Search

Two ant-mimicking jumping spider species of the genus Myrmarachne MacLeay, 1839 (Araneae: Salticidae): Myrmarachne melanocephala and M. kiboschensis are recorded from Manipur, India. Ecologically, M. melanocephala are dominant as compared to M. kiboschensis and ecological niche seems to overlap in many cases. In the present study, the males and females of these species are re-described through morphometric data and their copulatory organ structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aims to compare the level of stress and coping strategies among introvert and extrovert Nursing students in selected colleges of Nursing, Delhi and NCR. Design and Settings: A comparative survey design was adopted. Samples were Nursing students of Holy Family College of Nursing and Rufaida College of Nursing enrolled in B.Sc. Nursing, GNM and P.B.B.Sc. Nursing. Material and Methods: Tool was administered to 728 Nursing students through total enumeration, 200 introvert and 200 extrovert Nursing students were randomly selected through lottery method. Demographic profile, Modified Questionnaire Based on Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale, Brief-COPE Inventory were used to collect the data. Data was analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Findings revealed, out of 728 Nursing students, 64.56% were introverts and 35.44% were extroverts. Mean stress score was 22.2 for introverts and 20.57 for extroverts. Among extrovert Nursing students, majority of them adopted (67.55%) problem-focused coping strategies. Whereas, 44% of introvert Nursing students adopted emotion-focused coping strategies, 40.5% adopted problem-focused coping strategies and 15.5% adopted avoidant coping strategies. The t-test value=3.102 (<0.01) for stress and coping strategies among introvert Nursing students and t-test value=3.856 (P<0.01) for stress and coping strategies among extrovert Nursing students. Hence, stress level was more among introvert Nursing students and coping strategies were more adopted by extrovert Nursing students. The correlation between stress and coping strategies among introvert Nursing students were r=0.147 (P<0.05) and r=0.246 (P<0.01) for extrovert Nursing students. Hence, it can be concluded that there is a significant difference in level of stress and coping strategies among Nursing students having introvert and extrovert personalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Among the Indian adolescents, the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity and alcohol use disorders (AUD) are 7.3% and 1.3%. However, no separate data are available for indigenous tribal populations. This study estimated the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity and AUD and associated socio-demographic factors among adolescents in the tribal communities in three widely varying states in India. Methods: Using validated Indian versions of the MINI 6.0, MINI Kid 6.0, and ICD-10 criteria, we conducted a cross-sectional survey from January to May 2019 in three Indian sites: Valsad, Gujarat (western India); Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu (south India); and East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya (north-east India) on 623 indigenous tribal adolescents. Results: Aggregate prevalence of any psychiatric morbidity was 15.9% (95% CI: 13.1–19.0) (males: 13.6%, 95% CI: 10.0–18.1; females: 17.9%, 95% CI: 13.9–22.6), with site-wise statistically significant differences: Gujarat: 23.8% (95% CI: 18.1–30.2), Meghalaya: 17.1% (95% CI: 12.4–22.7), Tamil Nadu: 6.2% (95% CI: 3.2–10.5). The prevalence of diagnostic groups was mood disorders 6.4% (n = 40), neurotic- and stress-related disorders 9.1% (n = 57), phobic anxiety disorder 6.3% (n = 39), AUD 2.7% (n = 17), behavioral and emotional disorders 2.7% (n = 17), and obsessive-compulsive disorder 2.2% (n = 14). These differed across the sites. Conclusion: The prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in adolescent tribals is approximately twice the national average. The most common psychiatric morbidities reported are mood (affective) disorders, neurotic- and stress-related disorders, phobic anxiety disorder, AUD, behavioral and emotional disorders, andobsessive-compulsive disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 32 sweet potato genotypes were evaluated to assess the genetic diversity based on quantitative traits and molecular markers, as well as stability for yield and related traits. Wider variability was observed for the traits like vine length (181.2–501.3 cm), number of leaves/plant (103.0–414.0 cm), internodal length (3.20–14.80 cm), petiole length (6.5–21.3 cm), leaf length (8.50–14.5 cm), leaf breadth (8.20–15.30 cm), leaf area (42.50–115.62 cm2), tuber length (7.77–18.07 cm), tuber diameter (2.67–6.90 cm), tuber weight (65.60–192.09 g), tuber yield (7.77–28.87 t ha−1), dry matter (27.34–36.41%), total sugar (4.50–5.70%) and starch (18.50–29.92%) content. Desirable traits such as tuber yield, dry matter and starch content have shown high heritability (>60%) with moderate to high genetic advance. Under molecular analysis, a total of 232 alleles were observed from all 32 microsatellite markers, which ranged from 4 to 14 with an average of 7.77 alleles per locus. In the population, the average observed heterozygosity (0.51) was higher than the expected heterozygosity (0.49). The contribution of genotype, genotype by environment interaction to the total variations was found to be significant. Based on the multi-trait stability index (tuber length, tuber diameter, tuber weight and tuber yield), genotypes X-24, MLSPC-3, MLSPC-5, ARSPC-1 and TSP-12-12 were found to be most stable. Among them, the high-yielding and stable genotypes TSP-12-10 (26.0 t ha−1) and MLSPC-3 (23.9 t ha−1) can be promoted for commercial production or used as parental material in future crop improvement programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: India is facing high water stress and it is amongst those with the most fragile and uncertain water resource countries in the world. Crop productivity depends on quality of input supply including seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and supported by irrigation facilities. In India, ground water irrigates more than 61% of net cropped area and much of water being used for irrigating rice crop. The disproportionate water uses for crop production results in poor water productivity. The planning of water resources could be achieved by knowing the crop water requirements in different seasons and productivity of water. Hence, study was taken up to assess the water use and productivity of crops under intensively ground water irrigated watershed. Methods: A study conducted to assess the water use and productivity of different crops grown in Kothakunta sub watershed (having 206 working bore wells with cultivated area of 203.5 ha) in Siddipet district of Telangana, India during kharif and rabi season of 2008 to 2012, data were collected from 147 farmers on rice, maize, cotton, potato, flora beans and tomato crops grown under irrigation. The water applied to crops was measured by fixing water meters at the end of water delivery pipe and recorded the quantity of water applied each time. For rice crop four plots were taken and for other crops two plots were taken for measuring the water. The water use and productivity were assessed by using standard procedure. Result: The water productivity was found to be higher to vegetables, which ranged between 2.43 kg of potato, 1.57 kg of beans and 1.26 kg of tomato than cereals (0.79 kg for maize and 0.39 kg for rabi rice) per cubic meter of irrigation water consumed. Water productivity in terms of monetary return (') per cubic meter of water consumed was higher with beans ('17.20) in contrast to potato ('16.12). Rice equivalent yield (REY) calculated per cubic meter of irrigation water consumption was very similar to economic return ('per cubic meter of water). