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Background: Greengram based cropping sequences are followed in semi-arid parts of Karnataka, India. But, due to increasingly erratic and changing monsoon patterns under current climates the sustainability and profitability of these sequences are becoming more uncertain. Hence, a modeling study using seasonal analysis tool of DSSAT model was taken up to identify the most reliable sequence. Methods: Field experiments were carried out from 2015-2018 to calibrate and validate DSSAT model for four crop cultivars (greengram, chickpea, wheat and sorghum) under rainfed condition on deep black soils and then Sequential Analysis Tool of DSSAT model was run for 32 years (1985-2016) for three cropping sequences i.e., greengram-sorghum, greengram-wheat and greengram-chickpea. The simulated output analysis was done using yield, number of years crop failed during different seasons and the B:C ratio of each sequence. Result: Out of 32 years greengram crop, grown during kharif, failed only once whereas, during rabi season wheat, sorghum and chickpea failed seven, six and five years, respectively. Greengram-chickpea sequence recorded the highest B:C ratio (2.38) followed by greengram-sorghum (2.25) and greengram-wheat (1.76). Considering chances of crop failure and B:C ratio greengram-chickpea sequence was found to be the most reliable and remunerative system under rainfed condition of Karnataka during current climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Among the traditional dairy products, burfi is the most popular khoa based confection in Indian subcontinent. Burfi has special importance in different functions like birthday, anniversary, wedding, etc. Consumers in India are becoming more health conscious and demand for healthier food because of rise in disposable income, educational level and awareness of nutrition. In wedding ceremony, now a days, besan burfi is famous instead of laddoos because of nutrition in pulses. Therefore, black gram can be also used in burfi due to it is rich in protein and having best results against many diseases in humans. Methods: Burfi was prepared from milk with constant level of sugar (30 per cent by weight of khoa) and different levels of black gram flour (2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 per cent by weight of khoa). Properly blending khoa and sugar with black gram flour on low flame and then cut into pieces after setting. Result: The overall acceptability score for treatment T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 were 8.27, 8.38, 8.51, 8.03 and 7.64 respectively. Burfi sample was evaluated for storage study conducted at room (30±2°C) temperature and refrigerated (7±2°C) temperature conditions. The cost of production of burfi with black gram powder was Rs. 255.38, Rs. 252.45, Rs. 249.62, Rs. 246.90 and Rs. 244.28 per kg for treatment T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 respectively. Background: Among the traditional dairy products, burfi is the most popular khoa based confection in Indian subcontinent. Burfi has special importance in different functions like birthday, anniversary, wedding, etc. Consumers in India are becoming more health conscious and demand for healthier food because of rise in disposable income, educational level and awareness of nutrition. In wedding ceremony, now a days, besan burfi is famous instead of laddoos because of nutrition in pulses. Therefore, black gram can be also used in burfi due to it is rich in protein and having best results against many diseases in humans. Methods: Burfi was prepared from milk with constant level of sugar (30 per cent by weight of khoa) and different levels of black gram flour (2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 per cent by weight of khoa). Properly blending khoa and sugar with black gram flour on low flame and then cut into pieces after setting. Result: The overall acceptability score for treatment T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 were 8.27, 8.38, 8.51, 8.03 and 7.64 respectively. Burfi sample was evaluated for storage study conducted at room (30±2°C) temperature and refrigerated (7±2°C) temperature conditions. The cost of production of burfi with black gram powder was Rs. 255.38, Rs. 252.45, Rs. 249.62, Rs. 246.90 and Rs. 244.28 per kg for treatment T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Food Processing sector in India has a quintessential role in networking Indian farmers to consumers in the domestic and international markets. Demand for processed food items is set to increase in India in the coming years providing opportunities for greater value addition, lower wastages and alternative employment opportunities. Various analysis have reported that outcome from food processing firms have been lucrative, but the value addition component needs to increase significantly. Organizations like Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) is making concrete efforts to encourage investments across various value chain. Selection of right process, effective package of equipment with trained manpower coupled with effective strategy and initiatives is the key to promote food processing sector. Under National Agricultural Research System many such technologies have been developed which enables setting up micro and small food processing industries in production catchment. Some of these technologies which could be adopted for doubling the farmer's income in briefed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In nature there are a number of species from the genus Binodoxys is found to be parasitizing different species of aphids. In India, first record of Binodoxys basicurvus Shujauddin was made as theparasitoid of Aphis gossypii infesting Rubus sp, in kashmir region in 1973. It is nearly after four decades the particular species is being recorded in well established population in southern part of India. Binodoxys basicurvus was observed to be parasitizing naturally on Aphis gossypii in the greenhouses of University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, Karnataka. It is the first time B. basicurvus is recorded parasitizing in larger number on Aphis gossypii infesting parthenocarpic cucumber under greenhouse condition in India which is also the first record of B. basicurvus itself in south India. In order to be able to clarify B. basicurvus as a potential biocontrol agent, population dynamics study of the parasitoid along with the host was carried out during the major growing seasons of cucumber during the years of 2017 and 2018 under greenhouse condition. The parasitoid was occurring naturally on aphids during August-November crop causing the average mortality of 21.26% aphids on both the years. Clear synchronized activity of B. basicurvus along with A. gossypii was noted and the efficiency of Binodoxys basicurvus as biocontrol tool under greenhouse condition was remarkable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thoroughly calibrated and validated DSSAT–CERES sorghum model's seasonal analysis tool was used to evaluate the sensitivity of four kharif sorghum cultivars across three dates of sowing to changes in temperature. Five temperature scenarios (no change in temp, + 0.5 °C, + 1 °C, + 1.5 °C and + 2 °C) were created using 32 years' observed past weather data (1985–2016). The model was run for all four cultivars across three dates of sowing under standard package of practices recommended to Northern Transition Zone of Karnataka for 32 years under rainfed conditions. Average of 32 years' model simulated outputs revealed that kharif sorghum yield is sensitive to changes in temperature. Among the genotypes tested, CSH-16 gave the highest grain yield in all temperature scenarios across dates of sowing, and was followed by CSV-17, CSV-23 and CSH-23. Among the dates of sowing, across all temperature scenarios, early sowing (15th June) gave the highest grain yield as compared to later sowings (i.e., 30th June and 15th July of 2011 and 2012). Among the cultivars tested, irrespective of dates of sowing, for every 0.5 °C increase in temperature, the average yield reduction was found to be the highest in CSV-23 (9.39%), followed by CSV-16 (7.51%), CSH-23 (7.26%) and CSV-17 (7.25%), which shows the differential response among cultivars to rise in temperature. This study indicates that as part of adaptation to future climates manipulation in sowing date as well as choice of heat tolerant cultivars would be required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parthenocarpic cucumber is recently introduced crop in India to produce the cucumber under greenhouse condition. The major constrain in the production of the crop is sucking pests infestation. Among various sucking pests, two spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae Koch) is a major pest during the summer season. On search of the resistance against the mite pest in the parthenocarpic cucumber genotypes, screening has been done during (March-June) 2017 & 2018. Totally eleven genotypes were screened for the mite resistance. Among the genotypes screened there was no significant difference in case of number of T. urticae recorded per cm² of leaf on both the seasons. But while looking into the visual scoring KPCH-1 variety recorded comparatively good average score (2.95), the lesser yield loss (62.36%) and per cent dried leaves (53.79%) comparing to the other varieties despite the heavy mite infestation; which shows the presence of slight tolerance mechanism. The variety Multistar yielded the maximum yield of 7.12Kg fruits per vine among the genotypes tested in the control plot but lost 84.21 per cent yield for the mite infestation as it produced only 1.13Kg fruits per vine, which clearly depicts the higher sensitivity of this genotype to the mite infestation. All the other genotypes screened were found to be on par with each other as they were found equally sensitive towards the mite infestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA molecular markers analysis of Spodoptera litura larvae population from seven major soybean growing regions of India revealed, populations from Hyderabad and Indore, shared cent per cent similarity, Pune and Parbhani populations showed 90 per cent similarity, Adilabad population shared 83 per cent similarity with both Hyderabad and Indore populations, while Dharwad and Belagavi populations showed 72 per cent similarity. The lowest genetic similarity value was observed between Dharwad and Parbhani populations (46%). It is clear from the similarity analysis more than 46 per cent similarity between populations of the S. litura from major soybean growing states, demonstrate mediocre genetic differences between the populations. Though much genetic diversity was not observed between S. litura populations, topological and temporal factors perhaps influenced the existed diversity among the populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along with concept of public health, there is no settled account of the moral concepts and methods of public health ethics. Systematic efforts to articulate ethical principles and frameworks to guide ethical inquiry in public health identify a number of general moral considerations that include Producing benefits, often but not exclusively health benefits, and often interpreted in health policy as a utilitarian commitment to maximizing aggregate health benefits, Preventing harms, often health harms, such as preventable morbidity and premature death etc. Much work needs to be done to translate these general ethical considerations or some subset of them into guiding principles and frameworks for public health policy and practice. Such work entails defining them, determining their scope, specifying criteria for resolving conflicts among them, and so on. Such efforts have produced frameworks of unranked principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aegle marmelos, a well-known Indian plant with medicinal and religious importance, has been extensively used in Indian traditional medicine. The present study aimed to isolate, identify, and evaluate the biological activities of endophytic fungi from A. marmelos. One of the isolates, labeled as L7, was identified as Aspergillus flavus using morphology and ITS gene sequence. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents in the culture filtrate were found to be 65.77 mg GAE/ml and 158.33 mg quercetin/ml of crude extract, respectively. The extract showed excellent antimicrobial activity against common human bacterial and fungal pathogens. The test extract at 700 µg/ml, which notably reduced the concentration of DPPH-free radical as percent DPPH scavenging activity, was found to be the highest (64.53 %). The extract, at the concentration of 2 mg/ml, produced 70 % inhibition of hemolysis of RBCs compared to 78 % produced by standard drug (Ibuprofen). Chemical profiling of the fermented extract using TLC followed by UV and FTIR revealed the presence of flavonoids. The HPLC analysis confirmed the presence of bioflavonoid rutin in the extract. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on production of bioactive flavonoid by endophytic Aspergillus flavus obtained from A. marmelos and its pharmaceutical potential. In conclusion, the endophytic Aspergillus flavus obtained from the A. marmelos could be explored as an economic and potential natural resource with diverse pharmaceutical and biological activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Whether to splint the extensor tendon repairs or to mobilise them early is debatable. Recently, mobilisation has shown favourable results in a few studies. This study was aimed to compare the two favoured protocols (immobilisation vs. early active motion) in Indian population. Patients and Methods: Between June 2005 and June 2007, patients with extensor tendon injuries in zones V-VIII were randomly distributed in two groups: Group A, early active motion; and group B, immobilisation. Their results at 8 and 12 weeks and 6 months were compared. Results: Patients in early active motion group were found to have better total active motion and early return to work. This difference was statistically significant up to 12 weeks, but not at 6 months. Conclusion: Early active motion following extensor tendon repair hastens patients' recovery and helps patients to gain complete range of motion at earlier postoperative period. With improved grip strength, the early return to work is facilitated, though these advantages are not sustained statistically significantly over long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Port causes environmental and health concerns in coastal cities if its operation and development are not made environmentally compatible and sustainable. An emission inventory is necessary to assess the impact of port projects or growth in marine activity as well as to plan mitigation strategies. In this study, a detailed emission inventory of total suspended particulate (TSP) matter, respirable particulate matter (PM10), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) for a port having operation and construction activities in parallel is compiled. The study has been done for 1 year. Results show that the maximum contribution of emission of air pollutants in the port area was from TSP (68.5%) and the minimum was from SO2 (5.3%) to the total pollutants considered in this study. Total TSP emission from all activities of the port was 4,452 tyr − 1 and PM10 emission was 903 tyr − 1 in the year 2006. Re-suspension of dust from paved roads was the major contributor of TSP and PM10 in the road transport sector. Construction activities of the port had contributed 3.9% of TSP and 7.4% of PM10 to total emission of particulate matter. Of the total particulate emissions from various port activities approximately 20% of TSP could be attributed to PM10. The sectoral composition indicates that major contribution of SO2 emission in the port was from maritime sector and major contribution of NOx was from road transport sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study, we examined whether subchronic exposure via drinking water to low doses of a mixture of metals (arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, chromium, manganese, iron, and nickel), found as contaminants in various water sources of India, and to concentrations equivalent to WHO maximum permissible limits (MPL) in drinking water for individual metals, can alter systemic physiology of male rats. Data on water contamination with metals in India were collected from the literature and metals were selected on the basis of their frequency of occurrence and contamination level above MPL. Male Wistar rats were exposed to the mixture at 0, 1, 10, and 100 times the mode concentrations (the most frequently occurring concentration) of the individual metals via drinking water for 90 days. One more group of rats was exposed to the mixture at a concentration equivalent to the MPL (WHO) in drinking water for individual metals. Toxic potential of the mixture was evaluated by assessing general toxicological end points, serum chemistry and histopathology of vital organs. The mixture decreased body weight and water consumption and increased weights of brain, liver, and kidneys with 10× and 100× doses. After 30 days of exposure, no appreciable changes were found in any blood clinical markers. After 60 days, only the 100× dose, while after 90 days both 10× and 100× doses increased activities of aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase and levels of urea nitrogen and creatinine and decreased total protein and albumin levels, but alanine aminotransferase activity and glucose level were not affected. At 10× and 100× exposure levels, qualitatively similar, but dose-dependent vascular, degenerative, and necrotic changes were observed in brain, liver, and kidney. The results indicate that subchronic exposure to the metal mixture affected general health of male rats by altering the functional and structural integrity of kidney, liver, and brain at 10 and 100 times the mode concentrations of the individual metals in Indian water sources, but exposure at mode concentrations of contemporary water contamination levels or at concentrations equivalent to the MPL for individual metals in drinking water may not cause any health hazards in male rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was carried out to predict the size separated particulate matter below 10 µm size (SSPM10) from vehicular exhausts at traffic intersections using modified general finite line source model (GFLSM). Two air quality control regions (AQCRs) were selected in Mumbai City for this study. One was industrial area (AQCR 3 containing the busy intersection, i.e. Marol link road, with the heavy inflow of two-three wheelers. And, the other was commercial busy district area (AQCR2) containing the busy intersection, i.e. Dadar circle, with a heavy traffic flow especially cars. The model was applied at both the traffic intersections. The data were collected for modelling study for three winter months in 1995 using cascade impactor of nine size ranges. The prediction results revealed that modified GFLSM underpredicted the SSPM10 concentrations for all the size ranges. However, showed considerable correlation between observed and predicted values for the size range below 4.7 µm at both the intersections. The relative high concentrations observed in the coarser range of 10-4.7 µm are attributed to the resuspension of the roadside particulate matter. Hence, the amount of underprediction was more for this range, which was due to the characteristics of model that does not take into account the factor for resuspension of roadside particulate matter caused by traffic movements. The model was also applied to predict the total particulate matter for downwind distances from the road intersection. The statistical evaluation of model was done, which indicated that the model's performance was good for the finer range of particles (below 4.7 µm) with r-square values of 0.49 and 0.57 found at both the intersections in AQCR1 and AQCR2, respectively. However, it is not unusual that the model uncertainty is likely to exist due to data input errors and stochastic fluctuations irrespective of the models accurateness. The statistical distribution model was therefore identified using Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. At both the intersections, SSPM10 concentration data were found lognormally distributed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The size distribution of aerosols was measured near traffic intersections of Marol link road in air quality control region (AQCR1), which is a moderately industrial area and Dadar Khodad circle in AQCR2, which is a heavily commercial core of the Mumbai City. The reason behind selecting the two unidentical regions was to study the contribution from vehicles to the size separated PM10 and that of Pb. It is recognised that particulates in urban air are responsible for serious health effects. As very small particles are assumed to be important for the adverse health effects, the particle size distribution is thus an important factor that needs to be addressed whenever the particulates pollution is concerned. The size measurements were done with a cascade impactor of eight stages with a back-up filter. It effectively separates the particulate matter into nine-sizes ranging from 0.0–0.4 to 9.0–10.0 μm. Samples were analysed in nine-particle size fractions with special reference to a toxic metal – lead (Pb) by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). It was found that PM10 and Pb at both the intersections could easily be classified by the size distribution. The fractions of the PM10 and that of Pb showing a tendency of trimodal distributions with the first peak at coarse mode ∼9.0–10.0 μm, second at ∼5.8 μm and the third at coarse mode ∼1.1 μm. The significant percentage of Pb was found in the range below 2.5 μm at both the intersections. However, Pb in AQCR1 is found in the coarser range as well, which could probably be the influence of various industrial activities in the area. PM10 concentration values in the coarser range in AQCR2 are associated with the resuspension of dust particles and mechanical erosions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concentrations of total suspended particulate matter (TSP) and particulate matter less than 10 microns (PM10) were measured at various locations in a Jawaharlal Nehru port and surrounding harbour region. Meteorological data was also collected to establish the correlation with air pollutant concentration. The results are analysed from the standpoint of monthly and seasonal variations, annual trends as well as meteorological effects. The monthly mean concentration of TSP was in the range of 88.2 to 199.3 μg m-3. The maximum and minimum-recorded value of PM10 was 135.8 and 20.3 μg m-3, respectively. The annual average concentration of PM10 was 66.1 μg m-3. There are clear associations between TSP and PM10 data set at all the measured three sites with a correlation coefficient of 0.89, 0.69 and 0.81, respectively. PM10 data appears to be a constant fraction of the TSP data throughout the year, indicating common influences of meteorology and sources. Particle size analysis showed PM10 to be 47% of the total TSP concentration, which is lower than reported for industrial area and traffic junctions in Mumbai. Anthropogenic sources contribute significantly to the PM10 fraction in an industrial region, while contributions from natural sources are more in a port and harbour area. Statistical analysis of air quality data shows that TSP is strongly correlated with wind speed but weakly correlated with temperature. There appears to be a simple inverse relationship between TSP and wind speed data, indicating the dilution and transport by winds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indoor air pollution is potentially a very serious environmental and public health problem in India. In poor communities, with the continuing trend in biofuel combustion coupled with deteriorating housing conditions, the problem will remain for some time to come. While to some extent the problem has been studied in rural areas, there is a dearth of reliable data and knowledge about the situation in urban slum areas. The microenvironmental model was used for assessing daily-integrated exposure of infants and women to respirable suspended particulates (RSP) in two slums of Delhi -- one in an area of high outdoor pollution and the other in a less polluted area. The study confirmed that indoor concentrations of RSP during cooking in kerosene-using houses are lesser than that in wood-using houses. However, the exposure due to cooking was not significantly different across the two groups. This was because, perhaps due to socioeconomic reasons, kerosene-using women were found to cook for longer durations, cook inside more often, and that infants in such houses stayed in the kitchen for longer durations. It was observed that indoor background levels during the day and at nighttime can be exceedingly high. We speculate that this may have been due to resuspension of dust, infiltration, unknown sources, or a combination of these factors. The outdoor RSP levels measured just outside the houses (near ambient) were not correlated with indoor background levels and were higher than those reported by the ambient air quality monitoring network at the corresponding stations. More importantly, the outdoor levels measured in this study not only underestimated the daily-integrated exposure, but were also poorly correlated with it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ports can generate large quantity of pollutants in the atmosphere due to various activities like loading and unloading, transportation, and construction operations. Determination of the character and quantity of emissions from individual sources is an essential step in any project to control and minimize the emissions. In this study a detailed emission inventory of total suspended particulate matter (TSP), particulate matter less than 10 μm (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) for a port and harbour project near Mumbai is compiled. Results show that the total annual average contributions of TSP and PM10 from all the port activities were 872 and 221 t yr-1, respectively. Annual average emissions of gaseous pollutants SO2 and NOx were 56 and 397 t yr-1, respectively, calculated by using emission factors for different port activities. The maximum TSP emission (419 t yr -1) was from paved roads, while the least (0.4 t yr-1) was from bulk handling activity. The maximum PM10 emission (123 t yr-1) was from unpaved roads and minimum (0.2 t yr-1) from bulk handling operations. Similarly the ratio of TSP and PM10 emission was highest (5.18) from paved roads and least (2.17) from bulk handling operations. Regression relation was derived from existing emission data of TSP and PM10 from various port activities. Good correlation was observed between TSP and PM10 having regression coefficient >0.8. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years the concern about the behaviour of oxides of nitrogen (NOx: NO, NO2) in atmosphere has increased considerably. NOx undergoes various complex atmospheric reactions to generate secondary pollutants which are known to cause severe adverse effects on human health. This work focuses on the study of physical and chemical fate of NOx released in the atmosphere from vehicles, which are the main sources of atmospheric NOx. Keeping the objective and standard guidelines for monitoring in view, two typical sites near the road with high vehicular density were chosen for the study. One site was a relatively cleaner area with only vehicles as major source of pollution, and the second site was a traffic junction in an industrial region, where pollution levels are amongst the highest in Mumbai. Ambient monitoring of NOx was done for 24 hr continuously using chemiluminescent NOx analyser. The data was used to analyse temporal and spatial variation of NO, NO2 and NOx and their atmospheric chemical reactions. The monitoring results show that at larger distance from the road the level of NO decreases but the concentration of NO2 which is very harmful remains the same. Statistical analysis is conducted to establish the relationship between likely change in NO2 concentration as a result of NOx emission changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of metritis in dairy bovines of Amul milk shed area of Anand for the year 2009-10 was recorded as 17.34 % of the total reproductive disorders (24595) and as 0.78 % of the total clinical cases (540416) attended. The highest incidence of metritis was noticed during monsoon (42.07 %) followed by winter (35.98 %) and the least in summer (21.95 %). The incidence of metritis had a close positive association with the calving rate and THR - a climatic component, suggesting that peripartum care and calving hygiene apart from elevating climatic and production stress can reduce the incidence of postpartum metritis and thereby the economic loss to the farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mucuna , a treasured leguminous genus is renowned for its high L-DOPA (L-3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine) content which acts as an effective anti-Parkinson's drug. Unfortunately, the immense medicinal properties of most Mucuna (M.) species are still remained unnoticed. Thus, in present study we have explored and compared various properties of neglected M. bracteata and M. imbricata from India with frequently consumed Mucuna pruriens var. utilis and commercialized Mucuca powder. The aqueous extracts of all these Mucuna samples were assessed for its nutritional, anti-nutritional, secondary metabolites and pharmacologically active principle (L-dopa) elements employing specific techniques. HPLC analysis in present investigation reveals that M. bracteata contains highest L-DOPA (7.61 ± 0.11%) than other studied spp. which verifies its efficacy to be used against Parkinson's disease. The total antioxidant capacity of the methanol extract of M. bracteata was higher which can be interconnected with its higher total phenolic content (8.76 ± 0.20%). It also has maximum nutritional values such as total ash, dietary fiber and starch. Moreover, M. imbricata another overlooked Mucuna spp. also showed maximum gross energy, total moisture and total carbohydrates with effective anti-inflammatory property (59.25 ± 0.03%). Thus, present results proves the potential of M. imbricata and M. bracteata as a natural active alternative source of L-DOPA with promising medicinal properties supportive in developing anti-Parkinson's drug in future. • Comparative study of market procured Mucuna with neglected and underutilized Mucuna species. • Treasure out the best solvent system for Antioxidant potential and substitute for Mucuna spp. • Both exhibited optimum level of proximate composition and essential secondary metabolites. • Both unnoticed Mucuna spp. showed reasonable level of L-dopa an anti-Parkinson's drug. • Thus can serve as alternative for designing pharmaceuticals in PD remedy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is more and more recognised that an estimation of the exposure ofthe population to air pollutants is more relevant than the ambient air quality, since it gives a better indication of health risk. Outdoor workers in an urban region are generally of low income status and are exposed to higher levels of both indoor and outdoor air pollution.Hence respondents from this population subgroup have been selected for this study. Outdoor workers are divided into two categories, viz. traffic constables and casual outdoor workers like watchmen, roadsideshopkeepers etc. Most of the respondents are from the lower income group. Each respondent is monitored for a continuous 48-hour period. The sampling frequency is once a week. The study region is situated inthe north-west part of the Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation. It can be classified as industrial cum residential area. The daily integrated exposure of the outdoor workers consists of two major micro-environments, viz. occupational and indoor residential. A personal air sampler was used along with a cyclone to measure levels of Respirable Particulate Matter (RPM). The cyclone has a 50% removal efficiency for particle diameter of 5 mm. Paired samples of PM10 (ambient) and RPM(personal) were collected to establish the correlation between them.The average 24-hour integrated exposure to RPM was 322 mg/m3 and exceeded the corresponding PM10 level observed at the nearest Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station by a factor of 2.25. The 90% confidence interval for this exposure is 283-368 mg/m3. This study clearly demonstrates that the daily integrated exposure and therefore the health risk of outdoor workers in an urban area is significantly more seriousthan that indicated by ambient air quality data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sugarcane woolly aphid (SWA), Ceratovacuna lanigera Zehntner, appeared in an epidemic form in southern Maharashtra and Northern Karnataka, India during 2002 and biological control of pest with potential predator, Micromus igorotus Banks was found to be dependable remedy. So the predator was mass multiplied in laboratory on SWA, and then released in sugarcane ecosystem. The adults were reared using plastic container of 25 cm (ht.) X 11.25 cm (dia) size and were released @ 25 pairs per container. SWA was given as adult food and cotton thread [15 cm (length) and 0.155 cm (thick)] was used as ovipositional substrate. The larvae were reared in plastic box with ventilated lid [10.00 cm (ht.) X 25.50 cm (dia)] @ 100 larvae per box. At the time of pupation corrugated brown paper of 15.0 cm (l) X 12.0 cm (w)] was provided for pupation. The pupae of the predator were released in SWA infested sugarcane fields @ 500, 1000 and 1500 pupae/ha. Studies on predatory dosage, level of incidence and gestation period for suppression of SWA to desired level indicated that there exists choice in altering the dosage depending on the severity of aphid incidence, age of the crop and gestation period targeted for suppression of pest. Augmentation of 500 pupae/ha was adequate to suppress the pest in 90 days when it was prevalent at grade 2 - 3 on 6 - 7 month crop during June - November. To reduce the gestation period and thus to prevent growth and loss of cane, release of 1000 pupae/ha on 6 - 7 months crop infested with SWA at 3 - 4 grade ensured the suppression of the pest in 60 days after release (DAR) in June - November. A dosage of 1500 pupae/ha proved effective to lower the SWA incidence from sever state of grade 5 - 6 on crop of 6 - 7 months in 30 DAR during June to November. In all the field release studies, native population of SWA predator assisted the augmented population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precipitation susceptibility of monsoon clouds to changes in aerosols has been studied initially by utilizing ground based observations from a High Altitude Cloud Physics Laboratory (HACPL), Mahabaleshwar, India collected during monsoon seasons and later compared with the results obtained from satellite observations. Cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentration, rain intensity and integrated liquid have been taken from ground based observations for calculating precipitation susceptibility. As a first step, we have analyzed the temporal variation of CCN concentration, rain intensity and integrated liquid water during monsoon season. It is observed that all three parameters exhibit strong diurnal variation with two peaks i.e. in morning and afternoon. CCN showed strong morning peak whereas other two showed during afternoon hours. Later precipitation susceptibility has been estimated using CCN as aerosol proxy and it is higher ∼0.65 for the integrated liquid water ranging from 0.6 to 0.8 mm. Secondly, we have compared ground based observation with satellite observations carried out using aerosol optical depth (AOD), rain rate and liquid water path. Satellite observations showed that precipitation susceptibility, S 0 , using AOD as aerosol proxy is higher (S 0  = 0.98) for liquid water path ranging from 800 to 1000 gm -2 . It is also seen that the results are in agreement with the earlier reported results especially with the report from tropical region. Present analysis also showed that the precipitation is getting suppressed at medium range of integrated liquid/liquid water path. This is the first such study from Indian region explicitly using ground-based observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Importance: The role of olanzapine has not been adequately evaluated in moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (MEC) regimens with or without neurokinin-1 receptor antagonists., Objective: To evaluate whether addition of olanzapine to an MEC regimen reduces nausea, vomiting, and use of nausea rescue medications among patients with solid malignant tumors., Design, Setting, and Participants: This multicenter, open-label phase 3 randomized clinical trial included patients aged 18 years or older with solid malignant tumors who were receiving oxaliplatin-, carboplatin-, or irinotecan-based chemotherapy. The trial was conducted at 3 institutes in India from March 26, 2019, to August 26, 2023; the final cutoff date for analysis was September 10, 2023., Exposure: Patients were randomized 1:1 to dexamethasone, aprepitant, and palonosetron with olanzapine (experimental group) or without olanzapine (observation group). The experimental group received 10 mg of olanzapine orally once at night on days 1 through 3 of the chemotherapy regimen., Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was complete response (CR), defined as the proportion of patients with no vomiting, no significant nausea (scored as <5 on a visual analog scale of 1 to 100), and no use of rescue medications for nausea. Secondary end points included the proportion of patients experiencing nausea and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV), receiving rescue medications, and experiencing adverse events., Results: A total of 560 patients (259 [64%] male; median age, 51 years [range, 19-80 years]) were randomized. The analysis included 544 patients with evaluable data (274 assigned to olanzapine and 270 to observation). Baseline characteristics were evenly matched between the 2 groups. The proportion of patients with CR was significantly greater in the group with (248 [91%]) than without (222 [82%]) olanzapine in the overall 120-hour treatment period (P = .005). Likewise, there were significant differences between the olanzapine and observation groups for nausea control (264 [96%] vs 234 [87%]; P < .001) and CINV (262 [96%] vs 245 [91%]; P = .02) during the overall assessment period, and the proportion of patients receiving rescue medications significantly increased in the observation group (30 [11%]) compared with the olanzapine group (11 [4%]) (P = .001). Grade 1 somnolence was reported by 27 patients (10%) following administration of chemotherapy and olanzapine and by no patients in the observation group., Conclusions and Relevance: In this randomized clinical trial, the addition of olanzapine significantly improved CR rates as well as nausea and vomiting prevention rates in chemotherapy-naive patients who were receiving MEC regimens containing oxaliplatin, carboplatin, or irinotecan. These findings suggest that use of olanzapine should be considered as one of the standards of care in these chemotherapy regimens., Trial Registration: Clinical Trials Registry-India (CTRI) Identifier: CTRI/2018/12/016643.

