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Purpose: The study explores the perspectives of college students on the pedagogical shift as well as frequent transitions between online and offline learning modes during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kerala, the most literate state in India. Design/methodology/approach: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,366 college students in Kerala during December 2021. A pre-tested questionnaire was sent using Google Forms to students of arts and science colleges. The authors analyzed quantitative data using descriptive statistics and qualitative data using thematic content analysis. Findings: The reported advantages of online learning were increased technical skill, flexibility in study time, effectiveness in bridging the gap of the missed academic period and provision of attending more educational webinars. Students expressed concerns of increased workload, difficulty in concentration due to family circumstances, academic incompetency, uncleared doubts and addiction to mobile phones and social media during the online classes. The main advantages reported for switching to an offline learning mode were enhanced social interaction, effective learning, better concentration and reduced stress. The reported challenges of offline classes were fear of getting the disease, concern of maintaining social distancing and difficulty in wearing masks during the classes. The shift in offline to online learning and vice versa was perceived as a difficult process for the students as it took a considerable time for them to adjust to the switching process of learning. Originality/value: Students' concerns regarding transition between different learning modes provide important information to educators to better understand and support the needs of students during the pandemic situations.

Stunting has been negatively associated with children's development. We examined the range of height by testing hypotheses: (a) height is positively associated with children's development, with associations moderated by inflammation and (b) home environments characterized by nurturance and early learning opportunities is positively associated with children's development over time and attenuate associations with height. Data included 513 infants (mean age 8.6 months) and 316 preschoolers (mean age 36.6 months) in rural India from a randomized controlled trial of multiple micronutrient powders (MNPs). Measures included height (height-for-age z-scores based on WHO standards), inflammation (C-reactive protein concentration >5 mg/L), nurturance (HOME Inventory), child development (Mullens Scales of Early Learning), and inhibitory control (preschoolers). Linear mixed effects models accounting for repeated measures, clustering, and confounders were used to assess associations between height and child development over time (infants: enrollment, 6 and 12 months; preschoolers: enrollment and 8 months). Moderating effects of inflammation and nurturance were tested with interaction terms. Among infants and preschoolers, height and nurturance were positively associated with all domains of child development over time, with the exception of inhibitory control. Among preschoolers, in the presence of inflammation, height was not associated with child development. Among infants, but not preschoolers, a nurturant home environment attenuated significant associations between height with fine motor and receptive language development. The mechanisms associated with children's development over time are multifactorial and include direct and indirect associations among nutrition, health, and the home environment, as supported by the Nurturing Care Framework.

During the taxonomic revision of the family Apiaceae, two species of the genus Tetrataenium (DC.) Manden. were found to require typification. Lectotypes were designated for two names currently applied to species in the genus Tetrataenium (DC.) Manden., Tetrataenium ceylanicum (Gardner ex C.B. Clarke) Manden. and Tetrataenium hookerianum (Wight & Arn.) Manden. Both species occur in India, and Tetrataenium ceylanicum has also been recorded in Sri Lanka. The results of this lectotypification maintain the previously established concept of both species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The limited representation from developing countries in the original COME TOGETHER survey gave us an impetus to conduct this survey in the Indian subcontinent. Methods: This cross-sectional online survey was conducted from August through September 2022. Participants were health care physicians caring for patients with coma and disorders of consciousness. Fischer's exact test or the Mann–Whitney U-test was used to compare respondents who agreed or disagreed with the preestablished coma definition. Fleiss κ values were calculated to assess agreement among respondents. A p value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The survey was completed by 130 physicians. We found substantial interrater agreement on absence of wakefulness (71.54%; κ = 0.71), Glasgow Coma Score ≤ 8 (78.46%; κ = 0.78), and failure to respond purposefully to visual, verbal, or tactile stimuli (66.15%; κ = 0.66). Reported common etiologies of coma included traumatic brain injury (50.76%), ischemic stroke (30%), and intracerebral hemorrhage (29.23%). The most common clinical assessment tools used for coma included the Glasgow Coma Score (92.3%) and neurological examination (60.8%). Neurological examination was the most common diagnostic tool used (100%), followed by magnetic resonance imaging (89.2%), basic laboratory studies (88.5%), and head computed tomography/angiography (86.9%). Pharmacological interventions used to stimulate arousal in patients with coma were sedation vacation (91.5%), electrolyte/endocrine correction (65.4%), osmotic therapy with mannitol (60%), hypertonic saline (54.6%), modafinil (46.9%), and antidote for drugs (45.4%). Among the nonpharmacological interventions, sensory stimulation (57.7%) was the most commonly used modality. The most common discharge disposition for comatose patients who survived hospitalization were home with or without services (70.0%). Conclusions: Differences from the global survey were noted regarding the following: traumatic brain injury being the most common etiology of coma in India, more frequent practice of sedation interruption, less frequent use of electroencephalography in India, rare use of pharmacological neurostimulants, and home being the most common discharge disposition in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unexpected and sudden spread of the novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has opened up many scopes for researchers in the fields of biotechnology, health care, educational sectors, agriculture, manufacturing, service sectors, marketing, finance, etc. Hence, the researchers are concerned to study, analyze and predict the impact of infection of COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many fields, particularly the stock markets in the financial sector. In this paper, we have proposed an econometric approach and stochastic approach to analyze the stochastic nature of stock price before and during a COVID-19-specific pandemic period. For our study, we considered the BSE SENSEX INDEX closing pricing data from the Bombay Stock Exchange for the period before and during COVID-19. We have applied the statistical tools, namely descriptive statistics for testing the normal distribution of data, unit root test for testing the stationarity, and GARCH and stochastic model for measuring the risk, also investigated drift and volatility (or diffusion) coefficients of the stock price SDE by using R Environment software and formulated the 95% confidence level bound with the help of 500 times simulations. Finally, the results have been obtained from these methods and simulations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic inequities are common in low and middle-income countries (LMIC), and are associated with poor growth and development among young children. The objectives are to examine whether maternal education and home environment quality: 1) protect children by attenuating the association between economic inequities and children's growth and development, or 2) promote children's growth and development, regardless of economic inequities. The sample includes 512 infants and 321 preschoolers in 26 villages in rural India (Project Grow Smart). Data for children: physical growth (weight and length/height measured) and development (Mullen Scales of Early Learning); for mothers/households: economic inequities measured by household assets, education, depressive symptoms, and home environment (HOME Inventory). Data are analyzed with linear mixed models (LMM) for infants and preschoolers separately, adjusted for village/preschool clustering, including asset-by-education/home interactions. Among infants, but not preschoolers, the education/home factor attenuates relations between assets and growth, eliminating differential relations in infant growth between high/low-asset families, suggesting protection. Among infants and preschoolers, the education/home factor is significantly or marginally associated with most child development scales, regardless of economic inequities, suggesting promotion. Strategies to enhance maternal education and home environment quality may protect infants in low-asset families from poor growth, promote development among infants and preschoolers, and prevent early disparities.

Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping is used for the precise localization of genomic regions regulating various traits in plants. Two major QTLs regulating Soil Plant Analysis Development (SPAD) value (qSPAD-7-1) and trichome density (qTric-7-2) in mungbean were identified using recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations (PMR-1-Pusa Baisakhi) on chromosome 7. Functional analysis of QTL region identified 35 candidate genes for SPAD value (16 No) and trichome (19 No) traits. The candidate genes regulating trichome density on the dorsal leaf surface of the mungbean include VRADI07G24840, VRADI07G17780, and VRADI07G15650, which encodes for ZFP6, TFs bHLH DNA-binding superfamily protein, and MYB102, respectively. Also, candidate genes having vital roles in chlorophyll biosynthesis are VRADIO7G29860, VRADIO7G29450, and VRADIO7G28520, which encodes for s-adenosyl-L-methionine, FTSHI1 protein, and CRS2-associated factor, respectively. The findings unfolded the opportunity for the development of customized genotypes having high SPAD value and high trichome density having a possible role in yield and mungbean yellow vein mosaic India virus (MYMIV) resistance in mungbean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The newly identified COVID-19 variant, B.1.1.529, initially detected in South Africa, was officially designated as the "Omicron" variant by the World Health Organization on November 26, 2021. This variant has raised concerns globally. From January 17 to November 26, 2021, Public Health Ontario (PHO) Library Services conducted extensive searches of published literature and preprints using the MEDLINE database. A total of six articles and one ongoing clinical trial were identified. Data from 15 published and unpublished reports, including interim findings, were collected. The WHO, ICMR, daily updates web page, internet sources, news, and hospitalization or death data were analyzed to assess the risk associated with the Omicron variant compared to non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The data suggested a potential 50% increase in the risk of hospitalization or death among Omicron patients compared to previous variants. Considering the emergence of the Omicron variant, it is important to note that India has an advantage due to its extensive immunization program, which annually vaccinates approximately 2.7 crorenewborns. However, it is crucial to ensure that vaccines meet all validation requirements and regulatory frameworks before they are made available to the public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To detect the presence of Mucorales in the sinuses of healthy individuals and non-invasive fungal sinusitis patients. Materials and methods: Post FESS specimens with appearance suggestive of fungal ball or allergic mucin from 30 immunocompetent patients was sent for KOH smear, HPE, fungal culture and PCR. Results: Fungal culture was positive for Aspergillus flavus in one specimen. PCR demonstrated Aspergillus (21), Candida (14), and Rhizopus in one case. HPE detected mainly Aspergillus in 13 specimens. No fungal presence in four cases. Discussion: There was no significant undetected Mucor colonisation. PCR proved to be the most sensitive test in reliably detecting the organisms. No significant variation in the pattern of fungi were detected between COVID-19 infected and non-infected, but for the slightly higher detection of candida in the COVID-19 infected group. Conclusion: There was no significant presence of Mucorales in non-invasive fungal sinusitis patients in our study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Staphylococcus aureus is part of normal flora and also an opportunistic pathogen responsible for a wide range of infections in both humans and animals. Livestock-associated S. aureus (LA-SA) has gained importance in recent years due to its increased prevalence in recent years, becoming a worry in public health view. This study aimed to study the epidemiology of LA-SA strains in Madurai district, Tamil Nadu, India. Methods: A total of 255 samples were collected from bovine and other small ruminants like goats and sheep nares (n = 129 and n = 126 respectively). Nasal swab samples were collected from study animals with sterile sample collecting cotton swabs (Hi-Media, Mumbai). Samples were transported to the lab in Cary-Blair Transport media for further analysis. The samples were tested for S. aureus using antibiotic selection and PCR-based assays. The pathogenicity of the bacteria was assessed using chicken embryo models and liver cross-sections were used for histopathology studies. Results: The prevalence rate in bovine-associated samples was 42.63% but relatively low in the case of small ruminants associated samples with 28.57% only. The overall prevalence of S. aureus is found to 35.6% and MRSA 10.98% among the study samples. The antibiogram results that LA-SA isolates were susceptible to aminoglycosides and tetracyclines but resistant to β-lactam drugs. The biofilm formation results showed that the LA-SA isolates are weak to high-capacity biofilm formers. The enterotoxigenic patterns revealed that most of the isolated strains are enterotoxigenic and possess classical enterotoxins. The survival analysis of chicken embryos suggested that the Bovine-associated strains were moderately pathogenic. Conclusion: The study concluded that economically important livestock animals can act as reservoirs for multi-drug resistant and pathogenic which in-turn is a concern for public health as well as livestock health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Esthesioneuroblastoma (ENB) or olfactory neuroblastoma is a rare malignant neoplasm arising from the neural crest cells of the olfactory epithelium. The optimum treatment for this rare disease is still unclear. Most of the available literature on this rare head and neck tumour is limited to small retrospective series and single institutional reports. We conducted a retrospective study to investigate the clinical profile, treatment outcomes and prognostic factors of patients with ENB treated at a tertiary cancer centre in south India. Patients with a histopathological diagnosis of ENB treated from 2000 to 2019 were included. Patient demographics, tumour characteristics, stage, treatment details and outcome data were identified from medical records. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test was used for comparison. The prognostic factors were identified using Cox regression analysis. Forty-two patients underwent treatment for ENB from 2000 to 2019. Twenty-six patients underwent surgery. Twelve patients received radical radiotherapy (RT) while 24 patients underwent adjuvant radiation. After a median follow-up of 71 months, the estimated OS and DFS at 4 years were 64.4% and 54%, respectively. The estimated 4-year OS for modified Kadish A, B, C and D stages was 75.0%, 90.9%, 56.4% and 0%, respectively. Modified Kadish stage, nodal involvement, orbital invasion, intracranial extension, surgery, RT treatment and use of chemotherapy were significant predictors of OS and DFS in univariate Cox regression analysis. Orbital invasion and RT treatment were significant predictors of DFS in the multivariate analysis as well. However, only RT treatment came out to be a significant predictor for OS in multivariate Cox regression analysis. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment. Adjuvant RT may improve local control and survival in advanced cases. Advanced modified Kadish stage, lymph node involvement and orbital invasion are associated with poor outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common gynaecological disorder among reproductive-age women. Impaired metabolism of androgens and estrogens is one of the leading causes of PCOS. In India, medicinal herbs are being explored for their anti-androgenic and anti-estrogenic properties. In this study, we have screened the seed extracts of the herbal plant, Caesalpinia bonducella for potent inhibitors of estrogen and testosterone biosynthesis and assimilation. Methanol extract of C. bonducella seed kernels were subjected to gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify the phytochemical constituents. Out of forty-three phytochemical compounds identified from the extract, eight compounds were selected based on Lipinski's rule of five for molecular docking. The selected phytochemical compounds were docked against specific targets of ovarian steroidogenesis pathway; human aromatase (CYP19A1), human 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (HSD17B1), human androgen receptor and estrogen receptor α. Further, the nature of these compounds was validated using density functional theory (DFT) calculations and ADME/T studies. As per the molecular docking output, compounds 33, 35, 38, 40, and 43 exhibited higher binding affinities against the four selected targets. Phytochemical compounds were optimized using Gaussian 16 with the B3LYP function and the 6-31G(d, p) basis set and were correlated with docking results. ADME/T helps in identifying the potential drug candidates from a pool of drugs. Five phytochemical compounds, 33, 35, 38, 40, and 43 were found to have the ability to bind and inhibit appropriate targets in the ovarian steroidogenesis pathway. Hence, these compounds can be further characterized in vitro and in vivo for alleviating PCOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detailed characterisation of immune responses induced by COVID-19 vaccines rolled out in