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The aim of this study was to investigate the academic dishonesty among university students. For this the researcher has formulated two types of objectives i.e., 1. To study the predictive power of gender and streams of education in relation to academic dishonesty of university students, 2. To study the direct effect of gender, streams of education, and interaction effect of both on academic dishonesty of university students. In this regard, descriptive survey method was used, and 120 university students were selected by using stratified purposive sampling. For data collection, academic dishonesty scale was adopted which was developed by Bashir and Bala in 2018. Finally, the results of this study shown that gender and stream of education are significant predictors of academic dishonesty and there is significant direct effect of gender, streams of education and interaction of both on academic dishonesty of university students.

Introduction: Monogenic urinary stone disease (MUSD) tends to be more severe with early onset of symptoms and a higher risk of chronic kidney disease than sporadic USD. The literature on the outcome after renal transplant in patients with certain MUSD is scarce. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective single-center observational study conducted in a tertiary care renal transplant unit in North India between 2018 and 2021. The renal transplant recipients who developed an end-stage renal disease (ESRD) due to renal calculus disease/nephrocalcinosis were included in the study. All the patients presented to us in an anuric state, and hence, a 24-h urine metabolic profile could not be performed. Ear, nose, and throat and ophthalmological evaluations were done to rule out extrarenal manifestations. These patients were subjected to genetic analysis, i.e., clinical exome sequencing using next-generation sequencing. Results: Out of 283 live renal transplants, 11 patients developed ESRD due to nephrocalcinosis/renal calculus disease. Out of 11, only 4 had genetic mutations and the rest did not have any identifiable genetic mutations. The gene mutations were identified in ADCY10, CLDN16, CaSR, and SLC3A4. The patient with ADCY10 mutation had a strong family history. The clinical phenotype and in silico parameters analysis predicted the variant to be damaging except the one with CaSR mutation which causes Hypocalciuric hypercalcemia syndrome, type 1. Three of four underwent surgical intervention at younger age. All underwent successful live-related renal transplantation, with good graft function on follow-up, without any recurrence of calculus in the allograft. Conclusion: Renal transplantation can be safely proceeded in patients with the above monogenic mutations. Genetic analysis should be a part of pretransplant evaluation in young onset nephrolithiasis and end-stage kidney disease patients to look for a monogenic cause, to assess the risk of recurrence postrenal transplant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to investigate the relationship of School Effectiveness with regard to classroom teaching at primary level of education. The objectives of the study were to identify the more-effective and less-effective schools; to find out the differences between more-effective and less-effective schools in relation to physical facilities, Head Master and Teachers' performance and Students' performance; to find out the relationship between the school effectiveness and classroom teaching. The descriptive survey method was used to carry out this study. A Total number of 27 more-effective and 35 less-effective primary schools were included in the sample of the present study. And also all principals of selected schools and from each school 2 teachers were selected to know their classroom teaching in the classroom situation. The selection of teachers was based on their teaching the classes (III, IV and V), to investigate their participation in school activities. The findings of the present study on school effectiveness and classroom teaching find adequate support from similar or related studies. Thus, the above discussion reflects that there is no simple combination of factors, which can produce effective school. The study has, however, revealed that school effectiveness has emerged as related to classroom teaching.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework to understand and reflect upon issues, which can help in producing better industry-ready students graduating from business schools. Design/methodology/approach: The paper examines research conducted in the area of knowledge management (KM) and proposes a conceptual framework that can be used by academic institutions to engage students and prepare them for industry needs so that they are better industry-ready graduates. A case study based approach has been adopted in this study. Findings: In line with the literature-based analysis, a framework for better industry ready students has been proposed, illustrating the linkage between KM, learning from organization-based projects, industry feedback and inputs from international accreditation bodies in higher education. Originality/value: This paper has provided a comprehensive framework that contributes to the understanding and refining the academic processes in a business school setting with the help of learning from academic KM process. Such a framework has not been previously developed by previous researchers.

