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Die Autoren einer Arbeit, die den möglichen Effekt verschiedener Steuermodelle bzw. eine gestaffelte Herstellerabgabe auf gezuckerte Getränke hochrechnete, kamen zu dem Schluss, dass solch eine Steuer in den Jahren 2023 bis 2043 einige Effekte in Deutschland hätte. Fachgesellschaften wie die Deutsche Diabetes Gesellschaft fordern die Einführung einer solchen Steuer und behaupten, der Nutzen sei bewiesen. Diese Arbeit evaluiert die Plausibilität und die Wertigkeit der für die optimistischen Berechnungen in hinzugezogenen Beobachtungsstudien.

The presence of the exotic and potentially invasive pheretimoid earthworm Amynthas aspergillum (Perrier, 1872) of the family Megascolecidae is reported for the first time from South Asia. Specimens were collected from Dehradun of the Uttarakhand state in the Western Himalayan biodiversity hotspot of India. This work provides the detailed description of the specimens collected along with figures. Besides, certain biological aspects are also discussed.

Food security and migration are two interlinked concepts which have not received desired attention in the discipline of international relations. Food insecurity, combined with other non-traditional security threats, has been responsible for political instability in many countries in recent decades. In Central Asia, both food insecurity and migration have been important issues; however, their impact on state varies from country to country in the region. The root cause of food insecurity in Central Asia goes back to second half of the 19th century, when this region gradually came under Tsarist Russia’s colonial rule and cotton monoculture was introduced replacing food crops cultivation in the region. In countries like Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, the relationship between food security and migration is clearly visible as their youths in large numbers go to Russia seeking employment. Kazakhstan is self-sufficient in food supplies and does not face food problems like these three countries. Food insecurity is an issue in Turkmenistan also; however, lack of relevant data does not allow reaching any conclusions. The Central Asian countries have been dealing with food insecurity; however, they need regional cooperation in order to better handle this issue. This article would also highlight the potential for India-Central Asia cooperation to address food security concerns of the Central Asian countries. Key words: India, Central Asia, Food Security, Migration, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan.

The Supreme Court of India delivered a historic judgement on climate change and human rights in M.K. Ranjitsinh and Others v. Union of India and Others (hereinafter “M.K. Ranjitsinh”) on March 21, 2024. A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice, D.Y. Chandrachud, formulated a new constitutional right to be free from the adverse effects of climate change by drawing upon Article 21 (the fundamental right to life and personal liberty) and Article 14 (the fundamental right to equality) of the Indian Constitution. The final judgement is a remarkable development for the evolution of constitutional climate litigation in India

Economic expansion requires jobs and safe, dignified workplaces. India’s growth story has remained incomplete due to a lack of required employment growth. The new law consolidates 44 primary labour laws into four main labour codes: pay, industrial relations, occupational safety, working conditions and social security. It was a conniving move on the part of the government to completely overhaul our labour laws. Given that we typically lack mean labourers by a significant margin, the question that remains is whether or not this can attract investors. There are several challenges that must be overcome before the economy can reach $5 trillion in 2025.

The article discusses the production of platform chemicals from various biological sources, including glycerol, lignin, cellulose, bio-oils, and sea products. It presents the results of catalytic and downstream processes involved in the conversion of these biomass-derived feedstocks. The experimental approaches are complemented by numerical descriptions, ranging from density functional theory (DFT) calculations to kinetic modellingof the experimental data. This multi-scale modelling approach helps to understand the underlying mechanisms and optimize the production of platform chemicals from renewable resources.

