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The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of two concentrations of each chemicals viz., 6-Benzylaminopurine (6-BAP) (0.0025 and 0.005%), calcium chloride (CaCl2) (0.05 and 0.10%), ascorbic acid (0.5 and 1%), potassium permanganate (KMnO4) (0.5–1 g) and distilled water (assigned as control) on postharvest response of broccoli heads stored under ambient (20 ± 2 °C and 55 ± 2% RH) and refrigerated (4 ± 10c and 85 ± 2% RH) conditions. The experiment results suggested that the most pronounced effect was under 6-BAP treatments (i.e. 0.0025 and 0.005%) which reduced the respiration rate, liberation of ethylene, and vital heat in treated broccoli heads under ambient and refrigerated storage when compared to other chemical treatments. Further, heads treated with 6-BAP resulted in delay in yellowing of broccoli florets and aided to increase in shelf life up to 5.5 days and 23.5 days under ambient and refrigerated conditions, respectively.

Green synthesis procedure assisted with lemon juice was adopted to prepare MgFe2O4 ferrite nanoparticles. Structural analysis revealed the purity of the ferrite phase of the samples without any secondary phases. Lemon juice as a chelating agent seems to be playing crucial role in the formation ferrite phase. The crystallinity of ferrite samples was found to be ripened with the heat treatment and higher average size of 32.9 nm was reported for crystallite size. The average particle size (estimated from the SEM histograms) is well matched with the average crystallite size (estimated from the XRD peaks). The dielectric behaviour is similar to the usual spinel ferrite systems, as the dielectric constant is maximum at lower frequencies and decreases at higher frequencies due to hopping of electrons showing the dielectric dispersion. This dielectric behaviour is influencing the humidity sensing behaviour in the way of interfacial polarization of water molecules for conduction mechanism to increase the impedance of the material with the decrease of dielectric constant. Moreover, in the present ferrite systems hopping mechanism appears to be dependent on the location of Mg2+ ion in the spinel structure. The as-prepared and sintered samples are showing a humidity response over the humid range of 10–95% RH. The sample sintered at 900 °C is showing highest average sensor response 6.02 MΩ/%RH among the as-prepared sample (5.56 MΩ/%RH) and sintered sample at 600 °C (5.70 MΩ/%RH).

Background: Little information is available from India about the psychological impact of COVID-19 on helath-care workers. Aim: The current study aimed to evaluate the psychological issues among the health-care workers (HCW) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: An online survey using Survey Monkey® platform was carried out to evaluate depression (using Patient Health Questionnaire-9), anxiety (using Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire-7), and other psychological issues (using a self-designed questionnaire). Results: The study sample comprised 303 participants with a mean age of 41.2 (standard deviation: 11.1) years. A majority of them were male (69%) and married (79.9%). Nearly half (46.2%) of the participants had either anxiety disorder or depression or both and 12.9% of HCW had suicidal behavior. Higher level of anxiety and depression scores were associated with being female, having undergone quarantine, directly involved in the care of COVID-19 patients, and younger age (

An analysis of human-wildlife conflict in Kerala was done using compensation claims to evaluate its current status and changes in intensity of conflict incidents over the last seven years. Data was collected from the Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department, from 2015-16 to 2021-22 and included details such as the type of conflict and the number of applications for each type of conflict at different forest ranges of Kerala. There was a sharp rise in the number of applications for compensation, from 6022 applications in 2015-16 to 10036 applications in 2021-22. Highest number of applications for 2019-20 to 2021-22 were from Wayanad North division, Kannur division and Wayanad South division. Moderate positive correlation was found between the total length of forest boundary and the number of applications for compensation.

Additive manufacturing (AM) of nickel-based superalloys, due to high temperature gradients during the building process, typically promotes epitaxial growth of columnar grains with strong crystallographic texture in form of a 〈001〉 fibre or a cube texture. Understanding the mutual dependency between AM process parameters, the resulting microstructure and the effective mechanical properties of the material is of great importance to accelerate the development of the manufacturing process. In this work, a multi-scale micromechanical model is employed to gain deeper insight into the influence of various texture characteristics on the creep behavior of an IN738 superalloy. The creep response is characterized using a phenomenological crystal plasticity creep model that considers the characteristic γ–γ′ microstructure and all active deformation mechanisms. The results reveal that the creep strength increases with decreasing texture intensities and reaches its maximum when the 〈001〉 fibre and cube textures are misaligned to the specimen building direction by 45°. The simulations also predict that the uncommon 〈111〉 and 〈110〉 fibres offer significantly higher creep resistance than the typically observed 〈001〉 fibre, which provides a further incentive to investigate AM processing conditions that can produce these unique textures in the material. As the intensities and the alignment of 〈001〉 fibre and cube textures can be attributed to the laser energy density and the scan strategy employed and as the formation of distinct fibre textures depends on the geometry of the resulting melt pool, the laser powder bed fusion process parameters can be optimized to obtain microstructures with features that improve the creep properties.