Background: Synergistic effects of yoga or physical exercise (PE) along with protein supplementation on children's muscle function in rural India have not been studied. Hence, we aimed to study the effect of yoga and PE along with protein supplementation on muscle function in healthy 6- to 11-year-old rural Indian children post 6 months of intervention., Methods: A randomized controlled trial on 232 children, recruited into 3 groups, each receiving 1 protein-rich ladoo (148 kcal, 7 g protein/40 g ladoo-an Indian sweet snack) daily and performing (1) yoga (n = 78) for 30 minutes 5 times per week, (2) PE (n = 76) for 30 minutes 5 times per week, or (3) control group (n = 78) no additional exercise. Maximum power, maximum voluntary force (Fmax), and grip strength (GS) were measured. Data were analyzed using paired t tests and a 2-way mixed analysis of variance with post hoc Bonferroni adjustment., Results: GS, maximum power, and Fmax within yoga group increased significantly (P < .05) from baseline to endline. GS and Fmax increased significantly within PE group postintervention (P < .001). In controls, GS increased (P < .05) at endline. No significant effect of the intervention was observed on the change in maximum power (P > .05) postintervention. The 2 exercise groups showed significant increase in Fmax compared with the control group (P < .05). Similarly, increase in GS was significantly higher in both the exercise groups compared with the control group (P < .05). No significant difference was observed in change in muscle function between the 2 exercise groups (P > .05)., Conclusions: Structured physical activity along with protein supplementation resulted in improved muscle function in children. Yoga and PE showed a comparable impact on muscle force.

