Areas Of Southern India Research Articles

A study on scenario and assessment of health camps in north Karnataka by KLE’s Dr. Prabhakar Kore hospital: facilitate health care to community people

Background: Health-camps offering specific populations brief medical interventions could be helpful as 60% of India’s population lacks access to basic medical facilities. This study provides useful insights for organizing, planning, and implementing health-camps by epidemiologically analyzing a health-camp event in a rural area in southern India; arranging and planning health-camps, as well as using exit interviews to gauge participants’ expectations and levels of satisfaction; determine the health issues that impoverished residents of Belagavi district. Health-camp is a strategy for universal health coverage used by highly qualified doctors to offer the underprivileged affordable care. Methods: A self-structured questionnaire was utilized to interview 219 beneficiaries for the research. These were divided into sections containing participant sociodemographic data, 21 items that evaluate satisfaction of health camps and question concerning expectations of post camps. 4-point rating system was employed to collect the responses: poor (1) to excellent (4). Ages ≥14 for men or women. Along with medical or non-medical services, the questionnaire also included questions about camp site accessibility, reception counters, initial medical check-ups, screening tests, behavior of doctors and other staff, waiting times, drug supply, preliminary information, referrals, length of health camp, cleanliness, and camp performance overall. The participants’ average age was 40.2 years. Results: Both genders participated equally in study, 76% married and 46% participants studied up to high school. 59% of the participants, belong to a nuclear family, rural residence (81%), occupation 33% housewife and 26% business. More number of participants (46.51%) received information about camps through the village announcement. Conclusions: The health camp was conducted and appreciated by most of the participants and suggested to continue the same health camps programme to promote good health every one the area.

Response of dholes to prey availability and human disturbance in space and time in Southern India

Understanding spatial and temporal behavior of large carnivores is critical to developing conservation strategies that mitigate the limiting factors of prey availability and human disturbance. Dholes (Cuon alpinus) are endangered, pack-living canids persisting in tropical forests of Asia, yet significant knowledge gaps remain about their basic ecology. We estimated spatial occurrence and temporal activity of dholes relative to prey availability, anthropogenic disturbance, and landscape features using camera traps in two protected areas in Southern India. Estimated detection probability of dholes was 0.14 (95 % CI: 0.11, 0.18), while estimated occupancy probability was 0.33 (95 % CI: 0.26, 0.40). Prey availability was the strongest driver of spatial occurrence of dholes, followed by multiple measures of human disturbance. Dholes responded to human activity and human infrastructure differently in space and time, which appeared to free them to overlap with their primary prey. Dholes avoided roads spatially, avoided livestock in space and time, and avoided human activity temporally. Dholes exhibited high temporal overlap with chital, barking deer, and wild pig activity, which are likely important prey. We recommend regulating livestock presence within protected areas and limiting new road development within habitat occupied by endangered species. A proposed reservoir project to create drinking water and electricity would inundate important forested habitat for dholes along the River Cauvery where occupancy was high. This removal of habitat would significantly impact dhole presence in this landscape. Our findings advance understanding of behavioral responses by an understudied, endangered large carnivore to its primary limiting factors: prey and human disturbance.

Assessment of the spatial distribution and identification of potential risk areas for the sterility mosaic disease of pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L. Huth) in Southern India

Sterility mosaic disease (SMD) is an emerging biotic risk to the cultivation of pigeonpea throughout the Indian subcontinent. The prevalence and distribution of SMD documented from diverse agro-climatic zones are still poorly known. In this investigation, we determined the spatial distribution of SMD covering major pigeonpea-growing states of Southern India namely, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh by considering 2 years of exploratory survey data. Geospatial approaches were employed to determine the SMD incidence levels at unvisited locations using neighboring observations. The results indicated enormous variability in disease incidence ranging from 0 to 82.64% and 0 to 36.84%, respectively, in Kharif 2021–22 and 2022–23 in pigeonpea-growing states. Spatial autocorrelation analysis and Ripley’s K function established the presence of average clustering over sampling locations. Two main clusters were identified via agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis. From the Local Moran’s I spatial autocorrelation (LISA) analysis, most of the districts were clustered together at (I<0). From the p-values, Bidar and Krishnagiri districts recorded the highest spatial dependence, while the remaining districts recorded medium spatial dependence (p < 0.05). Based on kriging, the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, Medak and Ranga Reddy districts of Telangana, Bijapur district of Karnataka, and Latur district in Maharashtra states were found to be vulnerable to SMD occurrence in the future. The Matern and Spherical models were shown to be the best of the several semivariogram experimental models tested for spatial patterns of SMD incidence, from which OK and IK maps were created. Based on the interpolation results, the potential SMD hotspots/risk areas were most prominent in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu states. These identified hotspots for SMD revealed high levels of disease probability rates (>25%) above the threshold level and must be closely monitored to restrict and minimize further disease spread across the studied areas in Southern India. In pigeonpea, this is the first study in India that attempted to understand the spatial pattern of SMD using geostatistical methodologies. The results of the study will aid in the design and dissemination of specific management practices and curb the further spread of SMD.

