Northern Odisha Research Articles

Resistance pattern observed in community-acquired urinary tract infection in children from a tertiary care hospital situated in a tribal district of eastern India

ABSTRACT Background: Community-acquired urinary tract infection (CA-UTI) is mostly treated empirically. There are limited studies on pediatric UTIs, their microbiological profile, and resistance patterns. Antimicrobial resistance and even multidrug resistance are on the rise among uropathogens in the pediatric population and may lead to complications in the long run. This study was done to know the microbiological profile and the resistance pattern of CA-UTI in the pediatric population of a tertiary care hospital in a tribal district of northern Odisha among children aged 5–14 years. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was done from January 2021 to June 2021. All cases aged between 5 and 14 years attending the pediatrics outpatient department suspected of UTI were included. Descriptive statistical analysis and regression analysis were done using the statistical software Stata SE 13. Results: Out of the total 311 cases, vomiting and pain in the abdomen were the most common clinical presentations. Significant bacterial growth was isolated in 74 samples. Escherichia coli (39.2%) was the predominant isolate. Resistance to cefotaxime (38.2%) and ciprofloxacin (36.4%) is highest and seen in both gram-positive and negative bacteria. Multidrug resistance was detected in 33.7% of the bacterial isolates. Conclusion: The present study highlights the problem of the rising resistance pattern of common bacterial pathogens causing CA-UTI in children. Further studies on genotypic resistance and appropriate measures are required to prevent the rapidly spreading resistance among these common uropathogens.

STUDY ON SCULPTURAL ART OF TEN JAINA IMAGES FROM THE ODISHA STATE MUSEUM OF BHUBANESWAR

The aim of present article is to focus on the sculptural features as well as religious significance of the ten Jaina images of the Odisha State Museum, Bhubaneswar. Iconography of ten Jaina Tirthankara images of the Odisha State Museum is a major aspect of the Odishan sculptural art in India. Jainism is one of the oldest religions in the state of Odisha. The earliest Jaina sculptures in Odisha date back to the period before Mauryan/Asokan. From the 6th century B.C. Jainism remained one of the major religions of Kalinga (ancient Odisha) until the first century B.C., when the Kharavela was ruling in the state. It is believed that Jainism continued to be a major religion in the state even after the war of Kalinga (261 B.C.). Jainism co-existed with other religions in the state of Odisha. In fact, Jaina Tirthankara images were made all over Odisha during the early medieval era. Some Jain images are noticed at different places of Odisha. After Kharavela, the artists of Odisha continued to create Jain images until the 11th century C.E. Out of the extant Jaina Tirthankara images of Odisha, some of the Jaina sculptures are found to be kept in Odisha State Museum, Bhubaneswar. Among these preserved Jaina Tirthankara images, ten Jaina Tirthankara images are discussed in this piece of work. The names and discovered sites of the ten Jaina images of the State Museum, Bhubaneswar are viz; 1. Risabhanath of Keonjhar, 2. Risabhanatha of Khajuriapada, 3. Mahavir image of Charampa, 4. Parsvanatha of Sisupalgarh, 5. Shantinatha of Charampa, 6. Risabhanath of Charampa, 7. Risabhanatha of Podasingidi, 8. Ajitanatha of Charampa, 9. Risabhanath of Bhubaneswar and 10. Parsvanatha of Baidyakhia. Sculptural features of the above Jaina Tirthankara images of the Odisha State Museum suggest that these images were made during the time period from the 8th century to 11th century C.E. The presence of these Jaina Tirthankara images gives an idea that Jainism was prevalent in eastern and northern Odisha during the medieval period. Artistic point of view, these Tirthankara images are very important and interesting for study. Hence, the present author has made a modest attempt to highlight the sculptural art as well as religious connotation of the ten Jaina images of the Odisha State Museum, Bhubaneswar. Methodologically, the author has written this article by using both primary and secondary sources.

