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Introduction Malnutrition in infancy contributes to high mortality and morbidity. In India, government has established nutrition rehabilitation centres for managing children with severe acute malnutrition. The study was conducted with aim to understand how community perceived malnutrition and how child's size at birth, infant and young child feeding related behaviours and child's illness were associated with decline in the child's growth or health. Methods Qualitative research employing focused ethnographic methodologies was used. From February–December 2016, cases studies and in-depth interviews were conducted with 12 mothers of malnourished children Results Grounded on experience of participants, emerging themes were that importance of exclusive breastfeeding was neither understood nor emphasized, there was no concept of complementary feeding, family food lacked diversity, malnutrition was not recognised as a health hazard, and there was lack of autonomy of females in reproductive and general health issues. Conclusion Given these paths to malnutrition in infancy, there is an urgent need to create community awareness about malnutrition as a disease as well as about optimal breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices in infancy by using innovative behaviour change communication strategies.

Background with objectives Community acquired pneumonia (CAP) is the leading cause of childhood deaths globally. Poor recognition of the danger signs of CAP, inappropriate care seeking, and community distrust in the primary health system are factors largely responsible for CAP related deaths in rural India. Our objective was to develop and pilot test culturally sensitive communication messages for improving symptom recognition of CAP as a means of encouraging timely health care seeking, and to promote trust in the government primary health system as an effective source of CAP treatment among children. Methods and materials Qualitative research was carried out between February and July 2014 in the states of Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) and Bihar in northern India. Message development entailed a six-step process: (1) theme identification, (2) creative conceptualization of messages, (3) pretesting messages in focus groups (FGs), (4) modification of messages, tagline/logo based on feedback, (5) piloting modified messages in FGs and further refinement and (6) harmonization of final communication products to ensure consistency. Results Messages were piloted in 49 FGs in 7 rural districts. Hindi terms for the signs of respiratory illness and lay use of "pneumonia" as a term encompassing CAP were understandable across all dialects. Five text, five audio and four video based messages were initially developed and pretested. Three text based messages, four audio and three video were deemed acceptable for pilot testing and refinement. Messages selected for use in future communication programs balanced measures of popularity with measures of maximum comprehension and least misunderstanding. Messages selected were harmonized so they would reinforce one another. Common logo and tagline ensured that the messages would be seen as components of a new outreach program associated with the government's efforts to address CAP as a primary healthcare priority. Conclusions Culturally sensitive messages for improving case management of CAP were developed through a multi-stage, evidence-based research process in a rural population. They need to accompany health systems strengthening efforts to increase confidence in government health facilities.

In this study, strains that are capable of bioaccumulating Cr(VI) were isolated from treated tannery effluent of a common effluent treatment plant. The Cr(VI) concentration in this treated effluent was 0.96 mg/l, much above the statutory limit of 0.1 mg/l for discharge of industrial effluents into inland surface waters in India. In addition to the bioaccumulation, biosorption capabilities of living and dead cells were analysed. Two strains, identified as Bacillus circulans and Bacillus megaterium were able to bioaccumulate 34.5 and 32.0 mg Cr/g dry weight, respectively and brought the residual concentration of Cr(VI) to the permissible limit in 24 h when the initial concentration was 50 mg Cr(VI)/l. Our experimental design accounts for initial as well as final residual concentration of heavy metal while selecting heavy metal accumulating strains during batch studies. Biosorption of Cr(VI) was shown by B. megaterium and an another strain, B. coagulans. Living and dead cells of B. coagulans biosorbed 23.8 and 39.9 mg Cr/g dry weight, respectively, whereas, 15.7 and 30.7 mg Cr/g dry weight was biosorbed by living and dead cells of B. megaterium, respectively. Biosorption by the dead cells was higher than the living cells. This was due to prior pH conditioning (pH 2.5 with deionized water acidified with H2SO4) of the dead cells.

The occurrence of metal tolerant and antibiotic resistant organisms was investigated in tannery effluent. Seventy-seven isolates comprising heterotrophs (41) and coliforms (36) which were tolerant to chromate level of50 microg/ml were selected for detailed study. The majority of the coliforms were resistant to higher levels of chromate (200 microg/ml) whereas around 3% of the heterotrophs were resistant to Cr6+ at a level of150 microg/ml. All chromate tolerant heterotrophs were also tolerant to Cu2+ (100%) whereas only 58.53% coliforms were tolerant to Cu2+. Except in the case of Cd2+ a higher number of heterotrophs were found tolerant to other heavy metals tested. Both groups of isolates were found sensitive to mercury. Resistance to cephaloridine was more abundant (P0.001) in coliforms as compared to heterotrophs. On the other hand a significantly higher number (P0.01) of heterotrophs showed resistance to streptomycin and carbencillin. All coliforms were sensitive to chloramphenicol. Around 80%) and 31.70% of coliforms and heterotrophs exhibited a relationship to the combination of metals and antibiotics. Both heterotrophs and coliforms tolerant to Hg2+ were also resistant to polymixin-B.