Background: Sudden upsurge in cases of COVID-19 Associated Mucormycosis (CAM) following the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic was recorded in India. This study describes the clinical characteristics, management and outcomes of CAM cases, and factors associated with mortality., Methods: Microbiologically confirmed CAM cases were enrolled from April 2021 to September 2021 from ten diverse geographical locations in India. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and entered into a web portal designed specifically for this investigation. Bivariate analyses and logistic regression were conducted using R version 4.0.2., Results: A total of 336 CAM patients were enrolled; the majority were male (n = 232, 69.1%), literate (n = 261, 77.7%), and employed (n = 224, 66.7%). The commonest presenting symptoms in our cohort of patients were oro-facial and ophthalmological in nature. The median (Interquartile Range; IQR) interval between COVID diagnosis and admission due to mucormycosis was 31 (18, 47) days, whereas the median duration of symptoms of CAM before hospitalization was 10 (5, 20) days. All CAM cases received antifungal treatment, and debridement (either surgical or endoscopic or both) was carried out in the majority of them (326, 97.02%). Twenty-three (6.9%) of the enrolled CAM cases expired. The odds of death in CAM patients increased with an increase in HbA1c level (aOR: 1.34, 95%CI: 1.05, 1.72) following adjustment for age, gender, education and employment status., Conclusion: A longer vigil of around 4-6 weeks post-COVID-19 diagnosis is suggested for earlier diagnosis of CAM. Better glycemic control may avert mortality in admitted CAM cases., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