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is a national programme to the goals of Universalization of Elementary Education in India. Distance Education Programme (DEP) plays a major role in providing technical support to the states in building capacity among institutions and people at national, state, district and sub-district levels to design, develop, produce and deliver distance learning inputs and materials in a recurrent manner. Rajasthan Council of Primary Education, Jaipur and DEP-SSA, IGNOU, New Delhi has organized 07 content based teleconferences during the period January, 2005 to October, 2005 for the capacity building of elementary school teachers. The main Objective of the study was to find out the effectiveness of the capacity building of teachers through distance mode using teleconferencing as an innovative tool. Method: the researcher was used survey method under descriptive research for investigating the impact of teleconference programmes organized on different topics and areas. Sample: The sample consists of 4775 elementary school teachers as participants from the different learning ends of the Rajasthan were selected for the study. Tools: The DEP-SSA, IGNOU developed structured opinionnaire/feedback format to know the effectiveness of teleconference programme. Data analysis: The collected data were tabulated and analyzed with the percentage techniques and it is presented in table. Finding: Most of the teacher respondents agreed on the positive contribution of teleconferencing towards capacity building of teachers. (Contains 5 tables.)

In a tropical country like India, the warm and humid climate plays an important role in the increased incidence of superficial fungal infections. This is a study to identify the causative fungi of dermatophytosis and their in vitro antifungal susceptibility pattern among patients reporting to multiple tertiary care hospitals. Skin scrapping, nail clipping, and hair follicles were processed for microscopy, culture, and antifungal susceptibility testing as per standard guidelines. Antifungal susceptibility was performed as per published by Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute for yeasts (M27–A3) and filamentous fungi (M38–A2). The study sample had a predominantly male population with the commonest age group being 21–30 years (39.57%) followed by 31–40 years (31.46%). Tinea corporis (57.30%) was the most common clinical presentation followed by tinea cruris (20.85%) and onychomycosis (14.73%). Microscopy positivity was 43.19%, while culture positivity was 23.97%. Dermatophytes accounted for the majority of isolates. All fungal isolates had high minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) to fluconazole, suggesting that dermatophytes are possibly resistant to this drug. Trichophyton mentagrophytes is confirmed as the dominant pathogen of dermatophytosis in all three tertiary care hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing number of evidence is linking household air pollution (HAP) with the respiratory and general health of people. In this context, this study tries to review and synthesize the Indian evidence on exposure to household air pollution and respiratory health outcomes from the epidemiological studies conducted in India. The literature is gathered by searching national and international databases and selected using PRISMA guidelines. Included 11 studies that suggested higher odds of developing respiratory illness in HAP-exposed individuals than the non-exposed ones. Most of the studies focused on respiratory health outcomes following exposure to HAP among women and children. Household air pollution was found to be associated with an increased risk of acute lower respiratory infections in children. Though Indian evidence is limited, household air pollution in combination with increasing ambient air pollution can have a significant health impact on the Indian population. Along with current legislative, administrative, and community efforts, higher individual and collective efforts are essential to reduce the overall impact of household air pollution in Indian settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing state of health infrastructure and services, which is often poor in rural areas of the country is further faced with challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The current study attempts to provide some key insights on the impact of COVID-19 on utilisation of maternal healthcare services during the pandemic. The study used the mixed-method data, gathered through a cross-sectional study conducted in 2020 in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. Currently, married women (n = 318) who were pregnant or had delivered a child were selected for the interview through a multi-stage sampling technique. Frequency distribution, bi-variate cross tabulation and logistic regression were performed. Of the eligible women during the pandemic, 86% have received regular antenatal care, 73% have delivered in a health facility even though the quality of service was poor; and only 37.6% received postnatal care within 42 days of delivery. 'Risk perception of women towards being infected with COVID-19' were found to be the most significant determinants of maternal healthcare utilisation. COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the quality and utilisation of maternal health services in rural West Bengal. The results suggest the need for better preparedness of healthcare facilities in terms of human resources and physical infrastructure; as well as educating the community through awareness (counter rumours) and through risk and behaviour change communication regarding COVID-19 protocols and community engagement to effectively manage utilisation of Maternal healthcare services during pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The union cabinet approved the National Health Policy (NHP) 2017 on 15 March 2017. After its initial draft stage, seeking opinions from different stakeholders for nearly 34 months, the NHP 2017 came to the public domain with its final version. The main objective of this version of the NHP is to implement the proposed National Health Assurance Plan, which has