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Anemia is one of the most common cause of malnutrition, has a major community health significance affecting adolescent girls, women and children worldwide. Anemia highly prevalent among adolescent girls of Indian population mainly from lower socio-economic status. This study was done with the intention of finding an efficient substitute in the form of non-haem iron of vegetable origin in drumstick leaves by administering as supplementation to treat anemia. Randomized clinical trial design was used in this study, the target group consisted adolescent girls with mild and moderate anemia. 12 (Experimental n=6, Control n=6) adolescent girls with their hemoglobin level between 9-12 gm/dl were selected as samples. Intervention was started with one tea spoon (about 5gm) dried drumstick leaves powder supplementation once a day with meals for 30 days to the experimental group. At the end of intervention, the posttest hemoglobin level was assessed. The result revealed that the subject showed a significant improvement in Hb level at (p

Semi-enclosed coastal environments are under constant stress due to diverse chemical pollutants from multiple anthropogenic sources. Among them, total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) are most common in coastal environments. Pulicat Lake is one such environment situated on the southeast coast of India where, the present study was conducted. The TPHs were measured using a modified ultrasonication method, so as to reduce the organic solvent consumption as well as to minimize time. The TPHs in Pulicat Lake sediments ranged from 0.28 to 6.86 μg/g dry weight with a median of 0.71 ± 1.59 μg/g dry weight. Euclidean based cluster analysis using normalized data of TPHs, SOC and sediment texture classified the lake into three discrete regions such as south, central and north. Linear regression analysis showed positive correlation of TPHs with SOC (R2 = 0.567, P

In this research work, the influence of nano-fly ash as filler material on tensile and flexural properties of epoxy/Basalt (B)/Jute (J)/Banana (B)/Carbon (C) laminated was studied. The hybrid composites laminates are fabricated by the vacuum bagging method increase the tensile and flexural Properties the main application of these research work are aerospace, defence, and automobile application increasing demand for unique material produce innovation synthetic and natural fabric reinforced composite are replacing conventional materials as natural fabric is low cost, biodegradable and economical density in the hybrid composites are fabricated with jute, carbon, basalt, and banana reinforced plastics with LY 556 epoxy resin as matrix. The tensile and flexural strength of the LY 556 epoxy resin/hybrid laminates were increased profoundly in the presence of Nano fly ash. The epoxy + BJBC + 4 wt% Nano-Fly ash composites showed better tensile and flexural results when compared with the epoxy + BJBC fiber composites. Nano-scale particles are currently considered to be potential filler material for improving properties of existing composite material due to nanotechnology. The polymer composite has become more attractive. Nanofiller, which are an industrial waste popularly recognize as environmental pollution as many potentials such as silicon oxide and aluminium oxide. As the ecological problems presented by Nano filler, considerable research has been undertaken on the subject worldwide. It was also found that Nano fly ash as filler-added composites shows better results when compared with and without filler-added composites. It is use as a cheap adsorbent for the removal of organic compounds, lightweight aggregate and building construction material. However, very little is reported on its potential as nonmaterial nano fly ash as filler in thermo-set polymer composites.

Expansive soil always creates higher problems for lightly loaded structures than the moderate to heavy loaded structures by changing its volume along with the seasonal moisture variation and unequal settlement. As a result, damage to foundation systems, structural elements and architectural features defeats the purpose for which the structures are built. Geotechnical researchers are searching for various options to mitigate the adverse nature of the expansive soil. In the present study, an attempt is made to investigate the feasibility of mixing the fly ash and palm oil fuel ash to the expansive soil in order to reduce its plasticity characteristics to stabilize the expansive soil. Test results show that stabilizing with fly ash and palm oil fuel ash enhances the properties and the strength of the expansive soil as compared to untreated expansive soil.

