Southern Indian State Research Articles

Overview of the ant genus Vollenhovia (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in India and Sri Lanka, with an illustrated key and the description of a new species

The ant genus Vollenhovia Mayr, 1865 (Myrmicinae, Crematogastrini) mostly occurs in the Australasian and Oriental regions. We revised its diversity in India and Sri Lanka based on qualitative and quantitative morphology, recognizing eleven taxa, including a new species which is described herewith: V. escherichi Forel, 1911, V. gastropunctata Bharti & Kumar, 2013, V. karimalaensis Dhadwal et al., 2023, V. keralensis Kripakaran & Sadasivan, 2022, V. mawrapensis Dhadwal et al., 2023, V. oblonga laevithorax Emery, 1889, V. penetrans (Smith, 1857), V. pfeifferi Bharti et al., 2023, V. taylori Rilta et al., 2023, V. terayamai Rilta et al., 2023, and V. yasmeenae sp. nov. The subspecies status of V. oblonga laevithorax and its relationship with V. penetrans, whose type series does not contain workers, still requires to be assessed in the context of a broader revision including the whole Oriental region. The known distribution of the genus in the Indian subcontinent appears to be fragmentary, still requiring extensive sampling efforts. Four species are from the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot in the southern Indian state of Kerala, one is endemic to the biogeographically related Sri Lanka, three are known from Eastern India near the border with Bangladesh, two are reported from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and one is restricted to the Himachal Pradesh in northern India. A comprehensive key of the known Vollenhovia species from India and Sri Lanka is provided.

Prevalence and Predictors of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Overt Diabetes in Pregnancy: A Secondary Analysis of Nationwide Data from India

Abstract Background: This analysis was conducted to understand prevalence and determinants of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and (overt) diabetes in pregnancy (DIP) in India, and also ascertain their health-seeking behaviour. Materials and Methods: The authors analysed data from the fifth National Family Health Survey of India. Binary logistic regression was used to assess the factors independently associated with GDM and (overt) DIP. Results: The weighted prevalence of GDM was 4.2% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.9–4.5), and the age-adjusted prevalence was 5.4% (95% CI: 4.5–6.4). The prevalence of GDM increased with age. The weighted prevalence of (overt) DIP was 0.38% (95% CI: 0.30–0.48), and the age-adjusted prevalence was 1.04% (95% CI: 0.64–1.68). On adjusted analysis, it was found that increasing age and obesity had significantly higher odds of having GDM. Higher odds of access to private facilities were found amongst women with higher education and those who were overweight. Significant regional variation in the prevalence of GDM was observed, with a very low burden observed in northeastern states and a comparatively higher burden in Central, Western and Southern Indian states. Conclusions: There is an increasing prevalence of GDM in India. Strengthening primary health systems to enhance GDM-related service availability, quality and delivery could be logical policy intervention.

Decentralisation in School Management and Student Achievement: Evidence from India

This paper examines the link between decentralisation in school management and student achievement levels in secondary schools in India. It employs observational data from two school surveys conducted as part of the Young Lives project in the southern Indian states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to create a measure of decentralisation as a latent construct. The relationship between decentralisation and students’ abilities in mathematics and English is measured using linear mixed effects models. Contrary to the expectations in much literature, we find a negative association between decentralisation and students’ scores on Maths and English assessments, even when controlling for a variety of individual and school characteristics. The results from the analysis therefore problematises decentralisation initiatives such as school-based management to improve student achievement.

Contribution of Tourism Sector to State’s GSDP with Special Reference to South Indian States - A Comparative Study

India is known for diversity in every aspect. The physical geography of the nation has to endeavour in tourism. For developing countries such as India, tourism has been a boon in employment creation and revenue generation. In this particular research paper, the researchers have compared the contribution of tourism to State Gross Domestic product among southern Indian states. The study was based on secondary data. The study found that the tourism sector has been consistently contributing around 6 per cent to the total GSDP of each state. Out of these, Karnataka topped in terms of revenue generation, and Tamil Nadu topped in terms of foreign and domestic visits.