Coastal Vulnerability Assessment of Kanthi Coast, India by the Geospatial Technology

Since ancient times, most of the world’s civilization flourished along the banks of rivers and the coastal region. So the coastal region plays a vital role for human economic activities as well as their livelihood. The Kanthi coast, the northernmost part of the North Circus coast of India stretches in West Bengal and northern Odisha. The 45 km stretched coast land is associated with a dense population and faces the tropical cyclone emerging from the Bay of Bengal. The prime objective of the paper is to assess the coastal vulnerability of the study area. With the help of several indicators, viz. shoreline change rate, rate of sea level change, slope of the beach, wave height, tidal range, regional elevation, geomorphic features, sediment properties, coastal regulation zone (CRZ) violation ratio, the research work assess the Coastal Vulnerability Zone (CVZ) of the Kanthi Coastal region. The weightage sum method and Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) are being used. From this research work, it has been revealed that the western segment especially, Digha and Shankarpur are experiencing a high vulnerability situation.

Current Status of Dermatophytosis: A Hospital-Based Study in Northern Odisha, India

Current Status of Dermatophytosis: A Hospital-Based Study in Northern Odisha, India

A clinicopathological study of oral premalignant and malignant lesions with a special focus on gingivobuccal complex in a tertiary care center

Background: Globally, oral cavity lesions are a serious public health issue. Premalignant lesions of the oral cavity, such as leukoplakia, erythroplakia, and oral submucous fibrosis, are common in India and are strongly associated with tobacco and betel nut use. These lesions have the potential to transform into malignancies, with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) being the predominant type of oral cancer. Early detection and effective management of early malignant lesions are crucial to improving the prognosis for patients. Histopathological examination is a standard procedure used to identify these lesions. Aims and Objectives: The objective of this study is to examine the histopathology of premalignant and malignant lesions of the oral cavity, taking into account age, sex, site distribution, and their association with tobacco consumption. Materials and Methods: The study was a prospective, observational study carried out over a period of 3 years on patients with lesions of the oral cavity in a Government Medical College of Northern Odisha. Biopsies were obtained, fixed, and routinely processed. Sections were stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin. The final diagnosis was based on clinical, gross, and microscopic findings. The data was collected and analyzed. Results: Out of a total of 197 oral biopsies, 79 cases were malignant lesions, and 35 cases were pre-malignant lesions. The highest incidence of both pre-malignant and malignant lesions was observed in the age group of 51–60 years, with a male predominance. The buccal mucosa was the most affected site. The most frequent type of malignant lesion was well-differentiated SCC, while hyperkeratosis without dysplasia was the most common type of pre-malignant lesion. Conclusion: Cancers of the oral cavity are surface malignancies whose signs and symptoms can be recognized early. The most common subsite of cancer is the gingivobuccal complex, and site-specific carcinoma is often due to the use of tobacco and betel quid, as they are typically placed in the gingivobuccal sulcus. The occurrence of carcinoma can be minimized by creating public awareness regarding high-risk habits.

Using of Eggenberger–Polya Distribution as an Alternative Model for Dry Spell Analysis in Northern Odisha, India

In this paper, Eggenberger–Polya distribution has been preferred as an alternative to a 2-state Markov Chain model for characterizing persistence behaviour of dry spell for Northern Odisha, India during south-west monsoon season. An attempt has been made to compare performance of the two competing models with reference to their strength to fit the empirical distribution of dry spell length under two goodness-of-fit criteria.

Site suitability analysis for industrial development using geospatial technology and multi criteria decision making

