Eastern Part Of India Research Articles

Spatio-Temporal Rainfall Variability and Flood Prognosis Analysis Using Satellite Data over North Bihar during the August 2017 Flood Event

Flooding is one of the most common natural disasters in India. Typically, the Kosi and Gandak river basins are well-known for lingering flood affected basins in North Bihar every year, which lies in the eastern part of India. There were no such comprehensive studies available in North Bihar that discussed flood progression and regression at shorter time-scales like two day intervals. So in this study, we employed high temporal resolution data to capture inundation extent and further, the flood extent has been validated with high spatial resolution data. The specific objective of this study was to analyze the satellite-derived Near Real Time (NRT) MODIS flood product for spatiotemporal mapping of flood progression and regression over the North Bihar. The synthetic aperture RADAR (SAR) data were also used to validate the MODIS NRT Flood data. As a case study, we selected a recent flood event of August–September 2017 and captured the flood inundation spatial extent at two day intervals using the 2 day composite NRT flood data. The flood prognosis analysis has revealed that during the peak flooding period, 12% to 17% of the area was inundated and the most adversely affected districts were Darbhanga and Katihar in North Bihar. We estimated that in total nearly 6.5% area of the North Bihar was submerged. The method applied was simple, but it can still be suitable to be applied by the community involved in flood hazard management, not necessarily experts in hydrological modeling. It can be concluded that the NRT MODIS flood product was beneficial to monitor flood prognosis over a larger geographical area where observational data are limited. Nevertheless, it was noticed that the flood extent area derived from MODIS NRT data has overestimated areal extent, but preserved the spatial pattern of flood. Apparently, the present flood prognosis analysis can be improved by integrating microwave remote sensing data (SAR) and hydrological models.

Assessment of regional-level long-term gridded rainfall variability over the Odisha State of India

Odisha State is located in eastern part of India which is blessed with sufficient amount of rainfall. Major part of the state is covered by Mahanadi river basin; Mahanadi river basin originated from Sihawa town and disposed out to Bay of Bengal near Sambalpur, Odisha State. The distribution pattern is erratic and uneven due to climate, topography, hydrology and geomorphology of the state. Catchment area of the Mahanadi is vast; therefore, drainage order is also high (about six); due to these features large amount of water has generated, and it will be appeared as flood at downstream through deltaic region to Bay of Bengal. In this connection, water resources planning and management are one of the crucial issues. For any hydrological study, it is necessary to identify the characteristics and climatic variability of the catchment. In the present study, long-term (1901–2013) rainfall time series has been utilized for rainfall variability analysis using nonparametric tests, viz. Mann–Kendall (MK), modified Mann–Kendall (MMK) and Theil–Sen’s slope. The average annual rainfall of the Odisha State is to be found as about 1438 mm; out of them, about 78% occurs in the monsoon season. In the present study, it was found that the maximum and minimum rainfalls occurred at Bhadrak and Puri districts, respectively. As per change point detection, it was found to be as 1945 is shift change year. Further, it was noticed that most of the districts are showing positive trends before change point and vice versa. Similar results are estimated in the monsoon season because most of the rainfall has occurred in the monsoon season. Both positive and negative trends have been found in Odisha State; detailed study has been carried out for rainfall behavior identification of the state. The present study is useful for agricultural and water resources planning and mitigation.

Molecular characterization, comparative and evolutionary analysis of the recent Orf outbreaks among goats in the Eastern part of India (Odisha)

Contagious ecthyma is a zoonotic disease, caused by the Orf virus (ORFV) affecting sheep, goats, and humans and is widely distributed across the world. In this study, we have investigated fifteen recent ORFV outbreaks in Black Bengal goats occurred in the Odisha state of India. The outbreaks were characterized by the high rates of morbidity (reaching up to 100%) without any mortality in the infected goats. Molecular and phylogenetic analysis of four ORFV genes such as ORFV011, ORFV020, ORFV059, and ORFV108 was performed, which revealed that current isolates were closely related to Assam, China, Bangalore, and Meghalaya isolates, respectively, with some unique mutations. Finally, to get an insight into the global ORFV evolution pattern, population genetics parameters such as nucleotide diversity, haplotype diversity, selection pressure, and neutrality among these genes were estimated by comparing the GenBank database. We observed low haplotype as well as nucleotide diversity and purifying selection implying ORFV evolution globally.