Assessing the Efficacy of Steroids as a Single Modality Treatment for Kimura Disease: A Retrospective Analysis.

Kimura disease is an idiopathic chronic inflammatory disorder, that usually affects the head and neck sites. The use of steroid for its management has been long reviewed in literature alongside immune suppression, but there are only few studies that compare the efficacy of steroid as a single modality treatment for the same. A middle-aged patient, hailing from southern state of India, presented to our outpatient clinic with right sided facial swelling for 2 years. Patient was diagnosed as a case of kimura disease of head and neck with cytological analysis and other investigations. Patient was managed medically with low dose oral corticosteroids and followed up for 6 months. This is a retrospective analysis of the efficacy of this single modality treatment. Patients with Kimura disease with no renal involvement, low dose oral corticosteroids can be tried as a single modality treatment, provided there are no contra indications for the same. Although long term follow up is essential to look for recurrence rates and associated long term benefits for the same.

Wind-solar-storage trade-offs in a decarbonizing electricity system

Exploring cost-effective wind-solar-storage combinations to replace conventional fossil-fuelled power generation without compromising grid reliability becomes increasingly important in a steadily decarbonizing electricity system. For a renewable energy-rich state in Southern India (Karnataka), we systematically assess various wind-solar-storage energy mixes for alternate future scenarios, using Pareto frontiers. The simulated scenarios consider assumed growth in electricity demand, and different levels of base generation and supply-side flexibility from fossil fuels and hydropower. Our approach uses hourly load data, simulates generation based on hourly weather reanalysis data, and models the effects of battery charging and discharging on battery lifetimes. In the context of declining base generation and limited flexibility in the state electricity grid, the reliability of meeting demand is limited by the generation curtailment that is permitted. We show that adding battery storage capacity without concomitant expansion of renewable generation capacity is inefficient. Keeping the wind-solar installations within the officially assessed renewable potential, a fully decarbonized grid with limited flexibility can have approximately 63% reliability even after using adequate battery storage. Achieving 99% grid reliability would be expensive, requiring large wind-solar installations that exceed officially assessed potential, constrained by land allocation. The findings highlight the importance of a fresh examination of curtailment thresholds, available renewable potential, and possibilities of demand-side management based on consumers' willingness to modify hourly demand patterns.

Marketing of Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) at Tourist Destinations: A Case Study of Shampoo Preference at Yelagiri Hill Station

Tourist destinations represent a unique marketing opportunity for Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) companies. Vellore District, located in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is known for its historical and cultural attractions, making it a prime location for tourists. This research study explores the marketing strategies employed by FMCG companies in Vellore District and analyzes the factors that influence consumer behavior in this unique setting. Through a combination of surveys, interviews, and data analysis, this study provides valuable insights into how FMCG companies can effectively market their products in tourist destinations in particular with shampoos.

Pathology and Molecular Diagnosis of Respiratory Disease Outbreak due to PCV-2 in a Pig Farm in Goa, India

Background: Pig farming is an important source of income and nutrition for rural farmers in Goa. Pig production is threatened by many infectious diseases. The present study reports a respiratory disease outbreak in a total of 200 pigs including adults and piglets with 40% mortality in a pig herd of Large white Yorkshire and crossbreds in South Goa during the winter period in January 2022. Method: The farm was visited and recorded clinical signs and post mortem findings and and samples were collected for bacterial isolation, PCR confirmation of bacterial and viral pathogens and histopathology. Result: The affected pigs showed high fever, reduced feed intake, staggering gate, huddling, difficulty in breathing, cough, and brown to greenish diarrhea followed by death within a span of 3 weeks. Major gross lesions were non-collapsed lungs with severe congestion and localized areas of consolidation, severe congestion of viscera, and enlargement, and presence of multifocal areas of necrosis in the liver. Histopathology of lungs focal or diffuse bronchointerstitial pneumonia and the lymphoid organs showed lymphoid depletion. Pasteruella multocida could be isolated from heart blood and tissues from 3 cases and PCR of the tissue DNA confirmed the presence of P. multocida and Porcine Circo Virus-2 (PCV-2) infection. The study confirms the presence of PCV-2 infection in pig herds in Goa for the first time. The acute mortality can be attributed to the co-infection of the herd with PCV-2 and P. multocida and sudden change in weather patterns with prevailing severe cold conditions during time of outbreak. Sequencing and Phylogenetic analysis of the PCV-2 ORF-2gene showed the PCV-2 virus from Goa is more related to isolates from southern Indian states.

