Addressing key issues in the light of structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) in Health and Family Welfare Sector in India

The cutback in public investment in social sector including health is an inevitable consequence of the financial crises faced by both developed and developing countries since late s performance and several deficiencies of the public health services rather added fuel to the fire. Circumstances made it pertinent to mobilise additional resources from within the health sector itself, as contained in the structural adjustment programme, for financing the health sector. Thus, the involvement of private parties, NGOs, PRIs, co-operatives etc. for delivery of health services started gaining ground gradually. However, this trend is considered as a retreat from socialistic norms and counterproductive for the economically disadvantaged class. The policies including that of ‘World Bank’ and the recent ‘Indian Health Report (WHO) 2000’, now recognise the importance of investing in health & also providing for a ‘safety net’ for the poor and vulnerable to promote economic development and reduce poverty. So, there is an urgent need to address several issues to revamp the entire health sector in India. The paper, apart from an extensive review of India’s health scenario also identifies the potential areas where further studies need to be undertaken for accelerating the reforms process in the desired direction.Health CareFamily WelfareHealth Services

Addressing Key Issues in the Light of Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) in Health and Family Welfare Sector in India

The cutback in public investment in social sector including health is an inevitable consequence of the financial crises faced by both developed and developing countries since late seventies. In India, the dismal performance and several deficiencies of the public health services rather added fuel to the fire. Circumstances made it pertinent to mobilise additional resources from within the health sector itself, as contained in the structural adjustment programme, for financing the health sector. Thus, the involvement of private parties, NGOs, PRIs, co-operatives etc. for delivery of health services started gaining ground gradually. However, this trend is considered as a retreat from socialistic norms and counterproductive for the economically disadvantaged class. The policies including that of World Bank and the recent Indian Health Report (WHO) 2000, now recognise the importance of investing in health & also providing for a safety net for the poor and vulnerable to promote economic development and reduce poverty. So, there is an urgent need to address several issues to revamp the entire health sector in India. The paper, apart from an extensive review of Indias health scenario also identifies the potential areas where further studies need to be undertaken for accelerating the reforms process in the desired direction.health, WHO

Comparison in Various Bioactive Compounds of Leaves and Seeds of Foeniculum Vulgare Mill.

Medicinal plants a gift of nature are being used against various infections and diseases in the subcontinent since past history. Herbs were use as food ( vegetables ) and flavors for hundred of years in many parts of world. Whereas number of herbs have also been traditionally regarded as natural remedies for common ailments of human population. Furthermore some herbal plants are considered as house of medicines and played an important role in nearly every culture on earth, including Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas. A study was conducted to analyze the Leaves and seeds of Foeniculum vulgare for different bioactive compounds those includes saponins , total proteins, amino acids, fat and flavonoids with one and two dimensional thin layer and column chromatography followed by spectrophotometric analysis. Results indicates that leaves contained higher concentration of flavonoids and fat. Where as level of Saponins, proteins, amino acids, total minerals and other organic compounds was high in seeds. The analysis of leave and seeds of Foeniculum vulgare for these valuable organic compounds will provide important raw materials that can be used for preparation of medicines in Pharmaceuticals companies. Furthermore interest of people in plant made medicines are increasing due to their concern about the side effects of powerful synthetic drugs and high prices of these medicines. It is expected that raw material obtained from plants will not only reduce the prices of medicines in the pharmaceutical market but also provide rapid and reliable system of treatment of various infection and disease of human populatio

Analysis of the developing brain using image registration

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Epitaxial layers of 2122 BCSCO superconductor thin films having single crystalline structure

A substantially single phase, single crystalline, highly epitaxial film of Bi.sub.2 CaSr.sub.2 Cu.sub.2 O.sub.8 superconductor which has a T.sub.c (zero resistance) of 83K is provided on a lattice-matched substrate with no intergrowth. This film is produced by a Liquid Phase Epitaxy method which includes the steps of forming a dilute supercooled molten solution of a single phase superconducting mixture of oxides of Bi, Ca, Sr, and Cu having an atomic ratio of about 2:1:2:2 in a nonreactive flux such as KCl, introducing the substrate, e.g., NdGaO.sub.3, into the molten solution at 850.degree. C., cooling the solution from 850.degree. C. to 830.degree. C. to grow the film and rapidly cooling the substrate to room temperature to maintain the desired single phase, single crystalline film structure

Growth-Led Tourism and the Role of Exchange Rate: Empirical Evidence from Sri Lanka

We re-visit the growth-led tourism hypothesis to examine the role of the exchange rate in the nexus. Using yearly data on Sri Lanka from 1995 to 2018, preliminary tests reveal a long-run association between tourism receipts, economic growth, and the official exchange rate. Consistent robustness results from a battery of econometric techniques validate that the connection holds autonomously and interactively. Conclusions drawn from the linear models suggest that a percentage change in economic growth increases tourism by 0.8% to 1.2%. Likewise, the exchange rate boosts tourism by 0.006% to 0.008%, on average, ceteris paribus. For the most part, the interaction of the exchange rate with economic growth upholds the "growth-led tourism" hypothesis. We also find that the results hold across the conditional distribution of tourism. Additional evidence from the margin plot reveals that the effect of economic growth on tourism is positive as the Sri Lankan Rupee depreciates. The upward trend of the plot within the 95% confidence interval shows that currency depreciation enhances the impact of economic growth on tourism. These are novel contributions to the literature as it suggests that currency depreciation in Sri Lanka is pro-tourism. Policy recommendations are discussed

EphA4 expression promotes network activity and spine maturation in cortical neuronal cultures

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Neurons form specific connections with targets via synapses and patterns of synaptic connectivity dictate neural function. During development, intrinsic neuronal specification and environmental factors guide both initial formation of synapses and strength of resulting connections. Once synapses form, non-evoked, spontaneous activity serves to modulate connections, strengthening some and eliminating others. Molecules that mediate intercellular communication are particularly important in synaptic refinement. Here, we characterize the influences of EphA4, a transmembrane signaling molecule, on neural connectivity.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Using multi-electrode array analysis on <it>in vitro </it>cultures, we confirmed that cortical neurons mature and generate spontaneous circuit activity as cells differentiate, with activity growing both stronger and more patterned over time. When EphA4 was over-expressed in a subset of neurons in these cultures, network activity was enhanced: bursts were longer and were composed of more spikes than in control-transfected cultures. To characterize the cellular basis of this effect, dendritic spines, the major excitatory input site on neurons, were examined on transfected neurons <it>in vitro</it>. Strikingly, while spine number and density were similar between conditions, cortical neurons with elevated levels of EphA4 had significantly more mature spines, fewer immature spines, and elevated colocalization with a mature synaptic marker.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These results demonstrate that experimental elevation of EphA4 promotes network activity <it>in vitro</it>, supporting spine maturation, producing more functional synaptic pairings, and promoting more active circuitry.</p

Impact of COVID-19 on Ophthalmologists

Objectives: To determine the effects of COVID 19 pandemic on the professional lives of ophthalmologists Methods: This cross sectional survey was conducted for 6 months in late 2020 and used google forms for data collection. Results: Total 68 respondents gave their likert response for each of the 20 statements. No. %, median, mode and interquartile range, of all respondents likert sentiment for each statement, were calculated. Survey results showed general, ‘consent and consensus’. Conclusion: Covid-19 has influenced professional lives of ophthalmologists