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A field experiment was conducted for two cropping seasons during 2016–19 at the ICAR-Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, with the objectives to study the effect of i) K nutrition and variable sources of K on growth analysis of sugarcane ratoon crop, ii) the response of K on the photosynthetic rate of crop and iii) contribution of K on yield attributes, sugarcane, and sugar yields. Mean results of two cropping seasons indicated that the application of potassium brought forth a 12.08% improvement in tiller population over no K (107.3 thousand/ha). Potassium application through K2SO4 (SOP) showed the highest net rate of photosynthesis (15.28 µmol/m2/s) which was about 30.71% higher than the control. Among the various sources of K, SOP was found the best in improving sugarcane and sugar yields. Application of SOP resulted in 18.69% ratoon cane yield improvement over the control. Application of 75% K through K2SO4 resulted in a higher sugar yield (12.01 t/ha) which was 25.76% higher than the control (9.55 t/ha). Potassium ammonium sulfate (PAS) and murate of potash could not produce better results as compared to K2SO4. Potassium application through SOP showed the highest net rate of photosynthesis (15.28 µmol/m2/s) during the grand growth phase. Application of 50.4 kg K/ha (75% more than recommended) through K2SO4 increased 18.69% sugarcane (106.7 t/ha) and 25.76% (12.01 t/ha) sugar yields over the control (no K) and was found to the best and could be recommended for improving sugarcane and sugar yields of ratoon in subtropical India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The women who have been pregnant more than four times are fewer than 18or over 35-years-old, or have at least one medical issue before or during pregnancy, the pregnancy is considered high-risk. Increased maternal and foetal mortality and morbidity are linked to these risk factors. MTP in itself is a blind and risky procedure and performing it in High Risk Pregnancy (HRP) is a challenge for obstetrics and gynecology personnel. When performed with all pre, intra and post-op precautions, results are good and patient-friendly. Aims and Objectives: Aims of the study were to calculate the number, high-risk factors, method used, and its outcome of MTP in HRP. Materials and Methods: The present study was a retrospective observational study done at QMH, KGMU, Lucknow performed on subjects admitted for MTP from January 2018 to December 2018. Total admitted patients seeking MTP were 450 out of which 93 belonged to High-Risk Group who underwent surgical and medical abortion accordingly. All precautions and norms defined by Govt. of India were taken care of. Cases were evaluated on the basis of high-risk factors-Age, parity, obstetrical and medical illnesses, and interval since last delivery. Results: Out of 93 high-risk cases, 88 cases were of 1st trimester and 5 were of 2nd trimester abortion. Six cases required suction evacuation while seven cases were managed medically using medical abortion kit. Contraception was given to all subjects according to their needs. Seventy-one women were of more than 35 yrs, while two were teenagers. 21 women were grand multipara. Women of obstetrical risk were 17 while the rest were having medical illnesses. Conclusion: This study concludes that there are a large number of high-risk groups for MTP again showing unmet need and lack of specialized counseling of HR patients according to their mental and physical condition. Early recognition of pregnancy and timely intervention can be lifesaving in these women and proper contraceptive counseling is required to prevent future pregnancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores 'Indicator Kriging' approach for assessment of health risk from exposure to trace elements concentration (δ t e ) in drinking water resources of the Central Ganga Alluvial Plain (CGAP), northern India. The estimates for δ t e were generated using analysis of groundwater samples (n = 100) collected from the Lucknow monitoring area to map the predicted area of health risk. The predicted probability maps have reclassified into a unified scale to generate Trace Element Risk Index (TERI), which has further integrated with human population count data to generate Health Risk Index of Lucknow. The results indicate that the risk is potentially alarming in urban areas as relatively high δ t e there are referring to the local (point) sources of contamination. Approximately 23.15% human population residing in about 69.77% of the total area is at moderate-to-high health risk probability. The findings of this study could help planning substantial remediation measures on long-term basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In a normal healthy adult, sympathetic and parasympathetic system should be in synergy. Measuring resting heart rate is a one of the methods to assess health condition. It can be affected by different factors such as exercise, mental health, any disease, etc. Normal subjects with reduced heart rate are associated with better cardiovascular health. Physical inactivity is associated with high level of inflammatory markers. Increased inflammatory markers are related to inflammation and chronic diseases. C-Reactive Protein (CRP) is a biomarker of inflammatory diseases. High CRP level is a potent risk factor for obesity, diabetes, atherosclerosis, etc. Aim: To study the effect of short-term endurance and resistance exercises in healthy young adults on resting heart rate, CRP body mass index and also to compare the changes between two exercise groups. