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Background: Resistance against artemisinin-based combination therapy is one of the challenges to malaria control and elimination globally. Mutations in different genes (Pfdhfr, Pfdhps, Pfk-13 and Pfmdr1) confer resistance to artesunate and sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine (AS + SP) were analysed from Mandla district, Madhya Pradesh, to assess the effectiveness of the current treatment regimen against uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum. Methods: Dried blood spots were collected during the active fever survey and mass screening and treatment activities as part of the Malaria Elimination Demonstration Project (MEDP) from 2019 to 2020. Isolated DNA samples were used to amplify the Pfdhfr, Pfdhps, Pfk13 and Pfmdr1 genes using nested PCR and sequenced for mutation analysis using the Sanger sequencing method. Results: A total of 393 samples were subjected to PCR amplification, sequencing and sequence analysis; 199, 215, 235, and 141 samples were successfully sequenced for Pfdhfr, Pfdhps, Pfk13, Pfmdr1, respectively. Analysis revealed that the 53.3% double mutation (C59R, S108N) in Pfdhfr, 89.3% single mutation (G437A) in Pfdhps, 13.5% single mutants (N86Y), and 51.1% synonymous mutations in Pfmdr1 in the study area. Five different non-synonymous and two synonymous point mutations found in Pfk13, which were not associated to artemisinin resistance. Conclusion: The study has found that mutations linked to SP resistance are increasing in frequency, which may reduce the effectiveness of this drug as a future partner in artemisinin-based combinations. No evidence of mutations linked to artemisinin resistance in Pfk13 was found, suggesting that parasites are sensitive to artemisinin derivatives in the study area. These findings are a baseline for routine molecular surveillance to proactively identify the emergence and spread of artemisinin-resistant parasites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Global malaria cases rose by 14 million, and deaths by 69,000, in 2020. In India, a 46% decline has been reported between 2020 and 2019. In 2017, the Malaria Elimination Demonstration Project conducted a needs-assessment of the Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) of Mandla district. This survey revealed the inadequate level of knowledge in malaria diagnosis and treatment. Subsequently, a training programme was launched for enhancing malaria-related knowledge of ASHAs. The present study was conducted in 2021 to evaluate the impact of training on malaria-related knowledge and practices of ASHAs in Mandla. This assessment was also done in two adjoining districts: Balaghat and Dindori. Methods: A cross-sectional survey using a structured questionnaire was administered to ASHAs to measure their knowledge and practices related to malaria etiology, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. A comparison of information collected from these three districts was performed using simple descriptive statistics, comparison of means and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: Significant improvement was noted amongst ASHAs of district Mandla between 2017 (baseline) and 2021 (endline) in knowledge related to malaria transmission, preventive measures, adherence to the national drug policy, diagnosis using rapid diagnostic tests, and identification of age group-specific, colour-coded artemisinin combination therapy blister packs (p < 0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that odds of Mandla baseline was 0.39, 0.48, 0.34, and 0.07 times lower for malaria-related knowledge on disease etiology, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, respectively (p < 0.001). Further, participants in districts Balaghat and Dindori showed significantly lower odds for knowledge (p < 0.001) and treatment practices (p < 0.01) compared to Mandla endline. Education, attended training, having a malaria learner's guide, and minimum 10 years' work experience were potential predictors for good treatment practices. Conclusion: The findings of the study unequivocally establishes significant improvement in overall malaria-related knowledge and practices of ASHAs in Mandla as a result of periodic training and capacity building efforts. The study suggests that learnings from Mandla district could be helpful in improving level of knowledge and practices among frontline health workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large proportion of the older population in India constitutes an undeniable share of workforce after the retirement age. This stresses the need to understand the implications of working at older ages on health outcomes. The main objective of this study is to examine the variations in health outcomes by formal/informal sector of employment of older workers using the first wave of the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India. Using binary logistic regression models, the results of this study affirm that type of work does play a significant role in determining health outcomes even after controlling socio-economic, demographic, life-style behaviour, childhood health and work characteristics. The risk of Poor Cognitive Functioning (PCF) is high among informal workers, while formal workers suffer greatly from Chronic Health Conditions (CHC) and Functional Limitations (FL). Moreover, the risk of PCF and/or FL among formal workers increases with the increase in risk of CHC. Therefore, the present research study underscores the relevance of policies focusing on providing health and healthcare benefits by respective economic activity and socio-economic