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic created one of the biggest disruptions in human life. We were all confined within the walls of our homes or offices with day-to-day life worldwide seriously affected. In this context, access to and efficient use of technology determined the course of daily life for vast sections of the world's population. However, there was (and still is) a severe pre-existing global divide between the Global North and Global South vis-à-vis digital access. This paper attempts to understand this digital divide and how it has widened during the pandemic in the Global North and Global South with reference to India and the United States (US). This is initiated by analyzing certain factors within each country, namely positional and personal categorical inequalities. Through the cases of the US and India, the authors conclude that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the global digital divide between the two worlds, affecting core social sectors like education and health. The larger implication of this is a broadening inequality between the Global North and Global South in leading development indicators like the Human Development Index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early-season agricultural drought is frequent over South Asian region due to delayed or deficient monsoon rainfall. These drought events often cause delay in sowing and can even result in crop failure. The present study focuses on monitoring early-season agricultural drought in a semi-arid region of India over 5-year period (2016–2020). It utilizes hydro-climatic and biophysical variables to develop a combined drought index (CDI), which integrates anomalies in soil moisture conditions, rainfall, and crop-sown area progression. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR)–based soil moisture index (SMI) represents in situ measured soil moisture with reasonable accuracy (r=0.68). Based on the highest F1-score, SAR backscatter in VH (vertical transmit-horizontal receive) polarization with specific values for parameter threshold (−18.63 dB) and slope threshold (−0.072) is selected to determine the start of season (SoS) with a validation accuracy of 73.53%. The CDI approach is used to monitor early-season agricultural drought and identified drought conditions during June–July in 2019 and during July in 2018. Conversely, 2020 experienced consistently wet conditions, while 2016 and 2017 had near-normal conditions. Overall, the study highlights the use of SAR data for early-season agricultural drought monitoring, which is mainly governed by soil moisture–driven crop-sowing progression. The proposed methodology holds potential for effective monitoring, management, and decision-making in early-season agricultural drought scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India is a major producer of pulses around the world, which constitute an essential component of vegetarians' proteinrich diets in India. The present study attempts to apply the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) and Holt linear trend model approach to investigate lentil production trends in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and India. Yearly data were collected from Agriculture Statistics at a glance, 1970 to 2019 were used for forecasting up to 2029. In comparison, the ARIMA model is the best for prediction based on the maximum value of R2 and lowest value of MAPE, MPE, RMSE, and MAE. The results showed that ARIMA (1,1,5) model for Bihar, ARIMA(0,1,4) model for Madhya Pradesh, ARIMA (0,1,5) for Uttar Pradesh, ARIMA (0,1,4) for West Bengal, and ARIMA (0,1,2) for India was found suitable to forecast the future of lentil with an 80% and 95% accuracy level and according to the analysis of instability, the instability is increasing in all three states and India, but the instability was decreasing in Uttar Pradesh. While in the decomposition analysis the area effect was an essential factor for the change in lentil production in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, and India, but in Uttar Pradesh the yield effect was responsible during the overall periods. Besides this research will be essential to determining the future gap between pulse production and demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field experiment was conducted in red sandy loam soils at College Farm, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU), Telangana, India during the rabi seasons of 2018–19 and 2019–20. The objective of the experiment was to investigate the impact of drip irrigation regimes and fertigation levels on the yield and economic aspects of brinjal during rabi season. The treatments comprised of three levels of irrigation (I1: 0.8 Epan, I2: 1.0 Epan and I3: 1.2 Epan) as main plots and four fertigation levels [F60: 60%; F80: 80%; F100: 100% and F120: 120% of the recommended dose of N and K (150 kg N and 90 kg K2 O ha-1)] as subplots, with each treatment replicated thrice. The results indicated that scheduling drip irrigation at 1.0 Epan and fertigation with 100% RDNK resulted in highest fresh fruit yield (41.6 t ha-1), water productivity (0.50 t m-3), net returns (` 1,88,017 ha-1) and benefit: cost (B:C) ratio (2.3) over rest of the treatments. However, this treatment demonstrated comparable yields with that of 120% RDNK applied under the same irrigation regime (1.0 Epan) (41.9 t ha-1), as well as to treatments involving drip irrigation scheduled at 1.2 Epan with fertigation at either 100% (41.8 t ha-1) or 120% (41.9 t ha-1) RDNK. The yield improvement and water saving due to scheduling of drip irrigation at 1.0 Epan in combination with fertigation at 100% RDNK, was to the tune of 28% and 22%, respectively over I0.8F60 (0.8 Epan+60% RDNK) treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Air conditioners (AC) have become indispensable in the contemporary World. However, their effects on respiratory health need to be explored further using dynamic and static lung functions. Objectives: The objectives were: 1. To evaluate and compare dynamic parameters (FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC, PEFR, and FEF25-75) in AC users and non-users of Bengaluru. 