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Background and Objectives: Tuberculosis (TB) is an important cause of childhood morbidity and mortality with different clinical presentations and outcomes as compared to TB in adults. The present study was designed to compare these differences and to determine if childhood TB was an important predictor of adverse outcome following treatment under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP). Materials and Methods: Retrospective record based study of cases registered between January 2008 and December 2011, at the Amdanga TB Unit (TU), West Bengal. Results: Of the total 1,508 cases notified, 3.4% were childhood TB. Differences with adult TB were noted in the number of cases categorized as cat II and III in children (P = 0.012 and 0.000, respectively). New smear positive pulmonary TB was significantly lower (21.6%, P = 0.000), while new extra-pulmonary TB (39.2%, P = 0.000) was significantly higher in children. Smear negative cases comprised 7.8 and 11.4% of the childhood and adult cases of TB, respectively. Retreatment cases were significantly higher in adults (P = 0.012). Among the registered new smear positive cases, the differences in favourable and adverse outcomes did not have a significant statistical difference (P = .100) . Childhood TB was not a significant risk factor for adverse outcome following treatment (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.28-2.32). Conclusions: The registration of childhood TB under the RNTCP in the TU was low. There were differences in the clinical presentation and treatment outcomes of TB among children and adults. Childhood TB was not a significant predictor of adverse treatment following treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A regional scale hydrogeochemical study of a ∼21,000-km2 area in the western Bengal basin shows the presence of hydrochemically distinct water bodies in the main semiconfined aquifer and deeper isolated aquifers. Spatial trends of solutes and geochemical modeling indicate that carbonate dissolution, silicate weathering, and cation exchange control the major-ion chemistry of groundwater and river water. The main aquifer water has also evolved by mixing with seawater from the Bay of Bengal and connate water. The isolated aquifers contain diagenetically altered water of probable marine origin. The postoxic main aquifer water exhibits overlapping redox zones (metal-reducing, sulfidic and methanogenic), indicative of partial redox equilibrium, with the possibility of oxidation in micro-scale environments. The redox processes are depth-dependent and hydrostratigraphically variable. Elevated dissolved As in the groundwater is possibly related to Fe(III) reduction, but is strongly influenced by coupled Fe–S–C redox cycles. Arsenic does not show good correlations with most solutes, suggesting involvement of multiple processes in As mobilization. The main river in the area, the Bhagirathi–Hoogly, is chemically distinctive from other streams in the vicinity and probably has little or no influence on deep groundwater chemistry. Arsenic in water of smaller streams (Jalangi and Ichamati) is probably introduced by groundwater discharge during the dry season. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Introduction: An increased notification rate of tuberculosis (TB) in men is seen in the SAARC region. In India, the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) detects nearly three times more male than female TB patients. Gender differences have also been reported in the clinical forms of tuberculous disease and in treatment adherence and cure rates in patients undergoing treatment for tuberculosis. The present study was undertaken to find out the sex differences in the notification rates and treatment outcomes of TB patients registered under the RNTCP in a rural tuberculosis unit (TU) in West Bengal. Materials and Methods: A retrospective record-based study was carried out among a total of 3605 cases registered under the RNTCP between January 1999 and June 2005. Notification rates of TB, clinical forms of TB and disease treatment outcomes recorded in the registers were analyzed based on genders. Outcomes were defined in accordance with the standard RNTCP definitions. The Z-test for proportion (for comparing differences in proportions), Student t-test (for comparing mean), and ?2 test (to see association) were performed for statistical analysis. Results: Among the total of 3605 patients, 2498 (69.3%) were male and 1107 (30.7%) were female with a male female ratio of 2.25:1. In patients less than 20 years of age, the notification rates among males and females were similar. In the other age groups, males were more likely to be notified compared to females and the difference was statistically significant. While new smear positive and retreatment cases were significantly more than in males, among females, new smear negative and new extrapulmonary cases were significantly higher. Among the new smear positive patients 89.4% of females were cured compared to 85.8% of males which was again significant statistically (Z=1.70, P<0.05). Male patients outnumbered females in all the unfavorable outcomes like death, failure, and default although none of the differences were statistically significant (P>0.05). Conclusion: The present study demonstrates a gender difference in the notification rates, clinical presentations and treatment outcomes of patients with tuberculosis. Integrated research is necessary to find the reasons for these differences. Such studies will be helpful in improving the efficacy of the RNTCP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Arsenic (As) induced identifiable health outcomes are now spreading across Indian subcontinent with continuous discovery of high As concentrations in groundwater. This study deals with groundwater hydrochemistry vis-à-vis As exposure assessment among rural population in Chakdaha block, West Bengal, India. The water quality survey reveals that 96% of the tubewells exceed WHO guideline value (10 μg/L of As). The groundwaters are generally anoxic (−283 to −22 mV) with circum-neutral pH (6.3 to 7.8). The hydrochemistry is dominated by HCO3 − (208 to 440mg/L), Ca2+ (79 to 178mg/L) and Mg2+ (17 to 45mg/L) ions along with high concentrations of AsT (As total, below detection limit to 0.29mg/L), FeT (Fe total, 1.2 to 16mg/L), and Fe(II) (0.74 to 16mg/L). The result demonstrates that Fe(II)–Fe(III) cycling is the dominant process for the release of As from aquifer sediments to groundwater (and vice versa), which is mainly controlled by the local biogeochemical conditions. The exposure scenario reveals that the consumption of groundwater and rice are the major pathways of As accumulation in human body, which is explained by the dietary habit of the surveyed population. Finally, regular awareness campaign is essential as part of the management and prevention of health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The above paper has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy). This article has been retracted at the request of the Editors-in-Chief. Despite the inclusion of interesting original data in this paper, serious concerns have been raised about the manner of their interpretation in the Discussion section. Parts of papers Appl Geochem, 19 (2004), 1255–1293http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2004.02.001 and Water Res. Research, 37(2001), 109–117http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2000WR900270 have been plagiarized. An initial attempt to address this issue with the authors resulted in a Corrigendum but the explanations offered in this were not subjected to sufficient scrutiny, due to a combination of errors by the Publisher and the Editors-in-Chief, and were later judged to be incomplete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]