Search

The contemporary process of urbanization prevalent in the countries of the Global South, especially in Africa and Asia, is characterized by an unprecedented rise in urban populations, exceeding the capacity of local authorities to provide essential services. In particular, local authorities lack the funding required to build adequate infrastructure. One striking feature of contemporary urbanization is the growth in informal urbanized settlements, called “census towns” in India, “urban villages” in China, and “townships” in South Africa. Compared to India, China and South Africa have been able to turn around their cities and revamp them within 10 years. These countries present similarities and differences in managing and providing basic urban services. In this chapter, an attempt is made to analyze and compare the urbanization process in these countries and to identify some financial alternatives and policy implications to foster inclusive growth by integrating informal settlements into mainstream urbanization with focus on India.

Mandatory labelling and periodic revision of efficiency standards have improved the energy efficiency of room air conditioners in India. The impact of standards on the incremental price of efficiency is not well understood due to fragmented data on retail price and energy efficiency. In this study, the incremental price of efficiency for room air conditioners in India is estimated before and after strengthening of efficiency standards. The results show that there has been a decline in the incremental price of efficiency in 2016–17 as compared to 2012–13 despite strengthening of efficiency standards in 2014.

Appliance labels are a widely used policy instrument to increase the adoption of energy-efficient technologies. Most countries use categorical labels to facilitate comparison of appliances based on energy consumption. Studies have found that consumers respond positively to the labels, but the differentiated response to the categories on labels is not well understood in the literature. This study presents the results of a discrete choice experiment corroborated by an analysis of secondary market data to demonstrate that consumers differentiate between label categories; with a greater value being placed on appliances with higher levels of energy efficiency performance. We examine two appliances - air conditioners and refrigerators and observe that there are some differences in consumer response - likely due to the different usage patterns of the two appliances. Consumer responses were observed in hypothetical choice situations constructed ensuring statistical and design efficiency. In a mixed logit model specification with correlated random parameters, the magnitude and the distribution of consumer preference for the highest category of energy efficiency are estimated. The results are validated by estimating the incremental price of higher category of energy efficiency using market data for comparison. The sources of consumer heterogeneity for the highest category of energy efficiency are identified after controlling for other consumer variables. The findings presented in this paper are useful for improving the effectiveness of existing energy efficiency programs and designing new programs to accelerate adoption of energy efficient technologies.

Contemporary urbanization, as experienced in India, is accompanied by increasing motorization and commuting lengths. A spatially unequal distribution of employment opportunities leads to important differences between urban and rural areas. Making use of newly released data at the district level on home-to-work commuting, this article examines the determinants of commuting patterns in the largest rural-urban megaregion of India. This paper finds that short trips and non-motorized travel are still predominant in the region. The residents of higher-income districts more often choose to commute by private motorized modes, including cars, whereas residents of poorer areas are tied to non-motorized modes and public transport, and they often must commute longer distances. One problem seems to be the low provision of rail service in the region compared to roads, which is more pronounced in rural areas. Overall, the socio-demographic, economic, infrastructure and area-based variables help explain the variation in the commuting patterns. This paper emphasizes that policy aiming at sustainable future transport in the National Capital Region requires (i) a shift in government policies from promoting road-based transportation to promoting transit, (ii) the regional integration of rural and urban areas by public transport, and (iii) investment in the provision of rural transport (roads and rail network) for regional development.

In the countries of the Global South such as India, rapid urbanization and the increase in individual motorization may lead to a predominance of unsustainable commuting patterns. However, urbanization also has important positive effects, including the empowerment of women. This paper examines newly released, spatially disaggregated data on home-to-work commuting by non-agricultural workers in the National Capital Region of India. It aims to understand and compare commuting patterns in urban and rural areas, including choice of travel modes, commuting distances, and gender differentials. The results reveal a tendency observable in urban residents to use individual motorized transport more often both for short and for long trips, although the proportion of individual motorization is far from what it is in the industrial world. Rural areas are characterized by the predominance of non-motorized travel modes and a large share of long trips. The mobility gap between men and women does not appear to increase with literacy. In urban areas, women often choose to commute by car rather than using green modes of transportation (especially in higher-income districts). The paper stresses the importance of the area and gender differentials that need to be taken into account when formulating regional transport policies.

This article examines the growth of census towns in India's Capital Region because the unregulated growth of census towns has been the key feature of recent urbanization in India. The article first examines the population and municipal status dynamics, location and economic characteristics of census towns as well as their migratory and commuting patterns. The status and costs of providing basic amenities and social infrastructure are then analyzed. The paper emphasizes the contribution of contemporary theories that explain the growth of census towns and the role of secondary and primary data in capturing their characteristics. Taking advantage of the economic potential of India's urbanization as census towns will require the following: (i) the enforcement of reforms to empower Gram Panchayat for spatial planning and growth regulation; (ii) the discontinuation of subsidized infrastructure provision and charging development tax; and (iii) investment in decentralized infrastructure for more accountable and more efficient delivery of basic amenities.

Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection is associated with increased morbidity and mortality compared with infections caused by methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). Treatment of MRSA infection is complicated by the fact that these organisms are resistant to multiple antimicrobial agents, so treatment options are limited. The aim of the present study is determine risk factors association with MRSA as compared with MSSA and to compare the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of vancomycin, teicoplanin, linezolid and erythromycin to MRSA and MSSA.Methods: A nine-month prospective study was carried out. Staphylococcus aureus strains with clinical correlation, isolated from hospitalised patients, were included in the study. MIC of vancomycin, teicoplanin, linezolid and erythromycin was determined by E-test (HIMEDIA). Risk factors such as immunosuppression, previous hospitalisation, surgical procedure done, invasive devices and antibiotic therapy were determined by a pre-set protocol.Results: A total of 62 S. aureus strains were included in the study. Some 40% of S. aureus strains were methicillin resistant. The risk factors, invasive devices, previous hospitalisation and comorbid illness were found to be significantly associated with MRSA. Borderline significant association was observed with immunosuppression and antibiotic therapy. Erythromycin resistance was observed in 56% of MRSA, while no resistance was observed in MSSA. Teicoplanin MIC50 values and mean MIC were found to be lowest in vitro among vancomycin and linezolid against both MRSA and MSSA. The efficacy of teicoplanin, in terms of clinical and microbiological cure, has not been proven to be superior to vancomycin, but it has a better toxicity profile and has demonstrated a reduced risk of adverse events. Conclusions: Minimising risk factors and attention to alternative antibiotics and infection control practices may ease the problem of management of infections with MRSA.

Appliance labels provide consumers with information on energy usage of appliances and mandatory labeling is an important policy tool for promoting the adoption of efficient appliances. Following global practice, standards and labeling programs have been adopted in India for various appliances since 2006. This paper provides empirical support for this approach, by estimating the value placed by consumers in India on energy labels. The estimates of willingness to pay (WTP) for energy labels and higher efficiency as indicated on labels are obtained using a discrete choice experiment in purchase decisions of air conditioners. A mixed logit model is specified to estimate the parameters for chosen attributes of air conditioners. The results show that consumers place a positive value on the presence of labels. The preference for star rating levels is heterogeneous in the sample. The WTP for higher star rating is estimated which is a useful input in designing other energy efficiency programs in conjunction with the labeling program. (C) 2017 International Energy Initiative. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

While neoliberalisation has long drawn scholarly attention, there have been few attempts to quantify the course of restructuring under neoliberal urbanisation. This paper aims to describe and quantify the restructuring process in India for the period 1991–2011. Theoretically embedded in the notion of “creative destruction”, the paper adopts a multi-method approach to better discern the interjurisdictional differences of the restructuring process. This research contributes to the urban debate by statistically measuring and distinguishing restructuring process between urban and rural areas using creative destruction moments as well as by underscoring the need for an integrated analysis of rural and urban areas for addressing spatial disparities.

Based on the importance of distance as specified by Central Place Theory and New Economic Geography, this paper investigates the distance effect on urban transformation in the Capital Region of India by using spatial data and recently released census data on employment and urban amenities. This study applies a multiple-ring model and identifies a shadow effect for lower-tier settlements at a distance of 50 km and beyond 100 km from the megacity of Delhi. The higher-tier settlements produce 50 km wide shadow on lower-tier settlements, after which latter starts to trigger growth. The population seems to concentrate in the megacity and other million-plus cities in the region to maximize the utility of urban amenities, which are available only in higher-tier centres. The growth of million-plus cities in close proximity to Delhi state is a complementary effect. As the distance from higher-tier settlements increases, employment opportunities and the availability of urban services decrease, thus hinderin...

Background The mortality associated with lower respiratory tract infection is high. Indiscriminate use of antimicrobials leads to alteration of respiratory tract flora and development of multi-drug resistance. Rapid diagnostic tests to confirm infection can guide the clinicians about antimicrobial treatment. So the present study was planned to evaluate the role of direct gram stain examination as a rapid and simple test to help clinicians for appropriate patient management. Methods The present study was conducted on 1000 respiratory specimens which were processed using conventional microbiological techniques. Gram stain smear and culture results were compared statistically to assess the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value. The agreement between gram stain smear examination and culture was calculated using kappa statistics. Results Potential pathogens were obtained from 28 of 209 deeply coughed out sputum samples (13.3%) and from 19 of 315 saliva mixed sputum samples (6%). Out of 473 tracheal aspirates, 115 (24.3%) had potential pathogens. The sensitivity for predicting infection was higher for good quality sputum samples (54%) as compared to poor quality sputum samples (37%). The gram stain and culture of tracheal samples had a good agreement for predicting infection whereas there was only moderate agreement for sputum sample. Conclusion Gram stain smear examination from respiratory samples can be used to guide empiric antibiotic therapy pending final culture sensitivity results if the attending physicians ensure appropriate sample collection and transport. In absence of these supportive measures smear examination should not be relied upon for empiric treatment.

