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Field experiments were conducted at Sugarcane Research Station, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Tamil Nadu during 2016-17 and 2017-18. The experiments were laid out the strip plot design with three replications. Among the different crop geometries, sugarcane double planting at 150 cm registered significantly higher available N, P and K in the post harvest soil which was closely followed by those at 150 cm in single row. With respect to different intercropping systems, higher available NPK was recorded under sugarcane + sunn hemp intercropping. The treatment combination of 150 cm double row planting with sunn hemp as intercrop recorded higher soil available P. The result of nutrient balance studies revealed sugarcane planting in double row at 150 cm crop geometry along sunn hemp as a planting system more favorable for the restoration of soil fertility where in higher net available N and P was observed. The results of the experiments revealed that double row planting of sugarcane at 150 cm spacing with in-situ incorporation of sunn hemp on 45th DAS increased the nutrient availability and maintained soil fertility of plant-ratoon sugarcane agroecosystem under tropical Indian conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An industry report is presented of non-life insurance industry in India, on topics including financial performance; business growth; and lists of companies in the same such as Birla Sun Life Insurance, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, and SBI Life Insurance.

Background: Common mental disorders, such as mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders, are significant contributors to disability globally, including India. Available research is, however, limited by methodological issues and heterogeneities. Aim: The present paper focuses on the 12-month prevalence and 12-month treatment for anxiety, mood, and substance use disorders in India. Materials and Methods: As part of the World Health Organization World Mental Health (WMH) Survey Initiative, in India, the study was conducted at eleven sites. However, the current study focuses on the household sample of 24,371 adults (≥18 years) of eight districts of different states, covering rural and urban areas. Respondents were interviewed face-to-face using the WMH Composite International Diagnostic Interview after translation and country-specific adaptations. Diagnoses were generated as per the International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition, Diagnostic Criteria for Research. Results: Nearly 49.3% of the sample included males. The 12-month prevalence of common mental disorders was 5.52% - anxiety disorders (3.41%), mood disorders (1.44%), and substance use disorders (1.18%). Females had a relatively higher prevalence of anxiety and mood disorders, and lower prevalence of substance use disorders than males. The 12-month treatment for people with common mental disorders was 5.09% (range 1.66%--11.55% for individual disorders). The survey revealed a huge treatment gap of 95%, with only 5 out of 100 individuals with common mental disorders receiving any treatment over the past year. Conclusion: The survey provides valuable data to understand the mental health needs and treatment gaps in the Indian population. Despite the 12-month prevalence study being restricted to selected mental disorders, these estimates are likely to be conservative due to under-reporting or inadequate detection due to cultural factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaerobic digestion of organic solid waste is one of the mechanisms for sustainable development since it permits both the energy-efficient disposal of solid waste and the use of biogas. As a result, this study provides an assessment of the potential energy and emissions saved by using biogas energy generated from the biodegradation of solid waste. For present study two major cities are selected in south India namely Madurai, Tamil Nādu and Hyderabad, Telangana. The LandGEM 3.03 model is used to estimate the concentration of total landfill gases. The landfill in Madurai produced 2.162 × 10 6 cu. m per year of methane emissions in the year 2013. The production of biogas has increased over time would continue to increase until 2045, when a production rate of 6.32 × 10 7 cu. m per year was recorded as the largest concentration of biogas ever generated. For the Hyderabad landfill, methane concentrations during the year 2013 was recorded to be 2.5 × 10 7 cu. m per year and reached a peak in 2046 with a concentration of 3.7 × 10 8 cu. m per year, was found to have a potential to generate 2.1 × 10 6 kWh per year. For the Madurai dump site, the energy potential increases gradually and reaches a peak during the year 2047 with a value of 4.54 × 10 7 kWh per year. Whereas for Hyderabad dump site was found to have an energy equivalent of 2.1 × 10 8 kWh per year during 2024 and reaches a peak during 2046 with an energy equivalent of 5.1 × 10 8 kWh per year., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Studying gender differences in suicidal behaviour is important in developing specific need-based service provisions. We aimed to identify gender-specific characteristics associated with attempted suicide in a general hospital sample in south India. Two hundred and three patients admitted to medical wards following suicide attempts were assessed using a detailed clinical interview, measures of suicide intent (Suicide Intent Scale), lethality (Risk Rescue Rating), depression (Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale) and recent stress (Presumptive Stressful Life Events Scale). The majority of men attempting suicide were single. Men were more likely to use organophosphate poisons in their attempt to kill themselves and had higher rates of mental illness than women. As compared with men, women were more likely to come from rural areas, had a lower educational status, and had lower rates of employment outside the home. In women, the most common method of suicide attempt was by using plant poisons. Suicide attempt by self-immolation was significantly higher among women. Men had higher suicidal intent than women, although lethality, depression and stress were comparable between the genders. Rural women were more disadvantaged in education; however, in urban areas, men had higher psychiatric morbidity. Our results emphasise the need for a gender-specific approach among people who have attempted suicide.