Herein, Sonogashira coupling at the vinyl bromide position of triazole-bearing benzosuberene has been introduced for the synthesis of potentially bioactive 1,2,3-triazole and conjugated enynes containing benzosuberene analogues. The instalment of triazole moiety on the allylic position dictates the Sonogashira coupling at the vinylic position, the absence of which failed to execute the desired reaction. The Cu-catalyzed cycloaddition initially led to the incorporation of 1,2,3-triazole, which subsequently directed the Pd/Cu-catalyzed Sonogashira coupling to deliver new class of benzosuberene analogues in appreciable yields. The regioselective synthesis of 1,2,3-triazole and conjugated enynes containing benzosuberene analogues has been reported under operationally simple and milder reaction conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines role of Taliban in India’s relationship with the Central Asian Republics (CARs) in three phases – from early 1990s to 2001, from 2001 to 2021 and from 2021 onwards. In the first phase in 1990s, both India and the CARs faced serious security threats from advent of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Their perception of Taliban being a ‘mutual threat’ was one of the reasons why India and some Central Asian countries like Tajikistan and Uzbekistan supported Northern Alliance in late 1990s against the Taliban in Afghanistan. The US-NATO presence in Afghanistan since 2001 led to changes in India and CARs response to Afghanistan. Both sides cooperated with the US for the improving the security situation in Afghanistan. In the post-American Afghanistan since 2021, India and the CARs have deepened their security and intelligence cooperation and both sides are maintaining regular political and security consultations. The India-CARs cooperation over Afghanistan has the potential to be a template that other countries could also follow in their ties with the Taliban. Sufism has a special role and potential in shaping India-CARs response to the Taliban and terrorism in the contemporary context. Key words: India, Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Taliban

Since Geronimo Cardano, algebraic equations of degree 4 have been solved analytically. Frequently, the solution algorithm is given in its entirety. We discovered two algorithms that lead to the same resolvente, each with two solutions; therefore, six formal solutions appear to solve an algebraic equation of degree four. Given that a square was utilized to derive the solution in both instances, it is critical to verify each solution. This check reveals that the four Cardanic solutions are the only four solutions to an algebraic equation of degree four. This demonstrates that Carl Friedrich Gauss' (1799) fundamental theorem of algebra is not simple, despite the fact that it is a fundamental theorem. This seems to be a novel insight.

The declining productivity of little millet (Panicum sumatrense) in a rural area in India necessitates finding a sustainable solution. A suitable composition of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in the rhizosphere of a crop is considered important for its optimum yield. Therefore, a study was undertaken to isolate and identify suitable bacteria and see their priming effect on the productivity of little millet. Rhizospheric soil samples were used to isolate bacteria on nitrogen-free Jensen's medium. Fast-growing rhizobacterial isolates FKK5 and DUM4, which exhibit significant selected plant growth-promoting activities, were selected. Little millet seeds were inoculated with selected PGPR and a non-native Azotobacter chroococcum before sowing. The inoculated plants were grown under semi-sterile poly-house conditions. Little millet inoculated with FKK5, DUM4, and A. chroococcum (5576) showed enhanced grain yield by 28.14%, 24.72%, and 20.43%, respectively, and enhanced total biomass yield by 23.08%, 21.87%, and 19.09%, respectively. The isolates were identified as Burkholderia sp. with 0.66% dissimilarity in 16S rDNA sequence with the most closely related species in the Genbank database. The native PGPR proved to be more effective compared to non-native PGPR as biofertilizers in restoring the productivity of the nutritionally important cereal.

Non-destructive wheel inspection by means of ultrasound testing (UT) is crucial for highspeed, local or cargo trains. Any failure can lead to catastrophic events resulting in high material damage and personal injury or even fatalities. However, the inspection of train wheels is complicated due to different defect positions, which are to some part difficult to access, and a large variety of wheel geometries which are, moreover, influenced by the milage of the wheels. This article describes an industrial solution for the full-body inspection of train wheels including face, flange, web and tread. To cope with the high complexity of the inspection task, the Krautkrämer WheelStar implements advanced UT technologies in combination with a high automatization level and user-friendly controlling and inspection tools. In the first part of this article, general probe configurations and the benefits of Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT), in particular the use of matrix probes, will be discussed. Afterwards, setup and evaluation software of the testing machine will be presented. The final part contains selected measurement results highlighting the testing capabilities. Comparative studies reveal the improvements of matrix probes. Moreover, it will be shown in which way these give access to new features such as a high precision coupling check or geometry measurements allowing a compensation of wheel wear or the identification of the wheel type (“smart probe”).