Dynamic logic is a powerful framework for reasoning about imperative programs. This paper extends previous work [9] on the systematic generation of dynamic logics from the propositional to the equational case, to capture ‘full-fledged’ imperative programs. The generation process is parametric on a structure specifying a notion of ‘weight’ assigned to programs. The paper introduces also a notion of bisimilarity on models of the generated logics, which is shown to entail modal equivalence with respect to the latter. published

Hemoglobin (Hb)-F inducers are known to improve Hb level and transfusion dependence in thalassemia. This pilot study was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of Hb-F inducer thalidomide compared to hydroxyurea (HU) in Hb E-β thalassemia patients.This was a prospective interventional single-centre study with 45 Hb E-beta thalassemia patients equally divided into group-I (thalidomide+folic acid), group-II (HU + folic acid) and group-III (folic acid). Response was assessed at various time intervals with 12-months follow up period. Primary end points were increment in Hb, Hb-F level and improvement in transfusion requirement; secondary end point were tolerability and safety.There was 100% responder (R: Hb-increment ≥1 g/dl) in group-I with 66.67% major responder (MaR: Hb-increment ≥2 g/dl), while there were 40% and 0% responder in group-II and III respectively. Hb-increment was significantly (p-value0.0001) better in thalidomide arm compared to HU. The Hb-increment was attributable to both increase in Hb-F levels and reduction in ineffective erythropoiesis in thalidomide arm. Transfusion reduction was significantly better in group-I compared to group-II (100% vs 34%). No severe adverse effects was reported by patients of any group.Thalidomide showed a persistent significant Hb-increment and transfusion independence in Hb E-β thalassemia patients compared to HU.

In recent years, scholars of urban studies have advocated strategic spatial planning as a way to better integrate infrastructure provision with spatial development in the Global South, especially given escalation in large-scale development projects under neoliberalism. This paper outlines a conceptual framework that applies a multi-method approach to policy evaluation so as to identify gaps in policy integration. In particular, content analysis is used to analyze consistency between policy documents, while GIS analysis and regression analysis are employed to identify and describe the current status as well as the potential future impacts on spatial development. Applying the framework to the case of an envisioned transport corridor in India, the study shows how spatial planning instruments remain detached from infrastructure funding policies, the national government’s spatial development initiative is isolated from that of state governments, and the expansion of built-up area outside municipal boundaries is escalated by state government funding for urban development and decentralization planning. The findings lend support for specific institutional reforms of national- and state-level planning to ensure the integration of spatial development with infrastructure provision.

Background: Tribal population in West Bengal constitutes a significant proportion (5.1%) and the vulnerable group because of lower socio-economic status, poor literacy rate and malnutrition. The present study was conducted to evaluate hemoglobin level and prevalence of anemia among the tribal children from the western districts of West Bengal, India.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on school going (class I to class VIII) tribal children (≥5 to

This paper revisits the potential of urban cycle models to investigate the current challenges of urbanisation in India. It contributes not only by empirically examining the past, current and future trend of urban development, but also by predicting the demand for social infrastructure for sustainably accommodating the predicted growth. Using a non-spatial model, rapid growth is predicted in small cities in developed regions and in intermediate cities in developing regions. The adopted spatial model suggests a decline of megacity cores, but the growth of million-plus city cores and respective peripheries should be anticipated. Socio-economic factors are helpful for understanding the growth of million-plus city cores and megacity suburbs. In those cities predicted to grow, the provision of health and education infrastructure will be below the government norms. Given the data constraints, rapid growth and institutional constraints, this research develops and implements an analytical approach, thereby enhancing understanding of spatial development and elucidating the policy reforms needed to reduce the spatial disparities in India. This approach is transferable to the regions of the Global South facing similar constraints.

In this work, we report the covalent immobilization of lipase enzyme on the surface of chitosan coated magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) using N -(3-dimethylaminoproyl)- N -ethylcarbodiimide (EDC) and N -hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) as coupling agents. Surface functional groups of chitosan coated MNPs, lipase enzyme, and immobilized lipase enzyme were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic (FT-IR) analysis. The structural characteristics of the chitosan coated magnetic nanoparticles were analyzed by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) studies. The statistical methodology with central composite design (CCD) was applied to evaluate the effects of immobilization, including the magnetic nanoparticles, lipase enzyme, pH and immobilization time on the enzyme activity. Based on the statistical analysis, the optimum immobilization conditions of magnetic nanoparticles (40 mg), lipase enzyme (40 mg), pH (9), and immobilization time (6 h), the maximum enzyme activity obtained was 16.94 U/mL. The optimum pH and temperature for maximum enzyme activity of immobilized lipase are found to be pH 9 and 40 °C respectively. The immobilized lipase exhibited excellent catalytic activity over eight successive cycles and retain 64% original stability. The Michaelis–Menten enzyme kinetic studies of immobilized lipase on chitosan coated MNPs showed maximum activity ( V max ) and Michaelis–Menten constant ( K m ) of 33.7 (μmol/mL min) and 0.89 mM respectively. The thermal stability of lipase was significantly improved after immobilization. The thermal deactivation rate of immobilized lipase was studied to follow the Arrhenius law with deactivation energy of 73 kJ/mol. Glucose ester yield of 80.8% was achieved in this study revealed that immobilized lipase on MNPs have promising application in industrial scale for sugar ester production.