A Questionnaire Based Survey on the Antibiotic Prescription Pattern of Dentists in Eastern Part of India

A Questionnaire Based Survey on the Antibiotic Prescription Pattern of Dentists in Eastern Part of India

Clinico-laboratory profile of central nervous system infection by scrub typhus at a tertiary care hospital

Background: Scrub typhus is an emerging epidemic in India. Its course can be complicated by involvement of Respiratory system, cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal system and central nervous system. Central nervous system involvement can lead to major morbidity and mortality.Methods: It is an observational study conducted in the Department of Pediatrics, Patna Medical College and Hospital, Patna from January 2016 to August 2018. All cases of AES who were serologically proven to be due to scrub typhus were clinically examined, signs and symptoms were noted, and complete blood counts were done. Lumbar puncture was done, and CSF was sent for analysis of cells, sugar and protein, IgM for scrub typhus in CSF, gram staining and CSF culture.Results: Seventy-eight cases were tested positive for scrub typhus. Incidence of scrub typhus among AES cases was 19.4% in the study. Among cases of Scrub typhus, a male predominance and sex ratio was 1.68. Age at presentation ranged from 2 months to 12 years with a mean age of 7.28 years. Most of the cases were seen in the months of September and October with a mini peak in the month of March. Fever and Altered consciousness were present in all the cases. Among laboratory investigations, thrombocytopenia was the most common feature followed by raised Transaminases. CSF Analysis shows mildly increased cell count with lymphocytic predominance and presence of few polymorphs, sugar mildly decreased, and protein mildly raised.Conclusions: Scrub typhus is an important causative agent of AES in the Eastern parts of India. It should be suspected in cases which present as AES with symptoms of hepatosplenomegaly, thrombocytopenia, and elevated liver enzymes in addition to dengue encephalitis which forms its close differential.

Elevated Barium concentrations in rain water from east-coast of India: role of regional lithology

Alkaline earth metals act as dominating acid-neutralizing species in atmosphere and hence, regulate the rain water chemistry significantly. In this contribution, concentrations of these metals (Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba) and other major ions in rain water samples, collected during south-west monsoon of year 2017, from a coastal location (Berhampur) in eastern part of India have been analyzed to trace their provenances and controlling factors. The chemical compositions of rain water reveal oceanic and continental supply of Mg and Sr to the site, whereas Ca and Ba are pre-dominantly supplied through continental sources. The dominancy of continental fluxes at this coastal site is mainly due to particulate fluxes from regional lithologies and favorable wind pattern for long-range transport from south-western/western directions. An inverse model involving chemical mass balance between rain water composition and its possible sources have been adopted in this study to quantify the source(s) contributions. These model results show that the continental Mg is mainly derived from long-range transport of mafic minerals from Deccan Traps (40 ± 21%) with sub-ordinate contribution (15 ± 6%) from regional lithologies. On average, about 70% of rain water Ca at Berhampur is derived from carbonates, whereas most of the Ba (~95%) is supplied from regional silicates (charnockites and khondalites). Owing to faster dissolution kinetics of these silicates with higher Ba content, the silicates contribute most of the rain water Ba concentration over this region. The median Ba content (29 nM) at this location is systematically higher than available literature Ba data for rain water worldwide (1-22 nM). The observed higher concentrations of Ba, a micronutrient, in rain water emphasize important role of regional lithology in the biogeochemical cycling of nutrients over the region via wet deposition.

Malnutrition in children and its determinants: a study from east India

Malnutrition continues to be a major killer of children, predominantly in low- and middle-income countries such as India. An ecological study was undertaken to correlate different demographic factors with the prevalence of underweight children. Based on findings from the National Family Health Survey 4 (2015-2016), 81 districts were analysed from three states in the eastern part of India. The findings suggest that female literacy (r = -0.556) and improved sanitation (r = -0.741) reduces the burden of malnutrition. Regarding childbirth, four antenatal visits (ANC), institutional deliveries, full immunisation, early breast feeding and adequate diet also reduce the degree of malnutrition among children. For preventing malnutrition, emphasis should be laid on improving social determinants and maternal health awareness.