Objectives: Soft-tissue defects of the lower abdomen, perineum, groin, and trochanteric area often involve the loss of composite tissue components and are technically challenging to reconstruct. The goals of reconstruction should include the replacement of the defect with a suitable soft-tissue flap that provides stable coverage while protecting important exposed structures. However, there are limited locations in this region for the creation of pedicled flaps for complex defect reconstruction. The pedicled anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap is considered superior to other comparable flaps due to its varying soft-tissue components and long pedicle with consistent anatomy that allow the reconstruction of locations that are difficult to reach without significant flap donor site morbidity. Herein, we present a case series of our experience of using a pedicled ALT flap to reconstruct regional defects over a range of locations.Methods: The present study comprised ten patients who underwent surgical reconstruction of soft-tissue defects of the lower abdomen, groin, trochanteric, scrotal, and penoscrotal defects using a pedicled ALT flap over a two-year period. The flap was customized according to the defect when required.Results: In our case series, flap loss was not observed with only a few minor complications. All patients accepted the aesthetic appearance of the flap recipient site area without requesting revision surgery. The donor site was closed primarily in half of all cases, with split skin grafting applied in the remaining patients. Graft take at the flap donor site was satisfactory in all cases.Conclusion: A pedicled ALT flap is a reliable and suitable option for complex soft-tissue reconstruction for regional soft-tissue defects of the lower abdomen and perineum.

The study showed the effect of cyber threats or technical problems on customer attitude towards e-banking services. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data, and 400 respondents from eight divisions (Dhaka, Barisal, Rangpur, Chittagong, Khulna, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, and Sylhet) participated in the study. The researcher used a linear regression model to assess the relationship between dependent and independent variables. STATA and SPSS v. 25 program environment were used to conduct the statistical analysis. To determine the reliability of the data, Cronbach's Alpha was conducted and found acceptable internal consistency. Protection method (PM), Purposes of using e-banking (PUE), and Technical problems and challenges (TPC) were the independent variables. The dependent variables were ease of use (EU) and Security reason (SR). The study used two regression models for two dependent variables. The regression model (1) showed a significant effect of SR on PM, and there was no significant effect on SR on PUE and TPC. Another regression model (2) showed a significant effect of EU on PM and PUE, and there was no significant effect of EU on TPC. However, the total variance explained was still low in model 1 (22.6%) and model 2 (44.9%). The people of Bangladesh should be aware of e-banking services and technical problems. Future research should be conducted to discover more data and other variables affecting customer attitudes towards e-banking.

Recently, a US District Court trashed a Dutch company’s arbitral award against Spain. Why? Because inverstor-state arbitration within the EU violates European law. Yet, many tribunals keep issuing arbitral awards – especially under the infamous Energy Charta Treaty. Challenging those awards in domestic courts outside the EU, like here in Washington D.C., might work as corrective to the continuing illegal assumption of jurisdiction and blatant disregard for the EU Treaties by arbitral tribunals.

Azotobacter chroococcum is a universally accepted plant growth-promoting rhizospheric bacterium, which, as a biofertilizer, helps to increase the nitrogen level, solubilize the unavailable form of phosphorus, ensure growth-promoting metabolites, and control pathogenic microbes in the soil. A good strain of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) needs to be produced, formulated, transported, stored, and distributed to the agriculture field. During all these operations, bacterial inoculants are transferred via a carrier material. One of the important challenges in biofertilizer technology is to ensure stability of the bacteria in the carrier. The study aimed to assess a novel carrier Lantana charcoal (LC; obtained from Lantana camara biomass), as compared to some currently available carriers. LC exhibited higher carbon content, low N2 content, neutral pH, and, above all, higher water-holding capacity, making it a suitable carrier material for A. chroococcum and possibly other PGPR. As a carrier, it showed no contamination during storage, exhibited the highest moisture content and moderate culture holding coefficient, and supported the highest colony-forming units per gram at the end of the storage period. Thus, LC cannot only serve as a better carrier, but its large-scale application would also ensure a reasonable use of this weed.