2. To evaluate and compare airway resistance and specific airway conductance as additional parameters. Materials and Methods: After applying ATS-ERS criteria for lung disorders, 30 AC users and non-users of Bengaluru, aged 18-40 yrs were assessed using body plethysmography. A significant association of restrictive pattern was seen in AC users (9 AC users out of 60 participants, Chi-square 8.37, P = 0.0038) having an Odd's ratio of 26.95 (CI: 1.4876 to 488.3558, Z = 2.229, P = 0.0258). Airway resistance (Raw) was comparable in both groups further indicating a non-obstructive pathology. Conclusion: AC users had a significant decrease in flow rates (PEFR and FEF25-75) as well as an association with restrictive lung disorder suggesting the need for proper ventilation and hygiene. It is crucial to develop policies to maintain indoor air quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The National Institute of Health and Family Welfare (NIHFW) reports that India has the highest global prevalence of oral cancers. The incidence is significantly more in developing countries when compared to the developed countries. Early detection is key to increasing the survival rate of the patients. Important causes for this late diagnosis could be self-negligence, lack of patient awareness about the causes and asymptomatic and subtle clinical presentation of the lesions. Aim: To assess the causes of self-neglect and awareness levels among oral cancer and pre-cancerous patients. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted among pre-cancerous and cancerous patients. Methods and Material: A questionnaire with 16 closed-ended questions was framed relating to the causes of self-neglect and awareness of the patients. A total of 45 patients were selected by convenient sampling technique from the Institutional Tumour Board register of which 62 per cent were male patients and 38 per cent were female patients. Statistical Analysis: Data analysis for demographic data, patients' awareness, and causes of self-neglect about precancer and cancer was done using SPSS Version 10. Results and Conclusions: The present study concluded that the patients had adequate awareness that deleterious habits could lead to cancer but had a low level of awareness about the other causes of cancer, symptoms and management options available to treat cancer. The study result emphasizes that the government should plan for more cancer-screening camps in order to prevent the progression of cancer and to increase the awareness. (Reference I.D.: 2015-05006 for funding the project.ICMR) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture sector is recognized as the backbone of the Indian economy that plays a crucial role in the growth of the nation's economy. It imparts on weather and other environmental aspects. Some of the factors on which agriculture is reliant are Soil, climate, flooding, fertilizers, temperature, precipitation, crops, insecticides, and herb. The soil fertility is dependent on these factors and hence difficult to predict. However, the Agriculture sector in India is facing the severe problem of increasing crop productivity. Farmers lack the essential knowledge of nutrient content of the soil, selection of crop best suited for the soil and they also lack efficient methods for predicting crop well in advance so that appropriate methods have been used to improve crop productivity. This paper presents different Supervised Machine Learning Algorithms such as Decision tree, K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN), Support Vector Machine (SVM) to predict the fertility of soil based on macro-nutrients and micro-nutrients status found in the dataset. Supervised Machine Learning algorithms are applied on the training dataset and are tested with the test dataset, and the implementation of these algorithms is done using R Tool. The performance analysis of these algorithms is done using different evaluation metrics like mean absolute error, cross-validation, and accuracy. Result analysis shows that the Decision tree is produced the best accuracy of 99% with a very less mean square error (MSE) rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Since then the number of affected pregnant women is rising, but scarce information is available about the clinical features of COVID-19 in pregnancy in India. Our study aimed to evaluate the clinical features, obstetric and neonatal outcomes of 30 pregnant patients with COVID-19 and provide some evidence that can be used for guiding treatment of pregnant women with COVID-19. Materials & Methods: In our prospective, single-centre observational study, we included 30 pregnant women with COVID-19 who were admitied to Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh for delivery between 15th May 2020 to 15th September 2020. Clinical features, laboratory results, treatments, maternal and foetal outcomes were analyzed. Results: Thirty pregnant patients with COVID-19 having a positive reverse transcriptuon polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) result for SARS-CoV-2 at the time of admission who delivered at Fortis hospital between May 15th to September 15th 2020, were included in our study. Twelve were primiparous and eighteen were multiparous women. Among the patients, five had fever, eight had fever with cough, rest seventeen were asymptomatic. Twenty-seven patients underwent caesarean section and three delivered vaginally. Only one patient deteriorated in ICU as was unable to maintain the saturation levels and expired after 10 days of her ICU stay because of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. No cases of neonatal death or neonatal asphyxia were reported. Conclusion: The maternal and neonatal outcomes of patients who were infected in late pregnancy appeared to be good and these outcomes were achieved with expedient management that might be the best practice in view of the available data. The clinical characteristics of these patients with COVID-19 during pregnancy were similar to those of non-pregnant adults that have been reported in the literature. All the cases of COVID-19 in our study were of mild type on admission and twenty-nine patients achieved good recovery. Thus, pregnancy and childbirth did not seem to aggravate the course of symptoms of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial is presented on the celebration of silver jubilee year of Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology (AIAN). It expresses the decesion to publish a journal under the aegis of the academy to provide an opportunity to senior and junior neurologists as well as residents in training. An overview of the open access policy of the journal, number of submissions, and novel ideas and concepts which have further enhanced the quality of the journal is presented.

