Karnataka Region Research Articles

Medical and psychological comorbidity among COVID patients during the first wave in Dharwad District of South India

Background: The COVID-19 is a viral communicable disease and the World Health Organization declared it as a public health emergency of international concern. This pandemic has challenged the entire world including India's health-care system and resources. It is a devastating recurrence in people with underlying health issues or comorbidities, eventually resulting in mortality. Comorbidities including both medical and psychological disorders among COVID patients have a large amount of impact on the individual's mental health as well as functioning. Materials and Methods: The study comprised 800 hospitalized COVID-19 patients during the first wave from North Karnataka region in India. The data were collected using a structured interview schedule through hospital telephones. The ethical approval was obtained from the Institute Research Ethics Committee. Results: The mean age of the hospitalized COVID patients was 41.02 ± 15.21, and the mean age of comorbidity was 47.69 ± 14.84. Following medical comorbidities such as diabetes (9.3%), hypertension (9.3%), cancer (1.8%), diabetes + hypertension (2.1%), and asthma (0.9%) and psychological comorbidities such as anxiety (3.8%) and depression (3.3%) were found among the hospitalized COVID patients during the first wave. Conclusions: It can be observed that comorbidity may increase the risk of death among COVID patients who were hospitalized and appropriate medical and psychological interventions can be provided for various co comorbidities at the earliest to prevent further defuncting and distress caused by the pandemic.

Assessing the determinants of microfinance in India: a case study of the joint liability groups of the Northern Karnataka region

Assessing the determinants of microfinance in India: a case study of the joint liability groups of the Northern Karnataka region

Prospecting of Free and Open Access Journals by the Intellectual Community of Agricultural Sciences of Karnataka Region: An Analytical Study

Library and Information Centres play pivotal roles to fulfil the thirst of knowledge seekers. We are living in a revolutionary era of Information and Communication Technology (ICTs). The revolution of ICTs emerged as a boon for library and information science professions which opened a door for accessing digital resources i.e. free and open source platforms. The key objective of the study is to explain about prospect of Free and Open Access Journals special reference of Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) by the Intellectual Community (ICs) of Agricultural Sciences of Karnataka Region with special reference of University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore. The study used structured questionnaires as a tool of data collection to attain the motto of the study, 255 questionnaires distributed among ICs and 89 per cent respondents given effective responses which have been explained in data and interpretation section. The study revealed that DOAJ resources helped to fulfil the academic and research needs of the intellectual community and suggested that there is a need to promote these resources which provide more accessibility of library resources and set a trend for accessing open and free resources platforms and tools.

Classification of Microscopic Images of Fungi Using Deep Learning Models

The paper aims to identify the microscopic images of fungi Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Cylindrocladium colhounii, which affect the leaves of Mango and Custard apple plant. The affected leaves are collected, cultivated and observed under high power 40X objective lens. The collected dataset is brand new of 78 images and feed to the two pre-trained deep learning models AlexNet and SqueezeNet. We propose an idea of identifying these fungi at microscopic level, where not much of work is done on fruit plants of Hyderabad and Karnataka (H8K) region of Karnataka, India. Using the CNN models, performance measures such as mean precision, mean recall, F1 score and accuracy are calculated and it is observed that AlexNet model gives a good recognition accuracy of 93.8% compared to the SqueezeNet model.

Genetic analysis of the postsynaptic transmembrane X-linked neuroligin 3 gene in autism

Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder, the prevalence of which has increased drastically in India in recent years. Neuroligin is a type I transmembrane protein that plays a crucial role in synaptogenesis. Alterations in synaptic genes are most commonly implicated in autism and other cognitive disorders. The present study investigated the neuroligin 3 gene in the Indian autistic population by sequencing and in silico pathogenicity prediction of molecular changes. In total, 108 clinically described individuals with autism were included from the North Karnataka region of India, along with 150 age-, sex-, and ethnicity-matched healthy controls. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood, and exonic regions were sequenced. The functional and structural effects of variants of the neuroligin 3 protein were predicted. One coding sequence variant (a missense variant) and four non-coding variants (two 5'-untranslated region [UTR] variants and two 3'-UTR variants) were recorded. The novel missense variant was found in 25% of the autistic population. The C/C genotype of c.551T>C was significantly more common in autistic children than in controls (p = 0.001), and a significantly increased risk of autism (24.7-fold) was associated with this genotype (p = 0.001). The missense variant showed pathogenic effects and high evolutionary conservation over the functions of the neuroligin 3 protein. In the present study, we reported a novel missense variant, V184A, which causes abnormal neuroligin 3 and was found with high frequency in the Indian autistic population. Therefore, neuroligin is a candidate gene for future molecular investigations and functional analysis in the Indian autistic population.

Do residential care and low social capital negatively influence oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among older adults? A cross-sectional study.

To compare oral health status, OHRQoL and social capital between dependent older adults living in a residential care setting (RC) and community dwellers living independently (CD) and to assess the possible role of social capital and residential status as independent predictors of OHRQoL in a sample of older adults in the Udupi region of Karnataka, South India. As the global population ages, a greater number of older adults are now living in residential care settings than ever before. This study provides insights into the role of residential care and social capital in influencing the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among older adults. A total of 296 older adults, comprising 148 dependent older adults living in residential care (RC) and 148 community dwelling older adults living independently (CD), completed the General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) and a Social Capital Scale after undergoing clinical oral examination for dentition and periodontal status. The caries experience in both the residential care group (RC) and the community dwelling group (CD) was high with mean DMF scores of 21.6 (SD=9.6) and 20.1 (SD=10.7) respectively. The Mean Social Capital score was significantly higher (P=.01) among the RC group (33.2, SD=5.1) than the CD group (31.5, SD=5.7), whereas the mean GOHAI score was significantly higher (P=.02) among the CD (61.5, SD=6.8) than the RC group (59.5, SD=7.9). Linear regression showed lower DMFT scores (β: -0.26, P˂.001), being a community dweller (β: 0.14, P=.01) and having higher social capital (β: 0.11, P=.04) were associated with better OHRQoL (higher GOHAI scores) after adjusting for possible confounders. Dependent older adults living in residential care had higher social capital but poorer OHRQoL. Caries experience, residential status and social capital were independently associated with OHRQoL.

Sexual Dimorphism and Clinical Relevance of Thickness and Angulation of Lateral Lamella of Cribriform Plate-A Multidtector Computed Tomographic Study

Background: The aim of this study was to establish the morphometry and sexual dimorphism of laterallamella of cribriform plate in the North Karnataka region.Method: Six hundred and forty four (644) Multidetector computed tomographic scans were collectedfrom North Karnataka region and analyzed by using RadiAnt DICOM Viewer. The thickness andangulation of lateral lamella of cribriform plate of olfactory fossa were calculated on both the sides inboth genders. Statistical analysis was done by using Student unpaired‘t’ test.Conclusion: There was statistically significant difference in the angle of lateral lamella of cribriformplate when compared between right side (mean=106.25˚) and left side (mean=109.38˚) in males.There was no such difference among females. Statistically significant difference was observed in theangle of lateral lamella of cribriform plate in male patients (mean=106.25˚) when compared to femalepatients (mean=109.61˚). The thickness of lateral lamella of cribriform plate was not significant whencompared between two sides in males and females. Hence, these variations in the morphometry of thelateral lamella of cribriform plate of ethmoid bone will be of importance for the surgeons in Functionalendoscopic sinus surgeries and anterior skull base surgeries.

Perceptions of family-centred care among caregivers of children with cerebral palsy in South India: An exploratory study.

