Sex trafficking of girls and women : Evidence from Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh

A crucial gap in the trafficking literature from India is the dearth of primary data and micro studies that could be used for vulnerability mapping of the source areas and addressing the identified risk factors. The present paper is a small attempt to contribute to plugging the gap in the context of Andhra Pradesh, identified as a hot spot in the trafficking literature. This paper is based on case studies of 78 women who had been trafficked from their places of origin in Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh to metropolitan cities across India and who have since returned to their homes. The paper attempted to identify the individual and family circumstances that contribute to the causes of trafficking, to highlight in particular the gendered vulnerabilities that set these women up for trafficking, and to capture the process of the trafficking experience. The findings of the study are located in the dynamic interplay of the social structural context and specificities of the district that contribute to causes of trafficking and the individual circumstances and agency of the women. The case studies reported in this paper are a pointer to the compelling urgency of interventions that will go beyond the forced / voluntary divide in trafficking and sex work.Andhra Pradesh, India, trafficking

Size distribution of sputtered particles from Au nanoislands due to MeV self-ion bombardment

Nanoisland gold films, deposited by vacuum evaporation of gold onto Si(100) substrates, were irradiated with 1.5 MeV Au$^{2+}$ ions up to a fluence of $5\times 10^{14}$ ions cm$^{-2}$ and at incidence angles up to $60^{\circ}$ with respect to the surface normal. The sputtered particles were collected on carbon coated grids (catcher grid) during ion irradiation and were analyzed with transmission electron microscopy and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. The average sputtered particle size and the areal coverage are determined from transmission electron microscopy measurements, whereas the amount of gold on the substrate is found by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. The size distributions of larger particles (number of atoms/particle, $n$ $\ge$ 1,000) show an inverse power-law with an exponent of $\sim$ -1 in broad agreement with a molecular dynamics simulation of ion impact on cluster targets.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures, Submitted for publication in JA

Clinical study on feto-maternal outcome in teenage pregnancy in a tertiary care institute

Background: Pregnancies that occur below the age of 20 years are called teenage pregnancies. Teenage pregnancy is a common public health problem worldwide which is detrimental to the health of both the mother and the new-born. This study aims to evaluate the obstetric and perinatal outcomes of teenage pregnancy in the Indian rural and semi urban population. Methods: A retrospective observational study was undertaken in the department of obstetrics and gynecology, Mysore Medical College and Research Institute, Mysore, for a period of one year from August 2021 to September 2022. All the teenage mothers during the study period were included in the study. Data was analysed included various maternal parameters, fetal parameters, and the outcome of pregnancy. Results: Study showed the incidence of teenage pregnancy is 12.6%. About 88.3% were primgravida, 74% were booked cases. 51.6% of the teenage mothers had varying grades of anaemia, 29.09% of teenage mothers had spectra of hypertensive disorders if pregnancy, 27.92% had PROM. Caesarean section rates were 25%, Fetal distress being the most common indication in 47.3% followed by fail induction in 29.8%. Preterm delivery rates were as high as 13.6%. Postpartum complications included postpartum hemorrhage in 2.5%, puerperal pyexia in 1.9%, postpartum eclampsia in 1.38%. Respiratory distress was seen in 17.6% neonates, prematurity in 15.49%, IUGR in 13.6%, 2.99% were stillborn send 3.36% succumbed due to pre-maturity, respiratory distress, and sepsis. Conclusions: From the present study we infer that the prevalence of teenage pregnancy is still high in rural and semi urban population and they suffered from a significant number of complications in pregnancy including anemia pre-eclampsia and preterm labour, neonatal respiratory distress and early onset sepsis. To surmount these problems a multidisciplinary team involving health and social workers, obstetrician and gynaecologist are required to improve adolescent reproductive health.

Rhinosporidium seeberi proven as a fungus for the first time after a century since its discovery

The 18S rRNA gene sequencing of a pure microorganism isolated in pure culture from human rhinosporidiosis cases coded UMH.48 and preserved at 4oC, and, the fungal extracts of biopsy from new cases of nasal rhinosporidiosis were done. Both the sequences were compared for the presence any identical regions by BLAST tool. Astonishingly both the sequences showed 100% identity with each other. The sequences were further compared with the sequences present in NCBI database, followed by sequences of specific organisms like Mesomycetozoa sp and Synchytrium sp. Based on the morphological features, life cycle and BLAST analysis the organism UMH.48 was categorized as a Fungus. The sequences of UMH.48 and sequences from the fungus extracts from new tissue biopsies were deposited in Genbank with accession numbers JN807465 and JN807466 respectively. This paper reports the identity of 18S rRNA sequences between the pure, preserved, isolate with those obtained from biopsies of nasal rhinosporidiosis obtained from totally new cases. Our isolate has been tentatively identified as a lower aquatic fungus with 100% alignment with Colletotrichum truncatum and Glomerulla sps and lesser score similarity with Synchytrium minutum. Yet the absence of a perfect sexual phase or any asexual fungal spores, very rare  microscopic morphology, life cycle and remarkable resemblance with members of lower aquatic fungi led us to surmise (also through personal communication with NCBI, Taxonomy expert) that the isolate is a Fungus (unknown) and not an Ascomycete

Analytic Coulomb matrix elements in the lowest Landau level in disk geometry

Using Darling's theorem on products of generalized hypergeometric series an analytic expression is obtained for the Coulomb matrix elements in the lowest Landau level in the representation of angular momentum. The result is important in the studies of Fractional Quantum Hall effect (FQHE) in disk geometry. Matrix elements are expressed as simple finite sums of positive terms, eliminating the need to approximate these quantities with slowly-convergent series. As a by-product, an analytic representation for certain integals of products of Laguerre polynomials is obtained.Comment: Accepted to J. Math. Phys.; 3 pages revtex, no figure

Biological characterization of a fast growing non-sporing alkalophilic lignin degrading fungus MVI.2011

MVI.2011 a rapidly multiplying alkalophilic non sporing fungus was isolated in 1990 and preliminarily identified as a Deuteromycete. The isolate was characterized in detail. The original isolate produced highly fluffy, cottony, fragile aerial mycelia on SDA and a similar growth in liquid SDB also. The organism grew out even on the surface of the conical flask containing the liquid medium inoculated indicating the high aerobic nature. With frequent sub culturing over 20 years the colony morphology on the same media appeared very confined with regular margin and dry surface. Yet there were no reproductive structures. LP staining showed dimorphism with apical fragmentation and no conidia, spores sexual or asexual etc. The pH range was very wide 5-11. The optimum cultural conditions for lignin degradation were pH 8.5, temperature 25-28oC, 12-18 hours and medium- 1% glucose, 0.5% peptone in basal mineral medium. The isolate could breakdown and decolourise commercial lignin (0.1-5%) and alkaline wood extract (1-50%) within 12-18 hours in static cultures evidenced by a clear reduction in absorption at 380 nm (lignin) and a marked shift to increased absorption at 360 nm and between 180 and 300 nm indicating appearance of lignin breakdown products. In optimised  media containing commercial lignin (0.1%) and alkaline wood extract (10%), MVI.2011 secreted Lignin peroxidase (9.39 units/ml), Manganese peroxidase (2.093 units/ml) and laccase (3.5 units/ml) enzymes. The  above data led us to conclude that the isolate was novel being highly alkalophilic, capable of rapid growth, decolourisation of lignins and  secretion of lignin degrading enzymes. Based on microscopic morphology and colony features, the isolate coded MVI.2011 has been identified as “Uncultured Fungus†with NCBI Accession No JN606084. It has been  deduced to be a member of Mycelia sterilia group