been one of the agendas of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government for the healthcare of the people. The main objective of this article is to critically appraise and discuss the scopes and limitations in accomplishing the targets set in the policy document. A critique of the targets has also been discussed, considering the historical evidence and experiences of achieving the same. In the end, suggestions and recommendations have also been suggested for improving the health system regarding NHP 2017. The article critically analyses NHP 2017 based on secondary and grey literature. Evidence from secondary literature has been juxtaposed to compare and contrast the difficulty in implementing the policy. Literature is obtained from electronically accessible search and indexing portals, such as Google, Google Scholar, Web of Sciences, Embase, PubMed, and PubMed Central by using the keywords like health policy, impact of health policy, human resources in health, health care information technology, hospitals, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, health insurance and public health. Considering the implementation challenges of the previous two NHPs, the current NHP 2017 should be relevant to the grassroots level nuances and should address not only the healthcare needs but also the human development indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kanchi, an eastward flowing river, traverses through the Ranchi plateau of the Proterozoic Chhotanagpur granite gneissic complex to meet its trunk stream, the Subarnarekha River. The present study analyzed longitudinal profiles and associated geomorphic indices of the Kanchi River and its tributaries to identify spatial variation in profile form and fluvial response to prevailing controls. This work was carried out using a digital dataset and maps, which were processed in a GIS environment to obtain longitudinal profiles, and different data required in best-fit modelling and geomorphic investigation of longitudinal profiles. The analyses indicate that the rivers are in dynamic equilibrium condition. Spatial distribution of geomorphic indices values reveals that longitudinal profile forms vary from one segment to another along river channels, and these irregularities in the form of prominent and minor knickpoints are highly concentrated in middle river basin areas. The absence of lithological variation and active tectonics, and close association of anomalously steep river segments with structural lineaments and landforms demonstrates structural control on river channel development. PCA denotes strong similarities between geomorphic indices. This understanding of longitudinal variation in river nature may help to formulate strategies for the sustainable development and management of river related resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study attempts to understand the association of perceived gender role with youth sexual behavior using qualitative data such as focus group discussions (N = 8), in-depth interviews (N = 42), and free listing (N = 50) of rural married youths from Orissa, India. Data collection was conducted during July 2006-April 2007. Atlas. ti and ANTHROPAC packages have been used for the analysis. Youths in general are expected to adhere to the roles ascribed for them based on their biological construct and any deviation is not warranted for, more so for young women. Moreover, for many young men perceived gender role coupled with poor self risk perception result into unsafe sexual activities, putting them as well as their partners at the risk of STI/HIV and unintended parenthood. (Contains 2 figures and 4 tables.)

Introduction: The management of active antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) is evolving, and optimal treatment remains uncertain due to incomplete understanding of pathogenesis. Bortezomib is found to be useful in the treatment of active ABMR. We studied the efficacy and safety of bortezomib in renal-transplant recipients with active ABMR. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively included renal-transplant recipients with active ABMR, who received bortezomib as main management. Results: Eighteen live-related renal-transplant recipients of active ABMR were included. C4d was positive in 14 patients and negative in eight patients. Patients with active ABMR had a mean improvement in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 7, 10.5, and 15 ml/min/1.73 m2 at 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively, from baseline GFR. Improvement was significant at 3 (P = 0.009) and 6 months (P = 0.018) of follow-up. Conclusion: Bortezomib may be a safe and effective therapy in patients with active ABMR in patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ecoscience (Ecoscience) is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We investigated methane (CH 4) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O), two important greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions using the closed chamber method from a flooded rice field in Brahmaputra valley of Assam, northeast part of India. We tried to understand the factors responsible for the emission and identify appropriate agro-technologies for their mitigation. Various factors like water level, drainage management, soil organic carbon management, crop management, fertilizer amendment, cultivar type etc. affect the GHG production and emission from the flooded rice soil. In this study, six treatments were employed, namely, farmer's practice (FP), recommended fertilizer dosage (RDF), direct seeded rice (DSR), intermittent wetting drying (IWD), use of efficient methanotrophs (MTH), and use of ammonium sulfate as a nitrogen source for real-time nitrogen management using leaf color chart, (AS). GHG flux was measured through the static closed chamber technique. Soil temperature, pH, and redox potential (Eh) and other soil physico-chemical and biological properties that have a potential role in GHG emission were also assessed. The lowest CH 4 flux was observed in IWD treatment. The highest CH 4 but lowest N 2 O flux was observed in RDF thus portraying a tradeoff relationship among these two GHGs. The highest