Chennai Research Articles

Adherence to international standards of tuberculosis care guidelines among private practitioners, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India, 2016–2017

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) prevalence in Indian city of Chennai, located in Tamil Nadu, is higher than national average. Around 80% of TB patients in Chennai, approach private practitioners for first consultation. International standards for TB care (ISTC) recommends sputum examination as gold standard for diagnostics, contact tracing, screening for HIV, diabetes comorbidities, case notification and Isoniazid prophylaxis treatment (IPT). We did a study to describe the adherence to ISTC recommended treatment practices among private doctors and factors associated with adherence. Methods and materials: We did a cross-sectional analytical study between August 2016 and August 2017. We did multistage cluster sampling in the 15 zones of Chennai. We needed a sample of 225 doctors, assuming prevalence of adherence to ISTC diagnostic practices as 63%, with 10% as margin of error and 95% confidence level. We used semi-structured questionnaire for interview. We calculated proportions for adherence to ISTC guidelines. We did a multivariate analysis to calculate adjusted odd ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) to identify factors associated with adherence to ISTC guidelines. Results: Among 225 doctors interviewed, 140 were males (62%) and majority were in 30–39 years (44%) age group. Sputum examination as gold standard for diagnosis was practised by 58% (n = 130) of doctors and was associated with exposure to RNTCP training (AOR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.1–3.5). Contact tracing was practiced by 38% (n = 85) and adherence was associated with age of doctors above 40 years (AOR = 3.1, 95% CI = 1.2–7.9). While screening for HIV and Diabetes was practiced by 63% (n = 142) and 65% (n = 146) respectively, being in government service (AOR = 2, 95% CI = 1.04–3.9) and exposure to RNTCP training (AOR = 2, 95% CI = 1.03–3.9) were associated with screening. Case notification was practiced by 65% (n = 146) and adherence was associated with RNTCP training (AOR = 3, 95% CI = 1.5–6.1) and awareness about mandatory notification (AOR = 8, 95% CI = 2.4–26.6). Awareness about IPT prophylaxis was 32% (n = 73) and was associated with exposure to RNTCP training (AOR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.1–4.3). Conclusion: Adherence to ISTC guidelines among private practitioners was low. Training in RNTCP was associated with adherence. We recommend RNTCP training for all private practitioners.

Moral habitus: An approach to understanding embedded disrespectful practices.

The moral habitus shows how morally oriented clinical interactions through everyday social evaluations generate and sustain disrespectful attitudes and behaviours that disregard patients and family members. These attitudes and behaviours often result from the habitual nature of interaction styles and embodied bodily dispositions within particular hospital settings. By utilising the data of a qualitative study in two hospitals in the south Indian city of Chennai, I illustrate the role of moral habitus in understanding these disrespectful attitudes and behaviours. I show how the stereotyping and embodied bodily dispositions by healthcare professionals raise moral and ethical questions, such as those related to ethical value of respect for persons. I conclude that studying the moral habitus of hospital settings is significant for proposing ways to respect patients and family members of patients in practice and uphold ethical values, and to have meaningful healthcare interactions. Furthermore, the concept of moral habitus offers theoretical grounds for understanding these attitudes and behaviours in hospital settings, while engaging in ethics and patient-centred care debates, to bridge the gap between theory and practice of respect.

GIS Applications for Water Resources Conservation Through Hydrographic Surveys in Chikarayapuram and Pammal Abandoned Quarries

During the year 2017 the Chennai metropolis was facing a severe drought due to failure of monsoon rainfall and starved even for drinking water. A scientific study has been carried out using geospatial technology and echo sounders for the identified source of water from abandoned quarries towards estimating the quality and quantity. The study has identified the quantity of available water is 26,32,967 m3 from both the quarries and the water quality is suitable for drinking purpose and concluded with the recommendations of collecting the excess water (Floodwater) in Chikarayapuram Quarries, which can hold maximum of 0.55 TMC of water for water starving Chennai City with diversion of overflowing water channels to the abandoned quarries with minimal measures. The water in Quarry No.4, Pammal should be treated with hydrochloric acid and after additional water treatment techniques, the water can be utilized for drinking purposes.

TRUST ON VIRAL ADVERTISING MESSAGES AND ITS IMPACT ON CONSUMERS ATTITUDE

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the growing body of research on viral advertising messages which is based on viral marketing, while concentrating on trust of viral advertising messages and its effect on consumer attitude. The population of this study is who purchased products through viral advertising in Chennai city, the sample is 635 respondents. In order to measure the variables used in this research, a questionnaire was used. Also, Statistical methods were used for the analysis of final descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings showed that there is a significant relationship between the trust on viral message and consumer attitude.