Background: Obstetric emergencies may turn catastrophic in women’s as well as obstetrician’s life. In the event of real emergency, all prior preparations may fall deficient. Every little contribution towards safe confinement brings about large reductions in maternal mortality and morbidity. Methods: Cross-sectional questionnaire based study carried out on nurses involved in perinatal care of parturient conducted at the Dept of Obstetrics & Gynecology of PCMS & RC, Bhopal. Results: Total study participants were 36 (100% response rate). Majority (83%) were aware about the two leading causes of maternal mortality (PE, PPH). Twenty four (67%) knew the warning signs of eclampsia and 61% knew the signs of eclampsia but only 17% were aware of MgSO 4 toxicity. Only 56% could correctly prepare the loading dose of MgSO 4 . All were aware about PPH; however only17% knew methergine as the drug for active management. Grossly wrong attitude noted only in 27% for PPH and 27% for severe PE. Overall preparedness for emergency was satisfactory in LR and PNC. Conclusions: Though the overall awareness for identifying emergencies (PE, PPH) was satisfactory, lacunae in awareness were noted about components of eclampsia, magnesium toxicity and drugs required for initial management of PE and PPH. Preparedness of nurses in labour room and postnatal ward was fairly good. Regular assessment of awareness & preparedness for obstetric emergencies would be desirable to optimize the overall delivery outcomes especially at peripheral rural centres where nurses are primarily involved in the care of labouring women.

Although strategies to create transport corridor are prevalent in the global South, there is a lack of empirical research to evaluate these initiatives, in particular whether they have realised their general goal of reducing regional disparities. The current paper describes a multi-method approach involving spatial and non-spatial analysis to investigate spatial disparity along a proposed corridor and examine its integration within the existing settlement structure. The analytical framework is tested on India’s Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor. A rationale is developed to enable a critical view of corridor policies as strategies for development in the global South. One important finding regarding policies on transport corridors is the risk that future growth will remain concentrated in districts directly linked to a proposed corridor, leaving peripheral areas marginalised. An integrative analysis of current spatial and social disparities in India shows growth to be high in areas with good accessibility between urban and rural areas. Specifically, growth in rural areas is fostered by the availability of good road network, and polytechnic and vocational institutions, whereas in urban areas, growth is positively associated with the provision of secondary schools. In order to prevent or even reduce disparities, this research recommends that spatial strategies be developed with mechanisms to enable their implementation by lower tiers of governments, that spatial plans and infrastructure outlays be reformed to improve accessibility between proposed corridors and peripheral areas, and that accessibility indicators be included in the design and implementation of transport development policies.

The urbanisation process in the Global South is characterised by the blurring of the boundaries between urban and rural areas and the lack of institutional capacity, which have made the process highly unsustainable. In India, an example of such development is the rapid growth of “census towns”. These settlements are not acknowledged as urban by the state, but they play an important role in accommodating population growth. This paper aims to elucidate and understand the process and characteristics of Indian urbanisation better in light of relevant theoretical discourses by using a mix of statistical analysis and field survey. It argues for moving from traditional master planning, which originated from the Global North to a more participatory and strategic approach in order to achieve infrastructure integrated development.

