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Background: Depression among elderly population is a major public health issue affecting nearly 5% to 7% of the world's elderly. In the coming years, a major share will be contributed by developing countries like India. In the rural areas of Allahabad district of Uttar Pradesh, there is scarce data on the depression. Methodology: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in rural Allahabad. A total of 411 elderly persons were selected from 2 blocks—Jasra and Bahadurpur—through multistage random sampling method. Short form of geriatric depression scale (GDS) was used to assess depression. Results: The prevalence of depression among elderly was 19.7%. On binary logistic regression, depression had significant association with female sex [aOR = 2.4, 95% CI 1.1–5.1], having less-than-good relationship with family members [aOR = 2.7, 95% CI 1.2–6.0], not being cared for during illness by family members [aOR = 3.9, 95% CI 1.2-12.9], not being involved in leisure time activities [aOR = 2.5, 95% CI 1.3–4.9], and not regularly meeting relatives and friends [aOR = 4.7, 95% CI 1.9–11.6]. Conclusions: The prevalence of depression in elderly was high in rural areas of Allahabad. Female sex and social and family engagement are the important predictors of depression among them.

Purpose This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of substituting different concentrations of sesame, soy butter, dried moringa leaves and coconut powder on the physicochemical and sensory properties especially calcium and protein content of salted and sweet cookies. Design/methodology/approach Cookies were prepared by fortifying refined flour with sesame (T1 and T3) and soy butter (T2 and T4) and further fortified with dried moringa leaves (salted) and coconut (sweet). Linear programing was used to formulate percentage of major ingredients to yield maximum calcium and protein. Cookies were evaluated for physical, textural, colour, nutritional, functional and organoleptic properties and compared with refined flour cookies, C1 (salted) and C2 (sweet). Findings It was observed that fortification significantly decreased the hardness of the test cookies when compared with control. C2 cookies were observed to be the hardest (42.3 N), whereas T2 cookies were the softest (23.7 N). Nutritional and functional components of fortified (T) cookies were significantly (p = 0.01) higher than control (C) cookies, and within T cookies, salted cookies were more nutritious than sweet cookies. Cookies fortified with sesame and dried moringa leaves (T1) contained the highest protein (19 g), calcium (312 mg) and flavonoids (2.0 QE mg/100g) content. Scores on sensory acceptability revealed that T cookies were highly acceptable when compared to cookies for all sensory attributes tested. Research limitations/implications Incorporation of protein and mineral rich natural ingredients like sesame, soy butter, dried moringa leaves and coconut powder has improved the nutritional, functional and sensory properties especially calcium and protein content of salted and sweet cookies. There is tremendous scope for utilisation, commercialization of such plant-based nutrient dense ingredients in variety of food snacks, and this will ensure better nutritional security. Originality/value Fortification of biscuits with sesame, soy butter, dried moringa leaves and coconut powder resulted in to a superior quality of biscuits in terms of its protein, minerals specially calcium, flavonoid content and organoleptic acceptability. These protein and calcium rich biscuits may help in solving many nutritional deficiencies and can add variety to the bakery industry.

Purpose The purpose of the study was to discover whether incorporating flours with high nutritive value along with pre-treatment of cereals with nixtamalization and sprouting of legumes would result in a high-quality healthy alternative for corn-based snacks. Design/methodology/approach Flours of nixtamalized cereals-corn, wheat, rice and sorghum and sprouted legumes-soybean and green gram are made into dough and baked instead of fried to form multi-grain chips. The particle size and physical properties of flour and nutritional, functional and textural properties of dough and chips are tested to study the effect of combination of nixtamalization of cereals and sprouting of legumes in the development of chips. Findings Baked multi-grain chips made of nixtamalized cereals and sprouted legumes had a significantly (p < 0.05) smaller particle size of 24.6 µm compared to T1 24.8 µm, C1 29.3 µm and C2 31.7 µm. T2 and C2 had significantly (p = 0.05) lower OAC value than C1 and T1 due to nixtamalization as nixtamalized flour needed half the amount of oil during dough formation. T1 showed highest calcium (mg/100 g) of 466 which was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than all other groups. The overall acceptability of T2 (8.6) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than T1 (7.8), C2 (7.4) and C1 (6.8) on the nine-point Hedonic scale. Originality/value The developed chips are superior in terms of higher protein and minerals with better organoleptic acceptability and lower fat content in comparison to both corn chips and nixtamalized corn chips. The multi-grain chip therefore offers a new option for the consumer in high-quality healthy alternative to corn-based fried snacks.

