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Constructing the syllabus of a school subject could be a highly contested exercise given the fact that it must cater for the concerns of competing stakeholders and pressures to incorporate all possible aspects of that discipline. For geography, whose field of study is extremely vast, and its nature is not clearly defined, developing its syllabus is particularly challenging. This paper discusses some key issues concerning the status of the geography syllabus in the secondary schools in India. The central theme of the paper is built on the study of documentary sources, research works, as well as on the survey of schoolteachers and geography experts from some school boards. The paper concludes that the educational value of school geography can only be realized by incorporating both physical and human aspects of the Earth in the syllabus.

Pervasiveness of illiteracy has remained a foremost social and developmental challenge for India. This has prompted successive central and state governments to remain obsessed with increasing enrolments and decreasing dropout of children. However, these efforts are not accompanied by policies and programs for improving the quality of education. A pertinent issue in this context is the widespread incidence of underqualified teachers in Indian schools. The problem of underqualification of geography teachers is much more complex than in other subjects due to the distinct nature of geography. This paper looks into the problem of underqualification of geography teachers in Indian schools, its causes and implications.

Background: The present study was undertaken to study the percentage of pathogenic bacteria present in different fruit and vegetable samples available in the market in and around Kalaburagi, Karnataka, South India. Methods: A total of 940 different samples were collected from Kalaburagi, out of which 390 (23.84%) were fruits and 550 (35.27%) were vegetables. The pathogenic bacteria were isolated, by enrichment culture method using peptone water. The bacterial isolates were identified by convention microbial identification procedures. Result: Antibiotic resistant testing by disc diffusion method performed for E. coli, Salmonella and Shigella. Among the pathogens, E. coli (86.50%) of the isolates were resistant to Nalidixic acid while Imipenem and Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole has the lowest resistance (19.84%), Salmonella (86.66%) isolates were resistant to Ciprofloxacin while Norfloxacin has the lowest resistance (4.76%) and Shigella (80.35%) isolates were resistant to Vancomycin while Amoxicillin has the lowest resistant (3.57%). Multiple drug resistance (MDR) was seen in E. coli at (38.88%), Salmonella at (26.66%) and Shigella at (10.71%) accordingly. The study therefore shown that E.coli, Salmonella and Shigella occur in Fruits and vegetables which collected from market place in Kalaburagi, Karnataka India, As per the results, adequate precaution should be taken while handles these fruits and vegetables. The antimicrobial resistance pattern shown by the isolates is an indication that adequate measurement needs to be taken to regulate the drug use in both humans and animals in order to minimize the risk of increasing antimicrobial resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In India, the cosmetics industry has expanded significantly because of changing lifestyles and increased awareness. In terms of earning the most money from the personal care and cosmetics industry in 2021, India is ranked fourth globally. Many cosmetics sold in India include ingredients that cannot be used on humans. Objective: To assess knowledge, attitudes, and practice toward the uses of cosmetics and cosmetovigilance in India. Methods: A cross‑sectional study was conducted, from April to May 2022, among the general population living in the Delhi NCR region, India. Study questionnaires (printed and survey link) were distributed in public as well as at workplaces for the survey. Results: Around 268 (54.78%) females and 223 (45.21%) males participated in the survey. Amongst the total respondents ‑ 407 (83%) agreed that they are using cosmetic products on a daily basis, females 229 (85.44%), being the majority users compared to males 178 (80%), with a significant P value = 0.011. Most of the people reported side effects of shampoos ‑ 7.13% (hair fall, hair thinning, dryness of the scalp, itching), followed by allergic reactions to moisturizers ‑ 5.70%. Conclusion: Because of the right safety and effectiveness mentorship of cosmetics, regulatory agencies and stakeholders should adopt this broadly. Cosmetovigilance needs to be put into practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: SARS-CoV-2 infections caused mild-to-moderate illness. However, a sizable portion of infected people experience a rapid progression of hyper-inflammatory and hypoxic respiratory illness that necessitates an effective and safer remedy to combat COVID-19. Methods: A total of 150 COVID-19-positive patients with no to mild symptoms, between the age groups 19–65 years were enrolled in this randomized, open-labeled three-armed clinical trial. Among them, 136 patients completed the study with RT-PCR negative reports. The patients received herbal drugs orally (Group A (Adhatoda vasica; AV; 500 mg; n = 50); Group B (Tinospora cordifolia; TC; 500 mg; n = 43), and Group C (AV + TC; 250 mg each; n = 43)) for 14 days. Clinical symptoms, vital parameters, and viral clearance were taken as primary outcomes, and biochemical, hematological parameters, cytokines, and biomarkers were evaluated at three time points as secondary outcomes. Results: We found that the mean viral clearance time was 13.92 days (95% confidence interval [CI] 12.85–14.99) in Group A, 13.44 days (95% confidence interval [CI] 12.14–14.74) in Group B, and 