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During the 1990s, the Sumangali (Tamil for "happily married women") Scheme was in practice at spinning mills in various districts of Tamil Nadu. Considering its highly exploitative characteristics, the Sumangali Scheme was generally viewed as "modern slavery". Interventions by the government and non-governmental organizations have curbed these typical characteristics of the Sumangali Scheme. In this context, this article finds that the Sumangali Scheme has not been eradicated. Rather, it has been mutated into another form. Under this "Mutated Sumangali Scheme", female labour rights violations still continue. This article analyses the reasons for these labour rights violations, including absence of collective bargaining, ineffective proactive enforcement by government agencies, inherent loopholes in substantive laws, and slack in interventions by government and non-governmental agencies. Finally, the article recommends appropriate measures to curb these violations and eradicate the Mutated Sumangali Scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Present investigation was undertaken at ICAR-CRIJAF, Barrackpore, West Bengal, India during summer season (Apr-July) of 2020 to identify the jute breeding lines resistant to stem rot which is one of the major problems in jute production. The identified resistant and susceptible jute accessions (RS-6 and OIJ-272, respectively) were crossed to develop a mapping population for the disease. The resultant F2 population comprising 125 plants was screened for resistance to stem rot disease caused by Macrophomina phaseolina following artificial inoculation. The progress of infection was measured as the length of the infected stem portion (i.e., lesion length in cm) after 7, 14 and 21 days of inoculation (time replication). After stem inoculation investigation indicated that in the F2 population of the cross OIJ-272×RS-6, only 14 plants (PL-100, PL-40, PL-99, PL-33, PL-89, PL-119, PL-1, PL-43, PL-118, PL-121, PL-6, PL-11, PL-55 and PL-86) were found moderately resistant (lesion length 2.0-3.0 cm). In contrast, 10 plants (PL-4, PL-31, PL-19, PL-27, PL-3, PL-50, PL-18, PL-26, PL-47, PL-51) were found highly susceptible (lesion length >5.0 cm). The remaining 101 plants exhibited moderate susceptible symptoms. While the parent OIJ-272 exhibited high susceptibility to stem rot with an average lesion length of 5.53 cm, the parent RS-6 exhibited moderate resistant reaction with an average lesion length of 2.30 cm. Because of good resistance under artificial stem inoculation of this fungi, these 14 F2 plants of the cross can be further exploited for a resistance breeding programme against this deadly disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diagnostic network optimization (DNO) is an analytical approach that enables use of available country data to inform evidence-based decision-making to optimize access to diagnostic services. A DNO methodology was developed using available data sources and a commercial supply chain optimization software. In collaboration with Ministries of Health and partners, the approach was applied in Kenya, India and the Philippines to map TB diagnostic networks, identify misalignments, and determine optimal network design to increase patient access to TB diagnostic services and improve device utilization. The DNO analysis was successfully applied to evaluate and inform TB diagnostic services in Kenya, India and the Philippines as part of national strategic planning for TB. The analysis was tailored to each country's specific objectives and allowed evaluation of factors such as the number and placement of different TB diagnostics, design of sample referral networks and integration of early infant diagnosis for HIV at national and sub-national levels and across public and private sectors. Our work demonstrates the value of DNO as an innovative approach to analysing and modelling diagnostic networks, particularly suited for use in low-resource settings, as an open-access approach that can be applied to optimize networks for any disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete diagnostic evaluation of tuberculosis based on its drug-resistance profile is critical for appropriate treatment decisions. The TB diagnostic landscape in India has been transformed with the scaling-up of WHO-recommended diagnostics, but challenges remain with specimen transportation, completing diagnostic assessment, turnaround time (TAT), and maintaining laboratories. Private laboratories have demonstrated efficiencies for specimen collection, transportation, and the timely testing and issue of results. A one-stop TB diagnostic model was designed to assess the feasibility of providing end-to-end diagnostic services in the Hisar district of Haryana state, India. A NTEP-certified private laboratory was engaged to provide the services, complementing the existing public sector diagnostic services. A total of 10,164 specimens were collected between