Background: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is one of the common potentially malignant disorders prevailing in India. The primary etiological factors include tobacco and arecanut, which contain numerous reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS attack guanine bases in DNA and form 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), which can be detected in patients who have diseases associated with oxidative stress. The oxidative DNA damage produced by oxidative stress may induce malignant transformation. Aim: The aim of the present study is to detect the expression of 8-OHdG in OSMF patients and compare the expression within different grades of OSMF and also normal buccal mucosa. Materials and Methods: A total of 30 samples were examined for the immunohistochemical expression of 8-OHdG. The control group included 10 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks of the normal buccal mucosa. The study group includes 20 cases of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks of OSMF (5 cases in each grade of very early, early, moderately advanced and advanced cases of OSMF). Three-micron thick tissue sections were made from each sample and stained with 8-OHdG antibody. The results were statistically analyzed using Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U test Results: Statistically significant difference exists in the intensity of 8-OHdG expression between the study groups. The P-value obtained was <0.001, which was highly statistically significant. Conclusion: The present study is the first attempt to evaluate the expression of 8-OHdG in tissue samples of OSMF that revealed the role of free radicals and oxidative DNA damage in these patients. Further research with larger sample size, clinicopathologic correlation and long-term follow-up will shed more light on the pathogenesis of OSMF. It will also be useful for the development of new therapeutic strategies targeting treatment modalities for OSMF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An attempt was made to assess the effects of aging, regional differences, and draught load applied on draught potential of Umblachery cattle, an important draught breed of South India. Age had a highly significant effect (p < 0.01) on all morphometric traits, stride length, and significant effect (p < 0.05) on pulse rate after work. The middle age group (5.0-7.5 years) with more substantial stride length was identified as the critical productive age group for draught ability. Regional differences had a highly significant (p < 0.01) influence on stride length, horsepower, and a significant effect (p < 0.05) on pulse rate after work. The optimum draught load with which Umblachery breed could give uniform and maximum power output was found to be around 75 to 78 kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed at elucidating indigenous traditional knowledge practices associated with Sahiwal cattle which are considered to be the best indigenous milch cattle breed of India. Accordingly, the present study was carried out in Sri-Ganganagar district of Rajasthan where, Sahiwal cattle’s population is highest. A total of 96 indigenous practices were documented through primary data collection and these practices were assessed by thirty subject matter experts for its scientific rationality and found that only 38 indigenous practices were scientifically rational which could be further assessed, documented and propagated for the benefit of farming community. Of the total 38 validated practices, nine were related to breeding and reproduction management practices, three on increasing milk production and twenty six practices were related to health care management of Sahiwal cattle. The perceived effectiveness and adoption rate analysis of these valid 38 ITKs indicated that, nine practices were rational and highly effective (mean score value >2.5) with more than 50% of adoption rate among the respondents, twenty were rational and effective (mean score value 2 to 2.5) and nine practices were found as rational and less effective (mean score value <2) with the adoption rate of 27% and 13% respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, Karnataka has a long tradition of excellence in education, teaching, research, and patient care. Its exceptional alumni, as well as current and past faculty members, have made considerable contributions to the development of neurological services throughout the world. The six decades of its existence have seen a momentous growth in clinical, investigative, and community Neurology. As a result of the immense scientific individual as well as collaborative contributions of the faculty members in various departments, the Institute has had the honour of attaining the status of an autonomous 'Institute of National Importance' under the Ministry of Health, Government of India, through a novel concept of collaboration and partnership of central and state governments. This article traces the dedicated pursuit of members of the Department of Neurology, NIMHANS, in managing neurologic diseases through compassionate patient-centred care, transformative research and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ambient noise system consisting of a vertical linear hydrophone array was deployed in the shallow waters off Chennai, southeast coast of India from 1 August to 16 September 2013 to record ambient ocean noise of frequencies up to 10kHz. Biological sounds, which are broadband, short duration signals resulting from Terapon theraps, a native species, are a prominent feature of the ocean soundscape. Terapon activity peaks at 8pm and 11pm, and its presence is not observed after 12 midnight in both the months. In the other period, the ambient noise fluctuation is due to wind and vessel traffic. Hence, the present study focuses on the description of the ambient noise fluctuation over two 12h periods, i.e., 12 midnight-12 noon considered as period I, and 12 noon-12 midnight as period II in order to show the circadian rhythm of ambient noise. In this study area, Terapon vocalization reached 25dB above the ambient noise level and it dominates the short-term spectra records in the 0.4-4kHz range. All Terapon signals had daily patterns of sound production with highest levels of activity after dusk during the study period. The result shows that the circadian rhythm of ambient noise is mainly of biological sound generated by Terapon and it is reported first time in the shallow waters off the southeast coast of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmers in India have been using traditional health care practices in dairy farming since time immemorial. Present paper is an attempt to review the Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITK) practised and documented across five regions in India viz., North, South, East, West and North East regions to understand the prevalence of ITKs and its dynamics of usage across the country. Cross regional analysis of location specificity of different ITKs, similarities and variation in ingredients usage and researchable issues in ITKs would help in further promoting its widespread usage. Large inter-regional variation in the ITK usage warrants a scope