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from May 2019 to May 2020 in the Department of Physiology at King George's Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. The study included 60 healthy young subjects with normal Body Mass Index (BMI) (18.5-24.9 kg/m2) and age between 18-25 years participated. Subjects were equally divided into endurance (group I) and resistance exercise (group II) groups. Subjects did moderate intensity exercise (based on maximum heart rate) for five days in a week for eight weeks. Endurance group did jogging. Resistance group did pushup, pull-up and squats. Target heart rate during moderate intensity of activities is 64-76% of maximum heart rate. Heart rate measurement was done before the start of exercise and after five to seven minutes of exercise when it reached 64-76% of maximum heart rate. It was measured by pulse oximeter. Follow-up was done after eight weeks of exercise training in both the groups. Evaluation was done by comparing resting heart rate and CRP level before the start of training and after the completion of training programme. Statistical analysis was done using student t-test and paired t-test. Results: Mean age of subjects of group I was found to be higher (19.98±1.26 years) as compared to group II (19.97±0.98 years). Mean pre-intervention BMI of both the groups was found to be similar (21.97±1.78 kg/m2). No statistically significant change in resting heart rate was found in both resistance group (p-value=0.096) and endurance group (p-value=0.326) after exercise training. Statistically significant increase in CRP was found in resistance group (p-value<0.001) and endurance group (p-value<0.001). The increment in CRP was more in endurance group (55.04%) than resistance group (35.34%). Conclusion: Short duration of exercises increase inflammation but no significant effect on resting heart rate was seen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two hitherto Alternaria species, viz., A. ashwinii and A. dilkushana causing leaf spot on the margins of flavescent and older leaves of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) are being reported for the first time from sub-tropical India. The new strain of fungi was isolated and morpho-taxonomic characters were studied in depth and compared to previous reported Alternaria strains on sugar beet crop in local cultivated field. The comparative analysis revealed variations within different fungal identification traits, viz., symptomatology, hyphae, conidiophore and conidial characteristics that differentiate from previous reported Alternaria strains on sugar beet crop in local area. The new taxon has been proposed as A. ashwinii Mall, Misra, Kumar and Pathak sp. nov. (MB 827099) and A. dilkushana Mall, Misra, Kumar and Pathak sp. nov. (MB 827096). This study will help in giving new direction to molecular diagnostics of these strains. The study also opens up path for future work on its ITS region (referred to as official DNA barcoding), in identifying the various protein coding genes used for boosting or replacing ITS region in species identification of fungi. Diseases are foremost restraint in attaining high sucrose content and yield in Sugar beet. Amongst the various diseases of Sugar beet, foliar diseases are the most common ones. Foliar diseases are often ignored though they cause substantial losses to yield and sucrose content. Identified two new fungal strains of Alternaria in sugar beet in sub-tropical India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worl dover the most important yardstick for the countrys progress and prosperity is the Maternal Mortality Ratio and Infant Mortality Rate. Every year countries make a concreted efforts to better their figures and a most important aspect is the utilization of the maternal and neonatal services. Maternal health services have a very important bearing on the Maternal and Infant mortality rate and the prevailing socio economic and services offered are an important determining influences. Various studies in India have concluded socio-economic factors and service delivery environment as important determinants influencing maternal health services. Use of ANC increases the likelihood of skilled attendance at delivery, which later increases the use of postnatal care. To determine the factors influencing the Antenatal Care services. To assess the antenatal care services and socio-demographic factors affecting ANC services in rural areas of Lucknow. It was a community based Cross sectional study . This study was conducted for a period of 3 months, from July 2014 to September 2014. Sample Size: a total of 100 RDW were included in the study. Multistage random sampling technique was used to select 100 RDW .Information was collected on Age, Religion, Caste, Educational status of RDW, Type of Family and Socioeconomic class, ANC registration, Number of ANC visits, Number of TT Injection received, IFA received and consumed, Antenatal check up etc. 56% of RDW, belong to age group 18-25, years.Majority of RDW were Hindu(61%).60% of RDW had Nuclear type of family, most of the RDW (60%) belonged to class IV. Amongst these 48% RDW had three antenatal visits, where as 41% had more than three antenatal visits.100 % of RDW had government health facility as a place of ANC registration. no statically significant association was observed between the religion of RDW,and antenatal visits/IFA tablet consumption.