Background Multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as important nosocomial pathogen associated with various infections including lower respiratory tract. Limited therapeutic options contribute to increased morbidity and mortality. Acinetobacter baumannii has the ability to persist in the environment for prolonged periods. Breach in infection control practices increases the chances of cross transmission between patients and inter/intraspecies transmission of resistance elements. The present prospective work was conducted among patients with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) in the intensive care unit (ICU) to study the etiology with special reference to Acinetobacter baumannii and the role of immediate patient environment in the ICU as possible source of infection. Acinetobacter baumannii were characterized for antimicrobial susceptibility, mechanism of carbapenem resistance and virulence determinants. Molecular typing of the clinical and environmental isolates was undertaken to study the probable modes of transmission. Materials and methods Appropriate respiratory samples from 107 patients with LRTI admitted to ICU during September 2016 to March 2017 were studied for likely bacterial pathogens. Environmental samples (n = 71) were also screened. All the samples were processed using conventional microbiological methods. Consecutive Acinetobacter spp. isolated from clinical and environmental (health care workers and environment from ICU) samples were included in the study. Antimicrobial susceptibility was performed as per CLSI guidelines. Carbapenem resistance, mediated by carbapenemase genes (blaOXA-23-like, blaOXA-24-like, blaOXA-58-like and blaNDM-1) were studied by PCR. Biofilm forming ability was tested phenotypically using microtitre plate method. Pulse Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) was used to study clonality of the clinical and environmental isolates. Results The prevalence of Acinetobacter baumannii was 26.2% (28/107) and 11.26% (8/71) among patients with LRTI and environmental samples respectively. The carbapenem resistance was high, 96.42% (27/28) and 87.5% (7/8) in clinical and environmental isolates respectively. The most common carbapenemase associated with resistance was blaOXA-23-like gene followed by blaNDM-1 among both the clinical and environmental isolates. All isolates were sensitive to colistin (MIC ≤ 1 μg/ml). Biofilm production was observed among all clinical (n = 28) and 87.5% (7/8) of the environmental isolates. Line listing of the cases suggests the occurrence of infections throughout the study period with no significant clustering. On PFGE, 12 clusters were observed and 16/36 isolates were present in one single cluster that included both clinical and environmental isolates which were either carbapenem resistant or sensitive. Discussion Carbapenem resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) is an important cause of LRTI in the ICU. PFGE suggests spread of carbapenem resistant isolates via cross transmission among patients and the environment. The detection of blaNDM-1 gene among Acinetobacter baumannii and existence of carbapenem resistant and sensitive isolates within the same clones suggests horizontal transmission of resistant genes among various bacterial species. The ability of Acinetobacter baumannii to form biofilms may contribute to its persistence in the environment. This along with breach in infection control practices are the likely factors contributing to this transmission. This information can be used to strengthen and monitor infection control (IC) and the hospital cleaning and disinfection practices to prevent spread of resistant organisms within the ICU. Colistin remains drug of choice for management of CRAB.

The role of energy efficiency in meeting domestic energy challenges and global environmental issues is well acknowledged. The need for policy intervention to maximize the potential of energy efficiency that can be realized is also widely accepted. The impact of the energy efficiency policies determines the extent to which they address the barriers to adoption of efficiency measures. Evaluating the impact of policy instruments is crucial to increase their effectiveness and maximize their energy and emission reduction potential. The data to estimate the impact of a policy intervention are often disaggregated, particularly in developing countries. The policy interventions adopted in India to increase energy efficiency include information programs, regulations, financial incentives, and other market-oriented mechanisms. The standards and labeling program is one the most important energy efficiency policies in India. It has been found that the program has significantly contributed to the energy and emission reduction in the country. A positive response from the consumers to the program has also been reported. In this chapter, the policy interventions in India to improve energy efficiency and impact on climate change mitigation are discussed.

In the 20th and 21st centuries, the world has experienced rapid urbanization and slum proliferation. Slum residents form a significant portion of urban populations and contribute to the development of cities. However, due to their highly concentrated consumption and waste production patterns, slums endure and exacerbate, among other things, environmental degradation. To date, our understanding of slums in Indian cities has been primarily based on census data and evidence from remote sensing images. These data do not yet provide spatial slum dynamics over time and are limited to static and statistical representation. In addition to the obsolescence of spatial data, the non-availability of consistent socio-economic data leads to data integration problems. Therefore, new approaches that consider the scarcity of data and the choice of analytical techniques are needed; planners without advanced technical training should also be able to easily apply these approaches. This study provides a comprehensive approach to examine the urban transformation of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT-Delhi), India, from 1971 to 2011. Combining data from multi-temporal remote sensing images, census population statistics, slum enumeration and the provision of essential services, these investigations reveal a previously undocumented rapid increase in built-up areas outside municipal boundaries. The findings confirm the spatial shift of slums from the city center towards the periphery. The analysis provides a revealing insight: the emergence and growth of slums are outcomes of the prevailing urban planning environment, the limited success of adopted policies and the government's inability to foster growth.

Resource-efficient growth, which is characterized as integrated land use and trans-portation development, is cost effective and stimulates growth while reducing environmental impact. Integrating transportation, land use and coordination among numerous existing local government bodies is critical for implementing such a model. Although the role of governance is crucial for attaining inter-sector and inter-municipal solutions, it remains challenging for governments to address such issues because policies are traditionally specialized by sectors and municipal power is limited by juris-diction. Despite attempts to manage growth in South Asia, the prevalent trend is characterized as dramatic because of the excessive outward expansion at the cost of productive agricultural land and growth associated with a lack of infrastructure. Taking Delhi and its neighboring tehsils (subsection of a district) as an example, the research presented in this paper uses remote sensing imagery (RS) and GIS-based vector a...

The preparation of chitosan-coated magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and covalent immobilization of α-amylase for starch hydrolysis was investigated. Surface morphology, chemical composition, and structural characteristics of the MNPs were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersion spectrometry, and X-ray diffractometry, respectively. Surface functional groups of MNPs, chitosan-coated MNPs, and α-amylase-immobilized MNPs were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Response surface methodology based on three levels was implemented to optimize three immobilization conditions and a regression model was developed. α-Amylase-immobilized MNPs provided better stability towards pH and temperature. The prepared thermostable nanobiocatalyst is well-suited for industrial processes involving starch hydrolysis.

