Region Of South India Research Articles

Unveiling Allium sativum Phytocompounds as New Antileptospiral Agents via a Structural‐Based Virtual Screening Approach

AbstractLeptospirosis, a disease of zoonotic origin, is transmitted to humans via the Leptospira bacteria, which infected rats and domestic animals carry. This disease is prevalent in certain regions of South India and North‐East India. As per the Leptospirosis Burden Epidemiology Group (WHO), there are approximately 873,000 reported cases and 48,600 deaths annually. Interestingly, we have identified specific targets that are vital to metabolic processes, lipid synthesis, the flagellar motor protein system, and bacterial chemotaxis. By developing new drugs that target these areas, we could significantly mitigate the risks associated with severe Leptospirosis. This study aims to create a new antileptospiral drug using data from the IMPPAT database. We performed virtual screening with Schrodinger, molecular dynamic simulation, and free energy investigation using GROMACS throughout 50 ns. The primary objective was to identify eight potential therapeutic targets in Leptospira for drug development. The screening process successfully identified promising drug candidates for the treatment of Leptospirosis, specifically IMPHY015116, IMPHY004388, IMPHY004619, IMPHY014919, IMPHY007598, and IMPHY001246. These phytochemical compounds exhibit higher binding energy than conventional drug molecules and show stability in dynamic environments. However, additional studies are required to validate their effect on disease progression and pathogenicity through in vitro studies.

Prevalence and correlates of depression, anxiety, and stress among adolescents in urban and rural areas of Mysuru, South India.

Adolescence, a volatile period of growth between the ages of 10 and 19, is associated with increased vulnerability to mental health problems. Factors such as academic pressure can contribute to these challenges. The current study aimed to evaluate the factors and prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among adolescents in the urban and rural areas of Mysuru district. A cross-sectional study was conducted in private high schools in both urban and rural regions. Prior permission and informed consent were obtained from participants and their legal guardians aged 18 years and older. The gender distribution in urban areas was 60.2% female and 39.8% male, while in rural areas, it was 51% male and 49% female. The prevalence of depression was higher in rural (39.3%) than in urban areas (24.2%), while anxiety was more prevalent in urban (50.6%) than in rural areas (49%). Stress was also more common in rural (16.6%) than urban adolescents (14.6%). Factors significantly associated with mental health outcomes included monthly family income, parenting practices, academic pressures, and self-esteem. Key needs identified were mobile mental health applications, online counseling services, and access to school counselors. This study provides insights into the prevalence and correlates of common mental health issues among adolescents in this region of South India. The findings emphasize the necessity of providing mobile applications and offline counseling services to effectively support and meet the needs of adolescents in these settings.

Assessment of land use transformations and its impact on fluctuations in groundwater quality in Chengalpattu district, Tamil Nadu

ABSTRACT This study examines land use transformations and their impact on groundwater quality fluctuations in Chengalpattu district, Tamil Nadu. Chengalpattu is a rapidly urbanizing coastal region in South India. Landsat 5 and 9 satellite imagery were utilized to create land use land cover (LULC) maps for 2011 and 2021, with overall accuracies of 82.20% and 85.71%, respectively. The analysis showed significant growth in built-up and fallow lands due to urbanization, which has altered LULC. Groundwater Quality Index (GQI) was generated using seven groundwater quality parameters, adhering to World Health Organization (WHO) standards. The mean GQI showed slight fluctuations during pre- and post-monsoon periods, with a declining trend in pre-monsoon seasons. The study area predominantly experiences moderate groundwater quality, with fewer areas of low and high quality. The findings indicate that land use transformation significantly impacts groundwater quality, emphasizing the need for sustainable urban planning and water resource management in the region.