(p>.05).Variables such as,socioeconomic status and educational status of RDW, were not significantly associated with either antenatal visits or IFA tablets,(p>.05) for all. In this study Antenatal care services were received by majority of RDW . The Utilization of ANC services was encouraging in the study area. Counseling on antenatal care is one of the main component of MCH services, but it was found to be lagging with respect to following components of antenatal care like birth preparedness and safe delivery, personal hygiene, rest, nutrition and management of ANC complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dental caries and periodontal diseases are considered as a major public health problem globally and can be seen across all age groups and in all populations. Several socio-behavioral factors like stress-strain of changing lifestyles as well as consumption of high-sugar diet leads to the alteration in the balance of hormones like progesterone, estrogen and GSH and can affect prevalence of dental diseases. Aims: To evaluate and compare the prevalence of dental caries, apical periodontitis and periapical abscess in a population of North Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. Materials and Methods: 60 patients from north Lucknow population were observed in a free dental camp. Out of these 60 patients, nothing was seen in 30 patients (control group) and in other 30 patients dental caries, apical periodontitis and periapical abscess were detected. Diagnosis was done with the help of diagnostic instruments and intraoral periapical radiographs. Out of the 30 patients in which dental diseases were detected, 6 people had dental caries, 17 had apical periodontitis and the remaining 7 had periapical abscess. Conclusions: In this study, dental caries were found to be more prevalent in females than in males. However, both apical periodontitis and periapical abscess were more prevalent in males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In many Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) negative women, the Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions (SIL) of cervix often show persistence or progression of the lesion on followup which shows involvement of other risk factors of carcinoma cervix. Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the different risk factors of cervical cancer in persistent, progressed and regressed cases of SIL to identify the prominent ones among them. Materials and Methods: The study had been of a screening type for early detection of cervical cancer and it was done in the women population of west Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India (May, 2013-February, 2020). Cervical smears were collected in 2949 women attending the camps whose cytological examination revealed 498 cases of SIL and follow-up was available in 254 of them done through home visits after 1-4 years. Persistence of SIL was seen in 60 women on follow-up while in the remaining 194, the SIL had regressed to normal. The percentage of different risk factors seen with the persistence or regression of SIL was studied. Results: Among the different risk factors identified, prominent were of young age between 16-30 years with vaginal discharge and their percentage were insignificantly higher with persistence of SIL than in the regression group. Multiparity was also highly associated with both persistence and regression of SIL. The erosion of cervix was significantly associated with SIL persistence while associated inflammation was insignificantly higher in persistent than in the regression group. The percentage of all these factors except erosion of cervix was found higher in HPV- positive than in the HPV negative women. Conclusion: It appears that all the identified risk factors are present both in persistent and regression group but their percentage is higher with persistence of SIL. Hence, presence of any of these factors in these two groups should be viewed with caution to rule out any progression/recurrence of SIL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: There is likelihood of development of premalignant changes in the cervix in the teenagers due to early sexual activity. This assumes importance under rural conditions in India where majority of marriage of girls are performed at young age below 20 years. Aim: The present cytological study was carried out in the three cohorts of rural