74 research outputs found
Assessment of functional capacity in patients attending geriatrics outpatient department at Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad
No full textAims: To access the quality of life in terms of functional capacity and to estimate the prevalence of depression among geriatric patients. Settings and Design: A hospital-based study was conducted in Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad between July and September 2006. The patients aged 65 years and above were included in the geriatrics outpatient department. Methods: The geriatric patients were interviewed during their geriatric clinic visit using a structured questionnaire regarding instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), basic activities of daily living (ADL), Nagi physical disability scale, and short version of the geriatric depression scale. Statistical Analysis Used: Data were analyzed using EPI-Info Statistical Packages. Using a scoring system, mean, standard deviation, and the significance of the results was tested using the Chi-square test and Z-test was used to compare quantitative data. Results: Mean IADL score of males is 4.05 whereas of females is 2.91 which is significant (P < 0.05). Overall scores for ADL showed no statistically significant results between male and female geriatric subjects. The mean scores of restriction of basic activities on the Nagi scale of physical disability were not significant among women. Mean scores of depression were highly significant in IADL, basic ADL, and limitation of basic movement while significant in a greater number of reported symptoms. Conclusions: Depression was due to combined effect of increased scores of IADL, ADL, and Nagi physical disability scale
A comparative study to analyze the cost of curative care at primary health center in Ahmedabad
No full textObjectives: To determine the unit cost of curative care provided at Primary Health Centers (PHCs) and to examine the variation in unit cost in different PHCs. Materials and Methods: The present study was carried out in three PHCs of Ahmedabad district namely Sanathal, Nandej, and Uperdal, between 1 April, 2006 and 31 March, 2007. For estimating the cost of a health program, information on all the physical and human resources that were basic inputs to the PHC services were collected and grouped into two categories, non-recurrent (capital resources vehicles, buildings, etc.) and recurrent resources (salaries, drugs, vaccines, contraceptives, maintenance, etc.). To generate the required data, two types of schedules were developed, daily time schedule and PHC/SC (Subcenter) information schedule. Results: The unit cost of curative care was lowest (Rs. 29.43) for the Sanathal PHC and highest (Rs. 88.26) for the Uperdal PHC, followed by the Nandej PHC with Rs. 40.88, implying severe underutilization of curative care at the Uperdal PHC. Conclusions: Location of health facilities is a problem at many places. As relocation is not possible or even feasible, strengthening of infrastructure and facilities at these centers can be taken up immediately
One hundred days: the effects of India's employment guarantee program on child work
No full textThe challenge of evaluating anti-poverty interventions in non-experimental settings lies in establishing a causal linkage between an intervention and a desired outcome. While randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are rightfully regarded as the gold standard, they are not practically or ethically feasible in all development projects. This dissertation focuses on the use of natural experiments to evaluate the intended and unintended consequences of anti-poverty interventions on children. Designed around unplanned events, natural experiments provide information comparable to RCTs, and are cost and time efficient. Article 1 summarizes the evidence from natural experiments on the effects of interventions that increase income and education. Article 2 summarizes the evidence from several natural experiments that evaluate the effects of India’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), an employment policy. Broad findings suggest that while the policy successfully targeted poor households, and increased rural employment and wages, it had the unintended consequence of increasing child labor, and decreasing educational outcomes. Article 3 uses data from a nationally representative survey to evaluate the effects of the policy on child work. Results suggest that child and household level characteristics have a significant effect on determining child work. Further, as suggested by the literature, children living in households that worked under the policy are more likely to be engaged in work (both paid and domestic) than children living in non-participant households. While it is not possible to make causal attributions, possible explanations include unintended effects of the policy or household selection effects.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical referencesIncludes vitaby Neeta Goe
Simultaneous live-imaging of peroxisomes and the ER in plant cells suggests contiguity but no luminal continuity between the two organelles
No full textTransmission electron micrographs of peroxisomes in diverse organisms, including plants, suggest a close association and even luminal connectivity with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). After several decades of debate de novo peroxisome biogenesis from the ER is strongly favored in yeasts and mammals. Unfortunately many of the proteins whose transit through the ER constitutes a major evidence for peroxisome biogenesis from the ER do not exhibit a similar localization in plants. Consequently, at best the ER acts as a membrane source for peroxisome in plants. However, in addition to de novo biogenesis from the ER an increase in peroxisome numbers also occurs through fission of existing peroxisomes. In recent years live-imaging has been used to visualize peroxisomes and the ER but the precise spatio-temporal relationship between the two organelles has not been well explored in plants. Here we present our assessment of the peroxisome-ER relationship through imaging of living Arabidopsis thaliana plants simultaneously expressing different colour combinations of fluorescent proteins targeted to both organelles. Our observations on double transgenic wild type and a drp3a/apm1 mutant Arabidopsis plants suggest strong correlations between the dynamic behaviour of peroxisomes and their neighbouring ER. Although peroxisomes and ER are closely aligned there appears to be no luminal continuity between the two. Similarly, differentially coloured elongated peroxisomes of a drp3a mutant expressing a photoconvertible peroxisomal matrix protein are unable to fuse and share luminal protein despite considerable intermingling. Substantiation of our observations is suggested through 3D iso-surface rendering of image stacks, which shows closed ended peroxisomes enmeshed among ER tubules possibly through membrane contact sites. Our observations support the idea that increase in peroxisome numbers in plant cells occurs mainly through the fission of existing peroxisomes in an ER aided manner
OTRA based second and third order sinusoidal oscillators and their phase noise performance
No full textMembrane contacts with the endoplasmic reticulum modulate plastid morphology and behaviour
No full textPlastid behaviour often occurs in tandem with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) dynamics. In order to understand the underlying basis for such linked behaviour we have used time-lapse imaging-based analysis of plastid movement and pleomorphy, including the extension and retraction of stromules. Stable transgenic plants that simultaneously express fluorescent fusion proteins targeted to the plastid stroma, and the ER along with BnCLIP1-eGFP, an independent plastid envelope localized membrane contact site (MCS) marker were utilized. Our experiments strongly suggest that transient MCS formed between the plastid envelope and the ER are responsible for their concomitant behaviour
POVERTY, DEVELOPMENT AND DISABILITY
No full textHendriks (1999:111) highlights the point that all studies during the past decade indicate, namely that person’s with disabilities and their families are disproportionately represented amongst the poorest of poor. With the change of perception of persons with disabilities, it is now realised that environmental factors and the context in which such persons live are crucial in the success of their becoming productive members of society. As a result of this understanding, the socio-economic empowerment of persons with disabilities within a developmental framework is being advocated. The author will highlight the need for synergy between mainstream development and those developments specifically for persons with disabilities, given the South African context. In South Africa the majority of the population lives in poverty and in underdeveloped communities with few resources and opportunities. It is argued that it would be difficult to meet the needs of the disabled in these circumstances. In such situations most disability issues are important to all development: equality, empowerment, human rights, poverty and marginalisation (Lee cited in Yeo, 2001:8). In the light of this, the author stresses the need for, and the benefit of, integrating disability issues into all development programmes at community level. The integration of disability issues into all development programmes is a cost-effective approach in dealing with poverty and disability in resource-poor settings. Challenges in implementing this approach will be discussed
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