Evaluation of urban flood susceptibility through integrated Bivariate statistics and Geospatial technology.

Flood disasters are frequent natural disasters that occur annually during the monsoon season and significantly impact urban areas. This area is characterized by impermeable concrete surfaces, which increase runoff and are particularly susceptible to flooding. Therefore, this study aims to adopt Bi-variate statistical methods such as frequency ratio (FR) and weight of evidence (WOE) to map flood susceptibility in an urbanized watershed. The study area encompasses an urbanized watershed surrounding the Chennai Metropolitan area in southern India. The essential parameters considered for flood susceptibility zonation include geomorphology, soil, land use/land cover (LU/LC), rainfall, drainage, slope, aspect, Topographic Wetness Index (TWI), and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The flood susceptibility map was derived using 70% of randomly selected flood areas from the flood inventory database, and the other 30% was used for validation using the area under curve (AUC) method. The AUC method produced a frequency ratio of 0.806 and a weight of evidence value of 0.865 contributing to the zonation of the three classes. The study further investigates the impact of urbanization on flood susceptibility and is further classified into high, moderate, and low flood risk zones. With the abrupt change in climatic scenarios, there is an increase in the risk of flash floods. The results of this study can be used by policymakers and planners in developing a preparedness system to mitigate economic, human, and property losses due to floods in any urbanized watershed.

Does a dedicated endocrine surgery unit impact treatment decision in patients with thyroid disorders? experiences from an endocrine-surgeon naive area in southern india

Does a dedicated endocrine surgery unit impact treatment decision in patients with thyroid disorders? experiences from an endocrine-surgeon naive area in southern india

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Tuberculosis Treatment Outcomes at a Tuberculosis Unit in Southern India: A Retrospective Observational Study

Introduction: The Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic significantly affected both existing and undiagnosed Tuberculosis (TB) patients worldwide. The impact of the pandemic on the treatment outcomes of these patients in India remains unclear. Aim: To assess the difference in TB treatment outcomes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in an economically disadvantaged urban area in Southern India. Materials and Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted at a TB Unit in South Bangalore, Southern India, serving a population of 2,50,000 from January 2022 to December 2022. Purposive sampling was employed to select 516 patients who had registered for TB treatment during the years 2019 and 2020. The socio-demographic details and TB profiles of the patients were collected and tabulated. Treatment outcomes were classified according to World Health Organisation (WHO) definitions after a case record analysis. Data were entered into Microsoft Excel 2018 and analysed using Open Epi software. Descriptive statistics, such as mean and standard deviation, were used to report socio-demographic profiles, and the Chisquare test was utilised to evaluate the differences in treatment outcomes. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The study included a total of 516 subjects. There were fewer cases registered in 2020 (n=202), especially after the first quarter, compared to the number registered in 2019 (n=314). The majority of the cases during both years were new instances of microbiologically confirmed pulmonary TB with no co-morbidities. Treatment success rates were 85.35% in 2019 and 88.61% in 2020, which was not statistically significant. Conclusion: There was a noticeable reduction in the number of cases registered during 2020, indicating that the COVID19 pandemic had a definite effect on TB case notification. However, treatment success rates increased during the COVID19 pandemic. This increase in the treatment success rate from 85.35% to 88.61% could be attributed to the decrease in the number of registered cases during the pandemic. The study thus found no significant impact on TB treatment success rate due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Assessment of depth wise distribution, enrichment, contamination, ecological risk and sources of soil heavy metals over an Industrial area in Southern India