11.86 days (95% confidence interval [CI] 10.62–13.11) days in Group C. Over a period of 14 days, the mean temperature in Groups A, and B significantly decreased linearly. In Group A, during the trial period, eosinophils, and PT/INR increased significantly, while monocytes, SGOT, globulin, serum ferritin, and HIF-1α, a marker of hypoxia reduced significantly. On the other hand, in Group B hsCRP decreased at mid-treatment. Eosinophil levels increased in Group C during the treatment, while MCP-3 levels were significantly reduced. Conclusions: All the patients of the three-armed interventions recovered from COVID-19 and none of them reported any adverse effects from the drugs. Group C patients (AV + TC) resulted in a quicker viral clearance as compared to the other two groups. We provide the first clinical report of AV herbal extract acting as a modifier of HIF-1α in COVID-19 patients along with a reduction in levels of ferritin, VEGF, and PT/INR as the markers of hypoxia, inflammation, and thrombosis highlighting the potential use in progression stages, whereas the TC group showed immunomodulatory effects. Trial registration Clinical Trials Database -India (ICMR-NIMS), CTRI/2020/09/028043. Registered 24th September 2020, https://www.ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/pdf_generate.php?trialid=47443&EncHid=&modid=&compid=%27,%2747443det%27 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology-enhanced learning settings are changing quickly and complexly in the contemporary digital era, making it possible for students with disabilities to learn more effectively than before. The words "multisensory" and "media" together, however, suggest that this strategy entails incorporating several sensory modalities in educational media to improve learning experiences for children with disabilities. It can entail integrating visual, aural, tactile, and kinesthetic elements to meet various learning requirements and styles. This article examines how Mulsemedia, one of these cutting-edge technologies, enhances learning methodologies, improving the teaching and learning of unique pedagogies and emphasizing teaching and learning-related modules for students with special needs. The researchers used a qualitative research design to understand and review the ten papers with secondary data based connected to mulsemedia in special education: A novel teaching approach for the next generation. The article also describes the extremely encouraging outcomes of case studies conducted with engineering students with disabilities in several schools in India. This critical article finds that multimedia-enhanced instruction significantly improves special students' learning experiences and ability to learn new information for future development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article critically examines the recommendations of two major Indian education reports--NCFSE 2000 and NCF 2005--prepared by the National Council of Educational Research and Training in India. The NCFSE 2000 has recommended an integrated teaching of geography as one component of the social studies. The NCF 2005 has reverted to the pre-NCFSE 2001 framework, wherein all subjects under the banner of social studies would now be taught independently. These conflicting reports, and additional disagreement over the teaching of "local" Indian versus "world" geography, are investigated regarding their implications for teaching geography to Indian students. (Contains 3 notes.)

The recent outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is the worst global crisis. Since no successful treatment and vaccine have been reported, efforts to improve the public's knowledge, attitudes, and practices are critical to reducing the spread of COVID-19. This study aims to investigate the general public knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding COVID-19. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in three developing countries (China, India, and Pakistan). The reason for choosing only three countries is to identify the cross-border effect statistically and data collection constraints. The IBM SPSS version 23.0 was used for descriptive, univariate, and multivariate analysis of the study. One thousand one hundred and sixty participants completed the study, one-quarter of them were female, and three-quarters were male. The study's findings evidenced that the knowledge and attitude correlation was 58.4% and between knowledge and practices 18.2%. Furthermore, the knowledge was found lower in females, among India and Pakistan, and people aged less and equivalent to 30 years. The attitudes among respondents were found poorer among unmarried females and India and Pakistan residents. While the practices found lower among employed, unemployed and, respondents had a bachelor's degree, and females reside in India. And future studies should focus on factors that influence the government regarding the imposition of lockdown, boost the economy in the pandemic, and motivate the general public to follow the health institution's instructions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sedimentological/mineralogical characteristics of the aquifer material have been determined and their impact on groundwater chemistry is evaluated in the Aligarh district. It is found that 35 % of the aquifer is characterized by sand fraction containing (17–8) % of plagioclase and rock fragment (4–5%). Dominant aquifer material (silt and clay) fraction is dominated by plagioclase, K-feldspar, calcite, chlorite, kaolinite/mica, and halite. Spatial variation in relative positions and thickness of aquifer of silt, clay, and sandy layers resulting to particular hydro-chemical types. Major ions in groundwater shows a high degree of spatial variation along with multisource for the ions. Water quality index suggests that 22% of the water samples fall under