N 2 O flux was observed in AS. Changes in Eh strongly altered CH 4 and N 2 O emissions. The CH 4 flux for the growing season varied from 62.5 to 86.3 kg ha−1 with an average of 72.4 kg ha−1. The average N 2 O flux was 0.89 kg ha−1 with values fluctuating between 0.72 – and 1.08 kg ha−1. The findings of this study could assist in understanding the factors affecting the source, production, and sink of these two important GHGs. IWD, along with judicious N-based fertilizer use, could provide significant respite from GHG emissions in rice-based agriculture. These climate-smart strategies not only reduce emissions but also have the potential to improve yield. [Display omitted] • Minimum CH 4 emission observed in intermittent wetting drying (IWD) treatment. • Minimum N 2 O emission observed in recommended fertilizer dose treatment (RDF). • RDF showed the highest CH 4 emission portraying a trade-off relationship with N 2 O. • IWD resulted in the lowest GWP, GHGI and highest yield among the six treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Health Policy 2017 recommended the establishment of health and wellness centres (HWC) as the primary platform to deliver comprehensive primary health care in India and emphasised that about two-thirds of the health budget of the government should be invested on primary care. In February 2018, the government announced its plan to create 150,000 HWCs under the Ayushman Bharat initiative by transforming the already existing sub-centres (SCs), primary health centres (PHCs) and urban PHCs as HWCs by 2022. The operationalisation of HWCs has been planned in a phased manner. However, for scaling up and replicability, it is imperative for the government to know how much to budget for this initiative, so that there are no interruptions in the smooth flow of services. Taking Gujarat as a case study, the study took a sample of eight HWCs for estimating the total and per-unit costs for each type of HWC. OPD footfalls were taken as an indicator for measuring output. The incremental unit costs were estimated by calculating the difference between the pre and post-conversion unit costs, in order to understand the cost implications of the conversion. The study also estimated the possible total costs in relation to the health budget of the state to understand the financial implications of scaling up HWCs. The results indicated that though the costs have gone up after conversion, outpatient department (OPD) footfalls have also increased at all facilities, but most significantly for the SCs, resulting in costs per OPD footfalls coming down significantly. For nearly all the centres, there has been a fall in the incremental costs per OPD visits indicating that the conversion to HWC has been quite economical. It was estimated that a total of about ₹7.13 billion will be spent on running 1,500 HWCs in the year 2020–2021, though, the incremental costs of scaling up would be significantly less at about ₹940 million. If, however, the entire gamut of services envisaged to be a part of the HWC initiative are added, the costs are likely to increase. More research with additional data points would be required to confirm these tentative findings, but the results could be used as a baseline for future such studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ecoscience (Ecoscience) is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Tobacco use continues to be of research interest due to the significant amount of tobacco-attributable non-communicable diseases and deaths in India. This study examines the pattern and predictors of smoking, chewing, and any tobacco use among adults of age 15–49 years in India. This study used secondary data from the fourth round of the National Family and Health Survey (NFHS, 2015–2016) which collected information on tobacco use from men and women in the age group 15–49 (n = 803097). Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to understand the socio-economic and demographic predictors. GIS maps have been used to show inter-state variation in smoking, chewing, and any tobacco use by gender. About one out of every ten adults aged 15–49 use any tobacco, predominantly in chewing forms. Women are significantly less likely to smoke (odds ratio [OR]: 0.05, confidence interval [CI]: 0.04–0.05), chew (OR: 0.25, CI: 0.24–0.25), and use any tobacco (OR: 0.14, CI: 0.13–0.14) compared with men. Tobacco usage was found more common among the uneducated and economically weak people. There is considerable inter-state heterogeneity in the prevalence and type of tobacco use, and adults in the north-east region are among the most vulnerable population subgroups. Tobacco use continues to be a significant burden due to its magnitude and different forms of use in India. The higher use among males, illiterates, economically weak, socially backward and alcohol users suggest the need for targeted efforts to improve their knowledge and awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco use and stronger enforcement of tobacco control policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper undertakes a critical assessment of the present state of fisheries insurance in India. Various factors that contribute to the poor performance of fisheries insurance in the country were identified and ranked based on the responses of fishermen and fish farmers in major maritime states. In the light of the findings, measures such as leveraging the potential of technological interventions, developing innovative institutional mechanisms, bridging the trust deficit amongst the stakeholders and bringing about attitudinal changes through awareness drives are suggested as way forward towards harnessing the potential of insurance as a safety net tool in fisheries sector of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater in India has been shown to have a variety of water quality issues, including fluoride, nitrate, and uranium pollution, all of which pose a health risk to humans. In the present study, a total of 106 groundwater samples from the Angul district of Odisha, an industrialized region in India, were analyzed for 14 different hydrochemical parameters. In almost 30%, 34.9%, and 4.7% of the groundwater samples, the