For the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, emergence of variants accumulating immune-escape mutations remains a major concern. We analyzed the anti-variant (n = 10) neutralization activity of sera from COVID-19 patients infected with Wuhan (B.1), Kappa, and Delta variants and COVISHIELD vaccine recipients with (prepositives) or without (prenegatives) prior antibody positivity using V- PLEX ACE2 Neutralization Kit from MSD. MSD and PRNT 50 correlated well (r = 0.76-0.83, p < 0.0001). Despite the least antibody positivity in Kappa patients, anti-variant neutralizing antibody (Nab) levels in the responders were comparable with Delta patients. Vaccinees sampled at 1 month (PD2-1) and 6 months (PD2-6) post-second dose showed the highest seropositivity and Nab levels against the Wuhan strain. At PD2-1, the responder rate was variant-dependent and 100% respectively in prenegatives and prepositives. Nab levels against B.1.135.1, B.1.620, B.1.1.7+E484K (both groups), AY.2 (prenegatives), and B.1.618 (prepositives) were lower than that of Wuhan. At PD2-6, positivity decreased to 15.6%-68.8% in the prenegatives; 3.5%-10.7% of prepositives turned negative for the same four variants. As against the decline in Nab levels in 9/10 variants (prenegatives), a further reduction was seen against the same four variants in the prepositives. These variants possess immune-evasion-associated mutations in the RBD/S region. In conclusion, our data show that the Nab response of patients to multiple variants depends on the infecting variant. We confirm superiority of hybrid immunity in neutralizing multiple variants. Depending on the infecting variant pre- or postvaccination, immune response to different vaccines in different populations will vary and impact protection against emerging variants. The MSD platform provides an excellent alternative to live virus/pseudovirus neutralization tests., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Patil, Palkar, Mishra, Patil and Arankalle.)