AbstractIn the process of developing industries to eradicate poverty, developing countries continue to invest more in their land use system, as this may provide a safeguard to food security through a healthy ecosystem and have a positive impact on sustainability. The Geographic Information System (GIS) has created an unprecedented world of possibilities for processing data from remote sensing and other sources. Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM), in conjunction with geospatial technology, provides a tool for industrial area mapping and management. The current research was conducted in three blocks of the Baleshwar district in northern Odisha, India. Analysis of a location's physical, social, and economic factors to see if it is good for a certain use, like an industrial setup, urban planning, or recreational use, is becoming more and more important in today's world so that important decisions can be made within a short period. Due to the fact that the present research location is located in close proximity to both hilly terrain and a coastal plan, the site's appropriateness may be improved by employing a variety of factors to design an industrial setup that is economically viable. The goal of the study is to apply land suitability analysis (LSA) to identify existing land use in areas with industrial growth potential so that agricultural and industrial development may focus on long‐term sustainability. According to this study, 16.6% (201.79 km2) of the area is highly suitable, 48.2% (586.96 km2) is moderately suitable, 15.5% (188.40 km2) is less suitable, and 19.71% (239.73 km2) is not suitable at all. Due to the abundance of raw materials, improved communication, and proximity to the shore, the Baleswar block has the largest percentage of highly suitable areas when compared to the Remuna and Nilgiri blocks of the research area.

Changing Trends of Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus (CLE) in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Northern Odisha, India.

Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory skin disorder. Several studies have been published regarding its prevalence, demographic details, clinical spectrum, and various associated factors. In our out patient department (OPD), we noticed an increase in the number of cases of CLE in our area in the last few years. Therefore, the current cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the trends of CLE among patients who reported to a tertiary care hospital. The current study is a record-based cross-sectional study of 81 patients of CLE, who attended the dermatology OPD of a tertiary care hospital. Data were collected from 2017 to 2022 and were divided into three different periods of time (2017-2018, 2019-2020, and 2021-2022). Demographic details, clinical examination findings, and laboratory investigation reports were also collected. There was a rising trend in the cases of CLE. Females outnumbered males (2:1, 66.67%). The increase in cases from 2017-2018 to 2019-2020 was 157% and from 2019-2020 to 2021-2022 was 204%. In 2021-2022, 52% of cases of chronic CLE (CCLE) were males. Photosensitivity was the most common finding. The majority of patients were addicted to smoking. The current study noticed an increasing trend in all types of CLE. So, this rising trend should be investigated for possible triggering factors like climatic changes,infections, and drug factors with a larger sample size.

Hemidactylus paucifasciatus (Squamata: Gekkonidae), a new species of large-bodied, tuberculate gecko from Northern Odisha, India.

A new Hemidactylus belonging to the H. prashadi group is described herein, based on a series of four specimens from the Chota Nagpur Plateau in northern Odisha. Hemidactylus paucifasciatus sp. nov. can be diagnosed from regional congeners by its large body size (SVL up to 117.7 mm), the number of dorsal tubercle rows at mid-body, three or four bands on the dorsum, the number of enlarged tubercles in paravertebral rows, the number of femoral pores and poreless scales separating the left and right series on the femoral-precloacal row in males, and the number of ventral scales across the belly at mid-body. A mitochondrial phylogeny demonstrates that the new species is nested within the H. triedrus complex of the northern clade within the H. prashadi group, with 16.2-16.5 % pairwise divergence in ND2 sequence data from members of the H. triedrus complex and > 21 % from other members of the prashadi group. Hemidactylus paucifasciatus sp. nov. is the first endemic gecko to be described from the Chota Nagpur Plateau.

BGREI Impact on Productivity & Income from Rice: Western Vs. Northern Odisha

The article provides a comparison of the impact of the BGREI on rice productivity and income in the western and northern portions of Odisha in 2016–17. After consulting with scientists of ICAR-NRRI, Cuttack, 2 districts Mayurbhanj and Bargarh were selected as the research location. Two blocks from each district, 4 villages from each block were taken into consideration purposively and 10 farmers were selected randomly. Two pre-tested questionnaires were administered separately to the randomly selected beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries to collect the required data. After analysis of the data, it was observed that there is an increase of 8.83 quintals/acre (61.92%) in the productivity of Kharif rice in western Odisha, whereas in northern Odisha it is 6.1 quintals/acre (60.10%). Likewise, in case of Income from Kharif rice, there is an increment of Rs.12980/acre in western Odisha, whereas in northern Odisha it is Rs.8967/acre. After a critical statistical study, it was also clarified that there is no such major difference in the impact of BGREI on the income of rice farmers and productivity of rice, based on the location (i.e. between western Odisha and northern Odisha). It can be said that there is no such biasness in the BGREI scheme implemented areas of Odisha.