India's Kumbh Mela remains the world's largest and longest mass gathering. The 2013 event, where participants undertook a ritual bath, hosted over 70 million Hindu pilgrims during 55 days on a 1936 hectare flood plain at the confluence of the Yamuna and Ganga Rivers. On the holiest bathing days, the population surged. Unlike other religious, cultural, and sports mass gatherings, the Kumbh Mela's administration cannot estimate or limit the participant number. The event created serious and uncommon public health challenges: initiating crowd safety measures where population density and mobility directly contact flowing bodies of water; providing water, sanitation, and hygiene to a population that frequently defecates in the open; and establishing disease surveillance and resource use measures within a temporary health delivery system. We review the world's largest gathering by observing first-hand the public health challenges, plus the preparations for and responses to them. We recommend ways to improve preparedness.

The aim of the study was to develop gluten free eggless cake using gluten free composite flour made of finger millet, sprouted soy and amaranth, for patients with celiac disease. Gluten free eggless cake prepared (T2), were analyzed for physical, textural, rheological and nutritional properties and compared with control cake (C) made using refined wheat flour and eggs and eggless composite flour cake made using whole wheat flour, malted finger millet, sprouted soy flour and amaranth (T1). There was no significant difference between T2 and C batter in terms of textural properties, flow behaviour index and consistency index. T2 had higher volume (454.4 cm(3)) as compared to T1 (437.1 cm(3)) cake. No significant differences in textural analysis were observed between cakes in terms of springiness, resilience and cohesiveness. The nutritional quality of T2 cake was significantly (p

Background/Aims: Information on eye diseases in blind school children in Allahabad is rare and sketchy. A cross-sectional study was performed to identify causes of blindness (BL) in blind school children with an aim to gather information on ocular morbidity in the blind schools in Allahabad and in its vicinity. Study Design and Setting: A cross-sectional study was carried out in all the four blind schools in Allahabad and its vicinity. Materials and Methods: The students in the blind schools visited were included in the study and informed consents from parents were obtained. Relevant ocular history and basic ocular examinations were carried out on the students of the blind schools. Results: A total of 90 students were examined in four schools of the blind in Allahabad and in the vicinity. The main causes of severe visual impairment and BL in the better eye of students were microphthalmos (34.44%), corneal scar (22.23%), anophthalmos (14.45%), pseudophakia (6.67%), optic nerve atrophy (6.67%), buphthalmos/glaucoma (3.33%), cryptophthalmos (2.22%), staphyloma (2.22%), cataract (2.22%), retinal dystrophy (2.22%), aphakia (1.11%), coloboma (1.11%), retinal detachment (1.11%), etc. Of these, 22 (24.44%) students had preventable causes of BL and another 12 (13.33%) students had treatable causes of BL. Conclusion: It was found that hereditary diseases, corneal scar, glaucoma and cataract were the prominent causes of BL among the students of blind schools. Almost 38% of the students had preventable or treatable causes, indicating the need of genetical counseling and focused intervention.

The mitigating potential of Melissa officinale (MO) (Lamiaceae) against arsenite (As3+)-induced oxidative stress, cytogenotoxicity, and expression of stress genes in fish, Channa punctatus (Bloch), teleost, was explored. After confirming the composition of MO extract, caffeic acid (0.96%), hesperidin (1.73%), naringenin (7.70%), lutenolin (3.29%), kaempferol (11.46%) and hesperetin (6.24%), by HPLC-PDA analysis, the experiment was set up in six groups (G1–G6), each containing 10 specimens. Blood, muscle, gills and liver tissues of control and treated fishes were excised at an interval of 24 till 96 h. Ameliorative potential of MO was confirmed by satisfactory restoration of altered activities of malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidise, glutathione reductase, reduced glutathione and ascorbate peroxidase in G4, G5 and G6, co-exposed with 96 h-LC50/10 As3+ with MO. A significant (p

The mitigating potential of Melissa officinale (MO) (Lamiaceae) against arsenite (As

In today's era, data has been increasing in volume, velocity and variety. Due to large and complex collection of datasets, it is difficult to process on traditional data processing application. So, this leads to emerging of new technology called data analytics. Data analytics is a science of exploring raw data and elicitation the useful information and hidden pattern. The main aim of data analytics is to use advance analytics techniques for huge and different datasets. Datasets may vary in sizes from terabytes to zettabytes and can be structured or unstructured. The paper gives the comprehensive and theoretical analysis of four open source data analytics tools which are RapidMiner, Weka, R Tool and KNIME. The study describes the technical specification, features, and specialization for each selected tool. By employing the study the choice and selection of tools can be made easy. The tools are evaluated on basis of various parameters like volume of data used, response time, ease of use, price tag, analysis algorithm and handling.