Assessing the depth-wise distribution of heavy metals in soil can provide valuable insights into the extent of enrichment, contamination, and the possible sources of pollutants. A study was conducted in parts of Patancheru Industrial areas of Hyderabad, India to assess the vertical distribution of heavy metal content in soil, focusing on enrichment, contamination, and pollutant sources. Sixty soil samples from 15 sites, spanning four depths (0–15 cm, 15–30 cm, 30–50 cm, 50–100 cm) were analyzed for total Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cr, Co and Ni concentrations. The concentrations of Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cr, Co, and Ni, regardless of the study depths and sites, range from 2570–10,667, 22.5–439, 11.6–47.2, 3.47–14.2, 5.53–31.7, 36.0–63.1, 2.99–17.5 to 10.5–47.3 mg kg−1respectively. The mean concentrations of all the measured heavy metals showed minor variation across depths, except for Zn and Pb. Moreover, the mean concentration of all the measured heavy metals at various soil depths was within the threshold or target limits except for total Ni. At certain sampling depths and locations, Ni content exceeded the permissible threshold of 35 mg kg−1 in the soil. Surface soils (0–15 cm) exhibited moderate to significant enrichment of Pb, Zn, Cr, and Co. The enrichment factor for the overall Pb concentration varies from 3.02 to 24.73, indicating a range of moderate to very high enrichment throughout the soil depths. Following Pb, Cr exhibits enrichment levels ranging from 2.31 to 9.35, while Co ranges from 1.07 to 5.58.The sites within the study area varied in contamination levels, spanning from moderate contamination to a slight degree of pollution, as assessed by the contamination/pollution index of each element. Principle component analysis and enrichment factor values show that Cu originated primarily from natural sources; while Pb and Cr were likely to be anthropogenic to purely anthropogenic and Zn, Mn, Ni, and Co had both crustal and like to be anthropogenic origins. The maximum and minimum ecological risk index (ERI) values were recorded for Pb and Zn content, respectively. The maximum PERI value of 15.8 was recorded in the study area, indicating a low ecological risk level. However regular monitoring of the heavy metal concentration in soils is recommended over the study area to maintain a low level of ecological risk via reclamation interventions.

Locating Kadu in Adivasi portrayals of protected forest areas in Southern India

Globally, Indigenous Peoples are the stewards of a large portion of the global land base, and their interactions and associations with the land have shaped and sustained it for centuries. Yet conservation studies and land management practices still struggle to understand or use Indigenous interpretations of the natural world. In many cases, this perpetuates a colonial sensibility across land use policies, which also dangerously misrepresents Indigenous relationships with that land. This paper focuses on Kattunayakans, a hunter-forager Adivasi (Indigenous) community living within the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala, India. Our focus is how they characterize kadu (‘forest’ in Kattunayakan language), both what it is constituted of and what it means from an Adivasi point of view. Using open-ended interviews, transect walks, and spatial mapping we find that for Kattunayakans, the forest is seen as an entity with agency; and a body of discrete biocultural landscape units classified as: a convergence of good places and God people; and a realm of spaces populated by kinfolk with fluid human-and-nonhuman identities that do not follow any physical boundaries of protected areas. This understanding of what a protected area forest is and is comprised of is neither adequately represented and discussed in the history of India's protected areas nor addressed in forest and wildlife management policies and approaches. This is highly consequential for Adivasi communities such as Kattunayakans, who do not have written or material evidence of their productive and historical relationship to forest land. We argue, as well, that when engaged appropriately, Adivasi portrayals of the kadu can bolster equity in land management and strengthen collaborative governance that more broadly advances human rights alongside the goals of biodiversity conservation.

Modelling soil, plant and fertilizer relationship to optimize nutrient management for chilli (Capsicum annuum L) under Alfisols of Southern India

ABSTRACT India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of chilli, which covers 20% of the total area in Southern India. The imbalanced use of chemical fertilizers has detrimental effect on soil physico-chemical and biological properties thereby affecting soil and crop quality. In accordance with this concept, the field experiments were conducted to develop and validate fertilizer prescription equations for chilli crop under rainfed condition. The experiments were conducted in three phases. The basic parameters to develop the targeted yield equations were derived. Further, the developed targeted yield equations were validated in comparison with soil fertility rating approach and general recommended dose (GRD). The results revealed that 4.50, 1.76 and 2.95 kg of N, P2O5, and K2O, respectively were required for producing 100 kg of dry chilli. The STCR approach, with or without FYM, at the targeted yield of 1.30 and 1.00 t ha−1 enhanced the yield over GRD and soil fertility rating approach. The STCR approach also exhibited a higher NPK uptake, use efficiency, microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, dehydrogenase, acid and alkaline phosphatase activity along with better profitability. Hence, STCR-targeted yield approach could improve the yield, nutrient use efficiency, soil microbial properties and economics of chilli crop.