Silencing of tomato CTR1 provides enhanced tolerance against Tomato leaf curl virus infection

ABSTRACTTomato leaf curl virus (ToLCV) belonging to Begomovirus family of Geminivirus is known to cause one of the most destructive diseases in tomato. Amongst various ToLCVs, a monopartite Tomato leaf curl Joydebpur virus (ToLCJoV) is most prevalent in eastern part of India. In the present study, we observed induced expression of one of the negative regulators of ethylene signaling pathway gene (LeCTR1) in ToLCJoV infected plants. The Tobacco rattle virus (TRV) induced silencing of the LeCTR1 gene provided enhanced tolerance to ToLCJoV infections. The leaf curling as well as ROS accumulation was significantly reduced in the viral infected LeCTR1 silenced plants. Induction of several defense marker genes (NPR1, PR1, PR5, AOS2, EIN2, EIN3 and ERF5) reinforced enhanced tolerance against ToLCJoV infection in the LeCTR1 silenced tomato. Overall, the present study provides evidence that silencing of LeCTR1 can be deployed to protect tomato from ToLCJoV infections.

A signature dish of Bihar: Litti and Chokha

Bihar is a land locked state lying in the eastern part of India. The word Bihar comes from the Sanskrit word Vihara meaning Buddhist Monasteries. The Mauryan Empire rose from Magadha. Buddhism, which is one of the biggest religions in the world, originated in Bihar and it is also home to the ancient Nalanda University, which was a centre of learning established during the 5th century. Litti Chokha a remarkable dish which comes from the state of Bihar is not only popular in India today, but has also made a special mark globally. Litti and Chokha are absolutely delicious and is the rustic way of cooking.

Sensitivity in Residential Design Towards Sustainability - A Vernacular Approach

Vernacular design depicts a visual imagery of myriad layers of environmental, socio-cultural and economical ways of life. Initially, the development of Vernacular concepts originated with articulation of spaces to accommodate different forms of shelter appropriate to micro and macro climatic conditions across varied geographical locations.Later, it established an affinity for the place where the landscapes embraced these indigenous resources and practices and ensured compatibility between people, nature and human built environment. Hence, a reflexive relationship between nature and built environment which includes the necessity to create and adopt the right methodology evolved with time.Further, this pragmatic approach not only stands as an evidence to prove the positive impact it has on the environment but also holds the key to a sustainable development. An insight into diverse residential development patterns across different geographical locations in Indian subcontinent substantiates the above statement. The parameters that dictate the built form of these dwellings also contribute to the degree of design sensitivity towards the sustenance of that built form. This paper specifically analyses the factors that define the scope of residential planning across Peninsular India, North - Western regions and North -Eastern parts of India. This paper will also investigate the resilient nature of these factors which play a predominant role in the providing a conducive environment for sustainable development.

Dense deposit disease: a greatly increased biopsy incidence in India versus the USA.

BackgroundWe present the largest clinicopathologic case series to date of dense deposit disease (DDD) in an Indian population and compare the renal biopsy incidence rate to that seen in a large renal laboratory in USA.MethodsCases of DDD were identified and evaluated from native kidney biopsies reported at Renopath, India and at Arkana Laboratories, in the USA. Renopath receives biopsies from four states, located in the South and Eastern part of India. Arkana Laboratories’ biopsies came from 37 states across the USA.ResultsDuring the study period, there were a total of 25 patients diagnosed with DDD among the 7335 native kidney biopsies at Renopath. Thus, the biopsy incidence rate (cases of DDD/total renal biopsies/year) is 0.0034. By comparison, there were 10 cases of DDD diagnosed among 26 319 native kidney biopsies at Arkana Laboratories during the same time period, with a renal biopsy incidence rate of 0.00038.ConclusionsDDD in this Indian subpopulation has similar clinical and pathologic characteristics when compared to previously reported studies. However, the biopsy incidence rate is about 890% or 8.9 times more common in this subset of the Indian population when compared with a broad cross-section of the US population. In addition to potential genetic factors, environmental conditions and chronic infections likely contribute to the markedly higher biopsy incidence rate. Given the much greater number of patients with DDD in this population, further retrospective and prospective studies would allow more rapid progress in understanding the pathogenesis of DDD and thus potential treatment of patients with DDD.