Spatio-temporal distribution of copepods in the mangrove areas of Munroe Island, adjacent to Ashtamudi estuary, Kerala, India

ABSTRACT The study was conducted to assess the species composition of copepods around Munroe Island of Kerala (South India) from October 2020 to September 2022. Copepod samples collected from the mangrove habitats around Munroe Island revealed 31 species belonging to 18 genera and 15 families. The order Calanoida was recognized as the most dominant taxon, with 23 species, followed by Harpacticoida (5 spp.) and Cyclopoida (3 spp.). Spatially, sampling station 3 (Palliyanthuruthu) had the highest species richness (28 spp.); in contrast, the lowest species richness was found at sampling station 1 (Villimangalam, 13 spp.). When exploring the seasonal effects on copepod richness it was found that the highest species richness was seen in the post-monsoon season (31 spp.) followed by the pre-monsoon season (29 spp.), while the least diversity was found during the monsoon season (28 spp.). Species such as Acartia bilobata, Paracalanus parvus, Pseudodiaptomus aurivillii, Pseudocalanus elongatus, Microsetella norvegica, and Oithona similis were found to be perennial in nature. The investigation calls for intensive surveys of copepods to reveal their ecology and diversity in the hitherto less studied region in South India.

Elephants in the Room - Analyzing Local Discourses for Sustainable Management of Bannerghatta National Park, South India.

Landscape governance challenges, particularly in peri-urban contexts like the Bannerghatta National Park (BNP) region in South India, exemplify 'wicked' problems due to their inherent complexities. These challenges arise from a mix of conflicting interests, policy ambiguities, and sociocultural dynamics, which often blur the definition of problems and hinder effective solutions. Despite apparent options for resolution, stakeholder disagreements and deep uncertainties about implementation strategies complicate governance. This study, therefore, has two broad objectives. The first objective is to analyze the local discourses surrounding planned policy interventions around the BNP region in South India. Based on the findings, the second objective is to draw insights for sustainable natural resource governance research and practice. We applied Q-methodology to understand the discourses that underpin various conflicts in the rapidly urbanizing elephant corridor at BNP. We elicited information on how various local actors frame solutions to current collective action challenges in the BNP landscape and their perspectives on the proposed eco-sensitive zone notification, as well as the functioning of current policy interventions concerning conservation and development. The study uncovers the micropolitics and power regimes underpinning various natural resource governance challenges and demonstrates the utility of the Q-methodology in bringing diverse perspectives together in response to 'wicked' governance challenges.

Tracing the Late Quaternary coastal evolution of Central Kerala, India, around the lost ancient port Muziris using multi-proxy study of the sedimentary archives

The Central Kerala coast in Southwest India serves as a valuable natural archive for studies of the Late Quaternary coastal evolution, palaeoclimate, and maritime trades. The coast is an archeologically and culturally significant region in South India, located in the mouth of the longest river in Kerala, the Periyar River. The riverbank of the Periyar at its mouth is believed to host the ancient port Muziris, whose remnants are found in the areas around where the Periyar River joins the Arabian Sea. Sea level oscillations and climate variabilities in the past have played a pivotal role in the destruction of the Muziris port. Recent excavations unearthed many artifacts from nearby areas of the river confluence; however, the exact location of the port remains unresolved. The present study is an attempt to trace out the coastal evolutionary processes and palaeoclimatic conditions that prevailed in the area during the Late Quaternary period using three drilled cores retrieved from this stretch of the coastal lands. A multi-proxy approach, combining geochemical, mineralogical, palynological, and geochronological tools was used in the study. The Holocene deposit in the study area is composed mainly of sand and clay-dominant sediments that fall within an age range of 1.1–8.1 cal kyr BP, whereas the underlying sedimentary sequence dates to a maximum of 31.5–37.9 cal kyr BP. The inorganic and organic elemental compositions, together with the textural and palynological attributes, indicate that Holocene sedimentation occurred here under fluctuating environmental conditions with significant changes in climate and sea level positions. The upper part of this section bears the signature of the humid depositional environment that prevailed during the Late Holocene when sand-dominated sediments were deposited and brought in under the influence of longshore drift. The sediments from the lower part of the section carry the signature of the Holocene transgression when deposition took place under submerged conditions with considerable marine influence but receiving significant terrestrial inputs. The study highlights the location of the historically significant lost ancient port of Muziris at Kodungallur near the mouth of the Periyar River. A three-fold evolutionary model proposed for the coastal segment revealed that the location of the Muziris port was part of the Periyar River near Kodungallur, as mentioned by the historians, and the settlement near Pattanam may be considered a satellite township of the ancient Muziris port.