girls- adolescents (16-20 years), young adult girls (21-25 years) and adult women (26-30 years) to see the effect of early increasing sexual exposure. Materials and Methods: The study cases were derived from the cervical cancer screening which is in progress in the rural population of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. Of the 1185 study cases, 97 were adolescents, 338 young adult girls and remaining 750 were adult women. Results: The Atypical Squamous Cell Changes of Unknown Significance (ASCUS) were found higher in the adolescents than in young adult girls and adult women while Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions of cervix (SIL) rate was almost equal in the three cohorts. Follow-up revealed progression of ASCUS to Low grade SIL (LSIL) almost equal in the three groups while the persistence of SIL was higher in the young adult girls and adult women. The gynaecological symptoms especially vaginal discharge was more common in the last two groups than in adolescents but the SIL rate was higher with all symptoms in the adolescents. The cervical lesions were more common in the young girls and adult women and SIL rate was higher with different cervical lesions. The majority of adolescents were nulliparous with high SIL rate while in the young adult girls and adult women, the SIL incidence showed rising trend with increasing parity. Conclusion: The study highlights the importance of cytological screening of all the rural young girls and adult women specially who reveal cervical lesions or are symptomatic. This will yield large number of pre-cancerous cases, timely treatment of which will check the progression of SIL to malignancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 250 samples-including fruits, fruit juices, and baby foods (50 samples each), vegetables (70 samples), and cereals (30 samples)-were collected from Lucknow, India, and analyzed for the presence of imidacloprid residues. The QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) method of extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis were carried out, and imidacloprid residues were qualitatively confirmed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Imidacloprid was not detected in samples of fruit juices and baby foods. It was, however, detected in 38 samples of fruits, vegetables, and cereals, which is about 15.20% of the total samples. Of samples of fruits, 22% showed the presence of imidacloprid, and 2% of samples showed residues above the maximal residue limit. Although imidacloprid was detected in 24% of vegetable samples, only 5.71% showed the presence of imidacloprid above the maximal residue limit. However, 33% of cereal samples showed the presence of imidacloprid, and about 3% of samples were above the maximal residue limit. The calculated estimated daily intake ranged between 0.004 and 0.131 µg/kg body weight, and the hazard indices ranged from 0.007 to 0.218 for these food commodities. It is therefore indicated that lifetime consumption of vegetables, fruits, fruit juices, baby foods, wheat, rice, and pulses may not pose a health hazard for the population of Lucknow because the hazard indices for imidacloprid residues were below one. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2013;32:723-727. © 2012 SETAC [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Childhood obesity is increasingly being observed with changing lifestyles of families. The magnitude of overweight ranges from 9% to 27.5% and obesity ranges from 1% to 12.9% among Indian children. Objectives: The present study was undertaken to study the magnitude of overweight/obesity and its determinants among children in Lucknow city. Materials and Methods: A list of government and private school was procured from Office of Basic Shiksha Adhikari. Three government and three private schools were selected by Simple Random Sampling. Students of 5th to 12th grades available at the time of study were included as study unit. Predesigned and pretested questionnaire was used to elicit the information on family characteristics and individual characteristics. Height and weight were measured and BMI was calculated. Children with BMI of 25 and above were considered overweight and children with BMI more than 30 were considered obese. Results: Overweight and obesity was found to be 4.17% and 0.73%, respectively; they together constitute 4.91% for overweight/obesity. The study revealed that the important correlates of overweight/obesity were father's education, father's occupation, class, children playing outdoor games for less than 30 min, and those consuming fast foods. Conclusions: Children of higher classes (above 8th standard) belonging to higher socioeconomic group with less outdoor activities and consuming fast foods were more predisposed to overweight/obesity. As a preventive strategy, there is a need to apply health and nutritional education programs for inculcating healthy life styles, and incorporating more outdoor activities in Physical Education Department of school curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was conducted on 20 vegetables including leafy, root, modified stem, and