Loss is a loss, why categorize it? Mental accounting across cultures

AbstractConsumers regularly track their expenses and assign them to categories like food, entertainment, and clothing, which is popularly known as mental accounting. In this paper, we show that consumption biases that result from mental accounting—underconsumption or overconsumption—are not prevalent in Easterners due to their holistic thinking style, whereas Westerners exhibit such biases due to their analytic thinking style. In Study 1, we collected data with Easterners (students from the eastern part of India) and show that they do not exhibit mental accounting biases as is seen in Westerners. In Study 2, we show that such differences in mental accounting across cultures result from their thinking styles by manipulating thinking styles within a Western population (American students from the Midwest). We also show that the differences in styles of thinking across cultures motivate two different types of accounting processes—a piecemeal accounting process in the Westerners and a comprehensive accounting process in the Easterners—which in turn influence the differences in mental accounting biases across cultures. This finding adds to the growing literature in cross‐cultural differences in consumer decision making and explores how and why a well‐documented robust effect, mental accounting, varies with the cultural background of the consumers.

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders of tribal female Sal leaf platemakers: An unperceived issue

BACKGROUND: Industrialization and globalization produce a threat to the traditional livelihood of the indigenous population. A large number of tribal people in Asia are engaged in small-scale forest-based industries. Sal leaf platemaking is a common occupation among most tribal women in the Eastern part of India. However, occupational health problems of the women engaged in this job are hardly reported so far. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was carried out on 400 female workers engaged in Sal leaf platemaking units and 100 tribal female homemakers were considered as a referent. Modified Nordic Questionnaire and body part discomfort rating scale were applied for finding reported pain. The working postures were evaluated by rapid entire body assessment, rapid upper limb assessment, and Ovako Working Posture Analysis System (OWAS) methods. RESULTS: The findings emphasize that the Sal leaf platemakers complaints about different musculoskeletal problems. They have to go to the nearby forest (2–3 km far) by foot for 3–4 days per week for collecting the Sal leaves and carry it to their home for making of plates. They spend 4–6 hour daily in making Sal leaf artifacts. The maximum discomforts felt were reported in the lower back, hips, neck, leg, and hand during working hours and also some after the work. The postural analysis shows that most of the posture adopted during Sal leaf platemaking requires corrective measures. CONCLUSION: Postural stress is a causative agent for work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Therefore, to reduce the problems faced by them, some low-cost ergonomic interventions such as working bench, proper work-rest cycle, and back support should be formulated and implemented for the betterment of their daily livings.

Granulometric Analysis of Rajmahal Inter-Trappen Sedimentary Rocks (Early Cretaceous), Eastern India, Implications for Depositional History

Rajmahal trap along with its Inter-trappean sedimentary rocks is found exposed in the eastern part of India (24°00'E - 25°15'N; 87°20'E - 87°15'E). Ten representative samples of Inter-trappean sandstone selected from the study area have been subjected to granulometric analysis. The result of the grain size analysis indicates that these sandstone specimens are very fine to fine grained with unimodal grain size distribution. They are dominantly fine skewed and generally mesokurtic in nature. The linear discriminant function plots of various grain size parameters suggest that these sandstones appear to have been deposited either in shallow marine or lacustrine environment. On multigroup multivariate discriminant functions V1 - V2 diagram majority of the samples fall in the beach depositional environment, indicating that most of the sediments were reworked by wave processes before deposition. The C-M pattern diagram shows that the sediment deposition took place in beach environment by rolling or suspension of sediments; hence the clastics were deposited in low energy condition.

Suboptimal compliance to aerosol therapy in pediatric asthma: A prospective cohort study from Eastern India.