concentrations of F-, NO3− and uranium, respectively, exceeded the permissible limit set by WHO. In addition to the fixed-weight groundwater quality index (GWQI), the entropy-weighted water quality index (EWQI), the principal component analysis (PCA) factor (or rotated factor) loading based water quality index (PCWQI) and human health risk assessment were used. Depending on the models, about 19.1 ± 0.9%, 70.5 ± 1.9% and 10.38 ± 1.9% of water samples were classified as "Excellent", "Good" and "Medium" quality, respectively, across four water quality indexes with a nominal rating disagreement of 11.3%. More than 90% of samples are unanimously classified as excellent or good across the WQI rating. For children and adults, approximately 54.7% and 24.5% of samples exceeded the permitted limit for F−, (hazard quotient HQ > 1), posing non-carcinogenic health hazards, respectively. In contrast, 71.7% and 34.9% of NO 3 − samples respectively, surpassed the allowed limit and caused non-carcinogenic health concerns for children and adults. In terms of carcinogenic HQ values, about 13.2% and 7.5% of samples exhibit an uranium related carcinogenic health risk in children and adults, respectively. The existence of significant amounts of Cl -, NO 3 -, and especially HCO 3 − ions in groundwater in some samples, as well as their positive interdependence, may increase uranium pollution in the future through uranium dissolution. • PCA of hydrochemical data suggested 62.54% of the total variance. • Different WQI ratings are in agreements across samples. • More than >88% samples are marked either as "excellent" or "good". • Based on HQ value 13.2% of samples carcinogenic health risks for children are evident. • NO3- causes the maximum non-carcinogenic health risk to adults and children than F. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Yellow mosaic disease (YMD) of black gram is an important production constraint in India. Black gram germplasm, consisting of 344 accessions, originally collected from different geographic regions of India and conserved in National Gene Bank at National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, India, were evaluated for their response against YMD. None of the accessions tested was found to be immune, however, considerable variation in disease response was observed among them. Of the 344 accessions, 32 showed resistance in the field during the rainy season (June–September) 2010 as assessed by coefficient of infection (CI) and area under disease progress curve (AUDPC). These accessions were re-evaluated during rainy season (June–September) 2011 and 2012 for their disease resistance along with yield-associated characters. Eight accessions that exhibited consistently highly resistant (HR) or resistant (R) reaction (CI ≤ 9) along with lower AUDPC value (≤650), were further evaluated following inoculation with whiteflies or via agroinoculation. Along with the resistant trait, these eight accessions were also found either similar or even better in their yield potential as compared to check. After artificial inoculation using viruliferous whiteflies under glasshouse, of the eight field-resistant accessions, response of two (IC144901 and IC001572) were categorized as HR as <10% plants exhibited minute yellow specks after 17–22 dpi. Two accessions viz. IC011613 and IC485638 showed <20% incidence with bright yellow specks or spots after 15–20 dpi and were grouped into R category. The resistance of these four accessions was further confirmed through agroinoculation of the infectious cloned viral DNA under controlled conditions. In resistant accessions low accumulation of viral DNA was observed over a period of time. These four accessions could be used in future breeding programmes to develop black gram cultivars resistant to YMD or could be used directly as varieties to manage YMD after adaption to various agro-climatic regions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Socialinių Mokslų Studijos is the property of Mykolas Romeris University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background. Rivers in India harbouring a rich diversity of fish are at present subjected to intense anthropogenic stress leading to degradation of the habitat. An understanding of the complex ecological variables determining species richness in these rivers is lacking. The relation between the ecological parameters (climate, hydrology, and morphometry) and the fish species richness were assessed in fourteen major rivers of India. Materials and methods. The data of seven ecological variables of fourteen major rivers of India for the years 1994-2009 were quantitatively analysed for determining their influence on fish species richness. Principal factor analysis (PFA) was carried out for dimension reduction and eliminating collinearity. Subsequently, fish richness was regressed on the retained factors under generalised linear model (GLM) for determining contribution of factors towards species richness in rivers. Results. The most influential determinants of species richness were the factors such as: surface area of the river basin (0.439) followed by fish habitat availability potential (0.326) a synthesis of the variables rainfall, discharge and sediment load. The predicted loss of fish species is evident at a 10% alteration in the ecological variables of the rivers. Conclusion. The predicted loss of fish species richness is indicated at a10% alteration of the habitat factors in most of the rivers and can be useful for river planners and conservationists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is a national programme to the goals of Universalization of Elementary Education in India. Distance Education Programme (DEP) plays a major role in providing technical support to the states in building capacity among institutions and people at national, state, district and sub-district levels to design, develop, produce and deliver distance learning inputs and materials in a recurrent manner. Rajasthan Council of Primary Education, Jaipur and DEP-SSA, IGNOU, New Delhi has organized 07 content based teleconferences during the period January, 2005 to October, 2005 for the capacity building of elementary school teachers. The