May 2022 and January 2023 and these were followed for the complete diagnostic assessment of Drug-Susceptible TB (DS-TB) and Drug-Resistant TB (DR-TB) and the time taken for issuing results. A total of 2152 (21%) patients were detected with TB, 1996 (93%) Rifampicin-Sensitive and 134 (6%) with Rifampicin-Resistant TB. Nearly 99% of the patients completed the evaluation of DS-TB and DR-TB within the recommended TAT. The One-Stop TB/DR-TB Diagnostic Solution model has demonstrated that diagnostic efficiencies could be enhanced through the strategic purchase of private laboratory services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background- 'Liver abscess' is a common medical condition in India and has a high mortality ratedue to delayed detection and treatment. Based on the available literature, ruptured liver abscess occurs in 2-17% of patients and is associated with a mortalityrate of 12%-50%. Currently, these patients are treated with antibiotics along with percutaneous needleaspiration (PNA) or percutaneous catheter drainage (PCD) or surgical drainage, used only for patients who do not respond to these treatments. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate outcomes associated with different treatment strategies for liver abscess. Methods- In the present study, all patients of Ruptured Liver abscess were selected from MYH Hospital Department of Surgery Indore MP, during the period from September 2020 to September2021. Patient was treated conservatively if the size of abscess rupture into subphrenic space, perihepatic space, right paracolic gutter, and right pleural cavity. Percutaneous pigtail catheter was inserted in abscess cavity and collection space under USG guidance. Pus aspirated was then sent for culture and sensitivity. Result- In our study on the basis of outcomes among pigtail and laparotomy procedures-death rate was 13.3 % (higher) in laparotomy procedures than pigtail procedures 6.7 %. And successful rate higher in pigtail procedure (93.3%) than laparotomy procedures (86.7%). Hence pigtail procedures were better than laparotomy procedures in ruptured liver abscess on the basis of outcome (death rate and success rate). Conclusion: Laparotomy procedures had a higher death rate than pigtail procedures (6.7%). Pigtail procedures (93.3% successful) outperform laparotomy procedures (86.7%). Pigtail procedures performed better than laparotomy in ruptured liver abscess in terms of mortality and success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines how the Indian CSR law has been implemented and enforced by companies and industries situated in the Malwa region of Punjab state in India. Malwa region, one of the most industrialized clusters of the state, is also simultaneously one of its most polluted areas. Given the severe health effects that these polluting industries cause, implementing the law on CSR in its true spirit is of grave importance. This study uses in-depth interviews of the intended project beneficiaries to determine the state of implementation of the Indian CSR regulatory framework for the selected geographical region. Using the above methodology, this article suggests that businesses should strive at mitigation of the risks of their production and manufacturing activities to the community and the environment. Rather, CSR is viewed by companies as donating part of the companies' profits to CSR activities, and undertaking social-welfare activities to meet statutory obligations. Hence, this article further determines that there is a need to implement the CSR law in its true spirit by developing an understanding among the companies on the concept and importance of CSR, which goes beyond profit donations. This article concludes with several policy recommendations that can be utilized by the government to strengthen the state of implementation of the law in not only the Malwa region, but also the entire country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The constant depletion of wild flora and fauna in India due to uncontrolled human activities, natural habitat destruction and covert poaching activities is threatening the ecological balance. The poaching and trafficking of wild species in the lure of money as well as fashion has wiped out a range of wildlife species that call for critical attention to tackle this menace. There are many transit routes through the states of Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Assam, which are major hubs for wildlife trafficking in India, in both domestic and international markets. The poaching of wild animals and plants slowly erases biodiversity, which in turn affects the survival of humans and other living species. Therefore, there is an urgent need to check ongoing wildlife crimes, raise the number of endangered species, rehabilitate exotic/extinct species and restore natural ecosystems. In this article, we collected wildlife crime data from web portals of various stakeholders, government agencies and authentic news sources, and discuss