Retardation of inflorescence development in Calendula officinalis by a morphactin and its application

The morphactin - chlorflurenol at 1, 5, 25, 125 and 625 μg/plant either caused total damage of the shoot apices or allowed a few inflorescences to develop with few or no flowers. The inflorescences arising in the lateral branches showed suppressed bracts and modified flowers. With time the treated plants recovered and showed a significant increase in the growth of laterals and the number of inflorescences. Thus morphactin can be used for prolonging the growth period and for obtaining more wholesome plants

Empowering married young women and improving their sexual and reproductive health: Effects of the First-time Parents Project

The Population Council, in partnership with Child In Need Institute in Kolkata, Deepak Charitable Trust in Vadodara, and International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, initiated the First-time Parents Project in India to develop and test an integrated package of health and social interventions to improve married young women’s reproductive and sexual health knowledge and practices, enhance their ability to act in their own interest, and expand their social support networks. The project was formulated on the hypothesis that the periods immediately following marriage and surrounding the first pregnancy and birth offer a unique and powerful entry point for improving the situation of married young women. Findings indicate that the intervention had a significant, positive net effect on most indicators reflecting married young women’s autonomy, social support networks, partner communication, and knowledge of sexual and reproductive health. However, the net effect of exposure to the intervention was mixed with regard to indicators related to gender role attitudes and attitudes toward domestic violence, as well as reproductive health practices. The experience of the intervention demonstrates that it is feasible to improve married young women’s reproductive health knowledge and practices, expand their sources of social support, and involve them in activities with peers in safe spaces outside the home, and through the process empower them in their marital and familial relationships. The report suggests that this model could also be integrated into existing NGO or government services, and could be tested for implementation on a larger scale

Sustainable Health in the Times of SDGs- Voices from the Margins

The present chapter reflects on health care availability, utilization and pattern of morbidity in the slum. The first part deals with the general profile of the public health, proximate causes of the ill health, which provides insight about the general profile of the infrastructure and basic amenities position vis a vis slum. The second part is related the health care utilization in slums namely services of the medical institutions, charges of the private medical institutions and clinics, source of treatment, reason for choosing the source of treatment, satisfaction with the treatment, user charge. This section also includes access to the health care services in the slums and the mode of transport used for the utilization of the health care services. The third aspect of the study is related to the pattern of morbidity in slums includes illness in the last month, ailment on the survey date, hospitalisation in one year, average morbidity and hospitalisation rate in one year of three slums, type of ailment, ailment of the head of the household, ailment of the family members, no of days of inactivity and lastly analysis of the common problems and health status of slum dwellers, treatment sought and the proximate reasons for the ailments in slums been done

Assessment of genetic diversity using DNA markers among Brassica rapa var. yellow sarson germplasm lines collected from Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand hills

The genetic diversity and the relatedness among thirty-one germplasm lines of yellow sarson collected from eastern UP were evaluated using morphological characters and Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. Molecular parameters, viz. A total number of bands, average polymorphic band, average percent polymorphism, average polymorphic information content (PIC), Jaccard’s similarity coefficient, Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCA) and dendrogram generated using RAPD markers. A total of 148 different polymorphic amplification products were obtained using 10 selected decamer primers. The Jaccard similarity coefficient ranged from 0.557-0.899. Maximum polymorphism detected was 100 %.The range of amplification was from 190bp to 9 kb. Some unique bands were also reported with different primers that can be used for the identification of particular accession. PYSC-11-11 and PYSC-11-36 genotypes showed a maximum number of unique loci of different size. 31 germplasm lines grouped into two major clusters I and II based on RAPD profiling. Morphological characterization was done on the basis of leaf, petal and beak characteristics. The similarity value among the germplasm lines ranged from 0.222 to 1.000 using morphological descriptors. The dendrogram generated grouped the germplasm accession into two major groups at 44% similarity value. The cluster analysis was comparable up to some extent with Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCA) of two and three-dimensional plots. The variability revealed by morphological and molecular profile were found to be non-comparable. This study indicated the presence of high genetic diversity among collected yellow sarson germplasm, which could be used for developing for breeding and germplasm management purposes

Neonatal, 1–59 month, and under-5 mortality in 597 Indian districts, 2001 to 2012: estimates from national demographic and mortality surveys