Lessons from a Women-led Livelihood Pilot in a Neglected Tropical Diseases endemic area in Southern India

Disability, CBR and Inclusive Development aims to enhance knowledge in the field of disability and inclusive development, addressing the needs of practitioners, policy makers, DPOs and the scientific community.

A simple screening program for oral cancer in a defined geographic area in southern India

Background: Community-level surveys of potentially malignant and malignant oral lesions are helpful to accurately determine the prevalence and aid in planning population-based strategies for oral cancer prevention. Objectives: We aimed to assess the disease burden through a systematic oral cancer screening program in a defined semi-urban population in Ranipet district (Tamil Nadu, India). Materials and Methods: A multiphase community-based screening program was conducted by the Ragas Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, India, in partnership with Thirumalai Mission Trust Hospital in Ranipet district (Tamil Nadu, India) in a zone-wise manner from Aug 1, 2018 to Dec 31, 2019. Phase I consisted of screening of those who fulfilled the eligibility criteria; demographic data were collected by trained dentists, following which toluidine blue staining of suspected potentially malignant lesions was done. Subjects whose oral lesions stained positive were referred to a hospital where the staining procedure was repeated for confirmation, and then biopsy was done for all subjects by a trained dentist. The subjects were followed up, and appropriate referrals were initiated for all the subjects based on their diagnosis. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the distribution of potentially malignant cases. Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values were calculated for the clinical diagnosis using the histopathologic diagnosis as the gold standard. Results: A total of 1389 tobacco users (1012 [72.9%] men) and 3140 non-tobacco users were evaluated. Among them, 194 (14%) demonstrated clinical abnormalities in their oral mucosa; 157 required follow-up and were referred. Of the 157 referrals, 140 (89.2%) went for follow-up, and 84 (64%) of them required biopsies. Of the 74 eligible biopsies examined (7 dropped out and 3 biopsies were rejected due to inadequate tissue), 1 had definite malignancy (1.4%), 41 (55.4%) had potentially malignant oral disorders, and 32 (43.2%) had non-specific features. The overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for the clinical diagnosis made at the screening program were 88%, 25%, 61%, and 61%, respectively. Conclusion: Systematic visual oral screening restricted to high-risk individuals is a worthwhile initiative for the detection and control of oral cancer. Visual screening and early detection of premalignant oral disorders has the potential for early detection of potentially malignant and malignant oral lesions, and thus could play a pivotal role in disease control and improving patient outcomes. (Partial funding provided by the University Research Committee, The TN Dr. MGR Medical University, Guindy, Chennai; and the Thirumalai Charitable Trust, Ranipet, India)

Prevalence of Obesity and Overweight and Its Correlates among 20-40 Year Old Population in an Urban Area in Southern India

Introduction: Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally, with at least 2.8 million people dying each year as a result of consequences of overweight or obesity. The study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of Overweight and obesity among 20-40 years old residing in an urban area in North Karnataka and to study the risk factors affecting overweight and obesity.
 Methods: A Cross Sectional Study was done among adults aged 20-40 years in urban field practice area in North Karnataka in 2017-18. The sample size was calculated to be 207. Selection of study subjects was done using systematic random sampling. Data regarding socio-demographic profile and anthropometric measurements were collected and BMI calculated.
 Results: The prevalence of overweight was 45.9% and obesity was 11.1%. Females had more prevalence of overweight (46.8%) and obesity (13.8%) as compared to males. overweight was more in sedentary workers (50%).There was a high prevalence of obesity among participants with mixed diet(82.6%) and 63.1% of participants eating junk food were overweight and 69.5% were obese. The prevalence of overweight was more among participants with class IV socioeconomic status (45.3%) followed by class III (31.6%).
 Conclusion: There is a growing prevalence of overweight and obesity in urban areas that calls for an urgent need to prevent the further consequences and decrease the burden.