the current crime trends, challenges, and prevention approaches required to control and restore wildlife biodiversity in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potato stands first as a non-cereal food crop for global consumption purposes. During the year 2019–20, dry rot disease symptoms were observed on potato tubers of the cultivar 'Kufri Pukhraj' kept in a cold store in the Moga district of Punjab State of India. Initial symptoms were observed as wrinkled and shriveled tubers with necrotic lesions on the tuber skin. The cottony white mycelial growth was also evident on some cracked tubers. During the incubation of these tubers at 25 °C for 7 days, the symptoms were more prominent with intensive whitish mycelial growth throughout the tuber. The pure culture of isolated fungus showed sparsely white colonies, which turned violet after 2 weeks. The oval or club-shaped microconidia were abundantly present on monophialides and multiphialides. The slender or straight macroconidia having 3–5 septa were also observed. The long and short chains of microconidia were observed in the fresh colonies. The molecular identification based on translation elongation factor 1 α (TEF1 α) and internal transcribed spacer region primers revealed the fungus identity as Fusarium proliferatum. The pathogenicity test was also performed to prove the Koch postulates on the initially identified host cultivar. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of dry rot disease caused by Fusarium proliferatum in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine habitual visual acuity (HVA) in a large urban cohort in western India and identify factors associated with poor HVA.Methods: This was a prospective study conducted over 10 days in September 2018 to assess the HVA in individuals attending a 10-day festival in Western India. Participants who volunteered to undergo vision screening and also filled the questionnaire form pertaining to demographic information including their age, gender, address, income, and educational status were included in this study. HVA was recorded with the distance correction that the participants were wearing when they attended the screening. The study evaluated the prevalence of visual acuity 6/6 or <6/6, 6/12, and 6/18 and the factors associated with lower visual acuity.Results: Of the 6300 participants, 1660 (26.3%) were females. Majority of the participants were from urban background (6084, 96.6%) and were of younger age group (18-40 years--3786, 60.1%; 41-60 years--2187, 34.7%; >60 years--327, 5.2%). HVA was recorded as 6/6 both eyes in 4136 (65.6%), at least 6/12 both eyes in 5691 (90.3%), and at least 6/18 both eyes in 5974 (94.8%) individuals. Only 11 patients (0.17%) had VA worse than 6/60 with only 3 patients (0.003%) having bilateral VA <6/60. Older age, female sex, lower education status, and low annual income were significant risk factors for poor HVA.Conclusion: Poor education, lower income, female gender, and old age are significantly associated with poor HVA even in urban Western India despite relatively easy access to affordable eye care facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Health Care Workers (HCWs) can acquire or transmit Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) from and to patients respectively. There is limited data on risk factors for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARSCoV-2) infection among HCWs. Aim: To evaluate the risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection amongst HCWs of tertiary care hospitals in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire based crosssectional study was conducted among 801 HCWs from three tertiary care hospitals. Data regarding demography, comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, immunosuppressive therapy, asthma), symptoms, contact with confirmed cases of COVID-19 and protective precautions at the work place was collected. Infection diagnosed by Respiratory Tract samples-Reverse Trancriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test was correlated with the above factors. Results: Of the participants, 50.1% were working in designated COVID-19 area; 85.1% had no co-morbidity. A total of 62 of the 801 (7.75%) HCWs had a history of positive RT-PCR for SARSCoV-2. Only asthma was associated with a significant higher in infection rate. Loss of taste/smell (30%), acute febrile illness (46.4%), acute respiratory illness (18.5%) were more common in persons with RT-PCR positivity (p<0.05). Visit to fever clinic, positive household member, and a definite history of exposure to a COVID-19 positive patient, were significantly associated with higher risk of infection. Working in designated COVID-19 hospital was not a significant risk factor (8.5% vs 5.6%). HCWs on Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) prophylaxis had significantly lower rate of infection. Conclusion: Rate of SARS-CoV-2 positivity among HCWs was 7.7%. Presence of symptoms, especially, loss of taste/smell, fever