Sample records for tamil nadu micromorphology

  1. Meningococcal meningitis C in Tamil Nadu, public health perspectives.

    PubMed

    David, Kirubah Vasandhi; Pricilla, Ruby Angeline; Thomas, Beeson

    2014-01-01

    Meningococcal meningitis has rarely been reported in Tamil Nadu. We report here two children diagnosed with meningococcal meningitis in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, on May 2014. The causative strain was Neisseria meningitidis serotype C. The role of the primary care physician in early diagnosis, appropriate referral, and preventive measures of this disease to the immediate family and community is stressed.

  2. Epidemiology of dental caries among adolescents in Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Veerasamy, Arthi; Kirk, Ray; Gage, Jeffrey

    2016-06-01

    Economic and dietary changes in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu have led to compromised oral health status of the adolescent population. Adequate epidemiological data are not available to address the prevention or treatment needs in this region of India. The aim of this study was to measure the prevalence and severity of dental caries among adolescents of Tamil Nadu, a southern state of India. The study sample included 974 adolescent school students (12-15 years of age) from both rural and urban areas of Tamil Nadu, India. The decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) index of these students was measured using the World Health Organization oral health survey method, in a quantitative cross-sectional study. The oral health survey indicated that the prevalence of dental caries among adolescents in rural and urban areas of Tamil Nadu was 61.4%, with an average DMFT score of 2.03. Multiple regression analyses indicated factors such as gender, mother's education, type of school and caste as significant predictors of dental caries. Female gender, Scheduled Caste and Tribes attending public schools in rural areas were identified as the more vulnerable populations to be affected by dental caries. Oral health policies should be targeted to these adolescent populations in the Tamil Nadu region. © 2016 FDI World Dental Federation.

  3. Prevalence of disability in Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Velayutham, Banurekha; Kangusamy, Boopathi; Mehendale, Sanjay

    2017-01-01

    Information on disability is essential for the government to formulate policies, allocate adequate resources and implement appropriate programmes. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of disability and describe the types of disability by gender, age and geographical regions in Tamil Nadu, India. We analysed the 2011 Census cross-sectional survey data of Tamil Nadu. Age-adjusted disability rates and disability rates per 100 000 population were calculated. There were 1 179 963 disabled individuals in Tamil Nadu in 2011, a disability rate of 1635 per 100 000 population. Disability in movement, hearing and sight individually accounted for 24%, 19% and 11% of the total disability, respectively. Sixteen districts had disability rates above the state average. As age advanced, disability rates increased; the highest disability rate of 2533 per 100 000 was among people aged 60 years and above. The disability rates were higher in males compared to females (1819 v. 1451 per 100 000). Rural areas had higher disability areas compared to urban (1670 v. 1599 per 100 000). Currently married, working populations and literate populations had lower disability rates. Disability rate in the Scheduled Castes was higher at 1763 per 100 000 compared to the Scheduled Tribes and other social groups. Multiple disability was high in the age groups 0-19 years and 60 years and above. Physical or mental disability was observed in 1.6% of the population of Tamil Nadu. Research is warranted to identify underlying causes and interventions to reduce the burden of disability in the state.

  4. Towards a Better Health Care Delivery System: The Tamil Nadu model.

    PubMed

    Parthasarathi, R; Sinha, S P

    2016-01-01

    The Tamil Nadu model of public health is renowned for its success in providing quality health services at an affordable cost especially to the rural people. Tamil Nadu is the only state with a distinctive public health cadre in the district level and also the first state to enact a Public Health Act in 1939. Tamil Nadu has gained significant ground in the various aspects of health in the last few decades largely because of the significant reforms in its health sector which dates back to 1980s which saw rigorous expansion of rural health infrastructure in the state besides deployment of thousands of multipurpose health workers as village health nurses in rural areas. Effective implementation of Universal Immunization Programme, formation of Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation for regulating the drug procurement and promoting generic drugs, early incorporation of indigenous system of medicine into health care service, formulation of a health policy in 2003 by the state with special emphasis on low-income, disadvantaged communities alongside efficient implementation of The Tamil Nadu Health Systems Project (TNHSP) are the major factors which contributed for the success of the state. The importance of good political commitment and leadership in the health gains of the state warrants special mention. Moreover, the economic growth of the state, improved literacy rate, gender equality, and lowered fertility rate in the last few decades and contributions from the private sector have their share in the public health success of the state. In spite of some flaws and challenges, the Tamil Nadu Model remains the prototype health care delivery system in resource-limited settings which can be emulated by other states also toward a better health care delivery system.

  5. Towards a Better Health Care Delivery System: The Tamil Nadu model

    PubMed Central

    Parthasarathi, R.; Sinha, S.P.

    2016-01-01

    The Tamil Nadu model of public health is renowned for its success in providing quality health services at an affordable cost especially to the rural people. Tamil Nadu is the only state with a distinctive public health cadre in the district level and also the first state to enact a Public Health Act in 1939. Tamil Nadu has gained significant ground in the various aspects of health in the last few decades largely because of the significant reforms in its health sector which dates back to 1980s which saw rigorous expansion of rural health infrastructure in the state besides deployment of thousands of multipurpose health workers as village health nurses in rural areas. Effective implementation of Universal Immunization Programme, formation of Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation for regulating the drug procurement and promoting generic drugs, early incorporation of indigenous system of medicine into health care service, formulation of a health policy in 2003 by the state with special emphasis on low-income, disadvantaged communities alongside efficient implementation of The Tamil Nadu Health Systems Project (TNHSP) are the major factors which contributed for the success of the state. The importance of good political commitment and leadership in the health gains of the state warrants special mention. Moreover, the economic growth of the state, improved literacy rate, gender equality, and lowered fertility rate in the last few decades and contributions from the private sector have their share in the public health success of the state. In spite of some flaws and challenges, the Tamil Nadu Model remains the prototype health care delivery system in resource-limited settings which can be emulated by other states also toward a better health care delivery system. PMID:27890982

  6. Occurrence of Bluetongue in ruminants in Tamil Nadu, South India.

    PubMed

    Reddy, Y Krishnamohan; Brindha, K; Ganesan, P I; Srinivas, K; Reddy, G S; Minakshi, P

    2016-09-30

    Tamil Nadu is located in the South-Eastern part of Indian peninsula, between 8.087° and 13.09°N and 76.50° and 80.27°E. Bluetongue (BT) was first reported in this region in sheep during 1982 with regular occurrence thereafter. In 1989-1990, 1997-1998 and 2005-2006, there was wide spread occurrence of BT resulting in huge mortality of sheep. The present study had the goal of isolating the BTV from outbreaks in sheep occurred in Tamil Naadu between 2003-2011 and comparing the VP2 gene sequences of the BTV isolates involved in such outbreaks. Serotypes 1, 2, 16, and 23 of the Bluetongue virus (BTV) have been isolated from sheep during BT outbreaks. BTV-16 has also been isolated in goats and cattle in the region; BTV-2 isolated in Tamil Nadu has homology with BTV-2 isolated in Africa; whereas the BTV-23 isolated in this area has homology with BTV-23 from South East Asia, indicating that both Eastern and Western topotypes of BTV are circulating in ruminant population in Tamil Nadu.

  7. Experience of non-scalpel vasectomy in a rural area of Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Sivagnanam, K; Sarkar, Sonali; Kumar, Ganesh; Kar, Sitanshu Sekhar

    2014-01-01

    Only 0.7% of men participate in the sterilization programme in Tamil Nadu. Various strategies were adopted to achieve a target of 10%. We aimed to assess the motivational strategies adopted by the health staff of Sathya Vijayanagaram block of Thiruvannamalai district in Tamil Nadu to improve the acceptance of non-scalpel vasectomy among the beneficiaries and to describe the sociodemographic characteristics of the acceptors of the technique. This qualitative study, conducted in November-December 2010, involved in-depth interviews of the health staff of Cheyyar Health Unit district. All those who accepted non-scalpel vasectomy between 2007 and 2010 were interviewed. Early identification of targets and sustained motivation through a team approach, supported by administrative arrangements and intense information-education-communication activities, resulted in non-scalpel vasectomy contributing to 13% of all sterilizations. Acceptors were men from lower socioeconomic strata. The strategies adopted by the health system have contributed to the acceptance of non-scalpel vasectomy in the remote villages of a block in Tamil Nadu. This endeavour may be replicated in other districts of Tamil Nadu and others states of India to achieve the goals set for population control. Copyright 2014, NMJI.

  8. Test anxiety levels of board exam going students in Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Mary, Revina Ann; Marslin, Gregory; Franklin, Gregory; Sheeba, Caroline J

    2014-01-01

    The latest report by the National Crime Records Bureau has positioned Tamil Nadu as the Indian state with highest suicide rate. At least in part, this is happening due to exam pressure among adolescents, emphasizing the imperative need to understand the pattern of anxiety and various factors contributing to it among students. The present study was conducted to analyze the level of state anxiety among board exam attending school students in Tamil Nadu, India. A group of 100 students containing 50 boys and 50 girls from 10th and 12th grades participated in the study and their state anxiety before board exams was measured by Westside Test Anxiety Scale. We found that all board exam going students had increased level of anxiety, which was particularly higher among boys and 12th standard board exam going students. Analysis of various demographic variables showed that students from nuclear families presented higher anxiety levels compared to their desired competitive group. Overall, our results showing the prevalence of state anxiety among board exam going students in Tamil Nadu, India, support the recent attempt taken by Tamil Nadu government to improve student's academic performance in a healthier manner by appointing psychologists in all government schools.

  9. Test Anxiety Levels of Board Exam Going Students in Tamil Nadu, India

    PubMed Central

    Ann Mary, Revina; Marslin, Gregory; Franklin, Gregory; Sheeba, Caroline J.

    2014-01-01

    The latest report by the National Crime Records Bureau has positioned Tamil Nadu as the Indian state with highest suicide rate. At least in part, this is happening due to exam pressure among adolescents, emphasizing the imperative need to understand the pattern of anxiety and various factors contributing to it among students. The present study was conducted to analyze the level of state anxiety among board exam attending school students in Tamil Nadu, India. A group of 100 students containing 50 boys and 50 girls from 10th and 12th grades participated in the study and their state anxiety before board exams was measured by Westside Test Anxiety Scale. We found that all board exam going students had increased level of anxiety, which was particularly higher among boys and 12th standard board exam going students. Analysis of various demographic variables showed that students from nuclear families presented higher anxiety levels compared to their desired competitive group. Overall, our results showing the prevalence of state anxiety among board exam going students in Tamil Nadu, India, support the recent attempt taken by Tamil Nadu government to improve student's academic performance in a healthier manner by appointing psychologists in all government schools. PMID:25143938

  10. Molecular characterization of wild-type measles viruses in Tamil Nadu, India, during 2005-2006: relationship of genotype D8 strains from Tamil Nadu to global strains.

    PubMed

    Duraisamy, Raja; Rota, Paul A; Palani, Gunasekaran; Elango, Varalakshmi; Sambasivam, Mohana; Lowe, Luis; Lopareva, Elena; Ramamurty, Nalini

    2012-02-01

    Molecular characterization of measles viruses is a valuable tool for measuring the effectiveness of measles control and elimination programmes. WHO recommends that virological surveillance be conducted during all phases of measles control to document circulation of indigenous strains and trace future importation. This report describes the genetic characterization of wild type measles viruses from Tamil Nadu, India isolated between January 2005 and January 2006. In the study, 304 suspected measles cases (292 from 56 outbreaks and 12 sporadic cases) were investigated. Blood samples were collected from suspected measles outbreaks and 11 suspected sporadic cases and tested for the presence of measles and rubella specific IgM. Based on serological results, 53 outbreaks were confirmed as measles, 2 as a combination of measles and rubella, and 1 negative for both. Eight sporadic cases were confirmed as measles and one as rubella. Throat swab and urine samples were collected for virus isolation and 28 isolates were obtained. Sequencing and analysis showed that 3 isolates belonged to genotype D4 and 25 to genotype D8. Comparison of the genotype D8 sequences from Tamil Nadu with previously reported genotype D8 sequences from India and abroad showed six distinct clusters with Tamil Nadu strains forming two clusters. This study has established baseline molecular data and is the first report that describes genetic diversity of circulating measles strains in Tamil Nadu, a state in India. D8 has multiple lineages and this has been linked with importation of measles into the USA and UK. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. Investigation of measles and rubella outbreaks in Tamil Nadu, India-2003.

    PubMed

    Ramamurty, Nalini; Raja, Duraisamy; Gunasekaran, Palani; Varalakshmi, Elango; Mohana, Sambasivam; Jin, Li

    2006-04-01

    The aims of the present study were to confirm measles outbreaks by detection of measles-specific IgM antibodies, isolation of measles virus, and genetic characterization to document the circulating genotypes in Tamil Nadu. Eight outbreaks were reported from six districts of Tamil Nadu, India during the period Jan-Dec 2003. Blood samples were collected for serology, urine, and throat swabs for virus isolation. Genotypic characterization of measles isolates was based on the sequence of the N gene. All the clinically suspected outbreaks (n = 8) were confirmed by serology; six out of the eight as measles and two as combination of measles and rubella highlighting the need to carry out rubella serology on measles-negative samples. Genetic characterization of three isolates obtained revealed one as genotype D4 and two as D8. Measles genotypes D4 and D8 were found to circulate in three districts of Tamil Nadu. It is necessary to be aware of the circulating genotypes within the geographical area. The information would be valuable to evaluate control measures and identify viral transmission and importation. Copyright 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  12. Normative data for stretched penile length in term neonates born in Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Prabhu, Sudha Rathna; Mahadevan, Shriraam; Bharath, R; Jagadeesh, Sujatha; Kumutha, J; Suresh, Seshadri

    2014-07-01

    To establish normative data for stretched penile length (SPL) in term male neonates born in Tamil Nadu. All live term male neonates delivered in a hospital during a given period were included. SPL was measured from the pubic ramus to the tip of the glans. Two consecutive measurements were taken and average was recorded. The mean SPL observed in our study was 2.83 ± 0.49 cm. This study helps establish normative values for SPL in neonates of Tamil Nadu origin.

  13. Department of Neurosurgery, Madurai Medical College and the development of neurosurgery in South Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Thiruppathy, Subbiah; Manimaran, Ramiah; Niban, Gopalakrishnan M; Muthukumar, Natarajan

    2018-01-01

    The development of neurosurgery in South Tamil Nadu can be traced to the Department of Neurosurgery, Madurai Medical College and Government Rajaji Hospital, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. The hospital was established in the year 1940 and Madurai Medical College was started in 1954. Prof. M. Natarajan founded this department in September, 1963. This department has a Neurosurgery Residency Program that is 50 years old. The establishment of this department and its growth to its present stature is documented here.

  14. Village Level Tsunami Threat Maps for Tamil Nadu, SE Coast of India: Numerical Modeling Technique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    MP, J.; Kulangara Madham Subrahmanian, D.; V, R. M.

    2014-12-01

    The Indian Ocean tsunami (IOT) devastated several countries of North Indian Ocean. India is one of the worst affected countries after Indonesia and Sri Lanka. In India, Tamil Nadu suffered maximum with fatalities exceeding 8,000 people. Historical records show that tsunami has invaded the shores of Tamil Nadu in the past and has made people realize that the tsunami threat looms over Tamil Nadu and it is necessary to evolve strategies for tsunami threat management. The IOT has brought to light that tsunami inundation and runup varied within short distances and for the disaster management for tsunami, large scale maps showing areas that are likely to be affected by future tsunami are identified. Therefore threat assessment for six villages including Mamallapuram (also called Mahabalipuram) which is famous for its rock-cut temples, from the northern part of Tamil Nadu state of India has been carried out and threat maps categorizing the coast into areas of different degree of threat are prepared. The threat was assessed by numerical modeling using TUNAMI N2 code considering different tsunamigenic sources along the Andaman - Sumatra trench. While GEBCO and C-Map data was used for bathymetry and for land elevation data was generated by RTK - GPS survey for a distance of 1 km from shore and SRTM for the inland areas. The model results show that in addition to the Sumatra source which generated the IOT in 2004, earthquakes originating in Car Nicobar and North Andaman can inflict more damage. The North Andaman source can generate a massive tsunami and an earthquake of magnitude more than Mw 9 can not only affect Tamil Nadu but also entire south east coast of India. The runup water level is used to demarcate the tsunami threat zones in the villages using GIS.

  15. High prevalence of tobacco use, alcohol use and overweight in a rural population in Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Kaur, P; Rao, S R; Radhakrishnan, E; Ramachandran, R; Venkatachalam, R; Gupte, M D

    2011-01-01

    Cardiovascular diseases are one of the leading causes of death in India. There is high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in urban Tamil Nadu. There are limited data on the prevalence of behavioral risk factors and overweight in rural Tamil Nadu. We estimated prevalence of behavioral risk factors, overweight and central obesity in a rural population in Tamil Nadu, India. We conducted a cross-sectional survey in 11 villages in Kancheepuram/Thiruvallur districts, Tamil Nadu. Study population included 10,500 subjects aged 25-64 years. We collected data on behavioral risk factors and anthropometric measurements. Body mass index (BMI) was categorized using the classification recommended for Asians. Central obesity was defined as waist circumference ≥90 cm for men and ≥80 cm for women. We computed proportions for all risk factors and used trend chi-square to examine trend. Among the 10,500 subjects, 4927 (47%) were males. Among males, 1852 (37.6%) were current smokers and 3073 (62.4%) were current alcohol users. Among females, 840 (15.1%) were smokeless tobacco users. BMI was ≥23.0 kg/m 2 for 1618 (32.8%) males and 2126 (38.2%) females. 867 (17.6%) males and 1323 (23.7%) females were centrally obese. Most commonly used edible oil was palm oil followed by sunflower oil and groundnut oil. We observed high prevalence of tobacco use, alcohol use and central obesity in the rural population in Tamil Nadu. There is need for health promotion programs to encourage adoption of healthy lifestyle and policy interventions to create enabling environment.

  16. Costs analysis of a population level rabies control programme in Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Abbas, Syed Shahid; Kakkar, Manish; Rogawski, Elizabeth Tacket

    2014-02-01

    The study aimed to determine costs to the state government of implementing different interventions for controlling rabies among the entire human and animal populations of Tamil Nadu. This built upon an earlier assessment of Tamil Nadu's efforts to control rabies. Anti-rabies vaccines were made available at all health facilities. Costs were estimated for five different combinations of animal and human interventions using an activity-based costing approach from the provider perspective. Disease and population data were sourced from the state surveillance data, human census and livestock census. Program costs were extrapolated from official documents. All capital costs were depreciated to estimate annualized costs. All costs were inflated to 2012 Rupees. Sensitivity analysis was conducted across all major cost centres to assess their relative impact on program costs. It was found that the annual costs of providing Anti-rabies vaccine alone and in combination with Immunoglobulins was $0.7 million (Rs 36 million) and $2.2 million (Rs 119 million), respectively. For animal sector interventions, the annualised costs of rolling out surgical sterilisation-immunization, injectable immunization and oral immunizations were estimated to be $ 44 million (Rs 2,350 million), $23 million (Rs 1,230 million) and $ 11 million (Rs 590 million), respectively. Dog bite incidence, health systems coverage and cost of rabies biologicals were found to be important drivers of costs for human interventions. For the animal sector interventions, the size of dog catching team, dog population and vaccine costs were found to be driving the costs. Rabies control in Tamil Nadu seems a costly proposition the way it is currently structured. Policy makers in Tamil Nadu and other similar settings should consider the long-term financial sustainability before embarking upon a state or nation-wide rabies control programme.

  17. Costs Analysis of a Population Level Rabies Control Programme in Tamil Nadu, India

    PubMed Central

    Abbas, Syed Shahid; Kakkar, Manish; Rogawski, Elizabeth Tacket

    2014-01-01

    The study aimed to determine costs to the state government of implementing different interventions for controlling rabies among the entire human and animal populations of Tamil Nadu. This built upon an earlier assessment of Tamil Nadu's efforts to control rabies. Anti-rabies vaccines were made available at all health facilities. Costs were estimated for five different combinations of animal and human interventions using an activity-based costing approach from the provider perspective. Disease and population data were sourced from the state surveillance data, human census and livestock census. Program costs were extrapolated from official documents. All capital costs were depreciated to estimate annualized costs. All costs were inflated to 2012 Rupees. Sensitivity analysis was conducted across all major cost centres to assess their relative impact on program costs. It was found that the annual costs of providing Anti-rabies vaccine alone and in combination with Immunoglobulins was $0.7 million (Rs 36 million) and $2.2 million (Rs 119 million), respectively. For animal sector interventions, the annualised costs of rolling out surgical sterilisation-immunization, injectable immunization and oral immunizations were estimated to be $ 44 million (Rs 2,350 million), $23 million (Rs 1,230 million) and $ 11 million (Rs 590 million), respectively. Dog bite incidence, health systems coverage and cost of rabies biologicals were found to be important drivers of costs for human interventions. For the animal sector interventions, the size of dog catching team, dog population and vaccine costs were found to be driving the costs. Rabies control in Tamil Nadu seems a costly proposition the way it is currently structured. Policy makers in Tamil Nadu and other similar settings should consider the long-term financial sustainability before embarking upon a state or nation-wide rabies control programme. PMID:24587471

  18. Bureaucratic Activism and Radical School Change in Tamil Nadu, India

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Niesz, Tricia; Krishnamurthy, Ramchandar

    2013-01-01

    In 2007, Activity Based Learning (ABL), a child-centered, activity-based method of pedagogical practice, transformed classrooms in all of the over 37,000 primary-level government schools in Tamil Nadu, India. The large scale, rapid pace, and radical nature of educational change sets the ABL initiative apart from most school reform efforts.…

  19. Determinants of edible oil choice by households in Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Govindaraj, Gurrappa Naidu; Suryaprakash, Satrasala

    2013-01-01

    This study investigated the major determinants that influence the choice of edible oils by households across geographical zones in Tamil Nadu state, India. The primary data from 1,000 sample households were collected using a structured pre-tested questionnaire. Multinomial logit model was fitted for determining the factors. The results revealed that education, income, and households with a history of health problems were the important determinants that influenced the choice of low-saturated-fat oils, whereas the larger size households and weaker section households preferred low-priced palm oil. Income and education levels in Tamil Nadu state surged ahead in recent years. In consonance to these changes the nontraditional low-saturated fat containing sunflower oil demand will increase in many folds in coming years. Hence, besides traditional oils, sunflower oil production has to be stepped up on "mission mode" through appropriate production programs to meet the present and future edible oil demand domestically.

  20. Innovations and Challenges in Reducing Maternal Mortality in Tamil Nadu, India

    PubMed Central

    Padmanaban, P.; Mavalankar, Dileep V.

    2009-01-01

    Although India has made slow progress in reducing maternal mortality, progress in Tamil Nadu has been rapid. This case study documents how Tamil Nadu has taken initiatives to improve maternal health services leading to reduction in maternal morality from 380 in 1993 to 90 in 2007. Various initiatives include establishment of maternal death registration and audit, establishment and certification of comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn-care centres, 24-hour x 7-day delivery services through posting of three staff nurses at the primary health centre level, and attracting medical officers to rural areas through incentives in terms of reserved seats in postgraduate studies and others. This is supported by the better management capacity at the state and district levels through dedicated public-health officers. Despite substantial progress, there is some scope for further improvement of quality of infrastructure and services. The paper draws out lessons for other states and countries in the region. PMID:19489416

  1. Prevalence of intestinal and haemoprotozoan parasites of small ruminants in Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Velusamy, R; Rani, N; Ponnudurai, G; Anbarasi, P

    2015-10-01

    The aim of the present study is to assess the prevalence of intestinal and haemoprotozoan parasites of small ruminants (Sheep and Goats) in North Western part of Tamil Nadu, India. A total of 630 faecal samples (251-sheep, 379-goats) and 554 blood smears (242-sheep, 312-goats) were examined, for the presence of eggs of intestinal and haemoprotozoan parasites, respectively. The samples were received from the Veterinary college hospital and Veterinary dispensaries in North Western part of Tamil Nadu. Faecal samples were processed by sedimentation technique and examined under low power objective (×10), and blood smears were stained using Giemsa's technique and examined under oil immersion (×100). The analysis of data on the prevalence of intestinal and haemoprotozoan parasites of sheep and goats in North Western part of Tamil Nadu for the period from 2004 to 2013, showed an overall prevalence of intestinal parasites was found to be 67% and 35% in sheep and goats, respectively, whereas only 11% of sheep and 3% of goats had the haemoprotozoan parasitic infection. Highly, significant difference (p<0.01) in the prevalence of intestinal (χ(2)=65), and hemoprotozoan (χ(2)=15.4) parasitism was observed between sheep and goats. Intestinal parasites such as strongyles, Trichuris, Moniezia, amphistome, and coccidia were identified in which the highest prevalence was observed with coccidia, followed by strongyles, Monezia, Trichuris, and least with amphistome in both the sheep and goats. The haemoprotozoan parasites recorded were Theileria and Anaplasma species, of which, Anaplasma spp. being the highest and Theileria spp. the least prevalent in both the sheep and goats. The seasonal prevalence of intestinal parasites showed highest in rainy season, followed by moderate in winter and least with summer in both the sheep and goats, whereas the haemoprotozoan parasites recorded were the highest in summer followed by winter and least with rainy season. The present study suggests

  2. A cross-sectional survey of the models in Bihar and Tamil Nadu, India for pooled procurement of medicines.

    PubMed

    Chokshi, Maulik; Farooqui, Habib Hasan; Selvaraj, Sakthivel; Kumar, Preeti

    2015-01-01

    In India, access to medicine in the public sector is significantly affected by the efficiency of the drug procurement system and allied processes and policies. This study was conducted in two socioeconomically different states: Bihar and Tamil Nadu. Both have a pooled procurement system for drugs but follow different models. In Bihar, the volumes of medicines required are pooled at the state level and rate contracted (an open tender process invites bidders to quote for the lowest rate for the list of medicines), while actual invoicing and payment are done at district level. In Tamil Nadu, medicine quantities are also pooled at state level but payments are also processed at state level upon receipt of laboratory quality-assurance reports on the medicines. In this cross-sectional survey, a range of financial and non-financial data related to procurement and distribution of medicine, such as budget documents, annual reports, tender documents, details of orders issued, passbook details and policy and guidelines for procurement were analysed. In addition, a so-called ABC analysis of the procurement data was done to to identify high-value medicines. It was observed that Tamil Nadu had suppliers for 100% of the drugs on their procurement list at the end of the procurement processes in 2006, 2007 and 2008, whereas Bihar's procurement agency was only able to get suppliers for 56%, 59% and 38% of drugs during the same period. Further, it was observed that Bihar's system was fuelling irrational procurement; for example, fluconazole (antifungal) alone was consuming 23.4% of the state's drug budget and was being procured by around 34% of the districts during 2008-2009. Also, the ratios of procurement prices for Bihar compared with Tamil Nadu were in the range of 1.01 to 22.50. For 50% of the analysed drugs, the price ratio was more than 2, that is, Bihar's procurement system was procuring the same medicines at more than twice the prices paid by Tamil Nadu. Centralized

  3. A Survey on Cyber Security awareness among college students in Tamil Nadu

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Senthilkumar, K.; Easwaramoorthy, Sathishkumar

    2017-11-01

    The aim of the study is to analyse the awareness of cyber security on college students in Tamil Nadu by focusing various security threats in the internet. In recent years cybercrime is an enormous challenge in all areas including national security, public safety and personal privacy. To prevent from a victim of cybercrime everyone must know about their own security and safety measures to protect by themselves. A well-structured questionnaire survey method will be applied to analyse the college student’s awareness in the area of cyber security. This survey will be going to conducted in major cities of Tamil Nadu by focusing various security threats like email, virus, phishing, fake advertisement, popup windows and other attacks in the internet. This survey examines the college students’ awareness and the level of awareness about the security issues and some suggestions are set forth to overcome these issues.

  4. Psychometric properties of the Trust in Physician Scale in Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Kalsingh, Maria Jusler; Veliah, Geetha; Gopichandran, Vijayaprasad

    2017-01-01

    Trust in health care is of high intrinsic value. It also leads to positive outcomes such as better treatment adherence and disclosure of sensitive information. Therefore, there is a need to measure trust in health care objectively. To assess the psychometric properties of the Trust in Physician Scale in Tamil Nadu, India. The study was conducted in a private tertiary hospital setting in Tamil Nadu by a cross-sectional survey design. The Trust in Physician Scale and General Trust Scale were administered to 288 participants in the waiting area of a tertiary care hospital in Tamil Nadu. Descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, and Cronbach's alpha statistics were used to assess the validity and reliability of the scale. The respondents were predominantly men from rural areas, older than 35 years of age, and with lesser than 8 years of schooling. The questionnaire had acceptable internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha of 0.707 (95% confidence interval 0.654-0.755). Exploratory factor analysis divided the questionnaire into four domains. Seven items loaded into factor 1 which explained dependability and competence of the physician, two items loaded on factor 2, and one each in factors 3 and 4. The latter four items had very low item to total correlations and hence did not contribute much to the questionnaire. The Trust in Physician questionnaire needs to be modified to accurately measure the domains of trust in the context of the study area. More qualitative studies are required to understand the domains of trust in this cultural and social context.

  5. PLANTS USED IN FOLK MEDICINE BY THE KOTAS OF NILGIRI DISTRICT, TAMIL NADU

    PubMed Central

    Rajan, S.; Sethuraman, M.

    1991-01-01

    The present report deals with 34 plants of ethno botanical significance used s food and medicine by the Kotas of Nilgiri District, Tamil Nadu. Dietary and medicinal applications of plants re briefly summarized and presented. PMID:22556537

  6. Impact of implementation of NRHM program on NMR in Tamil Nadu (TN): a case study.

    PubMed

    Kumutha, J; Chitra, N; Vidyasagar, Dharmapuri

    2014-12-01

    The Government of India had set up the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in 2005 in an effort towards providing quality healthcare to the underserved rural areas and also to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. While the trends in child and maternal mortality show great progress by India since 1990 with steady decline in Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), a comparison of the predicted trend and target of MDGs show that India would fall short by a few points. In contrast, Tamil Nadu has reached its MDGs and is ensuring sustained progress in reducing child and maternal mortality with an effective implementation of the various schemes of NRHM. Tamil Nadu leads the way in ensuring universal health coverage leveraging the expertise and funds of NRHM by providing round the clock services, introducing new and innovative programs to improve outcomes and regular monitoring of the functional operation and outcomes to ensure effective implementation. Adopting the features of the Tamil Nadu model of healthcare system that caters to their particular state and effectively implementing the initiatives of NRHM would help the other states in considerably reducing the child and maternal mortality and also ensure early achievement of MDGs by the nation.

  7. Prevalence of intestinal and haemoprotozoan parasites of small ruminants in Tamil Nadu, India

    PubMed Central

    Velusamy, R.; Rani, N.; Ponnudurai, G.; Anbarasi, P.

    2015-01-01

    Aim: The aim of the present study is to assess the prevalence of intestinal and haemoprotozoan parasites of small ruminants (Sheep and Goats) in North Western part of Tamil Nadu, India. Materials and Methods: A total of 630 faecal samples (251-sheep, 379-goats) and 554 blood smears (242-sheep, 312-goats) were examined, for the presence of eggs of intestinal and haemoprotozoan parasites, respectively. The samples were received from the Veterinary college hospital and Veterinary dispensaries in North Western part of Tamil Nadu. Faecal samples were processed by sedimentation technique and examined under low power objective (×10), and blood smears were stained using Giemsa’s technique and examined under oil immersion (×100). Result: The analysis of data on the prevalence of intestinal and haemoprotozoan parasites of sheep and goats in North Western part of Tamil Nadu for the period from 2004 to 2013, showed an overall prevalence of intestinal parasites was found to be 67% and 35% in sheep and goats, respectively, whereas only 11% of sheep and 3% of goats had the haemoprotozoan parasitic infection. Highly, significant difference (p<0.01) in the prevalence of intestinal (χ2=65), and hemoprotozoan (χ2=15.4) parasitism was observed between sheep and goats. Intestinal parasites such as strongyles, Trichuris, Moniezia, amphistome, and coccidia were identified in which the highest prevalence was observed with coccidia, followed by strongyles, Monezia, Trichuris, and least with amphistome in both the sheep and goats. The haemoprotozoan parasites recorded were Theileria and Anaplasma species, of which, Anaplasma spp. being the highest and Theileria spp. the least prevalent in both the sheep and goats. The seasonal prevalence of intestinal parasites showed highest in rainy season, followed by moderate in winter and least with summer in both the sheep and goats, whereas the haemoprotozoan parasites recorded were the highest in summer followed by winter and least with rainy

  8. Worlds apart 1: Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh. Reaping rewards of social development.

    PubMed

    Chhabra, R

    1994-01-01

    Tamil Nadu had a 1991 annual growth rate of 1.1% compared to a rate of over 2% in the northern states of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. The lower fertility and mortality in Tamil Nadu was achieved through a sustained, multifaceted social and economic effort and through promotion, reach, and quality of family planning in a short time period. Political leadership and media efforts since the 1960s have strengthened support for the small family norm, later marriage, and improved status of women. Infrastructure development includes roads and water supplies in every village, rural electrification, and a government center in every village. Tamil Nadu devotes over 33% of its total budget to health and education. Special emphasis was placed on a program initiated in 1982 to provide a nutritious midday meal in school to every child living in poverty. In 1994, this program cost Rs. 3350. The result has been increasing school enrollment, greater retention of female children, reductions in malnutrition, and opportunities for local part-time employment and increased social status in the community. In some locations, the meal program includes day care centers and meals for the aged. Another social program provides cash loans of Rs. 5000 to couples at first marriage who are over the age of 18 years with a completed high school degree. Rs. 300 are provided for nutritional support for the first two pregnancies. Rs. 10,000 are also given to girls whose family income is under Rs. 12,000 a year. Financial assistance is available for widows who remarry and for intercaste marriages. A new program provides a gold ring, educational expenses, and Rs. 20 for families with an only girl child or two girl children and which accept a permanent method of family planning. A negligible 20,000 couples joined the program, although about 15% of the total population was eligible. 50-55% of women receive state subsidies and loans. Collectives exist in 12,000 women's groups. Tamil

  9. Dermatophilus congolensis infection in sheep and goats in Delta region of Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Chitra, M Ananda; Jayalakshmi, K; Ponnusamy, P; Manickam, R; Ronald, B S M

    2017-11-01

    The study was conducted to isolate and identify Dermatophilus congolensis (DC) using conventional and molecular diagnostic techniques in scab materials collected from skin infections of sheep and goats in the Delta region of Tamil Nadu. A total of 20 scab samples collected from 18 goats and 2 sheep from Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, and Tiruvarur districts of Tamil Nadu. Smears were made from softened scab materials and stained by either Gram's or Giemsa staining. Isolation was attempted on blood agar plates, and colonies were stained by Gram's staining for morphological identification. Identification was also done by biochemical tests and confirmed by 16S rRNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR), followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the amplified product. The peculiar laddering arrangement of coccoid forms in stained smears prepared from scab materials revealed the presence of DC. Isolated colonies from scab materials of sheep and goats on bovine blood agar plate were small, hemolytic, rough, adherent, and bright orange-yellow in color, but some colonies were white to cream color. Gram-staining of cultured organisms revealed Gram-positive branching filaments with various disintegration stages of organisms. 16S rRNA PCR yielded 500 bp amplicon specific for DC. Sequence analysis of a sheep DC isolate showed 99-100% sequence homology with other DC isolates available in NCBI database, and phylogenetic tree showed a close cluster with DC isolates of Congo, Nigeria, and Angola of Africa. Genes for virulence factors such as serine protease and alkaline ceramidase could not be detected by PCR in any of the DC strains isolated of this study. The presence of dermatophilosis in Tamil Nadu was established from this study.

  10. Predictors of maternal health services utilization by poor, rural women: a comparative study in Indian States of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Vora, Kranti Suresh; Koblinsky, Sally A; Koblinsky, Marge A

    2015-07-31

    India leads all nations in numbers of maternal deaths, with poor, rural women contributing disproportionately to the high maternal mortality ratio. In 2005, India launched the world's largest conditional cash transfer scheme, Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), to increase poor women's access to institutional delivery, anticipating that facility-based birthing would decrease deaths. Indian states have taken different approaches to implementing JSY. Tamil Nadu adopted JSY with a reorganization of its public health system, and Gujarat augmented JSY with the state-funded Chiranjeevi Yojana (CY) scheme, contracting with private physicians for delivery services. Given scarce evidence of the outcomes of these approaches, especially in states with more optimal health indicators, this cross-sectional study examined the role of JSY/CY and other healthcare system and social factors in predicting poor, rural women's use of maternal health services in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. Using the District Level Household Survey (DLHS)-3, the sample included 1584 Gujarati and 601 Tamil rural women in the lowest two wealth quintiles. Multivariate logistic regression analyses examined associations between JSY/CY and other salient health system, socio-demographic, and obstetric factors with three outcomes: adequate antenatal care, institutional delivery, and Cesarean-section. Tamil women reported greater use of maternal healthcare services than Gujarati women. JSY/CY participation predicted institutional delivery in Gujarat (AOR = 3.9), but JSY assistance failed to predict institutional delivery in Tamil Nadu, where mothers received some cash for home births under another scheme. JSY/CY assistance failed to predict adequate antenatal care, which was not incentivized. All-weather road access predicted institutional delivery in both Tamil Nadu (AOR = 3.4) and Gujarat (AOR = 1.4). Women's education predicted institutional delivery and Cesarean-section in Tamil Nadu, while husbands

  11. ADDITIONS TO THE FLORA OF NILGIRIS DISTRICT, TAMIL NADU

    PubMed Central

    Baburaj, D. Suresh; Nain, S. S.; Rajan, S.

    1991-01-01

    Nilgiri District, Tamil Nadu is one of the most botanised areas of southern India. In spite of it a number of wild plants had been missed by previous collectors. In addition a number of exotics and ornamentals having importance in alternative systems of medicine like Homoeopathy and Unani have not been collected and preserved as herbarium records. The present paper lists 36 species of wild plants and 69 species of exotics. Their areas of occurrence, phonological data, accession numbers, and names of collectors have been given. PMID:22556568

  12. Giving birth: the voices of women in Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Corbett, Cheryl A; Callister, Lynn Clark

    2012-09-01

    The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study is to describe the perceptions of childbearing women living in Tamil Nadu, India. This study can increase cultural understanding and foster cultural competence in nurses caring for Indian women. Women were invited to share their childbearing experiences. Following institutional review board approval, interviews were held with 22 women who had given birth in the previous 18 months to a viable infant. The women were grateful for the opportunity to share their perspectives with an interested nurse investigator. Data collection proceeded concurrently with data analysis. Themes were generated collaboratively by the research team. This research provides insights into the perspectives of mothers living in Tamil Nadu, India. Themes included anticipating becoming a mother, following the advice of mothers-in-law and other "wise" women, fear of childbirth related to lack of knowledge, and valuing support during labor and birth. Others included having the greater blessing of giving birth to a son, making the transition to motherhood, following postpartum rituals/ceremonies, and having a desire to give their child the best that life circumstances allow. Nurses should be sensitive to the social determinants of health, which frame giving birth. Listening to the voices of women is helpful in guiding clinical practice. Understanding of childbirth practices in culturally diverse women is essential. Potentially harmful practices can be changed through appropriate educational offerings.

  13. Dermatophilus congolensis infection in sheep and goats in Delta region of Tamil Nadu

    PubMed Central

    Chitra, M. Ananda; Jayalakshmi, K.; Ponnusamy, P.; Manickam, R.; Ronald, B. S. M.

    2017-01-01

    Aim: The study was conducted to isolate and identify Dermatophilus congolensis (DC) using conventional and molecular diagnostic techniques in scab materials collected from skin infections of sheep and goats in the Delta region of Tamil Nadu. Materials and Methods: A total of 20 scab samples collected from 18 goats and 2 sheep from Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, and Tiruvarur districts of Tamil Nadu. Smears were made from softened scab materials and stained by either Gram’s or Giemsa staining. Isolation was attempted on blood agar plates, and colonies were stained by Gram’s staining for morphological identification. Identification was also done by biochemical tests and confirmed by 16S rRNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR), followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the amplified product. Results: The peculiar laddering arrangement of coccoid forms in stained smears prepared from scab materials revealed the presence of DC. Isolated colonies from scab materials of sheep and goats on bovine blood agar plate were small, hemolytic, rough, adherent, and bright orange-yellow in color, but some colonies were white to cream color. Gram-staining of cultured organisms revealed Gram-positive branching filaments with various disintegration stages of organisms. 16S rRNA PCR yielded 500 bp amplicon specific for DC. Sequence analysis of a sheep DC isolate showed 99-100% sequence homology with other DC isolates available in NCBI database, and phylogenetic tree showed a close cluster with DC isolates of Congo, Nigeria, and Angola of Africa. Genes for virulence factors such as serine protease and alkaline ceramidase could not be detected by PCR in any of the DC strains isolated of this study. Conclusion: The presence of dermatophilosis in Tamil Nadu was established from this study. PMID:29263591

  14. Background radiation and individual dosimetry in the costal area of Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Matsuda, Naoki; Brahmanandhan, G M; Yoshida, Masahiro; Takamura, Noboru; Suyama, Akihiko; Koguchi, Yasuhiro; Juto, Norimichi; Raj, Y Lenin; Winsley, Godwin; Selvasekarapandian, S

    2011-07-01

    South coast of India is known as the high-level background radiation area (HBRA) mainly due to beach sands that contain natural radionuclides as components of the mineral monazite. The rich deposit of monazite is unevenly distributed along the coastal belt of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. An HBRA site that laid in 2×7 m along the sea was found in the beach of Chinnavillai, Tamil Nadu, where the maximum ambient dose equivalent reached as high as 162.7 mSv y(-1). From the sands collected at the HBRA spot, the high-purity germanium semi-conductor detector identified six nuclides of thorium series, four nuclides of uranium series and two nuclides belonging to actinium series. The highest radioactivity observed was 43.7 Bq g(-1) of Th-228. The individual dose of five inhabitants in Chinnavillai, as measured by the radiophotoluminescence glass dosimetry system, demonstrated the average dose of 7.17 mSv y(-1) ranging from 2.79 to 14.17 mSv y(-1).

  15. Nontronite mineral identification in nilgiri hills of tamil nadu using hyperspectral remote sensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vigneshkumar, M.; Yarakkula, Kiran

    2017-11-01

    Hyperspectral Remote sensing is a tool to identify the minerals along with field investigation. Tamil Nadu has abundant minerals like 30% titanium, 52% molybdenum, 59% garnet, 69% dunite, 75% vermiculite and 81% lignite. To enhance the user and industry requirements, mineral extraction is required. To identify the minerals properly, sophisticated tools are required. Hyperspectral remote sensing provides continuous extraction of earth surface information in an accurate manner. Nontronite is an iron-rich mineral mainly available in Nilgiri hills, Tamil Nadu, India. Due to the large number of bands, hyperspectral data require various preprocessing steps such as bad bands removal, destriping, radiance conversion and atmospheric correction. The atmospheric correction is performed using FLAASH method. The spectral data reduction is carried out with minimum noise fraction (MNF) method. The spatial information is reduced using pixel purity index (PPI) with 10000 iterations. The selected end members are compared with spectral libraries like USGS, JPL, and JHU. In the Nontronite mineral gives the probability of 0.85. Finally the classification is accomplished using spectral angle mapper (SAM) method.

  16. Head Teachers' Views of Oral Health Education in Schools in Tamil Nadu, India

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Veerasamy, Arthi; Gage, Jeffrey; Kirk, Ray

    2018-01-01

    Introduction: Children and young people in India have a high prevalence of dental decay. As part of a broader epidemiological study, we interviewed 10 head teachers to understand the status of, and challenges to, inclusion of oral health education in the curricula of public and private schools in Tamil Nadu, India. Objectives: The two main…

  17. Structural patterns in high grade terrain in parts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sugavanam, E. B.; Vidyadharan, K. T.

    1988-01-01

    Detailed geological mapping in parts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka has brought out vast areas occupied by highly deformed charnockite and high grade gneisses. These areas, similar to high grade shield terrains in other parts of the world have the impress of extensive tectonic reworking multideformation and polymetamorphism and are closely associated with layered ultramafics, shelf type sediments and different igneous events. In North Arcot and Charmapuri districts of Tamil Nadu and Kollegal taluk in Mysore district in Karnataka, charnockite is intensely cofolded with a supracrustal succession of layered ultramafics, pyroxene granulite, pink granolites, magnetite quartzite and khondalites. These areas have undergone five phases of deformation, five generations of basic dyke activities, four phases of migmatisation and two periods of metallogeny. Geochronological data ranges from 2900 m.y. to 750 m.y. In working out the tectanostratigraphy of the above areas the basic dykes of different generations have served as major time markers. In addition, the persistent strike continuity of linear bands of pyroxene granulite, pink granolite and magnetite quartzite has been of great utility in using them as structural markers for bringing out the complex structural history in these areas.

  18. Metamorphism of the Oddanchatram anorthosite, Tamil Nadu, South India

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wiebe, R. A.; Janardhan, A. S.

    1988-01-01

    The Oddanchatram anorthosite is located in the Madurai District of Tamil Nadu, near the town of Palni. It is emplaced into a granulite facies terrain commonly presumed to have undergone its last regional metamorphism in the late Archean about 2600 m.y. The surrounding country rock consists of basic granulites, charnockites and metasedimentary rocks including quartzites, pelites and calc-silicates. The anorthosite is clearly intrusive into the country rock and contains many large inclusions of previously deformed basic granulite and quartzite within 100 meters of its contact. Both this intrusion and the nearby Kaduvar anorthosite show evidence of having been affected by later metamorphism and deformation.

  19. Teacher's Professional Use of Information and Communication Technology in Secondary Schools in Tamil Nadu, India

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nagamani, Deepa; Muthuswamy, Prema

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of the study is to evaluate secondary school teachers' abilities to use Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in schools in Tamil Nadu, India. Questionnaires method was used for data collection. Around 200 questionnaires were distributed to secondary school teachers and headmasters, in which 157 were completed and returned.…

  20. Status of microbial diversity in agroforestry systems in Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Radhakrishnan, Srinivasan; Varadharajan, Mohan

    2016-06-01

    Soil is a complex and dynamic biological system. Agroforestry systems are considered to be an alternative land use option to help and prevent soil degradation, improve soil fertility, microbial diversity, and organic matter status. An increasing interest has emerged with respect to the importance of microbial diversity in soil habitats. The present study deals with the status of microbial diversity in agroforestry systems in Tamil Nadu. Eight soil samples were collected from different fields in agroforestry systems in Cuddalore, Villupuram, Tiruvanamalai, and Erode districts, Tamil Nadu. The number of microorganisms and physico-chemical parameters of soils were quantified. Among different microbial population, the bacterial population was recorded maximum (64%), followed by actinomycetes (23%) and fungi (13%) in different samples screened. It is interesting to note that the microbial population was positively correlated with the physico-chemical properties of different soil samples screened. Total bacterial count had positive correlation with soil organic carbon (C), moisture content, pH, nitrogen (N), and micronutrients such as Iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn). Similarly, the total actinomycete count also showed positive correlations with bulk density, moisture content, pH, C, N, phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn). It was also noticed that the soil organic matter, vegetation, and soil nutrients altered the microbial community under agroforestry systems. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. Movement Actors in the Education Bureaucracy: The Figured World of Activity Based Learning in Tamil Nadu

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Niesz, Tricia; Krishnamurthy, Ramchandar

    2014-01-01

    Tamil Nadu has gained international recognition for reforming its government school classrooms into active, child-centered learning environments. Our exploration of the history of the Activity Based Learning movement suggests that this reform was achieved by social movement actors serving in and through the state's administration. Participants in…

  2. MURDER IN TAMIL NADU(A Study of Murder Trials of 1968)1

    PubMed Central

    Somasundaram, O.

    1980-01-01

    SUMMARY The murder trials of 1968 in Tamil Nadu totalling 526 are studied and assessed on the pattern of the U. K. Home Office study. The results showed that there were six psychotic murderers, 16 murderers who attempted suicide, 483 ‘normal’ male murderers, 20 female murderers and 6 youthful murderers. Age, sex, method of killing and motives of the murderers are discussed. The implications of the study with reference to the penal institutions and prevention of crime are dealt with. PMID:22058483

  3. Assessment of Regional Pediatric Computed Tomography Dose Indices in Tamil Nadu

    PubMed Central

    Saravanakumar, A.; Vaideki, K.; Govindarajan, K. N.; Jayakumar, S.; Devanand, B.

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this article is to assess Tamil Nadu pediatric computed tomography (CT) diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) by collecting radiation dose data for the most commonly performed CT examinations. This work was performed for thirty CT scanners installed in various parts of the Tamil Nadu region. The patient cohort was divided into two age groups: <1 year, and 1–5 years. CT dose indices were measured using a 10 cm3 pencil ion chamber with pediatric head and body polymethyl methacrylate phantoms. Dose data such as volumetric CT dose index (CTDIv) and dose length product (DLP) on a minimum of twenty average-sized pediatric patients in each category were recorded to calculate a mean site CTDIv and DLP value. The rounded 75th percentile was used to calculate a pediatric DRL for each hospital, and then region by compiling all results. Data were collected for 3600 pediatric patients. Pediatric CT DRL for two age groups: <1 year (CTDIv and DLP of head [20 mGy, 352 mGy.cm], chest [7 mGy, 120 mGy.cm] and abdomen [12 mGy, 252 mGy.cm]), and 1–5 years (CTDIv and DLP of head [38 mGy, 505 mGy.cm], chest [8 mGy, 132 mGy.cm] and abdomen [14 mGy, 270 mGy.cm]) for select procedures have been calculated. Proposed pediatric DRLs of CTDIv and DLP for head procedure were lower, and for chest and abdomen procedures were higher than European pediatric DRLs for both age groups. PMID:28405108

  4. Assessment of Regional Pediatric Computed Tomography Dose Indices in Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Saravanakumar, A; Vaideki, K; Govindarajan, K N; Jayakumar, S; Devanand, B

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this article is to assess Tamil Nadu pediatric computed tomography (CT) diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) by collecting radiation dose data for the most commonly performed CT examinations. This work was performed for thirty CT scanners installed in various parts of the Tamil Nadu region. The patient cohort was divided into two age groups: <1 year, and 1-5 years. CT dose indices were measured using a 10 cm 3 pencil ion chamber with pediatric head and body polymethyl methacrylate phantoms. Dose data such as volumetric CT dose index (CTDI v ) and dose length product (DLP) on a minimum of twenty average-sized pediatric patients in each category were recorded to calculate a mean site CTDI v and DLP value. The rounded 75 th percentile was used to calculate a pediatric DRL for each hospital, and then region by compiling all results. Data were collected for 3600 pediatric patients. Pediatric CT DRL for two age groups: <1 year (CTDI v and DLP of head [20 mGy, 352 mGy.cm], chest [7 mGy, 120 mGy.cm] and abdomen [12 mGy, 252 mGy.cm]), and 1-5 years (CTDI v and DLP of head [38 mGy, 505 mGy.cm], chest [8 mGy, 132 mGy.cm] and abdomen [14 mGy, 270 mGy.cm]) for select procedures have been calculated. Proposed pediatric DRLs of CTDI v and DLP for head procedure were lower, and for chest and abdomen procedures were higher than European pediatric DRLs for both age groups.

  5. A population-based study of the prevalence of HPV in three districts of Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Sureshkumar, Belli T; Shanmughapriya, Santhanam; Das, Bhudev C; Natarajaseenivasan, Kalimuthusamy

    2015-04-01

    To evaluate the prevalence of HPV infection among women from three districts of Tamil Nadu (Erode, Salem, and Namakkal). Between January 27, 2007, and December 15, 2009, 1800 women aged 20-70years who had normal cervical cytology were enrolled into a cross-sectional study. Participants completed interviews and provided first void urine samples for assessment of HPV infection. Among 1699 eligible samples, 179 (10.5%) were HPV positive. HPV16 was the most common type (affecting 68 [4.0%] women), followed by HPV6 (58 [3.4%]). Among the 179 HPV-positive women, 71 (39.7%) were aged 36-45years. An annual income of less than 25 000 INR was significantly associated with HPV infection in all three districts (P<0.05). Regular intercourse was also associated with HPV in Erode and Salem (P<0.05). Screening and prophylactic vaccines containing HPV16 and HPV6 should be promoted in western Tamil Nadu. Copyright © 2014 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in southern districts of Tamil Nadu using IgG-ELISA.

    PubMed

    Sucilathangam, G; Palaniappan, N; Sreekumar, C; Anna, T

    2012-10-01

    The present study was conducted to assess the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in and around Tirunelveli by in-house IgG assay using ELISA. Serum samples from 175 immunodeficient and 175 immunocompetent patients were collected at Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu from May 2006 to October 2007. They were subjected into in-house IgG assay using enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA) in which tachyzoite soluble antigen derived from solubilised whole organisms was used. Out of 350 patients tested by IgG ELISA, 46 patients (13.14%) had antibodies for toxoplasmosis with mean OD value of 0.2 ± 0.073 and the OD value ranged from 0.144 to 0.444. Among the immunocompetent group of 175 patients, 19 patients (10.86%) had antibodies to toxoplasmosis whereas, in immunodeficient group of 175 patients, 27 patients (15.43%) had antibodies for toxoplasmosis. There was no statistical difference (P > 0.05) between the immunocompetent and immunodeficient group. The sensitivity and specificity of IgG ELISA in detecting toxoplasmosis was 90 and 100%, respectively. The overall seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in and around Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu was 13.14% based on IgG ELISA. The study has proved ELISA to be a sensitive and specific procedure for the serodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis.

  7. Genetic admixture studies on four in situ evolved, two migrant and twenty-one ethnic populations of Tamil Nadu, south India.

    PubMed

    Suhasini, G; Sonaa, E; Shila, S; Srikumari, C R; Jayaraman, G; Ramesh, A

    2011-08-01

    We analysed the genetic structure of ≈ 1000 samples representing 27 ethnic groups settled in Tamil Nadu, south India, derived from two linguistic families (Dravidians and Indo-Europeans) representing four religious groups (Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Jainism) using 11 mtDNA markers. Out of 27 ethnic groups, four are in situ populations (Anglo-Indian, Labbai Muslim, Nadar Christian and south Indian Jain) and two are migrants (Gypsy and north Indian Jain) from north India to Tamil Nadu, and 21 are native ethnic groups. Six of the markers we used were monomorphic (HaeIII663, HpaI3592, AluI5176, AluI7025, AluI13262, 9-bp deletion) and five markers were polymorphic (DdeI10394, AluI10397, HinfI12308, HincII13259 and HaeIII16517). Haplogroup frequencies, genetic affinities and admixture analysis are based on the genotype data of polymorphic markers observed in these populations. Haplogroup frequencies indicate that various ethnic groups entered Tamil Nadu during different time periods. Genetic affinities and admixture estimates revealed that the ethnic groups possessing advanced knowledge of farming cluster in a branch (C), and could be the late arrived settlers as agriculture, was introduced to this region at about 5 to 3 thousand years ago. In situ ethnic groups appear to have arisen at various times as a result of the prevailing dominant socio-cultural forces. Hierarchical Hindu caste system created many ethnic groups in the history of its existence; some of them became isolated for considerable period of time. Over all, among Tamil ethnic groups, in spite of caste systems' rigidity, built in flexibility in the system in the form of hypergamy and hypogamy had allowed maternal gene flow between them.

  8. Evidence for CO2-rich fluids in rocks from the type charnockite area near Pallavaram, Tamil Nadu

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hansen, E.; Hunt, W.; Jacob, S. C.; Morden, K.; Reddi, R.; Tacy, P.

    1988-01-01

    Fluid inclusion and mineral chemistry data was presented for samples from the type charnockite area near Pallavaram (Tamil Nadu, India). The results indicate the presence of a dense CO2 fluid phase, but the data cannot distinguish between influx of this fluid from elsewhere or localized migration of CO2-rich fluids associated with dehydration melting.

  9. Social Inclusion: Teachers as Facilitators in Peer Acceptance of Students with Disabilities in Regular Classrooms in Tamil Nadu, India

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    David, Ruffina; Kuyini, Ahmed Bawa

    2012-01-01

    This study examined the impact of classroom teachers' attitudes towards inclusive education, teachers' self-efficacy and classroom practices on the social status of students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms in Tamil Nadu, India. Questionnaires, interviews and classroom observations were employed to gather data. The data analysis included…

  10. Origin of Cretaceous phosphorites from the onshore of Tamil Nadu, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Purnachandra Rao, V.; Kessarkar, Pratima M.; Nagendra, R.; Babu, E. V. S. S. K.

    2007-12-01

    Cretaceous phosphorites from the onshore of Tamil Nadu have been investigated for their origin and compared with those in the offshore. Cretaceous phosphorites occur as light brown to yellowish brown or white nodules in Karai Shale of the Uttatur Group in the onshore Cauvery basin. Nodules exhibit phosphatic nucleus encrusted by a chalky shell of carbonate. The nucleus of the nodules consists of light and dark coloured laminae, phosphate peloids/coated grains and detrital particles interspersed between the laminae. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) studies reveal trapping and binding activity of microbial filaments. A mat structure with linearly arranged microbial filaments and hollow, cell-based coccoid cyanobacterial mat are present. Nodules contain abundant carbonate fluorapatite, followed by minor calcite, quartz and feldspar. The P2O5 content of the phosphorites ranges from 18 to 26%. The CaO/P2O5, Sr and F contents are higher than that of pure carbonate fluorapatite. Concentrations of Si, Al, K, Fe, and Ti are low. We suggest that the nuclei of the nodules represent phosphate clasts related to phosphate stromatolites formed at intertidal conditions. At high energy levels the microbial mats were disintegrated into phosphate clasts, coated with carbonate and then reworked into Karai Shale. On the other hand, Quaternary phosphorites occur as irregular to rounded, grey coloured phosphate clasts at water depths between 180 and 320m on the continental shelf of Tamil Nadu. They exhibit grain-supported texture. Despite Quaternary in age, they also resemble phosphate stromatolites of intertidal origin and reworked as phosphate clasts onto the shelf margin depressions. Benthic microbial mats probably supplied high phosphorus to the sediments. Availability of excess phosphorus seems to be a pre-requisite for the formation of phosphate stromatolites.

  11. The distribution of carbapenem- and colistin-resistance in Gram-negative bacteria from the Tamil Nadu region in India.

    PubMed

    Manohar, Prasanth; Shanthini, Thamaraiselvan; Ayyanar, Ramankannan; Bozdogan, Bulent; Wilson, Aruni; Tamhankar, Ashok J; Nachimuthu, Ramesh; Lopes, Bruno S

    2017-07-01

    The occurrence of carbapenem- and colistin-resistance among Gram-negative bacteria is increasing worldwide. The aim of this study was to understand the distribution of carbapenem- and colistin-resistance in two areas in Tamil Nadu, India. The clinical isolates (n=89) used in this study were collected from two diagnostic centres in Tamil Nadu, India. The bacterial isolates were screened for meropenem- and colistin-resistance. Further, resistance genes blaNDM-1, blaOXA-48-like, blaIMP, blaVIM, blaKPC, mcr-1 and mcr-2 and integrons were studied. The synergistic effect of meropenem in combination with colistin was assessed. A total of 89 bacterial isolates were studied which included Escherichia coli (n=43), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n=18), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n=10), Enterobacter cloacae (n=6), Acinetobacter baumannii (n=5), Klebsiella oxytoca (n=4), Proteus mirabilis (n=2) and Salmonella paratyphi (n=1). MIC testing showed that 58/89 (65 %) and 29/89 (32 %) isolates were resistant to meropenem and colistin, respectively, whereas 27/89 (30 %) isolates were resistant to both antibiotics. Escherichia coli, K. pneumoniae, K. oxytoca, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter cloacae isolates were blaNDM-1-positive (n=20). Some strains of Escherichia coli, K. pneumoniae and K. oxytoca were blaOXA-181-positive (n=4). Class 1, 2 and 3 integrons were found in 24, 20 and 3 isolates, respectively. Nine NDM-1-positive Escherichia coli strains could transfer carbapenem resistance via plasmids to susceptible Escherichia coli AB1157. Meropenem and colistin showed synergy in 10/20 (50 %) isolates by 24 h time-kill studies. Our results highlight the distribution of carbapenem- and colistin-resistance in Gram-negative bacteria isolated from the Tamil Nadu region in South India.

  12. Integrated Assessment of Climate Change Impacts on Maize Farms and Farm Household Incomes in South India: A Case Study from Tamil Nadu. 9; Chapter

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ponnusamy, Paramasivam; Vellingiri, Geethalakshmi; Danda, Raji Reddy; Arunachalam, Lakshmanan; Murthy, Dakshina; Prema, Sunandini; Gade, Sreenivas; McDermid, Sonali P.; Valdivia, Roberto O.

    2015-01-01

    South India is characterized by a wide variety of landscapes, soils and climatic zones. It is comprised of tropical, semi-arid, humid-moist, and high-altitude environments, which support a diversity of agricultural systems. Our study focused on the state of Tamil Nadu, which is characterized by a generally tropical climate, and receive rainfall during both the southwest monsoon season (SWM, June to September) and the northeast monsoon (NEM, September to December). Agriculture continues to be an important sector in the state economy, as more than 56 of the people depend on agriculture and allied sectors for their livelihood. Analysis of land-use patterns in Tamil Nadu reveals that in the past decade there has been a reduction in net sown area and current fallow, while the share of cultivable wastelands has increased. The area under cereals, pulses, and oilseeds had marginally declined, although area under commercial crops like turmeric, sugar-cane, banana, fruits, and vegetables has shown an increasing trend. The production performance of major crops like cereals, pulses, and oilseeds has not shown any significant increase. Demand and supply gap of important crops in Tamil Nadu for the year 2010 indicates that the state is lagging far behind in the production of various crops.

  13. TNAURice: Database on rice varieties released from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University

    PubMed Central

    Ramalingam, Jegadeesan; Arul, Loganathan; Sathishkumar, Natarajan; Vignesh, Dhandapani; Thiyagarajan, Katiannan; Samiyappan, Ramasamy

    2010-01-01

    We developed, TNAURice: a database comprising of the rice varieties released from a public institution, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore, India. Backed by MS-SQL, and ASP-Net at the front end, this database provide information on both quantitative and qualitative descriptors of the rice varities inclusive of their parental details. Enabled by an user friendly search utility, the database can be effectively searched by the varietal descriptors, and the entire contents are navigable as well. The database comes handy to the plant breeders involved in the varietal improvement programs to decide on the choice of parental lines. TNAURice is available for public access at http://www.btistnau.org/germdefault.aspx. PMID:21364829

  14. TNAURice: Database on rice varieties released from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.

    PubMed

    Ramalingam, Jegadeesan; Arul, Loganathan; Sathishkumar, Natarajan; Vignesh, Dhandapani; Thiyagarajan, Katiannan; Samiyappan, Ramasamy

    2010-11-27

    WE DEVELOPED, TNAURICE: a database comprising of the rice varieties released from a public institution, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore, India. Backed by MS-SQL, and ASP-Net at the front end, this database provide information on both quantitative and qualitative descriptors of the rice varities inclusive of their parental details. Enabled by an user friendly search utility, the database can be effectively searched by the varietal descriptors, and the entire contents are navigable as well. The database comes handy to the plant breeders involved in the varietal improvement programs to decide on the choice of parental lines. TNAURice is available for public access at http://www.btistnau.org/germdefault.aspx.

  15. Attitudes and Health Behavior of Lawyers in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu

    PubMed Central

    Barani, G.; Sabapathy, Pavithra

    2015-01-01

    The aim of the study is to evaluate the differences in the behavior and attitudes of male and female lawyers regarding their lifestyles and health habits. Lawyers were randomly chosen. Data was obtained through a structured questionnaire distributed among the lawyers of Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu. Lawyers are found to have unfavorable health practices related to use of tobacco and alcohol, exercise, diet, sleeping habits, and stress. This resulted in obesity, depression, and blood pressure. Many lawyers reported use of alcohol regularly, even as often as every day, and nearly half of them smoked. Many of the lawyers had poor feeding habit of skipping meals and eating snacks as breakfast. Most lawyers considered stressful situations to be unavoidable. Thus identifying individual lawyers with poor health behaviors and providing medical help are essential. PMID:26258166

  16. Fasting practices in Tamil Nadu and their importance for patients with diabetes.

    PubMed

    Kannan, Subramanian; Mahadevan, Shriraam; Seshadri, Krishna; Sadacharan, Dhalapathy; Velayutham, Kumaravel

    2016-01-01

    Religious practices and cultural customs related to eating habits have a significant impact on lifestyle and health of the community. The Ramadan fasting in Muslims and its influence on various metabolic parameters such as diabetes have been reasonably studied. However, literature related to Hindu religious customs related to fasting and food patterns during various festivals and its effect on diabetes are scarce. This article is an attempt to describe the Hindu religious customs related to fasting and food practices from the State of Tamil Nadu (South India) and to raise the awareness among physicians about its relationship with diabetes which may help in managing their diabetic patients in a better way.

  17. Natural gamma radioactivity in the villages of Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Padua, Jeni Chandar; Basil Rose, M R

    2013-01-01

    In situ radiometric survey carried out in 81 revenue villages of Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu, India, using a portable radiation dosemeter/detector, revealed the existence of radiation hotspots along the coastal belt. A close observation of the coastal villages specifically revealed high background radioactivity in 14 coastal villages. A very high intrinsic anomalous radioactivity of 41.03 μSv h(-1) was observed, in a famous tourist spot in the coastal belt of Kanyakumari District. This is the highest level of radiation registered in South India, which is extremely higher than the permissible world average and is suggestive of causing severe clinical problems on continuous and prolonged exposure.

  18. Sexual function in women in rural Tamil Nadu: disease, dysfunction, distress and norms.

    PubMed

    Viswanathan, Shonima; Prasad, Jasmine; Jacob, K S; Kuruvilla, Anju

    2014-01-01

    We examined the nature, prevalence and explanatory models of sexual concerns and dysfunction among women in rural Tamil Nadu. Married women between 18 and 65 years of age, from randomly selected villages in Kaniyambadi block, Vellore district, Tamil Nadu, were chosen by stratified sampling technique. Sexual functioning was assessed using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). The modified Short Explanatory Model Interview (SEMI) was used to assess beliefs about sexual concerns and the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) was used to screen for common mental disorders. Sociodemographic variables and other risk factors were also assessed. Most of the women (277; 98.2%) contacted agreed to participate in the study. The prevalence of sexual dysfunction, based on the cut-off score on the FSFI, was 64.3%. However, only a minority of women considered it a problem (4.7%), expressed dissatisfaction (5.8%) or sought medical help (2.5%). The most common explanatory models offered for sexual problems included an unhappy marriage,stress and physical problems. Factors associated with lower FSFI included older age, illiteracy, as well as medical illness and sexual and marital factors such as menopause, poor quality of marital relationship, history of physical abuse and lack of privacy. The diagnosis of female sexual dysfunction needs to be nuanced and based on the broader personal and social context. Our findings argue that there is a need to use models that employ personal, local and contextual standards in assessing complex behaviours such as sexual function. Copyright 2014, NMJI.

  19. A study to evaluate cephalometric hard tissue profile of Tamil population for orthognathic surgery

    PubMed Central

    Nachiappan, S.; Tharanikumar, S.; Chandran, Ajay; Anusudha, P.; Nandini, G. D.; Balasubramaniam, Murali

    2015-01-01

    The primary aim of this study is to compare, the cephalometric hard tissue profile values and analysis between Tamil and Caucasian population. The study also aims to create a better understanding in the facial proportions of Tamil Nadu population and to have better diagnosis and treatment planning for orthognathic surgery for Tamil population in Tamil Nadu. PMID:26538943

  20. A study to evaluate cephalometric hard tissue profile of Tamil population for orthognathic surgery.

    PubMed

    Nachiappan, S; Tharanikumar, S; Chandran, Ajay; Anusudha, P; Nandini, G D; Balasubramaniam, Murali

    2015-08-01

    The primary aim of this study is to compare, the cephalometric hard tissue profile values and analysis between Tamil and Caucasian population. The study also aims to create a better understanding in the facial proportions of Tamil Nadu population and to have better diagnosis and treatment planning for orthognathic surgery for Tamil population in Tamil Nadu.

  1. Self-reported morbidity and health service utilization in rural Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Dodd, Warren; King, Nia; Humphries, Sally; Little, Matthew; Dewey, Cate

    2016-07-01

    In Tamil Nadu, India, improvements have been made toward developing a high-quality, universally accessible healthcare system. However, some rural residents continue to confront significant barriers to obtaining healthcare. The primary objective of this study was to investigate self-reported morbidity, health literacy, and healthcare preferences, utilization, and experiences in order to identify priority areas for government health policies and programs. Drawing on 66 semi-structured interviews and 300 household surveys (including 1693 individuals), administered in 26 rural villages in Tamil Nadu's Krishnagiri district, we found that the prevalence of self-reported major health conditions was 22.3%. There was a large burden of non-communicable and chronic diseases, and the most common major morbidities were: connective tissue problems (7.6%), nervous system and sense organ diseases (5.0%), and circulatory and respiratory diseases (2.5%). Increased age and decreased education level were associated with higher odds of reporting most diseases. Low health literacy levels resulted in individuals seeking care only once pain interfered with daily activities. As such, individuals' health-seeking behaviour depended on which strategy was believed to result in the fastest return to work using the fewest resources. Although government facilities were the most common healthcare access point, they were mistrusted; 48.8% and 19.2% of respondents perceived inappropriate treatment protocols and corruption, respectively, at public facilities. Conversely, 93.3% of respondents reported high treatment cost as the main barrier to accessing private facilities. Our results highlight that addressing the chronic and non-communicable disease burdens amongst rural populations in this context will require health policies and village-level programs that address the low health literacy and the issues of rural healthcare accessibility and acceptability. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights

  2. Fasting practices in Tamil Nadu and their importance for patients with diabetes

    PubMed Central

    Kannan, Subramanian; Mahadevan, Shriraam; Seshadri, Krishna; Sadacharan, Dhalapathy; Velayutham, Kumaravel

    2016-01-01

    Religious practices and cultural customs related to eating habits have a significant impact on lifestyle and health of the community. The Ramadan fasting in Muslims and its influence on various metabolic parameters such as diabetes have been reasonably studied. However, literature related to Hindu religious customs related to fasting and food patterns during various festivals and its effect on diabetes are scarce. This article is an attempt to describe the Hindu religious customs related to fasting and food practices from the State of Tamil Nadu (South India) and to raise the awareness among physicians about its relationship with diabetes which may help in managing their diabetic patients in a better way. PMID:27867892

  3. Associated factors with cervical pre-malignant lesions among the married fisher women community at Sadras, Tamil Nadu

    PubMed Central

    Ganesan, Sornam; Subbiah, Vasantha N.; Michael, Jothi Clara J.

    2015-01-01

    Objective: To identify the associated factors of cervical pre-malignant lesions among the married fisher women residing in the coastal areas of Sadras, Tamil Nadu. Methods: The study was conducted in five fishermen communities under Sadras, a coastal area in Tamil Nadu, India. Two hundred and fifty married fisher women residing in the area. Quantitative descriptive approach with a cross-sectional study design was used. Data were collected using a structured interview schedule for identifying the associated factors and Pap smear test was performed for identifying the pre-malignant cervical lesions among the married fisher women. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Among 250 women, about six (2.4%) of them presented with pre-cancerous lesions such as atypical squamous cell of undifferentiated significance (ASCUS) — five (2%) and mild dysplasia one (0.4%). Majority of the women, about 178 (71.2%) women, had abnormal cervical findings. Statistical analysis showed a significant association of risk factors such as advanced age, lack of education, low socioeconomic status, using tobacco, multiparity, premarital sex, extramarital relationship, using cloth as sanitary napkin, etc. Conclusion: The study findings clearly show the increased vulnerable state of the fisher women for acquiring cervical cancer as they had many risk factors contributing to the same. PMID:27981091

  4. Associated factors with cervical pre-malignant lesions among the married fisher women community at Sadras, Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Ganesan, Sornam; Subbiah, Vasantha N; Michael, Jothi Clara J

    2015-01-01

    To identify the associated factors of cervical pre-malignant lesions among the married fisher women residing in the coastal areas of Sadras, Tamil Nadu. The study was conducted in five fishermen communities under Sadras, a coastal area in Tamil Nadu, India. Two hundred and fifty married fisher women residing in the area. Quantitative descriptive approach with a cross-sectional study design was used. Data were collected using a structured interview schedule for identifying the associated factors and Pap smear test was performed for identifying the pre-malignant cervical lesions among the married fisher women. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Among 250 women, about six (2.4%) of them presented with pre-cancerous lesions such as atypical squamous cell of undifferentiated significance (ASCUS) - five (2%) and mild dysplasia one (0.4%). Majority of the women, about 178 (71.2%) women, had abnormal cervical findings. Statistical analysis showed a significant association of risk factors such as advanced age, lack of education, low socioeconomic status, using tobacco, multiparity, premarital sex, extramarital relationship, using cloth as sanitary napkin, etc. The study findings clearly show the increased vulnerable state of the fisher women for acquiring cervical cancer as they had many risk factors contributing to the same.

  5. Outbreak of scrub typhus in Puducherry & Tamil Nadu during cooler months

    PubMed Central

    Stephen, Selvaraj; Sangeetha, Balakrishnan; Ambroise, Stanley; Sarangapani, Kengamuthu; Gunasekaran, Dhandapany; Hanifah, Mohamed; Somasundaram, Subramanian

    2015-01-01

    Background & objectives: The southern part of India has witnessed an increase in scrub typhus (ST) during the past ten years. ST outbreaks occurred during winter months but at intervals of one to three years. With only a few reports of ST in Puducherry, this study was undertaken to look for the persistence of ST cases in Puducherry and Tamil Nadu in the winter months. Methods: During relatively cooler months of September, 2012 to March, 2013, a total of 45 patients with fever and clinical suspicion of ST and who provided both acute and convalescent blood samples were included. Total WBC, platelet counts, serum creatinine, liver enzymes levels and a rapid immunochromatographic test (RICT) for ST were first done. Paired serum samples were analysed by two specific tests - ST IgM and IgG ELISA- and a non-specific, but widely used Weil-Felix (WF) test. Results: Of the 45 patients, 21 adults and seven children were confirmed as ST based on clinical and laboratory findings, and positivity in specific serological test(s). Setting ST IgM and IgG ELISA as reference, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for RICT were 91.67, 85.71 per cent; 90.48, 100 per cent; 91.67, 100 per cent and 90.48, 80.95 per cent, respectively. Similarly, for WF the values were 83.33, 75 per cent; 95.24, 100 per cent; 95.24, 100 per cent and 83.33, 70.83 per cent, respectively. Interpretation & conclusions: ST continues to persist in the cooler months in Puducherry and neighbouring Tamil Nadu with fever and myalgia as prominent features. None of the tests evaluated in this study was found to be ideal, but ST IgM/IgG ELISA was useful for batch testing and the non-specific WF test can be used in resource poor settings. PMID:26658595

  6. Factors influencing timely initiation and completion of gestational diabetes mellitus screening and diagnosis - a qualitative study from Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Nielsen, Karoline Kragelund; Rheinländer, Thilde; Kapur, Anil; Damm, Peter; Seshiah, Veerasamy; Bygbjerg, Ib C

    2017-08-01

    In 2007, universal screening for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) was introduced in Tamil Nadu, India. To identify factors hindering or facilitating timely initiation and completion of the GDM screening and diagnosis process, our study investigated how pregnant women in rural and urban Tamil Nadu access and navigate different GDM related health services. The study was carried out in two settings: an urban private diabetes centre and a rural government primary health centre. Observations of the process of screening and diagnosis at the health centres as well as semi-structured interviews with 30 pregnant women and nine health care providers were conducted. Data was analysed using qualitative content analysis. There were significant differences in the process of GDM screening and diagnosis in the urban and rural settings. Several factors hindering or facilitating timely initiation and completion of the process were identified. Timely attendance required awareness, motivation and opportunity to attend. Women had to attend the health centre at the right time and sometimes at the right gestational age to initiate the test, wait to complete the test and obtain the test report in time to initiate further action. All these steps and requirements were influenced by factors within and outside the health system such as getting right information from health care providers, clinic timings, characteristics of the test, availability of transport, social network and support, and social norms and cultural practices. Minimising and aligning complex stepwise processes of prenatal care and GDM screening delivery and attention to the factors influencing it are important for further improving and expanding GDM screening and related services, not only in Tamil Nadu but in other similar low and middle income settings. This study stresses the importance of guidelines and diagnostic criteria which are simple and feasible on the ground.

  7. Social capital, trust in health information, and acceptance of Measles-Rubella vaccination campaign in Tamil Nadu: A case-control study.

    PubMed

    Palanisamy, B; Gopichandran, V; Kosalram, K

    2018-06-18

    Parents' decision about vaccination of children is influenced by social relationships and sources of information. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of social capital and trust in health information on the status of Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccination campaign in Tamil Nadu. This was a case-control study carried out in Kancheepuram district in Tamil Nadu where the MR vaccination campaign offered by Government of Tamil Nadu had poor acceptance. Cases were parents of children who had refused the MR vaccine and controls were parents having children in the same age group who had accepted the vaccine. Data on social capital and trust in health information were collected by using social capital scale developed by the researchers and trust in the source of information was measured by using simple questions on the level of trust in the information source. Nonadministration of MR vaccine was high among young parents and parents of younger children. Vaccine acceptance was higher when it was offered at school (P < 0.000) and also among parents who trusted school teachers (P < 0.003) and other school children (P < 0.014) as source of information. MR vaccine acceptance was less among parents who trusted social media and WhatsApp information. Greater levels of health-related physical social capital led to greater vaccine hesitancy. Multivariate analysis revealed that greater the age of the child, better parental attitudes toward vaccination, poorer health-related physical social capital, and greater trust in health information provided by school teachers led to overall greater acceptance of the MR vaccine. Strong homogeneous bonding social capital had a negative influence on MR vaccine acceptance. Schools and school teachers played a vital role in influencing parental decision to vaccinate.

  8. Genetic diversity based on 28S rDNA sequences among populations of Culex quinquefasciatus collected at different locations in Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Sakthivelkumar, S; Ramaraj, P; Veeramani, V; Janarthanan, S

    2015-09-01

    The basis of the present study was to distinguish the existence of any genetic variability among populations of Culex quinquefasciatus which would be a valuable tool in the management of mosquito control programmes. In the present study, population of Cx. quinquefasciatus collected at different locations in Tamil Nadu were analyzed for their genetic variation based on 28S rDNA D2 region nucleotide sequences. A high degree of genetic polymorphism was detected in the sequences of D2 region of 28S rDNA on the predicted secondary structures in spite of high nucleotide sequence similarity. The findings based on secondary structure using rDNA sequences suggested the existence of a complex genotypic diversity of Cx. quinquefasciatus population collected at different locations of Tamil Nadu, India. This complexity in genetic diversity in a single mosquito population collected at different locations is considered an important issue towards their influence and nature of vector potential of these mosquitoes.

  9. Risk reduction and perceived collective efficacy and community support among female sex workers in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, India: the importance of context.

    PubMed

    Guha, Mohua; Baschieri, Angela; Bharat, Shalini; Bhatnagar, Tarun; Sane, Suvarna Sanjay; Godbole, Sheela V; S, Saravanamurthy P; Mainkar, Mandar Keshav; Williams, Joseph; Collumbien, Martine

    2012-10-01

    Empowering sex workers to mobilise and influence the structural context that obstructs risk reduction efforts is now seen an essential component of successful HIV prevention programmes. However, success depends on local programme environments and history. The authors analysed data from the Integrated Behavioural and Biological Assessment Round I cross-sectional survey among female sex workers in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. The authors used propensity score matching to estimate the impact of participation in intervention activities on reduction of risk (consistent condom use) and vulnerability (perceived collective efficacy and community support). Background levels of risk and vulnerability as well as intervention impact varied widely across the different settings. The effect size ATT of attending meetings/trainings on consistent condom use was as high as 21% in Tamil Nadu (outside of Chennai) where overall use was lowest at 51%. Overall, levels of perceived collective efficacy were low at the time of the survey; perceived community support was high in Tamil Nadu and especially in Chennai (93%) contrasting with 33% in Mumbai. Consistent with previous research, the context of Mumbai seems least conducive to vulnerability reduction, yet self-help groups had a significant impact on consistent condom use (ATT=10%) and were significantly associated with higher collective efficacy (ATT=31%). Significant risk reduction can be achieved by large-scale female sex worker interventions, but the impact depends on the history of programming, the complexity of the context in which sex work happens and pre-existing levels of support sex workers perceive from their peers.