Abstract Background Semen quality and insemination success are monitored in artificial insemination bulls to ensure high male fertility rates. Only ejaculates that fulfill minimum quality requirements are processed and eventually used for artificial inseminations. We examined 70,990 ejaculates from 1343 Brown Swiss bulls to identify bulls from which all ejaculates were rejected due to low semen quality. This procedure identified a bull that produced 12 ejaculates with an aberrantly small number of sperm (0.2 ± 0.2 × 109 sperm per mL) which were mostly immotile due to multiple morphological abnormalities. Results The genome of this bull was sequenced at a 12× coverage to investigate a possible genetic cause. Comparing the sequence variant genotypes of this bull with those from 397 fertile bulls revealed a 1-bp deletion in the coding sequence of the QRICH2 gene which encodes the glutamine rich 2 protein, as a compelling candidate causal variant. This 1-bp deletion causes a frameshift in translation and a premature termination codon (ENSBTAP00000018337.1:p.Cys1644AlafsTer52). The analysis of testis transcriptomes from 76 bulls showed that the transcript with the premature termination codon is subject to nonsense-mediated mRNA decay. The 1-bp deletion resides in a 675-kb haplotype that includes 181 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from the Illumina BovineHD Bead chip. This haplotype segregates at a frequency of 5% in the Brown Swiss cattle population. Our analysis also identified another bull that carried the 1-bp deletion in the homozygous state. Semen analyses from the second bull confirmed low sperm concentration and immotile sperm with multiple morphological abnormalities that primarily affect the sperm flagellum and, to a lesser extent, the sperm head. Conclusions A recessive loss-of-function allele of the bovine QRICH2 gene likely causes low sperm concentration and immotile sperm with multiple morphological abnormalities. Routine sperm analyses unambiguously identify homozygous bulls for this allele. A direct gene test can be implemented to monitor the frequency of the undesired allele in cattle populations.

The tropical and subtropical floodplain lakes are hypothesized as one of the globally interesting rotifer rich ecosystems. Our study indicating the biodiverse Rotifera of ten ‘slightly acidic to circum-neutral, moderately hard-water and de-mineralized’ tropical floodplain lakes (beels) of the Majuli River Island of the Brahmaputra river basin of northeast India endorses this hypothesis. Total richness, the richness of important families and community similarities affirm heterogeneity of the rotifer species composition amongst the beels. The species richness registers significant spatio-temporal variations with seasonal differences amongst the beels and individually in each beel, and lacks significant influence of the recorded abiotic factors. The constellations of 76-81 species in three beels during winter and 76 species in one beel during pre-monsoon are noteworthy instances of ‘Rotifera paradox’. The rotifer fauna of the Majuli beels registers affinity with Southeast Asian and Oriental faunas, records several species of the regional distribution interest and exhibits the littoral-periphytic nature, while application of Q B/T and Q L/B quotients depicts limitations. This study merits ecological diversity interest for Rotifera vis-a-vis the floodplain lakes of India and elsewhere from the tropics and subtropics, and assumes biodiversity conservation importance due to threat of extinction of the Majuli – an alluvial floodplain of the Brahmaputra basin.