India: COVISHIELDTM (CS) and COVAXIN® (CO) in a pre-exposed population is only recently being discovered. We addressed this issue in subjects who received their primary series of vaccination between November 2021 and January 2022. Both vaccines are capable of strongly boosting Wuhan Spike-specific neutralising antibody, polyfunctional Th1 cytokine producing CD4+ T-cells and single IFN-γ + CD8+ T-cells. Consistent with inherent differences in vaccine platform, the vector-based CS vaccine-induced immunity was of greater magnitude, breadth, targeting Delta and Omicron variants compared to the whole-virion inactivated vaccine CO, with CS vaccinees showing persistent CD8+ T-cells responses until 3 months post primary vaccination. This study provides detailed evidence on the magnitude and quality of CS and CO vaccine induced responses in subjects with pre-existing SARS-CoV-2 immunity in India, thereby mitigating vaccine hesitancy arguments in such a population, which remains a global health challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Infections with SARS-CoV-2 variants and declining immunity after primary vaccination, encouraged the use of booster doses. Some countries changed their immunization programmes to boost with vaccines different from the ones in their original schedule, based on results from immunogenicity and effectiveness studies. This study reports immunological analysis of samples collected in a phase 4 randomized trial, where participants who had previously received two primary doses of ChAdOx1 nCov-19 (ChAd) or inactivated BBV152 vaccine were randomized to receive either ChAd or BBV152 booster and further categorized as: Group 1 (two primary doses of ChAd - ChAd booster), Group 2 (two primary doses of ChAd - BBV152 booster), Group 3 (two primary doses of BBV152 - ChAd booster), and Group 4 (two primary doses of BBV152 - BBV152 booster). SARS-CoV-2 specific cellular and humoral responses at day 0 (pre-boost samples 12–36 weeks after the second primary dose), and at day 28 post booster, were measured in a subset of participants (ChAd recipients, n = 37 and BBV152 recipients, n = 36). Additionally, on day180 post-booster humoral responses were assessed for the entire cohort (N = 378). Primary vaccination with 2 doses of BBV152 generated higher memory-B cells (median% 0.41 vs 0.35) and cytokine producing CD8-Tcells (median% 0.09 vs 0.04) while lower anti-spike IgG levels (medianAU/ml: 12,433 vs 27,074) as compared to ChAd. Irrespective of the primary vaccine received, ChAd boosted individuals generated higher memory-B cell frequencies and anti-spike IgG levels as compared to BBV152 booster. The percentage ACE-2 inhibition against Omicron and its sub-variants was higher in Group 3 (median > 60 %) as compared to other groups (median < 25 %). At day180 post booster the hierarchy of the antibody amounts was Group 1 ∼ Group 2 ∼ Group 3 > Group 4. Sustained humoral and robust cellular immune response to SARS-CoV-2 can be obtained with ChAd booster irrespective of the primary vaccination regimen. The trial is registered with ISRTCN (CTRI/2021/08/035648). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Disordered eating behaviors (DEBs) among persons with schizophrenia (PwS) have been reported widely in the literature, with very few studies in India. Robust tools to assess DEB are needed in the vernacular language to capture symptoms of disordered eating accurately. No such tools are available in the Tamil language. Globally, the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) is widely used to assess DEB among PwS. Aim: This study aimed to translate and study the factor structure and reliability of EAT-26 among Tamil-speaking PwS. Materials and Methods: EAT-26 was translated into Tamil following the Oxford linguistic validation process. Experts evaluated its face validity and content validity. One hundred and fifty PwS, aged between 18 and 65 years, who attended the outpatient department of a psychiatric facility, and consented to participate, completed the Tamil version of EAT-26. Test-retest reliability of EAT-26 was assessed by readministering the tool to 30 PwS after two weeks. Data were analyzed using Stata 16.1. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were computed using Cronbach's alpha and intraclass coefficients, respectively. The factor structure of EAT-26 was explored using principal component analysis (PCA). Spearman's rho was calculated to understand the correlation between the factors. Results: EAT-26 had an internal consistency of 0.71 and test-retest reliability of 0.896. Factor analysis revealed nine latent factors consisting of 21 of the original 26 items on EAT-26. These 21 items could explain a variance of 63.63%. Conclusions: The Tamil version of the EAT-26 is a reliable tool to assess DEB among Tamil-speaking PwS. It can be used to screen PwS for eating disorder risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

VRK1 (vaccinia‐related kinase 1) was initially reported to be associated with spinal muscular atrophy–pontocerebellar hypoplasia (SMA‐PCH). Congenital or infantile‐onset progressive sensory‐motor neuropathy with microcephaly, adult‐onset distal SMA, and adult‐onset motor neuron disease are the other phenotypes described recently with VRK1. Since VRK1‐related complex motor disorders other than PCH is rare, we aim to depict the diverse clinical phenotypes and the genotypes of two patients with VRK1 variants from India. Proband‐1 is a 7‐year‐old girl who presented with distal muscle weakness and wasting of upper and lower limbs with brisk deep tendon reflexes (DTR), mild intellectual disability, and behavioral problems. She had a homozygous c.1159 + 1G > A pathogenic variant in VRK1, inherited from parents. Proband‐2 is a 25‐year‐old adopted male with sensory‐motor neuropathy and brisk DTR. He had a homozygous c.7C > T (p.R3C) missense variant of uncertain significance in VRK1 predicted to be damaging by multiple computational tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and its correlates among apparently healthy children and adolescents. Methods: We carried out a secondary analysis of data of Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey 2016–18 to analyze the pre-valence and predictors of VDD among Indian children and adolescents. Results: The over-all prevalence of VDD in preschool children (1–4 years), school age (5–9 years) children, and adolescents (10–19 years) was 13.7%, 18.2%, and 23.9%, respectively. Age, living in urban area, and winter season were significantly associated with VDD. Vegetarian diet and high-income households were the main risk factors observed in 5–19 years age category. Female sex and less than three hour of physical activity/week were independent risk factors among adolescents. Conclusion: The prevalence and determinants of VDD across different age-groups are reported, and these should be interpreted and addressed to decrease the burden of VDD in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper demarcated the most vulnerable regions within the Poiney sub-basin (Tamil Nadu state in India) with respect to the groundwater quality. An index-based vulnerability assessment was carried out by measuring the physico-chemical variables such as pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, magnesium, sodium, chloride, sulphate, bicarbonate and fluoride in the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon samples. Water quality index varied across the sub-basin due to differences in the water quality induced by anthropogenic activities related to land use practices and presence of industries. The MT3D engine coupled with visual MODFLOW identified that sulphate released from tanneries and leather factories is the main effluent contaminating the groundwater. Model reveals that both the flow and contaminant transport is towards southeast with maximum and minimum calculated head of 201.82 mg/l and 265.92 mg/l and calculated sulphate concentration of 394.40 mg/l and 46.79 mg/l respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Six diverse Demographic Development and Environmental Surveillance System (DDESS) sites were established in urban slum, urban resettlement, peri-urban, rural, and tribal areas located in Northern, North-East, Eastern, and Southern regions of India from June 2020 to March 2022. Understanding the community dynamics and engaging people in the community is critically important in the process of establishing DDESS. We ascertained the barriers, challenges, and facilitators during the establishment of multiple DDESS sites across India. Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive mixed-methods study. Results: Multiple barriers and challenges encountered were reported in the process of community engagement (CE), such as geographical inaccessibility, language barriers, adverse weather, non-responsiveness due to perceived lack of individual benefit or financial gain, fear of contracting COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, etc. Facilitators in the CE process were pre-existing links with the community, constitution of community advisory boards, community need assessment, concomitant delivery of outreach health services, and skill-building facilities. Conclusion: Most community barriers in the development of DDESS sites in resource-limited settings can be overcome through a multipronged approach, including effective community engagement by focusing on demonstrating trust at the local level, enlisting community mobilization and support, utilizing pre-existing community linkages, initiating community diagnosis, and meeting perceived community health needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vertical distribution of aerosols in the lower troposphere is critically important for assessing their impact on Earth's radiation budget and modulation of cloud microphysics. This study analyzed cloud‐free aerosol extinction coefficient (βext), aerosol subtypes, and particulate depolarization ratios obtained from CALIOP (Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization) over the six regions of India during 2008–2018. We investigated unprecedented climatology of the physical and optical characteristics of elevated aerosol layers (EALs) along with their source and formation mechanism. The key findings include: (a) EALs over the Indian region were persistent between 4 and 6 km during all seasons, (b) geometrical layer thickness of EALs increased up to 36.7% and 25% from the annual mean during summer and fall seasons, respectively, compared to that of spring and winter, (c) dust and polluted dust accounted for up to 50%–80% from near‐surface to 6 km and up to 80%–90% of the EALs between 4 and 6 km, respectively for all the seasons and regions, (d) we anticipated that locally confined recirculation coupled with stratified stable layer capped within turbulent layers could be a possible mechanism of formation of stratified EALs between 4 and 6 km during winter‐spring‐fall, while in summer, vertical transport of pollutants from the PBL to mid‐troposphere due to enhanced deep convection served as a key formation mechanism of the EALs, (e) the second Modern‐Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications Global Modeling Initiative model reasonably simulated the shape and vertical gradient of βext with significant differences in magnitude below 4 km; however, it fails to reproduce EALs for all seasons and regions during the study period. Plain Language Summary: Aerosols distributed in the troposphere can scatter and absorb solar radiation and modify the Earth's radiation budget and cloud properties. The combined effect of scattering and absorption by particles is defined as aerosol extinction coefficient, is a measure of the alteration of radiant energy as it passes through the atmosphere. The aerosol extinction coefficient was derived with the space‐borne lidar Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) aboard the Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) over the Indian region during 2008–2018. The vertical profiles of aerosol extinction coefficient depicted persistent layers between 4 and 6 km over the Indian region named elevated aerosol layers (EALs). In the summer and fall seasons, the thickness of the EALs increased by 36.7% and 25% from the annual mean, respectively. Throughout the year, dust and polluted dust aerosols accounted for up to 50%–80% of the EALs composition between near‐surface and 6 km. Stratified EALs between 4 and 6 km were formed by locally confined wind recirculation coupled with stable atmospheric layers during the winter, spring, and fall seasons. In summer, the vertical transport of pollutants from the planetary boundary layer to the mid‐troposphere associated with enhanced deep convection played a crucial role in the formation of EALs. Key Points: Aerosol layers persisted between 4 and 6 km in the free troposphere during all seasons over the Indian regionElevated aerosol layers (EALs) between 4 and 6 km were formed due to confined anticyclonic circulation capped within turbulent layersSecond Modern‐Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications Global Modeling Initiative simulation fails to reproduce EALs for all seasons and regions during the study period [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A better understanding of aerosol–cloud interaction processes is important to quantify the role of clouds and aerosols on the climate system. There have been significant efforts to explain the ways aerosols modulate cloud properties. However, from the observational point of view, it is indeed challenging to observe and/or verify some of these processes because no single instrument or platform has been proven to be sufficient. Discrimination between aerosol and cloud is vital for the quantification of aerosol–cloud interaction. With this motivation, a set of observational field campaigns named balloon-borne aerosol–cloud interaction studies (BACIS) is proposed and conducted using balloon-borne in situ measurements in addition to the ground-based (lidar; mesosphere, stratosphere and troposphere (MST) radar; lower atmospheric wind profiler; microwave radiometer; ceilometer) and space-borne (CALIPSO) remote sensing instruments from Gadanki (13.45 ∘ N, 79.2 ∘ E), India. So far, 15 campaigns have been conducted as a part of BACIS campaigns from 2017 to 2020. This paper presents the concept of the observational approach, lists the major objectives of the campaigns, describes the instruments deployed, and discusses results from selected campaigns. Balloon-borne measurements of aerosol and cloud backscatter ratio and cloud particle count are qualitatively assessed using the range-corrected data from simultaneous observations of ground-based and space-borne lidars. Aerosol and cloud vertical profiles obtained in multi-instrumental observations are found to reasonably agree. Apart from this, balloon-borne profiling is found to provide information on clouds missed by ground-based and/or space-borne lidar. A combination of the Compact Optical Backscatter AerosoL Detector (COBALD) and Cloud Particle Sensor (CPS) sonde is employed for the first time in this study to discriminate cloud and aerosol in an in situ profile. A threshold value of the COBALD colour index (CI) for ice clouds is found to be between 18 and 20, and CI values for coarse-mode aerosol particles range between 11 and 15. Using the data from balloon measurements, the relationship between cloud and aerosol is quantified for the liquid clouds. A statistically significant slope (aerosol–cloud interaction index) of 0.77 found between aerosol backscatter and cloud particle count reveals the role of aerosol in the cloud activation process. In a nutshell, the results presented here demonstrate the observational approach to quantifying aerosol–cloud interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inter-University Accelerator Centre (IUAC) came into existence as Nuclear Science Centre in 1984. A 15UD Pelletron accelerator was installed and it started delivering accelerated charged particle beams in 1991. Various experimental research facilities were set up in parallel at the Centre. All these facilities have been and are being extensively used by scholars and researchers from various universities and institutes in India. Research activities in nuclear physics, materials science and other inter-disciplinary fields are the main thrust at the laboratory. Nuclear physics research carried out at IUAC has made an indelible mark in the understanding of nuclear structure and nuclear reaction dynamics using heavy ion beams at near and above Coulomb barrier energy region. This review article presents the details of the various experimental facilities and highlights of research contributions in nuclear reactions and nuclear structure, spanning three decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Cryptococcosis is an opportunistic mycosis, caused by Cryptococcus neoformans. Cryptococcal meningitis is one of the most fatal opportunistic infections associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The aim of this study was to find the prevalence of cryptococcal antigenemia in people living with HIV (PLHA) and also to find the prevalence of opportunistic infections among these patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 204 non duplicate samples were collected from people with HIV aged above 18 years. Samples with CD4 count less than 300 were included in the study. Cryptococcal antigen detection was done by CrAg Lateral flow assay. Results: None of the patients in our study were positive for cryptococcal antigen. Opportunistic infections were observed in 82 (40.2%) HIV positive patients. Candidiasis, tuberculosis and Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia were the most common opportunistic infections. Conclusion: This is the first study from the southern state of Kerala on the prevalence of Cryptococcal antigenemia among HIV positive individuals. The study showed that routine screening for cryptococcal antigen will not be cost effective in our population. Similar to other studies, eventhough candidiasis, tuberculosis and PCP were more commonly seen among people with CD4 count < 200 cells/mm3, there was no statistically significant association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is caused by SARS-CoV-2, leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), thrombotic complications, and myocardial injury. Statins, prescribed for lipid reduction, have anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombotic, and immunomodulatory properties and are associated with reduced mortality rates in COVID-19 patients. Our goal was to investigate the beneficial effects of statins in hospitalized COVID-19 patients admitted to three multi-specialty hospitals in India from 1 June 2020, to 30 April 2021. This retrospective study included 1,626 patients, of which 524 (32.2%) were antecedent statin users among 768 patients (384 statin users, 384 non-statin users) identified with 1:1 