  10. Tick infestation on sheep, goat, horse and wild hare in Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Soundararajan, C; Nagarajan, K; Muthukrishnan, S; Arul Prakash, M

    2018-03-01

    The prevalence of tick infestation and their predilection sites on sheep, goat, horse and wild hare were studied at various places of Tamil Nadu, India. The prevalence of tick infestation in Madras red sheep, Tellicherry goat and horse was 77.11, 78.21 and 13.33%, respectively. Sheep were heavily infested with Haemaphysalis bispinosa followed by Hyalomma isaaci , Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides and H . anatolicum . The ticks from goats were identified as H . bispinosa , R . haemaphysaloides , H . isaaci and R . sanguineus . Horses were infested with Otobus megnini and R . sanguineus . The ticks on wild hare ( Lepus nigricollis ) were identified as R . haemaphysaloides and H . bispinosa . Wild hare acts as a source of infestation to the sheep and goats since these animals shared the same field.

  11. Population movements to a growth-pole: the case of Hosur, Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Heins, J J; Meijer, E N

    1990-08-01

    This study examines the characteristics of population growth in Hosur, a small town in Tamil Nadu, India. "A special feature of the population in Hosur is the phenomenon of bachelors living together, mostly young men who have migrated from big cities. Commuting is not important in the mobility pattern of Hosur, less than ten per cent of employees in the industrial areas travelling daily from outside. Only one-third of the non-migrant labour force has access to the more attractive jobs in the modern factories, while short-term wage labour plays an important role in the labour structure of commuters. The demographic future of Hosur is not connected strongly with commuting patterns, but more with the spatial behaviour of the bachelors." excerpt

  12. Prevalence of Dental Caries, Oral Hygiene Knowledge, Status, and Practices among Visually Impaired Individuals in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    John, James Rufus; Daniel, Breena; Paneerselvam, Dakshaini; Rajendran, Ganesh

    2017-01-01

    Aim . To assess the prevalence of dental caries, oral hygiene knowledge, status, and practices among visually impaired individuals in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Materials and Methods . A cross-sectional study was conducted among 404 visually impaired individuals in Chennai city, Tamil Nadu. Four schools were randomly selected for conducting the study. The oral hygiene status, prevalence of caries, and knowledge and attitude towards oral care among visually impaired individuals were collected and analysed. Results . In the present study, whilst 42% of individuals had fair oral hygiene status, 33% had good hygiene followed by 25% having poor oral hygiene. The overall mean number of DMFT was estimated to be 4.5 ± 2.7. The mean number of decayed teeth was 3.1 ± 2.2, mean number of missing teeth was 0.8 ± 1.4, and mean number of filled teeth was 0.5 ± 1.3. Conclusion . Whilst oral hygiene status was found to be relatively fair, there was a high rate of dental caries among the sample population. This shows that there is lack of knowledge regarding oral health maintenance. Therefore, early identification of caries coupled with effective oral health promotion programs providing practical knowledge to visually impaired students would prove beneficial.

  13. Prevalence of Dental Caries, Oral Hygiene Knowledge, Status, and Practices among Visually Impaired Individuals in Chennai, Tamil Nadu

    PubMed Central

    Daniel, Breena; Paneerselvam, Dakshaini; Rajendran, Ganesh

    2017-01-01

    Aim. To assess the prevalence of dental caries, oral hygiene knowledge, status, and practices among visually impaired individuals in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Materials and Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 404 visually impaired individuals in Chennai city, Tamil Nadu. Four schools were randomly selected for conducting the study. The oral hygiene status, prevalence of caries, and knowledge and attitude towards oral care among visually impaired individuals were collected and analysed. Results. In the present study, whilst 42% of individuals had fair oral hygiene status, 33% had good hygiene followed by 25% having poor oral hygiene. The overall mean number of DMFT was estimated to be 4.5 ± 2.7. The mean number of decayed teeth was 3.1 ± 2.2, mean number of missing teeth was 0.8 ± 1.4, and mean number of filled teeth was 0.5 ± 1.3. Conclusion. Whilst oral hygiene status was found to be relatively fair, there was a high rate of dental caries among the sample population. This shows that there is lack of knowledge regarding oral health maintenance. Therefore, early identification of caries coupled with effective oral health promotion programs providing practical knowledge to visually impaired students would prove beneficial. PMID:28458691

  14. Mental health in Tamil cinema.

    PubMed

    Mangala, R; Thara, R

    2009-06-01

    Tamil cinema is a vibrant part of the lives of many in south India. A chequered history and a phenomenal growth have made this medium highly influential not only in Tamil Nadu politics, but also in the social lives of the viewers. This paper provides an overview of the growth of Tamil cinema, and discusses in detail the way mental health has been handled by Tamil films. Cinema can be used very effectively to improve awareness about mental health issues.

  15. Unmet Needs of Family Planning Among Women: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Rural Area of Kanchipuram District, Tamil Nadu, South India.

    PubMed

    Vishnu Prasad, R; Venkatachalam, J; Singh, Zile

    2016-10-01

    Global contraceptive usage was 63.3 % in 2010 which was 9 % more than that in 1990. NFHS-III 2005-2006 revealed that the contraceptive prevalence rate was 56 % while in the past decade it was 48 %. In India, female sterilization is the most commonly preferred method of contraception accounting for 76 %, while in Tamil Nadu it was 90 %. Thus, this study aims at measuring the prevalence of unmet needs of family planning and its determinants in a rural area of Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu. The study was carried out as a community-based cross-sectional study in Chunambed panchayat, a rural area in Kanchipuram District, Tamil Nadu, India, among 505 women of age group 15-49 years. Cluster random sampling was done to select the households to include in the study. In every household, all the available and eligible women were explained about the study and recruited after obtaining informed consent. Chi-square test was applied for finding the difference in proportion, and p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. The prevalence of unmet need for family planning in our study population was nearly 31 %; it was even more for younger age groups and for the women whose family size was less. 51.7 % of the participants were currently using a contraceptive measure and very few of their partners used contraception. Government health facilities were the major source of contraceptive service and majority of our participants were well aware about the various contraceptive methods. Unmet needs of family planning were high in our study population, and the knowledge about the contraceptive use and family planning was found to be fairly adequate.

  16. Measles transmission following the tsunami in a population with a high one-dose vaccination coverage, Tamil Nadu, India 2004-2005.

    PubMed

    Mohan, Arumugam; Murhekar, Manoj V; Wairgkar, Niteen S; Hutin, Yvan J; Gupte, Mohan D

    2006-09-19

    On 26 December 2004, a tsunami struck the coast of the state of Tamil Nadu, India, where one-dose measles coverage exceeded 95%. On 29 December, supplemental measles immunization activities targeted children 6 to 60 months of age in affected villages. On 30 December, Cuddalore, a tsunami-affected district in Tamil Nadu reported a cluster of measles cases. We investigated this cluster to estimate the magnitude of the problem and to propose recommendations for control. We received notification of WHO-defined measles cases through stimulated passive surveillance. We collected information regarding date of onset, age, sex, vaccination status and residence. We collected samples for IgM antibodies and genotype studies. We modeled the accumulation of susceptible individuals over the time on the basis of vaccination coverage, vaccine efficacy and birth rate. We identified 101 measles cases and detected IgM antibodies against measles virus in eight of 11 sera. Cases were reported from tsunami-affected (n = 71) and unaffected villages (n = 30) with attack rates of 1.3 and 1.7 per 1000, respectively. 42% of cases in tsunami-affected villages had an onset date within 14 days of the tsunami. The median ages of case-patients in tsunami-affected and un-affected areas were 54 months and 60 months respectively (p = 0.471). 36% of cases from tsunami-affected areas were above 60 months of age. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that the sequences of virus belonged to genotype D8 that circulated in Tamil Nadu. Measles virus circulated in Cuddalore district following the tsunami, although there was no association between the two events. Transmission despite high one-dose vaccination coverage pointed to the limitations of this vaccination strategy. A second opportunity for measles immunization may help reducing measles mortality and morbidity in such areas. Children from 6 month to 14 years of age must be targeted for supplemental immunization during complex emergencies.

  17. Prevalence of early childhood caries and its risk factors in 18-72 month old children in Salem, Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Stephen, Arokiaraj; Krishnan, Ramesh; Ramesh, Maya; Kumar, Vasaviah Suresh

    2015-01-01

    Early childhood caries (ECC) is one of the most common dental diseases among the preschoolers, leading to suboptimal health. A study was planned to evaluate the prevalence of ECC in preschool children in the age group between 18 and 72 months and its relationship with parent's education and socioeconomic status of the family. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 2771 children selected randomly, in the age group 18-72 months and attending playschools and primary schools in urban, semi-urban, and rural areas of Salem, Tamil Nadu. A modified Winter et al. questionnaire and a proforma were used for collecting information on each child. The completed questionnaire and proformas were statistically analyzed and evaluated. The statistical analysis was done using Student's t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to obtain mean values. The prevalence of ECC in Salem was 16% with a mean dfs of 5.23 ± 1. Prevalence was high among the children of low socioeconomic status group and the children of working mothers, with a mean dfs of 10.47. The prevalence of ECC was 16% in Salem, Tamil Nadu. ECC was seen more in children of working mothers, lower parental education, and lower socioeconomic groups.

  18. Identification of locally available structural material as co-substrate for organic waste composting in Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Springer, C; Heldt, N

    2016-06-01

    Owing to the lack in structural strength while composting certain kinds of organic wastes, 11 co-substrates were tested that are generally locally available in rural areas of northern Tamil Nadu, India. In addition to the classical composting parameters such as carbon/nitrogen ratio, moisture content, dry matter and organic dry matter, a compression test was conducted to evaluate the structural strength and the suitability as bulking agent for composting processes. Additionally, with respect to the climatic conditions in India, the water holding capacity was also evaluated. © The Author(s) 2016.

  19. Measles transmission following the tsunami in a population with a high one-dose vaccination coverage, Tamil Nadu, India 2004–2005

    PubMed Central

    Mohan, Arumugam; Murhekar, Manoj V; Wairgkar, Niteen S; Hutin, Yvan J; Gupte, Mohan D

    2006-01-01

    Background On 26 December 2004, a tsunami struck the coast of the state of Tamil Nadu, India, where one-dose measles coverage exceeded 95%. On 29 December, supplemental measles immunization activities targeted children 6 to 60 months of age in affected villages. On 30 December, Cuddalore, a tsunami-affected district in Tamil Nadu reported a cluster of measles cases. We investigated this cluster to estimate the magnitude of the problem and to propose recommendations for control. Methods We received notification of WHO-defined measles cases through stimulated passive surveillance. We collected information regarding date of onset, age, sex, vaccination status and residence. We collected samples for IgM antibodies and genotype studies. We modeled the accumulation of susceptible individuals over the time on the basis of vaccination coverage, vaccine efficacy and birth rate. Results We identified 101 measles cases and detected IgM antibodies against measles virus in eight of 11 sera. Cases were reported from tsunami-affected (n = 71) and unaffected villages (n = 30) with attack rates of 1.3 and 1.7 per 1000, respectively. 42% of cases in tsunami-affected villages had an onset date within 14 days of the tsunami. The median ages of case-patients in tsunami-affected and un-affected areas were 54 months and 60 months respectively (p = 0.471). 36% of cases from tsunami-affected areas were above 60 months of age. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that the sequences of virus belonged to genotype D8 that circulated in Tamil Nadu. Conclusion Measles virus circulated in Cuddalore district following the tsunami, although there was no association between the two events. Transmission despite high one-dose vaccination coverage pointed to the limitations of this vaccination strategy. A second opportunity for measles immunization may help reducing measles mortality and morbidity in such areas. Children from 6 month to 14 years of age must be targeted for supplemental immunization during

  20. Ethnobotanical investigations among tribes in Madurai District of Tamil Nadu (India)

    PubMed Central

    Ignacimuthu, S; Ayyanar, M; Sivaraman K, Sankara

    2006-01-01

    Background An ethnobotanical survey was carried out to collect information on the use of medicinal plants in Southern Western Ghats of India (Madurai district, Tamil Nadu). Information presented in this paper was gathered from the paliyar tribes using an integrated approach of botanical collections, group discussions and interviews with questionnaires in the years 1998 – 1999. The informants interviewed were 12 among whom 4 were tribal practitioners. Results A total of 60 ethnomedicinal plant species distributed in 32 families are documented in this study. The medicinal plants used by paliyars are listed with Latin name, family, local name, parts used, mode of preparation and medicinal uses. Generally, fresh part of the plant was used for the preparation of medicine. Conclusion We observed that the documented ethnomedicinal plants were mostly used to cure skin diseases, poison bites, stomachache and nervous disorders. The results of this study showed that these tribal people still depend on medicinal plants in Madurai district forest areas. PMID:16689985

  1. Increasing condom use and declining STI prevalence in high-risk MSM and TGs: evaluation of a large-scale prevention program in Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Subramanian, Thilakavathi; Ramakrishnan, Lakshmi; Aridoss, Santhakumar; Goswami, Prabuddhagopal; Kanguswami, Boopathi; Shajan, Mathew; Adhikary, Rajat; Purushothaman, Girish Kumar Chethrapilly; Ramamoorthy, Senthil Kumar; Chinnaswamy, Eswaramurthy; Veeramani, Ilaya Bharathy; Paranjape, Ramesh Shivram

    2013-09-17

    This paper presents an evaluation of Avahan, a large scale HIV prevention program that was implemented using peer-mediated strategies, condom distribution and sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinical services among high-risk men who have sex with men (HR-MSM) and male to female transgender persons (TGs) in six high-prevalence state of Tamil Nadu, in southern India. Two rounds of large scale cross-sectional bio-behavioural surveys among HR-MSM and TGs and routine program monitoring data were used to assess changes in program coverage, condom use and prevalence of STIs (including HIV) and their association to program exposure. The Avahan program for HR-MSM and TGs in Tamil Nadu was significantly scaled up and contacts by peer educators reached 77 percent of the estimated denominator by the end of the program's fourth year. Exposure to the program increased between the two rounds of surveys for both HR-MSM (from 66 percent to 90 percent; AOR = 4.6; p < 0.001) and TGs (from 74.5 percent to 83 percent; AOR = 1.82; p < 0.06). There was an increase in consistent condom use by HR-MSM with their regular male partners (from 33 percent to 46 percent; AOR = 1.9; p < 0.01). Last time condom use with paying male partners (up from 81 percent to 94 percent; AOR = 3.6; p < 0.001) also showed an increase. Among TGs, the increase in condom use with casual male partners (18 percent to 52 percent; AOR = 1.8; p < 0.27) was not significant, and last time condom use declined significantly with paying male partners (93 percent to 80 percent; AOR = 0.32; p < 0.015). Syphilis declined significantly among both HR-MSM (14.3 percent to 6.8 percent; AOR = 0.37; p < 0.001) and TGs (16.6 percent to 4.2 percent; AOR = 0.34; p < 0.012), while change in HIV prevalence was not found to be significant for HR-MSM (9.7 percent to 10.9 percent) and TGs (12 percent to 9.8 percent). For both groups, change in condom use with commercial and non-commercial partners was found to be strongly linked

  2. Sarcoptic mange infestation in rabbits in an organized farm at Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Arul Prakash, M; Soundararajan, C; Nagarajan, K; Tensingh Gnanaraj, P; Ramesh Saravanakumar, V

    2017-06-01

    Sarcoptes scabiei are burrowing mites which causes major constraints in rabbit production. Eighty-eight rabbits were examined for mange infestation at University Research Farm, Tamil Nadu. Overall incidence of mange infestation in rabbit was 23.6 %. On microscopical examination, the mite was identified as Sacoptes scabiei var cuniculi. Among the breeds, Soviet Chinchilla were found to be infested more (57.14 %) followed by New Zealand White (28.57 %) and White Giant (28.57 %). Among the age groups, adults (33.33 %) were heavily infested than the grower (21.88 %) whereas, suckling had no infestation of mange. Among the sex, males (21.95 %) were heavily infested than the females (14.89 %). Lesions were mostly found on the edges of ear, nose, face and legs and characterized by loss of hair, thickening of the skin, irregular dried dirty encrusted scabs with erythema and disfigurement of face and ear.

  3. Prediction of heavy rainfall over Chennai Metropolitan City, Tamil Nadu, India: Impact of microphysical parameterization schemes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, K. S.; Bonthu, Subbareddy; Purvaja, R.; Robin, R. S.; Kannan, B. A. M.; Ramesh, R.

    2018-04-01

    This study attempts to investigate the real-time prediction of a heavy rainfall event over the Chennai Metropolitan City, Tamil Nadu, India that occurred on 01 December 2015 using Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF-ARW) model. The study evaluates the impact of six microphysical (Lin, WSM6, Goddard, Thompson, Morrison and WDM6) parameterization schemes of the model on prediction of heavy rainfall event. In addition, model sensitivity has also been evaluated with six Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) and two Land Surface Model (LSM) schemes. Model forecast was carried out using nested domain and the impact of model horizontal grid resolutions were assessed at 9 km, 6 km and 3 km. Analysis of the synoptic features using National Center for Environmental Prediction Global Forecast System (NCEP-GFS) analysis data revealed strong upper-level divergence and high moisture content at lower level were favorable for the occurrence of heavy rainfall event over the northeast coast of Tamil Nadu. The study signified that forecasted rainfall was more sensitive to the microphysics and PBL schemes compared to the LSM schemes. The model provided better forecast of the heavy rainfall event using the logical combination of Goddard microphysics, YSU PBL and Noah LSM schemes, and it was mostly attributed to timely initiation and development of the convective system. The forecast with different horizontal resolutions using cumulus parameterization indicated that the rainfall prediction was not well represented at 9 km and 6 km. The forecast with 3 km horizontal resolution provided better prediction in terms of timely initiation and development of the event. The study highlights that forecast of heavy rainfall events using a high-resolution mesoscale model with suitable representations of physical parameterization schemes are useful for disaster management and planning to minimize the potential loss of life and property.

  4. Knowledge and Awareness of Familial Hypercholesterolaemia among Registered Medical Practitioners in Tamil Nadu: Are They Suboptimal?

    PubMed Central

    Balasubramanian, Shanthi; Pang, Jing; Watts, Gerald F

    2016-01-01

    Introduction Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is the most common monogenic disorder causing premature Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). However, the majority of people with FH are undiagnosed and under treated. Aim To determine awareness, knowledge and practices of registered medical practitioners regarding FH in India. Materials and Methods Physicians from a southern state of India (Tamil Nadu) who see the general cases were requested to complete a structured online survey questionnaire based on the outcomes on screening, diagnostic and service aspects of FH. Results A total of 133 physicians were surveyed, 27.9% perceived themselves to have above average familiarity with FH and 71.4% correctly described FH. 41.4% of physicians were unaware and unsure whether they had FH patients under their care. The awareness of specific aspects of FH were as follows: heritability 35.3%, prevalence 31.6%, typical lipid profile 34.6%, CVD relating to FH13.5%, genetic testing 33.1%, cascade screening 41.4%, preventive, management and referral services for FH 12.8%, 49.6% of them thought that the age for screening young people for FH should be 13 to 18 years. 84.2% selected GP’s as the most effective health care provider for the early detection and care of FH as being useful. 69.2% selected interpretive commenting on lipid profile to highlight patients at risk of FH. 91.7% and 19.5% of physicians identified statins as monotherapy and statin with ezetimibe as combination therapy for FH, respectively. Conclusion The study identified substantial deficit in the awareness and knowledge of FH among primary care physicians in Tamil Nadu. Extensive and continuous medical education programs are required to close the gap in coronary prevention. PMID:27437273

  5. Tick infestation in human beings in the Nilgiris and Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Soundararajan, C; Nagarajan, K; Arul Prakash, M

    2018-03-01

    Thirteen human beings were infested with ticks at Sandynallah and Gudalur of the Nilgiris district and Mottur Suruvakkam of Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu from January 2016 to December 2016. The collected ticks were identified as Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides , Otobius megnini and Hyalomma isaaci. The tick infestation was observed more on the persons working with animals (sheep and goats) than those working in tea estate. The person infested with R. haemaphysaloides revealed erythematous papule (2 mm size) and inflammatory lesion up to 16 days whereas, the people infested with H. isaaci showed continuous itching and irritation for > 6 months and wound formation (0.5 cm) at the biting site. The people infested with O. megnini showed irritation, vomiting sensation and fever.

  6. Prevalence and risk factors of HIV-1 and HIV-2 infection in urban and rural areas in Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Solomon, S; Kumarasamy, N; Ganesh, A K; Amalraj, R E

    1998-02-01

    We aim to study the factors associated with the prevalence of HIV-1 and HIV-2 infection in the urban and rural areas of Tamil Nadu, India. The population of Tamil Nadu is approximately 60 million. Between April 94 and March 95, 992 samples from 5 representative urban centres and 1071 samples from 5 representative rural centres were collected and studied. A questionnaire was administered privately and it preceded collection of each sample. Samples were screened using ELISA and antibodies to HIV-1 and HIV-2 were confirmed using Western blot. The study was anonymous and unlinked. The prevalence of HIV infection in urban and rural areas was 7.2% (95% CI=6.1 to 8.31%); HIV-1 antibodies were found in 7.4% (95% CI=5.8 to 9.2%) of urban and 7.0% (95% CI=5.6 to 8.7%) of rural population; HIV-2 antibodies were found in 0.8% of urban and 0.3% of rural population. Heterosexual transmission, more so among those with multiple partner sex, was the main mode; higher prevalence of HIV infection among divorced/single individuals both in urban (21.1%) and rural (26.1%) was found. HIV infection among housewives stood at 4.1% (urban) and 3.8% (rural). The strength of association between STDs and HIV was observed to be greater in rural subjects (OR=8.89; 95% CI=5.11 to 15.57) than in urban subjects (OR=1.9; 95% CI=1.14 to 3.18). The prevalence of condom use was found to be less than 2% in the study subjects. HIV-2 is not as widely prevalent in Tamil Nadu as HIV-1. In our study the most common risk factors for HIV infection that emerged were (a) having multiple sexual partners, and (b) history of STDs or Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) reactivity. Mobility of individuals between urban and rural areas has furthered the dissemination of HIV infection. Low condom usage among study subjects questions the effectiveness of the existing AIDS awareness and education programme. The study indicates the importance of placing equal emphasis on HIV prevention in rural India. HIV infection

  7. Medico-botanical study of Yercaud hills in the eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Parthipan, M; Aravindhan, V; Rajendran, A

    2011-04-01

    The study reports medicinal plant survey was conceded in Yercaud hills ranges of Eastern Ghats, Tamil Nadu, India. The study primarily based on field surveys conducted throughout the hills, where dwellers provided information on plant species used as medicine, plant parts used to prepare the remedies and ailments to which the remedies were prescribed. The study resulted about 48- plant species belonging to 45- genera and 29- families of medicinal plants related to folk medicine used by the local people. Among them the most common plants viz., Asparagus racemosus Willd., Cissus quadrangularis L., Gymnema sylvestre R. Br., Hemidesmus indicus (L.) R. Br., Justisia adhatoda L., Ocimum sanctum L., Phyllanthes amarus Schum. & Thonn., Piper nigrum L., Solanum nigrum L., Tinospora cordifolia (Thunb.) Miers, Tridax procumbens L. and Zingiber officinale Roscoe which are used in their daily life to cure various ailments.

  8. Knowledge, value, opinion and practice about usage of pit and fissure sealant among dental professionals in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Nagappan, N; Dhamodhar, M Dinesh; Nithin, M G; Kumar, E Senthil

    2015-12-01

    A study was aimed to assess the knowledge, value, opinion, and practice regarding the use of dental sealants among private dental practitioners in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. A self-administrated questionnaire were distributed to 192 private dental practitioners in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India by using simple random sampling. A convenience sampling technique was employed. The questionnaire consisted of 28 items, which included information about knowledge, value, opinion, and practice regarding dental sealants. The questionnaire was obtained from the study by San Martin et al. 2013 and Kailash Asawa et al. 2014. Frequency distribution was tabulated. For frequency distribution strongly, strongly agree, and agree were combined as "agree" and strongly disagree and disagree were combined as "disagree." There were no changes in "neutral." Among the 196 study subjects 56.2% were males and 43.8% were females with their clinical experience of 52.1% for <5 years, 35.4% for 5-10 years, and 13.5% for >15 years. The mean scores for knowledge, value, opinion, and practice were 41.8 ± 3.7, 18.7 ± 2.8, 18.1 ± 1.4, and 12.9 ± 2.3, respectively. The results suggest that dental practitioners had satisfactory knowledge about pit and fissure sealant and had neutral attitudes about sealants being effective. Dental practitioners adequately used the pit and fissure sealants but they did not follow the standardized procedures and specific guidelines.

  9. Increasing condom use and declining STI prevalence in high-risk MSM and TGs: evaluation of a large-scale prevention program in Tamil Nadu, India

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background This paper presents an evaluation of Avahan, a large scale HIV prevention program that was implemented using peer-mediated strategies, condom distribution and sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinical services among high-risk men who have sex with men (HR-MSM) and male to female transgender persons (TGs) in six high-prevalence state of Tamil Nadu, in southern India. Methods Two rounds of large scale cross-sectional bio-behavioural surveys among HR-MSM and TGs and routine program monitoring data were used to assess changes in program coverage, condom use and prevalence of STIs (including HIV) and their association to program exposure. Results The Avahan program for HR-MSM and TGs in Tamil Nadu was significantly scaled up and contacts by peer educators reached 77 percent of the estimated denominator by the end of the program’s fourth year. Exposure to the program increased between the two rounds of surveys for both HR-MSM (from 66 percent to 90 percent; AOR = 4.6; p < 0.001) and TGs (from 74.5 percent to 83 percent; AOR = 1.82; p < 0.06). There was an increase in consistent condom use by HR-MSM with their regular male partners (from 33 percent to 46 percent; AOR = 1.9; p < 0.01). Last time condom use with paying male partners (up from 81 percent to 94 percent; AOR = 3.6; p < 0.001) also showed an increase. Among TGs, the increase in condom use with casual male partners (18 percent to 52 percent; AOR = 1.8; p < 0.27) was not significant, and last time condom use declined significantly with paying male partners (93 percent to 80 percent; AOR = 0.32; p < 0.015). Syphilis declined significantly among both HR-MSM (14.3 percent to 6.8 percent; AOR = 0.37; p < 0.001) and TGs (16.6 percent to 4.2 percent; AOR = 0.34; p < 0.012), while change in HIV prevalence was not found to be significant for HR-MSM (9.7 percent to 10.9 percent) and TGs (12 percent to 9.8 percent). For both groups, change in

  10. Allele frequency distribution for the variable number of tandem repeat locus D10S28 in Tamil Nadu (south India) population.

    PubMed

    Pandian, S K; Kumar, S; Krishnan, M; Dharmalingam, K; Damodaran, C

    1995-09-01

    Allele frequencies were determined in unrelated individuals of Tamil speaking population from the Madras City (Tamil Nadu, South India) area for the polymorphic DNA locus D10S28 using the probe TBQ7. Membranes hybridized with the probe YNH24 were subjected to deprobing and were subsequently hybridized with random priming - labeled, purified inserts of TBQ7. The sizes of the fragments were grouped to 100 bp as well as to arbitrary fixed bins (Federal Bureau of Investigation / Royal Canadian Mounted Police). There were 14 bins in the latter with the most common bin being 11 (1789-1924 bp) with a frequency of 9.8%. We observed a heterozygosity of 92% comparable to Caucasian populations. The data presented here can be used as the basis for utilizing this variable number of tandem repeats (TNTR) DNA marker for paternity determinations and forensic investigations.

  11. Seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in voluntary blood donors of Puducherry and surrounding districts of Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Stephen, Selvaraj; Pradeep, Jothimani; Anitharaj, Velmurugan; Janarthanam, Venkatraman

    2017-12-01

    Our objective is to study the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in the voluntary blood donors of Puducherry and surrounding districts of Tamil Nadu. A total of 275 healthy blood donors were screened for the presence of IgM and IgG antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii by ELISA test. Donor samples positive for IgM and/or IgG antibodies to T. gondii were subjected to IgG avidity ELISA. While, 54 out of 275 donors had IgG antibodies (19.66%), only one donor had IgM (0.36%) along with IgG. Among 54 IgG positive donors, only two had low avidity (3.7%), indicating recent exposure to the protozoa. Feasibility and cost effectiveness studies should be conducted throughout India to decide regarding screening of blood donors for toxoplasmosis.

  12. A community-based survey of visible congenital anomalies in rural Tamil Nadu

    PubMed Central

    Sridhar, K.

    2009-01-01

    An extensive community-based survey of visible congenital defects covering 12.8 million children in rural Tamil Nadu state was conducted during the years 2004–05. A door-to-door survey was done utilizing the existing health care delivery system. More than 10,000 village health nurses were involved to collect the data. All children between the ages of 0 and 15 years were seen. The children with defects were seen by a medical officer and diagnosis was made as per chart. A total of 1.30% of children were born with some visible anomalies. The male:female ratio was 1.3:1. There was a family history in 9% and consanguinity in 32%. More than 5% mothers had taken some medication in the first trimester of pregnancy out of which anti-convulsants were 3.4%. Facial clefts showed a lower incidence of 1 in 1976 live births with peak incidence between March and June. Cleft palate alone showed a higher percentage (30%) than other studies. PMID:19884674

  13. Occurrence of mycotoxins in livestock feeds and feed stuffs of Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Sarathchandra, G; Muralimanohar, B

    2013-07-01

    The livestock feed and feed ingredients were screened for the presence of aflatoxin B1, citrinin, penicillic Acid, T2, ochratoxin A and zearalenone. The samples were collected from different livestock farmers/farms of Tamil Nadu. Mycotoxins were determined in all the samples. The present study clearly indicates high occurrence of citrinin highly predominant followed by Aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A in feedstuffs and feeds. Aflatoxins B1, citrinin, ochratoxin A were the most common mycotoxins observed. The aflatoxin B1 levels ranged between 50 to 80 microg kg(-1), ochratoxin A levels ranged between 20 to 160 microg kg(-1), Citrinin levels ranged between 20 to 350 microg kg(-1), penicillic acid levels ranged between 20 to 30 microg kg(-1), T2 Toxin levels ranged between 75 to 450 microg kg(-1) and zearalenone levels ranged between 150 to 1000 microg kg(-1) respectively. The results of the study warrant the need for sustained monitoring of these commodities periodically and evolve policies which discourage the marketing of toxin contaminated feeds as existing in the developed countries.

  14. Coverage of childhood vaccination among children aged 12-23 months, Tamil Nadu, 2015, India.

    PubMed

    Murhekar, Manoj V; Kamaraj, P; Kanagasabai, K; Elavarasu, G; Rajasekar, T Daniel; Boopathi, K; Mehendale, Sanjay

    2017-03-01

    District-Level Household Survey-4 (DLHS-4) indicated that during 2012-2013, only 56 per cent of children aged 12-23 months in Tamil Nadu were fully vaccinated, which were lesser than those reported in earlier national surveys. We, therefore, conducted cluster surveys to estimate coverage of childhood vaccination in the State, and also to identify the factors associated with low coverage. Cross-sectional surveys were conducted in 15 strata [municipal corporation non-slum (n=1), municipal corporation slum (n=1), hilly (n=1), rural (n=6) and urban (n=6)]. From each stratum, 30 clusters were selected using probability proportional to the population size linear systematic sampling; seven children aged 12-23 months were selected from each cluster and their mothers/care-takers were interviewed to collect information about vaccination status of the child. A child was considered fully vaccinated if he/she received bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), three doses of pentavalent, three doses of oral polio vaccine and one dose of measles vaccine, and appropriately vaccinated if all vaccine doses were given at right age and with right interval. Further, coverage of fully vaccinated children (FVC) as per vaccination cards or mothers' recall, validated coverage of FVC (V-FVC) among those having cards, and coverage of appropriately vaccinated children (AVC) were estimated using survey data analysis module with appropriate sampling weights. A total of 3150 children were surveyed, of them 2528 (80.3%) had vaccination card. The weighted coverage of FVC, V-FVC and AVC in the State was 79.9 per cent [95% confidence interval (CI): 78.2-81.5], 78.8 per cent (95% CI: 76.9-80.5) and 69.7 per cent (95% CI: 67.7-71.7), respectively. The coverage of individual vaccine ranged between 84 per cent (measles) and 99.8 per cent (BCG). About 12 per cent V-FVC were not vaccinated as per the vaccination schedule. The coverage of FVC in Tamil Nadu was high, with about 80 per cent children completing

  15. Role of Community in Swachh Bharat Mission. Their Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Sanitary Latrine Usage in Rural Areas, Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Anuradha, R; Dutta, Ruma; Raja, J Dinesh; Lawrence, D; Timsi, J; Sivaprakasam, P

    2017-01-01

    In most developing countries, open defecation is the 'way of life'. This practice is considered as the most serious health and environmental hazard. Prime Minister of India launched the "Swachh Bharat Mission" to accelerate the efforts for achieving universal sanitation coverage and to put focus on sanitation. To find the knowledge, attitude and practices of sanitary latrines usage in rural area, Tamil Nadu. This was a cross sectional study conducted among rural population in Kuthambakkam village, Tamil Nadu. There were a total of 1175 households in Kuthambakkam village. These households were serially numbered and of these a sample of 275 households were selected for the study using simple random sampling technique by lottery method. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information regarding the background characteristics, their knowledge, attitude and practices towards sanitary latrines usage. Descriptive statistics were calculated for background variables, the prevalence of sanitary latrines usage and open air defecation. Association between factors responsible for open air defecation was found by using chi square test. The prevalence of usage of household sanitary latrine and community latrines was 62.5% and 4.3% respectively. The prevalence of open air defecation among the study participants was 33.1%.Significant association was found between low standard of living and open air defecation practice. To solve the problem of underutilization of sanitary latrines, planning and conducting Information Education Communication activities is very essential. Effective political and administrative support is needed to scale up the sanitation program.

  16. Climate change projections for Tamil Nadu, India: deriving high-resolution climate data by a downscaling approach using PRECIS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bal, Prasanta Kumar; Ramachandran, A.; Geetha, R.; Bhaskaran, B.; Thirumurugan, P.; Indumathi, J.; Jayanthi, N.

    2016-02-01

    In this paper, we present regional climate change projections for the Tamil Nadu state of India, simulated by the Met Office Hadley Centre regional climate model. The model is run at 25 km horizontal resolution driven by lateral boundary conditions generated by a perturbed physical ensemble of 17 simulations produced by a version of Hadley Centre coupled climate model, known as HadCM3Q under A1B scenario. The large scale features of these 17 simulations were evaluated for the target region to choose lateral boundary conditions from six members that represent a range of climate variations over the study region. The regional climate, known as PRECIS, was then run 130 years from 1970. The analyses primarily focus on maximum and minimum temperatures and rainfall over the region. For the Tamil Nadu as a whole, the projections of maximum temperature show an increase of 1.0, 2.2 and 3.1 °C for the periods 2020s (2005-2035), 2050s (2035-2065) and 2080s (2065-2095), respectively, with respect to baseline period (1970-2000). Similarly, the projections of minimum temperature show an increase of 1.1, 2.4 and 3.5 °C, respectively. This increasing trend is statistically significant (Mann-Kendall trend test). The annual rainfall projections for the same periods indicate a general decrease in rainfall of about 2-7, 1-4 and 4-9 %, respectively. However, significant exceptions are noticed over some pockets of western hilly areas and high rainfall areas where increases in rainfall are seen. There are also indications of increasing heavy rainfall events during the northeast monsoon season and a slight decrease during the southwest monsoon season. Such an approach of using climate models may maximize the utility of high-resolution climate change information for impact-adaptation-vulnerability assessments.

  17. Distribution of larval and pupal stages of Simulium (Diptera: Simuliidae) flies in the Nilgiris hills of Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Soundararajan, C; Nagarajan, K; Arul Prakash, M

    2017-09-01

    Endemicity of onchocerciasis (river blindness) in humans is linked to the location of Simulium spp. (black fly). The distribution of immature stages of Simulium in Sholur, Pykara, Gudalur, Coonoor and Kotagiri streams of the Nilgiris hills of Tamil Nadu was investigated during the months of May and July 2012. Out of these five streams, only Sholur was infested with larval and pupal stages of Simulium spp. Out of six plants collected from various water bodies, larval and pupal stages were found on the leaves and stems of an aquatic plant Nasturtium officinale and on the roots and leaves of Pennisetum glandulosum. The stages of Simulium were observed only during the summer month of May.

  18. Apatite fission-track thermochronometric constraints on the exhumation and evolution of the southeastern Indian (Tamil Nadu) passive margin and the role of structural inheritance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    De Grave, Johan; Glorie, Stijn; Singh, Tejpal; Van Ranst, Gerben; Nachtergaele, Simon

    2017-04-01

    After rifting from Gondwana in the Late Jurassic - Early Cretaceous, and subsequent opening of the Indian Ocean basin, the continental margins of India developed into typical passive margins. Extensional tectonic forces and thermal subsidence gave rise to the formation of both on-shore and off-shore basins along the southeastern passive margin of the Indian continent, along the Tamil Nadu coast. There, basins such as the Cauvery and Krishna-Godavari basin, accumulated Meso- and Cenozoic (Early Cretaceous to recent) detrital sediments coming off the rifted blocks and the Tamil Nadu hinterland. In places, deep rift basins have accumulated up to over 3000 m of sediments. The continental basement of Tamil Nadu is chiefly composed of metamorphic rocks of the Archean to Palaeoproterozoic Eastern Dharwar Craton and the coeval Southern Granulite Terrane (e.g. Peucat et al., 2013). Several crustal scale shear zones crosscut this assemblage and at least some are considered to represent Gondwanan sutures (Santosh et al., 2012). Smaller, younger granitoid plutons intrude the basement at several locations and most of these are of Late Neoproterozoic age (Glorie et al., 2014). In this work metamorphic basements rocks and the younger granitoids were sampled for a apatite fission-track (AFT) thermochronometric study. A North-South profile from Chennai to Thanjavur mainly transects the Salem block of the Southern Granulite Terrane, and crosscuts several crustal scale shear zones, such as the Cauvery, Salem-Attur and Gangavalli shear zones. Apatites from over 30 samples were used in this study. AFT ages all range between about 190 and 120 Ma (Jurassic - Early Cretaceous). These mainly represent the slow, shallow exhumation of the basement during the rift and early drift phase of the Indian plate from Gondwana. AFT mean track lengths vary between 11 and 13 µm and are typical of slowly exhumed basement. Thermal history modelling (using the QTQt software by Gallagher, 2012) confirms

  19. Data on nearshore wave process and surficial beach deposits, central Tamil Nadu coast, India.

    PubMed

    Joevivek, V; Chandrasekar, N

    2017-08-01

    The chronicles of nearshore morphology and surficial beach deposits provide valuable information about the nature of the beach condition and the depositional environment. It imparts an understanding about the spatial and temporal relationship of nearshore waves and its influence over the distribution of beach sediments. This article contains data about wave and sediment dynamics of the ten sandy beaches along the central Tamil Nadu coast, India. This present dataset comprises nearshore wave parameters, breaker wave type, beach morphodynamic state, grain size distribution and weight percentage of heavy and light mineral distribution. The dataset will figure out the beach morphology and hydrodynamic condition with respect to the different monsoonal season. This will act as a field reference to realize the coastal dynamics in an open sea condition. The nearshore entities were obtained from the intensive field survey between January 2011 and December 2011, while characteristics of beach sediments are examined by the chemical process in the laboratory environment.

  20. Tamil Chola Bronzes and Swamimalai Legacy: Metal Sources and Archaeotechnology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Srinivasan, Sharada

    2016-08-01

    This review explores the great copper alloy image casting traditions of southern India from archaeometallurgical and ethnometallurgical perspectives. The usefulness of lead isotope ratio and compositional analysis in the finger-printing and art historical study of more than 130 early historic, Pallava, Chola, later Chola, and Vijayanagara sculptures (fifth-eighteenth centuries) is highlighted, including Nataraja, Buddha, Parvati, and Rama images made of copper, leaded bronze, brass, and gilt copper. Image casting traditions at Swamimalai in Tamil Nadu are compared with artistic treatises and with the technical examination of medieval bronzes, throwing light on continuities and changes in foundry practices. Western Indian sources could be pinpointed for a couple of medieval images from lead isotope analysis. Slag and archaeometallurgical investigations suggest the exploitation of some copper and lead-silver sources in the Andhra and Karnataka regions in the early historic Satavahana period and point to probable copper sources for the medieval images in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh. The general lower iron content in southern Indian bronzes perhaps renders the proximal copper-magnetite reserves of Seruvila in Sri Lanka as a less likely source. Given the lack of lead deposits in Sri Lanka, however, the match of the lead isotope signatures of a well-known Ceylonese Buddhist Tara in British Museum with a Buddha image from Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu may underscore ties between the island nation and the southern Indian Tamil regions.

  1. Groundwater resource exploration in Salem district, Tamil Nadu using GIS and remote sensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maheswaran, G.; Selvarani, A. Geetha; Elangovan, K.

    2016-03-01

    Since last decade, the value per barrel of potable groundwater has outpaced the value of a barrel of oil in many areas of the world. Hence, proper assessment of groundwater potential and management practices are the needs of the day. Establishing relationship between remote sensing data and hydrologic phenomenon can maximize the efficiency of water resources development projects. Present study focuses on groundwater potential assessment in Salem district, Tamil Nadu to investigate groundwater resource potential. At the same, all thematic layers important from ground water occurrence and movement point of view were digitized and integrated in the GIS environment. The weights of different parameters/themes were computed using weighed index overlay analysis (WIOA), analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy logic technique. Through this integrated GIS analysis, groundwater prospect map of the study area was prepared qualitatively. Field verification at observation wells was used to verify identified potential zones and depth of water measured at observation wells. Generated map from weighed overlay using AHP performed very well in predicting the groundwater surface and hence this methodology proves to be a promising tool for future.

  2. Medicinal plants used by traditional healers in Kancheepuram District of Tamil Nadu, India

    PubMed Central

    Muthu, Chellaiah; Ayyanar, Muniappan; Raja, Nagappan; Ignacimuthu, Savarimuthu

    2006-01-01

    An ethnobotanical survey was undertaken to collect information from traditional healers on the use of medicinal plants in Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu during October 2003 to April 2004. The indigenous knowledge of local traditional healers and the native plants used for medicinal purposes were collected through questionnaire and personal interviews during field trips. The investigation revealed that, the traditional healers used 85 species of plants distributed in 76 genera belonging to 41 families to treat various diseases. The documented medicinal plants were mostly used to cure skin diseases, poison bites, stomachache and nervous disorders. In this study the most dominant family was Euphorbiaceae and leaves were most frequently used for the treatment of diseases. This study showed that many people in the studied parts of Kancheepuram district still continue to depend on medicinal plants at least for the treatment of primary healthcare. The traditional healers are dwindling in number and there is a grave danger of traditional knowledge disappearing soon since the younger generation is not interested to carry on this tradition. PMID:17026769

  3. Prevalence of Amblyomma gervaisi ticks on captive snakes in Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Catherine, B R; Jayathangaraj, M G; Soundararajan, C; Bala Guru, C; Yogaraj, D

    2017-12-01

    Ticks are the important ectoparasites that occur on snakes and transmit rickettsiosis, anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis. A total of 62 snakes (Reticulated python, Indian Rock Python, Rat snakes and Spectacled cobra) were examined for tick infestation at Chennai Snake Park Trust (Guindy), Arignar Anna Zoological Park (Vandalur) and Rescue centre (Velachery) in Tamil Nadu from September, 2015 to June, 2016. Ticks from infested snakes were collected and were identified as Amblyomma gervaisi (previously known as Aponomma gervaisi ). Overall occurrence of tick infestation on snakes was 66.13%. Highest prevalence of tick infestation was observed more on Reticulated Python ( Python reticulatus , 90.91%) followed by Indian Rock Python ( Python molurus , 88.89%), Spectacled cobra ( Naja naja, 33.33%) and Rat snake ( Ptyas mucosa, 21.05%). Highest prevalence of ticks were observed on snakes reared at Chennai Snake Park Trust, Guindy (83.33%), followed by Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Vandalur (60.00%) and low level prevalence of 37.50% on snakes at Rescue centre, Velachery. Among the system of management, the prevalence of ticks were more on captive snakes (70.37%) than the free ranging snakes (37.5%). The presences of ticks were more on the first quarter when compared to other three quarters and were highly significant ( P  ≤ 0.01).

  4. Coverage of childhood vaccination among children aged 12-23 months, Tamil Nadu, 2015, India

    PubMed Central

    Murhekar, Manoj V.; Kamaraj, P.; Kanagasabai, K.; Elavarasu, G.; Rajasekar, T. Daniel; Boopathi, K.; Mehendale, Sanjay

    2017-01-01

    Background & objectives: District-Level Household Survey-4 (DLHS-4) indicated that during 2012-2013, only 56 per cent of children aged 12-23 months in Tamil Nadu were fully vaccinated, which were lesser than those reported in earlier national surveys. We, therefore, conducted cluster surveys to estimate coverage of childhood vaccination in the State, and also to identify the factors associated with low coverage. Methods: Cross-sectional surveys were conducted in 15 strata [municipal corporation non-slum (n=1), municipal corporation slum (n=1), hilly (n=1), rural (n=6) and urban (n=6)]. From each stratum, 30 clusters were selected using probability proportional to the population size linear systematic sampling; seven children aged 12-23 months were selected from each cluster and their mothers/care-takers were interviewed to collect information about vaccination status of the child. A child was considered fully vaccinated if he/she received bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), three doses of pentavalent, three doses of oral polio vaccine and one dose of measles vaccine, and appropriately vaccinated if all vaccine doses were given at right age and with right interval. Further, coverage of fully vaccinated children (FVC) as per vaccination cards or mothers’ recall, validated coverage of FVC (V-FVC) among those having cards, and coverage of appropriately vaccinated children (AVC) were estimated using survey data analysis module with appropriate sampling weights. Results: A total of 3150 children were surveyed, of them 2528 (80.3%) had vaccination card. The weighted coverage of FVC, V-FVC and AVC in the State was 79.9 per cent [95% confidence interval (CI): 78.2-81.5], 78.8 per cent (95% CI: 76.9-80.5) and 69.7 per cent (95% CI: 67.7-71.7), respectively. The coverage of individual vaccine ranged between 84 per cent (measles) and 99.8 per cent (BCG). About 12 per cent V-FVC were not vaccinated as per the vaccination schedule. Interpretation & conclusions: The coverage of

  5. Prevalence of Diabetic Retinopathy and its Associated Factors in a Rural Area of Villupuram District of Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Nadarajan, Balasubramanian; Saya, Ganesh Kumar; Krishna, Ramesh Babu; Lakshminarayanan, Subitha

    2017-07-01

    There is limited information on prevalence of Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) among diabetic subjects and its associated factors in a rural setting in developing countries including India. The information will be useful for initiating early screening strategies for this group in the community. To assess the prevalence and certain associated factors of DR among diabetic subjects in a rural area of Tamil Nadu, India. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 105 Type 2 diabetic subjects in Pakkam and Mandagapattu sub-center area of Kondur Primary Health Center in Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu, India. Data on associated factors which include sociodemographic factors, duration of disease, family history, and frequency of blood test, treatment regularity, hypertension, visual acuity and cataract were collected. Detailed eye examination including visual acuity, direct ophthalmoscope and Non Mydriatic Fundus Camera was done. Data was analysed by univariate analysis and described in proportion or percentages. The mean age of the study population was 56.69 years. About 47 (44.8%) of the subjects were more than 60 years of age followed by 44 subjects (41.9%) in age group 45-59 years. Fundus examination in at least one eye was seen in 83 people (79.0%). Prevalence of DR in any eye and both the eye was 32.53% (27/83) and 31.58% (24/76) respectively. Severity of DR was moderate (51.9%) followed by mild (44.4%) and severe (3.7%). DR prevalence was more among >60 years age group (p=0.032) and lesser education level (p=0.057). There was no association of DR with duration of disease, family history of diabetes, treatment regularity, presence of hypertension, visual acuity and cataract (p>0.05). The prevalence of DR was inferred to be high and further larger follow up studies will explore the role of associated factors and its quantification in the causation of DR.

  6. Dental caries and the associated factors influencing it in tribal, suburban and urban school children of Tamil Nadu, India: a cross sectional study.

    PubMed

    John, J Baby; Asokan, Sharath; Aswanth, K P; Priya, P R Geetha; Shanmugaavel, A K

    2015-02-20

    The study was planned to assess the prevalence of dental caries among tribal, suburban and urban children of Tiruchengode and Erode of Tamil Nadu state, India. The objective of the study was to assess the association of dental caries with family background, dental service availability, transportation and knowledge on preventive dental measures among these three groups. Cross-sectional study. A total of 1028 school children in the age range of 9-12 years from various government schools located in Palamalai and Kolli Hills (tribal), Tiruchengode (suburban) and Erode (urban), Tamil Nadu, were included in the study. Decayed, filled, and missing teeth (DMFT), decayed and filled teeth (dft) and Significant Caries Index were recorded. A specially prepared questionnaire was used to record all the data regarding oral hygiene practices, socioeconomic background, dental treatment availability, parent's education level were used for the study. ANOVA t-test and post hoc test were used for comparing quantitative variables between the 3 subgroups. The tribal school children had 89.3% caries prevalence, where as it was 77% in suburban and 55% in urban school children. The mean DMFT score among tribal, suburban and urban school children were statistically significant different (P=0.001) between the three groups. There was a highly significant difference (P=0.001) in the mean DMFT score based on brushing frequency. There was a statistically significant difference (P=0.018) in the mean DMFT scores in the urban group based on the mothers education status. There were no statistically significant differences in the mean DMFT scores based on the presence or absence of television in their house and the parents' income. Oral hygiene practices, dietary habits and access to dental care services played an important role in prevalence of dental caries. It was observed that the socioeconomic status, parents' educational status and mass media influenced the oral health of these children but

  7. Increased Utilization of Primary Health Care Centers for Birthing Care in Tamil Nadu, India: A Visible Impact of Policies, Initiatives, and Innovations.

    PubMed

    Pandian, Jayanthi; Suresh, Saradha; Desikachari, B R; Padmanaban, P

    2013-01-01

    Tamil Nadu has been showing an increasing trend in institutional deliveries since early 1990's and has now achieved near 100%. Among the institutional deliveries, a change was observed since 2006, wherein primary health centers (PHCs) showed a four-fold increase in deliveries, while other public and private health facilities showed a decline, despite equal access to all categories of health facilities. What led to this increased utilization of PHCs for birthing care? Policies, documents, and published reports of the Government of Tamil Nadu (GoTN) were reviewed and interviews were conducted with the various stakeholders involved in providing birthing care in the PHCs. This study analyzes the impact of the policies and supply side initiatives and innovations which led to increase utilization of the PHCs for birthing care. Scaling up of 24 × 7 services in all PHCs, upgrading PHCs with good infrastructure, human resources, and women friendly services have helped to boost the image of the PHCs. Pro-women policies like maternity benefit schemes, birth companionship, providing food, and compulsory stay for 48 h following delivery have attracted women towards PHC. Innovative strategies like maternity picnics and use of expected date of delivery (EDD) chart for follow-up have made women choose PHCs, while periodic reviews and support to staff has improved service delivery. Women centered policies, efficient managerial systems, quality care, and innovative marketing of services have together contributed to increased utilization of PHCs for birthing. Other states could explore the possibility of replicating this model to make optimal use the PHC facilities.

  8. Prevalence of non-strabismic anomalies of binocular vision in Tamil Nadu: report 2 of BAND study.

    PubMed

    Hussaindeen, Jameel Rizwana; Rakshit, Archayeeta; Singh, Neeraj Kumar; George, Ronnie; Swaminathan, Meenakshi; Kapur, Suman; Scheiman, Mitchell; Ramani, Krishna Kumar

    2017-11-01

    Population-based studies on the prevalence of non-strabismic anomalies of binocular vision in ethnic Indians are more than two decades old. Based on indigenous normative data, the BAND (Binocular Vision Anomalies and Normative Data) study aims to report the prevalence of non-strabismic anomalies of binocular vision among school children in rural and urban Tamil Nadu. This population-based, cross-sectional study was designed to estimate the prevalence of non-strabismic anomalies of binocular vision in the rural and urban population of Tamil Nadu. In four schools, two each in rural and urban arms, 920 children in the age range of seven to 17 years were included in the study. Comprehensive binocular vision assessment was done for all children including evaluation of vergence and accommodative systems. In the first phase of the study, normative data of parameters of binocular vision were assessed followed by prevalence estimates of non-strabismic anomalies of binocular vision. The mean and standard deviation of the age of the sample were 12.7 ± 2.7 years. The prevalence of non-strabismic anomalies of binocular vision in the urban and rural arms was found to be 31.5 and 29.6 per cent, respectively. Convergence insufficiency was the most prevalent (16.5 and 17.6 per cent in the urban and rural arms, respectively) among all the types of non-strabismic anomalies of binocular vision. There was no gender predilection and no statistically significant differences were observed between the rural and urban arms in the prevalence of non-strabismic anomalies of binocular vision (Z-test, p > 0.05). The prevalence of non-strabismic anomalies of binocular vision was found to be higher in the 13 to 17 years age group (36.2 per cent) compared to seven to 12 years (25.1 per cent) (Z-test, p < 0.05). Non-strabismic binocular vision anomalies are highly prevalent among school children and the prevalence increases with age. With increasing near visual demands in the higher

  9. Prevalence and magnitude of acidosis sequelae to rice-based feeding regimen followed in Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Murugeswari, Rathinam; Valli, Chinnamani; Karunakaran, Raman; Leela, Venkatasubramanian; Pandian, Amaresan Serma Saravana

    2018-04-01

    In Tamil Nadu, a southern state of India, rice is readily available at a low cost, hence, is cooked (cooking akin to human consumption) and fed irrationally to cross-bred dairy cattle with poor productivity. Hence, a study was carried out with the objective to examine the prevalence of acidosis sequelae to rice-based feeding regimen and assess its magnitude. A survey was conducted in all the 32 districts of Tamil Nadu, by randomly selecting two blocks per districts and from each block five villages were randomly selected. From each of the selected village, 10 dairy farmers belonging to the unorganized sector, owning one or two cross-bred dairy cows in early and mid-lactation were randomly selected so that a sample size of 100 farmers per district was maintained. The feeding regimen, milk yield was recorded, and occurrence of acidosis and incidence of laminitis were ascertained by the veterinarian with the confirmative test to determine the impact of feeding cooked rice to cows. It is observed that 71.5% of farmers in unorganized sector feed cooked rice to their cattle. The incidence of acidosis progressively increased significantly (p<0.05) from 29.00% in cows fed with 0.5 kg of cooked rice to 69.23% in cows fed with more than 2.5 kg of cooked rice. However, the incidence of acidosis remained significantly (p<0.05) as low as 9.9% in cows fed feeding regimen without cooked rice which is suggestive of a correlation between excessive feeding cooked rice and onset of acidosis. Further, the noticeable difference in the incidence of acidosis observed between feeding cooked rice and those fed without rice and limited intake of oil cake indicates that there is a mismatch between energy and protein supply to these cattle. Among cooked rice-based diet, the incidence of laminitis increased progressively (p<0.05) from 9.2% to 37.9% with the increase in the quantum of cooked rice in the diet. The study points out the importance of protein supplementation in rice-based feeding

  10. Quantification of Water Energy Nexus for Sustainable Development at Local Level: Case Study of Tamil Nadu

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grover, S.; Tayal, S.

    2014-12-01

    Interdependency between water and energy is generally transacted in trade-off mode; where either of the resource gets affected because of the other. Generally this trade-off is commonly known as water-energy nexus. Many studies have been undertaken in various parts of the world using various approaches to tease out the intricate nexus. This research has adopted a different approach to quantify the inter-dependency. The adopted approach made an attempt to tease out the nexus from demand side for both the resources. For water demand assessment PODIUM Sim model was used and for other parameters available secondary data was used. Using this approach percentage share of water for energy and energy for water was estimated. For an informed decision making and sustainable development, assessment was carried out at state level as most of the policies are made specifically for the state. The research was done for the southernmost state of India, Tamil Nadu which is a rapidly growing industrial hub. Tamil Nadu is energy and water intensive state and the analysis shows that the share of water demand from energy sector compared to water demand from other major sectors is miniscule. While, the energy demand in water sector for various processes in different sectors compared to energy demand as total has a comparable share of range 15-25%. This analysis indicated the relative risk sectors face in competition for the resource. It point outs that water sector faces fierce competition with other sectors for energy. Moreover, the results of the study has assessed that state has negative water balance, which may make access to water more energy intensive with time. But, a projection into future scenario with an assumption based on the ongoing policy program of improving irrigation efficiency was made. It provided a solution of a potential positive equilibrium which conserves both water and energy. This scenario gave promising results which indicated less of water demand from

  11. Diversity and community structure of butterfly of Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Rajagopal, T; Sekar, M; Manimozhi, A; Baskar, N; Archunan, G

    2011-03-01

    Investigation was carried out on the diversity of butterfly fauna in selected localities of conservation and breeding center of Arignar Anna Zoological Park (AAZP), Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Atotal of 56 species were recorded, 15 of them belonged to Pieridae, 12 Nymphalidae, 9 Satyridae, 8 Papilionidae, 7 Danaidae, 3 Lycaenidae and 1 species each belonged to the families Acraeidae and Hesperidae. Qualitatively and quantitatively Pieridae family were comparatively dominant than that of other families. The notable addition to the 25 more species listed during this observation were compared to previous field survey. Comparison of butterfly species distribution between the different localities revealed that butterfly species richness was higher at mountain region with 52 species and lowest of 25 species at public visiting areas. Visitor's activities may be that reason for effects on butterfly distribution and lack of vegetation. Each five endemic and protected species (i.e. endangered) listed under the Wildlife (Protection)Act were highlighted greater conservation importances of the AAZP. It is suggest that butterfly species diversity generally increase with increase in vegetation and declines with the increase in disturbance.

  12. High rates of ofloxacin resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis among both new and previously treated patients in Tamil Nadu, South India.

    PubMed

    Selvakumar, N; Kumar, Vanaja; Balaji, S; Prabuseenivasan, S; Radhakrishnan, R; Sekar, Gomathi; Chandrasekaran, V; Kannan, T; Thomas, Aleyamma; Arunagiri, S; Dewan, Puneet; Swaminathan, Soumya

    2015-01-01

    Periodic drug resistance surveillance provides useful information on trends of drug resistance and effectiveness of tuberculosis (TB) control measures. The present study determines the prevalence of drug resistance among new sputum smear positive (NSP) and previously treated (PT) pulmonary TB patients, diagnosed at public sector designated microscopy centers (DMCs) in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. In this single-stage cluster-sampling prevalence survey, 70 of 700 DMCs were randomly selected using a probability-proportional to size method. A cluster size of 24 for NSP and a varying size of 0 to 99 for PT cases were fixed for each selected DMC. Culture and drug susceptibility testing was done on Lowenstein-Jensen medium using the economic variant of proportion sensitivity test for isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (RMP), ofloxacin (OFX) and kanamycin (KAN). Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) status was collected from patient records. From June 2011 to August 2012, 1524 NSP and 901 PT patients were enrolled. Any RMP resistance and any INH resistance were observed in 2.6% and 15.1%, and in 10.4% and 30% respectively in NSP and PT cases. Among PT patients, multi drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) was highest in the treatment failure (35%) group, followed by relapse (13%) and treatment after default (10%) groups. Extensively drug resistant TB (XDRTB) was seen in 4.3% of MDR-TB cases. Any OFX resistance was seen in 10.4% of NSP, 13.9% of PT and 29% of PT MDR-TB patients. The HIV status of the patient had no impact on drug resistance levels. RMP resistance was present in 2.6% of new and 15.1% of previously treated patients in Tamil Nadu. Rates of OFX resistance were high among NSP and PT patients, especially among those with MDR-TB, a matter of concern for development of new treatment regimens for TB.

  13. High Rates of Ofloxacin Resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis among Both New and Previously Treated Patients in Tamil Nadu, South India

    PubMed Central

    Selvakumar, N.; Kumar, Vanaja; Balaji, S.; Prabuseenivasan, S.; Radhakrishnan, R.; Sekar, Gomathi; Chandrasekaran, V.; Kannan, T.; Thomas, Aleyamma; Arunagiri, S.; Dewan, Puneet; Swaminathan, Soumya

    2015-01-01

    Periodic drug resistance surveillance provides useful information on trends of drug resistance and effectiveness of tuberculosis (TB) control measures. The present study determines the prevalence of drug resistance among new sputum smear positive (NSP) and previously treated (PT) pulmonary TB patients, diagnosed at public sector designated microscopy centers (DMCs) in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. In this single-stage cluster-sampling prevalence survey, 70 of 700 DMCs were randomly selected using a probability-proportional to size method. A cluster size of 24 for NSP and a varying size of 0 to 99 for PT cases were fixed for each selected DMC. Culture and drug susceptibility testing was done on Lowenstein-Jensen medium using the economic variant of proportion sensitivity test for isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (RMP), ofloxacin (OFX) and kanamycin (KAN). Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) status was collected from patient records. From June 2011 to August 2012, 1524 NSP and 901 PT patients were enrolled. Any RMP resistance and any INH resistance were observed in 2.6% and 15.1%, and in 10.4% and 30% respectively in NSP and PT cases. Among PT patients, multi drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) was highest in the treatment failure (35%) group, followed by relapse (13%) and treatment after default (10%) groups. Extensively drug resistant TB (XDRTB) was seen in 4.3% of MDR-TB cases. Any OFX resistance was seen in 10.4% of NSP, 13.9% of PT and 29% of PT MDR-TB patients. The HIV status of the patient had no impact on drug resistance levels. RMP resistance was present in 2.6% of new and 15.1% of previously treated patients in Tamil Nadu. Rates of OFX resistance were high among NSP and PT patients, especially among those with MDR-TB, a matter of concern for development of new treatment regimens for TB. PMID:25738956

  14. Diabetic retinopathy and its risk factors in patients with type 2 diabetes attending rural primary healthcare facilities in Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Fredrick, Tony; Kaur, Prabhdeep; Murhekar, Manoj V; Jayaraman, Yuvaraj; Kolandaswamy, K; Rao, Sudha Ramachandra; David, Joseph K

    2016-01-01

    India has a high burden of diabetic retinopathy ranging from 12.2% to 20.4% among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A T2DM management programme was initiated in the public sector in Tamil Nadu. We estimated the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy and its associated risk factors. We did a cross-sectional survey among patients with T2DM attending two primary health centres for treatment and follow-up in Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu in January- March 2013. We did a questionnaire-based survey, and measured blood pressure and biochemical parameters (serum creatinine, plasma glucose, etc.) of the patients. We examined their eyes by direct and indirect ophthalmoscopy and defined diabetic retinopathy using a modified classification by Klein et al. We calculated the proportion and 95% CI for the prevalence and adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for risk factors associated with diabetic retinopathy. Among the 270 patients, the mean (SD) age was 54.5 (10) years. The median duration of T2DM was 48 months. The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was 29.6%. Overall, 65.9% of patients had hypertension, 14.4% had nephropathy (eGFR <60 mg/dl) and 67.4% had neuropathy. Among patients with comorbid conditions, 60%, 48%, 32%, and 3% were already diagnosed to have hypertension, neuropathy, retinopathy, and nephropathy, respectively. The risk factors for diabetic retinopathy were hypertension (AOR 3.2, 95% CI 1.7-6.3), duration of T2DM >5 years (AOR 6.5, 95% CI 3.6-11.7), poor glycaemic control (AOR 2.4, 95% CI 1.4-4.4), and nephropathy (AOR 2.3, 95% CI 1.1-4.6). There was a high burden of undetected retinopathy and other comorbid conditions among patients with T2DM. Early detection of comorbid conditions and glycaemic control can be improved by training care-providers and educating patients.

  15. Coenurus cerebralis and its pathology in an organized farm of Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Soundararajan, C; Sivakumar, T; Balachandran, C

    2017-06-01

    Coenurosis is a disease of the central nervous system in sheep. A survey was carried out to assess the occurrence of Coenurus cerebralis in Madras red sheep. A prevalence rate of 12.30 % observed when 122 slaughtered Madras red sheep were examined in an organized farm during 2002 to 2007 at Livestock Research Station, Kattupakkam, Tamil Nadu, India. The skulls of the animals were opened to know the prevalence of Coenurus cyst in the brain. Out of 12.30 %, only 3.28 % sheep showed clinical signs while the remaining were apparently healthy (9.02 %). C. cerebralis cysts were observed in cerebrum, cerebellum and on spinal cord, averaging 66.67, 26.67 and 6.66 %, respectively. Among different age groups of sheep, highest infection rate was observed in rams (20.69 %) followed by ewes (10.00 %), young males (9.09 %) and young females (8.33 %). Males (17.50 %, 7/40) were more infected compared to the female sheep (9.76 %, 8/82). Grossly, ventral cerebrum was congested and depression in sulci was noticed. Posterior portion of the skull showed severe congestion and haemorrhage. Severe congestion was also noticed on the gyri of right cerebral hemisphere.

  16. Increased Utilization of Primary Health Care Centers for Birthing Care in Tamil Nadu, India: A Visible Impact of Policies, Initiatives, and Innovations

    PubMed Central

    Pandian, Jayanthi; Suresh, Saradha; Desikachari, B. R.; Padmanaban, P.

    2013-01-01

    Background: Tamil Nadu has been showing an increasing trend in institutional deliveries since early 1990's and has now achieved near 100%. Among the institutional deliveries, a change was observed since 2006, wherein primary health centers (PHCs) showed a four-fold increase in deliveries, while other public and private health facilities showed a decline, despite equal access to all categories of health facilities. What led to this increased utilization of PHCs for birthing care? Material and Methods: Policies, documents, and published reports of the Government of Tamil Nadu (GoTN) were reviewed and interviews were conducted with the various stakeholders involved in providing birthing care in the PHCs. This study analyzes the impact of the policies and supply side initiatives and innovations which led to increase utilization of the PHCs for birthing care. Results: Scaling up of 24 × 7 services in all PHCs, upgrading PHCs with good infrastructure, human resources, and women friendly services have helped to boost the image of the PHCs. Pro-women policies like maternity benefit schemes, birth companionship, providing food, and compulsory stay for 48 h following delivery have attracted women towards PHC. Innovative strategies like maternity picnics and use of expected date of delivery (EDD) chart for follow-up have made women choose PHCs, while periodic reviews and support to staff has improved service delivery. Conclusion: Women centered policies, efficient managerial systems, quality care, and innovative marketing of services have together contributed to increased utilization of PHCs for birthing. Other states could explore the possibility of replicating this model to make optimal use the PHC facilities. PMID:26664836

  17. ‘Too many girls, too much dowry’: son preference and daughter aversion in rural Tamil Nadu, India

    PubMed Central

    DIAMOND-SMITH, NADIA; LUKE, NANCY; MCGARVEY, STEPHEN

    2013-01-01

    The southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has experienced a dramatic decline in fertility, accompanied by a trend of increased son preference. This paper reports on findings from qualitative interviews with women in rural villages about their fertility decision-making. Specifically addressed are the reasons behind increasing son preference and the consequences of this change. Findings suggest that daughter aversion, fuelled primarily by the perceived economic burden of daughters due to the proliferation of dowry, is playing a larger role in fertility decision-making than son preference. The desire for a son is often trumped by the worry over having many daughters. Women use various means of controlling the sex of their children, which in this study appear to be primarily female infanticide. It is important to distinguish between son preference and daughter aversion and to examine repercussions of low fertility within this setting. PMID:18821352

  18. Prevalence of Diabetic Retinopathy and its Associated Factors in a Rural Area of Villupuram District of Tamil Nadu, India

    PubMed Central

    Nadarajan, Balasubramanian; Krishna, Ramesh Babu; Lakshminarayanan, Subitha

    2017-01-01

    Introduction There is limited information on prevalence of Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) among diabetic subjects and its associated factors in a rural setting in developing countries including India. The information will be useful for initiating early screening strategies for this group in the community. Aim To assess the prevalence and certain associated factors of DR among diabetic subjects in a rural area of Tamil Nadu, India. Materials and Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted among 105 Type 2 diabetic subjects in Pakkam and Mandagapattu sub-center area of Kondur Primary Health Center in Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu, India. Data on associated factors which include sociodemographic factors, duration of disease, family history, and frequency of blood test, treatment regularity, hypertension, visual acuity and cataract were collected. Detailed eye examination including visual acuity, direct ophthalmoscope and Non Mydriatic Fundus Camera was done. Data was analysed by univariate analysis and described in proportion or percentages. Results The mean age of the study population was 56.69 years. About 47 (44.8%) of the subjects were more than 60 years of age followed by 44 subjects (41.9%) in age group 45-59 years. Fundus examination in at least one eye was seen in 83 people (79.0%). Prevalence of DR in any eye and both the eye was 32.53% (27/83) and 31.58% (24/76) respectively. Severity of DR was moderate (51.9%) followed by mild (44.4%) and severe (3.7%). DR prevalence was more among >60 years age group (p=0.032) and lesser education level (p=0.057). There was no association of DR with duration of disease, family history of diabetes, treatment regularity, presence of hypertension, visual acuity and cataract (p>0.05) Conclusion The prevalence of DR was inferred to be high and further larger follow up studies will explore the role of associated factors and its quantification in the causation of DR. PMID:28892938

  19. Serosurvey of rubella in five blocks of Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Ramamurty, Nalini; Murugan, S; Raja, D; Elango, Varalaksmi; Mohana; Dhanagaran, D

    2006-01-01

    Rubella, normally a mild, self-limiting disease characterized by rash, fever and lymphadenopathy, is a vaccine preventable disease. It carries little morbidity and apparently only minor complications in children. Infection during early pregnancy may lead to congenital rubella infection. Presence of rubella specific IgG in an unvaccinated population is a long term marker of previous rubella infection, which helps to assess the immune status of that population. Though many seroprevalence studies on rebella have been reported earlier from India, no study has been conducted in recent years. We undertook this study in 2003 in five blocks identified by the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), in the five districts of Tamil Nadu to assess the immune status to rubella in two age groups (1-5 yr boys and girls and 10-16 yr adolescent girls) before vaccination and draw strategies for future vaccination programme. A total of 300 blood samples were collected by vein puncture from girls and boys of 1-5 yr age and adolescent girls of 10-16 yr age. Samples were tested for the presence of rubella specific IgG antibody by ELISA. Of the 300 samples tested, 145 (48.3%) were negative for rubella IgG antibodies. The seronegativity was 82.2 per cent in 1-5 yr and 13.5 per cent in the 10-16 yr age groups, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). Large percentage of children, 82.2 per cent in the 1-5 yr age group and 13.5 per cent in 10-16 yr population were susceptible to rubella infection highlighting the fact that there was a risk of congenital rubella syndrome. There is a need to implement routine measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) immunization programme for under five children and mass scale one time immunization with monovalent rubella vaccine for adolescent girls.

  20. Challenges in diagnosing and treating snakebites in a rural population of Tamil Nadu, India: The views of clinicians.

    PubMed

    Williams, Harry F; Vaiyapuri, Rajendran; Gajjeraman, Prabu; Hutchinson, Gail; Gibbins, Jonathan M; Bicknell, Andrew B; Vaiyapuri, Sakthivel

    2017-05-01

    Snakebites cause death, disability and economic devastation to their victims, people who live almost exclusively in rural areas. Annually an estimated two million venomous bites cause as many as 100,000 deaths worldwide as well as hundreds of thousands of deformities and amputations. Recent studies suggest that India has the highest incidence of snakebite and associated deaths worldwide. In this study, we interviewed 25 hospital-based clinicians who regularly treat snakebites in Tamil Nadu, India, in order to gauge their opinions and views on the diagnostic tools and treatment methods available at that time, the difficulties encountered in treating snakebites and improvements to snakebite management protocols they deem necessary. Clinicians identified the improvement of community education, training of medical personnel, development of standard treatment protocols and improved medication as priorities for the immediate future. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Prevalence and magnitude of acidosis sequelae to rice-based feeding regimen followed in Tamil Nadu, India

    PubMed Central

    Murugeswari, Rathinam; Valli, Chinnamani; Karunakaran, Raman; Leela, Venkatasubramanian; Pandian, Amaresan Serma Saravana

    2018-01-01

    Background and Aim In Tamil Nadu, a southern state of India, rice is readily available at a low cost, hence, is cooked (cooking akin to human consumption) and fed irrationally to cross-bred dairy cattle with poor productivity. Hence, a study was carried out with the objective to examine the prevalence of acidosis sequelae to rice-based feeding regimen and assess its magnitude. Materials and Methods A survey was conducted in all the 32 districts of Tamil Nadu, by randomly selecting two blocks per districts and from each block five villages were randomly selected. From each of the selected village, 10 dairy farmers belonging to the unorganized sector, owning one or two cross-bred dairy cows in early and mid-lactation were randomly selected so that a sample size of 100 farmers per district was maintained. The feeding regimen, milk yield was recorded, and occurrence of acidosis and incidence of laminitis were ascertained by the veterinarian with the confirmative test to determine the impact of feeding cooked rice to cows. Results It is observed that 71.5% of farmers in unorganized sector feed cooked rice to their cattle. The incidence of acidosis progressively increased significantly (p<0.05) from 29.00% in cows fed with 0.5 kg of cooked rice to 69.23% in cows fed with more than 2.5 kg of cooked rice. However, the incidence of acidosis remained significantly (p<0.05) as low as 9.9% in cows fed feeding regimen without cooked rice which is suggestive of a correlation between excessive feeding cooked rice and onset of acidosis. Further, the noticeable difference in the incidence of acidosis observed between feeding cooked rice and those fed without rice and limited intake of oil cake indicates that there is a mismatch between energy and protein supply to these cattle. Among cooked rice-based diet, the incidence of laminitis increased progressively (p<0.05) from 9.2% to 37.9% with the increase in the quantum of cooked rice in the diet. Conclusion The study points out the

  2. Spatial and Temporal Variation of Meteorological Drought in the Parambikulam-Aliyar Basin, Tamil Nadu

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manikandan, M.; Tamilmani, D.

    2015-09-01

    The present study aims to investigate the spatial and temporal variation of meteorological drought in the Parambikulam-Aliyar basin, Tamil Nadu using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) as an indicator of drought severity. The basin was divided into 97 grid-cells of 5 × 5 km with each grid correspondence to approximately 1.03 % of total area. Monthly rainfall data for the period of 40 years (1972-2011) from 28 rain gauge stations in the basin was spatially interpolated and gridded monthly rainfall was created. Regional representative of SPI values calculated from mean areal rainfall were used to analyse the temporal variation of drought at multiple time scales. Spatial variation of drought was analysed based on highest drought severity derived from the monthly gridded SPI values. Frequency analyse was applied to assess the recurrence pattern of drought severity. The temporal analysis of SPI indicated that moderate, severe and extreme droughts are common in the basin and spatial analysis of drought severity identified the areas most frequently affected by drought. The results of this study can be used for developing drought preparedness plan and formulating mitigation strategies for sustainable water resource management within the basin.

  3. Mapping of fluoride endemic areas and correlation studies of fluoride with other quality parameters of drinking water of Veppanapalli block of Dharmapuri district in Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Karthikeyan, G; Sundarraj, A Shunmuga; Elango, K P

    2003-10-01

    193 drinking water samples from water sources of 27 panchayats of Veppanapalli block of Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu were analysed for chemical quality parameters. Based on the fluoride content of the water sources, fluoride maps differentiating regions with high / low fluoride levels were prepared using Isopleth mapping technique. The interdependence among the important chemical quality parameters were assessed using correlation studies. The experimental results of the application of linear and multiple regression equations on the influence of hardness, alkalinity, total dissolved solids and pH on fluoride are discussed.

  4. Social status of the rural girl child in Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Ananthakrishnan, Shanthi; Nalini, P

    2002-07-01

    The social status of the girl child in school age was assessed in a village in Tamil Nadu applying both qualitative and quantitative methods. The home milieu was taken as the social context for the study purpose since home is the first societal unit a child comes into contact with. The various issues considered to study the social status were (1) Gender preference in having children (2) Nutrition and health care given to them (3) Importance given to their education (4) Activity pattern in daily life (5) Attitude of the community towards (a) girl child after menarche and (b) marriage. In the study village, although there was desire to have sons, a girl child is not ignored. The value of having a girl in the family was appreciated. There was no gender discrimination in giving nutrition and health care. However the workload in girls was found to be marginally higher than in boys. The educational status of girls was lower than that of boys in terms of school enrollment and attendance. But menarche, was not an important cause of the lower educational status of girls. In the sociocultural context of the study village the priority in a girl's life during school going age was marriage. Soon after attaining puberty in a girl's life during school going age was marriage, not education and this perhaps reveals the lesser importance given to a girl's education by the community. The need of the hour is to improve her educational status by changing the attitude of the community so that a girl child's priority in her school age is not marriage but education.

  5. Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Marine Sediments of East Coast of Tamil Nadu Affected by Different Pollution Sources.

    PubMed

    Harikrishnan, N; Ravisankar, R; Chandrasekaran, A; Suresh Gandhi, M; Kanagasabapathy, K V; Prasad, M V R; Satapathy, K K

    2017-08-15

    The aim of this study was to determine the concentration of heavy metals in the sediments of Periyakalapet to Parangipettai coast, east coast of Tamil Nadu, by using energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) technique. The average heavy metal concentrations in the sediment samples were found in the order Al>Fe>Ca>Ti>K>Mg>Mn>Ba>V>Cr>Zn>La>Ni>Pb>Co>Cd>Cu. The average heavy metal concentrations were below the world crustal average. The degree of contamination by heavy metals was evaluated using pollution indices. The results of pollution indices revealed that titanium (Ti) and cadmium (Cd) were significantly enriched in sediments. Pearson correlation analysis was performed among heavy metal concentrations to know the existing relationship between them. Multivariate statistical technique was employed to identify the heavy metal pollution sources. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Lithological mapping of Kanjamalai hill using hyperspectral remote sensing tools in Salem district, Tamil Nadu, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arulbalaji, Palanisamy; Balasubramanian, Gurugnanam

    2017-07-01

    This study uses advanced spaceborne thermal emission and reflection radiometer (ASTER) hyperspectral remote sensing techniques to discriminate rock types composing Kanjamalai hill located in the Salem district of Tamil Nadu, India. Kanjamalai hill is of particular interest because it contains economically viable iron ore deposits. ASTER hyperspectral data were subjected to principal component analysis (PCA), independent component analysis (ICA), and minimum noise fraction (MNF) to improve identification of lithologies remotely and to compare these digital data results with published geologic maps. Hyperspectral remote sensing analysis indicates that PCA (R∶G∶B=2∶1∶3), MNF (R∶G∶B=3∶2∶1), and ICA (R∶G∶B=1∶3∶2) provide the best band combination for effective discrimination of lithological rock types composing Kanjamalai hill. The remote sensing-derived lithological map compares favorably with a published geological map from Geological Survey of India and has been verified with ground truth field investigations. Therefore, ASTER data-based lithological mapping provides fast, cost-effective, and accurate geologic data useful for lithological discrimination and identification of ore deposits.

  7. Evaluation of water quality and hydrogeochemistry of surface and groundwater, Tiruvallur District, Tamil Nadu, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krishna Kumar, S.; Hari Babu, S.; Eswar Rao, P.; Selvakumar, S.; Thivya, C.; Muralidharan, S.; Jeyabal, G.

    2017-09-01

    Water quality of Tiruvallur Taluk of Tiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu, India has been analysed to assess its suitability in relation to domestic and agricultural uses. Thirty water samples, including 8 surface water (S), 22 groundwater samples [15 shallow ground waters (SW) and 7 deep ground waters (DW)], were collected to assess the various physico-chemical parameters such as Temperature, pH, Electrical conductivity (EC), Total dissolved solids (TDS), cations (Ca, Mg, Na, K), anions (CO3, HCO3, Cl, SO4, NO3, PO4) and trace elements (Fe, Mn, Zn). Various irrigation water quality diagrams and parameters such as United states salinity laboratory (USSL), Wilcox, sodium absorption ratio (SAR), sodium percentage (Na %), Residual sodium carbonate (RSC), Residual Sodium Bicarbonate (RSBC) and Kelley's ratio revealed that most of the water samples are suitable for irrigation. Langelier Saturation Index (LSI) values suggest that the water is slightly corrosive and non-scale forming in nature. Gibbs plot suggests that the study area is dominated by evaporation and rock-water dominance process. Piper plot indicates the chemical composition of water, chiefly controlled by dissolution and mixing of irrigation return flow.