Identifying F. oxysporum Strains Causing Wilt in Southern Indian Chickpeas

Fusarium oxysporum (Schletend: Fr) f. sp. ciceri (Padwick), referred to as Foc, is a soil-borne fungus that poses a constant threat to chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.) by causing wilt disease. Typical wilt symptoms were observed in chickpea plants collected from 24 different locations across three southern Indian states. The process involved isolating Fusarium species from the roots of these wilted plants, resulting in the identification of various strains exhibiting diverse cultural and morphological characteristics on potato dextrose agar medium. All twenty four isolates were subjected to Koch's postulates using the standard method, which yielded varied responses in terms of disease incidence. After analyzing cultural, morphological, molecular traits, and conducting pathogenicity tests, the fungus was definitively identified as F. oxysporum Schlechtend. Fr. f. sp. ciceri (Padwick) Matuo and K. Sato. Among the 24 isolates tested on the chickpea wilt susceptible cultivar JG-62, one was non-pathogenic with zero percent disease incidence (PDI), while one isolate was highly pathogenic showed 100 percent PDI. Highly pathogenic four isolate was further used for molecular identification with secreted in xylem primers (SIX). Comparative studies of cultural traits and conidial morphology among different isolates revealed variations in growth patterns, pigmentation, sporulation, and the size and structure of macro and micro conidia, as well as chlamydospores.

Effects of flood on livestock and challenges faced by livestock farmers in South India

ABSTRACT India is the second most flood-affected country after Bangladesh. Keeping the above in view, the present study entitled ‘A critical study on effect of flood on livestock production in northern districts of Karnataka’ was taken up. The study was conducted purposively in the Belagavi and Kalaburgi divisions of Karnataka, a state in southern India. The data collection was done by the personal interview method with pretested schedule in two divisions of north Karnataka with 160 respondents each making a total of 320 respondents. The majority of the farmers did not build any new animal houses or flood water as the source of drinking water. The majority of livestock farmers expressed favourable opinions regarding the flood warning system. The first and foremost challenge faced by livestock farmers was fodder storage and shortage. These findings help the policy-makers to develop area-specific mitigation and rehabilitation measures for the better management of livestock.

Epidemiology of Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome in the Kerala Einstein Study: Protocol for a Prospective Cohort Study.

The southern India state of Kerala has among the highest proportion of older adults in its population in the country. An increase in chronic age-related diseases such as dementia is expected in the older Kerala population. Identifying older individuals early in the course of cognitive decline offers the best hope of introducing preventive measures early and planning management. However, the epidemiology and pathogenesis of predementia syndromes at the early stages of cognitive decline in older adults are not well established in India. The Kerala Einstein Study (KES) is a community-based cohort study that was established in 2008 and is based in the Kozhikode district in Kerala state. KES aims to establish risk factors and brain substrates of motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR), a predementia syndrome characterized by the presence of slow gait and subjective cognitive concerns in individuals without dementia or disability. This protocol describes the study design and procedures for this KES project. KES is proposing to enroll a sample of 1000 adults ≥60 years old from urban and rural areas in the Kozhikode district of Kerala state: 200 recruited in the previous phase of KES and 800 new participants to be recruited in this project. MCR is the cognitive phenotype of primary interest. The associations between previously established risk factors for dementia as well as novel risk factors (apathy and traumatic brain injury) and MCR will be examined in KES. Risk factor profiles for MCR will be compared between urban and rural residents as well as with individuals who meet the criteria for mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Cognitive and physical function, medical history and medications, sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle patterns, and activities of daily living will be evaluated. Participants will also undergo magnetic resonance imaging and electrocardiogram investigations. Longitudinal follow-up is planned in a subset of participants as a prelude to future longitudinal studies. KES (2R01AG039330-07) was funded by the US National Institutes of Health in September 2019 and received approval from the Indian Medical Council of Research to start the study in June 2021. We had recruited 433 new participants from urban and rural sites in Kozhikode as of May 2023: 41.1% (178/433) women, 67.7% (293/433) rural residents, and 13.4% (58/433) MCR cases. Enrollment is actively ongoing at all the KES recruitment sites. KES will provide new insights into risk factors and brain substrates associated with MCR in India and will help guide future development of regionally specific preventive interventions for dementia. DERR1-10.2196/49933.