propensity-score matching. We established a multivariable logistic regression model to identify the patients' demographics and adjust the baseline clinical and laboratory characteristics and co-morbidities. Statin users showed a lower mean of white blood cell count (7.6 x 10³/µL vs. 8.1 x 10³/µL, p < 0.01), and C-reactive protein (100 mg/L vs. 120.7 mg/L, p < 0.001 ) compared to non-statin COVID-19 patients. The same positive results followed in lipid profiles for patients on statins. Cox proportional- hazards regression models evaluated the association between statin use and mortality rate. The primary endpoint involved mortality during the hospital stay. Statin use was associated with lower odds of mortality in the propensity-matched cohort (OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.33-0.64, p < 0.001). These results support the previous evidence of the beneficial effects of statins in reducing mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mucormycosis has become increasingly associated with COVID-19, leading to the use of the term "COVID-19 associated mucormycosis (CAM)". Treatment of CAM is challenging due to factors such as resistance to many antifungals and underlying co-morbidities. India is particularly at risk for this disease due to the large number of patients with COVID-19 carrying comorbidities that predispose them to the development of mucormycosis. Additionally, mucormycosis treatment is complicated due to the atypical symptoms and delayed presentation after the resolution of COVID-19. Since this disease is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, early identification and diagnosis are desirable to initiate a suitable combination of therapies and control the disease. At present, the first-line treatment involves Amphotericin B and surgical debridement. To overcome limitations associated with surgery (invasive, multiple procedures required) and amphotericin B (toxicity, extended duration and limited clinical success), additional therapies can be utilized as adjuncts or alternatives to reduce treatment duration and improve prognosis. This review discusses the challenges associated with treating CAM and the critical aspects for controlling this invasive fungal infection—early diagnosis and initiation of therapy, reversal of risk factors, and adoption of a multipronged treatment strategy. It also details the various therapeutic options (in vitro, in vivo and human case reports) that have been used for the treatment of CAM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the rising incidence of diabetes and hypertension, the prevalence of end‑stage renal disease has increased greatly so as the need for renal replacement therapy. Availability of suitable living‑related donors is a major problem which increases the demand for deceased donor renal transplantation (DDRT), making it a lifeline for the patients on dialysis without any living donors. Methodology: This is a retrospective analysis of 118 DDRT done between 2012 and 2020, in a private quaternary care hospital in a south Indian state. All patients received basiliximab induction, with maintenance immunosuppression using steroids, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) or mycophenolate sodium, and tacrolimus. Results: In our study, we report unadjusted graft survival of 93.2% and 81.3%, patient survival of 94.9% and 83.1% at the end of 1 and 5 years, respectively. The recipients with age < 60 years had 5 years graft survival of 87%. The study group consisted of 15.25% of the patients with panel reactive antibody (PRA) positive and 10.16% of them with donor‑specific antibody (DSA) during renal transplantation, and there was only one allograft loss in this subset of the patients. Conclusion: This study confirms that human leukocyte antigen matching is not very important with the current immunosuppressive protocol using tacrolimus and MMF. Early initiations of tacrolimus do not increase the incidence of delayed graft function. We report 91.6% graft survival in the DSA‑positive group, with basiliximab induction and desensitization protocol [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mungbean (Vigna radiata) is an important short-season legume widely cultivated in Asia, particularly India. It is highly susceptible to bruchids and developing bruchid resistance is an important goal in mungbean breeding programs. In the present study, 52 mungbean genotypes were evaluated for bruchid resistance based on the "no-choice test" and identified two highly resistant genotypes (V2802BG and V2709) with no adult emergence and seed damage. Further, these two resistant genotypes were crossed with six high-yielding bruchid susceptible cultivars (CO 5, CO 6, CO 7, CO 8, VBN 2, and VBN 3), and 12 independent F1 populations were generated. Of these, one population derived from CO 6 × V2802BG was selected (based on the good combining ability of the parents) and forwarded to later generations to trace the bruchid-resistant lines. A total of 159 F2:3 families were screened for bruchid resistance, and the results showed that seven families were highly resistant, whereas the remainder were resistant to highly susceptible. Further, those seven families were evaluated in F4 and F5 generations. As a result, five highly resistant lines (BSR-GG-1-49-3-1, BSR-GG-1-56-2-2, BSR-GG-1-160-5-3, BSR-GG-1-170-2-4, and BSR-GG-1-198-1-4) with good agronomic performances were identified. The newly developed lines could be tested in multi-location trials and then be utilized as a potential source of genetic material for improving the bruchid resistance in mungbean breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term monitoring of golden jackals along the coastline of the southern Western Ghats, India, provided interesting results. We observed various coat colour patterns such as leucism, melanism, semi-melanism and rusty coats among jackals resembling dogs. The melanistic variation and rust colour expression may be due to the acquired genetic properties during crossbreeding with the free-ranging dogs, as the associated mutations have been previously documented in dogs and not in jackals. Genetic studies can assist us in understanding the causes and consequences of coat colour variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study was aimed to assess the incidence of bleeding and factors associated with bleeding among critically ill medical patients on anticoagulant prophylaxis in the intensive care unit (ICU). Design: Observational study conducted over a period of 18 months. Setting: Multi-disciplinary ICU of a tertiary care center in South India. Patients and participants: Patients aged >18 years admitted to the ICU satisfying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Methods: All critically ill medical patients on pharmacological prophylaxis for deep vein thrombosis (unfractionated heparin [UFH] or low molecular weight heparin) were included in this study. Patients with proven thrombosis, active bleeding, surgical or trauma patients, pregnant, and lactating women were excluded from the study. The outcome was categorized as presence or absence of bleeding. Factors associated with bleeding, the pattern of bleeding among study participants were compared between bleeders and non-bleeders. Results: A total of 490 patients were studied and the incidence of bleeding observed was 5.9% (n=29). Among those who had bleeding (n=29), 8 patients had major bleeding and 21 patients had minor bleeding. Use of enoxaparin or UFH was not significantly associated with bleeding risk (pvalue= 0.692). The presence of coronary artery disease (CAD) and baseline prolongation in activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) were significantly associated with risk for bleeding among medically ill patients on pharmacological prophylaxis in ICU (pvalue= 0.023, p-value=0.002, respectively). The most common site of bleeding noted was from the urinary tract (n=11) followed by endotracheal tube bleed (n=4). Four patients died in the group who had major bleeding. Conclusion: The use of anticoagulants for thromboprophylaxis was associated with bleeding and bleeding rates were similar between UFH and low molecular weight heparin (enoxaparin). Underlying comorbid illnesses like CAD and baseline elevated aPTT were associated with a significant risk of bleeding in ICU patients on pharmacological prophylaxis for DVT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research article details the hydrogeo chemical process characterization and ecological impact of groundwater was carried out around the Noyyal river, Coimbatore region, India. In pre and post monsoon region, the surrounding shallow wells groundwaters are used for this trial experiments (50 samples) and its major cations and anions are also observed. From the analytical results it's identify that majority of ions pursue the succeeding sequence Cl > Na > Ca > Mg > HCO3 > SO4 during both seasons. About 6% of the groundwater samples was lying in under saline water group during both seasons. The dying industries use many chemicals throughout the dyes process, resulted in high content of Cl and sodium within the groundwater. During the post and pre monsoon, 42% and 45% of samples were affected. It revealed that the absorption of Na and Cl were surpassed the allowable percentage. About 55% of the examples fall in Na-Cl sort, which plainly demonstrates the prominent impact of enterprises profluent and geochemical measures on the nature of water. Spatial distribution indicates that all the