Application of geographical information system in understanding the accessibility and utilization primary health centres: a district level study of rural India

Health is an important indicator to determine the overall development of a Country. Disease free nation leads to high level of productivity of human being and so it is an important element. This disease free nation can be attained by improving the health and nutritional status of the population. One of the ways of achieving it, is through improved access to and utilization of health services with special focus on the underserved and under privileged segment of population. Fortunately, the health care services in India are equivalently provided to all, ignoring the caste, color, creed and sex. The task of accessibility can be attained by establishing sub centers, primary health centers, community health centers and hospitals in remote and inaccessible areas. Primary health centers are an effective way of delivering health care in the rural areas. It is an imperative strategy to provide "Health For AH" and is widely acknowledged as a universal solution for improving well being of population in the world. The present study focuses on the evaluating the status of accessibility and utilization of health care facilities in the second highest populated country of the world. The number and type of barriers to accessibility of primary health centers differ from country to country and time to time. Affordability, acceptability and accommodation are the three non spatial barriers to the utilization and accessibility are spatial in context. Availability in context to PHC refers to the number of health care service points and accessibility is travel impedance i.e., distance or time between the residential or demand areas and PHC. In this paper, availability and accessibility are considered as spatial accessibility and the aim is to determine if PHC's are equitably distributed in the Nadia District of West Bengal state of India. The future allocation of the lowest order central facility is done with the help of Geographical Information Centre

Preparation and characterization of beta-glucan particles containing a payload of nanoembedded rifabutin for enhanced targeted delivery to macrophages

β-glucan particles (GP) are polymeric carbohydrates, mainly found as components of cell wall fungi, yeast, bacteria and also in cereals such as barley and oat, and have been recently shown to have application in macrophagetargeted drug delivery. The aim of this study was to prepare and characterize GP containing a large payload of Rifabutin (RB), an anti-tuberculosis drug effective against MDR-TB at lower MIC than Rifampicin. GP were prepared from yeast cells by acidic and alkaline extraction were either spray dried or lyophilized, prior to RB loading and alginate sealing. The FTIR and 13C-NMR spectra of the GP confirmed a β-(1→3) linked glucan structure, with a triple-helical conformation. The spray dried GP exhibited better characteristics in terms of uniformity, size range (2.9 to 6.1 μm) and more than 75 % particles were below 3.5 μm. The RP-HPLC analysis of spray dried GP revealed drug entrapment and drug loading up to 81.46 ± 4.9 % and ~40.5 ± 1.9 %, respectively, as compared to those dried by lyophilization. Electron microscopy showed nearly spherical and porous nature of GP, and the presence of drug ‘nanoprecipitates’ filling the pore spaces. The formulation showed adequate thermal stability for pharmaceutical application. The particles were readily phagocytosed by macrophage(s) within 5 min of exposure. Drug release occurred in a sustained manner via diffusion, as the release kinetics best fit for drug release was obtained using Higuchi’s equation. Thus, the spray dried GP-based-formulation technology holds promise for enhanced targeted delivery of anti-TB drug(s) to macrophage within a therapeutic window for the clearance of intracellular bacteria

MEDICINAL FORMULATIONS OF A KANDA TRIBAL HEALER – A TRIBE ON THE VERGE OF DISAPPEARANCE IN BANGLADESH

The Kanda tribe is one of the lesser known small tribes of Bangladesh with an estimated population of about 1700 people (according to them), and on the verge of extinction as a separate entity. To some extent, they have assimilated with the surrounding mainstream Bengali-speaking population, but they still maintain their cultural practices including traditional medicinal practices, for which they have their own tribal healers. Nothing at all has been documented thus far about their traditional medicinal practices and formulations, which are on the verge of disappearance. The Kanda tribe can be found only in scattered tea gardens of Sreemangal in Sylhet district of Bangladesh; dispersion of the tribe into small separated communities is also contributing to the fast losing of traditional medicinal practices. The objective of the present study was to conduct an ethnomedicinal survey among the traditional healers of the Kanda tribe (in fact, only one such healer was found after extensive searches). Information was collected from the healer with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire and the guided field-walk method. A total of 24 formulations were obtained from the healer containing 34 plants including two plants, which could not be identified. Besides medicinal plants, the Kanda healer also used the body hairs of the Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) and bats (Pteropus giganteus giganteus) in one of his formulation for treatment of fever with shivering. The ailments treated by the Kanda healer were fairly common ailments like cuts and wounds, skin diseases, helminthiasis, fever, respiratory problems (coughs, asthma), gastrointestinal disorders (stomach pain, constipation, diarrhea), burning sensations during urination, various types of pain (headache, body ache, toothache, ear ache), conjunctivitis, poisonous snake, insect or reptile bites, jaundice, and bone fractures. A number of important drugs in allopathic medicine like quinine, artemisinin, and morphine (to name only a few) have been discovered from observing indigenous medicinal practices. From that view point, the formulations used by the Kanda healer merit scientific studies for their potential in the discovery of cheap and effective new drugs. Scientific validation of the medicinal formulations of the Kanda healer can also be effective for treatment of ailments among this tribe, which does not have or does not want to have any contact with modern medicine