position of older workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The investigations were conducted at Sardar Vallabhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India during March 2019 to January 2020 for isolation and characterization and identification of phosphate solubilizing microbes (PSM) in soils of northern region of India. Soil samples (0-30 cm) were collected from four locations i.e. KVK, Lohaghat, SVPUAT, Meerut, College of Agriculture field, SVPUAT, Meerut and KVK, Bulandshahar covering Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand states of India and kept in refrigerator for analysis. The isolation of two rhizobial bacteria isolates (S1 and S2) in conjunction with the two-phosphate solubilizing efficient fungal isolates (F1 and F2) was carried out by the serial dilution method. The study of their morphological and microscopic characters, together with Solubilization Efficiency (SE), and Solubilization Index (SI) were also assessed. Finally, the biochemical tests were run according to their nature that was gram-negative rod by using KB002 TM HI Assorted Biochemical Test Kit (for Gram-negative rods). Between the two bacterial isolates was S1 was showing more solubilization on Pikovskaya agar (PVK) compared to S4 on the 5th day of observation, while S4 gave better results on the 8th-day solubilization observation. The biochemical tests on bacterial isolates were showing disagreement between the two, proving them as completely different isolates. In the case of fungi, the F2 isolate was showing better SE and SI values compared to the F1 isolate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyzes selections from Modern Review and Visva Bharati Quarterly, to study the complex act of nation-building taking place in India during the first half of the twentieth century. Through these periodicals, it discusses three interconnected occurrences that contributed to the envisioning of new India: firstly, the construction of a politically aware public sphere through nationalistic sentiments and anti-imperial internationalism; secondly, India's localization of modernity as oscillating between the colonial subjects' reactionary modernity and the colonially administered modernity of domination; and thirdly, the emergence of a modernism that was more immersed in restructuring social and political systems of power than being restricted to formal and aesthetic novelty. Thus, drawing on writings published in Modern Review and Visva Bharati Quarterly, the paper assesses the degree to which the two periodicals realized the identity of new India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Low-density malaria infections (LDMI) are defined as infections that are missed by the rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and/or microscopy which can lead to continued transmission and poses a challenge in malaria elimination efforts. This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of LDMI in febrile cases using species-specific nested Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests in the Malaria Elimination Demonstration Project, where routine diagnosis was conducted using RDT. Methods: Every 10th fever case from a cross-sectional community based fever surveillance was tested with RDT, microscopy and nested PCR. Parasite DNA was isolated from the filter paper using Chelex based method. Molecular diagnosis by nested PCR was performed targeting 18SrRNA gene for Plasmodium species. Results: The prevalence of malaria was 2.50% (436/17405) diagnosed by PCR, 1.13% (196/17405) by RDT, and 0.68% (118/ 17,405) by microscopy. Amongst 17,405 febrile samples, the prevalence of LDMI was 1.51% (263/17405) (95% CI 1.33–1.70), which were missed by conventional methods. Logistic regression analysis revealed that illness during summer season [OR = 1.90 (p < 0.05)] and cases screened within three days of febrile illness [OR = 5.27 (p < 0.001)] were the statistically significant predictors of LDMI. Conclusion: The prevalence of malaria among febrile cases using PCR was 2.50% (436/17405) as compared to 1.13% (196/17405) by RDT. Higher number of the LDMI cases were found in subjects with ≤ 3 days mean duration of reported fever, which was statistically significant (p < 0.001). This observation suggests that an early detection of malaria with a more sensitive diagnostic method or repeat testing of the all negative cases may be useful for curtailing malaria transmission. Therefore, malaria elimination programme would benefit from using more sensitive and specific diagnostic methods, such as PCR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classical Swine Fever (CSF) is a contagious viral disease of pigs which is endemic in several parts of the world, including India. Prophylactic vaccination using live attenuated vaccine is the preferred method of control. However, there is significant inter-individual variation in the antibody response to vaccination. In this study, we measured the E2 antibody blocking percentage after 21 days of CSF vaccination in a mixed pig population consisting of Landrace, indigenous Ghurrah pigs, and their crossbreds. A Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS) carried out using single-SNP and haplotype based methods detected a 1.6 Mb region on SSC2 (28.92−30.52 Mb) as significantly associated with antibody response to CSF vaccination. The significant region and 1 Mb flanking sequences encompass 3 genes – EIF3M, DNAJC24 and ARL14EP, which code for proteins involved in Pestivirus replication and host immune response system. Our results combined with previous studies on immune response of pigs present this region as a suitable candidate