Mineralogical Analysis of Lithomargic Clay Deposits along the Coastal Belt of Uttara Kannada Region in South India

The Lithomargic clay, generally known as Shedi soil found below the lateritic soil along the coastal belt of Karnataka. This lithomargic clay is rich in silt content and dispersive in nature. The dispersion or de-flocculation behaviour of clays is influenced by factors including mineral composition, soil chemistry, the presence of dissolved salts in the pore water, and the characteristics of the erosive water. This type of soil is liable to erosion and landslides. At present, coastal belt of Uttara Kannada district is witnessing a lot of developments in terms of Industry, infrastructures, and other activities. Lithomargic clay represents a challenging soil variety that necessitates comprehensive examination to render it compatible for supporting various engineering structures such as buildings, pavements, railways, and dam. The X-ray diffraction and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS) analysis were conducted to identify the presence of minerals and compounds for the various soil samples collected along the coastal belt of Uttara Kannada District. The minerals observed in most of the locations are quartz, feldspar like orthoclase, microcline, albite, mica group consisting of muscovite and biotite, those that are not altered chemically since the time of formation and deposition. The presence of secondary minerals like kaolinite, illite, montmorillonite, vermiculite, gibbsite, and calcite are witnessed by the X-ray diffraction analysis.

Predominance and bioactive potential studies of endophytic Bacillus Sps. from marine algae of Palkbay costal region, India

The genus Bacillus is a widely distributed and prominent species that has been extensively studied for its numerous benefits in various industries, medical applications, and agriculture. In this study, endophytic Bacillus species were isolated from seven different algal species using various growth media such as Nutrient agar, starch casein agar, ISP 2, and ISP 4. Throughout the study period, a total of 36 bacterial strains with similar morphological characteristics were identified. Among the isolates, five bacterial strains were found to be predominant when grown on ISP 2 media. These five strains were further subjected to 16s RNA Sequencing to determine their taxonomic classification. The results revealed that all of these strains belonged to the genus Bacillus. However, the other endophytic strains could not be identified due to limited sequence homology with existing entries in the NCBI database. To gain further insights into the isolated Bacillus cultures, analytical studies were conducted. Firstly, the functional groups present in the cultures were identified using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Additionally, the compounds present in the crude extracts of the cultures were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The findings of this current research demonstrate the presence of Bacillus species among green and brown algae in the Palk Bay coastal range. Moreover, these Bacillus strains exhibit potential for various biotechnological applications. The study aims to establish the predominance of Bacillus species in the algae of the Palk Bay region in South India, thereby contributing to our understanding of the microbial ecology in this specific geographical area

Fintech innovation for financial inclusion: can India make it?

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the key research question, which is whether fintech innovation for financial inclusion has been successful in India? As fintech has been popular in many countries, there is very little understanding on how successful it has performed in India for financial inclusion. This research attempts to ravel important factors that may or may not have a direct or indirect impact on fintech innovation for financial inclusion, thereby dissecting the empirical data to reveal important information for the reader. Design/methodology/approach This study covers a comprehensive literature review, from which key variables are discovered, then develops hypotheses to be examined, followed by proposing a research model. The survey data examines important research instruments for fintech inclusion in India, identifying and measuring factors, leading to partial least squares (PLS) model testing. Finally, the key findings are reported. Findings The findings reveal that fintech innovation from variables such as users experience and motivation for digital payments drives usefulness and ease of use leading to financial inclusion. The security, trust, transparency and customer support when built into the fintech innovation for digital payments influences perceived ease of use (PEOU) and usefulness that mediates to uplift financial inclusion directly. Whereas perceived usefulness (PU) anchoring happens to be a precursor for the financial inclusion. On the contrary, cultural values for fintech innovation through PEOU and usefulness had no impact whatsoever on financial inclusion, thus demystifying cultural influences as non-influential factor. Research limitations/implications Research limitations are that the study was conducted in India, and may not be generalised in other countries; however, it can be modified to fit future research. Survey data captured was from a particular region of South India, which may differ from the rest of the country. The sample size and research period were adequate; however, larger data sets would be more meaningful for longitudinal studies. As India is the second most populous country in the world, a comparison with other similar countries of the same size and geographical location will be useful for future research. Practical implications This research reveals that financial inclusion is much more complex than previously known and that the penetration of fintech has the capacity to go deeper and include a large number of people into the mainstream financial system and ameliorate the inequities in urban-rural gender and caste. The user’s experience, culture and motivations positively influenced the usefulness and ease of use for driving the financial inclusion of digital payments. Further security, trust, transparency and customer support can facilitate the use of central bank digital currency (CBDC) as a tool for financial inclusion. Social implications Fintech innovation for financial inclusion is based on the successful acceptance of the digital payment system by people in the society. This research has identified that for any fintech innovation, it is essential that society needs to benefit from it. Encouraging a larger population to switch to digital payments offer challenges and opportunities. While the opportunities are enormous research suggests that early adopters of new technology go through different phases of testing, in which a society can completely accept an innovation or can completely reject an innovation if the two mediating factors such as PU and ease of use do not perform as predicted, thus having a higher failure rate. On the other side, if such an innovation as fintech becomes successful it has the capacity to bring billions of people into mainstream financial inclusion, a success story that can greatly benefit the Indian society and which can be replicated among other countries in the world. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first attempt in an effort to understand the influential factors from the point of view of users for the adoption of CBDC for financial inclusion. The main contribution of this paper is to examine the role of CBDC as an instrument to foster financial inclusion in India, which has not been attempted so far. The originality also lies to the heart of the research is dissecting and making meaningful sense of the empirical data, developing and measuring research instruments and hypotheses and finally adopting a PLS model to answer the key research question, which is whether fintech innovation for financial inclusion can be successful for India?

