Community based tuberculosis (TB) prevalence surveys in ten sites across India during 2006-2012.
To re-analyze data of recent sub-national surveys using uniform statistical methods and obtain a ...pooled national level estimate of prevalence of TB.
Individuals ≥15 years old were screened by interview for symptoms suggestive of Pulmonary TB (PTB) and history of anti-TB treatment; additional screening by chest radiography was undertaken in five sites. Two sputum specimens were examined by smear and culture among Screen-positives. Prevalence in each site was estimated after imputing missing values to correct for bias introduced by incompleteness of data. In five sites, prevalence was corrected for non-screening by radiography. Pooled prevalence of bacteriologically positive PTB was estimated using Random Effects Model after excluding data from one site. Overall prevalence of TB (all ages, all types) was estimated by adjusting for extra-pulmonary TB and Pediatric TB.
Of 769290 individuals registered, 715989 were screened by interview and 294532 also by radiography. Sputum specimen were examined from 50 852 individuals. Estimated prevalence of smear positive, culture positive and bacteriologically positive PTB varied between 108.4-428.1, 147.9-429.8 and 170.8-528.4 per 100000 populations in different sites. Pooled estimate of prevalence of bacteriologically positive PTB was 350.0 (260.7, 439.0). Overall prevalence of TB was estimated at 300.7 (223.7-377.5) in 2009, the mid-year of surveys. Prevalence was significantly higher in rural compared to urban areas.
TB burden continues to be high in India suggesting further strengthening of TB control activities.
BACKGROUND: There is an urgent need for improved estimations of the burden of tuberculosis (TB).OBJECTIVE: To develop a new quantitative method based on mathematical modelling, and to demonstrate its ...application to TB in India.DESIGN: We developed a simple model of TB transmission
dynamics to estimate the annual incidence of TB disease from the annual risk of tuberculous infection and prevalence of smear-positive TB. We first compared model estimates for annual infections per smear-positive TB case using previous empirical estimates from China, Korea and the Philippines.
We then applied the model to estimate TB incidence in India, stratified by urban and rural settings.RESULTS: Study model estimates show agreement with previous empirical estimates. Applied to India, the model suggests an annual incidence of smear-positive TB of 89.8 per 100 000
population (95%CI 56.8-156.3). Results show differences in urban and rural TB: while an urban TB case infects more individuals per year, a rural TB case remains infectious for appreciably longer, suggesting the need for interventions tailored to these different settings.CONCLUSIONS:
Simple models of TB transmission, in conjunction with necessary data, can offer approaches to burden estimation that complement those currently being used.
Summary The targets for tuberculosis control, framed within the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals, are to ensure that the incidence per head of tuberculosis is falling by 2015, and that ...the 1990 prevalence and mortality per head are halved by 2015. In monitoring progress in tuberculosis control, the ultimate aim for all countries is to count tuberculosis cases (incidence) accurately through routine surveillance. Disease prevalence surveys are costly and laborious, but give unbiased measures of tuberculosis burden and trends, and are justified in high-burden countries where many cases and deaths are missed by surveillance systems. Most countries in which tuberculosis is highly endemic do not yet have reliable death registration systems. Verbal autopsy, used in cause-of-death surveys, is an alternative, interim method of assessing tuberculosis mortality, but needs further validation. Although several new assays for Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection have recently been devised, the tuberculin skin test remains the only practical method of measuring infection in populations. However, this test typically has low specificity and is therefore best used comparatively to assess geographical and temporal variation in risk of infection. By 2015, every country should be able to assess progress in tuberculosis control by estimating the time trend in incidence, and the magnitude of reductions in either prevalence or deaths.
India's Revised National Tuberculosis Control programme employs passive case detection. The new sputum smear-positive case detection rate is less than 70% in Odisha State. During April-June 2012, ...active case finding (ACF) was conducted through awareness drives and field-based
tuberculosis (TB) screening in select communities with the lowest case detection rates. During the campaign, 240 sputum smear-positive TB cases were detected. The number of smear-positive cases detected increased by 11% relative to April-June 2011 in intervention communities compared
to an 0.8% increase in non-intervention communities. ACF brought TB services closer to the community and increased TB case detection.