Quality assessment of ground water along the banks of Adyar river using GIS

Ground water is a vital natural resource essential for human-health, socioeconomic development and functioning of ecosystem.The pollution of river bodies is a major problem in India, because of inadequacy / non -existence of ground water quality protection measures. Adyar river contributes to the demands of this big Chennai city's primary supply. The quality check of groundwater becomes important to adopt various preventionalactions.This work was taken out to compute the effect of impact of Adyar river water in the ground water quality. pH in groundwater of the study area were incarcerated the acme healthy limits of WHO standards. The values of Electrical conductivity was more than permissible limit and show high impact near the coast and were not permissible for drinking. Due to the discharge of effluents from industry and residentials, the ionic concentration of ground water towards the eastern part is high. Intrusion of seawater is the cause for the chloride dominant groundwater near the coast. Using ArcGis 9.4 version, the distribution of parameters and water quality indexwere mapped spatially for the study area.

Chennai Block South: Intrusion of Untouchables

Another day—no different from the day preceding and the day to come—is ending. Rajesh Vanaan places his hands on the windowpane and presses his face up against it to watch the sun struggling through the haze in the distance. Outside, the air is visibly thick with dust and soot and the poisonous residue of centuries of who knows what else. In the distance, the sun, a vermillion dot, drops into the earth from a sky smeared brown, as if with a thick layer of shit. On this service floor at the very top of Chennai Block South, there is solitude. No one comes up here unless, rarely, something needs fixing. It’s the one place other than his home—his room—that Rajesh can be sure of some tranquility. Beyond the spotless glass, the city of Chennai, such as it is, stretches to the west as far as Rajesh can see. On and...

A tailored tooth brushing program to control plaque accumulation and gingivitis among orphan children: A randomized trial

Objectives: Poor oral hygiene among children is major cause of gingivitis, caries, and especially orphans constitute socially disadvantaged group. The objective of the study was to assess the efficacy of a tailored tooth brushing program to improve supragingival plaque control and gingival health among 13–17-year-old orphan children in Chennai city over a period of 21 days. Materials and Methods: A double-blind parallel, controlled clinical trial was conducted among 60 orphan children (28 males and 32 females) with mean age of 15.24 years. Dental plaque was assessed using the Turesky modification of Quigley-Hein index; gingival inflammation was assessed using gingival index at initial visit and after 14 and 21 days. Subjects were randomly allocated into one of two groups (study – audiovisual and individual demonstration of brushing technique with reinforcement at 14 days follow-up/control – only individual demonstration) and instructed to brush twice daily using modified bass technique with the toothbrush and paste provided throughout the trial. Results: The children who had audiovisual, individual demonstrations of brushing technique exhibited significantly superior total oral plaque control and significant reduction in the gingival inflammation at the end of 21 days trial (P < 0.05). The study group participants reported improved compliance and motivation to practice modified bass technique because of the reinforcement. Conclusion: The children who had both audiovisual and individual demonstration exhibited superior total plaque control and gingival health compared to control group and continued to demonstrate modified bass technique without any reinforcement at the end of 21 days trial.

A preliminary investigation on airborne fungi of pedestrian underpasses

Pedestrian underpasses are the unique environment where air transaction with outdoor is complicated, inducing interest to study the air quality for the presence of microbes. Thus, the study on the presence of airborne fungi from 11 different underpasses in Chennai city was conducted. The airborne fungi was monitored by exposing potato dextrose agar strips in reuter centrifugal sampler (RCS). A total of 1735 colonies were isolated from underpasses and the control site recorded only 1255 colonies. Total average colony forming unit of underpasses and control site was 157.7 CFU/m3 of air and 114.09 CFU/m3 of air, respectively. Altogether 22 species classified in 16 genera were isolated from both the environments. Of which 21 species belonging to 16 genera were isolated from underpasses whereas the control site yielded 15 species belonging to 12 genera. The isolated species were categorized into three species belonging to Zygomycota, 2 species to Ascomycota and the remaining to Mitosporic fungi. The air sample in the underpass is dominated by the presence of the fungi, Aspergillus flavus, Curvularia lunata and A.niger, whereas the control is dominated by Cladosporium cladosporioides, Aspergillus niger and A. flavus. The study proves the underpasses are a favorite niche for the proliferation of fungal propagules and proper maintenance of underpass is recommended.