main Objective of the study was to find out the effectiveness of the capacity building of teachers through distance mode using teleconferencing as an innovative tool. Method: the researcher was used survey method under descriptive research for investigating the impact of teleconference programmes organized on different topics and areas. Sample: The sample consists of 4775 elementary school teachers as participants from the different learning ends of the Rajasthan were selected for the study. Tools: The DEP-SSA, IGNOU developed structured opinionnaire/feedback format to know the effectiveness of teleconference programme. Data analysis: The collected data were tabulated and analyzed with the percentage techniques and it is presented in table. Finding: Most of the teacher respondents agreed on the positive contribution of teleconferencing towards capacity building of teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The effect of glue snuffle on the expression of argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs), an indicator of ribosome biosynthesis, in epithelial cells of oral mucosa has been investigated. AgNOR was evaluated by cytochemical staining in 148 Indian street boys (median age 12 year) who had different bad addictions like tobacco smoking, chewing and most importantly inhaling glue and 20 age- and body mass index-matched school boys who had no such type of bad habit. Compared with school boys, glue addicted street boys showed remarkably increased number of AgNOR dots per nucleus (9.38±1.84 vs. 3.12±0.87, p <0.001), AgNOR size (1.34±0.52 vs. 0.43±0.02μm2, p <0.001) and percentage of AgNOR occupied nuclear area (9.38±2.12 vs. 0.99±0.03%, p <0.001). Increase in number and size of the dots is also higher in tobacco smokers and chewers when compared with school boys but a remarkable difference was recorded in glue addicted boys. The changes in AgNOR expression were positively associated with years of addiction after controlling potential confounders. Thus, glue snuffle appeared to be a risk factor for abnormal cell growth via up-regulation of ribosome biogenesis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The present paper seeks to analyse the West Bengal State Assembly Election, 2011 which would raise interest not only within the country but also throughout the world. The media of the whole world was concerned about the outcome of the election. In order to make a comparative analysis, the earlier election of 2006 has also been taken into account for a comparative analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Political Thought connotes an inherent conceptual scheme for the attainment of the goal of the Best political life. It is the outcome of intellectual exercises and is manifested by the visions and the values of the thinkers on state and politics. It evolves over a period of time with distinct imprint of socio-economic milieu. Given its perennial importance for the human civilization, the themes and trends in Indian political thought have been looked in to which are quite different from its Western counterparts. Indian political thought has a humanistic perception on the individual's nature, social organization and the state. The trend has continued over the years beginning from the Vedic age down to the post-independent era. During this period it has encountered many challenges of cultural invasions which had the potential to overshadow its basic tenets. But the strong spiritual foundation, flexibility and consensual approach have enabled it to cling to its past with due assimilation. It has enriched itself successfully by synthesizing new ideas with the existing perception of the Best political society. The process has not diluted its faith in the moral foundation of individual-state relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Right to Information Act 2005 has ushered in a new era of transparency and people's access to information in India. The implementation of the Act is gathering momentum with each passing day. Government, civil societies and the media have generally lent their might to the realization of citizens' right to information through the revolutionary Act. But the exemptions contained in the Act needs a fresh look. Exemptions need to be kept at a minimum to ensure effectiveness of the Act. Again, private enterprises cannot be allowed to remain out of the ambit of the Act as they are handling public money and have been involved in scams that have a direct bearing on public life. Media organs are also representatives of commercial interests and therefore their involvement in the movement to ensure citizens' rights to information will be limited. Finally, the Right to Information Act is not enough to obtain all the information that a modern day, farsighted citizen might seek to have. Digital media like Wiki Leaks is setting up a new paradigm of information retrieval for such quests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large scale deforestation and degradation of forest land were recognized as the principal reasons behind gradually dwindling forest cover in India, about a couple of decades ago. Over exploitation of forest resources for collection of dried vegetation as fuel source and grazing of live stocks or even illegal felling of trees by the economically backward population living in the vicinity of forests were affecting the forest regeneration process. Magnitude of the problem is understandable when one considers that about 200 million of India's population of around one billion are partially or wholly dependent on forest resources for their livelihood. As the local government in various states attempted to protect the existing forests and develop additional areas for supply of commercial timber and other forest produce on a sustainable basis, conflicts arose in several areas between rural population and government. Local governments realized the need for a holistic solution and experimented with several measures to make up for the socio-economic fall outs and at the same time raise and protect the forests utilizing the native villagers. Building social capital assets were planned as "Entry point activity" and employment generation for the poor