Seasonal occurrence and risk assessment of pharmaceutical and personal care products in Bengaluru rivers and lakes, India

Water samples were collected from 35 locations in the Arkavathi river, its tributaries and lakes spread across the Bengaluru metropolitan area in Southern India during monsoon (October 2018) and post-monsoon (February 2019) seasons. Eleven pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) (sulfamethoxazole, chloramphenicol, ethyl paraben, diclofenac, propylparaben, ibuprofen, BP-1, oxybenzone, bisphenol A, triclosan, triclocarban) were investigated for their occurrence, seasonal variation, and toxicological effects on the biota. The PPCPs belong to different classes like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, antibacterials, UV-filters, plasticizer, and preservatives. Ibuprofen was present in high concentrations (1834 ng/L) followed by triclosan (1761 ng/L) and diclofenac (1130 ng/L) in the river. Samples collected during monsoon season had lower concentrations of sulfamethoxazole, chloramphenicol and diclofenac whereas rest of the target analytes had lower concentrations during post-monsoon season. Dilution in monsoon season and adsorption to the sediments in the post-monsoon season can be the possible reasons for the seasonal variability. The highest detection frequencies of PPCPs at the Arkavathi river indicates the continuous discharge of wastewater from highly populated metropolitan and industrial areas. The ecotoxicity data for diclofenac and triclosan suggest high risk (Hazard Quotient >1) for various species of fish and algae observed from the Kumbalagodu (S20) and Shanumangala (S19) stations respectively from the mid-stream of Arkavathi river. It was followed by bisphenol A with a hazard quotient of 0.88 in Banashankari (S25) that can affect specific species of fish. No human health risk assessment was estimated from the identified sampling stations. This is the first report on seasonal occurrence of PPCPs with their associated toxicological studies from the Arkavathi river, its tributaries, and lakes across the Bengaluru metropolis.

Assessment of the Level of Knowledge of First Aid and Basic Life Support among the Police Workforce in a Coastal Area in Southern India

Background: First aid and basic life support (BLS) are the basic principles that have significant importance in the revival of victims on site. Although the epidemiology of injuries has been well studied in many developed countries, there are a fewer number of such similar studies among the police workforce in developing countries, such as India. Objective: The objective was to assess the level of understanding about first aid and BLS measures among the police workforce in a coastal city of Southern India. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at police stations and traffic police stations in a coastal city of South India with a sample size of 196. A pretested semi-structured questionnaire assessed a plethora of parameters, such as choking and seizures. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16.0 (IBM SPSS Inc Chicago, SPSS Inc) and results were obtained. Consent from the study participants was obtained before commencement. Results: About 87.3% of the study participants who received training markedly scored

Exposure and health risk assessment of nitrate contamination in groundwater in Coimbatore and Tirupur districts in Tamil Nadu, South India

Anthropogenic factors are contaminating crystalline aquifers more rapidly than natural sources and affecting human health in many states in India. Since a large population depends on untreated groundwater, identifying the sources of this contamination and assessing the related human health risk are essential to ensure a good-quality water supply. Nitrate is one of the most widespread means of groundwater contamination in many parts of India. Coimbatore and Tirupur districts are the most rapidly growing industrial urban areas in southern India. This paper deals with nitrate contamination and possible health risks for children and adults in the Coimbatore and Tirupur districts based on 93 groundwater samples. To achieve this goal, classical hydrochemical and deterministic hazard identification methods coupled with spatial mapping technologies were applied. A wide variation in nitrate concentration, between 1 and 415 mg/L, was observed, with 37% of the samples exceeding the WHO permissible limit of 50 mg/L. The distinct concentrations of nitrate and other ions observed spatially can be attributed to the diverse geochemical and land use settings in the study area. The bivariate plots of NO3 with other ions suggested that the principal origin of nitrate in this study is related to the excess application of fertilizers and sewages. The spatial variation of NO3, in comparison with the land use map, confirmed these results. The values of hazard quotient (HQ) via ingestion exceeded the critical value, one in 40% in males, 42% in females, and 45% in children. However, HQ values via oral pathways are within one and pose no exposure risk. Thus, the hazard index corresponds to HQingestion only. The health risk was in the increasing order of male>female>children, and shows that body weight is the most critical factor that is influencing the health impact to children as compared to adults. The spatial variation of hazard index values showed that groundwater quality is highly polluted with NO3 in the north and northeastern parts of the study area, mainly due to intensive agricultural practices, and poses critical health concerns. Considering the increasing population and higher dependencies on groundwater, immediate and sufficient measures are proposed.