for future functional investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In India, there are several malaria-endemic regions where non- falciparum species coexist with Plasmodium falciparum. Traditionally, microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests are used for the diagnosis of malaria. Nevertheless, microscopy often misses the secondary malaria parasite in mixed-infection cases due to various constraints. Misdiagnosis/misinterpretation of Plasmodium species leads to improper treatment, as the treatment for P. falciparum and Plasmodium vivax species is different, as per the national vector-borne disease control program in India. Methods Blood samples were collected from malaria-endemic regions (Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Telangana) of India covering almost the entire country. Molecular diagnosis of Plasmodium species was carried out among microscopically confirmed P. falciparum samples collected during a therapeutic efficacy study in different years. Results The polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed a high prevalence (18%) of mixed malaria parasite infections among microscopically confirmed P. falciparum samples from malaria patients that are either missed or left out by microscopy. Conclusions Deployment of molecular tools in areas of mixed species infection may prove vital for accurate diagnosis and treatment of malaria. Further, it will help in achieving the goal of malaria elimination in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major cause of visual disability leading to irreversible blindness. Awareness of diabetes and its ocular co-morbidities may help in preventing vision loss. Aim: To assess the awareness of diabetic retinopathy among diabetic mellitus patients visiting a hospital in North India. Setting and Design: Cross-sectional study conducted at an outpatient clinic of ophthalmology department of a hospital. Materials and Methods: An interviewer-administered, pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire was used to evaluate the awareness of DR for the period from July 2020 to January 2021. Results: A total of 272 patients with diabetes mellitus (44.4% females and 55.5% males) were included in the study. The mean age of the study population was 53.4 ± 10 years. Of the 272 patients, 79% were aware that diabetes can affect the eyes, and 69.5% knew that DR can lead to blindness. Regarding prevention and treatment of DR, 58.1% of patients were aware that good glycemic control prevents DR and 52.6% knew that DR can be treated. Physicians were the main source of information in 47.4% of patients. The participants were not compliant with a routine retinal assessment with only 26.5% of them having previous fundus examination for DR screening. Conclusion: Most of the participants were aware of DR but there existed major deficits in the knowledge and behavior of diabetic patients toward management of DR. There is a need to create awareness about DR and emphasize the importance of retinal screening to reduce visual disability caused by diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India is home to a large and diverse buffalo population. The Murrah breed of North India is known for its milk production, and it has been used in breeding programs in several countries. Selection signature analysis yield valuable information about how the natural and artificial selective pressures have shaped the genomic landscape of modern-day livestock species. Genotype information was generated on six buffalo breeds of India, namely, Murrah, Bhadawari, Mehsana, Pandharpuri, Surti, and Toda using ddRAD sequencing protocol. Initially, the genotypes were used to carry out population diversity and structure analysis among the six breeds, followed by pair-wise comparisons of Murrah with the other five breeds through XP-EHH and F ST methodologies to identify regions under selection in Murrah. Admixture results showed significant levels of Murrah inheritance in all the breeds except Pandharpuri. The selection signature analysis revealed six regions in Murrah, which were identified in more than one pair-wise comparison through both XP-EHH and F ST analyses. The significant regions overlapped with QTLs for milk production, immunity, and body development traits. Genes present in these regions included SLC37A1 , PDE9A , PPBP , CXCL6 , RASSF6 , AFM , AFP , ALB , ANKRD17 , CNTNAP2 , GPC5 , MYLK3 , and GPT2. These genes emerged as candidates for future polymorphism studies of adaptability and performance traits in buffaloes. The results also suggested ddRAD sequencing as a useful cost-effective alternative for whole-genome sequencing to carry out diversity analysis and discover selection signatures in Indian buffalo breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vrindavani is an Indian composite cattle breed developed by crossbreeding taurine dairy breeds with native indicine cattle. The constituent breeds were selected for higher milk production and adaptation to the tropical climate. However, the selection response for production and adaptation traits in the Vrindavani genome is not explored. In this study, we provide the first overview of the selection signatures in the Vrindavani genome. A total of 96 Vrindavani cattle were genotyped using the BovineSNP50 BeadChip and the SNP genotype data of its constituent breeds were collected from a public database. Within-breed selection signatures in Vrindavani were investigated using the integrated haplotype score (iHS). The Vrindavani breed was also compared to each of its parental breeds to discover between-population signatures of selection using two approaches, cross-population