Region Of South India Research Articles

Comparison of the Nutrition Transition Among Adolescents in New Versus Established Urban Centers in South India

Comparison of the Nutrition Transition Among Adolescents in New Versus Established Urban Centers in South India

A clinico-epidemiological study of polymorphic light eruption in a tertiary care centre in Salem: a region of South India

<p><strong> </strong><strong>Introduction: </strong>Polymorphic light eruption (PMLE) is an acquired photodermatosis characterized by a polymorphic eruption ranging from papulovesicular lesions to large plaques. The prevalence of PMLE varies from 5% to 15% in various studies across the world and<strong> </strong>in India it is 0.56%.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>The present study was conducted to study the clinical pattern and to assess the epidemiological aspects of polymorphic light eruption.</p><p><strong>Material and Method: </strong>A cross sectional prospective study was conducted in Dermatology OPD between April 2015 and June 2016. A total of 100 patients with symptoms and signs of PMLE were included in the study. Data were coded and analyzed.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong> Majority of the cases in our study were in the age group of 21 - 30 years (36%). It was more common in females (82%) when compared with males (18%). Occupation of most of the patients (29%) was farmers in our study population. Positive family history of PMLE was seen in 11% of the study population. The commonest form was the papular type (46%) and the second most common type was plaque type (17%). Regarding the distribution of lesions, about 51% of our study subjects had polymorphic lesions confined to only one area of their body mostly forearm (25%) followed by face (12%).</p><p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> The prevalence of PMLE was 1.34% in our study population. Pruritus was the presenting complaint in most of the cases and the rash was mainly seen in areas exposed to sunlight.</p>

Prevalence of common dermatoses in school children of rural areas of Salem; a region of South India

Introduction: Skin diseases are a major health problem in children, which is associated with significant morbidity. Its prevalence ranges from 4.3% to 49.1% in various parts of India in school-based surveys. Objective: The present study was conducted to know the prevalence, epidemiology of various dermatoses, and the factors contributing to those dermatoses among school children of rural areas of Salem. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional prospective study was conducted in two schools of rural Salem between September 2014 and September 2015. A total of 1000 children between the age group of 5 and 14 years were examined for diseases of the skin and appendages. Data were coded and analyzed. Results: The overall prevalence of skin diseases was 68.2%. Almost 53 types of skin lesions were identified among the students; of these, 15 were infectious, 35 were noninfectious, and three were nutritional dermatoses. Infectious dermatoses were seen in 346 (50.73%), noninfectious in 253 (37.10%), and nutritional deficiency dermatoses in 83 (12.17%) children. The top three conditions, i.e.. pediculosis capitis (21%), scabies (11%), and bacterial infections (8.52%) contributed 40.52% of the total burden of skin diseases. Conclusion: The prevalence of skin disorders, especially infectious dermatoses, was high among the school children in our study area which is a reflection of the prevalence in the overall population of that area. It is mainly attributed to a lack of proper hygienic measures and health awareness which has to be addressed promptly for the improvement of that area.

Profile of Sudden Deaths Due to Lung Pathologies

Introduction: Sudden unexpected death due to respiratory disease contributes to 15 – 23% of all sudden death cases. Tuberculosis (TB) is a major respiratory cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and its prevalence is high in the Indian subcontinent, and cases may not be diagnosed until after an autopsy is performed. Aim of this study: The aim of this autopsy based retrospective study was to identify common causes of sudden death due to lung pathologies, to study the prevalence of mycobacterium tuberculosis in autopsied lungs and to identify cases of active pulmonary tuberculosis. Material and Method: Confirmed cases of sudden deaths due to lung pathologies based on gross and histopathological examination from 2014- 16 were included in the study. Results: Out of 210 cases of sudden unexpected deaths. 23.81% were due to lung pathologies, of which 25 (50%) of cases were due to pulmonary tuberculosis. 20% were found to be positive for acid fast bacilli (AFB) by Ziehl- Neelsen stain, 28% of cases were due to pneumonia, 6% of cases were due to pulmonary thromboembolism and 4% cases were due to acute respiratory distress syndrome. Conclusion: The risk of exposure to unrecognized active pulmonary tuberculosis cases is very high in this particular region of South India, so adequate precautions should be taken for the autopsy surgeons, lab technicians, mortuary workers and investigating officers while handling unknown cases of sudden deaths.