Along the River, towards God: raṅga Shrines along Rivers

The article addresses a specific religious phenomenon found in the region of South India and connected to a group of Vaiṣṇava temples hosting the Raṅganātha form of Viṣṇu. The temples in question are located along the rivers, in this case, Kāverī and Pallar. Waters, especially rivers, perceived not only as a means of ensuring vegetation but also as endowed with certain divine attributes and often personified as goddesses, have in addition a place-connecting aspect. Keeping this in mind, the present enquiry takes as the starting point the Raṅganātha temple in Śrīraṅgam on the Kāverī-Kolliṭam river and revisits the concept of the holy sites of Viṣṇu, called raṅgas, situated along the banks of the rivers Kāverī and Pallar, and on their islands. The study, using, among others, some māhātmyas from the region, is the very first, largely preliminary attempt to broach this topic.

A New Species of the Genus <i>Pogonus</i> Dejean (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Trechinae) from the North Malabar Region in South India

Tribe Pogonini of the carabid subfamily Trechinae is represented by a single genus Pogonus Dejean, 1821 with a single species Pogonus biroi Csiki, 1907 in the Oriental region. A new species, Pogonus malabrensis sp.nov., is described from the north Malabar region in south India with a key to the Oriental species of the genus.

Crop and livestock productivity, soil health improvement and insect dynamics: Impact of different fodder-based cropping systems in a rainfed region of India

CONTEXTFarmers in rainfed areas of South Asia depend on livestock to augment income, and provide manure for soil and crops. However, the full potential of the livestock is not realized due to the non-availability of quality fodder. The deficit may be attributed to limitation in expansion of cultivable land as well as non-availability of fodder from the protected forest areas. It is possible to enhance the productivity of the livestock by crop-livestock systems. OBJECTIVESThis study was conducted to determine the crop and fodder production potential, nutritive value of the fodder, and reductions in soil nutrients loss and pests of the seven fodder-based inter-cropping systems in a rainfed region in South India. METHODSA medium-term field experiment was conducted from 2015 to 2021 at the Gungal Research Farm of ICAR's Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (17o05’ N, 78o39’E) with seven fodder-based cropping systems involving conventional crops either alone or in combinations with annual or perennial fodder species. The seven systems (treatments) were: sorghum + pigeon pea - hedge lucerne, sorghum + pigeonpea - guinea grass, castor - hedge lucerne, castor - guinea grass, sorghum - fodder - clusterbean - fodder-cowpea - fodder -horsegram, sole sorghum, and sole pigeonpea. Impacts of these systems on crop and livestock productivity, reductions in surface soil erosion and nutrient loss, and soil health and pest dynamics were studied. Livestock based studies were also conducted with the harvested fodders. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSWe found that sorghum + pigeonpea-hedge lucerne on average can produce 3865 kg ha−1 of sorghum grain equivalent yield and 37,820 kg ha−1 of sorghum fodder equivalent yield. The sorghum + pigeon pea-guinea grass would benefit the farmers with no animals, by selling the high biomass grass fodder and minimizing the risk of crop failure. These two systems are also better in providing green fodder for at least 8–9 months without any supplementary irrigation. We also observed increase in soil N, OC and soil microbes. There was reduction in runoff (by 51–52%) and sediment loss (by 52%), and reduced pest and disease incidence in these systems. SIGNIFICANCEOur study demonstrated that perennial fodder-based cropping systems are an excellent option to enhance the sustainability and livelihood security of rainfed farmers by reducing the risk of crop failure and supporting the livestock. These systems also open up the scope of integrating tree fodders especially in the bunds and farm borders.