Parental views and expectations about family-centred care (FCC) need to be understood for its successful implementation. Knowledge of caregiver's perceptions and needs, within their social and cultural context, forms the basis for effective health care partnerships with families. The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions about FCC among caregivers of children with cerebral palsy (CP) in South India. Fourteen caregivers of children with CP (aged 4-12 years) living in rural areas of the coastal region of Karnataka, India, participated in this qualitative study. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were recorded and transcribed for analysis using the framework and hybrid approaches. Thematic mapping of the categories and themes was done to explore relationships about perceptions of FCC. Caregiver's life emerged inductively as a new theme highlighting caregiver's own physical and mental health, family roles and well-being, integrating the onus of care with household responsibilities, limited participation in personal activities and social isolation. The qualitative findings revealed the ubiquity of respectful and trusting relationships with health professionals while expressing paucity of coordinated comprehensive care, sporadic partnerships and opportunities for shared decision-making; desire for receiving specific information related to child's progress and prognosis; and general information on community resources and the need of empowerment and support groups. Our study has practical implications for the implementation of FCC within the South Indian context, by recognizing unique caregiver needs and expectations in sync with cultural perspectives towards childhood disability such as societal stigma, values and traditional beliefs; attitudes towards medical professionals; and life stressors and gender responsibilities.

Combining agriculture, social and climate indicators to classify vulnerable regions in the Indian semi-arid region

AbstractClimate change vulnerability is highly counter-productive for agriculture among the arid and semi-arid regions. The study constructs the agriculture vulnerability index for Karnataka, a south Indian state. The state has faced frequent climate-related shocks in the last decade. The district-wise vulnerability index is estimated using longitudinal data considering exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity as sub-indices. The results show that the districts in the north interior region of Karnataka are highly vulnerable to the climate change followed by the districts in the south interior and coastal regions. There is an urgent need to prioritize the most vulnerable districts while formulating the development policies to minimize the risk of climate change on agriculture. Specific technical knowledge and support need to be made available to the farmers for informative climate resilience action.

Farmers’ perception and economic impact assessment of agromet advisory services in rainfed regions of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh

All India Coordinated Research Project on Agrometeorology (AICRPAM) of ICAR has started the micro-level Agromet Advisory Service (AAS) through its 25 cooperative centers across the country. Microlevel advisory based on weather forecast is the newer dimension of the AAS in the country. Studies on economic impact of these micro-level advisories are uncommon. Therefore, the present study was conducted using the field survey to assess the farmer’s perception and economic impact of micro-level AAS in Vijayapura and Anantapur centers on pilot basis. Two groups i.e. AAS and non-AAS farmers, consisting of 40 farmers in each group were selected through multi-stage stratified random sampling technique. The probit regression model was employed to assess the factors influencing willingness to pay (WTP) for AAS. Majority of farmers (65%) rated micro-level AAS as ‘very good’ on scale of ‘very poor’ to ‘very good’. Majority of non-AAS farmers were aware about micro-level AAS but lagged in adopting the service. It needs further detailed investigation of underlying causes of not adopting the service. Farming experience, education, land holding size and income were found to be most important factors influencing the farmer’s willingness for pay-based services. Results of economic impact revealed that there was 12 to 33 per cent increase in profit for AAS farmers as compared to non-AAS farmers.

Analysis of Covid-19 Situation in Udupi District, Karnataka, South India

Background: COVID 19 originated in Wuhan city and rapidlyspread to variouscountries. The first case from India was notified on 30th January at Kerala state. Karnataka identified with COVID cases in the month of March. First case in Udupi notified on 24/03/2020. At the end of August 30 the cases were reached to 11598. Present study aimed to study the trends and pattern of Covid-19 in one of the coastal region of Karnataka i.e. in Udupi district. Objectives: 1) Analyze the trend and pattern of COVID 19 cases at Udupi district. 2) Calculate the incidence, Prevalence, Case Fatality rates and Competed Methodology: Data is obtained from media bulletin released by the Dept.of health and family welfare Karnataka. Udupi district was chosen for studyand data is analyzed throughMS excel and case fatalityrate, Completed case fatality rate, patient recovery rate were calculated and expressed in graphs Result: The case load in increased exponentially but growthrate is droppingdown as month advances. Prevalenceof the cases expressed in Attack rate, CFR, CCFR and PRR. In the month of April attackrate is 1.43 per lakh population, that increased to 88 cases per lakh population.by May, This indicated high susceptible population getting infected. Then it got stabilized around 2-6 folds per month and At the end of August 30 the cases were reached to 11598.In August month fatality rate reaches at peak level with value of 0.9. Total growth in CFR from June to August is 89%. Thecases were high in rainy season when compare to summer season.It indicates climatehas direct effecton the Covid 19 spread in Udupi district Conclusion:The case load in increasing exponentially but growth rate is droppingdown as month advanced in Udupi district indicates better management of cases. Cases got reduced after imposing lockdown in district. Preventive measures and social distancing played an important role in reduction of case load in district.