Background: Menopause is the permanent cessation of menstruation resulting from the loss of follicular activity of the ovaries. It is a stage when the menstrual cycle stops for longer than 12 months and there is a drop in the levels of estrogen and progesterone, the two most important hormones in the female body (WHO, 1996). The onset of this physiological development not only marks the end of women’s reproductive function but also introduces them to a new phase of life. Natural menopause is recognized to have occurred after 12 consecutive months of amenorrhea, for which there is no other obvious pathological or physiological cause. The age at which menopause occurs varies widely ranging from late thirties to late fifties with the range for most women being between ages 48 and 55 years. This period is marked by fluctuations in reproductive hormones. Methods: The present study community based cross-sectional study to examine variations in menopausal characteristics between rural and urban women. Data on socio demographic variables, reproductive history, and menopausal symptoms were collected from postmenopausal women (rural 200; urban 200) the survey was conducted among women who had attained menopause, in rural and urban area of Allahabad. Results: Majority of the study participants were in the age group of 50-60 years and attained menopause at the age between 45-50 years. Symptoms of joint pains were reported by 57% of rural and 55% of urban women. The percentage of women seeking treatment for their problems was higher in the urban areas i.e., 71.0% as compared to 29.5% in rural area. Similarly among the urban women, majority of them 75.0% sought treatment from private clinics, and the remaining 25.0% sought treatment from government hospitals. There is a need to address their problem and establish health care centers for them. Conclusions: The study shows that postmenopausal women suffer from various physical as well as problems related to menopausal hormonal changes with varied frequencies. There is a need to address their problem and establish health care centers for them.

ObjectiveThe prevalence of Bitot's spots (BS) is often used to quantify vitamin A deficiency burden in India, both before and after mega-dose vitamin A supplementation (MVAS) programmes. However, the proportion of BS cured following this intervention is unclear in contemporary times. The current study evaluated the responsiveness of BS over 1 year to MVAS administered as per the national programme in rural India.DesignProspective, community-based, 1-year follow-up of a cohort.SettingRural Uttar Pradesh, India.SubjectsTwo hundred and sixty-two children with BS, aged between 1 and 5 years, administered 60 mg (retinol equivalent) of vitamin A on diagnosis and after 1 month. Cure or resolution was defined if there was no discernible BS in either eye.ResultsDuring 1 year, only three children were lost to follow-up. At 6 months of follow-up (MVAS at baseline and 1 month later), 51·1 (95% CI 45·3, 57·3) % were classified as cured. The corresponding figure at 1 year (additional MVAS at 6 months) was 59·9 (95% CI 54·1, 65·9) %. Among those cured at 6 months, about half and three-quarters had resolved at 2 and 3 months, respectively. Apart from male gender, there were no significant sociodemographic or clinical predictors of response.ConclusionsSubstantial non-response to MVAS at 6 months (49%) and 1 year (40%) of follow-up suggests that presently in the Indian subcontinent, BS is a relatively crude indicator of severe current vitamin A deficiency. For programmatic decisions and evaluation, the public health burden of vitamin A deficiency should not be assessed solely through BS.

Nutrition is an important component in the treatment of acute and chronic diseases and is a cornerstone in strategies for disease prevention and health promotion. Despite the acknowledged importance of nutrition, there is evidence to indicate that the nutrition training of medical students is inadequate in both quality and quantity. The study aimed to know the dietary/eating habits of medical students, assess their knowledge on nutrition and to assess their confidence in addressing the dietary issues of patients. It was a cross-sectional study conducted on final year medical students, interns and postgraduate students of Moti Lal Nehru Government Medical College, Allahabad. The sampling was purposive and a total of 218 participated in the study voluntarily. Overall 55% of the students were less knowledgeable and only 45% of them were more knowledgeable. Most (62%) postgraduates were more knowledgeable (p0.001). Majority of them (89.9%) were having healthy eating habits. There was no association between their healthy habits and more knowledge (p0.340). Only 45.4% of them were confident in assessing the diet of patients and 44% of them were confident in recommending change of diet in patients. However this study shows no association between increase in the level of knowledge and confidence levels of the students (p0.339 and p0.109) suggesting that we need to incorporate innovative teaching methods to increase their confidence. Most students (79%) said that the medical curriculum was either just enough or not enough in preparing them to deal with the dietary issues of patients and 55% of them were of the opinion that the faculty should be trained in nutrition. The study results intend to stimulate active consideration of proper role of nutrition learning in medical education.