The effect of a N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF)/acetone solvent system (3:7, 4:6, 5:5, 6:4, 7:3) and spinning medium (air and water) on the membrane morphology and the structure-property relationship were investigated. A facile method was optimized to generate a porous, polymer-fiber membrane via the combinative effect of electrospinning and thermally inducing phase separation of the DMF/acetone (4:6) solvent system in a water medium. The attenuated total reflection (ATR) - Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) results showed an increased β-phase compared to the pristine poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF). The XRD and DSC results further confirmed that the co-existing α- and β-phases in the pristine PVDF were converted into a unique β-phase in the electrospun membranes. In addition, the solvent uptake percentage of the DMF/acetone (4:6) solvent system in a water medium (540) is much greater than that in an air medium (320), and over two times better than that of commercial polyethylene (PE) membranes (190). Similarly, the discharge capacity of the PVDF membrane separator prepared with the DMF/acetone (4:6) solvent system in a water medium is higher than that of the air medium. This enhancement of solvent uptake might be due to the interconnected porous morphology present in the water medium.

New distributional records of Maripanthus gloria Caleb, 2021 and Maripanthus jubatus Maddison, 2020 from southern India are reported. Diagnosis and images of both the species are provided and the updated distributional records are also mapped.

Samarium modified SrBi4-xSmxTi4O15 (x = 0, 0.13, 0.43 and 0.78) ferroelectric ceramics of Aurivillius family were prepared by conventional solid state reaction method. X-ray diffraction studies confirm the formation of a single-phase. Microstructural images show randomly oriented palate-like structure. Broad dielectric peaks were found to obey the modified Curie-Weiss law. The overall inherent ferroelectric nature was explained on the basis of the Avrami model. Furthermore, with increasing the Sm3+ content, the grain morphology and diffusive parameters have shown a comprehending impact on the ferroelectric (hysteresis) behavior.

Biotech-Kisan hub has been established at Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh with the major objectives of assessment of the yield gaps in major pulses and groundnut grown in scarce rainfall and north coastal zones. As part of the project, a base line survey was conducted at selected 25 villages of Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam, Anantapur and Kurnool districts to assess the potentials of the districts by developing a database in order to exploit resources and develop action plans in co-operation with line departments. Sixty farmers from each district were randomly selected to obtain baseline information making the total sample size is 240 farmers cultivating the targeted pulse crops in the district. A pre-tested interview schedule was used to collect data from the respondents. A profile analysis was done and revealed that the North coastal zone showed Low scores in Knowledge, Risk orientation and Mass media participation and medium in Innovativeness, Social participation and Extension contact, while the Scarce rainfall zone showed medium in all the variables except for Risk orientation. The findings also revealed that the Adoption index was found to be medium to low in case of Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam districts and Medium to High in case of Ananthpur and Kurnool districts indicating that more focused interventions are required in the North coastal zone when compared to Scarce rainfall zone. The overall adoption index indicated in Table 3 showed that majority of the respondents fell in the medium category (49.00%) followed by High (35.00%) and low category (15.00%) indicating that there is scope to increase adoption of recommended practices. The chi square test of profile characteristics and adoption indicated that all the six independent variables- Knowledge, Innovativeness, Risk orientation, Mass media participation, Social participation and Extension contact are significantly influencing the adoption levels of farmers in the four districts.

The study was undertaken to know the effectiveness of season long training programme imparted to Village Agriculture Assistants (VAAs) in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh by DoA (Department of Agriculture) during kharif 2020. One-group pre and post evaluation design was employed for conducting a formative evaluation. The knowledge tests were administered to 113 VAAs, before and after the training programme. The results showed that there was a significant knowledge gain in subjects like crop production, plant protection and general agriculture in terms of qualification wise, division wise and subject wise. The pre-training mean knowledge score of the trainees was 37.95, which increased to 53.77 after the training. There was an increase of 15.82 in the mean knowledge score, which is significant at the level p < 0.01. In the correlation analysis education, experience, social participation, rural back ground and land holding were found to have significant relationship with knowledge levels of the VAAs. Majority of the respondents expressed in their feedback that they were ‘satisfied ‘regarding its usefulness in enhancing knowledge, appropriateness of the content & its relevancy, stimulation of inquisitiveness, arousal of curiosity & interest.