Various biotic and abiotic factors regulate carbon dioxide (CO

Progressions accomplished in the field of molecular biology amid the most recent decade has changed the way in which we contemplate biodiversity on earth. Together with the accessibility of new molecular techniques like high-throughput sequencing (HTS), a prompt metamorphosis was attained in understanding the behaviour and biodiversity patterns of biological systems at a level never before possible. The DNA gathered from different environmental samples (named as environmental DNA or eDNA) when coupled with HTS offers a powerful tool by empowering the census of individual species on a global scale in real time. The applications of eDNA are transpiring in different domains, for example, trophic and community ecology (functional diversity, ecosystem dynamics and prey–predator interactions), biomonitoring, conservation biology (single and multi species detection, abundance estimates), invasion biology (early species detection, passive surveillance) and environmental assessment (detection of anthropogenic contamination, microbial source tracking). However, more empirical data is required to standardize the specific sampling procedures to achieve in the best possible way. Although the application of eDNA is intensifying swiftly at a global scale, there are still some knowledge gaps, especially with methods and applications. These procedures require some refinements and validations to diminish the burden of false positives/negatives. Considering these impediments, we mainly concentrated in pooling together the most recent outcome of research articles (2008–2019) available in eDNA analysis that converse about diverse ecosystems (freshwater, marine and terrestrial habitats). We likewise discussed developments and limitations that are generally concerned with eDNA exercise in the present review.

The black cotton soil is problematic in nature because it exhibits significant swelling and shrinkage behaviour depending upon the moisture content present in the interstices of soil particles. Several researchers have tried different methods to improve the properties of these soils. In the present paper, an experimental study is conducted to observe the properties of the stabilized expansive clay with palm oil fuel ash (POFA), lime and discrete reinforcing waste plastic inclusions (DRWPI). It was observed that the stabilized expansive soil properties are improved to a certain extent and its properties are improved further by the addition of lime and discrete reinforcing waste plastic inclusions (DRWPI).

Various remedial measures adopted to overcome the problems posed by expansive soils like soil replacement, moisture control, prewetting, and lime stabilization have been practiced with varying degrees of success. However, these techniques suffer from certain limitations with respect to their adaptability. Stabilization using solid wastes is one of the emerging techniques to improve the engineering properties of expansive soils to make them suitable for use in construction. This paper presents an attempt made to study the influence of two wastes, rice husk ash (RHA), an agro-waste, and phosphogypsum (PG), an industrial waste from fertilizer industry, in different percentages, as stabilizing materials to improve the properties of problematic expansive soil. The percentage of phosphogypsum (PG) was varied from 0 to 8% with an increment of 2% in combination with 0, 5, and 10% percentages of rice husk ash (RHA). Different tests in the laboratory were conducted to evaluate the characteristics of treated expansive soil. The analyzed results clearly depict that the combination of 10% RHA + 6% PG had significantly improved the soaked CBR value and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) by about 3 times and 96%, respectively, when compared to that of virgin expansive soil. The parametric evaluation summarizes that the combined effect of waste materials phosphogypsum (PG) and rice husk ash (RHA) had shown promising influence on the strength characteristics of expansive soil, thereby giving a twofold advantage in improving problematic expansive soil and also solving a problem of waste disposal.

In this study, we identified the in situ bacterial groups and their community structure in coastal waters influenced by anthropogenic inputs. The use of environmental DNA (eDNA) and high throughput sequencing (HTS) were employed to derive accurate and reliable information on bacterial abundance. The V3 and V4 hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA gene were amplified and the sequences were clustered into operational taxonomic units to analyze the site-specific variations in community composition. The percentage composition within the bacterial orders varied significantly among nearshore anthropogenic hotspots and offshore (5 km) samples. The microbial network constructed taking the bacterial abundance as nodes displayed strong positive and negative correlations within the bacterial families. Overall, the use of eDNA coupled with HTS is an incredible means for monitoring and assessing the abundance of bacterial communities and also serves as a biomonitoring tool to understand the degree of anthropogenic contamination in coastal waters.

Various biotic and abiotic factors regulate carbon dioxide (CO2) absorption and emission in coastal waters. Factors controlling the regional air-sea CO2 fluxes were studied in Tuticorin Bay, a highly urbanized region along the southeast coast of India. Significant spatial heterogeneity in the distribution of inorganic carbon components in the bay was observed based on the exposure to different anthropogenic pressures. Thermal effluent discharges made the south zone of the bay a strong CO2 source by enhancing heterotrophy. Untreated sewage discharges in the middle zone mediated eutrophic conditions leading to strong autotrophy and restricting the zone as a weak source of CO2. Irrespective of the anthropogenic stressors, biological processes dominated the air-sea CO2 fluxes in the Tuticorin Bay. The results indicated that micro-level studies are needed in understanding the carbon cycle in environments with multiple anthropogenic stressors.

