Potability Assessment of Notable Water Sources in Nitte Community, India

Quality is believed to best describe any given water more than other yardsticks. Water quality assessment is therefore a worthwhile study. Potable water is that which possesses the quality that renders it fit and safe for drinking. This research is necessitated by the need for ensuring consumption of wholesome water by all, and particularly in the study area. This study focuses on the quality assessment of some selected water sources in Nitte community, Udupi District of Karnataka State, India. Eight Samples from notable water sources were collected for the study, they include: Monsoon river water, Harmattan river water, distilled/deionized water, borehole, open well, rain water, UV sterilized, and mineral/bottled water. These were subjected to laboratory analysis at the NMAM Institute of Technology (NMAMIT), Nitte. Parameters that were measured include: colour, odour, taste, turbidity, temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, acidity, alkalinity, chloride, sulphate, nitrate, total hardness, calcium hardness, zinc, copper, magnesium, lead, and total coliform. Findings reveal that all sampled sources, apart from the river water, have most of the characteristics within the limits provided for drinking water by the MUD, WHO and USEPA standards.  Samples are clear, tasteless and odourless, with the exception of Parappadi river water samples in both seasons of the year that have slightly objectionable physical properties. Some of the samples need slight modifications in their pH values to meet the drinking standard’s specifications. Electrical conductivity of rain water is observed to be extremely higher than all other samples. Groundwater sources, borehole and well, possess higher chloride levels and greater hardness values as compared to others. Well water tops others in the hardness scale with soft permanent hardness. The most acidic sample is borehole water while distilled, well and mineral water samples are all with the higher alkalinity levels. River water samples exceed others in their sulphate concentrations while distilled water has the least value. Heavy metals concentrations in the samples are generally minimal, found in microgram per litre levels as compared to the milligrams of the Standards. Traces of lead and coliform bacteria are detected only in river water samples.  The study concludes that the order of potability of the sampled water sources is Mineral/table > UV sterilized > Distilled water > Borehole > Rain > Well > Harmattan River > Monsoon River water. Mineral/table and UV sterilized water are directly potable without further treatments. For quality improvement, full scale treatment with all the unit processes is recommended for the river water. Lime treatment and disinfection are strongly suggested for rain, borehole, distilled and well water. The well water should be further subjected to softening by either lime soda or ion exchange treatment. Arising from this study, it is therefore highly imperative for all the concerned authorities to, as a matter of priority, cite a Water Treatment Plant in Nitte community. Keywords: Potability, Pollution, Water Quality, Nitt

Socio-Demographic Patterning of Physical Activity across Migrant Groups in India: Results from the Indian Migration Study

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between rural to urban migration and physical activity (PA) in India. METHODS: 6,447 (42% women) participants comprising 2077 rural, 2,094 migrants and 2,276 urban were recruited. Total activity (MET hr/day), activity intensity (min/day), PA Level (PAL) television viewing and sleeping (min/day) were estimated and associations with migrant status examined, adjusting for the sib-pair design, age, site, occupation, education, and socio-economic position (SEP). RESULTS: Total activity was highest in rural men whereas migrant and urban men had broadly similar activity levels (p<0.001). Women showed similar patterns, but slightly lower levels of total activity. Sedentary behaviour and television viewing were lower in rural residents and similar in migrant and urban groups. Sleep duration was highest in the rural group and lowest in urban non-migrants. Migrant men had considerably lower odds of being in the highest quartile of total activity than rural men, a finding that persisted after adjustment for age, SEP and education (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.37, 0.74). For women, odds ratios attenuated and associations were removed after adjusting for age, SEP and education. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that migrants have already acquired PA levels that closely resemble long-term urban residents. Effective public health interventions to increase PA are needed

Dietary Intake and Rural-Urban Migration in India: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND: Migration from rural areas of India contributes to urbanisation and lifestyle change, and dietary changes may increase the risk of obesity and chronic diseases. We tested the hypothesis that rural-to-urban migrants have different macronutrient and food group intake to rural non-migrants, and that migrants have a diet more similar to urban non-migrants. METHODS AND FINDINGS: The diets of migrants of rural origin, their rural dwelling sibs, and those of urban origin together with their urban dwelling sibs were assessed by an interviewer-administered semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. A total of 6,509 participants were included. Median energy intake in the rural, migrant and urban groups was 2731, 3078, and 3224 kcal respectively for men, and 2153, 2504, and 2644 kcal for women (p<0.001). A similar trend was seen for overall intake of fat, protein and carbohydrates (p<0.001), though differences in the proportion of energy from these nutrients were <2%. Migrant and urban participants reported up to 80% higher fruit and vegetable intake than rural participants (p<0.001), and up to 35% higher sugar intake (p<0.001). Meat and dairy intake were higher in migrant and urban participants than rural participants (p<0.001), but varied by region. Sibling-pair analyses confirmed these results. There was no evidence of associations with time in urban area. CONCLUSIONS: Rural to urban migration appears to be associated with both positive (higher fruit and vegetables intake) and negative (higher energy and fat intake) dietary changes. These changes may be of relevance to cardiovascular health and warrant public health interventions

Multi-center feasibility study evaluating recruitment, variability in risk factors and biomarkers for a diet and cancer cohort in India