Power and Subjectification at the Edge of Social Media Interfaces in the Aftermath of the Jallikattu Protest

In January 2017, millions of people occupied various public places across the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, protesting the Supreme Court’s ban on Jallikattu, a bull-wrangling contest considered central to Tamil identity. Social media was thought to have triggered this ‘leaderless’ protest. Seven days in, a police crackdown splintered the protest’s seemingly unified front. Academic commentators have argued that social media present radical possibilities, ‘short-circuiting’ older forms of broadcast media, which had already been colonized by the state. Taking as discursive sites two videos, one of them posted by a popular Facebook group and another by a YouTube channel centred around Dalit issues, I argue that an a priori claim of new media having a lesser or greater potential to resist colonization is largely untenable. The possibility of such resistance is contingent on the micropolitics of contestation within concrete, localized sites. I analyse narratives of loss and rage on two different social media spaces, elicited from a fishing community near one of the protest sites, after their homes were attacked and their local market had been burnt down by the police. By focusing on tactics of interviewing, I demonstrate that, in the span of a week, the same technological platform credited with sparking the protests that brought the Tamils together as one, now constitutes the limits of the formation of radical subjectivity, as Tamil society finds itself fractured once again.

Use of psychoactive substances by goods carriage drivers associated with Kerala, India

Objective This study aimed to measure the prevalence of drugs of abuse (DOA) among the goods carriage drivers associated with the southern State of India, Kerala. Methods Point-of-collection testing (POCT) of oral fluid collected from the participants (n = 249) was done using the Evidence MultiSTAT DOA Oral Fluid II Assay kits and the Evidence MultiSTAT analyzer. Results Out of the total samples, 53 (21.29%) were positive for one or more DOA. A high prevalence of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (10.04%) and synthetic cannabinoids were detected in the samples. The use of ketamine, alpha-PVP, LSD, methamphetamine, opiate, 6-MAM, benzodiazepines I, methadone, PCP, tramadol, and amphetamine was also detected and their frequency of use ranged between 4.02 and 0.80%. An association between drug abuse and distance of travel was found in drivers in this study, χ 2 (5, N = 249) = 123.5, p < 0.001. Confirmatory analysis using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry showed excellent agreement with the results of the screening test. Conclusions This was the first study conducted among drivers in India for the detection of DOA. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) was used more by the goods carriage drivers associated with Kerala State, India. The use of psychoactive substances significantly increased with the distance of travel. Point-of-collection testing (POCT) by the biochip array technology is an efficient method for the detection of these substances.

Structure of Vegetables Demand in India during Covid-19 Regime- An Econometric Approach

This study aimed to analyze the expenditure, own and cross-price elasticities of ten major vegetables in Southern India. using cross-sectional data from selected households in four southern states of India viz., Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu during 2020 to 2022. We use Working-Leser model, LA/AIDS model and QUAIDS model to compute elasticities and found QUAIDS model as the best fit. As expected the own-price elasticities for all the vegetables are negative and the expenditure elasticities are more than one, except tomato, lettuce and green sorrel. The cross-price elasticities showed that potato is complementarity to tomato, lettuce and green sorrel and the substitution effects of price change were not quite strong, except ivy gourd for bitter gourd; potato for ivy gourd and green sorrel for bitter gourd. Systematic differences in the absolute magnitudes of the expenditure elasticity and own-price elasticity were found and the demand for vegetables is largely influenced by the price change than the income/expenditure change. So, an appropriate price intervention policy by the Government may be more effective in influencing consumption pattern of vegetables enjoying more elastic demand.

