• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.6797-6802
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• 2013

Background: Prevalence of tobacco use is higher in the rural than urban areas of India. Unlike tobacco cessation clinics located in urban areas, community-based smoking cessation intervention has the potential to reach a wider section of the community to assist in smoking cessation in the rural setting. The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a cessation intervention in rural Kerala state, India. Materials and Methods: Current daily smoking resident males in the age group 18-60 years from four community development blocks in rural Kerala were randomly allocated to intervention and control groups. The intervention group received multiple approaches in which priority was given to face-to-face interviews and telephone counselling. Initially educational materials on tobacco hazards were distributed. Further, four rounds of counselling sessions were conducted which included a group counselling with a medical camp as well as individual counselling by trained medical social workers. The control group received general awareness training on tobacco hazards along with an anti-tobacco leaflet. Self-reported smoking status was assessed after 6 and 12 months. Factors associated with tobacco cessation were estimated using binomial regression method. Results: Overall prevalence of smoking abstinence was 14.7% in the intervention and 6.8% in the control group (Relative risk: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.05, 3.25). A total of 41.3% subjects in the intervention area and 13.6% in the control area had reduced smoking by 50% or more at the end of 12 months. Lower number of cigarettes/ bidi used, low nicotine dependence and consultation with a doctor for a medical ailment were the statistically significant predictors for smoking cessation. Conclusions: Rigorous approaches for smoking cessation programmes can enhance quit rates in smoking in rural areas of India.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.1919-1924
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• 2014

Background: In India, breast cancer is the leading malignancy among women in a majority of the cancer registries. Therefore it is important to understand screening practices and its predictors, including in rural areas with high female literacy and good health indices. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study with multistage sampling was conducted in Vypin Block, Ernakulam district, Kerala, India. Four Panchayats (self administration units) were randomly chosen and a woman in every second household was invited to participate from the tenth ward of each. Thus a total of 809 women were interviewed. Results: The majority of the repondents (82.1%) were not aware of risk factors and about a third (37.9%) were not aware of symptoms of breast cancer. About half of the population studied (46.6%) had undergone screening. Age (35-50 years), being married, health professionals as source of information and working were significant predictors of screening. Logistic regression showed that older women (35-50 yrs) were more likely to practice screening. Out of the never screened, about a third (35%) were desirous of doing it, but had not for various reasons and 53.5% were not willing to screen. The reasons identified for not screening among those desirous of doing it were grouped into knowledge 66 (43.4%), resources 23 (15.1%) and psychosocial 32(21.1%) factors. Unmarried women were significantly more likely to express factors related to all the three domains. Conclusions: This study showed that in spite of the absence of a population-based screening program, about half of the study population had undergone some type of screening. The older women (35-50 years) in particular were significantly more likely to practice screening. At this critical juncture, a high quality breast cancer awareness and screening initiative can help to consolidate the gains and tackle knowledge, resource and psychosocial barriers.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.2891-2896
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• 2013

Background: To illustrate multiple approaches and to assess participation rates adopted for a community based smoking cessation intervention programme in rural Kerala. Materials and Methods: Resident males in the age group 18-60 years who were 'current daily smokers' from 4 randomly allocated community development blocks of rural Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala (2 intervention and 2 control groups) were selected. Smoking status was assessed through house-to-house survey using trained volunteers. Multiple approaches included awareness on tobacco hazards during baseline survey and distribution of multicolour anti-tobacco leaflets for intervention and control groups. Further, the intervention group received a tobacco cessation booklet and four sessions of counselling which included a one-time group counselling cum medical camp, followed by proactive counselling through face-to-face (FTF) interview and mobile phone. In the second and fourth session, motivational counselling was conducted. Results: Among 928 smokers identified, smokers in intervention and control groups numbered 474 (mean age: 44.6 years, SD: 9.66 years) and 454 respectively (44.5 years, SD: 10.30 years). Among the 474 subjects, 75 (16%) had attended the group counselling cum medical camp after completion of baseline survey in the intervention group, Among the remaining subjects (n=399), 88% were contacted through FTF and mobile phone (8.5%). In the second session (4-6 weeks time period), the response rate for individual counselling was 94% (78% through FTF and 16% through mobile phone). At 3 months, 70.4% were contacted by their mobile phone and further, 19.6% through FTF (total 90%) while at 6 months (fourth session), the response rate was 74% and 16.4% for FTF and mobile phone respectively, covering 90.4% of the total subjects. Overall, in the intervention group, 97.4% of subjects were being contacted at least once and individual counselling given. Conclusion: Proactive community centred intervention programmes using multiple approaches were found to be successful to increase the participation rate for intervention.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.81-90
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• 2016

The core purpose of the paper is to explore perceptual displays of rural India towards the role and impact of ICT in transforming the lives through education and telecommunications. After meticulous review of pertinent literature on ICT, and its policy framework, the researcher administers both quantitative and qualitative field data collected from the villages of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu with a sample of 250 from each state. More than 90 percent of respondents from the four southern states in India clearly thought that the role and impact of ICT is very momentous. Predominantly, cent percent respondents from Kerala evinced that ICT is the major reason for achieving the tag of "100% Literacy State". And also in the remaining three states viz., Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, the literacy rate has crossed mind-boggling figures only because of ICT's reinforcement. Even in the arena of telecommunications, these four states average telecom density is more than the country's average. The paper concentrated only on how ICT function empirically to build human capacity in rural south-India through the sectors of only education and telecom. This study is first of its kind and precious to all stakeholders of the ICT sector like educational institutional, telecom firms, customers, employees, and governments, etc.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.2663-2667
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• 2012