Prevalence and risk for overweight among employees in a leading auto-mobile industry in India

Background: Overweight is a major risk factor for the non-communicable diseases. India is home to nearly 164 million industrial workers (2017) and yet information about prevalence and risk of overweight among them is limited. Being overweight can adversely affect a person's productivity in his workplace and increase the risk of non-communicable diseases. The objective was to assess the prevalence of overweight and association between overweight and employee age, type of work and native origin.Methods: The longitudinal analysis was conducted using periodical medical examination (PME) data of employees from 2010-2018. Relevant data were collected. Year-wise prevalence of overweight was estimated along with specific prevalence by age, type of work and region.Results: The mean weight of employees increased from 68.1 kgs to 72.6 kgs (2010-2018). Overweight proportion was significantly higher in non-production departments. Overweight prevalence ranged between 15-29.8% among Karnataka regions in 2010 in production employees but reached 35-55.6% by 2018. Significant association was found between overweight with type of work and region.Conclusions: The increase in weight over time indicates the trend of overweight and weight reduction interventions are needed in workplaces to prevent the risk of NCDs.

Conservation of ptfA gene encoded Type IV fimbrial protein among circulating Pasteurella multocida serogroup A strains causing pneumonia in sheep

Respiratory infections are most common in small ruminants. Differentiation of homogenous bacterial strains originated from similar clinical forms (acute or chronic) of infections in a particular or diverse host origin and regions posses a greater challenge for rapid epidemiological studies. Pasteurella multocida, being a multi-host pathogen with wide range of infections among small ruminants especially sheep, is of greater economical concern among small and marginal farmers. In our study, we report ptfA gene sequence based analysis of circulating P. multocida strains recovered from clinically ailing sheep either with pneumonia or septicaemia belonging to different geographical regions of Karnataka. All the 29 P. multocida strains were characterized by conventional methods as well as molecular methods which indicated homogeneity as they belonged to serogroup A and possessed highly conserved ptfA gene by phylogenetic analysis. The study highlighted the conservation of ptfA gene/fimbrial protein among P. multocida strains from identical/diverse clinical conditions and could be employed in rapid epidemiological studies in routine surveillance of circulating pathogenic bacterial strains as well as pasteurellosis outbreak investigations among animals and birds.

Myths and Misconceptions about Communication Disorders: A Survey in North Karnataka region

Introduction: Communication disorders are highly prevalent in India especially in children. Early identification and treatment can prevent children from falling behind academically, socially, and in other key areas. However, identifying children with communication disorders and providing rehabilitation at an early stage is challenging in Indian scenario. Though 21st century has progressed drastically towards the rehabilitation of various communication disorders effectively, not all the regions in India are accepting the scientific rehabilitation. Due of lack of awareness, ignorance and stigma related to communication disorders, some open prejudices still persist in our country, making it difficult for people with communication disorders to have their condition recognized and to seek rehabilitation. However beforehand it is important to know the origin and degree of the problem so that appropriate remedy can be sought. Hence the present study makes one such effort, to study the extent of myths widely spread over north Karnataka region. Method: A questionnaire consisting of 10 questions which focus on myths and misbelieves regarding communication disorders was administered on a total of Six hundred participants in the age range of 18 to 80 years. Results: Results indicated presence of myths in rural population with respect to communication disorders compared to urban population as well as more misconceptions were noticed in older population when compared to younger ones. Conclusion: From the results it can be concluded that further necessary programs needs to be implemented in rural areas and for older age groups of North Karnataka region to create awareness in this regard.