and respiratory symptoms are associated with high positive rates. Working in a designated COVID hospital was not a risk factor for increased rate of infection. HCQ prophylaxis is associated with reduced rate of COVID-19 among HCWs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing pollution, climate change and concern over the energy consumption in conventional apparel production methods has made the textile industry as a major pollution source. Empirical advancement in the field of sustainable apparel and customer behavioural intention are not sufficient enough to be presumed applicable in Indian market settings. This study intends to examine the application of the extended TPB model by additional constructs like collectivism cultural orientation, environmental concern and price sensitivity for anticipating green apparel purchase intension of educated millennial in India. Quantitative research followed with cross-sectional survey design was used to ascertain millennial behavioral intention towards eco-friendly apparels. Variance-based estimator, Partial Least Square (PLS) structural equation modelling was used to confirm the proposed structural relationship and Multi Group Analysis (MGA) was employed to test the moderating effect of price sensitivity. Study disseminates valuable insights to policymakers and marketers to formulate strategies and policies to attain sustainability in fashion. India being a collectivist nation the study suggests marketers to manage collectivistic national values in order to promote environment friendly apparel so as to educate customers about environmental issues and the benefit of using ecological friendly product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous isolated teeth recovered from the Upper Triassic Tiki Formation of India have high, cylindrical, triangular to conical crowns with serrated mesial and distal carinae, and oval/subcircular and elliptical crown bases. Within this overall morphology, the teeth are subdivided into six morphotypes based on crown proportions, nature of carinae and serration and crown-base ratios. These ziphodont teeth are compared with those of other dominant Late Triassic carnivores of India to show similarity with that of the phytosaurs based on their shape, recurved nature, crown proportions, the presence of carina(e), nature of serrations and serration density. The different morphotypes reflect positional heterodonty, and three upper jaw dental sets are identified. This finding is corroborated by PCA, where the morphotypes form distinctly separate clusters, though partial overlapping of these convex hull polygons suggests that these teeth belonged to a single phytosaur taxon. As tripartite dentition is a derived condition; it may be concluded that these isolated teeth belonged to a more derived phytosaur, yet to be recovered from the Tiki Formation. The study highlights the importance of examining isolated teeth in order to identify the fossil forms which are yet to be discovered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seroprevalence survey, for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, of healthcare workers (HCW) working in three Government run hospitals in Mumbai was carried out in June 2020. Among the 801 HCWs tested, seroprevalence was 11.1%. Males (13.5% vs. 8.9% in females) and ancillary workers (18.5% vs 6.9% in doctors and nurses) were more likely to be seropositive. Sixty-two (7.74%) had been previously diagnosed with RT PCR test for SARS-CoV-2. Of these, 44 (71%) were seronegative. Upto 28 days after a positive PCR test, 90% of subjects were found to be seropositive. This reduced to less than half (38.5%) between 29 and 42 days. None of 28 infected HCWs who had the RT-PCR more than 50 days ago tested positive for antibodies. It seems likely that cellular immunity plays a larger role in defence against the illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The variability of the atmospheric boundary layer together with meteorological parameters has been investigated over the semi-arid region Delhi. Two sources of the dataset have been used: sound detection and ranging (SODAR) and automatic weather station during the period from December 2013 to November 2014. A Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench (LabVIEW)-based programme has been developed to plot the stability class from A to F directly from the mixing height dataset. Based on the SODAR echograms and mixing height, temporal and seasonal variability of stability classes has been estimated. It is observed that the convective boundary layer height advances and decreases during the daytime depending on the increase and decrease of surface temperature due to solar heating of the ground. From seasonal classification of the stability class, it is observed that the class A and class E are dominated in convection and nocturnal periods in all seasons, whereas class F is not found during the winter and pre-monsoon seasons. Impact of meteorological