Background India has the largest number of child deaths of any country in the world, and has wide local variation in under-5 mortality. Worldwide achievement of the UN 2015 Millennium Development Goal for under-5 mortality (MDG 4) will depend on progress in the subregions of India. We aimed to estimate neonatal, 1–59 months, and overall under-5 mortality by sex for 597 Indian districts and to assess whether India is on track to achieve MDG 4. Methods We divided the 2012 UN sex-specifi c birth and mortality totals for India into state totals using relative birth rates and mortality from recent demographic surveys of 24 million people, and divided state totals into totals for the 597 districts using 3 million birth histories. We then split the results into neonatal mortality and 1–59 month mortality using data for 109 000 deaths in children younger than 5 years from six national surveys. We compared results with the 2001 census for each district. Findings Under-5 mortality fell at a mean rate of 3·7% (IQR 3·2–4·9) per year between 2001 and 2012. 222 (37%) of 597 districts are on track to achieve the MDG 4 of 38 deaths in children younger than 5 years per 1000 livebirths by 2015, but an equal number (222 [37%]) will achieve MDG 4 only after 2020. These 222 lagging districts are home to 41% of India’s livebirths and 56% of all deaths in children younger than 5 years. More districts lag behind the relevant goal for neonatal mortality (251 [42%]) than for 1–59 month mortality (197 [33%]). Just 81 (14%) districts account for 37% of deaths in children younger than 5 years nationally. Female mortality at ages 1–59 months exceeded male mortality by 25% in 303 districts in nearly all states of India, totalling about 74 000 excess deaths in girls. Interpretation At current rates of progress, MDG 4 will be met by India around 2020—by the richer states around 2015 and by the poorer states around 2023. Accelerated progress to reduce mortality during the neonatal period and at ages 1–59 months is needed in most Indian districts. Funding Disease Control Priorities 3, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, International Development Research Centre, US National Institutes of Health

Induction of division and differentiation of somatic embryos in the leaf epidermis of Gaillardia picta

Somatic embroys and subsequent plant regeneration were obtained from isolated leaf epidermis of Gaillardia picta. Abaxial and adaxial epidermal peels (monolayer) from 45 days old aseptic seedlings were isolated and segments measuring 5 mm × 3 mm were cultured on B5 basal medium supplemented with various growth regulators such as naphthaleneacetic acid or indolebutyric acid and benzylaminopurine or kinetin. Within 12 h of culture the epidermal cells showed receding of cytoplasm from the walls. After 48 h of incubation 3 or 4 localized zones, each consisting of 3-8 cells that accumulated cytoplasm and stained densely, were observed. Mitotic divisions occurred in these zones on day 3 of culture and localized masses of callus were observed in 95% of the cultures after 10 days. In another 5 days, the callus differentiated somatic embryos or roots, depending on the growth regulators and their concentration in the medium

Illness Perception and Depressive Symptoms among Persons with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study in Clinical Settings in Nepal

Background. This study aimed to assess the relationship between illness perception and depressive symptoms among persons with diabetes. Method. This was an analytical cross-sectional study conducted among 379 type 2 diabetic patients from three major clinical settings of Kathmandu, Nepal. Results. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 44.1% (95% CI: 39.1, 49.1). Females (p<0.01), homemakers (p<0.01), 61–70 age group (p=0.01), those without formal education (p<0.01), and people with lower social status (p<0.01) had significantly higher proportion of depressive symptoms than the others. Multivariable analysis identified age (β=0.036, p=0.016), mode of treatment (β=0.9, p=0.047), no formal educational level (β=1.959, p=0.01), emotional representation (β=0.214, p<0.001), identity (β=0.196, p<0.001), illness coherence (β=-0.109, p=0.007), and consequences (β=0.093, p=0.049) as significant predictors of depressive symptoms. Conclusion. Our study demonstrated a strong relationship between illness perception and depressive symptoms among diabetic patients. Study finding indicated that persons living with diabetes in Nepal need comprehensive diabetes education program for changing poor illness perception, which ultimately helps to prevent development of depressive symptoms

Combining ability analysis for seed yield and component traits in Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern & Coss.]

The present investigation on combining ability analysis for seed yield and itscomponent characters in Indian mustard was carried out under two differentenvironments i.e. timely sown (E1) and late sown (E2) which revealed that both additiveand non-additive variances were present for the expression of all the characters studied inboth the environments and the former playing major role. The study of GCA indicatedthat the genotypes namely RH-9617, RH-9806 RH-9615 and were good combiners forearliness, siliqua length, 1000-seed weight, number of seeds/siliqua, primarybranches/plant and oil content. Hence, these parents could be used in crossingprogrammes for achieving further improvement. The study of SCA indicated that thecross combinations namely RH-9710 x RH-9806 and RH-9707 x RH-9806 should beexploited through heterosis breeding or should be used in recombination breeding forobtaining higher seed yield