people were ingrained into the participatory process of Joint Forest Management (JFM). JFM is being practiced in 28 states and union territories in India has resulted in a turnaround of the situation. Encouraged by the results union government of India passed Forest Dwellers Act in 2006 to strengthen ownership rights of forest dwellers. The authors have analyzed and attempted to identify the lacunae still existing in the JFM approach based on the field studies carried out in selected areas in West Bengal state in India [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: To collect information on the seasonal activity of filarial vector around foothills of Susunia of West Bengal, India. Methods: Indoor-resting mosquitoes were collected from the human habitations of 16 villages. Collected mosquitoes were identified and examined for different parameters following standard methods recommended by World Health Organization and pioneer workers. Results: Overall man hour density, infection rate, infectivity rate, human blood index and daily mortality rate of the vector were assessed as 10.54%, 6.31%, 1.38%, 77.33% and 13.00%, respectively, which were 12.17%, 8.63%, 2.26%, 100.00% and 17.00%, respectively in the summer season. Average load of microfilaria, 1 st stage, 2 nd stage and 3 rd stage larvae of Wuchereria bancrofti in infected vectors were 10.02, 7.50, 5.56 and 4.68, respectively, which were 11.58, 9.90, 6.27 and 5.44, respectively in summer. Among the searched shelters 63.37%, 8.16% and 2.08% were found to be invaded by any vector, infected vector and infective vector, respectively, which were 68.75%, 12.76% and 3.91%, respectively in summer. Conclusions: Different indices related to the vector were much higher in summer, which indicates that, summer is the most favorable season for transmission of lymphatic filariasis in the study area. Available data will help to formulate an effective vector control measure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is focused on the problem of regionalism in Indian federation specifically concentrating upon the Gorkhaland. Regionalism is often referred to as "sub- nationalism" or "micro- nationalism". There is a wide variation in ethnic, religious and linguistic groups in all parts of India. The people of West Nepal are known as Gorkhas. Partition gave them global recognition by creating Gorkha Regiment and including them in British Army. In 1907, Gorkhas for the first time raised for separate existence. All India Gorkha League submitted one memorandum in 1952 to then Prime Minister Pt. J.L. Nehru. From then on under the banner of GNLFa movement has been operated from Darjeeling and other hill areas nearby. The CPI (M) has been in favour of giving something for the hills but has always been against the division of state. The Govt. of West Bengal passed the Gorkha Hill Council Bill, and established the council but the people of Darjeeling are not satisfied. The paper suggests an approach of self- administration for the solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use zoning is gaining increasing popularity in India, amongst environmentalists and planners alike, as an important instrument governing siting of industrial, commercial, residential and other uses of land. 'Environmentally compatible land use zoning' is gaining increasing acceptance as an essential tool for effecting environmentally sustainable development. Most of the environmental problems in mining/ industrial regions can, in one way or the other, be related to improper land use zoning. Through an implicit integration of environmental constraints into the basic planning procedure, the zoning system arrests an otherwise (business-as-usual scenario) spiralling environmental management cost. However, environmentally compatible micro level zoning system is yet to find its right place in Indian planning set-up. Land use is expected to be altered significantly in power grade coal bearing regions in India that typically have a mix of large opencast mining projects, thermal power plants and other associated industries in coalfields. Power grade coalfields in the country are in river valleys that host rivers and large tract of forests and agricultural lands amid a majority of tribal population. Need to carry out a scientific inquest into zoning study in the power grade coalfields in the country can hardly be over emphasized. The paper discusses a new micro level zoning method applied for a representative power grade coalfield in the country. The authors have attempted to devise a mechanism for optimizing spatial zoning as per need based zoning policy. The study area was divided into segments of land parcels for spatial analysis of each parcel. Behaviour of infrastructural, socio economic and environmental attributes was studied to identify the underlying economic forces and environmental need. Land use forms of segments or land parcels were logically integrated to evolve overall land use zoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regionalism in India in its present form has various connotations like 'provincialism', 'localism', 'son of the soil theory', 'disintegration of Indian states', struggle for more power, especially economic power etc. Whatever may be the connotations, the concept of regionalism has now become a separatists movement in different parts of India in various forms. The whole India is now infected with regional upsurge of different kinds like geographical regionalism, linguistic regionalism, cultural regionalism, ethnic regionalism and so on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the findings of a study concerning the impact of gender role on the existing case of unwanted pregnancy among rural young women in India. It mentions that sexuality and reproduction is a topic that has been the cause of excitement and ecstacy. It notes that gender role plays a vital role in the reproductive and sexual health outcomes. It determines that age, education and awareness about timing of safe abortion are few variables that is considered important determinants of unintended pregnancy. Moreover, it asserts that women with early pregnancy were found to have poor knowledge of reproductive matters.

