Effects of Co‐composting of Municipal Solid Waste and Pigeon Pea Biochar on Heavy Metal Mobility in Soil and Translocation to Leafy Vegetable Spinach

Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology - An experiment was conducted to study the effects of co-composted products of municipal solid waste (MSW) and pigeon pea biochar (PPB) on...     

Past,present and future of Integrated Child Development Services (I.C.D.S.)

India's Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) was established in 33 projects in 1975 and is spread over 22 states; 67 additional projects were begun in 1977, and over the next 2 years; 100 additional projects were added. By 1991=92, coverage was almost 50% of the country with 2696 projects; the expectation is for 100% coverage by the year 2000. An infrastructure chart identifies the organization and integration between level and social welfare and health departments. Objectives are clearly identified and the departments functionally linked. Linkages are achieved by shared space and activities at various levels. Over the past 17 years, services have included minimum needs programs, integrated rural development and poverty alleviation, national health policy and education policy, universal immunization, and the development of women and children in rural areas. ICDS is sponsored 100% by the status and uniquely relies on the honorary anganwadi worker (AWW), who is a woman, recruited and chosen by the community, aged 21-45 years and middle-school educated. The AWW was responsibility for 2000 households or 1000 persons in rural areas and 700 persons in tribal areas. The AWW is crucial to the functioning of the program and receives an honorarium of Rs. 225-275/month for implementing the ICDs program; AWWs have helpers who are paid Rs. 110/month. Training over a 3-year period is conducted at the Bal Sevika Training Institute by the Indian Council of Child Welfare. Additional health personnel and their role and the number of persons/per area AWWS are responsible for, equipment, and functions are also described. The AWW is responsible for nonformal preschool education, organization of supplementary nutrition feeding, health and nutrition education of women and families, immunization of women and children, treatment and referral of common illnesses, growing monitoring, and community participation. Presently, there are 2506 central sector projects and 190 state sector projects and 250,000 AWWs. The preschool education, health, and nutrition programs are summarized. Future directions will encompass future child and mother development and expansion to cover all 90 districts having a birth rate higher than 39/1000. Lessons learned from the past will be integrated and may involve cost containment, acceleration of development of services, alternative services, and giving mothers more responsibility for improving health and nutrition.     

Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS): harbinger of safe motherhood and child development

Editorial comment was provided on the features that made the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) program in India unique and on whether or not the system could focus on younger age groups (e.g., 2-3 years of age). As part of a worldwide effort, India's ICDS program has been directed to human resource development. Over the past 17 years, the program has expanded to include almost 50% of the country's most vulnerable and deprived population. The focus on children aimed to improve their nutrition and health by reducing the incidence of morbidity, mortality, malnutrition, and school dropouts. The concern encompassed physical, social, and psychological development. The focus on mothers stressed enabling them to better care for the health and nutrition of their children. The program included prenatal care, safe delivery, and post natal concern for lactation, breast feeding, and physical growth monitoring in the early years. The program's unique features were its voluntary membership of community health workers, integrated services, and targeted coverage of economically weaker and deprived populations during critical child development periods. Indigenous Indian resources provided the primary financial support. Nation coverage was given for universal immunization, family welfare, child and maternal health, diarrheal disease control, vitamin A supplementation, and anemia screening and treatment. The multisectoral nature of the program has been realized at the village, sector, block, and district levels with linkages within Health, Education, and Social Welfare sectors, and with the Medical Colleges and Home Science Colleges. Feedback from operations research studies and other research activities was provided at the local program level, and interactions occurred between students in training programs and health care delivery systems. The program will be expanded to include the entire country. Health and nutrition education were considered the weakest part of ICDS. IEC has been expanding, but community participation has not kept pace. The strong community based infrastructure needs additional support particularly from the health sector. Program expansion into adolescent health and sex education was considered desirable. ICDs should be viewed as a development activity at the village level to astute women an integrated learning for life experience.     

Effect of a few histamine1-antagonists on blood glucose in patients of allergic rhinitis

Histamine₁, receptor antagonists are being prescribed frequently in ENT practice. However, previously we found a fall of blood glucose with terfenadine and astemizole. Present study (double blind, randomized, single dummy and placebo controlled) evaluated the chronic effect (7 days of use) of clemastine, Loratidine and Certrizine on blood glucose level in patient of allergic rhinitis. Cetrizine produced a significant increase in post-prandial blood glucose (P<0.02) and a little rise in fasting blood glucose. Clamastine caused a little fall of fasting and a little rite of post-prandial blood glucose levels. The exact mechanisms involved in the effect of these drugs on blood glucose remain to be elucidated.     