the unsuitable category in the area characterized by aquifer material dominant with clay layers. Groundwater types in the area are dominated by Na+-Cl− and Ca2+ - HCO3−, Ca+2 Mg+ - HCO3− Ca+2 Mg+2 - Cl− (mixed type). Silicate weathering, Carbonates, salt dissolution, and base ion exchange are the major mechanisms that control the major ionic composition of the groundwater. It is saturated with calcite, dolomite, chalcedony, and Mg-silicate (Sepiolite). The unstable Speiolite under climate conditions prevails in the region rapidly change to smectite clay, which constitutes a major clay mineral of Indo-Gangetic alluvium. ANN (Artificial Neural Networking) analysis indicated that irrigation quality parameters Permeability Index (PI) and Na% are showing strong relation with selected parameters EC, and Na+ concentration. SAR values mostly depend on Na+, Mg+2 conc. and EC, while residual sodium carbonate (RSC) of groundwater can be predicted using Mg2+, HCO3−, and Ca2+ concentration in groundwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professional driving involves sitting in uncomfortable positions, navigating difficult terrain and roads, and occasionally conducting small repairs and other auxiliary transportation duties while at work for long periods. Drivers who engage in these activities may develop a variety of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). MSDs in professional drivers are accompanied by several risk factors. In this study, the various risk factors for MSD have been identified through the literature reviews, discussions with professional drivers, and consultations with ergonomics specialists. This study employed the ordinal priority approach (OPA), a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) technique, to rank the identified risk variables for MSD in order of importance. The same OPA method has also been used to identify the group of professional drivers who use eight different types of vehicles and are more likely to develop MSDs. The analyses findings show that the five main risk factors for MSDs among drivers are prolonged sitting, restricted posture, working hours, alcohol consumption, and uncomfortable seating. Additionally, among all drivers regarded as professionals, truck drivers are found to be the most at risk. For the study's conclusions to be validated, a sensitivity analysis was also carried out. The results of this study are anticipated to help formulate strategies for lowering these hazards through the ergonomic design of drivers' cabins by automobile OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and vehicle scheduling by concerned transportation organizations to reduce driver tiredness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an indoor kitchen environment, proper installation of supplying air system is essential for maintaining optimal human thermal comfort level. Current thermal comfort investigation has been accomplished during "various cooking periods (breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner)" inside the air‐conditioned kitchen environment of railway pantry car in India. The study goals to improve thermal comfort inside the pantry kitchen by implementing proper installation of the supply air system. A field experiment and computational fluid dynamics approach has been carried out during the summer season. Also, standard effective temperature (SET) index was utilized to determine the thermal comfort status. Three proposed design modified cases of pantry cars (based on supplying air system concepts) have been executed followed by validation and comparison with the existing case model. Results revealed modified Case III as a better design concept (indicating better air supply circulation and temperature decrease at the desired location) compared to the existing and other two proposed cases. Simultaneously, the SET index range was 26.5–28.6°C; indicating "comfortable thermal sensation throughout the cooking period." This study's outcomes suggest improvements in thermal comfort and energy savings of "air‐conditioned" pantry car kitchens in "Indian Railways" that could be referred directly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kala-azar/Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) caused by Leishmania donovani (LD) is often associated with Leptomonas seymouri (LS) co-infection in India. Leptomonas seymouri narna-like virus 1 (Lepsey NLV1) has been reported in multi-passaged laboratory isolates of VL samples which showed LD-LS co-infection. A pertinent question was whether this virus of LS is detectable in direct clinical samples. DNA from the serum of twenty-eight LD diagnosed patients was subjected to LD-specific and LS-specific PCR to reconfirm the presence of LD parasites and to detect LD-LS co-infections. RNA extracted from same samples was subjected to RT-PCR, qRT-PCR and sequencing using virus-specific primers to detect/identify and quantify the virus. The presence of the virus was confirmed in thirteen of eighteen (72%) recently collected VL and PKDL samples. Cytokine profiling showed significantly elevated IL-18 in only LD infected patients compared to the virus-positive LD and control samples. IL-18 is crucial for Th1 and macrophage activation which eventually clears the parasite. The Lepsey NLV1 interaction with the immune system results in reduced IL-18 which favors LD survival and increased parasitic burden. The study emphasizes the need to revisit LD pathogenesis in the light of the association and persistence of a protozoan virus in kala-azar and PKDL patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Assessing patient satisfaction with dental prosthesis is usually difficult if the prosthesis does not fulfill the treatment need of the patient, and in most cases, the professionals' assessment of the prosthesis differs from the patients' perception of quality and treatment outcome. Patient satisfaction is important for the proper utilization of the prosthesis which helps improve the patients' overall quality of life and that remains the professionals' ultimate goal. The aim of this study was to assess the quality and utilization of dental prostheses and their impact on patient satisfaction. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 1312 participants aged 18 years and above using a house-to-house approach among the rural population of Mangalore taluk. The study involved the completion of a predesigned and structured pro forma based on the WHO oral health assessment form. Evaluation of the prosthesis, and its quality was done by the professional. Fisher's exact test and odds ratio were conducted to find the significance of variables. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: It was found that the retention and chewing efficiency of the complete denture had a positive comparison that was statistically significant. The retention of the partial denture wearers had a positive correlation between the patient perception and the professional assessment. In fixed partial dentures candidates, there was a statistically significant comparison between their perception and professionals' assessment with regard to hygiene and periodontal health. Conclusion: Most of the completely edentulous patients residing in the rural population of Mangalore taluk are quite satisfied with their prosthesis, whereas the professional assessment revealed that the older denture lacked retention, occlusion, and hygiene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater is considered as an imperative component of the accessible water assets across the world. Due to urbanization, industrialization and intensive farming practices, the groundwater resources have been exposed to large-scale depletion and quality degradation. The prime objective of this study was to evaluate the groundwater quality for drinking purposes in Mewat district of Haryana, India. For this purpose, twenty-five groundwater samples were collected from hand pumps and tube wells spread over the entire district. Samples were analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), total hardness (TH), turbidity, total alkalinity (TA), cations and anions in the laboratory using the standard methods. Two different water quality indices (weighted arithmetic water quality index and entropy weighted water quality index) were computed to characterize the groundwater quality of the study area. Ordinary Kriging technique was applied to generate spatial distribution map of the WQIs. Four semivariogram models, i.e. circular, spherical, exponential and Gaussian were used and found to be the best fit for analyzing the spatial variability in terms of weighted arithmetic index (GWQI) and entropy weighted water quality index (EWQI). Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), principal component analysis (PCA) and discriminant analysis (DA) were applied to provide additional scientific insights into the information content of the groundwater quality data available for this study. The interpretation of WQI analysis based on GWQI and EWQI reveals that 64% of the samples belong to the "poor" to "very poor" bracket. The result for the semivariogram modeling also shows that Gaussian model obtains the best fit for both EWQI and GWQI dataset. HCA classified 25 sampling locations into three main clusters of similar groundwater characteristics. DA validated these clusters and identified a total of three significant variables (pH, EC and Cl) by adopting stepwise method. The application of PCA resulted in three factors explaining 69.81% of the total variance. These factors reveal how processes like rock water interaction, urban waste discharge and mineral dissolution affect the groundwater quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Territorial disputes between India and Pakistan got a new dimension with the release of a new political map by the latter on 4 August 2020, apparently in response to India's move to administratively reorganize the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Widely described as 'cartographic aggression' against India, the new map lays claim over many parts of India. The article traces the historicity of map-making as a nation-building project for Pakistan and seeks to decipher the strategic objectives behind this move. The article argues that this cartographic aggression is essentially an expression of its longstanding territorial desires against India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Railway transportation plays a significant contribution to carrying passengers in India. In which during the journey, pantry cars are involved to serves the food to all onboard passengers. The kitchen atmosphere of the pantry car gets very hot and humid during cooking which could affect occupants' thermal comfort. Therefore, the current research article describes a review of the factors affecting human thermal comfort inside the kitchen of the railway pantry car. The factors influencing of human thermal comfort inside pantry car kitchens are classified into two categories viz; environmental factors that include "air temperature, mean radiant temperature, relative humidity, air velocity" and personal or individual factors including "metabolic rate and clothing insulation". All these factors need to be considered in order to achieve the optimum level of thermal comfort inside the kitchen environment of the pantry car. With the assistance of all these factors, we can estimate the thermal comfort indices such as; SET "standard effective temperature," PMV "predicted mean vote," PPD "predicted the percentage of dissatisfied," thereby recognizing the acceptable thermal sensation range for occupants' (chefs) in the pantry car kitchens during the work period. These kinds of parametric studies can cover a wide group of all pantry car chefs in evaluating thermal comfort. Furthermore, there is a need to apply all the consequences of this research to increase the chef 's thermal comfort inside the pantry car kitchen while working. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bariatric and metabolic surgery (BMS), the only effective option for patients with obesity with or without comorbidities, has been stopped temporarily due to the ongoing novel corona virus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. However, there has been a recent change in the governmental strategy of dealing with this virus from 'Stay at Home' to 'Stay Alert' in many countries including India. A host of health services including elective surgeries are being resumed. In view of the possibility of resumption of BMS in near future, Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society of India (OSSI) constituted a committee of experienced surgeons to give recommendations about the requirements as well as precautions to be taken to restart BMS with emphasis on safe delivery and high-quality care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Posterior component separation with transversus abdominis release is a new procedure and is quickly gaining popularity. It has shown promising results in terms of low recurrence rates for large and complex hernias. However, there are very little Indian data available on this to date. The purpose of this study was to assess the outcomes of the technique at three centers in India. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of the prospectively collected data. Patients with a minimum follow-up of 3 months who underwent open or minimal access posterior component separation were included. Results: A total of 72 patients (open = 44, minimal access = 25, and hybrid = 3) were included in the analysis. At a follow-up ranging from 3 months to 35 months, there were two recurrences (2.78%). Surgical site occurrences were seen in 23/72 (31.9%), and surgical site infection was seen in 7/72 (9.7%). Surgical site occurrence requiring procedural intervention was 3/72 (4.2%). There were two (2.78%) mortalities in the open group due to myocardial infarction. Conclusion: Posterior component separation with transversus abdominis release may have advantages in terms of low recurrence in large hernias in the Indian population and can be used in carefully selected patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hydrochemical study of the stream’s water in the Alaknanda basin has been carried out for the samples collected in 2016–2017 during high and low flow. The hydrochemical facies is Ca2+– HCO³ – types for most of the samples. Gibbs ratio and Cl–/[sum anion] ratio shows that the rock weathering is the primary source of solute in stream water. Apportioning of the weathering indicated that silicate, carbonate and mixed type of weathering are dominated by 52%, 19%, and 29% respectively in the watersheds. Base ion exchange index (IBI CaI1, IBII CaI2) suggested that stream chemistry is influenced by ion exchange and stream water also has deeper sources of water through joints and fissures in the watersheds. A comparison between ion concentrations in the samples suggested that few samples had magnesium and fluoride more than permissible limits. Based on dissolved ions in stream water, the water quality index indicates 80%, 14%, and 6% falls into the excellent to good, poor and unsuitable category respectively. High Kelly index and permeability index for some samples indicated the impact of rock type on water quality that may affect local agricultural productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrochemical processes have been evaluated for the groundwater regime in Trans-Yamuna alluvial aquifer, Palwal District, Haryana. The groundwater belongs to the Na+–Mg+2 and Cl−–SO4−2 facies, and solute acquisition processes indicated that the rock weathering/evaporation is a major mechanism that characterizes the hydrochemistry. It is also indicated that dissolution and reverse ion exchange processes are playing a major role in determining the groundwater chemistry in the study area. The varied climate in Ganga plains is responsible for the importance of different hydrogeochemical processes that impact on hydrochemistry of groundwater. Groundwater quality parameters were tested for drinking and irrigation purposes. Water quality index shows that 13%, 31%, 34% and 21% fall in good, poor, very poor and unsuitable water category, respectively, for drinking purposes. On the basis of SAR and Na%, the groundwater indicated that it is safe for irrigation purposes. But high TDS of few samples suggested the salinity hazard while using it for irrigation purposes for a longer period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tests for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) are not uniformly effective for all endemic regions. In a serological assay, a novel antigen, otubain cysteine peptidase, compared with rK39, showed comparable sensitivity with Indian VL serum samples and prominently increased sensitivity with Brazilian samples, as well as improved monitoring of the treatment response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bhagirathi streams are a major source of fresh water in the form of glaciers meltwater streams and monsoonal phenomena. The watersheds of the Bhagirathi basin is trending towards water chemistry as well as changing morphological and land cover features due to the climatic and anthropogenic activity. To understand seasonal hydrochemistry and the impact of watershed morphology a total of 32 stream water samples collected during post and pre-monsoon seasons. The bicarbonate is the most dominant ion in the streams water followed by Na+, Ca+2, SO4−2, Cl−, SiO2, K+, and Mg+2. The results were found that