Background:Suboptimal compliance to aerosol medication is common in pediatric asthma. Accordingly, the objective of this study is to assess noncompliance to aerosol therapy in childhood asthma and determine contributory factors.Materials and Methods:A prospective cohort study was conducted among pediatric patients attending asthma clinic. Patients (n = 215) having “mild” and “moderate” asthma severity rating were included. The total study duration was 12 months (June 2016–June 2017), with an active recruitment phase of 6 months. The minimum period for follow-up was 90 days. Caregivers were instructed to maintain an “asthma diary” for daily dosages of inhalers. At follow-up, the diary entries were corroborated with the amount of inhaler medication unused. Subsequently, medication compliance ratio (CR) was calculated according to the following formula: CR = number of medication doses taken/number of medication doses prescribed. CR% >80 was considered as “good compliance”.Results:A total of 169 patients (78.6%) returned for follow-up. The mean compliance to asthma medication was suboptimal (75.3%). The children were primarily prescribed inhaled corticosteroids and short-acting beta-agonist (SABA)-based regimens on index visit. Leukotriene receptor antagonist was added in select cases (67.9%). Nearly 45.6% of the patients had “good compliance.” CR correlated with the sociodemographic profile and disease severity. Higher socioeconomic status and proper inhaler technique reflected better symptom control. Fear of side effects, behavioral difficulties, and economic restrictions were the identified causes of medication default.Conclusion:In the Eastern part of India, compliance to aerosol therapy in pediatric asthma is suboptimal. Sociodemographics, disease severity, and inhaler technique are important determinants.

Effect of dietary habit and physical activity on overnutrition of schoolgoing adolescents: A longitudinal assessment in a rural block of West Bengal.

Overweight among adolescents has high prevalence on the eastern part of India, especially West Bengal. The current study was conducted to estimate and compare the effects of different dietary habits and habits related to physical activity in the development of overweight and obesity among rural schoolgoing adolescents. A prospective repeated measures study was conducted on 645 schoolgoing adolescents from selected rural government-aided schools from June 2017 to December 2017. Dietary habits of the students and physical activity-related factors were the major predictors. Adjusting for the age and sex of the participants, effect of these factors on the development of overweight and obesity was analyzed by generalized estimating equations for 2 repeated measures, taken 6 months apart. Most of the respondents were aged ≥16 years (56.90%), female (52.87%), Hindu (76.74%), from a nuclear family (76.74%), and studying in the secondary level (57.68%). There was a stark rise in proportion of overweight from 0.93% to 7.44%. The prevalence of unhealthy dietary habits was 68.99% at the baseline, and 66.82% on follow-up. The overall prevalence of inadequate physical activity increased to 48.68% from 47.91%. Female gender and older age group were at higher risk of being overweight or obesity. Overall fast food showed highest risk (3.04, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.86-4.95), while among the boys, it was with less vegetable consumption (4.64, 95% CI: 1.84-11.69). Strong evidence was generated of dietary practices being more rigidly related to overweight among the adolescents. Healthy dietary practices coupled with physical activity should be promoted to mitigate the risk of obesity.

A Cross-sectional Study of Stretched Penile Length in Boys from West Bengal, India.

Introduction:Short penile length is a commonly encountered problem in clinical practice. Detection of abnormal stretched penile length (SPL) warrants appropriate endocrine evaluation. Ethnicity-specific SPL data are required to detect these abnormalities. There is a dearth of such data in India. This study aims to establish normative values of SPL in boys from West Bengal.Materials and Methods:This is a cross-sectional study. SPL, testicular volume (TV), height/length, and weight were measured in 460 boys aged 1 to 13 years from the schools located at urban, suburban, and rural areas in the state of West Bengal, India. Similar data were collected from 36 healthy neonates within 1–3 days of full-term delivery at IPGME and R and SSKM Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.Results:The 5th percentile, median, and 95th percentile of SPL were 1.7, 2.0, and 2.7 cm for neonates; 3.5, 4.4, and 6.4 cm for the children aged 1 Y–2 Y 11 M; 4.0, 5.5, and 7.0 cm for the age group 3 Y–4 Y 11 M; 4.2, 6.0, and 7.2 cm for the age group 5 Y–6 Y 11 M; 4.3, 6.0, and 7.6 cm for the age group 7 Y–8 Y 11 M; 4.4, 6.5, and 9.0 cm for the age group 9 Y–10 Y 11 M; and 4.8, 7.0, and 11.0 cm for the age group 11 Y–12 Y 11 M, respectively. SPL showed significant positive correlation with TV [r = 0.365, P < 0.0005] and height of the children [r = 0.516, P < 0.0005], but not with BMI.Conclusion:Our study provides normative data of SPL in neonate and children aged 1 to 13 years from the eastern part of India. SPL value correlated positively with TV and height of children.