Public policy decision is one of the most important functions of the government. For a proper administration in the society, a perfect public policy is absolutely essential, If the track of public policy is wrong, it leaves a far reaching consequence on the society at large. Hence, there is no denying the fact that public policy is of utmost importance. For a developing country like India, public policy has its own importance. It is more so because the Scheduled castes comprise a large chunk in the society. It is known that the Scheduled castes are backward in all respects. If they are to be brought in the mainstream of the society, a proper development is sine qua non and naturally, public policy has its own importance. If there is a good public policy, the development of the society will no doubt be better and impressive which should be the motto the government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Lung cancer is the most common cancer in the world. There is scarcity of research papers at national level on its sociodemographic dimensions. The present paper aims to correlate death from lung cancer with certain demographic factors. Methods: Retrieved data from National Family Health Survey 4, Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2: India 2016-2017 and India: Health of the Nation's States were analyzed, as state and/or Union Territories unit of analysis. Spearman correlation coefficient and multivariate linear regression were used for finding out association with smoking, smokeless tobacco, alcohol consumption, second hand smoking, per capita income and use of clean fuel. Results: Except Kerala, most of the states with higher death rate were confined to north India. Smoking (r = 0.575, P = 0.001), SHS at home and work (r = 0.476, P = 0.008 and r = 0.374, P = 0.042, respectively) were significantly related to deaths from ca lung. On regression, clean fuel was found significantly associated with ca lung mortality. Conclusion: There is need to put emphasis on tobacco cessation and primary prevention of smoking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

H. pylori have gradually acquired resistance to the commonly used antibiotics because of their use in many parasitic and anaerobic infections, which leads to treatment failure of various gastric and duodenal diseases associated with H. pylori infection. The present research work aimed to isolate and characterize the bioactive compound from the methanol extract of stem of Berberis aristata DC. This is traditionally used for the treatment of dyspepsia, dysentery and diarrhea against antibiotic-resistant gastric pathogen H. pylori. The in vitro antimicrobial activity of Berberine an active isolated compound from methanol extract of stem of Berberis aristata DC against drug-resistant H. pylori strain isolated from North Indian GERD patients. The H. pylori strain was only collected from those, who were devoid of any kind of anti -H. Pylori therapy. The methodology was in determining the Minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) using the microdilution method and disk diffusion method. H. pylori isolate was included in this study. Berberine from methanol extract of stem of Berberis aristata DC showed its potency on H. pylori -infected isolated from GERD patients with a maximum inhibition at 0.000075 μg/ml. Prevalence of metronidazole resistance ranges between 50 and 90% in developing countries including India. The emergence of dual drug resistance was reported in various studies. This study suggests that Berberine an isolated compound from methanol extract of stem of Berberis aristata DC used commonly known as Daru Haldi potentially active for the treatment of drug-resistant H. pylori infection. Berberine from methanol extract of stem of Berberis aristata DC with a concentration of 0.000075 μg/ml shows a positive effect safely and effectively. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: To investigate Schima wallichii (S. wallichii) Choisy (Ternstroemiaceae) which is a well known plant of Sikkim in the Himalayan region, India. Methods: Therefore three major flavonoid enriched fractions (FPet.Ether, FChloroform and FEthylacetate) were isolated by petroleum ether chloroform and ethyl acetate successively. The reactive nitrogen species scavenging activity of the flavonoid fractions was established using biochemical assay to measure scavenging of 2, 2 diphenyl picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), nitric oxide (NO) and peroxinitrite. Results: FEthylacetate showed maximum scavenging activity: their IC50 being (7.33 ± 3.32), (7.11 ± 2.21), and (6.67 ± 2.23) μg/mL in DPPH, NO, peroxinitrite radical respectively. Presence of (57.32 ± 2.31) and (163.4 ± 2.22) μg of flavonoids and phenolic compound in 1 mg of extract is assumed to be responsible for free radical scavenging activity. Conclusion: Taken together S. wallichii has potent free radical scavenging property indicating its importance in food supplement as a rich source of active flavonoid and phenolic compounds in ethyl acetate fraction which is responsible for its free radical scavenging as well as antioxidant activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]