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Realizing the effects of Conventional System (CS) of agriculture by the stakeholders that are leading to unsustainable trends in productivity of primary industry, society and environment, organic agriculture (OA) is being gradually established as a viable option for sustaining growth of primary sector in India. In this article logical standing of OA as scientific, resources & energy efficient and climate resilient system has been presented with the experimental results and experiences of the farmers. Organic agriculture got significant momentum in India in all direction i.e. production, marketing, research and policy etc. during last 2-3 decades. During this period this has been proved that sufficient organic inputs are available and productivity & profitability remained almost at par with CS, if managed prudently, besides environmental (biodiversity, carbon sequestration) and human health improvement. However, there is need of programming for quantity and quality production of organic produce to meet the increasing indigenous as well as export demand. This programming and its execution will lead to gradual shift on OA, firstly in drylands and later on in irrigated areas, without losing food security. Consortium approach of all stakeholders in policy, research, and market and production is the need for success of this programming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: In celiac disease (CD), abnormalities of brush border enzyme activities have been detected in the course of the disease activity. There are conflicting results on intestinal mucosal enzyme activities and its correlation to mucosal injury in CD. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the brush border enzyme activities (disaccharidases and alkaline phosphatase) in the duodenal mucosa of North Indian children with CD and to examine their correlation to duodenal mucosal morphological alterations. Methods: This prospective study included 71 children with CD and 29 controls (patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease) in whom upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed and distal duodenal biopsies were taken for histological assessment, and estimation of disaccharidases and alkaline phosphatase activities. Each biopsy sample was classified according to the modified Oberhuber classification. Lactase, sucrase, maltase and alkaline phosphatase activities were estimated in duodenal biopsy homogenates from patients with CD and from controls. The association between enzyme activities and duodenal morphology was examined. Results: The mean age of the 71 patients with CD (M:F, 43:28) was 6.0 ± 0.3 years and mean age of onset of symptoms was 2.7 ± 0.4 years. Sixty-four of 71 (90.1%) CD patients showed type 3 (destructive) lesion, whereas it was grade 0 in all patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease. In CD and patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease, the mean level (IU/g protein) of lactase was 12.1 ± 0.9 versus 24.4 ± 1.0 ( P < 0.001), mean level of sucrase was 25.9 ± 1.9 versus 42.5 ± 1.9 ( P < 0.001), mean level of maltase was 56.6 ± 3.5 versus 76.1 ± 13.0 (NS), and mean level of alkaline phosphatase was 602.8 ± 56.2 versus 1359.3 ± 51.2 ( P < 0.001), respectively. The mean disaccharidases and alkaline phosphatase levels were not significantly different in patients with milder lesions (type 2 and type 3a) compared with those of control. However, mean lactase, sucrase and alkaline phosphatase levels were significantly lower ( P < 0.001) in CD patients with moderate (type 3b) and severe (type 3c) lesions compared with control. Conclusions: A generalized decrease of disaccharidases and alkaline phosphatase activity was seen in the duodenal mucosa of children with CD. The depressed activities of lactase, sucrase and alkaline phosphatase were well correlated with the histological grade of duodenal mucosal lesions in children with CD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender inequality in science is common to most nations. To a large extent, this inequality is a product of the socio-cultural environment in which science is conducted. The professional environment and the socio-cultural context are inextricably linked together in the practice of science. This Note analyses the perceptions of women academic scientists in India regarding the work and social environment, and the nature of problems faced by them. A triangulation of questionnaire and interview methods was employed to develop a holistic picture. The findings show that women academic scientists are influenced by the prevailing sociocultural system. Thus, 'patrifocal' ideology prevails at the workplace and in the family. Women face gender-related difficulties at work, and also shoulder a dual burden resulting in stress. These problems have significant consequences for the career of women academic scientists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the most challenging global health problems as resistance to first-line antimycobacterial drugs continues to rise in many countries worldwide. Isoniazid-resistant TB without MDR-TB poses a serious threat to the management and control of TB across the world. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent of katG315 and inhA-15 mutations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains isolated from pediatric TB patients from a tertiary care hospital., Material and Methods: A total of 51 pulmonary and extra pulmonary specimens were collected from clinically suspected pediatric TB cases, who were microbiologically confirmed. Resistance to INH was detected by 1% proportion method. katG315 and inhA-15 genes were amplified by PCR and detection of mutations in katG315 and inhA-15 genes was done by sequencing., Result: A sample size of only 51 could be achieved due to short duration of the study. 36/51 (70.6%) culture isolates were obtained and put for drug susceptibility test, 5(13.89%) were resistant for isoniazid. M. tuberculosis DNA was found in fifty samples. Mutations in either katG315 or inhA-15 genes were found in 7/50 (14%) samples. Six of seven (85.7%) had mutation in katG315 gene and 1/7 (14.2%) had mutation in inhA-15 gene., Conclusion: INH resistance not only reduces the probability of treatment success, but may also facilitate the spread of MDR-TB and reduce the effectiveness of INH preventive therapy (IPT) therefore quantification of the magnitude of INH resistant TB and variation in frequency of isoniazid resistance associated mutations is important., (Copyright © 2019 Tuberculosis Association of India. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Lymphocytic gastritis (LG) is characterized by the presence of > or = 25 lymphocytes/100 epithelial cells in the gastric surface and pit epithelium. An association of LG with Helicobacter pylori infection or celiac disease (CD) has been suggested. The aim of this study was to verify the relation of LG with CD, with and without H pylori infection, in children., Patients and Methods: A total of 164 children with CD diagnosed between June 2003 and October 2005, in whom gastric and duodenal biopsies were performed simultaneously, were enrolled prospectively. The control group was composed of 164 children without CD, matched for sex and age, who were undergoing upper digestive endoscopy. H pylori was searched for in gastric biopsy specimens sectioned and stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and a modified Giemsa stain for H pylori was performed for confirmation. The Student t test was used to compare quantitative measurements between groups., Results: LG was found in 69 (42.1%) patients with CD. Positive cases had a mean of 43.9 +/- 1.5 intraepithelial lymphocytes per 100 surface epithelial cells, compared with a mean of 13.4 +/- 0.4 in negative cases and 7.8 +/- 0.5 in non-CD control children (P<0.0001). Patients not showing LG did, however, show significantly increased gastric intraepithelial lymphocytes compared with the control children. Nine of 164 CD patients, and 4 of 69 patients with LG, had positive results for H pylori., Conclusions: This study supports a pathogenetic relation between CD and LG. CD without LG also showed increased gastric intraepithelial lymphocytes. H pylori infection may be another cause of LG in children.