HCO3− is in very good correlation with the base cations Ca+2, Mg+2 and Na+ in both pre and post-monsoon seasons. The higher concentration of HCO3− in Bhagirathi stream water and its positive correlation with Ca+2 and Mg+2 indicates that their main source comes from the dissolution of carbonates. Most of the hydro-chemical parameters (EC, pH) and ions (Ca+2, Mg+2, Na+, K+, HCOf−, SO4−2, Cl−, and F−) indicated a relationship with morphometric and land cover and these parameters vary with the season. It is observed that elevation, relief, basin length, area, and perimeter impact on stream water chemistry. Due to the processes of chemical weathering, mixing of the groundwater, snow/glacier meltwater, and surface water components responsible for the seasonal variation in the hydro-chemistry of streams. Impact of agriculture land is more dominant than any land cover followed by barren land and glacier cover that influence the hydrochemistry of streams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temporal change in the glacier coverage is analyzed for the period between 1962 and 2003 in Parbati valley, Himachal Pradesh. It is observed that the total glacier cover has been decreased by 17% ranging between 8 and 100% for individual glacier. The pattern of de-glaciation shows a high degree of shrinkage in outer zone of Parbati valley, while least shrinkage is observed in the inner valley. The present study is conducted to establish relationship between glacio-geomorphic parameters and glaciers shrinkage pattern to predict the future glacier cover in warming scenario. A systematic change is observed for glacio-geomorphic parameters associated with temporal change in glacier cover. It is observed that mean and minimum elevation, slope, relief and duration of insolation have changed substantially. Maximum elevation, plan/profile curvatures and aspect have shown less change from 1962 to 2003. A correlation matrix between glacio-geomorphic parameters for glaciers between 1962 and 2003 shows that the recent glaciers are much more controlled by terrain characteristics than that in the recent past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess pharmacotherapeutics (PT) knowledge of second professional medical undergraduates. Materials and Methods: It is a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study. The questionnaire was designed to objectively assess the current level of knowledge of PT acquired by the second MBBS students in a medical college in India. Thirty Type-A multiple choice questions (MCQs) related with the PT of common and important medical conditions and some emergency conditions were administered to 125 participants. Grading of knowledge was also done as poor, average, and good both subjectively and objectively. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze responses. Association of PT knowledge with respect to mode of admission in a medical college was analyzed with Chi-square test. Results: MCQs related with PT of nonemergency conditions were responded correctly by 9.8-77.7% of participants. MCQs related with PT of some emergency conditions were responded correctly by 17-66.1% of participants. No statistically significant association was observed in PT knowledge with respect to mode of admission. Conclusion: Gross deficiency in the PT knowledge can potentially and adversely affect future rational prescribing skills. PT knowledge about common medical conditions should be emphasized during undergraduate training program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim was to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practice of dental doctors about adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting. Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional study, questionnaire was administered to 95 dental doctors working in a teaching dental hospital attached to a medical college with an ADR monitoring center (AMC). Statistical Analysis Used: Descriptive statistics were used to analyze responses. The association of knowledge and attitude with respect to position of dentists was analyzed with Chi-square test. Results: The response rate and spontaneous reporting rate was found to be 61.0% and 13.7%, respectively. Important factors contributing to under reporting of ADRs include lack of awareness about AMC in the institute (81.0%) and pharmacovigilance program (72.4%), complacency (67.2%), lack of training to identify ADRs (65.5%), fear factor (63.7%), lethargy (58.6%), lack of risk perception of over the counter product related ADR (39.6%), inadequate risk perception of nonallopathic and herbal medicines (31%), indifference (27.5%) and concern that report may be wrong (27.5%). No significant difference in knowledge and attitudes of doctors with respect to position was found except for reporting of ADRs of newly marketed drugs and serious reactions to established product (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The deficiencies in knowledge and attitudes appear to be the underlying factor for under reporting by dental practitioners. It should be addressed urgently in order to increase spontaneous reporting by them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From privatisation to nationalization and further liberalisation the Insurance Industry has come a full circle with initiation of Insurance Sector reforms in India on the recommendations of Malhotra Committee (2003). Following the recommendation of the Malhotra Committee, steps were taken to revamp the insurance industry of India. With the objective of injecting competitiveness in the industry the Insurance sector was opened in the year 2000 for the private players with foreign participation of 26% in the paid up capital, thereby ending the monopoly of the two public sector giants LIC and GIC. Since then life insurance business in India has seen major transformations. This