Enabling a more Equitable and Efficient Groundwater Irrigation in Rainfed Regions of South India

Enabling a more Equitable and Efficient Groundwater Irrigation in Rainfed Regions of South India

Prevalence and Identification of Burkholderia pseudomallei and Near-Neighbor Species in the Malabar Coastal Region of India.

Accurate identification of pathogens with biowarfare importance requires detection tools that specifically differentiate them from near-neighbor species. Burkholderia pseudomallei, the causative agent of a fatal disease melioidosis, is one such biothreat agent whose differentiation from its near-neighbor species is always a challenge. This is because of its phenotypic similarity with other Burkholderia species which have a wide spread geographical distribution with shared environmental niches. Melioidosis is a major public health concern in endemic regions including Southeast Asia and northern Australia. In India, the disease is still considered to be emerging. Prevalence surveys of this saprophytic bacterium in environment are under-reported in the country. A major challenge in this case is the specific identification and differentiation of B. pseudomallei from the growing list of species of Burkholderia genus. The objectives of this study included examining the prevalence of B. pseudomallei and near-neighbor species in coastal region of South India and development of a novel detection tool for specific identification and differentiation of Burkholderia species. Briefly, we analyzed soil and water samples collected from Malabar coastal region of Kerala, South India for prevalence of B. pseudomallei. The presumptive Burkholderia isolates were identified using recA PCR assay. The recA PCR assay identified 22 of the total 40 presumptive isolates as Burkholderia strains (22.72% and 77.27% B. pseudomallei and non-pseudomallei Burkholderia respectively). In order to identify each isolate screened, we performed recA and 16S rDNA sequencing. This two genes sequencing revealed that the presumptive isolates included B. pseudomallei, non-pseudomallei Burkholderia as well as non-Burkholderia strains. Furthermore, a gene termed D-beta hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (bdha) was studied both in silico and in vitro for accurate detection of Burkholderia genus. The optimized bdha based PCR assay when evaluated on the Burkholderia isolates of this study, it was found to be highly specific (100%) in its detection feature and a clear detection sensitivity of 10 pg/μl of purified gDNA was recorded. Nucleotide sequence variations of bdha among interspecies, as per in silico analysis, ranged from 8 to 29% within the target stretch of 730 bp highlighting the potential utility of bdha sequencing method in specific detection of Burkholderia species. Further, sequencing of the 730 bp bdha PCR amplicon of each Burkholderia strain isolated could differentiate the species and the data was comparable with recA sequence data of the strains. All sequencing results obtained were submitted to NCBI database. Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of bdha in comparison with recA and 16S rDNA showed that the bdha gene provided comparable identification of Burkholderia species.

Mapping the Questions of Resources, Livelihoods and Development Interventions: A Case Study of Adivasi Community from South India

The Adivasi question in south India has become one of the predominant sociological engagements, especially after the onslaught of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation (LPG) in India and its effects are even more in the areas predominantly inhabited by the of Adivasis. It is because of natural wealth located in these Adivasi areas. To plunder this wealth, the State has been clandestinely allowing MNCs to establish their companies in the name of development of these regions. This has paved the way for large scale exploitation of natural resources in Adivasi-inhabited areas across India. Are these attempts of the state and MNCs sustainable and what should be the role of social scientists to address these questions in the larger realms of developmental discourse? Taking a lead from the above scenario the present paper will look at the Adivasis questions in relation to the development interventions, livelihoods and sustainability of resources in a drought prone region of south India. Some scholars view that there is a direct link between livelihoods and development interventions and sustainability of the resources. The link between them is crucial to raise and address the questions pertaining to sustainability of resources and livelihoods. These questions, further, lead one to ponder over the conditions of Adivasis and their depleting natural resources and sustainability of the existing resources. To enhance the livelihoods base, both, the donor agencies and the State, must take cognisance of and balance the existing local resources. This paper will seek to address the interface between the livelihoods and sustainable development of natural resource base among the Adivasis of south India. Further, it will also try to address the role of donor agencies in bridging the gap between the haves and have nots, which is drastically increasing year by year without any change.