  8. Factors influencing the spatial distribution of Anopheles larvae in Coimbatore District, Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Arjunan, Naresh Kumar; Kadarkarai, Murugan; Kumar, Shobana; Pari, Madhiyazhagan; Thiyagarajan, Nataraj; Vincent, C Thomas; Barnard, Donald R

    2015-12-01

    Malaria causes extensive morbidity and mortality in humans and results in significant economic losses in India. The distribution of immature malaria-transmitting Anopheles mosquitoes was studied in 17 villages in Coimbatore District as a prelude to the development and implementation of vector control strategies that are intended to reduce the risk of human exposure to potentially infectious mosquitoes. Eight Anopheles species were recorded. The most numerous species were Anopheles vagus, Anopheles subpictus, and Anopheles hyrcanus. The location of mosquito development sites and the density of larvae in each village was evaluated for correlation with selected demographic, biologic, and land use parameters using remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) technology. We found the number of mosquito development sites in a village and the density of larvae in such sites to be positively correlated with human population density but not the surface area (km(2)) of the village. The number of mosquito development sites and the density of larvae in each site were not correlated. Data from this study are being used to construct a GIS-based mapping system that will enable the location of aquatic habitats with Anopheles larvae in the Coimbatore District, Tamil Nadu, India as target sites for the application of vector control. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Genetic trend for growth and wool performance in a closed flock of Bharat Merino sheep at sub temperate region of Kodai hills, Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Mallick, P K; Thirumaran, S M K; Pourouchottamane, R; Rajapandi, S; Venkataramanan, R; Nagarajan, G; Murali, G; Rajendiran, A S

    2016-03-01

    The study was conducted at Southern Regional Research Center, ICAR-Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute (CSWRI), Mannavanur, Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu to estimate genetic trends for birth weight (BWT), weaning weight (3WT), 6 months weight (6WT), and greasy fleece weight (GFY) in a Bharat Merino (BM) flock, where selection was practiced for 6WT and GFY. The data for this study represents a total of 1652 BM lambs; progeny of 144 sires spread over 15 years starting from 2000 to 2014, obtained from the BM flock of ICAR-SRRC (CSWRI), Mannavanur, Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, India. The genetic trends were calculated by regression of average predicted breeding values using software WOMBAT for the traits BWT, 3WT, 6WT and GFY versus the animal's birth year. The least square means were 3.28±0.02 kg, 19.08±0.23 kg, 25.00±0.35 kg and 2.13±0.07 kg for BWT, 3WT, 6WT and GFY, respectively. Genetic trends were positive and highly significant (p<0.01) for BWT, while the values for 3WT, 6WT and GFY though positive, were not significant. The estimates of genetic trends in BWT, 3WT, 6WT and GFY were 5 g, 0.8 g, 7 g and 0.3 g/year gain and the fit of the regression shows 55%, 22%, 42% and 12% coefficient of determination with the regressed value, respectively. In this study, estimated mean predicted breeding value (kg) in BWT and 3WT, 6WT and GFY were 0.067, 0.008, 0.036 and -0.003, respectively. Estimates of genetic trends indicated that there was a positive genetic improvement in all studied traits and selection would be effective for the improvement of body weight traits and GFY of BM sheep.

  10. Leptospirosis Seroprevalence among Blue Metal Mine Workers of Tamil Nadu, India

    PubMed Central

    Parveen, Sakkarai Mohamed Asha; Suganyaa, Baskar; Sathya, Muthu Sri; Margreat, Alphonse Asirvatham Princy; Sivasankari, Karikalacholan; Shanmughapriya, Santhanam; Hoffman, Nicholas E.; Natarajaseenivasan, Kalimuthusamy

    2016-01-01

    Leptospirosis is mainly considered an occupational disease, prevalent among agriculture, sewage works, forestry, and animal slaughtering populations. However, putative risk to miners and their inclusion in the high-risk leptospirosis group remain in need of rigorous analysis. Therefore, a study was conducted with the objective to assess the leptospirosis seroprevalence among miners of two districts of Tamil Nadu, India. A total of 244 sera samples from Pudukkottai miners (124) and Karur miners (120) were analyzed by microscopic agglutination test. Antibodies to leptospires were detected in 94 samples giving an overall seroprevalence of 38.5%. The seroprevalence was higher among Pudukkottai miners (65.3%) when compared with Karur miners (10.8%). Seroprevalence among control population (13%) was significantly less than that of the Pudukkottai miners marking a possible high-risk population group distinction. Subject sera most commonly reacted with organisms of the serogroup Autumnalis, and the pattern was similar in carrier animals of the study areas. Two leptospires were isolated from kidney samples of rats. The prevalence of Autumnalis among rodents and humans source tracked human leptospirosis among the miners. The study also determined that Pudukkottai miners are subjected to high-risk challenges such as exposure to water bodies on the way to the mines (odds ratio [OR] = 10.6), wet mine areas (OR = 10.6), rat infestation (OR = 4.6), and cattle rearing (OR = 10.4) and are thus frequently exposed to leptospirosis compared with Karur miners. Hence, control strategies targeting these populations will likely to prove to be effective remediation strategies benefiting Pudukkottai miners and workers in similar environments across occupations. PMID:27044567

  11. Leptospirosis Seroprevalence Among Blue Metal Mine Workers of Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Parveen, Sakkarai Mohamed Asha; Suganyaa, Baskar; Sathya, Muthu Sri; Margreat, Alphonse Asirvatham Princy; Sivasankari, Karikalacholan; Shanmughapriya, Santhanam; Hoffman, Nicholas E; Natarajaseenivasan, Kalimuthusamy

    2016-07-06

    Leptospirosis is mainly considered an occupational disease, prevalent among agriculture, sewage works, forestry, and animal slaughtering populations. However, putative risk to miners and their inclusion in the high-risk leptospirosis group remain in need of rigorous analysis. Therefore, a study was conducted with the objective to assess the leptospirosis seroprevalence among miners of two districts of Tamil Nadu, India. A total of 244 sera samples from Pudukkottai miners (124) and Karur miners (120) were analyzed by microscopic agglutination test. Antibodies to leptospires were detected in 94 samples giving an overall seroprevalence of 38.5%. The seroprevalence was higher among Pudukkottai miners (65.3%) when compared with Karur miners (10.8%). Seroprevalence among control population (13%) was significantly less than that of the Pudukkottai miners marking a possible high-risk population group distinction. Subject sera most commonly reacted with organisms of the serogroup Autumnalis, and the pattern was similar in carrier animals of the study areas. Two leptospires were isolated from kidney samples of rats. The prevalence of Autumnalis among rodents and humans source tracked human leptospirosis among the miners. The study also determined that Pudukkottai miners are subjected to high-risk challenges such as exposure to water bodies on the way to the mines (odds ratio [OR] = 10.6), wet mine areas (OR = 10.6), rat infestation (OR = 4.6), and cattle rearing (OR = 10.4) and are thus frequently exposed to leptospirosis compared with Karur miners. Hence, control strategies targeting these populations will likely to prove to be effective remediation strategies benefiting Pudukkottai miners and workers in similar environments across occupations. © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

  12. Consensus analysis of sastric formulations used by non-institutionally trained siddha medical practitioners of Virudhunagar and Tirunelveli districts of Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Mutheeswaran, S; Pandikumar, P; Chellappandian, M; Ignacimuthu, S; Duraipandiyan, V; Logamanian, M

    2014-04-11

    Siddha system of traditional medicine has been practiced in Tamil Nadu. This system of medicine has a high number of non-institutionally trained practitioners but studies on their traditional medicinal knowledge are not adequate. The present study is aimed to document and analyze the sastric (traditional) formulations used by the non-institutionally trained siddha medical practitioners in Virudhunagar and Tirunelveli districts of Tamil Nadu, India. After obtaining prior informed consent, interviews were conducted with 115 non-institutionally trained siddha medical practitioners about the sastric formulations used by them for the treatment. Successive free listing method was adopted to collect the data and the data were analyzed by calculating Informant Consensus Factor (Fic) and Informant Agreement Ratio (IAR). The study documented data regarding 194 sastric formulations and they were classified into plant, mineral and animal based formulations. Quantitative analysis showed that 62.5% of the formulations were plant based, while the mineral based formulations had a high mean number of citations and versatile uses. Gastrointestinal (12.0%), kapha (11.3%) and dermatological (10.8%) ailments had a high percentage of citations. Jaundice had a high Fic value (0.750) followed by the dermatological ailments. The illness categories with high Fic values under each type of formulation were as follows: jaundice, aphrodisiac and urinary ailments (plant based); jaundice, cuts & wounds and dermatological ailments (mineral based); and hemorrhoids, kapha ailments and heart ailments (animal based formulations). The scientific studies conducted with important formulations under each illness category are discussed. The present study indicated the importance of some illnesses over the others and inclusion of new illnesses under each formulation. The ingredients used to prepare these formulations have shown varying degrees of scientific evidence; generally limited studies were available

  13. A community health programme in rural Tamil Nadu, India: the need for gender justice for women.

    PubMed

    Jacob, Mini Elizabeth; Abraham, Sulochana; Surya, Susila; Minz, Shantidani; Singh, Daisy; Abraham, Vinod Joseph; Prasad, Jasmin; George, Kuryan; Kuruvilla, Anju; Jacob, K S

    2006-05-01

    This article highlights the efforts of the Community Health and Development (CHAD) Programme of Christian Medical College to address the issues of gender discrimination and improve the status of women in the Kaniyambadi Block, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India. The many schemes that are specifically for women and general projects for the community from which women can also benefit represent a multi-pronged approach whose aim is the improvement of women's health, education and employment in the context of community development. However, despite five decades of work with a clear bias in favour of women, the improvement in health and the empowerment of women has lagged behind that achieved by men. We believe this is because the community, with its strong male bias, utilises the health facilities and education and employment programmes more for the benefit of men and boys than women and girls. The article argues for a change of approach, in which gender and women's issues are openly discussed and debated with the community. It would appear that nothing short of social change will bring about an improvement in the health of women and a semblance of gender equality in the region.

  14. Measurement of natural radioactivity in building materials of Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, India using gamma-ray spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Ravisankar, R; Vanasundari, K; Chandrasekaran, A; Rajalakshmi, A; Suganya, M; Vijayagopal, P; Meenakshisundaram, V

    2012-04-01

    The natural level of radioactivity in building materials is one of the major causes of external exposure to γ-rays. The primordial radionuclides in building materials are one of the sources of radiation hazard in dwellings made of these materials. By the determination of the radioactivity level in building materials, the indoor radiological hazard to human health can be assessed. This is an important precautionary measure whenever the dose rate is found to be above the recommended limits. The aim of this work was to measure the specific activity concentration of (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K in commonly used building materials from Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, India, using gamma-ray spectrometer. The radiation hazard due to the total natural radioactivity in the studied building materials was estimated by different approaches. The concentrations of the natural radionuclides and the radium equivalent activity in studied samples were compared with the corresponding results of different countries. From the analysis, it is found that these materials may be safely used as construction materials and do not pose significant radiation hazards. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Tamil merchant in ancient Mesopotamia.

    PubMed

    Palanichamy, Malliya Gounder; Mitra, Bikash; Debnath, Monojit; Agrawal, Suraksha; Chaudhuri, Tapas Kumar; Zhang, Ya-Ping

    2014-01-01

    Recent analyses of ancient Mesopotamian mitochondrial genomes have suggested a genetic link between the Indian subcontinent and Mesopotamian civilization. There is no consensus on the origin of the ancient Mesopotamians. They may be descendants of migrants, who founded regional Mesopotamian groups like that of Terqa or they may be merchants who were involved in trans Mesopotamia trade. To identify the Indian source population showing linkage to the ancient Mesopotamians, we screened a total of 15,751 mitochondrial DNAs (11,432 from the literature and 4,319 from this study) representing all major populations of India. Our results although suggest that south India (Tamil Nadu) and northeast India served as the source of the ancient Mesopotamian mtDNA gene pool, mtDNA of these ancient Mesopotamians probably contributed by Tamil merchants who were involved in the Indo-Roman trade.

  16. A baseline study on the concentration of trace elements in the surface sediments off Southwest coast of Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Godson, Prince S; Magesh, N S; Peter, T Simon; Chandrasekar, N; Krishnakumar, S; Vincent, Salom Gnana Thanga

    2018-01-01

    Forty two surface sediment samples were collected in order to document baseline elemental concentration along the Southwest coast of Tamil Nadu, India. The elements detected were Manganese (Mn), Zinc (Zn), Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu), Nickel (Ni) and Lead (Pb). The concentration of Fe and Mn was primarily controlled by the riverine input. The source of Pb and Zn is attributed to leaded petrol and anti-biofouling paints. The calculated index (EF, Igeo and CF) suggests that the sediments of the study area are significantly enriched with all elements except Pb. The contamination factor showed the order of Mn>Zn>Fe>Cu>Ni>Pb. The sediment pollution index (SPI) revealed that the sediments belonged to low polluted to dangerous category. The correlation matrix and dendrogram showed that the elemental distribution was chiefly controlled by riverine input as well as anthropogenic activity in the coast. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Identification of Ancylostoma ceylanicum in children from a tribal community in Tamil Nadu, India using a semi-nested PCR-RFLP tool.

    PubMed

    George, Santosh; Kaliappan, Saravanakumar Puthupalayam; Kattula, Deepthi; Roy, Sheela; Geldhof, Peter; Kang, Gagandeep; Vercruysse, Jozef; Levecke, Bruno

    2015-04-01

    It is generally assumed that hookworm infections in humans are caused by Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale. However, previous studies have also reported the presence of the animal hookworm A. ceylanicum in human stools. We determined hookworm infections in children in a tribal community in Tamil Nadu, India, using a semi-nested PCR-RFLP approach. The results indicate that human species account for a majority of the hookworm infections (N. americanus 39/41 [95%]; A. duodenale 6/41 [15%]), whereas the animal hookworm A. ceylanicum only accounts for a minority of the infections (5%; 2/41). The results emphasize the need to consider zoonotic ancylostomiasis while developing strategies to control hookworm infections. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  18. Snakebite and Its Socio-Economic Impact on the Rural Population of Tamil Nadu, India

    PubMed Central

    Vaiyapuri, Sakthivel; Vaiyapuri, Rajendran; Ashokan, Rajesh; Ramasamy, Karthikeyan; Nattamaisundar, Kameshwaran; Jeyaraj, Anburaj; Chandran, Viswanathan; Gajjeraman, Prabu; Baksh, M. Fazil; Gibbins, Jonathan M.; Hutchinson, E. Gail

    2013-01-01

    Background Snakebite represents a significant health issue worldwide, affecting several million people each year with as many as 95,000 deaths. India is considered to be the country most affected, but much remains unknown about snakebite incidence in this country, its socio-economic impact and how snakebite management could be improved. Methods/Principal Findings We conducted a study within rural villages in Tamil Nadu, India, which combines a household survey (28,494 people) of snakebite incidence with a more detailed survey of victims in order to understand the health and socio-economic effects of the bite, the treatments obtained and their views about future improvements. Our survey suggests that snakebite incidence is higher than previously reported. 3.9% of those surveyed had suffered from snakebite and the number of deaths corresponds to 0.45% of the population. The socio-economic impact of this is very considerable in terms of the treatment costs and the long-term effects on the health and ability of survivors to work. To reduce this, the victims recommended improvements to the accessibility and affordability of antivenom treatment. Conclusions Snakebite has a considerable and disproportionate impact on rural populations, particularly in South Asia. This study provides an incentive for researchers and the public to work together to reduce the incidence and improve the outcomes for snake bite victims and their families. PMID:24278244

  19. Dimensions of social capital of families with thalassemia in an indigenous population in Tamil Nadu, India - a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Palanisamy, Bharathi; Kosalram, Kalpana; Gopichandran, Vijayaprasad

    2017-06-24

    Studies have shown that social capital is positively associated with health, and the association is context-based. Indigenous populations with poor access to health care largely depend on social capital for their health care needs. This study was conducted to explore the dimensions and types of social capital and its utilization by families with thalassemia for their health and well-being in an indigenous population in Tamil Nadu, India. The participants in the study were parents who had children with thalassemia, belonged to an indigenous community in Tamil Nadu, were poor and marginalized, and had poor access to health care. Different dimensions and types of social capital were examined with the help of qualitative in-depth interviews using a phenomenological approach. A total of 8 in-depth interviews were conducted and transcribed. Thematic analysis of the data was performed. The social capital identified through the in-depth interviews consisted of various levels of family support, financial support from relatives and neighbors, the provision of information from formal and informal networks, and trust in the physician. Indigenous communities are close-knit due to their geographical remoteness and limited accessibility. Family ties were a form of social capital that encouraged bonding, and provided support and care to the children affected by thalassemia. The bonding also helped to meet the regular requirement of blood donation for the children. Relatives and neighbors were an asset that served as a bridge for the families affected, helping them in times of immediate and urgent financial need, making it easier to sustain long-term treatment and providing emotional support. There were informal networks that bridged parents belonging to indigenous and non-indigenous communities, with the latter providing the former with information to help them choose better health care at an affordable cost. The other formal links were the ties between the parents and

  20. Groundwater quality and its suitability for domestic and agricultural use in Tondiar river basin, Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Ramesh, K; Elango, L

    2012-06-01

    Assessment of suitability of groundwater for domestic and agricultural purposes was carried out in Tondiar river basin, Tamil Nadu, India. The study area covers an area of 315 km(2) and lies in a semiarid region. Groundwater is the major source for domestic and agricultural activity in this area. Groundwater samples were collected from 45 wells during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon period in the year 2006. The water samples were analysed for physical and chemical characteristics. Suitability of groundwater for irrigation was evaluated based on salinity hazard, sodium percent, sodium adsorption ratio, residual sodium carbonate, US salinity diagram, Wilcox's diagram, Kelly's ratio and permeability index. Ca-HCO(3), mixed Ca-Mg-Cl and Na-Cl were the dominant groundwater types. High hardness and electrical conductivity in this area makes the groundwater unsuitable for drinking and agricultural purposes. Concentration of trace elements (Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb and Ni) did not exceed the permissible limit for drinking and agricultural purposes. Majority of the groundwater samples were unsuitable for domestic and agricultural purposes except for 31% and 36%, which were suitable for drinking and irrigation purposes, respectively.

  1. Assessment of prescribing practices among urban and rural general practitioners in Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Gopalakrishnan, Sekharan; Ganeshkumar, Parasuraman; Katta, Ajitha

    2013-01-01

    Studying drug use pattern among medical practitioners is of vital importance in the present scenario where irrational drug use and development of drug resistance is becoming rampant. To assess, the pattern of prescribing practices among the general practitioners in a defined rural and urban area of Tamil Nadu. A community based descriptive study was conducted to collect 600 prescriptions from the catchment areas of rural and urban health training centers of a medical college using prescribing indicators as per the WHO "How to investigate drug use in health facilities" tool. This prescription study revealed that multivitamins (19.5%), antibiotics (19.3%), drugs for gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) (18%), analgesic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs/ (NSAID's) (15.1%), and antihistaminic (12.5%) were prescribed frequently. Among the antibiotics, amoxicillin (49.2%) was the most commonly prescribed followed by gentamicin (31.7%). Percentage of prescriptions with an antibiotic was 55% and nearly 62% of the practitioners prescribed drugs by their generic names. As a practice of poly-pharmacy, it was observed that the average number of drugs prescribed in urban and rural area was nearly 5 and 4, respectively. Nearly 80% of the urban and rural practitioners were prescribing at least one injection. Study of the quality of prescriptions revealed that there was poor legibility, high usage of abbreviations, inadequate details of the drugs, and absence of signature by practitioners in the prescriptions. This study clearly highlights the practice of poly-pharmacy, low usage of generic drugs, injudicious usage of antibiotics and injections and low usage of drugs prescribed from essential drugs list.

  2. Genetic portrait of Tamil non-tribal and Irula tribal population using Y chromosome STR markers.

    PubMed

    Raghunath, Rajshree; Krishnamoorthy, Kamalakshi; Balasubramanian, Lakshmi; Kunka Mohanram, Ramkumar

    2016-03-01

    The 17 Y chromosomal short tandem repeat loci included in the AmpFlSTR® Yfiler™ PCR Amplification Kit were used to analyse the genetic diversity of 517 unrelated males representing the non-tribal and Irula tribal population of Tamil Nadu. A total of 392 unique haplotypes were identified among the 400 non-tribal samples whereas 111 were observed among the 117 Irula tribal samples. Rare alleles for the loci DYS458, DYS635 and YGATAH4.1 were also observed in both population. The haplotype diversity for the non-tribal and Irula tribal population were found to be 0.9999, and the gene diversity ranged from 0.2041 (DYS391) to 0.9612 (DYS385). Comparison of the test population with 26 national and global population using principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and determination of the genetic distance matrix using phylogenetic molecular analysis indicate a clustering of the Tamil Nadu non-tribal and Irula tribal population away from other unrelated population and proximity towards some Indo-European (IE) and Asian population. Data are available in the Y chromosome haplotype reference database (YHRD) under accession number YA004055 for Tamil non-tribal and YA004056 for the Irula tribal group.

  3. Bioprospecting marine actinomycetes for multidrug-resistant pathogen control from Rameswaram coastal area, Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Wahaab, Femina; Subramaniam, Kalidass

    2018-01-01

    A potent Streptomyces bacillaris strain RAM25C4 was isolated for controlling methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and multidrug-resistant bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A total of 131 actinomycetes were isolated from the Rameswaram coastal region, Tamil Nadu, India. Among 131 actinomycetes, maximum number of actinomycetes (55%) isolated at the distance of 3-6 m from seashore. Out of 131 actinomycetes, 85% of the actinomycetes exhibited different degree of antagonistic activity against test pathogens. The antagonistic activity evaluated using actinomycetes direct culture filtrate and culture filtrate extracts. Among these culture filtrate, extracts had supreme antagonistic activity against multidrug-resistant bacteria and the solvent ethyl acetate was the best for extracting secondary metabolites from actinomycetes. In HPTLC analysis, the presence of macrolides, terpenoids, and quinolones was identified in RAM25C4 extract. In GC-MS analysis, various potent compounds such as phenolic compound-2,6-di-tert-butylphenol, alkaloid compound-1H, 5H, pyrrolo (1' 2':3, 4) imidazo, and quinolone compound-1,4-benzenediol, 2,5-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl) were identified in the ethyl acetate extract of RAM25C4. The phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequence of RAM25C4 isolate was deposited in NCBI with name Streptomyces bacillaris strain RAM25C4 and accession number KM513543.

  4. Impact of leachate on groundwater pollution due to non-engineered municipal solid waste landfill sites of erode city, Tamil Nadu, India

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Leachate and groundwater samples were collected from Vendipalayam, Semur and Vairapalayam landfill sites in Erode city, Tamil Nadu, India, to study the possible impact of leachate percolation on groundwater quality. Concentrations of various physicochemical parameters including heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, Fe and Zn) were determined in leachate samples and are reported. The concentrations of Cl-, NO3-, SO42-, NH4+ were found to be in considerable levels in the groundwater samples particularly near to the landfill sites, likely indicating that groundwater quality is being significantly affected by leachate percolation. Further they were proved to be the tracers for groundwater contamination near Semur and Vendipalayam dumpyards. The presence of contaminants in groundwater particularly near the landfill sites warns its quality and thus renders the associated aquifer unreliable for domestic water supply and other uses. Although some remedial measures are suggested to reduce further groundwater contamination via leachate percolation, the present study demands for the proper management of waste in Erode city. PMID:23369323

  5. Sex differentials in the risk factors of post traumatic stress disorder among tsunami survivors in Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    T T, Pyari; T K, Sundari Ravindran

    2016-10-01

    This study assessed if pre disaster, with-in disaster and post disaster factors predicted Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) differently, among men and women survivors of the 2004 Southeast Asian tsunami in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India. PTSD was identified using a validated tool, Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R) among the participants in a cross-sectional community based survey (n=485). Case control analysis of 299 subjects was done to determine the predictors of PTSD. The odds of having PTSD were 6.35 times higher in women than men. Higher odds for PTSD was seen among women who were married, aged over 40, belonged to low socioeconomic status and resided in heavily damaged areas. Protective odds for PTSD was found among women who had received more than three times of counseling services whereas men were not at risk if they were free from fear of recurrence of tsunami, when adjusted for other variables. Women were vulnerable to PTSD because of their socially constructed roles. It is important to consider gender based vulnerabilities while designing interventions to combat mental health problems among disaster affected communities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Characterization of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria from Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Nachimuthu, Ramesh; Subramani, Ramkumar; Maray, Suresh; Gothandam, K M; Sivamangala, Karthikeyan; Manohar, Prasanth; Bozdogan, Bülent

    2016-10-01

    Carbapenem resistance is disseminating worldwide among Gram-negative bacteria. The aim of this study was to identify carbapenem-resistance level and to determine the mechanism of carbapenem resistance among clinical isolates from two centres in Tamil Nadu. In the present study, a total of 93 Gram-negative isolates, which is found to be resistant to carbapenem by disk diffusion test in two centres, were included. All isolates are identified at species level by 16S rRNA sequencing. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of isolates for Meropenem were tested by agar dilution method. Presence of blaOXA, blaNDM, blaVIM, blaIMP and blaKPC genes was tested by PCR in all isolates. Amplicons were sequenced for confirmation of the genes. Among 93 isolates, 48 (%52) were Escherichia coli, 10 (%11) Klebsiella pneumoniae, nine (%10) Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Minimal inhibitory concentration results showed that of 93 suspected carbapenem-resistant isolates, 27 had meropenem MICs ≥ 2 μg/ml. The MIC range, MIC50 and MIC90 were < 0.06 to >128 μg/ml, 0.12 and 16 μg/ml, respectively. Fig. 1 . Among meropenem-resistant isolates, E. coli were the most common (9/48, 22%), followed by K. pneumoniae (7/9, 77%), P. aeruginosa (6/10, 60%), Acinetobacter baumannii (2/2, 100%), Enterobacter hormaechei (2/3, 67%) and one Providencia rettgeri (1/1, 100%). PCR results showed that 16 of 93 carried blaNDM, three oxa181, and one imp4. Among blaNDM carriers, nine were E. coli, four Klebsiella pneumoniae, two E. hormaechei and one P. rettgeri. Three K. pneumoniae were OXA-181 carriers. The only imp4 carrier was P. aeruginosa. A total of seven carbapenem-resistant isolates were negatives by PCR for the genes studied. All carbapenem-resistance gene-positive isolates had meropenem MICs >2 μg/ml. Our results confirm the dissemination of NDM and emergence of OXA-181 beta-lactamase among Gram-negative bacteria in South India. This study showed the emergence of NDM producer in clinical

  7. A new species of freshwater crab of the genus Oziotelphusa Müller, 1887 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Gecarcinucidae) from Tamil Nadu, southern India.

    PubMed

    Raj, Smrithy; Kumar, Appukuttannair Biju; Ng, Peter K L

    2017-12-10

    A new species of gecarcinucid freshwater crab of the genus Oziotelphusa Müller, 1887, is described from stationary or slow-flowing bodies of water in Keeriparai near Nagercoil, in the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India. Oziotelphusa ravi, new species, is distinguished from its congeners by several distinct characters: the median tooth of the posterior margin of epistome forms a distinct bilobed tip in frontal view, the male pleonal somite 6 is narrowly trapezoidal and slightly wider than long with the lateral margins concave, the terminal segment of the male first gonopod is distinctly bent laterally (along the longitudinal axis) at an angle of about 45°, and the proximal part of the outer margin of the subterminal segment of the male first gonopod has a prominent deep concavity.

  8. No CAG repeat expansion of polymerase gamma is associated with male infertility in Tamil Nadu, South India

    PubMed Central

    Poongothai, J.

    2013-01-01

    Mitochondria contains a single deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) polymerase, polymerase gamma (POLG) mapped to long arm of chromosome 15 (15q25), responsible for replication and repair of mitochondrial DNA. Exon 1 of the human POLG contains CAG trinucleotide repeat, which codes for polyglutamate. Ten copies of CAG repeat were found to be uniformly high (0.88) in different ethnic groups and considered as the common allele, whereas the mutant alleles (not -10/not -10 CAG repeats) were found to be associated with oligospermia/oligoasthenospermia in male infertility. Recent data suggested the implication of POLG CAG repeat expansion in infertility, but are debated. The aim of our study was to explore whether the not -10/not -10 variant is associated with spermatogenic failure. As few study on Indian population have been conducted so far to support this view, we investigated the distribution of the POLG CAG repeats in 61 infertile men and 60 normozoospermic control Indian men of Tamil Nadu, from the same ethnic background. This analysis interestingly revealed that the homozygous wild type genotype (10/-10) was common in infertile men (77% - 47/61) and in normozoospermic control men (71.7% - 43/60). Our study failed to confirm any influence of the POLG gene polymorphism on the efficiency of the spermatogenesis. PMID:24339545

  9. Burden, distribution and impact of domestic accidents in a semi-urban area of coastal Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Stalin, P; Senthilvel, V; Kanimozhy, K; Singh, Zile; Rajkamal, R; Purty, Anil J

    2015-01-01

    The objectives of this study are to determine the prevalence of domestic accidents, describe the factors associated with domestic accidents and assess the medical and economical consequences of domestic accidents. Community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in a semi-urban area of Tamil Nadu during February 2013. A total of 3947 study participants were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Study variables included were socio-demography, housing conditions, epidemiological factors, medical and economical consequences of domestic accidents. Means and proportions were calculated. The prevalence of domestic accidents was 12.7%. Out of 500 domestic accidents, falls (54.4%) was the most common type of domestic accident. Females and the respondents in age group of 21-40 years were more commonly affected. About 60% of victims received treatment. Mean duration of hospital stay, mean amount of money spent for treatment and mean number of days away from routine work for falls category were 16 days, US$25 and 8 days, respectively, which are higher than other types of accidents. The burden and impact of domestic accidents was high. Therefore, in order to prevent and control domestic accidents, promotion of house safety measures and creation of awareness among the community using IEC programmes have to be undertaken.

  10. Environmental radiation and potential ecological risk levels in the intertidal zone of southern region of Tamil Nadu coast (HBRAs), India.

    PubMed

    Punniyakotti, J; Ponnusamy, V

    2018-02-01

    Natural radioactivity content and heavy metal concentration in the intertidal zone sand samples from the southern region of Tamil Nadu coast, India, have been analyzed using gamma ray spectrometer and ICP-OES, respectively. From gamma spectral analysis, the average radioactivity contents of 238 U, 232 Th, and 40 K in the intertidal zone sand samples are 12.13±4.21, 59.03±4.26, and 197.03±26.24Bq/kg, respectively. The average radioactivity content of 232 Th alone is higher than the world average value. From the heavy metal analysis, the average Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn concentrations are 3.1, 80.24, 82.84, 23.66, 91.67, and 137.07ppm, respectively. The average Cr and Ni concentrations are lower, whereas other four metal (Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) concentrations are higher than world surface rock average values. From pollution assessment parameter values, the pollution level is "uncontaminated to moderately contaminated" in the study area. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Comparative Evaluation of Dental and Skeletal Fluorosis in an Endemic Fluorosed District, Salem, Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Ramesh, Maya; Malathi, N; Ramesh, K; Aruna, Rita Mary; Kuruvilla, Sarah

    2017-11-01

    High levels of fluoride in the drinking water, especially ground water, results in skeletal fluorosis which involves the bone and major joints. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of skeletal fluorosis to compare with dental fluorosis in an endemically fluorosed population in the District of Salem, Tamil Nadu. Institutional ethical clearance was obtained. A total of 206 patients who reported to the Department of Hematology for blood investigations were the participants in this study. Age, sex, place, weight, height, dental fluorosis, and skeletal complaints were noted down. Body mass index was calculated, and statistical analysis was performed. Dental fluorosis was present in 63.1% and absent in 36.9% of the samples reported. Skeletal fluorosis was present in 24.8% and was absent in 75.2%. A large number of the patients had knee pain and difficulty in bending. Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis. Skeletal fluorosis and age were compared and P value was 0.00 and was significant. Dental fluorosis and skeletal fluorosis were compared and P value was found to be 0.000 and significant. There is a need to take measures to prevent dental and skeletal fluorosis among the residents of Salem district. Calcium balance should be maintained, and fluoride intake should be minimized to reduce the symptoms. The government should provide water with low fluoride level for drinking and cooking. Once the symptoms develop, treatment largely remains symptomatic, using analgesics and physiotherapy.

  12. Hospital and urban effluent waters as a source of accumulation of toxic metals in the sediment receiving system of the Cauvery River, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Devarajan, Naresh; Laffite, Amandine; Ngelikoto, Patience; Elongo, Vicky; Prabakar, Kandasamy; Mubedi, Josué I; Piana, Pius T M; Wildi, Walter; Poté, John

    2015-09-01

    Hospital and urban effluents contain a variety of toxic and/or persistent substances in a wide range of concentrations, and most of these compounds belong to the group of emerging contaminants. The release of these substances into the aquatic ecosystem can lead to the pollution of water resources and may place aquatic organisms and human health at risk. Sediments receiving untreated and urban effluent waters from the city of Tiruchirappalli in the state of Tamil Nadu, India, are analyzed for potential environmental and human health risks. The sediment samples were collected from five hospital outlet pipes (HOP) and from the Cauvery River Basin (CRB) both of which receive untreated municipal effluent waters (Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India). The samples were characterized for grain size, organic matter, toxic metals, and ecotoxicity. The results highlight the high concentration of toxic metals in HOP, reaching values (mg kg(-1)) of 1851 (Cr), 210 (Cu), 986 (Zn), 82 (Pb), and 17 (Hg). In contrast, the metal concentrations in sediments from CRB were lower than the values found in the HOP (except for Cu, Pb), with maximum values (mg kg(-1)) of 75 (Cr), 906 (Cu), 649 (Zn), 111 (Pb), and 0.99 (Hg). The metal concentrations in all sampling sites largely exceed the Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs) and the Probable Effect Concentration (PEC) for the Protection of Aquatic Life recommendation. The ecotoxicity test with ostracods exposed to the sediment samples presents a mortality rate ranging from 22 to 100 % (in sediments from HOP) and 18-87 % (in sediments from CRB). The results of this study show the variation of toxic metal levels as well as toxicity in sediment composition related to both the type of hospital and the sampling period. The method of elimination of hospital and urban effluents leads to the pollution of water resources and may place aquatic organisms and human health at risk.

  13. Greening the Grid: Pathways to Integrate 175 Gigawatts of Renewable Energy into India's Electric Grid, Regional Study: Tamil Nadu

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cochran, Jaquelin M; Palchak, Joseph D; Ehlen, Annaliese K

    This chapter on Tamil Nadu is one of six state chapters included in Appendix C of 'Greening the Grid: Pathways to Integrate 175 Gigawatts of Renewable Energy into India's Electric Grid, Vol. II - Regional Study' (the Regional Study). The objective of the state chapters is to provide modeling assumptions, results, and next steps to use and improve the model specific to each state. The model has inherent uncertainties, particularly in how the intrastate transmission network and RE generation projects will develop (e.g., locations, capacities). The model also does not include information on contracts or must-run status of particular plantsmore » for reliability purposes. By providing details on the higher spatial resolution model of 'Greening the Grid: Pathways to Integrate 175 Gigawatts of Renewable Energy into India's Electric Grid, Vol. II - Regional Study' (the Regional Study), which better represents the impact of congestion on least-cost scheduling and dispatch, provides a deeper understanding of the relationship among renewable energy (RE) location, transmission, and system flexibility with regard to RE integration, compared to 'Greening the Grid: Pathways to Integrate 175 Gigawatts of Renewable Energy into India's Electric Grid, Vol. I - National Study.'« less

  14. Patient-physician trust among adults of rural Tamil Nadu: a community-based survey.

    PubMed

    Baidya, M; Gopichandran, V; Kosalram, K

    2014-01-01

    Trust is the acceptance of a vulnerable situation in which the truster believes that the trustee will act in the truster's best interests. The cornerstone of the patient-physician relationship is "trust". Despite the intensity and importance of trust relationship of patients toward their physician, the phenomenon is rarely studied in developing countries. Our study aimed to explore the concept of patient-physician trust among adults of rural Tamil Nadu to assess the factors affecting patient-physician trust relationship and patient satisfaction. A cross-sectional descriptive household survey was carried out on 112 individuals selected by a multistage random sampling method. Men and women aged above 40 years who have visited a health care service at least once during the last 5 years were included in the study. Thom et al's modification of the Anderson and Dedrick Physician Trust scale was used to measure patient trust in physician. Trust is a one-dimensional construct in the surveyed population as revealed by an exploratory factor analysis which extracted one component explaining 50% of the overall variance. Trust influences patient's self-reported satisfaction (β coefficient of 0.048; P < 0.001) and remains independent of all the other factors assessed in the study such as, age, gender, education, self-reported health status, time spent with the physician, physician's gender, physician's age, and medical specialty that the physician belongs to. Physician's gender, physician's age, self-reported health status, and time spent with the physician were significantly associated with satisfaction with the physician. Trust in physicians seems to not depend on any of the assessed factors and largely seems to be implicit in the physician-patient relationship. Trust in physician is associated with patient satisfaction. Further studies are needed to assess trust in physicians in developing country settings.

  15. Utilization of Antenatal HealthCare Services among Fishermen Population in Kanchipuram District, Tamil Nadu: A Cross-sectional Study.

    PubMed

    Danasekaran, Raja; Raja, Pavithra; Ranganathan, Karnaboopathy

    2017-01-01

    Considering the global and national level commitments in improving the maternal health as well as reducing the maternal mortality, assessment of factors influencing the delivery of antenatal healthcare services becomes essential. The aim is to assess the utilization of antenatal health services and to identify the factors influencing their utilization among women of fishermen population in Kanchipuram district, Tamil Nadu. The cross-sectional study was carried out among the mothers in Kovalam area of Kanchipuram district. Details were collected using a pretested questionnaire and analyzed using statistical software. The study included 284 mothers, of which 35% were illiterates. Nearly 60.21% have got registered with the Government sector, 59.51% of the mothers had three or more antenatal visits, 64.08% have received two doses of tetanus toxoid, and 73.24% have taken iron and folic acid tablets. Factors which were identified to have statistically significant association with better utilization of antenatal health services were age >30 years, higher educational status, skilled workers, those having their first child, and higher socioeconomic class. This study has reported the fact that antenatal healthcare services were not utilized fully by the community and the fishermen population being a special group has to be given the needed attention from the healthcare delivery system.

  16. Microbial diversity in firework chemical exposed soil and water samples collected in Virudhunagar district, Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Dhasarathan, P; Theriappan, P; Ashokraja, C

    2010-03-01

    Microbial diversity of soil and water samples collected from pyrochemicals exposed areas of Virdhunagar district (Tamil Nadu, India) was studied. Soil and water samples from cultivable area, waste land and city area of the same region were also studied for a comparative acount. There is a remarkable reduction in total heterotrophic bacterial population (THB) in pyrochemicals exposed soil and water samples (42 × 10(4) CFU/g and 5.6 × 10(4) CFU/ml respectively), compared to the THB of cultivable area soil and water samples (98 × 10(7) CFU/g and 38.6 × 10(7) CFU/ml). The generic composition the THB of the pyrochemicals exposed samples too exhibited considerable change compared to other samples. Pseudomonas sp. was the predominant one (41.6%) followed by Achromobacter sp. (25%) in pyrochemical exposed soil and Pseudomonas sp. was the predominant one (25%) in pyrochemical exposed water samples followed by Bacillus sp. (25%) and Micrococcus sp. (16.6%). It was observed that Cornybacterium sp. and Micrococcus sp. were absent completely in pyrochemical exposed soil and Achromobacter sp. was missing in the pyrochemical exposed water samples, which were present in the other samples. The outcome of this study clearly demonstrates that pollutants such as chemicals used in pyrotechniques affect the microbial biodiversity and suitable measures have to be taken to control the pollution level and to save biodiversity.

  17. Hydrogeochemical processes and impact of tanning industries on groundwater quality in Ambur, Vellore district, Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Kanagaraj, G; Elango, L

    2016-12-01

    The present study was carried out to determine the hydrogeochemical processes and the impact of tanning industries on groundwater in Ambur, Vellore district, Tamil Nadu, India. Thirty groundwater samples were collected during pre monsoon (July 2015) and post monsoon (January 2016) from the open and shallow wells around this region and were analyzed for major ions and chromium. The major ion concentration follows the order of Na + > Ca 2+ > Mg 2+ > K + (cations) and Cl - > HCO 3 - > SO 4 2- > NO 3 - (anions) for both seasons. The high concentrations of Na + , Cl - , and Cr around the tannery regions indicate the impact of effluent discharged from tannery units. In general, the groundwater of this study area is of Na + -Cl - type, which is due to the mixing of tannery effluent and cation exchange process. Ionic ratio indicates that the silicate weathering influences the groundwater chemistry. The permissible limit of chromium in the groundwater exceeds in over 50 % of the sampling wells. The factor analysis reveals that the dominant source for ionic contents is due to tannery effluents and cation exchange processes. To overcome this situation, it is essential to improve the performance of the effluent treatment plants so as to remove the salinity of wastewater and to plan for rainfall recharge structures for improving the groundwater recharge.

  18. Why seawater intrusion has not yet occurred in the Kaluvelli-Pondicherry basin, Tamil Nadu, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vincent, Aude; Violette, Sophie

    2017-09-01

    Worldwide, coastal aquifers are threatened by seawater intrusion. The threat is greatest when aquifers are overexploited or when recharge is low due to a semi-arid or arid climate. The Kaluvelli-Pondicherry sedimentary basin in Tamil Nadu (India) presents both these characteristics. Groundwater levels in the Vanur aquifer can reach 50 m below sea level at less than 20 km inland. This groundwater depletion is due to an exponential increase in extraction for irrigation over 35 years. No seawater intrusion has yet been detected, but a sulphate-rich mineralization is observed, the result of upward vertical leakage from the underlying Ramanathapuram aquifer. To characterize the mechanisms involved, and to facilitate effective water management, hydrogeological numerical modelling of this multi-layered system has been conducted. Existing and acquired geological and hydrodynamic data have been applied to a quasi-3D hydrogeological model, NEWSAM. Recharge had been previously quantified through the inter-comparison of hydrological models, based on climatological and surface-flow field measurements. Sensitivity tests on parameters and boundary conditions associated with the sea were performed. The resulting water balances for each aquifer led to hypotheses of (1) an offshore fresh groundwater stock, and (2) a reversal and increase of the upward leakage from the Ramanathapuram aquifer, thus corroborating the hypothesis proposed to explain geochemical results of the previous study, and denying a seawater intrusion. Palaeo-climate review supports the existence of favourable hydro-climatological conditions to replenish an offshore groundwater stock of the Vanur aquifer in the past. The extent of this fresh groundwater stock was calculated using the Kooi and Groen method.

  19. Forest Dynamics in the Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jayakumar, S.; Ramachandran, A.; Bhaskaran, G.; Heo, J.

    2009-02-01

    The primary deciduous forests in the Eastern Ghats (EG) of Tamil Nadu (TN) India have undergone many changes owing to various need-based forest managements, such as timber extraction for industry, railway sleepers, charcoal, and forest clearance for hydroelectric projects and agriculture, during preindependence and postindependence periods (i.e., from 1800 to 1980). The enactment of a forest conservation act during the 1980s changed the perception of forest managers from utilization to conservation. This study was taken up to assess the forests dynamics in the EG of TN spatially between 1990 and 2003 and nonspatially between 1900 and the 1980s. Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Indian Remote Sensing satellite (IRS) 1D Linear Imaging and Self Scanning (LISS III) data were used to assess forests during 1990 and 2003, respectively. Field floristic survey and secondary data (such as published literature, floras, books, and forest working plans) were used to assess the forest dynamics in terms of forest type and species composition among the preindependence period, the postindependence period, and the present (i.e., before and after 1980). The satellite data analysis revealed a considerable amount of changes in all forest types during the 13 years. The comparison of species composition and forest types between the past and present revealed that need-based forest management along with anthropogenic activity have altered the primary deciduous forest in to secondary and postextraction secondary forests such as southern thorn and southern thorn scrub forests in the middle [400-900 m above mean sea level (MSL)] and lower slopes (<400 m MSL). However, the evergreen forests present at the upper slope (>900 m MSL) and plateau seemed not to be much affected by the forest management. The changes estimated by the satellite data processing in the major forest types such as evergreen, deciduous, southern thorn, and southern thorn scrub are really alarming because these changes have

  20. Forest dynamics in the Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Jayakumar, S; Ramachandran, A; Bhaskaran, G; Heo, J

    2009-02-01

    The primary deciduous forests in the Eastern Ghats (EG) of Tamil Nadu (TN) India have undergone many changes owing to various need-based forest managements, such as timber extraction for industry, railway sleepers, charcoal, and forest clearance for hydroelectric projects and agriculture, during preindependence and postindependence periods (i.e., from 1800 to 1980). The enactment of a forest conservation act during the 1980s changed the perception of forest managers from utilization to conservation. This study was taken up to assess the forests dynamics in the EG of TN spatially between 1990 and 2003 and nonspatially between 1900 and the 1980s. Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Indian Remote Sensing satellite (IRS) 1D Linear Imaging and Self Scanning (LISS III) data were used to assess forests during 1990 and 2003, respectively. Field floristic survey and secondary data (such as published literature, floras, books, and forest working plans) were used to assess the forest dynamics in terms of forest type and species composition among the preindependence period, the postindependence period, and the present (i.e., before and after 1980). The satellite data analysis revealed a considerable amount of changes in all forest types during the 13 years. The comparison of species composition and forest types between the past and present revealed that need-based forest management along with anthropogenic activity have altered the primary deciduous forest in to secondary and postextraction secondary forests such as southern thorn and southern thorn scrub forests in the middle [400-900 m above mean sea level (MSL)] and lower slopes (<400 m MSL). However, the evergreen forests present at the upper slope (>900 m MSL) and plateau seemed not to be much affected by the forest management. The changes estimated by the satellite data processing in the major forest types such as evergreen, deciduous, southern thorn, and southern thorn scrub are really alarming because these changes have

  1. Maternal Risk Factors and Periodontal Disease: A Cross-sectional Study among Postpartum Mothers in Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Govindasamy, Rohini; Dhanasekaran, Manikandan; Varghese, Sheeja S; Balaji, V R; Karthikeyan, B; Christopher, Ananthi

    2017-11-01

    It is inconclusive that periodontitis is an independent risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes. This study aims to investigate the association between maternal periodontitis and preterm and/or low birth weight babies. This was a prospective cross-sectional study. After prior informed consent, 3500 postpartum mothers were selected from various hospitals in Tamil Nadu and categorized into the following groups: group-1 - Normal term normal birth weight ( n = 1100); Group-2 - Preterm normal birth weight ( n = 400); Group-3 - preterm low birth weight (PTLBW) ( n = 1000); and Group-4 - Normal term low birth weight ( n = 1000). Periodontal examination was done, and risk factors were ascertained by means of questionnaire and medical records. Comparison between case groups and control groups were done, odds ratio (OR) was calculated, and statistical significance were assessed by Chi-square tests. To control for the possible confounders, all variables with P < 0.05 were selected and entered into multivariate regression model, and OR and 95% confidence limits were again estimated. SPSS-15 software was used. Periodontitis was diagnosed in 54.8%, 52.3%, 53.8%, 59.4%, respectively. On comparison between the groups, none of periodontal parameters showed significant association except for the crude association observed in Group-4 for mild periodontitis (OR - 1.561; P = 0.000) and PTLBW. Periodontitis is not a significant independent risk factor, and obstetric factors contribute a major risk for preterm and/or low birth weight babies.

  2. An exploratory study on occurrence and impact of climate change on agriculture in Tamil Nadu, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Varadan, R. Jayakumara; Kumar, Pramod; Jha, Girish Kumar; Pal, Suresh; Singh, Rashmi

    2017-02-01

    This study has been undertaken to examine the occurrence of climate change in Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India and its impact on rainfall pattern which is a primary constraint for agricultural production. Among the five sample stations examined across the state, the minimum temperature has increased significantly in Coimbatore while the same has decreased significantly in Vellore whereas both minimum and maximum temperatures have increased significantly in Madurai since 1969 with climate change occurring between late 1980s and early 1990s. As a result, the south-west monsoon has been disturbed with August rainfall increasing with more dispersion while September rainfall decreasing with less dispersion. Thus, September, the peak rainfall month of south-west monsoon before climate change, has become the monsoon receding month after climate change. Though there has been no change in the trend of the north-east monsoon, the quantity of October and November rainfall has considerably increased with increased dispersion after climate change. On the whole, south-west monsoon has decreased with decreased dispersion while north-east monsoon has increased with increased dispersion. Consequently, the season window for south-west monsoon crops has shortened while the north-east monsoon crops are left to fend against flood risk during their initial stages. Further, the incoherence in warming, climate change and rainfall impact seen across the state necessitates devising different indigenous and institutional adaptation strategies for different regions to overcome the adverse impacts of climate change on agriculture.

  3. Study of Morbidity Profile of a Rural Population in Tamil Nadu

    PubMed Central

    Ganeshkumar, P.; Katta, Ajitha

    2015-01-01

    Objective: To identify the reported morbidity profile of people according to age, gender and organ system affected using International Classification of Diseases (ICD) coding, in a demographically defined area in Tamil Nadu in order to identify their health care needs and to plan appropriate interventions strategies. Materials and Methods: This is a-cross sectional study using a convenience sample of 12308 persons sceened from the 41 panchayat units of the Kattankulathur block, comprising 90 villages with a population of about 2,00,890, over a period of one year. Diagnosis made were coded using ICD 10 version and data collected was analysed by appropriate statistical methods to explain the distribution of morbidity profile among the study population. Result: Out of total, 38.1% screened were males and 61.9% were females. Underfives were 5.3%, school going children 43.3%, adults 39.2% and elderly 12.3%. Majority had illness affecting respiratory system (20%), ‘symptoms and signs’ (19%), musculo-skeletal system (16.1%) and digestive system(11.9%). ‘Symptoms and signs’ classification, is a group of conditions which is of nonspecific diseases, signs, symptoms, abnormal findings and complaints, apart from the system specific conditions diagnosed properly and not elsewhere classified, More males were affeced with respiratory, digestive and illnesses with ‘symptoms and signs’ while more women were affected with musculo-skeletal problems. Only 9.7 % of patients reported with non-communicable diseases. Among them, 55 % women and 42.3 % men had osteoarthritis and 15.7 % women and 21.3 % men had cataract. About 15.8 % women and 18.1 % men had hypertension and other heart diseases while 9.7 % women and 8.4 % men had diabetes and 10.0 % men and 3.9 % women had chronic respiratory diseases. Conclusion: School going children and adults have higher levels of morbidity when compared to elderly and under five children. More females reported with illness but morbidity was

  4. Prevalence and Predictors of Self-Reported Consistent Condom Usage among Male Clients of Female Sex Workers in Tamil Nadu, India

    PubMed Central

    Charles, Bimal; Sam, Asirvatham Edwin

    2014-01-01

    Clients of female sex workers (FSWs) possess a high potential of transmitting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections from high risk FSWs to the general population. Promotion of safer sex practices among the clients is essential to limit the spread of HIV/AIDS epidemic. The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of consistent condom use (CCU) among clients of FSWs and to assess the factors associated with CCU in Tamil Nadu. 146 male respondents were recruited from the hotspots who reportedly had sex with FSWs in exchange for cash at least once in the past one month. Data were analyzed using bivariate and multivariate methods. Overall, 48.6 and 0.8 percent clients consistently used condoms in the past 12 months with FSWs and regular partners, respectively. Logistic regression showed that factors such as education, peers' use of condoms, and alcohol consumption significantly influenced clients' CCU with FSWs. Strategies for safe sex-behaviour are needed among clients of FSWs in order to limit the spread of HIV/AIDS epidemic in the general population. The role of peer-educators in experience sharing and awareness generation must also be emphasized. PMID:26316978

  5. Quantitative ethnomedicinal survey of medicinal plants given for cardiometabolic diseases by the non-institutionally trained siddha practitioners of Tiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Esakkimuthu, S; Mutheeswaran, S; Arvinth, S; Paulraj, M Gabriel; Pandikumar, P; Ignacimuthu, S

    2016-06-20

    The burden of cardiometabolic diseases such as dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, hypertension, visceral obesity and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases and the use of traditional medicine for the management of such diseases are high in India; hence there is a need to document and analyze such therapies. This study documented and analyzed the medicinal plants prescribed for cardiometabolic diseases by the non-institutionally trained siddha practitioners of Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu, India. The field survey was conducted between December 2014 to November 2015. Successive free listing assisted with field-walks was used to interview the informants. After assessing the sampling sufficiency using rarefaction curve analysis, indices such as Informant Consensus Factor (Fic) and Index of Agreement on Remedies (IAR) were calculated for the data. The indicators of informant's medicinal plant knowledge such as Shannon's index, equitability index, etc., were regressed with the demographic profile of the informants. For this study 70 non-institutionally trained Siddha medical practitioners were approached; the data from 36 practitioners who were treating cardiometabolic diseases were documented. This study recorded the use of 188 species which were used to prepare 368 formulations to treat illnesses categorized under cardiometabolic diseases. In this, 53.04% claims were singletons. Regression analysis showed that single species dominance was reduced and the diversity of medicinal plants was increased with the increase in the age and experience. Increase in the years of formal education increased the equitability in the uses. The plants such as Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. (cardiovascular diseases), Allium sativum L. (dyslipidemia), Cuminum cyminum L. (hypertension), Macrotyloma uniflorum Verdc. (obesity) and Azadirachta indica A. Juss. (type 2 diabetes) were the highly cited medicinal plants. This survey has identified the plants most commonly used by Siddha practitioners of

  6. Loss to follow-up among children in pre-ART care under the National AIDS Programme, Tamil Nadu, South India

    PubMed Central

    Kumar, A. M. V.; Chinnakali, P.; Rajendran, M.; Valan, A. S.; Rewari, B. B.; Swaminathan, S.

    2017-01-01

    Setting: Children aged <15 years constitute 7% of all people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in India. A previous study from an antiretroviral therapy (ART) centre in south India reported 82% loss to follow-up (LTFU) among children in pre-ART care (2006–2011). Objective: To assess the proportion of LTFU within 1 year of registration among HIV-infected children (aged < 15 years) registered in all 43 ART centres in the state of Tamil Nadu, India, during the year 2012. Design: This was a retrospective cohort study involving a review of programme records. Results: Of 656 children registered for HIV care, 20 (3%) were not assessed for ART eligibility. Of those remaining, 226 (36%) were not ART eligible and entered pre-ART care. Among these, at 1 year of registration, 50 (22%) were LTFU, 40 (18%) were transferred out and 136 (60%) were retained in care at the same centre. The child's age, sex, World Health Organization stage or occurrence of opportunistic infection were not associated with LTFU. Conclusion: One in five children registered under pre-ART care were lost to follow-up. Stronger measures to prevent LTFU and reinforce retrieval actions are necessary in the existing National HIV Programme. PMID:28695080

  7. Loss to follow-up among children in pre-ART care under the National AIDS Programme, Tamil Nadu, South India.

    PubMed

    Devi, N P; Kumar, A M V; Chinnakali, P; Rajendran, M; Valan, A S; Rewari, B B; Swaminathan, S

    2017-06-21

    Setting: Children aged <15 years constitute 7% of all people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in India. A previous study from an antiretroviral therapy (ART) centre in south India reported 82% loss to follow-up (LTFU) among children in pre-ART care (2006-2011). Objective: To assess the proportion of LTFU within 1 year of registration among HIV-infected children (aged < 15 years) registered in all 43 ART centres in the state of Tamil Nadu, India, during the year 2012. Design: This was a retrospective cohort study involving a review of programme records. Results: Of 656 children registered for HIV care, 20 (3%) were not assessed for ART eligibility. Of those remaining, 226 (36%) were not ART eligible and entered pre-ART care. Among these, at 1 year of registration, 50 (22%) were LTFU, 40 (18%) were transferred out and 136 (60%) were retained in care at the same centre. The child's age, sex, World Health Organization stage or occurrence of opportunistic infection were not associated with LTFU. Conclusion: One in five children registered under pre-ART care were lost to follow-up. Stronger measures to prevent LTFU and reinforce retrieval actions are necessary in the existing National HIV Programme.

  8. "Yes" to abortion but "no" to sexual rights: the paradoxical reality of married women in rural Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Ravindran, T K Sundari; Balasubramanian, P

    2004-05-01

    This study in rural Tamil Nadu, India, explored the reasons why many married women in India undergo induced abortions rather than use reversible contraception to space or limit births in terms of women's sexual and reproductive rights within marriage, and in the context of gender relations between couples more generally. It is based on in-depth interviews with two generations of ever-married women, some of whom had had abortions and others who had not, from 98 rural hamlets. The respondents were 66 women and 44 of their husbands. Non-consensual sex, sexual violence and women's inability to refuse their husband's sexual demands appeared to underlie the need for abortion in both younger and older women. Many men seemed to believe that sex within marriage was their right, and that women had no say in the matter. The findings raise questions about the presumed association between legal abortion and the enjoyment of reproductive and sexual rights. A large number of women who had abortions in this study were denied their sexual rights but were permitted, even forced, to terminate their pregnancies for reasons unrelated to their right to choose abortion. The study brings home the need for activism to promote women's sexual rights and a campaign against sexual violence in marriage.

  9. Groundwater quality assessment using geospatial and statistical tools in Salem District, Tamil Nadu, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arulbalaji, P.; Gurugnanam, B.

    2017-10-01

    The water quality study of Salem district, Tamil Nadu has been carried out to assess the water quality for domestic and irrigation purposes. For this purpose, 59 groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), major anions (HCO3 -, CO3 -, F-, Cl-, NO2 - + NO3 -, and SO4 2-), major cations (Ca2+ Mg2+, Na+, and K+), alkalinity (ALK), and hardness (HAR). To assess the water quality, the following chemical parameters were calculated based on the analytical results, such as Piper plot, water quality index (WQI), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), magnesium hazard (MH), Kelly index (KI), and residual sodium carbonate (RSC). Wilcox diagram represents that 23% of the samples are excellent to good, 40% of the samples are good to permissible, 10% of the samples are permissible to doubtful, 24% of the samples are doubtful unsuitable, and only 3% of the samples are unsuitable for irrigation. SAR values shows that 52% of the samples indicate high-to-very high and low-to-medium alkali water. KI values indicate good quality (30%) and not suitable (70%) for irrigation purposes. RSC values indicate that 89% of samples are suitable for irrigation purposes. MH reveals that 17% suitable and 83% samples are not suitable for irrigation purposes and for domestic purposes the excellent (8%), good (48%), and poor (44%). The agricultural waste, fertilizer used, soil leaching, urban runoff, livestock waste, and sewages are the sources of poor water quality. Some samples are not suitable for irrigation purposes due to high salinity, hardness, and magnesium concentration. In general, the groundwater of the Salem district was polluted by agricultural activities, anthropogenic activities, ion exchange, and weathering.

  10. Prevalence of osteoarthritis of knee joint among adult population in a rural area of Kanchipuram District, Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Venkatachalam, Jayaseelan; Natesan, Murugan; Eswaran, Muthurajesh; Johnson, Abel K Samuel; Bharath, V; Singh, Zile

    2018-01-01

    Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common degenerative disorders among the elderly population; although aging is the most important cause, research has shown that it is a complex disease with many etiologies. It is not an inevitable part of aging but rather the result of a combination of factors, many of which can be modified or prevented. The objective of this study was to assess the burden and determinants of OA knee among the adult population. A community-based, cross-sectional study among 1986 adult persons living in a rural area in Kanchipuram district, Tamil Nadu, South India, was interviewed and examined from January 2014 to December 2014. Data collection was done by the postgraduates, trained health workers under the supervision of principal investigator. Written and informed consent was obtained before data collection. OA was diagnosed using the criteria laid down by the American College of Rheumatology, and it was validated and tested in the study area. A total of 1986 adult respondents were interviewed out of which 27.1% had OA of knee. Age more than 50 years, female gender, tobacco usage, illiteracy, lower socioeconomic class, positive family history of OA, diabetes, and hypertension were found to be associated with OA knee (P < 0.05). The burden of osteoarthritis knee was high in this region. Hence, effective preventive strategy has to be taken to minimize this burden.

  11. Alteration of paraoxonase, arylesterase and lactonase activities in people around fluoride endemic area of Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Arulkumar, Mani; Vijayan, Raji; Penislusshiyan, Sakayanathan; Sathishkumar, Palanivel; Angayarkanni, Jayaraman; Palvannan, Thayumanavan

    2017-08-01

    Toxicity due to excess fluoride concentration in drinking water is of great concern in people who rely only on the ground water as their water source in many region of the world. We collected samples and examined the toxicity of fluoride in a population residing at Salem, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts of Tamil Nadu, India and measured HDL bound enzyme (PON1), erythrocyte membrane bound enzymes (acetylcholinesterase, AChE) and adenosine 5' triphosphatase (ATPases), plasma enzyme (butyrylcholinesterase, BChE) and rate limiting enzyme in heme biosynthesis (delta aminolevulinic acid dehydratase, δ-ALAD) activities. In fluorosis patients, formation of lipid peroxidation product was more in erythrocytes than in plasma. The observation further revealed that there was 50% reduction in the activity of HDL bound anti atherogenic enzyme-paraoxonase (PON1). The activities of membrane bound and signaling enzymes (acetylcholinesterase - AChE and adenosine 5' triphosphatase - ATPase) of erythrocyte were also diminished. These results suggested that there was defectiveness in the signaling and energy metabolism in fluorosis patients. Altered isoenzyme pattern of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in fluorosis samples was observed. Furthermore, the result suggested that both the heart (LDH 1) and liver (LDH 5) were most affected by fluoride toxicity. The study also provided reference values for tests which are used to predict the severity of fluoride toxicity. The toxic effect of fluoride was due to the collective effects on vital protective system rather than single factor. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Bacteriological profile of neonatal sepsis in a secondary care hospital in rural Tamil Nadu, Southern India.

    PubMed

    Pavan Kumar, Doniparthi Venkata; Mohan, Jesinth; Rakesh, P S; Prasad, Jasmine; Joseph, Lenikumar

    2017-01-01

    Neonatal sepsis is a leading cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity in the world. The objective of the current study was to detect the common causative microorganisms of neonatal sepsis and their antimicrobial resistance patterns in a rural secondary hospital in Tamil Nadu, India. Neonates (0-28 days) admitted to this newborn care unit from October 2013 to September 2015, with a diagnosis of probable sepsis were studied. All the enrolled babies had blood cultures taken and were followed up till final outcome, which was discharge or death, irrespective of culture result. Univariate analysis was performed for factors associated with culture positivity, generating odds ratios, and confidence intervals. Among the 107 babies with a diagnosis of probable sepsis, 28 (26.2%) had shown bacteria in culture. The majority (94.4%) were of early-onset sepsis. The predominant organisms were Staphylococcus aureus (10/28) and Klebsiella (6/28). 100% of Gram-negative bacilli and 90% of Staphylococcus were resistant to Ampicillin. Gentamicin resistance among Gram-negative bacilli and Staphylococcus was 52.9% and 20%, respectively, while third-generation cephalosporin resistance was 31.2% and 20%, respectively. Among the neonates diagnosed as probable sepsis, idiopathic prematurity ( P = 0.007) was found to have a statistically significant association with culture-positive sepsis. The culture positivity rate among the neonates with probable sepsis in the current study was 26%. An alarmingly high degree of antibiotic resistance observed calls for robust infection control practices and an urgent evaluation and development of individual and national antibiotic policies for neonatal sepsis.

  13. Evaluating influence of active tectonics on spatial distribution pattern of floods along eastern Tamil Nadu, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Selvakumar, R.; Ramasamy, SM.

    2014-12-01

    Flooding is a naturally recurrent phenomenon that causes severe damage to lives and property. Predictions on flood-prone zones are made based on intensity-duration of rainfall, carrying capacity of drainage, and natural or man-made obstructions. Particularly, the lower part of the drainage system and its adjacent geomorphic landforms like floodplains and deltaic plains are considered for analysis, but stagnation in parts of basins that are far away from major riverine systems is less unveiled. Similarly, uncharacteristic flooding in the upper and middle parts of drainage, especially in zones of an anomalous drainage pattern, is also least understood. Even though topographic differences are attributed for such anomalous spatial occurrence of floods, its genetic cause has to be identified for effective management practice. Added to structural and lithological variations, tectonic movements too impart micro-scale terrain undulations. Because active tectonic movements are slow-occurring, long-term geological processes, its resultant topographical variations and drainage anomalies are least correlated with floods. The recent floods of Tamil Nadu also exhibit a unique distribution pattern emphasizing the role of tectonics over it. Hence a detailed geoinformatics-based analysis was carried out to envisage the relationship between spatial distribution of flood and active tectonic elements such as regional arches and deeps, block faults, and graben and drainage anomalies such as deflected drainage, compressed meander, and eyed drainages. The analysis reveals that micro-scale topographic highs and lows imparted by active tectonic movements and its further induced drainage anomalies have substantially controlled the distribution pattern of flood.

  14. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) of leptospiral strains isolated from two geographic locations of Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Kanagavel, Murugesan; Princy Margreat, Alphonse Asirvatham; Arunkumar, Manivel; Prabhakaran, Shanmugarajan Gnanasekaran; Shanmughapriya, Santhanam; Natarajaseenivasan, Kalimuthusamy

    2016-01-01

    Here the rodent carrier status for the transmission of human leptospirosis in Tiruchirappalli, district, Tamil Nadu, India was assessed. The predominantly circulating leptospiral STs were recognized by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). A total of 113 rodents were trapped from different provinces of the Tiruchirappalli district. The most prevalent rodent was Bandicota bengalensis (37.2%), and of the total, 52.2% (n=59) rodents were found to be positive for leptospiral 16S rRNA. These results were validated with a leptospiral culture positivity of 45.8% (n=27). Three isolates from Chennai (2 rodents and 1 human) and 1 human isolate from Tiruchirappalli were included to understand the spatial variations and to track the source of human leptospirosis. The serogroup, serovar, and species level identification of all 31 isolates identified 28 to be Leptospira borgpetersenii serovar Javanica and three as Leptospira interrogans serovar Autumnalis. MLST analysis defined all isolates to the existing ST profiles (ST145 and ST27) with the exception of 6 L. borgpetersenii (ST DR) isolates that showed variations in the sucA and pfkB loci. The DR ST was locally confined to Chatram province of Tiruchirappalli suggesting an epidemiological link. The predominant STs, ST145 and ST-DR form a group, indicating the presence of original strain that subsequently diverged evolutionarily into two STs. The variations between L. borgpetersenii in sucA and pfkB loci may be an indication that evolutionary changes transpired in Tiruchirappalli. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Binocular vision anomalies and normative data (BAND) in Tamil Nadu: report 1.

    PubMed

    Hussaindeen, Jameel Rizwana; Rakshit, Archayeeta; Singh, Neeraj Kumar; Swaminathan, Meenakshi; George, Ronnie; Kapur, Suman; Scheiman, Mitchell; Ramani, Krishna Kumar

    2017-05-01

    This population-based, cross-sectional study was designed to determine normative data for binocular vision and accommodative testing in rural and urban populations of Tamil Nadu. A sample of 936 was determined, based on a previous pilot study. The epidemiological field work included a comprehensive eye examination and a binocular vision and accommodative assessment carried out in a total of four public schools, two each in the rural and urban arms of Chennai. An overall sample of 3,024 children between seven and 17 years of age was screened in the four schools and 920 children were included in the study. We found significant differences in expected values from the current clinical criteria for near point of convergence (NPC) with penlight, distance and near horizontal phorias, vergence facility, accommodation convergence/accommodation (AC/A) ratio, accommodative amplitudes, monocular and binocular accommodative facility (t-test: p < 0.001). The mean and standard deviation break/recovery values for NPC (in centimetres) with an accommodative target and penlight with red filter was 3 ± 3/4 ± 4 and 7 ± 5/10 ± 7, respectively. The mean accommodative amplitudes for the population could be estimated from the linear regression equation 16 - 0.3 × (age). The vergence facility was 12 ± 4 cycles/minute and 14 ± 4 cycles/minute in the seven to 10 and 11 to 17 age groups, respectively. Monocular accommodative facility was 11 ± 4 cycles/minute and 14 ± 5 cycles/minute and binocular accommodative facility was 10 ± 4 cycles/minute and 14 ± 5 cycles/minute in the seven to 12 and 13 to 17 age groups, respectively. The mean calculated AC/A ratio was 5.4 ± 0.6/1. The normative data for vergence and accommodative parameters for the Indian children between seven and 17 years of age are reported. The developmental trend of accommodation and vergence differences and significant differences in cut-off between the current data and available literature are reported. These

  16. Petrology and physical conditions of metamorphism of calcsilicate rocks from low- to high-grade transition area, Dharmapuri District, Tamil Nadu

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Narayana, B. L.; Natarajan, R.; Govil, P. K.

    1988-01-01

    Calc-silicate rocks comprising quartz, plagioclase, diopside, sphene, scapolite, grossularite-andradite and wollastonite occur as lensoid enclaves within the greasy migmatitic and charnockitic gneisses of the Archaean amphibolite- to granulite-facies transition zone in Dharmapuri district, Tamil Nadu. The calc-silicate rocks are characterized by the absence of K-feldspar and primary calcite, presence of large modal quartz and plagioclase and formation of secondary garnet and zoisite rims around scapolite and wollastonite. The mineral distributions suggest compositional layering. The chemical composition and mineralogy of the calc-silicate rocks indicate that they were derived from impure silica-rich calcareous sediments whose composition is similar to that of pelite-limestone mixtures. From the mineral assemblages the temperature, pressure and fluid composition during metamorphism were estimated. The observed mineral reaction sequences require a range of X sub CO2 values demonstrating that an initially CO2-rich metamorphic fluid evolved with time towards considerably more H2O-rich compositions. These variations in fluid composition suggest that there were sources of water-rich fluids external to the calc-silicate rocks and that mixing of these fluids with those of calc-silicate rocks was important in controlling fluid composition in calc-silicate rocks and some adjacent rock types as well.

  17. Genetic affinity between diverse ethnoreligious communities of Tamil Nadu, India: a microsatellite study.

    PubMed

    Eaaswarkhanth, M; Vasulu, T S; Haque, Ikramul

    2008-12-01

    Historically, a number of local Hindu caste groups have converted to Islam and formed religious endogamous groups. Therefore the local caste groups and religious communities in a region are expected to show genetic relatedness. In this study we investigate the genetic relationship between Tamil-speaking (Dravidian language) Muslims (Sunni), six endogamous Hindu castes, and a tribal ethnic group (Irulars) using 13 CODIS (Combined DNA Index System) autosomal microsatellite markers. Muslims show the highest average heterozygosity (0.405) compared to the other groups. The neighbor-joining tree and the multidimensional-scaling plot show clustering of Tamil-speaking Muslims with three caste groups (Gounder, Paraiyar, and Vanniyar), whereas the Irular tribe is separated out of the cluster.

  18. Is disability in leprosy still a burden? A cross-sectional study in a rural block in Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Ganesan, Dinesh Kumar; Muthunarayanan, Logaraj

    2018-01-01

    Leprosy, a disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, is an important cause of preventable disability. The present cross-sectional study was undertaken among leprosy-affected persons in a rural block in Kanchipuram District, Tamil Nadu, India in the year 2013. The sample included treatment completed leprosy affected persons ≥18 y of age. Persons with difficulty in cognition and those who were not willing to participate in the study were excluded. Subjects were also graded for any deformities of the body using World Health Organization (WHO) disability grading. The present study, carried out among 171 people affected with leprosy in a rural block, showed the lifetime prevalence of disability was 88.3% (95% confidence interval 83.4 to 93.1). The mean age of the study participants was 61.58±12.31 y with almost equal distribution of males (49.7%) and females (50.3%). WHO disability grading showed that 147 (86%) of the subjects were grade 2 (visible deformity) while only 4 (2.3%) were grade 1. It was found that education, occupation, income and duration since diagnosis had statistical significance with disability. Disability was observed more in males and the most common type of deformity was hand and foot deformity. Further studies are needed to assess those patients who completed treatment and recommends periodic neurological assessment of those in treatment.

  19. Seven years of the field epidemiology training programme (FETP) at Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India: an internal evaluation

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background During 2001–2007, the National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India admitted 80 trainees in its two-year Field Epidemiology Training Programme (FETP). We evaluated the first seven years of the programme to identify strengths and weaknesses. Methods We identified core components of the programme and broke them down into input, process, output and outcome. We developed critical indicators to reflect the logic model. We reviewed documents including fieldwork reports, abstracts listed in proceedings and papers published in Medline-indexed journals. We conducted an anonymous online survey of the graduates to collect information on self-perceived competencies, learning activities, field assignments, supervision, curriculum, relevance to career goals, strengths and weaknesses. Results Of the 80 students recruited during 2001–2007, 69 (86%) acquired seven core competencies (epidemiology, surveillance, outbreaks, research, human subjects protection, communication and management) and graduated through completion of at least six field assignments. The faculty-to-student ratio ranged between 0.4 and 0.12 (expected: 0.25). The curriculum was continuously adapted with all resources available on-line. Fieldwork led to the production of 158 scientific communications presented at international meetings and to 29 manuscripts accepted in indexed, peer-reviewed journals. The online survey showed that while most graduates acquired competencies, unmet needs persisted in laboratory sciences, data analysis tools and faculty-to-student ratio. Conclusions NIE adapted the international FETP model to India. However, further efforts are required to scale up the programme and to develop career tracks for field epidemiologists in the country. PMID:23013473

  20. Factors associated with high stress levels in adults with diabetes mellitus attending a tertiary diabetes care center, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

    PubMed Central

    Sendhilkumar, Muthappan; Tripathy, Jaya Prasad; Harries, Anthony D.; Dongre, Amol R.; Deepa, Mohan; Vidyulatha, Ashok; Poongothai, Subramanian; Venkatesan, Ulaganathan; Anjana, Ranjit Mohan; Mohan, Viswanathan

    2017-01-01

    Objective: We aimed to determine perceived stress levels among adults aged >20 years with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) in a tertiary care diabetes center, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, assess their association with sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and assess the possible risk factors for stress and coping strategies. Methods: A mixed-methods (triangulation design) study with quantitative methodology (survey) and qualitative methodology (interviews) was carried out. Stress levels were assessed among type 2 DM patients attending a diabetes clinic using a 5-point perceived stress scale-10. One-on-one interviews were carried out with 376 participants with DM having high/very high stress levels to understand the reasons for perceived stress and explore their coping mechanisms. Results: The prevalence of high/very high stress was 35% among DM patients. Age 30–40 years, working in professional jobs, and lack of physical activity were factors significantly associated with stress. The perceived major stress inducers were related to family, work, financial issues, and the disease itself. Conclusions: This study showed high levels of stress in more than one-third of DM patients. Potential solutions include regular, formal assessment of stress levels in the clinic, providing integrated counseling and psychological care for DM patients, and promoting physical activity. PMID:28217499

  1. Drainage morphometric analysis for assessing form and processes of the watersheds of Pachamalai hills and its adjoinings, Central Tamil Nadu, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prabhakaran, A.; Jawahar Raj, N.

    2018-03-01

    The present study attempts to understand the form and geomorphic/hydrologic processes of the 20 watersheds of the Pachamalai hills and its adjoinings located in Tamil Nadu State of southern India from the analysis of its drainage morphometric characteristics. Survey of India's topographic sheets of 1:50,000 is the data source from which stream networks and watersheds of the study area were demarcated followed by the analysis of their morphometric characteristics using ArcGIS software. The results of the analysis formed the basis for deducing the form and processes of the watersheds of the study area. The form of the watersheds inferred from the analysis includes shape, length, slope steepness and length, degree of branching of streams, dissection and elongation of watersheds. The geomorphic/hydrologic processes inferred include denudation rate, potential energy, intensity of erosion, mean annual run off, mean discharge, discharge rate, rock resistivity and infiltration potential, amount of sediment transported, mean annual rainfall, rainfall intensity, lagtime, flash flood potential, flood discharge per unit area, sediment yield and speed of the water flow in the streams. The understanding of variations of form and processes mentioned can be used towards prioritizing the watersheds for development, management and conservation planning.

  2. Factors associated with high stress levels in adults with diabetes mellitus attending a tertiary diabetes care center, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Sendhilkumar, Muthappan; Tripathy, Jaya Prasad; Harries, Anthony D; Dongre, Amol R; Deepa, Mohan; Vidyulatha, Ashok; Poongothai, Subramanian; Venkatesan, Ulaganathan; Anjana, Ranjit Mohan; Mohan, Viswanathan

    2017-01-01

    We aimed to determine perceived stress levels among adults aged >20 years with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) in a tertiary care diabetes center, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, assess their association with sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and assess the possible risk factors for stress and coping strategies. A mixed-methods (triangulation design) study with quantitative methodology (survey) and qualitative methodology (interviews) was carried out. Stress levels were assessed among type 2 DM patients attending a diabetes clinic using a 5-point perceived stress scale-10. One-on-one interviews were carried out with 376 participants with DM having high/very high stress levels to understand the reasons for perceived stress and explore their coping mechanisms. The prevalence of high/very high stress was 35% among DM patients. Age 30-40 years, working in professional jobs, and lack of physical activity were factors significantly associated with stress. The perceived major stress inducers were related to family, work, financial issues, and the disease itself. This study showed high levels of stress in more than one-third of DM patients. Potential solutions include regular, formal assessment of stress levels in the clinic, providing integrated counseling and psychological care for DM patients, and promoting physical activity.

  3. Study on Entomological Surveillance and its Significance during a Dengue Outbreak in the District of Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu, India

    PubMed Central

    Basker, Parasuraman; Kannan, Pichai; Porkaipandian, Rajagopal Thirugnanasambandam; Saravanan, Sivsankaran; Sridharan, Subramaniam; Kadhiresan, Mahaligam

    2013-01-01

    Objectives To study the significance of entomological surveillance, the house index (HI), container index (CI), and Breteau index (BI) were determined to estimate the degree of a major dengue outbreak in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India (Latitude: 8°42′N; Longitude: 77°42′E) in May 2012. Methods The HI, CI, and BI were determined in a primary health center (PHC) in the village of Maruthamputhur (Pappakudi taluk, Tirunelveli) by carrying out an antilarval (AL) work that involved door-to-door search for immature stages of Aedes spp. mosquitoes by trained field workers and volunteers. The work of field workers was evaluated by a junior and senior entomologist the following day. Results Before the AL work, the reported numbers of fever cases from Week 1 to 5 in Maruthamputhur were 211, 394, 244, 222, and 144 with two deaths. By contrast, after the AL work, these numbers were considerably reduced and there was no fever-related death (the HI was reduced from 48.2% to 1.6%, the CI from 28.6% to 0.4%, and the BI from 48.2 to 1.6). Conclusion Because no specific medicine and vaccines are available to treat dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever, entomological surveillance and its significance can be used to halt the outbreak of dengue as shown in this study. PMID:24159547

  4. Prevalence of risk factors for non-communicable diseases in rural & urban Tamil Nadu

    PubMed Central

    Oommen, Anu Mary; Abraham, Vinod Joseph; George, Kuryan; Jose, V. Jacob

    2016-01-01

    Background & objectives: Surveillance of risk factors is important to plan suitable control measures for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The objective of this study was to assess the behavioural, physical and biochemical risk factors for NCDs in Vellore Corporation and Kaniyambadi, a rural block in Vellore district, Tamil Nadu, India. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out among 6196 adults aged 30-64 yr, with 3799 participants from rural and 2397 from urban areas. The World Health Organization-STEPS method was used to record behavioural risk factors, anthropometry, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose and lipid profile. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess associations between risk factors. Results: The proportion of tobacco users (current smoking or daily use of smokeless tobacco) was 23 per cent in the rural sample and 18 per cent in the urban, with rates of smoking being similar. Ever consumption of alcohol was 62 per cent among rural men and 42 per cent among urban men. Low physical activity was seen among 63 per cent of the urban and 43 per cent of the rural sample. Consumption of fruits and vegetables was equally poor in both. In the urban sample, 54 per cent were overweight, 29 per cent had hypertension and 24 per cent diabetes as compared to 31, 17 and 11 per cent, respectively, in the rural sample. Physical inactivity was associated with hypertension, body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m2, central obesity and dyslipidaemia after adjusting for other factors. Increasing age, male sex, BMI ≥25 kg/m2 and central obesity were independently associated with both hypertension and diabetes. Interpretation & conclusions: Diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, physical inactivity and overweight were higher in the urban area as compared to the rural area which had higher rates of smokeless tobacco use and alcohol consumption. Smoking and inadequate consumption of fruits and vegetables were equally prevalent in both the urban and rural samples

  5. "How often? How much? Where from?" knowledge, attitudes, and practices of mothers and health workers to iron supplementation program for children under five in rural Tamil Nadu, south India.