Context Type 1 diabetic children exhibit poorer oral health than general population. However, no oral health preventive protocol exists for attending to the oral health needs of such children. Aim To evaluate the effect of an oral health preventive protocol on salivary parameters and gingival health of children with type 1 diabetes mellitus over a period of 6 months. Materials and methods Fifty diabetic children, aged 6–12 years were selected and divided into two groups. Children in group I received a comprehensive oral health preventive protocol. The parameters recorded were oral hygiene practices, salivary flow rate, pH, buffer capacity, viscosity, electrolytes, and plaque and gingival indices. These were compared at baseline, 3-, and 6-month intervals. Statistical analysis Statistical analysis was done using IBM SPSS STATISTICS (version 22.0). Tests were based on the type of data. Results The intervention group (group I) showed favorable improvements in the parameters assessed. A greater number of participants adopted the correct oral hygiene methods. Unstimulated salivary flow rate increased from 0.36 ± 0.21 to 0.82 ± 0.16 mL/minute in group I and from 0.32 ± 0.24 to 0.58 ± 0.16 mL/minute in group II after 6 months (p = 0.001). Salivary buffer capacity increased from 3.07 ± 2.64 to 10.40 ± 0.82 in group I while in group II, it improved from 3.20 ± 1.47 to 9.33 ± 1.44 (p = 0.02). Salivary viscosity decreased in group I from 1.97 ± 0.42 to 1.15 ± 0.06 and from 1.97 ± 0.35 to 1.23 ± 0.11 in group II after 6 months (p = 0.02). Gingival scores changed from 1.07 ± 0.35 to 0.20 ± 0.23 in group I and from 1.04 ± 0.28 to 0.85 ± 0.25 in group II (p = 0.001). Conclusion The preventive protocol used in the present study showed a significant (p < 0.05) improvement in the parameters assessed. How to cite this article Singh V, Gauba K, Goyal A, et al. Effect of an Oral Health Preventive Protocol on Salivary Parameters and Gingival Health of Children with Type 1 Diabetes. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2021;14(1):109–114.

Eco machine is deteriorating each day because of Industrial effluents. The effluents are containing poisonous chemical compounds which can be in turn polluting ground drinking water and developing new diseases. Treatment strategies for those Industrial effluents have become extra costly. The Present observation is aimed and concentrated at lowering the toxicity of Industrial waters and the goal is Reduction, Recycle and Reuse (RRR) with the usage of Microbial Fuel Cell. Microbial Fuel Cell experiments have been finished in batch operations for waste waters, the usage of microorganism in an effort to boom oxygen tiers and reduce toxicity. The parameters studied are layout of MFC, NaCl concentration, Agar concentration, glucose dosage, pH, Chemical Oxygen Demand, Biological Oxygen Demand, Dissolved Oxygen, Total Suspended Solids, Total Dissolved Solids, Sulphates, Chlorides. The consequences produced that excessive oxygen tiers and discount in pH tiers is appreciable. COD and BOD have reduced while DO has increased.

Investigation on social interaction between the individuals of Stegodyphus sarasinorum of two different colonies and their cooperation in prey capture showed that members of different colony were socially accepted by both adults and juveniles. The study also revealed that this species prey upon rice ear bugs and cercopids which form major pests in paddy fields and banana plantation respectively.

The present study was carried out to find out the constraints in implementation of improved dairy related activities among the dairy farmers in adopted villages who have been receiving regular guidance and technical support from KVK, Banavasi, Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh. A total of 120 farmers from 3 mandals were selected using simple random sampling method and a series of questions covering aspects like breeding, feeding, health care and clean milk production were administered and constraints were recorded and categorised. The beneficiaries perceived "non-availability of green fodder throughout the year" (81.66%) and "A.I. centre not/distantly located" (64%) as the most serious infrastructural constraints. "Cost of rearing crossbred cows is very high" (89.66%) and "excess workload" (84%) as the main constraints of socio psychological nature encountered by the beneficiaries.

A study of spider diversity of Kerala University Campus, conducted for a period of four months revealed a total of 116 species of spiders belonging to 20 families. Among the families, Salticidae was found as the most common family and among the species Hersilia savignyi and Hippasa agelenoides were found as the most common species. Plexipus petersi, Plexipus pykulli, Xysticus minutes and Tibellus elongates were also noted as the commonly found spider species.

