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Fowl adenovirus affects birds, mainly chicken, duck, geese, turkey, and pheasant. Fowl adenovirus comprises of 5 species and 12 serotypes, which causes a multitude of disease syndromes. The most economically significant diseases caused by Fowl adenovirus include inclusion body hepatitis and hepatitis-hydropericardium syndrome. In the present study, a total of 56 post-mortem samples were collected from broiler birds brought to the Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Department of Veterinary Pathology and some organised farms in Kerala. Postmortem samples of liver, heart, lungs, kidney, bursa of Fabricius and spleen were collected for molecular detection. DNA was extracted from the pooled tissue samples using phenol chloroform method and subjected to polymerase chain reaction, employing primers targeting the hexon gene. Seven out of 56 samples turned out to be positive in PCR (12 per cent). The study revealed the increasing prevalence of Fowl adenovirus among the broiler population of Kerala. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cochin backwaters are facing widespread environmental pollution because of the release of solid wastes and liquid effluents from industrial, domestic, and agricultural sectors. The waters are contaminated with trace metals due to an inefficient waste disposal system. Here, the potential trace metal enrichment in sediments related to human activities was evaluated using an enrichment factor, contamination factor, geo-accumulation index, and pollution load index. Metal concentration ranges in sediments during the monsoon, post-monsoon, and pre-monsoon periods were as follows: Fe (15517-90885 µg/g), Mn (122.5-970.9 µg/g), Co (6.9-41.9 µg/g), Ni (12.9-62.9 µg/g), Cu (15.9-56.8 µg/g), Zn (58.7-888.7 µg/g), Cd (0.9-14.5 µg/g), and Pb (12.7-46.8 µg/g). Data on sediment trace metal concentrations are important for environmental forensic investigations, useful for monitoring (i.e., tracing) sources of contaminants (i.e., metal pollutants) and their impacts, and valuable for tracking the dispersal pathways of contaminants in estuarine environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mass Drug Administration (MDA) for Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) elimination has been implemented worldwide and in India with a goal of eliminating the disease by 2020 and 2015 respectively. Compliance to MDA is less than adequate to achieve the goal in the desired time. This study aims to identify the factors related to awareness, acceptability and attitude and the role of certain theoretical constructs of health belief model in determining the compliant behavior to MDA. Within a cross-sectional study done in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala, India, undertaken to determine coverage, a comparison was done between compliant and noncompliant individuals. 300 households were selected using cluster sampling technique, for estimation of coverage of MDA. From these households, 99 noncompliant and 70 compliant individuals were selected as cases and controls. The independent factors determining noncompliance were client attitude of not perceiving the need with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 2.52 (1.29-4.92), an unfavorable provider attitude with an adjusted OR of 2.14 (1.05-4.35) and low drug administrator acceptability with an adjusted OR of 2.01 (1.01-3.99). In MDA, the person giving the drug to the beneficiary is the most important person, whose attitude and acceptability determines compliance. More rigorous selection and training for capacity building of drug administrators are essential to enhance the compliance level. Alternate drug delivery strategies, besides house to house campaign by voluntary drug administers also needs to be implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to find out the anthropometric, biosocial and obstetric predictors of birthweight in Kerala. The study sample consisted of 599 consecutive liveborn babies delivered at SAT Hospital, Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram and their mothers in November 2001. Details of maternal history, anthropometry, and biosocial and demographic factors were recorded. Birthweight was primary outcome variable. Multivariate analysis revealed that the biologically acceptable predictors of birthweight of a baby in our population are maternal height (P<0.001), parity (P<0.001) gestational age (P<0.001), pregnancy induced hypertension(P=0.05) and history of low birthweight in the previous pregnancy(P=0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sediment core samples collected during geotechnical surveys along the West Coast of India in the near shore areas of Arabian Sea have generated data on the geotechnical index properties of clayey sediments up to nearly 5 m depth below seafloor. A comparative study of three sectors within themselves is attempted before carrying out a final evaluation between the sectors. Cohesive clayey sediments of Gujarat sector are comparable though widely variant in a few aspects; in the Maharashtra-Goa-Karnataka sector though, plasticity levels and clay type vary, and activity and consistency levels are quite similar. Though broadly comparable, the clayey sediments of Kerala-Tamilnadu sector have quite diverse characteristics that fail to conform to any particular pattern as each area has an exclusive set of geotechnical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Dravidian communities are considered to be the original inhabitants of India, now restricted to South India. The southern most state, Kerala, is socio-culturally stratified into Hindus, Muslims and Christians on the basis of religion. The origin of these religious communities in Kerala is considered to be unique in comparison with that in other parts of the country. These communities were later influenced by the hierarchical caste structure established by the Hindu Brahmins. In the present study, we compared six nontribal (Namboothiri, Nair, Ezhava, Pulaya, Malabar Muslim and Syrian Christian) communities belonging to the major religious groups in Kerala (Hindu, Muslim and Christian) based on the human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A, -B and -C diversity. Our aim was to understand the genomic substructuring associated with the changing social scenario in various caste and religious groups and compare it with the Dravidian tribal and other world populations. The present study reveals that the HLA diversity of the Dravidian communities is very distinct from that in the other world populations. It is obvious that the nontribal communities of Kerala display a greater Dravidian influence, but traces of genetic admixture with the Mediterranean, western European, central Asian and East Asian populations can be observed. This characterizes the crypto-Dravidian features of the nontribal communities of Kerala. Demic diffusion of the local progressive communities with the migrant communities may have given rise to crypto-Dravidian features among the nontribal communities of Kerala. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concentrations of dissolved and particulate trace metals (Ni, Pb, Zn and Mn) and their partitioning behaviour between the dissolved and particulate phases in a typical backwater system of Kerala, vis the southern upstream part of Cochin Estuarine System (South India), have been studied. Spatial and temporal variations of trace metals in the dissolved and particulate phases have been discussed with special reference to pH, dissolved oxygen, salinity and suspended particulate matter. The distribution and partitioning behaviour of trace metals in the water column were found influenced by the presence of a salinity barrier across the backwater system and also by the massive use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers in the vast area of agricultural land near the backwater system. Lack of proper flushing of the backwaters, which receive large amount of trace metals through the application of pesticides and agro-chemicals, due to the presence of the salinity barrier has significantly affected the water quality of the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was done to examine the type and severity of disciplinary practices adopted by parents in Kerala. 1668 mothers, aged 18-49, participated in face-to-face interviews as part of a cross-sectional, population-based survey covering rural, urban and coastal areas. One child from each family was randomly selected as the index child. The interview focused primarily on disciplinary practices. 62% of the mothers reported using severe verbal discipline and 50% of mothers reported using severe physical abuse. Results suggest a high prevalence of normative and abusive practices in the community with mothers playing a prime role in disciplining the child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]