Impact of social media on academic performance and interpersonal relation: A cross-sectional study among students at a tertiary medical center in East India.

CONTEXT:There is limited evidence on the influence of social media among medical students.AIMS:To assess the pattern of social media usage among medical students in eastern part of India and analyze self-perceived impact on academic performance and interpersonal relations.METHODS:This cross-sectional study was based on an online survey, taken by 650 medical students at a tertiary medical center in Kolkata. The survey was created using an online tool, Google Forms. It assessed social media usage patterns and students’ perspective on how it affects their academic performance and interpersonal relations.STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED:Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to quantify the association between self-rated academic performance and social and physical well-being, with different variables, assuming linear relationships. P <0.05 was considered statistically significant.RESULTS:The usable responder rate was 55.23%, with majority being undergraduates (57.3%) in the age group of 18–24 years. The proportion who confirmed using social media was 88.58% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 85.29%–91.87%), mainly for academic purposes (82.73%; 95% CI: 78.82%–86.64%). In general, social media usage was more prevalent among medical students compared to paramedical and nursing students (P = 0.009), although the extent of use for an academic purpose was comparable. Nearly two-thirds (60.87%) regarded social networking having a positive (improved) impact on academic performance. However, the perceived impact on interpersonal relations was inconclusive (i.e., was positive and negative in a nearly equal measure; 45% each).CONCLUSIONS:Social media usage for academic purposes is high among medical and paramedical students. Students benefit from social networking and are conscious of its positive as well as negative influence on interpersonal relations.

Clinical Profile of Asymptomatic Bacteriuria in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: An Eastern India Perspective.

Introduction:Asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB), believed to precede symptomatic urinary tract infection (UTI) in diabetes mellitus, has geographical variation in microbial pattern and risk factors. However, data from the Eastern part of India are still lacking.Materials and Methods:A prospective longitudinal study was performed over 80 otherwise healthy type 2 diabetes patients with a follow-up for one year to (1) estimate the prevalence of ASB and its association with age, gender, duration of diabetes, and renal and glycemic status; and (2) identify the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of uropathogens as well as evaluate the usefulness of microbial pattern as a predictor of symptomatic UTI.Results:ASB was prevalent in 21.25% of type 2 diabetes population in our study. Klebsiella sp emerged as the commonest cause among males. The only risk factor for ASB was found to be long-standing type 2 diabetes. There was no association with age, gender, or recent glycemic status. Bacteriuric patients with worse baseline HbA1C values were at greater risk of UTI. Female diabetic patients with ASB due to Escherichia coli had significantly greater risk of developing UTI within one year.Conclusion:A large-scale prospective study reproducing similar findings will genuinely obviate the need to review recommendations on screening of ASB due to E. coli in females with long-standing diabetes and poor glycemic control. Early adoption of stringent HbA1C lowering strategy and measures to improve genital hygiene can help prevent symptomatic UTI in these patients.

Prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in captive non-human primates of zoological gardens in North-Eastern region of India

ABSTRACT The increasing emergence of wildlife diseases with the possibility of ecological threats as well as domestic animals and human health has prompted the importance of understanding disease dynamics and associated risks in biological conservation. The present study was undertaken from the North Eastern part of India from July 2017 to June 2018 to identify different gastrointestinal parasites based on faecal sample examination in various captive non-human primates (NHPs). Fresh stool sample (10–15 g) was collected and examined by both sedimentation and floatation techniques to identify parasitic ova and cysts. Out of 145 NHPs examined, 32 (22.06%) were found positive for any of the gastrointestinal (GIT) parasites based on morphological characteristics of either ova or cyst. It can be inferred from the study that captive NHPs are much more susceptible to GI parasite infection. Proper management is necessary to maintain this part of the ecosystem.