    PubMed

    Kwon, Hye Jin; Ramasamy, Rajkumar; Morgan, Alison

    2014-07-01

    Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) affects 70% of under-5 children in India. The primary prevention strategy is regular iron supplementation. Little is known about what helps families adhere to daily iron supplementation. Our study explored the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of mothers and village health workers (VHWs) involved in a community health program in one hill district of Tamil Nadu. We conducted 30 semistructured interviews and 3 group discussions involving mothers, VHWs, and community stakeholders. Knowledge of IDA was widespread, yet no children were receiving the iron supplementation as recommended. The main determinants to adherence included the perception of its need, the ease of access, and the activity of VHWs. Preventive care requiring daily supplements is challenging. Our study suggests that increasing community awareness of mild anemia, simplifying dosage instructions, and further strengthening the supportive environment for VHWs would help in reducing the prevalence of IDA. © 2013 APJPH.

  6. Morbidity profile of elderly outpatients attending selected sub-district Siddha health facilities in Tamil Nadu, India

    PubMed Central

    Selvaraj, Kalaiselvi; Srinivasan, Manikandan; Duraisamy, Venkatachalam; Ramaswamy, Gomathi; Venugopal, Vinayagamurthy; Chinnakali, Palanivel

    2016-01-01

    Background: Recently, under National Health Mission alternate systems of Medicine are mainstreamed in public health care system. Effective action plan generation, logistic arrangement and roll out of these alternate systems of Medicine needs understanding on profile of morbidities among attendees who come to these facilities. Objectives: This study was planned to report profile of morbidities, age and sex differentials in specific morbidities among geriatric attendees in secondary level siddha health facilities. Materials and Methods: A facility based cross sectional study was conducted among elderly person (60 years and above) attending Siddha outpatient department (OPD) from two of the randomly selected sub district level siddha facilities in Erode district, Tamil Nadu, India. Information on socio-demographic variables like age, gender, education and clinical profile (diagnosis) were collected from records already maintained in the siddha OPD. Morbidities were summarized in terms of proportions based on age and gender. Age and sex specific differentials on specific morbidities were compared using ‘z’ test. Results: Of 2710 patients who visited these two siddha facilities during the reference period, 763 (28.1%) patients were elderly. Arthritis (45.2%), neuritis (8.8%), diabetes (6.6%), bronchial asthma (5.2%), hemiplegia (3.7%) were the top five morbidities diagnosed and treated among elderly attending the siddha OPD. There was a predilection towards elderly male for morbidities such as bronchial asthma and hemiplegia compared to elderly female. Similarly, higher proportions of lumbar spondylosis, hypertension and fungal skin diseases were reported among aged 80 years or more compared to elderly aged 60-79 years. Conclusion: Elderly constitute more than one fourth of outpatients load from siddha health facilities. Degenerative diseases like arthritis and non-communicable diseases were the common morbidities in this age group. Geriatric clinics and mobile

  7. Environmental monitoring and assessment of heavy metals in surface sediments at Coleroon River Estuary in Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Venkatramanan, S; Chung, S Y; Ramkumar, T; Selvam, S

    2015-08-01

    The combined studies on grain size distribution, organic matter contents of sediments, sequential extraction and bulk concentration of heavy metals, statistical analysis, and ecological risk assessments were carried out to investigate the contamination sources and ecological risks of surface sediments at Coleroon River Estuary in Tamil Nadu, India. The sequential extraction of metals showed that a larger portion of the metals was associated with the residual phase and also in other fractions. The low concentrations of heavy metals were found in exchangeable and carbonate bounds (bioavailable phases). It revealed that sediments of Coleroon River Estuary were relatively unpolluted and were influenced mainly by natural sources. The observed order of bulk concentrations of heavy metals in the sediments was as follows: Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > Pb > Cr > Ni > Co. Factor analyses represented that the enrichment of heavy metals was mostly resulted from lithogenic origins associated with anthropogenic sources. These sources were reconfirmed by cluster analysis. Risk assessment code (RAC) suggested that all metals were not harmful in monsoon season. However, Fe was in medium risk, and Mn and Cu were in low risk in summer. According to pollution load index (PLI) of sediments, all heavy metals were toxic. Cu might be related with adverse biological effects on the basis of sediment quality guidelines (SQG) in both seasons. These integrated approaches were very useful to identify the contamination sources and ecological risks of sediments in estuarine environment. It is expected that this research can give a useful information for the remediation of heavy metals in sediments.

  8. Biomass yielding potential of naturally regenerated Prosopis juliflora tree stands at three varied ecosystems in southern districts of Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Saraswathi, K; Chandrasekaran, S

    2016-05-01

    Fuel energy demand is of great concern in recent times due to the depletion of fossil fuel resources. Biomass serves as widely available primary renewable energy source. Hence, a study was performed to assess the above-ground biomass yielding capability of fuel wood tree Prosopis juliflora in three varied ecosystems viz., coastal, fallow land and riparian ecosystems in southern districts of Tamil Nadu. The results showed that the biomass production potential and above-ground net primary productivity of P. juliflora depend on the age of the tree stands and the nature of ecosystem. A higher biomass yield was observed for P. juliflora trees with 5 to 10 years old when compared to less than 5 years of their age. Among the three ecosystems, the maximum biomass production was recorded in riparian ecosystem. The stands with less than 5-year-old P. juliflora trees gave 1.40 t/ha, and 5- to 10-year-old tree stands produced 27.69 t/ha in riparian ecosystem. Above-ground net primary productivity of both the age groups was high in fallow land ecosystem. In riparian ecosystem, the wood showed high density and low sulphur content than the other two ecosystems. Hence, P. juliflora biomass can serve as an environmentally and economically feasible fuel as well as their utilization proffers an effective means to control its invasiveness.

  9. Association of Neck Circumference and Obesity with Blood Pressure among Adolescents in Urban and Rural Population in North Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Rajagopalan, Archana; Balaji, Nisha

    2017-01-01

    Since a few studies exist on the association of neck circumference (NC) and obesity with blood pressure (BP) among adolescents in India, we found it highly relevant to measure the NC and body mass index (BMI) using them as indicators of upper body subcutaneous fat and obesity and relate them to BP in a rural and urban adolescent population in North Tamil Nadu. This is a community-based cross-sectional study of descriptive design where 500 students from urban and rural areas were selected, and their BMI, NC, and BP were measured using standardized instruments. Among urban and rural population high and normal NC positively correlated with BMI, systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP), indicating that the data clearly reflects increase in BMI, SBP, and DBP values with increase in NC or vice versa. The correlation was statistically significant ( P < 0.001) significantly higher BMI ( P < 0.01), SBP ( P < 0.05), and NC ( P < 0.001) was observed in urban population than rural. DBP was not significantly different in rural and urban population. 95 th percentile values are significantly higher than rest in both urban and rural population. Only the 95 th percentile values correlate and reflect similar changes in BMI, SBP, and DBP. Our studies indicate a strong association of elevation in BP with high NC and increase in BMI. Overweight and obesity were positively correlated with increase in SBP and DBP.

  10. Towards elimination of lymphatic filariasis: social mobilization issues and challenges in mass drug administration with anti-filarial drugs in Tamil Nadu, South India.

    PubMed

    Nandha, B; Krishnamoorthy, K; Jambulingam, P

    2013-08-01

    India is a signatory to World Health Assembly resolution for elimination of lymphatic filariasis (LF) and National Health Policy has set the goal of LF elimination by 2015. Annual mass drug administration (MDA) is ongoing in endemic districts since 1996-97. Compliance rate is a crucial factor in achieving elimination and was assessed in three districts of Tamil Nadu for 10th and 11th treatment rounds (TRs). An in-depth study assessed the impact of social mobilization by drug distributors (DDs) in two areas from each of the three districts. Overall coverage and compliance for assessed TRs were 76.3 and 67.7% which is below the optimum level to achieve LF elimination. Modifiable determinants continue to be the reason for non-consumption even in the 11th TR and 20.8% were systematic non-compliers. In 76.4% of the cases, DDs failed to adhere to three mandatory visits as per the guidelines. Number of visits by DDs in relation to low and high MDA coverage areas showed a significant relationship (P ≤ 0.000). MDA is limited to drug distribution alone and efforts by DDs in preparing the community were inadequate. Probable means to meet the challenges in preparation of the community is discussed.

  11. Climate variables as predictors for seasonal forecast of dengue occurrence in Chennai, Tamil Nadu

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Subash Kumar, D. D.; Andimuthu, R.

    2013-12-01

    Background Dengue is a recently emerging vector borne diseases in Chennai. As per the WHO report in 2011 dengue is one of eight climate sensitive disease of this century. Objective Therefore an attempt has been made to explore the influence of climate parameters on dengue occurrence and use for forecasting. Methodology Time series analysis has been applied to predict the number of dengue cases in Chennai, a metropolitan city which is the capital of Tamil Nadu, India. Cross correlation of the climate variables with dengue cases revealed that the most influential parameters were monthly relative humidity, minimum temperature at 4 months lag and rainfall at one month lag (Table 1). However due to intercorrelation of relative humidity and rainfall was high and therefore for predictive purpose the rainfall at one month lag was used for the model development. Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models have been applied to forecast the occurrence of dengue. Results and Discussion The best fit model was ARIMA (1,0,1). It was seen that the monthly minimum temperature at four months lag (β= 3.612, p = 0.02) and rainfall at one month lag (β= 0.032, p = 0.017) were associated with dengue occurrence and they had a very significant effect. Mean Relative Humidity had a directly significant positive correlation at 99% confidence level, but the lagged effect was not prominent. The model predicted dengue cases showed significantly high correlation of 0.814(Figure 1) with the observed cases. The RMSE of the model was 18.564 and MAE was 12.114. The model is limited by the scarcity of the dataset. Inclusion of socioeconomic conditions and population offset are further needed to be incorporated for effective results. Conclusion Thus it could be claimed that the change in climatic parameters is definitely influential in increasing the number of dengue occurrence in Chennai. The climate variables therefore can be used for seasonal forecasting of dengue with rise in minimum

  12. Stress and Stressors among Medical Undergraduate Students: A Cross-sectional Study in a Private Medical College in Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Anuradha, R; Dutta, Ruma; Raja, J Dinesh; Sivaprakasam, P; Patil, Aruna B

    2017-01-01

    Medical education is perceived as being stressful, and a high level of stress may have a negative effect on cognitive functioning and learning of students in a medical school. To (a) assess the perceived stress among medical undergraduate students, (b) identify the sources of stress, and (c) find an association of perceived stress with sociodemographic characteristics and various stressors. A cross-sectional study was conducted among medical undergraduate students in a private medical college in Tamil Nadu. A total of 750 medical students from 1 st year to final year were invited to participate in the study. Self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data regarding sociodemographic profile, perceived stress using perceived stress scale-14 and academic, psychosocial and environmental stressors. Descriptive statistics was used to describe the sociodemographic characteristics, sources of stress and perceived stress. Logistic regression analyses were carried out to assess determinants of stress. The overall response rate was 93.33% (700 out of 750 students). The mean perceived stress score was 25.64 ± 5.44. Higher age-group, year of studying bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery, vastness of academic curriculum, fear of poor performance in examination, lack of recreation, loneliness, family problem, and accommodation away from home were important determinants of perceived stress. The perceived stress was higher among higher age group and final year medical students. Academic, psychosocial, and environmental stressors are associated with perceived stress. Reframing the academic curriculum and examination patterns, incorporating recreational and sports activities, and establishment of counseling cells in the institution is needed.

  13. A study on prevalence of depression and associated risk factors among elderly in a rural block of Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Buvneshkumar, M; John, K R; Logaraj, M

    2018-01-01

    Depression among elderly is an important public health problem responsible for considerable morbidity and disability. Causes of depression are multifactorial and often preventable. As there was dearth of community studies in Tamil Nadu, the present study was undertaken. The objective of this study is to estimate the prevalence of depression and to assess the factors which are associated with depression among elderly. A cross-sectional study was done from July 2014 to July 2015 among elderly in Kattankulathur block with a sample size of 690 by cluster sampling method. House-to-house interview was conducted using a predesigned, pre-tested questionnaire, and depression was assessed using geriatric depression scale-30. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 (Trial). The statistical tests used were proportions, Chi-square test. P<0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. The overall prevalence of depression was 35.5% (95% confidence interval: 31.9%-39.0%). Sociodemographic factors such as female sex, nuclear family, being widowed, unemployed status, low socioeconomic status, financially dependent, medical factors such as cardiac disease, visual impairment, arthritis, anemia, life events such as conflicts in family, death of the family member or close relative, and illness of self/family member were significantly associated with depression (P < 0.05). More strength of association for depression was seen with low socioeconomic status, nuclear family, low-intensity work, conflicts in the family, death of family members using multiple logistic regression. These findings show the need for proper care by the family members and counseling for the elderly which are of much importance in preventing depression.

  14. Documentation and quantitative analysis of local ethnozoological knowledge among traditional healers of Theni district, Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Chellappandian, M; Pandikumar, P; Mutheeswaran, S; Gabriel Paulraj, M; Prabakaran, S; Duraipandiyan, V; Ignacimuthu, S; Al-Dhabi, N A

    2014-05-28

    This study investigated the use of animals among the traditional healers in Theni district of Tamil Nadu, India. The data regarding the medicinal animals/animal products were documented and their usages were analyzed quantitatively. Based on free list interviews with the traditional healers, we documented the medicinal usage of animals/animal products and calculated the indices such as informant consensus factor (Fic) to determine the consensus over the species for an illness category, as well as the Index Agreement on Remedies (IAR) to determine the extent of potential utilization of each species. In this study, 69 medicinal animals/animal products were documented with the help of standardized questionnaires among the local healers. The results were tabulated and Fic value for each illness category was calculated. Three illness categories viz., jaundice (milk of Capra aegagrus hircus), orthopedics (egg white and meat of Gallus gallus domesticus) and pediatrics (milk of Equus africanus asinus) had got high Fic values. Fifteen illness categories had moderate Fic values. Highly cited animals in these illness categories were: Rusa unicolor (antiemetic), Reticulitermes spp. (diabetes), flesh of Varanus benghalensis (oral ailments), milk (eye ailments, fever) and urine (antidote) of Homo sepians, meat of Trachypithecus johnii (respiratory ailments), various parts of C. aegagrus hircus (blood ailments, coolants, diarrhea, pulmonary and urinary ailments), flesh of Chamaeleon zeyalnica (neural ailments), meat of Passer domesticus (aphrodisiac), curd and dung of Bos primigenius taurus (dermatological ailments), meat of G. domesticus (musculo-skeletal disorders, analgesic), meat of Lissemys punctata (hemorrhoids), and Pherthima posthuma (psychological ailments). Six illness categories had low Fic values. This study indicated that the animals are still being used by the local healers of Theni district, to treat various illnesses. Cross-disciplinary approaches to explore the

  15. Size distribution and roundness of clasts within pseudotachylytes of the Gangavalli Shear Zone, Salem, Tamil Nadu: An insight into its origin and tectonic significance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Behera, Bhuban Mohan; Thirukumaran, V.; Soni, Aishwaraya; Mishra, Prasanta Kumar; Biswal, Tapas Kumar

    2017-06-01

    Gangavalli (Brittle) Shear Zone (Fault) near Attur, Tamil Nadu exposes nearly 50 km long and 1-3 km wide NNE-SSW trending linear belt of cataclasites and pseudotachylyte produced on charnockites of the Southern Granulite Terrane. Pseudotachylytes, as well as the country rock, bear the evidence of conjugate strike slip shearing along NNE-SSW and NW-SE directions, suggesting an N-S compression. The Gangavalli Shear Zone represents the NNE-SSW fault of the conjugate system along which a right lateral shear has produced seismic slip motion giving rise to cataclasites and pseudotachylytes. Pseudotachylytes occur as veins of varying width extending from hairline fracture fills to tens of meters in length. They carry quartz as well as feldspar clasts with sizes of few mm in diameter; the clast sizes show a modified Power law distribution with finer ones (<1000 {\\upmu }m2) deviating from linearity. The shape of the clasts shows a high degree of roundness (>0.4) due to thermal decrepitation. In a large instance, devitrification has occurred producing albitic microlites that suggest the temperature of the pseudotachylyte melt was >1000^{circ }\\hbox {C}. Thus, pseudotachylyte veins act as a proxy to understand the genetic process involved in the evolution of the shear zone and its tectonic settings.

  16. A REVIEW ON VARIATION OF NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY ALONG THE SOUTHEAST COAST OF TAMIL NADU FOR THE PAST 4 DECADES (1974-2016).

    PubMed

    Sankaran Pillai, G; Chandrasekaran, S; Sivasubramanian, K; Baskaran, R; Venkatraman, B

    2018-04-01

    This review deals with natural radioactivity variation along the southeast coast of Tamil Nadu for the past four decades (1974-2016). About 40 research works have been conducted along the coast since 1974 in various environmental matrices using a variety of experimental methods. For these measurements researchers are adopted different experimental methods. The measured gamma dose rate ranged from 30 to 8700 nGy/h. The mean specific activity of 238U, 232Th and 40K was found to be 58.8 ± 28.7, 465.2 ± 147.3 and 311.2 ± 27.8 Bq/kg, respectively. The calculated annual exposure rate ranged from 0.29 to 12.8 mSv/y with the mean value of 3.7 mSv/y which is above the global average of 2.4 mSv/y as reported by United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) (Report to General Assembly, Annex B Exposures of the public and workers from various sources of radiation. United Nations, New York (2008)). Plant food items recorded low 210Po activities as compared to seafood organisms. Grain size, season and place of sampling have a decisive bearing on coastal radioactivity. Therefore, it is concluded from the review data that there is an appreciable elevation in background radiation level in the coastal region. This review suggests that new radiological surveys using improved methodology that cover the entire coastal stretch are needed.

  17. Health camps in schools and content analysis of the school textbooks: A cross-sectional study in Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Geetha Priya, P R; Asokan, Sharath; Kandaswamy, D; Malliga, S; Arthi, G

    2016-01-01

    School textbooks have been considered as an effective platform for promoting oral health. The information on oral health in the Indian school textbooks has not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the contents of school textbooks on oral health and to quantitatively analyze the school health camps and guest lectures/demonstrations conducted in the schools of three districts in Tamil Nadu. Twenty schools which participated in the study followed the Central Board of Secondary Education, matriculation, or the state board syllabus. A questionnaire was designed to collect information about the medical camps, dental camps, guest lectures, and demonstrations conducted in the last academic year from the schools. The questionnaires were distributed among the school teachers of grades I-V. They were asked to provide photocopies of the topics on oral health which were included in the syllabus. Content analysis of the information on oral health-related topics in the school textbooks was done. Descriptive statistics of the details of the camps and lectures was done using Pearson's Chi-square test (SPSS version 17) (SPSS Inc. Chicago, Illinois, USA). There was no significant difference in the number of medical camps (P = 0.445), dental camps (P = 0.055), and guest lectures (P = 0.069) organized among the three boards of schools. Basic information on the parts and type of teeth, tooth decay, and brushing were present in the textbooks of all three boards of schools. The school textbooks of all the three boards contained basic and adequate information on oral health. Periodic revisions of the content and quality of information in the school textbooks are essential. To make the information sticky for long-term, reinforcements in the form of school health education is needed.

  18. Molecular Identification of Hookworm Isolates in Humans, Dogs and Soil in a Tribal Area in Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    George, Santosh; Levecke, Bruno; Kattula, Deepthi; Velusamy, Vasanthakumar; Roy, Sheela; Geldhof, Peter; Sarkar, Rajiv; Kang, Gagandeep

    2016-08-01

    Hookworms (Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale) remain a major public health problem worldwide. Infections with hookworms (e.g., A. caninum, A. ceylanicum and A. braziliense) are also prevalent in dogs, but the role of dogs as a reservoir for zoonotic hookworm infections in humans needs to be further explored. As part of an open-label community based cluster-randomized trial in a tribal area in Tamil Nadu (India; 2013-2015), a total of 143 isolates of hookworm eggs from human stool were speciated based on a previously described PCR-RFLP methodology. The presence of hookworm DNA was confirmed in 119 of 143 human samples. N. americanus (100%) was the most prevalent species, followed by A. caninum (16.8%) and A. duodenale (8.4%). Because of the high prevalence of A. caninum in humans, dog samples were also collected to assess the prevalence of A. caninum in dogs. In 68 out of 77 canine stool samples the presence of hookworms was confirmed using PCR-RFLP. In dogs, both A. caninum (76.4%) and A. ceylanicum (27.9%) were identified. Additionally, to determine the contamination of soil with zoonotic hookworm larvae, topsoil was collected from defecating areas. Hookworm DNA was detected in 72 out of 78 soil samples that revealed presence of hookworm-like nematode larvae. In soil, different hookworm species were identified, with animal hookworms being more prevalent (A. ceylanicum: 60.2%, A. caninum: 29.4%, A. duodenale: 16.6%, N. americanus: 1.4%, A. braziliense: 1.4%). In our study we regularly detected the presence of A. caninum DNA in the stool of humans. Whether this is the result of infection is currently unknown but it does warrant a closer look at dogs as a potential reservoir.

  19. Prevalence, pattern, and factors associated with work-related musculoskeletal disorders among pluckers in a tea plantation in Tamil Nadu, India

    PubMed Central

    Vasanth, Deepthi; Ramesh, Naveen; Fathima, Farah Naaz; Fernandez, Ria; Jennifer, Steffi; Joseph, Bobby

    2015-01-01

    Context: Musculoskeletal pain is common among tea leaf pluckers and is attributed to the load they carry, long working hours, the terrain, and insufficient job rotations. As a result of this, their health and work capacity are affected. Aims: To assess the prevalence, patterns, and factors associated with work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMDs) among pluckers in a tea plantation in Annamalai, Tamil Nadu, India. Settings and Design: This cross-sectional study surveyed 195 pluckers selected by simple random sampling aged between 18 years and 60 years. Materials and Methods: The interview schedule had four parts––sociodemographic detail, Standard Nordic Scale, numeric and facial pain rating tool, and a tool to assess factors associated with WRMDs. Statistical Analysis Used: Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16. Results: Prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in the last 12 months and the last 7 days was 83.6% and 78.5%, respectively. The most common site for last 1 year was shoulder (59%) and for last 7 days was the lower back (52.8%). Independent t-test revealed that the mean age of those with pain was 6.59 year more and mean years of employment was 1.38 years more among the workers with pain compared to workers without pain. Increasing morbidities among workers was also significantly associated with an increase in WRMDs on Chi-square test. Conclusions: The prevalence of musculoskeletal pain was high among tea pluckers and the most common site during the last 12 months and the last 7 days was the shoulder and lower back respectively was mild in character. Increase in age and duration of employment was associated with WRMDs. PMID:26957816

  20. A study on the tolerance level of farmers toward human-wildlife conflict in the forest buffer zones of Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Senthilkumar, K; Mathialagan, P; Manivannan, C; Jayathangaraj, M G; Gomathinayagam, S

    2016-07-01

    The aim of this work was to study the tolerance level of farmers toward different human-wildlife conflict (HWC) situations. This study was conducted in 24 villages of nine blocks from Kancheepuram, Coimbatore, Erode, and Krishnagiri districts of Tamil Nadu by personally interviewing 240 farmers affected with four different HWC situations such as human-elephant conflict (HEC), human-wild pig conflict (HPC), human-gaur conflict (HGC), and human-monkey conflict (HMC). A scale developed for this purpose was used to find out the tolerance level of the farmers. In general, the majority (61.70%) of the farmers had medium level of tolerance toward HWC, whereas 25.40% and 12.90% belonged to a high and low category, respectively. The mean tolerance level of the farmer's encountering HMC is low (8.77) among the other three wild animal conflicts. In tackling HWC, the majority (55.00%) of the HEC farmers drove the elephant once it entered into their farmland. In the HPC, more than three-fourths of the respondents drove away the wild pig once they were found in farmlands. With regard to the HMC, a less number of them (1.70%) drove the monkey away if monkeys were spotted in their village. With regard to HGC, 95.00% of the respondents frightened the gaurs if their family members were threatened by gaurs. The present study suggests that that majority of the farmers had medium level of tolerance toward HWC. The tolerance level of the HMC farmers was lower than other three HWC affected farmers. This study emphasizes the need for necessary training to tackle the problem in an effective manner for wild animal conservation.

  1. Rolling circle amplification-based analysis of Sri Lankan cassava mosaic virus isolates from Tamil Nadu, India, suggests a low level of genetic variability.

    PubMed

    Kushawaha, Akhilesh Kumar; Rabindran, Ramalingam; Dasgupta, Indranil

    2018-03-01

    Cassava mosaic disease is a widespread disease of cassava in south Asia and the African continent. In India, CMD is known to be caused by two single-stranded DNA viruses (geminiviruses), Indian cassava mosaic virus (ICMV) and Sri Lankan cassava mosdaic virus (SLCMV). Previously, the diversity of ICMV and SLCMV in India has been studied using PCR, a sequence-dependent method. To have a more in-depth study of the variability of the above viruses and to detect any novel geminiviruses associated with CMD, sequence-independent amplification using rolling circle amplification (RCA)-based methods were used. CMD affected cassava plants were sampled across eighty locations in nine districts of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Twelve complete sequence of coat protein genes of the resident geminiviruses, comprising 256 amino acid residues were generated from the above samples, which indicated changes at only six positions. RCA followed by RFLP of the 80 samples indicated that most samples (47) contained only SLCMV, followed by 8, which were infected jointly with ICMV and SLCMV. In 11 samples, the pattern did not match the expected patterns from either of the two viruses and hence, were variants. Sequence analysis of an average of 700 nucleotides from 31 RCA-generated fragments of the variants indicated identities of 97-99% with the sequence of a previously reported infectious clone of SLCMV. The evidence suggests low levels of genetic variability in the begomoviruses infecting cassava, mainly in the form of scattered single nucleotide changes.

  2. Attitudes towards Literary Tamil and Standard Spoken Tamil in Singapore

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Saravanan, Vanithamani

    2007-01-01

    This is the first empirical study that focused on attitudes towards two varieties of Tamil, Literary Tamil (LT) and Standard Spoken Tamil (SST), with the multilingual state of Singapore as the backdrop. The attitudes of 46 Singapore Tamil teachers towards speakers of LT and SST were investigated using the matched-guise approach along with…

  3. Are learning strategies linked to academic performance among adolescents in two States in India? A tobit regression analysis.

    PubMed

    Areepattamannil, Shaljan

    2014-01-01

    The results of the fourth cycle of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) revealed that an unacceptably large number of adolescent students in two states in India-Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu-have failed to acquire basic skills in reading, mathematics, and science (Walker, 2011). Drawing on data from the PISA 2009 database and employing multivariate left-censored to bit regression as a data analytic strategy, the present study, therefore, examined whether or not the learning strategies-memorization, elaboration, and control strategies-of adolescent students in Himachal Pradesh (N = 1,616; Mean age = 15.81 years) and Tamil Nadu (N = 3,210; Mean age = 15.64 years) were linked to their performance on the PISA 2009 reading, mathematics, and science assessments. Tobit regression analyses, after accounting for student demographic characteristics, revealed that the self-reported use of control strategies was significantly positively associated with reading, mathematical, and scientific literacy of adolescents in Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. While the self-reported use of elaboration strategies was not significantly associated with reading literacy among adolescents in Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, it was significantly positively associated with mathematical literacy among adolescents in Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Moreover, the self-reported use of elaboration strategies was significantly and positively linked to scientific literacy among adolescents in Himachal Pradesh alone. The self-reported use of memorization strategies was significantly negatively associated with reading, mathematical, and scientific literacy in Tamil Nadu, while it was significantly negatively associated with mathematical and scientific literacy alone in Himachal Pradesh. Implications of these findings are discussed.

  4. Impact of rapid molecular diagnostic tests on time to treatment initiation and outcomes in patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Nair, Dina; Navneethapandian, Pooranaganga D; Tripathy, Jaya Prasad; Harries, Anthony D; Klinton, Joel S; Watson, Basilea; Sivaramakrishnan, Gomathi N; Reddy, Devarajulu S; Murali, Lakshmi; Natrajan, Mohan; Swaminathan, Soumya

    2016-09-01

    India is replacing culture and drug sensitivity testing (CDST) with rapid molecular tests for diagnosing MDR-TB. We assessed the impact of rapid tests on time to initiation of treatment and outcomes in patients with MDR-TB compared with CDST. A retrospective cohort study involving MDR-TB patients from six districts in Tamil Nadu state, who underwent CDST (2010-2011) and rapid tests (2012-2013). There were 135 patients in the CDST group and 389 in the rapid diagnostic test group. Median time from sputum receipt at the laboratory to initiation of MDR-TB treatment was 130 days (IQR 75-213) in the CDST group and 22 days (IQR 14-38) in the rapid diagnostic test group (p<0.001). Overall treatment success was 30% with CDST and 41% with rapid tests (p<0.05), but there was high loss to follow-up >30% in both groups and missing data were higher in CDST (13%) compared with rapid tests (3%). There were significantly higher risks of unfavourable treatment outcomes in males (aRR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.5) and those with treatment initiation delays >30 days (aRR 1.3, 95% CI 1.0-1.6). Rapid molecular diagnostic tests shortened the time to initiate treatment which was associated with reduced unfavourable outcomes in MDR-TB patients. This supports the policy to scale up these tests in India. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  5. Assessing Quality of Life using the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) in Subjects with and without Orthodontic Treatment need in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Mary, A Vinita; Mahendra, Jaideep; John, Joseph; Moses, Joyson; Ebenezar, A V Rajesh; Kesavan, R

    2017-08-01

    Dental ailments like malocclusion affect not only the functional ability and aesthetic appearance of the person but also the psychological aspect of the individual. The aim of the present study was to the find relationship between quality of life and dental malocclusion among school going adolescents in Tamil Nadu, India. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 342 subjects of age range 14-19 years. Oral health status was assessed using WHO basic oral health survey (2013), orthodontic treatment needs according to Index of Orthodontic Treatment Needs (IOTN) and oral health quality of life using Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14). A total of 342 subjects were interviewed and examined. The mean DMFT score was 1.86±2.77. A 203 (59.4%) did not require any orthodontic treatment while 139 (40.6%) had orthodontic treatment need ranging from mild to very severe. It was seen that malocclusion affected some aspects of OHIP-14 significantly namely functional limitation, psychological discomfort and psychological disability. The comparison of OHIP-14 scores between treatment needed and treatment not needed was highly significant (p<0.001). Hence, it is stated that there is an urgent need to educate the school children and in turn their parents regarding the malocclusion for its treatment to prevent any effect on quality of life of the young adults.

  6. Coxiellosis in domestic livestock of Puducherry and Tamil Nadu: Detection of Coxiella burnetii DNA by polymerase chain reaction in slaughtered ruminants

    PubMed Central

    Pradeep, Jothimani; Stephen, Selvaraj; Pooja, Pratheesh; Akshayavardhini, Anbalagan; Sangeetha, Balakrishnan; Antony, Prabakar Xavier

    2017-01-01

    Background and Aim:: In the course of our Indian Council of Medical Research project on coxiellosis in Puducherry and Tamil Nadu, 5.64% goat, 1.85% sheep, 1.06% buffaloes, and 0.97% cattle were positive for Coxiella burnetii antibodies by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay kit (IDEXX, Liebefeld, Switzerland). In this preliminary study, we have proceeded to look for C. burnetii DNA in those antibody positive specimens employing an imported commercial C. burnetii polymerase chain reaction (PCR) kit. Materials and Methods:: Blood samples were collected during slaughtering. All 15 blood samples of antibody positive ruminants and three antibody negative samples were subjected to conventional Trans-PCR assay with a commercial PCR kit (Genekam Biotechnology AG, Duisburg, Germany). An in-house Trans-PCR was included in the study for comparison. Results:: A total of 15 antibody positive and three antibody-negative serum samples belonging to 11 goat, 4 sheep, 1 cattle, and 2 buffaloes were tested in duplicate for the presence of C. burnetii DNA by the commercial agar gel PCR kit and an in-house Trans-PCR. Only one buffalo serum sample was positive for C. burnetii with a band at 243 bp in in-house Trans-PCR. Discussion:: Seropositivity for C. burnetii need not necessarily translate into infectivity status of the animal. Conversely, seronegative ruminants can shed C. burnetii. Rapid disintegration of C. burnetii DNA during the storage period is an important impediment in QF-PCR research. This is the first time the performance of this commercial PCR kit is being validated in India. Conclusion:: Commercial PCR kit, Genekam did not identify any positive sample, probably because it targeted a larger amplicon of 687 bp. PMID:28717320

  7. Estimation of content of anti-TB drugs supplied at centres of the Revised National TB Control Programme in Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Ramachandran, Geetha; Chandrasekaran, Vedachalam; Hemanth Kumar, Agibothu Kupparam; Dewan, Puneet; Swaminathan, Soumya; Thomas, Aleyamma

    2013-09-01

    To determine the content of certain antituberculosis (TB) drugs supplied at TB treatment centres of the Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP) in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Eight districts across the state were selected, and the following drugs were collected from five settings (District TB centre, TB unit, designated microscopy centres, DOT providers) in each district: rifampicin (150 and 450 mg), isoniazid (300 mg), pyrazinamide (500 and 750 mg), ethambutol (400 and 600 mg), ethionamide (250 mg), levofloxacin (500 mg) and cycloserine (250 mg). A maximum of 10 tablets/capsules were collected from each setting. The drugs were coded prior to analysis. All drugs were assayed by validated spectrophotometric methods. The acceptable limits for drug content were taken as 90-110% of the stated content. More than 90% of tablets of rifampicin 450 mg, isoniazid 300 mg, pyrazinamide 500 and 750 mg, ethambutol 400 and 600 mg and ethionamide 250 mg were within acceptable limits. Eighty per cent of rifampicin 150 mg, 21% of cycloserine 250 mg and 87% of levofloxacin 500 mg were within acceptable limits. The mean cycloserine content was below the acceptable limit in all districts, the mean drug content being 200 mg (range: 108-245 mg). This systematic study showed that the stated drug content of cycloserine was not reached in all districts. Deterioration of cycloserine could be minimised by storing the drug in refrigerators. The geographical location of the districts had no influence on the drug content. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. Caries risk assessment among 12-13 year old school-going children of government and private schools of Tirupur district, Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Mitha, Madhu M; Nijesh, J E; Chaly, Preetha Elizabeth; Priyadharshini, Indra; Junaid, Mohammed; Vaishnavi, S

    2016-01-01

    Dental caries is as ancient as humankind and has the longest association with the dental profession, an association that is punctuated with agony and ecstasy. The agonizing fact is that despite several efforts toward total eradication, this disease is still prevalent. Nevertheless, an ecstatic success of the profession is the global decline in the incidence compared to the yesteryears' epidemics. Hence, predicting dental caries earlier is a boon. One such model to predict is cariogram developed by Bratthall in 1996. The aim of this study was to assess the caries risk among 12-13 year old school-going children of government and private schools of Tirupur district in Tamil Nadu using cariogram computer model. A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 136 study subjects of 12-13 year of age, who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were collected using a predesigned questionnaire and scored according to a standardized protocol. The Chi-square test was used to find differences between caries-related factors and cariogram group. The correlation was acquired using Spearman's correlation. Government school study subjects had 56% of chance of avoiding caries whereas the private school study subjects had 66% of chance of avoiding caries in future and the differences were statistically significant (P = 0.001). A negative correlation was observed between the chance to avoid dental caries and cariogram sectors. The majority of the study subjects from government school belonged to medium-risk category and private school subjects belonged to low-risk category which inferred that private school students have high chance to avoid dental caries compared to government study subjects.

  9. A study on the tolerance level of farmers toward human-wildlife conflict in the forest buffer zones of Tamil Nadu

    PubMed Central

    Senthilkumar, K.; Mathialagan, P.; Manivannan, C.; Jayathangaraj, M. G.; Gomathinayagam, S.

    2016-01-01

    Aim: The aim of this work was to study the tolerance level of farmers toward different human-wildlife conflict (HWC) situations. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in 24 villages of nine blocks from Kancheepuram, Coimbatore, Erode, and Krishnagiri districts of Tamil Nadu by personally interviewing 240 farmers affected with four different HWC situations such as human-elephant conflict (HEC), human-wild pig conflict (HPC), human-gaur conflict (HGC), and human-monkey conflict (HMC). A scale developed for this purpose was used to find out the tolerance level of the farmers. Results: In general, the majority (61.70%) of the farmers had medium level of tolerance toward HWC, whereas 25.40% and 12.90% belonged to a high and low category, respectively. The mean tolerance level of the farmer’s encountering HMC is low (8.77) among the other three wild animal conflicts. In tackling HWC, the majority (55.00%) of the HEC farmers drove the elephant once it entered into their farmland. In the HPC, more than three-fourths of the respondents drove away the wild pig once they were found in farmlands. With regard to the HMC, a less number of them (1.70%) drove the monkey away if monkeys were spotted in their village. With regard to HGC, 95.00% of the respondents frightened the gaurs if their family members were threatened by gaurs. Conclusion: The present study suggests that that majority of the farmers had medium level of tolerance toward HWC. The tolerance level of the HMC farmers was lower than other three HWC affected farmers. This study emphasizes the need for necessary training to tackle the problem in an effective manner for wild animal conservation. PMID:27536037

  10. Assessment of malocclusion severity and orthodontic treatment needs in 12-15-year-old school children of Namakkal District, Tamil Nadu, using Dental Aesthetic Index.

    PubMed

    Nagalakshmi, S; James, S; Rahila, C; Balachandar, K; Satish, R

    2017-01-01

    The present study was aimed to assess the severity of malocclusion and orthodontic treatment needs among 12-15-year-old schoolchildren in rural area of Namakkal district, Tamil Nadu, India, using the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI). A cross-sectional study was conducted among a sample of 1078 schoolchildren (12-15 years of age) who were selected by two-stage cluster sampling technique. Severity of malocclusion and orthodontic treatment needs were assessed according to the DAI using a specially designed survey pro forma with the aid of the WHO's Oral Health Survey: Basic Methods. Based on the distribution of data, analysis of variance and unpaired student t-test were used. Out of the total of 1078 children examined, 528 (49%) were males and 550 (57%) were females. The results indicate that 82.74% of the schoolchildren were found with little or no malocclusion requiring no orthodontic treatment. The gender-wise distribution of DAI score among children aged 12 years had significant difference between males (20.43 ± 3.67) and females (21.62 ± 4.335) (P = 0.015) and children aged 15 years also showed highly significant difference among gender (P = 0.000). Malocclusion not only impacts the appearance of the person but also affects the self-esteem and psychological well-being. This is the first step in understanding the treatment need so that further steps can be taken in preventive and interceptive care.

  11. Assessing heavy metal toxicity in sediments of Chennai Coast of Tamil Nadu using Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (EDXRF) with statistical approach.

    PubMed

    Tholkappian, M; Ravisankar, R; Chandrasekaran, A; Jebakumar, J Prince Prakash; Kanagasabapathy, K V; Prasad, M V R; Satapathy, K K

    2018-01-01

    The concentration of some heavy metals: Al, Ca, K, Fe, Ti, Mg, Mn, V, Cr, Zn, Ni and Co in sediments from Pulicat Lake to Vadanemmeli along Chennai Coast, Tamil Nadu has been determined using EDXRF technique. The mean concentrations of Mg, Al, K, Ca, Ti, Fe, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, and Zn were found to be 1918, 25436, 9832, 9859, 2109, 8209, 41.58, 34.14, 160.80, 2.85. 18.79 and 29.12 mg kg -1 respectively. These mean concentrations do not exceed the world crustal average. The level of pollution attributed to heavy metals was evaluated using several pollution indicators in order to determine anthropogenically derived contaminations. Enrichment Factor (EF), Geoaccumulation Index (I geo ), Contamination Factor (CF) and Pollution Load Index (PLI) were used in evaluating the contamination status of sediments. Enrichment Factors (EF) reveal the anthropogenic sources of V, Cr, Ni and Zn Geoaccumulation Index (I geo ) results reveal that the study area is not contaminated by the heavy metals. Similar results were also obtained by using pollution load index (PLI). The results of pollution indices indicates that most of the locations were not polluted by heavy metals. Multivariate statistical analysis performed using principal components and clustering techniques were used to identify the source of the heavy metals. The result of statistical procedures indicate that heavy metals in sediments are mainly of natural origin. This study provides a relatively novel technique for identifying and mapping the distribution of metal pollutants and their sources in sediment.

  12. Study on the Prevalence of Leptospirosis among Fever Cases Reported from Private Clinics in the Urban areas of Villupuram District, Tamil Nadu, India

    PubMed Central

    Basker, Parasuraman; Kannan, Pichai; Kolandaswamy, Karumana Gounder

    2014-01-01

    Objectives To know the prevalence of leptospirosis cases reported in private clinics among fever cases in Villupuram District, Tamil Nadu, India to know its real magnitude of the problem and to diagnose Leptospirosis among fever cases from differential diagnosis. Methods 1502 Blood serum samples collected from three urban towns namely Kallakurichi (Latitude: 11° 73′ N; Longitude: 78° 97′ E), Villupuram (Latitude: 11° 75′ N; Longitude: 79° 92′ E) and Thindivanam (Latitude: 12° 25′ N; Longitude: 79° 65′ E) in fifteen clinics based on case definition of leptospirosis delineated by the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), Government of India. Samples were tested in the laboratory of the Zonal Entomological Team (ZET), Cuddalore with Macroscopic Slide Agglutination Test (MSAT) and Ig-M ELISA. Result There were 65 positive cases detected from 1502 blood serum samples in both MSAT and Ig-M ELISA. It could be known that there was 4% cases contributed from private clinics among fever cases. From this study, further it was known that all age groups of people affected irrespective of sexes based on their living condition associated with the environment prevailed of the disease. Conclusion From this study, it was quantified that 4% of cases reported in private clinics among fever cases and its findings ascertained both the importance of differential diagnosis as well as reports that should be included to the Government for knowing its real magnitude for planning. PMID:24955313

  13. Knowledge of antiretrovirals in preventing parentto-child-transmission of HIV: a cross-sectional study among women living with HIV in Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Rastogi, Saumya; Charles, Bimal; Sam, Asirvatham E

    2012-01-01

    India is amongst the top 10 countries in the world currently with the highest burden of pregnant women living with HIV and nearly 80% of these women do not receive antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to prevent parent-to-child transmission (PTCT) of HIV. The aim of this study was to estimate HIV-infected women's awareness on PTCT and knowledge of ARVs as a measure to prevent PTCT. This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study in which a total of 986 women with HIV aged 18 years and above were interviewed in 13 high HIV prevalence districts of Tamil Nadu, South India. Data were analysed using descriptive, bivariate and multivariate methods. Nearly one fifth (18.8%) of the women with HIV had not heard of PTCT and 40% did not know that ARVs could prevent PTCT. In addition, 39.3% were not aware of the timing of PTCT; 50.4% reported intrauterine and intrapartum and 13.7% mentioned breastfeeding period as the possible timings of PTCT of HIV. Multivariate analysis showed that single/never married women had lower knowledge of PTCT. Also, those who had undergone a prior training on reproductive and child health (RCH) and those who discussed RCH issues with their partners were more likely to have higher knowledge. Considering the risk of HIV transmission from HIV-infected women to their children, the knowledge level of PTCT among them is low. Appropriate strategies to generate awareness among women with HIV need be introduced to help them make informed decisions.

  14. Hydrogeochemistry and groundwater quality appraisal of part of south Chennai coastal aquifers, Tamil Nadu, India using WQI and fuzzy logic method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krishna Kumar, S.; Bharani, R.; Magesh, N. S.; Godson, Prince S.; Chandrasekar, N.

    2014-12-01

    The present study was carried out to evaluate the groundwater quality and its suitability for drinking purposes in the urban coastal aquifers of part of south Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Twenty-three groundwater samples were collected during March 2012. The minimum and maximum values of pH (6.3-8 on scale), electrical conductivity (620-12,150 μS/cm), total dissolved solids (399.28-7,824.6 mg/l), carbonate (0-30 mg/l), bicarbonate (0.9-58.9 mg/l), chloride (70.9-4,067.89 mg/l), sulphate (17.4-105 mg/l), nitrate (0.4-6.0 mg/l), calcium (30-200 mg/l), magnesium (1.2-164 mg/l), sodium (69-1,490 mg/l) and potassium (8-340 mg/l) were recorded in the coastal aquifers of Chennai city. The groundwater samples show that the majority of the sampling points clustered on the NaCl and mixed CaMgCl facies of the piper trilinear diagram. In the Gibbs diagram, the majority of the sampling points fall under rock water and evaporation dominance field. Fuzzy membership classification suggests that the majority of the samples fall under good water type followed by excellent water and poor water categories. Groundwater quality index showing the majority of the samples falls under excellent to poor category of water. A positive correlation was observed with Cl-, SO4 2-, Ca2+, Na+, K+, EC and TDS. The extracted results of the correlation matrix and geochemical analysis suggest that the dominant ions of groundwater (Na+, Ca2+, K+, Cl- and SO4 2-) were derived from seawater intrusion and gypsum dissolution process. Nitrate concentration is most significantly derived from anthropogenic sources.

  15. Budgeting of major nutrients and the mitigation options for nutrient mining in semi-arid tropical agro-ecosystem of Tamil Nadu, India using NUTMON model.

    PubMed

    Surendran, U; Rama Subramoniam, S; Raja, P; Kumar, V; Murugappan, V

    2016-04-01

    Mining of nutrients from soil is a major problem in developing countries causing soil degradation and threaten long-term food production. The present study attempts to apply NUTrient MONitoring (NUTMON) model for carrying out nutrient budgeting to assess the stocks and flows of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) in defined geographical unit based on the inputs, viz., mineral fertilizers, manures, atmospheric deposition, and sedimentation, and outputs, viz., harvested crop produces, residues, leaching, denitrification, and erosion losses. The study area covers Coimbatore and Erode Districts, which are potential agricultural areas in western agro-ecological zone of Tamil Nadu, India. The calculated nutrient balances for both the districts at district scale, using NUTMON methodology, were negative for nitrogen (N -3.3 and -10.1 kg ha(-1)) and potassium (K -58.6 and -9.8 kg ha(-1)) and positive for phosphorus (P +14.5 and 20.5 kg ha(-1)). Soil nutrient pool has to adjust the negative balance of N and K; there will be an expected mining of nutrient from the soil reserve. A strategy was attempted for deriving the fertilizer recommendation using Decision Support System for Integrated Fertilizer Recommendation (DSSIFER) to offset the mining in selected farms. The results showed that when DSSIFER recommended fertilizers are applied to crops, the nutrient balance was positive. NUTMON-Toolbox with DSSIFER would serve the purpose on enhancing soil fertility, productivity, and sustainability. The management options to mitigate nutrient mining with an integrated system approach are also discussed.

  16. The Debate over Literary Tamil versus Standard Spoken Tamil: What Do Teachers Say?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Saravanan, Vanithamani; Lakshmi, Seetha; Caleon, Imelda S.

    2009-01-01

    This study aims to determine the attitudes toward Standard Spoken Tamil (SST) and Literary Tamil (LT) of 46 Tamil teachers in Singapore. The teachers' attitudes were used as an indicator of the acceptance or nonacceptance of SST as a viable option in the teaching of Tamil in the classroom, in which the focus has been largely on LT. The…

  17. Mapping of groundwater potential zones in Salem Chalk Hills, Tamil Nadu, India, using remote sensing and GIS techniques.

    PubMed

    Thilagavathi, N; Subramani, T; Suresh, M; Karunanidhi, D

    2015-04-01

    This study proposes to introduce the remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) techniques in mapping the groundwater potential zones. Remote sensing and GIS techniques have been used to map the groundwater potential zones in Salem Chalk Hills, Tamil Nadu, India. Charnockites and fissile hornblende biotite gneiss are the major rock types in this region. Dunites and peridodites are the ultramafic rocks which cut across the foliation planes of the gneisses and are highly weathered. It comprises magnesite and chromite deposits which are excavated by five mining companies by adopting bench mining. The thickness of weathered and fracture zone varies from 2.2 to 50 m in gneissic formation and 5.8 to 55 m in charnockite. At the contacts of gneiss and charnockite, the thickness ranges from 9.0 to 90.8 m favoring good groundwater potential. The mine lease area is underlined by fractured and sheared hornblende biotite gneiss where groundwater potential is good. Water catchment tanks in this area of 5 km radius are small to moderate in size and are only seasonal. They remain dry during summer seasons. As perennial water resources are remote, the domestic and agricultural activities in this region depend mainly upon the groundwater resources. The mines are located in gently slope area, and accumulation of water is not observed except in mine pits even during the monsoon period. Therefore, it is essential to map the groundwater potential zones for proper management of the aquifer system. Satellite imageries were also used to extract lineaments, hydrogeomorphic landforms, drainage patterns, and land use, which are the major controlling factors for the occurrence of groundwater. Various thematic layers pertaining to groundwater existence such as geology, geomorphology, land use/land cover, lineament, lineament density, drainage, drainage density, slope, and soil were generated using GIS tools. By integrating all the above thematic layers based on the ranks and

  18. Water Management To Meet Challenges In Food Production ­ An Example From South India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shadananan, K.

    Demands for food and water have been increasing with fast increasing population in many developing countries. Availability of water and fertile land, the two basic requirements for food production do not meet together in certain regions. In such regions, cooperation and efficient management practices can solve the problem to a good extend. The southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu of India are divided by the mountain chains, the Western Ghats the orography of which makes Kerala one among the heaviest rainfall region in the World itself and Tamil Nadu a scanty rainfall region. Kerala receives more than 300cm average annual rainfall, giving birth to a number of perennial rivers and other water bodies whereas Tamil Nadu receives rainfall less than100cm. Most of the rivers of Tamil Nadu are seasonal and it depends on interstate water transfer to face the permanent water shortage. Owing to the high density of population, peculiar topography and soil types, agricultural production in Kerala is quite inadequate and the State depends on neighbouring States, especially Tamil Nadu for rice and vegetables, but not willing to share water. According to the Constitution of India, control of rivers is by individual states and this often leads to transboundary water disputes that retard development activities. Around 80% of the rainfall of Kerala wastefully flows into the Sea, when there is acute water shortage in Tamil Nadu. All the rivers in Kerala originate in the Ghats and its steep slopes makes more water storage difficult. Cooperation among the States become essential for meeting the increasing needs in water and food. If some of the water from the catchments in Kerala is diverted into Tamil Nadu, and the States can do joint agriculture, it can meet the challenges due to increase in population and environmental changes and minimize unemployment problems. Water diversion to Tamil Naduwill reduce flood damage and soil erosion in Kerala. The existing socio

  19. Diagnostic pathways and direct medical costs incurred by new adult pulmonary tuberculosis patients prior to anti-tuberculosis treatment - Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Veesa, Karun Sandeep; John, Kamalabhai Russell; Moonan, Patrick K; Kaliappan, Saravanakumar Puthupalayam; Manjunath, Krishna; Sagili, Karuna D; Ravichandra, Chinnappareddy; Menon, Pradeep Aravindan; Dolla, Chandrakumar; Luke, Nancy; Munshi, Kaivan; George, Kuryan; Minz, Shantidani

    2018-01-01

    Tuberculosis (TB) patients face substantial delays prior to treatment initiation, and out of pocket (OOP) expenditures often surpass the economic productivity of the household. We evaluated the pre-diagnostic cost and health seeking behaviour of new adult pulmonary TB patients registered at Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in Vellore district, Tamil Nadu, India. This descriptive study, part of a randomised controlled trial conducted in three rural Tuberculosis Units from Dec 2012 to Dec 2015, collected data on number of health facilities, dates of visits prior to the initiation of anti-tuberculosis treatment, and direct OOP medical costs associated with TB diagnosis. Logistic regression analysis examined the factors associated with delays in treatment initiation and OOP expenditures. Of 880 TB patients interviewed, 34.7% presented to public health facilities and 65% patients sought private health facilities as their first point of care. The average monthly individual income was $77.79 (SD 57.14). About 69% incurred some pre-treatment costs at an average of $39.74. Overall, patients experienced a median of 6 days (3-11 IQR) of time to treatment initiation and 21 days (10-30 IQR) of health systems delay. Age ≤ 40 years (aOR: 1.73; CI: 1.22-2.44), diabetes (aOR: 1.63; CI: 1.08-2.44) and first visit to a private health facility (aOR: 17.2; CI: 11.1-26.4) were associated with higher direct OOP medical costs, while age ≤ 40 years (aOR: 0.64; CI: 0.48-0.85) and first visit to private health facility (aOR: 1.79, CI: 1.34-2.39) were associated with health systems delay. The majority of rural TB patients registering at PHCs visited private health facilities first and incurred substantial direct OOP medical costs and delays prior to diagnosis and anti-tuberculosis treatment initiation. This study highlights the need for PHCs to be made as the preferred choice for first point of contact, to combat TB more efficiently.

  20. Exposures to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and birthweight in a rural-urban, mother-child cohort in Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Balakrishnan, Kalpana; Ghosh, Santu; Thangavel, Gurusamy; Sambandam, Sankar; Mukhopadhyay, Krishnendu; Puttaswamy, Naveen; Sadasivam, Arulselvan; Ramaswamy, Padmavathi; Johnson, Priscilla; Kuppuswamy, Rajarajeswari; Natesan, Durairaj; Maheshwari, Uma; Natarajan, Amudha; Rajendran, Gayathri; Ramasami, Rengaraj; Madhav, Sathish; Manivannan, Saraswathy; Nargunanadan, Srinivasan; Natarajan, Srinivasan; Saidam, Sudhakar; Chakraborty, Moumita; Balakrishnan, Lingeswari; Thanasekaraan, Vijayalakshmi

    2018-02-01

    Exposure to PM 2.5 (fine particulate matter Tamil Nadu, India. We recruited 1285 pregnant women in the first trimester of pregnancy from primary health care centers and urban health posts and followed them until birth to collect antenatal care data and birthweight. We estimated pregnancy period PM 2.5 exposures through direct serial measurements of 24-h household PM 2.5 concentrations, performed across each trimester. Mothers also completed detailed questionnaires to provide data on covariates related to household, socio-economic, demographic and maternal health characteristics. The association between PM 2.5 exposures and birth weight was assessed using linear and logistic regression models that controlled for potential confounders. A 10-μg/m 3 increase in pregnancy period PM 2.5 exposures was associated with a 4g (95% CI: 1.08g, 6.76g) decrease in birthweight and 2% increase in prevalence of low birthweight [odds ratio(OR) = 1.02; 95%CI:1.005,1.041] after adjusting for gestational age, infant sex, maternal BMI, maternal age, history of a previous low birth weight child, birth order and season of conception. The study provides some of the first quantitative effects estimates for linking rural-urban PM 2.5 exposures and birthweight in India, adding important evidence for this association from high exposure settings in LMICs, that also experience dual health burdens from ambient and household air pollution. Study results also point to the need for considering maternal PM 2.5 exposures alongside other risk factors for low birthweight in

  1. Influence of behavioral biases on the assessment of multi-hazard risks and the implementation of multi-hazard risks mitigation measures: case study of multi-hazard cyclone shelters in Tamil Nadu, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Komendantova, Nadejda; Patt, Anthony

    2013-04-01

    In December 2004, a multiple hazards event devastated the Tamil Nadu province of India. The Sumatra -Andaman earthquake with a magnitude of Mw=9.1-9.3 caused the Indian Ocean tsunami with wave heights up to 30 m, and flooding that reached up to two kilometers inland in some locations. More than 7,790 persons were killed in the province of Tamil Nadu, with 206 in its capital Chennai. The time lag between the earthquake and the tsunami's arrival in India was over an hour, therefore, if a suitable early warning system existed, a proper means of communicating the warning and shelters existing for people would exist, than while this would not have prevented the destruction of infrastructure, several thousands of human lives would have been saved. India has over forty years of experience in the construction of cyclone shelters. With additional efforts and investment, these shelters could be adapted to other types of hazards such as tsunamis and flooding, as well as the construction of new multi-hazard cyclone shelters (MPCS). It would therefore be possible to mitigate one hazard such as cyclones by the construction of a network of shelters while at the same time adapting these shelters to also deal with, for example, tsunamis, with some additional investment. In this historical case, the failure to consider multiple hazards caused significant human losses. The current paper investigates the patterns of the national decision-making process with regards to multiple hazards mitigation measures and how the presence of behavioral and cognitive biases influenced the perceptions of the probabilities of multiple hazards and the choices made for their mitigation by the national decision-makers. Our methodology was based on the analysis of existing reports from national and international organizations as well as available scientific literature on behavioral economics and natural hazards. The results identified several biases in the national decision-making process when the

  2. Health worker posting and transfer at primary level in Tamil Nadu: Governance of a complex health system function

    PubMed Central

    Garimella, Surekha; Sheikh, Kabir

    2016-01-01

    Background: Posting and transfer (PT) of health personnel – placing the right health workers in the right place at the right time – is a core function of any large-scale health service. In the context of government health services, this may be seen as a simple process of bureaucratic governance and implementation of the rule of law. However the literature from India and comparable low and middle-income country health systems suggests that in reality PT is a contested domain, driven by varied expressions of private and public interest throughout the chain of implementation. Objective: To investigate policymaking for PT in the government health sector and implementation of policies as experienced by different health system actors and stakeholders at primary health care level. Methodology: We undertook an empirical case study of a PT reform policy at primary health care level in Tamil Nadu State, to understand how different groups of health systems actors experience PT. In-depth qualitative methods were undertaken to study processes of implementation of PT policies enacted through ‘counselling’ of health workers (individualized consultations to determine postings and transfers). Results: PT emerges as a complex phenomenon, shaped partially by the laws of the state and partially as a parallel system of norms and incentives requiring consideration and coordination of the interests of different groups. Micro-practices of governance represent homegrown coping mechanisms of health administrators that reconcile public and private interests and sustain basic health system functions. Beyond a functional perspective of PT, it also reflects justice and fairness as it plays out in the health system. It signifies how well a system treats its employees, and by inference, is an index of the overall health of the system. Conclusions: For a complex governance function such as PT, the roles of private actors and private interests are not easily separable from the public, but

  3. Assessing the quality of media reporting of suicide news in India against World Health Organization guidelines: A content analysis study of nine major newspapers in Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Armstrong, Gregory; Vijayakumar, Lakshmi; Niederkrotenthaler, Thomas; Jayaseelan, Mala; Kannan, Ramya; Pirkis, Jane; Jorm, Anthony F

    2018-05-01

    Suicide rates in India are among the highest in the world, resulting in an estimated 250,000 suicide deaths annually. How the media communicates with the Indian public on the topic of suicide has thus far gone without sufficient scrutiny. The objective of our study was to assess the quality of newspaper reporting of suicide-related news in India against World Health Organization suicide reporting guidelines. We used content analysis to assess the quality of suicide reporting against World Health Organization guidelines in nine of the most highly read daily newspapers in the southern state of Tamil Nadu between June and December 2016. Five of the nine newspapers under review were in the top 20 most circulated daily newspapers in the country. A total of 1681 suicide articles were retrieved. The mean number of suicide articles per day per newspaper was 0.9%, and 54.5% of articles were 10 sentences or less. The vast majority (95.9%) of articles primarily focused on reporting specific suicide incidents. Harmful reporting practices were very common (e.g. a detailed suicide method was reported in 43.3% of articles), while helpful reporting practices were rare (e.g. just 2.5% gave contact details for a suicide support service). We observed that a daily diet of short and explicit suicide-related news was served up to readers of newspapers. Attempts should be made to understand the perspectives of media professionals in relation to suicide reporting, and to devise strategies to boost the positive contribution that media can make to suicide prevention.

  4. Documentation and quantitative analysis of the local knowledge on medicinal plants in Kalrayan hills of Villupuram district, Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Prabhu, S; Vijayakumar, S; Yabesh, J E Morvin; Ravichandran, K; Sakthivel, B

    2014-11-18

    The aim of the present study was to document the medicinal plants by the traditional medical practitioners from Kalrayan hills of Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu, India. Quantitatively analyses of the data were made to acquire some useful leads for further studies. Successive free listing was the method adopted for the interview. In this study, 54 traditional healer medical practitioners were included and their knowledge on medicinal plants was gathered. The data were assessed with the help of two indices viz., informant consensus factor (Fic) and Informant Agreement on Remedies (IAR). The present survey is in accordance with some of the aspects of our previous surveys. Regarding the demography of the informants, it exhibited unevenness in male-female ratio and majority of the informants were poorly educated. Practicing this system of medicine as part time job by majority of the informants might indicate the reduced social status of this medicinal system. The present study had recorded the usage of 81 species, which in turn yielded 1073 use reports. The major illness category 'aphrodisiac, hair care and endocrinal disorders' hold a high Fic values. Among the other illness categories, gastro-intestinal ailments, genito-urinary ailments and dermatological infection ailments have a high percentage of use reports. Eye ailments, general health, kapha ailments, psychological ailments and skeleton muscular system ailments were the other illness categories with high Fic values. Some of the claims viz., Argyrolobium roseum (aphrodisiac ailments), Rosa brunonii (eye ailments) Hibiscus surattensis (dermatological infections ailments), Bauhinia variegata (neurology Ailments), Cotinus coggygria (circulatory system/cardiovascular ailments) and Uvaria narum (gastro-intestinal ailments) which have relatively high consensus can be taken up for further biomedical studies, since no substantial studies have been conducted on them. Based on the results of our present study, we have

  5. Diagnostic pathways and direct medical costs incurred by new adult pulmonary tuberculosis patients prior to anti-tuberculosis treatment – Tamil Nadu, India

    PubMed Central

    Veesa, Karun Sandeep; John, Kamalabhai Russell; Moonan, Patrick K.; Kaliappan, Saravanakumar Puthupalayam; Manjunath, Krishna; Sagili, Karuna D.; Ravichandra, Chinnappareddy; Menon, Pradeep Aravindan; Dolla, Chandrakumar; Luke, Nancy; Munshi, Kaivan; George, Kuryan; Minz, Shantidani

    2018-01-01

    Background Tuberculosis (TB) patients face substantial delays prior to treatment initiation, and out of pocket (OOP) expenditures often surpass the economic productivity of the household. We evaluated the pre-diagnostic cost and health seeking behaviour of new adult pulmonary TB patients registered at Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in Vellore district, Tamil Nadu, India. Methods This descriptive study, part of a randomised controlled trial conducted in three rural Tuberculosis Units from Dec 2012 to Dec 2015, collected data on number of health facilities, dates of visits prior to the initiation of anti-tuberculosis treatment, and direct OOP medical costs associated with TB diagnosis. Logistic regression analysis examined the factors associated with delays in treatment initiation and OOP expenditures. Results Of 880 TB patients interviewed, 34.7% presented to public health facilities and 65% patients sought private health facilities as their first point of care. The average monthly individual income was $77.79 (SD 57.14). About 69% incurred some pre-treatment costs at an average of $39.74. Overall, patients experienced a median of 6 days (3–11 IQR) of time to treatment initiation and 21 days (10–30 IQR) of health systems delay. Age ≤ 40 years (aOR: 1.73; CI: 1.22–2.44), diabetes (aOR: 1.63; CI: 1.08–2.44) and first visit to a private health facility (aOR: 17.2; CI: 11.1–26.4) were associated with higher direct OOP medical costs, while age ≤ 40 years (aOR: 0.64; CI: 0.48–0.85) and first visit to private health facility (aOR: 1.79, CI: 1.34–2.39) were associated with health systems delay. Conclusion The majority of rural TB patients registering at PHCs visited private health facilities first and incurred substantial direct OOP medical costs and delays prior to diagnosis and anti-tuberculosis treatment initiation. This study highlights the need for PHCs to be made as the preferred choice for first point of contact, to combat TB more efficiently. PMID

  6. Chronic periodontitis among diabetics and nondiabetics aged 35-65 years, in a rural block in Vellore, Tamil Nadu: A cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Nand, Khushboo Yamima; Oommen, Anu Mary; Chacko, Rabin Kurudamannil; Abraham, Vinod Joseph

    2017-01-01

    Chronic periodontitis is a common cause of poor oral health globally. Those at higher risk of this preventable and easily treatable condition need to be identified so that efforts can be taken to decrease disease burden and subsequent consequences. The aims of the study were (1) To compare the prevalence of chronic periodontitis among individuals with and without type 2 diabetes, aged 35-65 years from a rural block in Vellore, Tamil Nadu and (2) to assess risk factors for chronic periodontitis among individuals with diabetes. A cross-sectional study was done in nine villages of Kaniyambadi block, Vellore, between October 2015 and July 2016 among participants aged 35-65 years of a previous cross-sectional survey which had identified individuals with and without type 2 diabetes. Chronic periodontitis was assessed using the Community Periodontal Index and Treatment Needs index. Oral hygiene was assessed clinically using the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index. Diabetes was defined as on medication for type 2 diabetes or detected to have fasting blood glucose ≥126 mg/dl (in a previous survey). Chi-square test and odds ratios (adjusted using logistic regression) were used to study risk factors for periodontitis among those with diabetes. Prevalence of chronic periodontitis was 45.9% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 40.88%-50.9%) among 98 individuals with diabetes and 35.6% (95% CI: 30.91-40.29%) among 104 individuals without diabetes. Poor oral hygiene (odds ratio: 8.33, 95% CI: 3.33-25.00), low socioeconomic status (odds ratio: 3.19, 95% CI: 1.00-10.12), and smoking (odds ratio: 3.51, 95% CI: 1.17-10.51) were associated with periodontitis among diabetics. Individuals with type 2 diabetes have a higher prevalence of periodontitis. As poor oral hygiene is a strong risk factor for periodontitis, there is a need for targeted education regarding dental hygiene to reduce this preventable condition.

  7. Organ donation and transplantation-the Chennai experience in India.

    PubMed

    Shroff, S; Rao, S; Kurian, G; Suresh, S

    2007-04-01

    Tamil Nadu has been at the forefront of medical care in the country. It was the first state in the country that started a living kidney transplant program. It is also the first state to successfully start the cadaver programme after the passing of the "Transplantation of Human Organ Act" of 1994 and in the last 5 years has formed a network between hospitals for organ sharing. From the year 2000 to 2006 an organ sharing network was started in Tamil Nadu and the facilitator of this programme has been a non-government organization called MOHAN (acronym for Multi Organ Harvesting Aid Network) Foundation. The organs shared during the period number over 460 organs in two regions (both Tamil Nadu and Hyderabad). In Tamil Nadu the shared organs have included 166 Kidneys, 24 livers, 6 hearts, and 180 eyes. In 2003 sharing network was initiated by MOHAN in Hyderabad and to some extent the Tamil Nadu model was duplicated. with some success and 96 cadaver organs have been transplanted in the last 3 years. There are many advantages of organ sharing including the cost economics. At present there is a large pool of brain dead patients who could become potential organ donors in the major cities in India. Their organs are not being utilized for various support logistics. A multi-pronged strategy is required for the long term success of this program. These years in Tamil Nadu have been the years of learning, un-learning and relearning and the program today has matured slowly into what can perhaps be evolved as an Indian model. In all these years there have been various difficulties in its implementation and some of the key elements for the success of the program is the need to educate our own medical fraternity and seek their cooperation. The program requires trained counselors to be able to work in the intensive cares. The government's support is pivotal if this program to provide benefit to the common man. MOHAN Foundation has accumulated considerable experience to be able to

  8. Tamil in Melbourne

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fernandez, Sue; Clyne, Michael

    2007-01-01

    There have been few Australian studies of language maintenance amongst immigrant languages from the Indian subcontinent. The present study focuses on Tamil speakers in Melbourne from Sri Lanka or India, who are Hindus or Christians. Tamil is a pluricentric language that has been under the domination of English in these countries, at least amongst…

  9. Study on quality of effluent discharge by the Tiruppur textile dyeing units and its impact on river Noyyal, Tamil Nadu (India).

    PubMed

    Rajkumar, A Samuel; Nagan, S

    2010-10-01

    In Tiruppur, 729 textile dyeing units are under operation and these units generate 96.1 MLD of wastewater. The untreated effluent was discharged into the Noyyal River till 1997. After the issuance of directions by Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) in 1997, these units have installed 8 common effluent treatment plants (CETP) consisting of physical, chemical and biological treatment units. Some of the units have installed individual ETP (IETP). The treated effluent was finally discharged into the river. The dyeing units use sodium chloride in the dyeing process for efficient fixing of dye in the fabric efficiently. This contributes high total dissolved solids (TDS) and chlorides in the effluent. CETPs and IETPs failed to meet discharge standards of TDS and chlorides and thereby significantly affected the river water quality. TDS level in the river water was in the range of 900 - 6600 mg/L, and chloride was in the range of 230 - 2700 mg/L. Orathupalayam dam is located across Noyyal river at 32 km down stream of Tiruppur. The pollutants carried by the river were accumulated in the dam. TDS in the dam water was in the range of 4250 - 7900 mg/L and chloride was in the range of 1600 - 2700 mg/L. The dam sediments contain heavy metals of chromium, copper, zinc and lead. In 2006, the High Court has directed the dyeing units to install zero liquid discharge (ZLD) plant and to stop discharging of effluent into the river. Accordingly, the industries have installed and commissioned the ZLD plant consisting of RO plant and reject management system in 2010. The effluent after secondary treatment from the CETP is further treated in RO plant. The RO permeate is reused by the member units. The RO reject is concentrated in multiple effect evaporator (MEE)/ mechanical vacuum re-compressor (MVR). The concentrate is crystallized and centrifuged to recover salt. The salt recovered is reused. The liquid separated from the centrifuge is sent to solar evaporation pan. The salt

  10. Leaf micromorphology of some Phyllanthus L. species (Phyllanthaceae)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Solihani, N. S., E-mail: noorsolihani@gmail.com; Noraini, T., E-mail: norainitalip@gmail.com; Azahana, A., E-mail: bell-azahana@yahoo.com

    2015-09-25

    Comparative leaf micromorphological study was conducted of five chosen Phyllanthus L. (Phyllanthaceae) species, namely P. acidus L., P. elegans Wall. ex Müll. Arg., P. emblica L., P. urinaria L. and P. pulcher Wall. ex Müll. Arg. The objective of this study is to identify the leaf micromorphological characteristics that can be used in species identification. The procedures involve examination under scanning electron microscope. Findings of this study have demonstrated variations in the leaf micromorphological characteristics such as in the types of waxes present on adaxial and abaxial epidermis surfaces, in the stomata and types of trichome. Common character present inmore » all species studied are the presence of a thin film layer and buttress-like waxes on epidermal leaf surfaces. Diagnostics characters found in this study are the presence of papilla in P. elegens, amphistomatic stomata in P. urinaria and flaky waxes in P. pulcher. The result of this study has shown that leaf micromorphological characters have some taxonomic significance and can be used in identification of species in the genus Phyllanthus.« less

  11. A sustainable model for cochlear implantation in the developing world: perspectives from the Indian subcontinent.

    PubMed

    Sampath Kumar, Raghunandhan; Kameswaran, Mohan

    2018-06-01

    The overall prevalence of deafness in India is 0.2%, but the prevalence in the southern state of Tamil Nadu is much higher (around 0.6%) because of consanguinity. Especially in India, establishing cochlear implantation as a treatment modality for hearing loss has been a daunting task, but in the last decade, the cochlear implantation program has emerged as an unqualified success in many states, with over 20 000 cochlear implantations done till date. Several states are sponsoring free implants to children under the age of 6 years and below poverty line. Nearly 3000 cochlear implantations have been performed in Tamil Nadu under the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme, with the goal to have a 'deafness free Tamil Nadu' by 2025. This scheme covers nearly 40 million people in rural areas. Valuable lessons have been learnt from this social experiment. One of the cornerstones of this scheme is the method to deliver habilitation via satellite centers in rural areas at the doorstep of the patient. The outcomes in peripheral centers were found to be statistically similar to those in the main center and correlated well with duration of habilitation. Opening up satellite centers for habilitation across the state of Tamil Nadu has greatly helped to improve the attendance and outcomes. The Indian model has been hugely successful and has helped start similar cochlear implantation programs in neighboring countries such as Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

  12. HIV, sexually transmitted infections and sexual behaviour of male clients of female sex workers in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, India: results of a cross-sectional survey.

    PubMed

    Subramanian, Thilakavathi; Gupte, Mohan D; Paranjape, Ramesh S; Brahmam, Ginnela N V; Ramakrishnan, Lakshmi; Adhikary, Rajatashuvra; Kangusamy, Boopathi; Thomas, Beena E; Kallam, Srinivasan; Girish, C P K

    2008-12-01

    To characterize and describe patterns of HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STI) and sexual behaviour of male clients of female sex workers (FSW). A cross-sectional study was conducted among 4821 clients of FSW from 12 districts in three states in India: Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. A structured questionnaire was administered to elicit demographic characteristics and sexual behavioural patterns. Blood and urine samples were tested for HIV, syphilis and herpes simplex type 2 serology, gonococcal and chlamydial infection. The median age of clients surveyed was 30 years; 57% were married and 64% had a steady sexual partner; 61% had sex with more than one FSW and 39% had four or more sexual encounters in the past month. The prevalence of HIV ranged from 2.0% to 10.9%, syphilis ranged from 3.1% to 10.1%; gonorrhoea and chlamydia ranged between 0% and 4.5%. Clients older than 30 years [odds ratio (OR) 1.65; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.33-2.05] and having a different mix of commercial and non-commercial partners (OR 1.56; 95% CI 1.25-1.96) had a higher volume of sex acts with FSW. Inconsistent condom use with FSW was significantly associated with older clients (OR 4.2; 95% CI 3.33-5.29), illiteracy (OR 1.39; 95% CI 1.14-1.69), age <18 years at first paid sex (OR 1.83; 95% CI 1.24-2.70) and having different FSW partners in the past month (OR 1.64; 95% CI 1.23-2.18). Clients of FSW studied here constitute a significant bridge group for HIV and other STI, because of their high volume of different sexual partners and very low consistent condom use. HIV prevention programmes need to address male clients.

  13. Monsoon Harvests: Assessing the Impact of Rainwater Harvesting Ponds on Subsistence-Level Agriculture in the Gundar Basin, Tamil Nadu, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Steiff, M.; Van Meter, K. J.; Basu, N. B.

    2013-12-01

    Lack of consistent water availability for irrigated agriculture is recognized as one of the primary constraints to meeting the UN Millennium Development Goals to alleviate hunger, and in semi-arid landscapes such as those of southern India, which are characterized by high intra-annual variability in rainfall, provision of capabilities for seasonal storage is recognized to be one of the key strategies towards alleviating water scarcity problems and ensuring food security. Although the issue of increased storage can be addressed by centralized infrastructure projects such as large-scale irrigation systems and dams, an alternative is the "soft path" approach, in which existing large-scale projects are complemented by small-scale, decentralized solutions. Such a decentralized approach has been utilized in southern India for thousands of years in the form of village rainwater harvesting tanks or ponds, providing a local and inherently sustainable approach to providing sufficient water for rice cultivation. Over the last century, however, large-scale canal projects and groundwater pumping have replaced rainwater harvesting as the primary source of irrigation water. But with groundwater withdrawals now exceeding recharge in many areas and water tables continuing to drop, many NGOs and government agencies are advocating for a revival of the older rainwater harvesting systems. Questions remain, however, regarding the limits to which rainwater harvesting can provide a solution to decades of water overexploitation. In the present work, we have utilized secondary data sources to analyze the linkages between the tank irrigation systems and the village communities that depend on them within the Gundar Basin of southern Tamil Nadu. Combining socioeconomic data with information regarding climate, land use, groundwater depletion, and tank density, we have developed indicators of sustainability for these systems. Using these indicators, we have attempted to unravel the close

  14. Comparative labellar micromorphology of Zygopetalinae (Orchidaceae).

    PubMed

    Davies, Kevin L; Stpiczynska, Malgorzata

    2011-10-01

    Molecular evidence indicates that the Neotropical sub-tribe Zygopetalinae is sister to Maxillariinae. Most members of the latter sub-tribe have deceit pollination strategies, but some species produce rewards such as nectar, pseudopollen, resin and wax, and are pollinated by a range of pollinators that include stingless bees (Meliponini), wasps and hummingbirds. By contrast, relatively little is known about the pollination of Zygopetalinae species. However, some are pollinated by fragrance-gathering, male euglossine bees or employ nectar deceit strategies. The aim of this study is to describe the labellar micromorphology of Zygopetalinae and to compare it with that of Maxillariinae sensu lato (s.l.) as part of an ongoing project to record the range of labellar characters found within the tribe Maxillarieae, and to assess whether these characters represent synapomorphies or homoplasies resulting from similar pollination pressures. The labella of 31 species of Zygopetalinae, including Cryptarrhena R. Br. and representatives of the Zygopetalum, Huntleya and Warrea clades, were examined using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, and the range of labellar characters was recorded. These characters were subsequently compared with those of Maxillariinae s.l. which formed the subject of our previous investigations. The labellar micromorphology of Zygopetalinae is less diverse than that of Maxillariinae and does not reflect the currently accepted phylogeny of the former sub-tribe based on molecular studies. Instead, the relative uniformity in labellar micromorphology of Zygopetalinae is probably due to homoplasies resulting from similar pollinator pressures. Labellar trichomes are relatively uncommon in Zygopetalinae, but occur in certain members of both the Zygopetalum and Huntleya clades. Trichomes are unbranched, uniseriate and multicellular with rounded apices, or unbranched and unicellular, with tapering, pointed and flexuose apices. Hitherto, unicellular

  15. Comparative labellar micromorphology of Zygopetalinae (Orchidaceae)

    PubMed Central

    Davies, Kevin L.; Stpiczyńska, Malgorzata

    2011-01-01

    Background and Aims Molecular evidence indicates that the Neotropical sub-tribe Zygopetalinae is sister to Maxillariinae. Most members of the latter sub-tribe have deceit pollination strategies, but some species produce rewards such as nectar, pseudopollen, resin and wax, and are pollinated by a range of pollinators that include stingless bees (Meliponini), wasps and hummingbirds. By contrast, relatively little is known about the pollination of Zygopetalinae species. However, some are pollinated by fragrance-gathering, male euglossine bees or employ nectar deceit strategies. The aim of this study is to describe the labellar micromorphology of Zygopetalinae and to compare it with that of Maxillariinae sensu lato (s.l.) as part of an ongoing project to record the range of labellar characters found within the tribe Maxillarieae, and to assess whether these characters represent synapomorphies or homoplasies resulting from similar pollination pressures. Methods The labella of 31 species of Zygopetalinae, including Cryptarrhena R. Br. and representatives of the Zygopetalum, Huntleya and Warrea clades, were examined using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, and the range of labellar characters was recorded. These characters were subsequently compared with those of Maxillariinae s.l. which formed the subject of our previous investigations. Key Results and Conclusions The labellar micromorphology of Zygopetalinae is less diverse than that of Maxillariinae and does not reflect the currently accepted phylogeny of the former sub-tribe based on molecular studies. Instead, the relative uniformity in labellar micromorphology of Zygopetalinae is probably due to homoplasies resulting from similar pollinator pressures. Labellar trichomes are relatively uncommon in Zygopetalinae, but occur in certain members of both the Zygopetalum and Huntleya clades. Trichomes are unbranched, uniseriate and multicellular with rounded apices, or unbranched and unicellular, with

  16. Heavy rains over Chennai and surrounding areas as captured by Doppler weather radar during Northeast Monsoon 2015: a case study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kamaljit, Ray; Kannan, B. A. M.; Stella, S.; Sen, Bikram; Sharma, Pradip; Thampi, S. B.

    2016-05-01

    During the Northeast monsoon season, India receives about 11% of its annual rainfall. Many districts in South Peninsula receive 30-60% of their annual rainfall. Coastal Tamil Nadu receives 60% of its annual rainfall and interior districts about 40-50 %. During the month of November, 2015, three synoptic scale weather systems affected Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry causing extensive rainfall activity over the region. Extremely heavy rains occurred over districts of Chennai, Thiruvallur and Kancheepuram, due to which these 3 districts were fully inundated. 122 people in Tamil Nadu were reported to have died due to the flooding, while over 70,000 people had been rescued. State government reported flood damage of the order of around Rs 8481 Crores. The rainfall received in Chennai district during 1.11.2015 to 5.12.2015 was 1416.8 mm against the normal of 408.4 mm. The extremely heavy rains were found to be associated with strong wind surges at lower tropospheric levels, which brought in lot of moisture flux over Chennai and adjoining area. The subtropical westerly trough at mid-tropospheric levels extended much southwards than its normal latitude, producing favorable environment for sustained rising motions ahead of approaching trough over coastal Tamil Nadu. Generated strong upward velocities in the clouds lifted the cloud tops to very high levels forming deep convective clouds. These clouds provided very heavy rainfall of the order of 150-200 mm/hour. In this paper we have used radar data to examine and substantiate the cloud burst that led to these torrential rains over Chennai and adjoining areas during the Northeast Monsoon period, 2015.

