniculatum, P. paludosa and Sonneratia apetala while those of the winter were Brassica nigra, Coriandrum sativum, Zizyphus jujuba, Alstonia scholaris, E. globulus and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza. Very low (<0.09 HDE/P for 98% of the samples and absence of toxic palynotaxa assure that these honeys are suitable for human consumption. Quite extended honey flow period with spring and summer as best forage seasons for the honeybees and occurrence of 82% of these honeys with APC Group II, III and IV justify the sustainability of the present study area for establishing moderate to large-scale apicultural entrepreneurship. This should improve the socio-economic status of the people of this region.

The role of litigation in ensuring women's reproductive rights: an analysis of the Shanti Devi judgement in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaur, Jameen

2012-06-01

The struggle for reproductive self-determination has specific significance for women and girls in India, where a maternal death occurs every five minutes. This paper analyses the role litigation played in seeking redress for violations of the reproductive rights of Shanti Devi, who died in childbirth in 2010 in Haryana state, and some of the socio-economic, cultural, political and legal factors involved. It provides a brief overview of India's national and international obligations with regard to maternal health, and through the lens of the litigation in Shanti Devi's case, it examines how the government failed to protect, respect and fulfill her right to life and health. Litigation can be used to ensure accountability in further cases by building on case law, informing communities about these decisions and their rights, and holding government accountable at local, state and central level. Litigation also has limits, most importantly due to people's lack of awareness of their rights and entitlements, the lack of government outreach programmes informing them of these, and the lack of accountability mechanisms within health programmes when they are not transparent or functioning effectively. Thus, although constitutional justice is an important tool for democratic progress and social change, social justice will only be achieved through broader social struggle. Copyright © 2012 Reproductive Health Matters. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DDT-based indoor residual spraying suboptimal for visceral leishmaniasis elimination in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Coleman, Michael; Foster, Geraldine M; Deb, Rinki; Pratap Singh, Rudra; Ismail, Hanafy M; Shivam, Pushkar; Ghosh, Ayan Kumar; Dunkley, Sophie; Kumar, Vijay; Coleman, Marlize; Hemingway, Janet; Paine, Mark J I; Das, Pradeep

2015-07-14

Indoor residual spraying (IRS) is used to control visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in India, but it is poorly quality assured. Quality assurance was performed in eight VL endemic districts in Bihar State, India, in 2014. Residual dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) was sampled from walls using Bostik tape discs, and DDT concentrations [grams of active ingredient per square meter (g ai/m(2))] were determined using HPLC. Pre-IRS surveys were performed in three districts, and post-IRS surveys were performed in eight districts. A 20% threshold above and below the target spray of 1.0 g ai/m(2) was defined as "in range." The entomological assessments were made in four districts in IRS and non-IRS villages. Vector densities were measured: pre-IRS and 1 and 3 mo post-IRS. Insecticide susceptibility to 4% DDT and 0.05% deltamethrin WHO-impregnated papers was determined with wild-caught sand flies. The majority (329 of 360, 91.3%) of pre-IRS samples had residual DDT concentrations of DDT post-IRS was 0.37 g ai/m(2); 84.9% of walls were undersprayed, 7.4% were sprayed in range, and 7.6% were oversprayed. The abundance of sand flies in IRS and non-IRS villages was significantly different at 1 mo post-IRS only. Sand flies were highly resistant to DDT but susceptible to deltamethrin. The Stockholm Convention, ratified by India in 2006, calls for the complete phasing out of DDT as soon as practical, with limited use in the interim where no viable IRS alternatives exist. Given the poor quality of the DDT-based IRS, ready availability of pyrethroids, and susceptibility profile of Indian sand flies, the continued use of DDT in this IRS program is questionable.

A population based eye survey of older adults in Tirunelveli district of south India: blindness, cataract surgery, and visual outcomes

Science.gov (United States)

Nirmalan, P K; Thulasiraj, R D; Maneksha, V; Rahmathullah, R; Ramakrishnan, R; Padmavathi, A; Munoz, S R; Ellwein, L B

2002-01-01

Aims: To assess the prevalence of vision impairment, blindness, and cataract surgery and to evaluate visual acuity outcomes after cataract surgery in a south Indian population. Methods: Cluster sampling was used to randomly select a cross sectional sample of people ≥50 years of age living in the Tirunelveli district of south India. Eligible subjects in 28 clusters were enumerated through a door to door household survey. Visual acuity measurements and ocular examinations were performed at a selected site within each of the clusters in early 2000. The principal cause of visual impairment was identified for eyes with presenting visual acuity India) was found in 11.0%, and in 4.6% with best correction. Presenting blindness was associated with older age, female sex, and illiteracy. Cataract was the principal cause of blindness in at least one eye in 70.6% of blind people. The prevalence of cataract surgery was 11.8%—with an estimated 56.5% of the cataract blind already operated on. Surgical coverage was inversely associated with illiteracy and with female sex in rural areas. Within the cataract operated sample, 31.7% had presenting visual acuity ≥6/18 in both eyes and 11.8% were <6/60; 40% were bilaterally operated on, with 63% pseudophakic. Presenting vision was <6/60 in 40.7% of aphakic eyes and in 5.1% of pseudophakic eyes; with best correction the percentages were 17.6% and 3.7%, respectively. Refractive error, including uncorrected aphakia, was the main cause of visual impairment in cataract operated eyes. Vision <6/18 was associated with cataract surgery in government, as opposed to that in non-governmental/private facilities. Age, sex, literacy, and area of residence were not predictors of visual outcomes. Conclusion: Treatable blindness, particularly that associated with cataract and refractive error, remains a significant problem among older adults in south Indian populations, especially in females, the illiterate, and those living in rural areas. Further

Heavy metal contaminations in the groundwater of Brahmaputra flood plain: an assessment of water quality in Barpeta District, Assam (India).

Science.gov (United States)

Haloi, Nabanita; Sarma, H P

2012-10-01

A study was conducted to evaluate the heavy metal contamination status of groundwater in Brahmaputra flood plain Barpeta District, Assam, India. The Brahmaputra River flows from the southern part of the district and its many tributaries flow from north to south. Cd, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn are estimated by using atomic absorption spectrometer, Perkin Elmer AA 200. The quantity of heavy metals in drinking water should be checked time to time; as heavy metal accumulation will cause numerous problems to living being. Forty groundwater samples were collected mainly from tube wells from the flood plain area. As there is very little information available about the heavy metal contamination status in the heavily populated study area, the present work will help to be acquainted with the suitability of groundwater for drinking applications as well as it will enhance the database. The concentration of iron exceeds the WHO recommended levels of 0.3 mg/L in about 80% of the samples, manganese values exceed 0.4 mg/L in about 22.5% of the samples, and lead values also exceed limit in 22.5% of the samples. Cd is reported in only four sampling locations and three of them exceed the WHO permissible limit (0.003 mg/L). Zinc concentrations were found to be within the prescribed WHO limits. Therefore, pressing awareness is needed for the betterment of water quality; for the sake of safe drinking water. Statistical analysis of the data was carried out using Special Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 16).

A brief and critical review on hydrofluorosis in diverse species of domestic animals in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Choubisa, Shanti Lal

2018-02-01

India is one of the fluoride-endemic countries where the maximum numbers of ground or drinking water sources are naturally fluoridated. In India, a total of 23, out of 36 states and union territories have drinking water contaminated with fluoride in varying concentration. In the present scenario, especially in rural India, besides the surface waters (perennial ponds, dams, rivers, etc.), bore wells and hand pumps are the principal drinking water sources for domestic animals such as cattle (Bos taurus), water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis), sheep (Ovis aries), goats (Capra hircus), horses (Equus caballus), donkeys (Equus asinus) and dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius). Out of 23 states, 17 states, namely Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha (Orissa), Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, have fluoride beyond the maximum permissible limit of 1.0 or 1.5 ppm in drinking water. This situation is a great concern for the animal health because fluoride is a slow toxicant and causes chronic diverse serious health hazards or toxic effects. Despite the fact that domestic animals are the basic income sources in rural areas and possess a significant contributory role not only in the agriculture sector but also in the strengthening of economy as well as in sustainable development of the country, research work on chronic fluoride intoxication (hydrofluorosis) due to drinking of fluoridated water in domestic animals rearing in various fluoride-endemic states is not enough as compared to work done in humans. However, some interesting and excellent research works conducted on different aspects of hydrofluorosis in domesticated animals rearing in different states are briefly and critically reviewed in the present communication. Author believes that this review paper not only will be more useful for researchers to do some more advance research work on fluoride

AIDS in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Shreedhar, J

1995-01-01

A major HIV epidemic is underway in India, home to 900 million people and the world's second largest population. The director-general of the Indian Council of Medical Research expects India by the year 2000 to be the country with the largest number of HIV infections, with some experts predicting 5 million people to be infected with HIV in India by the year 2000. Others predict 30-55 million to be infected. Although HIV is increasingly spreading to typically low-risk group populations, it is the female sex workers and their clients, long distance truck drivers, men who have sex with men, blood transfusion donors and recipients, and IV drug users throughout the country who are both the reservoirs of HIV and vectors of transmission to the general population. For example, 52% of sex workers in Bombay in 1994 were found to be infected with HIV. Studies indicate that India's long-distance truck drivers average 200 sexual encounters per year; at any given time, 70% of them have STDs. Preliminary surveys estimate that almost 33% are infected with HIV. HIV seroprevalence among truckers in Madras requesting HIV testing because they have STDs increased from almost 60% in 1993 to 91% in 1995. Moreover, the illegal status of homosexuality in India has created an underground culture in which HIV and STDs are rampant; one 1995 study in the Sangli district of Maharashtra found 50% of men who have sex with men to be infected with HIV. Half of India's blood for transfusion is drawn from commercial donors. A Bombay study, however, found 86% of such donors screened in 1992 to be HIV-seropositive and not all blood banks comply with mandatory screening laws. As widespread HIV infection evolves into a multitude of AIDS cases, India's health care system and economy will be heavily taxed, and the number of tuberculosis (TB) cases greatly increased. More than half the population carries the TB bacillus. The government by 1992 had drafted a national prevention and control plan and formed the

Multilevel Analysis of the Predictors of HIV Prevalence among Pregnant Women Enrolled in Annual HIV Sentinel Surveillance in Four States in Southern India.

Science.gov (United States)

Thamattoor, Usha; Thomas, Tinku; Banandur, Pradeep; Rajaram, S; Duchesne, Thierry; Abdous, Belkacem; Washington, Reynold; Ramesh, B M; Moses, Stephen; Alary, Michel

2015-01-01

Heterogeneity of the HIV epidemic across districts of south India is reflected in HIV positivity among antenatal clinic (ANC) attendees. Along with individual factors, contextual factors also need consideration for effective HIV interventions. Thus, identifying district and individual level factors that influence ANC HIV positivity assumes importance to intervene effectively. Data on HIV sentinel surveillance among the ANC population were obtained from the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) between years 2004 and 2007. Data from serial cross-sectional studies among female sex workers (FSWs) conducted during this time period in 24 districts were used to generate district level variables corresponding to parameters concerning this high risk population. Other district level data were obtained from various official/governmental agencies. Multilevel logistic regression was used to identify individual and district level factors associated with ANC-HIV positivity. The average ANC-HIV prevalence from 2004 to 2007 in the 24 integrated biological and behavioural assessments (IBBA) districts ranged from 0.25 to 3.25%. HIV positivity was significantly higher among ANC women with age ≥ 25 years [adjusted odds ratio (AOR):1.49; 95% confidence interval (95%CI):1.27 to 1.76] compared to those with ageIlliteracy of the woman, higher HIV prevalence among FSWs and early marriage were associated with HIV positivity among pregnant women in southern India. In addition to targeted HIV preventive interventions among FSWs, studying and changing the behavior of FSW clients and addressing structural drivers of the epidemic might indirectly help reduce HIV infection among women in southern India.

Let’s speak for Patient Safety in India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Om Prakash Kansal

2017-07-01

Full Text Available As if the fire episode in a major hospital in 2011 in Kolkata was not enough, another fire episode was recorded in West Bengal tertiary hospital end August. Recently, a colleague undertaking infection control audit was led into an operating theatre with blood stained slippers and only face mask, when the surgery was on. The onset of hepatitis B and hepatitis C epidemics due to reuse of syringes and needles hit the regional headlines in Haryana and Srinagar in 2012 and 2015 respectively.   Worldwide, adverse events occur in around 10% of hospital patients. Individual studies have reported adverse events from 4–17% of hospital admissions and 5–21% of these adverse events result in death. In low- and middle-income countries, adverse events may develop from unsafe care in as many as 18.4% of patients, with 30% of those events leading to the patient's death. Medical literature often reports the incidence of health care acquired infections which the patient may not have when s/he walks in the hospital. The evidence also suggests that half of these can be prevented easily just by investing a minor fraction of the budgets while planning the healthcare. In India, almost all states are facing this challenge irrespective how robust the health care delivery system has developed.

A cultural critique of community psychiatry in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Jain, Sumeet; Jadhav, Sushrut

2008-01-01

This article is the first comprehensive cultural critique of India's official community mental health policy and program. Data are based on a literature review of published papers, conference proceedings, analyses of official policy and popular media, interviews with key Indian mental health professionals, and fieldwork in Kanpur district, Uttar Pradesh (2004-2006). The authors demonstrate how three influences have shaped community psychiatry in India: a cultural asymmetry between health professionals and the wider society, psychiatry's search for both professional and social legitimacy, and WHO policies that have provided the overall direction to the development of services. Taken together, the consequences are that rural community voices have been edited out. The authors hypothesize that community psychiatry in India is a bureaucratic and culturally incongruent endeavor that increases the divide between psychiatry and local rural communities. Such a claim requires sustained ethnographic fieldwork to reveal the dynamics of the gap between community and professional experiences. The development of culturally sensitive psychiatric theory and clinical services is essential to improve the mental health of rural citizens who place their trust in India's biomedical network.

Costs and consequences of a cash transfer for hospital births in a rural district of Uttar Pradesh, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Coffey, Diane

2014-08-01

The Janani Suraksha Yojana, India's "safe motherhood program," is a conditional cash transfer to encourage women to give birth in health facilities. Despite the program's apparent success in increasing facility-based births, quantitative evaluations have not found corresponding improvements in health outcomes. This study analyses original qualitative data collected between January, 2012 and November, 2013 in a rural district in Uttar Pradesh to address the question of why the program has not improved health outcomes. It finds that health service providers are focused on capturing economic rents associated with the program, and provide an extremely poor quality care. Further, the program does not ultimately provide beneficiaries a large net monetary transfer at the time of birth. Based on a detailed accounting of the monetary costs of hospital and home deliveries, this study finds that the value of the transfer to beneficiaries is small due to costs associated with hospital births. Finally, this study also documents important emotional and psychological costs to women of delivering in the hospital. These findings suggest the need for a substantial rethinking of the program, paying careful attention to incentivizing health outcomes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Age variations in anthropometric and body composition characteristics and undernutrition among female Bathudis: a tribal population of Keonjhar District, Orissa, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Bose, Kaushik; Chakraborty, Falguni; Bisai, Samiran

2007-09-01

A cross-sectional study of 183 female Bathudis, a tribal population of the Keonjhar District, Orissa, India, was undertaken to investigate age variations in anthropometric and body composition characteristics and nutritional status. The subjects were categorized into three age groups: 50 years. Height, weight, circumferences and skinfolds data were collected. Body mass index (BMI) and several body composition variables and indices were derived using standard equations. The results revealed that there existed significant negative age variations for most of the anthropometric and body composition variables and indices. Correlation studies of age with these variables and indices revealed significant negative correlations. Linear regression analyses revealed that for all variables, age had a significant negative impact. Studies on the nutritional status of these women revealed that with increasing age, there was an increase in the frequency of undernutrition. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that among Bathudi women, age was significantly negatively related with anthropometric and body composition variables and indices. Moreover, with increasing age, the level of undernutrition increased.

Clinical impact and cost-effectiveness of expanded voluntary HIV testing in India.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kartik K Venkatesh

Full Text Available Despite expanding access to antiretroviral therapy (ART, most of the estimated 2.3 to 2.5 million HIV-infected individuals in India remain undiagnosed. The questions of whom to test for HIV and at what frequency remain unclear.We used a simulation model of HIV testing and treatment to examine alternative HIV screening strategies: 1 current practice, 2 one-time, 3 every five years, and 4 annually; and we applied these strategies to three population scenarios: 1 the general Indian population ("national population", i.e. base case (HIV prevalence 0.29%; incidence 0.032/100 person-years [PY]; 2 high-prevalence districts (HIV prevalence 0.8%; incidence 0.088/100 PY, and 3 high-risk groups (HIV prevalence 5.0%; incidence 0.552/100 PY. Cohort characteristics reflected Indians reporting for HIV testing, with a median age of 35 years, 66% men, and a mean CD4 count of 305 cells/µl. The cost of a rapid HIV test was $3.33. Outcomes included life expectancy, HIV-related direct medical costs, incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs, and secondary transmission benefits. The threshold for "cost-effective" was defined as 3x the annual per capita GDP of India ($3,900/year of life saved [YLS], or for "very cost-effective" was <1x the annual per capita GDP ($1,300/YLS.Compared to current practice, one-time screening was very cost-effective in the national population (ICER: $1,100/YLS, high-prevalence districts (ICER: $800/YLS, and high-risk groups (ICER: $800/YLS. Screening every five years in the national population (ICER: $1,900/YLS and annual screening in high-prevalence districts (ICER: $1,900/YLS and high-risk groups (ICER: $1,800/YLS were also cost-effective. Results were most sensitive to costs of care and linkage-to-care.In India, voluntary HIV screening of the national population every five years offers substantial clinical benefit and is cost-effective. Annual screening is cost-effective among high-risk groups and in high-prevalence districts

Low grade uranium deposits of India - a bane or boon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaki, Anjan

2010-01-01

Uranium resources of the world is estimated to be 5.5 million tonnes and the proven resources in India forms 3% of the world resources. The biggest uranium deposit is the Olympic dam deposit in Australia, which contains nearly one million tonnes of 0.04% U 3 O 8 , while the highest grade of nearly 20% is established in the McArthur river deposit, Canada. Another very high grade deposit, the Cigar lake deposit, is established in Canada with an average grade of nearly 18%. Most of the uranium deposits established in India so far falls under the category of low grade. These low grade uranium deposits are distributed mainly in Singhbhum Shear Zone, eastern India; in parts of Chhattisgarh; Southern parts of Meghalaya; Cuddapah Basin, Andhra Pradesh; in parts of Karnataka and Aravalli- and Delhi Supergroups, Rajasthan and Haryana. These deposits are mainly hydrothermal vein type, stratabound type and unconformity related. The Singhbhum Shear Zone, Jharkhand hosts a seventeen low grade uranium deposits, aggregating about 30% of Indian uranium resources. The uranium mineralisation hosted by Vempalle dolostone extends over 160 km belt along southwestern margin of Cuddapah Basin in Andhra Pradesh and accounts 23% of the Indian resources. Though the dolostone hosted Tummalapalle uranium deposit was established in the early nineties, because of techno-economic constraints, the deposit remained dormant. As a consequence of the development of an innovative pressure alkali beneficiation process, the deposit became economically viable and a mine and mill are being constructed here. Recent exploration inputs are leading to prove a number of low grade uranium deposits in the extension areas of Tummalapalle. Nearly 10 blocks have been identified within a 30 km belt which are being actively explored and a large uranium deposit has already been proved in this province. The deposit at Tummalapalle and adjoining areas is likely to become the second biggest deposit in the world. The

Measuring Spatiality in Infrastructure and Development of High School Education in Hooghly District of West Bengal, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shovan Ghosh

2018-06-01

Full Text Available An increasing access and enrolment do not necessarily ensure school effectiveness or educational progress. They are, of course, other parameters of development of education, rather than being measures of standards of quality education. The present paper opts to scrutinize whether infrastructural development in schools at all ensures good educational development or not. To accomplish this, Education Infrastructural Index has been prepared through Access, Facility and Teacher Index whereas a combination of Enrollment Index and Literacy Index gave rise Educational Development Index. The study reveals that accessibility factor begets a division within rural spaces in the form of backward rural, rural and prosperous rural that manifests through the availability of the teachers and facilities. In the urban areas, wherein accessibility is not a matter of concern, facilities and teachers matter in making difference between the less developed and developed urban areas. The higher Educational Development Index at the non-rural areas indicates town- centric nature of the development of our educational system. Superimposition of the infrastructural and developmental parameters revealed that good infrastructure does not always ensure good educational achievement. In the light of these backdrops, the key purpose of this article is to measuring spatiality in infrastructure and development of high school education in Hooghly District of West Bengal, India.

Assessment of bacteriological quality of drinking water from various sources in Amritsar district of northern India.

Science.gov (United States)

Malhotra, Sita; Sidhu, Shailpreet K; Devi, Pushpa

2015-08-29

Safe water is a precondition for health and development and is a basic human right, yet it is still denied to hundreds of millions of people throughout the developing world. Water-related diseases caused by insufficient safe water supplies, coupled with poor sanitation and hygiene, cause 3.4 million deaths a year, mostly in children. The present study was conducted on 1,317 drinking water samples from various water sources in Amritsar district in northern India. All the samples were analyzed to assess bacteriological quality of water for presumptive coliform count by the multiple tube test. A total of 42.9% (565/1,317) samples from various sources were found to be unfit for human consumption. Of the total 565 unsatisfactory samples, 253 were from submersible pumps, 197 were from taps of piped supply (domestic/public), 79 were from hand pumps, and 36 were from various other sources A significantly high level of contamination was observed in samples collected from submersible pumps (47.6%) and water tanks (47.3%), as these sources of water are more exposed and liable to contamination. Despite continuous efforts by the government, civil society, and the international community, over a billion people still do not have access to improved water resources. Bacteriological assessment of all sources of drinking should be planned and conducted on regular basis to prevent waterborne dissemination of diseases.

Advancing the application of systems thinking in health: a realist evaluation of a capacity building programme for district managers in Tumkur, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Prashanth, Nuggehalli Srinivas; Marchal, Bruno; Devadasan, Narayanan; Kegels, Guy; Criel, Bart

2014-08-26

Health systems interventions, such as capacity-building of health workers, are implemented across districts in order to improve performance of healthcare organisations. However, such interventions often work in some settings and not in others. Local health systems could be visualised as complex adaptive systems that respond variously to inputs of capacity building interventions, depending on their local conditions and several individual, institutional, and environmental factors. We aim at demonstrating how the realist evaluation approach advances complex systems thinking in healthcare evaluation by applying the approach to understand organisational change within local health systems in the Tumkur district of southern India. We collected data on several input, process, and outcome measures of performance of the talukas (administrative sub-units of the district) and explore the interplay between the individual, institutional, and contextual factors in contributing to the outcomes using qualitative data (interview transcripts and observation notes) and quantitative measures of commitment, self-efficacy, and supervision style. The talukas of Tumkur district responded differently to the intervention. Their responses can be explained by the interactions between several individual, institutional, and environmental factors. In a taluka with committed staff and a positive intention to make changes, the intervention worked through aligning with existing opportunities from the decentralisation process to improve performance. However, commitment towards the organisation was neither crucial nor sufficient. Committed staff in two other talukas were unable to actualise their intentions to improve organisational performance. In yet another taluka, the leadership was able to compensate for the lack of commitment. Capacity building of local health systems could work through aligning or countering existing relationships between internal (individual and organisational) and external

Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD control in India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chandrakant S Pandav

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD constitute the single largest cause of preventable brain damage worldwide. Majority of consequences of IDD are invisible and irreversible but at the same time these are preventable. In India, the entire population is prone to IDD due to deficiency of iodine in the soil of the subcontinent and consequently the food derived from it. To combat the risk of IDD, salt is fortified with iodine. However, an estimated 350 million people do not consume adequately iodized salt and, therefore, are at risk for IDD. Of the 325 districts surveyed in India so far, 263 are IDD-endemic. The current household level iodized salt coverage in India is 91 per cent with 71 per cent households consuming adequately iodized salt. The IDD control goal in India was to reduce the prevalence of IDD below 10 per cent in the entire country by 2012. What is required is a "mission approach" with greater coordination amongst all stakeholders of IDD control efforts in India. Mainstreaming of IDD control in policy making, devising State specific action plans to control IDD, strict implementation of Food Safety and Standards (FSS Act, 2006, addressing inequities in iodized salt coverage (rural-urban, socio-economic, providing iodized salt in Public Distribution System, strengthening monitoring and evaluation of IDD programme and ensuring sustainability of IDD control activities are essential to achieve sustainable elimination of IDD in India.

Perceived aesthetic impact of malocclusion in 16-24 year-old adults in the rural areas of India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charu M Marya

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Aim: The purpose of this study was to assess the self-perception of patients toward their dental appearance using the aesthetic component (AC of index of orthodontic treatment need (IOTN index and whether age and gender had any influence on it. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out to assess the perceived esthetic impact of malocclusion in 16-24 year-old subjects selected from the rural population of Faridabad, Haryana, India. The sample was divided into two groups, older adolescents and younger adults, and the AC of the IOTN index was applied. Results: The results showed that most subjects scored themselves as having an attractive dentition with no need for orthodontic treatment (60.91%. Gender-wise differences were not found to be statistically significant in relation to the perceived needs (P = 0.095, whereas age-wise differences were found to be statistically significant in relation to the perceived needs (P < 0.001. Conclusion: While the age seemed to have an impact on the perceived esthetic impact of malocclusion, the gender did not seemingly influence this self-perception.

Radiation dose due to radon and heavy metal analysis in drinking water samples of Jammu District, Jammu and Kashmir, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, A.; Kaur, M.; Sharma, S.; Mehra, R.; Sharma, D.K.; Mishra, R.