Background: Suicide intent is a strong predictor of repetition of attempts and subsequent suicide. This study aimed to compare socio-demographics, clinical factors and method of attempt in high and low intent suicide attempters., Method: All patients admitted following attempted suicide to a teaching hospital were interviewed. Socio-demographic information, details of the attempt and psychiatric diagnosis were recorded. Scales for assessing suicide intent, lethality, recent life-events and depression were administered. Comparison between high intent and low intent groups were done to identify the characteristics of patients who had high suicidal intent., Results: The sample comprised 203 patients, 84 of whom were classified as high intent attempters using the Suicide Intent Scale. The high intent group were significantly more likely to be male (p = 0.01), of single marital status (p = 0.04), have a psychiatric diagnosis, especially depression (p = 0.001) and use self immolation to attempt suicide (p = 0.001). Patients with high intent had significantly higher lethality (p = 0.001) and recent stressful life-event scores (p = 0.001)., Conclusions: High intent suicide attempts are associated with distinct socio-demographic profiles and psychiatric morbidity. Routine assessment of intent may help to identify individuals with high risk, who can be offered targeted interventions.

Objective: To study the illness characteristics of Dhat syndrome, which has been widely regarded as a culture-bound syndrome., Methods: The sample was selected from a general hospital and included 29 patients with Dhat syndrome and 32 medical controls. Somatization Screening Index (SSI), Illness Behaviour Questionnaire (SIBQ), Somatosensory Amplification Scale (SAS), Whitley Index (WI) and Chalder Fatigue Scale were administered to both groups., Results: Patients with Dhat syndrome scored significantly higher on all the measures except the SAS., Discussion: The results indicate that patients with Dhat syndrome have significantly different illness beliefs and behaviours compared to controls and have similarities with other functional somatic syndromes (FSSs).

Objective: Acute polymorphic psychotic disorder without symptoms of schizophrenia (APPD) in ICD-10 is unique in many characteristics. This study aimed at investigating the diagnostic stability of APPD over 3 years., Method: Forty-five patients with first episode APPD were followed up and assessed at regular intervals over a period of 3 years., Results: Thirty-two patients were females. Average age of the sample was 26.9 years. Thirty-three cases retained their index diagnosis of APPD, while 12 cases required diagnostic revision: 10 to bipolar affective disorder and the rest to unspecified non-organic psychosis. Shorter duration of illness (<1 month) and abrupt onset (<48 h) predicted a stable diagnosis of APPD., Conclusion: APPD is a relatively stable diagnosis and argues for a distinct diagnostic entity.

The DNAs from 7 unselected Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph') chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) patients were analysed for the distribution of breakpoints in the breakpoint cluster region (bcr) gene by Southern blot. Breakpoints were detected between the regions of exons '2' and '4' of the bcr gene in 5 out of 7 patients. In two patients, breakpoints occurred around exon 4 of the bcr gene. This study presents some information on the nature of breakpoint distribution in the bcr gene of Indian CML patients.

Sister chromatid exchange (SCE) frequencies were determined in peripheral lymphocytes from traffic policemen drawn from various busy traffic points of Madras metro in India. These policemen were under constant exposure to automobile exhaust pollution during their 8 h work schedule. Analysis of SCE frequencies revealed a significantly greater number of SCE/cell in these policemen as against the matched control population. Sixty percent of these subjects who remained in the service after 5 years showed insignificant but higher values of SCE than in the initial analysis.

Hysterical neurosis, though infrequently diagnosed in the West, is still one of the commonest mental disorders in India. In this study, 38 women with an index diagnosis of hysterical neurosis were evaluated after a period of 5 years; 63% of the patients remained totally asymptomatic. The premorbid hysterical personality alone showed significant relationship with the outcome.

This study was conducted over a period of 18 months in a medical college hospital in southern India. Of 313 children of age 5 and above referred for detailed psychiatric evaluation, 101 were found to have a mental disorder according to DSM-III-R criteria; the remaining had organic disorders. Children above 8 years (74%) registered higher morbidity. There was no sex difference in overall morbidity. Precipitating factors were discernible in half of these cases, of which school-related problems were found in the majority. Almost two-thirds had multiple stressors, of which chronic family and social adversity (39%) and learning disabilities (28%) were common. Mental disorders were significantly related to urban background, middle-class socioeconomic status and literate parents compared with age- and sex-matched controls. There was no significant relationship with the type of family and number of siblings. Conversion disorder (31%) was the commonest, followed by conduct disorders (16%). The symptoms, stressors, response to treatment and the transcultural aspects are also discussed.