Management of ventricular septal defect: a survey of practice in the United Kingdom.

BACKGROUND: A survey of pediatric cardiac surgeons was performed to establish current opinions in the United Kingdom concerning closure of ventricular septal defect. METHODS: Questionnaires were sent to 14 pediatric cardiac centers in 1995 (16 surgeons, 100% response), and again in 1997 (20 surgeons, 100% response). RESULTS: Results are presented for 1997, with findings from 1995 shown in parentheses. Eleven (6) surgeons used bypass exclusively, 9 (10) sometimes used circulatory arrest. Operative techniques were similar, although the material used for the patch varied. Multiple defects were approached via the transatrial route by 18 (15), right ventriculotomy by 11 (7) and left ventriculotomy by 7 (6). The juxta-arterial defect was approached via the transpulmonary route by 16 (13), a combination by 9 (11), transatrial by 10 (6), and transventricular by 9 (5). The most common indications for pulmonary arterial banding were "Swiss cheese" defect for 13 (13), and functionally single ventricle for 5 (6). Ventricular septal defect associated with coarctation was repaired in two stages by 13 (10), a single stage by 5 (3), or either by 1 (3). CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric cardiac surgeons in the United Kingdom demonstrate a uniform, evidence-based approach to the management of ventricular septal defect.     

Carcinoma of the penis metastasizing to the dorsal spine. A case report

Carcinoma of the penis tends to have a predictable route of spread by direct invasion and by regional lymphatic involvement to the inguinal group of lymph nodes. Blood-borne distant spread is rare, last to occur, and is seen in 1-3% of cases. Metastasis to the spine is even rarer. We encountered one such case who presented with spinal metastasis, as documented by the whole body bone scan, and this was later followed by involvement of the inguinal nodes. This case is unique in its site of metastatic presentation as well as its pattern of presentation.     

Chronic hypoxia differentially alters the responses of pulmonary arteries and veins to endothelin-1 and other agents.

The effects of chronic hypoxia on the responses of rat large pulmonary arteries and veins to vasoactive agents have been examined. Endothelin-1-induced contractions of pulmonary arteries and pulmonary veins were reduced by chronic hypoxia. In contrast, chronic hypoxia augmented sarafotoxin 6c-induced contractile responses in pulmonary veins but not in pulmonary arteries. Chronic hypoxia augmented the constrictor effect of phenylephrine in pulmonary arteries, but not in pulmonary veins. The thromboxane receptor agonist, U46619 (9,11-dideoxy-9alpha,11alpha-epoxy-methanoprostaglandin++ + f2alpha) contracted pulmonary arteries and pulmonary veins, and although maximal responses were not altered in chronically hypoxic preparations, the EC50 value in pulmonary arteries was increased following chronic hypoxia. The relaxant effects of acetylcholine and isoprenaline on pulmonary arteries were potentiated by chronic hypoxia. In contrast, ionomycin-mediated relaxations of pulmonary arteries and pulmonary veins were reduced, while sodium nitroprusside-induced relaxation of pulmonary arteries and veins were not altered by chronic hypoxia. Previous studied have looked primarily at the effects of chronic hypoxia on pulmonary arteries. This data provides evidence that chronic hypoxia also causes selective changes in the reactivity of large pulmonary veins.     

Genetics of Alkaloids in Papaver somniferum

Based on numerical and graphic analyses of 6 x 6 diallele cross progenies (n (2) = 36) over two environments, dominance was found to be most prevalent (in overdominance range without being inflated by non-allelic interactions) in parents for latex yield, and morphine, codeine, thebaine, and narcotine contents. However, the additive component was also significant for the former three traits. Dominant alleles mostly with positive effects were, by and large, asymmetrically distributed in parents except for narcotine content. Heritability estimates were moderate and corresponded with low genetic advance estimates for morphine, codeine, and thebaine contents. Ample genetic diversity among parents was reflected for all traits except narcotine content. On an overall basis, heterosis breeding was suggested to be a rewarding proposition for genetic improvement of the opium poppy ( PAPAVER SOMNIFERUM L.).