parameters, that is, wind speed, temperature, and relative humidity on mixing height during different seasons has also been studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data on 4186 lambs pertaining to 94 rams of Rambouillet and their crosses over the ten years (1998-2007) at Government Sheep Breeding and Research Farm, Reasi, Jammu, were studied. The averages were 1.49±0.009 kg, 5.52±0.02 cm and 21.25±0.01 μ for greasy fleece weight (GFW), staple length (SL) and fiber diameter (FD) respectively. The highest CV (%) was observed for greasy fleece weight where as the lowest CV (%) was observed for fiber diameter. The least-squares means were 1.51±0.02 kg, 5.64±0.04 cm and 21.27±0.03 μ for greasy fleece weight, staple length, and fiber diameter respectively. The effect of year of lambing had significant effect (P<0.01) for all the traits under present study. The effect of season of lambing was non-significant for all the traits. The effect of sex was significant (P<0.01) for greasy fleece weight only. However, no systematic trend was observed over the year, season of lambing and sex for all three the traits studied. The estimates of heritability were high for GFW (0.49) and FD (0.55), where as for SL it was low (0.15). The genetic and phenotypic correlations were either negative or low and in some cases it was both low and negative. These estimates revealed that there is scope for genetic improvement of these traits through appropriate selection methods and index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building on the resource-based view of the firm, this study explores how firms entering into early internationalisation combine different resources to discover the international market opportunities. Based on an in-depth analysis of case studies of five knowledge-intensive firms from India, this study suggests that the differences in the extent of resources available and their combinations influence the early stage of the internationalisation process and pace of learning in the foreign markets. This study contributes to the existing research on international entrepreneurship by explaining how new international ventures overcome the challenges of internationalisation by wisely utilising a broad set of available and potential resources during their early internationalisation efforts and gradually shift the focus on the internalisation of resources. Moreover, this study suggests that the effects of the combination of resources vary across different ventures. A strong combination can increase internationalisation and minimise the risks of failure in new international ventures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: There is paucity of data from India regarding the etiology, prognostic indicators, morbidity, and mortality patterns of perforation peritonitis. The objective of our study was to evaluate the predictors of mortality,preoperatively,for risk stratification of the patients and institution of an early goal-directed therapy. Materials and Methods: Eighty-four consecutive patients presenting with perforation peritonitis, in the age group of 14-70 years scheduled for emergency laparotomy were studied prospectively. The parameters studied were age and sex of the patients, associated co-morbidities, duration of symptoms, delay in initiating surgical intervention, and preoperative biochemical parameters such as hemoglobin, random blood sugar, blood urea, serum creatinine, pH, base excess, and serum lactate levels. In-hospital mortality was taken as the outcome. Results: We encountered a mortality of 17.8% in our study.Multiple linear (enter) regression identified the age, duration of symptoms, preoperative blood sugar levels, blood urea, serum creatinine levels, Mannheim Peritonitis Index, and the delay in instituting surgical intervention as independent predictors of mortality. Hyperlactatemia, acidosis and base excess were not found to be associated with mortality. Conclusion: Routine biochemical investigations, delay in presentation, and surgical intervention are good predictors of mortality. Recognizing such patients early may help the anesthesiologists in risk stratification and in providing an early goal-directed therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recurrent Tuberculosis patients contribute to a significant proportion of TB burden in India. A nationwide survey was conducted during 2019-2021 across India among adults to estimate the prevalence of TB. A total of 322480 individuals were screened and 1402 were having TB. Of this, 381 (27.1%) had recurrent TB. The crude prevalence (95% CI) of recurrent TB was 118 (107-131) per 100,000 population. The median duration between episodes of TB was 24 months. The proportion of drug resistant TB was 11.3% and 3.6% in the recurrent group and new TB patients respectively. Higher prevalence of recurrent TB was observed in elderly, males, malnourished, known diabetics, smokers, and alcohol users. (p<0.001). To prevent TB recurrence, all treated tuberculosis