Ionospheric peak electron density (NmF2) and total electron content (TEC) are the essential measures of ionospheric variability for modeling their effects on navigation and communication system applications. The global and regional models have their limitations in predicting ionospheric variations at the low latitude Indian region, mainly due to the anomalous electron density gradients and equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) effects. In this paper, ionospheric TEC characteristics are modeled based on canonical correlation analysis (CCA) with Global Positioning System (GPS)-TEC observations and NmF2 values at a northern low latitude station Bangalore (13.02° N and 77.57° E) during the 2017 period. The decomposed CCA modes consist of CCA patterns and their corresponding amplitudes. The short-term variations (diurnal) are reproduced by the CCA patterns, whereas the long-term variations (yearly) are reproduced by their corresponding amplitudes. The first three CCA modes represent the ionospheric features such as diurnal, sunrise and sunset enhancements, semiannual, annual, and solar-cycle variations. Further, the temporal structures of NmF2 are effectively replicated by the CCA model. NmF2 (CCA) showed relatively higher linearity (0.99) and lower RMSE (0.31 TECU), whereas NmF2 (IRI2016) showed lower linearity (0.92) and higher RMSE (1.45 TECU) with the measured-NmF2 values. Hence, the CCA approach could be an effective method for characterizing the NmF2 variations over the low latitude region.

The productivity of chickpea has declined considerably during the last three years in rainfed black soils of western part of Kurnool district due to the aberrations in the rainfall pattern, high cost of cultivation, pest & disease incidence and wild deer problem. To overcome these production constraints Cluster Frontline Demonstrations in safflower played major role with introduction of new safflower variety ISF-764.Cluster Frontline Demonstrations were conducted in safflower in 30ha area in 2017-18 and 40 ha in 2018-19 by Krishi Vigyan Kendra Banavasi. ISF-764 (T3 demonstration) performed better even in dry spell conditions compared to chickpea .Cost of cultivation in both ISF -764 (demonstration) and PBNS-12 (T2check) was low (18,300 Rs/ha) compared to chick pea (35,500 Rs/ha) variety JG-11(T3farmers Practice). Chickpea equivalent yields of safflower was 1339 and 803 (kg/ha) in demonstration and check and 720 kg/ha in farmers practice with 86 and 11.6 % improvement in yield. Extension gap for ISF 764 and PBNS-12 were 619 & 83 kg/ha respectively. The technology index was lowest in ISF-764 (21.8) as compared toPBNS-12 (57.12) and JG -11 (58 .8) which indicates the highest feasibility of the demonstrated technology. The net returns (37,950 Rs/ha) and benefit cost ratio (3.07) were highest in ISF -764. Hence Safflower variety, ISF 764 is highly suitable for rainfed black soils of Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh.

Rice is the staple food to half of world’s population providing more than one fifth of the calories consumed worldwide. Cereal grains are rich sources of phenolic compounds present in cell walls that help in combating many life style diseases occurring due to oxidative stress. Rice has been domesticated more than 10000 years ago but even today the farmers prefer selling freshly harvested paddy at a lower price. Few entrepreneurial farmers have come up with the idea of primary processing the paddy as semi polished and brown rice that can fetch them more profits along with providing health benefits. Each Kg of paddy, white, semi polished and brown rice cost Rs. 17 – 18.50, 46 – 48, 58 – 60 and 65 respectively. Similarly, one Kg of brokens get Rs. 15, bran Rs. 12 during season and Rs. 20 during off season. The rice without any processing fetched the farmer profit of about Rs. 24400 to 36000 on an average per acre. But if the farmer subjected the rice to primary processing and sold as white, semi polished or brown rice, the profits generated per acre were Rs. 57156 – 66480 Rs. Rs. 82996 – 102400and Rs. 105910 – 120400 can be generated. As can be seen the decrease in processing produced lower quantity of brokens and bran and income from them was comparatively lower than on processed rice indicating that there can be rise in income with minimal processing with added health benefits. There can an increase in profits by 4 to 5 times due to primary processing benefiting the paddy growers. The white, semi polished and brown rice can increase the income of farmer by 76.92, 127.79 and 161.58% per one bag of paddy weighing 75 Kg. There was a significant decrease in brokens and bran produced in semi polished and brown rice that actually fetch less prize than the actual produce. The growing awareness of consumers towards health foods, improved eating habits and health consciousness is expanding brown rice market at higher compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) compared to overall rice market.