extended haplotype homozygosity (XP-EHH) and fixation index (F ST). We identified 11 common regions detected by more than one method harboring genes such as LRP1B, TNNI3K, APOB, CACNA2D1, FAM110B, and SPATA17 associated with production and adaptation. Overall, our results suggested stronger selective pressure on regions responsible for adaptation compared to milk yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CRM is adopted by organizations as a viable business strategy to implement sustainability initiatives. The existing literature suggests the variations in the execution style of the CRM campaigns by various organizations. This study proposes Cause-related Marketing (CRM) as one of the novel approaches to combat various issues related to sustainable development. The present study is focused to understand the role of CRM in aiding private sector organizations to address the problems of sustainable development and thus support the 'United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)' in an Emerging Economy India. The study attempts to integrate the various areas of focus of the CRM campaigns, the sustainability dimensions focused and the various SDGs supported. Further implications, limitations and future research directions have been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the relationship between the total fertility rate and under-five child sex ratio to understand the role of fertility in the phenomenon of missing girls in India. Using data from the last four decennial censuses for the fifteen major states of India and their districts, covering more than 90% of the population of India, the study showed that there was a major decline in the female to male child sex ratio from 1981 to 2011 in most of the major Indian states and their districts. The panel regression model showed that the total fertility rate was significantly associated with the under-five child sex ratio at the district level for the 30-year period from 1981 to 2011 in India, even after controlling for other factors and any other unobserved heterogeneity. This indicates that areas of India with the highest fertility had the higher female to male child sex ratio, while low-fertility districts had a more male-biased sex ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: India has been predicted to have the fastest increase in deaths attributable to tobacco in the first 2 decades of the twenty-first century. Consequently, it is imperative to examine the extent of nicotine dependency among adults in India. The main objective of the present article is to characterize nicotine dependency related to smoking and smokeless tobacco among adults according to age, education level, duration of use and other socioeconomic characteristics. Subjects and methods: We analyzed Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2010 data for 9190 smokers and 13,357 smokeless tobacco users who were 15 years of age or older. Time to first tobacco use of the day was used as a measure of nicotine dependence. We employed a decision tree algorithm from SAS Enterprise Miner to conduct classification analysis to establish the relationship among nicotine dependency for smoking, smokeless tobacco use, and its predictors. Results: More than 65% of smokers and 54.3% of smokeless tobacco users were nicotine dependent. The decision tree results showed that the most important explanatory variable for the prediction of smoking dependency was duration of smoking followed by education, gender and region. For smokeless tobacco use, duration of smokeless tobacco use was also the most important explanatory variable followed by education, occupation and age. Conclusions: Smoking and smokeless tobacco use dependencies are driven by different sets of demographic and socioeconomic predictors. Suitable plans for tobacco cessation need to be implemented based on the type of tobacco and particularly duration of use, which was found to be the most important determinant of quitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a semiautomatic method for landslide detection from satellite images and digital terrain information using generalized improved fuzzy Kohonen clustering network (GIFKCN) classifier is presented. The proposed method classifies the pre- and post-landslide images using the GIFKCN classifier which is trained using spectral indices such as normalized difference vegetation index, normalized difference building index and normalized difference water index. The changes in the vegetation class are identified using the pre- and post-classified images. Generally, landslides result in loss of vegetation; thus, using this property, candidate landslides are identified. Finally, false positives are removed using a rule set created from DEM derivatives slope and aspect. The proposed method is applied on Landsat 5 and Advanced Land Imager EO-1 satellite images to detect earthquake-induced landslides that occurred in Sikkim state of India due to the September 18, 2011, earthquake of magnitude M = 6.9. The terrain information used is ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model of the area. The accuracy assessment of the method is done, and the results show that the landslides are identified and classified efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early life disparity - defined as the average life years lost due to death by the age of 60 years - can be used to assess more systematically the effect of savings from death at a young age. In addition, it can give valuable insight into the consequences of death in the early stages of life. Early life disparity can further be categorized into child life disparity (0-14 years) and adult life disparity (15-60 years). This study estimated early life disparity using complete life tables for the period 1970-1975 to 2006-2010, which were constructed from abridged life tables and death rates provided by the Sample Registration System (SRS) in India. The contribution of premature deaths to the difference in life disparity was estimated using a replacement algorithm. The findings clearly indicated an overall declining trend in early life disparity in India, with a notable reduction in child life disparity, and a deceleration of adult life disparity during the period 1970-1975 to 2006-2010. Interstate variations in early life disparity were seen to converge with time. Decomposition analysis suggested that these variations could be minimized further by averting death during childhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tobacco use in India is characterized by a high prevalence of smoking and smokeless tobacco use, with dual use also contributing a noticeable proportion. In the context of such a high burden of tobacco use, this study examines the regional variations, and socioeconomic, demographic and other correlates of smoking, smokeless tobacco and dual use of tobacco in India. Methods and Findings: We analyzed a cross sectional, nationally representative sample of individuals from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey in India (2009–10), which covered 69,296 individuals aged 15 years and above. The current tobacco use in three forms, namely, smoking only, smokeless tobacco use only, and both smoking and smokeless tobacco use were considered as outcomes in this study. Descriptive statistics, cross tabulations and multinomial logistic regression analysis were adopted as analytical tools. Smokeless tobacco use was the major form of tobacco use in India followed by smoking and dual tobacco use. Tobacco use was higher among males, the less educated, the poor, and the rural population in India. Respondents lacking knowledge of health hazards of tobacco had higher prevalence of tobacco use in each form. The prevalence of different forms of tobacco use varies significantly by states. The prevalence of tobacco use increases concomitantly with age among females. Middle-aged adult males had higher prevalence of tobacco use. Age, education and region were found to be significant determinants of all forms of tobacco use. Adults from the poor household had significantly higher risk of consuming smokeless tobacco. Lack of awareness about the selected hazards of tobacco significantly affects tobacco use. Conclusions: There is an urgent need to curb the use of tobacco among the sub-groups of population with higher prevalence. Tobacco control policies in India should adopt a targeted, population-based approach to control and reduce tobacco consumption in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a drastic decline in the child sex ratio (number of females per 1000 males between ages 0 and 4) in India and many of its states. This study aimed to examine if prenatal factors, such as change in sex ratio at birth, or postnatal factors, such as change in relative mortality of females and males, contribute to this more by analysing the dynamics of the child sex ratio. Changes in the child sex ratio during 2001–2011 were decomposed into a 'fertility' component attributable to prenatal sex selection and a 'mortality' component attributable to sex differentials in postnatal survival at the country as well as the state level. Between the prenatal factor and the postnatal factor, the contribution of the latter to the declining child sex ratio has been greater than the former in India as a whole and in most of the states. By focusing on both prenatal and postnatal factors, the imbalance in the child sex ratio in the country can be reduced to a large extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Indian Ghurrah pig has a mixture of European and Asian inheritance. • Analysis traced European admixture to the recent past. • Signs of interspecies introgression was detected in admixture analysis. • Ghurrah and Asian pigs show divergence in genomic regions governing teeth development. The evolution and domestication of pigs is a complex and ongoing process. Despite its rich biodiversity and proximity to the geographical origins of Sus scrofa domesticus, the place of Indian pigs in the global phylogeny is unclear. Using microarray-derived (porcine 60K SNP chip) genotypes of 11 Ghurrah pigs from North-Western India and a public dataset comprising 2113 pigs of 146 breeds, we determined the genomic ancestry of Ghurrah pigs and compared their genetic constitution to European and Asian breeds to ascertain signatures of divergent selection. Results showed that Ghurrah pigs contain genes of Asian and European ancestry with signs of inter-species introgression. Using Admixture LD – decay statistics, the European admixture event was dated to the recent past, coinciding with the start of cross-breeding efforts in India. The complex Asian ancestry pattern of the breed resembled that of wild boars of South – Central China and Thailand, possibly suggesting introgression from an Indian wild boar relative. Signatures of selection analysis showed the divergence of Ghurrah pigs from Asian and European breeds in genomic regions associated with odontogenesis, and nervous system processess, respectively. Our results present the first genomic characterization of an Indian pig breed using dense microarray-derived genotypes and highlight the importance of further genomic characterization of Indian domestic and wild pigs. Given the limited sample size available for this