fruity vegetables like bitter gourd, jack fruit, french-bean, onion, colocassia, pointed gourd, capsicum, spinach, potato, fenugreek seeds, carrot, radish, cucumber, beetroot, brinjal, cauliflower, cabbage, tomato, okra, and bottle gourd. Forty-eight pesticides including 13 organochlorines (OCs), 17 organophosphates (OPs), 10 synthetic pyrethriods (SPs), and eight herbicides (H) pesticides were analyzed. A total number of 60 samples, each in triplicates, were analyzed using Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe method. The quantification was done by GC-ECD/NPD. The recovery varies from 70.22% to 96.32% with relative standard deviation (RSD) of 15%. However the limit of detection ranged from 0.001-0.009 mg kgfor OCs, SPs, OPs, and H, respectively. Twenty-three pesticides were detected from total 48 analyzed pesticides in the samples with the range of 0.005-12.35 mg kg. The detected pesticides were: Σ-HCH, Dicofol, Σ-Endosulfan, Fenpropathrin, Permethrin-II, β-cyfluthrin-II, Fenvalerate-I, Dichlorvos, Dimethoate, Diazinon, Malathion, Chlorofenvinfos, Anilophos, and Dimethachlor. In some vegetables like radish, cucumber, cauliflower, cabbage, and okra, the detected pesticides (Σ-HCH, Permethrin-II, Dichlorvos, and Chlorofenvinfos) were above maximum residues limit (MRL) (PFA ). However, in other vegetables the level of pesticide residues was either below detection limit or MRL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To study the knowledge and practices related to newborn care in urban slums of Lucknow city, UP, and to identify critical behaviors, practices, and barriers that influence the survival of newborns. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study in urban slums of Lucknow city, UP, included 524 women who had a live birth during last 1 year preceding data collection. Data were analyzed using statistical software SPSS 10.0 for windows. Results: Study findings showed that about half of the deliveries took place at home. Majority (77.1%) of the mothers believed that baby should be bathed with warm water and dried with clean cloth and 79.7% mothers practiced it. Only 36.6% mothers initiated breast-feeding within 1 h of birth and 30.2% initiated after 1 day. The mothers who have not given colostrum to their baby, in majority the reason was customs. Conclusion: In majority of cases, correct knowledge and correct practices regarding newborn care were lacking among mothers and this should be promoted through improved coverage with existing health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noise is a universal problem that is particularly prominent in developing nations like India. Short-term noise-sensitive events like New Year's Eve, derby matches, DJ night, Diwali night (celebration with firecracker) in India, etc. create lots of noise in a short period. There is a need to come up with a system that can predict the noise level for an area for a short period indicating its detailed variations. GIS (Geographic Information System)-based google maps for terrain data and crowd-sourced or indirect collection of noise data can overcome this challenge to a great extent. Authors have tried to map the highly noisy Diwali night for Lucknow, a northern city of India. The mapping was done by collecting the data from 100 points using the noise capture app (30% were close to the source and 70% were away from the source (receiver). Noise data were predicted for 750 data points using the modeling interpolation technique. A noise map is generated for this Diwali night using the crowd-sourcing technique for Diwali night. The results were also varied with 50 test points and are found to be within ±4.4 dB. Further, a noise map is also developed for the same site using indirect data of noise produced from the air pollution open-sourced data. The produced noise map is also verified with 50 test points and found to be ±6.2 dB. The results are also corroborated with the health assessment survey report of the residents of nearby areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: 1) To determine the prevalence of isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) in the adult population of Lucknow district. 2) To study the determinants of ISH especially the relationship with age. Materials and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in four randomly selected areas of Lucknow district. A total of 800 subjects, aged 20 years and above, 400 from urban and 400 from rural area of Lucknow district were included in the study. The statistical tools used for analysis were Pearson's Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression. Results: The prevalence of ISH according to JNC-7 criteria was 4.3%, which was 5.1% in men and 3.6% in women. A significant increase in the prevalence of ISH was seen with an increase in age. Multivariate logistic regression analysis of the determinants showed that age, BMI and smoking were significant independent risk factors of ISH. Conclusions: Given the risk of cardiovascular disease associated with ISH, the findings of this study emphasize the need for further research to document the impact of modifiable risk factors