Background: Friendships constitute an integral part of adolescent growth and development. As the teens explore their identity towards functional independence, teen peer relationship acquires an important role. Contrary to prevailing beliefs, peer pressure can have both a positive and negative impact on youths. Methods: A school based cross sectional study carried out on adolescents falling between the age group of 11 to 19 years using a pre-designed written questionnaire. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive analytical methods. Results: The mean age for all was 17 years (Range 15-19 years). Adolescents preferred long term friendships (52%), opposite gender (66%) and similar socioeconomic status (43%) while making friendships. Majority admitted to have good quality time spent with parents (81%) and parents as the most influential persons in their lives (85%). While, teen peer relationship can result in improvement in academic performance (96%), skill and personality development (96%) it can also have negative influences like alcohol intake (52%), cigarette smoking (55%) and other misconducts (55%). Conclusions: Though, it may appear that teens are all influenced by their peers, parents continue to be the most influential persons in their lives. Peer friendships although thought of as all negative impact, can also have a positive effect on youth development.

Background and Aims: Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is one of the most common health care acquired infection encountered in clinical practice. The present study was planned to assess the knowledge and attitude of health care providers regarding the indications for catheterization and methods of preventing CAUTI. Methods: A prospective questionnaire-based survey was done from March 2011 to August 2011. A structured questionnaire comprising of 41 items related to demographic details of the respondents, their knowledge regarding indications for catheterization and methods of preventing CAUTI was given to 54 doctors and 105 nurses. The response was evaluated for statistical correlation using a computer software. Results: The mean years of experience of the respondents in the health care setup was 6.8 years. Only 57% of the respondents could identify all the measures for prevention of CAUTI. The knowledge regarding the indication for catheterization though suboptimal was significantly better amongst the doctors as compared to nurses. Conclusion: The knowledge regarding indication and preventive measures was suboptimal in our study group. There is a tremendous scope of improvement in catheterization practices in our hospital and education induced intervention would be the most appropriate effort toward reducing the incidence of CAUTI.

Spatial-development policies in India have aimed to achieve balanced regional development. However, these attempts have had limited success, as development is still concentrated in certain ...

Introduction: Rickettsia diseases are now established as re-emerging zoonotic bacterial infections in the Indian subcontinent. Objectives: The retrospective study was conducted to see the trends of scrub typhus with cofactors like disease & sex ratio significance and impact of seasons on the disease outcome in the Jaipur, Rajasthan. Methods: A total of 2233 samples were processed between January 2013 to November 2016 suspecting rickettsia infection with complaints of fever, rash, oedema, hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy and an eschar, with or without a history of tick exposure at Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Hospital, Jaipur, Rajasthan. IgM antibodies to Orientia tsutsugamushi antigen were tested by ELISA method. Results: A total of 2233 samples were processed from january 2013 to november 2016. Out of 2233 samples 475 samples were IgM antibody reactive by ELISA method. In 2013 positivity is 36.38% while in 2014 positivity is 24.34%. In 2015, 21.49% positivity rate while jan-nov16, 12.43% positvity. Females are more prone to infection then male patients specially with rural background. Maximum numbers of cases were reported from the month of August to October. Conclusions: Scrub typhus is prevalent but an underdiagnosed disease in India. The prevalence is gradually decreasing with increasing sample size every year with female patients predominence. Trends are more in late rainy season between August and October months. Rickettsia – specific IgM ab ELISA tests can help in early diagnosis & early empiric therapy which can be given to reduce serious complications and mortality. [Manisha JNJIRM 2017; 8(2):9-11]

Electronic commerce includes all business conduct through information and communication technology. Development of infrastructure, telecommunications, mobile technologies, the internet and social media in recent years, made a tremendous growth in business through e-commerce. Now e-commerce is a vital part of the economic development and helps in employment, FDI and GDP growth in the country. More and more companies are now on the internet and smooth the progress of transactions over the web. A large volume of data generated by these e-commerce sites which are updated very frequently. To increase the sell, customer retention and effective decision making, association rule mining play a significant role. There are number of association rule mining algorithms designed for e-commerce. A few algorithms also support the incremental and interactive association mining. In this paper, we conducted a comprehensive study of various association rule mining algorithms that support e-commerce transactions. The shortcoming of the various existing algorithms are also identified. Some plausible characteristics proposed as well for designing an efficient algorithm of e-commerce databases, which support incremental, interactive and multi-objective association rule mining.