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, has been a major public health concern requiring continuous efforts for understanding its epidemiology. Patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 have a wide range of clinical features ranging from asymptomatic infection to mild or severe illness with fatal outcomes or recovery. Population-based seroepidemiological studies are an effective method for measuring the rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 and monitoring the pandemic's progress., Methods: We conducted repeated cross-sectional community-based sentinel surveillance between January and June 2021 in the rural parts of the Pune district of Maharashtra, India to assess the seroprevalence against SARS-CoV-2 in three age categories. We selected 30 clusters for each round using a proportional population sampling method and 30 individuals in each of the three age groups (1-17 years, 18-49 years, and ≥50 years). We took blood samples from consenting study participants to check for the presence of Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in all five rounds., Results: We included 14 274 individuals across five rounds; 29% were from the 1-17, 39% from the 18-49, and 32% from the ≥50-year-old group. Overall seroprevalence combining all rounds was 45%. There was an increase in seropositivity in rounds four (51.15%) and five (58.32%) contributed mostly by adults. We found that about 72% of elderly individuals ≥50 years in round five were seropositive. The factors strongly associated with the seropositivity were being in contact with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 (odds ratio (OR) = 7.15; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 4.2-12.14), receiving at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine (OR = 3.13 (95% CI = 0.70-14.07), being aged ≥50 years (OR = 1.97; 95% CI = 1.81-2.15), and being in an occupation belonging to a high-risk category (OR = 1.92; 95% CI = 1.65-2.26). Among 135 hospitalizations reported due to COVID-19-like illness, 91 (67%) were in the elderly age group of ≥50 and 33 (24%) were in the 18-49-year-old age group., Conclusions: Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 was high in the last two rounds (April to June 2021) which coincide with the second wave of the pandemic (Delta variant B.1.617.2) in India. Overall, one in three children and one in two adults had antibodies for SARS-CoV-2. The suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 emerged as the significant factor strongly associated with the seropositivity followed by COVID-19 vaccination., Competing Interests: Disclosure of interest: The authors completed the ICMJE Disclosure of Interest Form (available upon request from the corresponding author) and disclose the following activities and/or relationships: HN has received grant funding from Innovative Medicines Initiative, World Health Organisation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Pfizer and Icosavax. He has received honoraria from Sanofi, GSK, Merck, Novavax, Reviral. Other authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 by the Journal of Global Health. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To assess phase retardation and corneal sublayer thickness repeatability using ultrahigh-resolution polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT)., Setting: Narayana Nethralaya Eye Hospital, Bangalore., Design: Observational., Methods: In this study, all eyes were imaged using a custom-built ultrahigh-resolution PS-OCT and high-resolution hybrid OCT (MS-39). The repeatability of phase retardation en face maps and corneal sublayer thickness profiles was evaluated. The reflectivity and phase retardation were calculated from the 2 orthogonal polarization channels to generate en face maps of phase retardation and corneal sublayer thicknesses. 3 consecutive measurements of all participants were acquired for each eye. For each measurement, the participant was asked to sit back and was realigned again. The repeatability was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC)., Results: The study included 20 healthy eyes of 20 participants. The phase retardation en face maps showed preferential arrangement of collagen fibrils with least retardation in the apex and maximum retardation in the periphery. The phase retardation showed excellent repeatability (ICC >0.95) in all zones. The Bowman layer and stromal layer thicknesses were measured with excellent repeatability (ICC >0.93 and >0.99, respectively). Significant differences ( P < .05) in stromal layer thickness were observed between MS-39 and PS-OCT. The repeatability of epithelial thickness measurements was better with PS-OCT than MS-39., Conclusions: The combinational assessment of corneal birefringence and sublayer thicknesses shows the advanced potential of ultrahigh-resolution PS-OCT in routine clinical practice over current OCT devices., (Copyright © 2022 Published by Wolters Kluwer on behalf of ASCRS and ESCRS.)