2016-01-01

In the present investigation, radon concentration and heavy metal analysis were carried out in drinking water samples in Jammu district, Jammu and Kashmir, India. The radon concentration was measured by using RAD-7, portable alpha particle detector. The values of radon concentration in drinking water samples were also compared within the safe limit recommended by different health agencies. The total annual effective dose ranged from 53.04 to 197.29 μSv y -1 . The annual effective dose from few locations from the studied area was found to be greater than the safe limit (100 μSv y -1 ) suggested by World Health Organisation (WHO) and EU Council. Heavy metal concentration was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. A total of eight elements were analysed, viz. arsenic, mercury, zinc, iron, copper, chromium, manganese and cadmium. Heavy metals are considered to be the major pollutants of water sources. The results were compared with the limits of WHO, EU and Indian organisations. The trace metal analysis is not on the exceeding side of the permissible limit in all the samples. (authors)

Price Elasticity of Alcohol Demand in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Santosh

2017-05-01

Using a household survey conducted in 2014, this study estimates price elasticity of demand (PED) for beer, country liquor and spirits in India. Ordinary least-square models were used to estimate the responsiveness in alcohol demand due to price change. A large number of control variables were included to adjust for potential confounding in the model. Inter-district variation in alcohol consumption is adjusted for by including district fixed effects. Alcohol prices are negatively associated with demand for alcoholic beverages. The PED ranged from -0.14 for spirits to -0.46 for country liquor. Low level of education was positively associated with spirits consumption. The magnitude of elasticity varied by rural-urban, education and gender. Results indicate that a policy mix of price controls and awareness campaigns would be most effective in tackling the adverse effects of harmful drinking in India. The demand for beer, country liquor and spirits is negatively associated with its own price. The elasticity estimates ranged from -0.14 for spirits to -0.44 for country liquor. The elasticity estimates varied by rural-urban, gender and by education levels of the drinkers. © The Author 2017. Medical Council on Alcohol and Oxford University Press. All rights reserved

Public health interventions, barriers, and opportunities for improving maternal nutrition in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramakrishnan, Usha; Lowe, Alyssa; Vir, Sheila; Kumar, Shuba; Mohanraj, Rani; Chaturvedi, Anuraag; Noznesky, Elizabeth A; Martorell, Reynaldo; Mason, John B

2012-06-01

Inadequate nutrient intake, early and multiple pregnancies, poverty, caste discrimination, and gender inequality contribute to poor maternal nutrition in India. While malnutrition is seen throughout the life cycle, it is most acute during childhood, adolescence, pregnancy, and lactation. Although nutrition policies are on the books and interventions are in place, child malnutrition and maternal undernutrition persist as severe public health problems. To evaluate the implementation of maternal nutrition programs in India. The research was conducted in two phases. Phase 1 consisted of a desk review of national and state policies pertinent to maternal nutrition and national-level key informant interviews with respondents who have a working knowledge of relevant organizations and interventions. Phase 2 utilized in-depth interviews and focus group discussions at the state, district, and community levels in eight districts of two states: Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. All data were analyzed thematically. India has a rich portfolio of programs and policies that address maternal health and nutrition; however, systematic weaknesses, logistical gaps, resource scarcity, and poor utilization continue to hamper progress. Elevating the priority given to maternal nutrition in government health programs and implementing strategies to improve women's status will help to address many of the challenges facing India's nutrition programs. Programs can be strengthened by promoting integration of services, ensuring effective procurement mechanisms for micronutrient and food supplements, establishing regional training facilities for improved program implementation, and strengthening program monitoring and evaluation.

Sources and controls of Arsenic contamination in groundwater of Rajnandgaon and Kanker District, Chattisgarh Central India

Science.gov (United States)

Shukla, Dericks Praise; Dubey, C. S.; Singh, Ningthoujam P.; Tajbakhsh, M.; Chaudhry, M.

2010-12-01

SummaryA high concentration of Arsenic (As) contamination in ground water has been reported in the village of Kaudikasa in Rajnandgaon district, wherein around 10% of the population is suffering from As-borne diseases. The region does not share any demographic or geological similarity with the sedimentary aquifers of the Bengal Delta Plain in Eastern India, but represents an igneous terrain with elevated As concentrations in groundwater. There is limited information about the source of As in groundwater and its mobility constraints. In this area, almost all the wells are located in the granitic terrain with pegmatitic intrusions. Most of these wells are characterized by As concentration above the World Health Organization ( WHO, 1999) and the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) standards, with the highest being found in a well with more than 250 μg/L of As. Here we report petrographic studies of the granitic host rock and X-ray diffraction results that indicate that altered realgar (α-As 4S 4), para realgar (AsS), and/or tennantite (Cu 12As 4S 13), are the main mineral that contain As. This element is leached during the weathering and water-rock interactions. Microprobe analysis of the altered realgar grains of in pegmatitic intrusions of the host granite indicate 23-27 wt.% As. Remote sensing is useful to delineate the source of this contaminant, which appears to lie at the intersection of a mineralized NW-SE and N-S lineaments associated with the Kotri rift zone. These lineaments are structurally controlled as rifting followed by thrusting and other types of faulting caused left-lateral displacement of N-S Kotri lineament along a NW-SE fault plane showing sinistral shearing. This process caused water drainage in the areas to flow along these highly mineralized weak zones. Thus, the water becomes highly contaminated due to leaching of minerals at the intersection of these lineaments, clearly visible at two areas of high contamination that lie very near to this

HIV counseling and testing in a tertiary care hospital in Ganjam district, Odisha, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Dash, M; Padhi, S; Sahu, S; Mohanty, I; Panda, P; Parida, B; Sahoo, M K

2013-01-01

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) counseling and testing (HCT) conducted at integrated counseling and testing centers (ICTCs) is an entry point, cost-effective intervention in preventing transmission of HIV. To study the prevalence of HIV among ICTC attendees, sociodemographic characteristics, and risk behaviors of HIV-seropositive clients. It was hospital record-based cross-sectional study of 26,518 registered ICTC clients at a tertiary care hospital in Ganjam district, Odisha, India over a 4-year period from January 2009 to September 2012. A total of 1732 (7.5%) out of 22,897 who were tested for HIV were seropositive. Among HIV-seropositives, 1138 (65.7%) were males, while 594 (34.3%) were females. Majority (88.3%) of seropositives were between the age group of 15-49 years. Client-initiated HIV testing (12.1%) was more seropositive compared to provider-initiated (2.9%). Among discordant couples, majority (95.5%) were male partner/husband positive and female partner/wife negative. Positives were more amongst married, less educated, low socioeconomic status, and outmigrants (P<0.0001). Risk factors included heterosexual promiscuous (89.3%), parent-to-child transmission 5.8%, unknown 3.1%, infected blood transfusion 0.8%, homosexual 0.5%, and infected needles (0.5%). There is need to encourage activities that promote HCT in all health facilities. This will increase the diagnosis of new HIV cases. The data generated in ICTC provide an important clue to understand the epidemiology in a particular geographic region and local planning for care and treatment of those infected with HIV and preventive strategies for those at risk especially married, young adults, and outmigrants to reduce new infections.

Trends, prospects and deprivation index of disability in India: Evidences from census 2001 and 2011.

Science.gov (United States)

Awasthi, Ashish; Pandey, C M; Dubey, Manisha; Rastogi, Sanjay

2017-04-01

Since the dawn of civilization, disabilities have existed in various dimensions of human life. World Health Organization (WHO) defines disability as an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. Globally, approximately 1 billion people have some form of disability, and approximately 20% have significant functioning impairments. This study aims to estimate the level, trends and prospects of disability in 640 districts of India. Data for the present study has been taken from Census of India, 2001 and 2011. A Disability Index was calculated at the district level, and state level indexing was done using the Disability Deprivation Index. The population for the year 2021 was projected using the exponential growth rate method. The Disability Deprivation Index was calculated using child labor, adult unemployment, illiteracy, and the ratio of beggars in the disabled population. The study reveals that the proportion of the disabled population in India was 2.10% in 2001, which increased to 2.21% in 2011. According to the Disability Deprivation Index, Maharashtra was the best-performing state in 2011. There were 4.90 million new cases of disability in India during 2001-11, out of which 1.52 million cases belonged to non-congenital disability. There is a rise in the disabled population in India, which needs special attention. The working status of the disabled is gloomy. The majority of the disabled people are non-working and need adequate rehabilitation measures that would facilitate employment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Education and gender bias in the sex ratio at birth: evidence from India.

Science.gov (United States)

Echávarri, Rebeca A; Ezcurra, Roberto

2010-02-01

This article investigates the possible existence of a nonlinear link between female disadvantage in natality and education. To this end, we devise a theoretical model based on the key role of social interaction in explaining people's acquisition of preferences, which justifies the existence of a nonmonotonic relationship between female disadvantage in natality and education. The empirical validity of the proposed model is examined for the case of India, using district-level data. In this context, our econometric analysis pays particular attention to the role of spatial dependence to avoid any potential problems of misspecification. The results confirm that the relationship between the sex ratio at birth and education in India follows an inverted U-shape. This finding is robust to the inclusion of additional explanatory variables in the analysis, and to the choice of the spatial weight matrix used to quantify the spatial interdependence between the sample districts.

Mapping of wasteland of india: A case study of Bangalore district of Karnataka

Science.gov (United States)

Behera, G.; Dutt, C. B. S.; Nageswara Rao, P. P.; Gupta, A. K.; Krishnamurthy, J.; Ganesharaj, K.; Padmavathy, A. S.; Yogarajan, N.

India is the second most populous country in the world. Its economy is agrarian in nature. Increasing demand for food, fodder, fuel and fibre has necessitated adoption of scientific measures for increase in land productivity and bringing more areas under cultivation/forests. However land degradation due to desertification, soil salinity, waterlogging, floods/drought, excessive soil erosion due to deforestation, unscientific agricultural practices etc. have resulted in the creation of vast stretches of wastelands and a decrease in per capita cultivable land besides ecological imbalance. Nearly 53 Mha are wasteland and 22 Mha of land have problems of either salinity, alkalinity, soil erosion, waterlogging, shifting cultivation or presently unused because of their undulating nature. Only 11% of India's geographic area is under effective tree cover. Forest degradation has increased by 14% over last 8-10 years. The land area prone to floods has doubled from 20 Mha to about 40 Mha in last 10 years. Awareness of this fact has resulted in the formation of the "National Wasteland Development Board" (NWDB) under the aegis of National Landuse and Wasteland Development Council (NLWC) with the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister of India.

Note on breeding and parental care behaviours of albino Hoary-bellied Squirrel Callosciurus pygerythrus (Rodentia: Sciuridae in Sibsagar District of Assam, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Kalita

2009-06-01

Full Text Available A few individuals of albino Horay-bellied Squirrels along with normal gray individuals of Callosciurus pygerythrus have been observed in Sibsagar district of Assam, India. One albino female was studied in captivity. This paper presents our observations on the breeding behaviour and the parental care exhibited by the albino squirrel in captivity. The squirrel bred twice in captivity with a normal male of the same species. In both the periods, a single male baby with normal coat colour developed. Oral dose of vitamin E has been found helpful in the breeding of the studied squirrel species. The mother squirrel exhibited parental care by carrying her baby using her mouth, to a safer place during danger. However, the observed phenomenon is unlike that of the cat species. Some of the habitat ecology and feeding habits of the albino squirrels have also been studied, both in natural and in captive conditions.

District decision-making for health in low-income settings: a qualitative study in Uttar Pradesh, India, on engaging the private health sector in sharing health-related data

Science.gov (United States)

Gautham, Meenakshi; Spicer, Neil; Subharwal, Manish; Gupta, Sanjay; Srivastava, Aradhana; Bhattacharyya, Sanghita; Avan, Bilal Iqbal; Schellenberg, Joanna

2016-01-01

Health information systems are an important planning and monitoring tool for public health services, but may lack information from the private health sector. In this fourth article in a series on district decision-making for health, we assessed the extent of maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH)-related data sharing between the private and public sectors in two districts of Uttar Pradesh, India; analysed barriers to data sharing; and identified key inputs required for data sharing. Between March 2013 and August 2014, we conducted 74 key informant interviews at national, state and district levels. Respondents were stakeholders from national, state and district health departments, professional associations, non-governmental programmes and private commercial health facilities with 3–200 beds. Qualitative data were analysed using a framework based on a priori and emerging themes. Private facilities registered for ultrasounds and abortions submitted standardized records on these services, which is compulsory under Indian laws. Data sharing for other services was weak, but most facilities maintained basic records related to institutional deliveries and newborns. Public health facilities in blocks collected these data from a few private facilities using different methods. The major barriers to data sharing included the public sector’s non-standardized data collection and utilization systems for MNCH and lack of communication and follow up with private facilities. Private facilities feared information disclosure and the additional burden of reporting, but were willing to share data if asked officially, provided the process was simple and they were assured of confidentiality. Unregistered facilities, managed by providers without a biomedical qualification, also conducted institutional deliveries, but were outside any reporting loops. Our findings suggest that even without legislation, the public sector could set up an effective MNCH data sharing strategy with

Multivariate analysis of subsurface radiometric data in Rongsohkham area, East Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya (India): implication on uranium exploration.

Science.gov (United States)

Kukreti, B M; Pandey, Pradeep; Singh, R V

2012-08-01

Non-coring based exploratory drilling was under taken in the sedimentary environment of Rangsohkham block, East Khasi Hills district to examine the eastern extension of existing uranium resources located at Domiasiat and Wakhyn in the Mahadek basin of Meghalaya (India). Although radiometric survey and radiometric analysis of surface grab/channel samples in the block indicate high uranium content but the gamma ray logging results of exploratory boreholes in the block, did not obtain the expected results. To understand this abrupt discontinuity between the two sets of data (surface and subsurface) multivariate statistical analysis of primordial radioactive elements (K(40), U(238) and Th(232)) was performed using the concept of representative subsurface samples, drawn from the randomly selected 11 boreholes of this block. The study was performed to a high confidence level (99%), and results are discussed for assessing the U and Th behavior in the block. Results not only confirm the continuation of three distinct geological formations in the area but also the uranium bearing potential in the Mahadek sandstone of the eastern part of Mahadek Basin. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Crystallochemical studies on davidite from Bichun, Jaipur District, Rajasthan, India

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Yamuna; Saxena, Anubhooti; Bhatt, A. K.; Viswanathan, R.; Shaji, T. S.; Nanda, L. K.

2018-02-01

Crystallochemical data on metamict davidite from albitites and albitised rocks from the Bichun area (Jaipur district, Rajasthan, India) of Banded Gneissic Complex (BGC) are provided. Davidite occurs as euhedral, subhedral to anhedral crystals in the form of disseminated grains and also as fracture filled veins. The crystals of davidite are up to 8 cm in length and 6 cm in width. The powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of the heat-treated davidite (at 900{°}C) reveals well-defined reflections of crystallographic planes. The calculated unit-cell parameters of the heat treated davidite are: a0 = b0 = 10.3556 Å and c0 = 20.9067 Å, with unit-cell volume (V) = 1941.6385 Å3; and α=β= 90° and γ= 120°, which are in agreement with the values of davidite standard. Geochemical data reveals that the investigated davidite contains 51.5-52.6% TiO2, 14.8-15.1% Fe2 O3, 9.8-10.2% FeO, 6.97-7.12% U3 O8, 6.72-6.92% RE2 O3, 3.85-3.61% K2O, 0.9-1.4% Al2 O3, and 0.8-1.2% SiO2. The calculated structural formulae of the two davidite crystals are: D-1: K_{0.0044/0.004} Ba_{0.0044/0.005} Ca_{0.20/0.20} Na_{0.012/0.012} Mn_{0.053/0.053} Mg_{0.14/0.14} Pb_{0.0076/0.008} Fe_{2.675/2.675} Fe_{1.59/1.59} Y_{0.1175/0.118} P_{0.053/0.053} Nb_{0.008/0.008} Sn_{0.001/0.001} Zr_{0.033/0.033} U_{0.468/0.468} Th_{0.009/0.009} REE_{0.6829/0.683})_{6.05/6.05} (Ti_{12.15/12.15} Fe_{1.9022/1.903} Si_{0.372/0.372} Al_{0.517/0.517} Cr_{0.018/0.018} Co_{0.009/0.009} Ni_{0.027/0.027})_{15/15} O_{36/36} (OH_{0.319/0.319[]1.681/1.681})_{2/2} and D-2: (K_{0.004/0.004} Ba_{0.005/0.005} Ca_{0.20/0.20} Na_{0.012/0.012} Mn_{0.05/0.05} Mg_{0.094/0.094} Pb_{0.007/0.007} Fe_{2.58/2.58} Fe_{1.71/1.71} Y_{0.112/0.112} P_{0.106/0.106} Nb_{0.006/0.006} Sn_{0.001/0.001} Zr_{0.03/0.03} U_{0.48/0.48} Th_{0.009/0.009} REE_{0.665/0.665})_{6.088/6.088} (Ti_{12.48/12.48} Fe_{1.87/1.87} Si_{0.249/0.249} Al_{0.334/0.334} Cr_{0.019/0.019} Co_{0.008/0.008} Ni_{0.04/0.04})_{15/15} O_{36/36} (OH_{0

Phytosociological studies of the sacred grove of Kanyakumari district, Tamilnadu, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Sukumaran

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Sacred groves are forest patches conserved by the local people through religious and cultural practices. These groves are important reservoirs of biodiversity, preserving indigenous plant species and serving as asylum of Rare, Endangered and Threatened (RET species. The present study was carried out in Muppuram coastal sacred grove of Kanyakumari district to reveal the plant diversity, structure and regeneration pattern of trees using quadrate method. About 102 plant species were recorded from the total area (0.2 ha of the grove studied. The vegetation of the grove clearly indicates tropical dry evergreen forest. Malvaceae was the dominant family. Young plant species were dominating than older ones (> 160 cm. To avoid the rapid environmental degradation of the sacred grove, conserving the groves is urgent and it is necessary to conduct more researches on this grove as well as other groves of the district.

Review of Ptilomera (Ptilomera) (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Gerridae) from India, with description of a new species.

Science.gov (United States)

Jehamalar, E Eyarin; Chandra, Kailash; Basu, Srimoyee; Selvakumar, C

2018-01-15

The subgenus Ptilomera (Ptilomera) Amyot Serville, 1843 of India is reviewed and Ptilomera (P.) nagalanda Jehamalar Chandra, sp. nov. is described from Peren District, Nagaland, India. The new species can clearly be distinguished from its congeners in India by the presence of silvery white setae on the sub-lateral region of the meso- and metanota and the presence of a fringe of fine short setae of different lengths on the flexor region of the mid femur reaching beyond the middle in the male. Detailed illustrations of the apterous male of the new species and male and female of other species of Ptilomera, except P. occidentalis Zettel, are given. Distribution maps and a key to all known species of Ptilomera (Ptilomera) in India are given.

Organizational Climate as Perceived by Veterinary Assistant Surgeons of Andhra Pradesh in India

Science.gov (United States)

Ratnayake, Talata Chandrakanthi; Gupta, Jancy

2014-01-01

Purpose: To identify various organizational climatic factors responsible for role performances of veterinary officers in Andhra Pradesh, India. Design/methodology/approach: Study was conducted in 11 selected districts. Data were collected from 220 respondents through a pretested interview schedule and subjected to correlation and multiple…

Knowledge, attitude and stigma experienced by leprosy patients in tribal concentrated Bastar district of Chhattisgarh, India (2013-2023

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Swapan Kumar Kolay

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Objective: To study leprosy patients in tribal concentrated Bastar district of Chhattisgarh, India in terms of their knowledge, attitudes and the stigma they have experienced. Method: This cross-sectional study included 101 registered Leprosy patients, in a single leprosy treatment centre between April, 2012 - June, 2013. The data collection tool (a pre tested close-ended questionnaire was based on leprosy related socio-demographic variables, knowled geregarding different kinds of problems and issues experienced by the patients/participants. The investigators collected the data in face to face interviews and house hold visit. Results: Overall the majority of the respondents (85.1% were between 16 and 60 years of age. 74.3% were males, 80.2% were married, and 54.5% were literate. The majority (67.3% articulated positive knowledge about transmission of the disease, 75.3% knew that numbness of hands is an early symptom, 88.12% that it is curable, 91.1% had untreated deformities. Experiences reported included disturbed marital relationships (90.1% or social life (94.1%, loss of employment (54.5%, isolation with the sitation to talk to people (29.7%, family members not sharing food (94.1%; being forced to leave the family (54.45%. Health education interventions improved the knowledge of 91.1% of participants. Multi-Bacillary leprosy was higher in newly registered cases with higher disabilities in the hands and feet (60.4%, eyes (29.7%. 9.9% of WHO grade-2 disabilities were due to a delayed diagnosis. 67.5% of the patients/participants with some form of disability had experienced a delay in diagnosis up to 12 months. Conclusion: The study noted that the tribal people were affected by leprosy not only in terms of the physical problems, but also by the stigmatization that affects their social participation. These need to be addressed by the progress of the national leprosyp rogram.Keywords: Leprosy, social stigma, disability grading, India

Using Third-Party Inspectors in Building Energy Codes Enforcement in India

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, Sha; Evans, Meredydd; Kumar, Pradeep; Van Wie, Laura; Bhatt, Vatsal

2013-01-31

India is experiencing fast income growth and urbanization, and this leads to unprecedented increases in demand for building energy services and resulting energy consumption. In response to rapid growth in building energy use, the Government of India issued the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) in 2007, which is consistent with and based on the 2001 Energy Conservation Act. ECBC implementation has been voluntary since its enactment and a few states have started to make progress towards mandatory implementation. Rajasthan is the first state in India to adopt ECBC as a mandatory code. The State adopted ECBC with minor additions on March 28, 2011 through a stakeholder process; it became mandatory in Rajasthan on September 28, 2011. Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh have started to draft an implementation roadmap and build capacity for its implementation. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) plans to encourage more states to adopt ECBC in the near future, including Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Delhi. Since its inception, India has applied the code on a voluntary basis, but the Government of India is developing a strategy to mandate compliance. Implementing ECBC requires coordination between the Ministry of Power and the Ministry of Urban Development at the national level as well as interdepartmental coordination at the state level. One challenge is that the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), the enforcement entities of building by-laws, lack capacity to implement ECBC effectively. For example, ULBs in some states might find the building permitting procedures to be too complex; in other cases, lack of awareness and technical knowledge on ECBC slows down the amendment of local building by-laws as well as ECBC implementation. The intent of this white paper is to share with Indian decision-makers code enforcement approaches: through code officials, third-party inspectors, or a hybrid approach. Given the limited capacity and human

Fostering maternal and newborn care in India the Yashoda way: does this improve maternal and newborn care practices during institutional delivery?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beena Varghese

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The Yashoda program, named after a legendary foster-mother in Indian mythology, under the Norway-India Partnership Initiative was launched as a pilot program in 2008 to improve the quality of maternal and neonatal care at facilities in select districts of India. Yashodas were placed mainly at district hospitals, which are high delivery load facilities, to provide support and care to mothers and newborns during their stay at these facilities. This study presents the results from the evaluation of this intervention in two states in India. METHODS: Data collection methods included in-depth interviews with healthcare providers and mothers and a survey of mothers who had recently delivered within a quasi-experimental design. Fifty IDIs were done and 1,652 mothers who had delivered in the past three months were surveyed during 2010 and 2011. RESULTS: A significantly higher proportion of mothers at facilities with Yashodas (55 percent to 97 percent received counseling on immunization, breastfeeding, family planning, danger signs, and nutrition compared to those in control districts (34 percent to 66 percent. Mothers in intervention facilities were four to five times more likely to receive postnatal checks than mothers in control facilities. Among mothers who underwent cesarean sections, initiation of breastfeeding within five hours was 50 percent higher in intervention facilities. Mothers and families also reported increased support, care and respect at intervention facilities. CONCLUSION: Yashoda as mothers' aide thus seems to be an effective intervention to improve quality of maternal and newborn care in India. Scaling up of this intervention is recommended in district hospitals and other facilities with high volume of deliveries.

Molecular phylogenetic analysis of Fasciola flukes from eastern India.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayashi, Kei; Ichikawa-Seki, Madoka; Mohanta, Uday Kumar; Singh, T Shantikumar; Shoriki, Takuya; Sugiyama, Hiromu; Itagaki, Tadashi

2015-10-01

Fasciola flukes from eastern India were characterized on the basis of spermatogenesis status and nuclear ITS1. Both Fasciola gigantica and aspermic Fasciola flukes were detected in Imphal, Kohima, and Gantoku districts. The sequences of mitochondrial nad1 were analyzed to infer their phylogenetical relationship with neighboring countries. The haplotypes of aspermic Fasciola flukes were identical or showed a single nucleotide substitution compared to those from populations in the neighboring countries, corroborating the previous reports that categorized them in the same lineage. However, the prevalence of aspermic Fasciola flukes in eastern India was lower than those in the neighboring countries, suggesting that they have not dispersed throughout eastern India. In contrast, F. gigantica was predominant and well diversified, and the species was thought to be distributed in the area for a longer time than the aspermic Fasciola flukes. Fasciola gigantica populations from eastern India were categorized into two distinct haplogroups A and B. The level of their genetic diversity suggests that populations belonging to haplogroup A have dispersed from the west side of the Indian subcontinent to eastern India with the artificial movement of domestic cattle, Bos indicus, whereas populations belonging to haplogroup B might have spread from Myanmar to eastern India with domestic buffaloes, Bubalus bubalis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Coverage and compliance MDA programme for lymphatic filariasis in Bidar district, Karnataka, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dharukaswami. Mallayya. Koradhanyamath

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Objective: To describe the socio demographic characteristics of beneficiaries of the Mass Drug Administration (MDA programme, to assess the coverage, compliance and causes for noncompliance towards MDA in the district, to assess the awareness regarding elephantiasis among beneficiaries and to assess the knowledge of drug distributors towards the filariasis and MDA programme. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted in 3 rural and 1 urban clusters in Bidar district for the period of 1 week. 50 houses were selected in each cluster by systematic random sampling method and data was collected in a structured proforma by interview technique. Results: Majority of beneficiaries were at the age group of 15-60 years (72.3% and male (53%. The overall coverage of MDA in Bidar district was 62.3%. Compliance among those who had received the tablets was 60.4%. Coverage and compliance was more in rural areas compared to urban. The most common reason quoted for not consuming drugs was fear of adverse effects (72.2% The incidence of adverse events was 0.2%. Even though 75% of them were aware of the disease elephantiasis, only 45.4% had knowledge regarding MDA programme. The knowledge of drug distributors towards MDA and filariasis was found to be adequate. Conclusions: Coverage and compliance towards MDA in Bidar district was poor. The coverage and compliance in rural areas was higher compared to the urban areas.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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.