Background: The 2-amino 1,3,4-thiadiazole framework has attracted considerable interest because of its prevalence in compounds possessing a wide range of pharmacological properties including anticancer/antitumor activities. Though a number of methods have been reported for the synthesis of this class of compounds, some of them are not straightforward, inexpensive and environmentally friendly. Objective: To synthesize 2-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives that could act as potential anticancer agents. Methods: The use of lemon juice as an inexpensive and readily available biocatalyst was explored in the synthesis of 2-amino 1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives. Accordingly, a convenient method has been developed for the rapid synthesis of this class of compounds under a mild and non-hazardous reaction condition in good yields. The methodology involved the reaction of various acid hydrazides with TMSNCS in the presence of lemon juice in PEG-400 at room temperature (25-30ºC) under ultrasound irradiation. These compounds were assessed for their cytotoxic properties against two different metastatic breast cancer cell lines e.g., MDAMB-231 and MCF-7 and subsequently against SIRT1. Results: The 2-amino 1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives 3a, 3i, 3j and 3l showed promising growth inhibition of MDAMB- 231 and MCF-7 cell lines and SIRT1 inhibition in vitro. Indeed, 3i was found to be a potent inhibitor of SIRT1. Conclusion: An ultrasound-assisted method facilitated by lemon juice has been developed to synthesize 2-amino- 1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives that could act as potential anticancer agents.

A promising Aurivillius layered pervoskite ceramics, namely, the title compound has drawn interest in recent days owing to its figure of merit (magnetoelectric coupled properties). General formula ...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse an actual representation of ice accretions, which are important during the certification process. Design/methodology/approach Ice accretion experiments are conducted in a low-speed subsonic wind tunnel testing facility to evaluate the influence of various ice shapes around the airfoil sections. Ice accumulation changes the shapes of local airfoil sections and thereby affects the aerodynamic performance characteristics of the considered NACA 23012 profile. The ice profiles are impregnated using balsa wood with glace, horn and mixed ice accretion cases for the detailed experimental investigation. Findings Computational fluid dynamics analysis is done to compute the influence of different ice shapes on the aerodynamic coefficients (Cl and Cd) while ice accretion occurs at the leading edge of the airfoil sections. It is observed that the Cl and Cd modified immediately more than 40% as compared to the clean wing configuration. In the same fashion, the skin friction coefficient also abruptly changes for different ice shapes that have the potential to induce flutter at the critical speed of the airplane. The computational solutions are further validated through wind tunnel experiments and recent literature concerning certification for flight in icing conditions. Social implications The ice accretion study on the aerodynamic surfaces can also be extended for wind turbine blades installed at different cold regions around the globe. Further, the propeller icing influences the entire rotorcraft aerodynamics at low temperature conditions and the findings of this study are strongly connected with such problems. Originality/value The aerodynamic characteristics of the baseline airfoil are greatly affected by the ice accretion problem. Although flight through icing condition endures for a short duration, the takeoff path and decision speed are determined based on airplane drag as per federal aviation regulations. Hence, the proposed study is focussed on a cost-effective approach to predict the effect of ice accretion to achieve optimum performance.

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) gram positive entomopathogenic bacteria being an eco-friendly biopesticide. In present study the potential of B. thuringiensis isolates was studied for the biological control of Diamond back moth (DBM). Fifteen Bt isolates were obtained from the Department of Agricultural Microbiology, TNAU Tamil Nadu. This mainly isolated from the cultivated lands Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), Brinjal (Solanum melongena) and Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). All the 15 isolates were identified as B. thuringiensis based on the crystalline structure. Four different types of crystalline forms were observed, in which the isolates CC, CB1, BC, TD, BD were produces cuboidal shape crystals. Then, the isolates were characterized based on presence of lepidopteron specific cry gene. Among the 15 B. thuringiensis isolates seven of them were found to be positive for lepidopteron specific cry genes include cry 1 & cry 2. Four Bt isolates were exhibited presences of both cry 1 and cry 2 genes. The selected 4 isolates further screened for protein profiling by SDS Page. Molecular weights of the protein ranging from 65 to 130 kDa. Toxicity of this four B. thuringiensis isolates were evaluated by bioassay using third instar larvae of the diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) and isolate (CC) recorded maximum mortality of 95.33% comparable to standard strain HD1 98.31%. In quantitative bioassay, the LC50 for third instar larvae of Plutella xylostella was found to be least range 197.09 ppm with fiducial limits of 110.28 - 352.21 ppm respectively. Different concentration of the toxic protein (100, 250, 500, 750, 1000, 2000) will reduce the leaf damage and larval growth was (54-8% and 58-25%) observed. This achieved effective control of DBM in cauliflower plant.