A resilient research approach: Using community-based participatory action research in a rural area of India.

This community-based participatory action research (CBPAR) study describes a method for evaluating an after-school resilience-focused intervention in a low-resource rural area of southern India. Communities Rising, a locally developed resilience and academic program, was evaluated in a cross-continent collaboration between a research team at a U.S. university and the local community. The CBPAR literature highlights the importance of cultural considerations, community considerations, and community participation in the research process. The present case study describes the CBPAR research process and considerations at every phase of the research project, providing a road map of how community engagement can strengthen research, empower the community, and provide valuable knowledge. This study was conducted in three phases that focused on inclusion of local voices in the development both of the resilience program and the evaluation data collection process. Youth surveyors were particularly key to the research process. Data on participant demographics, satisfaction with the program, and qualitative contributions are also provided. Strengths and limitations of this study process in a rural community are discussed.

Spatio-temporal distribution of INSAT-3D AOD derived particulate matter concentration over India

Ground observations over 60–80 sites in India during 2014–18 reveal that Particulate Matter (PM) concentration exceeded National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) by 1.5–2.5 times during Pre-Monsoon (PrM), Post-Monsoon (PoM) and Winter (Win) seasons only. Geographically Weighted Regression technique was employed to estimate PM2.5 and PM10 incorporating Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) measured from geostationary orbit by Indian National Satellite (INSAT-3D) and ERA-INTERIM derived meteorological parameters. INSAT-3DAOD was well correlated with ground measured AOD (R2 > 0.75). Estimated PM found higher during PrM (PM2.5: 103.16 ± 31.39 μg m−3, PM10: 150.07 ± 43.13 μg m−3) than PoM (PM2.5: 58.72 ± 22.9 μg m−3, PM10: 127.17 ± 48.95 μg m−3) and Win (PM2.5: 71.02 ± 20.25 μg m−3, PM10: 96.86 ± 27.63 μg m−3). PM pollution was severe in West India (PM2.5: 87.44 ± 30.07 μg m−3, PM10: 148.13 ± 42.8 μg m−3), 1.2–1.5 times higher than least polluted North-East India. Spatial variability of PM distinctly discern the major prone areas that experience episodic events like dust (PM10 > 150 μg m−3) and biomass burning (PM2.5 >100 μg m−3). Overall country registered increase in AOD, PM10, PM2.5 by 52.34%, 36.23%, 36.58% respectively. Estimation accuracy produced by the model was satisfactory (R2 > 0.6; NMSE <0.25; −0.01 < FB < 0.09). The human footprint perceived by the PM2.5/PM10 ratio signifies that 60.95% PM10 is attributed to PM2.5 across the country and it was highest during Win (73.45%). The changes in spatial distribution of PM highlight that Indo-Gangetic Plain and coastal area in Southern India had undergone major industrialization, urban expansions which resulted in increase of PM2.5 by 50–125 μg m−3 during all seasons.

Ranger survey reveals conservation issues across Protected and outside Protected Areas in southern India

Intensifying human-wildlife interaction requires effective human-wildlife management strategies. In India, forests designated as Protected Areas (PAs) have better wildlife protection measures unlike Reserved Forests (outside PAs) which are undervalued, although both support similar kinds of wildlife. Wildlife conservation planning and policy-level decision making become incomplete without addressing wildlife management issues outside PA along with PAs as the former act as a buffer/corridor for PAs. We conducted a semi-structured questionnaire survey with the Forest Range Officers (FROs) belonging to nine PAs and seven outside PAs across the Western and Eastern Ghats part of Tamil Nadu State, southern India. We collected information on the human-wildlife interactions, mitigation measures carried out, poaching incidents, and availability of manpower and resources. Over 50% of the FROs reported an increase in Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC) incidents for the past five years. Major species involved in conflict in PAs and outside PAs were elephant (Elephas maximus), wild pig (Sus scrofa), leopard (Panthera pardus), bonnet macaque (Macaca radiata), followed by sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), sambar (Rusa unicolor) (more in PAs), gaur (Bos gaurus) (more in outside PAs), dhole (Cuon alpinus), chital (Axis axis), and tiger (Panthera tigris). There were no variations in the mitigation measures employed in PAs and outside PAs. The number of schemes (N = 8–10) available for wildlife management was similar, but to a certain extent, the fund availability was more insufficient outside PAs than in PAs. Tiger (only in PAs), leopard, elephant, and pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) were amongst the fourteen wildlife species poached in the PAs and outside PAs, although wild pig, sambar, black-naped hare (Lepus nigricollis), and chital dominated the list. Prevalent methods for poaching were snares, trained dogs, guns (dominant in PAs), followed by hand-made bombs, poisoning, cage traps, electric traps (only outside PAs), and food baits. Over 50% of the FROs reported decreases in poaching incidences with improved wildlife management strategies for the past five years. PAs had a higher number of anti-poaching camps with anti-poaching watchers than outside PAs. Our study highlighted the disparity in resource allocation among PAs and outside PAs though the intensity of conservation issues was similar. Inadequate availability of resources affected the effective management of conflict species which leads to increase risk of HWC. This is the first study to highlight the success/failure of human-wildlife management depending on reducing lacunas in management effectiveness of PAs and outside PAs for managing at a larger landscape level beyond PAs.