Microbial diversity in firework chemical exposed soil and water samples collected in Virudhunagar district, Tamil Nadu, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Dhasarathan, P; Theriappan, P; Ashokraja, C

2010-03-01

Microbial diversity of soil and water samples collected from pyrochemicals exposed areas of Virdhunagar district (Tamil Nadu, India) was studied. Soil and water samples from cultivable area, waste land and city area of the same region were also studied for a comparative acount. There is a remarkable reduction in total heterotrophic bacterial population (THB) in pyrochemicals exposed soil and water samples (42 × 10(4) CFU/g and 5.6 × 10(4) CFU/ml respectively), compared to the THB of cultivable area soil and water samples (98 × 10(7) CFU/g and 38.6 × 10(7) CFU/ml). The generic composition the THB of the pyrochemicals exposed samples too exhibited considerable change compared to other samples. Pseudomonas sp. was the predominant one (41.6%) followed by Achromobacter sp. (25%) in pyrochemical exposed soil and Pseudomonas sp. was the predominant one (25%) in pyrochemical exposed water samples followed by Bacillus sp. (25%) and Micrococcus sp. (16.6%). It was observed that Cornybacterium sp. and Micrococcus sp. were absent completely in pyrochemical exposed soil and Achromobacter sp. was missing in the pyrochemical exposed water samples, which were present in the other samples. The outcome of this study clearly demonstrates that pollutants such as chemicals used in pyrotechniques affect the microbial biodiversity and suitable measures have to be taken to control the pollution level and to save biodiversity.

Demand- and supply-side determinants of diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus nonvaccination and dropout in rural India.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Arpita; Laxminarayan, Ramanan

2017-02-15

Although 93% of 12- to 23-month-old children in India receive at least one vaccine, typically Bacillus Calmette-Guérin, only 75% complete the recommended three doses of diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus (DPT, also referred to as DTP) vaccine. Determinants can be different for nonvaccination and dropout but have not been examined in earlier studies. We use the three-dose DPT series as a proxy for the full sequence of recommended childhood vaccines and examine the determinants of DPT nonvaccination and dropout between doses 1 and 3. We analyzed data on 75,728 6- to 23-month-old children in villages across India to study demand- and supply-side factors determining nonvaccination with DPT and dropout between DPT doses 1 and 3, using a multilevel approach. Data come from the District Level Household and Facility Survey 3 (2007-08). Individual- and household-level factors were associated with both DPT nonvaccination and dropout between doses 1 and 3. Children whose mothers had no schooling were 2.3 times more likely not to receive any DPT vaccination and 1.5 times more likely to drop out between DPT doses 1 and 3, compared with children whose mothers had 10 or more years of schooling. Although supply-side factors related to availability of public health facilities and immunization-related health workers in villages were not correlated with dropout between DPT doses 1 and 3, children in districts where 46% or more villages had a healthcare subcentre were 1.5 times more likely to receive at least one dose of DPT vaccine compared with children in districts where 30% or fewer villages had subcentres. Nonvaccination with DPT in India is influenced by village- and district-level contextual factors over and above individuals' background characteristics. Dropout between DPT doses 1 and 3 is associated more strongly with demand-side factors than with village- and district-level supply-side factors. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Multiple barriers to participation for people with psychosocial disability in Dehradun district, North India: a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathias, Kaaren; Pant, Hira; Marella, Manjula; Singh, Lawrence; Murthy, Gvs; Grills, Nathan

2018-02-27

This study used a population-based cross-sectional survey to describe the prevalence of psychosocial disability and unmet need for access to services in North India. This study was conducted in Dehradun district, Uttarakhand, in 2014. A population-based sample of 2441 people over the age of 18 years. The Rapid Assessment of Disability survey tool identified people with disability and used an adapted version of the Kessler scale to identify those with psychosocial disability. It additionally collected information on socioeconomic variables, access to community services and barriers to participation. Prevalence of psychosocial disability and unmet needs and descriptions of barriers to services were calculated, and multivariable logistic regression was used to assess associations between risk factors and psychosocial disability. Prevalence of psychosocial disability was 4.8% and 75% of participants with psychological distress also reported comorbid functional impairments. Adjusted ORs for depression of more than two were found for people who were unschooled, unemployed and of moderate or poor socioeconomic status. The unmet need for access to services was significantly higher in every domain for people with psychosocial disability and was more than 25% in the areas of employment, health service access and community consultation. People with psychosocial disability encountered greater barriers in each domain compared with controls. People who are poor, uneducated and unemployed are two to four times more likely to have psychosocial disability in Dehradun district. They face unmet needs in accessing community services and perceive negative social attitudes, lack of physical accessibility and lack of information as barriers limiting their participation. Social policy must increase access to education and reduce poverty but additionally ensure action is taken in all community services to increase information, physical accessibility and social inclusion of people with

Integrating socio-economic and infrastructural dimension to reveal hazard vulnerability of coastal districts

Science.gov (United States)

Mazumdar, Jublee; Paul, Saikat

2015-04-01

Losses of life and property due to natural hazards have intensified in the past decade, motivating an alteration of disaster management away from simple post event resettlement and rehabilitation. The degree of exposure to hazard for a homogeneous population is not entirely reliant upon nearness to the source of hazard event. Socio-economic factors and infrastructural capability play an important role in determining the vulnerability of a place. This study investigates the vulnerability of eastern coastal states of India from tropical cyclones. The record of past hundred years shows that the physical vulnerability of eastern coastal states is four times as compared to the western coastal states in terms of frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones. Nevertheless, these physical factors played an imperative role in determining the vulnerability of eastern coast. However, the socio-economic and infrastructural factors influence the risk of exposure exponentially. Inclusion of these indicators would provide better insight regarding the preparedness and resilience of settlements to hazard events. In this regard, the present study is an effort to develop an Integrated Vulnerability Model (IVM) based on socio-economic and infrastructural factors for the districts of eastern coastal states of India. A method is proposed for quantifying the socio-economic and infrastructural vulnerability to tropical cyclone in these districts. The variables included in the study are extracted from Census of India, 2011 at district level administrative unit. In the analysis, a large number of variables are reduced to a smaller number of factors by using principal component analysis that represents the socio-economic and infrastructure vulnerability to tropical cyclone. Subsequently, the factor scores in socio-economic Vulnerability Index (SeVI) and Infrastructure Vulnerability Index (InVI) are standardized from 0 to 1, indicating the range from low to high vulnerability. The factor

HIV counseling and testing in a tertiary care hospital in Ganjam district, Odisha, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Dash

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV counseling and testing (HCT conducted at integrated counseling and testing centers (ICTCs is an entry point, cost-effective intervention in preventing transmission of HIV. Objectives: To study the prevalence of HIV among ICTC attendees, sociodemographic characteristics, and risk behaviors of HIV-seropositive clients. Materials and Methods: It was hospital record-based cross-sectional study of 26,518 registered ICTC clients at a tertiary care hospital in Ganjam district, Odisha, India over a 4-year period from January 2009 to September 2012. Results: A total of 1732 (7.5% out of 22,897 who were tested for HIV were seropositive. Among HIV-seropositives, 1138 (65.7% were males, while 594 (34.3% were females. Majority (88.3% of seropositives were between the age group of 15-49 years. Client-initiated HIV testing (12.1% was more seropositive compared to provider-initiated (2.9%. Among discordant couples, majority (95.5% were male partner/husband positive and female partner/wife negative. Positives were more amongst married, less educated, low socioeconomic status, and outmigrants (P<0.0001. Risk factors included heterosexual promiscuous (89.3%, parent-to-child transmission 5.8%, unknown 3.1%, infected blood transfusion 0.8%, homosexual 0.5%, and infected needles (0.5%. Conclusions: There is need to encourage activities that promote HCT in all health facilities. This will increase the diagnosis of new HIV cases. The data generated in ICTC provide an important clue to understand the epidemiology in a particular geographic region and local planning for care and treatment of those infected with HIV and preventive strategies for those at risk especially married, young adults, and outmigrants to reduce new infections.

Morbidity pattern and its sociodemographic determinants among elderly population of Raichur district, Karnataka, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leyanna Susan George

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Context: India is an “aging nation” with 7.7% of its population being above 60 years of age. It has resulted in a rise of both physical and mental health morbidities. Aims: This study aimed to gather information regarding the morbidity pattern and its sociodemographic determinants among the elderly residing in the rural villages of Raichur, to understand the need for geriatric health-care facilities. Settings and Design: This community-based cross-sectional study was carried out in six rural villages of Raichur District, of which 230 elderly were selected randomly. Subjects and Methods: The data were collected using a questionnaire, clinical history, examination, and cross-checking of medical records. Statistical Analysis Used: Data were analyzed using Epi Info version-3.5.3. Results: The prevalence of morbidity was 91.7% with an average of 3/person. Females (58.9% had more morbidities than men (41.1%. The 3 most common morbidities were orthopedic (50.5%, cataract (50.4%, and respiratory (31.3%. 26.6% suffered from gastrointestinal morbidities while 23.9% had dental problems. 20.9% had hypertension with equal prevalence among both sexes. Only 17.4% were diabetics with majority being women. Central nervous system morbidities were 14.2% while 9.6% suffered from hearing loss and varicose veins. 8.2% had genitourinary-urinary morbidities and incontinence (1.7% was common among both sexes. Depression (71.1% and dermatological morbidities (4.7% were prevalent among women. Only 3.5% suffered from cardiac morbidity and 0.4% from cancer. Significant association was found between age and morbidity and also between socioeconomic class and morbidity pattern. Conclusions: Geriatric care should become an integral part of primary health care. Regular screening and Information, Education, and Communication activities need to be provided early in life for ensuring healthy aging.

Management of childhood diarrhea among private providers in Uttar Pradesh, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christa L. Fisher Walker

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In Uttar Pradesh (UP, India, a new initiative to introduce zinc and reinvigorate ORS for diarrhea treatment in the public and private sectors was rolled out in selected districts. We conducted an external evaluation of the program that included assessing the knowledge and practices of private sector providers 6 months after the initial program rollout.

Rollout of quality assurance interventions in labor room in two districts of Bihar, India

OpenAIRE

Jyoti Sharma; Sutapa B Neogi; Preeti Negandhi; Monika Chauhan; Siddharth Reddy; Ghanshyam Sethy

2016-01-01

Background: Quality of care at the facilities during childbirth remains a major concern. Improved quality could have the greatest dividend in saving maternal and newborn lives. Objective: The objective of this study was to implement quality assurance measures in the labor rooms of select public health facilities in two districts of Bihar. Methods: The labor room quality assurance intervention was implemented in two districts, Gaya and Purnea in Bihar. Health facilities having >200 deliveries/...

Identifying bottlenecks in the iron and folic acid supply chain in Bihar, India: a mixed-methods study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wendt, Amanda S; Stephenson, Rob; Young, Melissa F; Verma, Pankaj; Srikantiah, Sridhar; Webb-Girard, Amy; Hogue, Carol J; Ramakrishnan, Usha; Martorell, Reynaldo

2018-04-12

Maternal anaemia prevalence in Bihar, India remains high despite government mandated iron supplementation targeting pregnant women. Inadequate supply has been identified as a potential barrier to iron and folic acid (IFA) receipt. Our study objective was to examine the government health system's IFA supply and distribution system and identify bottlenecks contributing to insufficient IFA supply. Primary data collection was conducted in November 2011 and July 2012 across 8 districts in Bihar, India. A cross-sectional, observational, mixed methods approach was utilized. Auxiliary Nurse Midwives were surveyed on current IFA supply and practices. In-depth interviews (n = 59) were conducted with health workers at state, district, block, health sub-centre, and village levels. Overall, 44% of Auxiliary Nurse Midwives were out of IFA stock. Stock levels and supply chain practices varied greatly across districts. Qualitative data revealed specific bottlenecks impacting IFA forecasting, procurement, storage, disposal, lack of personnel, and few training opportunities for key players in the supply chain. Inadequate IFA supply is a major constraint to the IFA supplementation program, the extent of which varies widely across districts. Improvements at all levels of infrastructure, practices, and effective monitoring will be critical to strengthen the IFA supply chain in Bihar.

Prevalence of α(+)-Thalassemia in the Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste Populations of Damoh District in Madhya Pradesh, Central India.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Mendi P S S; Gupta, Rasik B; Yadav, Rajiv; Sharma, Ravendra K; Shanmugam, Rajasubramaniam

2016-08-01

This study was carried out to ascertain the allelic frequency of α(+)-thalassemia (α(+)-thal) in Scheduled caste and scheduled tribe populations of the Damoh district of Madhya Pradesh, India. Random blood samples of Scheduled tribe (267) and Scheduled caste (168), considering the family as a sampling unit, were analyzed for the presence of the -α(3.7) (rightward) (NG_000006.1: g.34164_37967del3804) and -α(4.2) (leftward) (AF221717) deletions. α(+)-Thal was significantly higher in the Scheduled tribals (77.9%) as compared to the scheduled caste population (9.0%). About 58.0% scheduled tribals carried at least one chromosome with the -α(3.7) deletion and 20.0% scheduled tribals carried the -α(4.2) deletion. Frequency for the -α(3.7) allele was 0.487 in the scheduled tribal populations in comparison to 0.021 in scheduled castes. Allelic frequency for -α(4.2) was 0.103 and 0.024, respectively, in the above communities. No Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for α-thal gene (p population, indicating the presence of selection pressures in favor of α-thal mutation and adaptation.

INCIDENCE OF MAXILLOFACIAL TRAUMA IN SONEPAT (HARYANA, INDIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Malik SUNITA

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Maxillofacial injuries represent a therapeutic challenge to oral and maxillofacial surgeons working in emerging countries. This study was carried out to determine the incidence of maxillofacial trauma, clinical management and associated complications. This study highlights the need of oral and maxillofacial surgery along with other disciplines to deliver the emergency services and management to the maxillofacial trauma patients. Patients and Methods: A prospective Medical institute study of maxillofacial injured patients was carried out between September 20122 and December 2012, at the recently founded B.P.S Government Medical College for women, Khanpur kalan, Sonepat, Data regarding incidence, age and sex distribution, causes, types and site of injury, treatment modalities and trauma associated complications were collected and analysed. Results: A total of 462 patients were studied. Males outnumbered females by a ratio of 2.9:1. age range was 9 months to 75 years with the peak incidence occurring in the age group 17-34 years .Most injuries were caused by road traffic accidents (75.8%, followed by assault and falls in 10.6% and 8% respectively. Soft tissue injuries and mandibular fractures were the most common type of injuries. Head/neck (53.1% and limb injuries (28.1% were the most prevalent associated injuries. Surgical debridement and soft tissue suturing (95.1% were the most common surgical procedures. Closed reduction of maxillofacial fractures was employed in 56% of patients, Open reduction and internal fixation was performed in 35% of cases and 9% were managed conservatively. Complications occurred in 3.4% of patients, mainly due to infection and malocclusion. The mean duration of hospital stay was 10.12 ± 6.24 days. Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of Dental surgery department alongwith other disciplinaes in the management of maxillofacial injuries. Moreover there is a need to reinforce legislation aimed to prevent road traffic accidents and a strong enforcement of existing laws to reduce maxillofacial injuries among children and adults.

A new pygmy grasshopper species (Tetrigidae: Tetriginae) from Central India.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Sunil Kumar

2016-03-30

Ergatettix subtruncatus sp. nov. is described from Durg district of Chhattisgarh, India. The new species is similar to Ergatettix callosus (Hancock, 1915), but differs from the latter by frontal cost bifurcation starts at the level of upper margin of compound eyes; median carina of vertex indistinct; posterior angle of lateral lobes of pronotum not broad, apex subtruncate, narrow; mid femur slender with small white hairs and 3indistinct lobes; dorsal valve of ovipositor less flattened. A distribution map of Ergatettix subtruncatus sp. nov. and a key to known species of the genus Ergatettix Kirby, 1914 from the Indian subcontinent is provided. The type specimens are deposited in the Central Entomological Laboratory (CEL), Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.

Study on the Prevalence of Leptospirosis among Fever Cases Reported from Private Clinics in the Urban areas of Villupuram District, Tamil Nadu, India

Science.gov (United States)

Basker, Parasuraman; Kannan, Pichai; Kolandaswamy, Karumana Gounder

2014-01-01

Objectives To know the prevalence of leptospirosis cases reported in private clinics among fever cases in Villupuram District, Tamil Nadu, India to know its real magnitude of the problem and to diagnose Leptospirosis among fever cases from differential diagnosis. Methods 1502 Blood serum samples collected from three urban towns namely Kallakurichi (Latitude: 11° 73′ N; Longitude: 78° 97′ E), Villupuram (Latitude: 11° 75′ N; Longitude: 79° 92′ E) and Thindivanam (Latitude: 12° 25′ N; Longitude: 79° 65′ E) in fifteen clinics based on case definition of leptospirosis delineated by the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), Government of India. Samples were tested in the laboratory of the Zonal Entomological Team (ZET), Cuddalore with Macroscopic Slide Agglutination Test (MSAT) and Ig-M ELISA. Result There were 65 positive cases detected from 1502 blood serum samples in both MSAT and Ig-M ELISA. It could be known that there was 4% cases contributed from private clinics among fever cases. From this study, further it was known that all age groups of people affected irrespective of sexes based on their living condition associated with the environment prevailed of the disease. Conclusion From this study, it was quantified that 4% of cases reported in private clinics among fever cases and its findings ascertained both the importance of differential diagnosis as well as reports that should be included to the Government for knowing its real magnitude for planning. PMID:24955313

Mammals of Kalimpong Hills, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.K. Mallick

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Neora Valley National Park (NVNP in the Kalimpong Hills, Darjeeling District, having a wide range of altitudinal variations (183-3,200 m and climatic conditions and forming an ecological trijunction with Sikkim and Bhutan, is the last virgin wilderness in West Bengal. It is a global hotspot for the unique ecosystem, where tropical, sub-tropical, temperate and sub-temperate forests represent a wealth of biodiversity including many threatened and rare mammals. It is the prime habitat of Ailurus fulgens (estimated population 28-32, Neofelis nebulosa (population unassessed, Ursus thibetanus (18, Bos gaurus (81, Hemitragus jemlahicus (32, Naemorhedus goral (73, Capricornis sumatraensis (89, Rusa unicolor (286, Muntiacus vaginalis (590 and Sus scrofa (615. Discovery of Panthera tigris (20 in 1998 prompted the forest department to include NVNP as a sensitive wildlife zone. Many authors recorded the mammalian diversity in Darjeeling District since the mid-nineteenth century, but most of them referred to the Darjeeling Hills. The documentations on Kalimpong Hills are scarce because of the dense canopy, thick undergrowth and inaccessible terrain, particularly in the pristine forests of Neora Valley. Consequently, a comprehensive compendium of the mammals in this region was not prepared. A study was undertaken in 2008-2009 with a view to bridging this knowledge-gap and presenting an updated account of the mammalian species in this new short-listed World Heritage Site and surrounding forests of the Kalimpong Hills based on literature review, questionnaire survey, direct sighting and indirect evidences. During June-October 1916, N.A. Baptista recorded 29 mammalian species (22 genera out of 563 specimens collected, from the region. The present study registered 99 species (68 genera after 94 years.

Telestroke a viable option to improve stroke care in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Srivastava, Padma V; Sudhan, Paulin; Khurana, Dheeraj; Bhatia, Rohit; Kaul, Subash; Sylaja, P N; Moonis, Majaz; Pandian, Jeyaraj Durai

2014-10-01

In India, stroke care services are not well developed. There is a need to explore alternative options to tackle the rising burden of stroke. Telemedicine has been used by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) to meet the needs of remote hospitals in India. The telemedicine network implemented by ISRO in 2001 presently stretches to around 100 hospitals all over the country, with 78 remote/rural/district health centers connected to 22 specialty hospitals in major cities, thus providing treatment to more than 25 000 patients, which includes stroke patients. Telemedicine is currently used in India for diagnosing stroke patients, subtyping stroke as ischemic or hemorrhagic, and treating accordingly. However, a dedicated telestroke system for providing acute stroke care is needed. Keeping in mind India's flourishing technology sector and leading communication networks, the hub-and-spoke model could work out really well in the upcoming years. Until then, simpler alternatives like smartphones, online data transfer, and new mobile applications like WhatsApp could be used. Telestroke facilities could increase the pool of patients eligible for thrombolysis. But this primary aim of telestroke can be achieved in India only if thrombolysis and imaging techniques are made available at all levels of health care. © 2014 World Stroke Organization.

Archaeological and anthropological studies on the Harappan cemetery of Rakhigarhi, India.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vasant S Shinde

Full Text Available An insufficient number of archaeological surveys has been carried out to date on Harappan Civilization cemeteries. One case in point is the necropolis at Rakhigarhi site (Haryana, India, one of the largest cities of the Harappan Civilization, where most burials within the cemetery remained uninvestigated. Over the course of the past three seasons (2013 to 2016, we therefore conducted excavations in an attempt to remedy this data shortfall. In brief, we found different kinds of graves co-existing within the Rakhigarhi cemetery in varying proportions. Primary interment was most common, followed by the use of secondary, symbolic, and unused (empty graves. Within the first category, the atypical burials appear to have been elaborately prepared. Prone-positioned internments also attracted our attention. Since those individuals are not likely to have been social deviants, it is necessary to reconsider our pre-conceptions about such prone-position burials in archaeology, at least in the context of the Harappan Civilization. The data presented in this report, albeit insufficient to provide a complete understanding of Harappan Civilization cemeteries, nevertheless does present new and significant information on the mortuary practices and anthropological features at that time. Indeed, the range of different kinds of burials at the Rakhigarhi cemetery do appear indicative of the differences in mortuary rituals seen within Harappan societies, therefore providing a vivid glimpse of how these people respected their dead.

Mobile phone consultation for community health care in rural north India.

Science.gov (United States)

Bali, Surya; Singh, Amar Jeet

2007-01-01

We conducted a study to ascertain the acceptability and feasibility of consultation by mobile phone in a rural area of northern India. The mobile phone number of a community physician was advertised to the general public and people were invited to telephone at any time for a medical consultation. Details of the calls received were recorded. During a seven-month study, 660 calls were received. The mean call duration was 2.7 min. Eighty percent of calls were made by men. Forty-eight percent of calls were made during office hours. A total of 417 (63%) calls were for seeking advice, 146 (22%) were for outpatient follow-up, 23 (4%) were for seeking appointments and the remaining 74 (11%) for other reasons. The most common problems were skin, respiratory, mental health and sexual problems. Of the 387 callers who were interviewed at follow-up, 302 (78%) stated that they had followed the advice provided. Of these, 91% found the advice very helpful in managing their health problems. About 96% of users wished to continue to use the service in future. The majority of calls made were of a primary care nature which could easily be dealt with by phone. The concept of using mobile phones for medical consultation seemed to be acceptable to people in rural Haryana.

High prevalence of cesarean section births in private sector health facilities- analysis of district level household survey-4 (DLHS-4) of India.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Priyanka; Hashmi, Gulfam; Swain, Prafulla Kumar

2018-05-10

Worldwide rising cesarean section (CS) births is an issue of concern. In India, with increase in institutional deliveries there has also been an increase in cesarean section births. Aim of the study is to quantify the prevalence of cesarean section births in public and private health facility, and also to determine the factors associated with cesarean section births. We analyzed data from district level household survey data 4 (DLHS-4) combined individual level dataset for 19 states/UTs of India comprising 24,398 deliveries resulting in 22,111 live births for year 2011. The percentages and Chi-square has been computed for the select variables viz. Socio demographic, maternal, antenatal care and delivery related based on type of births (CS Vs normal births). The multiple logistic regression model has been used to identify the potential risk factors associated with CS births. Of 22,111 live birth analyzed 49.2% were delivered at public sector, 31.9% at private sector and 18.9% were home deliveries. Prevalence of CS births were 13.7% (95% CI; 13.0- 14.3%) and 37.9% (95% CI; 36.7- 39.0%) in the public and private sectors, respectively. Higher odds of CS births were observed with- delivery at private health facility (OR 3.79; 95% C.I 3.06-4.72), urban residence (OR 1.15; 95% C.I 1.00- 1.35), first delivery after 35 years of maternal age (OR 5.5; 95% C.I 1.85- 16.4), hypertension in pregnancy (OR 1.32; 95% C.I 1.06- 1.65) and breach presentation (OR 2.37; 95% C.I. 1.63- 3.43). Our findings shows that CS births are nearly three times more in private as compared to public sector health facilities.The higher rates of CS births, especially in private sector, not only increase the cost of care but may pose unnecessary risks to women (when there is no indications for CS). The government of India need to take measures to strengthen existing public health facilities as well as ensure that cesarean sections are performed based upon medical indications in both public and private

Prevalence of sexually transmitted infections among young married women in Thiruvarur district of Tamil Nadu state in India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rejoice Puthuchira Ravi

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs are now recognized as a serious global threat to the health of population. Objectives: To assess the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections among young married scheduled castes women in Thiruvarur district of Tamilnadu state in India. Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted in 28 villages selected using multistage sampling technique for selecting 605 women in the age group of 15-24 years during July 2010-April 2011. Data analysis was by use of SPSS version-17, with statistical significance set at p-value of 0.05. Results: Around 8.8% of women experienced sexually transmitted infections among the study population. The proportion of women who experienced STIs was seven times higher among illiterates (46.9% than women who completed secondary education (6%. The women in households in the high standard of living index (SLI were less likely to experience STIs (1.7% than women in low SLI (15.6%. The agricultural laborers were 1.145 times more likely to experience STIs than non-agricultural workers (OR=0.251. Conclusions: The main causes for sexual health problems were found to be the less education and lowest SLI among women. It is recommended that policy makers should be introduce community intervention programs to increase the awareness regarding sexual health issues among rural population. 

COMPARATIVE STUDIES ON MAN-BITING POPULATION OF FILARIAL VECTOR Cx. quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae BETWEEN TRIBAL AND NON-TRIBAL AREAS OF BANKURA DISTRICT, WEST BENGAL INDIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Chandra

2012-10-01

Full Text Available West Bengal, India is endemic for filariasis and the number of patients infected with bancroftian filariasis is increasing. There are no observation on the potential vector of filariasis from the tribal areas that make up considerable part in this state. This study investigate population of Cx. quinquefasciatus in tribal and non-tribal areas of Bankura district. Species composition of mosquitoes, per man-hour density, hourly densities of night biting Cx. quinquefasciatus, number of Cx. quinquefasciatus biting per man per day and per man per night. Preferential biting site and peak period of filarial transmission were recorded from both the study areas. Infection rate, infectivity rate of man-landing vector population and annual transmission potential were observed to be 0.31%, 0.00% and 0.00 in tribal areas and 0.73%, 0.23% and 359.71 in non-tribal areas respectively.

Radioactive dinosaur fossil bones of Balasinor area, Kheda district, Gujarat, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maithani, P.B.; Rathaiah, Y.V.; Dwivedy, K.K.

1993-01-01

High-thorium (upto 0.4% ThO 2 ) bearing Dinosaur fossil remains are reported from the Infratrappeans of Balasinor area, Kheda district, Gujarat. The thorium enrichment in these fossils is confined to the osseous matter which could be attributed to either isomorphic substitution for Ca 2+ or adsorption and colloidal precipitation on the bone surfaces. (author). 5 refs., 1 fig

WEALTH-BASED INEQUALITY IN CHILD IMMUNIZATION IN INDIA: A DECOMPOSITION APPROACH.