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly hypercoagulable viral infection complicated as COVID-inflicted coagulopathy (CIC), that is associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality. International guidelines recommend low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) to treat CIC in both in-hospital and in-home settings. However, in India, using subcutaneous LMWH may not be a feasible option for a vast majority of patients under home management. Additionally, while some evidence advocates the use of novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs), in hospitalized settings, most guidelines find no role of NOACs in hospital settings. On the other hand, the resource crunch faced in recent COVID-19 pandemic in India forced physicians to treat many patients in home settings. These patients had been usually prescribed NOACs for ease of administration and adherence. Therefore, there is a need to form a consensus on the use of NOACs to manage CIC in India., (© Journal of the Association of Physicians of India 2011.)

Competing Interests: Disclosure of interest: The authors completed the ICMJE Disclosure of Interest Form (available upon request from the corresponding author) and declare no relevant interest.

Background & Objectives: Zinc is a crucial micronutrient in adolescence, required for promoting growth and sexual maturation. Adolescents of some tribes may be at high risk of zinc deficiency due to dietary inadequacy and poor bioavailability of zinc from plant-based diets. This study aimed to evaluate the risk of zinc deficiency by estimating prevalence of inadequate zinc intake, prevalence of low serum zinc and stunting among tribal adolescents., Methods: A cross-sectional community-based survey was conducted among adolescents (10-19 yr) in three purposively selected districts where Bhil, Korku and Gond tribes were in majority. Structured data collection instrument comprising information about sociodemographic characteristics and dietary recall data was used. Anthropometric assessment was conducted by standardized weighing scales and anthropometry tapes, and blood sample was collected from antecubital vein into trace element-free vacutainers. Serum zinc was estimated using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer., Results: A total of 2310 households were approached for participation in the study, of which 2224 households having 5151 adolescents participated. Out of these enlisted adolescents, 4673 responded to dietary recall (90.7% response rate). Anthropometry of 2437 participants was carried out, and serum zinc was analyzed in 844 adolescents. The overall prevalence of dietary zinc inadequacy was 42.6 per cent [95% confidence interval (CI) 41.2 to 44.1] with reference to the estimated average requirement suggested by International Zinc Nutrition Consultative Group (IZiNCG) and 64.8 per cent (95% CI 63.4 to 66.2) with Indian Council of Medical Research-recommended requirements. Stunting was observed in 29 per cent (95% CI 27.2 to 30.8) participants. According to IZiNCG cut-offs, low serum zinc was detected in 57.5 per cent (95% CI 54.1 to 60.8) of adolescents, whereas it was 34.4 per cent (95% CI: 31.2-37.5) according to the national level cut-off., Interpretation & Conclusions: Risk of dietary zinc inadequacy and low serum zinc concentration amongst adolescents of the Gond, Bhil and Korku tribes is a public health concern.

Purpose: To evaluate phase retardation (PR) across healthy eyes and eyes with thin corneas (<500 μm) and with asymmetric and bilateral keratoconus (KC)., Setting: Narayana Nethralaya Eye Hospital, Bangalore, India., Design: Observational cross-sectional., Methods: There were 4 eye groups: healthy eyes (Group 1; n = 10 eyes), eyes with thin corneas and no clinical disease (Group 2; n = 10 eyes), eyes with asymmetric KC (Group 3; n = 5 eyes), and eyes with clinical KC (Group 4; n = 15 eyes). All eyes were imaged with polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT), MS-39, and Corvis-ST. Using PS-OCT, PR was analyzed in annular regions. The anterior (A-E) and Bowman (E-B) wavefront aberrations, epithelial Zernike indices (EZI), total corneal thickness, Corvis biomechanical index (CBI), total biomechanical index (TBI), and Belin-Ambrósio overall deviation index (BAD-D) were analyzed., Results: Only CBI, TBI, BAD-D, A-E and E-B aberrations, EZI, and total corneal thickness distributions of Groups 1 (n =10), 2 (n =10), and 3 (n =5) were similar ( P > .05) but not CCT ( P < .05). PR distributions clearly showed that the eyes in Groups 1, 2, and 3 had a normal corneal birefringence unlike Group 4 (n = 10) eyes ( P < .05). The PR map was similar to the preferred orientations of collagen fibers seen in X-ray diffraction ex vivo studies of corneal stroma., Conclusions: PR distributions may eliminate the uncertainty associated with the stromal status of thin and asymmetric KC corneas. Group 2 and 3 eyes appeared as healthy because of normal corneal birefringence at the time of imaging, but a longitudinal follow-up of these eyes with PS-OCT may assist in early detection of onset of disease., (Copyright © 2022 Published by Wolters Kluwer on behalf of ASCRS and ESCRS.)

