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The paper argues that, in light of the changing warfare dynamics and tactics globally, the concept of non-kinetic warfare has increased the significance of advanced technology in a country's defense sector. Using instances from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis, the chapter further elucidates the emergence of non-kinetic warfare capabilities, particularly cyber warfare, as a new battlefield game-changer. Additionally, drawing inspiration from the technological progress in cyber warfare on a global scale, it is my argument that India should prioritize the development of non-kinetic warfare capabilities, considering the cyber dangers it encounters due to the China-Pakistan Nexus. In this context, a comprehensive, multifaceted strategy to counter threats posed by low-cost and low-tech to high-cost and specialized technologies is paramount for India. Against this background, the paper has been divided into four sections. The first reviews the existing literature about non-kinetic warfare. The second section examines the growth of non-kinetic warfare capabilities, with a particular focus on cyber warfare as a new battlefield game-changer. This analysis draws upon examples derived from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine issue, specifically highlighting Russia's utilization of cyber and information warfare capabilities against Ukraine. Given the global strides in cyber warfare, the third section focuses on the cyber threats faced by India because of the China-Pakistan Nexus. The final section represents the main conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since Russia-Ukraine war, India and the United States has enhanced their cooperation as evidenced by the recent engagements. Multiple meetings by officials and leaders including two Quad and 2+2 dialogue summits, have provided a clear stance on each country's perspective on the recent conflict. The US-India dispute regarding Russia-Ukraine war demonstrates that it is a stress test for the US-India ties, as well as a test of the US leadership in the global politics. The balancing act required to settle the differences between the two countries will have implications for the Indo-Pacific region as well as global security, even though the disagreements are not yet mutually incompatible. Strengthening ties with the US is now a tightrope walk for India. While there are differences between the two countries in Ukraine, the real challenge is turning these differences into opportunities. The paper deals with the different issues arising from the Russia and Ukraine conflict in the context of USIndia interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been found that people with disabilities remain at the margin as far as the different aspects of their lives are concerned. This paper tests the hypothesis that disability leads to lower quality of life among older adults in low and middle-income countries. The data from the Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE) was used in this study which was conducted in Ghana, China, India, Russia, South Africa and Mexico. The disability scores have been made utilising Item Response Theory, Partial Credit Model and are centered on eight functioning and health areas. Bivariate analysis, binary logistic regression and pooled regression analysis have been used to fulfil the objectives of the paper. The findings reveal that disability acts as a hindrance in attaining a high quality of life (HQOL) amongst the older adults in the above mentioned low and middle-income countries. The older adults with disability are as much as 60% less likely to enjoy an HQOL with respect to the older adults without disability. Better socio-economic development like improved health care for disabled older adults with disability enhanced living standards for both abled and disabled, efficient pension schemes for older adults with disability and effective social service schemes would be very much essential to improve overall QOL among older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though a continued increase in life expectancy is a significant public health achievement, keeping older adults active and maintaining their well-being is challenging. Active aging requires physical health, mental health, functional independence, economic stability, social participation, and spiritual identification. Among all these factors, social cohesion has significant importance, but there is a dearth of studies focusing on older adults' social cohesion. Thus, the present study focuses on the level of social cohesion among older adults and its variation among the different economic classes. This article uses data from the Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health (SAGE) conducted in China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia, and South Africa during 2007–10. Social cohesion scores have been constructed using Item Response Theory Partial Credit Model. Also, bivariate analysis, concentration curves, concentration indices, and multivariate regressions have been used for the analysis presented in this paper. This study confirms the strong predictive power of age, wealth, education, and working status of older adults on their social cohesion across the countries. Higher social non-cohesion is found among the economically poor older adults in Mexico, Russia, India, and China. In contrast, it is just opposite in the case of older adults in South Africa. Governments should develop policies to foster a society with a high level of social inclusion, social capital, and social diversity, to achieve further advancement in social cohesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At this moment in time, an outbreak of COVID-19 is transmitting from human to human. Different parts have different quality of life (e.g., India compared to Russia), which implies the impact varies in each part of the world. Although clinical vaccines are available to cure, the question is how to minimize the spread without considering the vaccine. In this paper, via a mathematical model, the transmission dynamics of novel coronavirus with quarantine and isolation facilities have been proposed. The examination of the proposed model is set in motion with the boundedness and positivity of the solution, sole disease-free equilibrium, and local stability. Then, the condition for the existence of sole endemic equilibrium and its local stability has established. In addition, the global stability of the endemic equilibrium for a special case has been investigated. Further, it has shown that the system undergoes a transcritical bifurcation. A threshold analysis has also performed to examine the effect of quarantine on