to popularize the validated ITKs among the dairy farmers of other regions where these are not being practised. Concerted research efforts are required in treatment of the important diseases like mastitis which causes heavy economical losses to the farmers, whereas the ITKs may be refined in the form of user friendly package for ultimate solution to the diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study to evaluate the relationship between the spiritual intelligence and adjustment among the college students was conducted on a sample of 250 students in six various colleges of Tuticorin district, Tamil Nadu, India. Gender, religion, community, major subject, educational qualification of father and mother, student locality, college type, father and mother's occupation and monthly family income ( n = 11 variables) were chosen for the study. Test of significance for spiritual intelligence and adjustment was studied and found them nonsignificant except student locality, found to be significant. Two valid and reliable instruments were used to assess student's spiritual intelligence and adjustment. Correlation and Chi-square analysis using structural equation model were used to analyze these data. Correlation analysis showed significant relationship between the variables among the college students ( n = 250). Chi-square analysis of association between adjustments of college students showed that most variables are nonsignificant unlike father's educational qualification and mother's occupation. The results disclosed the significant positive relationship with spiritual intelligence and adjustment among adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction :The explosive growth of internet in the last decade has had a huge impact on communication and interpersonal behavior. Addictive use of the internet is a new phenomenon that threatens to develop into a major public health issue in the near future in India. It is influencing the life style and behavior of common people especially students. Objectives: To assess the level of internet addiction among nursing students at selected college and to associate the level of internet addiction among nursing students at selected college with their demographic variables. Materials and Method: Research approach was quantitative and research design was descriptive research design.231 samples who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were selected by non-probability convenient sampling technique. The tools of the study were: Section A -- Demographic variables; Section B -- A standardized Internet Addiction Test (IAT) scale to assess the level of internet addiction among nursing students, formulated by Dr. Kimberly Young. It comprises of 20 items that measures mild, moderate and severe internet addiction and Data collected were analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The result reveals that in Demographic variable "Gender" is significantly associated with "Level of Internet Addiction" and "No. of Hours Spent on Internet/Day" is highly significant with "Level of Internet Addiction" and there was no significant association between the other demographic variables. Conclusion: The analysis reveals that 48 (20.8%) nursing students do not have internet addiction; Majority 150 (64.9%) have mild internet addiction; 33 (14.3%) have moderate internet addiction and none of them have severe internet addiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is a precancerous condition associated with the use of areca nut in various forms. There are very few reports to correlate the clinical stage to histopathological grading in OSF.Materials and Methods: A hospital-based study was conducted on 75 OSF cases who visited our hospital in Chennai from 2000-2003. A detailed history of each patient was recorded along with a clinical examination. Biopsy was performed for histopathological correlation. Clinical stage of the disease in terms of the ability to open one's mouth was correlated with histopathological grading.Results: The male to female ratio of OSF cases was 6:1. All forms of areca nut products were associated with OSF. Chewing of paanmasala was associated with early presentation of OSF as compared to chewing of the betel nut. Out of 57 cases, which were in clinical stage II, 91.2% had histological grading of I and II in equal proportions and 8.8% had histological grade III. Out of 13 cases that showed a clinical stage of III, 52% showed a histological grade of II, 40% grade III and 8% grade I.Conclusion: In the present study, there was no direct correlation between clinical stages and histopathological grading. The possibility of difference in the severity and extent of fibrosis in different regions of the oral mucosa and involved muscles were considered as contributory factors for this variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growth and development of neuroepidemiology in India during the last four decades has been documented highlighting the historical milestones. The prevalence rates of the spectrum of neurological disorders from different regions of the country ranged from 967-4,070 with a mean of 2394 per 100000 population, providing a rough estimate of over 30 million people with neurological disorders (excluding neuroinfections and traumatic injuries). Prevalence and incidence rates of common disorders including epilepsy, stroke, Parkinson's disease and tremors determined through population-based surveys show considerable variation across different regions of the country . The need for a standardized screening questionnaire, uniform methodology for case ascertainment and diagnosis is an essential requiste for generating robust national data on neurological disorders. Higher rates of prevalence of neurological disorders in rural areas, 6-8 million people with epilepsy and high case fatality rates of stroke (27-42%) call for urgent strategies to establish outreach neurology services to cater to remote and rural areas, develop National Epilepsy Control Program and establish stroke units at different levels of health care pyramid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the principal causes and possible solutions for groundwater depletion in India is important for its water security, especially as it relates to agriculture. A study was conducted in an agricultural watershed in Andhra Pradesh, India to assess the impacts on groundwater of current and alternative agricultural management. Hydrological simulations were used as follows: (1) to evaluate the recharge benefits of water-harvesting tillage through a modified Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model and (2) to predict the groundwater response to changing extent and irrigation management of rice growing areas. The Green-Ampt infiltration routine was modified in SWAT was modified to represent water-harvesting tillage using maximum depression storage parameter. Water-harvesting tillage in rainfed croplands was shown to increase basin-scale groundwater recharge by 3% and decrease run-off by 43% compared with existing conventional tillage. The groundwater balance (recharge minus irrigation withdrawals), negative 11 mm/year under existing management changed to positive (18-45 mm/year) when rice growing areas or irrigation depths were reduced. Groundwater balance was sensitive to changes in rice cropland management, meaning even small changes in rice cropland management had large impacts on groundwater availability. The modified SWAT was capable of representing tillage management of varying maximum depression storage, and tillage for water-harvesting was shown to be a potentially important strategy for producers to enhance infiltration and groundwater recharge, especially in semi-arid regions where rainfall may be becoming increasingly variable. This enhanced SWAT could be used to evaluate the landscape-scale impacts of alternative tillage management in other regions that are working to develop strategies for reducing groundwater depletion. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Breast lumps have varied pathology, and there are different techniques to prove the diagnosis. The aim of the present study is to analyze the role of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of the breast lesions at our center. Methods. We had retrospectively analysed 854 patients who underwent FNAC for primary breast lumps and 190 patients who underwent FNAC for an axillary lymph node in the year 2010. Results. Of 854 patients, histological correlation was available in 723 patients. The analysis was done for 812 patients as medical records were not available for 42 patients. FNAC was false negative in seven cases; 2 cases of phyllodes were reported as fibroadenoma, and 5 cases of carcinoma were diagnosed as atypical hyperplasia. The sensitivity, specificity, and false negative value of FNAC in diagnosing breast lumps were 99% (715/723), 100%, and 1%, respectively. Of 190 patients for whom FNAC was performed for axilla, 170 had proven to have axillary lymph node metastases, and the rest had reactive hyperplasia or inflammatory cells. Conclusions. FNAC is rapid, accurate, outpatient based, and less complicated procedure and helps in diagnosis of breast cancer, benign diseases, and axillary involvement in experienced hands with less chance of false results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As indicated earlier, after 1969, there was a rapid spread of branches of commercial banks in the rural areas. As a result, there was duplication of efforts and scattered lending over wider areas. In order to avoid this, a new policy was adopted in 1988 which is known as the "Service Area Approach". Under this policy, each semi-urban and rural branch of commercial bank is assigned a specific area comprising of a cluster of villages within which it will operate. Thus, the compactness in the area of operation will make it easy for the clientele to approach the bank for credit. It will also help the bank in credit planning and monitoring of the Funds. The banks are supposed to prepare annual credit plans for all the adopted villages. It is concluded that there is no association between the Medium Term and Long Term Credit to agricultural sectors by other agencies and Total Short Term, Medium Term and Long Term Credit provided to agricultural sectors by remaining other banks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article briefly outlines the proposed national epilepsy control program. The content of the article is based on four meetings held by invitation of the Ministry of Health. Invitees by ministry - Drs. D. C. Jain, M. Gourie Devi, V. Saxena, S. Jain, P. Satish. Chandra, M. Gupta, K. Bala, V. Puri, K. S. Anand, S. Gulati, S. Johri, P. S. Chandra, M. Behari, K. Radhakrishnan, D. Bachani. Presentations were made by Dr. M. Tripathi.The program will involve all neurologists across the country in teaching and training at state levels and a central monitoring committee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stigmatized psychosocial perception poses a serious challenge and source of discrimination which impedes epilepsy patients from attaining a satisfactory quality of life. The present study was aimed to obtain information on knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of epilepsy patients in Delhi and compare with the published data from India. We included 120 people with epilepsy (PWE) attending the Neurology outpatient services of the Institute of Human Behavior and Allied Sciences (IHBAS), Delhi. Demographic details and responses to a questionnaire assessing the knowledge, attitude and practices were recorded. Although majority of the patients belonged to low socioeconomic strata, the literacy rate was reasonably high (70%). A large majority (94%) of PWE had heard about epilepsy and 91% knew that epilepsy can be treated with modern drugs. Positive attitude was observed with respect to allowing a child with epilepsy to study (80%), not objecting children to play with a child with epilepsy (95%), marriage (89%) and having children (92%). Negative attitude was refl ected in the belief that epilepsy is due to supernatural powers (16%) and sins committed by patient or ancestors (21%). Analysis of Indian data revealed regional differences in KAP which could be attributed to local factors, such as literacy, awareness about epilepsy, and practice of different systems of medicine. Some of the differences can also be attributed to category of study population whether it included patients or non epilepsy individuals, since the former are likely to have less negative attitudes than the public. There is a need to create awareness about epilepsy on a nation-wide basis to dispel the misconceptions and stigma through effective and robust programs with the aim to lessen the disease burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dual-frequency global positioning system (GPS) receiving set-up at Guwahati (26° 10' N, 91° 45' E), has been in operation for the last year and a half, providing total electron content (TEC) data as input for understanding pre-earthquake contributions to low-latitude atmospheric dynamics. The major China earthquake of 12 May 2008, with magnitude 8.0 and an epicentre at 31° 24' N, 103° 58' E is a rare event to facilitate extracting earthquake features on the TEC data, and hence low-latitude system perturbations. This paper begins with a brief discussion on the methods adopted in identifying TEC performance before an impending earthquake from ionospheric data, and presents results of analysis of the event of 12 May. TEC magnitudes recorded with latitude / longitude and elevation of satellites for every pass are linked with pre-earthquake TEC features and are used as inputs to identify epicentre position. The role of seismic-time refractive index variations is examined to explain the observed TEC characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A dual frequency GPS receiver was installed in Guwahati, India (latitude 26.2°N, longitude 91.75°E, dip +35°) in January 2006 in the framework of an Indian–Russian project of seismo-ionospheric effects searching and investigation. It is quite clear that manifestations of such effects should be strongly dependent (among others) on regional features of ionosphere. In our case formation of the equatorial anomaly will affect the results. So, the data of half a year of observations were analyzed to establish the behavior of Total Electron Content (TEC) in a region of Northern crest of the equatorial anomaly in quiet helio-geophysical conditions as a background for detecting the impact of effects from below. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A population-based neuroepidemiological survey of 102,557 individuals in urban and rural Bangalore in Southern India was conducted to determine the prevalence and pattern of neurological disorders. The study population included subjects from urban (51,502) and rural (51,055) areas, identified through a two-stage stratified random sampling method. Trained social workers administered the screening questionnaire, which had been tested and validated in an earlier pilot study and a neurologist examined the individuals who screened positive. Adults, children (<15 years) and elderly adults (>60 years) constituted 61, 34 and 5% of the study group, respectively. There was a distinct difference in education, occupation and income levels between urban and rural areas with all these parameters being lower in the rural population. In the surveyed population, 3,206 individuals with neurological disorders were detected resulting in crude and age-adjusted prevalence rates of 3,126 and 3,355 per 100,000 population, respectively. The prevalence rate among children, middle-aged (31-40 years) and elderly adults was 2,653, 3,932 and 5,012 per 100,000 population, respectively. The prevalence of neurological disorders among women (3,617) was higher compared with men (2,657). The prevalence rate in urban and rural populations was 2,190 and 4,070/1,00,000, respectively, implying that neurological disorders were twice as frequent in rural areas as in urban areas. The prevalence rates per 100,000 population of the most frequent disorders in the descending order of frequency were: headache (1,119), epilepsy (883), febrile convulsions (330), cerebrovascular disorder (150), and mental retardation (142). This large-scale population-based survey provides data that will be crucial for developing hospital and community-based neurological services in India and other developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is a pre-cancerous condition caused by the use of areca nut in various forms. There are very few published reports on areca nut use and OSF from Chennai, South India. A hospital-based case-control study on habits and OSF was performed in Chennai over a 3-year period. A total of 185 consecutive patients with OSF were matched with age- and sex-matched controls. History was recorded in a pre-determined format by qualified dental surgeons. The male to female ratio of OSF cases was 9.9 : 1. All areca nut products were associated with OSF, with the risk being greatest for pan masala. The duration of the habit was more significant than the frequency of the chewing habit. The present study confirms the strong association between areca nut use and OSF and the increasing use of pan masala. J Oral Pathol Med (2004) 33: 274–7 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Based on data originating from neuroepidemiologic studies in India, epilepsy has been identified as a public health problem. The treatment gap varies from 50 to 70% among persons with epilepsy and is compounded further by limited availability of neurologists, often working in urban metropolises, thus restricting the availability of services in a predominantly rural agrarian country. Cost-effective, sustainable epilepsy care programs are urgently required in India. To bridge this wide gap, a district model was developed with the central focus on training the district medical officers in providing epilepsy care with sensitization of state health administrators and nodal neurologists to support and sustain the program. Workshops were conducted for all three groups during the period 1999–2001, with the involvement of 21 state health administrators, 148 district medical officers, and 28 neurologists. Preliminary evaluation indicates a growing interest, enthusiastic commitment, and willingness among health professionals to expand epilepsy care to the periphery. The program revealed that it is possible to reach people with epilepsy on the premise of early diagnosis and management, need-based referral network, and a rational planning for uninterrupted availability of antiepileptic drugs along with education of families. Policy-level initiatives are required further to transform this on a wider scale and to evaluate the efficacy and effectiveness of this approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY Although known, histologically proven pulmonary metastasis from a benign intracranial meningioma is exceedingly rare. We report a case of meningiothelial meningioma producing a solitary pulmonary deposit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Feedback from the students on adopted teaching and evaluation methodology is considered to be the best method to bridge the gap between teachers and students. It is an inexpensive and valuable tool to improve the quality of teaching. Feedback from the students could then be used to modify the mode of imparting knowledge according to the students' perceived learning needs. Aims & Objective: To obtain feedback on teaching and evaluation methods in the subject of Physiology from the students of three successive batches after passing their first professional undergraduate medical examination. Materials and Methods: A written questionnaire covering various topics on teaching and evaluation methods was used to get feedback from the students. Results: Majority of the students preferred revision cum self-study, tutorials, and terminal exams. Practical demonstrations were found to be very useful. Almost all the students feel that there should be more time for revision cum self-study. Conclusion: Feedback from the students on teaching and evaluation methodology is considered to be the best method to bridge the communication gap between teachers and the students. It is evident from the feedback obtained that the students were satisfied with all the teaching methods adopted in our college. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial is presented on the topic of neuroepidemiology focusing on the burden of public health issues and neurological disorders. It reports that India has changed with its phase of epidemiological transition with increase in the neurological disorders and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). It states that the neurological disorders prevention is a measure of the burden and its study introduces number of new cases. Various methods and models should be used to avoid the issues.

A correction to the article "Epidemiology of neurological disorders in India" is presented.

The author discusses aspects of the neurology education in India including various concepts such as development of neurological services, training programs, and research and development. Topics include the provision of various neurology training and workshops administered by various organizations such as Neurological Society of India, the demand of trainees considering the advances medical practice and emergence related diseases, and the challenges of neurology manpower in the county.