Science.gov (United States)

Debnath, Avijit; Bhattacharjee, Nairita

2018-05-01

SummaryDespite years of health and medical advancement, children still suffer from infectious diseases that are vaccine preventable. India reacted in 1978 by launching the Expanded Programme on Immunization in an attempt to reduce the incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs). Although the nation has made remarkable progress over the years, there is significant variation in immunization coverage across different socioeconomic strata. This study attempted to identify the determinants of wealth-based inequality in child immunization using a new, modified method. The present study was based on 11,001 eligible ever-married women aged 15-49 and their children aged 12-23 months. Data were from the third District Level Household and Facility Survey (DLHS-3) of India, 2007-08. Using an approximation of Erreyger's decomposition technique, the study identified unequal access to antenatal care as the main factor associated with inequality in immunization coverage in India.

Biofuel demand estimation in the rural domestic energy sector of India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sinha, C.S.; Joshi, Veena

1994-01-01

The major efforts and their limitations to formulate rural domestic energy requirements in India are discussed. Results of some of the recent efforts for quantifying biofuel consumption in rural areas are presented. Emphasis is on the recent efforts to collate and analyze results of energy consumption survey of 638 villages covering over 39,000 households. These are used to estimate biofuel use for different agro-climatic regions in India by estimating consumption at the district level in the rural domestic sector. The results are aggregated at the state level and they are compared with other estimates for India. The range of consumption aggregated at the national level is found to vary widely (93-252 million tonnes/yr of firewood, 54-107 million tonnes/yr of animal waste and 36-99 million tonnes/yr of agricultural residues). Reasons for the wide disparity in the results is briefly discussed. (author)

Population Stabilization in India: A Sub-State level Analysis

OpenAIRE

Purohit C, Dr Brijesh

2007-01-01

The study aims at analyzing economic and policy factors impinging upon population stabilization measures at the district (sub-state level) in India. It reflects upon popularly debated notions, namely, that development is the best contraceptive or whether contraceptive is the best development. In order to reflect upon this notion, we hypothesize that the factors determining the success of population stabilization measures are likely to be different across rich and poor states. It is more likel...

Quality of life and probable psychological distress among male workers at a construction site, Kolar district, Karnataka, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathew, Geethu; Ramesh, Naveen; Shanbhag, Deepthi; Goud, Ramakrishna; Subramanian, Sharan; Lobo, Carol; Xavier, Alex; Dasari, Prudhvi

2016-01-01

The construction industry, which mainly consists of migrant labouers is one of the largest employers in the unorganized sector in India. These workers work in poor conditions and are often vulnerable to exploitation. These workers also do not have health care benefits and often these factors lead to poor quality of life (QOL) and psychological distress. To assess the QOL, probable psychological distress and associated factors among male construction workers. A cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2013 and November 2013 among 404 male workers. These construction workers were enrolled by consecutive sampling at a construction area in Kolar district, Kaarnataka, India. The study tools used were World Health Organization (WHO) QOL-BREF and 12-Item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) to assess QOL and probable psychological distress, respectively. The transformed scores in WHO QOL-BREF in all four domains ranged 0-100. The four domain scores are scaled in a positive direction with higher scores indicating a higher QOL. Associations were done using statistical tests such as Chi-square, correlation, regression, independent samples t-test, and analysis of variance (ANOVA). A total of 404 male workers with a mean age of 25.6 ± 7.3 years were studied. Mean scores of various domains of QOL were 68.5 ± 13.7 (physical), 59.9 ± 13.5 (psychological), 64.3 ± 16.4 (social), and 44.1 ± 12.8 (environmental). On the self- rating scale, 59 (14.6%) workers were rated as having poor QOL. The prevalence of probable psychological distress was 27.5%. Factors such as increasing age, being currently married, and low educational status were found to be significantly associated (P psychological distress. There was a significant negative correlation (P psychological distress and a positive correlation between income and QOL. The QOL in the environmental domain, which mainly deals with living conditions, health, and recreational facilities was found to be poor and there

A cross-sectional study to assess the intelligence quotient (IQ) of school going children aged 10-12 years in villages of Mysore district, India with different fluoride levels.

Science.gov (United States)

Sebastian, Shibu Thomas; Sunitha, S

2015-01-01

Besides dental and skeletal fluorosis, excessive fluoride intake can also affect the central nervous system without first causing the physical deformities associated with skeletal fluorosis. With the existence of widespread endemic fluorosis in India, the possible adverse effect of elevated fluoride in drinking water on the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) level of children is a potentially serious public health problem. This study assessed the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) of school going children aged 10-12 years in villages of Mysore district with different fluoride levels. In this cross-sectional study, 405 school children aged 10-12 years were selected from three villages in Mysore district with normal fluoride (1.20 mg F/l), low fluoride (0.40 mg F/l) and high fluoride (2.20 mg F/l) in their water supplies. A pre designed questionnaire was used to collect the required data for the survey which included socio demographic details, oral hygiene practices, diet history, body mass index and dental fluorosis. Intelligence Quotient was assessed using Raven's colored Progressive Matrices Test. In bivariate analysis, significant relationships were found between water fluoride levels and Intelligence Quotient of school children (P intelligence when compared to school children residing in areas with normal and low water fluoride levels. Thus, children's intelligence can be affected by high water fluoride levels.

Seasonal levels of radon and thoron in the dwellings along southern coastal Orissa, Eastern India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sulekha Rao, N.; Sengupta, D.

2010-01-01

Inhalation of radon ( 222 Rn) and thoron ( 220 Rn) are a major source of natural radiation exposure. Indoor radon-thoron study has been carried out in some dwellings of Ganjam district, southern coastal Orissa, India using LR-115 type II plastic track detectors. Seasonal variation of indoor radon and thoron shows high values in winter and low values in both summer and rainy. The inhalation dose lies in the range of 0-0.06 μSv h -1 and is not high from those found elsewhere in India.

Seasonal levels of radon and thoron in the dwellings along southern coastal Orissa, Eastern India

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sulekha Rao, N [Department of Geology and Geophysics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, West Bengal 721302 (India); Sengupta, D. [Department of Geology and Geophysics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, West Bengal 721302 (India)], E-mail: dsgg@gg.iitkgp.ernet.in

2010-01-15

Inhalation of radon ({sup 222}Rn) and thoron ({sup 220}Rn) are a major source of natural radiation exposure. Indoor radon-thoron study has been carried out in some dwellings of Ganjam district, southern coastal Orissa, India using LR-115 type II plastic track detectors. Seasonal variation of indoor radon and thoron shows high values in winter and low values in both summer and rainy. The inhalation dose lies in the range of 0-0.06 {mu}Sv h{sup -1} and is not high from those found elsewhere in India.

Factors Influencing E-district Adoption: An Empirical Assessment in Indian Context

OpenAIRE

Baishya, Kuldeep; Samalia, Harsh Vardhan; Joshi, Rohit

2017-01-01

The purpose of this confirmatory study is to explore the factors influencing the acceptance of e-district services by the citizens inAssam, a North-East state of India. Taking unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), technology acceptance model (TAM) and TAM 3 as the basis, a conceptual framework is developed. The study uses semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and a questionnaire based survey through 166 valid data points to validate the conceptual framework. Moreover...

Rediscovery of the Empress, Sasakia funebris Leech (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Nymphalinae: Apaturini after 88 years in India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.P. Singh

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The sighting of an Empress, Sasakia funebris, is reported from upper Debang Valley District, Arunachal Pradesh. This is the first record of this butterfly after almost nine decades in India. Observations on the habitat and habits of the species are given.

Consumption of indigenous medicines by pregnant women in North India for selecting sex of the foetus: what can it lead to?

Science.gov (United States)

Neogi, Sutapa Bandyopadhyay; Negandhi, Preeti H; Ganguli, Abhijit; Chopra, Sapna; Sandhu, Navraj; Gupta, Ravi Kant; Zodpey, Sanjay; Singh, Amarjeet; Singh, Arun; Gupta, Rakesh

2015-09-04

Sex ratio is an important indicator of development. Despite all the measures undertaken for improvement, it remains an issue of concern in India, with Haryana having a very low sex ratio in the country. Studies have been conducted indicating that consumption of indigenous drugs used for sex selection (SSD) could be strongly associated with adverse effects on the foetal development, including congenital malformations. Some samples of SSDs were collected from parts of North India and analysed in a standard laboratory for its components. Thirty SSDs used by the local community were procured from various sources in north India through a rigorous process of collection. These were subjected to laboratory tests to investigate the presence of phytoestrogen and testosterone. Following sample extraction, thin layer chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography were carried out for analysing phytoestrogen content. SSDs were available in various forms such as powder, tablets, mostly from faith healers. Around 87% of the samples collected from sources like doctors, quacks and faith healers were to be taken by the pregnant women after conception; 63% drugs were strongly positive for phytoestrogens (genistein, daidzein, formononetin) and 20% drugs were positive for testosterone. The average dose of the components as calculated after analyses was as follows: daidzein--14.1 mg/g sample, genistein--8.6 mg/g sample, formononetin--5 mg/g sample. These SSDs could be potentially detrimental to the growth and development of the foetus. This is likely to have implications on the health of the community. In view of the results obtained in our study, we strongly attest the importance in curbing this harmful practice by banning the supply of the drugs as well as by advocating behavioural changes in the community.

CORRELATION STUDY AMONG WATER QUALITY PARAMETERS OF GROUNDWATER OF VALSAD DISTRICT OF SOUTH GUJARAT(INDIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. T. Vashi

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Groundwater samples were collected from five talukas of Valsad district for one year (from August 2008 to July 2009 and were analyzed for their physicochemical characteristics.  The present investigation is focused on  determination of parameters like pH, Colour, Electrical Conductivity (EC, Total Hardness (TH, Calcium (Ca, Magnesium (Mg, Total Alkalinity (TA, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS, Silica, Chloride, Sulphate, Fluoride, Sodium, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD and metals like Copper (Cu and Manganese (Mn.  Correlation coefficients were determined to identify the highly correlated parameters and interrelated water quality parameters. Correlation matrix of Valsad district suggests that EC of groundwater is found to be significantly correlated with eight out of seventeen water quality parameters studied.  It may be suggested that the quality of Valsad district can be checked very effectively by controlling EC of water.

Groundwater quality assessment in the village of Lutfullapur Nawada, Loni, District Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Vinod K; Bikundia, Devendra Singh; Sarswat, Ankur; Mohan, Dinesh

2012-07-01

The groundwater quality for drinking, domestic and irrigation in the village Lutfullapur Nawada, Loni, district Ghaziabad, U.P., India, has been assessed. Groundwater samples were collected, processed and analyzed for temperature, pH, conductivity, salinity, total alkalinity, carbonate alkalinity, bicarbonate alkalinity, total hardness, calcium hardness, magnesium hardness, total solids, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, nitrate-nitrogen, chloride, fluoride, sulfate, phosphate, silica, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, total chromium, cadmium, copper, iron, nickel, lead and zinc. A number of groundwater samples showed levels of electrical conductivity (EC), alkalinity, chloride, calcium, sodium, potassium and iron exceeding their permissible limits. Except iron, the other metals (Cr, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) were analyzed below the permissible limits. The correlation matrices for 28 variables were performed. EC, salinity, TS and TDS had significant positive correlations among themselves and also with NO (3) (-) , Cl(-), alkalinity, Na(+), K(+), and Ca(2+). Fluoride was not significantly correlated with any of the parameters. NO (3) (-) was significantly positively correlated with Cl(-), alkalinity, Na(+), K(+) and Ca(2+). Chloride also correlated significantly with alkalinity, Na(+), K(+) and Ca(2+). Sodium showed a strong and positive correlation with K(+) and Ca(2+). pH was negatively correlated with most of the physicochemical parameters. This groundwater is classified as a normal sulfate and chloride type. Base-exchange indices classified 73% of the groundwater sources as the Na(+)-SO (4) (2-) type. The meteoric genesis indices demonstrated that 67% of groundwater sources belong to a deep meteoric water percolation type. Hydrochemical groundwater evaluations revealed that most of the groundwaters belong to the Na(+)-K(+)-Cl(-)-SO (4) (2-) type followed by Na(+)-K(+)-HCO (3) (-) type. Salinity, chlorinity and SAR indices indicated that majority

Status of iodine nutrition among pregnant mothers in selected districts of Uttarakhand, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Umesh Kapil

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Uttarakhand state is a known endemic area for iodine deficiency. Objective: The present study was conducted with an objective to assess the iodine nutritional status amongst pregnant mothers (PMs in districts: Pauri (P, Nainital (N and Udham Singh Nagar (USN of Uttarakhand state. Materials and Methods: Thirty clusters from each district were selected by utilizing the population proportionate to size cluster sampling methodology. A total of 1727 PMs from P (481, N (614 and USN (632 were included. The clinical examination of the thyroid of each PM was conducted. Urine and salt samples were collected from a sub samples of PMs enlisted for thyroid clinical examination. Results: The total Goiter rate was found to be 24.9 (P, 20.2 (N and 16.1 (USN%. The median urinary iodine concentration (UIC levels were found to be 110 μg/L (P, 117.5 μg/L (N and 124 μg/L (USN. The percentage of PMs consuming salt with iodine content of 15 ppm and more was found to be 57.9 (P, 67.0 (N and 50.3 (USN. Conclusion: The findings of the present study revealed that the PMs in all three districts had low iodine nutritional status as revealed by UIC levels of less than 150 μg/L.

Fission track dating and uranium estimation in pegmatitic minerals of Rajasthan state (India)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, S; Virk, H S [Punjabi Univ., Patiala (India). Dept. of Physics

1978-12-01

Fission track geochronology of muscovite samples collected from some pegmatitic mines of Bhilwara and Ajmer districts of Rajasthan state (India) has been discussed. The ages obtained suggest the occurrence of Delhi Orogenic Cycle as the last major metamorphic activity in the region. The atomic fraction of uranium in muscovite samples is less than 1 p.p.b.

Precontrol observations on lymphatic filariasis & geo-helminthiases in two coastal districts of rural Orrisa.

Science.gov (United States)

Chhotray, G P; Ranjit, M R; Khuntia, H K; Acharya, A S

2005-11-01

Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a major public health problem in India, accounting for 40 per cent of the global burden. The World Health Organization has launched a global programme to eliminate LF by 2020 and India is a signatory to it. Orissa, an eastern Indian State has long been known to be endemic for LF. Prior to implementation of mass drug administration programme it is important to collect baseline data on filariasis and geo-helminthiases in the State. The present cross-sectional survey was therefore carried out between February and December 2001 to obtain baseline information on both LF and geo-helminthiases before application of the control measures. The study was carried out in rural areas of Puri and Ganjam districts in two phases. In phase I, the distribution of microfilaraemia in two district was mapped out in randomly selected primary health centres (PHCs), and 12 microfilaraemic villages were identified in each district by cluster analysis for the phase II study. In phase II, detailed clinical and parasitological survey for LF and geo-helminthiases was carried out following the standard procedures. Wuchereria bancrofti was found to be widely prevalent in Puri district with certain pockets of Brugia malayi while W. bancrofti was the only species in Ganjam district. The microfilaraemia (Mf) rate was found to be 9.5 and 11.1 per cent; and circulating filarial antigenaemia (CFA) was 16.8 and 17.8 per cent in Puri and Ganjam respectively. The geometric mean intensity (GMI) of Mf per ml of blood among positive individuals was 387 in Puri and 454 in Ganjam. The overall disease rate in Puri was 7.9 and 8.9 per cent in Ganjam. The prevalence of chronic manifestations was found to be significantly higher (PGanjam; and the heavy infection was found to be significantly higher (PGanjam compared to Puri district. The present study identified LF and geo-helminthiases as widely distributed health problem in rural areas of coastal Orissa which warrants intervention

Unhealthy Fat in Street and Snack Foods in Low-Socioeconomic Settings in India: A Case Study of the Food Environments of Rural Villages and an Urban Slum.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Vidhu; Downs, Shauna M; Ghosh-Jerath, Suparna; Lock, Karen; Singh, Archna

2016-04-01

To describe the food environment in rural villages and an urban slum setting in India with reference to commercially available unbranded packaged snacks and street foods sold by vendors, and to analyze the type and quantity of fat in these foods. Cross-sectional. Two low-income villages in Haryana and an urban slum in Delhi. Street vendors (n = 44) were surveyed and the nutritional content of snacks (n = 49) sold by vendors was analyzed. Vendors' awareness and perception of fats and oils, as well as the type of snacks sold, along with the content and quality of fat present in the snacks. Descriptive statistics of vendor survey and gas chromatography to measure fatty acid content in snacks. A variety of snacks were sold, including those in unlabeled transparent packages and open glass jars. Mean fat content in snacks was 28.8 g per 100-g serving in rural settings and 29.6 g per 100-g serving in urban settings. Sampled oils contained high levels of saturated fats (25% to 69% total fatty acids) and trans fats (0.1% to 30% of total fatty acids). Interventions need to target the manufacturers of oils and fats used in freshly prepared products to improve the quality of foods available in the food environment of low-socioeconomic groups in India. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Biofuel demand estimation in the rural domestic energy sector of India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sinha, C.S.; Joshi, V.

1993-01-01

The major efforts and their limitations to formulate rural domestic energy requirements in India are discussed. Results of some of the recent efforts for quantifying biofuel consumption in rural areas are presented thereafter. Emphasis in this paper is on the recent efforts to collate and analyze results of energy consumption survey of 638 villages covering over 39,000 households. These are used to estimate biofuel use for different agro-climatic regions in India by estimating consumption at the district level in the rural domestic sector. The results are aggregated at the state level and they are compared with other estimates for India. The range of consumption aggregated at the national level is found to vary widely (93-252 million tonnes/y of firewood, 54-107 million tonnes/y of animal waste and 36-99 million tonnes/y of agricultural residues). Reasons for the wide disparity in the results is briefly discussed. (author)

Multilevel Analysis of the Predictors of HIV Prevalence among Pregnant Women Enrolled in Annual HIV Sentinel Surveillance in Four States in Southern India.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Usha Thamattoor

Full Text Available Heterogeneity of the HIV epidemic across districts of south India is reflected in HIV positivity among antenatal clinic (ANC attendees. Along with individual factors, contextual factors also need consideration for effective HIV interventions. Thus, identifying district and individual level factors that influence ANC HIV positivity assumes importance to intervene effectively.Data on HIV sentinel surveillance among the ANC population were obtained from the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO between years 2004 and 2007. Data from serial cross-sectional studies among female sex workers (FSWs conducted during this time period in 24 districts were used to generate district level variables corresponding to parameters concerning this high risk population. Other district level data were obtained from various official/governmental agencies. Multilevel logistic regression was used to identify individual and district level factors associated with ANC-HIV positivity.The average ANC-HIV prevalence from 2004 to 2007 in the 24 integrated biological and behavioural assessments (IBBA districts ranged from 0.25 to 3.25%. HIV positivity was significantly higher among ANC women with age ≥ 25 years [adjusted odds ratio (AOR:1.49; 95% confidence interval (95%CI:1.27 to 1.76] compared to those with age<25 years; illiterate (AOR:1.62; 95%CI:1.03 to 2.54 compared to literate; employed in agriculture (AOR:1.34; 95%CI:1.11 to 1.62 or with occupations like driver/helper/industry/factory workers/hotel staff (AOR:1.59; 95%CI:1.26 to 2.01 compared to unemployed. District level HIV prevalence among FSWs (AOR:1.03; 95%CI:1.0 to 1.05 and percentage women marrying under 18 years were significantly associated with ANC-HIV positivity (AOR:1.02; 95%CI:1.00 to 1.04.Illiteracy of the woman, higher HIV prevalence among FSWs and early marriage were associated with HIV positivity among pregnant women in southern India. In addition to targeted HIV preventive interventions among

Dental Fluorosis and Dental Caries Prevalence among 12 and 15-Year-Old School Children in Nalgonda District, Andhra Pradesh, India

Science.gov (United States)

Sukhabogi, JR; Parthasarathi, P; Anjum, S; Shekar, BRC; Padma, CM; Rani, AS

2014-01-01

Background: Fluoride is a double edged sword. The assessment of dental caries and fluorosis in endemic fluoride areas will facilitate in assessing the relation between fluoride concentrations in water with dental caries, dental fluorosis simultaneously. Aim: The objective of the following study is to assess the dental caries and dental fluorosis prevalence among 12 and 15-year-old school children in Nalgonda district, Andhra Pradesh, India. Subjects and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. Two stage cluster sampling technique was employed to select 20 schools from Nalgonda district. The oral examination of available 12 and 15-year-old children fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria was carried out to assess dental caries and fluorosis. The examination was conducted by a single trained and calibrated examiner using the mouth mirror and community periodontal index probe under natural daylight. These areas were divided into four categories, low, medium, high and very high fluoride areas based on the fluoride concentration at the time of statistical analysis. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 16 (IBM, Chicago, USA). Results: The caries prevalence was less among 12-year-old children (39.9% [369/924]) compared with 15-years-old children (46.7% [444/951]). The prevalence was more among females (50.4% [492/977]) than males (35.8% [321/898]). The prevalence was more in low fluoride area (60.5% [300/496]) followed by very high fluoride area (54.8% [201/367]), high fluoride area (32.4% [293/904]) and medium fluoride area (17.6% [19/108]) in the descending order. The fluorosis prevalence increased with increasing fluoride concentration with no difference in gender and age distribution. Conclusion: Low fluoride areas require fluoridation or alternate sources of fluoride, whereas high fluoride areas require defluoridation. Defluoridation of water is an immediate requirement in areas with fluoride concentration of 4

From where are tuberculosis patients accessing treatment in India? Results from a cross-sectional community based survey of 30 districts.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Srinath Satyanarayana

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB notification in India by the Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP provides information on TB patients registered for treatment from the programme. There is limited information about the proportion of patients treated for TB outside RNTCP and where these patients access their treatment. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the proportion of patients accessing TB treatment outside the RNTCP and to identify their basic demographic characteristics. METHODS: A cross sectional community-based survey in 30 districts. Patients were identified through a door-to-door survey and interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. RESULTS: Of the estimated 75,000 households enumerated, 73,249 households (97.6% were visited. Of the 371,174 household members, 761 TB patients were identified (∼205 cases per 100,000 populations. Data were collected from 609 (80% TB patients of which 331 [54% (95% CI: 42-66%] were determined to be taking treatment 'under DOTS/RNTCP'. The remaining 278 [46% (95% CI: 34-57%] were on treatment from 'outside DOTS/RNTCP' sources and hence were unlikely to be part of the TB notification system. Patients who were accessing treatment from 'outside DOTS/RNTCP' were more likely to be patients from rural areas [adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR 2.5, 95% CI (1.2-5.3] and whose TB was diagnosed in a non-government health facility (aOR 14.0, 95% CI 7.9-24.9. CONCLUSIONS: This community-based survey found that nearly half of self-reported TB patients were missed by TB notification system in these districts. The study highlights the need for 1 Reviewing and revising the scope of the TB notification system, 2 Strengthening and monitoring health care delivery systems with periodic assessment of the reach and utilisation of the RNTCP services especially among rural communities, 3 Advocacy, communication and social mobilisation activities focused at rural communities with low household incomes and 4 Inclusive involvement of all

Socio-Demographic Correlates of Women's Infertility and Treatment Seeking Behavior in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkar, Sanjit; Gupta, Pallavi

2016-01-01

Infertility is an emergent issue in India. Until recently, very few studies have understood the patterns and consequences of infertility in India. Family planning programs in India also viewed exclusively the patterns and determinants of overfertility rather than infertility. Furthermore, there is the lack of information about treatment seeking behavior of infertile couples. Therefore, this paper aimed to examine the extent of infertility and treatment seeking behavior among infertile women in India. An attempt was also made to evaluate the effects of socio-demographic factors on treatment seeking behavior. The study used the data from the District Level Household and Facility Survey carried out in India during 2007-08. Several statistical techniques such as chi-square test, proportional hazard model and binary logistic regression model were used for the analysis. Approximately, 8% of currently married women suffered from infertility in India and most of them were secondary infertile (5.8%). Within India, women's infertility rate was the highest in west Bengal (13.9 percent) and the lowest in Meghalaya (2.5 percent). About 80% of infertile women sought treatment but a substantial proportion (33%) received non-allopathic and traditional treatment due to expensive modern treatment and lack of awareness. In the context of policy response, it can be said that there is a need to improve the existing services and quality of care for infertile women. Treatment for infertility should be integrated into the larger reproductive health packages.

A breeding site record of Long-billed Vulture Gyps indicus (Aves: Accipitriformes: Accipitridae from Bejjur Reserve Forest, Telangana, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Swetha Stotrabhashyam

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The Long-billed Vulture Gyps indicus is, Critically Endangered with few known breeding sites in peninsular India.  We present a previously undocumented Long-billed Vulture breeding site in Bejjur Reserve Forest, Adilabad District, northern Telangana.

Evaluation of age-standardized cancer burden in western Tamil Nadu, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janani Selvaraj

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Background: The burden of cancer is growing globally and is one of the top leading causes of death. Information on cancer patterns is essential for effective planning of cancer control interventions. Aims and Objectives: The present cross sectional study aims to explore the patterns and trends of the cancer incidences in the western regions of Tamil Nadu, India including Coimbatore, Erode, Tiruppur, Salem, Namakkal and Nilgiris. Materials and Methods: A sum of 14392 cancer cases were recorded from the hospital based cancer registries of Coimbatore district. The cancer cases were segregated district-wise for specific cancer sites and the age-standardized incident rates were calculated for different age groups. Results: Coimbatore district recorded the highest number of incidences among all districts. Among all age-groups the adults aged 50-74 carry the highest burden of cancer. Among men, head and neck and gastrointestinal cancers are predominant while among women, breast and gynecological cancers are high. The age-standardized incidence rates were found to be higher in Coimbatore and least in Salem. Conclusion: Through this study, it is observed that Coimbatore district is under major threat and needs further investigation of risk factors for implementing optimized treatment and prevention strategies for reducing the adverse effects of cancer.

Salient Ecological Sensitive Regions of Central Western Ghats, India

Science.gov (United States)

Ramachandra, T. V.; Bharath, Setturu; Subash Chandran, M. D.; Joshi, N. V.