India, being a peninsular country, has a long coastline and also been the habitat for a good amount of the population. On the other hand, the accumulation of various waste materials is now becoming a major concern to the environmentalists. New methods and new materials of construction have been continuously explored, and hence, in order to achieve both the needs of improving the soft marine clays and also to make use of the industrial wastes in the best possible way. The present study was done by partially replacing the marine clay with palm oil fuel ash (POFA), a relative new agro-waste and further adding it with lime and discrete reinforcing waste plastic inclusions (DRWPI). The results obtained revealed that the penetration and the strength characteristics of POFA improved for modified soft marine clay and are further improved with an optimum percentage of lime and optimum dosage of discrete waste fiber.

The spatio-temporal variation of mesozooplankton assemblages and the relative environmental variables were assessed in a coastal upwelling system. Remarkable seasonal variations were found in the mesozooplankton community structure and Chl-a concentration due to the seasonal shift in the environmental variables. Copepods were found to be the dominant group during the winter monsoon (WM) and spring inter monsoon (SIM) seasons whereas, cladocerans (Evadne tergestina and Penilia avirostris) were dominant during the summer monsoon (SM) which may be attributed to the availability of preferential food and favorable environmental conditions (viz., temperature and salinity etc.). Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that the distribution and their possible spatio-temporal pattern of dominant copepods (Acrocalanus gibber, Acartia danae, Nanocalanus minor and Oncaea venusta), siphonophores (Chelophyes appendiculata and Diphyes chamissonis) and pelagic tunicates (Doliolida sp.) synchronized with their specific food habits and adaptive mechanism. The present findings emphasize the significance of the trophic relationship between Chl-a concentration and mesozooplankton abundance in the coastal waters of Kochi, southeastern Arabian Sea.

The seasonal variation in phytoplankton composition as well as the influencing factors on phytoplankton community were examined for the coastal waters of Kochi, southeastern Arabian Sea during 2015. The elevated flux of total nitrogen (TN) and silica (Si) during the summer monsoon (SM) induced the harmful algal blooms (HABs) of Scrippsiella trochoidea (11.9 × 105 cells L−1) and Karenia mikimotoi (6 × 105 cells L−1) near the inlets of Kochi estuary. Blooms of S. trochoidea were recorded for the first time in the Indian waters. The satellite data of chlorophyll-a showed the significant correlation with insitu observations of phytoplankton abundance and provided a better understanding of the spatio-temporal distribution. The canonical correspondence analysis indicates that the increased TN and Si fluxes and lower temperature induced the HABs during the SM. The reduction in the load of N and Si in the coastal waters of southeastern Arabian Sea is essential for controlling the HABs.

This study examined microplastic particles present in the benthic invertebrates Sternaspis scutata, Magelona cinta (deposit feeders) and Tellina sp. (suspension feeder) from the surface sediments of off-Kochi, southwest coast of India. The microplastic particles and thread-like fibres detected in these organisms were identified to be polystyrene by using DXR Raman microscope. Examination of the microplastic particle in Sternaspis scutata by epifluorescent microscopy showed fragmentation marks on the surface suggesting that the microplastic particle was degraded/weathered in nature. The study provides preliminary evidence of the presence of microplastics in benthic fauna from the coastal waters of India. However, further studies are required to understand the sources, distribution, fate and toxicity of the different types of microplastics in benthic invertebrates in order to identify any potential threats to higher trophic level organisms.

The UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 sets targets for nations to reduce marine pollution, ocean acidification, and sustainable use of coastal and ocean resources, which requires data on nutrient load, litter/plastics, pH, and biodiversity. Monitoring programs with large-scale and long-term data is an important source of environmental information and can play a crucial role in implementing the SDGs. This paper uses the Sea Water Quality Monitoring (SWQM), the coastal monitoring program of India, as a case study to examine the extent to which the monitoring program contributes to achieving the SDG 14 targets. The SWQM program is a multidisciplinary, long-term coastal monitoring program initiated by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Government of India, in 1990 to assess the coastal water quality. The paper highlights the interrelationships between the SWQM and SDG 14 targets (14.1.1, 14.2, 14.3, and 14.5) and discusses the challenges and opportunities of linking the national program to SDGs. Strengthening the program by increasing monitoring locations, sampling additional environmental parameters and biodiversity components, and using advanced scientific tools can be an efficient and pragmatic approach to SDG 14 implementation through the SWQM program. Aligning the long-term monitoring program and other research programs of a nation to the SDGs could provide potential co-benefits and more efficient utilization of funds.