Takayasu’s arteritis is a chronic inflammatory arteriopathy affecting large vessels predominantly the aorta and its main branches [1, 2]. It is a rare disease, relatively more common in Japan, India, Asia and Mexico [3]. It has a higher preponderance for women in reproductive age groups, in the 2nd and the 3rd decades of life [4–6]. The etiology remains speculative, but the current literature suggests autoimmune basis [2, 7, 8]. The disease can vary remarkably in terms of sites of constrictions of blood vessels and hence the clinical presentation [9, 10]. Optimal management of pregnancy in this condition cannot be too standardized or generalized due to rarity and variation in disease profile. Therefore, experience sharing forms an important aspect of learning to manage such patients. We share one such case here and the lessons we learnt from it.

Managing growth in rapidly growing complex mega urban regions in India is a growing concern for planners and scholars. Although the government attempts to regulate the development by spatial decentralization, there are no easy solutions, resulting in undesirable growth and associated problems. However, a good mix of (fiscal and regulatory) interventions, although difficult to implement, has the potential to achieve effective urban growth, as exemplified by Tokyo in Asia and London in Europe. Examining the National Capital Region (NCR) Delhi as a case study, this study evaluated the performance of some aspects of spatial decentralization policy. The investigation identified the need to link jobs and housing, redefine the concept of greenbelt, and integrate transport and land-use planning. We recommend introducing a mix of interventions to effectuate spatial decentralization.

Annealing (SA) is a stochastic based heuristic optimization technique based on physical process of metal crystallization. Optimization of Non-Deterministic polynomial hard (NP-hard) problems of non-trivial sizes is done using heuristic approach. Until now, simulated annealing (SA), genetic algorithm (GA) and Hopfield neural network (HNN) were individually used for solving the standard cell placement (SCP) problem. Simulated annealing established as a powerful SCP optimization tool, its drawback has always been its appetite for computational resources. In light of this, we are interested in the application of these parallel simulated annealing algorithms with respect to standard cell placement. Several generalized algorithms proposed for parallelizing simulated annealing, only a few have been applied to cell placement. Parallel moves has been the most popular strategy and in this paper we present a new implementation of this approach.

Background: Abnormal Uterine Bleeding (AUB) is one of the most common reasons for women to seek gynaecology consultation. The underlying causes in AUB are many and identifying the exact cause can be a real challenge to the treating gynaecologists. Objectives of current study are to study the common etiology of AUB and to study and correlate the diagnoses of Trans Vaginal Sonography (TVS) and Diagnostic Hysteroscopy (DH) with histopathology diagnosis. Methods: One hundred and thirteen women with AUB were enrolled and evaluated by conventional TVS and DH. The findings were correlated with histopathology diagnosis. The sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive value of TVS and DH were calculated after comparison with final histopathology diagnosis. Results: Fibroids and polyps were the two commonest structural lesions in AUB. For submucosal fibroids, the sensitivity and specificity of DH was found to be 92% and 99% respectively while that of TVS was found to be 85 % and 100 % respectively. For polyps, the sensitivity and specificity of DH was found to be 91% and 98 % respectively and that of TVS was 68% and 93 % respectively. The coefficient of correlation for DH was better than that of TVS. Conclusions: Fibroids and polyps are the two commonest structural lesions causing AUB in the women of reproductive age group. TVS has a role as primary screening method for the initial work-up AUB before resorting to invasive procedure such as hysteroscopy.

Human is the most significant creature on the earth having various complex biological structures. Skin the foremost and important organ of the body with many different functions is always a center of attraction for medical scientist. Protecting the skin is important. If the skin is unable to function properly, it will affect the entire parts of the body. Pathogens will enter the body cause harm to the internal environment and hence the different systems in our body may not be able to function properly. Thermoregulation due to skin plays an important role to maintain body core temperature. Any disorder in skin causes various disorderly idiosyncrasies. Present study deals with the thermal regulation in human tissues in wounding to healing process. All physiological essential factors responsible for healing are taken into consideration for real case studies. All estimations are based on bio-heat equation associated with bio physical and biochemical reactions. The present study deals with the theoretical model for the estimation of temperature variation in the human peripheral region. The study involves the essential factors responsible for the temperature distribution, the central blood flow, the heat transfer coefficient due to exchange of the temperature between the atmospheric temperatures and human periphery. The effect of the atmospheric temperature has been analyzed theoretically.

This paper uses concepts and measures from the central place theory to describe and analyze the settlement hierarchy in India. Using statistical analysis, a mismatch between the population-based hierarchy and the functional hierarchy is identified. Large cities lack adequate provision of urban amenities compared to small urban centers, which are relatively better provided to sustain future population growth. The findings confirm that spatial disparities might be exacerbated by large investment projects like the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor in the absence of regional planning. The paper argues for a strong institutional structure and advocates for place-based policies in order to facilitate implementation of large-scale cross-border infrastructure projects and to harness the potential of smaller urban centers.