Objectives: An attempt was made to understand the nicotine dependence of smokers selected for an ongoing smoking cessation intervention programme in rural Kerala, India. Methods: Data were collected from resident males in the age group of 18 to 60 years from 4 randomly allocated community development blocks of rural Thiruvananthapuram district (2 intervention and 2 control groups). Trained accredited social health activist workers were utilised to collect data from all groups through face to face interview. Nicotine dependence among participants was assessed by means of the six-item Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) translated into the local language. The internal consistency of FTND was computed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Criterion validity (concurrent) was assessed by correlations of nicotine dependence scores with age at initiation of smoking and cumulative smoking volume in pack-years. Results: Among the 928 smokers identified, 474 subjects were in the intervention area (mean age = 44.6 years, SD = 9.66 years) and 454 in the control area (mean age = 44.5 years, SD = 10.30 years). The overall FTND score among current daily smokers was 5.04 (SD: 5.05). FTND scores in the control and intervention areas were 4.75 (SD: 2.57) and 4.92 (SD: 2.51) respectively. The FTND scores increased with age and decreased with higher literacy and socioeconomic status. The average FTND score was high among smokers using both bidi and cigarettes (mean 6.10, SD 2.17). Internal consistency analysis yielded a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.70 in a subsample of 150 subjects, a moderate result. The association of the scale was strongest, with the number of pack-years smoked (rho = 0.677, p < 0.001). Conclusion: A moderate level of nicotine dependence was observed among smokers in the current study. Tobacco cessation strategies could be made more cost effective and productive if a baseline assessment of nicotine dependence is completed before any intervention.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.9
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• pp.3268-3276
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• 2023

The practice of identifying the potential zones for mineral exploration in a speedy and low-cost method includes the use of satellite imagery analysis as a part of remote sensing techniques. It is challenging to explore the iron mineralization of a region through conventional methods which are a time-consuming process. The current study utilizes the Hyperion satellite imagery for mapping the iron mineralization and associated geological features in the Irikkur region, Kannur, Kerala. Along with the remote sensing results, the field study and laboratory-based analysis were conducted to retrieve the ground truth point and geochemical proportion to verify the iron ore mineralization. The MC simulation showed for shielding properties indicate an increase in the linear attenuation coefficient with raising the Fe₂O₃+SiO₂ concentrations in the investigated rocks where it is varied at 0.662 MeV in the range 0.190 cm^-1 - 0.222 cm^-1 with rising the Fe₂O₃+SiO₂ content from 57.86 wt% to 71.15 wt%. The analysis also revealed that when the γ-ray energy increased from 0.221 MeV to 2.506 MeV, sample 1 had the largest linear attenuation coefficient, ranging from 9.33 cm1 to 0.12 cm^-1. Charnockite rocks were found to have exceptional shielding qualities, making them an excellent natural choice for radiation shielding applications.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.7
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• pp.2380-2387
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• 2023

Hyperspectral data and its ability to explore the minerals and their associated rocks have a remarkable application in mineral exploration and lithological characterization. The present study aims to explore the radiation shielding aspects of the iron ore in Kerala with the aid of the Hyperion hyperspectral dataset. The reflectance-spectra obtained from the laboratory conditions as well as from the image show various absorptions. The results from the spectra are validated with geochemical data and GPS points. The Monte Carlo simulation employed to evaluate the radiation shielding ability. Raising the oxygen ions caused a noteworthy decrease in the µ values of the studied rocks which is accompanied by an increase in Δ_0.5 and Δ_eq values. The Δ_0.5 and Δ_eq values increased by factors of approximately 77 % with raising the oxygen ions between 44.32 and 47.57 wt.%. The µ values varies with the oxygen concentrations, where the µ values decreased from 2.531 to 0.925 cm^-1 (at 0.059 MeV), from 0.381to 0.215 cm^-1 (at 0.662 MeV), and from 0.279 to 0.158 cm^-1 (at 1.25 MeV) with raising the oxygen ions from 44.32 to 47.43 wt.%.

• Coupled systems mechanics
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.289-298
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• 2019

Reinforced concrete can be considered as a heterogeneous material consisting of coarse aggregate, mortar mix and reinforcing bars. This paper presents a two-dimensional mesoscopic analysis of reinforced concrete beams using a simple two-phase mesoscopic model for concrete. The two phases of concrete, coarse aggregate and mortar mix are bonded together with reinforcement bars so that inter force transfer will occur through the material surfaces. Monte Carlo's method is used to generate the random aggregate structure using the constitutive model at mesoscale. The generated models have meshed such that there is no material discontinuity within the elements. The proposed model simulates the load-deflection behavior, crack pattern and ultimate load of reinforced concrete beams reasonably well.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.4057-4062
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• 2012

Objective: To study the level of awareness and knowledge about cancers and associated risk factors among households in selected states of India. Methods: In the study 3070 households were interviewed from six states viz, West Bengal, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Mizoram. Results: Knowledge of cancers other than those related to tobacco was very low (prostate 8%, colon 11% ) among the communities, with a poor awareness of warning signs and symptoms. The knowledge varied from state to state. It is found that the major source of information related to cancers was television (38%) followed by friends and relatives (36%). Only about 15 % of respondents had knowledge about cancer awareness camps organized in their districts but they did not have knowledge about the organizers of the camp. Findings suggested a strong need for strengthening of DCCP. Conclusion: It is important to create awareness among community through educational programs on cancer prevention, preventable cancer risk factors, benefits of early diagnosis, and availability of screening facilities. Integration of District Cancer Control activities with NRHM could be the most cost-effective strategy to prevent cancers and rural population.