Studies on Characterization of Molecular Variability Using RAPD Markers in Rhizoctonia solani Isolated from Different Gerographical Regions of South India

Molecular techniques have become reliable and are highly suitable tools for identifying pathogen species and for genetic variation. The molecular marker is a useful tool for assessing genetic variations. RAPD (Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA) markers have been used to characterize the numerous filamentous fungi collected from different fields of experimental mycology. Rhizoctonia solani is a plant pathogenic fungus which cause sheath blight in rice. Present work focused on polymorphic identification and characterization of Rhizoctonia solani isolate. Twenty eight samples were collected from different locations of South India and Punjab. Rhizoctonia solani (teleomorph: Thanatephorus cucumeris) were isolated and used polymorphic examination by molecular markers. Molecular analysis was done with OPC-5, OPC-2, OPA-8 and OPA-11primers and the variability of isolated fungus DNA, allowed the visualization of 265 polymorphic bonds with molecular weight ranging from 0.5kb to 20kb significant differences in RAPD profiles of 28 isolates of R. Solani were found with two primers OPC-5 and OPC-2. To analyze the resolving ability of these primers, cumulative RAPD profiles generated by the primers were analyzed by UPGMA. The dendrogram constructed using 265 polymorphic bonds obtained from 28 isolates with 5 primers was divided into 7 clusters. Based on these results it was concluded that there was a molecular variability among the isolates of R. solani was depicted.

Retrieval and Multi-scale Validation of Soil Moisture from Multi-temporal SAR Data in a Semi-Arid Tropical Region

The current study presents an algorithm to retrieve surface Soil Moisture (SM) from multi-temporal Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data. The developed algorithm is based on the Cumulative Density Function (CDF) transformation of multi-temporal RADARSAT-2 backscatter coefficient (BC) to obtain relative SM values, and then converts relative SM values into absolute SM values using soil information. The algorithm is tested in a semi-arid tropical region in South India using 30 satellite images of RADARSAT-2, SMOS L2 SM products, and 1262 SM field measurements in 50 plots spanning over 4 years. The validation with the field data showed the ability of the developed algorithm to retrieve SM with RMSE ranging from 0.02 to 0.06 m3/m3 for the majority of plots. Comparison with the SMOS SM showed a good temporal behaviour with RMSE of approximately 0.05 m3/m3 and a correlation coefficient of approximately 0.9. The developed model is compared and found to be better than the change detection and delta index model. The approach does not require calibration of any parameter to obtain relative SM and hence can easily be extended to any region having time series of SAR data available.

Do Institutional Programs Aimed at Groundwater Augmentation Affect Crop Choice Decisions under Groundwater Irrigation? Empirical Evidence from Andhra Pradesh, India

Crop choices made by farmers can make important contributions toward the sustainable management of groundwater resources in drought prone regions. However, farmers who would tend to maximize profits under normal circumstances face a trade-off between the choices of risky but more profitable high water intensive (HWI) crops on one hand and the low risk but less profitable low water intensive (LWI) and drought resistant (DR) crops on the other. In drought-hit regions of South India, institutional programs, such as crop water budgeting and farmer schools, have been promoted to provide support and information to the farmers in helping them make judicious crop choices. A multivariate probit (MVP) analysis reveals that crop water budget exercise and farmer field school participation, in fact, are positively associated with HWI crop choices, whereas participation in soil moisture conservation efforts is positively associated with growing LWI and DR crops. Our findings indicate that the objective of groundwater augmentation through institutional interventions that are solely based on educating and training farmers have been ineffective and have even been providing perverse incentives, and that there is a need for adding water extraction compliance components to such support programs in order for them to be efficacious.