Despite the long tradition of planning to manage urban growth in the National Capital Region (NCR) Delhi, the region is often criticized by the scholars for facing severe urban problems caused not only by an increasing population but also by a lack of infrastructure provision coupled with outward spatial expansion. Identification of urban development stages provides policy makers with a tool to devise reforms in order to effectively and efficiently manage urban growth. In this article, taking NCR-Delhi as a case study using the urban growth model conceptualized by Klaassen–van den Berg as a cycle, we not only identify its urban development stage but also attempt to predict its future stage, in order to provide planners a platform to revisit the formulated policies to manage urban growth effectively. The investigations identified that NCR-Delhi has been in absolute suburbanization since 1981 and had sprawled over the decades. In the prevalent deficient infrastructure environment and institutional capacity it is most likely to skip counterurbanization and go directly to reurbanization.

Background The increasing salinity is a major problem in agriculture around the world. Salt stress results in inhibition or reduction in plant growth which affects productivity. Also, most of the crop plants like wheat are glycophytes, which are sensitive to even low salt concentrations. Hence it is important to find out the role played in plant salt tolerance by compatible osmolytes such as proline. Proline appears to be the preferred organic osmoticumin many plants. The proposed functions of proline under stress conditions include osmotic adjustments, protection of enzymes and membrane, as a hydroxyl radical scavenger, as well as acting as a reserve of energy and nitrogen for utilization during exposure to salinity. Method Wheat (Triticumaestivum) seedlings were grown in salt solutions ranging from 0.5 M to 5 M NaCl concentration for 7 days. The tissues were homogenized in 3% sulphosalicylic acid to obtain the extract. The extract was made to react with ninhydrin in acidic conditions to form a red chromophore which was read at 520 nm to determine the proline concentration. Result Experimental findings confirm the accumulation of proline under salt stress. There is a linear correlation between the given salt stress, and the proline accumulated implying the role of proline as a compatible osmolyte. Conclusion The development of salt tolerant crop varieties would have a huge impact in the agricultural economy. Salt tolerant genotypes would reduce pressure on water resources and low quality water could be used for irrigation. Engineering crops to accumulate compatible osmolytes like proline could be a nature friendly method of adapting plants to stress.

Most of the upper respiratory tract infections are viral in origin and accounts for the most frequent cause of antibiotic misuse world over. Conventional test like microbiological culture for confirming bacterial etiology is not very sensitive. We evaluated the utility of biomarkers like procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP) and total leukocyte count (TLC) to guide antibiotic treatment in such cases. Fifty patients were divided into two groups, those having acute suppurative tonsillitis (n = 40) and those having acute rhinosinusitis (n = 10) were included. Appropriate samples were processed for microbiological culture. Blood samples were taken for PCT, CRP and TLC estimation. Almost 34% of the patients were taking antibiotics at least 1 day prior to their consultation. Microbiological culture was positive only in 38% of cases. The levels of PCT were significantly higher in cases of acute suppurative tonsillitis as compared to rhinosinusitis. The PCT levels correlated well with CRP, TLC and degree of fever in tonsillitis cases. The levels of CRP correlated well with the TLC levels in rhinosinusitis cases. PCT and CRP levels were higher than the normal healthy population in our patients. They can be used as a marker for guiding antibiotic treatment in cases of upper respiratory tract infection of bacterial origin. How to cite this article Chauhan P, Sood A, Jain M, Dabla P, Sood S. Serum PCT and CRP Levels in Upper Respiratory Tract Infections as a Marker of Infection. Clin Rhinol An Int J 2013;6(1):1-4.

Introduction: With advancing health care sciences, the prevalence of Accidental Exposure to Patient’s Blood (AEBP) amongst Health Care Personnel (HCP) is bound to increase. The only means of preventing such accidental exposure is safe working practices. It is the responsibility of the teachers to inculcate these practices amongst their students. Aim: To evaluate the knowledge, practice and attitude regarding Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) and Hepatitis-B Virus (HBV) immunization amongst faculty and undergraduate students and to assess the frequency of these occupational exposure with the objective of inculcating safe working practices in the teaching curriculum. Materials and Methods: The present study is a descriptive analytical cross-sectional study done from May 2012 to August 2012 in a newly established ESIC dental college at Rohini, Delhi. A 36-item survey questionnaire was distributed to 50 faculty and 115 dental undergraduate students. The survey included questions on demographic details of the respondents, the prevalence of AEBP, the knowledge regarding PEP and HBV immunization and the status of the respondents. The data was analysed using SPSS 12.0 software using various statistical tests such as frequency analysis, Chi-square test and others. Results: The mean age of the study group was 23.3±6.3 years. The prevalence of such accidental exposure was high being 49.7% in our study group. More than half of these respondents did not report the injury. The knowledge regarding the transmissibility of blood borne pathogens and the post exposure prophylaxis was suboptimal amongst the students and even teachers. Almost 20% of the study group was not immunized for HBV. Conclusion: Managing AEBP in HCP is a challenging issue. They are highly prevalent, largely underreported and poorly managed because of the unawareness regarding the hospital’s protocols for reporting and PEP as is seen in the present study. Besides the administrative measures, orientation and reinforcement training of all the staff including faculty is desirable to maintain high level of knowledge and effectively handle such occupational exposure.