major ions increase towards northern and central part of the region. Strong positive correlation for Cl with EC, Ca, Mg, and Na were observed during both seasons due to influence of anthropogenic impact and natural processes. The Kelly's and Magnesium Hazards about 50% of the samples exceeded above the limit indicates unsuitable for agriculture purpose during the season of pre and post monsoon. In current location, the process like silicate weathering and reverse ion exchange establishing the groundwater chemical properties. This study further reveals that in the proximity of industries the ground water possesses higher concentration of associated ions is found around the industries due to the ecological impact of effluents. Hence it is realised that to recover the groundwater quality of this region, it is essential to treat the effluent effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Henckelia viridiflora J. Mathew & P.M. Salim (Gesneriaceae), a new species from the southern Western Ghats, India, is described based on morphological data. It resembles H. fischeri, but differs from it by e.g. having campanulate vs. ventricose flowers and a green vs. pale lilac inner surface of corolla. A detailed description and colour images of the new taxon are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piper kurichyarmalanum J. Mathew & P.M. Salim and P. ovalifructum J. Mathew & P.M. Salim (Piperaceae) from the southern Western Ghats, Kerala, India, are described as new species based on morphological data. Diagnostic morphological characters, distribution and images of these species are presented, along with a key to species of Piper section Muldera (clade Muldera) in India. Piper megacarpum J. Mathew is synonymized with P. galeatum (Miq.) C.DC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An extended range prediction system (NERP) based on the Unified global coupled modelling system has been implemented at National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF). Predictions of weekly anomalies for rainfall, winds and surface temperature are issued once a week for the subsequent 4 weeks. This study is an assessment of the skill of the NERP system over India during the summer monsoon period of June to September (JJAS). The week‐1 and week‐2 rainfall anomaly forecasts exhibit good prediction skill over the Indian region. The evaluations made on meteorologically homogeneous regions of India show moderate to good skill even in week‐3 and week‐4 forecasts for some regions. The variability of the monsoon seasonal cycle in the model is well represented along with the magnitude of summer monsoon rainfall. The model brings out the mean monsoon rainfall features – the peaks during JJAS occurring over the Western Ghats, the Arakan coast and the Bay of Bengal. The onset of the monsoon and the interannual variability of the northward propagation of the rainfall anomalies over the Indian longitudes match reasonably well with observations. The model has some wet bias over the equatorial Indian Ocean and mild dry bias over the Indian land region that develop during the 4‐week period. The anomaly correlations of rainfall are significant over most of the subdivisions of India till week‐3 and week‐4. Probabilistic scores of reliability Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) and fair continuous ranked probability score (FCRPS) show that the model exhibits good skill over most regions till week‐2 and moderate skill in weeks 3–4 over other regions. The estimates of forecast reliability are low, a likely consequence of the limited ensemble size. A case‐study of year 2018 showed that the JJAS rainfall regime shifts from wet to dry and vice versa are captured well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) has emerged as a global concern in the world, due to its harmful impact on health, social, economic, and legal aspects. Several established treatment approaches, both pharmacological and nonpharmacological are available but have only modest success. Relapse in alcohol use is noted to be common following treatment, hence efficacy of newer modalities of treatment or therapies is needed. Aim: This study aims to assess the efficacy of audiovisual psychoeducation on the level of knowledge and attitude of harmful effects of alcohol among AUD patients admitted to mental health units of selected hospitals of Western Maharashtra. Materials and Methodology: A quantitative research approach with pretest-posttest control design was adopted in the study. The sample size was estimated to be 70 based on the pilot study and settings were mental health units of selected hospitals in Western Maharashtra. A simple random sampling technique was used with random allocation of subjects into experimental group and control group by lottery method. A structured tool to assess knowledge was developed, validated by experts and reliability was tested. Alcohol Decisional Balance Scale, which is a standardized tool was used for assessing the attitude. Pretest knowledge assessment was done for control and experimental groups. Audiovisual psychoeducation was given to the experimental group. Both the groups were receiving routine care. A posttest assessment was done after 7 days of intervention. Results: Findings revealed that there is statistically significant increase in the level of knowledge from pretest mean score of 9.37 + 3.191-14.06 + 4.179 in posttest of the experimental group by Wilcoxon Z value test at the level of significance P < 0.0001 showing the efficacy of audio-visual psychoeducation in changing the level of knowledge. Similarly, postintervention attitude distribution assessment in the experimental group revealed a statistically significant difference in positive attitude from 6 (17%) in pretest to 12 (34%) in posttest with the McNemar's test at level of significance of P < 0.031. Correlation in level of knowledge with attitude revealed a weak positive correlation with r = 0.17. There was no significant association of pretest knowledge with selected socio-demographic data. Conclusion: Audiovisual psychoeducation is efficient in increasing the level of knowledge and change in attitude toward harmful effects of alcohol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seidenfia manikathila J.Mathew, P.M. Salim & Szlach. (Orchidaceae), a new species from the southern Western Ghats, Kerala, India, is described and illustrated based on morphological data. We demonstrate that the new species differs from other Seidenfia species both in vegetative and floral characters. The diagnostic morphological characters, distribution and images of the new species are presented in this paper. Images and key to the known species of Seidenfia coming under the section Seidenfia from India (S. densiflora, S. intermedia, S. malabarica, S. rheedi, S. versicolor) is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of CXL in treating fungal keratitis as an adjuvant therapy.Methods: Detailed clinical examination microbiological investigation was performed. Twenty fungal keratitis patients were recruited and randomized into two groups: group 1 (n= 11, standard antifungal), group 2 (n=9, corneal collagen crosslinking with standard antifungal). Corneal scraping and tear samples collected were subjected to real-time PCR targeting ITS, TLR analysis and cytokine analysis.Results: The mean time for complete resolution of ulcer for group 2 was significantly shorter compared to group 1 and the final mean BCVA was better for group 2. Expression of IL-1β, IL-8, IFN-γ significantly decreased immediately post CXL in group 2 patients. Significant downregulation of TLR 6, TLR-3, TLR-4 was observed 3-days post CXL compared to group 1 patients.Conclusion: Adjuvant effect of CXL was significant in treating fungal keratitis compared to standalone antifungal treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Suicide attempts in young adults have grown exponentially across the globe in the last three decades. Suicide is one of the most common cause of death among young adults worldwide. The studies on the coping styles influencing suicidal intent among young adult suicide attempters are few from the Indian context. Young adults are of utmost importance in any nation and interventions for suicide prevention have to be undertaken at different levels. Aim: To estimate the coping styles and suicidal intent among young adult suicide attempters and to assess the various coping styles associated with the suicidal intent. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study, which was carried out at the Suicide Prevention Clinic of the Department of Psychiatry at a Tertiary Care Centre in Kerala, India over a period of one year from October 2015 to September 2016. The consecutive 160 young adult suicide attempters were interviewed. Beck’s Suicide Intent Scale was used to assess the severity of suicide attempts. The coping styles of the participants were assessed using the Ways of Coping Questionnaire-Revised (WCQ-R) Scale. Statistical significance of socio-demographic factors, suicidal intent and coping styles were assessed by Independent Student t-test and One-way Analysis of variance (ANOVA). The correlation between the severity of suicidal intent and the coping styles were assessed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Results: The mean age of the participants were 21.75±2.69 years. The sample consisted of 72 (45%) males and 88(55%) females. Out of the 160 participants, 50 (31.2%) had low suicidal intent, 71 (44.4%) had medium suicidal intent and 39(24.4%) had high suicidal intent. The present study found that all the coping strategies except the escape avoidance and positive reappraisal are having significant association with the severity of suicidal intent with p<0.05. This study also found that seeking social support (r=-0.284, p<0.001), accepting responsibility (r=-0.344, p<0.001) and planned problem solving (r=-0.333, p<0.001) were coping styles which have a protective role in preventing suicidal behaviour by reducing the suicidal intent. Conclusion: This study had found significant correlation between the various coping styles and suicidal intent among the young adult suicide attempters in Kerala. This study also found significant association between previous suicide attempt and co-morbid psychiatric diagnosis with the coping scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anemia is a global public health problem that undermines childhood development. India provides government-sponsored integrated nutrition/child development preschools.Objectives: This double-masked, cluster-randomized controlled trial examines whether point-of-use multiple micronutrient powder (MNP) compared with placebo fortification of preschool meals impacts child development and whether effects vary by preschool quality (primary outcome) and biomarkers of anemia and micronutrients (secondary outcomes). We also measured growth and morbidity.Methods: We randomly assigned 22 preschools in rural India to receive MNP/placebo fortification. We administered baseline and endline blood sampling and measures of childhood development (Mullen Scales of Early Learning, inhibitory control, social-emotional), anthropometry, and morbidity to preschoolers (aged 29-49 mo). Preschools added MNP/placebo to meals 6 d/wk for 8 mo. We conducted linear mixed-effects regression models accounting for preschool clustering and repeated measures. We evaluated child development, examining effects in high- compared with low-quality preschools using the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised and the Home Observation for the Measurement of the Environment Inventory, modified for preschools.Results: At baseline, mean age ± SD was 36.6 ± 5.7 mo, with 47.8% anemic, 41.9% stunted, and 20.0% wasted. Baseline expressive/receptive language scores were higher in high-quality compared with low-quality preschools (P = 0.02 and P = 0.03, respectively). At endline (91% retention, n = 293/321), we found MNP compared with placebo effects in expressive language (Cohen's standardized effect d = 0.4), inhibitory control (d = 0.2), and social-emotional (d = 0.3) in low-quality, not high-quality, preschools. MNP had significantly greater reduction of anemia and iron deficiency compared with placebo (37% compared with 13.5% and 41% compared with 1.2%, respectively). There were no effects on growth or morbidity.Conclusions: Providing multiple micronutrient-fortified meals in government-sponsored preschools is feasible; reduced anemia and iron deficiency; and, in low-quality preschools, increased preschoolers' expressive language and inhibitory control and reduced developmental disparities. Improving overall preschool quality by incorporating multiple components of nurturing care (responsive care, learning, and nutrition) may be necessary to enhance preschoolers' development. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01660958. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic is posing a challenge not only with sheer number of people infected but also with the large number of patients with persistent symptoms of COVID-19 infection. A proper understanding of the magnitude and associated factors of persistent COVID-19 symptoms will go a long way in planning treatment and control strategies. Aim: To determine the proportion of patients who have persistent symptoms post-acute COVID-19 infection and to determine the factors associated with it, among those who have been discharged from Government Medical College, Thrissur. Materials and Methods: The current cross-sectional study was conducted among 335 patients who were admitted and discharged with COVID-19 infection in Government Medical College, Thrissur, Kerala, a tertiary care institution in southern India between December 2020 and February 2021. They were contacted through a telephonic interview 28 days from symptom onset through a semi-structured interview schedule. The questions included basic demographic details, symptomatology at admission, persistent symptoms at 28 days after onset and other clinical details including comorbidities. For defining post-COVID-19 symptom persistence National Institute for Health and Care (NICE) guidelines were used. Association between persistent symptoms and selected factors was done by Chisquare test. Results: Out of the 335 patients, the persistence of symptoms of COVID-19 infection after 28days of symptom onset was 221 (66%) C.I -60.7-70.8%). Persistence of two or more COVID-19 symptoms after 28 days of onset was seen in 120 (35.8%). The most common persistent symptoms among the patients were fatigue in 109 (32.5%) of people followed by dyspnoea in 77 (23%), cough in 45 (13.4%) and myalgia in 37 (11%) patients Highest persistence was seen in Category C patients where symptoms were persisting in 75%. Persistence was also higher in those with diabetes mellitus, those who received oxygen support and those who were in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) or ventilator and the association was statistically significant(p-value<0.05). Conclusion: The study shows that 2/3rd of patients still continues to have persistent symptoms even after 28 days of symptom onset. Health systems should be prepared to face the consequences of morbidities caused by post COVID-19 syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Integrated Child Development Services of India provides Supplementary Nutrition Program (SNP) to preschoolers. Using this platform, the current study examined the impact of diversifying a cereal/pulse-based SNPmeal with guava on iron status and cognitive development among 24-48 months old children. A three-arm, nonblinded, cluster-randomized controlled trial (CTRI/2014/09/004983) included 399 beneficiaries from28 preschools in 16 villages in Telangana state, India. The villages were randomly assigned to receive 25 g of guava (guava group (GG)), banana (banana group (BG)), or cucumber (cucumber group (CG)) along with a SNP meal for 140 days. Nutrient biomarkers (iron status, plasma vitamin C, vitamin B12, and folate), cognitive development, anthropometric indicators (WAZ, HAZ, and WHZ), and morbidity were assessed at baseline and endline. A linear mixed model and a generalized estimating equation were applied to compare changes in outcomes across the groups. All outcome variables were comparable across groups at baseline. The iron to vitamin C molar ratio improved in the GG from 1:1.4 to 1:12 but remained unaltered in control groups. Higher hemoglobin (P = 0.002), serum ferritin (SF; P < 0.001), vitamin C (P = 0.047), and lower soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR; P < 0.001) causing decreased prevalence of iron deficiency (ID) (P = 0.003) were observed in the GG compared with BG and CG. Prevalence of acute respiratory infection (ARI) was lower in the GG (P = 0.035) versus controls. No impact was observed on cognitive development or growth. Thus, diversifying a cereal/pulse-basedmeal with guava increased meal vitamin C content, thereby reducing ID and ARI-related morbidity. This approach represents a valid and scalable strategy to address ID among young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil microbes play a vital role in improving plant growth, soil health, ameliorate biotic/abiotic stress and enhance crop productivity. The present study was aimed to investigate a coordinated effect of compatible consortium [salt tolerating Rhizobium and rhizobacterium with 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase] in enhancing plant growth promoting (PGP) traits, symbiotic efficiency, nutrient acquisition, anti-oxidative enzymes, grain yield and associated profitability in spring mungbean. We identified a non-pathogenic compatible Rhizobium sp. LSMR-32 (MH644039.1) and Enterococcus mundtii LSMRS-3 (MH644178.1) from salt affected areas of Punjab, India and the same were assessed to develop consortium biofertilizer based on salt tolerance, multifarious PGP traits, antagonistic defense activities and presence of nif H, acds , pqq , and ipdc genes. Indole Acetic acid (IAA), P -solubilization, biofilm formation, exo-polysaccharides, siderophore, salt tolerance, ACC deaminase activities were all found highly significant in dual inoculant (LSMR-32 + LSMRS-3) treatment compared to LSMR-32 alone. Under saline soil conditions, dual inoculant showed a higher seed germination, plant height, biomass, chlorophyll content and macro and micro-nutrient uptake, than un-inoculated control. However, symbiotic (nodulation, nodule biomass and leghaemoglobin content) and soil quality parameters (phosphatase and soil dehydrogenase enzymes) increased numerically with LSMR-32 + LSMRS-3 over Rhizobium sp. LSMR-32 alone. Dual bacterial inoculation (LSMR-32 + LSMRS-3) increased the proline content (2.05 fold), anti-oxidative enzymes viz., superoxide dismutase (1.50 fold), catalase (1.43 fold) and peroxidase (3.88 folds) in contrast to control treatment. Decreased Na+ accumulation and increased K+ uptake resulted in favorable K+/Na+ ratio through ion homeostasis. Co-inoculation