Browning of vegetation in efficient carbon sink regions of India during the past two decades is driven by climate change and anthropogenic intrusions

Accurate estimation of carbon cycle is a challenging task owing to the complexity and heterogeneity of ecosystems. Carbon Use Efficiency (CUE) is a metric to define the ability of vegetation to sequester carbon from the atmosphere. It is key to understand the carbon sink and source pathways of ecosystems. Here, we quantify CUE using remote sensing measurements to examine its variability, drivers and underlying mechanisms in India for the period 2000–2019, by applying the principal component analyses (PCA), multiple linear regression (MLR) and causal discovery. Our analysis shows that the forests in the hilly regions (HR) and northeast (NE), and croplands in the western areas of South India (SI) exhibit high (>0.6) CUE. The northwest (NW), Indo-Gangetic plain (IGP) and some areas in Central India (CI) show low (<0.3) CUE. In general, the water availability as soil moisture (SM) and precipitation (P) promote higher CUE, but higher temperature (T) and air organic carbon content (AOCC) reduce CUE. It is found that SM has the strongest relative influence (33%) on CUE, followed by P. Also, SM has a direct causal link with all drivers and CUE; reiterating its importance in driving vegetation carbon dynamics (VCD) for the cropland dominated India. The long-term analysis reveals that the low CUE regions in NW (moisture induced greening) and IGP (irrigation induced agricultural boom) have an increasing trend in productivity (greening). However, the high CUE regions in NE (deforestation and extreme events) and SI (warming induced moisture stress) exhibit a decreasing trend in productivity (browning), which is a great concern. Our study, therefore, provides new insights on the rate of carbon allocation and the need of proper planning for maintaining balance in the terrestrial carbon cycle. This is particularly important in the context of drafting policy decisions for the mitigation of climate change, food security and sustainability.

“Whatever Happened toJogtaandJogtin?”: Subjugation of Dalits in Lower-Caste Religious Practices

AbstractThe economics of female sexuality in India are embodied in the caste system, which allocates women of certain caste groups to the domestic sphere and relegates Dalit/lower caste women to religious/sacred prostitution. The dominance of Shudra (often OBC) castes over religious spaces further marginalized Dalits and vulnerable lower-Shudra castes pertaining to the sexual exploitation of men and women within the institution of sacred prostitution. Shudra (OBC) castes’ hold over religious institutions in contemporary society facilitated the hegemony of the Brahminic ideology of caste and patriarchy even in the lower-caste religious practices like worship of female deities such as Yellamma in south India. This article discusses the religious aspects of the oppression of Dalits (outcastes) shaped by lower-caste religiosity through a study of the conditions of Dalit men and women who are dedicated to the temples of village deities and are varyingly called Jogta, Jogtin, Jogini, Potaraju, Matangi/Matamma, Shivashakti, Basavi, and Murali in different regions of south India. The current study is based on the experiences of Joginis and Jogtas from Telangana and Marathwada region of the state of Maharashtra. This article explores the livelihood aspect of the Jogini system, in other words, the economic vulnerabilities shaped by caste hierarchies that result in the perpetuation of the practice of sacred prostitution; how the caste hierarchies refigure in the reorganization of masculinities through the institutions of Jogini and Jogta; and how the question of Dalit self-respect is construed by Joginis and Jogtas within the paradigm of religious institutions.