Antibiotic and Metal Resistance offered by Aeromonas species isolated from Edible Fishes in Chennai, Tamil Nadu: A Field Investigation

Antibiotic and Metal Resistance offered by Aeromonas species isolated from Edible Fishes in Chennai, Tamil Nadu: A Field Investigation

Factors affecting live shrink loss in commercial broilers

The study was aimed at assessing the extent of live shrink loss (%) experienced by the broilers during transportation from the points of production to marketing centres. A total of 2.42 million broilers weighing 4717 MT brought by 1248 truck loads into Chennai city, Tamil Nadu, India for marketing were involved. The study period covered three different seasons namely rainy, winter and summer, the distance of transportation was classified as less than 100 km, 101-200 km, 201-300 km and above 300 km and the duration of transportation was classified as less than three hours, 3-6, 6-9 and above nine hours. The season of transport did not influence live shrink loss (%), while a linear increase in such a loss was witnessed with increase in both the distance or duration of transport. Consequent economic loss due to live shrink loss suffered by the Indian poultry meat industry was estimated to be around INR. 2,905 crores annually. Administration of B complex vitamins and ascorbic acid at the suggested levels were found to be useful in significantly (P  0.01) reducing live shrink loss during transportation of broilers.

PREVALENCE OF HYPERTENSION AND ITS ASSOCIATED RISK FACTORS AMONG AMONG DRIVERS IN NORTH CHENNAI– A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

Background. Hypertension is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of hypertension in a population of drivers in Chennai, India. Methods. The study population included drivers working in Chennai city. Blood pressure, height, and weight of subjects were measured, and relevance was obtained using a structured questionnaire. Results. Age varied from 30 to 60 years with the mean age of 43 years. Among 400 drivers studied, 33% of them were hypertensive and based on diastolic and systolic blood pressure, 15% of them were in pre-hypertensive and 28% of the were in stage -1 HTN and 31% of them were in stage-2 HTN. Obesity, Smoking, alcohol and history diabetes play a major risk factor the development of hypertension Conclusion. Prevalence of hypertension was high among drivers. Life style may play a key role in the development of hypertension along with duration of work and behavioral pattern.Prevention strategies need to be emphasized in this kind of occupational group.

Age And Reason for the First Dental Visit of Children in Chennai City- A Survey

Age And Reason for the First Dental Visit of Children in Chennai City- A Survey

Investigation of Role of Retention Storage in Tanks (Small Water Bodies) on Future Urban Flooding: A Case Study of Chennai City, India

The Adyar River flowing through Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA) in Southern India functions as a surplus course of upstream water bodies that are locally known as tanks. During northeast monsoons, the river frequently floods the adjoining city areas. In this study, the impact of dredging and disappearance of tanks on flooding in CMA is analyzed under historical, urbanization, and extreme rainfall scenarios utilizing an urbanization-hydrologic-hydraulic modelling framework. The simulated scenarios highlight the importance of the tanks as a flood control measure for CMA. The major conclusions are (a) dredging the tanks uniformly by 2 m can compensate the increase in flooding due to urbanization by 2050 for 1 in 50-year rainfalls and, (b) for disappearance of tanks, 1 in 50-year rainfall can inundate the city akin to 1 in 100-year rainfalls. The study can be useful for making informed decisions on dredging the tanks, land use planning, and flood control measures for the CMA.

Spectrum of Maxillary and Mandibular Fractures Among Patient Visiting Dental Hospital

Fracture is defined as a break in continuity in the bone. The most common affected bone in the facial region is the mandible. injuries present as one of the most important health problems worldwide. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the spectrum of mandibular and maxillary practice among patients visiting dental hospital. The study was a retrospective study done under hospital setting. The population considered in this study was 64 individuals with fractures. This is an institutional retrospective study and data was collected from 86000 patients visiting Saveetha Dental College And Hospital, during the time period of June 2019 to March 2020 were reviewed and collected data were statistically with the help of SPSS by IBM and tables and graphs well plotted. This retrospective clinical study with the population of 64 patients reveals the increased prevalence fracture in males and that is found to be 62.8% and the most commonly affected age group is a third decade (32.8%). The most common site of fracture is mandible and the prevalence of mandibular fracture was found to be 64.1 percentage. Out of many causes of fracture, the most common factor is due to road traffic accidents and the prevalence was found to be 48.4%. There is a high prevalence of fracture in the population under study and males were the most commonly affected age group in the third decade and common is road traffic accidents in Chennai city, India.

Characterizing Bus Travel Time using Advanced Data Visualization Techniques

With the introduction of various automated sensors, traffic data collection has become easier and huge amount of data are getting accumulated over time. One of the interesting challenges in the field of intelligent transportation systems is to effectively utilize such large-scale database. Making meaningful inferences out of this data by conducting in-depth analyses to identify different patterns/trends followed by the traffic variables can lead to the development of more efficient end-applications. The current study analyzes travel time data obtained from buses fitted with global positioning system devices to understand the temporal and spatial variations in travel time in the city of Chennai. For this, data visualization tools such as tree maps and heat maps were used. From temporal analysis, it was observed that travel times are increasing over the years and it was also observed that there is a discernible pattern in travel between weekdays and weekend. From spatial analysis, it was found that there exists a segment specific characteristic of travel time and certain segments experiencing higher travel times in urban areas particularly at intersections. The findings from the study were further used in demonstrating a possible user application, bus travel time prediction system, based on the identified patterns. Performance analysis showed a combination of inputs from same month last year, day of the week, and traffic conditions performing better for the considered dataset.