Dissolved nutrients, Chl-a and primary productivity were measured from seven transects along the coastal waters of the southeastern Arabian Sea during northeast monsoon. Ten major estuaries were ch...

Government intervention in the healthcare market is, partly, justified on grounds of equity and redistribution. The intervention usually comes in the form of expenditures—direct provision of care and subsidies—in many developing countries. Given the expected redistributive impact of public health expenditures, the aim of this paper was to establish the beneficiaries of public health spending in Ghana using utilisation data for outpatient care. We applied utilisation incidence analysis on outpatient healthcare utilisation data from the Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health, Ghana Wave 1 to conduct the analysis. The results show that ill-health was high in the rural areas, particularly among low income groups. While utilisation of public healthcare facilities for outpatient care was generally high, there was some disparities in utilisation. That is, utilisation of public health services, especially hospital care, was unfairly distributed among various income/wealth groups. Implications of these findings are that policymakers should continue to devise means to ensure equitable and even distribution of healthcare services, particularly hospital care, so that the poor and other vulnerable groups, whose plight call for government intervention, benefit.

The influence of upwelling on the phytoplankton community was examined during the upwelling-relaxation period in the southeastern Arabian Sea. Elevated upwelling intensity during the summer monsoon season of 2016 resulted in the re-suspension of harmful dinoflagellates into the surface water. Further, the surplus of phosphorus (P) inputs into the coastal waters from estuarine runoff during the upwelling-relaxation period induced blooming of Gonyaulax polygramma (4.9 × 106 cells L−1). Results from canonical correspondence analysis revealed that elevated upwelling intensity, P and salinity during the year 2016 likely triggered the bloom of G. polygramma in the study region. HABs like G. polygramma threaten fish stocks such as sardines which have a vital role in the ecosystem. Studies on phytoplankton communities and nutrient dynamics in upwelling systems would be useful in predicting the incidence/toxic effects of harmful algal blooms as these regions have a high potential for fisheries.

The stomach is very important component of digestive system it is an enlarged segment of the digestive tract which is present in the left superior part of the abdomen. Stomach shape and size vary from person to person even within the same individual its size and shape change from time to time which depends on its food content and the posture of the body. In India Peptic Ulcer Disease. According to the latest WHO data published in 2017 Peptic Ulcer Disease Deaths in India reached 57,658 or 0.66% of total deaths. The age adjusted Death Rate is 5.79 per 100,000 of population ranks India #53 in the world. A study to assess the effectiveness of structured teaching program on risk factors and prevention of peptic ulcer among middle age population between the age group of 30 50years in selected rural areas at Tumkur District was conducted in partial fulfillment of the requirement of the degree of Master of Science in Nursing at Sri Ramana Maharshi college of Nursing, Tumkur. The study objectives are: 1. To assess the existing knowledge on risk factors and prevention of peptic ulcer among middle age population. 2. To determine the effectiveness of structured teaching program on risk factors and prevention of peptic ulcer among middle age population. 3. To determine the difference between pre-test and post-test knowledge scores on risk factors and prevention of peptic ulcer among middle age population. 4. To find out the association between posttest knowledge level with their selected demographic variables. Research Design: Quasi experimental in one group pretest and posttest design was adopted to evaluate the effectiveness of risk factors and prevention of peptic ulcer Results: There will be significant difference between mean pre-test knowledge score and post-test knowledge scores among middle age population on risk factors and prevention of peptic ulcer. Table depicts mean percentage of pretest, posttest and enhanced Knowledge scores of respondents in different aspects of care of clients with Traction. In aspect ‘Knowledge regarding peptic ulcer’, mean percentage of knowledge score in pre-test was 39.66% and in post-test was 81.33% with enhancement of 41.66%. The calculated paired ‘t’ test value was 16.02 which was found to be significant. In aspect ‘Knowledge regarding risk factors and prevention of Peptic ulcer’, mean percentage of knowledge score in pre-test was 40.33% and in post-test was 81.88% with enhancement of 41.66%. The calculated paired ‘t’ test value was 12.5 which was found to be significant. All the calculated ‘t’ values were significant at 0.05% level of significance. Hence stated null hypothesis H01 is rejected in relation to all aspects of knowledge and research hypothesis H1 is accepted. Interpretations and Conclusion: The finding of the study to help the professional nurses and sudden to develop the inquiry by providing a baseline. The general aspects of the study results can be made by further replication of the study. This study help the nurse researchers to develop in depth in to the development of teaching module and set information of clients with peptic ulcer towards the promotion of healthy life and prevent of complication., {"references":["Seeley Stephans (1988), \"Text book of anatomy and physiology\", 3rd Edition, Published by James M. Smith P. 806.","www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/india-peptic-ulcer-disease.","Yegen BC. (9 May, 2018), \"Life style and peptic ulcer disease\", Curr Pharm Des. Doi: 10.2174/1381612824666180510092303.","Wang S1, Kou C1, Liu Y1, Li B1, Tao Y1, D'Arcy C2, Shi J1, Wu Y1, Liu J3, Zhu Y3, Yu Y4. (May 2015), \"Rural-urban differences in the prevalence of chronic disease in northeast China\", Asia Pac J Public Health, Volume 27, Issue 4, pp. 394−406. doi: 10.1177/1010539514551200. Epub 2014 Sep 22."]}