was facilitated not only due the presence of impending competition from private insurance companies but also due to supporting economic and demographic factors. The study assess and evaluates the growth in the insurance sector for over a decade identifying variables specific to the industry and economy that have changed the manner in which life and non life insurance existed in India and would grow in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the composition of kidney stones removed from human patients. Seventeen samples were collected after surgery (5 females and 12 males; age range 2 to 60 years). The samples were analyzed for composition by transmission Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The 17 analyzed samples of kidney stones comprised 29.4% calcium oxalate, 29.4% uric acid, 29.4% calcium oxalate (CaOx)-uric acid, 5.9% phosphate, and 5.9% calcium oxalate-phosphate stones. The results of the study indicated that transmission FT-IR spectroscopy could be used as an environmentally friendly technique for rapid screening of kidney stones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is one of the major global health concerns due to its association with morbidity and mortality. All available diagnostic tools have been, until now, unable to provide a very specific and cost-effective mode of detection for VL globally. Therefore, the design of robust, specific, and commercially translatable diagnostic tests is urgently required. Currently, we are attempting to identify and explore the diagnostic potential of a novel parasite antigen. Repressor of differentiation kinase 2 (RDK2), a serine/threonine kinase, has a versatile role in parasite life cycle progression. However, its role as a diagnostic candidate for VL has not been investigated. Herein, we cloned and over-expressed LdRDK2 and studied the recombinant RDK2 for the diagnosis of human VL using serum and urine samples. In silico analysis predicted that RDK2 is conserved among Leishmania species with the least conservation in humans. RDK2 developed immune-reactive bands with antibodies present in VL patients' sera, and it demonstrated no cross-reactivity with sera from healthy controls and other diseases. Additionally, RDK2 antigen demonstrated a significant reactivity with IgG antibodies of VL patients' sera, with 78% sensitivity and 86.67% specificity as compared to healthy controls and other diseases. Furthermore, we evaluated its utility for non-invasive diagnosis of VL using patients' urine samples and found 93.8% sensitivity and 85.7% specificity. RDK2 was found to have better sensitivity and treatment response in patients' urine compared to serum samples, indicating its role as a promising point of care (POC) antigen. In a nutshell, we explored the role of RDK2 as a potential diagnostic marker for VL in both invasive and non-invasive modes as well as its utility as a promising POC antigen for treatment response cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was carried out to find out the quality of Rogenjosh - a traditional Kashmiri meat product, available at various outlets of Srinagar city, in terms of physico-chemical (pH, moisture, protein, ether extract and ash), microbiological (Total Viable Count, Coliform count & presence of E. coli) and sensory quality. On the basis of infrastructure and services provided, outlets were divided into High standard (HS), Medium standard (MS) and Low standard (LS) restaurants. The results for moisture (%) and ether extract (%) differed significantly (p<0.05) between the outlets whereas pH, protein (%) and ash (%) showed non-significant (p>0.05) differences. The TVC and Coliform count showed increasing trend from HS to LS type. However, E. coli was present in 16.6 % of sample, (all from LS type). The overall acceptability score of the product from HS, MS and LS was found to be 6.46 ± 0.10, 5.90 ± 0.12 and 6.17 ± 0.12 respectively, on 8 point descriptive scale (8= extremely desirable, 1= extremely undesirable). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Bricks are one of the most important building materials used in India. The Indian brick kiln industry, which is the second largest producer in the world, second only to China, has more than 100,00 operating units, producing about 140 billion bricks annually. Brick making is a traditional, unorganized industry generally confined to rural and peri-urban areas. The Gangetic plain of North India accounts for about 65% of the total brick production. Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal are the major brick producing states in this region. The availability of good fertile alluvium soils in North India makes the fringe areas of North Indian cities be dotted with brick kilns and consequently this has become one of the major forces in bringing about land use/landcover changes around cities. In this paper, an attempt has been made to examine the impact of brick kilns on the landuse/landcover changes, and to evaluate the forces, which have compelled the villagers to bring about these changes around a North Indian city of Aligarh. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: To identify and report the perceived barriers to the provision of low vision services among ophthalmologists in India.Methods: Seventy nine ophthalmologists responded to a structured self-administered questionnaire. Information was collected to understand the level of awareness and barriers/constraints to provision of low vision services. Significant factors associated with each barrier/constraint and perceptions on providing low vision care were investigated.Results: Lack of training/knowledge [65 (82.3%)], lack of awareness [59 (74.7%)] and non-availability of low vision devices [57 (72.2%)] were perceived as the major constraints / barriers to providing low vision care. At least one significant factor was found for each of the above constraints/barriers in providing low vision care. The perception of lack of awareness as being one of the constraints/barriers was significantly higher [OR 3.97 (95% CI, 1.02 - 7.8)] among ophthalmologists from organisations providing low vision services. The perception of lack of motivation as constraint/barrier was significantly higher [OR 3.62 (95% CI, 1.3 - 10.3)] among ophthalmologists from organisations providing low vision services and/or those involved in VISION 2020: The Right to Sight programmes [OR 3.83 (95% CI, 1.4 - 10.4)]. The likelihood of responding that low vision care is time consuming was greater for those belonging to a teaching institute [OR 7.19 (95% CI, 2.0 - 26.1)], those involved in low vision services [OR 5.45 (95% CI, 1.8 - 16.5)] and those who knew that low vision is a priority in VISION 2020 [OR 15.1, 95% CI, 1.5 -155.4].Conclusion: Ophthalmologists need more education about the benefits of low vision care in order to increase their level of awareness and knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), a fatal parasitic infection, is categorized as being neglected among tropical diseases. The use of conventional tissue aspiration for diagnosis is not possible in every setting. The immunochromatography-based lateral flow assay (LFA) has attracted attention for a long time due to its ability to give results within a few minutes, mainly in resource-poor settings. In the present study, we optimized and developed the LFA to detect anti-Leishmania antibodies for VL diagnosis. The performance of the developed test was evaluated with serum and urine samples of Indian VL patients and Brazilian sera. The new test exploits well-studied and highly-sensitive purified antigens, LAg isolated from Leishmania donovani promastigotes and protein G conjugated colloidal-gold as a signal reporter. The intensity of the bands depicting the antigen–antibody complex was optimized under different experimental conditions and quantitatively analyzed by the ImageJ software. For the diagnosis of human VL in India, LFA was found to be 96.49% sensitive and 95% specific with serum, and 95.12% sensitive and 96.36% specific with urine samples, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of LFA were 88.57% and 94.73%, respectively, for the diagnosis of Brazilian VL using patients' sera infected with Leishmania infantum. LFA is rapid and simple to apply, suitable for field usage where results can be interpreted visually and particularly sensitive and specific in the diagnosis of human VL. Serum and urine LFA may improve diagnostic outcomes and could be an alternative for VL diagnosis in settings where tissue aspiration is difficult to perform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the emergence linezolid-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates cultured from pus samples from Maharani Hospital in Bastar tribal region in India. The researchers conducted an antibiotic sensitivity using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method using erythromycin, clindamycin, and gentamycin. The findings suggest that the antibiotic policy at hospital and primary health care level need to be revised and drugs of choice must be reserved as final life-saving option.

Although they correspond to an important fraction of the total area of mountain glaciers (33,000 km2 out of 546,000 km2), Himalayan glaciers and their mass balance are poorly sampled. For example, between 1977 and 1999, the average area surveyed each year on the field was 6.8 km2 only. No direct mass balance measurement is available after 1999. To contribute to fill this gap, we use remote sensing data to monitor glacier elevation changes and mass balances in the Spiti/Lahaul region (32.2°N, 77.6°E, Himachal Pradesh, Western Himalaya, India). Our measurements are obtained by comparing a 2004 digital elevation model (DEM) to the 2000 SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission) topography. The 2004 DEM is derived from two SPOT5 satellite optical images without any ground control points. This is achieved thanks to the good on-board geolocation of SPOT5 scenes and using SRTM elevations as a reference on the ice free zones. Before comparison on glaciers, the two DEMs are analyzed on the stable areas surrounding the glaciers where no elevation change is expected. Two different biases are detected. A long wavelength bias affects the SPOT5 DEM and is correlated to an anomaly in the roll of the SPOT5 satellite. A bias is also observed as a function of altitude and is attributed to the SRTM dataset. Both biases are modeled and removed to permit unbiased comparison of the two DEM on the 915 km2 ice-covered area digitized from an ASTER image. On most glaciers, a clear thinning is measured at low elevations, even on debris-covered tongues. Between 1999 and 2004, we obtain an overall specific mass balance of −0.7 to −0.85 m/a (water equivalent) depending on the density we use for the lost (or gained) material in the accumulation zone. This rate of ice loss is twice higher than the long-term (1977 to 1999) mass balance record for Himalaya indicating an increase in the pace of glacier wastage. To assess whether these ice losses are size-dependant, all glaciers were classified into three samples according to their areal extent. All three samples show ice loss, the loss being higher for glaciers larger than 30 km2. In the case of the benchmark Chhota Shigri glacier, a good agreement is found between our satellite observations and the mass balances measured on the field during hydrological years 2002–2003 and 2003–2004. Future studies using a similar methodology could determine whether similar ice losses have occurred in other parts of the Himalaya and may allow evaluation of the contribution of this mountain range to ongoing sea level rise. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]