study, validation of the findings in a larger population is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present investigation, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were studied using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) technique in porcine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of weaned Ghurrah and crossbred piglets at 3-month age. Transcriptomic analysis was done using three different packages, namely, EBSeq, DESeq2, and edgeR, to identify the DEGs between Ghurrah and crossbred piglets. Total 7717 DEGs were commonly identified by all three packages, out of which 4151 genes found to be up-regulated, and 3566 genes were down-regulated. Functional annotation of these DEGs indicated metabolism as the most commonly enriched category followed by the immune response. Genes related to metabolism and growth were up-regulated in crossbred piglets as compared with Ghurrah piglets, whereas immunity-related genes were up-regulated in Ghurrah piglets elucidating the disease resistance nature of this indigenous breed over crossbred counterparts. Further, eight DEGs, namely, LRP-1, ADCY4, ERRFI1, LDHD, ARG1, OASL, MGARP, and S100A8, were validated by qRT-PCR in a separate set of biological samples and found to be in concordance with RNA-seq results. Finding in the present study provides insight into genes and their molecular mechanisms governing difference in growth performance between Ghurrah and crossbred pigs.

Background: India has the largest number of under-five deaths globally, and large variations in under-five mortality persist between states and districts. Relationships between under-five mortality and numerous socioeconomic, development and environmental health factors have been explored at the national and state levels, but the possible spatial heterogeneity in these relationships has seldom been investigated at the district level. This study seeks to unravel local variation in key determinants of under-five mortality based on the 1991 and 2011 censuses., Methods: Using geocoded district-level data from the last two census rounds (1991 and 2011) and ordinary least squares and geographically weighted regressions, we identify district-specific relationships between under-five mortality rate and a series of determinants for two periods separated by 20 years (1986-1987 and 2006-2007). To identify spatial groupings of coefficients, we perform a cluster analysis based on t-values of the geographically weighted regression., Results: The geographically weighted regression analysis shows that relationships between the under-five mortality rate and factors for socioeconomic, development, and environmental health factors vary spatially in terms of direction, strength, and extent when considering: female literacy and labor force participation; share of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes; access to electricity; safe water and sanitation; road infrastructure; and medical facilities. This spatial heterogeneity is accompanied by significant changes over time in the roles that these factors play in under-five mortality. Important local determinants of under-five mortality in 2011 were female literacy, female labor force participation, access to sanitation facilities and electricity; while the key local determinants in 1991 were road infrastructure, safe water, and medical facilities. We identify six different clusters based on geographically weighted regression coefficients that broadly encompass the same districts in both periods; but these clusters do not follow the regional boundaries suggested by the previous studies. In particular, the high mortality states of India that are often typically classified as high focus states were classified into three different clusters based on the relationship of the factors associated with under-five mortality., Conclusion: This study demonstrates the utility of combining geographically weighted regression and cluster analyses as a methodological approach to study local-level variation in public health indicators, and it could be applied in any country using aggregate-level information from census or survey data. Identifying local predictors of under-five mortality is important for designing interventions in specific districts. Additional reduction in under-five mortality will only be possible with intervention programs designed at the local level, which take into consideration local level determinants of under-five mortality.

Objectives: This study assessed the significance of socio-demographic and contextual factors on the number of daily cigarette and bidi smoking in northeast India., Methods: This study is based on the data from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey-India (2009-2010). Community asset is measured as the totality of all households' durables and community affinity to smoking as the proportion of households which allowed smoking in the house., Results: High daily cigarette and bidi smokers constitute 20 and 30 % of the respective smokers and they smoke 35.8 cigarettes and 14.6 bidis daily, respectively, on the average. The higher is the community affinity to smoking, the higher is the intensity of smoking among the high daily cigarette smokers. Advancing age and educational attainment have significant deterrent effect on the intensity of cigarette and bidi smoking., Conclusions: Contextual factors are found to be important for regional tobacco control programmes. The need for reaching out to communities and the importance of promotion of public-private partnership under the provision of corporate social responsibility for effectiveness of tobacco control programme is recommended.