The geography of weaving in early nineteenth-century south India

Most research on the handloom industry is focused upon the export trade and production for export, and, by extension, upon the Coromandel Coast. This article, by contrast, explores the physical and human geography of weaving for the ‘domestic’ market in the ‘inland’ regions of south India. Using visual sources such as Company paintings, together with archival materials and statistical data, it reconstructs everyday modes of dress and clothing in the early nineteenth century in order to obtain a picture of the ‘kinds’ of cloth produced: this analysis shows that the largest proportion was white or predominantly white, and of coarse to middling quality. It goes on to map different systems of cloth production, and the pattern of weaver settlements, and shows that both were significantly different from those described for the Coromandel Coast. In the inland regions, coarse and durable kinds of cloth were woven almost everywhere by plebeian weavers scattered through the countryside; patterned and fine varieties were woven by specialist, full-time weavers who usually lived in large settlements. The article describes a diversity of markets and production systems, unpicks the meanings of part-time and full-time work, and their significance. The data and analysis serve to complicate the debate on the nature of the textile economy in early modern India.

India's Proposed Reforms: Somewhat Half-Baked

The reform policies on higher education taken by the Indian central government are criticized in Kerala, a region in South India with many well-educated people. The overriding criticism is that the reforms link Indian higher education to global trends of commercialization by opening the higher education system to foreign institutions. Accreditation in higher education is also a problem in India. The additional proposal of setting up a government university in each of India's states is unrealistic, too. The flaws in India's grand plans seem rather clear.

Growth performance of 12 year old air layered Madhuca latifolia.

Madhuca latifolia commonly known as mahua belongs to the family Sapotaceae is an important economic tree growing throughout India and most preferable in day to day activity of tribal people. It is distributed in warm and humid regions of Central and south India such as eastern Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and Andhra Prades. It is concluded that, the growth of air-layered Mahua is better when compared to published literature on seedling originated mahus. Based on this study, it is proved that air layering of mahua is cheap and best method to produce quality planting material. Further large scale investigation on performance of air-layered mahua plantations will provide early returns in terms of flowers and seed to sustain local livelihood. The stature of air layered mahua is well suited for agroforestry plantations.

A cohort study of gestational diabetes mellitus and complimentary qualitative research: background, aims and design.

BackgroundWomen with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and their offsprings are at increased risk of future type 2 diabetes and metabolic abnormalities. Early diagnosis and proper management of GDM, as well as, postpartum follow-up and preventive care is expected to reduce this risk. However, no large scale prospective studies have been done particularly from the developing world on this aspect. The objective of this study is to identify and follow a cohort of pregnant women with and without GDM and their offspring to identify determinants and risk factors for GDM, for various pregnancy outcomes, as well as, for the development of future diabetes and metabolic abnormalities.MethodsThis is a prospective cohort study involving pregnant women attending prenatal clinics from urban, semi-urban and rural areas in the greater Chennai region in South India. Around 9850 pregnant women will be screened for GDM. Socio-economic status, demographic data, obstetric history, delivery and birth outcomes, perinatal and postnatal complications, neonatal morbidity, maternal postpartum and offsprings follow-up data will be collected. Those diagnosed with GDM will initially be advised routine care. Those unable to reach glycaemic control with diet alone will be advised to take insulin. Postpartum screening for glucose abnormalities will be performed at months 3 and 6 and then every year for 10 years. The offsprings will be followed up every year for anthropometric measurements and growth velocity, as well as, plasma glucose, insulin and lipid profile. In addition, qualitative research will be carried out to identify barriers and facilitators for early GDM screening, treatment compliance and postpartum follow-up and testing, as well as, for continued adherence to lifestyle modifications.DiscussionThe study will demonstrate whether measures to improve diagnosis and care of GDM mothers followed by preventive postpartum care are possible in the routine care setting. It will also map out the barriers and facilitators for such initiatives and provide new evidence on the determinants and risk factors for both GDM development and occurrence of adverse pregnancy outcomes and development of future diabetes and metabolic abnormalities in the GDM mother and her offspring.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12884-014-0378-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Coronary artery disease and the frequencies of MTHFR and PON1 gene polymorphism studies in a varied population of Hyderabad, Telangana region in south India