Kazakhstan faced the biggest political crisis in early January 2022 in over three decades since its independence in 1991. The crisis began with protests over rising fuel prices which turned into widespread unrest followed by the crackdown and finally returning back to normalcy. It is believed that for the Kazakh President, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, this has been the biggest crisis during his presidency, but since he has been able to control the situation it also offers an opportunity, particularly in matters of democratic reforms in the country. The article focusses on the recent developments and challenges concerning the democratic reforms undertaken in Kazakhstan. The main aim and objective is to review the key initiatives towards democratic reforms, especially the political reforms taken by Kazakhstan both before and during the period of Tokayev’s presidency. This is so because both the founding President as well as the current President have believed that democratic reforms in the political space of Kazakhstan is indispensable if this Central Asian country has to make a move into the World’s top 30 most developed nations. The methods used in this research mainly include qualitative that helped understand diverse opinions and experiences of Kazakhstan in its democratic reforms programmes and initiatives. The article concludes that despite a series of measures aimed at implementing the democratic reforms, it is still too early to predict how the democratic reforms in the political space of Kazakhstan will take shape in the future. Key words: Political Reforms, Kazakhstan-2030” Strategy, Kazakhstan-2050, Five Institutional Reforms and 100 Concrete Steps.

R. K. Narayan is regarded as one of India’s great short story writers. He portrays his characters in the background of local towns and its surrounding environment. Initially, they seem mundane but as the story progresses they emerge as representative of Narayan’s ideology. This is clearly reflected in the case of both major and minor characters. The minor characters in Narayan’s stand tall along with their peculiar qualities such as enduring personality, witty dialogues, positive approach and amicable behaviour and attitude. This research paper is based on descriptive research and discusses importance and contribution of minor characters in the select short stories of R. K. Narayan.

We assess biodiversity status of Rotifera known from India to-date based on our studies from various regions of this country and evaluation of other viable records, and highlight notable features of biogeography and richness. The Indian fauna reveals 434 valid species belonging to 68 genera and 25 families and thus indicates the most biodiverse Rotifera vis-à-vis south and Southeast Asia, and records ~25% and ~41% species of global and regional biogeographic interest. It depicts the littoral-periphytic nature, broadly tropical character, the limited reports of cold-water species from the sub-Himalayan and Himalayan latitudes, paucity of the endemics and Bdelloids, and cryptic diversity awaits analyses. The richest diversity and distinct biogeographic identity of Rotifera of Northeast India (NEI) is attributed to location of this region in the ‘Himalayan and Indo-Burmese’ biodiversity hot-spots, ‘Assam gateway’ – the biogeographic corridor, and the ‘Rotiferologist effect’. Regional disparity and spatial heterogeneity of biodiversity elsewhere from India are attributed to the limited sampling, inadequate collections from diverse ecosystems, unidentified species, and paucity of attention on smaller species. The biodiverse rotifer assemblages of the floodplain lakes including Deepor Beel and Loktak Lake, the two Ramsar sites and globally megadiverse ecosystems, are hypothesized to habitat diversity of these ecotones, while ‘Rotifera paradox’ depict speciose constellations per sample. The species-rich small floodplain and urban wetlands focus interest on rotifer diversity in small water bodies. We estimate more diverse Indian Rotifera following analyses of collections from underexplored and unexplored regions and ecosystems, and the bdelloid and sessile rotifers using integrative taxonomic approaches.