Crisis as Opportunity: The Politics of ‘Seva’ and the Hindu Nationalist Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Kerala, South India

The paper examines how Hindu nationalist social service organizations, specifically the Deseeya Seva Bharathi (DSB), reconfigured the religious conception of ‘Seva’ to advance the project of constructing a Hindu social identity during the COVID-19 pandemic in the state of Kerala. The southern Indian state of Kerala has remained an exception in the story of the rise of the Hindu nationalist movement in contemporary India, which has repeatedly failed to make any considerable political inroads in the state. However, the disastrous economic consequences and livelihood challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic in the state, which was heavily dependent on foreign remittance and service industries, have opened up new spaces of engagement for Hindu nationalists. Drawing on the fieldwork conducted in central Kerala during the pandemic, this paper will elaborate on how the DSB used the crisis moment of the pandemic to reach out to economically and socially disadvantaged communities using the language of ‘Seva’ to build a Hindu social identity, which imbues the influence of majoritarian Hindu nationalist politics. The paper argues that the DSB’s articulation of ‘Seva’ as a distinct and superior form of social service that is ‘self-less’, ‘non-instrumental’ and ‘non-reciprocal’ is significant in understanding the growing appeal of Hindu nationalist social service in the contested political sphere of Kerala, which is marked by competing social provisions by the state as well as other secular and religious groups. The paper notes that the reconfiguration of ‘Seva’ as a continuous religious concept enables Hindu nationalists to attain greater acceptance and legitimacy that even the secular state welfare could not achieve, while also concealing the inherent instrumental nature of its social service towards the construction of a Hindu social identity in the region.

Correlates for the severity of suicidal risk in participants with common mental disorders with comorbid chronic medical conditions in rural primary healthcare settings in India.

Suicide is on the rise in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including India. There are limited studies assessing factors linked to the severity of suicidal risk in patients with depression and comorbid chronic medical disorders in primary healthcare (PHC) settings. This study examines factors linked to suicidal risk among participants in a cluster randomized controlled trial of collaborative care intervention (Healthier Options through Empowerment (HOPE Study)). The setting was at 49 PHC in the rural Ramanagara District of Karnataka State in southern India. Study eligibility criteria included being ≥30 years with at least mild depression or generalized anxiety disorder and at least one medical condition (cardiovascular disorder or type 2 diabetes mellitus). The severity of suicidal risk at baseline was assessed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), and other measures included the severity of depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9-items (PHQ-9)), the severity of anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7-items (GAD-7)), disability, social support, quality of life, number of comorbid chronic medical illnesses, and body mass index (BMI). Chi-square tests and independent-samples t-tests were used to compare the demographic and clinical characteristics of the no-low and mod-high suicidal risk groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify correlates associated with the mod-high suicidal risk group. Mod-high suicidal risk was significantly positively associated with the severity of depression and disability and significantly negatively associated with social support. The severity of depression, higher disability scores, and lower social support were found to be independent correlates of mod-high suicidal risk. Screening, managing depression, and facilitating social support for patients with chronic medical illness in PHC settings may reduce suicidal risk.

Hidden educational inequalities in high blood pressure and high blood glucose levels in Kerala: evidence from the National Family Health Survey (2019–2021)

ObjectiveThis study assesses educational inequalities in measured as well as self-reported high blood pressure (BP) and high blood glucose (BG) in the southern Indian state of Kerala, which is known...

