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The present paper attempts to investigate the extent and determinants of inter-state disparities in socio-economic infrastructure in India during the pre and post-reform period, based on 22 indicators of infrastructural development, across 15 major states of India. The state level composite indices of infrastructural development have been constructed using the correlation weights. On the basis of this analysis, the states have been classified into three different groups according to their level of infrastructural development. The study shows that relative ranking of the states in terms of infrastructural development remained, more or less, the same at all the three reference points (1981-82, 1991-92 and 2001-02). It has also been found that the states in India converged in terms of infrastructural facilities during 1980s whereas a trend of divergence could be seen during 1990s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mature and healthy male house rats, Rattus rattus (n= 160) were fed on bait (cracked wheat: powdered sugar, 98:2) containing different concentrations of triptolide (0.1, 0.05, 0.025 and 0%) for 7 and 14 days in no-choice and bi-choice feeding tests in the laboratory. The objective of the study was to record the antifertility affects of triptolide after 30 and 60 days of termination of treatment. Results revealed no significant effect of triptolide treatment on weights of testis, epididymis, seminal vesicles and prostate gland of rats. Overall, sperm motility, live sperm count, sperm density and sperm morphology in the cauda epididymal fluid were found to differ significantly (P≤ 0.05) between untreated and treated groups of rats. The major effect of triptolide on sperm morphology was in the form of sperm head tail separation, which was up to 56.0% in rats treated for 14 days in no-choice and autopsied after 30 days. A significant effect (P≤ 0.05) of triptolide treatment was observed on the histomorphology of the testis, which included a dose-dependent decrease in diameter of seminiferous tubules, thickness of germinal epithelium and numbers of various spermatogenic cells. Cell associations in the seminiferous epithelial cycle were poorly developed in rats ingesting medium (4.7-5.1 mg/100 g bw) and high doses (6.9-7.2 mg/100 g bw) of triptolide than rats ingesting low doses (1.8-2.3 mg/100 g bw) and untreated rats. The cell stages affected had not recovered fully within the 60 day period following triptolide withdrawal. The present study suggests the potential of triptolide in reproductive management of Rattus rattus., (© 2012 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd, ISZS and IOZ/CAS.)