Background: The outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is severely affecting the public health and posing a challenge to health care providers, especially working as front-line medical staff. This study was aimed to understand the psychological impact and mental burden of the present outbreak on Indian health care providers who are working at cancer care centre., Subjects and Methods: A self-reporting online questionnaire was given to the multidisciplinary staff (n=344) and their mental health was assessed using various scales via GAD-7 scale for anxiety, PHQ-9 scale for depression, ISI for insomnia, K-10 for distress, and STAI for stress along with five self-made Pandemic specific questions., Results: Response rate was 91% (n=344) among 190 (55%) were male and 154 (45%) were female. The frontline and second-line workers were 178 (52%) and 166 (48%), respectively. Symptoms of anxiety, depression, insomnia and distress was observed in 62 (18%), 75 (22%), 42 (12%), and 60 (17%) of the participants, respectively. They were predominantly influenced by variables such as gender (female), education (≥graduation), co-morbidities, and level of work (frontline). Followed by other less dominant variables such as contact with patients (frequent), and working in hospital (<3 years), respectively., Conclusion: A mild to moderate level of psychological burden was observed in the health care providers. Overall, there is a need to address the mental health issues by providing, timely training, counselling, rotation in shifts, lowering workload and inten¬sify the awareness programmes of the staff during this COVID-19 pandemic for better outcomes and promoting resilience in the staff.

Background: Improving health education of the mother by providing community-based interventions is known to help control pneumonia., Objectives: To determine the effect of behavior change communication (BCC) activities for mothers in reducing the incidence of childhood pneumonia., Design: Open-label cluster randomized controlled trial., Setting: Urban slums and villages in two districs of Maharashtra., Participants/cluster: Under-five children and their mothers from households in the randomly selected 16 clusters out of total 45 clusters, stratified into Pune and Sangli districts and further into rural and urban areas before randomization., Intervention: Three forms of BCC activities were imparted, viz., interactive sessions of education using pictorial mothers' booklet, screening of a audio-visual film, and virtual hand wash demonstration and use of flashcard. Routine care under the National health program was provided by the Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers in both the arms., Outcome: The primary outcome was pneumonia as per the IMNCI criteria assessed during fortnightly visits of the ASHA/anganwadi workers to the houses of under-five children, who received at least one follow-up visit in a period of one year., Results: The incidence of pneumonia in 1993 and 1987 under-five children in the intervention and control arm was 0.80 and 0.48 episodes per child per year, respectively (P=0.03)., Conclusions: BCC for mothers is not sufficient to reduce the incidence of childhood pneumonia.

Worldwide, coronary heart disease (CHD), have assumed epidemic proportions. Increasing use of interventional therapy and a higher adherence to medical therapy have led to a 33% reduction in cardiac deaths at 5 years after hospital discharge. Angina pectoris is a common symptom of ischemic heart disease. The goals of anti-ischemia therapy in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) include relieving angina symptoms, improving duration of exercise and quality of life, improving prognosis and preventing cardiovascular (CV) events. The consensus statement was devised with the help of multiple meetings held across India. Ten regional advisory board e-meetings were held in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Cochin, Trivandrum, Lucknow, Bhopal and Varanasi. These meetings were attended by ten eminent experts from the field of cardiology from each region. Extensive literature review, intense discussions, and feedback from the cardiologists led to the development of the following consensus statements on definition, diagnosis, and management of angina, which have been reported in this article., (© Journal of the Association of Physicians of India 2011.)

Introduction: Tubercular bacterial meningitis continues to be an important cause of morbidity (especially neurologic handicap) in children from resource-poor countries. The present study was planned to assess the clinical and radiological presentation in cases of tubercular meningitis as well as to study the factors associated with mortality., Methodology: This study was done over a period of 12 months on children between 5 years and 13 years with suspected TBM. Staging of tubercular meningitis was done according to RNTCP Pediatric TB guideline 2019., Result: The study was conducted on a total of 47 pediatric patients with TBM. Mean age of children in present study was 8.77 ± 2.5 years. Our study documented male preponderance for TBM. Severe thinness was observed in 38.3% patients with TBM. Only 59.6% patients were immunized against tuberculosis and history of contact was documented in 40.5% patients. Maximum children belonged to stage I of TBM (59.6%) followed by stage III and stage II in 34% and 6.4% patients respectively. Montoux test positivity was observed in 14.9% patients only. CSF CBNAAT was positive in 6.4% patients. The most common finding was meningeal enhancement seen in 27.7% of patients followed by tuberculomas in 10.6%.Chest X ray was abnormal in 44.7% patients. In present study mortality was observed in 11 (23.4%) cases. Out of various risk factors, mortality was significantly associated with nutritional status and stage of TBM (p < 0.01)., Conclusion: TBM is associated with high morbidity and mortality in children especially in India where Burden of TB is high. Our study emphasized on the risk factors associated with mortality in children with TBM and need for early diagnosis and appropriate treatment., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest All authors have none to declare., (Copyright © 2021 Tuberculosis Association of India. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors completed the ICMJE Unified Competing Interest form (available upon request from the corresponding author), and declare no conflicts of interest.

Purpose: In situations of adversity, young people draw on individual, relational, and contextual (community and cultural) resources to foster their resilience. Recent literature defines resilience as a capacity that is underpinned by a network of interrelated resources. Although empirical studies show evidence of the value of a network approach, little is known regarding how different country contexts influence which resources are most critical within a resource network and how resources interact for adolescent resilience., Methods: Network analysis was conducted with data from studies that had used the Child and Youth Resilience Measure. Regularized partial correlation networks of 17 resources were estimated for 14 countries (Botswana, Canada, China, Colombia, Equatorial Guinea, India, Indonesia, Italy, Jordan, New Zealand, the Philippines, Romania, South Africa, and Syrian refugees living in Jordan). The sample size was 18,914 (mean age = 15.70 years, 48.8% female)., Results: We observed mostly positive associations between the resources of interest. The salience and strength of associations between resources varied by country. The most central resource across countries was having supportive caregivers during stressful times because this resource had the most and strongest positive associations with other resources., Conclusions: This study gives first empirical evidence from multiple countries that an interplay of social-ecological resources (such as individual skills, peer, caregiver and community support, and educational aspirations and opportunities) matter for adolescent resilience. Across countries, caregiver support appears to be most central for adolescent resilience. Future resilience interventions might apply this network approach to identify important, contextually relevant resources that likely foster additional resources., (Copyright © 2020 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: A foodborne disease outbreak among wedding attendees from Makunsar village, Palghar district, Maharashtra state, India, was reported on February 18, 2018., Objectives: The outbreak investigation was conducted to find out the epidemiology of the outbreak and to identify the etiologic agent and risk factors., Methods: A case-control study was carried out, where cases (patients), controls, and food handlers were interviewed and leftover foods were collected for culture. A case was defined as a person having vomiting or diarrhea (i.e., ≥3 loose stools within 24 h) who attended the wedding ceremony at Makunsar village, Palghar district, Maharashtra, on February 18, 2018. Attack rate and odds ratio (OR) were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CIs)., Results: Out of 75 cases, 63% were female. Altogether, forty-two (56%) cases were hospitalized, and later on, all of them were discharged from hospital without any mortality. About 93%, 68%, 43%, and 41% of the cases reported with vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, respectively. The median incubation period was found to be 4 h (range: 2-8 h). Eating gaajar halwa (carrot pudding) was significantly associated with illness (OR: 12.8; 95% CI: 3.5-46). Gaajar halwa is prepared with khoa, a perishable milk product. The gaajar halwa culture yielded no growth., Conclusion: The case-patients' clinical presentation and incubation period were consistent with enterotoxin-producing Staphylococcus aureus as the probable etiologic agent. The epidemiologic investigation identified the probable etiologic agent and food source in a low-resource community setting. Community food handlers were educated on food preparation hygiene and safe storage measures to prevent future outbreaks., Competing Interests: None

In India, approximately 480,000 deaths occur annually from exposure to household air pollution from the use of biomass cooking fuels. Displacing biomass use with clean fuels, such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), can help reduce these deaths. Through government initiatives, most Indian households now own an LPG stove and one LPG cylinder. Many households, however, continue to regularly use indoor biomass-fueled mud stoves (chulhas) alongside LPG. Focusing on this population in rural Maharashtra, India, this study ( N = 186) tests the effects of conditioning a sales offer for a spare LPG cylinder on a reversible commitment requiring initially disabling indoor chulhas. We find that almost all relevant households (>98%) were willing to accept this commitment. Indoor chulha use decreased by 90% (95% CI = 80% to 101%) when the sales offer included the commitment, compared to a 23% decrease (95% CI = 14% to 32%) without it. For both treatment groups, we find that 80% purchased the spare cylinder at the end of the study.