patients must be followed at least for 24 months, with screening for Chest X-ray, liquid culture every 6 months, smoking cessation, alcohol cessation, nutritional interventions and good diabetic management., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflict of interest to declare., (Copyright: © 2023 Giridharan et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: The risk of tuberculosis (TB) disease is higher in individuals with TB infection. In a TB endemic country like India, it is essential to understand the current burden of TB infection at the population level. The objective of the present analysis is to estimate the prevalence of TB infection in India and to explore the factors associated with TB infection., Methods: Individuals aged > 15 years in the recently completed National TB prevalence survey in India who were tested for TB infection by QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) assay were considered for this sub-analysis. TB infection was defined as positive by QFT-Plus (value >0.35 IU/ml). The estimates for prevalence, prevalence ratio (PR) and adjusted risk ratio (aRR) estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated., Results: Of the 16864 individuals analysed, the prevalence of TB infection was 22.6% (95% CI:19.4 -25.8). Factors more likely to be associated with TB infection include age > 30 years (aRR:1.49;95% CI:1.29-1.73), being male (aRR:1.26; 95%CI: 1.18-1.34), residing in urban location (aRR:1.58; 95%CI: 1.03-2.43) and past history of TB (aRR:1.49; 95%CI: 1.26-1.76)., Conclusion: About one fourth (22.6%) of the individuals were infected with TB in India. Individuals aged > 30 years, males, residing in urban location, and those with past history of TB were more likely to have TB infection. Targeted interventions for prevention of TB and close monitoring are essential to reduce the burden of TB in India., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no conflict of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Truenat MTB-RIF assay (Truenat), a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT), is a real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) chip-based assay that can detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( Mtb ) and rifampicin (RIF) drug resistance using portable, battery-operated devices. The National TB Elimination Program (NTEP) in India introduced this novel tool at the district and subdistrict level in 2020. This study aimed to assess the level and causes of inconclusive results (invalid results, errors, and indeterminate results) in MTB and RIF testing at NTEP sites and the root causes of these in the programmatic setting., Methods: Truenat testing data from 1,690 functional Truenat sites under the NTEP from April to June 2021 were analyzed to assess the rates of errors, invalid MTB results, and indeterminate RIF results. Following this analysis, 12 Truenat sites were selected based on site performance in Truenat testing, diversity of climatic conditions, and geographical terrain. These sites were visited to assess the root causes of their high and low rates of inconclusive results using a structured checklist., Results: A total of 327,649 Truenat tests performed for MTB and RIF testing were analyzed. The rate of invalid MTB results was 5.2% [95% confidence interval (CI): 5.11-5.26; n = 16,998] and the rate of errors was 2.5% (95% CI: 2.46-2.57; n = 8,240) in Truenat MTB chip testing. For Mtb-positive samples tested using the Truenat RIF chip for detection of RIF resistance ( n = 40,926), the rate of indeterminate results was 15.3% (95% CI: 14.97-15.67; n = 6,267) and the rate of errors was 1.6% (95% CI: 1.53-1.78; n = 675). There was a 40.1% retesting gap for Mtb testing and a 78.2% gap for inconclusive RR results. Among the inconclusive results retested, 27.9% (95% CI: 27.23-28.66; n = 4,222) were Mtb-positive, and 9.2% (95% CI: 7.84-10.76; n = 139) were detected as RR., Conclusion: The main causes affecting Truenat testing performance include suboptimal adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs), inadequate training, improper storage of testing kits, inadequate sputum quality, lack of quality control, and delays in the rectification of machine issues. Root cause analysis identified that strengthening of training, external quality control, and supervision could improve the rate of inconclusive results. Ensuring hands-on training of technicians for Truenat testing and retesting of samples with inconclusive results are major recommendations while planning for Truenat scale-up. The recommendations from the study were consolidated into technical guidance documents and videos and disseminated to laboratory staff working at the tiered network of TB laboratories under the NTEP in order to improve Truenat MTB-RIF testing performance., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Gopalaswamy, Kumar, Vashistha, Rajendran, Kayesth, Peravali, Kashyap, Ghosh, Yumo, Moore, Anand, Ramachandran, Alavadi, Saini and Shanmugam.)