A cross sectional study on pattern of animal bites and their post exposure management in a tribal district of Mayurbhanj, Northern Odisha, India

Background: Rabies is an enzootic and epizootic disease of worldwide. Rabies is a fatal but preventable viral disease. Rabies is one of the neglected tropical diseases that predominantly affects poor and vulnerable populations who live in remote rural locations. Objectives of current study was to assess the prevalence of animal bite cases and its associated factors in a tribal district of Northern Odisha and to study the first aid management of people after dog bite. Methods: It was a cross sectional study. This study was conducted at PRM medical college, Baripada, Odisha in anti-rabies vaccination (ARV) OPD clinic. The study period was March 2021 to September 2021. The sampling techniques was consecutive sampling. The study population was all animal bite case attending ARV clinic. Data was analyzed by appropriate statistical tool. Results: Majority 54.9% victims are dog bite victims and the most common site of bite was lower limb (53.6%). The main source of information was family and friends followed by doctors and health workers. Conclusions: Majority of people especially in rural and tribal area were illiterate and they don’t have any knowledge about animal bite or its management. This study had found that those who are literate had done a proper wound management before coming to ARV clinic. So, literacy proved to have a major impact on wound management. Behavior changes communication (BCC) along with health education is a vital weapon for controlling rabies especially in developing country like India.

Clinico-cytomorphological features and thyroid function tests of different thyroid lesions – A hospital-based cross-sectional study

Background: Thyroid gland is an endocrine organ. The non-neoplastic and neoplastic conditions affecting the gland can manifest as the swelling of the gland with thyroid dysfunction. Based on cytology, the diseases can be categorized into non-neoplastic, benign neoplastic, and malignant neoplastic conditions and according to hormone status, the lesions of thyroid can be categorized in hypothyroid, euthyroid, or hyperthyroid condition. Aims and Objectives: Our study was done to find out the various cytomorphological spectrum of thyroid diseases and to record their common clinical presentation along with hormonal status in a tertiary care hospital in Northern Odisha. Materials and Methods: A total of 220 cases of thyroid disorder were taken for analysis over a period of 2 years. Patients demographic data, brief clinical features, finding on FNAC (cytomorphology), and thyroid function status were analyzed with appropriate statistical method. Results: The predominant age group affected was 21–40 years and total female to male patient ratio was 5.5:1. Most common presentations were heat intolerance (22.27%), cold intolerance (28.63%), and tachycardia (27.72%) apart from thyroid enlargement. Most common non-neoplastic lesion were multinodular and colloid goiter constituting 38.18% of total cases and most common neoplastic lesion was papillary carcinoma constituting 14.55% of total cases. Thyroid function test showed predominantly euthyroid states for all conditions. Conclusion: As the rest part of India, this part of Odisha also showed that thyroid disorders are more common in females and the most affected age group is 21–40 years. Multinodular and colloid goiter are the most common thyroid lesions. Most of the cases present with euthyroid state.

Evaluation of Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology versus Culture for Laboratory Diagnosis of Subcutaneous Mycosis