In diesem Artikel stellen wir eine Kaskade bestehend aus einer radikalischen Addition und Zyklisierung vor, um Chinolin‐basierte Benzophospholoxide aus ortho‐alkinylierten aromatischen Phosphanoxiden zu erhalten. Dabei werden verschiedene Arylisonitrile als Radikalakzeptoren und kostengünstiges tert‐Butylhydroperoxid (TBHP) als terminales Oxidationsmittel in Gegenwart einer katalytischen Menge Silberacetat verwendet. Alternativ kann die Kaskade auch über einen nachhaltigen photochemischen Ansatz unter Verwendung von 1,2,3,5‐Tetrakis(carbazol‐9‐yl)‐4,6‐dicyanobenzol (4CzIPN) als organischem Photokatalysator bei Raumtemperatur realisiert werden. Der vorgestellte modulare Ansatz zeigt eine breite Toleranz gegenüber funktionellen Gruppen und bietet einen einfachen Zugang zu komplexen P,N‐haltigen polyheterozyklischen Arenen. Diese neuartigen π‐erweiterten Benzophospholoxide besitzen interessante photophysikalische und elektrochemische Eigenschaften wie Absorption im sichtbaren Bereich, Emission und eine reversible Reduktion bei niedrigen Potentialen, weswegen sie vielversprechend für potenzielle materialwissenschaftliche Anwendungen sind. Die photophysikalischen Eigenschaften können weiterhin durch Zugabe externer Lewis‐ und Brønsted‐Säuren beeinflusst werden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to test the relationship between economic growth and equity market development in GCC region which is the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, namely, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait and Qatar over the period of 2000 and 2017. The Generalized Linear Mixed Model (GLMM) is adopted to find the nexus and the nature of the relationship. Compared to the conventional regression models, GLMM provides a more reliable conclusion accounting for the missing data and eliminate the country specific differences. The study finds a significant positive association between stock market liquidity (SML) and per capita real gross domestic product (GDP) but insignificant negative association between stock market capitalization (SMC) and GDP in the long run. The results also indicate that SML and SMC are significantly and positively correlated. Considering well-performing stock markets can enhance the nation’s wealth, reduce the over-dependence on oil as a major contributor to the economic growth, the results suggest that policy makers in the region ought to play more active role to stimulate their equity markets together with global integration.

The present analysis of alpha diversity of Rotifera of the floodplain wetlands of Barak valley, south Assam, northeast India (NEI) reveals 170 species, belonging to 39 genera and 19 families, with three species new to the Indian sub-region and two species new to Assam state. The rich and diverse rotifer assemblages comprise ~70%, ~57% and ~39% of total species of the Phylum known till date from Assam, NEI and India, respectively and thus affirm habitat and ecological heterogeneity of the Barak River floodplain wetlands. The elements of global biogeographic importance include one Australasian, eight Oriental, 10 Paleotropical, one Indo-Chinese, one cosmo (sub) tropical and four other species, and ~37% species merit regional distribution interest for India with ~13% exclusively reported from NEI. Lecanidae (~30%) and Brachionidae ≈ Lepadellidae (~32%) largely contribute to the rotifer richness; Trichocercidae > Testudinellidae are notable (~15%), and Notommatidae, Euchlanidae, Mytilinidae, Trichotriidae and Trochosphaeridae collectively form 16.5%. Lecane is the most speciose genus; Lepadella > Brachionus = Trichocerca include ~32% species, while Testudinella > Keratella deserve mention. Rotifera of the Barak floodplains exhibit the littoral-periphytonic nature, several small sized species and tropical character.

Eine genaue Schätzung der geometrischen Pflanzenvariablen in Obstanlagen ist unerlässlich für deren präzise Bewirtschaftung. Auf dem Traktor montierte, mobile 2D-LiDAR-Systeme können die Aufnahme von 3D-Punktewolken der Oberflächen und somit eine Analyse des Wachstums von Obstbäumen in der Zukunft ermöglichen. Obwohl die Methode einige Vorteile hat, wie die Verwendung einer aktiven Lichtquelle zur Messung bei wechselnden Lichtverhältnissen, kann jedoch eine Verzerrung der 3D-Punktewolke aufgrund des störenden Einflusses von Reichweite und Einfallswinkel des Laserstrahls auftreten. Um diese Effekte zu quantifizieren, wurde ein Quader mit bekannter Größe vermessen. Die Oberfläche des Metallkastens wurde mit Bariumsulfat als Diffusionsbeschichtung modifiziert. Die Ergebnisse weisen darauf hin, dass die geschätzte mittlere Höhe des Kastens kleiner als die tatsächliche Höhe war, während die Breitenschätzung die tatsächliche Breite überschritt. Der höchste Fehler (RMSE) betrug 2,09 % bzw. 0,91 % für die Höhen- und Breitenschätzung. Es wurde festgestellt, dass die Schätzung des Volumens des Kastens und anschließend eines Obstbaums unter Verwendung von segmentierten Ebenen des Messobjektes zur Vermessung gut geeignet war und in kommerziellen Obstanlagen neue Möglichkeiten der Informationsgewinnung für die präzise, einzelbaumspezifische Bewirtschaftung bietet.