Background: Mandla District in Madhya Pradesh, India, reported a suspected cholera outbreak from Ghughri subdistrict on August 18, 2016., Objective: We investigated to determine risk factors and recommend control and prevention measures., Methods: We defined a case as >3 loose stools in 24 h in a Ghughri resident between July 20 and August 19, 2016. We identified cases by passive surveillance in health facilities and by a house-to-house survey in 28 highly affected villages. We conducted a 1:2 unmatched case-control study, collected stool samples for culture, and tested water sources for fecal contamination., Results: We identified 628 cases (61% female) from 96 villages; the median age was 27 years (range: 1 month-76 years). Illnesses began 7 days after rainfall with 259 (41%) hospitalizations and 14 (2%) deaths in people from remote villages who died before reaching a health facility; 12 (86%) worked in paddy fields. Illness was associated with drinking well water within paddy fields (odds ratio [OR] = 4.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.4-8.0) and not washing hands with soap after defecation (OR = 6.1, CI = 1.7-21). Of 34 stool cultures, 11 (34%) tested positive for Vibrio cholerae O1 Ogawa. We observed open defecation in affected villages around paddy fields. Of 16 tested water sources in paddy fields, eight (50%) were protected, but 100% had fecal contamination., Conclusion: We recommended education regarding pit latrine sanitation and safe water, especially in paddy fields, provision of oral rehydration solution in remote villages, and chlorine tablets for point-of-use treatment of drinking water., Competing Interests: None

Growing urbanization is increasing human-wildlife interactions, including attacks towards humans by vertebrate predators, an aspect that has received extremely scarce investigation. Here, we examined the ecological, landscape and human factors that may promote human-aggression by raptorial Black kites Milvus migrans in the 16-millions inhabitants megacity of Delhi (India). Physical attacks depended on human activities such as unhygienic waste management, ritual-feeding of kites (mainly operated by Muslims), human density, and presence of a balcony near the nest, suggesting an association between aggression and frequent-close exposure to humans and derived food-rewards. Surprisingly, while more than 100,000 people could be at risk of attack in any given moment, attitudes by local inhabitants were strikingly sympathetic towards the birds, even by injured persons, likely as a result of religious empathy. These results highlight the importance of socio-cultural factors for urban biota and how these may radically differentiate the under-studied cities of developing countries from those of western nations, thus broadening our picture of human-wildlife interactions in urban environments. The rapid sprawling of urban and suburban areas with their associated food-subsidies is likely to increase proximity and exposure of large predators to humans, and vice versa, leading to heightened worldwide conflicts.

There is a growing interest in the behavioural and life history mechanisms that allow animal species to cope with rapidly expanding urban habitats, which impose frequent proximity to humans. A particular case of behavioral bottleneck (i.e. conflicting interests) faced by animals in urban environments is how they will modulate the defence of their offspring against the potential danger represented by humans, an aspect that has received scarce research attention. We examined the nest defense against humans by a dense breeding population of a raptor, the Black Kite Milvus migrans, within the megacity of Delhi (India). Here, kites live on a diet dominated by human waste and meat offered through religiously motivated bird feeding practices. Nest defense levels increased with the number of offspring, and with the progression of the breeding season. Defense also intensified close to ritual-feeding areas and with increasing human waste in the streets, suggesting synergistic effects of food availability, parental investment, personality-boldness and habituation to humans, with consequent attenuation of fear. Thus, the behavioural response to a perceived threat reflected the spatial mosaic of activity of humans in the city streets, their cultural practices of ritual-feeding, and their waste-management. For synurbic species, at the higher-end spectrum of adaptation to an urban life, human cultural practices and attitudes may well be the most defining dimensions of their urban niche. Our results suggest that, after initial urban colonization, animals may continue to adapt to the typically complex, heterogeneous environments of cities through fine-grained behavioural adjustments to human practices and activities., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Purpose: To assess views of Muslims with regard to the use of eyedrops during fasting periods of Ramadan and to determine if demographic, religious, and educational factors or the perceived severity of an ocular condition influence these views., Design: Cross-sectional survey., Participants: Two hundred adult Muslims., Methods: A questionnaire-based survey., Main Outcome Measures: The main outcome measures studied were the proportion of respondents who believe that the use of eyedrops during fasting hours of Ramadan would break the fast and the proportion of respondents who would use drops during fasting hours of Ramadan., Results: Of the 200 questionnaires collected, 10 were excluded because of incomplete data entry (n = 190). Among respondents, 63.7% (n = 121) believe that using eyedrops during fasting periods of Ramadan would break the fast, and only 34.2% (n = 65) would use drops during this period. A further 34.2% (n = 65) would continue their regular treatment, 35.8% (n = 68) would use drops for a nonpainful eye condition, 66.8% (n = 127) for a painful eye condition, 35.3% (n = 67) for a condition that did not affect vision, and 75.8% (n = 144) would use drops during the fasting period for an eye condition if vision was affected. No significant association was noted when comparing views of respondents based on gender, occupation, education, and number of days the fast is observed. Statistical significance was reached when comparing the views of Muslims who would fast additional days if a fast was broken compared with those who would not (P<0.001)., Conclusions: Ramadan could be an important cause for noncompliance with prescribed ophthalmic treatment. This study provides an insight into views of Muslims regarding use of eyedrops during Ramadan. The results suggest that extensive misuse of prescribed drops should be anticipated during Ramadan.