In India, there are nearly 35 million diabetic patients and the number would go unto 80 million by 2030. If unchecked the diabetes can cause disease related to kidney, heart and nerve system at later stage. Education and training of patients and their families are the foundations of good diabetic diet therapy. People can lead active life. Diet in diabetes mellitus plays a vital role as it aims at preventing wide fluctuation in the blood glucose during the feeding times and when on fasting. Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder. A well managed diabetic has a good life expectancy. Neglect of any condition or symptoms may produce irreparable damage to the body. Throughout the world, more people are living less active lives in towns and cities. Statement of the Problem: A study to assess the effectiveness of structured teaching programme on knowledge and practice of diabetic diet among patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus at District government hospital, Tumkur. Objectives of the Study: 1. To assess the knowledge on diabetic diet among patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. 2. To assess the practice of diabetic diet among patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. 3. To evaluate the effectiveness of structured teaching programme on Type- 2 diabetes mellitus. 4. To find the association between the knowledge and practice of diabetic mellitus among patients with diabetes mellitus before and after implementation of structured teaching programme. 5. 5. To find the association between knowledge and practice of diabetic diet among patients with selected demographic variable such as age, sex, education, occupation, income dietary pattern, religion, marital status, type of family and place of residence. Method: The research approach adopted for the study evaluative approach which was considered an appropriate research approach for the present study. The research design selected for the present study was quasi experimental one group pre test and post test design. The subjects selected for the study were patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus. The sample consisted of 60 type-2 diabetes mellitus patients in medical wards & patients who are attending the outpatient department of Government District Hospital Tumkur. The study participants were selected by purposive sampling technique. Results: The major findings of the study were that during pre test type-2 diabetic had mean knowledge score 36.4 percent regarding diabetic diet which increased to 68.5 percent i.e. Enhancement in the knowledge was 33.37. During pre test type-2, diabetic patients had mean practice score 40.10 percent on diabetic diet which increased to 67.15 percent i.e. Enhancement of the practice was 27.05. The knowledge enhancement was more in importance of diet 34.50 percent followed by general information 33.375 percent and dietary management 29.72 percent. The results of application of student’s ‘t’ test (two tail test) to pre test and post test area wise knowledge scores. The computed ‘t’ values (21.977, 20.646 and 21.144 ) between the means of pretest and posttest is more than the critical ‘t’ value obtained from ‘t’ value tables at a level of significance of 5%. The calculated value for variables like age, education status and marital status was found more than table value. Hence, it is concluded that there was association between pre-test knowledge score and the selected socio-demographic variables like age, education status and marital status. The calculated value for variables like gender was found more than table value .Hence it is concluded that there was association between pre-test practice score and gender. Interpretation and Conclusion: The findings of the study support the need for conducting education programs on diabetic diet for type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Subjects had inadequate knowledge and practice of diabetic diet before the administration of STP. Their knowledge improved to a remarkable extent after the utilization of STP. The findings of the study show that STP was effective in terms of gaining knowledge and practice of diabetic diet among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus., {"references":["BT Basvanthappa (2005), \"Medical Surgical Nursing\" I st Edition, pp. 687.","www.wikepediaencyclopedia.com Early History of Diabetic diet.","Incidence & prevalence of diabetes in India, Diabetes- A Global Epidemic www., Google .com","Dr. Archana Arya (7th Nov, 2008), \"Simple change in Child's diet can control juvenile diabetes\", Express India.","Rachel Masih, \"Role of diet in the management of diabetes\", www.123oye.com.","James wilikins, Chennai, India,15-09 -2008 www.Drivenwide.come","Ramachandra, A (Jan. 2005), \"Epidemology of Diabetes in India,-Three Decade of research\", J Assoc Physicians India, Volume 53, pp. 34−38.","Abiove-Kutevi E.A, Ojofeitimi EO Ijadunola KT, Fasanu AO (Jan–Mar, 2005), \"Assessment of Dietary Knowledge, Practices and control in type 2 diabetes Niger\", J. Med., Volume 14, Issue 1, pp. 58−64.","Shilubane HN, Potgieter E. (Jun 2007), \"Patients' and family members' knowledge and views regarding diabetes mellitus and its treatment\", Curationis., Volume 30, Issue 2, pp. 58−65.","Cabrera Pivaral CE, Novoa Menchaca A, Centeno Lopez NM (Mar−Apr, 1991), \"Salud publica Mex., Knowledge and Attitudes and Dietary practices in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2, Volume 33, Issue 2, pp. 166−172."]}