Experiments carried out to find the fumigant toxicity of three essential oils and their combinations from Murraya koenigii, Citrus reticulata, Curcuma longa on population buildup of Sitophilus oryzae, Rhyzopertha dominica, Tribolium castaneum in stored wheat at different days of infestation. The oil of M. koenigii, C. reticulata at 0.2% and M. koenigii+C. reticulata, M. koenigii+C. longa at 0.1% each were found highly effective against S. oryzae fumigated after 5, 10, 15 and 20 days. The oil of M. koenigii and C. reticulata at 0.2% M. koenigii+C. reticulata, M. koenigii+C. longa, C. reticulata+C. longa at 0.1% each and M. koenigii+C. reticulata+C. longa at 0.07% each were found highly effective against R. dominica fumigated after 5, 10, 15 and 20 days. Only M. koenigii at 0.2% was found highly effective against T. castaneum fumigated after 5, 10, 15 and 20 day. The fumigation of grain with M. koenigii at 0.2% completely suppress the infestation and weight loss when it was fumigated after 5, 10, 15 and 20 days while very low infestation and weight loss was observed in grain treated with M. koenigii +C. reticulata at 0.1% each and not affect the organoleptic properties and germination of wheat.

In this essay, I investigate one aspect of Kant’s larger theory of the transcendental self. In the Prolegomena, Kant says that the transcendental self can be represented as a feeling of existence. In contrast to the view that Kant errs in describing the transcendental self in this fashion, I show that there exists a strand in Kant’s philosophy that permits us to interpret the representation of the transcendental self as a feeling of existence—as the obscurely conscious and temporally inaccessible modification of the state of the discursive subject, which is built into all the representations of such a subject. I also provide an account of how the transcendental self can be legitimately understood both as an epistemic condition for the possibility of experience as well as the representation of a non-naturalistic feeling of existence.

Given India’s vibrant religious landscape, there is a somewhat surprising paucity of departments, centres or even programs for the academic study of religion. This article discusses this issue based on the preliminary results of an interview study conducted at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, India, in 2014 and 2015. Its focus is on the views of university teachers and researchers concerning the place, role and function of religion and religious studies at BHU. Twenty‑eight semi‑structured interviews were conducted. In the course of their analysis, six themes emerged: 1) the place and role of religion in society; 2) religion as ‘religiosity/spirituality’ or sanatana dharma vs. political ideology/communitarianism; 3) religion vs. dharma; 4) secularization; 5) religion in education in general; and, 6) religion in the education at BHU. The informants agreed on the increasing importance of religion in India, and most of them viewed the meaning of secularization as being ‘equal respect for all religions’. Moreover, a majority distinguished between ‘religion’, in the Western sense, and the Indian conception of dharma, considering it regrettable that the latter, described as the common ground of all religions, is not taught more extensively at BHU. They also considered the original ideal of BHU’s founder, Madan Mohan Malaviya, to be of significant importance. That ideal involved not only teaching students the knowledge and skill sets found in a standard modern university, but also equipping them with a value‑based education, grounded upon sanatana‑dharma. As our project progresses, further understanding of this turn toward dharma education is something we intend to pursue through the lens of multiple modernities, developed by Marian Burchardt et al. as multiple secularities.