transmission dynamics. Lastly, numerical simulations are giving support to theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we draw on three ethnographic studies of surrogacy we carried out separately in different contexts: the western US state of California, the south Indian state of Karnataka, and the western Russian metropolis of St Petersburg. In our interviews with surrogate mothers, intended parents, and surrogacy professionals, we traced the meanings and ideologies through which they understood the clinical labour of surrogacy. We found that in the US, interviewed surrogates, intended parents and professionals understood surrogacy as an exchange of both gifts and commodities, where gift-giving, reciprocity, and relatedness between surrogates and intended parents were the major tropes. In India, differing narratives of surrogacy were offered by its different parties: whilst professionals and intended parents framed it as a win-win exchange with an emphasis on the economic side, the interviewed surrogate mothers talked about surrogacy as creative labour of giving life. In Russia, approaches to surrogacy among the interviewed surrogate mothers, professionals and intended parents overlapped in framing it as work and a businesslike commodity exchange. We suggest these three different ways of ethical reasoning about the clinical labour of surrogacy, including justifications of women's incorporation into this labour, were situated in local moral frameworks. We name them "repro-regional moral frameworks", inspired by earlier work on moral frameworks as well as on reproductive nationalisms and transnational reproduction. Building on these findings, we argue that any international or global regulation of surrogacy, or indeed any moral stance on it, needs to take these local differences into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines emerging prospects for Russia–India cooperation. While the two countries can collaborate in various areas of mutual interest, the paper identifies possible challenges and effects on the cooperation in the Arctic region. The sanctions imposed by the West could impede Russian energy projects in the Arctic. This could force the state to find a way to replace Western technologies through enhancing capacities of national industry and developing cooperation with other states, including Asian countries. This shift is also bolstered by the political interest to strengthen the position of Russia in the Asian region as a whole, and to increase the country's energy security. The paper provides an overview of the Russian and Indian interest and policy in the Arctic, and presents the perspectives and challenges for both countries. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: Previous studies using the WHOQOL measures have demonstrated that the relationship between individual items and the underlying quality of life (QoL) construct may differ between cultures. If unaccounted for, these differing relationships can lead to measurement bias which, in turn, can undermine the reliability of results.Methods: We used item response theory (IRT) to assess differential item functioning (DIF) in WHOQOL data from diverse language versions collected in UK, Zimbabwe, Russia, and India (total N = 1332). Data were fitted to the partial credit 'Rasch' model. We used four item banks previously derived from the WHOQOL-100 measure, which provided excellent measurement for physical, psychological, social, and environmental quality of life domains (40 items overall). Cross-cultural differential item functioning was assessed using analysis of variance for item residuals and post hoc Tukey tests. Simulated computer-adaptive tests (CATs) were conducted to assess the efficiency and precision of the four items banks.Results: Splitting item parameters by DIF results in four linked item banks without DIF or other breaches of IRT model assumptions. Simulated CATs were more precise and efficient than longer paper-based alternatives.Discussion: Assessing differential item functioning using item response theory can identify measurement invariance between cultures which, if uncontrolled, may undermine accurate comparisons in computer-adaptive testing assessments of QoL. We demonstrate how compensating for DIF using item anchoring allowed data from all four countries to be compared on a common metric, thus facilitating assessments which were both sensitive to cultural nuance and comparable between countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examine patterns of self-reported diagnosis of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and prevalences of algorithm/measured test-based, undiagnosed, and untreated NCDs in China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia, and South Africa. Nationally representative samples of older adults aged ≥50 years were analyzed from wave 1 of the World Health Organization's Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (2007-2010; n = 34,149). Analyses focused on 6 conditions: angina, arthritis, asthma, chronic lung disease, depression, and hypertension. Outcomes for these NCDs were: 1) self-reported disease, 2) algorithm/measured test-based disease, 3) undiagnosed disease, and 4) untreated disease. Algorithm/measured test-based prevalence of NCDs was much higher than self-reported prevalence in all 6 countries, indicating underestimation of NCD prevalence in low- and middle-income countries. Undiagnosed prevalence of NCDs was highest for hypertension, ranging from 19.7% (95% confidence interval (CI): 18.1, 21.3) in India to 49.6% (95% CI: 46.2, 53.0) in South Africa. The proportion untreated among all diseases was highest for depression, ranging from 69.5% (95% CI: 57.1, 81.9) in South Africa to 93.2% (95% CI: 90.1, 95.7) in India. Higher levels of education and wealth significantly reduced the odds of an undiagnosed condition and untreated morbidity. A high prevalence of undiagnosed NCDs and an even higher proportion of untreated NCDs highlights the inadequacies in diagnosis and management of NCDs in local health-care systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  China, Russia, and India are playing an increasingly important role in global nanotechnology research and development (R&D). This paper comparatively inspects the paper and patent publications by these three countries in the Thomson Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI) database and United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database (1976–2007). Bibliographic, content map, and citation network analyses are used to evaluate country productivity, dominant research topics, and knowledge diffusion patterns. Significant and consistent growth in nanotechnology papers are noted in the three countries. Between 