Introduction: Subcutaneous swellings are commonly seen in clinical practice having varied pathology from epidermal inclusion cyst to malignancy. Subcutaneous mycosis is a fungal infection of subcutaneous tissue and dermis which is more prevalent in workers of rural, tropical, and subtropical regions. The subcutaneous infection mostly occurs due to minor trauma which goes unnoticed. Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) followed by microbiological analysis is a cost-effective and simple procedure and can be considered as one of the main modalities for early diagnosis. Moreover, it gives an early presumptive identification of fungus, which helps the clinician in a timely therapeutic approach. Aim: To study the efficacy of FNAC in the diagnosis of subcutaneous mycosis in comparison with culture method. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study, including clinically diagnosed cases of subcutaneous mycosis was evaluated between the periods of March 2019 to February 2021 in a tertiary care hospital in Northern Odisha. FNAC samples from all the cases of subcutaneous mycosis were studied cytologically and microbiologically. Cases were analysed and further evaluated on the basis of their age, sex, detailed clinical history, and presentation. FNAC showed the presence of fungal elements in 20 cases. Microbiological evaluation of these samples was carried out. Results: Out of the total 50 cases of subcutaneous mycoses, male (16): female (4) ratio was 4:1 and the commonest age group affected was 20-60 years of age (75%). The most common site of involvement was the lower limb (60%) followed by upper limb (30%). Almost all the cases were from rural areas with a history of trauma present in 11 cases (55%). Out of 50 clinically diagnosed cases, cytological examination revealed fungal element in 20 (40%) cases. The most common cytological diagnosis was abscess with neutrophilic infiltration seen in 13 cases (65%) followed by granuloma in 7 cases (35%). All the 20 samples were further evaluated in conventional methods like KOH mount and culture. Fungal agents were isolated in 13 (65%) cases. Cladosporium spp. was the commonest isolate in 5 cases (25%). Conclusion: Subcutaneous mycosis is a rare disease. FNAC can be used as a rapid and cost-effective screening tool in the diagnosis of such cases as it is more sensitive. Though culture is the gold standard test, it is less specific.

Morphometric study of proximal femur geometry in northern Odisha population

The human femoral head and neck-shaft angle measurements are important in proper femur implants and total hip replacement (THR). It can offer a guide to clinicians for the determination of risk factors for fractures (35). Proper standard sizes of diameter of the femoral head and neck shaft angle remains have always challenging for orthopaedic surgeons and anthropologist. The present study was conducted on 202 adult human femora available in Anatomy, Orthopaedic & FMT departments of V.S.S Medical College, Burla, Odisha In the present study, various measurements of the femur like circumference of head, vertical, and transverse diameter of head showed the differences in measurements of Western-Odisha femora with western counterpart. These measurements are important in surgical procedures like total hip replacement. Thus, we strongly believe that such differences need to be considered when a total hip prosthesis is designed. There is a need for the population specific prosthesis design. But a possible drawback to our method of study is the measurements were taken on dry bones and these dimensions may change during drying process.

Knowledge, attitude, practice pattern and willingness for eye donation among tribal population of Northern Odisha

To evaluate knowledge, attitude, practice pattern and willingness of the tribal population for eye donation among patients and their relatives attending outpatient department of Ophthalmology in a tertiary health care hospital in Northern Odisha. A pretested semi-structured questionnaire on eye donation was given to 984 persons, patients as well as their attendants were asked to select the correct answer among the multiple choices given against each question. Data was analyzed using SPSS 26 software. Out of 984 participants, 554(56.3%) were males and 430(43.6%) were females. 876(89%) participants belonged to tribal area. Among the participants only 220(22.3%) had knowledge about the nearest eye bank and eye donation center .640(65%) had prior knowledge about eye donation. Willingness for eye donation is 48% among tribals. The main reason for unwillingness among tribal population was insufficient information regarding eye donation. Multipronged strategies need to be adopted to provide sufficient information to the tribal population regarding eye donation to increase their willingness for eye donation.

Path coefficient analysis of haemato-biochemical traits to explore the heat stress in native Khadia chicken population of northern Odisha, India

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the haemato-biochemical parameters of native Khadia chicken reared under backyard poultry production system. Data were collected from 280 Khadia chicken population. The haemato-biochemical parameters were altered significantly due to heat stress. The stress related traits, viz. heart rate (447.68±4.50 beat/min) and cloacal temperature (46.32±0.12) were recorded. The correlation between heart rate and AST was 0.76 and the correlation with other haemato-biochemical parameters was also significant under stressful conditions. Similarly, cloacal temperature also significantly correlated with haemato-biochemical parameters under thermal stress. The path coefficient analysis was executed to identify the direct effect of AST on heart rate and cloacal temperature which were 0.57 and 0.46, respectively. The multiple regression analysis showed AST is the central factor contributing to variation in stress related traits which can be used as a selection tool for selection at early stage of birds for thermal tolerance.