  17. Empirical Analysis of the Variability of Wind Generation in India: Implications for Grid Integration

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Phadke, Amol; Abhyankar, NIkit; Rao, Poorvi

    We analyze variability in load and wind generation in India to assess its implications for grid integration of large scale wind projects using actual wind generation and load data from two states in India, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. We compare the largest variations in load and net load (load ?wind, i.e., load after integrating wind) that the generation fleet has to meet. In Tamil Nadu, where wind capacity is about 53percent of the peak demand, we find that the additional variation added due to wind over the current variation in load is modest; if wind penetration reaches 15percent and 30percentmore » by energy, the additional hourly variation is less than 0.5percent and 4.5percent of the peak demand respectively for 99percent of the time. For wind penetration of 15percent by energy, Tamil Nadu system is found to be capable of meeting the additional ramping requirement for 98.8percent of the time. Potential higher uncertainty in net load compared to load is found to have limited impact on ramping capability requirements of the system if coal plants can me ramped down to 50percent of their capacity. Load and wind aggregation in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka is found to lower the variation by at least 20percent indicating the benefits geographic diversification. These findings suggest modest additional flexible capacity requirements and costs for absorbing variation in wind power and indicate that the potential capacity support (if wind does not generate enough during peak periods) may be the issue that has more bearing on the economics of integrating wind« less

  18. One Health approach to cost-effective rabies control in India.

    PubMed

    Fitzpatrick, Meagan C; Shah, Hiral A; Pandey, Abhishek; Bilinski, Alyssa M; Kakkar, Manish; Clark, Andrew D; Townsend, Jeffrey P; Abbas, Syed Shahid; Galvani, Alison P

    2016-12-20

    Over 20,000 rabies deaths occur annually in India, representing one-third of global human rabies. The Indian state of Tamil Nadu has pioneered a "One Health" committee to address the challenge of rabies in dogs and humans. Currently, rabies control in Tamil Nadu involves postexposure vaccination of humans after dog bites, whereas potential supplemental approaches include canine vaccination and sterilization. We developed a data-driven rabies transmission model fit to human rabies autopsy data and human rabies surveillance data from Tamil Nadu. Integrating local estimates for canine demography and costs, we predicted the impact of canine vaccination and sterilization on human health outcomes and evaluated cost-effectiveness according to the WHO criteria for India, which correspond to thresholds of $1,582 and $4,746 per disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for very cost-effective and cost-effective strategies, respectively. We found that highly feasible strategies focused on stray dogs, vaccinating as few as 7% of dogs annually, could very cost-effectively reduce human rabies deaths by 70% within 5 y, and a modest expansion to vaccinating 13% of stray dogs could cost-effectively reduce human rabies by almost 90%. Through integration over parameter uncertainty, we find that, for a cost-effectiveness threshold above $1,400 per DALY, canine interventions are at least 95% likely to be optimal. If owners are willing to bring dogs to central point campaigns at double the rate that campaign teams can capture strays, expanded annual targets become cost-effective. This case study of cost-effective canine interventions in Tamil Nadu may have applicability to other settings in India and beyond.

  19. One Health approach to cost-effective rabies control in India

    PubMed Central

    Shah, Hiral A.; Pandey, Abhishek; Bilinski, Alyssa M.; Kakkar, Manish; Clark, Andrew D.; Galvani, Alison P.

    2016-01-01

    Over 20,000 rabies deaths occur annually in India, representing one-third of global human rabies. The Indian state of Tamil Nadu has pioneered a “One Health” committee to address the challenge of rabies in dogs and humans. Currently, rabies control in Tamil Nadu involves postexposure vaccination of humans after dog bites, whereas potential supplemental approaches include canine vaccination and sterilization. We developed a data-driven rabies transmission model fit to human rabies autopsy data and human rabies surveillance data from Tamil Nadu. Integrating local estimates for canine demography and costs, we predicted the impact of canine vaccination and sterilization on human health outcomes and evaluated cost-effectiveness according to the WHO criteria for India, which correspond to thresholds of $1,582 and $4,746 per disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for very cost-effective and cost-effective strategies, respectively. We found that highly feasible strategies focused on stray dogs, vaccinating as few as 7% of dogs annually, could very cost-effectively reduce human rabies deaths by 70% within 5 y, and a modest expansion to vaccinating 13% of stray dogs could cost-effectively reduce human rabies by almost 90%. Through integration over parameter uncertainty, we find that, for a cost-effectiveness threshold above $1,400 per DALY, canine interventions are at least 95% likely to be optimal. If owners are willing to bring dogs to central point campaigns at double the rate that campaign teams can capture strays, expanded annual targets become cost-effective. This case study of cost-effective canine interventions in Tamil Nadu may have applicability to other settings in India and beyond. PMID:27994161

  20. Brittle deformation in Southern Granulite Terrane (SGT): A study of pseudotachylyte bearing fractures along Gangavalli Shear Zone (GSZ), Tamil Nadu, India.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    mohan Behera, Bhuban; Thirukumaran, Venugopal; Biswal, Tapas kumar

    2016-04-01

    High grade metamorphism and intense deformation have given a well recognition to the Southern Granulite Terrane (SGT) in India. TTG-Charnockite and basic granulites constitute the dominant lithoassociation of the area. Dunite-peridotite-anorthosite-shonkinite and syenites are the intrusives. TTG-charnockite-basic granulite have undergone F1 (isoclinal recumbent), F2 (NE-SW) and F3 (NW-SE) folds producing several interference pattern. E-W trending Neoarchean and Palaeoproterozoic Salem-Attur Shear Zone exhibits a low angle ductile thrust as well as some foot print of late stage brittle deformation near Gangavalli area of Tamil Nadu. The thrust causes exhumation of basic granulites to upper crust. Thrusting along the decollement has retrograded the granulite into amphibolite rock. Subsequently, deformation pattern of Gangavalli area has distinctly marked by numerous vertical to sub-vertical fractures mostly dominating along 0-15 and 270-300 degree within charnockite hills that creates a maximum stress (σ1) along NNW and minimum stress (σ3) along ENE. However, emplacement of pseudotachylyte vein along N-S dominating fracture indicates a post deformational seismic event. Extensive fractures produce anastomose vein with varying thickness from few millimeters to 10 centimeters on the outcrop. ICP-AES study results an isochemical composition of pseudotachylyte vein that derived from the host charnockitic rock where it occurs. But still some noticeable variation in FeO-MgO and Na2O-CaO are obtained from different parts within the single vein showing heterogeneity melt. Electron probe micro analysis of thin sections reveals the existence of melt immiscibility during its solidification. Under dry melting condition, albitic rich melts are considered to be the most favorable composition for microlites (e.g. sheaf and acicular micro crystal) re-crystallization. Especially, acicular microlites preserved tachylite texture that suggest its formation before the final coagulation

  1. Cognition related to domestic violence in India: implications for reproductive health programme.

    PubMed

    Anand, Sandip; Sinha, R K; Singh, Lakhan

    2010-03-01

    In India, the nature of interdependency between wife and husband is regarded as different from what it is in the west. It is observed that in Indian state of Bihar, there is co-existence of memory of domestic violence and attitudinal justification of domestic violence on all the dimensions of domestic violence. However, In Tamil Nadu, demographic transition is likely to create the differentiation and therefore significant co-existence of certain forms of attitude (attitudinal justification of beating for household chores, contraceptives, and sex refusal) and 'memories related to domestic violence' are not present there. Attitudinal assertion against domestic violence in the name of 'unfaithfulness' seems to be helping women both in Bihar & Tamil Nadu. However, in Tamil Nadu, if women raise her voice against beating by husband for sex refusal; her chance of facing domestic violence gets increased here. These kind of connect between violence and attitude is not present in Bihar. In Bihar, attitudinally if women assert their voice against violence for contraceptive decision making; it makes them to feel lesser amount of constant strain. The study shows the implications for reproductive health programme in India.

  2. Leaf micromorphology of four medicinal ferns species in Tasik Chini, Pahang

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nurnida, M. K., E-mail: nurnidakamal@gmail.com; Noraini, T.; Ruzi, A. R.

    A leaf micromorphology study was conducted on four selected medicinal ferns species in Tasik Chini, Pahang. The four chosen species were Adiantum latifolium Lam., Lygodium flexuosum (L.) Sw., Lygodium microphyllum (Cav.) R. Br. and Tectaria singaporeana (Wall.) Ching. The objective of this study is to identify the leaf micromorphological characteristics that can be used as supportive scientific data especially in authentification of medicinal ferns species. The procedures involved such as dehydration, critical point drying, gold coated and examination under scanning electron microscope. Results in this study have shown some similarities and variations in the leaf micromorphological characteristics such as presencemore » of cuticular striation, type of epicuticular waxes, structural feature of stomata and also in the presence or absence and type of trichomes. Four types of epicuticular waxes and only one type of trichome were observed, that were specific for some species. As a conclusion, the results of this study definitely proven that leaf micromorphology can be used for species authentification and might useful as preliminary scientific data for future references and further study.« less

  3. Construction and validation of a Tamil logMAR chart.

    PubMed

    Varadharajan, Srinivasa; Srinivasan, Krithica; Kumaresan, Brindha

    2009-09-01

    To design, construct and validate a new Tamil logMAR visual acuity chart based on current recommendations. Ten Tamil letters of equal legibility were identified experimentally and were used in the chart. Two charts, one internally illuminated and one externally illuminated, were constructed for testing at 4 m distance. The repeatability of the two charts was tested. For validation, the two charts were compared with a standard English logMAR chart (ETDRS). When compared to the ETDRS chart, a difference of 0.06 +/- 0.07 and 0.07 +/- 0.07 logMAR was found for the internally and externally illuminated charts respectively. Limits of agreement between the internally illuminated Tamil logMAR chart and ETDRS chart were found to be (-0.08, 0.19), and (-0.07, 0.20) for the externally illuminated chart. The test - retest results showed a difference of 0.02 +/- 0.04 and 0.02 +/- 0.06 logMAR for the internally and externally illuminated charts respectively. Limits of agreement for repeated measurements for the internally illuminated Tamil logMAR chart were found to be (-0.06, 0.10), and (-0.10, 0.14) for the externally illuminated chart. The newly constructed Tamil logMAR charts have good repeatability. The difference in visual acuity scores between the newly constructed Tamil logMAR chart and the standard English logMAR chart was within acceptable limits. This new chart can be used for measuring visual acuity in the literate Tamil population.

  4. Labellar Micromorphology of Bifrenariinae Dressler (Orchidaceae)

    PubMed Central

    DAVIES, K. L.; STPICZYŃSKA, M.

    2006-01-01

    • Background and Aims The two closely related subtribes Bifrenariinae Dressler and Maxillariinae Benth. are easily distinguished on morphological grounds. Recently, however, molecular techniques have supported the inclusion of Bifrenariinae within a more broadly defined Maxillariinae. The present paper describes the diverse labellar micromorphology found amongst representatives of Bifrenariinae (Bifrenaria Lindl., Rudolfiella Hoehne, Teuscheria Garay and Xylobium Lindl.) and compares it with that found in Maxillaria Pabst & Dungs and Mormolyca Fenzl (Maxillariinae). • Methods The labella of 35 specimens representing 22 species of Bifrenariinae were examined by means of light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy and their micromorphology compared with that of Maxillaria sensu stricto and Mormolyca spp. The labellar epidermis of representatives of Bifrenaria, Xylobium and Mormolyca was tested for protein, starch and lipids in order to ascertain whether this tissue is involved in the rewarding of pollinators. • Key Results and Conclusions The labella of Bifrenaria spp. and Mormolyca spp. are densely pubescent but those of Xylobium, Teuscheria and Rudolfiella are generally papillose. However, whereas the trichomes of Bifrenaria and Mormolyca are unicellular, those found in the other three genera are multicellular. Hitherto, no unicellular trichomes have been described for Maxillaria, although the labella of a number of species secrete a viscid substance or bear moniliform, pseudopollen-producing hairs. Moniliform hairs and secretory material also occur in certain species of Xylobium and Teuscheria and these genera, together with Maxillaria, are thought to be pollinated by stingless bees (Meliponini). Differences in the labellar micromorphology of Bifrenaria and Mormolyca are perhaps related to Euglossine- and/ or bumble bee-mediated pollination and pseudocopulation, respectively. Although Xylobium and Teuscheria share a number of labellar features with

  5. Leaf micro-morphology of Lepisanthes Blume (Sapindaceae) in Peninsular Malaysia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghazalli, Mohd Norfaizal; Talib, Noraini; Mohammad, Abdul Latiff

    2018-04-01

    A detail comparative study on leaf micro-morphology was conducted on the genus Lepisanthes from Peninsular Malaysia, five chosen species namely as L. amoena (Hassk.) Leenh., L. fruticosa (Roxb.) Leenh., L. rubiginosa (Roxb.) Leenh., L. senegalensis (Juss. ex Poir.) Leenh. and L. tetraphylla (Vahl.) Radlk. The objective of this study is to identify the leaf micro-morphological characteristics that can give significance impact for species identification and classification. Lepisanthes is an important tropical rare fruit genus in Malaysia and it is important to characterize and documenting additional taxonomic evidences that can be useful in Sapindaceae taxonomy information which is still lacked. The methods involved dehydration process, critical point drying, gold coated and observation under scanning electron microscope. Leaf micro-morphology showed significance taxonomic value in the genus Lepisanthes and can be used as additional data for species identification. Diagnostic character was found in L. fruticosa via the presence of four different types of trichomes on the abaxial and adaxial epidermal surfaces. As a conclusion, variation in cuticular striation, stomata structure, type of waxes and trichome morphology can be used in Lepisanthes species identification.

  6. Geospatial Approach on Landslide Hazard Zonation Mapping Using Multicriteria Decision Analysis: A Study on Coonoor and Ooty, Part of Kallar Watershed, The Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rahamana, S. Abdul; Aruchamy, S.; Jegankumar, R.

    2014-12-01

    Landslides are one of the critical natural phenomena that frequently lead to serious problems in hilly area, resulting to loss of human life and property, as well as causing severe damage to natural resources. The local geology with high degree of slope coupled with high intensity of rainfall along with unplanned human activities of the study area causes many landslides in this region. The present study area is more attracted by tourist throughout the year, so this area must be considered for preventive measures. Geospatial based Multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) technique is increasingly used for landslide vulnerability and hazard zonation mapping. It enables the integration of different data layers with different levels of uncertainty. In this present study, it is used analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method to prepare landslide hazard zones of the Coonoor and Ooty, part of Kallar watershed, The Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu. The study was carried out using remote sensing data, field surveys and geographic information system (GIS) tools. The ten factors that influence landslide occurrence, such as elevation, slope aspect, slope angle, drainage density, lineament density, soil, precipitation, land use/land cover (LULC), distance from road and NDVI were considered. These factors layers were extracted from the various related spatial data's. These factors were evaluated, and then, the individual factor weight and class weight were assigned to each of the related factors. The Landslide Hazard Zone Index (LHZI) was calculated using Multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) the technique based on the assigned weight and the rating is given by the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. The final cumulative map of the study area was categorized into four hazard zones and classified as zone I to IV. There are 3.56% of the area comes under the hazard zone IV fallowed by 48.19% of the area comes under zone III, 43.63 % of the area in zone II and 4.61% of the area comes hazard

  7. Lung function parameters of healthy Sri Lankan Tamil young adults.

    PubMed

    Balasubramaniam, M; Sivapalan, K; Thuvarathipan, R

    2014-06-01

    To establish reference norms of lung function parameters for healthy Sri Lankan Tamil young adults. Cross sectional study of Tamil students at the Faculty of Medicine, Jaffna. Healthy non smoking students of Sri Lankan Tamil ethnic group were enrolled. Age, height, weight, BMI and spirometric measurements (Micro Quark) were recorded in 267 participants (137 females and 130 males). Height was significantly correlated with (p<0.05) all the lung function parameters except FEV1%, PEFR and MEF75 in males. Prediction equations were derived by regression analysis based on the height as an independent variable. Predicted lung function values for a particular age and height were lower than values predicted for Pakistanis, Kelatanese Malaysians and eastern Indians. The values were comparable to south Indians in Madras. Our FVC values of males and VC of females were closer to Sri Lankan Sinhalese. FEV1 and FEF25-75 in males were slightly higher and FVC, FEV1 and FEF25-75 in females were slightly lower in Tamils. When mean values were compared, these parameters were significantly higher in Tamil males (p<0.001) and significantly lower in Tamil females (p<0.001). These values will be useful in interpreting lung function parameters of the particular age group as there are no published norms for Sri Lankan Tamils. However, our study sample was confined to medical students of 20-28 years which may explain the differences with Sinhalese.

  8. Strategic Role of Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora in Promoting Separatism in Sri Lanka

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-06-13

    Tamil Eelam and the Tamil genocide in Sri Lanka. This campaign tries to achieve its objectives through the boycott of Sri Lankan tourism and products...Lanka campaign.157 The boycott Sri Lanka campaign is not limited to tourism or products. The Tamil Youth Organization (TYO) is conducting a “Boycott...Sri Lankan sports are not accepted in international fora as they 155Tamils Against Genocide

  9. Taxonomic significance of leaf micromorphology in some selected taxa of Acanthaceae (Peninsular Malaysia)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nurul-Aini, C. A. C.; Noraini, T.; Latiff, A.; Amirul-Aiman, A. J.; Ruzi, A. R.; Idris, S.

    2014-09-01

    Comparative leaf micromorphology study was conducted in eight taxa of Acanthaceae from Peninsular Malaysia. Eight chosen taxa were Acanthus ebracteatus Vahl, A. ilicifolius L., A. volubilis Wall, A. montanus T. Anderson, Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Wall. ex Nees, Asystasia gangetica subsp. micrantha (Nees) Ensermu, Chroesthes longifolia (Wight) B. Hansen and Peristrophe roxburghiana (Schult.) Bremek. The objective of this study was to identify the leaf micromorphological characteristics that can be used in species identification and also as supportive data in classification. The procedures involved such as dehydration, critical point drying, gold coated and examination under scanning electron microscope. Findings in this study have demonstrated the similarities and variations in leaf micromorphological characteristics such as in type of epicuticular waxes, cuticular ornamentations, stomata characteristics and in the presence of trichomes. Six types of epicuticular waxes and five types of trichomes were observed. Variations in cuticular ornamentations and stomata structure can be used to differentiate species. One diagnostic character was found and proven to be very useful to identify Acanthus via the presence of simple trichomes (short-conicle like). In conclusion, the results of this study have shown that leaf micromorphological characteristics have taxonomic significance that can be useful in classifications and identification especially at species level.

  10. Tongue-Tied in Singapore: A Language Policy for Tamil?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schiffman, Harold F.

    2003-01-01

    Discusses the Tamil language situation in Singapore, which lends itself ideally to the study of minority-language maintenance. Examines attempts to maintain Tamil, a highly diglossic language in emigration and concludes that the well-meaning bilingual education system actually produces a situation of subtractive bilingualism. (Author/VWL)

  11. DISCRIMINATION OF EMOTIONAL STATES AMONGST THE TAMILS

    PubMed Central

    Somasundaram, O.

    1992-01-01

    Leff has concluded from his analysis of the JPSS Study that the emotions of anxiety, depression and irritability are poorly discriminated amongst the population using non-Indo-European languages. The present author after analyzing similar data from the ICMR Multicentred Collaborative Study of Factors Associated with the Course and outcome of Schizophrenia that the Tamil population using Tamil, a non-Indo-European language is able to discriminate these emotions as well as the brethren speaking Hindi of lndo-European origin. PMID:21776093

  12. Genetic variation in South Indian castes: evidence from Y-chromosome, mitochondrial, and autosomal polymorphisms

    PubMed Central

    Watkins, WS; Thara, R; Mowry, BJ; Zhang, Y; Witherspoon, DJ; Tolpinrud, W; Bamshad, MJ; Tirupati, S; Padmavati, R; Smith, H; Nancarrow, D; Filippich, C; Jorde, LB

    2008-01-01

    Background Major population movements, social structure, and caste endogamy have influenced the genetic structure of Indian populations. An understanding of these influences is increasingly important as gene mapping and case-control studies are initiated in South Indian populations. Results We report new data on 155 individuals from four Tamil caste populations of South India and perform comparative analyses with caste populations from the neighboring state of Andhra Pradesh. Genetic differentiation among Tamil castes is low (RST = 0.96% for 45 autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) markers), reflecting a largely common origin. Nonetheless, caste- and continent-specific patterns are evident. For 32 lineage-defining Y-chromosome SNPs, Tamil castes show higher affinity to Europeans than to eastern Asians, and genetic distance estimates to the Europeans are ordered by caste rank. For 32 lineage-defining mitochondrial SNPs and hypervariable sequence (HVS) 1, Tamil castes have higher affinity to eastern Asians than to Europeans. For 45 autosomal STRs, upper and middle rank castes show higher affinity to Europeans than do lower rank castes from either Tamil Nadu or Andhra Pradesh. Local between-caste variation (Tamil Nadu RST = 0.96%, Andhra Pradesh RST = 0.77%) exceeds the estimate of variation between these geographically separated groups (RST = 0.12%). Low, but statistically significant, correlations between caste rank distance and genetic distance are demonstrated for Tamil castes using Y-chromosome, mtDNA, and autosomal data. Conclusion Genetic data from Y-chromosome, mtDNA, and autosomal STRs are in accord with historical accounts of northwest to southeast population movements in India. The influence of ancient and historical population movements and caste social structure can be detected and replicated in South Indian caste populations from two different geographic regions. PMID:19077280

  13. Micromorphological aspects of various human activities recorded in the Scafati pedocomplex (Napoli, Italy).

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rellini, Ivano; Vogel, Sebastian; Märker, Michael

    2014-05-01

    The stratigraphic sequence of Scafati, about 3 km east of ancient Pompeii, is presented consisting of a multilayered sequence of repeated volcanic deposition and pedogenesis that was caused by several phases of volcanic activity and volcanic quiescence of Somma-Vesuvius, at least, the last 20,000 years. Micromorphological analysis were carried out at the soil material and selected volcanic deposits to establish a chronological succession of different phases of volcanic deposition, pedogenetic transformation but also to highlight the anthropogenic influence. The micromorphological analysis testified furrow irrigation and soil cultivation in the medieval stratigraphy and allowed the identification of very significant antropogenic features in the Bronze Age/Iron Age paleosol, i.e. complex depositional crusts and dusty clay coatings and hypocoatings, which are often used as an indicator for tillage activity. In contrast to the clear macroscopic and chemical evidence of ancient soil cultivation, the Roman paleosol did not exhibit distinct micromorphological signs of soil cultivation.

  14. Evolution of petal epidermal micromorphology in Leguminosae and its use as a marker of petal identity

    PubMed Central

    Ojeda, Isidro; Francisco-Ortega, Javier; Cronk, Quentin C. B.

    2009-01-01

    Background and Aims The legume flower is highly variable in symmetry and differentiation of petal types. Most papilionoid flowers are zygomorphic with three types of petals: one dorsal, two lateral and two ventral petals. Mimosoids have radial flowers with reduced petals while caesalpinioids display a range from strongly zygomorphic to nearly radial symmetry. The aims are to characterize the petal micromorphology relative to flower morphology and evolution within the family and assess its use as a marker of petal identity (whether dorsal, lateral or ventral) as determined by the expression of developmental genes. Methods Petals were analysed using the scanning electron microscope and light microscope. A total of 175 species were studied representing 26 tribes and 89 genera in all three subfamilies of the Leguminosae. Key Results The papilionoids have the highest degree of variation of epidermal types along the dorsiventral axis within the flower. In Loteae and genistoids, in particular, it is common for each petal type to have a different major epidermal micromorphology. Papillose conical cells are mainly found on dorsal and lateral petals. Tabular rugose cells are mainly found on lateral petals and tabular flat cells are found only in ventral petals. Caesalpinioids lack strong micromorphological variation along this axis and usually have only a single major epidermal type within a flower, although the type maybe either tabular rugose cells, papillose conical cells or papillose knobby rugose cells, depending on the species. Conclusions Strong micromorphological variation between different petals in the flower is exclusive to the subfamily Papilionoideae. Both major and minor epidermal types can be used as micromorphological markers of petal identity, at least in papilionoids, and they are important characters of flower evolution in the whole family. The molecular developmental pathway between specific epidermal micromorphology and the expression of petal identity

  15. Evolution of petal epidermal micromorphology in Leguminosae and its use as a marker of petal identity.

    PubMed

    Ojeda, Isidro; Francisco-Ortega, Javier; Cronk, Quentin C B

    2009-11-01

    The legume flower is highly variable in symmetry and differentiation of petal types. Most papilionoid flowers are zygomorphic with three types of petals: one dorsal, two lateral and two ventral petals. Mimosoids have radial flowers with reduced petals while caesalpinioids display a range from strongly zygomorphic to nearly radial symmetry. The aims are to characterize the petal micromorphology relative to flower morphology and evolution within the family and assess its use as a marker of petal identity (whether dorsal, lateral or ventral) as determined by the expression of developmental genes. Petals were analysed using the scanning electron microscope and light microscope. A total of 175 species were studied representing 26 tribes and 89 genera in all three subfamilies of the Leguminosae. The papilionoids have the highest degree of variation of epidermal types along the dorsiventral axis within the flower. In Loteae and genistoids, in particular, it is common for each petal type to have a different major epidermal micromorphology. Papillose conical cells are mainly found on dorsal and lateral petals. Tabular rugose cells are mainly found on lateral petals and tabular flat cells are found only in ventral petals. Caesalpinioids lack strong micromorphological variation along this axis and usually have only a single major epidermal type within a flower, although the type maybe either tabular rugose cells, papillose conical cells or papillose knobby rugose cells, depending on the species. Strong micromorphological variation between different petals in the flower is exclusive to the subfamily Papilionoideae. Both major and minor epidermal types can be used as micromorphological markers of petal identity, at least in papilionoids, and they are important characters of flower evolution in the whole family. The molecular developmental pathway between specific epidermal micromorphology and the expression of petal identity genes has yet to be established.

  16. Reader for Advanced Spoken Tamil, Parts 1 and 2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schiffman, Harold F.

    Part 1 of this reader consists of transcriptions of five Tamil radio plays, with exercises, notes, and discussion. Part 2 is a synopsis grammar and a glossary. Both are intended for advanced students of Tamil who have had at least two years of instruction in the spoken language at the college level. The materials have been tested in classroom use…

  17. Micromorphology in unconsolidated landslide sediments - investigating mass movement deposits at a different scale

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jaeger, Daniel; Menzies, John

    2015-04-01

    In order to reliably reconstruct a landslide event, its triggers, movements and the main factors of influence, a profound knowledge of the slide masses' inner architecture and their internal processes is of great importance. As van der Meer (1996) states, micromorphology permits a complete examination of particles, matrix and all components contained in unconsolidated sediments, as well as an insight into their internal arrangement. So far, thin sections and micromorphology are mainly used for studying marine, periglacial and glacial sediments (e.g. Maltman 1988; van der Meer 1993, Menzies 2000, van Fliet-Lanoe 2010, van der Meer & Menzies 2011). Comparatively little work has been carried out with a focus on landslides (e.g. Bertran & Texier 1999). Therefore, our work is a first attempt at investigating unconsolidated deposits of landslides in the low mountain areas of southern Germany using micromorphological tools. The objective was to observe sedimentary microstructures in order to gain an understanding of the sediments' internal movement, deformation etc. during a slide event. On the investigated landslides near Ebermannstadt (Franconian Alb), Gailnau (Frankenhöhe region) and Talheim (Swabian Alb) samples were taken from small pits or outcrops (depths between 50 cm - 300 cm below the surface) in the upper, central and lower part (foot) of the slide mass. The thin section analyses revealed several differences between the three environments and within the specific landslides themselves. Most prominently, several structures (e.g. water-escape-structures, flow-noses and rotational structures) indicate a crucial impact of water in all three slide masses. Furthermore, the thin sections showed heterogeneous compositions of different sediment materials and aggregates, presumably transported, mixed together and deformed during the slide movement. In Ebermannstadt and Talheim, several ductile and brittle deformation structures (rotational structures, marbled structures

  18. Health seeking narratives of unwell Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in Melbourne Australia.

    PubMed

    Samuel, Sophia; Advocat, Jenny; Russell, Grant

    2018-03-01

    Sri Lankan Tamil refugees are among the largest group of refugees to resettle in Australia in the last decade. The aim of this study is to characterise the narratives of health-seeking among unwell Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Drawing on a qualitative, phenomenological perspective, we conducted in-depth interviews in Tamil and English with 12 participants who identified as being unwell for 6 months or more. Findings revealed three narratives of health-seeking: the search for the 'good life' that was lost or never experienced, seeking help from familiar channels in an unfamiliar context, and the desire for financial and occupational independence. These three narratives are undergirded by the metanarrative of a hope-filled recovery. These narratives of Tamil refugees' lived experience provide new insights into clinical care and health service delivery.

  19. Translational Implications of Tamil "Hamlets."

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kanakaraj, S.

    1994-01-01

    Discusses the use of translation when teaching English as a Second Language in a Tamil context. Singles out the fencing episode in Shakespeare's "Hamlet" to illustrate the difficulties of translating cultural aspects. Concludes that successful translations of Shakespeare into Indian languages should involve collaboration between…

  20. Perception of a non-native speech contrast: Voiced and voiceless stops as perceived by Tamil speakers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tur, Sylwia

    2004-05-01

    The effect of linguistic experience plays a significant role in how speech sounds are perceived. The findings of many studies imply that the perception of non-native contrasts depends on their status in the native language of the listener. Tamil is a language with a single voicing category. All stop consonants in Tamil are phonemically voiceless, though allophonic voicing has been observed in spoken Tamil. The present study examined how native Tamil speakers and English controls perceived voiced and voiceless bilabial, alveolar, and velar stops in English. Voice onset time (VOT) was manipulated for editing of naturally produced stimuli with increasingly longer continuum. Perceptual data was collected from 16 Tamil and 16 English speakers. Experiment 1 was an AX task in which subjects responded same or different to 162 pairs of stimuli. Experiment 2 was a forced choice ID task in which subjects identified 99 individually presented stimuli as pa, ta, ka or ba, da, ga. Experiments show statistically significant differences between Tamil and English speakers in their perception of English stop consonants. Results of the study imply that the allophonic status of voiced stops in Tamil does not aid the Tamil speakers in perceiving phonemically voiced stops in English.

  1. Status of Tamil Language in Singapore: An Analysis of Family Domain

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kadakara, Shanmugam

    2015-01-01

    This paper addresses the phenomenon of Language Maintenance and Language Shift through a qualitative study of Tamil language in the family domain in Singapore. The influence of Singapore's bilingual policy and the institutional support offered for maintenance of Tamil language provide the context in which the central research problem of the status…

  2. Molecular evidence for the occurrence of tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus on chayote (Sechium edule) in southern India.

    PubMed

    Nagendran, K; Mohankumar, S; Mohammed Faisal, P; Bagewadi, B; Karthikeyan, G

    2017-12-01

    During 2012-2014, mosaic disease on chayote in the farmers field of Kodaikanal region (high altitude zone) of Tamil Nadu was observed. The disease was characterized with severe mosaic, cupping and enation on leaves with reduced fruit size. Disease was found to causes an yield loss of more than 60% with the maximum disease incidence of 100% for the past 5 years consecutively. Preliminary serological and molecular screening indicated the association of begomovirus with the disease. Complete nucleotide sequence and phylogenetic analysis of DNA A revealed the identity of the virus as tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV). In recombination analysis study, the major parent was identified as ToLCNDV from Pakistan infecting tomato. Thus the present finding confirms expansion of new geographical region and host for ToLCNDV causing mosaic disease on chayote from Tamil Nadu. To our knowledge this is the first confirmed report for the occurrence of ToLCNDV on chayote in southern India.

  3. Micromorphological difference between glacial and glaciofluvial quartz grain, evidence from Svalbard

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krbcová, Klára

    2017-04-01

    Micromorphology of glaciofluvial sediments were only partially shown by Mahaney et al. (2001). This paper deals with the main diagnostic textures of glaciofluvial sediments and changes of their micromorphology caused fluvial transport. All samples were collected in Svalbard in August 2012. Two glacial samples and six glaciofluvial samples were taken near the glacier Bertilbreen and one glacial sample and seven glaciofluvial samples were taken near the glacier Hørbyebreen. Samples were prepared according to the Mahaney (2002) and examined under electron microscope. The correlation analyses was used to set the main glaciofluvial microtextures. Similarity of the samples was tested by one-way ANOVA by F-test. Increasing numbers of V-shaped pits, rounded grains, meandering ridges and microblocks are typical for characteristic microtextures of glaciofluvial grains which had greater rate of fluvial transport. But the grains mainly transported by glacier had a greater percentage occurence of subangular grains, straight steps, straight and curved grooves, adhering particles, pitting and V-shaped etch pits. The fastest change in variability was set during the first kilometre of fluvial transport. The study was funded by the Grant Agency of Charles University (GAUK 1314214). Keywords: exoscopy, quartz grains micromorphology, glaciofluvial sediments References: MAHANEY, W. C. (2002): Atlas of sand grain surface textures and applications. Oxford University Press, USA, 237 s. MAHANEY, W. C., STEWART A., KALM, V. (2001): Quantification of SEM microtextures useful in sedimentary environmental discrimination. Boreas, 30, s. 165 - 171.

  4. Weaving Indigenous Agricultural Knowledge with Formal Education to Enhance Community Food Security: School Competition as a Pedagogical Space in Rural Anchetty, India

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shukla, Shailesh; Barkman, Janna; Patel, Kirit

    2017-01-01

    Like many socially and economically disadvantaged farming communities around the world, the Anchetty region of Tamil Nadu, India, has been experiencing serious food security challenges mainly due to the loss of traditional foods such as small millets and associated crops (SMAC) and associated indigenous agricultural knowledge (IAK). Drawing on…

  5. The Influence of Tamil Diaspora on Stability in Sri Lanka

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-06-01

    homeland. The Tamil Eelam People’s Assembly as well as ex -combatant and intelligence groups continue to adhere to radical ideas of a re- emerging LTTE...Eelam People’s Assembly as well as ex -combatant and intelligence groups continue to adhere to radical ideas of a re-emerging LTTE insurgency. Also...ideas of a re-emerging LTTE insurgency. These diasporic groups access the local Tamil population, especially ex -combatants, with the motive of a

  6. THE CHINESE CONNECTION OF TAMIL MEDICINE

    PubMed Central

    Kumar, D. Suresh; Prasad, P.R. Krishna

    1992-01-01

    Description of a meridian-like channel is available in the Tamil medical text, Akattiyar Nayanaviti – 500, attributed to Akattiyar. Therefore, further studies are essential to trace the interaction between Chinese medicine and the medical practices of southern India. PMID:22556572

  7. Studies of the micromorphology of sputtered TiN thin films by autocorrelation techniques

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smagoń, Kamil; Stach, Sebastian; Ţălu, Ştefan; Arman, Ali; Achour, Amine; Luna, Carlos; Ghobadi, Nader; Mardani, Mohsen; Hafezi, Fatemeh; Ahmadpourian, Azin; Ganji, Mohsen; Grayeli Korpi, Alireza

    2017-12-01

    Autocorrelation techniques are crucial tools for the study of the micromorphology of surfaces: They provide the description of anisotropic properties and the identification of repeated patterns on the surface, facilitating the comparison of samples. In the present investigation, some fundamental concepts of these techniques including the autocorrelation function and autocorrelation length have been reviewed and applied in the study of titanium nitride thin films by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The studied samples were grown on glass substrates by reactive magnetron sputtering at different substrate temperatures (from 25 {}°C to 400 {}°C , and their micromorphology was studied by AFM. The obtained AFM data were analyzed using MountainsMap Premium software obtaining the correlation function, the structure of isotropy and the spatial parameters according to ISO 25178 and EUR 15178N. These studies indicated that the substrate temperature during the deposition process is an important parameter to modify the micromorphology of sputtered TiN thin films and to find optimized surface properties. For instance, the autocorrelation length exhibited a maximum value for the sample prepared at a substrate temperature of 300 {}°C , and the sample obtained at 400 {}°C presented a maximum angle of the direction of the surface structure.

  8. Micromorphology of cactus-pear (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill) cladodes based on scanning microscopies.

    PubMed

    Ben Salem-Fnayou, Asma; Zemni, Hassène; Nefzaoui, Ali; Ghorbel, Abdelwahed

    2014-01-01

    Cladode ultrastructural features of two prickly and two spineless Opuntia ficus-indica cultivars were examined using environmental scanning electron and atomic force microscopies. Observations focused on cladode as well as spine and glochid surface micromorphologies. Prickly cultivars were characterized by abundant cracked epicuticular wax deposits covering the cladode surface, with an amorphous structure as observed by AFM, while less abundant waxy plates were observed by ESEM on spineless cultivar cladodes. Further AFM observations allowed a rough granular and crystalloid epicuticular wax structure to be distinguished in spineless cultivars. Regarding spine micromorphology, prickly cultivars had strong persistent spines, observed by ESEM as a compact arrangement of oblong epidermal cells with a rough granular structure. However, deciduous spines in spineless cultivars had a broken transversely fissured epidermis covering a parallel arrangement of fibres. Through AFM, the deciduous spine surface presented an irregular hilly and smooth microrelief while persistent spines exhibited rough helical filamentous prints. ESEM and AFM studies of cladode surfaces from prickly and spineless cactus pear cultivars revealed valuable micro-morphological details that ought to be extended to a large number of O. ficus-indica cultivars. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Empowerment of Fisher Women of Siluvaipatti Fishing Village of Tuticorin, Southeast Coast of India through Adult Education and ICT Training

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Patterson, Jamila; Linden, Eva; Bierbrier, Christin; Lofgren, Inger; Wilhelmsson, Dan; Edward, J. K. Patterson

    2008-01-01

    This paper focuses on adult education and information and communication technologies (ICT) training to fisherwomen of Siluvaipatti fishing village in Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu State, southeastern India. The total families in this village are 209 with population 899 (Male: 442; Female: 457). The education level is generally good in…

  10. Ethnobotanics used in folk medicine of Tamil culture in Sri Lanka: a scientific review.

    PubMed

    Jesuthasan, Anternite Shanthi; Uluwaduge, Deepthi Inoka

    2017-01-01

    Tamil culture has recognized the potential use of plant herbs for prevention and treatment of different diseases. These folk remedies have been practiced by Sri Lankan Tamils even after modernization. This review focuses on frequently used medicinal plants among Sri Lankan Tamil communities, such as Cuminum cyminum, Azadirechta indica, Coriandrum sativum, Sesamum indicum, Zingiber officinale, Trigonella foenum-graecum, Moringa oleifera, Plectranthus amboinicus, Allium sativum and Curcuma longa, for their documented medicinal properties, which include antimicrobial, antioxidant, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, hypocholesterolemic, antidiabetic and diuretic effects.

  11. Organizing an NGO-Sponsored English-Medium School in South India: Lessons Learned

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gibb, Gordon S.

    2012-01-01

    This paper describes lessons learned from the first-year education efforts of Rising Star Outreach of India, a U.S.-based nongovernmental charitable organization (NGO) working with leprosy colonies in Tamil Nadu, India. In 2008, Rising Star Outreach established a residential school to provide English-medium schooling for 180 colony children in…

  12. Interactive Multimedia Instruction versus Traditional Training Programmes: Analysis of Their Effectiveness and Perception

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shanthy, T. Rajula; Thiagarajan, R.

    2011-01-01

    In this article, the practicability of introduction of computer multimedia as an educational tool was compared with the traditional approach for training sugarcane growers in ratoon management practices in three villages of Tamil Nadu state, India using pre-test, post-test control group experimental design. A CD-ROM was developed as a multimedia…

  13. Status of Higher Secondary School Libraries in Thiruvallur District

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seenivasan, M.; Kumar, N. Ashok

    2014-01-01

    Libraries are the main sources of knowledge. They play a major role in fostering reading habit among school children. Hence, it is deemed interactive to study the status of higher secondary school libraries in Thiruvallur District, Tamil Nadu. For the Analysis 50 Higher Secondary Schools were selected randomly comprising of Government Higher…

  14. Embellishment of Student Leadership in Learning Multiplication at Primary Level

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Singaravelu, G.

    2006-01-01

    The present study enlightens the efficacy of Student Leadership method in learning Multiplication in Mathematics at primary level. Single group experimental method was adopted for the study. Forty learners studying in Standard III in Panchayat union primary School, Muthupettai in South Tamil Nadu, India have been selected as sample for the study.…

  15. 78 FR 70278 - Automotive Trade Mission to New Delhi, Pune and Chennai, India

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-25

    ... companies in these sectors. The mission will visit three cities, New Delhi, Pune and Chennai, where... State of Maharashtra's second largest city after Mumbai, has been a hub for the engineering industry in... Madras, is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Located on the Coromandel Coast off the...

  16. The micromorphology of Younger Dryas-aged black mats from Nevada, Arizona, Texas and New Mexico

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harris-Parks, Erin

    2016-01-01

    Black mats are organic-rich sediments and soils that form in wet environments associated with spring discharge. Micromorphological and geochemical analyses of 25 black mats dating to the Younger Dryas Chronozone (12.9-11.7 ka) and early Holocene were conducted to determine their composition and depositional environment. Samples were collected from Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Nevada. Micromorphological analyses were conducted on thin sections using polarized and blue fluorescent light. These analyses determined that black mats contain humic acids, fine (5-20 μm) plant fragments, diatoms, phytoliths, and gastropods. The dominant type of organic matter in black mats is derived from herbaceous plants, contradicting previous studies that supported algal or charcoal sources. Differences in the micromorphological characteristics of the samples revealed that black mats formed as three different types, organic horizons, moist soils and, ponded sediments, depending on their topographic position in relation to the water table. The microscopic evidence found in black mats supports the presence of widespread wet environments in Nevada and Arizona during the Younger Dryas Chronozone, clearly indicating a sustained period of greater effective moisture, optimal for spring discharge and black mat formation.

  17. Homosexuality - leaves from antiquity: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender population: A Tamil perspective.

    PubMed

    Somasundaram, Ottilingam; Tejus Murthy, A G

    2016-01-01

    Homosexuality has been present in human civilization from ancient times, and the condition as it existed in the Tamil land is described along with a reference to the terminology, concepts, and description. Some instances appear in the old Tamil classics and poems. The present legal status of this sexual orientation is also mentioned.

  18. Voice disorder outcome profile (V-DOP)-translation and validation in Tamil language.

    PubMed

    Mahalingam, Shenbagavalli; Boominathan, Prakash; Subramaniyan, Balasubramaniyan

    2014-11-01

    This study sought to translate and validate the voice disorder outcome profile (V-DOP) for Tamil-speaking populations. It was implemented in two phases: the English language V-DOP developed for an Indian population was first translated into Tamil, a south Indian Dravidian language. Five Tamil language experts verified the translated version for exactness of meaning and usage. The expert's comments and suggestions were used to select the questions for the final V-DOP, thus establishing content validity. Then the translated V-DOP was administered to 95 subjects (75 in clinical and 20 in nonclinical group) for reliability (item-total correlation) and validity (construct) measures. The overall Cronbach coefficient α for V-DOP was 0.89 whereas the mean total V-DOP score was zero for the nonclinical group and 104.28 for the clinical group (standard deviation = 64.71). The emotional and functional domains indicated a statistically significant correlation (r = 0.91 and r = 0.90 respectively), followed by the physical domain (r = 0.82) with the total scores. A significant, but moderate correlation was obtained across V-DOP domains (r = 0.50 to 0.60; P < 0.05 and 0.01) and between total score and overall severity of V-DOP (r = 0.62; P < 0.01). Thus the self-perception measuring V-DOP in Tamil is a valid and reliable tool for evaluating the impact of voice disorders in Tamil-speaking population. Copyright © 2014 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Diversity among clients of female sex workers in India: comparing risk profiles and intervention impact by site of solicitation. implications for the vulnerability of less visible female sex workers.

    PubMed

    Suryawanshi, Dipak; Bhatnagar, Tarun; Deshpande, Sucheta; Zhou, Weiwei; Singh, Pankaj; Collumbien, Martine

    2013-01-01

    It seems generally accepted that targeted interventions in India have been successful in raising condom use between female sex workers (FSWs) and their clients. Data from clients of FSWs have been under-utilised to analyse the risk environments and vulnerability of both partners. The 2009 Integrated Biological and Behavioural Assessment survey sampled clients of FSWs at hotspots in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu (n=5040). The risk profile of clients in terms of sexual networking and condom use are compared across usual pick-up place. We used propensity score matching (PSM) to estimate the average treatment effect on treated (ATT) of intervention messages on clients' consistent condom use with FSW. Clients of the more hidden sex workers who solicit from home or via phone or agents had more extensive sexual networks, reporting casual female partners as well as anal intercourse with male partners and FSW. Clients of brothel-based sex workers, who were the least educated, reported the fewest number/categories of partners, least anal sex, and lowest condom use (41%). Consistent condom use varied widely by state: 65% in Andhra Pradesh, 36% in Maharashtra and 29% in Tamil Nadu. Exposure to intervention messages on sexually transmitted infections was lowest among men frequenting brothels (58%), and highest among men soliciting less visible sex workers (70%). Exposure had significant impact on consistent condom use, including among clients of home-based sex workers (ATT 21%; p=0.001) and among men soliciting other more hidden FSW (ATT 17%; p=0.001). In Tamil Nadu no impact could be demonstrated. Commercial sex happens between two partners and both need to be, and can be, reached by intervention messages. Commercial sex is still largely unprotected and as the sex industry gets more diffuse a greater focus on reaching clients of sex workers seems important given their extensive sexual networks.

  20. Improving Student Learning via Mobile Phone Video Content: Evidence from the BridgeIT India Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wennersten, Matthew; Quraishy, Zubeeda Banu; Velamuri, Malathi

    2015-01-01

    Past efforts invested in computer-based education technology interventions have generated little evidence of affordable success at scale. This paper presents the results of a mobile phone-based intervention conducted in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in 2012-13. The BridgeIT project provided a pool of audio-visual learning…

  1. Establishing integrated rural–urban cohorts to assess air pollution-related health effects in pregnant women, children and adults in Southern India: an overview of objectives, design and methods in the Tamil Nadu Air Pollution and Health Effects (TAPHE) study

    PubMed Central

    Balakrishnan, Kalpana; Sambandam, Sankar; Ramaswamy, Padmavathi; Ghosh, Santu; Venkatesan, Vettriselvi; Thangavel, Gurusamy; Mukhopadhyay, Krishnendu; Johnson, Priscilla; Paul, Solomon; Puttaswamy, Naveen; Dhaliwal, Rupinder S; Shukla, D K

    2015-01-01

    Introduction In rapidly developing countries such as India, the ubiquity of air pollution sources in urban and rural communities often results in ambient and household exposures significantly in excess of health-based air quality guidelines. Few efforts, however, have been directed at establishing quantitative exposure–response relationships in such settings. We describe study protocols for The Tamil Nadu Air Pollution and Health Effects (TAPHE) study, which aims to examine the association between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures and select maternal, child and adult health outcomes in integrated rural–urban cohorts. Methods and analyses The TAPHE study is organised into five component studies with participants drawn from a pregnant mother–child cohort and an adult cohort (n=1200 participants in each cohort). Exposures are assessed through serial measurements of 24–48 h PM2.5 area concentrations in household microenvironments together with ambient measurements and time-activity recalls, allowing exposure reconstructions. Generalised additive models will be developed to examine the association between PM2.5 exposures, maternal (birth weight), child (acute respiratory infections) and adult (chronic respiratory symptoms and lung function) health outcomes while adjusting for multiple covariates. In addition, exposure models are being developed to predict PM2.5 exposures in relation to household and community level variables as well as to explore inter-relationships between household concentrations of PM2.5 and air toxics. Finally, a bio-repository of peripheral and cord blood samples is being created to explore the role of gene–environment interactions in follow-up studies. Ethics and dissemination The study protocols have been approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee of Sri Ramachandra University, the host institution for the investigators in this study. Study results will be widely disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and

  2. Establishing integrated rural-urban cohorts to assess air pollution-related health effects in pregnant women, children and adults in Southern India: an overview of objectives, design and methods in the Tamil Nadu Air Pollution and Health Effects (TAPHE) study.

    PubMed

    Balakrishnan, Kalpana; Sambandam, Sankar; Ramaswamy, Padmavathi; Ghosh, Santu; Venkatesan, Vettriselvi; Thangavel, Gurusamy; Mukhopadhyay, Krishnendu; Johnson, Priscilla; Paul, Solomon; Puttaswamy, Naveen; Dhaliwal, Rupinder S; Shukla, D K

    2015-06-10

    In rapidly developing countries such as India, the ubiquity of air pollution sources in urban and rural communities often results in ambient and household exposures significantly in excess of health-based air quality guidelines. Few efforts, however, have been directed at establishing quantitative exposure-response relationships in such settings. We describe study protocols for The Tamil Nadu Air Pollution and Health Effects (TAPHE) study, which aims to examine the association between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures and select maternal, child and adult health outcomes in integrated rural-urban cohorts. The TAPHE study is organised into five component studies with participants drawn from a pregnant mother-child cohort and an adult cohort (n=1200 participants in each cohort). Exposures are assessed through serial measurements of 24-48 h PM2.5 area concentrations in household microenvironments together with ambient measurements and time-activity recalls, allowing exposure reconstructions. Generalised additive models will be developed to examine the association between PM2.5 exposures, maternal (birth weight), child (acute respiratory infections) and adult (chronic respiratory symptoms and lung function) health outcomes while adjusting for multiple covariates. In addition, exposure models are being developed to predict PM2.5 exposures in relation to household and community level variables as well as to explore inter-relationships between household concentrations of PM2.5 and air toxics. Finally, a bio-repository of peripheral and cord blood samples is being created to explore the role of gene-environment interactions in follow-up studies. The study protocols have been approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee of Sri Ramachandra University, the host institution for the investigators in this study. Study results will be widely disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and scientific presentations. In addition, policy-relevant recommendations are also

  3. Typical School Day Experiences of Indian Children in Different Contexts.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jaya, N.; Malar, G.

    2003-01-01

    Notes that India has experienced conditions that have lead to significant illiteracy, but that commitment to education can be found in lesser-known parts of India today. Profiles three schools in Tamil Nadu and describes a typical school day for a student with special needs, a student in a tribal setting, and a student in a rural setting. (TJQ)

  4. The Status of Information and Communication Technology in a Coastal Village: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Govindaraju, P.; Mabel, M. Maani

    2010-01-01

    Kovalam is one of the coastal villages in Southern Tamil Nadu, India, and the principal livelihood of the villagers is fishing. The village is equipped with a VKC (Village Knowledge Center), initiated by the local Parish Council, to serve the people with the e-governance, e-agriculture, eeducation, e-health and other services at free of cost. This…

  5. Indian Women and Television. A Study on the Women Viewers of Madras, India.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Krishnaswamy, Chitra

    This study was conducted to determine how women in the Indian State of Tamil Nadu--where both regional and national network television are available for viewing--perceive the role of television in helping the cause of women. A television content analysis was done for two subsequent weeks, focusing on the portrayal of women in the programs, and the…

  6. Homosexuality – leaves from antiquity: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender population: A Tamil perspective

    PubMed Central

    Somasundaram, Ottilingam; Tejus Murthy, A. G.

    2016-01-01

    Homosexuality has been present in human civilization from ancient times, and the condition as it existed in the Tamil land is described along with a reference to the terminology, concepts, and description. Some instances appear in the old Tamil classics and poems. The present legal status of this sexual orientation is also mentioned. PMID:28066015

  7. Styling One's Own in the Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora: Implications for Language and Ethnicity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Canagarajah, Suresh

    2012-01-01

    This study focuses on the ways youth in the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora in Canada, Britain, and the United States construct their ethnic identity when proficiency in their heritage language is limited. Though these youth claim only rudimentary proficiency in Tamil and identify English as their dominant language, they are nonetheless able to claim…

  8. Coupled micromorphological and stable isotope analysis of Quaternary calcrete development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adamson, Kathryn; Candy, Ian; Whitfield, Liz

    2015-09-01

    Pedogenic calcretes are widespread in arid and semi-arid regions. Using calcrete profiles from four river terraces of the Rio Alias in southeast Spain, this study explores the potential of using detailed micromorphological and stable isotopic analysis to more fully understand the impacts of Quaternary environmental change on calcrete development. The four profiles increase in carbonate complexity with progressive age, reflecting calcretisation over multiple glacial-interglacial cycles since MIS 9 (c. 300 ka). Calcrete profiles contain a mixture of Alpha (non-biogenic) and Beta (biogenic) microfabrics. Alpha fabrics have higher δ13C and δ18O values. The profiles contain a range of crystal textures, but there is little difference between the δ13C and δ18O values of spar, microspar, and micrite cements. Strong positive covariance between δ13C and δ18O suggests that both isotopes are responding to the same environmental parameter, which is inferred to be relative aridity. The study reveals that the detailed co-analysis of calcrete micromorphology and stable isotope signatures can allow patterns of calcrete formation to be placed into a wider palaeoclimatic context. This demonstrates the potential of this technique to more reliably constrain the palaeoenvironmental significance of secondary carbonates in dryland settings where other proxy records may be poorly preserved.

  9. In situ evaluation of surface roughness and micromorphology of temporary soft denture liner materials at different time intervals.

    PubMed

    Araújo, Célio U; Basting, Roberta T

    2018-03-01

    To perform an in situ evaluation of surface roughness and micromorphology of two soft liner materials for dentures at different time intervals. The surface roughness of materials may influence the adhesion of micro-organisms and inflammation of the mucosal tissues. The in situ evaluation of surface roughness and the micromorphology of soft liner materials over the course of time may present results different from those of in vitro studies, considering the constant presence of saliva and food, the changes in temperature and the pH level in the oral cavity. Forty-eight rectangular specimens of each of the two soft liner materials were fabricated: a silicone-based material (Mucopren Soft) and an acrylic resin-based material (Trusoft). The specimens were placed in the dentures of 12 participants (n = 12), and the materials were evaluated for surface roughness and micromorphology at different time intervals: 0, 7, 30 and 60 days. Roughness (Ra) was evaluated by means of a roughness tester. Surface micromorphology was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. Analysis of variance for randomised block design and Tukey's test showed that surface roughness values were lower in the groups using the silicone-based material at all the time intervals (P < .0001). The average surface roughness was higher at time interval 0 than at the other intervals, for both materials (P < .0001). The surface micromorphology showed that the silicone material presented a more regular and smoother surface than the acrylic resin-based material. The surface roughness of acrylic resin-based and silicone-based denture soft liner materials decreased after 7 days of evaluation, leading to a smoother surface over time. The silicone-based material showed lower roughness values and a smoother surface than the acrylic resin-based material, thereby making it preferred when selecting more appropriate material, due its tendency to promote less biofilm build-up. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S and The

  10. Rhythmic Characteristics of Colloquial and Formal Tamil

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keane, Elinor

    2006-01-01

    Application of recently developed rhythmic measures to passages of read speech in colloquial and formal Tamil revealed some significant differences between the two varieties, which are in diglossic distribution. Both were also distinguished from a set of control data from British English speakers reading an equivalent passage. The findings have…

  11. Micromorphology of pelletized soil conditioners

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hirsch, Florian; Dietrich, Nils; Knoop, Christine; Raab, Thomas

    2017-04-01

    Soil conditioners produced by anaerobic digestion and subsequent composting of organic household waste, bear the potential to improve unproductive farmland together with a reduced input risk of unwanted pollutants into the soils. Within the VeNGA project (http://www.biogas-network.de/venga), soil conditioners from anaerobically digested organic household waste are tested for their potential to increase plant growth in glasshouse and field experiments. Because the production techniques of these soil conditioners may influence their physical and chemical behaviour in the soil, two different techniques for pelletizing the soil conditioners where applied. We present findings from a pot experiment with cereal that has been sampled after two months for micromorphological analyses. We visualize the decomposition and the physical behaviour of the soil conditioners. Pellets produced in an agglomeration mixer result in dense balls, that are only slightly decomposed after the trial. But the soil conditioners created under pressure in a screw extruder are rich in voids and have the potential of retaining more soil water.

  12. Handwritten recognition of Tamil vowels using deep learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ram Prashanth, N.; Siddarth, B.; Ganesh, Anirudh; Naveen Kumar, Vaegae

    2017-11-01

    We come across a large volume of handwritten texts in our daily lives and handwritten character recognition has long been an important area of research in pattern recognition. The complexity of the task varies among different languages and it so happens largely due to the similarity between characters, distinct shapes and number of characters which are all language-specific properties. There have been numerous works on character recognition of English alphabets and with laudable success, but regional languages have not been dealt with very frequently and with similar accuracies. In this paper, we explored the performance of Deep Belief Networks in the classification of Handwritten Tamil vowels, and conclusively compared the results obtained. The proposed method has shown satisfactory recognition accuracy in light of difficulties faced with regional languages such as similarity between characters and minute nuances that differentiate them. We can further extend this to all the Tamil characters.

  13. A Complete OCR System for Tamil Magazine Documents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kokku, Aparna; Chakravarthy, Srinivasa

    We present a complete optical character recognition (OCR) system for Tamil magazines/documents. All the standard elements of OCR process like de-skewing, preprocessing, segmentation, character recognition, and reconstruction are implemented. Experience with OCR problems teaches that for most subtasks of OCR, there is no single technique that gives perfect results for every type of document image. We exploit the ability of neural networks to learn from experience in solving the problems of segmentation and character recognition. Text segmentation of Tamil newsprint poses a new challenge owing to its italic-like font type; problems that arise in recognition of touching and close characters are discussed. Character recognition efficiency varied from 94 to 97% for this type of font. The grouping of blocks into logical units and the determination of reading order within each logical unit helped us in reconstructing automatically the document image in an editable format.

  14. Mitigation of non-point source of fluoride on groundwater by dug well recharge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ganesan, G.; Lakshmanan, E.

    2017-12-01

    Groundwater used for drinking purpose is affected in many regions due to the presence of excess fluoride. The excess intake of fluoride through drinking water causes fluorosis to human in many states of India, including Tamil Nadu. The present study was carried out with the objective of assessing hydrogeochemistry of groundwater and the feasibility of dug well recharge to reduce the fluoride concentration in Vaniyar river basin, Tamil Nadu, India. The major source for fluoride in groundwater of this area is the epidote hornblende gneissic and charnockite which are the major rocks occurring in this region. As a pilot study a cost effective induced recharge structure was constructed at Papichettipatty village in the study region. The study shows that the groundwater level around the recharge site raised up to 2 m from 14.5 m (bgl) and fluoride concentration has decreased from 3.8 mg/l to 0.9 mg/l due to dilution. The advantage of this induced recharge structure is of its low cost, the ease of implementation, improved groundwater recharge and dilution of fluoride in groundwater. An area of about 1.5 km2 has benefited due to this dug well recharge system.

  15. Ethnoveterinary medicine of the Shervaroy Hills of Eastern Ghats, India as alternative medicine for animals.

    PubMed

    Usha, Swaminathan; Rajasekaran, Chandrasekaran; Siva, Ramamoorthy

    2016-01-01

    The Eastern Ghats of India is well known for its wealth of natural vegetation and Shervaroy is a major hill range of the Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu. Ethnomedicinal studies in the Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu or the Shervaroy Hills have been carried out by various researchers. However, there is not much information available on ethnoveterinary medicine in the Eastern Ghats of India. The aim of this study was to examine the potential use of folk plants as alternative medicine for cattle to cure various diseases in the Shervaroy Hills of the Eastern Ghats. Based on interactions with traditional medicine practitioners, it has been observed that a total of 21 medicinal plants belonging to 16 families are used to cure various diseases such as mastitis, enteritis, arthritis, stomatitis, salivation from the mouth, wounding, and conjunctivitis in animals. It has been observed that the traditional knowledge of ethnoveterinary medicine is now confined only among the surviving older people and a few practitioners in the tribal communities of the Shervaroy Hills. Unfortunately, no serious attempts have been made to document and preserve this immense treasure of traditional knowledge.

  16. Reclaiming reconciliation through community education for the Muslims and Tamils of post-war Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

    PubMed

    Duncan, Ross; Cardozo, Mieke Lopes

    2017-03-01

    This paper explores the possibilities and challenges for ethno-religious reconciliation through secondary school education in post-war Sri Lanka, with a specific focus on the Muslim and Tamil communities in the Northern city of Jaffna. In doing so, we position our paper within the growing field of 'education, conflict and emergencies' of which there has been a growing body of literature discussing this contentious relationship. The paper draws from an interdisciplinary and critical theoretical framework that aims to analyse the role of education for peacebuilding, through a multi-scalar application of four interconnected dimensions of social justice: redistribution, recognition, representation and reconciliation (or 4 R's, Novelli, Lopes Cardozo and Smith, 2015). We apply this framework to interpret primary data collected through an ethnographic study of two under-studied communities that have been disproportionately affected by the 1983 to 2009 civil war and displacement: the Northern Sri Lankan Muslims and Northern Sri Lankan Tamils. We find that structural inequalities in society are replicated in formal secondary school education and are perceived to be perpetuating ethno-religious conflict between Muslim and Tamil; second, through a multi-scalar analysis, formal peace education is perceived by respondents not to be meeting the needs of communities; and third, we observe how in response to failings of state peace education, an 'unofficial' Tamil-Muslim community education incorporating a social justice-based approach has emerged. This has facilitated a process of cross-community reconciliation between Muslim and Tamil through individual (teachers, students) and community (Muslim-Tamil community based organisations) agency. The paper concludes by offering suggestions for peace education policy and future research.

  17. Micromorphology of trichomes of Thymus malyi (Lamiaceae).

    PubMed

    Marin, M; Koko, V; Duletić-Lausević, S; Marin, P D

    2008-12-01

    Micromorphological, ultrastructural and morphometric investigations of the trichomes of Thymus malyi were carried out using a light microscope, a scanning electron microscope and a transmission electron microscope. Unbranched non-glandular trichomes, peltate and capitate glandular trichomes were described. The leaves of Thymus malyi bear non-glandular and glandular trichomes on both sides. Estimates of the volume density (i.e. their volume fraction per unit volume) of non-glandular trichomes were higher as compared to volume density of peltate and capitate glandular trichomes. Estimates of the number of these trichomes per area on sections showed that the capitate trichomes were the most abundant. Ultrastructural analyses of cell inner structure have shown numerous mitochondria, big nuclei and plastids with lipid globules and starch grains.

  18. Validation of the Tamil version of short form Geriatric Depression Scale-15.

    PubMed

    Sarkar, Sonali; Kattimani, Shivananand; Roy, Gautam; Premarajan, K C; Sarkar, Siddharth

    2015-01-01

    Local language screening instruments can be helpful in early assessment of depression in the elderly in the community and primary care population. This study describes the validation of a Tamil version of Geriatric Depression Scale (short form 15 [GDS-15] item) in a rural population. A Tamil version of GDS-15 was developed using standardized procedures. The questionnaire was applied in a sample of elderly (aged 60 years and above) from a village in South India. All the participants were also assessed for depression by a clinical interview by a psychiatrist. A total of 242 participants were enrolled, 64.9% of them being females. The mean score on GDS-15 was 7.4 (±3.4), while the point prevalence of depression was 6.2% by clinical interview. The area under the receiver-operator curve was 0.659. The optimal cut-off for the GDS in this sample was found at 7/8 with sensitivity and specificity being 80% and 47.6%, respectively. The Tamil version of GDS-15 can be a useful screening instrument for assessment of depression in the elderly population.

  19. Direct Torque Control of a Three-Phase Voltage Source Inverter-Fed Induction Machine

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-12-01

    factors, FOC acquires all advantages of DC machine control and frees itself from the mechanical commutation drawbacks. Furthermore, FOC leads to high...of three-phase induction motor using microcontroller,” S.R.M Engineering College, Tamil Nadu, India , June/July 2006. [5] Texas Instruments Europe...loop. Direct flux control is possible through the constant magnetic field orientation achieved through commutator action. These two primary factors

  20. Diversity among Clients of Female Sex Workers in India: Comparing Risk Profiles and Intervention Impact by Site of Solicitation. Implications for the Vulnerability of Less Visible Female Sex Workers

    PubMed Central

    Suryawanshi, Dipak; Bhatnagar, Tarun; Deshpande, Sucheta; Zhou, Weiwei; Singh, Pankaj; Collumbien, Martine

    2013-01-01

    Background It seems generally accepted that targeted interventions in India have been successful in raising condom use between female sex workers (FSWs) and their clients. Data from clients of FSWs have been under-utilised to analyse the risk environments and vulnerability of both partners. Methods The 2009 Integrated Biological and Behavioural Assessment survey sampled clients of FSWs at hotspots in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu (n=5040). The risk profile of clients in terms of sexual networking and condom use are compared across usual pick-up place. We used propensity score matching (PSM) to estimate the average treatment effect on treated (ATT) of intervention messages on clients’ consistent condom use with FSW. Results Clients of the more hidden sex workers who solicit from home or via phone or agents had more extensive sexual networks, reporting casual female partners as well as anal intercourse with male partners and FSW. Clients of brothel-based sex workers, who were the least educated, reported the fewest number/categories of partners, least anal sex, and lowest condom use (41%). Consistent condom use varied widely by state: 65% in Andhra Pradesh, 36% in Maharashtra and 29% in Tamil Nadu. Exposure to intervention messages on sexually transmitted infections was lowest among men frequenting brothels (58%), and highest among men soliciting less visible sex workers (70%). Exposure had significant impact on consistent condom use, including among clients of home-based sex workers (ATT 21%; p=0.001) and among men soliciting other more hidden FSW (ATT 17%; p=0.001). In Tamil Nadu no impact could be demonstrated. Conclusion Commercial sex happens between two partners and both need to be, and can be, reached by intervention messages. Commercial sex is still largely unprotected and as the sex industry gets more diffuse a greater focus on reaching clients of sex workers seems important given their extensive sexual networks. PMID:24023877

  1. English Phonological Awareness in Bilinguals: A Cross-Linguistic Study of Tamil, Malay and Chinese English-Language Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dixon, L. Quentin; Chuang, Hui-Kai; Quiroz, Blanca

    2012-01-01

    To test the lexical restructuring hypothesis among bilingual English-language learners, English phonological awareness (PA), English vocabulary and ethnic language vocabulary (Mandarin Chinese, Malay or Tamil) were assessed among 284 kindergarteners (168 Chinese, 71 Malays and 45 Tamils) in Singapore. A multi-level regression analysis showed that…

  2. Translation and validation of ICIQ-FLUTS for Tamil-speaking women.

    PubMed

    Ekanayake, Chanil D; Pathmeswaran, Arunasalam; Nishad, A A Nilanga; Samaranayake, Kanishka U; Wijesinghe, Prasantha S

    2017-12-01

    Research in to lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in women in South Asia is hampered by lack of validated tools. Our aim was to validate the International Consultation on Incontinence Modular Questionnaire on Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (ICIQ-FLUTS) from English to Tamil. After translation to Tamil, a validation study was carried out among women attending the gynecology clinic at District General Hospital-Mannar. Content validity assessed by the level of missing data was <2%. Construct validity was assessed by the ability of the questionnaire to identify patients with incontinence (n = 45) from controls (n = 93) using the incontinence score [patients = 7.7 standard deviation (SD) = 4.7, controls = 1.4 SD = 2.2, p < 0.001] and those with symptomatic anterior wall prolapse (n = 16) from controls (n = 93) using voiding symptoms score (patients = 4.8 SD = 2.3, controls = 0.3 SD = 0.8, p < 0.001). Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's coefficient alpha score [0.80 (0.77-0.81)]. Test-retest reliability assessed by weighted kappa (κ) ranged from 0.73 to 0.87. Patients with incontinence (n = 30, pretreatment incontinence score = 7.9, SD = 4.9 versus posttreatment incontinence score = 3.3, SD = 3.1) and symptomatic anterior wall prolapse (n = 14, preoperative voiding symptoms score = 4.9 SD = 2.5 versus postoperative voiding symptoms score = 0.9 SD = 1.5) showed an improvement with treatment (Wilcoxon matched--pairs signed-rank test p < 0.001 and p < 0.01, respectively). An incontinence score ≥ 3 (sensitivity = 86.7%, specificity = 78.4%) and a voiding symptoms score ≥ 3 (sensitivity = 87.5%, specificity = 96.2%) detected any form of incontinence and symptomatic anterior wall prolapse, respectively. Tamil translation of ICIQ-FLUTS retained the psychometric properties of the original English questionnaire and will be an

  3. Translation and validation of chronic liver disease questionnaire (CLDQ) in Tamil language.

    PubMed

    Goel, Amit; Arivazhagan, Karunanithi; Sasi, Avani; Shanmugam, Vanathy; Koshi, Seleena; Pottakkat, Biju; Lakshmi, C P; Awasthi, Ashish

    2017-05-01

    Chronic liver disease questionnaire (CLDQ), a self-administered quality-of-life (QOL) instrument for chronic liver disease (CLD) patients, was originally developed in English language. We aimed to translate and validate CLDQ in Tamil language (CLDQ-T). CLDQ-T, prepared by two forward and two backward independent translations by four bilingual (Tamil and English) persons, and repeated iterative modifications, was validated in adult, native-Tamil patients with CLD. CLDQ-T was re-tested in some patients 2 weeks later. Convergent validity was assessed using Spearman's correlation, and discriminant validity by comparison with World Health Organization's brief QOL tool (WHOQOL-BREF). Reliability was assessed through internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) and test-retest reliability (intra-class correlation). Cutoff used for statistical significance was p<0.05. The study included 126 patients (age: mean [SD] 46 years [12.5]; male 104; cause: alcohol 42%, HBV 25%, HCV 4%, cryptogenic 29%; CTP class A 47%, B 37%, and C 16%). In convergent validity, all domains except the "abdominal domain" showed significant correlation between CLDQ-T and WHOQOL-BREF. Patients with severe disease had lower scores for all domains of CLDQ-T except the "abdominal" domain, but not for any of the domains for WHOQOL-BREF. Overall Cronbach's alpha was 0.942, and more than 0.7 for all the individual domains except the "activity" domain. On retesting in 44 (35%) patients, intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.879 for the overall CLDQ-T score and >0.700 for individual domains. CLDQ-T was easily understood and showed good performance characteristics in assessing QOL in Tamil-speaking patients with CLD.

  4. Genetic variation of coat protein gene among the isolates of Rice tungro spherical virus from tungro-endemic states of the India.

    PubMed

    Mangrauthia, Satendra K; Malathi, P; Agarwal, Surekha; Ramkumar, G; Krishnaveni, D; Neeraja, C N; Madhav, M Sheshu; Ladhalakshmi, D; Balachandran, S M; Viraktamath, B C

    2012-06-01

    Rice tungro disease, one of the major constraints to rice production in South and Southeast Asia, is caused by a combination of two viruses: Rice tungro spherical virus (RTSV) and Rice tungro bacilliform virus (RTBV). The present study was undertaken to determine the genetic variation of RTSV population present in tungro endemic states of Indian subcontinent. Phylogenetic analysis based on coat protein sequences showed distinct divergence of Indian RTSV isolates into two groups; one consisted isolates from Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh), Cuttack (Orissa), and Puducherry and another from West Bengal, Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), and Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu). The results obtained from phylogenetic study were further supported with the SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphism), INDELs (insertion and deletion) and evolutionary distance analysis. In addition, sequence difference count matrix revealed 2-68 nucleotides differences among all the Indian RTSV isolates taken in this study. However, at the protein level these differences were not significant as revealed by Ka/Ks ratio calculation. Sequence identity at nucleotide and amino acid level was 92-100% and 97-100%, respectively, among Indian isolates of RTSV. Understanding of the population structure of RTSV from tungro endemic regions of India would potentially provide insights into the molecular diversification of this virus.

  5. Reclaiming reconciliation through community education for the Muslims and Tamils of post-war Jaffna, Sri Lanka

    PubMed Central

    Duncan, Ross; Cardozo, Mieke Lopes

    2017-01-01

    This paper explores the possibilities and challenges for ethno-religious reconciliation through secondary school education in post-war Sri Lanka, with a specific focus on the Muslim and Tamil communities in the Northern city of Jaffna. In doing so, we position our paper within the growing field of ‘education, conflict and emergencies’ of which there has been a growing body of literature discussing this contentious relationship. The paper draws from an interdisciplinary and critical theoretical framework that aims to analyse the role of education for peacebuilding, through a multi-scalar application of four interconnected dimensions of social justice: redistribution, recognition, representation and reconciliation (or 4 R’s, Novelli, Lopes Cardozo and Smith, 2015). We apply this framework to interpret primary data collected through an ethnographic study of two under-studied communities that have been disproportionately affected by the 1983 to 2009 civil war and displacement: the Northern Sri Lankan Muslims and Northern Sri Lankan Tamils. We find that structural inequalities in society are replicated in formal secondary school education and are perceived to be perpetuating ethno-religious conflict between Muslim and Tamil; second, through a multi-scalar analysis, formal peace education is perceived by respondents not to be meeting the needs of communities; and third, we observe how in response to failings of state peace education, an ‘unofficial’ Tamil–Muslim community education incorporating a social justice-based approach has emerged. This has facilitated a process of cross-community reconciliation between Muslim and Tamil through individual (teachers, students) and community (Muslim–Tamil community based organisations) agency. The paper concludes by offering suggestions for peace education policy and future research. PMID:28690667

  6. Micromorphological characterization of zinc/silver particle composite coatings.

    PubMed

    Méndez, Alia; Reyes, Yolanda; Trejo, Gabriel; StĘpień, Krzysztof; Ţălu, Ştefan

    2015-12-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the three-dimensional (3D) surface micromorphology of zinc/silver particles (Zn/AgPs) composite coatings with antibacterial activity prepared using an electrodeposition technique. These 3D nanostructures were investigated over square areas of 5 μm × 5 μm by atomic force microscopy (AFM), fractal, and wavelet analysis. The fractal analysis of 3D surface roughness revealed that (Zn/AgPs) composite coatings have fractal geometry. Triangulation method, based on the linear interpolation type, applied for AFM data was employed in order to characterise the surfaces topographically (in amplitude, spatial distribution and pattern of surface characteristics). The surface fractal dimension Df , as well as height values distribution have been determined for the 3D nanostructure surfaces. © 2015 The Authors published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. A Study on Effect of Technological Change on the Frequency of Child Labour in the Indian Match Industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Velayutham, C. Muthu; Palanivel, R. V.; Anbarasan, R.; Sinthuja, M.

    2012-08-01

    The Indian match industry in the southern state of Tamil Nadu has been characterized by child labour and a stagnant technology for over half a century. We investigate the technological changes and industrial restructuring, catalyzed by the changing duty structure that has moved the match industry towards greater mechanization. Our examination indicates that increased mechanization in the production processes has implied greater demand for skilled labour and a decline in child labour.

  8. Perspective-Shifts in Event Descriptions in Tamil Child Language

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Narasimhan, Bhuvana; Gullberg, Marianne

    2006-01-01

    Children are able to take multiple perspectives in talking about entities and events. But the nature of children's sensitivities to the complex patterns of perspective-taking in adult language is unknown. We examine perspective-taking in four- and six-year-old Tamil-speaking children describing placement events, as reflected in the use of a…

  9. Effect of Naturally Acidic Agents on Microhardness and Surface Micromorphology of Restorative Materials

    PubMed Central

    Hengtrakool, Chanothai; Kukiattrakoon, Boonlert; Kedjarune-Leggat, Ureporn

    2011-01-01

    Objectives: This study investigated the titratable acidity and erosive potential of acidic agents on the microhardness and surface micromorphology of four restorative materials. Methods: Forty-seven discs of each restorative material; metal-reinforced glass ionomer cement (Ketac-S), resin-modified glass ionomer cement (Fuji II LC), resin composite (Filtek Z250) and amalgam (Valiant-Ph.D.), 12 mm in diameter and 2.5 mm in thickness, were divided into four groups (5 discs/group). Specimens were then immersed for 7 days into four storage media; deionized water (control), citrate buffer solution, green mango juice and pineapple juice. Microhardness testing before and after immersions was performed. Micromorphological changes were evaluated under a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Statistical significance among each group was analyzed using two-way repeated ANOVA and Tukey’s tests. Results: The Fuji II LC and the Ketac-S showed the highest reduction in microhardness (P<.05). The Valiant-Ph.D. and the Filtek Z250 showed some minor changes over the period of 7 days. The mango juice produced the greatest degradation effect (P<.05). Conclusions: This study suggested that for restorations in patients who have tooth surface loss, materials selected should be considered. In terms of materials evaluated, amalgam and resin composite are the most suitable for restorations. PMID:21311608

  10. The nest growth of the neotropical mound-building termite, Cornitermes cumulans: a micromorphological analysis.

    PubMed

    Cosarinsky, Marcela I

    2011-01-01

    The nests of Cornitermes cumulans K. (Isoptera: Termitidae), a very common termite in South American grasslands, display notable morphological transformations during the development of the colony. Young colonies inhabit small subterranean nests that develop into large, conspicuous, epigean mounds, inhabited by very populous colonies. Those macromorphological transformations are accompanied by micromorphological changes occurring gradually in the nest walls. The micromorphological changes during nest development described in the present study expand on previous macromorphological descriptions by explaining the re-organization of the soil components during nest growth. In subterranean nests, walls are composed of piles of lensshaped aggregates of soil material, each one surrounded by a thin organic coating. As the nest grows, mound walls are constructed by disassembling this first lenticular structure and rearranging the materials in a new fabric, where sand grains are loosely distributed among soil microaggregates of organic matter and clay. This is also a temporary construction, because the walls of large nests are composed of a porous mass of sands densely cemented with organic matter and clay in the mound, and a compact mass of the same components in the floor.

  11. The Nest Growth of the Neotropical Mound-Building Termite, Cornitermes cumulans: A Micromorphological Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Cosarinsky, Marcela I.

    2011-01-01

    The nests of Cornitermes cumulans K. (Isoptera: Termitidae), a very common termite in South American grasslands, display notable morphological transformations during the development of the colony. Young colonies inhabit small subterranean nests that develop into large, conspicuous, epigean mounds, inhabited by very populous colonies. Those macromorphological transformations are accompanied by micromorphological changes occurring gradually in the nest walls. The micromorphological changes during nest development described in the present study expand on previous macromorphological descriptions by explaining the re-organization of the soil components during nest growth. In subterranean nests, walls are composed of piles of lensshaped aggregates of soil material, each one surrounded by a thin organic coating. As the nest grows, mound walls are constructed by disassembling this first lenticular structure and rearranging the materials in a new fabric, where sand grains are loosely distributed among soil microaggregates of organic matter and clay. This is also a temporary construction, because the walls of large nests are composed of a porous mass of sands densely cemented with organic matter and clay in the mound, and a compact mass of the same components in the floor. PMID:22224433

  12. Influence of two different template removal methods on the micromorphology, crystal structure, and photocatalytic activity of hollow CdS nanospheres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Han; Jin, Tingting; Zheng, Xing; Jiang, Bo; Zhu, Chaosheng; Yuan, Xiangdong; Zheng, Jingtang; Wu, Mingbo

    2016-11-01

    Hollow cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanospheres of about 260 nm average diameters and about 30 nm shell thickness can be easily synthesized via a sonochemical process, in which polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles were employed as templates. In order to remove the PS templates, both etching and calcination were applied in this paper. The influence of the two different template removal methods on the surface micromorphology, crystal structure, and photocatalytic activity of hollow CdS nanospheres was carefully performed a comparative study. Results of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, FT-IR, thermogravimetric analysis, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, diffused reflectance spectra, and decolorization experiments showed that the different template removal methods exhibited a significant influence on the surface micromorphology, crystal structure, and photocatalytic activity of hollow CdS nanospheres. The CdS hollow nanospheres as-prepared by etching had pure cubic sphalerite structure, higher -OH content, less defects and exhibited good photocatalytic activity for rhodamine-B, Methylene Blue and methyl orange under UV-vis light irradiation. However, CdS hollow nanospheres obtained by calcination with a hexagonal crystal structure, less -OH content, more defects have shown worse photocatalytic activity. This indicated that surface micromorphology and crystalline phase were mainly factors influencing photocatalytic activity of hollow CdS nanospheres.