Background: Menopause is an inevitable reproductive phase during midlife when various physical and mental changes may impair the quality of life of women. Middle-aged women may experience a wide range of physical and psychological symptoms. Decrease in the production of estrogen leads to the premenopausal symptoms of hot flushes, insomnia and mood changes, as well as post-menopausal osteoporosis and vaginal atrophy, leading to decrease in quality of life.Methods: Community based cross-sectional study. Door to door survey was conducted among women who had attained menopause for more than 1 year, in rural and urban area of Allahabad. Multistage random sampling was done. 400 postmenopausal women, 200 each from rural and urban area were selected. A pre-tested structured questionnaire was used for data collection.Results: Majority were in the age group of 50-60 years followed by 60-70 years. Majority of women were having a parity of 3. Vasomotor symptoms were experienced by 34.5% and 39.5% rural and urban women respectively. Out of total post-menopausal women who reported genitourinary complaints, the most commonly reported complaint was stress incontinence i.e. 10.5% and 8.5% respectively in rural and urban communities followed by increased urinary frequency i.e. 9% and 7.5% respectively in rural and urban areas. Vaginal dryness was reported by 2.5% of rural women and 6% of urban women. Vaginal discharge was reported by 7% of rural and 4% of urban women. Uterine Prolapse was reported by 6% of rural women and 3.5% of urban women.Conclusions: The study shows that postmenopausal women in India suffer from various vasomotor, physical as well as psychiatric problems related to menopausal hormonal changes with varied frequencies. There is a need to address their problem and establish health care centers for them. Postmenopausal women should be sensitized for availing the health facilities for their health problems by information education and communication (IEC) and behaviour change communication (BCC). Family support should be ensured by creating awareness in community. Awareness regarding menopause and problems among women related to it need to be improved. Health workers, ASHA, Aanganwadi workers can help women to understand about the menopausal symptoms, if they are given adequate training.

Shraddha Dwivedi , MD in Community Medicine, is Professor and Head of the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine at MLN Medical College, Allahabad.

Background In 2002, the percentage of households consuming iodized salt in the state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) in India dropped to as low as 6%. This implied that 3.5 million newborns in this non-salt producing state, with 180 million population, were at risk of brain damage unless universal accessibility and consumption of iodized salt was ensured and sustained. Objectives Urgent measures were introduced in 3 phases in the state for accelerating procurement, distribution and consumption of iodized salt. Methods In the first phase, a study on mapping of salt wholesalers and understanding the salt trading system—including understanding the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of salt traders was undertaken to accelerate efforts to influence availability, marketing, and accessibility of iodized salt. The study revealed that a total of only 344 primary wholesalers supplied salt to the entire state. Of these, 126 wholesalers marketed 80% of salt and were located in only 15 of the total 70 districts of the state. This finding became a very strong basis for the program in phase II, which focused on the critical group of wholesalers and set up a system to frequently interact with them. The salt wholesalers were equipped with Salt Testing Kits (STKs) to ensure adequate iodine content in the salt procured by them and adherence to the legal ban on the sale of non-iodized salt for human consumption. Simultaneously, a “child-to-community” approach was launched through involvement of middle and high school children to create demand and monitor consumption of iodized salt at the household level. Over 217,000 salt samples (about 26,000 samples per quarter) were brought in by school children and tested for iodine content. Results The school activities resulted not only in influencing consumption of iodized salt, but also galvanized the entire chain linking consumers, retailers, and wholesalers. In less than 2 years, salt procured with nil iodine decreased from 38% to 15.3%, and salt marketed with adequate iodine level increased from 28.6% to 64.9%. School data revealed an increase in consumption of iodized salt from 6% to 46.7%. In phase 3, additional standardized activities at the school level were included and the program was taken to scale in the state. Conclusion The findings revealed that identification and inclusion of salt wholesalers—not only the salt manufacturers—was important for achieving a rapid positive shift in iodized salt marketing and consumption practices.