Coronary artery disease (CAD) also known as coronary heart disease is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Genetic and environmental factors play an important role in the pathogenesis and progression of CAD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the combined contribution of 3 gene polymorphisms to the risk of CAD and gene–gene interaction in the south Indian population. In this case-control study, 200 cases of CAD and 200 healthy controls were recruited. We studied 3 well known genetic polymorphisms of MTHFR (C677T; rs1801133), PON1 (Q192R; rs662) and ACE (I/D: rs4646994) in relation to CAD in South Indian population. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was carried out and followed by the restriction fragment length polymorphism and agarose gel electrophoresis. Genotypes of MTHFR C677T, CT and CT+TT, and PON1 Q192R QR were associated with the risk of CAD (C677T CT+TT vs CC: odds ratio [OR]=3.3, 95% confidence intervals [CI]=1.8–6.2; p=0.00001), (CT vs CC: OR=3.2, 95%CI=1.8–5.6; p=0.00003), and (Q192R QQ vs QR: OR=2.1, 95%CI=1.1–3.9; p=0.03). The allele frequencies for T vs C: OR=3.1, 95%CI=1.8–5.3; p=0.00001 and R vs Q: OR=1.3, 95% CI=1.0–1.7 p=0.03. Multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR) analysis was carried out with the combination of three genes and the results indicate that MDR analysis showed that, PON1 gene polymorphism formed a significant model in predicting the CAD risk in south Indian population.

Sequence Diversity of the Nucleoprotein Gene of Peanut bud necrosis virus Isolates from South India

AbstractPeanut bud necrosis virus (PBNV), genus Tospovirus (family Bunyaviridae), is an important virus infecting peanut and other crops in South India. PBNV isolates naturally infecting groundnut, brinjal, tomato, black gram, field bean, cowpea, cotton, jute, taro and Calotropis plants were collected from different regions of South India and characterized. Infection was confirmed by direct antigen‐coating enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (DAC‐ELISA) using PBNV‐specific antiserum. The coat protein gene was further amplified using PBNV coat protein‐specific primers. The amplicon (830 bp) was cloned and sequenced; sequence analysis revealed that the N gene shared 93–100% and 95–100% sequence identity with PBNV at the nucleotide and amino acid levels, respectively.

Prevalence of Tobacco Use in Urban, Semi Urban and Rural Areas in and around Chennai City, India

BackgroundTobacco use leads to many health complications and is a risk factor for the occurrence of cardio vascular diseases, lung and oral cancers, chronic bronchitis etc. Almost 6 million people die from tobacco-related causes every year. This study was conducted to measure the prevalence of tobacco use in three different areas around Chennai city, south India.MethodsA survey of 7510 individuals aged > = 15 years was undertaken covering Chennai city (urban), Ambattur (semi-urban) and Sriperumbudur (rural) taluk. Details on tobacco use were collected using a questionnaire adapted from both Global Youth Tobacco Survey and Global Adults Tobacco Survey.ResultsThe overall prevalence of tobacco use was significantly higher in the rural (23.7%) compared to semi-urban (20.9%) and urban (19.4%) areas (P value <0.001) Tobacco smoking prevalence was 14.3%, 13.9% and 12.4% in rural, semi-urban and urban areas respectively. The corresponding values for smokeless tobacco use were 9.5%, 7.0% and 7.0% respectively. Logistic regression analysis showed that the odds of using tobacco (with smoke or smokeless forms) was significantly higher among males, older individuals, alcoholics, in rural areas and slum localities. Behavioural pattern analysis of current tobacco users led to three groups (1) those who were not reached by family or friends to advice on harmful effects (2) those who were well aware of harmful effects of tobacco and even want to quit and (3) those are exposed to second hand/passive smoking at home and outside.ConclusionsTobacco use prevalence was significantly higher in rural areas, slum dwellers, males and older age groups in this region of south India. Women used mainly smokeless tobacco. Tobacco control programmes need to develop strategies to address the different subgroups among tobacco users. Public health facilities need to expand smoking cessation counseling services as well as provide pharmacotherapy where necessary.