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>India's population exhibits diverse dietary habits and chronic disease patterns. Nutritional epidemiologic studies in India are primarily of cross-sectional or case-control design and subject to biases, including differential recall of past diet. The aim of this feasibility study was to evaluate whether a diet-focused cohort study of cancer could be established in India, providing insight into potentially unique diet and lifestyle exposures.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Field staff contacted 7,064 households within three regions of India (New Delhi, Mumbai, and Trivandrum) and found 4,671 eligible adults aged 35-69 years. Participants completed interviewer-administered questionnaires (demographic, diet history, physical activity, medical/reproductive history, tobacco/alcohol use, and occupational history), and staff collected biological samples (blood, urine, and toenail clippings), anthropometric measurements (weight, standing and sitting height; waist, hip, and thigh circumference; triceps, sub-scapula and supra-patella skin fold), and blood pressure measurements.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Eighty-eight percent of eligible subjects completed all questionnaires and 67% provided biological samples. Unique protein sources by region were fish in Trivandrum, dairy in New Delhi, and pulses (legumes) in Mumbai. Consumption of meat, alcohol, fast food, and soft drinks was scarce in all three regions. A large percentage of the participants were centrally obese and had elevated blood glucose levels. New Delhi participants were also the least physically active and had elevated lipids levels, suggesting a high prevalence of metabolic syndrome.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A high percentage of participants complied with study procedures including biological sample collection. Epidemiologic expertise and sufficient infrastructure exists at these three sites in India to successfully carry out a modest sized population-based study; however, we identified some potential problems in conducting a cohort study, such as limited number of facilities to handle biological samples.</p

Transcultural Diabetes Nutrition Therapy Algorithm: The Asian Indian Application

India and other countries in Asia are experiencing rapidly escalating epidemics of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease. The dramatic rise in the prevalence of these illnesses has been attributed to rapid changes in demographic, socioeconomic, and nutritional factors. The rapid transition in dietary patterns in India—coupled with a sedentary lifestyle and specific socioeconomic pressures—has led to an increase in obesity and other diet-related noncommunicable diseases. Studies have shown that nutritional interventions significantly enhance metabolic control and weight loss. Current clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are not portable to diverse cultures, constraining the applicability of this type of practical educational instrument. Therefore, a transcultural Diabetes Nutrition Algorithm (tDNA) was developed and then customized per regional variations in India. The resultant India-specific tDNA reflects differences in epidemiologic, physiologic, and nutritional aspects of disease, anthropometric cutoff points, and lifestyle interventions unique to this region of the world. Specific features of this transculturalization process for India include characteristics of a transitional economy with a persistently high poverty rate in a majority of people; higher percentage of body fat and lower muscle mass for a given body mass index; higher rate of sedentary lifestyle; elements of the thrifty phenotype; impact of festivals and holidays on adherence with clinic appointments; and the role of a systems or holistic approach to the problem that must involve politics, policy, and government. This Asian Indian tDNA promises to help guide physicians in the management of prediabetes and T2D in India in a more structured, systematic, and effective way compared with previous methods and currently available CPGs

Antiinflammatory Therapy with Canakinumab for Atherosclerotic Disease

Background: Experimental and clinical data suggest that reducing inflammation without affecting lipid levels may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Yet, the inflammatory hypothesis of atherothrombosis has remained unproved. Methods: We conducted a randomized, double-blind trial of canakinumab, a therapeutic monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin-1β, involving 10,061 patients with previous myocardial infarction and a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level of 2 mg or more per liter. The trial compared three doses of canakinumab (50 mg, 150 mg, and 300 mg, administered subcutaneously every 3 months) with placebo. The primary efficacy end point was nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or cardiovascular death. RESULTS: At 48 months, the median reduction from baseline in the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level was 26 percentage points greater in the group that received the 50-mg dose of canakinumab, 37 percentage points greater in the 150-mg group, and 41 percentage points greater in the 300-mg group than in the placebo group. Canakinumab did not reduce lipid levels from baseline. At a median follow-up of 3.7 years, the incidence rate for the primary end point was 4.50 events per 100 person-years in the placebo group, 4.11 events per 100 person-years in the 50-mg group, 3.86 events per 100 person-years in the 150-mg group, and 3.90 events per 100 person-years in the 300-mg group. The hazard ratios as compared with placebo were as follows: in the 50-mg group, 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80 to 1.07; P = 0.30); in the 150-mg group, 0.85 (95% CI, 0.74 to 0.98; P = 0.021); and in the 300-mg group, 0.86 (95% CI, 0.75 to 0.99; P = 0.031). The 150-mg dose, but not the other doses, met the prespecified multiplicity-adjusted threshold for statistical significance for the primary end point and the secondary end point that additionally included hospitalization for unstable angina that led to urgent revascularization (hazard ratio vs. placebo, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.73 to 0.95; P = 0.005). Canakinumab was associated with a higher incidence of fatal infection than was placebo. There was no significant difference in all-cause mortality (hazard ratio for all canakinumab doses vs. placebo, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.06; P = 0.31). Conclusions: Antiinflammatory therapy targeting the interleukin-1β innate immunity pathway with canakinumab at a dose of 150 mg every 3 months led to a significantly lower rate of recurrent cardiovascular events than placebo, independent of lipid-level lowering. (Funded by Novartis; CANTOS ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01327846.

Management of multiple missing teeth … Ajith SD et al Case Report Conflict of Interest: None Source of Support: Nil Management of Multiple Impacted Teeth: A Case Report and Review

Abstract: Interdisciplinary care for the management of impacted teeth provides a holistic method of treating patients. Careful planning is necessary to reach the desired treatment goals. This article attempts to highlight the importance of diagnosis and adequate treatment planning for successful eruption of impacted teeth. The concept of forced eruption to improve the bone morphology of the impacted teeth has been used to treat a case of multiple impacted teeth. This paper reviews the diagnosis and management of impacted teeth. A case report of multiple impacted maxillary anterior teeth of a 13-year-old female patient has been presented