COVID-19 and its relationship to particulate matter pollution - Case study from part of greater Chennai, India.

It is well known that atmospheric contamination, especially the particulate matter (PM), causes severe human diseases. Yet, presently air pollution levels have dropped primarily attributable across the nation lockdown forced in the wake of the novel Coronavirus outbreak. In this study, we have attempted to establish a conceivable relationship between Covid 19 and PM10–2.5, obtained from eleven airquality monitoring stations in Chennai city, India for both Pre and during Covid situations and its influence over Covid positive cases. The observations of the materials (+ve cases, PM 10, PM 2.5) collected proved that during precovid regime less polluted areas are indicated with less than 5 infection cases reflecting the healthy people and they are less vulnerable to covid except the few occurrence of foreign source indicating no community spread whereus most polluted spots of precovid regimes are indicated with more than 90% cases and indicated that people in pollution zones are succumbed to get infected quickly. However, during Covid the lockdown has considerably reduced the particulate suspension and the results revealed that the +ve cases are of the nature of community spreading through primary and secondary contacts as reported from the media. If Covid is a visible, brutally virulent, incredibly contagious pandemic that kills rapidly and mercilessly, air pollution is its unseen evil twin. Under the radar, but even ruthlessly, if Covid and PM paired together lead to murder without delay. This is a non-communicable disease (NCD) slow-motion pandemic, equivalent-if not exceeding-the catastrophic wrath of SARS-CoV-2.

Prevalence of Dental Plaque among Adults Attending Private Dental College in Chennai City- A Descriptive Study

Prevalence of Dental Plaque among Adults Attending Private Dental College in Chennai City- A Descriptive Study

Knowledge Attitude and Practice of Usage of Anti-Anxiety Drugs in Paediatric Patients among General Dental Practitioners

Aim : To assess the knowledge attitude and practice of usage of anti-anxiety drugs among the general dentalpractitioners.Background: Anti-anxiety drugs can act as effective way to manage patients with anxiety and dental fearmainly children. Adequate knowledge is necessary for using anti-anxiety drugs. Usage of anti-anxiety drugscan help to treat the patients in an effective way.Material and Methods: Questionnaires consisting of 15 questions was distributed to 80 general dentalpractitioners practicing in private dental hospitals and clinics in Chennai city in June 2017. The questionnairewas designed to enquire about the knowledge and usage of anti anxiety drug in childrenResults: 83.75% of dentists are aware of the pharmacological means of anxiety reduction. 51.25% are awareof the side effects and over dosage reaction of using anti anxiety drugs. 12% of dentists are aware of themethod of managing side effects and over dosage reaction of using anti anxiety drugsConclusion : Anti-anxiety drugs can act as a better alternative and also an adjunct to the conventionalbehaviour management. Proper knowledge about its mechanism of action, dosage, adverse effects areessential for the dentist to use anti-anxiety drugs in an effective way. Hence the usage of anti-anxiety drugscan be recommended and encouraged among dentists provided they have a sound knowledge about the drug

Knowledge Attitude and Practice of Ergonomics and Musculoskeletal Disorders as An Occupational Hazard Among Endodontists in Chennai City - A Questionnaire Survey

Knowledge Attitude and Practice of Ergonomics and Musculoskeletal Disorders as An Occupational Hazard Among Endodontists in Chennai City - A Questionnaire Survey

Analyzing and forecasting ambient air quality of Chennai city in India

Regardless of the existing governmental and public preventive actions for surveillance and controlling the air quality in several regions of the Chennai city in India, the air quality does not meet the desired standard. In this regard, this study employs an ARMA/ARIMA modelling approach for forecasting Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM), Sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ) and Nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) concentration for three most polluted sites in Chennai city. A total of nine univariate linear stochastic models have been developed, three for each of the stations which includes one for each of the specific pollutants in order to forecasts the concentration of each pollutant. The evaluation of the model statistics R 2 values and index of agreement values evince that a significant level of real-time forecasting of the pollutants can be achieved by employing the developed ARMA/ARIMA models. Moreover, the comparisons of actual air pollutant concentration have been carried out with the permissible limit as prescribed by the National ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) of India for assessing the level of pollution of all three locations.