Faster-RCNN Based Deep Learning Model for Pomegranate Diseases Detection and Classification

India is the largest producer of pomegranates in the world which earns a high profit. However, due to atmospheric conditions such as temperature variations, climate, and heavy rains, pomegranate fruits become infected with various diseases, resulting in agricultural losses. The two most common diseases seen in the Karnataka region are bacterial blight and anthracnose, both of which cause a significant production loss. This paper has detected and classified these two diseases by extracting knowledge from custom trained models using Deep Learning. To overcome the traditional methods, Faster-RCNN helps us to do better object detection. Keyword : Deep Learning, Faster-RCNN, Tensorflow Bacterial blight, Anthracnose, Object detection.

Diversity of plants used for non-medicinal purposes by the traditional communities of Coastal Karnataka, India

Abstract. Bhandary JM. 2021. Diversity of plants used for non-medicinal purposes by the traditional communities of Coastal Karnataka, India. Asian J Ethnobiol 4: 106-114. The Coastal Karnataka region of India, comprising of two districts called Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, is ethnobotanically prosperous owing to its floristic and cultural diversity. This is justified because many ethnobotanical studies have been reported from this area. However, all these studies are concerned only with documentation of traditional knowledge and medicinal plant diversity; the various non-medicinal uses of plants have not received any scientific attention so far. Therefore, this study was undertaken to document the diversity of plants used for edible, piscicidal, and fodder purposes and make different household materials. Plant specimens and associated traditional information were gathered from the knowledgeable elders from other areas’ different indigenous tribal and non-tribal communities. Prior-informed, open-ended interviews, and discussions were conducted with 32 purposively chosen informants in the field during different seasons of the study period. The botanical identity of the plants mentioned as applicable by informants was confirmed with the help of local flora, and enumeration of plant species was done based on the user category. A total of 125 species of angiosperm plants used for non-medicinal purposes by different traditional and tribal communities were documented during the present study. Among them, 116 species were used for any of the above four studied purposes, and only nine species were used for two different purposes. As many as 76 species were used for edible purposes, 18 species as piscicides, 21 species as fodder plants, and 19 species used to make baskets, mats, and other traditional artifacts used in daily lives. This study confirmed that the traditional communities of the study locality have considerable traditional knowledge about non-medicinal uses of local plants. However, the practical use of wild plants for the studied traditional purposes has gradually decreased due to a lack of interest in the newer generation and the availability of modern alternatives.

Geographical Survey and Genetic Variation Studies of Few Chilly Varieties Collected from Different Regions of Karnataka, India

Chillies are widely used throughout the world in the form of spice and are also used in making beverages and medicines. They are rich in vitamins, especially in vitamin A and C. Chillies contain lots of minerals like potassium, magnesium, and iron. They have been employed for pain relief as they are known to inhibit pain messengers and hence their extracts are used to alleviate the pain of arthritis, headaches, burns, and neuralgia. It is also claimed that they have the power to boost the immune system and lower cholesterol. They are also helpful in getting rid of gut parasites. In this regard we attempted to do a geographical survey about the chilly varieties and chilly growing states in India. We collected the local varieties of chillies available in Karnataka and performed genetic variation studies to understand their relationship at the genetic level. PCR analysis was done using the selected random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) marker to identify the polymorphic loci between the genotypes taken. DNA Barcoding was done to validate the species using basic local alignment search tool (BLAST) and Clustal Omega, further dendrogram was constructed which guide the joining linkage rule of unweighted pair group average (UPGMA) and the genetic distance to compute from matrix table. The results obtained highlight the relationship between species of Capsicum annum, Capsicum frutescens which are closely related followed by Capsicum pubescens and Capsicum baccatum providing knowledge about its application in genetics and plant breeding in developing efficient hybrid variety.