  13. Linguistic Adaptation and Psychometric Properties of Tamil Version of General Oral Health Assessment Index-Tml.

    PubMed

    Appukuttan, D P; Vinayagavel, M; Balasundaram, A; Damodaran, L K; Shivaraman, P; Gunasshegaran, K

    2015-01-01

    Oral health has an impact on quality of life hence for research purpose validation of a Tamil version of General Oral Health Assessment Index would enable it to be used as a valuable tool among Tamil speaking population. In this study, we aimed to assess the psychometric properties of translated Tamil version of General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI-Tml). Linguistic adaptation involved forward and backward blind translation process. Reliability was analyzed using test-retest, Cronbach alpha, and split half reliability. Inter-item and item-total correlation were evaluated using Spearman rank correlation. Convenience sampling was done, and 265 consecutive patients aged 20-70 years attending the outpatient department were recruited. Subjects were requested to fill a self-reporting questionnaire along with Tamil GOHAI version. Clinical examination was done on the same visit. Concurrent validity was measured by assessing the relationship between GOHAI scores and self-perceived oral health and general health status, satisfaction with oral health, need for dental treatment and esthetic satisfaction. Discriminant validity was evaluated by comparing the GOHAI scores with the objectively assessed clinical parameters. Exploratory factor analysis was done to examine the factor structure. Mean GOHAI-Tml was 52.7 (6.8, range 22-60, median 54). The mean number of negative impacts was 2 (2.4, range 0-11, median 1). The Spearman rank correlation for test-retest ranged from 0.8 to 0.9 (P < 0.001) for all the 12 items between visits. The Cronbach alpha for 265 samples was 0.8 suggesting good internal consistency and homogeneity between items. Item scale correlation ranged from 0.4 to 0.8 (P < 0.001). Concurrent and discriminant validity was established. Principal component analysis resulted in extraction of four factors which together accounted for 66.4% (7.9/12) variance. GOHAI-Tml has shown acceptable psychometric properties, so that it can be used as an efficient tool in

  14. Human trafficking for organ removal in India: a victim-centered, evidence-based report.

    PubMed

    Budiani-Saberi, Debra A; Raja, Kallakurichi Rajendiran; Findley, Katie C; Kerketta, Ponsian; Anand, Vijay

    2014-02-27

    Enhancements in the national transplant law to prohibit commercial transplants in India have curbed the trade. Yet, the human rights abuse of human trafficking for organ removal (HTOR) continues in various transplant centers throughout India. Beginning in September 2010 until May 2012, in-depth interviews were conducted with 103 victims of HTOR in India in which victims described their experiences of a commercial kidney removal in compelling detail. Victims were located in Tamil Nadu, and reference is made to the broader study that included 50 additional victims in small towns and villages in West Bengal and Karnataka. Fourteen cases (14%) in Tamil Nadu and an additional 20 cases (40%) from West Bengal and Karnataka occurred between 2009 to May 2012. The cases in Tamil Nadu ranged in age from 19 to 55 years, with an average age of 33 years in Erode and 36 years in Chennai. Fifty-seven percent of the victims in Erode are female, and 87% of the victims in Chennai are female. Twelve percent of the individuals were widowed or abandoned, 79% were married, and 91% were parents with an average of two kids. Of those interviewed, 28% had no formal education, 19% had some primary schooling, 22% had some secondary schooling, and no individuals reported schooling above high school. All victims interviewed lived in abject poverty with monthly income levels well below the national average. The majority of victims reported long lasting health, economic, social, and psychological consequences. No matter the reason expressed for an organ sale, all victims reported that they would not have agreed to the organ removal if their economic circumstances were not so dire. One hundred percent of the victims interviewed expressed that they need assistance to cope with these consequences. Human trafficking for an organ removal continues in private transplant centers throughout India, service to foreign patients is ongoing, and victims' consequences are long lasting. A rights-based response

  15. High-resolution analysis of Quaternary calcretes: a coupled stable isotope and micromorphological approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adamson, Kathryn; Candy, Ian; Whitfield, Liz

    2015-04-01

    Pedogenic calcretes are abundant in arid and semi-arid regions, and they are widely used as proxy records of palaeoclimatic change. Calcrete oxygen (δ18O) and carbon (δ13C) isotopic signatures are indicative of temperature, aridity, or vegetation at the time of calcrete formation. Their microfabrics also reflect carbonate formation mechanisms in response to the prevailing environmental conditions. Many studies have explored calcrete micromorphology or stable isotope composition, but these techniques have not yet been applied simultaneously. This co-analysis is important as it allows us to establish whether calcrete morphology directly reflects environmental change. This study tests the potential of combining these analyses to examine the relationships between calcrete microfabrics, their isotopic signals, and Quaternary climate change. Calcretes from four river terraces of the Rio Alias in southeast Spain have been analysed in detail. On the basis of morphostratigraphic correlation (Maher et al., 2007) and Uranium-series ages (Candy et al., 2005), these span the period from 304 ± 26 ka (MIS 9) to the Holocene. The oldest profiles have therefore been exposed to multiple glacial-interglacial cycles. A total of 37 micromorphological profiles have been used to extract stable oxygen and carbon isotopic indicators from 77 microfacies. The morphological and isotopic complexity of the calcrete profiles increases with progressive age. The oldest samples display multiple calcretisation phases, and their microfabrics have a larger isotopic range than the younger samples. Alpha (non-biogenic) fabrics have higher δ13C and δ18O values than beta (biogenic) fabrics. Strong positive covariance between δ13C and δ18O within all profiles suggests that both isotopes are responding to the same environmental parameter. We suggest that this is relative aridity. The study demonstrates that the detailed co-analysis of calcrete micromorphology and stable isotope signatures allows

  16. JPRS Report, Near East and South Asia.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1991-07-16

    Mohana Ranga Rao was murdered, there was virtually to Tamil Nadu as Prime Minister and Opposition leader no Government in the State with Mr. Rama Rao ... Rao Saturday he had no objections to the government accused the TDP [Teluga Desam Party] leaders of viti- making public anything concerning his talks...Minister P. Chidambaram’s Rao and Mr. Upendra would be held responsible if demand that the minutes of the meeting Mr. Karu- violence erupted or anything

  17. Micromorphology of Skeletonized and Pedicled Internal Thoracic and Radial Arteries.

    PubMed

    Mamchur, Sergey; Bokhan, Nikita; Vecherskii, Yuri; Malyshenko, Egor

    2015-01-01

    The objective of the study was to estimate the internal thoracic arteries (ITA) and radial arteries (RA) micromorphologic features by light microscopy after harvesting them using the skeletonization and pedicled methods in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. The micromorphologic characteristics of ITA and RA were studied by luminous microscopy in 61 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. A total of 122 ITA and RA segments harvested during surgery, fixed in formalin, and stained with hematoxiline and eosin were evaluated. The mean intima-media thickness of ITA was 9.2 and 134.7 µm and that of RA was 9.1 and 334.2 µm, respectively. In the distal segment of ITA the media-intima relation was 1.5 times bigger than in the proximal segment. None of ITA specimens contained atherosclerotic plaques or lipid inclusions. Atherosclerotic plaques were found in 3 (5%) RA specimens. Other degenerative changes were detected in 30%-74.2% of the specimens: splitting of internal elastic lamina, reduced tortuosity of the internal elastic lamina, and thickening and detachment of the intima; their incidence was associated with the skeletonization of the vessels. In conclusion, the incidence of ITA and RA degenerative changes varies from 30%-74.2% and its increase is associated with the skeletonization of the vessels, which is statistically significant. The media of the RA is 2.5 times thicker than that of the ITA (P < 0.01). This fact shows that RA has higher spasmogenic potential than that of ITA. The distal segment of the ITA has 1.5 times bigger media-intima relation than the proximal segment. Therefore, in case of enough graft length, it is recommended to avoid the distal segment and cut it off. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Micromorphological characterization of zinc/silver particle composite coatings

    PubMed Central

    Méndez, Alia; Reyes, Yolanda; Trejo, Gabriel; StĘpień, Krzysztof

    2015-01-01

    ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to evaluate the three‐dimensional (3D) surface micromorphology of zinc/silver particles (Zn/AgPs) composite coatings with antibacterial activity prepared using an electrodeposition technique. These 3D nanostructures were investigated over square areas of 5 μm × 5 μm by atomic force microscopy (AFM), fractal, and wavelet analysis. The fractal analysis of 3D surface roughness revealed that (Zn/AgPs) composite coatings have fractal geometry. Triangulation method, based on the linear interpolation type, applied for AFM data was employed in order to characterise the surfaces topographically (in amplitude, spatial distribution and pattern of surface characteristics). The surface fractal dimension D f, as well as height values distribution have been determined for the 3D nanostructure surfaces. Microsc. Res. Tech. 78:1082–1089, 2015. © 2015 The Authors published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. PMID:26500164

  19. Breast-feeding initiation time and neonatal mortality risk among newborns in South India.

    PubMed

    Garcia, C R; Mullany, L C; Rahmathullah, L; Katz, J; Thulasiraj, R D; Sheeladevi, S; Coles, C; Tielsch, J M

    2011-06-01

    To examine the association between breast-feeding initiation time and neonatal mortality in India, where breast-feeding initiation varies widely from region to region. Data were collected as part of a community-based, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of the impact of vitamin A supplementation in rural villages of Tamil Nadu, India. Multivariate binomial regression analysis was used to estimate the association between neonatal mortality and breast-feeding initiation time (<12 h, 12 to 24 h, >24 h) among infants surviving a minimum of 48 h. Among 10 464 newborns, 82.1% were first breast-fed before 12 h, 13.8% were breast-fed between 12 and 24 h, and 4.1% were breast-fed after 24 h. After adjusting for birth weight, gestational age and other covariates, late initiators (>24 h) were at ∼78% higher risk of death (relative risk=1.78 (95% confidence interval (CI)=1.03 to 3.10)). There was no difference in mortality risk when comparing babies fed in the first 12 h compared with the second 1  h after birth. Late (>24 h) initiation of breast-feeding is associated with a higher risk of neonatal mortality in Tamil Nadu. Emphasis on breast-feeding promotion programs in low-resource settings of India where early initiation is low could significantly reduce neonatal mortality.

  20. Translation of oswestry disability index into Tamil with cross cultural adaptation and evaluation of reliability and validity(§).

    PubMed

    Vincent, Joshua Israel; Macdermid, Joy Christine; Grewal, Ruby; Sekar, Vincent Prabhakaran; Balachandran, Dinesh

    2014-01-01

    Prospective longitudinal validation study. To translate and cross-culturally adapt the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) to the Tamil language (ODI-T), and to evaluate its reliability and construct validity. ODI is widely used as a disease specific questionnaire in back pain patients to evaluate pain and disability. A thorough literature search revealed that the Tamil version of the ODI has not been previously published. The ODI was translated and cross-culturally adapted to the Tamil language according to established guidelines. 30 subjects (16 women and 14 men) with a mean age of 42.7 years (S.D. 13.6; Range 22 - 69) with low back pain were recruited to assess the psychometric properties of the ODI-T Questionnaire. Patients completed the ODI-T, Roland-Morris disability questionnaire (RMDQ), VAS-pain and VAS-disability at baseline and 24-72 hours from the baseline visit. The ODI-T displayed a high degree of internal consistency, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.92. The test-retest reliability was high (n=30) with an ICC of 0.92 (95% CI, 0.84 to 0.96) and a mean re-test difference of 2.6 points lower on re-test. The ODI-T scores exhibited a strong correlation with the RMDQ scores (r = 0.82) p<0.01, VAS-P (r = 0.78) p<0.01 and VAS-D (r = 0.81) p<0.01. Moderate to low correlations were observed between the ODI-T and lumbar ROM (r = -0.27 to -0.53). All the hypotheses that were constructed apriori were supported. The Tamil version of the ODI Questionnaire is a valid and reliable tool that can be used to measure subjective outcomes of pain and disability in Tamil speaking patients with low back pain.

  1. In-Vitro Comparative Study of In-office and Home Bleaching Agents on Surface Micro-morphology of Enamel.

    PubMed

    Fatima, Nazish

    2016-01-01

    To evaluate the effect of home-use bleaching agent containing 16% Carbamide Peroxide (CP) and in-office bleaching agent with 38% Hydrogen Peroxide (HP) on surface micro-morphology of enamel. An experimental study. The discs were prepared at Material Engineering Department of NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi, and surface morphology was analyzed at Centralized Science Laboratory of Karachi University, Pakistan. Duration of study was one year from January to December 2012. Forty five sound human third molar crowns, extracted for periodontal reason, were included in the study. Longitudinal sections were made using diamond disks (0.2 mm) under water lubrication to obtain enamel slabs measuring (3 mm x 3 mm). The slabs were embedded in polystyrene resin by using 2.0 cm diameter PVC molds, leaving the outer enamel surface uncovered by the resin. Ninety dental enamel slabs were prepared. The slabs were then randomly divided into 3 groups. Each group contained thirty specimens (n=30). Group 1 was kept in artificial saliva at 37°C in incubator (Memart, Germany) during whole experiment. Group 2 was treated with power whitening gel (White Smile 2011, Germany). Group 3 was treated with tooth whitening pen (White Smile 2011, Germany). The most central region or the region that was most representative of the entire surface area was used. The SEM (Jeol-Japan-JSM6380A, JAPAN) micrographs were examined to determine the type of surface presented. The enamel changes were classified as no or mild alteration, moderate alteration and severe altered surface. Regarding micro-morphology, the enamel surface of control groups showed smooth surface in general with some scattered clear scratches due to the polishing procedure. The specimens bleached in group 2 and group 3, represented areas of mild erosion. Bleaching with 38% Hydrogen Peroxide (HP) and 16% Carbamide Peroxide (CP) resulted in mild changes in surface micro-morphology of enamel.

  2. Photochemical Formation and Transformation of Birnessite: Effects of Cations on Micromorphology and Crystal Structure.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Tengfei; Liu, Lihu; Tan, WenFeng; Suib, Steven L; Qiu, Guohong; Liu, Fan

    2018-05-24

    As important components with excellent oxidation and adsorption activity in soils and sediments, manganese oxides affect the transportation and fate of nutrients and pollutants in natural environments. In this work, birnessite was formed by photocatalytic oxidation of Mn2+aq in the presence of nitrate under solar irradiation. The effects of concentrations and species of interlayer cations (Na+, Mg2+, and K+) on birnessite crystal structure and micromorphology were investigated. The roles of adsorbed Mn2+ and pH in the transformation of the photosynthetic birnessite were further studied. The results indicated that Mn2+aq was oxidized to birnessite by superoxide radicals (O2•-) generated from the photolysis of NO3- under UV irradiation. The particle size and thickness of birnessite decreased with increasing cation concentration. The birnessite showed a plate-like morphology in the presence of K+, while exhibited a rumpled sheet-like morphology when Na+ or Mg2+ was used. The different micromorphologies of birnessites could be ascribed to the position of cations in the interlayer. The adsorbed Mn2+ and high pH facilitated the reduction of birnessite to low-valence manganese oxides including hausmannite, feitknechtite, and manganite. This study suggests that interlayer cations and Mn2+ play essential roles in the photochemical formation and transformation of birnessite in aqueous environments.

  3. Authorship Identification for Tamil Classical Poem using Subspace Discriminant Algorithm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pandian, A.; Ramalingam, V. V.; Manikandan, K.; Vishnu Preet, R. P.

    2018-04-01

    The Development of extensive perceiving confirmation of a creator's work consolidates stylometry examination that joins various fascinating issues. Extraction of specific kind of highlights from the substance draws in us with the chance to perceive the producers of obscure works. Center of this paper is to briefly recognize the creators of unidentified Tamil dataset in context of crafted by known creators. Content preparing is the technique for getting amazing data from the dataset that joins quantifiable highlights from the dataset. This paper proposes content preparing method to concentrate features and perform grouping on the same. Crafted by a unidentified sonnet or content can be discovered in light of performing arrangement on potential creators' past known work and building a classifier to characterize the obscure lyric or content in any dialect. This procedure can be additionally reached out to every single provincial dialect around the globe. Numerous writing analysts are thinking that it’s hard to sort ballads as the writers of them are not recognized. By playing out this procedure, creators of different lyrics in Tamil vernacular can be perceived which will be significant to the general public.

  4. The Role of Input Frequency and Semantic Transparency in the Acquisition of Verb Meaning: Evidence from Placement Verbs in Tamil and Dutch

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Narasimhan, Bhuvana; Gullberg, Marianne

    2011-01-01

    We investigate how Tamil- and Dutch-speaking adults and four- to five-year-old children use caused posture verbs ("lay/stand a bottle on a table") to label placement events in which objects are oriented vertically or horizontally. Tamil caused posture verbs consist of morphemes that individually label the causal and result subevents ("nikka…

  5. Traditional vocations and modern professions among Tamil Brahmans in colonial and post-colonial south India.

    PubMed

    Fuller, C J; Narasimhan, Haripriya

    2010-01-01

    Since the nineteenth century, Tamil Brahmans have been very well represented in the educated professions, especially law and administration, medicine, engineering and nowadays, information technology. This is partly a continuation of the Brahmans' role as literate service people, owing to their traditions of education, learning and literacy, but the range of professions shows that any direct continuity is more apparent than real. Genealogical data are particularly used as evidence about changing patterns of employment, education and migration. Caste traditionalism was not a determining constraint, for Tamil Brahmans were predominant in medicine and engineering as well as law and administration in the colonial period, even though medicine is ritually polluting and engineering resembles low-status artisans' work. Crucially though, as modern, English-language, credential-based professions that are wellpaid and prestigious, law, medicine and engineering were and are all deemed eminently suitable for Tamil Brahmans, who typically regard their professional success as a sign of their caste superiority in the modern world. In reality, though, it is mainly a product of how their old social and cultural capital and their economic capital in land were transformed as they seized new educational and employment opportunities by flexibly deploying their traditional, inherited skills and advantages.

  6. Jasminum sambac flower absolutes from India and China--geographic variations.

    PubMed

    Braun, Norbert A; Sim, Sherina

    2012-05-01

    Seven Jasminum sambac flower absolutes from different locations in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu were analyzed using GC and GC-MS. Focus was placed on 41 key ingredients to investigate geographic variations in this species. These seven absolutes were compared with an Indian bud absolute and commercially available J. sambac flower absolutes from India and China. All absolutes showed broad variations for the 10 main ingredients between 8% and 96%. In addition, the odor of Indian and Chinese J. sambac flower absolutes were assessed.

  7. Fiber-matrix integrity, micromorphology and flexural strength of glass fiber posts: Evaluation of the impact of rotary instruments.

    PubMed

    Pereira, Gabriel Kalil Rocha; Lançanova, Mateus; Wandscher, Vinicius Felipe; Kaizer, Osvaldo Bazzan; Limberger, Inácio; Özcan, Mutlu; Valandro, Luiz Felipe

    2015-08-01

    Several rotary instruments have been daily employed on clinic to promote cut aiming to adjust the length of fiber posts to the radicular conduct, but there is no information on the literature about the effects of the different rotary instruments and its impact on the micromorphology of surface and mechanical properties of the glass fiber post. This study aimed the impact of rotary instruments upon fiber-matrix integrity, micromorphology and flexural-strength of glass-fiber posts (GFP). GFP (N=110) were divided into 5 groups: Ctrl: as-received posts, DBc: coarse diamond-bur, DBff: extra-fine diamond-bur, CB: carbide-bur, DD: diamond-disc. Cutting procedures were performed under abundant irrigation. Posts exposed to rotary instruments were then subjected to 2-point inclined loading test (compression 45°) (n=10/group) and 3-point flexural-strength test (n=10/group). Fiber-matrix integrity and micromorphology at the cut surface were analyzed using a SEM (n=2/group). Cutting procedures did not significantly affect the 2-point (51.7±4.3-56.7±5.1 MPa) (p=0.0233) and 3-point flexural-strength (671.5±35.3-709.1±33.1 MPa) (p=0.0968) of the posts (One-way ANOVA and Tukey׳s test). Fiber detachment was observed only at the end point of the cut at the margins of the post. Cut surfaces of the CB group were smoother than those of the other groups. After 3-point flexural strength test, fiber-matrix separation was evident at the tensile side of the post. Rotary instruments tested with simultaneous water-cooling did not affect the resistance of the tested fiber posts but caused disintegration of the fibers from the matrix at the end of the cut, located at the margins. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Improving student learning via mobile phone video content: Evidence from the BridgeIT India project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wennersten, Matthew; Quraishy, Zubeeda Banu; Velamuri, Malathi

    2015-08-01

    Past efforts invested in computer-based education technology interventions have generated little evidence of affordable success at scale. This paper presents the results of a mobile phone-based intervention conducted in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in 2012-13. The BridgeIT project provided a pool of audio-visual learning materials organised in accordance with a system of syllabi pacing charts. Teachers of Standard 5 and 6 English and Science classes were notified of the availability of new videos via text messages (SMS), which they downloaded onto their phones using an open-source application and showed, with suggested activities, to students on a TV screen using a TV-out cable. In their evaluation of this project, the authors of this paper found that the test scores of children who experienced the intervention improved by 0.36 standard deviations in English and 0.98 standard deviations in Science in Andhra Pradesh, relative to students in similar classrooms who did not experience the intervention. Differences between treatment and control schools in Tamil Nadu were less marked. The intervention was also cost-effective, relative to other computer-based interventions. Based on these results, the authors argue that is possible to use mobile phones to produce a strong positive and statistically significant effect in terms of teaching and learning quality across a large number of classrooms in India at a lower cost per student than past computer-based interventions.

  9. Review of the genus Lanchnophorus (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Rhyparochromidae) with description of three new species and other nomenclatural changes.

    PubMed

    Kment, Petr; Carapezza, Attilio; Jindra, Zdeněk; Kondorosy, Előd

    2017-01-25

    The generic name Lanchnophorus Reuter, 1887, deemed for a long time to be unavailable as incorrect original spelling of Lachnophorus (in fact Lachnophorus Distant, 1903 is an unjustified emendation of the former), is restored as a valid name of the genus. Lachnesthus Bergroth, 1915, syn. nov. (new name for the preoccupied Lachnophorus Distant, 1903) is considered junior synonym of Lanchnophorus. The following nomenclatural changes are proposed: Lanchnophorus flavus (Scudder, 1971) comb. nov. = Lachnesthus chinai Scudder, nomen nudum; Lanchnophorus guttulatus Reuter, 1887, comb. restit. = Lachnophorus albidomaculatus Distant, 1913, syn. nov. = Lachnesthus rodriguezensis China, 1925, syn. nov.; Lanchnophorus leucospilus (Walker, 1872) comb. nov.; Lanchnophorus merula (Distant, 1903) comb. nov.; and Lanchnophorus singalensis (Dohrn, 1860) comb. nov. Three new species are described: Lanchnophorus gaoqingae Kment & Jindra sp. nov. from China (Yunnan), Lanchnophorus seminitens Kment & Carapezza sp. nov. from Socotra Island (Yemen), and Lanchnophorus webbi Kondorosy sp. nov. from India: Tamil Nadu. Bibliographies and known distribution of all the included species are reviewed. The following new country and state records are provided: L. flavus from Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Malawi, Niger, Zambia and Zimbabwe; L. leucospilus from China (Yunnan) and Laos, L. merula from India (Kerala/Tamil Nadu) and Thailand; L. singalensis from Angola, Benin, Mozambique, Namibia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, China (Hainan), Iran (Sistan and Ba-luchestan), Oman, Pakistan, India (Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan), Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand.

  10. The influence of metal Mg on micro-morphology and crystallinity of spherical hexagonal boron nitride

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhang, Ning, E-mail: zhangning5832@163.com; Liu, Huan; Kan, Hongmin

    2015-08-15

    Highlights: • The action mechanism of Mg to the synthesis of spherical BN was explored. • The influence of Mg content on the crystallinity of h-BN powders was studied. • Even if not added any template, the spherical h-BN could be prepared. - Abstract: This search used the boric acid and borax as a source of boron, urea as a nitrogen source, Mg as metal catalyst, and thus prepared different micro-morphology and crystallinity hexagonal boron nitride powders under a flowing ammonia atmosphere at a nitriding temperature of 750 °C. The effect of Mg content on the crystallinity and micro-morphology ofmore » hexagonal boron nitride powders was studied, and the Mg action mechanism was explored. Without the added surfactant, the graphitization index (GI) was 6.87, and the diameter of the spherical h-BN was bigger. When the added Mg were 0.1 g, 0.3 g, 0.5 g and 0.7 g, the (GI) decreased to 6.04, 5.67, 4.62 and 4.84, respectively. When the Mg content was higher (0.9 g), GI value increased rapidly, and the crystallinity became bad. When the Mg content was 0.5 g, the dispersion of h-BN powders was at its optimum and refinement apparently, and the crystallinity at its highest.« less

  11. "Interred with their bones" - linking soil micromorphology and chemistry to unlock the hidden archive of archaeological human burials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brothwell, Don; Usai, Maria-Raimonda; Keely, Brendan; Pickering, Matt; Wilson, Clare

    2010-05-01

    "Interred with their bones" Acronym: InterArChive - an ERC-funded project *** " Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; " I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. " The evil that men do lives after them; " The good is oft 'interred with their bones'; " So let it be with Caesar. William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Act III, Scene 2. *** Background The state of decay within soils in archaeological graves is often such that degradable objects are not preserved in a condition that can be visually recognised. However, microscopic soil features, inorganic element distributions and organic residues can be measured. Thus, archaeological burial soils have the potential to reveal signatures of decay; pre-burial treatment; presence and nature of associated clothing and perishable artefacts; diet of the individual; cause of death; evidence of morbidity and drug-use. Aims • To develop and test a multidisciplinary approach linking soil micromorphology and chemistry to recover environmental and cultural information; • Revealing the hidden archaeological archive within the burial soil • Developing soil sampling and analysis recommendations for archaeological human burials Methods 1: Sampling and soil field description from archaeological sites contrasting in soil, geology, age, and culture and from experimental piglet burials 2: Microscopic/micromorphological analysis (micro-scale observations) of remains and features in burial soils. We will establish the order of occurrence, spatial patterns, displacement, mode of formation and decay of micromorphological features including exotic components, parasites, hair and remnants of footwear and clothing [cf. pilot study of soils from Yemen]; microfabrics and textural pedofeatures, also to facilitate resolution of body decay products from other accumulations. 3: Microprobe analysis (nano-scale) will generate elemental maps of soil thin sections, allowing identification of features with distinct chemical signatures

  12. A note on the new species of the genus Isopsera (Orthoptera: Phaneropteridae: Phaneropterinae) from India.

    PubMed

    Nagar, Rajendra; Mal, Jhabar; Swaminathan, R

    2015-05-29

    A new species of the genus, Isopsera: Isopsera arcuata Nagar, Mal, Swaminathan sp. nov. (Orthoptera:Phaneropteridae Burmeister, 1838; Phaneropterinae Burmeister, 1838) is described. The holotype (♂) was collected from South India: Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu). The geographical location had the following specifications: 12⁰58 N 77⁰35E 930MSL South India. The described species differs from the two closely related species, I. caligula Ingrisch and I. spinosa Ingrisch, based on the structure of the male sub-genital plate, cerci and stridulatory file on the left tegmen.

  13. Effect of micromorphology of cortical bone tissue on crack propagation under dynamic loading

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Mayao; Gao, Xing; Abdel-Wahab, Adel; Li, Simin; Zimmermann, Elizabeth A.; Riedel, Christoph; Busse, Björn; Silberschmidt, Vadim V.

    2015-09-01

    Structural integrity of bone tissue plays an important role in daily activities of humans. However, traumatic incidents such as sports injuries, collisions and falls can cause bone fracture, servere pain and mobility loss. In addition, ageing and degenerative bone diseases such as osteoporosis can increase the risk of fracture [1]. As a composite-like material, a cortical bone tissue is capable of tolerating moderate fracture/cracks without complete failure. The key to this is its heterogeneously distributed microstructural constituents providing both intrinsic and extrinsic toughening mechanisms. At micro-scale level, cortical bone can be considered as a four-phase composite material consisting of osteons, Haversian canals, cement lines and interstitial matrix. These microstructural constituents can directly affect local distributions of stresses and strains, and, hence, crack initiation and propagation. Therefore, understanding the effect of micromorphology of cortical bone on crack initiation and propagation, especially under dynamic loading regimes is of great importance for fracture risk evaluation. In this study, random microstructures of a cortical bone tissue were modelled with finite elements for four groups: healthy (control), young age, osteoporosis and bisphosphonate-treated, based on osteonal morphometric parameters measured from microscopic images for these groups. The developed models were loaded under the same dynamic loading conditions, representing a direct impact incident, resulting in progressive crack propagation. An extended finite-element method (X-FEM) was implemented to realize solution-dependent crack propagation within the microstructured cortical bone tissues. The obtained simulation results demonstrate significant differences due to micromorphology of cortical bone, in terms of crack propagation characteristics for different groups, with the young group showing highest fracture resistance and the senior group the lowest.

  14. Micromorphology of past urban soils: method and results (France, Iron Age - Middle Age)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cammas, Cécilia

    2014-05-01

    Urban soils in French protohistoric and Roman towns and present-day towns of roman origin are several meters thick accumulations, with great spatial and vertical variability due to long duration of occupation. In order to improve our knowledge of both sedimentary and pedological characteristics as well as formation processes of urban soils, micromorphological analysis was carried out on buried towns. The studied sites include Iron Age towns (floodplain sites: Lattes or Lattara, Le Cailar; oppidum: Pech-Maho in the south of France), a roman buried town (Famars or Fanum Martis, North of France), and various towns occupied from the Roman period until now (urban and periurban sites in Paris, Strasbourg, Mâcon… North and East of France). Original method and sampling strategy were elaborated in order to try to encompass both spatial and vertical variability as well as the "mitage" of the present-day cities. In Lattes, representative elementary urban areas such as streets, courtyard, and houses were sampled for micromorphology during extensive excavation. These analyses revealed specific microscopic features related to complex anthropogenic processes (craft and domestic activities discarding, trampling, backfill, building), moisture and heat, and biological activity, which defined each kind of area. Comparison between well preserved buried town and current cities of roman origin, where the sequence of past urban soils is preserved in few place ("mitage") help to identify past activities, building rhythms as well as specific building materials. For example, in Paris, compacted sandy backfills alternate with watertight hardfloors during the Roman period (soils similar to Technosols). At the opposite, various kinds of loose bioturbated laminated dark earth resulting from activities such as craft refuses, backfills, compost or trampled layers were discriminated for Early Medieval Period (soils similar to Cumulic Anthroposol). Moreover, biological activity is usually

  15. Exploring posttraumatic growth in Tamil children affected by the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004.

    PubMed

    Exenberger, Silvia; Ramalingam, Panch; Höfer, Stefan

    2016-10-13

    Few studies explore posttraumatic growth (PTG) in children from Eastern cultures. To help address this gap, the present study examined PTG among 177 South Indian children aged 8-17 years who were affected by the 2004 Tsunami. The study identifies the underlying factor structure of the Tamil version of the Revised Posttraumatic Growth Inventory for Children (PTGI-C-R), and aims to explore the prevalence of PTG, the relationship between distress and growth, and gender and age differences in PTG. The results of the principal component analysis indicated a two-factor structure with an interpersonal and a person-centred dimension of growth. The total scores of the Tamil PTGI-C-R were positively associated with posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and age. Moreover, there was a significant relationship between age and the person-centred growth subscale. Non-parametric tests found no gender differences in perceived growth. The role of socio-cultural factors on the nature of PTG is discussed. © 2016 International Union of Psychological Science.

  16. Weekly variation of atmospheric particle micromorphology and chemistry in Brussels urban environment.

    PubMed

    Zaady, Eli; Carati, D; Brenig, L; Vanderstraeten, P; Lénelle, Y; Meurrens, A; Offer, Z Y

    2010-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to measure the impact of urban activities on airborne particle dynamics during weekend periods in Brussels urban area. Differences in the granulometry and micromorphology between particles sampled on working days and weekends were studied. We quantified the area, size, number, and the chemistry parameters of the airborne particles and compared between Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. We report and analyze data on airborne particles up to PM10, measured in the Brussels region from October 2002 to September 2003. Our investigation reveals detailed information regarding chemical composition of the airborne particles over the weekend period in the Brussels urban area. Furthermore, the majority of the airborne particles in the Brussels region may belong to sources geographically outside the (in situ) Brussels area.

  17. How Persistent are Grammatical Gender Effects? The Case of German and Tamil.

    PubMed

    Sedlmeier, Peter; Tipandjan, Arun; Jänchen, Anastasia

    2016-04-01

    Does the language we speak shape the way we think? The present research concentrated on the impact of grammatical gender on cognition and examined the persistence of the grammatical gender effect by (a) concentrating on German, a three-gendered language, for which previous results have been inconsistent, (b) statistically controlling for common alternative explanations, (c) employing three tasks that differed in how closely they are associated with grammatical gender, and (d) using Tamil, a nongendered language, as a baseline for comparison. We found a substantial grammatical gender effect for two commonly used tasks, even when alternative explanations were statistically controlled for. However, there was basically no effect for a task that was only very loosely connected to grammatical gender (similarity rating of word pairs). In contrast to previous studies that found effects of the German and Spanish grammatical gender in English (a nongendered language), our study did not produce such effects for Tamil, again after controlling for alternative explanations, which can be taken as additional evidence for the existence of a purely linguistic grammatical gender effect. These results indicate that general grammatical gender effects exist but that the size of these effects may be limited and their range restricted.

  18. Seven new species of Night Frogs (Anura, Nyctibatrachidae) from the Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot of India, with remarkably high diversity of diminutive forms

    PubMed Central

    Garg, Sonali; Suyesh, Robin; Sukesan, Sandeep

    2017-01-01

    The Night Frog genus Nyctibatrachus (Family Nyctibatrachidae) represents an endemic anuran lineage of the Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot, India. Until now, it included 28 recognised species, of which more than half were described recently over the last five years. Our amphibian explorations have further revealed the presence of undescribed species of Nights Frogs in the southern Western Ghats. Based on integrated molecular, morphological and bioacoustic evidence, seven new species are formally described here as Nyctibatrachus athirappillyensis sp. nov., Nyctibatrachus manalari sp. nov., Nyctibatrachus pulivijayani sp. nov., Nyctibatrachus radcliffei sp. nov., Nyctibatrachus robinmoorei sp. nov., Nyctibatrachus sabarimalai sp. nov. and Nyctibatrachus webilla sp. nov., thereby bringing the total number of valid Nyctibatrachus species to 35 and increasing the former diversity estimates by a quarter. Detailed morphological descriptions, comparisons with other members of the genus, natural history notes, and genetic relationships inferred from phylogenetic analyses of a mitochondrial dataset are presented for all the new species. Additionally, characteristics of male advertisement calls are described for four new and three previously known species. Among the new species, six are currently known to be geographically restricted to low and mid elevation regions south of Palghat gap in the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and one is probably endemic to high-elevation mountain streams slightly northward of the gap in Tamil Nadu. Interestingly, four new species are also among the smallest known Indian frogs. Hence, our discovery of several new species, particularly of easily overlooked miniaturized forms, reiterates that the known amphibian diversity of the Western Ghats of India still remains underestimated. PMID:28243532

  19. Dengue epidemiology in Thanjavur and Trichy district, Tamilnadu--Jan 2011-Dec 2011.

    PubMed

    Bhuvaneswari, Chinnathambi Kalidoss; Raja, Ramalingam Senthil; Arunagiri, Kavita; Mohana, Shambasivam; Sathiyamurthy, Karuppanan; Krishnasamy, Kaveri; Gunasekaran, Palani

    2011-06-01

    Dengue infection is emerging as a serious public health problem in Tamil Nadu. An enhanced surveillance system can generate information on the epidemiology of the disease, which is essential for planning and development of relevant control/preventive measures against Dengue. A prospective descriptive study was undertaken between January 2011 to December 2011, by testing suspected Dengue patients attending Thanjavur Medical College and Trichy Hospital (TMCH, a major Government referral hospital in Thanjavur District, Tamil Nadu, India) to define the magnitude of Dengue burden, the natural history of this disease in terms of clinical presentation and outcome of the infections in hospitalized Dengue patients. The sera collected from suspected patients were analyzed for Dengue specific IgM and IgG antibodies by IgM antibody capture enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using NIV kit and IgGPanBio Duo Rapid Immunochromatographic Card Test (Brisbane, Australia). The clinical case definition by World Health Organization was adopted to categorize the Dengue cases. The total number of samples screened during the period was 200, out of which 79 (39.5%) were positive for IgM and IgG antibodies and 65 (32%) for IgM antibodies only. By clinical evaluation, Dengue fever was diagnosed in 43 patients, 18 had hemorrhagic manifestations and four patients had progressed to DSS. Though (DSS+DHF) was present in 22 patients, all of them recovered well. In developing countries like India, building of laboratory with advanced capacity for diagnosis and combat-mode ready preparedness for the management of Dengue cases in emergency situation may reduce Dengue-related mortality.

  20. Molecular Characterization of Geographically Different Banana bunchy top virus Isolates in India.

    PubMed

    Selvarajan, R; Mary Sheeba, M; Balasubramanian, V; Rajmohan, R; Dhevi, N Lakshmi; Sasireka, T

    2010-10-01

    Banana bunchy top disease (BBTD) caused by Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) is one of the most devastating diseases of banana and poses a serious threat for cultivars like Hill Banana (Syn: Virupakshi) and Grand Naine in India. In this study, we have cloned and sequenced the complete genome comprised of six DNA components of BBTV infecting Hill Banana grown in lower Pulney hills, Tamil Nadu State, India. The complete genome sequence of this hill banana isolate showed high degree of similarity with the corresponding sequences of BBTV isolates originating from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh State, India, and from Fiji, Egypt, Pakistan, and Australia. In addition, sixteen coat protein (CP) and thirteen replicase genes (Rep) sequences of BBTV isolates collected from different banana growing states of India were cloned and sequenced. The replicase sequences of 13 isolates showed high degree of similarity with that of South Pacific group of BBTV isolates. However, the CP gene of BBTV isolates from Shervroy and Kodaikanal hills of Tamil Nadu showed higher amino acid sequence variability compared to other isolates. Another hill banana isolate from Meghalaya state had 23 nucleotide substitutions in the CP gene but the amino acid sequence was conserved. This is the first report of the characterization of a complete genome of BBTV occurring in the high altitudes of India. Our study revealed that the Indian BBTV isolates with distinct geographical origins belongs to the South Pacific group, except Shervroy and Kodaikanal hill isolates which neither belong to the South Pacific nor the Asian group.

  1. Does the microclimate under hail nets influence micromorphological characteristics of apple leaves and cuticles?

    PubMed

    Hunsche, Mauricio; Blanke, Michael M; Noga, Georg

    2010-08-15

    A higher frequency of hail storms, possibly due to climate change, has led to increased installation of hail nets worldwide. The objective of the present work was to investigate potential effects of the microclimate under these hail nets on micromorphological characteristics of the leaves and adaxial leaf cuticles. Leaves of apple cultivars 'Pinova' and 'Fuji' grown on trees under white (highly translucent) or red-black (low transmittance) hail nets or on uncovered (control) trees were evaluated in June, August, September and October. The microclimate under the colored hail nets had no impact on leaf micromorphology, amount of cuticular wax, or leaf thickness. Similarly, no differences in thickness and permeability for calcium could be established between cuticles of leaves grown on trees under the two types of hail nets or uncovered trees. For all evaluated parameters, significant differences were detected between the two cultivars examined. In both cultivars, leaf wax synthesis followed a characteristic curve, increasing from the first to the second evaluation, and then decreasing continuously without affecting cuticular penetration of calcium. Overall, our results show that a reduction of the hail nets by 6-10% in both light and humidity was insufficient to influence the surface properties of apple leaves and permeability of cuticles. This may suggest that pest management strategies, i.e. formulation of agrochemicals, their application and dose, do not need to be adapted when used under hail nets. Overall, the present results indicate that the microclimatic changes brought about by colored hail nets are sufficient to enhance the vegetative growth and induce the 'shade avoidance syndrome', but do not appear to affect the leaf cuticular properties. Copyright 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  2. Soil micromorphology, geochemistry and microbiology at two sites on James Ross Island, Maritime Antarctica

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meier, Lars A.; Krauze, Patryk; Prater, Isabel; Scholten, Thomas; Wagner, Dirk; Kühn, Peter; Mueller, Carsten W.

    2017-04-01

    Referring to the fundamental question in ecosystem research, how biotic and abiotic processes interact, only a few studies exist for polar regions that integrate microbiological and soil scientific studies . Soils comprise the complex structure and environment that fosters water storage and nutrient cycling determined by its unique chemical, physical and biological properties with respect to the specific climate and parent material. In the extreme environment of Antarctica, soil biological processes are primarily controlled by microbial communities (Bacteria, Archaea and Fungi), and thus microbiota may also determine soils chemical and physical properties in a landscape lacking higher plants at an average air temperature below 0°C. James Ross Island, Maritime Antarctica, offers a pristine laboratory and an exceptional opportunity to study pedogenesis without the influence of vascular plants and burrowing animals. We analysed micromorphological features, chemical and microbiological measures at two sites on James Ross Island (Brandy Bay and St. Martha Cove) with similar substrates (mostly fine-grained calcareous sandstones and siltstones of the Alpha Member of the Santa Martha Formation with varying amounts of conglomerates and mudstones) at similar topographic positions (small plateaus at similar elevation (80m a.s.l.)). The sites represent luv- and leeward conditions with respect to the main southwesterly winds. The climate on James Ross Island is to be described as semi-arid polar-continental, which is in clear contrast to the Southern Shetlands (e.g. King George Island) north of the Antarctic Peninsula. We will present first results of soil physical (bulk density, soil moisture and grains size distribution), pedochemical (SOC, total N and S, pH, CECeff, and pedogenic oxides) micromorphological and microbial analyses (Microbial DNA content, microbial abundances).

  3. Peace, justice and disabled women's advocacy: Tamil women with disabilities in rural post-conflict Sri Lanka.

    PubMed

    Kandasamy, Niro; Soldatic, Karen; Samararatne, Dinesha

    2017-03-01

    This article draws on grounded qualitative research with rural Tamil women who acquired a disability during the civil war in Sri Lanka and conceptualizes an intersectionality-peace framework. Three main themes were developed from the interviews: narratives of conflict, survival outcomes of social assistance and mobilization of cross-ethnic relationships. With the support of a local women's disability advocacy organization, Tamil women with disabilities were enabled to overcome social stigma and claim a positive identity as women with disabilities. The organization's focus on realizing disability rights created new opportunities for these highly marginalized rural women. The women were also supported to form cross-ethnic relationships with women who similarly faced multiple oppressions. These relationships transformed the women into 'agents of peace', using their newfound disability identity to foster cross-ethnic dialogue and create safe spaces in the post-conflict context.

  4. Seroepidemiological study of toxoplasmosis in southern districts of Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Sucilathangam, G; Anna, T

    2016-06-01

    The current study was conducted with the objectives of estimating the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and associated socio-demographic, clinical and behavioural characteristics in and around Tirunelveli. Serum samples from 175 immunodeficient and 175 immunocompetent patients were collected and were analyzed by in-house enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A questionnaire survey was administered for all study participants to gather information on risk factors. The present study revealed that anti- T. gondii IgG antibodies were detected in 13.14 % which constitutes 15.43 % in immunocompromised and 10.86 % in immunocompetent patients. There was a significant difference between sex of the study population and drinking water source. Seroprevalence was increased in the male (19.12 %, p = 0.0075, OR 2.316, 95 % CI 1.2362-4.3405) than the female and with river water consumption other than bore water (12.5 %, p = 0.0483, OR 0.857, 95 % CI 0.1853-3.4641). No significant relations were observed between anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies and age, residence, diet and animal contact in the study population. Toxoplasmosis will remain a problem, mainly in risk groups such as pregnant women and immunocompromised patients. Improvement can only be attained by increasing prevention and reducing the risk factors.

  5. Application of SAR remote sensing and crop modeling for operational rice crop monitoring in South and South East Asian Countries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Setiyono, T. D.; Holecz, F.; Khan, N. I.; Barbieri, M.; Maunahan, A. A.; Gatti, L.; Quicho, E. D.; Pazhanivelan, S.; Campos-Taberner, M.; Collivignarelli, F.; Haro, J. G.; Intrman, A.; Phuong, D.; Boschetti, M.; Prasadini, P.; Busetto, L.; Minh, V. Q.; Tuan, V. Q.

    2017-12-01

    This study uses multi-temporal SAR imagery, automated image processing, rule-based classification and field observations to classify rice in multiple locations in South and South Asian countries and assimilate the information into ORYZA Crop Growth Simulation Model (CGSM) to monitor rice yield. The study demonstrates examples of operational application of this rice monitoring system in: (1) detecting drought impact on rice planting in Central Thailand and Tamil Nadu, India, (2) mapping heat stress impact on rice yield in Andhra Pradesh, India, and (3) generating historical rice yield data for districts in Red River Delta, Vietnam.

  6. Strategies for waste management in small and medium towns of developing countries: a case study of India.

    PubMed

    Sundaravadivel, M; Vigneswaran, S

    2003-01-01

    This paper evaluates the issues of waste management in small and medium towns (SMTs) (with population in the range of 10,000-100,000) of India, and identifies the need for a multi-disciplinary approach encompassing technological, economic and financial aspects of the issues to effect improvements. A comprehensive set of cross-disciplinary strategies is suggested to improve the prevailing conditions with environmentally appropriate, economically efficient and financially self-sustaining waste management services. Based on a case study of four SMTs in the State of Tamil Nadu in India, this paper evaluates the application of the suggested strategies and offers policy recommendations.

  7. Facets of morbid jealousy: With an anecdote from a historical Tamil romance

    PubMed Central

    Somasundaram, O.

    2010-01-01

    SUMMARY Morbid jealousy is a symptom which occurs in many psychiatric conditions. The complex emotional aspects of jealousy have been discussed by earlier authors. The clinical, cultural, social, and forensic aspects, are touched upon. Morbid jealousy is a favourite topic among novelists and dramatists. “Othello” is a classic example. This topic is covered in one of the famous historical romances of the Tamil author, Kalki. PMID:21180423

  8. Nonassociation of homocysteine gene polymorphisms with treatment outcome in South Indian Tamil Rheumatoid Arthritis patients.

    PubMed

    Muralidharan, Niveditha; Gulati, Reena; Misra, Durga Prasanna; Negi, Vir S

    2018-02-01

    The aim of the study was to look for any association of MTR 2756A>G and MTRR 66A>G gene polymorphisms with clinical phenotype, methotrexate (MTX) treatment response, and MTX-induced adverse events in South Indian Tamil patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A total of 335 patients with RA were investigated. MTR 2756A>G gene polymorphism was analyzed by PCR-RFLP, and MTRR 66A>G SNP was analyzed by TaqMan 5' nuclease assay. The allele frequencies were compared with HapMap groups. MTR 2756G allele was found to be associated with risk of developing RA. The allele frequencies of MTR 2756A>G and MTRR 66A>G SNPs in controls differed significantly when compared with HapMap groups. Neither of the SNPs influenced the MTX treatment outcome and adverse effects. Neither of the SNPs seems to be associated with MTX treatment outcome and adverse events in South Indian Tamil patients with RA.

  9. Genetic selection pressure in TLR9 gene may enforce risk for SLE in Indian Tamils.

    PubMed

    Yusuf, J H; Kaliyaperumal, D; Jayaraman, M; Ramanathan, G; Devaraju, P

    2017-03-01

    Objectives Lupus is a classical systemic autoimmune disease with genetics as one of the well known causative factors for the disease pathogenesis. Toll-like receptors are the major pattern recognition receptors associated with innate immunity and also act as an interface with the adaptive immunity. Genetic polymorphisms in genes encoding TLRs were implicated in the development of infections, malignancies and autoimmune diseases. TLR9 is a member of TLR family, and recognizes the CpG DNA motifs of pathogens. Though the incidence rate of lupus in Asians was reported to be low (30 - 50/100,000 population), poor disease prognosis due to higher incidence of renal complications and aggressive disease worsens the scenario. The ability of TLR9 to detect and elicit an immune response against double-stranded DNA makes TLR9 a relevant factor to be tested for its association with the clinical and serological phenotypes of lupus. However, lack of relevant genetic data on normative frequencies of the TLR9 (rs187084) polymorphism may serve as a constraint to derive the sample size to conduct case control association studies. Hence this study was conducted to establish the normative frequency of TLR9 (rs187084) polymorphism in Indian Tamils. Materials and methods The TLR9 (rs187084) polymorphism was screened in South Indian Tamils ( n = 208) by PCR-RFLP. Results and discussion We observed a higher occurrence of the mutant allele (65%) in South Indian Tamils. No gender disparity with respect to the mutant allele frequency was observed. The higher incidence of mutant allele in both genders suggests that this population had undergone a genetic selection pressure as an evolutionary genetic measure to withstand the prevailing endemic infections like TB and malaria. Though the enhanced expression of TLR9 was protective against infections, it may also influence the development of autoimmune diseases. Conclusion The higher incidence of theTLR9 (rs187084) over-expression mutation

  10. Micromorphological investigations of the Late Quaternary loess-paleosol sequences of the Kashmir Valley, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dar, Reyaz Ahmad; Chandra, Rakesh; Romshoo, Shakil Ahmad; Kowser, Nazia

    2015-11-01

    The loess-paleosol sequences of the Karewa Group preserve a valuable repository of the Late Quaternary climatic changes and the landscape evolution history of the Karewa Basin of Kashmir Valley in their lithological and pedogenic records. Three representative loess-paleosol sections at Shankerpora (SP), Khan Sahib (KS) and Pattan (PT) localities were chosen for detailed lithostratigraphic fieldwork and micromorphological observations of thin sections. Lithostratigraphic analysis revealed lateral and vertical variation in thickness and number of paleosol profiles from south-west to north-west of the Karewa Basin suggesting the availability of land-surface for periodic loess deposition. The SP section is marked by 6 (SP-S6, S7, S8, S9, S10, S12), KS section by 3 (KS-S2, S4, S5) and PT section by 2 (PT-S1, S3) thick mature paleosol profiles. Theses paleosols have well developed 'Ah' and 'Btk' horizons representing prolonged land-surface stability when pedogenic processes outpace loess deposition. On the other hand comparatively thin to thick paleosol profiles represent weak to moderate pedogenic maturity indicating short stratigraphic breaks with rapid loess deposition. Micromorphological observations of thin sections suggested that clay illuviation and CaCO3 accumulation have operated within the paleosol profiles. CaCO3 features are often associated with clay coatings suggesting decalcification of carbonates followed by clay illuviation. Pedogenic CaCO3 probably resulted from the precipitation of the soil solution near the average depth of wetting front. The pedogenic CaCO3, illuvial clay, mottles, iron manganese features, pedal microstructure and blocky aggregates reveal variation in the pedogenic maturity among and within the loess-paleosol sections. The morphological (both micro- and macro-morphological) attributes of loess-paleosols suggest variation of climatic conditions during the Late Quaternary period in the Karewa Basin of Kashmir Valley, India.

  11. Micromorphological characteristics of sandy forest soils recently impacted by wildfires in Russia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maksimova, Ekaterina; Abakumov, Evgeny

    2017-04-01

    Two fire-affected soils were studied using micromorphological methods. The objective of the paper is to assess and compare fire effects on the micropedological organisation of soils in a forest-steppe zone of central Russia (Volga Basin, Togliatti city). Samples were collected in the green zone of Togliatti city. The results showed that both soils were rich in quartz and feldspar. Mica was highly present in soils affected by surface fires, while calcium carbonates were identified in the soils affected by crown fires. The type of plasma is humus-clay, but the soil assemblage is plasma-silt with a prevalence of silt. Angular and subangular grains are the most dominant soil particulates. No evidence of intensive weathering was detected. There was a decrease in the porosity of soils affected by fires as a consequence of soil pores filled with ash and charcoal.

  12. The Influence of Gujarati and Tamil L1s on Indian English: A Preliminary Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wiltshire, Caroline R.; Harnsberger, James D.

    2006-01-01

    English as spoken as a second language in India has developed distinct sound patterns in terms of both segmental and prosodic characteristics. We investigate the differences between two groups varying in native language (Gujarati, Tamil) to evaluate to what extent Indian English (IE) accents are based on a single target phonological-phonetic…

  13. Duty and Service: Life and Career of a Tamil Teacher of English in Sri Lanka

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hayes, David

    2010-01-01

    This article discusses the life and career of a Tamil teacher of English working in the government education system in northern Sri Lanka. Based on data gathered in an extended life history interview, the article explores the teacher's own experiences of schooling, his reasons for entering teaching as a profession, his professional training, and…

  14. Management practices followed for draught cattle in the southern part of India.

    PubMed

    Akila, Natarajan; Chander, Mahesh

    2010-02-01

    A study was conducted to determine the management practices followed by the farmers for draught cattle in Tamil Nadu state, India. Methods of procurement of animals, use of female animals, breeds preferred, housing, health, disposal of animals, feeding, shoeing, purchase of animal-drawn implements and their maintenance were all assessed with 210 farmers from seven districts across different agro-climatic zones in Tamil Nadu. The results revealed that 86 % of the respondents purchased the draught cattle from the livestock markets, most were bullocks but 20 small farmers and 5 medium farmers used female animals for ploughing. Among the indigenous breeds, Kangeyam (33 %) and Hallikar (30 %) breeds were the most popular for work. Most farmers (69 %) provided a mixed type of housing (provision of housing only during the night time and the rainy season) for their draught cattle. The major health problem reported by 63 % of respondents was pyrexia. Almost all farmers sold their animals at the age of 8-10 years. The feeding practices for draught cattle were poor especially with the small farmers. The cattle were fed with mainly paddy straw and rice bran. Oilcakes and cotton seeds were given to the animals which work throughout the year mainly for ploughing and carting. The draught cattle were first shod at around 2.5 years of age. The majority of the farmers (71 %) used the traditional animal-drawn implements made by local artisans, and the farmers were not aware of the new implements to reduce the drudgery of work cattle, designed by the Agricultural Machinery Research Centre and Agricultural Engineering Departments located in India.

  15. Genetic affinities of Sri Lankan populations.

    PubMed

    Kshatriya, G K

    1995-12-01

    -standing contribution (over 2000 years) of the population groups of India, especially those from Bengal and Tamil Nadu. Similarly, the Tamils of Sri Lanka are closer to the Sinhalese because they were always in close proximity to each other historically, linguistically, and culturally.

  16. Complete Genome Sequence of an Isolate of Bluetongue Virus Serotype 2, Demonstrating Circulation of a Western Topotype in Southern India

    PubMed Central

    Maan, Narender S.; Maan, Sushila; Guimera, Marc; Pullinger, Gillian; Singh, Karam Pal; Nomikou, Kyriaki; Belaganahalli, Manjunatha N.

    2012-01-01

    Bluetongue virus serotype 2 (IND2003/02) was isolated in Tiruneveli City, Tamil Nadu State, India, and is stored in the Orbivirus Reference Collection at the Institute for Animal Health, Pirbright, United Kingdom. The entire genome of this isolate was sequenced, showing that it is composed of a total of 19,203 bp (all 10 genome segments). This is the first report of the entire genome sequence of a western strain of BTV-2 isolated in India, indicating that this virus has been introduced and is circulating in the region. These data will aid in the development of diagnostics and molecular epidemiology studies of BTV-2 in the subcontinent. PMID:22492927

  17. Soil and sediments micromorphology: reconstruction of palaeoenvironments, anthropogenic processes, or more recent human impact on ecosystems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gérard, Martine; Trombino, Luca; Stoops, Georges

    2014-05-01

    Soils and sediments registered the environmental changes in time and space, but also display components inherited from human activities, both in archaeological and in modern times. Micromorphological investigations carried out on undisturbed samples of soil and sediments by microscopic and ultramicroscopic techniques, correlated with mineralogy, geochemistry or biology, allow us to interpret the processes behind the formation of regoliths, sediments and anthropogenic deposits, from which a relative chronology, specific environmental conditions and/or extent of human impact may be deduced. The traditional optical microscopy observations, carried on the thin section groundmass and pedofeatures, provide clues on the different processes behind soils and sediments genesis (weathering, supergene, low T hydrothermal, anthropogenic) and their impact on ecosystems or on palaeoenvironments. In more recent times, the improvements in electron microscope imaging technology permit to make detailed observations up to the nanoscale, opening a new domain of observations to micromorphologists, both as regard of the micromass and of the thinner pedofeatures. Moreover, the optimisation of the microgeochemical mapping techniques, with spatially resolved chemical, isotopic or mineralogical analyses, is another powerful tool to gain insight in chemical migration fronts: the limit of the original rock fabric disappearance may be bypassed. In order to illustrate micromorphological researches in natural and man-influenced ecosystems, and to combine researches at different scales, several optical and electronic images of soils and sediments groundmass, associated to their microgeochemical characteristics will be presented, with selected examples taken from the climatic record of paleosols, the impact of hydrothermal alteration on saprolites, the neo-formation of minerals related to weathering process evolution, the protosoil formation in natural and human waste deposits, and the forensic

  18. Towards Homogeneity in Home Languages: Malay, Chinese Foochow and Indian Tamil Families in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ting, Su-Hie; Mahadhir, Mahanita

    2009-01-01

    This preliminary study examines the languages used by parents with their children in Malay, Chinese Foochow and Indian Tamil families to find out how the similarity or dissimilarity in parents' ethnic language influenced the choice of language transmitted to children and how far standard languages have permeated the family domain in Kuching City…

  19. Reclaiming Reconciliation through Community Education for the Muslims and Tamils of Post-War Jaffna, Sri Lanka

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Duncan, Ross; Cardozo, Mieke Lopes

    2017-01-01

    This paper explores the possibilities and challenges for ethno-religious reconciliation through secondary school education in post-war Sri Lanka, with a specific focus on the Muslim and Tamil communities in the Northern city of Jaffna. In doing so, we position our paper within the growing field of "education, conflict and emergencies" of…

  20. The contribution of micromorphology to study Dark Earth: the example of Brussels (Belgium)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Devos, Yannick; Vrydaghs, Luc

    2010-05-01

    For a long time Dark Earth, has been considered as a poorly stratified enigmatic phenomenon of rather ephemeral interest for the archaeological record. Last decades, however, interdisciplinary studies in have demonstrated their huge archaeological potential for studying the medieval urban development (MACPHAIL, 1994; CAMMAS, 2000; DAVID et al., 2000; MACPHAIL, 2003; VERSLYPE & BRULET, 2004; NICOSIA, 2006). Especially micromorphology has proven to be a rather powerful tool to understand the formation processes of these homogeneous units. Besides classical micromorphological analysis and description, the study of the Brussels' Dark Earth involved the development of phytolith analysis of soil thin sections (VRYDAGHS et al., 2007). Such integrated studies contribute significantly to demonstrate that the formation of the Dark Earth results from multiphased processes whereby various human actions interact with natural phenomena. The formation and transformation of Dark Earth can be understood as an ongoing process of accumulation, erosion, decomposition and homogenisation that stops once the Dark Earth gets sealed. Among the identified human activities pasture, agriculture, quarrying, destruction and middening can be cited. Taken into account that the Dark Earth results from such a variable amalgam of activities and natural phenomena, it can be concluded Dark Earth should be investigated on a individual basis. Their systematic study can enhance our knowledge of the diversity of human and natural events that took place in medieval Brussels, and as such contribute to the understanding of its emergence and development. Acknowledgements The authors want to thank the Brussels Capital Region who financed this research. Bibliography CAMMAS, C., 2000. Apports et perspectives de l'analyse micromorphologique des "terres noires". In: Terres Noires - 1. Maison des sciences de la ville, de l'urbanisme et des paysages, Tours, pp. 45-60. (= Documents Sciences de la Ville, 6, 2000

  1. Seasonal Variation of Groundwater Quality in Erode District, Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Kavidha, R; Elangovan, K

    2014-07-01

    In recent years, the recurring environmental issues regarding hazardous waste, global climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion, groundwater contamination, disaster mitigation and removal of pollutant have become the focus of environmental attention. In the management of water resources, quality of water is just as important as its quantity. In order to assess the quality and/or suitability of groundwater for drinking and irrigation in Erode District, 144 water samples each in post-monsoon and pre-monsoon during the year 2007 were collected and analyzed for various parameters. These parameters were compared with IS: 10500-1991 drinking water standards. Out of 144 samples, 29 samples exceeded the permissible limit for both the monsoons, 71 samples were within the permissible limit for both the monsoons and the remaining samples exceeded the permissible limit for any one of the monsoon. During both monsoons, except some samples, most of the samples were suitable for drinking and irrigation.

  2. Students Perceived Value towards Quality of Distance Education in Tamil Nadu

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jeyaraj, P.; Sugumar, D.; Thandavamoorthy, K.; Xavier, S. Joseph

    2014-01-01

    The quality of education of any distance learning programme is maintained by various ways, such as: quality of study material, internal and external evaluation, and student support methods and so on. The above aspects should be available in aspects to the Post graduate degree students. In this research Ex Post Facto research with field survey is…

  3. Application of lot quality assurance sampling for leprosy elimination monitoring--examination of some critical factors.

    PubMed

    Gupte, M D; Murthy, B N; Mahmood, K; Meeralakshmi, S; Nagaraju, B; Prabhakaran, R

    2004-04-01

    The concept of elimination of an infectious disease is different from eradication and in a way from control as well. In disease elimination programmes the desired reduced level of prevalence is set up as the target to be achieved in a practical time frame. Elimination can be considered in the context of national or regional levels. Prevalence levels depend on occurrence of new cases and thus could remain fluctuating. There are no ready pragmatic methods to monitor the progress of leprosy elimination programmes. We therefore tried to explore newer methods to answer these demands. With the lowering of prevalence of leprosy to the desired level of 1 case per 10000 population at the global level, the programme administrators' concern will be shifted to smaller areas e.g. national and sub-national levels. For monitoring this situation, we earlier observed that lot quality assurance sampling (LQAS), a quality control tool in industry was useful in the initially high endemic areas. However, critical factors such as geographical distribution of cases and adoption of cluster sampling design instead of simple random sampling design deserve attention before LQAS could generally be recommended. The present exercise was aimed at validating applicability of LQAS, and adopting these modifications for monitoring leprosy elimination in Tamil Nadu state, which was highly endemic for leprosy. A representative sample of 64000 people drawn from eight districts of Tamil Nadu state, India, with maximum allowable number of 25 cases was considered, using LQAS methodology to test whether leprosy prevalence was at or below 7 per 10000 population. Expected number of cases for each district was obtained assuming Poisson distribution. Goodness of fit for the observed and expected cases (closeness of the expected number of cases to those observed) was tested through chi(2). Enhancing factor (design effect) for sample size was obtained by computing the intraclass correlation. The survey actually

  4. Sediments from the Boxing Day tsunami on the coasts of southeastern India and Kenya

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weiss, R.; Bahlburg, H.

    2006-12-01

    On the Boxing Day 2004, the world community experienced a catastrophic tsunami in the Indian Ocean and could also saw how unprepared and unaware countries along the Indian ocean were. Beyond the tragedy of the tremendous loss of lives, the result of this event is an opportunity to study a global tsunami (mega-tsunami) in many regards. Here, we report on tsunami sediments left behind on beaches at the coast of Tamil Nadu (India) and on beaches between Malindi and Lamu (Kenya). Characteristic debris accumulations on the beach surface at Tamil Nadu (India) showed the impact of three tsunami waves. In this area, the tsunami climbed ~5 m up the beach; the last traces of a tsunami wave were found ~580 m away from the shoreline. Palm trees indicated an overland flow depth of 3.5 m, ~50 m from the shoreline. The tsunami deposits were up to 30 cm thick. They had an erosional base to the underlying soil and pre-tsunami beach deposits and were made up of moderately well- to well-sorted coarse and medium sand. The sand sheet thins inland, but without a decrease in grain size. Three distinct layers could be identified within the tsunami deposit. The lower one occasionally displayed cross-bedding with foresets dipping landward indicating deposition during run-up. The two upper layers were graded or parallel-laminated without indicators of flow directions. The boundaries between the different layers were marked by dark laminae, rich in heavy minerals. Also, the presence of benthic foraminifera indicates entrainment of sediment into the water column by the incoming tsunami wave in water depths less than 30 m. On beaches between Malindi and Lamu, Kenya, the traces of only one tsunami wave could be found, which attained a run-up height of about 3 m and traveled ~35 m inland with respect to the tidal stage at tsunami impact. The tsunami sediments consist of one layer of fine sand and are predominantly composed of heavy minerals supplied to the sea by nearby rivers. A slight fining

  5. Morphological and micromorphological characteristics of Desmodium fruits (Leguminosae: Papilionoideae).

    PubMed

    Freitas, Daiane M; Reis, Ademir; Bortoluzzi, Roseli L da Costa; Santos, Marisa

    2014-12-01

    The genus Desmodium is represented in Santa Catarina State, Brazil, by 13 species, all with lomen- taceous fruits. Shape, size and isthmus margin of loments vary, while the surface is glabrous, or covered by trichomes of different types. Morphological diversity of trichomes becomes particularly relevant to taxonomic description. The trichome types present on the surface of Desmodium fruits provide data for the identification and classification of species in the State. To assess this, three fruits of each species were collected and deposited at two herbaria, HBR and FLOR, in Santa Catarina, Brazil. Some rehydrated samples were examined using light microscopy (LM); and some sections were exposed to the following histochemical reagents: Sudan III for oils and Thionine for mucilage. The structural aspects of trichomes can be classified into uni- or multicellular and may still be simple, i.e., nonglandular or glandular. Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), five types of trichomes were identified and analyzed among the Desmodium species studied: uncinate, uniseriate, globose multicellular, globose unicellular and subulate. Characteristics, such as loment margin and article form, glabrescent or pillous indument, trichome type, with or without papillous epidermal cells and epicuticular striations, showed relevant diagnostic value. An identification key was developed for Desmodium species from Santa Catarina State, Brazil, based on macro and micromorphological characters of the fruit.

  6. Faecal microbiota of healthy adults in south India: Comparison of a tribal & a rural population.

    PubMed

    Ramadass, Balamurugan; Rani, B Sandya; Pugazhendhi, Srinivasan; John, K R; Ramakrishna, Balakrishnan S

    2017-02-01

    The relevance of the gut microbiota to human health is increasingly appreciated. The objective of this study was to compare the gut microbiota of a group of adult tribals with that of healthy adult villagers in Tamil Nadu, India. Faeces were collected from 10 healthy tribal adults (TAs) in the Jawadhi hills and from 10 healthy villagers [rural adults (RAs)] in Vellore district, Tamil Nadu. DNA was extracted, and 456 bp segments comprising hypervariable regions 3 and 4 of the 16S rRNA gene were amplified, barcoded and 454 sequenced. Totally 227,710 good-quality reads were analyzed. TAs consumed a millets-based diet, ate pork every day, and did not consume milk or milk products. RAs consumed a rice-based diet with meat intake once a week. In both groups, Firmicutes was the most abundant phylum, followed by Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria. The median Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio was 34.0 in TA and 92.9 in RA groups. Actinobacteria were significantly low in TA, possibly due to non-consumption of milk. Clostridium constituted the most abundant genus in both groups, but was significantly more abundant in TAs than RAs, while Streptococcus was significantly more abundant in RA (P<0.05). Analyses of genetic distance revealed that the microbiota were distinctly different between TA and RA, and principal component analysis using 550 distinct taxonomically identifiable sequences revealed a clear separation of microbiota composition in the two groups. Phylogenetic analysis of major microbiota indicated clustering of microbial groups at different major branch points for TAs and RAs. Phylum Firmicutes and genus Clostridium constituted the bulk of the faecal microbiota, while significant differences in composition between the groups were probably due to differences in diet and lifestyle.

  7. Easterly wave activity and associated heavy rainfall during the pre-monsoon season of 2005

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sawaisarje, G. K.; Khare, Prakash; Chaudhari, Hemantkumar S.; Puviarasan, N.; Ranalkar, M. R.

    2017-12-01

    Waves in easterlies are a tropical disturbance, which are moving from east to west or west-northwest (WNW). Over the Indian region, easterly waves occur mainly in winter, pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. These easterly waves have attracted the attention of many researchers due to the associated heavy rainfall, lightning and thunder squalls. Influence of easterly waves is less explored during pre-monsoon season. It is seen that during years 2001-2015, a total of 80 cases of trough in easterlies were witnessed by southern peninsular India in the pre-monsoon season. The maxima occurred in March (43 cases), followed by April (25 cases) and May (12 cases). It is observed that the year 2005 witnessed the longest spell of easterly waves for 18 days during 24 March to 10 April 2005, which is quite unusual. The event has claimed a death toll of 55 people in the two states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and heavy rains associated with this event damaged many houses and huts in Tamil Nadu. The unusual nature of the event has prompted us to undertake the study in details. In all, the event witnessed six systems as troughs in easterlies with their movement westwards from south Andaman Sea region to Lakshadweep and southeast Arabian Sea and Sri Lanka and adjoining Cape Comorin area. An attempt has been made to study the event of easterly waves during the year 2005 by exploring winds, temperature advection, vorticity, moisture convergence and potential instability. The causative reason is due to culmination of positive temperature advection, its multiple interactions with deep convective clouds and moisture incursion from anticyclonic flow close to eastern coast of south peninsular region of India. Observing the waves with the internal mechanism makes the study useful for operational forecasting and provides a better understanding of easterly waves.

  8. Satellite based remote sensing technique as a tool for real time monitoring of leaf retention in natural rubber plantations affected by abnormal leaf fall disease

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pradeep, B.; Meti, S.; James, J.

    2014-11-01

    Most parts of the traditional natural rubber growing regions of India, extending from Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu in the South to Kasaragod district of Kerala in the North received excess and prolonged rains during 2013. This led to severe incidence of Abnormal Leaf Fall (ALF) disease caused by the fungus, Phytophthora sp. The present study demonstrated the first time use of satellite remote sensing technique to monitor ALF disease by estimating Leaf Area Index (LAI) in natural rubber holdings in near real time. Leaf retention was monitored in between April and December 2012 and 2013 by estimating LAI using MODIS 15A2 product covering rubber holdings spread across all districts in the traditional rubber growing region of the country that was mapped using Resourcesat LISS III 2012 and 2013 data. It was found that as the monsoon advanced, LAI decreased substantially in both years, but the reduction was much more substantial and prolonged in many districts during 2013 than 2012 reflecting increased leaf fall due to ALF disease in 2013. The decline was more pronounced in central and northern Kerala than in the South. Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu is generally known to be free from ALF disease, but there was considerable leaf loss due to ALF in June 2012 and June and July 2013 even as the monsoon was unusually severe in 2013. Weighted mean LAI during for the entire period of April to December was estimated as a weighted average of LAI and per cent of total area under rubber in each district in the study area for the two years. This was markedly less in 2013 than 2012. The implications of poor leaf retention for biomass production (net primary productivity), carbon sequestration and rubber yield are discussed.

  9. How a New Health Intervention Affects the Health Systems? Learnings from Pentavalent Vaccine Introduction in India.

    PubMed

    Lahariya, Chandrakant; Paruthi, Renu; Bhattacharya, Madhulekha

    2016-04-01

    To summarize the findings from a Post Introduction Evaluation (PIE) of pentavalent vaccine in Tamil Nadu and Kerala state of India and to understand how the health systems could be prepared for (prior to) introducing a new intervention and how such introduction could affect the health systems (afterwards). A post introduction evaluation (PIE) of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) as pentavalent (DPT + HepB + Hib) vaccine was conducted in Tamil Nadu and Kerala states of India in July-Aug 2012. The PIE was conducted as per World Health Organization PIE methods and tools specifically adapted for India. This PIE adopted a 'mixed method approach' with qualitative data focus. The planning for the introduction of pentavalent vaccine provided opportunities to strengthen various functions of the health system i.e., piloting of Open Vial Policy, strengthening surveillance system, improving Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) reporting system and formation of the technical expert groups. It provided opportunity for bringing attention on the immunization programme in general as well. After the vaccine introduction, the beneficial effects were noted on stewardship (increased oversight by top level policy makers and programme managers), creating resources (investment and trainings of staff in immunization), service delivery (increased coverage with the vaccines and improved quality of services) and financing (increased financial allocation and reduced out of pocket expenditures as more people started attending public health facilities). The vaccine introduction was found to be associated with improvement in the health equity, efficiency and service utilization (effective coverage). New vaccine introduction provides opportunities (both before and after) for strengthening the health systems in setting such as India. Preparing the health system for new challenges has potential to strengthen the health systems, if done in well-coordinated and planned manner. Considering

  10. Nutritional status and intellectual development in children: A community-based study from rural Southern India.

    PubMed

    Jacob, Amita; Thomas, Leah; Stephen, Kezia; Marconi, Sam; Noel, J; Jacob, K S; Prasad, Jasmin

    2016-01-01

    There is a dearth of recent data on the relationship between nutritional status and intellectual development among children in India. To determine whether such a relationship exists, we studied children in a rural area of Tamil Nadu. We stratified villages in Kaniyambadi block, Tamil Nadu, and recruited consecutive children who satisfied the study criteria. We assessed nutritional status by measuring height and weight and recording chronological age, and calculated indices weight-for-age, height-for-age, weight-forheight and their Z scores. We assessed intellectual development using the Indian adaptation of the Vineland Social Maturity Scale. We used a case-control framework to determine the relationship and logistic regression to adjust for common confounders. We recruited 114 children between the ages of 12 and 72 months. Z score means (weight-for-age -1.36; height-for-age -1.42; weight-for-height -0.78) were much less than 0 and indicate undernutrition. Z score standard deviations (weight-for-age 1.04; height-for-age 1.18; weightfor- height 1.06) were within the WHO recommended range for good quality of nutrition data suggesting reduced measurement errors and incorrect reporting of age. The frequency distributions of population Z scores suggest high undernutrition, wasting and medium stunting. A tenth of the population (9.6%) had values to suggest borderline/below average intelligence (social quotient <89). Lower height-forage, height-for-age Z score and weight-for-height Z score were significantly associated with a lower social quotient. These relationships remained statistically significant after adjusting for sex and socioeconomic status using logistic regression. Chronic undernutrition, wasting and stunting and their association with lower intellectual development demand an urgent re-assessment of national food policies and programmes.

  11. Role of community group exposure in reducing sexually transmitted infection-related risk among female sex workers in India.

    PubMed

    Yadav, Diwakar; Ramanathan, Shreena; Goswami, Prabuddhagopal; Ramakrishnan, Lakshmi; Saggurti, Niranjan; Sen, Shrabanti; George, Bitra; Paranjape, Ramesh

    2013-01-01

    Empowering female sex workers (FSWs) to address structural barriers and forming community groups (CGs) through community mobilization are seen as essential components of HIV prevention programs in India. Taking the membership of a CG as an exposure intervention, we hypothesized whether participation in a CG lead to reduced sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and increased treatment-seeking behavior among FSWs in three selected states of India--Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. The propensity score matching (PSM) approach examined the effect of CG membership, as against no membership, on STI-related risk, described as selected outcome measures--presence of any STI, self-reported STI symptoms, and treatment-seeking behavior among FSWs. A cross sectional bio-behavioral survey was administered in 2009-2010 and covered 7,806 FSWs through two-stage probability-based conventional and time location cluster sampling in 23 administrative districts of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. Only 2,939 FSWs were reported to be members of a CG and among them 4.5% had any STIs. A majority of FSWs were aged above 24 years (86.4%), had ever been married (73%), operated from a public place for solicitation (81.5%), and had ever received HIV test results (75.6%). The average effect of CG exposure was reduction in STI prevalence by 4%, while self-reported STI symptom treatment-seeking behavior increased by 13.7%. FSWs who were exposed to a CG were at a substantially lower risk of STIs than those who were unexposed. The FSWs exposed to a CG had a higher chance of seeking STI treatment from public and private health facilities. Collectivization related challenges must be overcome to provide access to tailored STI prevention and care services.

  12. Role of Community Group Exposure in Reducing Sexually Transmitted Infection-Related Risk among Female Sex Workers in India

    PubMed Central

    Yadav, Diwakar; Ramanathan, Shreena; Goswami, Prabuddhagopal; Ramakrishnan, Lakshmi; Saggurti, Niranjan; Sen, Shrabanti; George, Bitra; Paranjape, Ramesh

    2013-01-01

    Background Empowering female sex workers (FSWs) to address structural barriers and forming community groups (CGs) through community mobilization are seen as essential components of HIV prevention programs in India. Taking the membership of a CG as an exposure intervention, we hypothesized whether participation in a CG lead to reduced sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and increased treatment-seeking behavior among FSWs in three selected states of India — Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. Methods and Findings The propensity score matching (PSM) approach examined the effect of CG membership, as against no membership, on STI-related risk, described as selected outcome measures — presence of any STI, self-reported STI symptoms, and treatment-seeking behavior among FSWs. A cross sectional bio-behavioral survey was administered in 2009–2010 and covered 7,806 FSWs through two-stage probability-based conventional and time location cluster sampling in 23 administrative districts of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. Only 2,939 FSWs were reported to be members of a CG and among them 4.5% had any STIs. A majority of FSWs were aged above 24 years (86.4%), had ever been married (73%), operated from a public place for solicitation (81.5%), and had ever received HIV test results (75.6%). The average effect of CG exposure was reduction in STI prevalence by 4%, while self-reported STI symptom treatment-seeking behavior increased by 13.7%. Conclusion FSWs who were exposed to a CG were at a substantially lower risk of STIs than those who were unexposed. The FSWs exposed to a CG had a higher chance of seeking STI treatment from public and private health facilities. Collectivization related challenges must be overcome to provide access to tailored STI prevention and care services. PMID:24205210

  13. Faecal microbiota of healthy adults in south India: Comparison of a tribal & a rural population

    PubMed Central

    Ramadass, Balamurugan; Rani, B. Sandya; Pugazhendhi, Srinivasan; John, K.R.; Ramakrishna, Balakrishnan S.

    2017-01-01

    Background & objectives: The relevance of the gut microbiota to human health is increasingly appreciated. The objective of this study was to compare the gut microbiota of a group of adult tribals with that of healthy adult villagers in Tamil Nadu, India. Methods: Faeces were collected from 10 healthy tribal adults (TAs) in the Jawadhi hills and from 10 healthy villagers [rural adults (RAs)] in Vellore district, Tamil Nadu. DNA was extracted, and 456 bp segments comprising hypervariable regions 3 and 4 of the 16S rRNA gene were amplified, barcoded and 454 sequenced. Results: Totally 227,710 good-quality reads were analyzed. TAs consumed a millets-based diet, ate pork every day, and did not consume milk or milk products. RAs consumed a rice-based diet with meat intake once a week. In both groups, Firmicutes was the most abundant phylum, followed by Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria. The median Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio was 34.0 in TA and 92.9 in RA groups. Actinobacteria were significantly low in TA, possibly due to non-consumption of milk. Clostridium constituted the most abundant genus in both groups, but was significantly more abundant in TAs than RAs, while Streptococcus was significantly more abundant in RA (P<0.05). Analyses of genetic distance revealed that the microbiota were distinctly different between TA and RA, and principal component analysis using 550 distinct taxonomically identifiable sequences revealed a clear separation of microbiota composition in the two groups. Phylogenetic analysis of major microbiota indicated clustering of microbial groups at different major branch points for TAs and RAs. Interpretation & conclusions: Phylum Firmicutes and genus Clostridium constituted the bulk of the faecal microbiota, while significant differences in composition between the groups were probably due to differences in diet and lifestyle. PMID:28639601

  14. Factors influencing trust in doctors: a community segmentation strategy for quality improvement in healthcare

    PubMed Central

    Gopichandran, Vijayaprasad; Chetlapalli, Satish Kumar

    2013-01-01

    Background Trust is a forward-looking covenant between the patient and the doctor where the patient optimistically accepts his/her vulnerability. Trust is known to improve the clinical outcomes. Objectives To explore the factors that determine patients’ trust in doctors and to segment the community based on factors which drive their trust. Setting Resource-poor urban and rural settings in Tamil Nadu, a state in southern India. Participants A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 625 adult community-dwelling respondents from four districts of Tamil Nadu, India, chosen by multistage sampling strategy. Outcome measures The outcomes were to understand the main domains of factors influencing trust in doctors and to segment the community based on which of these domains predominantly influenced their trust. Results Factor analysis revealed five main categories, namely, comfort with the doctor, doctor with personal involvement with the patient, behaviourally competent doctor, doctor with a simple appearance and culturally competent doctor, which explained 49.3% of the total variance. Using k-means cluster analysis the respondents were segmented into four groups, namely, those who have ‘comfort-based trust’, ‘emotionally assessed trust’, who were predominantly older and belonging to lower socioeconomic status, those who had ‘personal trust’, who were younger people from higher socioeconomic strata of the community and the group who had ‘objectively assessed trust’, who were younger women. Conclusions Trust in doctors seems to be influenced by the doctor's behaviuor, perceived comfort levels, personal involvement with the patient, and to a lesser extent by cultural competence and doctor's physical appearance. On the basis of these dimensions, the community can be segmented into distinct groups, and trust building can happen in a strategic manner which may lead to improvement in perceived quality of care. PMID:24302512

  15. Micromorphology and ultrastructure of the floral nectaries of Polemonium caeruleum L. (Polemoniaceae).

    PubMed

    Chwil, Mirosława; Chwil, Stanisław

    2012-10-01

    The Polemoniaceae family forms flowers diverse in the terms of pollination methods and nectar types. The micromorphology of the nectary surface and the tissue structures as well as the ultrastructure of the cells of the floral nectaries in Polemonium caeruleum L. were examined using light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. A bowl-shaped nectary, detached from the ovary, grows at its base. Its contour shows folds with depressions in the places where the stamens grow, forming five-lobed disc (synapomorphic character). Nectar is secreted through modified anomocytic stomata, which are formed in the epidermis covering the tip and the lateral wall of the projection located between the staminal filaments. The undulate nectary consists of a single-layered epidermis and three to nine layers of parenchymal cells. The cells of the nectary contain a dense cytoplasm, numerous plastids with an osmophilic stroma and starch grains, well-developed endoplasmic reticulum, as well as a large number of mitochondria interacting with the Golgi bodies. The ultrastructure of nectary cells indicates the granulocrine secretion mechanism and diversified transport of nectar.