Spatiotemporal changes in tropospheric nitrogen dioxide hotspot due to emission switch-off condition in the view of lockdown emergency in India

The COVID-19 outbreak has elicited forced lockdown conditions for all anthropogenic emissions across the globe. It has brought an opportunity for the researchers to sort out the relative contribution of the environmental pollutants which are emerged from the coal-based thermal power plants and other industrial sectors. In countries like India, some industrial sectors and thermal power plants coexist; henceforth, they mutually produce NO2 concentration canopy in the upper atmosphere in raised form. Focusing on this issue, the present work intends to explore the NO2 emission hot-spots’ foci using switch-off conditions in consequence of emergency lockdown. Our results indicate that stable {(CV}_{mathrm{low};}mathrm{and;NO}{2 }_{mathrm{;max}}) and large NO2 concentration canopy is noticeable in the inter-state border areas among Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Jharkhand (around “Govind Ballabh Part Sagar” reservoir) where a cluster of thermal power plant is located. The “OFF” situation also proposes a close correspondence between the NO2 richness column and installed capacity (R2 value > 0.7 with 0.0002 p value). States that are situated in the eastern part of the country and megacities like Delhi and Kolkata represent a crucial role in NO2 emission while in certain regions of south India are more or less safe from NO2 emission. As a consequence, the lockdown has created a temporary pollution baseline for tropospheric NO2 that offers research prospects to think of alternate sources of energy that can maintain environmental health as well as human well-being.

Multimorbidity and multi-disability among the elderly in residential care in India: the Hyderabad Ocular Morbidity in Elderly Study (HOMES)

We report prevalence and risk factors for multimorbidity and multi-disability among elderly people in residential care in the Hyderabad region in South India. In total, 1182 elderly (aged ≥ 60) participants were examined in 41 homes for the aged centres. Detailed interviews were conducted by trained personnel to collect personal and demographic information. A questionnaire was used to assess the history of non-communicable diseases and Washington Disability Questionnaire (WDQ) was administered to assess disabilities. The mean age of the participants was 75.0 years (SD 8.8 years; range: 60–108 years), 35.4% were men, 20.3% had no formal education, 60.7% had school education and 19% had higher education. The prevalence of multimorbidity was 37.6% (95% CI: 34.8–40.4). Prevalence of multi-disability was 23.6% (95% CI: 21.2–26.3; n = 270). In total, 857 (72.5%) participants reported using at least one medication for NCDs. Over a third of the elderly in residential care had multimorbidity, and a quarter of them had multi-disability. A holistic health care system that comprises health and wellness coupled with rehabilitation to address disabilities is needed to achieve healthy aging in elderly in homes for the aged in India.

Thrips vectors of tospoviruses on tomato in South India

The present study was undertaken to determine distribution of thrips species from major tomato growing regions in South India (Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh). The thrips species were identified using molecular techniques employing universal barcoding primer (mt-COI). These revealed the presence of six species viz., Thrips palmi Karny, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood, Thrips tabaci Lindeman, Frankliniella schultzei (Trybom), Thrips apicatus Priesner and Tusothrips sumatrensis (Karny). Of these, T. palmi was found to be predominant in all the states surveyed followed by S. dorsalis, F. schultzei and T. tabaci.

Coinfection of leptospirosis and coronavirus disease 2019: A retrospective case series from a coastal region in South India.

During the monsoon season of 2020, the coastal areas of South India were endemic to both leptospirosis and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). This study aimed to investigate the clinical features and outcomes of patients infected with both infections. A retrospective review of charts of all patients with COVID‐19 who were also diagnosed with leptospirosis by immunoglobulin M enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay was undertaken. The clinical features, laboratory report, treatment details, and outcomes of all the included patients were recorded. The collected data were summarized as the frequency with percentage for categorical data and the mean or median for continuous data. Twenty‐four cases of coinfections were admitted between July and November 2020. Most of these patients were categorized as severe COVID‐19 (n = 15, 62.5%). Acute kidney injury was seen in 79.2% (n = 19) patients, while raised bilirubin was present in 79.2% (n = 19) of the patients. All patients had raised C‐reactive protein, while all but one had raised procalcitonin. Thrombocytopenia, leucocytosis, and leukocytopenia were seen in 91.7% (n = 22), 45.8% (n = 11), and 12.5% (n = 3) of the patients. The median duration of hospital stay was 11 (8.25–15) days. A total of 79.2% (n = 19) of the patients improved and were discharged, while 20.8% (n = 5) died during the hospital stay. In conclusion, patients with fever and atypical manifestations such as hepatic dysfunction, renal dysfunction, and thrombocytopenia should be evaluated for leptospirosis even if they are COVID positive.

