ABSTRACT
Background: India is in a race against time to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5, to reduce Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) to ‘28’ and Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) to ‘109’, by 2015. This study estimates the percent net contribution of the states and the periods in shaping India’s IMR/MMR, and predicts future levels. Methods: A standardized decomposition technique was used to estimate each state’s and period’s percent share in shaping India’s decline in IMR/MMR between two time points. Linear and exponential regression curves were fitted for IMR/MMR values of the past two decades to predict IMR/MMR levels for 2015 for India and for the 15 most populous states. Results: Due to favourable maternal mortality reduction efforts in Bihar/Jharkhand (19%) and Madhya Pradesh/Chhattisgarh (11%), Uttar Pradesh (33%) - India is predicted to attain the MDG-5 target by 2016, assuming the pace of decline observed in MMR during 1997-2009 continues to follow a linear-trend, while the wait may continue until 2023-2024 if the decline follows an exponentialtrend. Attaining MDG-4 may take until 2023-2024, due to low acceleration in IMR drop in Bihar/ Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh/Uttarakhand and Rajasthan. The maximum decline in MMR during 2004- 2009 coincided with the launch and uptake of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). Conclusions: Even though India as a nation is not predicted to attain all the MDG 4 and 5 targets, at least four of its 15 most populous states are predicted to do so. In the past two decades, MMR reduction efforts were more effective than IMR reduction efforts.
ABSTRACT
The paper reports the establishment of mycorrhizal infection of a non-mycorrhizal Ri-T-DNA transformed carrot root when co-cultured with a surface sterilized sweet potato root segment colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus G. intraradices on minimal M medium. Extensive fungal hyphal emergence from each cut end of the mycorrhizal sweet potato root piece was observed in one week old cultures. These hyphae caused infection on contacting the transformed-carrot- root segment and produced many hyphae and spores both inside and outside the zone of the root after 6 week of growth. Axenically produced fungal propagules proliferated on the surface of fresh minimal M medium when sub-cultured without any root segment. On repeated sub-culturing, these propagules did not lose their ability to grow and produced many juvenile small spore-like vesicles during the non-symbiotic phase. Although these spores were morphologically and anatomically similar to their soil borne counter parts, they were much smaller. When placed in the vicinity of a fresh hairy root on the minimal medium or a Sudan grass seedling in sand culture, the axenically produced AM fungal propagules caused root infection, but the infection characteristics were significantly different to the original culture in terms of shape (spherical vs oval) and size (20 microm vs 45 microm) of the intraradical vesicles, and absence of 'H' branches. Sudan grass seedlings inoculated with the axenically cultured fungus showed significantly (P < 0.05) higher dry weights plant'. When compared to the plants inoculated with sand cultures, the growth parameters and the percentage infection were not significantly different. However, when both sources of inocula were used together, a synergistic effect on plant growth as well as root infection was observed.