Location theory in reverse? Location for global production in the IT industry of Bangalore

This paper is a detailed study of the location history of eight software and information technology (IT) enabled service firms, with varying attributes such as age of firm, type of work undertaken, and ownership sited in the southern Indian city of Bangalore. These cases are used to relate urban restructuring occurring in the city of Bangalore to the strategic shifting of location of firms within the urban fabric. While IT firms cannot be strictly classified as producer services, it is possible to contextualise their location decisions in terms of other office-based economic activities, such as producer services. Findings from the case studies are examined in relation to urban growth theories of the 1980s and 90s, which were related to an expansion of the service sector in advanced economies. The literature discussed in this paper explains the role of growth in producer services in suburbanisation of office space and the development of ‘edge cities’ and ‘suburban downtowns’ as alternatives to and in competition with traditional city centres. Studies of office location and contact patterns indicate the retention of management functions in the CBDs, with a consequent relocation of routine office operations to these suburban office spaces. The findings from the firms studied in Bangalore indicate a reverse pattern of peripheralisation of control functions and a retention of routine production functions in the core urban areas. The limited need for face-to-face contacts with actors in the local urban economy and the export-related output of this offshore industry are contributors to this apparent reversal of location dynamics. The paper briefly concludes with directions for future research on such specialised service production activity that is often being located in cities of developing countries, and its impact on the urban structure of these cities.

Location theory in reverse? Location for global production in the IT industry of Bangalore

This paper is a detailed study of the location history of eight software and information technology (IT) enabled service firms, with varying attributes such as age of firm, type of work undertaken, and ownership sited in the southern Indian city of Bangalore. These cases are used to relate urban restructuring occurring in the city of Bangalore to the strategic shifting of location of firms within the urban fabric. While IT firms cannot be strictly classified as producer services, it is possible to contextualise their location decisions in terms of other office-based economic activities, such as producer services. Findings from the case studies are examined in relation to urban growth theories of the 1980s and 90s, which were related to an expansion of the service sector in advanced economies. The literature discussed in this paper explains the role of growth in producer services in suburbanisation of office space and the development of `edge cities' and `suburban downtowns' as alternatives to and in competition with traditional city centres. Studies of office location and contact patterns indicate the retention of management functions in the CBDs, with a consequent relocation of routine office operations to these suburban office spaces. The findings from the firms studied in Bangalore indicate a reverse pattern of peripheralisation of control functions and a retention of routine production functions in the core urban areas. The limited need for face-to-face contacts with actors in the local urban economy and the export-related output of this offshore industry are contributors to this apparent reversal of location dynamics. The paper briefly concludes with directions for future research on such specialised service production activity that is often being located in cities of developing countries, and its impact on the urban structure of these cities

A Global ‘Urban Roller Coaster’? Connectivity Changes in theWorld City Network, 2000–2004

A global "urban roller coaster"? Connectivity changes in the world city network, 2000–2004, Regional Studies. A network model is used to assess the nature of change in intercity relations from 2000 to 2004. Data are collected for 2004 on the office networks of the same global service firms that were used to describe global connectivities for 315 cities in 2000. This allows a new cross-sectional geography of connectivities to be produced for 2004, and for changes in connectivities between 2000 and 2004 to be computed. Simple visualization and statistical techniques are used to explore the data. A distinction is made between "normal change" and "exceptional change" and only two cases of the latter are definitely identified: cities in both the USA and sub-Saharan Africa are generally losing global connectivity in relation to the rest of the world. Thus "normal change" predominates and the paper concludes that contemporary intercity change does not correspond to Castells’ image of an "urban roller coaster"