of ISH and the effect of hypertension screening and specific health promotion in bringing down the burden of ISH and related cardiovascular morbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To assess the impact of a behaviour change communication (BCC) intervention on qualified medical care-seeking for sick newborns in urban Lucknow, northern India. Methods Before and after intervention study conducted at two urban public hospitals at Lucknow. Neonates who did not have any morbidity or congenital malformation and were residents of Lucknow were enrolled within 48 h of birth and followed once between 6 and 8 weeks at the outpatients’ clinic or home to assess the primary outcome measure which was qualified medical care-seeking for any neonatal illness. Mothers in the after-intervention phase received BCC intervention at enrolment, targeted at identification of danger signs of neonatal illnesses and promotion of qualified medical care-seeking. Analysis was by intention to treat. Results In the before-intervention phase, 510 neonates were enrolled (from March 2007 to August 2007) and 481 (94.3%) were followed up. In the after-intervention phase, 510 neonates were enrolled (September 2007–April 2008) and 490 (96.1%) were followed up. Neonatal morbidity was 50.3% (242/481) and 44.3% (217/490) in before and after intervention phases, respectively. Qualified medical care-seeking for neonatal illnesses was significantly higher among mothers after-intervention (OR = 2.12; 95% CI = 1.42–3.16; P = 0.0001). Conclusion Since the behaviour change intervention package led to significant improvement in qualified medical care-seeking for sick newborns, this may be tested for effectiveness in other settings and considered for scaling up here, with rising proportion of institutional deliveries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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To assess symptom-specific care-seeking practices for newborns and behavioral factors associated with them to inform strategies to enhance newborn care seeking in urban Lucknow, Northern India. This was a prospective follow-up study of consecutive 326 neonates delivered at an urban reproductive and child health (RCH) center. Focused Group Discussions (n=5) were also conducted in urban slums (n=3) at the RCH center (n=1) and at a district hospital (n=1). Overall, 326 neonates were recruited within 48 h of birth and 289 (88.7%) were followed up at 6 weeks (±15 days) at home. Parents of 51.2% (148/289) neonates reported at least one symptom of illness. Among these, 27.3% (79/289) neonates had at least one reported Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illnesses (IMNCI) danger sign, of which 15 (18.9%) did not receive any modern medical care, 5(33.3%) of which were dead by early infancy. Care seeking from unqualified providers (spiritual/traditional) was 33.3% (3/9) for persistent diarrhea and 23.5% (4/17) for pneumonia. Qualitative data from Focused Group Discussions showed that when pictures of some danger signs were shown like sunken eyes, reduced skin turgor, chest in-drawing and bulged fontanel, care seeking for these as well as fast breathing were influenced by ‘local beliefs’, which considered them to be untreatable by modern medicines alone. Thus, care seeking from multiple providers and use of traditional/home remedies delayed appropriate and timely medical care seeking. Almost half of the neonates had an illness symptom of which half had an IMNCI danger sign, of which one fifth did not receive medical care. Therefore, there is an urgent need to introduce a locally modified community IMNCI program here, for promoting care seeking from qualified providers for sick neonates.Journal of Perinatology (2008) 28, S69–S75; doi:10.1038/jp.2008.169 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted this study to assess the neonatal morbidity and care-seeking behavior amongst slum and non-slum dwellers at Lucknow. One hundred and fifty neonates were recruited within 48 hours of birth from an urban Reproductive and Child Health center and followed up at 6 weeks±15 days at home. Twenty five (16.6%) were lost to follow-up. Among those followed up, 46.4% (58/125) developed one or more morbidity; 26% (15/58) of these did not receive qualified medical care. Neonatal morbidity was 56.8% (33/ 58) among slum dwellers and 37.3% (25/67) among non-slum dwellers (absolute difference=19.5%, 95% CI=3.3 to 34.7; P=0.04). Severe neonatal illnesses were also significantly higher among neonates from slums as compared to those from non-slum areas (OR=4.50, 95%CI=1.28 to 16.38, P=0.007). Male gender was associated with any care-seeking (OR=1.24, 95% CI = 1.24 to 91.99; P=0.03) and was more likely to be seen by a qualified provider (OR=3.8, 95% CI=1.05 to 13.94; P=0.04). Since nearly half of the neonates had morbidity and more than a quarter of them did not receive qualified medical care, there is a need to introduce Community Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illnesses (IMNCI) program here, emphasizing on the importance of qualified medical care for ill neonates, including females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using follow-up data on a sample of mothers who gave birth at a Lucknow city hospital, the family size ideals of the women were examined in relation to experienced and perceived levels of child mortality and socioeconomic and demographic characteristics.The fear of child mortality and their own experience tended to increase the size of family which the mothers considered to be ideal. Lower ideal family size was found among younger women, those who married at later ages and those currently using contraception. Family size preferences were also influenced by rural/urban background, religion, caste, type of family, education, income and occupation of husband and type of housing. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Using data collected through follow-up home visits to a sample of mothers, whose singleton babies were born at the Dufferin Hospital, Lucknow, September 1976—August 1977, estimates are made of infant mortality in Lucknow city, and its differentials by socioeconomic, demographic and health care characteristics of the infants and their families. Infant mortality was 74·5 per 1000 births during the year 1976–77 and there is evidence of some recent decline in it.Among socioeconomic factors considered, infant mortality is found to be inversely related with caste status among Hindus, education of mother, father's monthly income, and father's occupation. Infant mortality exhibits a J-shaped distribution in relation to maternal age and parity and a reversed J-shaped distribution in relation to maternal age at marriage. Among health and health care factors, antenatal care of the mother appears to exercise a negative influence on infant mortality, which also shows a marked negative relationship with birth weight and feeding index of the child. The findings suggest important policy implications, which, if followed, would help to reduce infant mortality, and would thus remove a serious obstacle in the way of acceptance of the small family norm and its achievement through the adoption of family planning. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article cites a study which evaluates the residual effect of hexachlorocyclohexane in the intestinal epithelial cells of the rat. 100 to 120 grams of male albino rats are supplied from the Industrial Toxicology Research Center in Lucknow, India. Small intestines of the rats are removed and its epithelial cells are made ready. Liquid-liquid partition method with acetonitrile was used in the study. The recovery of hexachlorocyclohexane-isomers in various epithelial cell fractions were observed. The result of the epithelial cells study was discussed.

Introduction:Cervical carcinoma is the second most common malignancy in women worldwide. It is estimated that over a million women worldwide currently have cervical cancer. Worldwide, cervical cancer is both the fourth-most common cancer and the fourth-most common cause of death from cancer in women. In 2012, 528, 000 new cases of cervical cancer were diagnosed, and 266, 000 women died of the disease (GLOBOCAN 2012), nearly 90% of them in lowto middle-income class countries. Multifactorial causation, potential for prevention, and the sheer threat it poses make cervical cancer an important disease for in-depth studies, as has been attempted by this paper by studying the hypoxic marker. Recently, there has been increasing interest in the identification of biomarkers able to predict both response to treatment and survival. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of hypoxic marker Carbonic anhydrase (CAIX) markers to predict the clinical outcome of patients with cervical carcinoma. Materials and methods:This study was conducted on biopsy proven previously untreated cases of cancer cervix who presented to the Department of Radiotherapy at King George's Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. The study was a single institution, non-randomised, prospective study to evaluate carbonic anhydrase IX as a biomarker in cancer cervix patients undergoing radiotherapy. Sample size: Total 75 samples • 25 healthy control subjects (Age and sex matched) • 25 cancer cervix patients (duplicate samples i.e. baseline and follow up). Approximately 2 ml of blood was withdrawn before initiation of treatment and at the time of first follow up. Standard treatment was given as external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) with concurrent chemotherapy followed by intracavitary radiotherapy (ICRT). Blood samples was analysed for the level of CAIX..Statistical analyses was performed with the SPSS software package v13.0. Results: Pre-treatment high level of carbonic anhydrase IX correlated with poor treatment outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author discusses the need of strengthening the ethics committees (ECs) in India. He mentions a symposium held at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS), Lucknow, in which the topics related to monitoring of ECs, selection of members and clinical research were discussed. He suggests the need to strive registration and accreditation through improvement in ethical review processes by institutes to promote outsourcing of clinical trials to developing countries.