Background: Undernutrition among under five children in India is a major public health problem. Despite India's growth in the economy, the child mortality rate due to undernutrition is still high in both urban and rural areas. Studies that focus on urban slums are scarce. Hence the present study was carried out to assess the prevalence and determinants of undernutrition in children under five in Maharashtra, India., Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 16 randomly selected clusters in two districts of Maharashtra state, India. Data were collected through house to house survey by interviewing mothers of under five children. Total 2929 mothers and their 3671 under five children were covered. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was carried out to identify the determinants of child nutritional status seperately in urban and rural areas., Results: The mean age of the children was 2.38 years (±SD 1.36) and mean age of mothers was 24.25 years (± SD 6.37). Overall prevalence of stunting among children under five was 45.9%, wasting was 17.1 and 35.4% children were underweight. Prevalence of wasting, stunting and underweight were more seen in an urban slum than a rural area. In the rural areas exclusive breast feeding (p < 0.001) and acute diarrhea (p = 0.001) were associated with wasting, children with birth order 2 or less than 2 were associated with stunting and exclusive breast feeding (p < 0.05) and low maternal education were associated with underweight. Whereas in the urban slums exclusive breast feeding (p < 0.05) was associated with wasting, sex of the child (p < 0.05) and type of family (p < 0.05) were associated with stunting,and low income of the family (p < 0.05) was associated with underweight., Conclusions: Factors like sex of the child, birth order,exclusive breast feeding,economic status of the family, type of family,acute diarrhea and maternal education have influence on nutritional status of the child. Improvement of maternal education will improve the nutritional status of the child. Strategies are needed to improve the economic status of the community., Trial Registration: Trial registration number: CTRI/2017/12/010881 ; Registration date:14/12/2017. Retrospectively registered.

Introduction: Health interventions often target pregnant women and their unborn children. Interventions in rural India targeting pregnant women, however, often do not cover the critical early windows of susceptibility during the first trimester and parts of the second trimester. This pilot seeks to determine if targeting newlyweds could protect entire pregnancies with a clean stove and fuel intervention., Methods: We recruited 50 newlywed couples who use biomass as a cooking fuel into a clean cooking intervention that included a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stove, two gas cylinders, a table to place the stove on and health education. We first evaluated whether community health workers in this region could identify and recruit couples at marriage. We quantified how many additional days of pregnancy could be covered by an intervention if we recruited at marriage versus recruiting after detection of pregnancy., Results: On average, we identified and visited newlywed couples within 40 (SD 21) days of marriage. Of the 50 couples recruited, 25 pregnancies and 18 deliveries were identified during this 1-year study. Due to challenges securing fuel from the LPG supply system, not all couples received their intervention prior to pregnancy. Regardless, couples recruited in the marriage arm had substantially more days with the intervention than couples recruited into a similar arm recruited at pregnancy (211 SD 46 vs 120 SD 45). At scale, a stove intervention targeting new marriages would cover about twice as many weeks of first pregnancies as an intervention recruiting after detection of pregnancy., Conclusions: We were able to recruit in early marriage using existing community health workers. Households recruited early in marriage had more days with clean fuel coverage than those recruited at pregnancy. Our findings indicate that recruitment at marriage is feasible and warrants further exploration for stove and other interventions targeting pregnancy-related outcomes., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: Neonatal infections are a common cause of death in India, but many families cannot access appropriate hospitals for its treatment due to various reasons. We implemented the World Health Organization PSBI management guideline when referral is not feasible within the public health system in Pune, India to evaluate feasibility, barriers and facilitators for its implementation., Methods: A national-level consultative meeting between government officials and study partners resulted in a consensus on adaptation and implementation in four demonstration sites in selected states in India. At the state and district levels, similar meetings to plan the implementation strategy and roles were held between KEM Hospital Research Centre (KEMHRC) Pune and the public health system Pune, Maharashtra. The public health system was responsible for implementation of the intervention at eight tribal primary health centres (PHC) in Pune district, India, including delivering the intervention and ensuring supplies of all commodities while KEMHRC was responsible for technical support including training of health workers, assistance in PSBI identification and management, data collection and documentation of the implementation strategy., Results: A total of 175 young infants with PSBI were identified and managed. Of these, 34 had critical illness (CI), 46 had clinical severe infection (CSI) and 10 were infants aged 0-6 days with fast breathing (FB) while 85 infants aged 7-59 days had fast breathing. Assuming a 10% incidence of PSBI among all live births, with 3071 live births recorded, the actual incidence of PSBI found in the study was 5.7%, resulting in an actual coverage was of 57%. Among the 90 infants with CI, CSI and FB in 0-6 days, who were advised referral to government tertiary care centre as per the PSBI guideline algorithm, 81 (90%) accepted referral while 9 (10%) refused and were offered treatment at primary health centres (PHC) with a seven-day course of injectable gentamicin and oral amoxicillin. All infants with FB in 7-59 days were offered treatment at PHCs as per the PSBI guideline algorithm with a seven-day course of oral amoxicillin. All except six infants who died and one with FB in 7-59 days, who was lost to follow-up, were successfully cured. Of the six who died, five had CSI and one had CI. Among the 81 infants with CI, CSI and FB in 0-6 days who accepted referral; 48(53%) were successfully referred to government tertiary facility while 33 (36.6%) preferred to visit a private tertiary health facility. The implementation strategy demonstrated a relatively high fidelity, acceptance and intervention penetration. Lack of training and confidence of the public health staff were major challenges faced, which were resolved to a large extent through supportive supervision and re-trainings., Conclusion: Management of PSBI is feasible to implement in out-patient facilities in the public health system, but technical support to the health system is required to jump-start the process. Fast breathing in 7-59 days old infants can be managed with oral amoxicillin without referral. A sustainable adoption of this intervention by the health system can lead to decrease in neonatal mortality and morbidity., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Dual-malnutrition burden has increased across all SES groups. This study aimed to record the prevalence of underweight and overweight in low-socioeconomic status women. The study included 100 women selected by the snowball sampling technique. Their anthropometric measurements were recorded. BMI and WHR were calculated. Mean BMI and WHR of subjects were 23.56 ± 4.82 kg/m 2 and 0.82 ± 0.07 cm, respectively. In the lower-class, there were 18.2% underweight and 45.4% overweight/pre-obese subjects. In the upper-lower class. 49.3% subjects had WC≥80 cm and 42.3% subjects had WC≥80. Overweight/obesity was observed to over-power under-nutrition burden among the low-socioeconomic status subjects., Abbreviations: SES - socioeconomic status.