Mapping and Monitoring of Land Use/Land Cover Transformation Using Geospatial Techniques in Varanasi City Development Region, India

Assessing the dynamics and patterns of Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) and its transformation is an important practice of urban planners and environmentalists for a variety of applications, including land management, urban climate modeling, and sustainability of any urban region. Monitoring changes in LULC using geospatial techniques can help to identify areas at risk for indefensible land use, low-grade environment, and especially for sustainable urban planning. This study aims to analyze the changing pattern, dynamics, and alteration of LULC using Google Earth Engine (GEE) and Machine Learning Applications for the years 1991, 2001, 2011, and 2022 in the Varanasi City Development Region (VCDR). The LULC classification was divided into seven classes using random forest classification, and Landsat-5(TM) and 9(OLI-2) satellite data were used. Saga GIS has been utilized for the detection of LULC change during the 1991-2022 period. For validation of classification results, accuracy assessment was estimated using error matrices and through user, producer, and overall accuracy estimation. The Kappa statistics were applied for the reliability of the accuracy assessment result. As a result, the built-up area increased by 507.8 percent, and other classes like agricultural, barren, fallow land, and vegetation cover rapidly declined and altered into concrete areas over the period. Water bodies and river sand classes have been slightly converted into different classes. The finding explains that 114.8 km2 of fertile agricultural land, 14.81 km2 barren land, and 12.93 km2 of vegetation cover transformed into impervious surface, which is unsustainable and causes various problems like food scarcity, environmental degradation, and low quality of urban life. This study can be a useful guide for urban planners, academicians, and policymakers by providing a scientific background for sustainable urban planning and management of VCDR and other cities as well

Exploring the Impact of Complex Multi-Level Governance Structures on the Societal Contribution of Universities to Knowledge-Based Urban Development

The current debate aims to reconceptualize the changing role and missions of the university in today’s knowledge economy and investigate how universities’ knowledge resources can benefit urban development and inform the direction of changes in universities. However, there is a lack of empirical studies exploring how governance networks and the institutional conditions of universities in specific contexts can support, limit and/or incentivize the integration of academic activities into societal development. There is a discussion of the various and paradoxical components of university transformation (institutional and physical), affecting their societal contribution, which conceptualizes a holistic and integrated approach towards governance that previously has not been fully investigated. This paper will examine the co-location case of university campuses in Trondheim to explore the implications of a multilevel governance network for achieving the goals of sustainable and knowledge-based urban development. This paper suggests that engineering effective governance is challenging and that factors related to the culture of the institution and their connecting strategies, government priorities, and temporal factors have a great influence on universities’ contribution to their societies. While investigating governance in this topic requires political, cultural, and periodic review, focusing on the interactions of governance multi-layers, this paper concludes that governments’ control functions or some moderate hierarchical coordination is necessary to avoid the failure of university governance and unbalanced societal contributions

Experiential learning and reflection through video in field-based learning.

The first semester of the master program Urban Ecological Planning consists of extensive fieldwork and deep learning. Studying informal settlements of Indian cities require that students think action and are able to reflect upon own experiences. Sensory impressions represent a significant part of the students’ experience, and the course facilitators need to support reflection in an intense and challenging context. The students’ role as outsiders, their ambition to make a difference, and their professional role as future urban planners are challenged when meeting the realities of citizens in Bhopal, India. In fall 2018, a group of students stayed behind in Trondheim to do their fieldwork in the area Lademoen. As an educational experiment, we encouraged the students to not only reflect upon their experiences through written words on paper, but also to try to communicate and reflect visually, and deliver their reflections as videos. The results were beyond our expectations; the students delivered high quality short videos, showing how they interpreted their experiences, the course and the learnings about the communities in which they spent days, weeks and months together with. The students also explained that as they were filming and editing the videos, the process itself ‘did something’ to the way they saw the complexity of the problems in front of them and how they made sense of the whole. This suggests that video reflections can help students complete the cycle of experiential learning[1], something that can help them move towards a stage where it becomes easier for them to act based on their learning.status: Published onlin