2000 and 2007, the average annual growth rate was 31.43% in China, 11.88% in Russia, and 33.51% in India. During the same time, the growth patterns were less consistent in patent publications: the corresponding average rates are 31.13, 10.41, and 5.96%. The three countries’ paper impact measured by the average number of citations has been lower than the world average. However, from 2000 to 2007, it experienced rapid increases of about 12.8 times in China, 8 times in India, and 1.6 times in Russia. The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), and the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) were the most productive institutions in paper publication, with 12,334, 6,773, and 1,831 papers, respectively. The three countries emphasized some common research topics such as “Quantum dots,” “Carbon nanotubes,” “Atomic force microscopy,” and “Scanning electron microscopy,” while Russia and India reported more research on nano-devices as compared with China. CAS, RAS, and IIT played key roles in the respective domestic knowledge diffusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid deployment of information and communications technology (ICT) across the globe has led to a network of high-density computer data centers to store, process and transmit information. These large-scale technology warehouses consume vast amounts of energy for running the compute infrastructure and auxiliary cooling resources. Recent literature [7] has suggested the possibility of globally staggering compute workloads to take advantage of local climatic conditions as a means to reducing cooling energy costs. This paper further explores this premise by performing an in-depth analysis of the environmental and economic burden of managing the thermal infrastructure of a globally connected data center network. The paper examines a case study where the potential energy savings achievable by staggering workloads across arbitrarily chosen data centers in the U.S., India, and Russia are examined. The results show that the environmental benefit of such off-shoring is mostly dependent on the fuel mix of the grid to which the workload is transferred and the energy consumption in each location. Further, we show that dynamic optimization of the thermal workloads based on local weather patterns can reduce the environmental burden by up to 30%. The paper concludes with a detailed economic assessment. For the case study in this paper, we find that such global workload staggering can potentially reduce operational costs by nearly 35%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Visions about the establishment of a lunar base and development of the Moon for scientific, technical and commercial ends have been on the political agenda since the beginning of the Space Age. In the past few years a number of spacefaring nations, including the USA, European states through ESA, Japan, India, China and Russia have proposed missions directed at the robotic and human exploration and development of the Moon. This paper argues that an important factor in advancing these missions lies in a partnership between the pubic, governmental sector and the private sector. The paper analyzes the dynamics of this partnership as applied to the case of the US Vision for Space Exploration. The results of the analysis suggest that public–private partnerships directed at lunar development and commerce depend on how government reduces risks for the private sector. The risks identified and discussed herein include political and legal risks, technological risks, and financial and market risks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Focusing on the resilience of distinctive local consumption cultures, this paper challenges some of the more sweeping claims that have been advanced in the name of ‘globalization’. Thinking about a ‘globalizing’ rather than a fully ‘globalized’ world encourages us to examine the deeply contested nature of the concept and to explore the geographically uneven nature of recent economic, political and cultural transformations. This paper approaches globalization as a site of struggle rather than as an established fact, emphasizing the need for empirically grounded studies of the impact of ‘globalization’ on consumer cultures in different geographical contexts. The paper examines the way that producers have ‘customized’ their products for different markets (drawing on evidence from China and South Africa). It then reviews case study evidence from three contrasting consumption cultures: consumption and ‘public culture’ in India, ‘consumer nationalism’ in China, and ‘artful consumption’ in Russia. The paper concludes by identifying some current debates and outlining some directions for future research, including a re-emphasis on consumption and material culture; an exploration of consumption as social practice; the delineation of commodity-specific consumption cultures; and some reflections on the political, ethical and methodological issues that are being raised in contemporary consumption research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazil, the Russian Federation, India, China and South Africa -- the countries known as BRICS -- are currently undergoing a deep epidemiological transition that is mainly driven by rapid economic growth and technological change. The changes being observed in the distribution of the burden of diseases and injuries -- such as recent increases in the incidence of road traffic injuries -- are matters of concern. BRICS may need stronger institutional capacity to address such changes in a timely way. In this paper, we present data on road traffic injuries in BRICS and illustrate the enormous challenge that these countries currently face in reducing the incidence of such injuries. There is an urgent need to improve road safety indicators in every country constituting BRICS. It is imperative for BRICS to invest in system-wide road safety interventions and reduce the mortality and morbidity from road traffic injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this paper is to examine the National Defense Strategies of the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) in order to verify how the four countries evaluate the strategic landscape of this century, especially regarding the balance of power between the Great Powers, their immediate geographical surroundings and their relationship with the US. This work addresses specifically the similarities and differences among them and how these differences reflect in their respective defense policies. Among the four cases, the Brazilian one will be in especial focus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: According to the Technical program of cooperation between the leading research institutes