Taxonomic notes on the antlion tribe Palparini Banks (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae) from Pakistan

The antlion tribe Palparini Banks, 1911 (Myrmeleontidae: Ascalaphinae) currently comprises five genera and seven species in Pakistan. The taxonomic status of three genera, namely Indopalpares Insom & Carfi, 1988, Palpares Rambur, 1842, and Parapalpares Insom & Carfi, 1988, are revised herein. Indopalpares pardus (Rambur, 1842), Palpares zebratus Rambur, 1842, and Parapalpares solidus (Gerstaecker, 1894) are redescribed based on the material from the northern areas of Pakistan. The following taxonomic and nomenclatural changes are proposed: Palpares patiens is re-established as valid species, and P. infimus is transferred to senior synonym of P. patiens from P. zebratus; Palpares trichogaster syn. nov. is considered a new synonym of Palpares zebratus. The re-find of the rarely known endemic species Palpares zebratus from northern areas in Pakistan reveals its wider distribution far from its type localities in the southern Indian state (Tamil Nadu) and the southern province in Pakistan (Sindh). Taxonomic remarks, distribution maps, and detailed photographs of three species are provided based on both external morphological and genital characters.

Comparative study of changes in corneal astigmatism after pterygium excision with conjunctival auto graft and effect of demographics on the incidence and surgical outcome

: Aim of this article was to study the role of demographics in the incidence of pterygium and its surgical outcome and also to study the change in astigmatism in patients undergoing pterygium excision with conjunctival auto graft in the southern Indian state of Kerala.: 46 eyes of 43 patients with pterygium were studied over a period of 2 years. A complete ophthalmological examination was done. Patient data like age, sex, residing area and occupation were collected. All the patients underwent pterygium excision with auto conjunctival graft under local anaesthesia. Outcome variables like best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), keratometry, subjective refraction and extent of pterygium were recorded preoperatively as well as postoperatively at 1 month and analysed for the change in astigmatism.: Incidence of pterygium was more among patients of the age group 50-70 years, fishermen (28.3%), housewives (21.7%) and among residents of coastal area (71.7%). There was no significant difference between male and female. Majority of the patients were found to have with the rule astigmatism (56%) preoperatively with a mean of 0.88. There was a significant reduction in astigmatism postoperatively in 39 eyes with only 15.4% having clinically significant astigmatism.: There is a significant role for patient demographics in the incidence of astigmatism along the coastal areas with fishing being the most common occupation. Pterygium excision with auto conjunctival graft results in significant reduction in astigmatism which leads to improvement in visual acuity.

LAPAROSCOPIC VERSUS ROBOTIC RESECTION WITHOUT SPLENIC FLEXURE MOBILIZATION FOR RECTAL CANCER: A SINGLE-INSTITUTION EVALUATION OF OUTCOMES.

Background Splenic flexure mobilization has been considered the standard of practice in cases of low anterior resection;however,it has been observed in southern Indian state population, splenic flexure mobilization is may not be necessary for all patients of Dravidian ethnicity. Methods We evaluated the 26 patientswho underwent Laparoscopic Reconstituting Subtotal cholecystectomy during July 2019 to Jan 2022. Preoperative parameters (Age, Gender, diagnosis,location of tumor and Neoadjuvant therapy) and postoperative parameters (Duration of surgery,Hospital Stay, complications, recurrence of malignancy) were compared.Aim of the study was to evaluate the outcome of Low anterior rection without splenic flexure mobilization. Results There was no statistically significant difference in terms of intraoperative,postoperative complications and oncological outcome when splenic flexure mobilization not done.The operative time was similar in the both groups (P&gt;0.05).The Postop complication rate was lower after robotic than after laparoscopic (9% vs. 25.5%, P=0.07). Post operative complications observed in 6 patients (23%) including wound infection, wound dehiscence, anastomotic leak and anastomotic stricture. 5 post op complications were seen in laparoscopic cases;however,this was not statistically significant.On a median 24 month follow-up,the local recurrence rates did not differ significantly between the 2 groups (5 for LAP vs. 1 for Robotic). Conclusion Resection of rectal cancers by minimally invasive approach (Lap and Robotic) without the routine use of SFM do not increase postoperative morbidity or oncologic risk in our subset of patients all of whom belong to the same Dravidian ethnicity. Compared to robotic surgery, patients with laparoscopic surgery had more postoperative complications though the oncologic clearance was comparatively similar.Hence,we suggest that Splenic flexure mobilization need not be done for patients of Dravidian ethnicity as they possess small to medium stature, genetically. This needs to be validated by larger randomized studies.