Four cases of potential vorticity (PV) intrusion events over Indian sector (March 2009, April 2010, April 2010 and March 2014) which lead to the generation of tropical plumes (TP) are presented. The PV intrusions are identified from the threshold value of ERA (European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) Reanalysis)-interim PV at 350 K isentropic level greater than 1.4 potential vorticity unit (PVU) (1 PVU = 10 − 6 Km 2 kg − 1 s − 1 ) at 13.5°N. These PV intrusions trigger convection to the east, which is identified from the low (< 270 K) infrared brightness temperature. It is noted that the spatial extent of convection is large in these cases and is similar to the TP structures commonly present over eastern Pacific and Atlantic sectors during northern winter. The Meteosat IR imagery also confirms the occurrence of tropical plumes over Indian sector. The TPs play a major role in the transport of moisture from lower latitudes to higher latitudes. The ERA-interim specific humidity averaged for 200–300 hPa shows large scale moisture transport from lower to higher latitudes tracking the plume structure. Apart from these, interannual and seasonal variations of the occurrence of TP in connection with the PV intrusion events over Indian sector for the years 2000–2014 are presented. It is found that the number of occurrence of TP is more during February–April and all the PV intrusions do not lead to the TP structures. The life time of majority of TP over Indian sector is found to be 1–2 days and all the TP are not precipitative. Unlike reported earlier, the PV intrusions having broad trough are also leading to TP over Indian sector, whereas the PV intrusions having narrow trough (less than 3° longitude band) do not lead to TP. Besides, the occurrence of TP does not relate to even the depth of penetration of PV trough. It is demonstrated that the occurrence of TP is due to the poleward advection associated with the PV intrusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a progressive disease causing degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons with an average survival of 2 to 3 years. We retrospectively analyzed 1153 patients of classical sporadic ALS seen over 30 years for the clinical manifestations and survival pattern. There were 855 (74.2%) men and 298 (25.8%) women with a M:F ratio of 3:1. The mean age of onset was 46.2±14.1 years (18–85) and the mean duration of illness at evaluation was 17.7±20.7 months (0.5–180). Mean age of onset for bulbar onset group was 52.8±11.6 and for limb onset was 43.7±14.1 (p <0.0001). One third of patients had onset before 40 years of age. The overall median survival duration (MSD) was 114.8±25.9(SE) months (3.3–194.4). Survival did not differ between the men [101.7±27.4(SE)] and women [118.9±6.3(SE)]. Information on death was available in 124 patients. The mean age at death was 52.95 years (25.7–82.6). The MSD for bulbar onset group was 55.9±2.9(SE) months and for limb onset group 177.9±3.2(SE) (p <0.0001). Gender did not have an effect on the survival period. The clinical manifestations are similar to findings from other developing countries with regards to age of onset, sex ratio and survival. When compared to studies among Caucasians the age of onset was one to two decades earlier and the male preponderance was more. The survival pattern is close to those reported from developing countries particularly from Africa and among Asian immigrants to the West, while it is significantly longer compared to Caucasians who generally have a dismal prognosis. Thus, Indians appear to have a relatively younger age of onset and prolonged survival suggesting the relatively slow course of ALS among Indian patients. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The peculiarity of Indian cattle lies in milk quality, resistance to diseases and stressors as well as adaptability. The investigation addressed selection signatures in Gir and Tharparkar cattle, belonging to arid ecotypes of India. Double digest restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (ddRAD-seq) yielded nearly 26 million high-quality reads from unrelated seven Gir and seven Tharparkar cows. In all, 19,127 high-quality SNPs were processed for selection signature analysis. An approach involving within-population composite likelihood ratio (CLR) statistics and between-population F ST statistics was used to capture selection signatures within and between the breeds, respectively. A total of 191 selection signatures were addressed using CLR and F ST approaches. Selection signatures overlapping 86 and 73 genes were detected as Gir- and Tharparkar-specific, respectively. Notably, genes related to production (CACNA1D, GHRHR), reproduction (ESR1, RBMS3), immunity (NOSTRIN, IL12B) and adaptation (ADAM22, ASL) were annotated to selection signatures. Gene pathway analysis revealed genes in insulin/IGF pathway for milk production, gonadotropin releasing hormone pathway for reproduction, Wnt signalling pathway and chemokine and cytokine signalling pathway for adaptation. This is the first study where selection signatures are identified using ddRAD-seq in indicine cattle breeds. The study shall help in conservation and leveraging genetic improvements in Gir and Tharparkar cattle.

Crocus sativus L. (saffron) is a globally used expensive spice. There are a few countries like Iran, Greece, Morocco, Spain, Italy, Turkey, France, Switzerland, Pakistan, China, Japan and Australia where this spice is cultivated and exported to other countries. India contributes 5% of the world's total production of which 90% is supplied only from its Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) regions. In India, the production of saffron from J&K is 3.83 tonnes whereas its annual demand is approximately 100 tonnes. In this country, there are geographical regions that have similar environmental and ecological conditions to J&K and possess the possibility of introducing this crop. Identification of such regions can be made using Ecological Niche Modelling (ENM). Therefore, 'MaxEnt' ENM was carried out using 103 environmental variables, 20 presence data and topographic parameters (elevation, slope and aspect) to find suitable regions for saffron production in unconventional areas of India. The achieved area under the curve for the model was 0.99. The precipitation and temperature were the main environmental variable influencing its cultivation. The saffron was sowed in these new modelled locations in India representing its various states such as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Manipur and Tamil Nadu. The quality, as well as yield of saffron produced in some of these regions, were evaluated and found at par with the saffron grown traditionally in India. Based on the promising results obtained in this work, we are expanding saffron cultivation to more modelled areas in India to meet our national demand., (© 2022. The Author(s).)