Oral health status and treatment needs of school going children in a tribal area in Southern India

Abstract Background Children suffer a significant burden of oral diseases which impacts their quality of life, and general health. Many epidemiological studies have looked at oral health status and treatment needs among children in urban and rural areas across different age groups. There was limited literature assessing the oral health status among children in tribal areas, which presents unique challenges in terms of: topography, availability of health services, and complex socio-cultural health practices. Methods Cross-sectional study was conducted among 655 children across six schools between 12-15 years in Jawadhi Hills, Tamil Nadu, India. World Health Organization's, Oral Health Surveys were used for clinical and risk factor assessments. Clinical examination was conducted, and self-assessed questionnaire was administered to the children to assess the risk factors to poor oral health. Since dental fluorosis was common, drinking water samples were collected to assess fluoride levels in the community. Results Prevalence of dental caries and gingivitis (gum disease) was found to be 22.3% and 87.3% respectively. Dental Pain was reported by 57% of children as the most common reason to visit the dentist. Prevalence of dental fluorosis was found to be 53.6%. Multiple logistic regression showed: gender, dental fluorosis, diet, and maternal education significantly associated (p &amp;lt; 0.005) with dental caries. Fluoride levels in water was found to be higher than permissible limits (&amp;gt;1.5 ppm). Conclusions Children requiring treatment (∼ 200) were referred to the local hospital, and treatment was done free-of-cost. School authorities were informed about the current oral health status of children and advised to conduct regular health education &amp; dental camps; the importance of girls' education was emphasized. Local authorities were alerted about the fluoride-rich water situation in the community and educated about defluoridation methods that the community can employ at household level. Key messages Evidence-based burden of oral diseases was presented to the local authorities for the first time, with a call for action. A referral system was established between the schools and the local hospital, to ensure continuity of oral health care for the children.

Prediction of hookworm prevalence in southern India using environmental parameters derived from Landsat 8 remotely sensed data

Soil-transmitted helminth infections propagate poverty and slow economic growth in low-income countries. As with many other neglected tropical diseases, environmental conditions are important determinants of soil-transmitted helminth transmission. Hence, remotely sensed data are commonly utilised in spatial risk models intended to inform control strategies. In the present study, we build upon the existing modelling approaches by utilising fine spatial resolution Landsat 8 remotely sensed data in combination with topographic variables to predict hookworm prevalence in a hilly tribal area in southern India. Hookworm prevalence data collected from two field surveys were used in a random forest model to investigate the predictive capacity of 15 environmental variables derived from two remotely sensed images acquired during dry and rainy seasons. A variable buffer radius (100–1000 m) was applied to the point-prevalence locations in order to integrate environmental conditions around the village centroids into the modelling approach and understand where transmission is more likely. Elevation and slope were the most important variables in the models, with lower elevation and higher slope correlating with higher transmission risk. A modified normalised difference water index was among other recurring important variables, likely responsible for some seasonal differences in model performance. The 300 m buffer distance produced the best model performance in this setting, with another spike at 700 m, and a marked drop-off in R2 values at 1000 m. In addition to assessing a large number of environmental correlates with hookworm transmission, the study contributes to the development of standardised methods of spatial linkage of continuous environmental data with point-based disease prevalence measures for the purpose of spatially explicit risk profiling.