In this study, we investigated the effect of dietary Bacillus circulans PB7 (BCPB7) and fructoligosaccharide (FOS), used singly or in combination for evaluation of growth, immune and physiological ...status of Labeo rohita (rohu) juveniles reared under low pH and normal pH for 60 days. Experimental fishes were distributed in two sets such as one set continuously exposed to low pH (5.5) and other reared under normal pH (7.0), and fed with four iso-nitrogenous diets viz. basal (control), Bacillus circulans PB7 (BCPB7, 106 cfug−1), 1% fructooligosaccharide (FOS) and their combination. The effect of such pre, pro and synbiotics dietary treatments on growth performance (weight gain, specific growth rate, feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio), immune response (hematological indices, serum biochemistry, lysozyme, NBT activity), antioxidative status in the form of antioxidant enzyme (catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione-S-transferase), acetylcholine esterase (AChE), Na+ K+ ATPase and stress bio-markers (cortisol, glucose and HSP-70) were examined. The group treated with low pH and fed with control diet (without supplementation) was found to be inhibited (p < 0.05) in growth and immuno-physiological function. However, supplementation of BCPB7 and FOS was non-significant (p < 0.05) on growth performance and physiological process but their concurrent feeding remarkably improved (p < 0.05) growth and immune-physiological function when exposed to low pH. Overall results indicate that dietary combination of BCPB7 and FOS can be considered an effective synbiotic formula against low pH stress in culture practices of L. rohita juveniles.
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•Low water pH inhibits growth and immuno-physiological function of Labeo rohita.•Pro, pre and syn-biotic feeding improves growth, feed efficiency and immunity of L. rohita under normal and low pH.•These findings confirms nutritional strategy for amelioration of acidic waters in aquaculture systems.
We present crustal thickness and Poisson's ratio determinations from receiver function analyzes at 32 sites on the Archaean and Proterozoic terrains of South India. The crustal thickness in the late ...Archaean (2.5 Ga) Eastern Dharwar Craton varies from 34–39 km. Similar crustal thickness is observed beneath the Deccan Volcanic Province and the Cuddapah basin. The most unexpected result is the anomalous present‐day crustal thickness of 42–51 km beneath the mid‐Archaean (3.4–3.0 Ga) segment of the Western Dharwar Craton. Since the amphibolite‐grade metamorphic mineral assemblages (5–7 Kbar paleopressures) in this part of Western Dharwar Craton equilibrated at the depths of 15–20 km, our observations suggest the existence of an exceptionally thick (57–70 km) crust 3.0 Ga ago. Beneath the exhumed granulite terrain in southernmost India, the crustal thickness varies between 42–60 km. The Poisson's ratio ranges between 0.24–0.28 beneath the Precambrian terrains, indicating the presence of intermediate rock type in the lower crust. These observations of thickened crust suggest significant crustal shortening in South India during the Archaean.
We have analyzed a data set consisting of 23 well located local earthquakes to study the seismic attenuation characteristics of the Kumaun Himalaya region. These events were recorded at 9 digital ...seismic stations in this region during 2004–2008. The frequency-dependent attenuation of P and S waves are estimated using the extended coda-normalization method for the frequency range of 1.5, 3, 6, 8 and 12Hz. The values of QP and QS show a ubiquitous observation of frequency dependence for the studied frequencies. We obtained QP=(22±5)f(1.35±0.04) and QS=(104±10)f(1.3±0.03) by fitting a power-law frequency dependence model with the estimated values over the whole region. Both Q values indicate a strong attenuation in the crust of Kumaun Himalaya. The ratio of QS/QP>1 obtained for the entire analyzed frequency range may suggest that the crust is characterized by a high degree of heterogeneity.
► An attempt is made to understand the frequency dependence of body wave attenuation characteristics of Kumaun Himalaya. ► Strong frequency dependence behavior is observed for this region which could be related to the size of heterogeneities. ► Both the QP and QS values suggest the strong attenuation in the crust of Kumaun Himalaya. ► The ratio QS/QP is found to be larger than unity for the whole frequency range. ► Our results are consistent with those of other seismically active regions.
Background
This paper provides information on the association of tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption with pulmonary TB (PTB) in central India.
Methods
A community based cross-sectional TB ...prevalence survey was conducted in Jabalpur district of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The information on tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption was collected from individuals aged ≥15 years. Using logistic regression analysis, the risk factors for PTB were identified.