of Rhizobium sp. LSMR-32 and Enterococcus mundtii LSMRS-3 significantly improved the grain yield by 8.92% and led to superior B: C ratio over Rhizobium sp. alone under salt stress. To best of our knowledge this is perhaps the first field report from Indian soils that largely describes dual inoculation of Rhizobium sp. LSMR-32 and Enterococcus mundtii LSMRS-3 and the same can be considered as a game-changer approach to simultaneously induce salt tolerance and improve productivity in spring mungbean under saline stress conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction  Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is an endemic in many Asian countries, and among the major routes of transmission, transfusion is the one that should be prevented. Occult HBV infection (OBI) is defined as the presence of HBV DNA in the absence of detectable HBsAg, with or without anti-HBV antibodies. The aim of this study was to detect the prevalence of anti-HBc total antibodies among the HB surface antigen (HBsAg) negative individuals by way of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and detect the presence of HBV DNA among the anti-HBc seropositives by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Anti-HBs among the HBV DNA positives were also found out by enzyme-linked fluorescent assay (ELFA). Materials and Methods  A total of 910 serum samples was subjected to initial screening for HBsAg by MERILISA HBsAg ELISA kits. The anti-HB core (HBc) total antibody titer was evaluated using MONOLISA ELISA (Biorad) kits. If found negative, the samples were discarded. If found positive, the samples underwent HBV DNA testing by nested PCR. Antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) was calculated among the DNA positives by ELFA. Results  A total of 133 samples were positive for anti-HBC total antibody, resulting in an overall prevalence of 14.6%. Overall prevalence of HBV DNA among the anti-HBc seropositives was 2.2%. Conclusion  Among the three HBV DNA positive patients, two belonged to the preoperative screening group, which is an alarming situation. Screening of blood for HBsAg has reduced the incidence of posttransfusion hepatitis, but HBV still remains the major source of transfusion transmitted infection in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When a new infectious disease emerges as an epidemic or pandemic, strict and appropriate mitigation strategies are critical. Appropriate steps that facilitate defining of cases, carrying out accurate clinical diagnoses, and forming a powerful health surveillance that addresses public health policies and procedures are necessary. Tracking the number of COVID-19 cases over time and flattening the curve is another important element to establish research settings and identify therapeutic components to expedite and develop effective interventions. Addressing the various sections of the society in a philanthropic way is crucial to acquiring the public cooperation that is essential to controlling a disease like COVID-19. In this study, we discuss various strategies and measures adopted by Kerala, an Indian state, to combat the COVID-19 outbreak. Regular and timely updates by government public relations and health departments were used in many of the adopted strategies. The engagement of health information systems, together with the application of decentralized governance and community engagement, has contributed to effective population health management and surveillance of the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Critically ill patients in Intensive care unit (ICU) are at a high risk of developing Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) and sepsis is attributed as a cause for AKI in almost half of them. Sepsis related AKI (S-AKI) causes 6 to 8 fold increase in mortality. Aim: To study the clinical profile and outcome of patients with severe sepsis related AKI and to assess the factors associated with fatal outcome among those patients. Methods: This study was a prospective observational design done over a period of 18 months among patients admitted in ICU in a tertiary care hospital in South India. Patients above 18 years of age satisfying case definition of severe sepsis, who had AKI or developed AKI were studied. During their course of stay, timing of onset of AKI, primary source of infection, need for ventilatory support and renal replacement therapy (RRT) were noted. Outcome was categorized as survivors and non-survivors and factors associated with mortality was assessed. Results: Among the total 304 patients studied, 68.1% (n=207) were males and 31.95 (n=97) were females. Mean AKI onset was 1.62 days with 80% having onset <48 hours. Most common source of sepsis was respiratory tract source (n=97, 31.9%) followed by urinary tract source (n=62, 20.39%). Non survivors were 203 (66.8%) and survivors were 101 (33.2%). Primary source of infection significantly associated with fatal outcome in our study includes respiratory tract source (p=0.008), urinary tract source (p=0.002) and soft tissue infection (p=0.006). Need for mechanical ventilation support is significantly associated with mortality (p<0.001) and early AKI tends to have more severe acidosis (mean serum bicarbonate of 16meq/L), higher leucocytosis (mean white cell count of 22217 cells/mm3) among non-survivors. Mortality rate observed was 66.8%. Sixty six patients (21.7%) required RRT, renal recovery was seen in 26% (n=79) and 34.6% (n=35) of survivors did not had renal recovery. Conclusion: Early AKI presentation (< 48hours) seems to be more common in severe sepsis. Primary source of infection such as respiratory tract, urinary tract, soft tissue infection and need for ventilatory support is associated with fatal outcome among patients with severe sepsis and AKI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gap acceptance theory, which is widely used for capacity analysis of roundabouts, assumes absolute priority to circulating vehicles over entry vehicles. Priority violations such as priority reversal and limited priority are common in heterogeneous traffic conditions and render the gap acceptance models ineffective. The frequency of priority violations is significant for quantitative analysis. The frequency of priority violations depends on roundabout geometry, traffic heterogeneity, circulating flow, and gap parameters. Analysis of the trends of data collected for 21 roundabout entries at six roundabouts in India indicated that frequency of priority violations vary based on traffic composition and circulating flow. Separate models are formulated to estimate frequencies of priority reversal and limited priority. The effect of buses on priority reversal is found to be twice when compared to that of two-wheelers, but only half as that of heavy vehicles. The Indian Highway Capacity Manual (Indo-HCM) model for roundabout capacity was modified by incorporating priority violations, and estimates of the modified model are comparable to the observed entry flow values. The influence of frequency of limited priority on roundabout capacity is found to be six times that of frequency of priority reversal.e [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Hepatitis C is the most common hepatotropic viral infection that affects patients on maintenance hemodialysis. Most of the laboratories in India depend on HCV antibody detection by ELISA. PCR based studies on detection of HCV RNA among haemodialysis patients are very scanty in India. The current study was undertaken to find the prevalence of HCV among haemodialysis patients by ELISA and PCR. Materials and Methods: This prospective study was conducted from January to May 2018 in a total of 100 samples. Patients more than 18 years of age, who had undergone at least 15 sessions of dialysis were enrolled in the study. All samples were screened for HCV antibody by ELISA and HCV RNA by PCR. Data regarding age and gender of the patients, history of blood transfusion, duration of hemodialysis, total bilirubin levels were collected from medical records. Results: Among the 100 samples, only one was positive for HCV antibody by ELISA. Eight samples were positive for HCV RNA by PCR. In this study 62.5% of the HCV positives had a previous history of blood transfusion. Duration of dialysis was more among the HCV positive group but there was no statistical significance. Conclusion: This is the first study from the southern state of Kerala in India showing the prevalence of HCV among hemodialysis patients by PCR. Our study showed an overall HCV prevalence of 8% by PCR. All the PCR positive samples were negative by 3rd generation ELISA which is an alarming finding and further justifies the need for PCR for detecting HCV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In India, the industrial sector that specializes in the invention, production, and marketing of neotraditional therapeutic specialties has been rapidly growing for two decades. In addition to standard pharmaceutical laboratory knowledge, it heavily mobilizes local medical knowledge. This article follows the trajectory of a new formulation called Jeevani, originating in the mining of both the classical Ayurveda texts and the tribal healing practices in the Indian state of Kerala. We investigate the strong coupling established by the reformulation regime between the invention of complex polyherbal therapeutic preparations with local forms of appropriation, namely Indian patents and benefit-sharing agreements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]