Microzooplankton play an important connecting role in the aquatic food webs. During our bimonthly time series observation on microzooplankton ecology and dynamics in the estuarine waters of Kochi, Southwest coast of India, dense swarming of Tintinnopsis uruguayensis was noticed. The contribution of T. uruguayensis during the swarm period was 98.4% of the total microzooplankton density. The swarming of T. uruguayensis during the postmonsoon (November 2015) could be related to the higher concentrations of food supply. The results demonstrate a statistically significant positive relationship between the swarm of T. uruguayensis and the small centric diatom Thalassiosira decipiens. Our observation suggest that the increase of Thalassiosira decipiens contributed to the proliferation of T. uruguayensis.

Searching for the jobs remains a tedious work. Whenever we search for job we getting some results which are not very relevant. So, we have to manually search through those results and find some suitable job for which we can apply. Many times, we miss out some job postings because these posting do not appear in the results. The same problem exists for recruiters also. When recruiters search for some specialization there are not getting the same results because the keywords used for searching are different from the keywords used in their resumes. So, to solve this problem we use ontology to post job and to search the jobs.

The spatio-temporal variation of mesozooplankton in response to environmental variables was studied for the coastal waters of southeastern Arabian Sea during the spring inter-monsoon (SIM) and fall inter-monsoon (FIM) of 2014. Overall 84 mesozooplankton taxa belonging to 17 taxonomic groups were identified. The copepod group dominated species richness (58 species) of the mesozooplankton community. Spatial variation of mesozooplankton biomass and total abundance changed significantly in relation to the distribution of sub-surface water (0.5 m) dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Carnivorous and omnivorous mesozooplankton abundance increased substantially with an increasing DOC level. Factor analysis and Mantel test revealed that the distribution of mesozooplankton community, biomass and abundance had significant positive correlation with the distribution of chlorophyll a (Chl-a) and DOC during both the seasons. Distribution of Chl-a had a positive influence on herbivorous mesozooplankton abundance, while DOC had a positive relationship with omnivorous and carnivorous mesozooplankton abundance. Our study indicates that the distribution of Chl-a and DOC influences the spatial variation of mesozooplankton community and abundance in the coastal waters of eastern Arabian Sea during the inter-monsoon seasons (SIM and FIM).