Ba(NdxTi1-2xNbx)O3 (with x = 0.025, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2) and Na0.5Bi0.5(NdyTi(1-2y)Nby)O3 (y = 0.0125, 0.025, and 0.05) ceramics were prepared through solid state sintering route. In the pre...

Variation of tolerance factor was observed with doping of Sr and Bi at A and B sites respectively and independently in BaTiO3 compound. Stability of NBT based compositions is varied with th...

Background: The oxazolone class of compounds is known to exert a profound effect on malignant cell proliferation, tumor angiogenesis and /or on the established neoplastic vasculature. Additionally, these compounds are generally known to have a low tendency to interact with DNA which is not common with most of the conventional cytotoxic agents. Thus, this class of compounds is of particular interest for the discovery and development of patient-friendly anticancer agents. Objective: The initial objective of this study was to synthesize and evaluate 2-substituted 4-arylidene- 5(4H)-oxazolones for their potential anticancer properties. Methods: A simple, mild and non-hazardous synthetic methodology has been developed for the preparation of 2-substituted 4-arylidene-5(4H)-oxazolones. The methodology involved lemon juice mediated condensation of N-acyl glycine derivatives including hippuric acid with arylaldehydes in PEG-400 under ultrasound irradiation. All the synthesized compounds were screened via an MTT assay for their potential cytotoxic properties in vitro using the cancerous cell lines e.g. K562 (human chronic myeloid leukemia), Colo-205 (human colon carcinoma), and A549 (human lung carcinoma) and a non-cancerous HEK293 (human embryonic kidney) cell line. Results: Compounds 3a, 3c and 3i showed promising growth inhibition against A549 cell line but no significant effects on HEK293 cell line, indicating their selectivity towards cancer cells. Moreover, their IC50 values suggested that all these compounds were comparable to the reference drug doxorubicin indicating their potential against lung cancer. Conclusion: he 4-arylidene-5(4H)-oxazolone framework presented here could be a new template for the design and discovery of potential anticancer agents especially for lung cancer.

Background: Anganwadi centers were providing integrated services comprising supplementary nutrition, immunization, health check-up, and referral services to children below six years of age and expectant and nursing mothers. After more than three decades of implementation, the success of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) program in tackling maternal and childhood problems still remains a matter of concern. Objectives: To estimate the proportion of pregnant women utilizing various services provided by the anganwadi centre. To assess the association between demographic factors and utilization of anganwadi services by pregnant women. Methods: A cross-sectional study with a sample size of 135 was conducted in three villages attached to a medical college. Pregnant women enrolled in anganwadi the center were included in the study. Data was collected by a predesigned pretested semi-structured questionnaire. Data was presented in proportions, odds ratio with confidence interval, and Chi-square test, Fisher test was applied to find the association between variables by using SPSS ver. 23. Results: The study showed 86.66% utilized supplementary nutrition services, 62.96% received health education, 85.92% took vaccines from anganwadi centre, 40.74% utilized referral services, and 82.22% utilized health checkups services provided by anganwadi centre. Distance from the centre was found to be an important determinant of the utilization of anganwadi services. Conclusions: There is a need to sensitize and motivate beneficiaries to utilize the services offered by anganwadi center.

Novel samarium modified intergrowth ferroelectric ceramics, namely Bi4Ti3O12-SrBi4Ti4O15, were synthesized by conventional solid state reaction method and sintered at 1100°C for 5 h. X-ray diffraction studies revealed the formation of a single phase with the signature of intergrowth oxide and plate like morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopic analyses. The orthorhombicity, the grain size and transition temperature were found to decrease with the increase of Sm content. The dielectric and modulus measurements were performed at different temperatures and frequency ranges. The transition temperature was found to be around 500 °C. The variations of imaginary part of modulus and dielectric constant with the temperature showed diffuse phase transition. The results are corroborated to the defect based mechanism and Curie deviation factor was evaluated by using the modified Curie-Weiss law. Polarization-electric filed curves displayed a typical narrow hysteresis loop at room temperature by applying an electric field of 70 kV/cm. However, above room temperature the hysteresis loop area was found to be increased. The overall results revealed that the complex dipoles and oxygen vacancies are playing a dominant role in the dielectric and electrical properties, and therefore the adopted intergrowth processing was found to be an effective approach to obtain potentially good ferroelectric materials.