Evaluation of the groundwater quality index (GWQI) and the human health risk (HHR) on fluoride concentration in Namakkal district, South India

This research aims to determine the health consequences of fluoride contamination of groundwater in the Namakkal region in south India using the groundwater quality index (GWQI). Study area latitude and longitude: 11° 00' and 11° 30' in the north, and 77° 45' and 78° 15' in the east. Statewide, it is among the largest districts in the state. The study region occupies an area of 3406.37 km2. The geology of the studied area is mainly based on the Archaean crystalline and metamorphic complex. The district's major aquifer systems are composed of crystalline rocks that are weathered and fractured and of colluvial deposits. Alluvium and colluvium are examples of porous formations in the cross-section. Only the main river channels have alluvial deposits. The phreatic properties of groundwater Depending on the topography, these aquifers may reach 5 m saturation thickness. Groundwater samples were obtained from 58 bore well sites across the study area during the North-East Monsoon (NEM) of 2015. pH concentrations in suitable drinking water regions during the seasons assist in limiting the availability of groundwater for drinking purposes. TDS are an important factor in determining water suitability for various purposes. The groundwater sample in the study area shows cation domination in ascending order of Na+ &gt; Ca2+ &gt; Mg2+ &gt; K+ due to the dissolution of aquifer minerals in rainfall in the study area. In the NEM seasons, rock dominance and anthropogenic contributions to higher Na+ &gt; Mg2+ &gt; Ca2+ &gt; K+ values. Fluoride concentration differentiates into three groups such as &lt; 0.5 indicates low risk, 0.5 to 1.5 indicates moderate risk, and &gt; 1.5 means high risk. More than 2 fluoride implies very high risk, whereas fluoride in the range of 1.5 to 2.24 suggests a very high risk. The appraisal of non-carcinogenic risk was done to stress the health issues that succeed due to the intake and dermal contact of drinking water in the Namakkal district. The percentage of risk HQ &gt;1 shows that 48 men groundwater samples, followed by 46 groundwater samples women and 30 groundwater samples children, constitute possible health hazards. Overall, health risk estimation results showed that all the groundwater samples have surpassed the permissible limit of HQ &lt;1 for children.

Geochemical evaluation of groundwater and suitability of groundwater quality for irrigation purpose in an agricultural region of South India

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the geochemical processes controlling the groundwater chemistry and also to assess the groundwater quality suitability criteria for irrigation purposes. An agricultural region of Telangana, South India, was selected for the present study. A total of 100 groundwater samples were collected and estimated for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), bicarbonate ({text{HCO}}_{3}^{ - }), chloride (Cl−), sulfate ({text{SO}}_{4}^{2 - }), nitrate ({text{NO}}_{3}^{ - }), and fluoride (F−). The groundwater was characterized by mostly alkaline conditions with a dominance of Na+ and {text{HCO}}_{3}^{ - } ions, indicating the prevailing conditions of weathering and dissolution of silicate minerals. The various geochemical signatures such as Na+ vs Cl−, Ca2+ + Mg2+ vs {text{HCO}}_{3}^{ - }, Ca2+ + Mg2+ vs {text{HCO}}_{3}^{ - } + {text{SO}}_{4}^{2 - }, {text{HCO}}_{3}^{ - } vs Cl− + {text{SO}}_{4}^{2 - }, Ca2+ + Mg2+ vs total cations, and Ca2+ + Mg2+ vs Na+ + K+ and the saturation indices with respect to calcite, halite, and gypsum suggest obviously the dominant conditions of carbonate weathering associated with the reverse ion exchange and evaporation processes as the geogenic factors. The linear trend of TDS vs {text{NO}}_{3}^{ - } + Cl−/{text{HCO}}_{3}^{ - } clearly specifies the influence of non-geogenic sources on the aquifer system. These are the important contributors to the variation in the groundwater chemistry. However, the impact of the geogenic source is masking the influence of the anthropogenic source in some areas of the present study region. According to the salinity vs sodium adsorption ratio, residual sodium carbonate, magnesium ratio, and Kelly ratio, 99.9%, 7.06%, 63.07%, and 51.27% of the total study region come under the unsuitable categories for irrigation purposes, respectively. Therefore, the findings of this study recommended some site-specific appropriate management strategies for the safe supply of groundwater for proper crop growth and consequently for sustainable development of the rural environment.