Owing to the environmental sensitivity of ciliate species, the monitoring and assessment of these communities can indicate the health of the aquatic environment. Sampling for loricate ciliates was carried out during different seasons at three different locations in the estuarine and coastal waters of Kochi, Southwest coast of India. The loricate ciliate community comprising of 27 species belonging to 10 genera revealed significant differences among the three sampling locations. The maximum numerical abundance and less species diversity of loricate ciliates were recorded at the estuarine locations whereas the minimum abundance and more species diversity were encountered in the coastal waters. Multivariate statistical analyses revealed that Tintinnopsis beroidea and Tintinnopsis uruguayensis were correlated positively with nutrients in the estuarine environment, which receives large amount of anthropogenic inputs. Thus, we propose that these two loricate ciliates may be considered as a potential bioindicator of eutrophication status in marine ecosystems.

An 11-year-old girl was admitted with abdominal pain and fever and a lower abdominal lump. Clinically acute appendicular mass was strongly suspected. Computed tomographic scan showed a dilated intestinal loops and a fecolith proximal to it. On laparotomy a giant cecal diverticula was found and diverticulectomy was performed. We report this rare case of a giant cecal

The requisite for a careful design of pavement subgrades and subbases has been stressed by the failures caused by fallacy in understanding the variability and uncertainty associated with material properties (Jung et al. 2012). This study emphasizes the improvement of California bearing ratio (CBR) found in the expansive soil after treating with lime and fly ash through probabilistic evaluation. The variability associated with the CBR values is studied for twenty soil specimens stabilized with lime and fly ash at varying proportions. A comprehensive analysis has been carried out in a probabilistic framework for a complete understanding of the variability range. The aftermath of the investigation can be suitably beneficial for a reliable and reasonably economical design of pavement subgrades.

The effect of government spending on population&rsquo, s health has received attention over the past decades. This study re-examines the link between government health expenditures and health outcomes to establish whether government intervention in the health sector improves outcomes. The study uses annual data for the period 1980&ndash, 2014 on Ghana. The ordinary least squares (OLS) and the two-stage least squares (2SLS) estimators are employed for analyses, the regression estimates are then used to conduct cost-effectiveness analysis. The results show that, aside from income, public health expenditure contributed to the improvements in health outcomes in Ghana for the period. We find that, overall, increasing public health expenditure by 10% averts 0.102&ndash, 4.4 infant and under-five deaths in every 1000 live births while increasing life expectancy at birth by 0.77&ndash, 47 days in a year. For each health outcome indicator, the effect of income dominates that of public spending. The cost per childhood mortality averted ranged from US$0.20 to US$16, whereas the cost per extra life year gained ranged from US$7 to US$593.33 (2005 US$) during the period. Although the health effect of income outweighs that of public health spending, high (and rising) income inequality makes government intervention necessary. In this respect, development policy should consider raising health sector investment inter alia to improve health conditions.

An extended model for the response of a rigid footing on a reinforced foundation bed on super soft soil is proposed by incorporating the rough membrane element into the granular bed. The super soft soil, the granular bed and the reinforcement are modeled as non-linear Winkler springs, non-linear Pasternak layer and rough membrane respectively. The hyperbolic stress-displacement response of the super soft soil and the hyperbolic shear stress-shear strain response of the granular fill are considered. The finite deformation theory is used since large settlements are expected to develop due to deformation of the super-soft soil. Parametric studies quantify the effect of each parameter on the stress-settlement response of the reinforced foundation bed, the settlement and tension profiles.

The process of reclamation consists of laying a geotextile and spreading granular fill over it in several lifts, each lift being densified before the next one is spread. Self-weight of the granular fill increases with increasing height of each lift causing the ground to settle, with the fill placed during the previous lifts acting as a shear layer. The clay, granular fill and the reinforcement layers are modeled by non-linear Winkler springs, Pasternak shear layer of increasing stiffness and rough membrane respectively incorporating hyperbolic (Kondner, 1963) responses for stress - displacement relation of soft clay and shear stress - shear strain relation for the granular fill. As the reclamation process entails large settlements, finite deformation theory is used in the present work. The steps involved in modeling of the reclamation process are described herein.