  16. Communal proactive coping strategies among Tamil refugees in Norway: A case study in a naturalistic setting

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background An exclusive focus on individual or family coping strategies may be inadequate for people whose major point of concern may be collective healing on a more communal level. Methods To our knowledge, the current study is the first to make use of ethnographic fieldwork methods to investigate this type of coping as a process in a natural setting over time. Participant observation was employed within a Tamil NGO in Norway between August 2006 and December 2008. Results Tamil refugees in Norway co-operated to appraise their shared life situation and accumulate resources communally to improve it in culturally meaningful ways. Long term aspirations were related to both the situation in the homeland and in exile. However, unforeseen social events created considerable challenges and forced them to modify and adapt their coping strategies. Conclusions We describe a form of coping previously not described in the scientific literature: Communal proactive coping strategies, defined as the process by which group members feel collectively responsible for their future well-being and co-operate to promote desired outcomes and prevent undesired changes. The study shows that proactive coping efforts occur in a dynamic social setting which may force people to use their accumulated proactive coping resources in reactive coping efforts. Theoretical and clinical implications are explored. PMID:21521494

  17. GPR studies over the tsunami affected Karaikal beach, Tamil Nadu, south India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Loveson, V. J.; Gujar, A. R.; Barnwal, R.; Khare, Richa; Rajamanickam, G. V.

    2014-08-01

    In this study, results of GPR profiling related to mapping of subsurface sedimentary layers at tsunami affected Karaikal beach are presented . A 400 MHz antenna was used for profiling along 262 m stretch of transect from beach to backshore areas with penetration of about 2.0 m depth (50 ns two-way travel time). The velocity analysis was carried out to estimate the depth information along the GPR profile. Based on the significant changes in the reflection amplitude, three different zones are marked and the upper zone is noticed with less moisture compared to other two (saturated) zones. The water table is noticed to vary from 0.5 to 0.75 m depth (12-15 ns) as moving away from the coastline. Buried erosional surface is observed at 1.5 m depth (40-42 ns), which represents the limit up to which the extreme event acted upon. In other words, it is the depth to which the tsunami sediments have been piled up to about 1.5 m thickness. Three field test pits were made along the transect and sedimentary sequences were recorded. The sand layers, especially, heavy mineral layers, recorded in the test pits indicate a positive correlation with the amplitude and velocity changes in the GPR profile. Such interpretation seems to be difficult in the middle zone due to its water saturation condition. But it is fairly clear in the lower zone located just below the erosional surface where the strata is comparatively more compact. The inferences from the GPR profile thus provide a lucid insight to the subsurface sediment sequences of the tsunami sediments in the Karaikal beach.

  18. Micromorphological differentiation of left and right stridulatory apparatus in crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae).

    PubMed

    Li, Xiaoqiang; Zhang, Xue; Luo, Wenqi; Wang, Yinliang; Ren, Bingzhong

    2016-06-24

    The present study compared micromorphological differentiation of stridulatory apparatus between the functional right tegmen and non-functional left tegmen, analyzed under scanning electron microscope (SEM), among eight Gryllidae species. The results showed that the main differences were found on the length and shape of files and teeth. The length of stridulatory file and teeth number were lower on the left stridulatory apparatus than that on right stridulatory apparatus in all species. However, the ratio between the length of stridulatory teeth and the interval of stridulatory teeth was significantly higher on the left stridulatory apparatus than that on right stridulatory apparatus in Dianemobius fascipes, Polionemobius taprobanensis, Pteronemobius gifuensis, Teleogryllus occipitalis and Oecanthus longicauda. In addition, the length of stridulatory teeth was positively related to number of stridulatory teeth, however, the interval of stridulatory teeth was negatively related to the ratio between the length of stridulatory teeth and the interval of stridulatory teeth for left and right stridulatory apparatus. Our result illustrated that the length of left and right stridulatory file and teeth length could be an effective character to distinguish species. Left stridulatory apparatus was not entirely degraded than right stridulatory apparatus.

  19. Psychosocial wellbeing and physical health among Tamil schoolchildren in northern Sri Lanka.

    PubMed

    Hamilton, Alexander; Foster, Charlie; Richards, Justin; Surenthirakumaran, Rajendra

    2016-01-01

    Mental disorders contribute to the global disease burden and have an increased prevalence among children in emergency settings. Good physical health is crucial for mental well-being, although physical health is multifactorial and the nature of this relationship is not fully understood. Using Sri Lanka as a case study, we assessed the baseline levels of, and the association between, mental health and physical health in Tamil school children. We conducted a cross sectional study of mental and physical health in 10 schools in Kilinochchi town in northern Sri Lanka. All Grade 8 children attending selected schools were eligible to participate in the study. Mental health was assessed using the Sri Lankan Index for Psychosocial Stress - Child Version. Physical health was assessed using Body Mass Index for age, height for age Z scores and the Multi-stage Fitness Test. Association between physical and mental health variables was assessed using scatterplots and correlation was assessed using Pearson's R. There were 461 participants included in the study. Girls significantly outperformed boys in the MH testing t (459) = 2.201, p < 0.05. Boys had significantly lower average Body Mass Index for age and height for age Z scores than girls (BMI: t (459) = -4.74, p <0.001; Height: t (459) = -3.54, p < 0.001). When compared to global averages, both sexes underperformed in the Multi-Stage Fitness Test, and had a higher prevalence of thinness and stunting. We identified no meaningful association between the selected variables. Our results do not support the supposition that the selected elements of physical health are related to mental health in post-conflict Sri Lanka. However, we identified a considerable physical health deficit in Tamil school children.

  20. Passive thermal regulation of flat PV modules by coupling the mechanisms of evaporative and fin cooling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chandrasekar, M.; Senthilkumar, T.

    2016-07-01

    A passive thermal regulation technique with fins in conjunction with cotton wicks is developed in the present work for controlling the temperature of PV module during its operation. Experiments were conducted with the developed technique in the location of Tiruchirappalli (78.6°E and 10.8°N), Tamil Nadu, India with flat 25 Wp PV module and its viability was confirmed. The PV module temperature got reduced by 12 % while the electrical yield is increased by 14 % with the help of the developed cooling system. Basic energy balance equation applicable for PV module was used to evaluate the module temperatures and a fair agreement was obtained between the theoretical and experimental values for the cases of with cooling and without cooling.

  1. A new variant of antimetabolic protein, arcelin from an Indian bean, Lablab purpureus (Linn.) and its effect on the stored product pest, Callosobruchus maculatus.

    PubMed

    Janarthanan, Sundaram; Sakthivelkumar, Shanmugavel; Veeramani, Velayutham; Radhika, Dixit; Muthukrishanan, Subbaratnam

    2012-12-15

    The anti-metabolic or insecticidal gene, arcelin (Arl) was isolated, cloned and sequenced using sequence specific degenerate primers from the seeds of Lablab purpureus collected from the Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu, India. The L. purpureus arcelin nucleotide sequence was homologous to Arl-3 and Arl-4 alleles from Phaseolus spp. The protein it encodes has 70% amino acid identity with the amino acid sequences of Arl-3I, Arl-3III, Arl-4 precursor, Arl-4 and Arl-4I. The partially purified arcelin from the seeds of L. purpureus using an artificial diet confirmed the complete retardation of development of the stored product pest Callosobruchus maculatus at 0.2% w/w arcelin-incorporated artificial seeds. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Data set for extraction and transesterification of bio-oil from Stoechospermum marginatum, a brown marine algae.

    PubMed

    Venkatesan, Hariram; Godwin, John J; Sivamani, Seralathan

    2017-10-01

    The article presents the experimental data on the extraction and transesterification of bio-oil derived from Stoechospermum marginatum, a brown macro marine algae. The samples were collected from Mandapam region, Gulf of Mannar, Tamil Nadu, India. The bio-oil was extracted using Soxhlet technique with a lipid extraction efficiency of 24.4%. Single stage transesterification was adopted due to lower free fatty acid content. The yield of biodiesel was optimized by varying the process parameters. The obtained data showed the optimum process parameters as reaction time 90 min, reaction temperature 65 °C, catalyst concentration 0.50 g and 8:1 M ratio. Furthermore, the data pertaining to the physio-chemical properties of the derived algal biodiesel were also presented.

  3. Micromorphological aspects of forensic geopedology: time-dependent markers of decomposition and permanence in soil in experimental burials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zangarini, Sara; Cattaneo, Cristina; Trombino, Luca

    2014-05-01

    The importance of the role played by soil scientists grows up in the modern forensic sciences, in particular when buried human remains strongly decomposed or skeletonized are found in different environment situations. An interdisciplinary team, formed by earth and legal medicine researchers from the University of Milan is working on several sets of experimental burial of pigs in different soil types and for different times of burial, in order to get new evidences on environmental responses to the burial, focusing specifically on geopedological and micropedological aspects. The present work is aimed at the micromorphological (petrographic microscope) and ultramicroscopic (SEM) cross characterization of bone tissue in buried remains, in order to describe bone alteration pathways due both to decomposition and to permanence in soil. These methods allow identifying in the tissues of analysed bones: - Unusual concentrations of metal oxides (i.e. Fe, Mn), in the form of violet-blue colorations (in XPL), which seem to be related to chemical conditions in the burial area; their presence could be a method to discriminate permanence in soil rather than a different environment of decomposition. - Magnesium phosphate (i.e. Mg3(PO4)2 ) crystallizations, usually noticed in bones buried from 7 to 103 weeks; their presence seems to be related to the decomposition both of the bones themselves and of soft tissues. - The presence of significant sulphur levels (i.e. SO3) in bones buried for over 7 weeks, which seem to be related to the transport and fixation of soft tissues decomposition fluids. These results point out that micromorphological techniques coupled with spatially resolved chemical analyses allow identifying both indicators of the permanence of the remains into the soil (i.e. metal oxides concentrations) and time-dependent markers of decomposition (i.e. significant sulphur levels and magnesium phosphate) in order to determine PMI (post-mortem-interval) and TSB (time

  4. Paleoclimatic implications (Late Cretaceous-Paleogene) from micromorphology of calcretes, palustrine limestones and silcretes, southern Paraná Basin, Uruguay

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tófalo, Ofelia R.; Pazos, Pablo J.

    2010-04-01

    Sedimentologic and petrographic analyses of outcroping and subsurface calcretes, palustrine carbonates, and silcretes were carried out in the southern Paraná Basin (Uruguay). The aim of this work is to describe the microfabric and interpret the genesis of these rocks through detailed analyses, since they contain significant paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic evolution information. The main calcrete and silcrete host rock (Mercedes Formation) is represented by a fluvial thinning upward succession of conglomerate and sandstone deposits, with isolated pelitic intervals and paleosoils. Most of the studied calcretes are macroscopically massive with micromorphological features of alpha fabric, originated by displacive growth of calcite in the host clastic material due to evaporation, evapotranspiration and degassing. Micromorphologically, calcretes indicate an origin in the vadose and phreatic diagenetic environments. Micrite is the principal component, and speaks of rapid precipitation in the vadose zone from supersaturated solutions. The abundance of microsparite and secondary sparite is regarded as the result of dissolution and reprecipitation processes. Although present, brecciated calcretes are less common. They are frequent in vadose diagenetic environments, where the alternation between cementation and non-tectonic fracturing conditions take place. These processes generated episodes of fragmentation, brecciation and cementation. Fissures are filled with clear primary sparitic calcite, formed by precipitation of extremely supersaturated solutions in a phreatic diagenetic environment. The micromorphological characteristics indicate that calcretes resulted from carbonate precipitation in the upper part of the groundwater table and the vadose zone, continuously nourished by lateral migration of groundwater. The scarcity of biogenic structures suggests that they were either formed in zones of little biological activity or that the overimposed processes related to

  5. Surface micromorphology of cross-linked tetrafunctional polylactide scaffolds inducing vessel growth and bone formation.

    PubMed

    Kuznetsova, D; Ageykin, A; Koroleva, A; Deiwick, A; Shpichka, A; Solovieva, A; Kostjuk, S; Meleshina, A; Rodimova, S; Akovanceva, A; Butnaru, D; Frolova, A; Zagaynova, E; Chichkov, B; Bagratashvili, V; Timashev, P

    2017-04-28

    In the presented study, we have developed a synthetic strategy allowing a gradual variation of a polylactide arms' length, which later influences the micromorphology of the scaffold surface, formed by a two-photon polymerization technique. It has been demonstrated that the highest number of cells is present on the scaffolds with the roughest surface made of the polylactide with longer arms (PLA760), and osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells is most pronounced on such scaffolds. According to the results of biological testing, the PLA760 scaffolds were implanted into a created cranial defect in a mouse for an in vivo assessment of the bone tissue formation. The in vivo experiments have shown that, by week 10, deposition of calcium phosphate particles occurs in the scaffold at the defect site, as well as, the formation of a new bone and ingrowth of blood vessels from the surrounding tissues. These results demonstrate that the cross-linked microstructured tetrafunctional polylactide scaffolds are promising microstructures for bone regeneration in tissue engineering.

  6. Jeffries Matusita-Spectral Angle Mapper (JM-SAM) spectral matching for species level mapping at Bhitarkanika, Muthupet and Pichavaram mangroves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Padma, S.; Sanjeevi, S.

    2014-12-01

    This paper proposes a novel hyperspectral matching algorithm by integrating the stochastic Jeffries-Matusita measure (JM) and the deterministic Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM), to accurately map the species and the associated landcover types of the mangroves of east coast of India using hyperspectral satellite images. The JM-SAM algorithm signifies the combination of a qualitative distance measure (JM) and a quantitative angle measure (SAM). The spectral capabilities of both the measures are orthogonally projected using the tangent and sine functions to result in the combined algorithm. The developed JM-SAM algorithm is implemented to discriminate the mangrove species and the landcover classes of Pichavaram (Tamil Nadu), Muthupet (Tamil Nadu) and Bhitarkanika (Odisha) mangrove forests along the Eastern Indian coast using the Hyperion image dat asets that contain 242 bands. The developed algorithm is extended in a supervised framework for accurate classification of the Hyperion image. The pixel-level matching performance of the developed algorithm is assessed by the Relative Spectral Discriminatory Probability (RSDPB) and Relative Spectral Discriminatory Entropy (RSDE) measures. From the values of RSDPB and RSDE, it is inferred that hybrid JM-SAM matching measure results in improved discriminability of the mangrove species and the associated landcover types than the individual SAM and JM algorithms. This performance is reflected in the classification accuracies of species and landcover map of Pichavaram mangrove ecosystem. Thus, the JM-SAM (TAN) matching algorithm yielded an accuracy better than SAM and JM measures at an average difference of 13.49 %, 7.21 % respectively, followed by JM-SAM (SIN) at 12.06%, 5.78% respectively. Similarly, in the case of Muthupet, JM-SAM (TAN) yielded an increased accuracy than SAM and JM measures at an average difference of 12.5 %, 9.72 % respectively, followed by JM-SAM (SIN) at 8.34 %, 5.55% respectively. For Bhitarkanika, the combined

  7. Review of the leafhopper genus Penthimia Germar (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) from the Indian subcontinent with description of seven new species.

    PubMed

    Shobharani, M; Viraktamath, C A; Webb, M D

    2018-01-02

    Species of the leafhopper genus Penthimia Germar known from the Indian subcontinent are reviewed based on the examination of type specimens. Seven new species of the genus, Penthimia curvata sp. nov. (Karnataka: Bandipur), P. meghalayensis sp. nov. (Meghalaya: Nangpoh), P. neoattenuata sp. nov. (India: Tamil Nadu), P. ribhoi sp. nov. (India: Meghalaya), P. sahyadrica sp. nov. (Karnataka: Dharmasthala, Agumbe; Kerala: Thekkady), P. spiculata sp. nov. (Karnataka: Nagarahole) and P. tumida sp. nov. (Tamil Nadu: Ootacamund; Kerala: Munnar) are described. The following nomenclatorial changes are proposed: Penthimia alba Zahniser, McKamey Dmitriev, 2012 (replacement name for P. thoracica Distant, 1918, nec Panzer, 1799), syn. nov. of P. quadrinotata Distant, 1918; Neodartus scutellatus Distant, 1908 syn. nov. of Penthimia ereba Distant 1908; P. nilgiriensis Distant, 1918 syn. nov. of P. montana Distant, 1918; P. scutellata (Distant) comb. nov. (from genus Neodartus); a lectotype is designated for P. maculosa Distant, stat. revived, thereby removing its synonymy with P. scapularis Distant. The following other lectotypes are designated: P. attenuata Distant, P. subniger Distant, P. scapularis Distant, P. distanti Baker, P. ereba Distant, N. scutellatus Distant, P. fraterna Distant, P. funebris Distant, P. juno Distant, P. maculosa Distant, P. montana Distant, P. noctua Distant, P. quadrinotata Distant, P. alba Zahniser, McKamey Dmitriev. Examination of types of Penthimia rufopunctata Motschulsky revealed that it belongs to Penthimia and hence it is transferred back to that genus from Neodartus, revised placement. The following species previously included in the genus Penthimia are transferred to the genera Tambila Distant and Vulturnus Kirkaldy: Tambila badia (Distant) comb. nov., T. majuscula (Distant) comb. nov., T. vittatifrons (Distant) comb. nov., T. variabilis (Distant) comb. nov. and Vulturnus flavocapitata (Distant) comb. nov. Three species are treated in a new

  8. Association between stigma, depression and quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) in South India – a community based cross sectional study

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background India has around 2.27 million adults living with HIV/AIDS who face several challenges in the medical management of their disease. Stigma, discrimination and psychosocial issues are prevalent. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of severe stigma and to study the association between this, depression and the quality of life (QOL) of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) in Tamil Nadu. Methods This was a community based cross sectional study carried out in seven districts of Tamil Nadu, India, among 400 PLHA in the year 2009. The following scales were used for stigma, depression and quality of life, Berger scale, Major Depression Inventory (MDI) scale and the WHO BREF scale. Both Stigma and QOL were classified as none, moderate or severe/poor based on the tertile cut off values of the scale scores. Depression was classified as none, mild, moderate and severe. Logistic regression analyses were performed to study the risk factors. Results Twenty seven per cent of PLHA had experienced severe forms of stigma. These were severe forms of personalized stigma (28.8%), negative self-image (30.3%), perceived public attitude (18.2%) and disclosure concerns (26%). PLHA experiencing severe depression were 12% and those experiencing poor quality of life were 34%. Poor QOL reported in the physical, psychological, social and environmental domains was 42.5%, 40%, 51.2% and 34% respectively. PLHA who had severe personalized stigma and negative self-image had 3.4 (1.6-7.0) and 2.1 (1.0-4.1) times higher risk of severe depression respectively (p < .001). PLHA who had severe depression had experienced 2.7(1.1-7.7) times significantly poorer QOL. Conclusions Severe forms of stigma were equivalently prevalent among all the categories of PLHA. However, PLHA who had experienced severe depression had only developed poor QOL. A high level of social support was associated with a high level of QOL. PMID:22720691

  9. Association between stigma, depression and quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) in South India - a community based cross sectional study.

    PubMed

    Charles, Bimal; Jeyaseelan, Lakshmanan; Pandian, Arvind Kumar; Sam, Asirvatham Edwin; Thenmozhi, Mani; Jayaseelan, Visalakshi

    2012-06-21

    India has around 2.27 million adults living with HIV/AIDS who face several challenges in the medical management of their disease. Stigma, discrimination and psychosocial issues are prevalent. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of severe stigma and to study the association between this, depression and the quality of life (QOL) of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) in Tamil Nadu. This was a community based cross sectional study carried out in seven districts of Tamil Nadu, India, among 400 PLHA in the year 2009. The following scales were used for stigma, depression and quality of life, Berger scale, Major Depression Inventory (MDI) scale and the WHO BREF scale. Both Stigma and QOL were classified as none, moderate or severe/poor based on the tertile cut off values of the scale scores. Depression was classified as none, mild, moderate and severe. Logistic regression analyses were performed to study the risk factors. Twenty seven per cent of PLHA had experienced severe forms of stigma. These were severe forms of personalized stigma (28.8%), negative self-image (30.3%), perceived public attitude (18.2%) and disclosure concerns (26%). PLHA experiencing severe depression were 12% and those experiencing poor quality of life were 34%. Poor QOL reported in the physical, psychological, social and environmental domains was 42.5%, 40%, 51.2% and 34% respectively. PLHA who had severe personalized stigma and negative self-image had 3.4 (1.6-7.0) and 2.1 (1.0-4.1) times higher risk of severe depression respectively (p < .001). PLHA who had severe depression had experienced 2.7(1.1-7.7) times significantly poorer QOL. Severe forms of stigma were equivalently prevalent among all the categories of PLHA. However, PLHA who had experienced severe depression had only developed poor QOL. A high level of social support was associated with a high level of QOL.

  10. Verbs and attention to relational roles in English and Tamil*

    PubMed Central

    SETHURAMAN, NITYA; SMITH, LINDA B.

    2013-01-01

    English-learning children have been shown to reliably use cues from argument structure in learning verbs. However, languages pair overtly expressed arguments with verbs to varying extents, raising the question of whether children learning all languages expect the same, universal mapping between arguments and relational roles. Three experiments examined this question by asking how strongly early-learned verbs by themselves, without their corresponding explicitly expressed arguments, point to ‘conceptual arguments’ – the relational roles in a scene. Children aged two to four years and adult speakers of two languages that differ structurally in terms of whether the arguments of a verb are explicitly expressed more (English) or less (Tamil) frequently were compared in their mapping of verbs, presented without any overtly expressed arguments, to a range of scenes. The results suggest different developmental trajectories for language learners, as well as different patterns of adult interpretation, and offer new ways of thinking about the nature of verbs cross-linguistically. PMID:22289295

  11. Management of internal hemorrhoids by Kshara karma: An educational case report.

    PubMed

    Mahapatra, Anita; Srinivasan, A; Sujithra, R; Bhat, Ramesh P

    2012-07-01

    A 66-year-old male patient came to the anorectal clinic, Outpatient department, AVT Institute for Advanced Research, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, with complaints of prolapsing pile mass during defecation and bleeding while passing stool. The case was diagnosed as "Raktarsha" - 11 & 7 'o' clock position II degree internal hemorrhoids, deeply situated, projecting one and caused by pitta and rakta; with bleeding tendency. Kshara karma (application of caustic alkaline paste) intervention was done in this case to internal hemorrhoids under local anesthesia. The pile mass and per rectal bleeding resolved in 8 days and the patient was relieved from all symptoms within 21 days. No complications were reported after the procedure. The patient was followed up regularly from 2004 onward till date and proctoscopic examination did not reveal any evidence of recurrence of the hemorrhoids.

  12. Impact of highway construction on water bodies: a geospatial assessment.

    PubMed

    Vijay, Ritesh; Kushwaha, Vikash K; Mardikar, Trupti; Labhasetwar, P K

    2017-08-01

    India has witnessed a massive infrastructure boom in the past few years. One of such projects is National Highway-7 (NH-7), a North-South highway connecting Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, to Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, traversing many water bodies. The present study aims to assess the pre- and post-construction impact due to existing, new and widened NH-7 on the physical status of the water bodies, using remote sensing techniques. Satellite images spanning 22 years were procured and analysed for change detection in land use and land cover within the waterbodies. The study indicates that construction activities have led to transformation within the water bodies regarding reduction in area and inter-changing of land use and land cover classes, in turn leading to siltation and reduction of recharge.

  13. Micropropagation, Micromorphological Studies, and In Vitro Flowering in Rungia pectinata L.

    PubMed

    Shekhawat, Mahipal S; Manokari, M; Ravindran, C P

    2016-01-01

    A tissue culture protocol was developed for an important medicinal plant Rungia pectinata L. in the present study. Nodal shoots were used as explants and surface-sterilized with 0.1% HgCl2 solution. Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium was used to establish the cultures of R. pectinata. The bud break was reported on MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg L(-1) 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). About 98% response was observed with this media combination and maximum 3.2 shoots per explant with 4.3 cm length were recorded. The shoots were further multiplied using MS medium augmented with 0.5 mg L(-1) each of BAP and kinetin (Kin) + 0.1 mg L(-1) indole-3 acetic acid (IAA). Maximum 13.2 shoots per explant with 5.2 cm length were observed. All the shoots were rooted (4.9 roots per shoot with 3.5 cm length) on half strength MS medium fortified with 2.0 mg L(-1) indole-3 butyric acid (IBA). In vitro flowering was induced from the shoots on half strength MS medium supplemented with same concentrations and combinations of growth regulators used for shoot multiplication under 12/12 hr light/dark photoperiod. The plantlets were hardened in the greenhouse for two months and finally transferred to the field. The foliar micromorphological studies revealed the developmental changes in stomata, vein density, and trichomes during the culture of shoots under in vitro conditions.

  14. Micropropagation, Micromorphological Studies, and In Vitro Flowering in Rungia pectinata L.

    PubMed Central

    Shekhawat, Mahipal S.; Manokari, M.; Ravindran, C. P.

    2016-01-01

    A tissue culture protocol was developed for an important medicinal plant Rungia pectinata L. in the present study. Nodal shoots were used as explants and surface-sterilized with 0.1% HgCl2 solution. Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium was used to establish the cultures of R. pectinata. The bud break was reported on MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg L−1 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). About 98% response was observed with this media combination and maximum 3.2 shoots per explant with 4.3 cm length were recorded. The shoots were further multiplied using MS medium augmented with 0.5 mg L−1 each of BAP and kinetin (Kin) + 0.1 mg L−1 indole-3 acetic acid (IAA). Maximum 13.2 shoots per explant with 5.2 cm length were observed. All the shoots were rooted (4.9 roots per shoot with 3.5 cm length) on half strength MS medium fortified with 2.0 mg L−1 indole-3 butyric acid (IBA). In vitro flowering was induced from the shoots on half strength MS medium supplemented with same concentrations and combinations of growth regulators used for shoot multiplication under 12/12 hr light/dark photoperiod. The plantlets were hardened in the greenhouse for two months and finally transferred to the field. The foliar micromorphological studies revealed the developmental changes in stomata, vein density, and trichomes during the culture of shoots under in vitro conditions. PMID:27242948

  15. Contrasting petrogenesis of spatially related carbonatites from Samalpatti and Sevattur, Tamil Nadu, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ackerman, Lukáš; Magna, Tomáš; Rapprich, Vladislav; Upadhyay, Dewashish; Krátký, Ondřej; Čejková, Bohuslava; Erban, Vojtěch; Kochergina, Yulia V.; Hrstka, Tomáš

    2017-07-01

    Two Neoproterozoic carbonatite suites of spatially related carbonatites and associated silicate alkaline rocks from Sevattur and Samalpatti, south India, have been investigated in terms of petrography, chemistry and radiogenic-stable isotopic compositions in order to provide further constraints on their genesis. The cumulative evidence indicates that the Sevattur suite is derived from an enriched mantle source without significant post-emplacement modifications through crustal contamination and hydrothermal overprint. The stable (C, O) isotopic compositions confirm mantle origin of Sevattur carbonatites with only a modest difference to Paleoproterozoic Hogenakal carbonatite, emplaced in the same tectonic setting. On the contrary, multiple processes have shaped the petrography, chemistry and isotopic systematics of the Samalpatti suite. These include pre-emplacement interaction with the ambient crustal materials with more pronounced signatures of such a process in silicocarbonatites. Calc-silicate marbles present in the Samalpatti area could represent a possible evolved end member due to the inability of common silicate rocks (pyroxenites, granites, diorites) to comply with radiogenic isotopic constraints. In addition, Samalpatti carbonatites show a range of C-O isotopic compositions, and δ13CV-PDB values between + 1.8 and + 4.1‰ found for a sub-suite of Samalpatti carbonatites belong to the highest values ever reported for magmatic carbonates. These heavy C-O isotopic signatures in Samalpatti carbonatites could be indicative of massive hydrothermal interaction with carbonated fluids. Unusual high-Cr silicocarbonatites, discovered at Samalpatti, seek their origin in the reaction of pyroxenites with enriched mantle-derived alkali-CO2-rich melts, as also evidenced by mantle-like O isotopic compositions. Field and petrographic observations as well as isotopic constraints must, however, be combined with the complex chemistry of incompatible trace elements as indicated from their non-uniform systematics in carbonatites and their individual fractions. We emphasise that, beside common carriers of REE like apatite, other phases may be important for incompatible element budgets, such as mckelveyite-(Nd) and kosmochlor, found in these carbonatites. Future targeted studies, including in-situ techniques, could help further constrain temporal and petrologic conditions of formation of Sevattur and Samalpatti carbonatite bodies.

  16. Assessment of perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonate in surface water - Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Sunantha, Ganesan; Vasudevan, Namasivayam

    2016-08-15

    As an emerging class of environmentally persistent organic pollutants, perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), particularly perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS); have been universally found in the environment. Wastewater and untreated effluents are likely the major causes for the accumulation of PFCs in surface water. There are very few reports on the contamination of PFCs in the developing countries, particularly in India. This study reports the quantitative analysis of PFOA and PFOS in Noyyal, Cauvery, and also lakes in and around Chennai, using Ultra-Fast liquid chromatograph. The concentration of PFOA and PFOS ranged from 4 to 93ng/L and 3 to 29ng/L, respectively. The concentration of PFOS was below detectable limit in Cauvery River. A reliable concentration of PFOA was recorded at all sites of River Cauvery (5ng/L). The present study could be useful for the assessment of future monitoring programs of PFOA and PFOS in the surface water. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Assessment of Groundwater quality in Krishnagiri and Vellore Districts in Tamil Nadu, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shanmugasundharam, A.; Kalpana, G.; Mahapatra, S. R.; Sudharson, E. R.; Jayaprakash, M.

    2017-07-01

    Groundwater quality is important as it is the main factor determining its suitability for drinking, domestic, agricultural and industrial purposes. The suitability of groundwater for drinking and irrigation has been assessed in north and eastern part of Krishnagiri district, South-western part of Vellore district and contiguous with Andhra Pradesh states, India. A total of 31 groundwater samples were collected in the study area. The groundwater quality assessment has been carried out by evaluating the physicochemical parameters such as pH, EC, TDS, {HCO}3^{ - }, Cl-, {SO}4^{2 - }, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+ and K+. The dominant cations are in the order of Na+ > K+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ while the dominant anions have the trends of Cl- > {HCO}3^{ - } > {SO}4^{2 - } > CO3. The quality of the water is evaluated using Wilcox diagram and the results reveals that most of the samples are found to be suitable for irrigation. Based on these parameters, groundwater has been assessed in favor of its suitability for drinking and irrigation purpose.

  18. Origin and evolution of Gneiss-Charnockite rocks of Dharmapuri District, Tamil Nadu, India

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rao, D. Rameshwar; Narayana, B. L.

    1988-01-01

    A low- to high-grade transition area in Dharmapuri district was investigated petrologically and geochemically. The investigation confirmed the presence of a continuous section through a former lower crust, with felsic charnockites predominating the lower part and felsic gneisses the upper part. The structure of original gneisses is preserved in charnockites and the latter show petrographic evidence for prograde metamorphism. The prograde metamorphism is of isochemical nature as revealed by the similarity of compositions of tonalitic gneisses and tonalitic charnockites. However, the depletion of LIL elements particularly Rb, caused variation in K/Rb ratios from low values (345) in the gneisses in upper part to higher values (1775) in the charnockites in the lower crust. This variation in K/Rb ratio in a north to south traverse is related to the progressive break-down of hydrous minerals under decreasing H2O and increasing CO2 fluid conditions. Metasomatism and partial melting has also taken place to a limited extent along shear planes and weak zones. During cooling the H2O circulation affected substantial auto-regression in the transition zone resulting in the formation of second generation biotite.

  19. Study of CNSL Processing Plants Located in Cuddalore District of Tamil Nadu, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bhaskaran, E.

    2017-06-01

    Basic chemicals and their related products like petrochemicals, fertilisers, paints, varnishes, glass, perfumes, toiletries, pharmaceuticals, etc. form a very significant part of the Indian economy and account for about 3% of India's GDP. Among the most diversified industrial sectors, it covers an array of more than 70,000 commercial products. The chemicals sector accounts for about 14% in overall index of industrial production, 11% of total exports and about 7.2% of total imports. The total Foreign Direct Investment in Chemicals (excluding fertilizers) was US 7252 million from April 2011 to March 2012. For inclusive growth and sustainable development most of the Chemical manufacturers should adopt the Cluster Development Approach. The objective is to Study the Occupational Hazards in Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (CNSL) Oil Processing Industries in Panruti Block of Cuddalore District. The methodology adopted is collection of primary processing data during November 2012 from 14 CNSL Processing Industries in Panruti Block of Cuddalore District. Majority of Industries has not processed the CNSL oil as per standards and there is much scope for occupational hazards. In two processes the CNSL oil is let out in the tank constructed equal to ground height where there is possibility of workers getting trapped inside the high temperature CNSL oil. The electric motor is also placed in the ground so that there is possibility of current passing in the ground which leads to occupational hazards for the workers. To conclude, Cashew Shell Oil Processing Industries in Panruti Block of Cuddalore District needs is re-engineering in design and operation starting from Cashew Shell storage, extraction of shell oil from expeller, processing and packaging of CNSL in barrels for better safety from occupational hazards and Cyclones. Moreover for sustainable development, they should adopt cluster development approach, so that infrastructure interrelationships, technology interrelationships, procurement interrelationships, production interrelationships and marketing interrelationships will take place among CNSL manufacturers to decrease cost, increase quality, productivity and efficiency to compete in the world market.

  20. Natural radionuclides in ceramic building materials available in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Rajamannan, B; Viruthagiri, G; Suresh Jawahar, K

    2013-10-01

    The activity concentrations of radium, thorium and potassium can vary from material to material and they should be measured as the radiation is hazardous for human health. Thus, studies have been planned to obtain the radioactivity of ceramic building materials used in Cuddalore District, Tamilnadu, India. The radioactivity of some ceramic materials used in this region has been measured using a gamma-ray spectrometry, which contains an NaI(Tl) detector connected to multichannel analyzer. The specific activities of (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K, from the selected ceramic building materials, were in the range of 9.89-30.75, 24.68-70.4, 117.19-415.83 Bq kg(-1), respectively. The radium equivalent activity, absorbed gamma dose rate (D) and annual effective dose rate associated with the natural radionuclides are calculated to assess the radiation hazards of the natural radioactivity in the ceramic building materials. It was found that none of the results exceeds the recommended limit value.

  1. The trade in human organs in Tamil Nadu: the anatomy of regulatory failure.

    PubMed

    Muraleedharan, Vangal R; Jan, Stephen; Ram Prasad, S

    2006-01-01

    There has been much recent interest in the trade in human organs in India. This paper examines both the extent to which regulatory controls through the Transplantation of Human Organs Act (1994) are effective in curbing commercialization and the nature of the constraints on the effective implementation of this Act. The study, a politico-economic analysis of health sector regulation, is based on a stakeholder analysis drawing on the views of key decision makers, service providers, organ donors and recipients. The findings indicate widespread acknowledgement of an organs trade and highlight four major constraints on the effective implementation of the Act: the commercial interests of middlemen and service providers, the ambiguities and loopholes in the Act; the low monitoring capacity of the regulatory authorities, and the pressures and responsibilities exerted upon the Authorizing Committees. A feature of the Act is that its implementation is subject to a major incentive compatibility constraint - it is seemingly not in the interests of any of the key players, including the regulatory authorities, to restrict the organ trade. To some extent, this institutional problem is created by the specific nature of the regulatory intervention, and, as a consequence, measures involving straightforward redrafting of the regulation might go some way to addressing this incentive problem. Another solution may entail a 'harm-reduction' strategy involving a controlled trade where procurement and organ matching is carried out by a government agency (this would require, however, the prior resolution of the broader ethical question concerning the legitimacy of such trade).

  2. Local Knowledge and Conservation of Seagrasses in the Tamil Nadu State of India

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Local knowledge systems are not considered in the conservation of fragile seagrass marine ecosystems. In fact, little is known about the utility of seagrasses in local coastal communities. This is intriguing given that some local communities rely on seagrasses to sustain their livelihoods and have relocated their villages to areas with a rich diversity and abundance of seagrasses. The purpose of this study is to assist in conservation efforts regarding seagrasses through identifying Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) from local knowledge systems of seagrasses from 40 coastal communities along the eastern coast of India. We explore the assemblage of scientific and local traditional knowledge concerning the 1. classification of seagrasses (comparing scientific and traditional classification systems), 2. utility of seagrasses, 3. Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) of seagrasses, and 4. current conservation efforts for seagrass ecosystems. Our results indicate that local knowledge systems consist of a complex classification of seagrass diversity that considers the role of seagrasses in the marine ecosystem. This fine-scaled ethno-classification gives rise to five times the number of taxa (10 species = 50 local ethnotaxa), each with a unique role in the ecosystem and utility within coastal communities, including the use of seagrasses for medicine (e.g., treatment of heart conditions, seasickness, etc.), food (nutritious seeds), fertilizer (nutrient rich biomass) and livestock feed (goats and sheep). Local communities are concerned about the loss of seagrass diversity and have considerable local knowledge that is valuable for conservation and restoration plans. This study serves as a case study example of the depth and breadth of local knowledge systems for a particular ecosystem that is in peril. Key words: local health and nutrition, traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), conservation and natural resources management, consensus, ethnomedicine, ethnotaxa, cultural heritage PMID:22112297

  3. Fine-scale structure and micromorphology of the Cricket Flat paleosol, Elgin, Oregon, USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Murray, K.; Bader, N.

    2013-12-01

    The Cricket Flat paleosol is located about 9 km east of Elgin, Oregon on Oregon Route 82. The paleosol underlies an olivine basalt of the Powder River Volcanic Field, a sequence of Middle Miocene to Pliocene lavas that overlie the Columbia River Basalt Group in northeastern Oregon. The parent material of the paleosol is a felsic to intermediate lahar that contains leaf and twig fossils as well as tree casts. While some researchers have measured the bulk chemistry and clay mineralogy of this paleosol, no study of its micromorphology has been attempted. In this study we viewed polished thin sections with a petrographic microscope to examine both the parent material and the paleosol. Scanning electron microscopy was used to understand the composition of minerals. Soil texture was analyzed using point counts. Skeleton grains inherited from the parent are mainly plagioclase, orthoclase feldspar, quartz, and volcanic glass. Accessory minerals include titanite, epidote, apatite, and zircon. The paleosol has an argillic horizon with vertic features that are not apparent at the field scale. Diatoms, palynomorphs, and root traces are relatively common in the A horizon of the paleosol. Strong sepic plasmic fabrics and redoximorphic features suggest an environment that was at least seasonally waterlogged and subjected to shrink-swell processes.

  4. Chemical Species, Micromorphology, and XRD Fingerprint Analysis of Tibetan Medicine Zuotai Containing Mercury

    PubMed Central

    Li, Cen; Yang, Hongxia; Xiao, Yuancan; Zhandui; Sanglao; Wang, Zhang; Ladan, Duojie; Bi, Hongtao

    2016-01-01

    Zuotai (gTso thal) is one of the famous drugs containing mercury in Tibetan medicine. However, little is known about the chemical substance basis of its pharmacodynamics and the intrinsic link of different samples sources so far. Given this, energy dispersive spectrometry of X-ray (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to assay the elements, micromorphology, and phase composition of nine Zuotai samples from different regions, respectively; the XRD fingerprint features of Zuotai were analyzed by multivariate statistical analysis. EDX result shows that Zuotai contains Hg, S, O, Fe, Al, Cu, and other elements. SEM and AFM observations suggest that Zuotai is a kind of ancient nanodrug. Its particles are mainly in the range of 100–800 nm, which commonly further aggregate into 1–30 μm loosely amorphous particles. XRD test shows that β-HgS, S8, and α-HgS are its main phase compositions. XRD fingerprint analysis indicates that the similarity degrees of nine samples are very high, and the results of multivariate statistical analysis are broadly consistent with sample sources. The present research has revealed the physicochemical characteristics of Zuotai, and it would play a positive role in interpreting this mysterious Tibetan drug. PMID:27738409

  5. Chemical Species, Micromorphology, and XRD Fingerprint Analysis of Tibetan Medicine Zuotai Containing Mercury.

    PubMed

    Li, Cen; Yang, Hongxia; Du, Yuzhi; Xiao, Yuancan; Zhandui; Sanglao; Wang, Zhang; Ladan, Duojie; Bi, Hongtao; Wei, Lixin

    2016-01-01

    Zuotai ( gTso thal ) is one of the famous drugs containing mercury in Tibetan medicine. However, little is known about the chemical substance basis of its pharmacodynamics and the intrinsic link of different samples sources so far. Given this, energy dispersive spectrometry of X-ray (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to assay the elements, micromorphology, and phase composition of nine Zuotai samples from different regions, respectively; the XRD fingerprint features of Zuotai were analyzed by multivariate statistical analysis. EDX result shows that Zuotai contains Hg, S, O, Fe, Al, Cu, and other elements. SEM and AFM observations suggest that Zuotai is a kind of ancient nanodrug. Its particles are mainly in the range of 100-800 nm, which commonly further aggregate into 1-30  μ m loosely amorphous particles. XRD test shows that β -HgS, S 8 , and α -HgS are its main phase compositions. XRD fingerprint analysis indicates that the similarity degrees of nine samples are very high, and the results of multivariate statistical analysis are broadly consistent with sample sources. The present research has revealed the physicochemical characteristics of Zuotai , and it would play a positive role in interpreting this mysterious Tibetan drug.

  6. Epidermal Micromorphology and Mesophyll Structure of Populus euphratica Heteromorphic Leaves at Different Development Stages

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Yubing; Li, Xinrong; Chen, Guoxiong; Li, Mengmeng; Liu, Meiling; Liu, Dan

    2015-01-01

    Leaf epidermal micromorphology and mesophyll structure during the development of Populus euphratica heteromorphic leaves, including linear, lanceolate, ovate, dentate ovate, dentate rhombic, dentate broad-ovate and dentate fan-shaped leaves, were studied by using electron and light microscopy. During development of heteromorphic leaves, epidermal appendages (wax crystals and trichomes) and special cells (mucilage cells and crystal idioblasts) increased in all leaf types while chloroplast ultrastructure and stomatal characters show maximum photosynthetic activity in dentate ovate and rhombic leaves. Also, functional analysis by subordinate function values shows that the maximum adaptability to adverse stress was exhibited in the broad type of mature leaves. The 12 heteromorphic leaf types are classified into three major groups by hierarchical cluster analysis: young, developing and mature leaves. Mature leaves can effectively obtain the highest stress resistance by combining the protection of xerophytic anatomy from drought stress, regulation of water uptake in micro-environment by mucilage and crystal idioblasts, and assistant defense of transpiration reduction through leaf epidermal appendages, which improves photosynthetic activity under arid desert conditions. Our data confirms that the main leaf function is differentiated during the developing process of heteromorphic leaves. PMID:26356300

  7. Epidermal Micromorphology and Mesophyll Structure of Populus euphratica Heteromorphic Leaves at Different Development Stages.

    PubMed

    Liu, Yubing; Li, Xinrong; Chen, Guoxiong; Li, Mengmeng; Liu, Meiling; Liu, Dan

    2015-01-01

    Leaf epidermal micromorphology and mesophyll structure during the development of Populus euphratica heteromorphic leaves, including linear, lanceolate, ovate, dentate ovate, dentate rhombic, dentate broad-ovate and dentate fan-shaped leaves, were studied by using electron and light microscopy. During development of heteromorphic leaves, epidermal appendages (wax crystals and trichomes) and special cells (mucilage cells and crystal idioblasts) increased in all leaf types while chloroplast ultrastructure and stomatal characters show maximum photosynthetic activity in dentate ovate and rhombic leaves. Also, functional analysis by subordinate function values shows that the maximum adaptability to adverse stress was exhibited in the broad type of mature leaves. The 12 heteromorphic leaf types are classified into three major groups by hierarchical cluster analysis: young, developing and mature leaves. Mature leaves can effectively obtain the highest stress resistance by combining the protection of xerophytic anatomy from drought stress, regulation of water uptake in micro-environment by mucilage and crystal idioblasts, and assistant defense of transpiration reduction through leaf epidermal appendages, which improves photosynthetic activity under arid desert conditions. Our data confirms that the main leaf function is differentiated during the developing process of heteromorphic leaves.

  8. Geochemical characteristics of charnockite and high grade gneisses from Southern Peninsular Shield and their significance in crustal evolution

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sugavanam, E. B.; Vidyadharan, K. T.

    1988-01-01

    Presented here are the results of detailed investigations encompassing externsive structural mapping in the charnockite-high grade gneiss terrain of North Arcot district and the type area in Pallavaram in Tamil Nadu supported by petrography, mineral chemistry, major, minor and REE distribution patterns in various lithounits. This has helped in understanding the evolutionary history of the southern peninsular shield. A possible tectonic model is also suggested. The results of these studies are compared with similar rock types from parts of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Sri Lanka, Lapland and Nigeria which has brought about a well defined correlation in geochemical characteristics. The area investigated has an interbanded sequence of thick pile of charnockite and a supracrustal succession of shelf type sediments, layered igneous complex, basic and ultrabasic rocks involved in a complex structural, tectonic, igneous and metamorphic events.

  9. Dissipation kinetics of bifenazate in tea under tropical conditions.

    PubMed

    Satheshkumar, Annamalai; Senthurpandian, Velu Kalaipandian; Shanmugaselvan, Veilumuthu Anandham

    2014-02-15

    Field experiments were conducted during April and May of 2011 in Valparai, Coonoor and Gudalur (Tamil Nadu, India) to determine the residues of bifenazate in black tea. From this study, residue levels of bifenazate at different harvest intervals, persistence, dissipation pattern during processing, rate constant and half-life values were calculated. Residues of bifenazate dissipated exponentially after spraying and at Gudalur trial, on the 16th day after application residues were below the maximum residue level of 0.02 mg/kg set by the European Union. However, no residues were detected in the tea brew. Regression lines drawn for bifenazate showed that it followed first order dissipation kinetics. Half-life values varied from 1.03 to 1.36 days for bifenazate and a pre-harvest interval of 16 days is suggested. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Management of internal hemorrhoids by Kshara karma: An educational case report

    PubMed Central

    Mahapatra, Anita; Srinivasan, A.; Sujithra, R.; Bhat, Ramesh P.

    2012-01-01

    A 66-year-old male patient came to the anorectal clinic, Outpatient department, AVT Institute for Advanced Research, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, with complaints of prolapsing pile mass during defecation and bleeding while passing stool. The case was diagnosed as “Raktarsha” - 11 & 7 ‘o’ clock position II degree internal hemorrhoids, deeply situated, projecting one and caused by pitta and rakta; with bleeding tendency. Kshara karma (application of caustic alkaline paste) intervention was done in this case to internal hemorrhoids under local anesthesia. The pile mass and per rectal bleeding resolved in 8 days and the patient was relieved from all symptoms within 21 days. No complications were reported after the procedure. The patient was followed up regularly from 2004 onward till date and proctoscopic examination did not reveal any evidence of recurrence of the hemorrhoids. PMID:23125506

  11. A new species of Clidicus with asymmetrical parameres (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae).

    PubMed

    JaŁoszyŃski, PaweŁ

    2018-03-20

    Clidicus Laporte, 1832 currently comprises 27 species distributed in India (Karnataka, Tamil Nadu), Sri Lanka, Indonesia (Java, Kalimantan, Sumatra), Malaysia (Sabah, Sarawak), Laos, Vietnam, the Philippines (Mindanao), China (Hainan) and Australia (Queensland). Some species have conspicuously large adults reaching 8.5 mm, and they represent the largest known Scydmaeninae. Species of Clidicus were relatively poorly known until recently, when Orousset (2014) revised a large portion of this genus and described several new species. Other major studies include Besuchet (1971), who described Sri Lankan species, Jałoszyński et al. (2003) who recorded four new species from Vietnam and Laos, Jałoszyński (2009) with the first description of a Philippine species, and Zhou Li (2015), who discovered the first species in China. Another new species, representing the second Clidicus occurring in the Philippines, is described below.

  12. Decoding the Type 2 Diabetes Epidemic in Rural India

    PubMed Central

    Little, Matthew; Humphries, Sally; Patel, Kirit; Dewey, Cate

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Type 2 diabetes mellitus is an escalating public health problem in India, associated with genetic susceptibility, dietary shift, and rapid lifestyle changes. Historically a disease of the urban elite, quantitative studies have recently confirmed rising prevalence rates among marginalized populations in rural India. To analyze the role of cultural and sociopolitical factors in diabetes onset and management, we employed in-depth interviews and focus groups within a rural community of Tamil Nadu. The objectives of the study were to understand sources and extent of health knowledge, diabetes explanatory models, and the impact of illness on individual, social, and familial roles. Several cultural, socioeconomic, and political factors appear to contribute to diabetes in rural regions of India, highlighting the need to address structural inequities and empower individuals to pursue health and well-being on their own terms. PMID:27644458

  13. Persistence of azoxystrobin in/on grapes and soil in different grapes growing areas of India.

    PubMed

    Gajbhiye, Vijay Tularam; Gupta, Suman; Mukherjee, Irani; Singh, Shashi Bala; Singh, Neera; Dureja, Prem; Kumar, Yogesh

    2011-01-01

    Persistence of azoxystrobin was studied in/on grapes when applied @ 150 g ai ha⁻¹ (recommended dose) and 300 g ai ha⁻¹ (double the recommended dose) in three grapes growing states of India, namely Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, in the year 2006-2007. A total of five sprays were given at an interval of about 15 days. Grapes and soil samples were collected after 5th spray, extracted and analysed by gas chromatography using electron capture detector. Half life of azoxystrobin on grapes varied from 5.4 to 11.2 days. Residues of azoxystrobin were much below the prescribed MRL (0.5 mg kg⁻¹) after 21 days. The dissipation of azoxystrobin in soil followed first order rate kinetics with an average half life of 8.1 days at the recommended dose of application.

  14. A content analysis of advertisements related to oral health in children's Tamil television channels--a preliminary report.

    PubMed

    Sukumaran, Aparna; Diwakar, Madankumar P; Shastry, Shivakumar M

    2012-05-01

    This study was conducted to examine the nature, content, and duration of advertisements broadcasted during children's Tamil television channels and to determine the extent to which television advertising changes during school holiday and non-holiday periods and between prime time and non-prime time broadcast. Television broadcasts on two main children's Tamil television channels were video-recorded over 16 days between 17.00-19.00 hours (non-prime time) and 19.00-21.00 hours (prime time). For each commercial, the type of product advertised, as well as the duration (in seconds), was recorded. Advertisements were categorized as 'food' and 'non-food'. The former category was further subdivided into 'sugar-rich foods' and 'other foods'. The sugar-rich foods were further categorized as liquid, solid and sticky, and slowly dissolving sugars. Commercials related to the promotion of oral health products and non-food products were also recorded. Among the total of 128 h of television programmes recorded, advertising accounted for 10.15% (13.01 hours). The advertisement of sugar-rich food products, non-food and oral hygiene products occupied 50.36%, 38.41% and 1.90%, respectively, of the total advertising time. Solid and sticky products made up 100% of advertisements in this category on Chithiram television channel, compared with 62.5% of advertisements on Chutti television channel. It was concluded that the advertising of sugar-rich foods, particularly solid and sticky food products, was broadcasted more in Chithiram television channel, during school holidays and during prime time. © 2011 The Authors. International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry © 2011 BSPD, IAPD and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  15. Analysis of Metals Concentration in the Soils of SIPCOT Industrial Complex, Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu

    PubMed Central

    Mathivanan, V.; Prabavathi, R.; Prithabai, C.; Selvisabhanayakam

    2010-01-01

    Phytoremediation is a promising area of new research, both for its low cost and great benefit to society in the clean retrieval of contaminated sites. Phytoremediation is the use of living green plants for in situ risk reduction and/or removal of contaminants from contaminated soil, water, sediments, and air. Specially selected or engineered plants are used in the process. The soil samples were taken from Cuddalore Old Town (OT) and the samples from SIPCOT industrial complex, which was the study area and analyzed for various metals concentrations. Fifteen metals have been analyzed by adopting standard procedure. The detection limits of metal concentration are drawn as control. The various (15) metal concentrations in the soil samples were found higher in soil taken from SIPCOT industrial complex, compared with samples taken from Cuddalore OT. In all the observations, it was found that most of the metals like calcium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, nickel, and zinc showed maximum concentrations, whereas arsenic, antimony, lead, magnesium, sodium have shown minimum concentrations, both when compared with control. From the present study, it was found that the soil collected from SIPCOT complex area were more polluted due to the presence of various industrial effluents, municipal wastes, and sewages when compared with the soil collected from Cuddalore OT. PMID:21170256

  16. Mapping debris flow susceptibility using analytical network process in Kodaikkanal Hills, Tamil Nadu (India)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sujatha, Evangelin Ramani; Sridhar, Venkataramana

    2017-12-01

    Rapid debris flows, a mixture of unconsolidated sediments and water travelling at speeds > 10 m/s are the most destructive water related mass movements that affect hill and mountain regions. The predisposing factors setting the stage for the event are the availability of materials, type of materials, stream power, slope gradient, aspect and curvature, lithology, land use and land cover, lineament density, and drainage. Rainfall is the most common triggering factor that causes debris flow in the Palar subwatershed and seismicity is not considered as it is a stable continental region and moderate seismic zone. Also, there are no records of major seismic activities in the past. In this study, one of the less explored heuristic methods known as the analytical network process (ANP) is used to map the spatial propensity of debris flow. This method is based on top-down decision model and is a multi-criteria, decision-making tool that translates subjective assessment of relative importance to weights or scores and is implemented in the Palar subwatershed which is part of the Western Ghats in southern India. The results suggest that the factors influencing debris flow susceptibility in this region are the availability of material on the slope, peak flow, gradient of the slope, land use and land cover, and proximity to streams. Among all, peak discharge is identified as the chief factor causing debris flow. The use of micro-scale watersheds demonstrated in this study to develop the susceptibility map can be very effective for local level planning and land management.

  17. Relevance of water quality index for groundwater quality evaluation: Thoothukudi District, Tamil Nadu, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singaraja, C.

    2017-09-01

    The present hydrogeochemical study was confined to the Thoothukudi District in Tamilnadu, India. A total of 100 representative water samples were collected during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon and analyzed for the major cations (sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium) and anions (chloride, sulfate, bicarbonate, fluoride and nitrate) along with various physical and chemical parameters (pH, total dissolved salts and electrical conductivity). Water quality index rating was calculated to quantify the overall water quality for human consumption. The PRM samples exhibit poor quality in greater percentage when compared with POM due to dilution of ions and agricultural impact. The overlay of WQI with chloride and EC corresponds to the same locations indicating the poor quality of groundwater in the study area. Sodium (Na %), sodium absorption ratio (SAR), residual sodium carbonate (RSC), residual sodium bicarbonate, permeability index (PI), magnesium hazards (MH), Kelly's ratio (KR), potential salinity (PS) and Puri's salt index (PSI) and domestic quality parameters such as total hardness (TH), temporary, permanent hardness and corrosivity ratio (CR) were calculated. The majority of the samples were not suitable for drinking, irrigation and domestic purposes in the study area. In this study, the analysis of salinization/freshening processes was carried out through binary diagrams such as of mole ratios of {SO}_{ 4}^{ 2- } /Cl- and Cl-/EC that clearly classify the sources of seawater intrusion and saltpan contamination. Spatial diagram BEX was used to find whether the aquifer was in the salinization region or in the freshening encroachment region.

  18. Herd-level risk factors for bovine viral diarrhea infection in cattle of Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Subbiah Krishna; Palanivel, K M; Sukumar, K; Ronald, B Samuel Masilamoni; Selvaraju, G; Ponnudurai, G

    2018-04-01

    A cross-sectional study was carried out to identify risk factors for bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infection in 62 randomly selected dairy herds which were tested for BVD serum antibodies by using an indirect ELISA kit (IDEXX). Results from the chi-square test analysis were interpreted by analyzing by chi-square test. A sum of 500 sera samples were screened and 66 animals (13.20%) showed positive for BVDV antibody. Within herd, BVD seroprevalence was 12-65%. This study concluded that epidemiological risk factors like location, herd size, housing patterns like, tail to tail system, roofing pattern, distance between the manure pit and farm, and distance between farms were significantly associated with BVDV serological status (P < 0.05).

  19. Hydrochemical characteristics and quality assessment of groundwater along the Manavalakurichi coast, Tamil Nadu, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Srinivas, Y.; Aghil, T. B.; Hudson Oliver, D.; Nithya Nair, C.; Chandrasekar, N.

    2017-06-01

    The present study was carried out to find the groundwater quality of coastal aquifer along Manavalakurichi coast. For this study, a total of 30 groundwater samples were collected randomly from open wells and borewells. The concentration of major ions and other geochemical parameters in the groundwater were analyzed in the laboratory by adopting standard procedures suggested by the American Public Health Association. The order of the dominant cations in the study area was found to be Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ > K+, whereas the sequence of dominant anions was {{Cl}}^{ - } > {{HCO}}3^{ - } > {{SO}}4^{2 - }. The hydrogeochemical facies of the groundwater samples were studied by constructing piper trilinear diagram which revealed the evidence of saltwater intrusion into the study area. The obtained geochemical parameters were compared with the standard permissible limits suggested by the World Health Organization and Indian Standard Institution to determine the drinking water quality in the study area. The analysis suggests that the groundwater from the wells W25 and W26 is unsuitable for drinking. The suitability of groundwater for irrigation was studied by calculating percent sodium, sodium absorption ratio and residual sodium carbonate values. The Wilcox and USSL plots were also prepared. It was found that the groundwater from the stations W1, W25 and W26 is unfit for irrigation. The Gibbs plots were also sketched to study the mechanisms controlling the geochemical composition of groundwater in the study area.

  20. Hydrochemical characteristics and groundwater quality assessment in Tirupur Region, Coimbatore District, Tamil Nadu, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arumugam, K.; Elangovan, K.

    2009-10-01

    Groundwater samples from 62 locations have been collected from Tirupur region viz. Avinashi, Tirupur and Palladam taluks of Coimbatore District. The extensive agricultural industrial activities and urbanization resulted in the contamination of the aquifer. To study the contamination of groundwater, water samples were collected in an area of 180 km2 and analysed for major cations and anions. Most of the locations are contaminated by higher concentration of EC, TDS, K and NO3. Major hydro chemical facies were identified using Piper trilinear diagram. Based on US salinity diagram, most of the samples fall in the field of C3S1, indicating high salinity and low sodium water, which can be used for almost all types of soil with little danger of exchangeable sodium. Majority of the samples are not suitable for domestic purposes and far from drinking water standards. However, PI values indicates that groundwater is suitable for irrigation.

  1. Measurement of submarine groundwater discharge using diverse methods in Coleroon Estuary, Tamil Nadu, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prakash, R.; Srinivasamoorthy, K.; Gopinath, S.; Saravanan, K.

    2018-03-01

    Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is described as submarine inflow of fresh and brackish groundwater from land into the sea. The release of sewages from point and non-point source pollutants from industries, agricultural and domestic activities gets discharged through groundwater to ocean creating natural disparity like decreasing flora fauna and phytoplankton blooms. Hence, to quantify fluxes of SGD in coastal regions is important. Quantification of SGD was attempted in Coleroon estuary, India, using three dissimilar methods like water budget, Darcy law and manual seepage meter. Three seepage meters were installed at two prominent litho units (alluvium and fluvio marine) at a distance of (0-14.7 km) away from Bay of Bengal. The water budget and Darcy law-quantified submarine seepage at a rate of 6.9 × 106 and 3.2 × 103 to 308.3 × 103 m3 year-1, respectively, and the seepage meter quantified seepage rate of 0.7024 m h-1 at an average. Larger seepage variations were isolated from three different techniques and the seepage rates were found to be influenced by hydrogeological characteristics of the litho units and distance from the coast.

  2. "No God and no Norway": collective resource loss among members of Tamil NGO's in Norway during and after the last phase of the civil war in Sri Lanka

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Studies on the mental health of refugees have tended to focus upon the impact of traumatic experiences in the country of origin, and acculturation processes in exile. The effects of crises in the country of origin on refugees living in exile have been little studied. This article examines how the final stages of the civil war in Sri Lanka in 2009 influenced members of pro-LTTE Tamil NGO's in Norway. Method Ethnographic fieldwork methods were employed within Tamil NGO's in the two largest cities in Norway between November 2008 and June 2011. Results The findings suggest that collective resources became severely drained as a result of the crisis, severely disrupting the fabric of social life. Public support from the majority community remained scarce throughout the crisis. Conclusions The study suggests that there is a need for public support to exile groups indirectly affected by man-made crises in their country of origin. PMID:21849029

  3. A probable martian analogue in muttom in southern india

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wankhede, Tushar; Rajesh, V. J.; Charri, Abhishek

    2012-07-01

    Mars, a terrestrial planet fourth from the Sun in the solar system, is widely known as the red planet. The iron oxide sand/dust is predominant on its surface and gives the reddish appearance. Recent explorations have exposed abundance of haematite-rich loose materials in the surface of Mars especially at Meridiani Planum. Sedimentary structures like bedding, cross-bedding, ripple marks, gullies, mud cracks etc. are identified in this area. It is essential to look for some terrestrial analogues for the iron oxide rich sand/dust in order to explore their genetic mechanisms in Martian surface. Red sand beds occur above the crystalline basement or younger calcareous sandstone/limestone as isolated patches of partly indurated or unindurated dunes and sheets fringing the south western coastal lands of Tamil Nadu. Calcretes, source of carbonates, also occur at places within these red sand beds. Muttom soils are dark red in color on fresh surfaces. The red sand beds are dominated by iron-bearing minerals such as hematite and ilmenite. Local patches of heavy mineral deposition by the action of wind and water were also observed in the Muttom area. Preliminary spectral analyses confirmed the presence of iron bearing minerals like hematite and ilmenite which are also present in Mars. Many sedimentary structures like gullies, channels, polygonal mud cracks, erosion pits and dunes were present in Muttom area similar to those observed on Martian surface. Meridiani planum outcrops are composed of some siliciclastics grains, and hematite, and only few deposits on Earth match this description. The siliciclastics grains are primarily quartz grain coated with hematite. Quartz is also found in Muttom which, may have been transported by the action of wind while in the Mars siliciclastics is the alteration product of basalt. The structures are more or less similar to those observed at Meridiani Planum. Previous workers interpreted these red sands as `unique' formed either by a mixed

  4. Ingestion of polonium ((210)Po) via dietary sources in high background radiation areas of south India.

    PubMed

    Arunachalam, Kantha Deivi; Baskaran, Kamesh Viswanathan; Rao, D D; Sathyapriya, R; Annamalai, Sathesh Kumar; Kuruva, Jaya Krishna; Hari, Shanmugamsundaram

    2014-10-01

    To study the distribution of Polonium ((210)Po) activity in dietary sources in the high background radiation zone of Puttetti in southern Tamil Nadu. (210)Po was analyzed in the food materials consumed by the male and female individual representatives living in the high background areas by 24-h Duplicate Diet Study (DDS) and Market Basket Study (MBS). The MBS was performed by collecting the food samples such as, cereals, fruits, leafy vegetables, roots and tubers, other vegetables, fish, meat and milk grown in the high background radiation zone of southern Tamil Nadu as a part of baseline study in this region. The DDS was done by collecting the food materials consumed including the beverages in 24 h from different age groups of male and female individuals living in the village of Puttetti. The intake and ingestion dose of the radionuclide (210)Po was estimated. The average concentration of (210)Po in DDS (n = 33) was found to be 74 mBq.kg(- 1) of fresh weight. The MBS was collected based on food consumption representing more than 85-95% of annual supply, and were divided into eight food groups. The average concentration of (210)Po in the eight food groups namely leafy vegetables was 2176 mBq.kg(- 1) (n = 3), vegetables 55 mBq.kg(- 1) (n = 10), roots and tubers 251 mBq.kg(- 1) (n = 4), fruits 65 mBq.kg(- 1) (n = 5), fish 345 mBq.kg(- 1) (n = 2), meat food 117 mBq.kg(- 1) (n = 3), milk 20 mBq.kg(- 1) (n = 1) and cereal 290 (n = 1) mBq.kg(- 1) of fresh weight, respectively. The annual intake and ingestion dose due to (210)Po was estimated by DDS and MBS in adults, adolescents and children. The overall results showed that the MBS was moderately higher than the DDS in all age groups. Moreover, a DDS approach may even be more realistic, as cooked foodstuffs are used for dietary exposure assessment. The study confirms that the current levels of (210)Po do not pose a significant radiological risk to the local inhabitants.

  5. Spine micromorphology of normal and hyperhydric Mammillaria gracilis Pfeiff. (Cactaceae) shoots.

    PubMed

    Peharec, P; Posilović, H; Balen, B; Krsnik-Rasol, M

    2010-07-01

    Artificial conditions of tissue culture affect growth and physiology of crassulacean acid metabolism plants which often results in formation of hyperhydric shoots. In in vitro conditions Mammillaria gracilis Pfeiff. (Cactaceae) growth switches from organized to unorganized way, producing a habituated organogenic callus which simultaneously regenerates morphologically normal as well as altered hyperhydric shoots. In this study, influence of tissue culture conditions on morphology of cactus spines of normal and hyperhydric shoots was investigated. Spines of pot-grown Mammillaria plants and of in vitro regenerated shoots were examined with stereo microscope and scanning electron microscope. The pot-grown plants had 16-17 spines per areole. In vitro grown normal shoots, even though they kept typical shoot morphology, had lower number of spines (11-12) and altered spine morphology. This difference was even more pronounced in spine number (six to seven) and morphology of the hyperhydric shoots. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed remarkable differences in micromorphology of spine surface between pot-grown and in vitro grown shoots. Spines of in vitro grown normal shoots showed numerous long trichomes, which were more elongated on spines of the hyperhydric shoots; the corresponding structures on spine surface of pot-grown plants were noticed only as small protrusions. Scanning electron microscopy morphometric studies showed that the spines of pot-grown plants were significantly longer compared to the spines of shoots grown in tissue culture. Moreover, transverse section shape varies from elliptical in pot-grown plants to circular in normal and hyperhydric shoots grown in vitro. Cluster and correspondence analyses performed on the scanning electron microscope obtained results suggest great variability among spines of pot-grown plants. Spines of in vitro grown normal and hyperhydric shoots showed low level of morphological variation among themselves despite the

  6. Regional differences in constituents of gall stones.

    PubMed

    Ashok, M; Nageshwar Reddy, D; Jayanthi, V; Kalkura, S N; Vijayan, V; Gokulakrishnan, S; Nair, K G M

    2005-01-01

    The pathogenesis of pigment and mixed gall stone formation remains elusive. The elemental constituents of gall stones from southern states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka have been characterized. Our aim was to determine the elemental concentration of representative samples of pigment, mixed and cholesterol gall stones from Andhra Pradesh using proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) using a 3 MV horizontal pelletron accelerator. Pigment gall stones had significantly high concentrations of copper, iron and lead; chromium was absent. Except for iron all these elements were significantly low in cholesterol gall stones and intermediate levels were seen in mixed gall stones. Highest concentrations of chromium was seen in cholesterol and titanium in mixed gall stones respectively; latter similar to other southern states. Arsenic was distinctly absent in cholesterol and mixed gall stones. The study has identified differences in elemental components of the gall stones from Andhra Pradesh.

  7. Study of water supply & sanitation practices in India using geographic information systems: some design & other considerations in a village setting.

    PubMed

    Gopal, Srila; Sarkar, Rajiv; Banda, Kalyan; Govindarajan, Jeyanthi; Harijan, B B; Jeyakumar, M B; Mitta, Philip; Sadanala, M E; Selwyn, Tryphena; Suresh, C R; Thomas, V A; Devadason, Pethuru; Kumar, Ranjit; Selvapandian, David; Kang, Gagandeep; Balraj, Vinohar

    2009-03-01

    Availability of clean water and adequate sanitation facilities are of prime importance for limiting diarrhoeal diseases. We examined the water and sanitation facilities of a village in southern India using geographic information system (GIS) tools. Places of residence, water storage and distribution, sewage and places where people in the village defaecated were mapped and drinking water sources were tested for microbial contamination in Nelvoy village, Vellore district, Tamil Nadu. Water in the village was found to be microbiologically unfit for consumption. Analysis using direct observations supplemented by GIS maps revealed poor planning, poor engineering design and lack of policing of the water distribution system causing possible contamination of drinking water from sewage at multiple sites. Until appropriate engineering designs for water supply and sewage disposal to suit individual village needs are made available, point-of-use water disinfection methods could serve as an interim solution.

  8. Sporulation dynamics of poultry Eimeria oocysts in Chennai.

    PubMed

    Venkateswara Rao, P; Raman, M; Gomathinayagam, S

    2015-12-01

    The infective form of Eimeria is the highly resistant oocyst, which is shed in the faeces of infected animals. Present study was carried out to understand the sporulation dynamics of six Eimeria oocysts viz. E. acervulina, E. brunetti, E. maxima, E. mitis, E. necatrix and E. tenella in Chennai. Faecal samples of poultry were collected from various poultry farms located in and around Tamil Nadu. Oocysts of various Eimeria species were examined microscopically for sporulation on a 6 h interval basis till complete sporulation is acheived. The sporulation time recorded was 168, 120, 216, 192, 96 and 96 h for E. acervulina, E. brunetti, E. maxima, E. mitis, E. necatrix and E. tenella respectively. It can be concluded on comparison with previous studies that humid weather conditions delay the sporulation time and dry weather and wet litter is the ideal condition for rapid sporulation.

  9. Optimization of Antimicrobial Production by a Marine Actinomycete Streptomyces afghaniensis VPTS3-1 Isolated from Palk Strait, East Coast of India.

    PubMed

    Vijayakumar, R; Panneerselvam, K; Muthukumar, C; Thajuddin, N; Panneerselvam, A; Saravanamuthu, R

    2012-06-01

    Totally 25 marine soil samples were collected from the region of Palk Strait of Bay of Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and were subjected to the isolation of actinomycetes. Sixty-eight morphologically distinct isolates were obtained and 37% (25) of them had antimicrobial activity. The potential producer was named as Streptomyces sp. VPTS3-1 and the phylogenetic evaluation on the basis of 16S rDNA sequence further categorized the organism as Streptomyces afghaniensis VPTS3-1. Further, the antimicrobial compound was extracted from the isolate using various solvents and the antimicrobial efficacies were tested against bacterial and fungal pathogens. In addition, in vitro optimization of parameters for the antimicrobial compound production revealed that the suitable pH as 7-8, the period of incubation as 9 days, temperature (30°C), salinity (2%), and starch and KNO3 as the suitable carbon and nitrogen sources respectively in starch-casein medium.

  10. Heavy metal content in tea soils and their distribution in different parts of tea plants, Camellia sinensis (L). O. Kuntze.

    PubMed

    Seenivasan, Subbiah; Anderson, Todd Alan; Muraleedharan, Narayanannair

    2016-07-01

    Soils contaminated with heavy metals may pose a threat to environment and human health if metals enter the food chain over and above threshold levels. In general, there is a lack of information on the presence of heavy metals in tea [Camellia sinensis (L). O. Kuntze] plants and the soils in which they are grown. Therefore, an attempt was made to establish a database on the important heavy metals: cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), and lead (Pb). For an initial survey on heavy metals, soil samples were collected randomly from tea-growing areas of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka, India. Parallel studies were conducted in the greenhouse on uptake of Pb, Cd, and Ni from soils supplemented with these metals at different concentrations. Finally, metal distribution in the tea plants under field conditions was also documented to assess the accumulation potential and critical limit of uptake by plants.

  11. Residues of lambda-cyhalothrin in tea.

    PubMed

    Seenivasan, Subbiah; Muraleedharan, Narayanan Nair

    2009-02-01

    Field experiments were conducted at two places in Tamil Nadu (India) during dry season of 2006 to determine the residues of lambda-cyhalothrin in fresh green tea leaves and black tea. Residues were quantified at different harvest intervals of '0' (3h), 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th and 14th day after insecticide application. Persistence, dissipation pattern, half-life value and safe harvest interval of the insecticide in tea were calculated. Residues of lambda-cyhalothrin dissipated exponentially after application at both the locations and reached below the European Union maximum residue limit (MRL) of 1mg/kg on the 5th day. Lambda-cyhalothrin showed that like other insecticides it followed the first order dissipation kinetics. Half-life values varied from 2.8 to 3.5 days for lambda-cyhalothrin and a safety harvest interval of 5 days is suggested for tea at the recommended dosage.

  12. Moisture Supply From the Western Ghats Forests to Water Deficit East Coast of India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Paul, Supantha; Ghosh, Subimal; Rajendran, K.; Murtugudde, Raghu

    2018-05-01

    The mountainous western coast of India, known as the Western Ghats, is considered to be a biodiversity hot spot, but it is under a constant threat due to human activities. The region is characterized by high orographic monsoon precipitation resulting in dense vegetation cover. Feedback of such a dense vegetation on the southwest monsoon rainfall is not yet explored. Here we perform regional climate simulations with the Weather Research and Forecasting model and find that evapotranspiration from the vegetation of Western Ghats contributes 25-40% of the southwest monsoon rainfall over the water-deficit state of Tamil Nadu. This contribution reaches 50% during deficit monsoon years or dry spells within a season. Our findings suggest that recent deforestation in this area will affect not only the biodiversity of the region but also the water availability over Peninsular India, which is already impacted by water scarcity.

  13. Pentavalent vaccine and adverse events following immunization-untangling the misinterpretations.

    PubMed

    Malik, Akash

    2014-12-01

    In April 2008, the National Technical Group on Immunization (NTAGI) Sub-committee on H. influenza type b (Hib) vaccine recommended that Hib containing pentavalent vaccine should be introduced in the country. Subsequently liquid pentavalent vaccine (LPV) was launched in the Kerala and Tamil Nadu on a pilot basis in December 2011. The introduction of LPV in these two states was followed by reported deaths in infants who had received LPV. An exhaustive summary of media reports and previous literature has since been made available at various fora which have been supplemented with estimations of the damage the LPV may cause. It has thus been concluded that the LPV is bound to cause more number of infant deaths than it will save from Hib meningitis and pneumonia. The current paper aims to clear some of the misinterpretations and miscalculations so that lives of 72,000 infants can be saved.

  14. Persistence of Azoxystrobin in/on Grapes and Soil in Different Grapes Growing Areas of India

    PubMed Central

    Gajbhiye, Vijay Tularam; Gupta, Suman; Mukherjee, Irani; Singh, Shashi Bala; Singh, Neera; Kumar, Yogesh

    2010-01-01

    Persistence of azoxystrobin was studied in/on grapes when applied @ 150 g ai ha−1 (recommended dose) and 300 g ai ha−1 (double the recommended dose) in three grapes growing states of India, namely Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, in the year 2006–2007. A total of five sprays were given at an interval of about 15 days. Grapes and soil samples were collected after 5th spray, extracted and analysed by gas chromatography using electron capture detector. Half life of azoxystrobin on grapes varied from 5.4 to 11.2 days. Residues of azoxystrobin were much below the prescribed MRL (0.5 mg kg−1) after 21 days. The dissipation of azoxystrobin in soil followed first order rate kinetics with an average half life of 8.1 days at the recommended dose of application. PMID:21153804

  15. A web accessible resource for investigating cassava phenomics and genomics information: BIOGEN BASE

    PubMed Central

    Jayakodi, Murukarthick; selvan, Sreedevi Ghokhilamani; Natesan, Senthil; Muthurajan, Raveendran; Duraisamy, Raghu; Ramineni, Jana Jeevan; Rathinasamy, Sakthi Ambothi; Karuppusamy, Nageswari; Lakshmanan, Pugalenthi; Chokkappan, Mohan

    2011-01-01

    The goal of our research is to establish a unique portal to bring out the potential outcome of the research in the Casssava crop. The Biogen base for cassava clearly brings out the variations of different traits of the germplasms, maintained at the Tapioca and Castor Research Station, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. Phenotypic and genotypic variations of the accessions are clearly depicted, for the users to browse and interpret the variations using the microsatellite markers. Database (BIOGEN BASE ‐ CASSAVA) is designed using PHP and MySQL and is equipped with extensive search options. It is more user-friendly and made publicly available, to improve the research and development of cassava by making a wealth of genetics and genomics data available through open, common, and worldwide forum for all individuals interested in the field. Availability The database is available for free at http://www.tnaugenomics.com/biogenbase/casava.php PMID:21904428

  16. A web accessible resource for investigating cassava phenomics and genomics information: BIOGEN BASE.

    PubMed

    Jayakodi, Murukarthick; Selvan, Sreedevi Ghokhilamani; Natesan, Senthil; Muthurajan, Raveendran; Duraisamy, Raghu; Ramineni, Jana Jeevan; Rathinasamy, Sakthi Ambothi; Karuppusamy, Nageswari; Lakshmanan, Pugalenthi; Chokkappan, Mohan

    2011-01-01

    The goal of our research is to establish a unique portal to bring out the potential outcome of the research in the Casssava crop. The Biogen base for cassava clearly brings out the variations of different traits of the germplasms, maintained at the Tapioca and Castor Research Station, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. Phenotypic and genotypic variations of the accessions are clearly depicted, for the users to browse and interpret the variations using the microsatellite markers. Database (BIOGEN BASE - CASSAVA) is designed using PHP and MySQL and is equipped with extensive search options. It is more user-friendly and made publicly available, to improve the research and development of cassava by making a wealth of genetics and genomics data available through open, common, and worldwide forum for all individuals interested in the field. The database is available for free at http://www.tnaugenomics.com/biogenbase/casava.php.