Results
A total of 94 559 individuals provided information on tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption. Persons aged 35–54 years and 55 years and above had, respectively, a 2.19 (95% CI 1.57–3.07) and a 3.26 (95% CI 2.23–4.77) times higher risk of developing PTB compared to persons aged below 35 years. Males had a 2.35 (95% CI 1.66–3.32) times higher risk than females. Tribals (indigenous population) had a 2.32 (95% CI 1.68–3.21) times higher risk than non-tribal population. The adjusted prevalence odds ratio for mild, moderate and heavy tobacco smokers were 2.28, 2.51 and 2.74 respectively as compared to non-smokers. Alcohol consumption was not found to be a risk factor on multivariate analysis.
Conclusion
Tobacco smoking is significantly associated with PTB in this central Indian district. Smoking cessation services need to be integrated into the activities of the TB control programme.
High prevalence and incidence of disease and a high rate of transmission of infection characterise the tuberculosis (TB) situation in India. Disease surveys conducted in different parts of the ...country since the 1950s have reported prevalences of smear-positive pulmonary TB (PTB) of
0.6-7.6 per 1000 population, culture-positive TB of 1.7-9.8 and culture and/or smear-positive TB of 1.8-12.7. The incidence of smear-positive PTB has been observed in the range of 1.0-1.6/1000 and that of culture-positive PTB 1.0-2.5/1000 in the limited number
of studies carried out. The annual risk of tuberculous infection (ARTI) had been estimated at 1-2% for most of the tuberculin surveys carried out in different areas over different time periods. During a nationwide study in 2000-2003, the average ARTI in the country was estimated
at 1.5%. An increasing trend has been observed in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seropositivity among TB cases, which has been found to vary between 0.4% and 28.8% in different studies conducted mostly at tertiary health care centres. The proportion of new cases with multidrug resistance
(MDR) was relatively low, at 0.5-5.3%. However, the proportion of MDR cases among previously treated cases varied between 8% and 67%.
Heteropneustes fossilis
(Bloch) is an important candidate species for diversification of freshwater aquaculture in India. However, high mortality rate during larval rearing is the most serious ...bottleneck in commercial production of this species. A proper understanding of the ontogenic development of digestive system provides the basis to understand the nutritional physiology of larvae and develop appropriate feeding strategies. In the present study, the ontogenical development of the digestive tract in
H. fossilis
larvae was studied from hatching until 30 day post-hatching (dph) at 29 °C. At hatching (2.8 ± 0.2 mm standard length, SL), the digestive tract was undifferentiated and attached dorsally to the yolk sac. At 1 dph (2.9 ± 0.2 mm SL), the mouth opened and oral valves were visible. At 2 dph (3.0 ± 0.3 mm SL), goblet cells were observed in the buccoparyngaeal cavity. At this age, exogenous feeding started and the intestine was differentiated into the anterior and posterior regions, and the rudimentary liver and pancreas were also seen. Small supranuclear vacuoles were observed in the enterocytes of the posterior intestine at 2 dph. Zymogen granules were observed in acinar cells of pancreas by 3 dph, and islets of Langerhans were visible at 4 dph (3.5 ± 0.1 mm SL). At the same age, most of the yolk sac reserves were consumed, whereas they were completely exhausted by 5 dph (3.9 ± 0.5 mm SL). Between 4 and 6 dph, the liver elongated in size and started to accumulate lipids in the hepatocytes. Gastric glands were detected at 4 dph, and the pyloric sphincter was completely differentiated at 9 dph (6.1 ± 0.4 mm SL) as an epithelial fold that separated stomach from the anterior intestine. By 13 dph (8.6 ± 0.2 mm SL), profuse gastric glands were visible inside longitudinal mucosal folds of the stomach. The formation of gastric glands and their development were noticed as the last events in the development of the digestive tract in
H. fossilis
. This indicated the end of the larval period and the commencement of the juvenile stage. Considering these observations, it is suggested that
H. fossilis
larvae have a morphologically complete digestive tract by 13 dph. The findings of the study on the development of the digestive system in
H. fossilis
may help in synchronising the larval stage of development and feeding strategies and would be helpful in improving larval rearing techniques for catfish species.
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