MARKET STUDY TO IDENTIFY THE KEY INFLUENCERS IN DECISION MAKING AND FACTORS CONSIDERATIONS IN INSURANCE BUYING

Risk has become an inextricable aspect of life, and humans are the type of social animals who think about the future a lot, anticipating or planning ahead. This tendency has led to anxiety and the fear of what might happen tomorrow, and insurance is one such thing that helps to alleviate this fear and buying of insurance policy is seen differently by different demographic parameters, hence the penetration of different insurance policy varies over demographic factor and buying decision is influenced by many factors which are considered before buying an insurance policy and insurance buying is influenced by many influencers who are responsible for selling of a policy and mostly acts as a financial advisors for many consumers. From past decade insurance is growing at a faster rate and the policies are getting better meeting the needs of the insurer financial security and the market becoming vast and So, it is keen for the companies to identify those which are impacting their influence over buying decision making to make and sell the policies according to need and over different demographic factor. The study is limited to Bengaluru, Karnataka region.

Collection and evaluation of genetic diversity in Dinanath grass (Pennisetum pedicellatum Trin.) for forage yield and leaf blight resistance

Aim: Dinanath grass is a drought tolerant multipurpose species with high potential for quality fodder in tropical regions. In India, it is distributed in eastern and southern parts. The gap in collection and exploitation of genetic diversity exists in Dinanath grass. Therefore, genetic diversity of Dinanath grass was collected and evaluated for utilization in genetic improvement of Pennisetum species for future fodder security. Methodology: A total 28 accessions of Dinanath grass were collected from western and southern regions of Karnataka. Collected accessions were grown under rainfed conditions and evaluated for six qualitative and ten quantitative traits and response to leaf blight reaction. The evaluated accessions were analyzed by using different univariate and multivariate statistical tools. Results: Dinanath accessions were categorized as per qualitative traits. Quantitative traits exhibited low (7.43%) to high (62.88%) coefficient of variation. Dry matter yield showed positive association with plant height, leaf area and tillers per plant. Cluster analysis classified Dinanath accessions into four distinct groups. The first five principal components explained >85% of the total variation. Three accessions viz., IG-15-26, IG-15-30, IG-15-4 were identified as resistant against leaf blight disease; and donor accessions for agronomic traits were selected. Interpretation: The indigenous Dinanath grass collection from Western Karnataka has ample diversity with reference to qualitative and biomass contributing traits; and resistance against leaf bight disease. The information generated on collected germplasm will assist the researchers in designing the Pennisetum genetic improvement programme.

Genetic Analysis of Neuroligin 4Y Gene in Autism Population of India.

Background Autism is one of the most complex, heterogeneous neurological disorders. It is characterized mainly by abnormal communication, impaired social interaction, and restricted behaviors. Prevalence of autism is not clear in Indian population. Aim The present study hypothesized that Y chromosome plays role in sex bias of autism in Indian autistic population. To investigate our hypothesis, we underwent genetic analysis of neuroligin 4Y [ NLGN4Y ] gene by sequencing 85 male autistic children after screening large population of 1,870 mentally ill children from North Karnataka region of India. Result Detailed sequencing of the single targeted gene revealed nine variants including, one novel missense mutation and eight synonymous variants; this accounts for 88.9% of synonymous variants. A single novel missense mutation is predicted to be nonpathogenic on the functions of neuroligin4Y protein but it slightly affects the local configuration by altering the original structure of a protein by changing charge and size of amino acid. Conclusion Probably NLGN4Y gene may not be the risk factor for autism in male children in Indian autistic population. Functional analysis was an important limitation of our study. Therefore, detailed functional analysis is necessary to determine the exact role of novel missense mutation of neuroligin 4Y [ NLGN4Y ] gene especially in the male predominance of autism in Indian autistic population.