Information about the topics discussed at Birbal Sashni Palaeobotanical Society's Conference in Lucknow, India from November 16-17, 2009 is presented. Topics include the fields of paleobotany and the important role of plant fossils in the prevention of climate change. The conference featured several keynote speakers including N. C. Mehrotra, R. N. Lakhampal and D. C. Garg.

Abstract: Chenopodium spp. is being used as a leafy vegetable and subsidiary grain crop in different parts of the world due to its rich nutritional quality and its ability to grow in stress conditions. A field experiment was conducted in Lucknow (India) to assess the genetic diversity in 40 accessions of Chenopodium spp. based on mineral composition of the leaves. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed that the first 4 PCs (Principal Component) accounted for 74.70% of the total variance among the accessions. The first PC (PC1) accounted for 41.96% of the total qualitative variation and had nickel, zinc and chromium with high positive and copper with high negative coefficients. The most important loadings for PC2 were calcium and potassium. Cluster analysis grouped the accessions into 4 major clusters. The first cluster, which showed maximum diversity, had 17 accessions, all of C. quinoa having high content of most of the heavy metals viz. zinc, chromium, nickel and cadmium. Cluster II was the largest consisting of 18 accessions which had low content of nickel, cadmium and chromium. Cluster III contained 3 accessions that had lowest amount of calcium, iron, magnesium and zinc, while accessions in cluster IV were characterized by high levels of calcium, sodium, magnesium, nickel, chromium and cadmium. Significant genotypic differences existed in the heavy metal uptake by plants. Mineral uptake and concentration in Chenopodium spp. corresponds to the taxonomic categorization in the genus and could also be utilized as a supplementary taxonomic tool for grouping together of closely related taxa. Conclusively the diversity can be exploited in plant breeding programs for increasing nutritional value and for bioremediation purposes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: To test an infographic two-pager on medication abortions (MA) aimed to improve pharmacists counseling in India.Methods: A quantitative baseline survey was conducted among 283 pharmacists in three districts around Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh in January 2018. The intervention (infographic) was given to 117 of these pharmacists a few weeks later and a follow-up survey was conducted 3 months later with 281 pharmacists. In addition, mystery clients were sent to 115 of the pharmacists.Results: A statistically significant improvement in knowledge post-intervention was found, compared to pre-, for almost all quality items measured. Difference-in-difference estimators showed a difference in knowledge among indicators related to misoprostol in particular. However, mystery client reports showed few differences in pharmacist behaviors between intervention and control pharmacists.Conclusion: This simple, paper-based intervention, which required no training, showed a significant improvement in pharmacists' knowledge and was welcomed by the providers. Translating knowledge into behavior change, however, seems more difficult to impact. Adapting this simple intervention to motivate providers to change behaviors could improve the quality of care provided by pharmacists in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence and distribution of four major hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers (α-, β-, γ- and δ-) were studied in vegetation samples of a highly contaminated area close to a small-scale industrial belt in Lucknow (North India). Eight species of plants were collected at different points of the contaminated area and different parts of the plants were separated in order to study the difference in uptake and accumulation. The samples were extracted by matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) extraction and finally determined by a gas-chromatograph equipped with 63Ni electron capture detector (ECD). HCH isomers were present in almost all samples and the concentration of total HCH in the plant sample analyzed varied between 13 and 44mgkg−1, being the main isomer of β-HCH (8–22mgkg−1). Lindane (γ-HCH) was present in all samples (1–9mgkg−1). Solanum torvum Sw., and Erianthus munja shows the highest and lowest capacity for accumulation of HCH, respectively with a significant difference at p <0.01 level. The highest concentration of HCH residue in root samples indicates the most likely mechanism of HCH accumulation in these plants was sorption of soil HCH on roots. Solanum torvum Sw., and Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal could accumulate considerable levels of HCH isomers (44 and 34mgkg−1, respectively). The results reflect the importance of plants in monitoring purposes and their potential for phytoremediation of HCH contaminated soils. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]