2018-02-01

Ecologically sensitive regions (ESRs) are the `ecological units' with the exceptional biotic and abiotic elements. Identification of ESRs considering spatially both ecological and social dimensions of environmental variables helps in ecological and conservation planning as per Biodiversity Act, 2002, Government of India. The current research attempts to integrate ecological and environmental considerations into administration, and prioritizes regions at Panchayat levels (local administrative unit) in Uttara Kannada district, Central Western Ghats, Karnataka state considering attributes (biological, Geo-climatic, Social, etc.) as ESR (1-4) through weightage score metrics. The region has the distinction of having highest forest area (80.48%) in Karnataka State, India and has been undergoing severe anthropogenic pressures impacting biogeochemistry, hydrology, food security, climate and socio-economic systems. Prioritisation of ESRs helps in the implementation of the sustainable developmental framework with the appropriate conservation strategies through the involvement of local stakeholders.

Salient Ecological Sensitive Regions of Central Western Ghats, India

Science.gov (United States)

Ramachandra, T. V.; Bharath, Setturu; Subash Chandran, M. D.; Joshi, N. V.

2018-05-01

Ecologically sensitive regions (ESRs) are the `ecological units' with the exceptional biotic and abiotic elements. Identification of ESRs considering spatially both ecological and social dimensions of environmental variables helps in ecological and conservation planning as per Biodiversity Act, 2002, Government of India. The current research attempts to integrate ecological and environmental considerations into administration, and prioritizes regions at Panchayat levels (local administrative unit) in Uttara Kannada district, Central Western Ghats, Karnataka state considering attributes (biological, Geo-climatic, Social, etc.) as ESR (1-4) through weightage score metrics. The region has the distinction of having highest forest area (80.48%) in Karnataka State, India and has been undergoing severe anthropogenic pressures impacting biogeochemistry, hydrology, food security, climate and socio-economic systems. Prioritisation of ESRs helps in the implementation of the sustainable developmental framework with the appropriate conservation strategies through the involvement of local stakeholders.

Assessment of Universal Healthcare Coverage in a District of North India: A Rapid Cross-Sectional Survey Using Tablet Computers.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Tarundeep; Roy, Pritam; Jamir, Limalemla; Gupta, Saurav; Kaur, Navpreet; Jain, D K; Kumar, Rajesh

2016-01-01

A rapid survey was carried out in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar District of Punjab state in India to ascertain health seeking behavior and out-of-pocket health expenditures. Using multistage cluster sampling design, 1,008 households (28 clusters x 36 households in each cluster) were selected proportionately from urban and rural areas. Households were selected through a house-to-house survey during April and May 2014 whose members had (a) experienced illness in the past 30 days, (b) had illness lasting longer than 30 days, (c) were hospitalized in the past 365 days, or (d) had women who were currently pregnant or experienced childbirth in the past two years. In these selected households, trained investigators, using a tablet computer-based structured questionnaire, enquired about the socio-demographics, nature of illness, source of healthcare, and healthcare and household expenditure. The data was transmitted daily to a central server using wireless communication network. Mean healthcare expenditures were computed for various health conditions. Catastrophic healthcare expenditure was defined as more than 10% of the total annual household expenditure on healthcare. Chi square test for trend was used to compare catastrophic expenditures on hospitalization between households classified into expenditure quartiles. The mean monthly household expenditure was 15,029 Indian Rupees (USD 188.2). Nearly 14.2% of the household expenditure was on healthcare. Fever, respiratory tract diseases, gastrointestinal diseases were the common acute illnesses, while heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and respiratory diseases were the more common chronic diseases. Hospitalizations were mainly due to cardiovascular diseases, gastrointestinal problems, and accidents. Only 17%, 18%, 20% and 31% of the healthcare for acute illnesses, chronic illnesses, hospitalizations and childbirth was sought in the government health facilities. Average expenditure in government health facilities was 16.6% less

Assessment of Universal Healthcare Coverage in a District of North India: A Rapid Cross-Sectional Survey Using Tablet Computers.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tarundeep Singh

Full Text Available A rapid survey was carried out in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar District of Punjab state in India to ascertain health seeking behavior and out-of-pocket health expenditures.Using multistage cluster sampling design, 1,008 households (28 clusters x 36 households in each cluster were selected proportionately from urban and rural areas. Households were selected through a house-to-house survey during April and May 2014 whose members had (a experienced illness in the past 30 days, (b had illness lasting longer than 30 days, (c were hospitalized in the past 365 days, or (d had women who were currently pregnant or experienced childbirth in the past two years. In these selected households, trained investigators, using a tablet computer-based structured questionnaire, enquired about the socio-demographics, nature of illness, source of healthcare, and healthcare and household expenditure. The data was transmitted daily to a central server using wireless communication network. Mean healthcare expenditures were computed for various health conditions. Catastrophic healthcare expenditure was defined as more than 10% of the total annual household expenditure on healthcare. Chi square test for trend was used to compare catastrophic expenditures on hospitalization between households classified into expenditure quartiles.The mean monthly household expenditure was 15,029 Indian Rupees (USD 188.2. Nearly 14.2% of the household expenditure was on healthcare. Fever, respiratory tract diseases, gastrointestinal diseases were the common acute illnesses, while heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and respiratory diseases were the more common chronic diseases. Hospitalizations were mainly due to cardiovascular diseases, gastrointestinal problems, and accidents. Only 17%, 18%, 20% and 31% of the healthcare for acute illnesses, chronic illnesses, hospitalizations and childbirth was sought in the government health facilities. Average expenditure in government health facilities was

Study on prevalence of Fasciolosis in buffaloes at Anand and Ahmedabad districts, Gujarat, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suchit S. Pandya

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Aim: This study was undertaken to derive the prevalence rate of Fasciolosis in buffaloes by a collection of fecal and liver samples from Anand and Ahmedabad districts’ local slaughter houses. Materials and Methods: Fecal and liver samples were collected during ante- and post-mortem examination, respectively, and brought to the department laboratory preserved in 10% formalin for further processing. Fecal samples were processed with qualitative examination viz.; sedimentation technique for identification of the ova. Liver samples were also examined for the presence of gross parasites. Results: The highest prevalence rate was observed in the month of December (25.97% fecal and 33.33% liver samples and lowest in the month of May (10.71% fecal and 11.76% liver samples at Anand district. In the area of Ahmedabad district, the highest prevalence rate was recorded in the month of October and February (26.98% and lowest in the month of May (10.34% for the fecal and highest prevalence was observed in the month of February (26.98% and lowest in May (11.11% for the liver samples. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the heavy infection is present in Anand and Ahmedabad districts, especially in the month of winter followed by monsoon and the least in summer.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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.

Predictors of Treatment Outcome for Retreatment Pulmonary Tuberculosis Cases among Tribal People of an Eastern India District: A Prospective Cohort Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rajib Saha

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. The study was conducted to assess the treatment outcome of different category retreatment cases with the aim of finding out the important predictors of unfavorable outcomes. Methodology. This hospital based prospective cohort study was conducted in three tuberculosis units (TUs of west Midnapore (a district of Eastern India, covering mostly the tribal populated areas. Patients who were registered for Category II antituberculosis treatment between 1st quarter of 2013 (Jan to Mar and 4th quarter of 2013 (Oct to Dec were considered as our study cohort and they were followed up till December 2014. The study was started with 177 patients but ultimately ended with 165 patients. Results. Unfavorable outcome was observed among 24.8% patients. Among them mostly 51.2% were defaulter, 22% were failure case, and 26.8% died during treatment. Patients, who were minority by religion, were found 4 times more vulnerable for unfavorable outcome. Unfavorable outcome was found 7 times more common among retreatment TB cases who remain sputum positive after completion of initiation phase of Category II treatment. Conclusion. Programmatic approach should be specified to address the minority by religion population and to reduce the load of sputum positive cases after completion of initiation phase treatment by tracking them.

The Tibetan Wolf Canis lupus chanco Gray (Mammalia: Carnivora: Canidae in northeastern India with a recent sighting from northern Sikkim, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anwaruddin Choudhury

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The Tibetan Wolf Canis lupus chanco which is a relatively rarer subspecies of the wolf C. lupus occurs in Sikkim in North-east India with unconfirmed reports from Arunachal Pradesh. Its range in Sikkim is in the high elevation areas. There are very few sighting records from the state. This article reports an observation made recently between Thangu and Gyagong or Gogong in North Sikkim district at 4,250m elevation on 17 April 2014. Presence of feral dogs are threats to the Wolf as well as its prey base.  

Socio-Demographic Correlates of Women’s Infertility and Treatment Seeking Behavior in India

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkar, Sanjit; Gupta, Pallavi

2016-01-01

Background: Infertility is an emergent issue in India. Until recently, very few studies have understood the patterns and consequences of infertility in India. Family planning programs in India also viewed exclusively the patterns and determinants of overfertility rather than infertility. Furthermore, there is the lack of information about treatment seeking behavior of infertile couples. Therefore, this paper aimed to examine the extent of infertility and treatment seeking behavior among infertile women in India. An attempt was also made to evaluate the effects of socio-demographic factors on treatment seeking behavior. Methods: The study used the data from the District Level Household and Facility Survey carried out in India during 2007–08. Several statistical techniques such as chi-square test, proportional hazard model and binary logistic regression model were used for the analysis. Results: Approximately, 8% of currently married women suffered from infertility in India and most of them were secondary infertile (5.8%). Within India, women’s infertility rate was the highest in west Bengal (13.9 percent) and the lowest in Meghalaya (2.5 percent). About 80% of infertile women sought treatment but a substantial proportion (33%) received non-allopathic and traditional treatment due to expensive modern treatment and lack of awareness. Conclusion: In the context of policy response, it can be said that there is a need to improve the existing services and quality of care for infertile women. Treatment for infertility should be integrated into the larger reproductive health packages. PMID:27141468

Opportunities and Challenges for Solar Minigrid Development in Rural India

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thirumurthy, N.; Harrington, L.; Martin, D.; Thomas, L.; Takpa, J.; Gergan, R.

2012-09-01

The goal of this report is to inform investors about the potential of solar minigrid technologies to serve India's rural market. Under the US-India Energy Dialogue, the US Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is supporting the Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)'s Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) in performing a business-case and policy-oriented analysis on the deployment of solar minigrids in India. The JNNSM scheme targets the development of 2GW of off-grid solar power by 2022 and provides large subsidies to meet this target. NREL worked with electricity capacity and demand data supplied by the Ladakh Renewable Energy Development Agency (LREDA) from Leh District, to develop a technical approach for solar minigrid development. Based on the NREL-developed, simulated solar insolation data for the city of Leh, a 250-kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system can produce 427,737 kWh over a 12-month period. The business case analysis, based on several different scenarios and JNNSM incentives shows the cost of power ranges from Rs. 6.3/kWh (US$0.126) to Rs. 9/kWh (US$0.18). At these rates, solar power is a cheaper alternative to diesel. An assessment of the macro-environment elements--including political, economic, environmental, social, and technological--was also performed to identify factors that may impact India?s energy development initiatives.

School Based Multicomponent Intervention for Obese Children in Udupi District, South India - A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Nayak, Baby S; Bhat, Vinod H

2016-12-01

Childhood obesity and overweight is a global epidemics and has been increasing in the developing countries. Childhood obesity is linked with increased mortality and morbidity independent of adult obesity. Declining physical activity, access to junk food and parenting style are the major determinants of overweight in children. Thus, there is a need for increasing the physical activity of children, educating the parents as well as the children on lifestyle modification. This can be achieved through implementation of multicomponent intervention. To evaluate the effectiveness of multicomponent intervention on improving the lifestyle practices, reducing the body fat and improving the self esteem of obese children from selected schools of Udupi District, South India. A sample of 120 obese children were enrolled for multicomponent intervention. The components of multicomponent intervention were: education provided to the obese children on lifestyle modification, education of the parents and increasing the physical education activity of these children in the form of aerobics under the supervision of physical education teacher. There was an attrition of 25% in the intervention group. Thus the final sample in the intervention group was 90. Total sample of 131 overweight/ obese children enrolled as controls. There was an attrition of 20.61% in the control group. Thus, the final sample in the control group was 104. Intervention group received the multicomponent intervention for six month. Mixed Method Repeated measures Ananlysis of Variance (ANOVA) was applied for analysis of data. Results indicated that the intervention was effective in reducing the Body Mass Index (BMI), triceps, biceps, subscapular skin fold thickness of obese children. The intervention was also effective in improving the lifestyle practices and self-esteem of obese children. Overweight/obese children need to control diet and perform vigorous exercise at least for 20 minutes a day to reduce the excess fat

Seroprevalence of Burkholderia pseudomallei among Adults in Coastal Areas in Southwestern India.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kalwaje Eshwara Vandana

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Although melioidosis, is an important disease in many Southeast Asian countries and Australia, there is limited data on its prevalence and disease burden in India. However, an increase in case reports of melioidosis in recent years indicates its endemicity in India.A population-based cross-sectional seroprevalence study was undertaken to determine the seroprevalence of B. pseudomallei by indirect haemagglutination assay and to investigate the associated risk determinants. Subjects were 711 adults aged 18 to 65 years residing in Udupi district, located in south-western coast of India.Overall, 29% of the study subjects were seropositive (titer ≥20. Females were twice as likely to be seropositive compared to males. Rates of seroprevalence were similar in farmers and non-farmers. Besides gardening, other factors including socio-demographic, occupational and environmental factors did not show any relationship with seropositive status.There is a serological evidence of exposure to B. pseudomallei among adults in India. While the bacterium inhabits soil, exposure to the agent is not limited to farmers. Non-occupational exposure might play an important role in eliciting antibody response to the bacterium and may also be an important factor in disease causation.

Prevalence & Practice of Self-Medication in Ernakulum District, southern India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nimitha Paul

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction Self-medication can lead to many problems and has many concerns associated with it including development of drug resistance. The objectives of the current study were to assess the prevalence of self-medication practices among people residing in selected urban and rural areas of Ernakulam district, to assess the pattern of use of self-medications and to determine the differences, if any, between the rural, urban and slum population in the prevalence and pattern of use of self-medications Methods A community based cross-sectional study was conducted and 539 individuals from urban, rural and urban slums of Ernakulam district, Kerala were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Data was tabulated in MS Excel and analysed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS version 15. Descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage was used to summarize the data. Univariate and multivariate analysis was done to assess the factors associated with self-medication Results In the study, 21.5% (114/539 reported that they practised self-medication within last three months. Major indications for self-medication were aches and pain (28.9%, fever (22.8% and chronic diseases (13.7%. Among those who practised self-medication, 6.1% (7/114 used antibiotics. In the final logistic regression model, being in urban area [urban areas (OR 5.8, 95% CI 3.2-10.4, urban slums (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.5-5.4] and increasing age groups [18-59 years (OR 2.1 95% CI 1.1-3.8 and more than 60 years (OR 3.2 95% CI 1.6-6.5] were associated with self-medication practices. Conclusion Holistic approach should be taken to prevent the problem of self-medications, which includes proper awareness and education to public, improving access to care and regulation of pharmacies regarding sale of drugs.

Status of potato husbandry and farmer's socio-economic profile in moisture and heat prone karnataka, india

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rana, R.K.; Kadian, M.S.

2014-01-01

Hassan district of Karnataka (India) plays an important role of providing processing grade potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) during September to December months when there is real dearth of such potatoes in the country. However, shallow soils, low soil carbon, inadequate irrigation water (126% cropping intensity in study area) and heat stress have been bothering farmers of this area for a long time. In addition, severe late blight infestations during recent years have played havoc for Potato farmers, dragging average potato productivity in the area to sub seven tonne/ hectare levels. Current study was carried out to analyse socio-economics of potato farmers in Hassan district of Karnataka so that policy makers and development agencies take right decisions towards upliftment of potato farmers of this area. District wise annual compound growth rates (ACGRs) of potato area, production and productivity were estimated for the period during 1999-00 to 2009-10. During this period, potato area in Hassan district expanded at 11.5% ACGR, the corresponding production and productivity figures decelerated by 2 and 12%, respectively. The study of various socio-economic factors revealed that the sampled households were deprived of even the basic household necessities such as food security (33% total and 65% landless labourer respondents), personal water connection (72% respondents) and toilets (68% respondents). Potato contract farming arrangements between potato farmers and the leading contractor, PepsiCo India were also studied. This article recommends enhanced emphasis of Indian government on irrigation development under various rural development schemes and consolidation of land holdings in order to facilitate farm mechanization and improved agricultural profitability. (author)

National rural drinking water monitoring: progress and challenges with India's IMIS database

OpenAIRE

Wescoat, James; Fletcher, Sarah Marie; Novellino, Marianna

2015-01-01

National drinking water programs seek to address monitoring challenges that include self-reporting, data sampling, data consistency and quality, and sufficient frequency to assess the sustainability of water systems. India stands out for its comprehensive rural water database known as Integrated Management Information System (IMIS), which conducts annual monitoring of drinking water coverage, water quality, and related program components from the habitation level to the district, state, and n...

Ethnomedicinal practices in different communities of Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka for treatment of wounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhat, Pradeep; Hegde, Gurumurthi; Hegde, Ganesh R

2012-09-28

Uttara Kannada district is located in the heart of the Western Ghats, one of the biodiversity hotspots, in Karnataka state of India. The thick evergreen forests are home to several ethnic communities. The study was under taken for documentation and analysis of ethnomedicinal plants in the treatment of wounds. Field trips were made in Uttara Kannada district to identify the key informants. The collection of information was through semi-structured open ended interviews with a questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed to obtain the information about their experience in the field of treatment, number of patients treated per week, knowledge about the medicinal plants, vernacular names, parts of the plants used and other ingredients added during the drug formulations. Plants mentioned for treatment were photographed in the field, cuttings of the samples were taken and voucher specimens are deposited in the herbarium of P.G. Department of Botany, Karnatak University, Dharwad. The information such as botanical name, status, family, vernacular name habit and habitat, statistical analysis like percentage of parts used, Use value (UV) and Informants Consensus Factor (ICF) are provided. Present study resulted in recording 106 medicinal plant species of 55 families and 86 formulations to treat different types of wounds by 44 key informants. Among the 106 plants recorded four species are endemic to India and 22 species have the nativity outside India. Rest of the species have nativity both in India and elsewhere. The highest number of species belonged to Apocynaceae and Rubiaceae (6 species each). Trees are used more often (35.84%), followed by herbs (28.30%), shrubs (23.58%), climbers (11.32) and parasites (0.80%). Leaves are the major part of the plants used in the formulations (28.57%). The highest Use value is for Calycopteris floribunda (1.80), followed by Rauvolfia serpentina and Achyranthes aspera (1.67). The different types of wounds treated by traditional healers

Perceptions, practices and health seeking behaviour constrain JE/AES interventions in high endemic district of North India.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaturvedi, Sanjay; Sharma, Neha; Kakkar, Manish

2017-08-08

Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) and Japanese Encephalitis (JE) stay as poorly understood phenomena in India. Multiple linkages to determinants such as poverty, socio-economic status, gender, environment, and population distribution, make it a greater developmental issue than just a zoonotic disease. A qualitative study was conducted to map knowledge, perceptions and practices of community and health systems level stakeholders. Seventeen interviews with utilizers of AES care, care givers from human and veterinary sectors, Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), and pig owners and 4 Focused Group Discussions (FGDs) with farmers, community leaders, and students were conducted in an endemic north Indian district-Kushinagar. Core themes that emerged were: JE/AES been perceived as a deadly disease, but not a major health problem; filthy conditions, filthy water and mosquitoes seen to be associated with JE/AES; pigs not seen as a source of infection; minimal role of government health workers in the first-contact care of acute Illness; no social or cultural resistance to JE vaccination or mosquito control; no gender-based discrimination in the care of acute Illness; and non-utilization of funds available with local self govt. Serious challenges and systematic failures in delivery of care during acute illness, which can critically inform the health systems, were also identified. There is an urgent need for promotive interventions to address lack of awareness about the drivers of JE/AES. Delivery of care during acute illness suffers with formidable challenges and systematic failures. A large portion of mortality can be prevented by early institution of rational management at primary and secondary level, and by avoiding wastage of time and resources for investigations and medications that are not actually required.

Urinary fluoride as a monitoring tool for assessing successful intervention in the provision of safe drinking water supply in five fluoride-affected villages in Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Srikanth, R; Gautam, Anil; Jaiswal, Suresh Chandra; Singh, Pavitra

2013-03-01

Endemic fluorosis was detected in 31 villages in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh, Central India. Out of the 109 drinking water sources that were analyzed, about 67 % were found to contain high concentration of fluoride above the permissible level of 1.0 mg/l. Dental fluorosis among the primary school children in the age between 8 and 15 served as primary indicator for fluoride intoxication among the children. Urinary fluoride levels among the adults were found to be correlated with drinking water fluoride in 10 villages affected by fluoride. Intervention in the form of alternate safe water supply in five villages showed significant reduction in the urinary fluoride concentration when compared to the control village. Urinary fluoride serves as an excellent marker for assessing the effectiveness of intervention program in the fluoride-affected villages.

Comparative Evaluation of Cash Benefit Scheme of Janani Suraksha Yojana for Beneficiary Mothers from Different Health Care Settings of Rewa District, Madhya Pradesh, India.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Trivedi R

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Introduction: For better outcomes in mother and child health, Government of India launched the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM in 2005 with a major objective of providing accessible, affordable and quality health care to the rural population; especially the vulnerable. Reduction in MMR to 100/100,000 is one of its goals and the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY is the key strategy of NRHM to achieve this reduction. The JSY, as a safe motherhood intervention and modified alternative of the National Maternity Benefit Scheme (NMBS, has been implemented in all states and Union territories with special focus on low performing states. The main objective and vision of JSY is to reduce maternal, neo-natal mortality and promote institutional delivery among the poor pregnant women of rural and urban areas. This scheme is 100% centrally sponsored and has an integrated delivery and post delivery care with the help of a key person i.e. ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist, followed by cash monetary help to the women. Objectives: 1To evaluate cash benefit service provided under JSY at different health care settings. 2 To know the perception and elicit suggestions of beneficiaries on quality of cash benefit scheme of JSY. Methodology: This is a health care institute based observational cross sectional study including randomly selected 200 JSY beneficiary mothers from the different health care settings i.e., Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres, District Hospital and Medical College Hospital of Rewa District of Madhya Pradesh state. Data was collected with the help of set pro forma and then analysed with Epi Info 2000. Chi square test was applied appropriately. Results: 60% and 80% beneficiaries from PHC and CHC received cash within 1 week after discharge whereas 100% beneficiaries of District Hospital and Medical College Hospital received cash at the time of discharge; the overall distribution of time of cash disbursement among beneficiaries of

Do scheduled caste and scheduled tribe women legislators mean lower gender-caste gaps in primary schooling in India?

Science.gov (United States)

Halim, Nafisa; Yount, Kathryn M; Cunningham, Solveig

2016-07-01

Despite India's substantial investments in primary schooling, gaps in schooling persist across gender and caste-with scheduled caste and scheduled tribe (SC/ST) girls being particularly disadvantaged. The representation of SC/ST women in state legislatures may help to mitigate this disadvantage. Specifically, because of her intersecting gender and caste/tribe identities, a SC/ST woman legislator might maintain a strong sense of solidarity especially with SC/ST girls and women, and support legislative policies benefitting SC/ST girls. Consequently, for this reason, we expect that living in a district where SC/ST women represent in state legislatures in a higher proportion may increase SC/ST girls' primary school completion, progression and performance. We tested this hypothesis using district-level data between 2000 and 2004 from the Indian Election Commission, the 2004/5 India Human Development Survey, and the Indian Census of 2001. As expected, the representation of SC/ST women in state legislatures was positively associated with SC/ST girls' grade completion and age-appropriate grade progression but was apparent not SC/ST girls' primary-school performance. SC/ST women's representation in state legislatures may reduce gender-caste gaps in primary-school attainment in India. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Out of Pocket Expenditure for Hospitalization among Below Poverty Line Households in District Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India, 2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupt, Anadi; Kaur, Prabhdeep; Kamraj, P; Murthy, B N

2016-01-01

Health insurance schemes, like Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), should provide financial protection against catastrophic health costs by reducing out of pocket expenditure (OOPE) for hospitalizations. We estimated and compared the proportion and extent of OOPE among below poverty line (BPL) families beneficiaries and not beneficiaries by RSBY during hospitalizations in district Solan, H.P., India, 2013. We conducted a cross sectional survey among hospitalized BPL families in the beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries groups. We compared proportion incurring OOPE and its extent during hospitalization, pre/post-hospitalization periods in different domains. Overall, proportion of non-beneficiaries who incurred OOPE was higher than the beneficiaries but it was not statistically significant (87.2% vs. 80.9%). The median overall OOPE was $39 (Rs 2567) in the non-beneficiaries group as compared to $11 (Rs 713) in the beneficiaries group (p<0.01). Median expenditure on in house and out house drugs and consumables was $23 (Rs 1500) in the non beneficiaries group as compared to nil in the beneficiaries group (p<0.01). Non-beneficiary status was significantly associated [OR: 2.4 (1.3-4.3)] with OOPE above median independently and also after adjusting for various covariates. RSBY has decreased the extent of OOPE among the beneficiaries; however OOPE was incurred mainly due to purchase of drugs from outside the health facility. The treatment seeking behaviour in beneficiaries group has improved among comparatively older group with chronic conditions. RSBY has enabled beneficiaries to get more facilities such as drugs, consumables and diagnostics from the health facility.

Out of Pocket Expenditure for Hospitalization among Below Poverty Line Households in District Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India, 2013.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anadi Gupt

Full Text Available Health insurance schemes, like Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY, should provide financial protection against catastrophic health costs by reducing out of pocket expenditure (OOPE for hospitalizations. We estimated and compared the proportion and extent of OOPE among below poverty line (BPL families beneficiaries and not beneficiaries by RSBY during hospitalizations in district Solan, H.P., India, 2013.We conducted a cross sectional survey among hospitalized BPL families in the beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries groups. We compared proportion incurring OOPE and its extent during hospitalization, pre/post-hospitalization periods in different domains.Overall, proportion of non-beneficiaries who incurred OOPE was higher than the beneficiaries but it was not statistically significant (87.2% vs. 80.9%. The median overall OOPE was $39 (Rs 2567 in the non-beneficiaries group as compared to $11 (Rs 713 in the beneficiaries group (p<0.01. Median expenditure on in house and out house drugs and consumables was $23 (Rs 1500 in the non beneficiaries group as compared to nil in the beneficiaries group (p<0.01. Non-beneficiary status was significantly associated [OR: 2.4 (1.3-4.3] with OOPE above median independently and also after adjusting for various covariates.RSBY has decreased the extent of OOPE among the beneficiaries; however OOPE was incurred mainly due to purchase of drugs from outside the health facility. The treatment seeking behaviour in beneficiaries group has improved among comparatively older group with chronic conditions. RSBY has enabled beneficiaries to get more facilities such as drugs, consumables and diagnostics from the health facility.