of India and Russian Federation the joint development of lead-lithium ceramic breeder (LLCB) test blanket module (TBM) is one of preferential directions in this program. The concept of LLCB TBM and corresponding DEMO blanket has been proposed by Indian TBM Team and India is a “Leader” in this concept. Russian Federation takes part in the design, analysis and R&D activities on LLCB TBM concept on the rights of “Partner”. In particular the joint efforts are focused now on the development of LLCB TBM in the electromagnetic option (so-called EM-TBM). In the framework of the design and analysis for LLCB TBM several design options have been considered by RF specialists during 2010–2011 period. The main directions of design and analysis works are as follows: [-] the designing of TBM load-bearing casing including the reliable cooling layout; [-] the development of tritium breeding zone (TBZ) basing upon the minimizing of MHD-pressure drops for liquid metal circulation, increasing of eutectic outlet temperature (up to 500°C) and tritium production rate; [-] to create the TBM attachment system that will be able to withstand the loads for all the ITER operation modes; [-] thermal hydraulic analyses for TBM helium cooling system and eutectic circuit (taking into account the magnetic field conditions); Brief results of this activity and consequent proposals on the design improvements are presented in this paper. The critical issues and further plans on the development of LLCB TBM in Russian Federation are also discussed and analyzed in this article. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Our paper provides a comparative perspective on the development of public primary education in four of the largest developing economies circa 1910: Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC). These four countries encompassed more than 50% of the world's population in 1910, but remarkably few of their citizens attended any school by the early 20th century. We present new, comparable data on school inputs and outputs for BRIC drawn from contemporary surveys and government documents. Recent studies emphasize the importance of political decentralization, and relatively broad political voice for the early spread of public primary education in developed economies. We identify the former and the lack of the latter to be important in the context of BRIC, but we also outline how other factors such as factor endowments, colonialism, serfdom, and, especially, the characteristics of the political and economic elite help explain the low achievement levels of these four countries and the incredible amount of heterogeneity within each of them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper addresses the impact of both economic growth and financial development on environmental degradation using a panel cointegration technique for the period between 1980 and 2007, except for Russia (1992–2007). In long-run equilibrium, CO2 emissions appear to be energy consumption elastic and FDI inelastic, and the results seem to support the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis. The causality results indicate that there exists strong bidirectional causality between emissions and FDI and unidirectional strong causality running from output to FDI. The evidence seems to support the pollution haven and both the halo and scale effects. Therefore, in attracting FDI, developing countries should strictly examine the qualifications for foreign investment or to promote environmental protection through the coordinated know-how and technological transfer with foreign companies to avoid environmental damage. Additionally, there exists strong output-emissions and output-energy consumption bidirectional causality, while there is unidirectional strong causality running from energy consumption to emissions. Overall, the method of managing both energy demand and FDI and increasing both investment in the energy supply and energy efficiency to reduce CO2 emissions and without compromising the country’s competitiveness can be adopted by energy-dependent BRIC countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise of Brazil, Russia, India, and China will shape global resource use, the location of market demand and international institutions and interdependencies in the decade to come. In this paper we argue that an understanding of the historical and institutional context of the BRICs, and the potential shift towards a multi-polar world is important for developing curricula and content in international business courses in the future. Implications for international business theory and teaching are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines some vitally important issues such as defence, strategic, scientific and technological and nuclear cooperation as well as Pakistan and China as factors, setting new trends, in Indo-Russian relations. It critically surveys how their "time-tested ties" in the 1970s and 1980s got a sudden jolt following the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991. New Delhi-Moscow relations have oscillated from a steep decline in the beginning of the 1990s through a new political and strategic understanding in the mid--1990s to a mutually "productive" and "enduring" partnership during the Putin administration. This paper argues that since India and Russia have no direct conflict of interest, their bilateral ties are likely to attain greater heights, especially in the defence and strategic fields, than what they had even during the Indo-Soviet friendship era. Besides, their identical perceptions of and approaches to critical issues such as multipolar world order, counter-terrorism, and cooperation in nuclear technology are likely to further solidify their ties based on mutual trust. However, Putin's regime coupled with pragmatism and flexibility attuned to serving national interests, cannot be taken for granted by India. Without being led by euphoria, India and Russia will need to accommodate each other's concerns, compulsions and interests for a friendly and durable relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Several types of reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAFM) steel have been developed over the past 30years in China, Europe, India, Japan, Russia and the USA for application in ITER test blanket modules (TBMs) and future fusion DEMO and power reactors. The progress has been particularly important during the past few years with evaluation of mechanical properties of these steels before and after irradiation and in contact with different cooling media. This paper presents recent RAFM steel results obtained in ITER partner countries in relation to different TBM and DEMO options. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]