Microwave-assisted derivatisation and LC-MS/MS determination of nitrofuran metabolites in farm-raised prawns (Penaeus monodon)

A new microwave-assisted derivatisation and LC-MS/MS method has been developed for the analysis of nitrofuran metabolites – 3-amino-5-morpholino-methyl-1,3-oxa-zolidinone (AMOZ), 3-amino-2-oxazolidinone (AOZ), 1-aminohydantoin (AHD) and semicarbazide (SEM) – in farm-raised prawns (Penaeus monodon) from the coastal regions of South India. Analysis was carried out by reverse-phase column (Phenomenex Luna C18) with gradient elution using mobile phase A (0.02% acetic acid in water) and mobile phase B (0.02% acetic acid in acetonitrile), at a flow rate of 200 μl min–1 and an injection volume of 20 μl. Microwave-assisted derivatisation was achieved in 6 min with good recovery. The results showed that the samples collected from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka contained residues of nitrofuran metabolites in the range from 5.0 to 40 ng g–1. This work emphasises the importance of ensuring the safety of seafood and that a new method of derivatisation is applicable for the analysis of nitrofuran metabolites in seafood.

Defensive Glands of the Darkling BeetleMesomorphus villigerBlanchard (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

Massive home invasion by the darkling beetleMesomorphus villigerBlanchard 1853 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) during monsoon season make it a nuisance pest in many regions of south India. Morphology of defensive glands and mode of release and dispersal of the defensive secretion were analysed. Defensive glands were separated from the abdominal sternites by cutting along the posterior margin of the seventh sternite. Glands are evaginations of intersegmental membrane between the seventh and eighth sternites consisting of two long sac-like reservoirs, and glandular secretion is released by exudation and spread through epipleural gutter of elytra. Gradual release of the secretion is a strategy to repel the predators for a longer duration.

Impacts of modern transitions on thermal comfort in vernacular dwellings in warm-humid climate of Sugganahalli (India)

Sugganahalli, a rural vernacular community in a warm-humid region in South India, is under transition towards adopting modern construction practices. Vernacular local building elements like rubble walls and mud roofs are given way to burnt brick walls and reinforced cement concrete (RCC)/tin roofs. Over 60% of Indian population is rural, and implications of such transitions on thermal comfort and energy in buildings are crucial to understand. Vernacular architecture evolves adopting local resources in response to the local climate adopting passive solar designs. This paper investigates the effectiveness of passive solar elements on the indoor thermal comfort by adopting modern climate-responsive design strategies. Dynamic simulation models validated by measured data have also been adopted to determine the impact of the transition from vernacular to modern material-configurations. Age-old traditional design considerations were found to concur with modern understanding into bio-climatic response and climate-responsiveness. Modern transitions were found to increase the average indoor temperatures in excess of 7℃. Such transformations tend to shift the indoor conditions to a psychrometric zone that is likely to require active air-conditioning. Also, the surveyed thermal sensation votes were found to lie outside the extended thermal comfort boundary for hot developing countries provided by Givoni in the bio-climatic chart.