DEM ASSESSMENT DERIVED FROM CLOSE RANGE PHOTOGRAMMETRY: A CASE STUDY FROM KADAVUR AREA, KARUR DISTRICT, TAMIL NADU, INDIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Anbarasan

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Close-Range Photogrammetry is an accurate, cost effective technique of collecting measurements of real world objects and conditions, directly from photographs. Photogrammetry utilizes digital images to obtain accurate measurements and geometric data of the object or area of interest, in order to provide spatial information for Engineering design, spatial surveys or 3D modeling. The benefits of close-range Photogrammetry over other field procedures are purported to be: Increased accuracy; complete as-built information; reduced costs; reduced on-site time; and effective for small and large projects. The same basic principle of traditional Aerial Photogrammetry can be applied to stereoscopic pictures taken from lower altitudes or from the ground. Terrestrial, ground-based, and close-range are all descriptive terms that refer to photos taken with an object-to-camera distance less than 300m (1000 feet. (Matthews, N.A, 2008. Close range Photogrammetry is a technique for obtaining the geometric information (e.g. position, distance, size and shape of any object in 3D space that was imaged on the two dimensional (2D photos, (Wolf, P.R, et.al, 2000 DEM Generation requires many processing and computation, such as camera calibration, stereo matching, editing, and interpolation. All the mentioned steps contribute to the quality of DEM. Image on close range Photogrammetry can be captured using three kind of camera: metric camera, semi-metric camera, and non-metric camera (Hanke, K., et.al, 2002. In this paper DEM quality assessed at Kadavur area, Karur district, Tamil Naudu, India using Close Range Photogrammetry technique, Commercial Digital Camera and Leica Photogrammetry Suite.

Prevalence and causes of musculoskeletal impairment in Mahabubnagar District, Telangana State, India: results of a population-based survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Smythe, Tracey; Mactaggart, Islay; Kuper, Hannah; Murthy, G V S; Lavy, Christopher; Polack, Sarah

2017-11-01

Musculoskeletal impairments (MSI) are the leading contributor to global years lived with disability. Comparable epidemiological data on MSI is lacking, and are needed to inform health and rehabilitative services. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and causes of MSI in Telangana State, India. A population-based survey used probability proportionate to size and compact-segment sampling to select 51 clusters of 80 individuals (all ages). Participants were screened using seven questions and any participant who screened positive underwent standardized examination by a physiotherapist for MSI presence, severity and diagnosis. Data were also collected on vision and hearing impairment, depression and self-reported difficulties with physical functioning. The prevalence of MSI was 19.6% (95% CI: 16.7-22.8%) and this increased with age. The majority (82%; 574/699) of MSI was classified as mild, 11% as moderate and 7% as severe. Over half (57%) of MSI diagnoses were acquired non-traumatic causes, with degenerative joint disease being the most common. There was a high unmet need for physiotherapy services (3% attended vs. 40% recommended). One-fifth (21%) of MSI cases also had at least one of vision (10%) or hearing (11%) impairment or depression (3%). MSI is common among persons living in Mahabubnagar District, particularly older adults. These estimates can inform public health initiatives for the planning of health and rehabilitation services. © The Author(s) 2018. 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.

Assessment of Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index of Kurichi Industrial Cluster, Coimbatore District, Tamil Nadu, India - a Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramasamy Rajamanickam

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index (CEPI is a rational number to characterize the quality of the environment at a given location following the algorithm of source, pathway, and receptor. As CEPI increases, there will be adverse effectson the receiving environment. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB has brought out revised criteria for evaluation of CEPI by replacing the criteria issued in 2010. The revised criteria are issued to overcome the subjectivity factors of health impact studies on humans, floraand fauna. Kurichi Industrial Cluster in Coimbatore District is an engineering industrial estate housing foundries, forging units, metal finishingand fabrication units. In January 2010, the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India declared Kurichi as critically polluted area and imposed moratorium on new projects and for expansion of the existing units. This declaration was made based on the CEPI score which was calculated as more than 70. Thereafter, the industries and the local stake holders have implemented various pollution control measures and hence the CEPI score has come down less than 70 and so the moratorium was lifted in October 2010. In this paper, the CEPI score is calculated based on the revised criteria and using the environmental quality monitoring data collected in April 2017. It is found that the CEPI score is below 70 which imply that the industrial units are operating and maintaining the pollution control measures consistently. However, taking a policy decision based on the CEPI score, one should be cautious on the adequacy of data and the parameters selected.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of HIV Infection among Clients Attending ICTCs in Six Districts of Tamilnadu, South India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rajeswari Ramachandran

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. To assess the HIV serostatus of clients attending integrated counseling and testing centres (ICTCs in Tamilnadu, south India (excluding antenatal women and children, and to study its association with demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral risk factors. Design. In a prospective observational study, we interviewed clients attending 170 ICTCs from six districts of Tamilnadu during 2007 utilizing a standard pretest assessment questionnaire. All the clients were tested for HIV with rapid test kits. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify determinants of HIV infection. Results. Of 18329 clients counseled, 17958 (98% were tested for HIV and 732 (4.1%; range 2.6 to 6.2% were tested positive for HIV. Median age of clients was 30 years; 89% had never used condoms in their lives and 2% gave history of having received blood transfusion. In multivariate analysis HIV seropositivity was associated with HIV in the family (adjusted odds ratio (AOR 11.6, history of having sex with sex workers (AOR 2.9, age ≥31 years (AOR 2.8; being married (AOR 2.5, previously tested for HIV (AOR 1.9, illiteracy (AOR 1.7, unemployment (AOR 1.5, and alcoholism (AOR 1.5. Conclusion. HIV seroprevalence being high in ICTC clients (varied from 2.6 to 6.2%, this group should also be included in routine programme monitoring of sero-positivity and risk factors for better understanding of the impact of the National AIDS Control Programme. This would help in evolving appropriate policies and strategies to reduce the spread of HIV infection.

Pre-Hypertension among Young Adults (20-30 Years) in Coastal Villages of Udupi District in Southern India: An Alarming Scenario.

Science.gov (United States)

Kini, Sanjay; Kamath, Veena G; Kulkarni, Muralidhar M; Kamath, Asha; Shivalli, Siddharudha

2016-01-01

According to Joint National Committee-7 (JNC-7) guidelines, a systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 120 to 139 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of 80 to 89 mm Hg is considered as pre-hypertension. Existing evidence suggest that the cardiovascular morbidities are increasing among pre-hypertensive individuals compared to normal. To assess the magnitude and factors associated with pre-hypertension among young adults (20-30 years) in coastal villages of Udupi Taluk (an area of land with a city or town that serves as its administrative centre and usually a number of villages), Udupi District, Karnataka state, India. Community based cross sectional study. 6 (out of total 14) coastal villages of Udupi Taluk, Karnataka state, India. 1,152 young adults (age group: 20-30 years) selected by stratified random sampling in 6 coastal villages of Udupi Taluk, Karnataka state, India. A semi structured pre-tested questionnaire was used to elicit the details on socio-demographic variables, dietary habits, tobacco use, alcohol consumption, physical activity, family history of hypertension and stress levels. Anthropometric measurements and blood pressure were recorded according to standard protocols. Serum cholesterol was measured in a sub sample of the study population. Multivariate logistic regression was applied to identify the independent correlates of pre-hypertension among young adults (20-30 years). Prevalence, Odds ratio (OR) and adjusted (adj) OR for pre-hypertension among young adults (20-30 years). The prevalence of pre-hypertension in the study population was 45.2% (95%CI: 42.4-48). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that age group of 25-30 years (adj OR: 4.25, 95% CI: 2.99-6.05), white collared (adj OR: 2.29, 95% CI: 1.08-4.85) and skilled occupation (adj OR: 3.24, 95% CI: 1.64-6.42), students (adj OR: 2.46, 95% CI: 1.22-4.95), using refined cooking oil (adj OR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.29-0.95), extra salt in meals (adj OR: 2.46, 95% CI: 1.52-3.99), salty

Phytoplankton diversity of the Gharni Reservoir in Latur district, Maharashtra, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vishwas Balasaheb Sakhare

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The phytoplanktonic samples were collected from the Gharni Reservoir of Latur district of Maharashtra for a period of one year, from June 2013 to May 2014. Totally 18 species of phytoplankton belonging to different taxonomic groups were identified. Among these 7 species belong to Chlorophyceae, 5 species to Cyanophyceae, 3 species to Bacillariophyceae and 3 species to Euglenophyceae. The phytoplankton productivity fluctuated seasonally and the maximum number of 560 units/liter was recorded during month of February and March and minimum number of 95 units/liter during the month of September.

Out-of-pocket expenditure on institutional delivery in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohanty, Sanjay K; Srivastava, Akanksha

2013-05-01

Though promotion of institutional delivery is used as a strategy to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality, about half of the deliveries in India are conducted at home without any medical care. Among women who deliver at home, one in four cites cost as barrier to facility-based care. The relative share of deliveries in private health centres has increased over time and the associated costs are often catastrophic for poor households. Though research has identified socio-economic, demographic and geographic barriers to the utilization of maternal care, little is known on the cost differentials in delivery care in India. The objective of this paper is to understand the regional pattern and socio-economic differentials in out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure on institutional delivery by source of provider in India. The study utilizes unit data from the District Level Household and Facility Survey (DLHS-3), conducted in India during 2007-08. Descriptive statistics, principal component analyses and a two-part model are used in the analyses. During 2004-08, the mean OOP expenditure for a delivery in a public health centre in India was US$39 compared with US$139 in a private health centre. The predicted expenditure for a caesarean delivery was six times higher than for a normal delivery. With an increase in the economic status and educational attainment of mothers, the propensity and rate of OOP expenditure increases, linking higher OOP expenditure to quality of care. The OOP expenditure in public health centres, adjusting for inflation, has declined over time, possibly due to increased spending under the National Rural Health Mission. Based on these findings, we recommend that facilities in public health centres of poorly performing states are improved and that public-private partnership models are developed to reduce the economic burden for households of maternal care in India.

Status of solar desalination in India

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arjunan, T.V. [Mechanical Engineering Department, Adhiyamaan College of Engineering, Hosur, Krishnagiri 635109, Tamilnadu (India); Aybar, H.S. [Mechanical Engineering Department, Eastern Mediterranean University, G. Magosa, KKTC, Mersin 10 (Turkey); Nedunchezhian, N. [Automobile Engineering, Institute of Road and Transport Technology, Erode, Tamilnadu (India)

2009-12-15

The work was motivated by the increasing awareness of the need for enhancing water supplies schemes in arid lands featuring an appropriate technology for solar energy use in the desalination field in India. The fresh water crisis is already evident in many parts of India, varying in scale and intensity at different times of the year. India's rapidly rising population and changing lifestyles also increases the need for fresh water. Fresh water is increasingly taking centre stage on the economic and political agenda, as more and more disputes between and within states, districts, regions, and even at the community level arises. The conventional desalination technologies like multi stage flash, multiple effect, vapor compression, iron exchange, reverse osmosis, electro dialysis are expensive for the production of small amount of fresh water, also use of conventional energy sources has a negative impact on the environment. Solar distillation represents a most attractive and simple technique among other distillation processes, and it is especially suited to small-scale units at locations where solar energy is considerable. India, being a tropical country is blessed with plenty of sunshine. The average daily solar radiation varies between 4 and 7 kWh per square meter for different parts of the country. There are on an average 250-300 clear sunny days in a year, thus it receives about 5000 trillion kWh of solar energy in a year. In spite of the limitations of being a dilute source and intermittent in nature, solar energy has the potential for meeting and supplementing various energy requirements. Solar energy systems being modular in nature could be installed in any capacity as per the requirement. This paper consists of an overall review and technical assessments of various passive and active solar distillation developments in India. This review also recommended some research areas in this field leading to high efficiency are highlighted. (author)

Evaluation of age-standardized cancer burden in western Tamil Nadu, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janani Selvaraj

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Background: The burden of cancer is growing globally and is one of the top leading causes of death. Information on cancer patterns is essential for effective planning of cancer control interventions. Aims and Objectives: The present cross sectional study aims to explore the patterns and trends of the cancer incidences in the western regions of Tamil Nadu, India including Coimbatore, Erode, Tiruppur, Salem, Namakkal and Nilgiris. Materials and Methods: A sum of 14392 cancer cases were recorded from the hospital based cancer registries of Coimbatore district. The cancer cases were segregated district-wise for specific cancer sites and the age-standardized incident rates were calculated for different age groups. Results: Coimbatore district recorded the highest number of incidences among all districts. Among all age-groups the adults aged 50-74 carry the highest burden of cancer. Among men, head and neck and gastrointestinal cancers are predominant while among women, breast and gynecological cancers are high. The age-standardized incidence rates were found to be higher in Coimbatore and least in Salem. Conclusion: Through this study, it is observed that Coimbatore district is under major threat and needs further investigation of risk factors for implementing optimized treatment and prevention strategies for reducing the adverse effects of cancer.

Assessment of optimum thermal humidity index for crossbred dairy cows in Dehradun district, Uttarakhand, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shweta Kohli

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Aim: Uttarakhand is a relatively new state and many cross bred cattle were introduced to boost the milk yield of the state. Despite all efforts the milk yield of dairy in Uttarakhand is comparatively low. In our study, we assessed the effect of heat stress on milk production, using thermal humidity index (THI in high (cross bred cattle and low milk producing (LMP cows (native cows in Dehradun district of Uttarakhand, India. Materials and Methods: Effect of heat stress was measured on high and LMP cross bred cows using THI maintained on standard feeding and nutritional value. Daily ambient temperature and relative humidity were recorded to calculate the THI. Daily milk production was noted to verify the effect of heat stress. Furthermore, profile the thyroid hormones using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Low yielding cows did not show any significant change when the THI was above 72 from month June to October during stress condition. But high yielding cows shows a significant decrease (p<0.05 in milk yield when THI was above 80 (severe stress zone in the month of June to October and milk production decrease from an average of 18±1.4 to 10.9±0.92 L whereas in November-December when THI declines in the zone of comfort the milk yield did not show significant rise. The thyroid hormones (T3 and T4 level were found lower in summer heat stress condition for a high yielding cattle. Conclusion: Summer heat stress significantly decreased milk yield in high milk producing (HMP crossbred cows. As THI rises from comfort zone to stress zone milk yield decreased by 30-40% and this loss in milk production is irreversible. Management strategies should be needed as environmental control housing is suggested for the HMP crossbred cattle to minimize the heat stress. If all the dairies with cross bred cattle implement these small modifications in housing of cattle, there would be a huge increase in milk production.

Emerging vector-borne zoonoses: eco-epidemiology and public health implications in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Dhiman, Ramesh C

2014-01-01

The diseases originating from animals or associated with man and animals are remerging and have resulted in considerable morbidity and mortality. The present review highlights the re-emergence of emerging mainly zoonotic diseases like chikungunya, scrub typhus, and extension of spatial distribution of cutaneous leishmaniasis from western Rajasthan to Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, and Haryana states; West Nile virus to Assam, and non-endemic areas of Japanese encephalitis (JE) like Maharashtra and JE to Delhi; Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever making inroads in Ahmedabad; and reporting fifth parasite of human malaria with possibility of zoonosis have been highlighted, which necessitates further studies for prevention and control. Emphasis has been given on understanding the ecology of reservoir hosts of pathogen, micro niche of vector species, climatic, socioeconomic risk factors, etc. Development of facilities for diagnosis of virus from insects, reservoirs, and human beings (like BSL4, which has been established in NIV, Pune), awareness about symptoms of new emerging viral and other zoonotic diseases, differential diagnosis, risk factors (climatic, ecological, and socioeconomic) and mapping of disease-specific vulnerable areas, and mathematical modeling for projecting epidemiological scenario is needed for preparedness of public health institutes. It is high time to understand the ecological link of zoonotic or anthroponotic diseases for updated risk maps and epidemiological knowledge for effective preventive and control measures. The public health stakeholders in India as well as in Southeast Asia should emphasize on understanding the eco-epidemiology of the discussed zoonotic diseases for taking preventive actions.

ASSESSMENT OF RADON IN SOIL AND WATER IN DIFFERENT REGIONS OF KOLHAPUR DISTRICT, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA.

Science.gov (United States)

Raste, P M; Sahoo, B K; Gaware, J J; Sharma, Anil; Waikar, M R; Shaikh, A A; Sonkawade, R G

2018-03-19

Researchers have already established that inhalation of high radon concentration is hazardous to human health. Radon concentration has been measured in water and soil, in various part of Kolhapur district has been carried out by the AQTEK Smart RnDuo which is an active device technique. The observed minimum value of the radon mass exhalation rate of the soil is 13.16 ± 0.83 mBq/kg/h and maximum is 35.11 ± 1.84 mBq/kg/h. The minimum value of the Radon concentration in water is 0.33 ± 0.052 Bq/L and maximum is 7.32 ± 0.078 Bq/L. These values of radon concentration are below the action of recommended level by the USEPA, which is set as the maximum contaminant level of 11.1-148 Bq/L of radon in drinking water. Total annual effective dose rate of water is 11 μSv/y. The purpose of present study is to assess radiological risk from consumption of water that provide in Kolhapur district and to evaluate the radon mass exhalation rate of soil in few places of Kolhapur district.

Influence of alcohol on condom use pattern during non-spousal sexual encounter in male migrant workers in north India.

Science.gov (United States)

Rizwan, S A; Kant, S; Goswami, K; Rai, S K; Misra, P

2014-01-01

Migrant workers constitute an important risk group for Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome transmission in India. Alcohol consumption before sexual intercourse has been postulated to influence condom use practices. This study aimed to assess this association with regard to non-spousal sexual encounters among male migrant workers in northern India. A cross-sectional facility-based survey was conducted in 2011. Male migrant workers aged ≥18 years, who were born outside Haryana, who had moved to the current location after 15 years of age,had worked in the current factory for at least 1 year, who were willing to participate and were able to give written, informed consent were included in the study. A consecutive sampling was performed. Descriptive, bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were carried out. A total of 162 participants reported having experienced non-spousal sexual encounters in the last 1 year. The proportion of men who reported not having used a condom at their last non-spousal sexual encounter was 59.3%, and 78.4% of the men reported having consumed alcohol in the last 1 year. About 48.1% of men reported having consumed alcohol before their last non-spousal sexual encounter. Men who consumed alcohol were three times more likely to not use a condom at their last non-spousal sexual encounter (OR = 3.1, 95% CI: 1.5-6.4). This association persisted even after adjusting for relevant confounders. Alcohol consumption had a negative influence on condom use during non-spousal sexual encounter among male migrant workers. An integrated approach to promote condom use and reduce alcohol consumption among migrant men needs to be undertaken through targeted intervention strategies.

An outbreak of cholera in Medipally village, Andhra Pradesh, India, 2013

OpenAIRE

Uthappa, Chengappa K.; Allam, Ramesh R.; Nalini, Chava; Gunti, Deepak; Udaragudi, Prasada R.; Tadi, Geetha P.; Murhekar, Manoj V.

2015-01-01

Background Cholera continues to remain endemic in over 50 countries and has caused large epidemics with around 3?5 million cases occurring every year in Asia alone. In India, cholera is endemic in many states. However, etiological information and age-specific incidence related to cholera outbreaks is limited. In November 2013, district authorities reported a cluster of diarrheal disease among residents of Medipally to the state surveillance unit. We investigated this cluster to confirm its et...

Allele frequency distribution of D8S592 (STR) and PDGFA (VNTR) among five endogamous population groups of India.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Shazia; Seshadri, M

2004-07-01

Allele frequency distribution have been analyzed at D8S592 (short tandem repeat) and PDGFA (variable number of tandem repeat) among five distinct endogamous groups of India namely Ezhavas, Nayers, Arayas, Vishwakarma and Muslims. Muslims are religio-ethnic group while other populations mentioned above belong to distinct section of Hindu religion. All these populations are from Kollam district of Kerala in Southern India and speak Malayalam, an Indo-Dravidian language. A total of 228 for D8S592 and 212 for PDGFA loci, random, healthy individuals were analyzed.

Additional records of the highly threatened Ceropegia mahabalei Hemadri & Ansari (Asclepiadoideae: Apocynaceae from Nashik District, Maharashtra, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jui Pethe

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Ceropegia mahabalei Hemadri & Ansari is a herbaceous plant known from three locations in Pune, Satara and Thane District of Maharashtra.  This communication records a new location of this species from Nashik District which is the northeastern most record for this species.  The small existing population in this new location is threatened by cattle grazing, and trampling by tourists. 

Dissociated reality vis-a-vis integrative planning of AYUSH in Maternal Health Program: A situational analysis in Jaleswar block of Balasore district of Odisha, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Dehury, Ranjit Kumar; Chatterjee, Suhita Chopra

2016-01-01

Mainstreaming of AYUSH and revitalization of local health traditions is one of the innovative components of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in the state of Odisha, India. In this study, an attempt was made to assess the potential of collocating AYUSH to improve maternal health services in tribal dominated Jaleswar block of the Balasore district. In addition, the study aimed at unearthing the underlying challenges and constraints in mainstreaming AYUSH and linking it with the Maternal Health Program. Review of the policy documents and guidelines, both central and state government, was made to assess the implementation of AYUSH in Odisha. Primary data were collected through interviews with AYUSH doctors, district and block level health administrators, and tribal women. The study revealed the inadequacy of basic amenities, infrastructure, drugs, and consumables in the health centers for integrating AYUSH in the delivery of maternal health services. Analysis of the job chart and work pattern of AYUSH doctors showed underutilization of their specialized knowledge to treat patients. Lack of continued medical education, standard operating procedures for treatment and spatial marginalization made suboptimal utilization of AYUSH services. This is unfortunate given the fact that such regions are economically underdeveloped and already have a distinct orientation toward indigenous health systems. AYUSH, on account of its holistic approach and proven cost-effectiveness, could be a viable option for improving maternal health in the region. The study concluded that although there is huge scope for integrating AYUSH in Maternal Health Program under the ongoing NRHM, the full potential is yet to be exploited. Copyright © 2016 Transdisciplinary University, Bangalore and World Ayurveda Foundation. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Traditional knowledge on zootherapeutic uses by the Saharia tribe of Rajasthan, India

OpenAIRE

Jaroli DP; Mahawar Madan

2007-01-01

Abstract The present zootherapeutic study describes the traditional knowledge related to the use of different animals and animal-derived products as medicines by the Saharia tribe reside in the Shahabad and Kishanganj Panchayat Samiti's of Baran district of Rajasthan, India. A field survey was conducted from April to June 2006 by performing interview through structured questionnaire with 21 selected respondents, who provided information regarding use of animals and their products in folk medi...

Callerebia dibangensis (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae, a new butterfly species from the eastern Himalaya, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Roy

2013-09-01

Full Text Available A new species of butterfly in the genus Callerebia (Butler, 1867 is described from the Upper Dibang Valley District, Arunachal Pradesh, India. A combination of very distinctive characters: large size; highly rounded wings; striking under hindwing white scales; distinctive under hindwing tornal ocelli; large round forewing orange apical spot and a dark brown under ground colour distinguishes this butterfly from any other Callerebia species.

Social determinants of inequities in under-nutrition (weight-for-age) among under-5 children: a cross sectional study in Gumla district of Jharkhand, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Chatterjee, Keya; Sinha, Rajesh Kumar; Kundu, Alok Kumar; Shankar, Dhananjay; Gope, Rajkumar; Nair, Nirmala; Tripathy, Prasanta K

2016-07-08

Jharkhand, a state with substantial tribal population in Eastern India has very high rate of undernutrition. The study tries to understand the social determinants of inequities in under-nutrition (weight-for-age) among children aged less than 5 years, in Gumla District of the State. Cross sectional study of 1070 children from 32 villages of 4 Blocks of Gumla District. 54.3 % (95 % CI 51.3-57.3) children were found to be underweight (less than -2SD), with insignificant difference between girls and boys. Multivariate analysis showed that poverty was the single most important predictor of undernutrition, where a child from the poorest quintile was 70 % more likely to be underweight (aOR 1.70, CI 1.13-2.57), compared to one from the least poor group (Quintile 5). While the difference in weight-for-age status between Scheduled Tribes and "OBC and other communities" was non-significant (95 % OR 1.12, CI 0.88-1.42) in the study context; community disaggregated data revealed that there were large variations within the tribal community, and numerically smaller communities also ranked lower in wealth, and their children showed poorer nutritional status. Other factors like maternal education beyond matriculation level also had some bearing. Bivariate analysis showed that chances of a child being underweight (genders, and for tribal and non-tribal population, though within tribal communities, it was slightly higher for smaller tribal communities, calling for soft targeting. Comprehensive programme addressing poverty and higher education for girls would be important to overcome the structural barriers, and should be integral part of any intervention. The study highlights the importance of soft targeting vulnerable communities within the universal coverage of government programmes for better nutritional outcomes.

Drug use behaviour of pregnant women in rural India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adhikari, A.; Biswas, S.; Chattopadhyay, J.C.

2011-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the drug use habit of pregnant women in villages of central India. Methods: An observational, cross sectional study was conducted among six hundred fifty pregnant women from different randomly selected villages of Wardha district of central India through interviews on medicine use behaviour and evaluation of prescriptions. Results: Pregnant women of younger age group from lower socio economic status constituted the majority of the study population. Major portion (97.7) of this socio economically backward population followed the doctor's advice as far as dose, frequency and duration of the drug was concerned. The antenatal mothers were of the opinion that, if the instructions on the drug envelop or foil was in written in the local language, it could be more helpful for them. Conclusion: Majority of the study population used drugs or medicines regularly but some mothers were reluctant. This indicated that even in this age of advancement of scientific knowledge, all antenatal mothers were not conversant with the advantages of drug use. (author)

Gold and uranium occurrences in quartz - pebble conglomerate of Iron Ore Group, Bagiyabahal - Baratangra area, Sundargarh district, Odisha , India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jana, Ashim; Sarkar, B.C.; Kumar, Suresh; Kumar, Ajay; Yadav, G.S.; Kumar, Pramod

2016-01-01

India is deficient in both gold and uranium resources. Almost one-third of the annual global mine production of ∼2500 tonnes of gold is imported into India to fulfil the high gold consumption. Uranium is important for production of nuclear energy, more specifically to execute the country's ambitious programme to generate 20 GW of electricity by 2020

A checklist of avifauna from Malgaon-Bagayat and Malvan towns of Sindhudurg District, Maharashtra, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mayura Khot

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The present work was carried out in Malgaon-Bagayat (16009’04.35”N & 73033’04.7”E and Malvan Taluka (16005’00”N & 73030’00”E of Sindhudurg District.  The paper represents the first document on birds as there are no published records from Sindhudurg District.  The study was conducted for a period of two years to explore the avifauna as no records have been published yet from this area.  A total of 101 species of birds belonging to 17 orders and 45 families and were recorded in the study areas inhabiting different types of habitats.  The Order Passeriformes contributed the maximum species (44.9% followed by Pelecaniformes (9.2%, Charadriiformes (8.2% and Accipitriformes (6.1%.  The species such as the Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Common Hoopoe, and Pied Kingfisher were observed only once in the study area.  The common occurrence of the Near Threatened Malabar Pied Hornbill in Bagayat signifies the ornithological importance of this site.  Long-term studies on distribution and abundance are required to prepare a conservation plan for avifauna in Sindhudurg District.  The data generated can be considered as baseline data for future conservation and management of existing species. 