The synthesis of isoxazole‐substituted Hantzsch 1,4‐dihydropyridines has been achieved by modified Hantzsch procedure for the first time by utilizing ketoamides in place of keto esters on a neutral alumina support in excellent yields. These 1,4‐dihydropyridines are aromatized to the corresponding pyridines in high yields by using bismuth subnitrate (BiONO3) adsorbed on acidic alumina at ambient temperature.

A simple and efficient method has been developed for the synthesis of 5,6-disubstituted isoxazolo [4,5-b]pyridine-N-oxides (3) from 3,5-dimethyl-4-nitroisoxazole (1) and active methylene compounds (2) in piperidine.

The present study has estimated the willingness to pay (WTP) for secondary health care services (SHCS) in rural and urban environment of three districts in the state of Tamil Nadu during 2009-2011. Since the governments are struggling to mobilise additional financial resources to provide essential health care services to the deprived population in the country, assessing the WTP for utilising the public health care services are realised as very important at this juncture. In realizing the importance of augmentation of resources, it has been decided to introduce contingent valuation method (CVM) for WTP of SHCS. A disproportionate systematic random sampling method has been adopted for the selection of 720 households; representing 240 respondents from each of the three districts represent 120 from rural and 120 from urban. A major portion (92%) of the surveyed respondents’ gender was male, literacy was high (90%) and they belonged to productive age group. They generally involve themselves in the farm and non - farm activities and avail employment. Their per capita income is Rs.17871, and it is lower than the India’s PCI. The SHCS are classified into 26 categories as per the guidelines provided by public health medical officers in the state of Tamil Nadu. The different health care services started with entry fee to dental problem. The 98.6 per cent of the total surveyed respondents are ready to pay for SHCS in a public hospital and the remaining 2.4 per cent of them are not willing to pay for the same. The range of WTP for 26 SHCS is Rs. 2 - 7000; the range of mean value is Rs. 6 - 5008 and the range of SD is 2 - 2854. Considering the view of majority of the respondents, this study prescribes to introduce the range of user fee for the identified major public health care services. Since the range is differed significantly, it is suggested to follow the minimum amount initially and in a phased manner, the policy makers may prescribe to enhance the user fee after assessing the ground realities and loopholes. The estimated R2 value for SHCS is 20 per cent, which indicates that the selected 12 independent variables have low influence on WTP for SHCS. The study reports that the other exogenous factors like intensity of disease, accessibility of services, quality, urgency, need and perception are the predominant determinants of WTP for SHCS. The present research contends that constitution of district level co-ordination committee for fixing and implementing user fee for SHCS. Introduction of nominal fee (user fee) for SHCS may be fixed for affordable population, free services for BPL population and it would improve the efficiency and equity of the public health care services for the marginalised population. Finally, it is of utmost importance for health professionals to follow ethics in their profession.

Lymphatic filariasis caused by Wuchereria bancrofti is a major public health problem in 73 tropical and subtropical countries including India. Delimitation of endemic areas is essential to plan control operations. The current method of night blood survey (NBS) for delimitation is cumbersome, time-consuming and expensive. Therefore, there is a need to develop assessment procedures which can rapidly delimit endemic areas. For this purpose we evaluated three procedures: direct interviewing of key informants using structured questionnaires, an indirect method of a self-administered questionnaires to key informants and physical examination by health workers for the presence of chronic filarial disease. Thirty rural communities in a filariasis-endemic region in Cuddalore district in Tamil Nadu State in southern India constituted the study population. The determination of filariasis endemicity in the village communities assessed by the above procedures was compared in terms of rapidity, specificity, sensitivity and cost with the microfilaria rate and disease rate obtained by night blood sample survey and clinical examination by physicians. Prevalence score, control preference score and weighted mean number of cases with filarial disease per village were calculated using the key informant questionnaire techniques. While the prevalence and control preference score showed low sensitivity and moderate specificity, weighted mean number of cases showed high sensitivity and moderate specificity in identifying endemic villages. The prevalence of disease as determined by the physical examination of a sample population by health workers was highly sensitive in identifying communities endemic for filariasis. The degree of association between the disease rates estimated by physician and trained health workers was significant (r = 0.56; P < 0.05). These observations suggest that the weighted mean number of cases per village obtained through key informant techniques may be considered at a primary level to crudely identify endemic areas, followed by physical examination by health workers for filariasis, since it is relatively cheap and rapid.