Diet and Nurturing Behavior of Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus Linn.) in Some Selected Habitat of Northern Odisha, India

The Asian elephant's (Elephas maximus) nurturing behavior with food fondness was deliberate in Northern land of Odisha during February 2017 to December 2019.The foremost objective of the existing survey is to document the forage plant species intake by Asian elephants. Though the respective study area harbors a noble quantity of plant types, only 146 species were identified as fodder plants which have been consumed by elephants in this survey period. The food path of elephant was identified as branch flouting, bark flaking, twig infringement, flower tugging and stem twisting and uprooting in different regions of study area throughout altered seasons. Adaptation of principally browsing strategy with that of grazing around the year was related to seasonal variation of diet plants as per the availability. This survey elucidates that total 146 species of forest plants belongs to 55 Families and 19 species of non-forest plant belongs to 8 Families. The extensive consumable plant species by elephants i.e. Aegle marmelos (Bel), Careya arbore (Kumbhi), Bauhinia racemosa, Kydia calycina, Bauhinia vahli(Siali), Helicteres isora(Orola), Madhuca indica (Mahulo), Zizyphus mauritiona (BaraKoli), Artocarpus heterophyllus (Panasa), Shorea robust(Sal),Limonia acidissima (Kendu), Smilax zeylanica (Muturi) and Diosporea species. They were affectionate fruits of Mangifera indica and Artocarpus heterophyllus in summer, bamboo during rainy and Madhuca indica during winter. Minuscular analysis of elephant’s dung showing an extraordinary variation in typical dicot- monocot proportion recommended that the food plant collection of elephant was extremely seasonal and unscrupulous.

Spatiotemporal Analysis of Tropical Cyclone Landfalls in Northern Bay of Bengal, India and Bangladesh

In the Northern Bay of Bengal (NBoB), cyclonic storms (wind speed: ≥34 knots) inflict considerable losses in coastal Bangladesh and India. By building a georeferenced panel database of storm landfalls for this region, one can obtain spatial information on period-wise strike intensities. In this study, 168 cyclone strike locations along a 1259-km impact zone were analyzed for seven historical periods between 1877 and 2016. Cyclone landfall trends for this region denote a gradual reduction in storm frequencies since peaking in 1961–1980, which is generally in line with already established trends for the Northern Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal basins. One notable exception for the NBoB in this is the unimodal seasonality of storm landfalls during 1877–1960, but that also conformed to the bimodal regional trends in the later periods. Over time, the median location of storm strikes in the NBoB has shifted eastward into westernmost Bangladesh, with a particularly marked variability in location after 1960. Northern Odisha and West Bengal, India, experienced more cyclone strikes over the past 140 years; but the highest mean wind speeds occurred along Bangladesh’s eastern coast. Also, storm impacts have varied considerably within and across zones; northern Odisha and the Sundarban region of West Bengal have withstood the greatest impacts. The pronounced spatial and temporal variations in cyclone impacts evinced in this study can provide valuable information for relief prioritization and community adaptation to cyclones in the region. The general method developed for this analysis can be applied to other coastal locations for management of storm impacts.

Utility of Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) in the diagnosis of tuberculous lymphadenitis compared to GeneXpert in a tertiary health care center in Northern Odisha, India

BackgroundDiagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis including tuberculous lymphadenitis (TBLN) is challenging because of its atypical clinical presentation, paucibacillary nature of mycobacteria at the infected sites, variation in sensitivity of a test to specimens collected by different methods and from different infected tissues. MethodsIn the present study, suspected individuals for lymph node tuberculosis irrespective of age were enrolled prospectively and specimens were collected aseptically by fine needle aspiration (FNA). After the implementation of exclusion criteria, FNA specimens from a total of 278 cases of suspected TBLN were evaluated for cytomorphology (FNAC), presence of acid-fast bacillus (AFB) in smear microscopy and specific detection of mycobacterial DNA in cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test (CBNAAT). ResultsThe results showed high prevalence of Type II (59.71%), followed by Type I (34.53%) and Type III (5.75%) pattern in FNAC. Non-type II patterns were significantly high in regions outside of the head and neck region (P = 0.031; OR = 2.125) and had an increasing trend of their occurrences with progression of age. The most affected age group was between 16 and 30 years with female preponderance documented in individuals below 45 years, whereas male preponderance was observed in higher age group patients, majority of whom had infected lymph nodes outside of HAN region (P = 0.063, OR = 1.998). The results also showed high sensitivity of CBNAAT (83.04%) method followed by FNAC (72.17%) with AFB smear exhibiting the disappointing results (sensitivity of 10.86%) compared to the CRS. High percentage of positivity was observed in Type III (AFB:25% vs CBNAAT: 100%) followed by Type II (AFB:10.2 vs CBNAAT: 76.5), while low detection was observed from samples with Type I (AFB:4.2 vs CBNAAT: 50). Interestingly, CBNAAT detection of TB was shown to be unaffected by gender, age and site of infection. ConclusionThe study suggests a possible contributary role of age and gender for cytomorphological pattern distribution of TBLN at various body parts. Although FNAC detected TB in 77.1% of cases which were identified positive by CBNAAT and/or AFB, it is being solely based on cytomorphology cannot be used alone as a reliable diagnostic method for TBLN detection. Further, the negative results in CBNAAT for FNAC positive cases may not necessarily be non-TB cases and must be evaluated by other diagnostic modalities. We recommend for both cytomorphological investigation and CBNNAT for the fine needle aspirates from suspected TBLN and subsequent treatment to reduce the disease burden.

Segregation of Forecast Errors in the Planetary Boundary Layer Parameterization Over the State of Odisha and Neighboring Regions in India During Summer Monsoon Season

Planetary boundary layer parametrization (PBL) is a key factor influencing weather forecast skills. This article provides a quantitative illustration of the segregation of forecast errors and their growth arising from different PBLs of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The systematic (root mean square) components of forecast errors arising from four different PBLs of the WRF over the state of Odisha (India) and its surrounding regions are elucidated. Error characterizations are carried out for the forecast lead time up to 96 h (day-4) for two contrasting monsoon seasons, i.e., 2013 (normal) and 2014 (deficit). A total of 1112 simulations are carried out for each initial condition, i.e., May 15 to September 29 for both monsoon seasons using four PBL schemes, i.e., Yonsei University (YSU), Mellor–Yamada–Nakanishi-Niino (MYNN), Asymmetric Convective Model version 2 (ACM2), and medium-range forecast (MRF). The overall results suggest the errors in thermodynamical variables (i.e., temperature and relative humidity) are large compared to the dynamical variable (i.e., wind). For the normal monsoon year (i.e., 2013), the MRF and MYNN exhibit the lowest root mean square error (RMSE) of temperature compared to ACM2 and YSU, whereas MRF (MYNN) shows the lowest (highest) error growth at 24–48 h (72–96 h). The deficit year (2014) has a higher temperature error compared to that of the normal monsoon year (2013), which might be due to frequent monsoon break periods. The spatial distribution of wind exhibits the lowest systematic error for MRF with lead time up to 48 h. The subsequent decrease (increase) of convergence (divergence) of error flux over northern Odisha and increase (decrease) of the same over southern Odisha suggests that the error propagation occurs from north to south. In general, both the convergence and divergence of error energy are found to be weak in MRF and MYNN, attributable to the lower error growth rate and hence the smaller systematic errors compared to ACM2 and YSU for both these monsoon seasons. It is also found that the systematic component of the linear (nonlinear) error growth rate is contributed by the physics (dynamics) components of the model. These findings will provide guidance for the model community and operational agencies to make an optimal choice of PBL parameterizations, particularly for the monsoon forecast.