Association of socio‐demographic factors with overweight and obesity among rural school going adolescents in Rohtak district, Haryana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

BM Vashisht

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. The problem is global and is steadily affecting many low‐income and middle‐income countries. Childhood obesity is associated with higher chances of premature deaths and disabilities in adulthood. It is also evident that nearly 75% of the obese adolescents remain obese as adults thus increasing the risk of Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs. Aim and Objectives To study the prevalence and associated socio‐demographic factors of overweight and obesity among rural school going adolescents. Material and Methods The present study was conducted in Lakhanmajra block of Rohtak district over a period of one year from July 2016 to June 2017. 750 students from six co‐ educational government senior secondary schools were included in the study. Data were collected using pre‐designed, pre‐tested, semi structured interview schedule. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Results Prevalence of overweight and obesity was 6.7% and 1.1% respectively. Maximum prevalence of obesity/overweight was found in the age group 13‐14 years (11.2%. Obesity/overweight was more prevalent in males (9.4% in comparison to females (3.4%. 14.3% of the study subjects belonging to three generation family, 11.7% belonging to joint and 4.5% belonging to the nuclear families were found to obese/ overweight. 11% and 5.1% of the study subjects with 6‐10 family members and 5 and less than five family members were obese/ overweight. Conclusion Childhood obesity continues in adult life and thus gives rise to diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Thus it is the need of the hour to address this problem and to devise programs and strategies to prevent overweight/obesity among children and adolescents because today’s children are future of the nation.

Impact assessment of climate change on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and mustard (Brassica spp.) production and its adaptation strategies in different districts of Gujarat, India

Science.gov (United States)

Pandey, V.; Patel, H. R.; Yadav, S. B.; Patil, D. D.

2015-12-01

Gujarat is the western-most state of India with a long (1600 km) sea coast on the Arabian Sea. Average annual rainfall ranges from as high as 1900 mm in the sub-humid southeast to as low as 250 mm in the arid north. There are three distinct crop seasons- rainy (June to September), winter (Oct.-Nov. through Feb.-March) and summer (Feb-March through May-June). Wheat and mustard are grown during winter seasons. The past climatic records suggested increasing trends in rainfall( 2 to 5 mm per year), maximum (0.03 to 0.05 0C per year) and minimum temperatures (0.02 to 0.05 0C per year) at most of places in Gujarat. But the minimum temperature is fould to be increasing significantly at all the locations. This affects the winter season crops viz. wheat and mustard adversely. Simulation results with DSSAT CERES-wheat model revealed that with increase in temperature by 2 0C in different months (November to February) the decrease in wheat yield is observed between 7 to 29 per cent. The impact of increase in maximum temperature during early (November) and late (February) is less (24.8 %). The climate change projections during 2071-2100 using PRECIS output suggested that there would be increase in maximum temperature by 3.2 to 5.2 0C in different districts of Gujarat over baseline period of 1961-1990 while minimum temperature is project to increase by 2.8 to 5.8 0C. Rainfall is also projected to increase by 28 to 70 per cent in different districts. The impact of climate change on wheat would be reduction in its duration by 14-20 days and the grain yield would be reduced by 20-55 per cent in different districts. In case of mustard crops the duration of crop would be reduced by 11 to 16 days and seed yield would be reduced by 32-50 per cent. In order to mitigate the ill effect of climate change, various adaptation strategies vis change in dates of sowing, change in variety, additional irrigation and fertilizer applications were simulated. Shifting of sowing dates of wheat by 15

Identification of land cover changes in the coastal area of Dakshina Kannada district, South India during the year 2004–2008

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Jayanth

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This study investigates land cover (LC changes in the coastal area of Dakshina Kannada district in the state of Karnataka, South India, during the years 2004–2008 as a case study. IRS P-6, Linear Imaging Self Scanning sensor (LISS-IV satellite images were used in the present work. Classification was carried out using artificial bee colony algorithm and support vector machine (SVM which gave a better result compared to other traditional classification techniques. The best overall classification accuracy for the study area was achieved with an ABC classifier with an OCA of 80.35% for 2004 year data and OCA of 80.40% for 2008 year data, whereas the OCA in SVM, for the same training set is 71.42% for 2004 data and 71.38% for 2008 data on study area 1 and the results were optimised with respect to multispectral data. In study area 2, ABC algorithm achieved an OCA of 78.17% and MLC of 62.63% which was used to check the universality of the classifier. The classification results with post-classification technique for study area 1 indicate that urbanisation in the study area has almost increased twice. During the same time there is an increase in the forest plantation, agricultural plantation and a decrease in crop land and land without scrubs, indicates rapid changes in the coastal environment.

Discovery of the first ichthyosaur from the Jurassic of India: Implications for Gondwanan palaeobiogeography.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guntupalli V R Prasad

Full Text Available An articulated and partially preserved skeleton of an ichthyosaur was found in the Upper Jurassic (Upper Kimmeridgian Katrol Formation exposed at a site south of the village Lodai in Kachchh district, Gujarat (western India. Here we present a detailed description and inferred taxonomic relationship of the specimen. The present study revealed that the articulated skeleton belongs to the family Ophthalmosauridae. The new discovery from India further improves the depauperate fossil record of ichthyosaurs from the former Gondwanan continents. Based on the preserved length of the axial skeleton and anterior part of the snout and taking into account the missing parts of the skull and postflexural region, it is suggested that the specimen may represent an adult possibly reaching a length of 5.0-5.5 m. The widespread occurrence of ophthalmosaurids in the Upper Jurassic deposits of western Tethys, Madagascar, South America and India points to possible faunal exchanges between the western Tethys and Gondwanan continents through a southern seaway.

Perceptions, practices and health seeking behaviour constrain JE/AES interventions in high endemic district of North India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanjay Chaturvedi

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES and Japanese Encephalitis (JE stay as poorly understood phenomena in India. Multiple linkages to determinants such as poverty, socio-economic status, gender, environment, and population distribution, make it a greater developmental issue than just a zoonotic disease. Methods A qualitative study was conducted to map knowledge, perceptions and practices of community and health systems level stakeholders. Seventeen interviews with utilizers of AES care, care givers from human and veterinary sectors, Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs, and pig owners and 4 Focused Group Discussions (FGDs with farmers, community leaders, and students were conducted in an endemic north Indian district-Kushinagar. Results Core themes that emerged were: JE/AES been perceived as a deadly disease, but not a major health problem; filthy conditions, filthy water and mosquitoes seen to be associated with JE/AES; pigs not seen as a source of infection; minimal role of government health workers in the first-contact care of acute Illness; no social or cultural resistance to JE vaccination or mosquito control; no gender-based discrimination in the care of acute Illness; and non-utilization of funds available with local self govt. Serious challenges and systematic failures in delivery of care during acute illness, which can critically inform the health systems, were also identified. Conclusion There is an urgent need for promotive interventions to address lack of awareness about the drivers of JE/AES. Delivery of care during acute illness suffers with formidable challenges and systematic failures. A large portion of mortality can be prevented by early institution of rational management at primary and secondary level, and by avoiding wastage of time and resources for investigations and medications that are not actually required.

Differentials in reproductive and child health status in India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikhilesh Parchure

2011-12-01

Full Text Available

Background: Inequalities in reproductive and child health (RCH exist, in general, in different regions of India. The present study aims to investigate the current status of RCH and examine the factors responsible for it in different parts of India.

Methods: This study utilized data obtained from two Indian studies – (i National Family Health Survey – 3 (NFHS- 2005-06 and (ii District Level Household Survey (DLHS – 2002-04. Reproductive Health Index was computed on the basis of five variables such as total fertility rate, infant mortality rate, birth order, delivery care and female educational attainment.

Results: In terms of reproductive and child health, a wide range of variation exists in India in its different regions. The study reveals that among Indian states, 13 states have an index value less than the national average. On the basis of the reproductive health index, the Indian states can be divided into three categories, namely; progressive states, semi progressive states and backward states.

Conclusions: The interstate differences in healthcare utilization are partly due to variations in the implementation of maternal health care programs as well as differences in availability of and accessibility to healthcare between Indian states.

Emerging Vector borne zoonoses: eco-­epidemiology and public health implications in India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramesh C Dhiman

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The diseases originating from animals or associated with man and animals are remerging and have resulted in considerable morbidity and mortality. The present review highlights the re-emergence of emerging mainly zoonotic diseases like chikungunya, scrub typhus, extension of spatial distribution of cutaneous leishmaniasis from Western Rajasthan to Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, and Haryana states; West Nile virus to Assam, and non- endemic areas of JE like Maharashtra and JE to Delhi; Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever making inroads in Ahmedabad; reporting fifth parasite of human malaria with possibility of zoonosis have been highlighted which necessitates further studies for prevention and control. Emphasis has been given on understanding the ecology of reservoir hosts of pathogen, micro niche of vector species, climatic, socioeconomic risk factors etc. Development of facilities for diagnosis of virus from insects, reservoirs and human beings (like BSL4 which has been established in NIV, Pune, awareness about symptoms of new emerging viral and other zoonotic diseases, differential diagnosis, risk factors (Climatic, ecological and socioeconomic and mapping of disease specific vulnerable areas, mathematical modeling for projecting epidemiological scenario, are needed for preparedness of public health institutes. It is high time to understand the ecological link of zoonotic or anthroponotic diseases for updated risk maps and epidemiological knowledge for effective preventive and control measures. The public health stakeholders in India as well as in south East Asia should emphasize on understanding the eco-epidemiology of the discussed zoonotic diseases for taking preventive actions.

Molecular characterisation of Aspergillus flavus isolates from peanut fields in India using AFLP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diwakar Singh

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxin contamination of peanut, due to infection by Aspergillus flavus, is a major problem of rain-fed agriculture in India. In the present study, molecular characterisation of 187 Aspergillus flavus isolates, which were sampled from the peanut fields of Gujarat state in India, was performed using AFLP markers. On a pooled cluster analysis, the markers could successfully discriminate among the ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘G’ group A. flavus isolates. PCoA analysis also showed equivalent results to the cluster analysis. Most of the isolates from one district could be clustered together, which indicated genetic similarity among the isolates. Further, a lot of genetic variability was observed within a district and within a group. The results of AMOVA test revealed that the variance within a population (84% was more than that between two populations (16%. The isolates, when tested by indirect competitive ELISA, showed about 68.5% of them to be atoxigenic. Composite analysis between the aflatoxin production and AFLP data was found to be ineffective in separating the isolate types by aflatoxigenicity. Certain unique fragments, with respect to individual isolates, were also identified that may be used for development of SCAR marker to aid in rapid and precise identification of isolates.

Prevalence & factors associated with chronic obstetric morbidities in Nashik district, Maharashtra.

Science.gov (United States)

Chauhan, Sanjay; Kulkarni, Ragini; Agarwal, Dinesh

2015-10-01

In India, community based data on chronic obstetric morbidities (COM) are scanty and largely derived from hospital records. The main aim of the study was to assess the community based prevalence and the factors associated with the defined COM--obstetric fistula, genital prolapse, chronic pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and secondary infertility among women in Nashik district of Maharashtra State, India. The study was cross-sectional with self-reports followed by clinical and gynaecological examination. Six primary health centre areas in Nashik district were selected by systematic random sampling. Six months were spent on rapport development with the community following which household interviews were conducted among 1560 women and they were mobilized to attend health facility for clinical examination. Of the 1560 women interviewed at household level, 1167 women volunteered to undergo clinical examination giving a response rate of 75 per cent. The prevalence of defined COM among 1167 women was genital prolapse (7.1%), chronic PID (2.5%), secondary infertility (1.7%) and fistula (0.08%). Advancing age, illiteracy, high parity, conduction of deliveries by traditional birth attendants (TBAs) and obesity were significantly associated with the occurrence of genital prolapse. History of at least one abortion was significantly associated with secondary infertility. Chronic PID had no significant association with any of the socio-demographic or obstetric factors. The study findings provided an insight in the magnitude of community-based prevalence of COM and the factors associated with it. The results showed that COM were prevalent among women which could be addressed by interventions at personal, social and health services delivery level.

Is wealthier always healthier in poor countries? The health implications of income, inequality, poverty, and literacy in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Rajan, Keertichandra; Kennedy, Jonathan; King, Lawrence

2013-07-01

Standard policy prescriptions for improving public health in less developed countries (LDCs) prioritise raising average income levels over redistributive policies since it is widely accepted that 'wealthier is healthier'. It is argued that income inequality becomes a significant predictor of public health only after the 'epidemiological transition'. This paper tests this theory in India, where rising income levels have not been matched by improvements in public health. We use state-, district-, and individual-level data to investigate the relationship between infant and under-five mortality, and average income, poverty, income inequality, and literacy. Our analysis shows that at both state- and district-level public health is negatively associated with average income and positively associated with poverty. But, at both levels, controlling for poverty and literacy renders average income statistically insignificant. At state-level, only literacy remains a significant and negative predictor. At the less aggregated district-level, both poverty and literacy predict public health but literacy has a stronger effect than poverty. Inequality does not predict public health at state- or district-levels. At the individual-level, however, it is a strong predictor of self-reported ailment, even after we control for district average income, individual income, and individual education. Our analysis suggests that wealthier is indeed healthier in India - but only to the extent that high average incomes reflect low poverty and high literacy. Furthermore, inequality has a strong effect on self-reported health. Standard policy prescriptions, then, need revision: first, alleviating poverty may be more effective than raising average income levels; second, non-income goods like literacy may make an important contribution to public health; and third, policy should be based on a broader understanding of societal well-being and the factors that promote it. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All

Effectiveness of using teachers to screen eyes of school-going children in Satna district of Madhya Pradesh, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sudhan Anand

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Aim : To assess the effectiveness of teachers in a vision screening program for children in classes 5th to 12th attending school in two blocks of a district of north central India. Materials and Methods : Ophthalmic assistants trained school teachers to measure visual acuity and to identify obvious ocular abnormalities in children. Children with visual acuity worse than 20/30 in any eye and/or any obvious ocular abnormality were referred to an ophthalmic assistant. Ophthalmic assistants also repeated eye examinations on a random sample of children identified as normal (approximately 1%, n=543 by the teachers. Ophthalmic assistants prescribed spectacles to children needing refractive correction and referred children needing further examination to a pediatric ophthalmologist at the base hospital. Results : Five hundred and thirty teachers from 530 schools enrolled 77,778 children in the project and screened 68,833 (88.50% of enrolled children. Teachers referred 3,822 children (4.91% with eye defects for further examination by the ophthalmic assistant who confirmed eye defects in 1242 children (1.80% of all screened children. Myopia (n=410, 33.01%, Vitamin A deficiency (n=143, 11.51% and strabismus (n=134, 10.79% were the most common eye problems identified by the ophthalmic assistant. Ophthalmic assistants identified 57.97% referrals as false positives and 6.08% children as false negatives from the random sample of normal children. Spectacles were prescribed to 39.47% of children confirmed with eye defects. Conclusions : Primary vision screening by teachers has effectively reduced the workload of ophthalmic assistants. High false positive and false negative rates need to be studied further.

Examining sex differentials in the uptake and process of HIV testing in three high prevalence districts of India.

Science.gov (United States)

Joseph, Saju; Kielmann, Karina; Kudale, Abhay; Sheikh, Kabir; Shinde, Swati; Porter, John; Rangan, Sheela

2010-03-01

Sex differentials in the uptake of HIV testing have been reported in a range of settings, however, men's and women's testing patterns are not consistent across these settings, suggesting the need to set sex differentials against gender norms in patient testing behaviour and provider practices. A community-based, cross-sectional survey among 347 people living with HIV in three HIV high prevalence districts of India examined reasons for undergoing an HIV test, location of testing and conditions under which individuals were tested. HIV testing was almost always provider-initiated for men. Men were more likely to be advised to test by a private practitioner and to test in the private sector. Women were more likely to be advised to test by a family member, and to test in the public sector. Men were more likely to receive pre-test information than women, when tested in the private sector. Men were also more likely to receive direct disclosure of their HIV positive status by a health provider, regardless of the sector in which they tested. More women than men were repeatedly tested for HIV, regardless of sector. These sex differentials in the uptake and process of HIV testing are partially explained through differences in public and private sector testing practices. However, they also reflect women's lack of awareness and agency in HIV care seeking and differential treatment by providers. Examining gender dynamics that underpin sex differentials in HIV testing patterns and practices is essential for a realistic assessment of the challenges and implications of scaling-up HIV testing and mainstreaming gender in HIV/AIDS programmes.

Analyzing seasonality of tuberculosis across Indian states and union territories

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pankaj Narula

2015-12-01

Full Text Available A significant seasonal variation in tuberculosis (TB is observed in north India during 2006–2011, particularly in states like Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan. To quantify the seasonal variation, we measure average amplitude (peak to trough distance across seasons in smear positive cases of TB and observe that it is maximum for Himachal Pradesh (40.01% and minimum for Maharashtra (3.87%. In north India, smear positive cases peak in second quarter (April–June and reach a trough in fourth quarter (October–December, however low seasonal variation is observed in southern region of the country. The significant correlations as 0.64 (p-value < 0.001, 0.54 (p-value < 0.01 and 0.42 (p-value < 0.05 are observed between minimum temperature and seasonality of TB at lag-1 in north, central and northeast India respectively. However, in south India, this correlation is not significant.

Tick infestation in human beings in the Nilgiris and Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Soundararajan, C; Nagarajan, K; Arul Prakash, M

2018-03-01

Thirteen human beings were infested with ticks at Sandynallah and Gudalur of the Nilgiris district and Mottur Suruvakkam of Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu from January 2016 to December 2016. The collected ticks were identified as Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides , Otobius megnini and Hyalomma isaaci. The tick infestation was observed more on the persons working with animals (sheep and goats) than those working in tea estate. The person infested with R. haemaphysaloides revealed erythematous papule (2 mm size) and inflammatory lesion up to 16 days whereas, the people infested with H. isaaci showed continuous itching and irritation for > 6 months and wound formation (0.5 cm) at the biting site. The people infested with O. megnini showed irritation, vomiting sensation and fever.

Arsenic contamination of groundwater and its induced health effects in Shahpur block, Bhojpur district, Bihar state, India: risk evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Chakraborti, Dipankar; Rahman, Mohammad Mahmudur; Ahamed, Sad; Dutta, Rathindra Nath; Pati, Shyamapada; Mukherjee, Subhash Chandra

2016-05-01

The objective of this study was to determine the magnitude of groundwater arsenic contamination in Shahpur block of Bhojpur district, Bihar state, India and its health effects such as dermal, neurological, obstetric effects, and cancer risk. The School of Environmental Studies (SOES) collected 4704 tube-well water samples from all 88 villages of Shahpur, which were analyzed for arsenic. We found 40.3 and 21.1 % of the tube-wells had arsenic above 10 and 50 μg/l, respectively, with maximum concentration of 1805 μg/l. The study shows that 75,000, 39,000, and 10,000 people could be exposed to arsenic-contaminated water greater than 10, 50, and 300 μg/l, respectively. Our medical team examined 1422 villagers from Shahpur and registered 161 (prevalence rate, 11.3 %) with arsenical skin lesions. Arsenical skin lesions were also observed in 29 children of 525 screened. We analyzed 579 biological samples (hair, nail, and urine) from Shahpur and found that 82, 89, and 91 % of hair, nail, and urine, respectively, had arsenic above the normal levels, indicating many people in the study area are sub-clinically affected. Arsenical neuropathy was observed in 48 % of 102 arsenicosis patients. The study also found that arsenic exposed women with severe skin lesions had adversely affected their pregnancies. The carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks were also estimated based on the generated data. Safe drinking water supply is urgently required to combat arsenic situation in affected villages of Shahpur.

Irrigation and crop management in Gandak Canal command of India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, S.S.; Khan, A.R.

2002-05-01

The Gandak Project is one of the biggest irrigation projects in India, covering a culturable command area (CCA) of 4.44 lakh ha in U.P., 9.6 lakh ha CCA in Bihar and 0.44 lakh ha in Nepal (Singh and Khan, 2002). The total culturable command areas are 14.44 lakh hectares. The command area is located in between latitude 25 deg 40' to 27 deg 25' and longitude between 83 deg 15' to 85 deg 15'. It is a diversion project through construction of a barrage on the river Gandak. This project area covers up to five districts in the Command of Tirhut Main Canal (TMC) and 3 districts in the Saran Main Canal (SMC) command. The length of main canal is usually long (990 and 650 R.D.'s in eastern and western side, respectively) and the channels are unlined and seepage loss is quite high. (author)

India.

Science.gov (United States)

1985-05-01

In this discussion of India attention is directed to the following: the people; geography; history; government; political conditions; the economy; foreign relations (Pakistan and Bangladesh, China, and the Soviet Union); defense; and the relations between the US and India. In 1983 India's population was estimated at 746 million with an annual growth rate of 2.24%. The infant mortality rate was estimated at 116/1000 in 1984 with a life expectancy of 54.9 years. Although India occupies only 2.4% of the world's land area, it supports nearly 15% of the world's population. 2 major ethnic strains predominate in India: the Aryan in the north and the Dravidian in the south, although the lines between them are blurred. India dominates the South Asian subcontinent geographically. The people of India have had a continuous civilization since about 2500 B.C., when the inhabitants of the Indus River Valley developed an urban culture based on commerce, trade, and, to a lesser degree, agriculture. This civilization declined about 1500 B.C. and Aryan tribes originating in central Asia absorbed parts of its culture as they spread out over the South Asian subcontinent. During the next few centuries, India flourished under several successive empires. The 1st British outpost in South Asia was established in 1619 at Surat on the northwestern coast of India. The British gradually expanded their influence until, by the 1850s, they controlled almost the entire area of present-day India. Independence was attained on August 15, 1947, and India became a dominion within the Commonwealth of Nations with Jawaharlal Nehru as prime minister. According to its constitution, India is a "sovereign socialist secular democratic republic." Like the US, India has a federal form of government, but the central government in India has greater power in relation to its states, and government is patterned after the British parliamentary system. The Congress Party has ruled India since independence with the

Pre-Hypertension among Young Adults (20-30 Years in Coastal Villages of Udupi District in Southern India: An Alarming Scenario.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanjay Kini

Full Text Available According to Joint National Committee-7 (JNC-7 guidelines, a systolic blood pressure (SBP of 120 to 139 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure (DBP of 80 to 89 mm Hg is considered as pre-hypertension. Existing evidence suggest that the cardiovascular morbidities are increasing among pre-hypertensive individuals compared to normal.To assess the magnitude and factors associated with pre-hypertension among young adults (20-30 years in coastal villages of Udupi Taluk (an area of land with a city or town that serves as its administrative centre and usually a number of villages, Udupi District, Karnataka state, India.Community based cross sectional study.6 (out of total 14 coastal villages of Udupi Taluk, Karnataka state, India.1,152 young adults (age group: 20-30 years selected by stratified random sampling in 6 coastal villages of Udupi Taluk, Karnataka state, India.A semi structured pre-tested questionnaire was used to elicit the details on socio-demographic variables, dietary habits, tobacco use, alcohol consumption, physical activity, family history of hypertension and stress levels. Anthropometric measurements and blood pressure were recorded according to standard protocols. Serum cholesterol was measured in a sub sample of the study population. Multivariate logistic regression was applied to identify the independent correlates of pre-hypertension among young adults (20-30 years.Prevalence, Odds ratio (OR and adjusted (adj OR for pre-hypertension among young adults (20-30 years.The prevalence of pre-hypertension in the study population was 45.2% (95%CI: 42.4-48. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that age group of 25-30 years (adj OR: 4.25, 95% CI: 2.99-6.05, white collared (adj OR: 2.29, 95% CI: 1.08-4.85 and skilled occupation (adj OR: 3.24, 95% CI: 1.64-6.42, students (adj OR: 2.46, 95% CI: 1.22-4.95, using refined cooking oil (adj OR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.29-0.95, extra salt in meals (adj OR: 2.46, 95% CI: 1.52-3.99, salty food

About "Save the Children Committee (India)".

Science.gov (United States)

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.

The challenge of biomass production. Analysis of Chinnahagari and Upparahalla watersheds, Bellary District, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Avornyo, F.; Ballal, F.; Husseini, R.; Mysore, A.; Nabi, S.A.; Guevara, A.L.P.

2003-01-01

Results are presented of a field study conducted in the Chinnahagari and Upparahalla watersheds in the Karnataka state of India, with the objective of identifying the opportunities for and constraints in efforts for enhancing biomass production. The Agricultural Research for Development (ARD) procedure which is a process of integrating different perspectives of stakeholders was used for planning strategies to combat low biomass problems

Food irradiation scenario in India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, Paul

1998-01-01

Over 3 decades of research and developmental effort in India have established the commercial potential for food irradiation to reduce post-harvest losses and to ensure food safety. Current regulations permit irradiation of onions, potatoes and spices for domestic consumption and operation of commercial irradiators for treatment of food. In May 1997 draft rules have been notified permitting irradiation of several additional food items including rice, wheat products, dry fruits, mango, meat and poultry. Consumers and food industry have shown a positive attitude to irradiated foods. A prototype commercial irradiator for spices set up by Board of Radiation and Isotope Technology (BRIT) is scheduled to commence operation in early 1998. A commercial demonstration plant for treatment of onions is expected to be operational in the next 2 years in Lasalgaon, Nashik district. (author)

Practices and attitudinal behavior about drinking water in an urban slum of district Rohtak, Haryana: A community-based study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramesh Verma

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Globally, approximately, one billion people lack access to safe drinking water and 1.59 million deaths per year are because of contaminated water, primarily in children age <5 years. WHO reported that more than 90% of diarrhea cases can be prevented by enhancing the availability of clean water and improving hygiene measures. Methodology: The study was conducted in an urban slum of Rohtak district. Investigator interviewed the mothers at their home having children age less than 5 years using study tools in their vernacular language. Study Design: The study was a community based epidemiological study with cross-sectional design. Study Participants: 400 mothers having children less than 5 years. Results: Most of subjects (59% were in the age group of 15-25 years followed by in 25-35 years. One third of subjects belonged to upper caste and 29% of subjects from backward class. The study found that 80% of mother store water in earthen pitcher followed by plastic jug (14%. 78% of mothers said that their source of drinking water was tap while 12% had Hand pump. 83.5% of subjects said that they drink water as such ie without filtering, boiling or chlorination. Conclusion and Recommendations: The study concluded that the prevalence of diarrhea is more among children < 5 years this is because of poor knowledge, poor attitude and inadequate storage water practices of water. The study recommends creating awareness how to diminish contamination of water at household level, creating community groups for women to learn about treatment of water at household level.