  17. Micromorphology of two prehistoric ritual burials from Yemen, and considerations on methodological aspects of sampling the burial matrix - work in progress

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Usai, Maria-Raimonda; Brothwell, Don; Buckley, Stephen; Ai-Thour, Kalid; Canti, Matthew

    2010-05-01

    Introduction In the central area of Yemen, two burial sites placed high in the crevices of vertical cliff face of Cretaceous sandstone (Tawilah Group) provided evidence of human remains and yielded burial soils. Radiocarbon dating indicated c.2500-2900 years BP for the burials. In other local comparable sites the deep horizontal crevices yielded Bronze Age human remains, in exceptional state of preservation Questions: What was the nature of the burial matrix? Are other human influences superimposed on the soils derived from it? Is it simply decomposed crevice rock, scraped together at the time of burial, or the result of a more complex burial practice? Such questions are also relevant to a variety of other burials of different periods and world regions. Methods Seven matrix samples from Cliff Burials (A) Talan (Layers 4,10,12,14,18,20 and 22, from top to bottom) and (B) Shiban Kawkaban (Layer 1 and 9) were analysed with micromorphology, supplemented by SEM microprobe, X-ray diffraction, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Results Cliff Burial Site Talan. The presence of cholesterol was confirmed in the lower sample. The second layer contained darker earth with fibrous plant material. A hard calcareous upper capping contrasted with the other levels of matrix, and it displayed a highly birefingent material with a significant component of uric acid. The other levels had variable organic content and plant inclusions, and possibly pollen. In Layer 10, aromatic acids indicative of balsam and sugar markers suggested plant gum. Cholesterol was the major sterol in Layers 10 and 22, but whilst in Layer 10 its oxidation products were present and cholestanol was abundant as normally in soils, it was only a minor component of Layer 22 where, rather, a significant amount of coprostanol indicated faecal input, and cholesterol oxidation products were absent. Cliff Burial Site Shiban Kawkaban. Although no stratification was visible to the naked eye, variation was observed at a

  18. Post-sterilization autonomy among young mothers in South India.

    PubMed

    Pallikadavath, Saseendran; Rajan, Irudaya; Singh, Abhishek; Ogollah, Reuben; Page, Samantha

    2015-01-01

    This study examined the post-sterilization autonomy of women in south India in the context of early sterilization and low fertility. Quantitative data were taken from the third round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3) carried out in 2005-06, and qualitative data from one village each in Kerala and Tamil Nadu during 2010-11. The incident rate ratios and thematic analysis showed that among currently married women under the age of 30 years, those who had been sterilized had significantly higher autonomy in household decision-making and freedom of mobility compared with women who had never used any modern family planning method. Early age at sterilization and low fertility enables women to achieve the social status that is generally attained at later stages in the life-cycle. Policies to capitalize on women's autonomy and free time resulting from early sterilization and low fertility should be adopted in south India.

  19. Perception of Construction Participants in Construction delays: A case study in Tamilnadu, India.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rathinakumar, V.; Vignesh, T.; Dhivagar, K.

    2017-07-01

    Delays in the construction industry are universal fact, which affects the construction participants. The research work spotlights on determining the prevailing delays in the cities of Tamil Nadu, as perceived by the participants. After a few field level interactions, a questionnaire was framed and administered to the participants i.e., Consultants (50 Nos.), contractors (50 Nos.) and clients (150 Nos.) to understand their perception on the causes of delays. The factors for delay was categorized into 4 groups say Improper project planning, Design related issues, Finance related issues and Resource related issues. The responses were analysed using the SPSS software by applying ANOVA and Regression analysis. From the analysis, it was found that the personal financial problems of the client dominantly affect the entire construction progress and the subsequent design changes by the clients, Inadequate early project planning, labour related issues. Also, the delay groups were found to be the improper project planning and the Resource related issues.

  20. Pigment from Streptomyces bellus MSA1 isolated from marine sediments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Srinivasan, M.; Merlyn Keziah, S.; Hemalatha, M.; Subathra Devi, C.

    2017-11-01

    The existing study is purposeful on the intracellular pigment extraction from actinomycetes isolated from Kovalam Beach regions of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Only one actinobacterial isolate showed pigmented growth out of total 4 isolates. Ethyl acetate as the solvent was used in cell disruption technique for the extraction of intracellular pigments. UV-Visible spectrophotometry, FT-IR spectroscopy, HPLC and GC-MS were used for the partial characterization of the pigment. The extracted pigment was applied for the preparation of lip balm and assessing its textile dyeing property. In addition, the extracted pigment was analysed for antioxidant, antibacterial activity, MTT assay and haemolytic activity. On optimization, dextrose and maltose were the best carbon sources. The finest nitrogen sources were found to be casein and peptone. The optimum temperature range was 35°C -40°C and optimal pH was found to be between 6.0 and 8.0. The obtained results showed potent antioxidant activity and found to be non-toxic to human erythrocytes.

  1. A study on the influence of tides on the water table conditions of the shallow coastal aquifers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singaraja, C.; Chidambaram, S.; Jacob, Noble

    2018-03-01

    Tidal variation and water level in aquifer is an important function in the coastal environment, this study attempts to find the relationship between water table fluctuation and tides in the shallow coastal aquifers. The study was conducted by selecting three coastal sites and by monitoring the water level for every 2-h interval in 24 h of observation. The study was done during two periods of full moon and new moon along the Cuddalore coastal region of southern part of Tamil Nadu, India. The study shows the relationship between tidal variation, water table fluctuations, dissolved oxygen, and electrical conductivity. An attempt has also been made in this study to approximate the rate of flow of water. Anyhow, the differences are site specific and the angle of inclination of the water table shows a significant relation to the mean sea level, with respect to the distance of the point of observation from the sea and elevation above mean sea level.

  2. Perceptible changes in Indian summer monsoon rainfall in relation to Indian Monsoon Index

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Naidu, C. V.; Dharma Raju, A.; Vinay Kumar, P.; Satyanarayana, G. Ch.

    2017-10-01

    The changes in the summer monsoon rainfall over 30 meteorological subdivisions of India with respect to changes in circulation and the Indian Monsoon Index (IMI) have been studied for the period 1953-2012. The relationship between the IMIs in different months and whole season and the corresponding summer monsoon rainfall is studied and tested. The positive and negative extremes are evaluated basing on the normalized values of the deviations from the mean of the IMI. Composite rainfall distributions over India and the zonal wind distributions in the lower and upper troposphere of IMI's both positive and negative extremes are evaluated separately and discussed. In the recent three decades of global warming, the negative values of IMI in July and August lead to weakening of the monsoon system over India. It is observed that the rainfall variations in the Northeast India are different from the rest of India except Tamil Nadu in general.

  3. Idiopath=ic Granulomatous Lobular Mastitis Masquerading as a Breast Tumor: A Case Report

    PubMed Central

    Raman R, Thulasi; Manimaran, D

    2016-01-01

    Introduction Idiopathic granulomatous lobular mastitis (IGLM) is an inflammatory disease of the breast with an obscure etiology. It occurs mainly in women of reproductive age, and the lesion mimics carcinoma of the breast both clinically and radiologically Case Presentation We present the case of a 29-year-old female who visited our hospital in Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, with a 4 × 3 cm lump in the upper outer quadrant of her left breast. The clinical and radiological findings were indicative of a malignant lesion; however, fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) revealed features of granulomatous mastitis, and the subsequent histology of the excised lump confirmed the diagnosis of IGLM. Conclusions IGLM should be considered as one of the differential diagnoses when granulomas are encountered in breast FNAC and biopsy. A definitive diagnosis of IGLM can be made by identifying its characteristic histomorphology and ruling out other causes for granulomatous inflammation. An exact diagnosis is essential since the treatment for different granulomatous conditions of the breast varies. PMID:27437133

  4. Idiopath=ic Granulomatous Lobular Mastitis Masquerading as a Breast Tumor: A Case Report.

    PubMed

    Raman R, Thulasi; Manimaran, D

    2016-05-01

    Idiopathic granulomatous lobular mastitis (IGLM) is an inflammatory disease of the breast with an obscure etiology. It occurs mainly in women of reproductive age, and the lesion mimics carcinoma of the breast both clinically and radiologically. We present the case of a 29-year-old female who visited our hospital in Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, with a 4 × 3 cm lump in the upper outer quadrant of her left breast. The clinical and radiological findings were indicative of a malignant lesion; however, fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) revealed features of granulomatous mastitis, and the subsequent histology of the excised lump confirmed the diagnosis of IGLM. IGLM should be considered as one of the differential diagnoses when granulomas are encountered in breast FNAC and biopsy. A definitive diagnosis of IGLM can be made by identifying its characteristic histomorphology and ruling out other causes for granulomatous inflammation. An exact diagnosis is essential since the treatment for different granulomatous conditions of the breast varies.

  5. A Step Towards Improving Food Safety in India: Determining Baseline Knowledge and Behaviors Among Restaurant Food Handlers in Chennai.

    PubMed

    Manes, Mindi R; Kuganantham, Paraswami; Jagadeesan, Murugesan; Laxmidevi, M; Dworkin, Mark S

    2016-01-01

    With the establishment of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and new food safety regulations, a precedent has been set to prevent foodborne illness in India. The objective of the authors' study was to identify knowledge gaps among food handlers in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, to establish priorities for future intervention. A 44-question survey was administered to 156 food handlers at 36 restaurants in Chennai between April and June of 2011. The overall mean knowledge score was 49% and knowledge gaps related to hand hygiene, proper food cooking and holding temperatures, and cross contamination were identified. Food handlers with a Medical Fitness Certificate scored significantly higher than those without a certificate, after controlling for food safety training and level of education (p < .05). As the FSSAI standards now require a medical certificate for restaurant licensure and registration, consideration should be given to include an educational component to this certification with an explanation of expected food safety behavior.

  6. Emergence of the Asian genotype of DENV-1 in South India.

    PubMed

    Cecilia, D; Patil, J A; Kakade, M B; Walimbe, A; Alagarasu, K; Anukumar, B; Abraham, A

    2017-10-01

    A large outbreak of dengue occurred in Tamil Nadu, South India in 2012 with 12,000 cases and CFR of 0.5%. Molecular characterization of virus present in the sera of dengue patients was undertaken to determine if there were changes in the virus population. All four serotypes were circulating but DENV-1 was dominant, present in 52% of the serotyped samples. Furthermore, the genotype of only DENV-1 had changed; the Asian genotype had displaced the American/African. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Asian genotype was introduced from Singapore and shared 99% similarity with viruses, associated with large outbreaks in Singapore and Sri Lanka. We report for the first time the emergence of the Asian genotype of DENV-1 in southern India causing an extensive and severe outbreak. The study proves how movement of DENV can affect dengue outbreaks and underscores the need for close molecular monitoring of DENV. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Propolis: A Wonder Bees Product and Its Pharmacological Potentials

    PubMed Central

    Wagh, Vijay D.

    2013-01-01

    Propolis is a natural resinous mixture produced by honey bees from substances collected from parts of plants, buds, and exudates. Due to its waxy nature and mechanical properties, bees use propolis in the construction and repair of their hives for sealing openings and cracks and smoothing out the internal walls and as a protective barrier against external invaders like snakes, lizards, and so forth, or against weathering threats like wind and rain. Bees gather propolis from different plants, in the temperate climate zone mainly from poplar. Current antimicrobial applications of propolis include formulations for cold syndrome (upper respiratory tract infections, common cold, and flu-like infections), wound healing, treatment of burns, acne, herpes simplex and genitalis, and neurodermatitis. Worldwide propolis has a tremendous popularity, but in India the studies over propolis have just started, not extensively reported except few regions of India like Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Gujrat, and Madhya Pradesh. PMID:24382957

  8. Mobile phone-based clinical guidance for rural health providers in India.

    PubMed

    Gautham, Meenakshi; Iyengar, M Sriram; Johnson, Craig W

    2015-12-01

    There are few tried and tested mobile technology applications to enhance and standardize the quality of health care by frontline rural health providers in low-resource settings. We developed a media-rich, mobile phone-based clinical guidance system for management of fevers, diarrhoeas and respiratory problems by rural health providers. Using a randomized control design, we field tested this application with 16 rural health providers and 128 patients at two rural/tribal sites in Tamil Nadu, Southern India. Protocol compliance for both groups, phone usability, acceptability and patient feedback for the experimental group were evaluated. Linear mixed-model analyses showed statistically significant improvements in protocol compliance in the experimental group. Usability and acceptability among patients and rural health providers were very high. Our results indicate that mobile phone-based, media-rich procedural guidance applications have significant potential for achieving consistently standardized quality of care by diverse frontline rural health providers, with patient acceptance. © The Author(s) 2014.

  9. Quality variations in black musli (curculigo orchioides gaertn.).

    PubMed

    Mathew, P P Joy Samuel; Savithri, K E; Skaria, Baby P; Kurien, Kochurani

    2004-07-01

    Black musli (Curculigo orchioides Gaertn.) one of the ayurvedic dasapushpa and a rejuvenating and aphrodisiac drug. Is on the verge of extinction and needs to be conserved and cultivated. Large variations are also observed in the quality of the crude drug available in the market. Study on the quality of C. orchioides in natural habitat, under cultivation and in trade in south India showed that there was considerable variation with biotypes and habitats. Drugs collected form the natural habitat was superior in quality to that produced by cultivation. Among the market samples collected from the various Zones of kerala, those from the High Ranges were superior in most of the quality parameters, which indicated its superiority for high quality drug formulation. Among the southern states, Tamil Nadu samples ranked next to High Range samples in this respect. There exists large variability in the market samples and there is felt-need for proper standardization of the crude drug for ensuring quality in the drug formulations.

  10. Social capital and basic goods: the cautionary tale of drinking water in India.

    PubMed

    Motiram, Sripad; Osberg, Lars

    2010-01-01

    This study uses micro-data from the 1998-99 Indian Time Use Survey (ITUS; covering 77,593 persons in 18,591 households in Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Orissa, and Haryana) to argue that time use data provides a natural metric for measuring "social capital" building activities and for distinguishing between the relative importance of "bonding" into groups or "bridging" within communities. The study examines the correlation between inequality in landownership, caste status, measures of local social capital, and whether or not a household will have to collect water. In India, the probability that a rural household fetches water is 4.8% and 9.1% lower in communities in which the average time spent on social interaction and community-based activities at the district-level doubles, but it is 18.9% greater when the time in group-based activities doubles. Inequalities in landownership and home ownership are associated with considerably larger differences in local tap water availability.

  11. The stigmata and discrimination experienced, in southern India, by cases of lymphatic filariasis.

    PubMed

    Krishna Kumari, A; Harichandrakumar, K T; Krishnamoorthy, K; Das, L K

    2010-07-01

    Between November 2006 and November 2009, the stigmata and discrimination experienced by 201 cases of lymphatic filariasis (LF) living in three areas of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu (the Pondicherry urban agglomeration and two, endemic, rural villages in Villupuram district) were investigated in interviews. The narratives of nine of the interviewees are reported here in detail, to bring to light the various domains of life in which LF cases are stigmatized and discriminated against. Lymphatic filariasis can, and often does, adversely affect each case's livelihood, marital prospects, and social and marital life and can also diminish the marital prospects of a case's children. The deformity caused by the disease and the incapacitation resulting from the often-frequent attacks of adenolymphangitis appeared to be the main reasons for the stigmatization and discrimination. Although morbidity control is one of the 'twin pillars' of the Global Programme for Elimination of Filariasis, the stigmata and discrimination associated with such morbidity also need to be addressed.

  12. An evaluation of the use of drama to communicate HIV/AIDS information.

    PubMed

    Valente, T W; Bharath, U

    1999-06-01

    This study evaluated the effectiveness of three dramas created to disseminate HIV/AIDS information. Predrama and postdrama interviews were conducted with a cohort of randomly selected audience members from ten separate performances in Tamil Nadu state, India (N = 93); an interview was also conducted with a postdrama--only comparison group (N = 99). The results showed that a significant increase in HIV/AIDS-related knowledge occurred as a result of watching the drama. Before the drama, audiences had relatively high levels of accurate knowledge about HIV/AIDS but lower knowledge levels of common HIV/AIDS misconceptions. The drama reduced these misconceptions. The drama also increased the level of reported intentions to treat HIV positive individuals more kindly. This research demonstrates that drama can be an effective medium for communicating HIV/AIDS information and can reduce knowledge gaps associated with low levels of formal education. Drama can also be used to convey socioemotive and sensitive material and could find wide applicability in many settings.

  13. Micromorphological and ultramicroscopic aspects of buried remains: Time-dependent markers of decomposition and permanence in soil in experimental burial.

    PubMed

    Zangarini, Sara; Trombino, Luca; Cattaneo, Cristina

    2016-06-01

    A buried body not only determines an environmental response at the deposition site but it is also affected by the soil. The experiment was performed using eleven swine carcasses buried in an open site (Northern Italy). Changes occurring in bone tissue at different post-burial intervals were evaluated observing thin sections of bones through micromorphological and ultramicroscopic (SEM-EDS) techniques. These methods allowed the identification of: (a) magnesium phosphate (Mg3(PO4)2) crystallizations, probably linked to decomposition of bones and soft tissues; (b) significant sulphur levels which seem to be related to hydrogen sulphide (H2S) fixation in bone tissue; (c) metal oxide concentrations in the form of unusual violet-blue colorations, which probably are evidence of the soil's action and penetration in bones, also testified by (d) the presence of mineral grains enclosed in the osseous tissue. The results underline the possibility of identifying both time-dependent markers of decomposition and indicators of permanence in soil in buried bones. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Assessment of the impact of textile effluents on microbial diversity in Tirupur district, Tamil Nadu

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prabha, Shashi; Gogoi, Anindita; Mazumder, Payal; Ramanathan, AL.; Kumar, Manish

    2017-09-01

    The expedited advent of urbanization and industrialization for economic growth has adversely affected the biological diversity, which is one of the major concerns of the developing countries. Microbes play a crucial role in decontaminating polluted sites and degrades pollution load of textile effluent. The present study was based on identification of microbial diversity along the Noyaal river of Tirupur area. River water samples from industrial and non-industrial sites and effluent samples of before and after treatment were tested and it was found that microbial diversity was higher in the river water at the industrial site (Kasipalayam) as compared to the non-industrial site (Perur). Similarly, the microbial populations were found to be high in the untreated effluent as compared to the treated one by conventional treatment systems. Similar trends were observed for MBR treatment systems as well. Pseudomonas sp ., Achromobacter sp. (bacterial species) and Aspergillus fumigates (fungal species), found exclusively at the industrial site have been reported to possess decolorization potential of dye effluent, thus can be used for treatment of dye effluent. The comparison of different microbial communities from different dye wastewater sources and textile effluents was done, which showed that the microbes degrade dyestuffs, reduce toxicity of wastewaters, etc. From the study, it can be concluded that the microbial community helps to check on the pollutants and minimize their affect. Therefore, there is a need to understand the systematic variation in microbial diversity with the accumulation of pollution load through monitoring.

  15. Heavy metal concentration in groundwater from Besant Nagar to Sathankuppam, South Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sridhar, S. G. D.; Sakthivel, A. M.; Sangunathan, U.; Balasubramanian, M.; Jenefer, S.; Mohamed Rafik, M.; Kanagaraj, G.

    2017-12-01

    The assessment of groundwater quality is an obligatory pre-requisite to developing countries like India with rural-based economy. Heavy metal concentration in groundwater from Besant Nagar to Sathankuppam, South Chennai was analyzed to assess the acquisition process. The study area has rapid urbanization since few decades, which deteriorated the condition of the aquifer of the area. Totally 30 groundwater samples were collected during pre-monsoon (June 2014) and post-monsoon (January 2015) from the same aquifer to assess the heavy metal concentration in groundwater. Groundwater samples were analyzed for heavy metals such as Fe, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr, Co and Mn using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). Correlation matrix revealed that there is no significant correlation between heavy metals and other parameters during pre-monsoon except EC with Cr but Fe and Zn have good positive correlation during post-monsoon.

  16. From "Time Pass" to Transformative Force: School-Based Human Rights Education in Tamil Nadu, India

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bajaj, Monisha

    2012-01-01

    This article presents data collected at the level of practice to highlight one non-governmental organization's approach to human rights education and how household-, school-, and community-level factors mediated student impact. Findings suggest that a variety of factors at the three levels contribute to the program's successful implementation in…

  17. Spatial variance of POPs and heavy metals in transformer oil-contaminated soil around Tamil Nadu.

    PubMed

    Murugan, Karuvelan; Vasudevan, Namasivayam

    2017-09-05

    The persistent organic pollutants in the environment are one of the global issues to their unregulated disposal and informal recycling. This study investigates the contamination of soil with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phenolic compounds and heavy metals via spillage of transformer oil (TO). Fresh TO (FTO), used TO (UTO) and soil samples were analysed using GC-MS to confirm the presence of 8 PCB congeners, 16 PAHs and 24 types of phenolic compounds and using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry to confirm the presence of 7 heavy metals. The chromatographic analysis revealed the levels of mono-, di-, tri-, tetra-, penta-, hexa-, hepta- and octachlorobiphenyls in FTO to be 5.63, 25.24, 0.195, 0.185, 2.169, 1.023 and 5.28 mg/L and the level of mono-, di-, tri-, tetra-, penta- and hexachlorobiphenyls in UTO to be 0.27, 1.21, 1.31, 0.80, 1.77 and 3.90 mg/L. Analysis of soil from 10 different TO-contaminated sites showed the presence of PCBs, PAHs, phenolic compounds and heavy metals in the concentration range of 0.53-42.87 mg/kg, 3.19-246.6 μg/kg, 0.01-4086.45 μg/kg and 1.0-401.3 mg/kg, respectively. The variation in the concentration of these compounds and heavy metals among different sampling sites was determined using principal component analysis (PCA), metric multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) and Bray-Curtis cluster analysis (Bu-CA). The toxicity equivalence factor and the mechanism involved in the disruption of endocrine system are discussed. Thus, this study exemplifies the need for complete ban of PCB-containing TOs in developing countries and urges the need for technology for the disposal of TO.

  18. Cytotoxicity, Genotoxicity, and Phytotoxicity of Tannery Effluent Discharged into Palar River Basin, Tamil Nadu, India

    PubMed Central

    Roy, Suki; Nagarchi, Lubbnaz; Das, Ishita; Mangalam Achuthananthan, Jayasri; Krishnamurthy, Suthindhiran

    2015-01-01

    Ambur, a town located on the banks of Palar River, is considered one of the most polluted areas in India and occupied by hundreds of tanneries and leather product units. The present study was designed to evaluate the toxic effect of discharged tannery effluent (TE) on model agricultural crops, ecofriendly microorganisms, and human blood cells. The phytotoxic effects of TE tested on Allium cepa and Lemna minor revealed inhibition of root growth and significant reduction in number of fronds, protein, and chlorophyll content. Moreover, TE induced chlorosis and tissue necrosis in Nostoc muscorum at low concentration (10%). TE has also negative impact on ecofriendly microorganisms, Bacillus thuringiensis, Rhizobium etli, and Aspergillus terreus which play an important role in the nutrition of plant growth. The genotoxicity of TE was investigated in human leukocytes which showed interference with normal mitotic division with subsequent cell lysis. It also intervened with the normal replication process and induced micronucleus formation in the healthy leukocyte. 5% concentration of TE has been revealed to be toxic to erythrocytes. From this study TE found in the Palar River of Ambur has adverse effects on all the three levels of organisms in ecosystem even at lower concentrations. PMID:26839546

  19. Agency perspectives on transition to participatory forest management: a case study from Tamil Nadu, India

    Treesearch

    Jagannadha Matta; Janaki Alavalapati; John Kerr; Evan Mercer

    2005-01-01

    India’s Joint Forest Management (JFM) policy, in which government forest agencies and local communities jointly manage forests, has been touted as a successful strategy in helping both forests and people. Its efficacy in the field, however, is uneven. Although government forest departments are charged with implementing JFM, very little is known about their perspectives...

  20. The role of grape seed extract in the remineralization of demineralized dentine: micromorphological and physical analyses.

    PubMed

    Tang, Cheng-fang; Fang, Ming; Liu, Rui-rui; Dou, Qi; Chai, Zhi-guo; Xiao, Yu-hong; Chen, Ji-hua

    2013-12-01

    Grape seed extract (GSE) is known to have a positive effect on the demineralization and/or remineralization of artificial root caries lesions. The present study aimed to investigate whether biomodification of caries-like acid-etched demineralized dentine, using proanthocyanidins-rich GSE, would promote its remineralization potential. Dentine specimens were acid-etched for 30s, then biomodified using proanthocyanidin-based preconditioners (at different concentrations and pH values) for 2min, followed by a 15-day artificial remineralization regimen. They were subsequently subjected to microhardness measurements, micromorphological evaluation and X-ray diffraction analyses. Stability of the preconditioners was also analyzed, spectrophotometrically. A concentration-dependent increase was observed in the microhardness of the specimens that were biomodified using GSE preconditioners, without pH adjustment. Field emission scanning electron microscopy revealed greater mineral deposition on their surfaces, which was further identified mainly as hydroxylapatite. The absorbances of preconditioner dilutions at pH 7.4 and pH 10.0 decreased at the two typical polyphenol bands. Transient GSE biomodification promoted remineralization on the surface of demineralized dentine, and this process was influenced by the concentration and pH value of the preconditioner. GSE preconditioner at a concentration of 15%, without pH adjustment, presented with the best results, and this may be attributed to its high polyphenolic content. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Micromorphologic evidence for paleosol development in the Endicott group, Siksikpuk formation, Kingak(?) shale, and Ipewik formation, western Brooks range, Alaska

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dumoulin, Julie A.; White, Tim

    2005-01-01

    Micromorphologic evidence indicates the presence of paleosols in drill-core samples from four sedimentary units in the Red Dog area, western Brooks Range. Well-developed sepic-plasmic fabrics and siderite spherules occur in claystones of the Upper Devonian through Lower Mississippian(?) Kanayut Conglomerate (Endicott Group), the Pennsylvanian through Permian Siksikpuk Formation (Etivluk Group), the Jurassic through Lower Cretaceous Kingak(?) Shale, and the Lower Cretaceous Ipewik Formation. Although exposure surfaces have been previously recognized in the Endicott Group and Kingak Shale on the basis of outcrop features, our study is the first microscopic analysis of paleosols from these units, and it provides the first evidence of subaerial exposure in the Siksikpuk and Ipewik Formations. Regional stratigraphic relations and geochemical data support our interpretations. Paleosols in the Siksikpuk, Kingak, and Ipewik Formations likely formed in nearshore coastal-plain environments, with pore waters subjected to inundation by the updip migration of slightly brackish ground water, whereas paleosols in the Kanayut Conglomerate probably formed in a more distal setting relative to a marine basin.

  2. Molecular characterization of phytoplasma associated with four important ornamental plant species in India and identification of natural potential spread sources.

    PubMed

    Gopala; Rao, G P

    2018-02-01

    Phytoplasma suspected symptoms of phyllody, witches' broom, leaf yellowing, stunting and little leaf were observed in Chrysanthemum morifolium, Bougainvillea glabra, Jasminum sambac and Callistephus chinensis during survey of flower nurseries and experimental ornamental fields at Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka from 2014 to 2016. Pleomorphic bodies typical to phytoplasma structures were observed in the phloem sieve elements of ultrathin sections of all the four symptomatic ornamental plants (stem tissue) in transmission electron microscope. Amplification of 1.8 and 1.2 kb phytoplasma DNA products was observed in all the four test plants in PCR assays using universal primer pairs P1/P7 followed by nested primer pair R16F2n/R16R2, respectively. Pairwise sequence comparison, phylogeny and virtual RFLP analysis of 16S rDNA sequences confirmed the association of two phytoplasma subgroups (16SrI-B and 16SrII-D) in four ornamental plant species. ' Ca. P. aurantifolia ' subgroup D (16SrII-D) was found associated with chrysanthemum phyllody and leaf yellowing at Delhi and Tamil Nadu, bougainvillea little leaf and yellowing at Delhi and Chinese aster phyllody at Bengaluru, Karnataka. However, jasmine little leaf and yellowing at Bengaluru, Karnataka and chrysanthemum stunting at Pune were found to be associated with ' Ca . P. asteris ' subgroup B-related strains (16SrI-B). The identification of 16SrII-D subgroup phytoplasma infecting bougainvillea and 16SrI-B subgroup infecting jasmine are the new reports to the world. Besides weed species, Cannabis sativa showing witches' broom in jasmine fields at Bengaluru and Parthenium hysterophorus showing witches' broom symptoms in chrysanthemum fields at Delhi were identified to be caused by phytoplasma strains classified under subgroups 16SrI-B and 16SrII-D, respectively, by PCR assays and 16Sr DNA sequence comparison analysis. Among the three major leafhopper species identified, only Hishimonas phycitis was identified

  3. Public Report on Health: Development of a Nutritive Value Calculator for Indian Foods and Analysis of Food Logs and Nutrient Intake in six States.

    PubMed

    Sathyamala, C; Kurian, Nj; DE, Anuradha; Saxena, Kb; Priya, Ritu; Baru, Rama; Srivastava, Ravi; Mittal, Onkar; Noronha, Claire; Samson, Meera; Khalsa, Sneh; Puliyel, Ashish; Puliyel, Jacob

    2014-05-01

    The Public Report on Health (PRoH) was initiated in 2005 to understand public health issues for people from diverse backgrounds living in different region specific contexts. States were selected purposively to capture a diversity of situations from better-performing states and not-so-well performing states. Based on these considerations, six states - the better-performing states of Tamil Nadu (TN), Maharashtra (MH) and Himachal Pradesh (HP) and the not-so-well performing states of Madhya Pradesh (MP), Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Orissa (OR) - were selected. This is a report of a study using food diaries to assess food intakes in sample households from six states of India. Food diaries were maintained and all the raw food items that went into making the food in the household was measured using a measuring cup that converted volumes into dry weights for each item. The proportion consumed by individual adults was recorded. A nutrient calculator that computed the total nutrient in the food items consumed, using the 'Nutritive Value of Indian Foods by Gopalan et al., was developed to analyze the data and this is now been made available as freeware (http://bit.ly/ncalculator). The total nutrients consumed by the adults, men and women was calculated. Identifying details having been removed, the raw data is available, open access on the internet http://bit.ly/foodlogxls.The energy consumption in our study was 2379 kcal per capita per day. According to the Summary Report World Agriculture the per capita food consumption in 1997-99 was 2803 which is higher than that in the best state in India. The consumption for developing countries a decade ago was 2681 and in Sub-Saharan Africa it was 2195. Our data is compatible in 2005 with the South Asia consumption of 2403 Kcal per capita per day in 1997-99. For comparison, in industrialized countries it was 3380. In Tamil Nadu it was a mere 1817 kcal. The nutrient consumption in this study suggests that food security in the villages

  4. Micromorphological effect of calcium phosphate coating on compatibility of magnesium alloy with osteoblast

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hiromoto, Sachiko; Yamazaki, Tomohiko

    2017-12-01

    Octacalcium phosphate (OCP) and hydroxyapatite (HAp) coatings were developed to control the degradation speed and to improve the biocompatibility of biodegradable magnesium alloys. Osteoblast MG-63 was cultured directly on OCP- and HAp-coated Mg-3Al-1Zn (wt%, AZ31) alloy (OCP- and HAp-AZ31) to evaluate cell compatibility. Cell proliferation was remarkably improved with OCP and HAp coatings which reduced the corrosion and prevented the H2O2 generation on Mg alloy substrate. OCP-AZ31 showed sparse distribution of living cell colonies and dead cells. HAp-AZ31 showed dense and homogeneous distribution of living cells, with dead cells localized over and around corrosion pits, some of which were formed underneath the coating. These results demonstrated that cells were dead due to changes in the local environment, and it is necessary to evaluate the local biocompatibility of magnesium alloys. Cell density on HAp-AZ31 was higher than that on OCP-AZ31 although there was not a significant difference in the amount of Mg ions released in medium between OCP- and HAp-AZ31. The outer layer of OCP and HAp coatings consisted of plate-like crystal with a thickness of around 0.1 μm and rod-like crystals with a diameter of around 0.1 μm, respectively, which grew from a continuous inner layer. Osteoblasts formed focal contacts on the tips of plate-like OCP and rod-like HAp crystals, with heights of 2-5 μm. The spacing between OCP tips of 0.8-1.1 μm was wider than that between HAp tips of 0.2-0.3 μm. These results demonstrated that cell proliferation depended on the micromorphology of the coatings which governed spacing of focal contacts. Consequently, HAp coating is suitable for improving cell compatibility and bone-forming ability of the Mg alloy.

  5. Susceptibility to SLE in South Indian Tamils may be influenced by genetic selection pressure on TLR2 and TLR9 genes.

    PubMed

    Devaraju, Panneer; Gulati, Reena; Antony, Paul T; Mithun, C B; Negi, Vir S

    2015-03-01

    Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem autoimmune disorder with complex etiology. Genetics plays an important role in lupus pathogenesis through its influence on clinical and autoantibody phenotype of the disease. Toll like receptors (TLR) recognize molecular patterns of pathogens and activate the innate immune system. Their ability to identify nucleic acids makes them suitable candidates for investigation of their role in lupus pathogenesis. Hence, this study was carried out to analyze the G to A and C to T transitions in TLR2 and TLR9 genes respectively and to test their association with lupus susceptibility, clinical and autoantibody phenotypes in South Indian Tamils. Three hundred SLE patients fulfilling ACR 2012 criteria for SLE and 460 age, sex similar, ethnicity matched controls were recruited as cases and controls. TLR2 (R753Q) and TLR9 (-1237C/T) polymorphisms were analyzed by real time PCR. The TLR2 gene remained monomorphic in patients and controls, the frequency of the homozygous wild type allele being 100% and 99.6% respectively. Hence, it did not confer susceptibility to SLE. The more frequent T allele of TLR9 gene conferred a significant risk to develop SLE (p=0.011, OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.1-2.6). Both the polymorphisms did not influence clinical or autoantibody phenotype of the disease. Prevailing endemic infections in the Indian subcontinent may have exerted a selection pressure resulting in TLR2 gene remaining monomorphic and the TLR9 adapting to a mutation for its increased expression. These may have an additive effect in the presence of other genetic and environmental risk factors to confer susceptibility to SLE in South Indian Tamils. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Why hasn't a seawater intrusion yet happened in the Kaluvelli-Pondicherry basin, Tamil Nadu, India?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vincent, Aude; Violette, Sophie

    2016-04-01

    Worldwide, coastal aquifers are threatened by seawater intrusion. The threat is even bigger when those aquifers are overexploited, for example for irrigation, or when their recharge is low due to a semi-arid or arid climate. The sedimentary basin studied here presents both this characteristics, and water level records in the main aquifer can be as low as 30m below MSL. Though, no seawater intrusion has been monitored yet. To understand why, and because a good knowledge of a system hydrodynamic is a necessary step to an efficient water management strategy, hydrogeological numerical modelling of this multi-layered system has been conducted. Existing and acquired geological and hydrodynamic data have been implemented into a quasi-3D hydrogeological model performed with NEWSAM code. Recharge had been previously quantified through the intercomparison of hydrological models, based on surface flow field measurements. During the hydrogeological modelling, sensitivity tests on parameters, and on the nature of the boundary condition with the sea, led to the hypothesis of an offshore freshwater stock. Extension of this fresh groundwater stock has been calculated thanks to Groen approximation.

  7. Landscape Heterogeneity mapping for Access to Tribal health care in Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brindha, B.; Prashanthi Devi, M.

    2014-11-01

    The Nilgiris district in Tamilnadu has a rich biodiversity in terms of flora, fauna and ethnic population. The district is basically a mountainous region, situated at an elevation of 2000 to 2,600 meters above MSL and constituting of several hill and Steep Mountain valleys. This region houses six tribes who are mainly forest dwellers and live in close settlements depending on the forest resources for their livelihood. The Tribes of Nilgiris have been diagnosed and monitored for Sickle cell Anemia which is a disease of major concern among these ethnic populations. This genetic disorder developed due to the sickling of Red Blood Cells has increased during the past few decades. The Tribes, as they live in close encounter with the forest regions and have strict social cultural barriers, face difficulty in availing treatment or counseling from the Sickle Cell Research Center (SCRC) and other NGOs like NAWA and AHWINI in the region. It was observed that many factors such as landscape terrain, climatic conditions and improper roads tend to hinder the access to appropriate health care. The SCRC in Gudalur region is a facility established to monitor the disease cases inspite of these influencing factors. On analyzing the year bound age wise classification among male and female patients, certain dropouts in cases were observed which may be due to inaccessible condition or migration of the patient. In our study, Landscape heterogeneity mapping for different climatic seasons was done in ArcGIS 10.1. For this, contour and terrain maps, road networks and villages were prepared and factors that determine Terrain Difficulty were assessed. Vegetation mapping using IRS satellite images for the study region was attempted and associated with the landscape map. A risk analysis was proposed based on terrain difficulty and access to the nearest Health care Center. Based on this, the above factors alternate routes were suggested to access the difficult areas.

  8. Phytochemicals of selected plant species of the Apocynaceae and Asclepiadaceae from Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu, India

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    A concern about the declining supply of petroleum products has led to a renewed interest in evaluating plant species as potential alternate sources of energy. Five species of the Apocynaceae and three species of the Asclepiadaceae from the Western Ghats were evaluated as alternative sources of energ...

  9. Assessment of fluoride contaminations in groundwater of hard rock aquifers in Madurai district, Tamil Nadu (India)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thivya, C.; Chidambaram, S.; Rao, M. S.; Thilagavathi, R.; Prasanna, M. V.; Manikandan, S.

    2017-05-01

    The fluoride contamination in drinking water is already gone to the alarming level and it needs the immediate involvement and attention of all people to solve this problem. Fluoride problem is higher in hard rock terrains in worldwide and Madurai is such type of hard rock region. Totally 54 samples were collected from the Madurai district of Tamilnadu with respect to lithology. The samples collected were analysed for major cations and anions using standard procedures. The higher concentration of fluoride is noted in the Charnockite rock types of northern part of the study area. 20 % of samples are below 0.5 ppm and 6 % of samples are above 1.5 ppm exceeding the permissible limit. The affinity between the pH and fluoride ions in groundwater suggests that dissolution of fluoride bearing minerals in groundwater. The higher concentration of fluoride ions are observed in the lower EC concentration. The isotopic study suggests that fluoride is geogenic in nature. In factor scores, fluoride is noted in association with pH which indicates the dissolution process.

  10. Taboos Related to Dog Bite in an Urban Area of Kancheepuram District of Tamil Nadu, India

    PubMed Central

    Chinnaian, Sivagurunathan; Ramachandran, Umadevi; Ravi, Rama; Pandurangan, Mohan Kumar

    2015-01-01

    Background India is known for its diverse social and cultural backgrounds with wide range of myths and misconceptions related to diseases/illnesses. One such belief is certain food taboos and diet restrictions practiced following dog bite, which is widely prevalent. Materials and Methods This is a community based cross- sectional study conducted among adults population in Anakaputhur area of Kancheepuram district. The sample size was estimated to be 275 based on previous study data and simple random sampling method was used for data collection. Data collected was analysed using SPSS version 16 and results described using descriptive statistics and Chi-square test was used for finding statistical association. Results About 84.4% of the study participants said that some kind of restrictions should be followed in case of dog bite, among them 68.7% said non vegetarian foods should be avoided. About 81 % of those bitten by dogs followed some form of food restrictions. Nearly 93.6% of those bitten did follow certain restrictions, based on advice of family members/relatives while about 6.4% of the study group followed restrictions based on advice by ‘medical personnel’. Illiterates and those educated up to high school; participants with no history of animal bite in their family, were more at risk of having misconceptions (p<0.05). Pet owners have more misconceptions compared to non pet owners. Conclusion This study reveals the existence of certain food taboos in case of dog bite among the study population. These practices and taboos are of no use and can be harmful at times. It is important to clear these misconceptions through appropriate health education measures for better health seeking behaviour and management. PMID:26393149

  11. Impact of migration on new case detection rates in leprosy in Gudiyatham Taluk, Tamil Nadu, India.

    PubMed

    Samuel, P; Bushanam, J D R S; Ebenezer, M; Richard, J

    2012-01-01

    Migration of persons affected by leprosy was hinted at as early as 1929 (Bhaskara Rao 1930). All new cases of leprosy in Isfahan Province (Iran) were found to be migrants (Asilian et al 2005). Chudasama (2007) suspected increase in leprosy cases in Surat district to migration. These suggest migration contributes to new cases. This study was done to find out 1. Extent of migration among new cases, 2. Characteristics of migrants, 3. Occupational pattern 4.Reasons for migration. 5. Place of origin of migrants 6. Assimilation of migrants into the society. Trained staff collected information regarding migration using special questionnaire from all 222 new untreated cases from the field area of Community Health department during 2004 to 2008. Migrants were 10.4%. Distribution of place of residence, age, gender, marital status, education, mode of detection, Ridley-Jopling and MB/PB classifications of migrants were not significantly different from that of nonmigrants. Grade 2 deformities were more among migrants. All migrants found occupation. Mostly men migrated for job and women for joining their husbands. The role of migration in increasing the number of new cases cannot be minimized. Enhanced efforts should be made to provide adequate medical, health and rehabilitation services for them also.

  12. Assessment of Natural Radioactivity and radiation hazards in beach sand samples from Kanyakumari District, TamilNadu

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ajithra, A. K.; Shanthi, G.

    2016-07-01

    Natural radionuclides of terrestrial origin have very long half - lives or driven from very long - lived parent radionuclides, which have been created in stellar processes before the earth formation. The study of natural radioactivity in marine and coastal environments is of significant importance for better understanding of oceanographic and sedimentological processes. The sampling sites are selected to cover randomly to cover the southern part. The soil samples have been collected in beach sides. In situ gamma measurements were conducted using a high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector (coaxial cylinder of 50.1 mm in diameter and 44 mm in length) with a relative efficiency of 50% and an energy resolution (FWHM) of 1.8 keV at the 1.33 MeV reference transition of 60Co. The measurements shows that the values of the absorbed dose rates in air in the investigated area are lower than the recommended limit by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effect of Atomic Radiation.

  13. Response of dandelion (Taraxacum officinale Web) to heavy metals from mine sites: micromorphology of leaves and roots.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bini, Claudio; Maleci, Laura; Buffa, Gabriella; Wahsha, Mohammad; Fontana, Silvia

    2013-04-01

    Response of dandelion (Taraxacum officinale Web) to heavy metals from mine sites: micromorphology of leaves and roots. Maleci L.1 , Bini C.2, Buffa G. 2, Fontana S2., Wahsha M.3 1 - Dept of Biology, University of Florence, Italy. 2 - Dept of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics. Ca'Foscari University, Venice - Italy. 3 - Marine Science Centre - University of Jordan, Aqaba section, Jordan. Heavy metal accumulation is known to produce significant physiological and biochemical responses in vascular plants. Yet, metabolic and physiological responses of plants to heavy metal concentration can be viewed as potentially adaptive changes of the plants during stress. From this point of view, plants growing on abandoned mine sites are of particular interest, since they are genetically tolerant to high metal concentrations, and can be utilized in soil restoration. Among wild plants, the common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale Web) has received attention as bioindicator plant, and has been also suggested in remediation projects. Wild specimens of Taraxacum officinale Web, with their soil clod, were gathered from three sites with different contamination levels by heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Zn) in the abandoned Imperina Valley mine (Northeast Italy). A control plant was also gathered from a not contaminated site nearby. Plants were cultivated in pots for one year at HBF, and appeared macroscopically not affected by toxic signals (reduced growth, leaf necrosis) possibly induced by soil HM concentration. Leaves and roots taken at the same growing season were observed by LM and TEM. Light microscopy observations carried out on the leaf lamina show a clear difference in the cellular organization of not-contaminated and contaminated samples. The unpolluted samples present a well organized palisade tissue and spongy photosynthetic parenchyma. Samples from contaminated sites, instead, present a palisade parenchyma less organized, and a reduction of leaf thickness

  14. Probability analysis for consecutive-day maximum rainfall for Tiruchirapalli City (south India, Asia)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sabarish, R. Mani; Narasimhan, R.; Chandhru, A. R.; Suribabu, C. R.; Sudharsan, J.; Nithiyanantham, S.

    2017-05-01

    In the design of irrigation and other hydraulic structures, evaluating the magnitude of extreme rainfall for a specific probability of occurrence is of much importance. The capacity of such structures is usually designed to cater to the probability of occurrence of extreme rainfall during its lifetime. In this study, an extreme value analysis of rainfall for Tiruchirapalli City in Tamil Nadu was carried out using 100 years of rainfall data. Statistical methods were used in the analysis. The best-fit probability distribution was evaluated for 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 days of continuous maximum rainfall. The goodness of fit was evaluated using Chi-square test. The results of the goodness-of-fit tests indicate that log-Pearson type III method is the overall best-fit probability distribution for 1-day maximum rainfall and consecutive 2-, 3-, 4-, 5- and 6-day maximum rainfall series of Tiruchirapalli. To be reliable, the forecasted maximum rainfalls for the selected return periods are evaluated in comparison with the results of the plotting position.

  15. Biosynthesis, purification and characterization of polyhydroxybutyrate from Botryococcus braunii kütz.

    PubMed

    Kavitha, Ganapathy; Kurinjimalar, Chidambaram; Sivakumar, Krishnan; Palani, Perumal; Rengasamy, Ramasamy

    2016-08-01

    Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is completely biodegradable which is metabolised by microorganisms in the soil as their sole food source in few years. The level of PHB up to 10.6% of algal dry weight is of great potential of the eco-friendly nature. Botryococcus braunii is mainly used for the production of biodiesel and is also capable of producing biopolymer polyhydroxy butyrate (PHB). In this study, Botryococcus braunii is used which generally produce PHB to around 20% of the dry weight. Three different microalgae were isolated from the fresh water of Kolavoi lake of Tamil Nadu. They were identified by their morphological features under the light microscope. The primary screening of PHB intracellular granules was made by using Nile red dye under a fluorescent microscope. Among them, Botryococcus braunii showed high accumulation of PHB granules. For authentic confirmation, the chloroform extracted PHB was analysed by FTIR, XRD and DSC-TGA analyses to characterize PHB with commercial biodegradable thermoplastic. This is the first report in B. braunii for its PHB production. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Post-tsunami relocation of fisher settlements in South Asia: evidence from the Coromandel Coast, India.

    PubMed

    Bavinck, Maarten; de Klerk, Leo; van der Plaat, Felice; Ravesteijn, Jorik; Angel, Dominique; Arendsen, Hendrik; van Dijk, Tom; de Hoog, Iris; van Koolwijk, Ant; Tuijtel, Stijn; Zuurendonk, Benjamin

    2015-07-01

    The tsunami that struck the coasts of India on 26 December 2004 resulted in the large-scale destruction of fisher habitations. The post-tsunami rehabilitation effort in Tamil Nadu was directed towards relocating fisher settlements in the interior. This paper discusses the outcomes of a study on the social effects of relocation in a sample of nine communities along the Coromandel Coast. It concludes that, although the participation of fishing communities in house design and in allocation procedures has been limited, many fisher households are satisfied with the quality of the facilities. The distance of the new settlements to the shore, however, is regarded as an impediment to engaging in the fishing profession, and many fishers are actually moving back to their old locations. This raises questions as to the direction of coastal zone policy in India, as well as to the weight accorded to safety (and other coastal development interests) vis-à-vis the livelihood needs of fishers. © 2015 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2015.

  17. Study of Spiritual Intelligence and Adjustment Among Arts and Science College Students.

    PubMed

    Devi, R Kalpana; Rajesh, Nakulan V; Devi, M Anisha

    2017-06-01

    A study to evaluate the relationship between the spiritual intelligence and adjustment among the college students was conducted on a sample of 250 students in six various colleges of Tuticorin district, Tamil Nadu, India. Gender, religion, community, major subject, educational qualification of father and mother, student locality, college type, father and mother's occupation and monthly family income (n = 11 variables) were chosen for the study. Test of significance for spiritual intelligence and adjustment was studied and found them nonsignificant except student locality, found to be significant. Two valid and reliable instruments were used to assess student's spiritual intelligence and adjustment. Correlation and Chi-square analysis using structural equation model were used to analyze these data. Correlation analysis showed significant relationship between the variables among the college students (n = 250). Chi-square analysis of association between adjustments of college students showed that most variables are nonsignificant unlike father's educational qualification and mother's occupation. The results disclosed the significant positive relationship with spiritual intelligence and adjustment among adolescents.

  18. The Cauvery river basin in southern India: major challenges and possible solutions in the 21st century.

    PubMed

    Vanham, D; Weingartner, R; Rauch, W

    2011-01-01

    India is facing major challenges in its water resources management (WRM) sector. Water shortages are attributed to issues such as an explosion in population, rapid urbanization and industrialization, environmental degradation and inefficient water use, all aggravated by changing climate and its impacts on demand, supply and water quality. This paper focuses on the contemporary and future situation in the Cauvery river basin in Southern India, shared by different states, predominantly Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. As water issues largely fall under the authority of the states, inter-state water disputes have a long tradition in the Cauvery river basin. Future changes in precipitation during the two monsoon seasons will only increase these tensions. Both states depend on the arrival of these monsoon rains to water their crops and to replenish the groundwater. The paper identifies the major challenges and general possible solutions for sustainable WRM within the river basin. It synthesises the relevant literature, describes practices that should be addressed in the scope of integrated WRM--including water availability increase and demand management--and stresses the need for further quantitative analyses.

  19. Geochemical signatures of groundwater in the coastal aquifers of Thiruvallur district, south India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Senthilkumar, S.; Balasubramanian, N.; Gowtham, B.; Lawrence, J. F.

    2017-03-01

    An attempt has been made to identify the chemical processes that control the hydrochemistry of groundwater in the coastal aquifers of Thiruvallur coastal village of Thiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu, south India. The parameters such as pH, EC, TDS and major ion concentrations of Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cl, HCO3, SO4 and NO3 of the groundwater were analyzed. Abundances of these ions are in the following order Na > Ca > Mg > K and HCO3 > Cl > SO4 > NO3. The dominant water types are in the order of NaCl> mixed CaMgCl > CaHCO3 > CaNaHCO3. Water types (mixed CaHCO3, mixed CaMgCl and NaCl) suggest that the mixing of high salinity water caused from surface contamination sources such as irrigation return flow, domestic wastewater and septic tank effluents with existing water followed by ion exchange reaction processes, silicate weathering and evaporation are responsible for the groundwater chemistry of the study area. The above statement is further supported by Gibbs plot where most of the samples fall within the evaporation zone.

  20. Organochlorine pesticide residues in ground water of Thiruvallur district, India.

    PubMed

    Jayashree, R; Vasudevan, N

    2007-05-01

    Modern agriculture practices reveal an increase in use of pesticides and fertilizers to meet the food demand of increasing population which results in contamination of the environment. In India crop production increased to 100% but the cropping area has increased marginally by 20%. Pesticides have played a major role in achieving the maximum crop production, but maximum usage and accumulation of pesticide residues was highly detrimental to aquatic and other ecosystem. The present study was chosen to know the level of organochlorines contamination in ground water of Thiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu, India. The samples were highly contaminated with DDT, HCH, endosulfan and their derivatives. Among the HCH derivatives, Gamma HCH residues was found maximum of 9.8 microg/l in Arumbakkam open wells. Concentrations of pp-DDT and op-DDT were 14.3 microg/l and 0.8 microg/l. The maximum residue (15.9 microg/l) of endosulfan sulfate was recorded in Kandigai village bore well. The study showed that the ground water samples were highly contaminated with organochlorine residues.

  1. Determining the fertility status of Setaria infecting Magnaporthe grisea isolates with standard testers and identification of tolerant cultivar of Setaria italica.

    PubMed

    Karthikeyan, Veluswamy; Gnanamanickam, S S

    2008-10-01

    A total of 128 isolates of Setaria-infecting Magnaporthe grisea strains were obtained from different states of South India which includes sampling sites from Tamil Nadu, two from Karnataka, one from Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Out of the selected 128 isolates 30 strains were tested with MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 fertile standard testers to determine their mating type. None of the 30 Setaria isolates produced perithecia with fertile testers. However, when monoconidial isolates were mated among themselves, isolates from the same field produced only barren perithecia and the tester isolates were able to mate readily with finger millet isolates. This is the first report of the mating-type studies on Setaria infecting Magnaporthe grisea with standard testers. This result indicates that the Setaria infecting population is infertile. In pathogenicity assay, it was found that 9 out of the 22 Setaria accessions were highly susceptible to Setaria strains of the blast fungus and seven cultivars/accessions were resistant to blast pathogen. Various virulence reactions were scored according to Standard Evaluation System.

  2. Genetic counselling in tribals in India

    PubMed Central

    Mohanty, Dipika; Das, Kishalaya

    2011-01-01

    Genetic counselling in tribals unlike general population residing in cities and near villages is a difficult task due of their lower literacy and poor socio-economic status. However, sustained effort is essential with a close interaction in the local language, certain misbeliefs need to be removed gradually taking into account their socio-cultural background. The present communication deals with our experience in counselling for haemoglobinopathies during Neonatal Screening Programme undertaken for sickle cell disease in Kalahandi district of Orissa and Community Screening Programmes in primitive tribes of India in four States viz. Orissa, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Counselling during neonatal screening programme was very well accepted demonstrating the benefit to the small babies as regards the morbidity. Premarital marriage counselling was also accepted by them. The success rate as followed up for 5 years is almost 50 per cent, the limitation being long follow up. Genetic counselling in these areas has to be continuous to achieve success and therefore the need for setting up of permanent centres in the tribal areas in India. PMID:22089621

  3. Micromorphological effect of calcium phosphate coating on compatibility of magnesium alloy with osteoblast

    PubMed Central

    Hiromoto, Sachiko; Yamazaki, Tomohiko

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Octacalcium phosphate (OCP) and hydroxyapatite (HAp) coatings were developed to control the degradation speed and to improve the biocompatibility of biodegradable magnesium alloys. Osteoblast MG-63 was cultured directly on OCP- and HAp-coated Mg-3Al-1Zn (wt%, AZ31) alloy (OCP- and HAp-AZ31) to evaluate cell compatibility. Cell proliferation was remarkably improved with OCP and HAp coatings which reduced the corrosion and prevented the H2O2 generation on Mg alloy substrate. OCP-AZ31 showed sparse distribution of living cell colonies and dead cells. HAp-AZ31 showed dense and homogeneous distribution of living cells, with dead cells localized over and around corrosion pits, some of which were formed underneath the coating. These results demonstrated that cells were dead due to changes in the local environment, and it is necessary to evaluate the local biocompatibility of magnesium alloys. Cell density on HAp-AZ31 was higher than that on OCP-AZ31 although there was not a significant difference in the amount of Mg ions released in medium between OCP- and HAp-AZ31. The outer layer of OCP and HAp coatings consisted of plate-like crystal with a thickness of around 0.1 μm and rod-like crystals with a diameter of around 0.1 μm, respectively, which grew from a continuous inner layer. Osteoblasts formed focal contacts on the tips of plate-like OCP and rod-like HAp crystals, with heights of 2–5 μm. The spacing between OCP tips of 0.8–1.1 μm was wider than that between HAp tips of 0.2–0.3 μm. These results demonstrated that cell proliferation depended on the micromorphology of the coatings which governed spacing of focal contacts. Consequently, HAp coating is suitable for improving cell compatibility and bone-forming ability of the Mg alloy. PMID:28179963

  4. Vibrational microspectroscopic identification of powdered traditional medicines: Chemical micromorphology of Poria observed by infrared and Raman microspectroscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Jian-bo; Sun, Su-qin; Ma, Fang; Zhou, Qun

    2014-07-01

    Microscopic identification using optical microscopes is a simple and effective method to identify powdered traditional medicines made from plants, animals and fungi. Sometimes, the criteria based on physical properties of the microscopic characteristics of drug powder may be ambiguous, which makes the microscopic identification method subjective and empirical to some extent. In this research, the vibrational microspectroscopic identification method is proposed for more explicit discrimination of powdered traditional medicines. The chemical micromorphology, i.e., chemical compositions and related physical morphologies, of the drug powder can be profiled objectively and quantitatively by infrared and Raman microspectroscopy, leading to better understanding about the formation mechanisms of microscopic characteristics and more accurate identification criteria. As an example, the powder of Poria, which is one of the most used traditional Chinese medicines, is studied in this research. Three types of hyphae are classified according to their infrared spectral features in the region from 1200 to 900 cm-1. Different kinds of polysaccharides indicate that these hyphae may be in different stages of the growth. The granular and branched clumps observed by the optical microscope may be formed from the aggregation of the mature hyphae with β-D-glucan reserves. The newfound spherical particles may originate from the exuded droplets in the fresh Poria because they are both composed of α-D-glucan. The results are helpful to understand the development of the hyphae and the formation of active polysaccharides in Poria and to establish accurate microspectroscopic identification criteria.

  5. Site formation processes at Pinnacle Point Cave 13B (Mossel Bay, Western Cape Province, South Africa): resolving stratigraphic and depositional complexities with micromorphology.

    PubMed

    Karkanas, Panagiotis; Goldberg, Paul

    2010-01-01

    Site PP13B is a cave located on the steep cliffs of Pinnacle Point near Mossel Bay in Western Cape Province, South Africa. The depositional sequence of the cave, predating Marine Isotopic Stage 11 (MIS 11) and continuing to present, is in the form of isolated sediment exposures with different depositional facies and vertical and lateral variations. Micromorphological analysis demonstrated that a suite of natural sedimentation processes operated during the development of the sequence ranging from water action to aeolian activity, and from speleothem formations to plant colonization and root encrustation. At the same time, anthropogenic sediments that are mainly in the form of burnt remains from combustion features (e.g., wood ash, charcoal, and burnt bone) were accumulating. Several erosional episodes have resulted in a complicated stratigraphy, as discerned from different depositional and post-depositional features. The cave is associated with a fluctuating coastal environment, frequent changes in sea level and climate controlled patterns of sedimentation, and the presence or absence of humans. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Micromorphological characterization of adhesive interface of sound dentin and total-etch and self-etch adhesives.

    PubMed

    Drobac, Milan; Stojanac, Igor; Ramić, Bojana; Premović, Milica; Petrović, Ljubomir

    2015-01-01

    The ultimate goal in restorative dentistry has always been to achieve strong and permanent bond between the dental tissues and filling materials. It is not easy to achieve this task because the bonding process is different for enamel and dentin-dentin is more humid and more organic than enamel. It is moisture and organic nature of dentin that make this hard tissue very complex to achieve adhesive bond. One of the first and most widely used tools for examining the adhesive bond between hard dental tissues and composite restorative materials is scanning electron microscopy. The aim of this study was scanning electron microscopy analyzes the interfacial micro morphology of total-etch and self-etch adhesives. Micro morphological characteristics of interface between total-etch adhesive (Prime & Bond NT) in combination with the corresponding composite (Ceram X Mono) were compared with those of self-etching adhesive (AdheSE One) in, combination with the corresponding composite (Tetric EvoCeram). The specimens were observed under 1000 x magnification of scanning electron microscopy (JEOL, JSM-6460 Low Vacuum). Measurement of the thickness of the hybrid layer of the examined com posite systems was performed with the software of the device used (NIH Image Analyser). Micromorphological analysis of interface showed that the hybrid layer in sound dentin was well formed, its average thickness being 2.68 microm, with a large number of resin tags and a large amount of lateral branches for specimens with a composite system Prime & Bond NT-Ceram X Mono. However, the specimens' with composite systems Adhese One-Tetric EvoCeram did not show the presence of hybrid layer and the resin tags were poorly represented. The results of this study suggest that total-etch adhesives bond better with sound dentin than self-etch adhesive.

  7. Public Report on Health: Development of a Nutritive Value Calculator for Indian Foods and Analysis of Food Logs and Nutrient Intake in six States

    PubMed Central

    Sathyamala, C; Kurian, NJ; DE, Anuradha; Saxena, KB; Priya, Ritu; Baru, Rama; Srivastava, Ravi; Mittal, Onkar; Noronha, Claire; Samson, Meera; Khalsa, Sneh; Puliyel, Ashish

    2014-01-01

    The Public Report on Health (PRoH) was initiated in 2005 to understand public health issues for people from diverse backgrounds living in different region specific contexts. States were selected purposively to capture a diversity of situations from better-performing states and not-so-well performing states. Based on these considerations, six states – the better-performing states of Tamil Nadu (TN), Maharashtra (MH) and Himachal Pradesh (HP) and the not-so-well performing states of Madhya Pradesh (MP), Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Orissa (OR) – were selected. This is a report of a study using food diaries to assess food intakes in sample households from six states of India. Method: Food diaries were maintained and all the raw food items that went into making the food in the household was measured using a measuring cup that converted volumes into dry weights for each item. The proportion consumed by individual adults was recorded. A nutrient calculator that computed the total nutrient in the food items consumed, using the ‘Nutritive Value of Indian Foods by Gopalan et al., was developed to analyze the data and this is now been made available as freeware (http://bit.ly/ncalculator). The total nutrients consumed by the adults, men and women was calculated. Results: Identifying details having been removed, the raw data is available, open access on the internet http://bit.ly/foodlogxls.The energy consumption in our study was 2379 kcal per capita per day. According to the Summary Report World Agriculture the per capita food consumption in 1997-99 was 2803 which is higher than that in the best state in India. The consumption for developing countries a decade ago was 2681 and in Sub-Saharan Africa it was 2195. Our data is compatible in 2005 with the South Asia consumption of 2403 Kcal per capita per day in 1997-99. For comparison, in industrialized countries it was 3380. In Tamil Nadu it was a mere 1817 kcal. Discussion: The nutrient consumption in this study suggests that

  8. Legal and ethical aspects of organ donation and transplantation

    PubMed Central

    Shroff, Sunil

    2009-01-01

    The legislation called the Transplantation of Human Organ Act (THO) was passed in India in 1994 to streamline organ donation and transplantation activities. Broadly, the act accepted brain death as a form of death and made the sale of organs a punishable offence. With the acceptance of brain death, it became possible to not only undertake kidney transplantations but also start other solid organ transplants like liver, heart, lungs, and pancreas. Despite the THO legislation, organ commerce and kidney scandals are regularly reported in the Indian media. In most instances, the implementation of the law has been flawed and more often than once its provisions have been abused. Parallel to the living related and unrelated donation program, the deceased donation program has slowly evolved in a few states. In approximately one-third of all liver transplants, the organs have come from the deceased donor program as have all the hearts and pancreas transplants. In these states, a few hospitals along with committed NGOs have kept the momentum of the deceased donor program. The MOHAN Foundation (NGO based in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh) has facilitated 400 of the 1,300 deceased organ transplants performed in the country over the last 14 years. To overcome organ shortage, developed countries are re-looking at the ethics of unrelated programs and there seems to be a move towards making this an acceptable legal alternative. The supply of deceased donors in these countries has peaked and there has been no further increase over the last few years. India is currently having a deceased donation rate of 0.05 to 0.08 per million population. We need to find a solution on how we can utilize the potentially large pool of trauma-related brain deaths for organ donation. This year in the state of Tamil Nadu, the Government has passed seven special orders. These orders are expected to streamline the activity of deceased donors and help increase their numbers. Recently, on July 30, 2008, the

  9. Prevalence of anaemia in pregnant & lactating women in India.

    PubMed

    Agarwal, K N; Agarwal, D K; Sharma, A; Sharma, K; Prasad, K; Kalita, M C; Khetarpaul, N; Kapoor, A C; Vijayalekshmi, L; Govilla, A K; Panda, S M; Kumari, P

    2006-08-01

    The prevalence of anaemia during pregnancy and lactation was significantly lower in the National Family Health Survey 1998-1999 (NFHS-2), using the hemocue method for haemoglobin estimation compared to earlier surveys. The present study selected seven States and used the same districts and villages studied in the NFHS-2, to see if the reported reduction in prevalence of anaemia was due to health and nutrition inputs and/or due to a different method for haemoglobin estimation. A total of 1,751 women (1,148 pregnant and 603 lactating- exclusively breastfeeding up to 3 months of age), from seven States- Himachal Pradesh and Haryana in north; Assam and Orissa in east; Kerala and Tamil Nadu in south and Madhya Pradesh in central India, were selected. Haemoglobin was estimated by the cyanmethaemoglobin method, so that comparison was possible with earlier studies. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, pregnancy, nutritional status and dietary intakes were collected. Prevalence as well as severity of anaemia was significantly higher in the present study as compared to the NFHS-2 study data. The difference could be due to haemocue method, which gives higher haemoglobin values. The contributing factors found on multiple regression analysis for anaemia in pregnancy and lactation were: literacy, occupation and standard living index of the study women; their awareness about anaemia, its prevention by regular consumption of ironfolate tablets and increase in food intake. Maternal height, age of marriage, parity and foetal loss also contributed to haemoglobin level. There were interstate differences; lower fertility, higher literacy and better diet was observed in Himachal Pradesh as compared to Haryana. The literacy and nutritional status of women in Tamil Nadu was lower than Kerala. The remaining 3 states had poor fertility, lower social living index and nutritional status with >90 per cent women being anaemic in pregnancy and lactation. Low prevalence of severe anaemia in

  10. Effect of Er,Cr:YSGG Laser at Different Output Powers on the Micromorphology and the Bond Property of Non-Carious Sclerotic Dentin to Resin Composites.

    PubMed

    Sun, Xiang; Ban, Jinghao; Sha, Xinjia; Wang, Weiguo; Jiao, Yang; Wang, Wanshan; Yang, Yanwei; Wei, Jingjing; Shen, Lijuan; Chen, Jihua

    2015-01-01

    The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of Er,Cr:YSGG laser irradiated at different powers on the micromorphology and the bonding property of non-carious sclerotic dentin to resin composites. Two hundred bovine incisors characterized by non-carious sclerotic dentin were selected, and the seventy-two teeth of which for surface morphological analysis were divided into nine groups according to various treatments (A: the control group, B: only treated with the adhesive Adper Easy One, C: diamond bur polishing followed by Adper Easy One, D-I: Er,Cr:YSGG laser irradiating at 1W, 2W, 3W, 4W, 5W, 6W output power, respectively, followed by Adper Easy One). The surface roughness values were measured by the non-contact three-dimensional morphology scanner, then the surface micromorphologies of surfaces in all groups were assessed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM); meanwhile, Image Pro-Plus 6.0 software was used to measure the relative percentage of open tubules on SEM images. The rest, one hundred twenty-eight teeth for bond strength test, were divided into eight groups according to the different treatments (A: only treated with the adhesive Adper Easy One, B: diamond bur polishing followed by the above adhesive, C-H: Er,Cr:YSGG laser irradiating at 1 W, 2 W, 3 W, 4 W, 5 W, 6 W output power, respectively, followed by the above adhesive), and each group was subsequently divided into two subgroups according to whether aging is performed (immediately tested and after thermocycling). Micro-shear bond strength test was used to evaluate the bond strength. The 4W laser group showed the highest roughness value (30.84±1.93μm), which was statistically higher than the control group and the diamond bur groups (p<0.05). The mean percentages ((27.8±1.8)%, (28.0±2.2)%, (30.0±1.9)%) of open tubules area in the 4W, 5W, 6W group were higher than other groups (p<0.05). The 4W laser group showed the highest micro-shear bond strength not only in immediately tested

  11. Macrobenthic communities of the Vellar Estuary in the Bay of Bengal in Tamil-Nadu in South India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chertoprud, M. V.; Chertoprud, E. S.; Saravanakumar, A.; Thangaradjou, T.; Mazei, Yu. A.

    2013-03-01

    The macrobenthic fauna and communities of the Vellar Estuary located at the southeast cost of India (11°30' N, 79°45' E) and the adjacent marine and river habitats are described on the basis of original data (70 samples over 10 transects). The fauna consists of 115 macrobenthic species and 79 species in estuarine habitats. We described 14 types of macrobenthic communities with different compositions of the dominant species. The leading ecological factors of the distribution of the communities are the salinity, depth, and bottom type. The Vellar estuary consists of two longitudinal zones of macrobenthos. The polyhalinic area is populated by the marine species, but it is related not to a salinity decrease but to the protection from waves and silt on the bottom in this area. The polyhalinic communities are most abundant in terms of the biomass and species richness. The mesohalinic area is inhabited by brackish water species and communities with low abundance. The sublittoral estuarine area is dominated by filter-feeders—the bivalves Crassostrea madrasensis, Meretrix casta, Modiolus metcalfei, and Scapharca inaequivalves—and the littoral zone is dominated by the gastropods Cerithidea cingulata, some crabs, and polychaetes. The ecosystem function of the Vellar estuary can be defined as a filter for the fine organic particles transported by the river.

  12. Effect of autogenic relaxation on depression among menopausal women in rural areas of Thiruvallur District (Tamil Nadu).

    PubMed

    Sujithra, S

    2014-01-01

    An experimental study was conducted among 60 menopausal women, 30 each in experimental and control group who met inclusion criteria. The menopausal women were identified in both the groups and level of depression was assessed using Cornell Dysthmia rating scale. Simple random sampling technique by lottery method was used for selecting the sample. Autogenic relaxation was practiced by the menopausal women for four weeks. The findings revealed that in experimental group, after intervention of autogenic relaxation on depression among menopausal women, 23 (76.7%) had mild depression. There was a statistically significant effectiveness in experimental group at the level of p < 0.05. There was a statistically significant association between the effectiveness of autogenic relaxation on depression among menopausal women in the post-experimental group with the type of family at the level of p < 0.05.

  13. Oral Health Related Quality of Life among Tamil Speaking Adults Attending a Dental Institution in Chennai, Southern India

    PubMed Central

    Tadepalli, Anupama; Victor, Dhayanand John; Dharuman, Smriti

    2016-01-01

    Introduction Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) indicates an individual’s perception of how their well-being and quality of life is influenced by oral health. It facilitates treatment planning, assessing patient centred treatment outcomes and satisfaction. Aim The study aimed to identify the factors influencing OHRQoL among Tamil speaking South Indian adult population. Materials and Methods Non-probability sampling was done and 199 subjects aged 20-70 years were recruited for this observational study. The subjects were requested to fill a survey form along with the validated Tamil General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI-Tml) questionnaire in the waiting area following which clinical examination was done by a single experienced Periodontist. Results The mean score with standard deviation for physical dimension was 4.34±0.96, psychological dimension was 4.03±1.13 and pain was 4.05±1.09 on GOHAI. Greater impacts were seen for psychosocial dimensions like pleased with the appearance of teeth/denture Q7 (3.7±1.2), worried about the problems with teeth/denture Q9 (3.7±1) and pain or discomfort in teeth Q12 (3.8±1). Functions like swallowing Q3 (4.5±0.8) and speaking Q4 (4.6±0.7) were minimally affected. As age increased subjects perceived more negative impacts as indicated by lower ADD-GOHAI and higher SC-GOHAI scores (p<0.01). Subjects complaining of bad breath, bleeding gums and Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) problems, reported poor OHRQoL (p<0.05). It was observed that as self-perceived oral and general health status deteriorated, OHRQoL also worsened (p<0.01). Subjects with missing teeth, cervical abrasion, restorations, gingival recession and mobility had more impacts on OHRQoL (p<0.05). Subjects diagnosed with periodontitis had lower OHRQoL as reported on the scale than gingivitis subjects (p<0.01). Conclusion In this study minimal impact was seen in all the three dimensions assessed with GOHAI. Factors like age, education, employment status

  14. Oral Health Related Quality of Life among Tamil Speaking Adults Attending a Dental Institution in Chennai, Southern India.

    PubMed

    Appukuttan, Deva Priya; Tadepalli, Anupama; Victor, Dhayanand John; Dharuman, Smriti

    2016-10-01

    Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) indicates an individual's perception of how their well-being and quality of life is influenced by oral health. It facilitates treatment planning, assessing patient centred treatment outcomes and satisfaction. The study aimed to identify the factors influencing OHRQoL among Tamil speaking South Indian adult population. Non-probability sampling was done and 199 subjects aged 20-70 years were recruited for this observational study. The subjects were requested to fill a survey form along with the validated Tamil General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI-Tml) questionnaire in the waiting area following which clinical examination was done by a single experienced Periodontist. The mean score with standard deviation for physical dimension was 4.34±0.96, psychological dimension was 4.03±1.13 and pain was 4.05±1.09 on GOHAI. Greater impacts were seen for psychosocial dimensions like pleased with the appearance of teeth/denture Q7 (3.7±1.2), worried about the problems with teeth/denture Q9 (3.7±1) and pain or discomfort in teeth Q12 (3.8±1). Functions like swallowing Q3 (4.5±0.8) and speaking Q4 (4.6±0.7) were minimally affected. As age increased subjects perceived more negative impacts as indicated by lower ADD-GOHAI and higher SC-GOHAI scores (p<0.01). Subjects complaining of bad breath, bleeding gums and Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) problems, reported poor OHRQoL (p<0.05). It was observed that as self-perceived oral and general health status deteriorated, OHRQoL also worsened (p<0.01). Subjects with missing teeth, cervical abrasion, restorations, gingival recession and mobility had more impacts on OHRQoL (p<0.05). Subjects diagnosed with periodontitis had lower OHRQoL as reported on the scale than gingivitis subjects (p<0.01). In this study minimal impact was seen in all the three dimensions assessed with GOHAI. Factors like age, education, employment status, income, self-reported oral health, self-perceived general

  15. Pedogeochemistry and micromorphology of oxisols - A basis for understanding etchplanation in the Araucárias Plateau (Southern Brazil) in the Late Quaternary

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Paisani, Julio Cesar; Pontelli, Marga Eliz; de Barros Corrêa, Antônio Carlos; Rech Rodrigues, Rafaela Ana

    2013-12-01

    composition, weathering indices, iron, mineralogy of the clays and micromorphology of the oxisols of surface 6 to propose a first approximation of the evolution of the planed surfaces regarding etchplanation in southern Brazil. The surfaces' pedogeochemical and micromorphological properties reveal the following: a) hydrolysis is the main process of geochemical loss of geomorphic surfaces; b) geochemical erosion is more intense in the glacial periods, when the decreased temperature favors slower weathering in a more continuous manner; c) the pedobioclimatic imbalance generated by the input in interglacial periods favors mechanical erosion of the ground surface due to the substitution of the structure in blocks by microaggregates, which reduces the cohesiveness of the mantles of alteration; d) morphogenesis is most important in interglacial periods, promoting the truncation of oxisols; e) the oxisols from the remnants of the planed surfaces are actually renewed profiles younger than 500 Ky BP; f) models of long-term chemical denudation must take into consideration short-duration changes (≤25 Ky) in the pedogeochemical and structural processes of the solum.

  16. Investigating the micromorphological differences of the implant-abutment junction and their clinical implications: a pilot study.

    PubMed

    Mattheos, Nikos; Li, Xiaona; Zampelis, Antonios; Ma, Li; Janda, Martin

    2016-11-01

    The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the morphological micro-features of three commercially available implant-abutment joints, using compatible and original prosthetic components. Furthermore, possible correlations between the micromorphology and potential functional complications were investigated with the use of finite element analysis. Three abutments (one original and two compatibles) were torqued on original Straumann RN implants, as according to each of the manufacturer's instructions. The implant-abutment units were sliced in the microtome and photographed under different magnifications (10×-500×) through a scanning electron microscope. Finite element analysis models were reconstructed for each of the implant-abutment units using the precise measurements from the SEM. Differences in stress, strain and deformation for the three different abutments were then calculated using ANSYS Workbench v13. Major dimensional differences were identified between all studied contact areas of the three units. The tight contact in the implant shoulder was similar in all three units, but engagement of the internal connection and, in particular, the anti-rotation elements was seriously compromised in the compatible abutments. One compatible abutment demonstrated compromised engagement of the abutment screw as well. Equivalent stress and strain in the FEA were much higher for the compatible abutments. An evaluation of the sequence of preload application revealed differences in the pattern of deformation between the original and compatible abutments, which can have serious clinical implications. Compatible abutments can present critical morphological differences from the original ones. The differences in the cross-sectional geometry result in large differences in the overall contact areas, both in terms of quality and quantity which could have serious implications for the long-term stability of the prosthesis. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley

  17. In vitro propagation, ex vitro rooting and leaf micromorphology of Bauhinia racemosa Lam.: a leguminous tree with medicinal values.

    PubMed

    Sharma, Udit; Kataria, Vinod; Shekhawat, N S

    2017-10-01

    A micropropagation system for Bauhinia racemosa Lam. was developed involving axillary shoot proliferation and ex vitro rooting using nodal explants obtained from mature tree. MS medium with 3.0 mg l -1 BA (6-benzyladenine) was optimum for shoot bud induction. For shoot multiplication, mother explants were transferred repeatedly on medium containing low concentration of BA (0.75 mg l -1 ). Number of shoots was increased up to two passages and decreased thereafter. Shoot multiplication was further enhanced on MS medium containing 0.25 mg l -1 each of BA and Kin (Kinetin) with 0.1 mg l -1 of NAA (α-naphthalene acetic acid). Addition of 0.004 mg l -1 TDZ (thidiazuron) increased the rate of shoot multiplication and 21.81 ± 1.26 shoots per culture vessel were obtained. In vitro regenerated shoots were rooted under ex vitro conditions treated with 400 mg l -1 IBA (indole-3-butyric acid) for 7 min on sterile soilrite. After successful hardening in greenhouse, ex vitro rooted plants were transferred to the field conditions with ≈85% of survival rate. Micromorphological changes were observed on leaf surface i.e. development of vein density and trichomes and stomatal appearance, when plants were subjected to environmental conditions. This is the first report on in vitro regeneration of B. racemosa from mature tree.

  18. Isolation, structure elucidation and antibacterial activity of methyl-4,8-dimethylundecanate from the marine actinobacterium Streptomyces albogriseolus ECR64.

    PubMed

    Thirumurugan, Durairaj; Vijayakumar, Ramasamy; Vadivalagan, Chithravel; Karthika, Pushparaj; Alam Khan, Md Khurshid

    2018-05-25

    Around 120 actinobacterial colonies were isolated from various regions of marine East coast region of Tamil Nadu, India. Among them, 33 were morphologically distinct and they were preliminarily screened for their antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas fluorescens, Vibrio cholerae, V. parahaemolyticus, V. alginolyticus, and Aeromonas hydrophila by cross-streak plate technique. Among the isolated, the isolate ECR64 exhibited maximum zone of inhibition against fish pathogenic bacteria. The crude bioactive compounds were extracted from the isolate ECR64 using different organic solvents which exhibited maximum antibacterial activity. Separation and purification of the bioactive compounds were made by column chromatography which yielded 27 fractions and were re-chromatographed to obtain the active compound. Ultra violet (UV), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectral studies were used to predict the structure of the active compound which was identified as methyl-4,8-dimethylundecanate. The potential isolate ECR64 was identified as Streptomyces albogriseolus by phylogenetic, phenotypic and genotypic (16S rRNA gene sequence) analyses. The identified compound methyl-4,8-dimethylundecanate can be used as potential and alternative drug in disease management of aquaculture. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Assessment of hydrogeochemical status of groundwater in a coastal region of Southeast coast of India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chidambaram, S.; Sarathidasan, J.; Srinivasamoorthy, K.; Thivya, C.; Thilagavathi, R.; Prasanna, M. V.; Singaraja, C.; Nepolian, M.

    2018-03-01

    A study was conducted in a coastal region of Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu, India, to identify the hydrogeochemical processes controlling the groundwater chemistry. The major geological units of the study area are sandstone, clay, alluvium, and laterite soils of Tertiary and Quaternary age. A total of 64 groundwater samples were measured for major ions and stable isotopes. Higher electrical conductivity values indicate the poor quality groundwater along the coastal region. Saline water intrusion mainly affects the hydrochemical composition of the aquifer water reflected by Na-Cl-type waters. Cl-/(Cl- + HCO3 -) ratio also indicates the mixing of fresh groundwater with saline water. The results of δD and δ18O analyses show that isotopic compositions of groundwater ranges from - 7.7 to - 2.1‰ for δ18O and from - 55.6 to - 18.5‰ for δD. Correlation and factor analysis were carried out to find the association of ions and to determine the major factors controlling the groundwater chemistry of the region. The study indicates that ion exchange, weathering, salt water intrusion along the coast, and anthropogenic impacts are the major controlling factors for the groundwater chemistry of the region.

  20. Antibacterial potential of silver nanoparticles against isolated urinary tract infectious bacterial pathogens

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jacob Inbaneson, Samuel; Ravikumar, Sundaram; Manikandan, Nachiappan

    2011-12-01

    The silver nanoparticles were synthesized by chemical reduction method and the nanoparticles were characterized using ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. The synthesized silver nanoparticles were investigated to evaluate the antibacterial activity against urinary tract infectious (UTIs) bacterial pathogens. Thirty-two bacteria were isolated from mid urine samples of 25 male and 25 female patients from Thondi, Ramanathapuram District, Tamil Nadu, India and identified by conventional methods. Escherichia coli was predominant (47%) followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (22%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (19%), Enterobacter sp. (6%), Proteus morganii (3%) and Staphylococcus aureus (3%). The antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles was evaluated by disc diffusion assay. P. aeruginosa showed maximum sensitivity (11 ± 0.58 mm) followed by Enterobacter sp. (8 ± 0.49 mm) at a concentration of 20 μg disc-1 and the sensitivity was highly comparable with the positive control kanamycin and tetracycline. K. pneumoniae, E. coli, P. morganii and S. aureus showed no sensitivity against all the tested concentrations of silver nanoparticles. The results provided evidence that, the silver nanoparticles might indeed be the potential sources to treat urinary tract infections caused by P. aeruginosa and Enterobacter sp.