Demand and supply factors affecting the rising overmedicalization of birth in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Leone, Tiziana

2014-11-01

To understand the interaction between health systems and individual factors in determining the probability of a cesarean delivery in India. In a retrospective study, data from the 2007-2008 District Level Household and Facility Survey was used to determine the risk of cesarean delivery in six states (Punjab, Delhi, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu). Multilevel modeling was used to account for district and community effects. After controlling for key risk factors, the analysis showed that cesareans were more likely at private than public institutions (Pdemand, higher education levels rather than wealth seemed to increase the likelihood of a cesarean delivery. District-level effects were significant in almost all states (Pfactors. Supply factors might contribute more to the rise in cesarean delivery than does demand. Further research is needed to understand whether the quest for increased institutional deliveries in a country with high maternal mortality might be compromised by pressures for overmedicalization. Copyright © 2014 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Healthcare sector efficiency in Gujarat (India: an exploratory study using data envelopment analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brijesh C. Purohit

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The importance of efficiency in resource utilization in healthcare sector has been recognized globally. In this paper we focus on efficiency of healthcare system at sub-state level (i.e., district level in India using Gujarat state and its district level data for 2012-13. In spite of being an economically advanced state, in terms of infant mortality rate (IMR the state is not the lowest. We explore the reasons for relative performance of different districts with data envelopment analysis (DEA. We used IMR as output variables. Using principal component analysis we tried a sub-set of variables, which had low correlations. Thus, four factor scores relating to medical officer, lady medical officer, Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy doctor, pharmacist, were used for DEA. We have focused on Charnes, Cooper, and Rhodes scores (or constant returns to scale technical efficiency score, and discussed efficiency rankings based on these. Thus, our results pertaining to district level health system efficiency in Gujarat State indicate that some of the districts have low efficiency in utilization of inputs like doctors, beds and workload per health institutions. There are also other districts, which need more of these inputs, which may enhance their output and efficiency. Thus, it is suggested that the efficiency in Valsad needs an improvement much more than other districts, whereas districts like Ahmadabad and Surat need more of both medical manpower and facilities. Even in case of Vadodara and Rajkot, the ranking in terms of most of medical manpower and facilities is low and thus these districts may also be benefitted by additional inputs. Hence, there is a mix of both inefficiency and inadequacy of inputs, which is reflected in our results.

A survey of severe visual impairment in children attending schools for the blind in a coastal district of Andhra Pradesh in South India.

Science.gov (United States)

Krishnaiah, S; Subba Rao, B; Lakshmi Narasamma, K; Amit, G

2012-08-01

To identify the major causes of severe childhood visual impairment and blindness among students attending schools for the blind in a coastal district of Andhra Pradesh (AP) in South India. Children ≤ 16 years of age attending six schools for the blind in the study area were interviewed and examined in the year 2009, and causes were classified according to the World Health Organization Program for Prevention of Blindness (WHO/PBL) childhood blindness proforma. A total of 113 children underwent a detailed eye examination by an experienced ophthalmologist. The major causes of blindness were congenital eye anomalies in 46 children (41.4; 95% confidence interval (CI): 32.3-50.6), followed by retinal disorders in 21 children (18.9%; 95% CI: 11.6-26.2), cataract in 9 children (9.7%; 95% CI: 2.9-12.9), and corneal conditions (scar and Staphyloma) in 8 children (7.1%; 95% CI: 2.4-11.8). More than half the children (56.6%) were blind due to conditions that could have been treated or prevented. Congenital anomalies were found to be the most common cause of blindness. The majority of the cases were due to avoidable causes of blindness. Therefore, robust screening measures may help reduce the burden of visual impairment in children.

Cost of Delivering Health Care Services in Public Sector Primary and Community Health Centres in North India.

Science.gov (United States)

Prinja, Shankar; Gupta, Aditi; Verma, Ramesh; Bahuguna, Pankaj; Kumar, Dinesh; Kaur, Manmeet; Kumar, Rajesh

2016-01-01

With the commitment of the national government to provide universal healthcare at cheap and affordable prices in India, public healthcare services are being strengthened in India. However, there is dearth of cost data for provision of health services through public system like primary & community health centres. In this study, we aim to bridge this gap in evidence by assessing the total annual and per capita cost of delivering the package of health services at PHC and CHC level. Secondly, we determined the per capita cost of delivering specific health services like cost per antenatal care visit, per institutional delivery, per outpatient consultation, per bed-day hospitalization etc. We undertook economic costing of fourteen public health facilities (seven PHCs and CHCs each) in three North-Indian states viz., Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. Bottom-up costing method was adopted for collection of data on all resources spent on delivery of health services in selected health facilities. Analysis was undertaken using a health system perspective. The joint costs like human resource, capital, and equipment were apportioned as per the time value spent on a particular service. Capital costs were discounted and annualized over the estimated life of the item. Mean annual costs and unit costs were estimated along with their 95% confidence intervals using bootstrap methodology. The overall annual cost of delivering services through public sector primary and community health facilities in three states of north India were INR 8.8 million (95% CI: 7,365,630-10,294,065) and INR 26.9 million (95% CI: 22,225,159.3-32,290,099.6), respectively. Human resources accounted for more than 50% of the overall costs at both the level of PHCs and CHCs. Per capita per year costs for provision of complete package of preventive, curative and promotive services at PHC and CHC were INR 170.8 (95% CI: 131.6-208.3) and INR162.1 (95% CI: 112-219.1), respectively. The study estimates can be used

Role of Social Mobilization (Network) in Polio Eradication in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Siddique, Anisur Rahman; Singh, Prem; Trivedi, Geetali

2016-08-07

In 2009, India contributed to over half the global cases of poliomyelitis. Many believed that India would be the last country to be polio free. India proved them wrong and was certified polio free in 2014. In January 2016, India celebrated 5 years of being polio free. One of the major reasons behind the interruption of polio transmission in the Polio endemic states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar was the deployment of Social Mobilization Network (SMNet). A three tiered structure, the 7300 strong SMNet is now the gold standard in public health communication. It mobilizes communities by spearheading civil society participation; and works at district, block and community levels. The SMNet's social mobilization has evolved into an accelerated approach for achieving results with principles of mobilization at its core. The SMNet targets resistance to polio immunization through a multipronged approach by using local religious leaders, community influencers, interpersonal communication, counseling, mothers meetings, announcements from religious institutions and rallies. The success of the SMNet has been its ability to identify and convert resistant families into advocates for polio immunization. Deeply respected in the community, the SMNet mobilizers (98 percent of whom are women) are themselves models for gender empowerment. The SMNet model shows how mobilization techniques can be harnessed for short term and long term goals and can be replicated in other health programs to achieve the same results as were achieved for Polio.

Effectiveness of a behavior change communication intervention to improve knowledge and perceptions about abortion in Bihar and Jharkhand, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Banerjee, Sushanta K; Andersen, Kathryn L; Warvadekar, Janardan; Pearson, Erin

2013-09-01

Although abortion became legal in India in 1971, many women are unaware of the law. Behavior change communication interventions may be an effective way to promote awareness of the law and change knowledge of and perceptions about abortion, particularly in settings in which abortion is stigmatized. To evaluate the effectiveness of a behavior change communication intervention to improve women's knowledge about India's abortion law and their perceptions about abortion, a quasi-experimental study was conducted in intervention and comparison districts in Bihar and Jharkhand. Household surveys were administered at baseline in 2008 and at follow-up in 2010 to independent, randomly selected cross-sectional samples of rural married women aged 15-49. Logistic regression difference-in-differences models were used to assess program effectiveness. Analysis demonstrated program effectiveness in improving awareness and perceptions about abortion. The changes in the odds of knowing that abortion is legal and where to obtain safe abortion services were larger between baseline and follow-up in the intervention districts than the changes in odds observed in the comparison districts (odds ratios, 16.1 and 1.9, respectively). Similarly, the increase in women's perception of greater social support for abortion within their families and the increase in perceived self-efficacy with respect to family planning and abortion between baseline and follow-up was greater in the intervention districts than in the comparison districts (coefficients, 0.17 and 0.18, respectively). Behavior change communication interventions can be effective in improving knowledge of and perceptions about abortion in settings in which lack of accurate knowledge hinders women's access to safe abortion services. Multiple approaches should be used when attempting to improve knowledge and perceptions about stigmatized health issues such as abortion.

Cost of delivering secondary-level health care services through public sector district hospitals in India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shankar Prinja

2017-01-01

Interpretation & conclusions: The estimates obtained in our study can be used for Fiscal planning of scaling up secondary-level health services. Further, these may be particularly useful for future research such as benefit-incidence analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis and national health accounts including disease-specific accounts in India.

Latur earthquake and its impact on the aseismic design of structures in India

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Basu, P C [Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (India)

1995-07-01

The Latur earthquake occurred on September 30, 1995. The epicentre was located near the Killari village of Latur District which is situated in the stable continental region of Southern Peninsular India. The earthquake caused a wide range of damage though its magnitude (MS) was 6.4. Intensive damage survey was carried out and a number of geophysical and seismological studies had been undertaken. It has been concluded from the results, available so far from these studies, that the hypocentre of the earthquake was on the lineament dipping NW-SE. The rock matrix in the hypocentral region was weakened due to the presence of fluid and rupture of this weak region caused the event. The ground motion produced by the earthquake was of complex nature comprising of horizontal and vertical component. The ground acceleration in the epicentral region was estimated as 0.2 g. Latur earthquake raised several issues with respect to aseismic design of structures in India which need further deliberation. These issues are related to seismic zoning of India, determination of design basis ground motion, design/detailing of structures, etc. (author)

Latur earthquake and its impact on the aseismic design of structures in India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basu, P.C.

1995-01-01

The Latur earthquake occurred on September 30, 1995. The epicentre was located near the Killari village of Latur District which is situated in the stable continental region of Southern Peninsular India. The earthquake caused a wide range of damage though its magnitude (MS) was 6.4. Intensive damage survey was carried out and a number of geophysical and seismological studies had been undertaken. It has been concluded from the results, available so far from these studies, that the hypocentre of the earthquake was on the lineament dipping NW-SE. The rock matrix in the hypocentral region was weakened due to the presence of fluid and rupture of this weak region caused the event. The ground motion produced by the earthquake was of complex nature comprising of horizontal and vertical component. The ground acceleration in the epicentral region was estimated as 0.2 g. Latur earthquake raised several issues with respect to aseismic design of structures in India which need further deliberation. These issues are related to seismic zoning of India, determination of design basis ground motion, design/detailing of structures, etc. (author)

Supply-side barriers to maternity-care in India: a facility-based analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Santosh Kumar

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Health facilities in many low- and middle-income countries face several types of barriers in delivering quality health services. Availability of resources at the facility may significantly affect the volume and quality of services provided. This study investigates the effect of supply-side determinants of maternity-care provision in India. METHODS: Health facility data from the District-Level Household Survey collected in 2007-2008 were analyzed to explore the effects of supply-side factors on the volume of delivery care provided at Indian health facilities. A negative binomial regression model was applied to the data due to the count and over-dispersion property of the outcome variable (number of deliveries performed at the facility. RESULTS: Availability of a labor room (Incidence Rate Ratio [IRR]: 1.81; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.68-1.95 and facility opening hours (IRR: 1.43; CI: 1.35-1.51 were the most significant predictors of the volume of delivery care at the health facilities. Medical and paramedical staff were found to be positively associated with institutional deliveries. The volume of deliveries was also higher if adequate beds, essential obstetric drugs, medical equipment, electricity, and communication infrastructures were available at the facility. Findings were robust to the inclusion of facility's catchment area population and district-level education, health insurance coverage, religion, wealth, and fertility. Separate analyses were performed for facilities with and without a labor room and results were qualitatively similar across these two types of facilities. CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights the importance of supply-side barriers to maternity-care India. To meet Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5, policymakers should make additional investments in improving the availability of medical drugs and equipment at primary health centers (PHCs in India.

Essential oil composition of Cinnamomum bejolghota (Buch-Ham.) sweet : a secondary muga (Antheraea assama W/w) food plant from Assam, India

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Choudhury, S.N.; Ahmed, R.Z.; Barthel, A.; Leclercq, P.A.

1998-01-01

Cinnamomum bejolghota (Buch-Ham.) Sweet (formerly known as C. obtusi folium Roxb. ex Nees) is a secondary host plant for the muga silk worm (Antheraea assama Wlw). The leaves of this plant were collected from the Jorhat and Sibsagar districts in Assam, India, and hydrodistilled to extract the

Monsoon rainfall behaviour in recent times on local/regional scale in India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Surender; Rao, V.U.M.; Singh, Diwan

2002-08-01

An attempt has been made here to investigate the local/regional monsoon rainfall behaviour in the meteorological sub-division no. 13 comprising the areas of Haryana, Delhi and Chandigarh in India. The monthly monsoon rainfall data of 30 years (1970-99) of different locations in the region were used for the investigation. All locations except Delhi received more rainfall in monsoon season during the decade (1990-99) showing general increasing trend in the rainfall behaviour in recent times. The mean monsoon rainfall at various locations ranged between 324.8 mm at Sirsa and 974.9 mm at Chandigarh. The major amount of monsoon rainfall occurred during the month of July and August in the entire region. Monthly mean rainfall ranged between 37.5 to 144.9 mm (June), 130.6 to 298.2 mm (July), 92.6 to 313.6 mm (August) and 44.0 to 149.4mm (September) at different locations. All the locations in the region exhibited overall increasing trend in monsoon rainfall over the period under study. All locations in the region received their lowest monsoon rainfall in the year 1987 which was a drought year and the season's rainfall ranged between 56.1 mm (Sirsa) and 290.0 mm (Delhi) during this year. Many of the locations observed clusters of fluctuations in their respective monsoon rainfall. The statistical summaries of historical data series (1970-99) gave rainfall information on various time scale. Such information acquires value through its influence on the decision making of the ultimate users. (author)

Prevalence of peste des petits ruminants in goats in North-East India.

Science.gov (United States)

Balamurugan, V; Das, Sutopa; Raju, D S N; Chakravarty, Indirani; Nagalingam, M; Hemadri, D; Govindaraj, G; Ibotombi Singh, N; Ltu, Keduzol; Devi, Maitryee; Sharma, K; Gajendragad, M R; Rahman, H

2014-12-01

The present study describes prevalence of peste des petits ruminants (PPR) virus infection in goats in various parts of North-East (NE) India by screening of suspected serum samples collected during outbreak investigation and random samples during 2013-2014 survey. A total of 391 serum samples (318 random and 73 outbreak/suspected) were collected from 28 districts in 7 states (Meghalaya, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Mizoram) of NE India. Serum samples were screened for PPRV-specific antibodies by using PPR monoclonal-antibody based competitive ELISA. Analysis of 391 serum samples indicates that an overall seroprevalence of 17.90 % [CI 95 % 14.40-22.00] in goats {45.2 % in suspected [CI 95 % 34.32-56.58] and 11.63 % in random [CI 95 % 8.56-15.63] samples} in NE India. As expected prevalence was high in outbreaks vis-à-vis random samples. The random survey results (11.63 %) has specific implication in epidemiological perspectives, since it highlights the exact PPR prevalence under natural situations, where the subclinical, in apparent or nonlethal or recovery of infection was suspected in goats, as samples were collected from unvaccinated animals. It also warrants appropriate control measures against PPR in NE region to prevent spread of infection besides widespread presence of the disease in rest of India.

Unit cost of medical services at different hospitals in India.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susmita Chatterjee

Full Text Available Institutional care is a growing component of health care costs in low- and middle-income countries, but local health planners in these countries have inadequate knowledge of the costs of different medical services. In India, greater utilisation of hospital services is driven both by rising incomes and by government insurance programmes that cover the cost of inpatient services; however, there is still a paucity of unit cost information from Indian hospitals. In this study, we estimated operating costs and cost per outpatient visit, cost per inpatient stay, cost per emergency room visit, and cost per surgery for five hospitals of different types across India: a 57-bed charitable hospital, a 200-bed private hospital, a 400-bed government district hospital, a 655-bed private teaching hospital, and a 778-bed government tertiary care hospital for the financial year 2010-11. The major cost component varied among human resources, capital costs, and material costs, by hospital type. The outpatient visit cost ranged from Rs. 94 (district hospital to Rs. 2,213 (private hospital (USD 1 = INR 52. The inpatient stay cost was Rs. 345 in the private teaching hospital, Rs. 394 in the district hospital, Rs. 614 in the tertiary care hospital, Rs. 1,959 in the charitable hospital, and Rs. 6,996 in the private hospital. Our study results can help hospital administrators understand their cost structures and run their facilities more efficiently, and we identify areas where improvements in efficiency might significantly lower unit costs. The study also demonstrates that detailed costing of Indian hospital operations is both feasible and essential, given the significant variation in the country's hospital types. Because of the size and diversity of the country and variations across hospitals, a large-scale study should be undertaken to refine hospital costing for different types of hospitals so that the results can be used for policy purposes, such as revising

Unit Cost of Medical Services at Different Hospitals in India

Science.gov (United States)

Chatterjee, Susmita; Levin, Carol; Laxminarayan, Ramanan

2013-01-01

Institutional care is a growing component of health care costs in low- and middle-income countries, but local health planners in these countries have inadequate knowledge of the costs of different medical services. In India, greater utilisation of hospital services is driven both by rising incomes and by government insurance programmes that cover the cost of inpatient services; however, there is still a paucity of unit cost information from Indian hospitals. In this study, we estimated operating costs and cost per outpatient visit, cost per inpatient stay, cost per emergency room visit, and cost per surgery for five hospitals of different types across India: a 57-bed charitable hospital, a 200-bed private hospital, a 400-bed government district hospital, a 655-bed private teaching hospital, and a 778-bed government tertiary care hospital for the financial year 2010–11. The major cost component varied among human resources, capital costs, and material costs, by hospital type. The outpatient visit cost ranged from Rs. 94 (district hospital) to Rs. 2,213 (private hospital) (USD 1 = INR 52). The inpatient stay cost was Rs. 345 in the private teaching hospital, Rs. 394 in the district hospital, Rs. 614 in the tertiary care hospital, Rs. 1,959 in the charitable hospital, and Rs. 6,996 in the private hospital. Our study results can help hospital administrators understand their cost structures and run their facilities more efficiently, and we identify areas where improvements in efficiency might significantly lower unit costs. The study also demonstrates that detailed costing of Indian hospital operations is both feasible and essential, given the significant variation in the country’s hospital types. Because of the size and diversity of the country and variations across hospitals, a large-scale study should be undertaken to refine hospital costing for different types of hospitals so that the results can be used for policy purposes, such as revising payment rates

Budget impact of polio immunization strategy for India: introduction of one dose of inactivated poliomyelitis vaccine and reductions in supplemental polio immunization.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, M M; Sharma, S; Tripathi, B; Alvarez, F P

2017-01-01

. Introduction of three doses of IPV with the existing polio immunization schedule will increase the budget requirement by $102 million but replacing OPV doses with IPV will increase the budget by about $59 million. Discontinuation of supplemental OPV immunization with replacement of OPV by IPV will reduce the Government of India's (GOI) polio immunization budget by $99 million. Although the overall cost of polio programme will decline with the adoption of IEAG's recommendations, state-level costs will vary widely. In states like Kerala, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, cost of polio immunization will increase while in Punjab and Jharkhand the costs will remain more or less constant. Significant cost reductions will happen in states with high intensity of supplemental polio immunizations (Bihar, Haryana and Delhi). The cost of procuring polio vaccines will more than double from $20 million to about $47 million requiring allocation of additional foreign exchanges. In some states (like Bihar), the decline in polio-related employment will be very high requiring reallocation of personnel from polio to other programmes. Copyright © 2016 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Perceptions of nonsurgical permanent contraception among potential users, providers, and influencers in Wardha district and New Delhi, India: Exploratory research.

Science.gov (United States)

Aengst, Jennifer C; Harrington, Elizabeth K; Bahulekar, Pramod; Shivkumar, Poonam; Jensen, Jeffrey T; Garg, B S

2017-01-01

New permanent contraceptive methods are in development, including nonsurgical permanent contraception (NSPC). In the present study, perceptions of NSPC in India among married women, married men, mothers-in-law, providers, and health advocates in Eastern Maharashtra (Wardha district) and New Delhi were examined. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 40 married women and 20 mothers-in-law; surveys with 150 married men; and focus group discussions with obstetrics/gynecology providers and advocates. Transcripts were coded and analyzed using a grounded theory approach, where emerging themes are analyzed during the data collection period. The majority of female respondents expressed support of permanent contraception and interest in NSPC, stating the importance of avoiding surgery and minimizing recovery time. They expressed concerns about safety and efficacy; many felt that a confirmation test would be necessary regardless of the failure rate. Most male respondents were supportive of female permanent contraception (PC) and preferred NSPC to a surgical method, as long as it was safe and effective. Providers were interested in NSPC yet had specific concerns about safety, efficacy, cost, uptake, and government pressure. They also had concerns that a nonsurgical approach could undermine the inherent seriousness of choosing PC. Advocates were interested in NSPC but had concerns about safety and potential misuse in the Indian context. Although perceptions of NSPC were varied, all study populations indicated interest in NSPC. Concerns about safety, efficacy, appropriate patient counseling, and ethics emerged from the present study and should be considered as NSPC methods continue to be developed.

Bird assemblages in natural and urbanized habitats along elevational gradient in Nainital district (western Himalaya of Uttarakhand state, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dinesh BHATT, Kamal Kant JOSHI

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The Indian subcontinent is amongst the biologically better known parts of the tropics and its bird fauna has been well documented. However, avian community composition and diversity along elevational gradients and amongst habitat types remains unclear in India. We attempted to estimate bird assemblages in terms of diversity, species composition, status and abundance in urban and forest habitats of Nainital district of Uttarakhand (350–2450 m asl; 29°N, Western Himalayas. We sampled different elevational gradients and to understand the effect of urbanization and season on avian community composition. Field studies were conducted during January 2005 to January 2007. Results indicated that the forest had more complex bird community structure in terms of higher species richness (14.35 vs 8.69, higher species diversity (Shannon’s index 4.00 vs 3.54, higher evenness (0.838 vs 0.811 and more rare species (17 vs 5 as compared to urban habitat. However, the abundance of 11 species was higher in urban habitats. Bird Species Richness (BSR varied considerably among study areas (91 to 113 species, was highest (113 species at mid elevation (1450–1700 m asl and decreased (22 species at high elevation (1900–2450 m asl. It seems that high BSR at mid altitudes is not caused by the presence of a group of mid altitude specialists but rather that there is an overlap in the distribution of low land and high elevation specialists at this altitude. BSR and Bird Species Diversity fluctuated across seasons but not habitat type [Current Zoology 57 (3: 318–329, 2011].

Nicotine dependence and its correlates among the adult tobacco users in a slum of Burdwan district, West Bengal, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Indranil Saha

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Tobacco kills half of its users, with smoking and smokeless tobacco killing nearly 6 million people worldwide – one death every 6 s in each year. Use of tobacco over time causes a physical and psychological addiction due to the presence of nicotine. To find out the level of nicotine dependence among adult (18 years and above tobacco users and the factors responsible for it. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional community-based study was conducted among 128 current tobacco users in an urban slum of Burdwan District, West Bengal, India. Study tools comprised of predesigned, pretested, semi-structured schedule, containing Fagerström test for nicotine dependence (FTND questionnaire. Data were collected by interview after getting consent from the participants. Chi-square test, unpaired student t-test, ANOVA, correlation coefficient, and linear regression was calculated. SPSS software (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Inc, Chicago, IL, USA. was used for analysis. Results: High level of nicotine dependence was maximally seen among increased in age group, prolonged duration of use and daily users. Age, duration of tobacco use and habit of tobacco use had a significant positive correlation with FTND score while starting age of tobacco had a significant negative correlation. Then in multivariable linear regression, starting age of tobacco use, habit of tobacco use and duration of tobacco use emerged as a significant predictor of FTND score and could explain 27.3% of total variation in FTND score. Conclusions: Suitable plan for quitting may be developed based on the FTND score of an individual, the most important determinant of quitting.

The Association between Cariogenic Factors and the Occurrence of Early Childhood Caries in Children from Salem District of India.

Science.gov (United States)

Stephen, Arokiaraj; Krishnan, Ramesh; Chalakkal, Paul

2017-07-01

Various aetiological factors for Early Childhood Caries (ECC) have been suggested in literature, but the role of each factor has been disputed in various studies. To evaluate the association between ECC and its related factors in children between three to six years of age, from rural, semi-urban and urban schools in the district of Salem (India). The study consisted of children between three to six years of age, selected randomly from schools in semi-urban, urban and rural schools at Salem. Questionnaire (comprising of the factors associated with ECC) and parental consent forms were sent to each of the parents of the school children. Filled questionnaires and parental consent forms were obtained from a total of 2771 children, out of which 1771 were boys and 1000 were girls. Clinical examination for ECC was carried out according to the WHO criteria, by a single examiner and an assistant to eliminate inter-examiner variability. Statistical analysis was carried out using the student's independent t-test and ANOVA (one way analysis of variance). Out of a total of 2771 children examined, only 443 (315 boys and 128 girls) children were found to have ECC (16 %). Significant correlations were found between the occurrence of ECC and various factors like age of parents, number of siblings, on-demand breast feeding and bottle feeding habits and sweetened pacifier use. However, factors such as age and gender of the child, type of birth and duration of pregnancy, had no significant correlation with the occurrence of ECC. The need for educating parents on the ill effects of improper breast feeding and bottle feeding habits is important.

Assessment of indoor radiation dose received by the residents of natural high background radiation areas of coastal villages of Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)