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In the past few decades, India's tech industry has boomed, making it a leader in the digital world. Today, India has many big tech companies, well-trained software developers, and cutting-edge technology like AI and cloud computing. This success shows India's innovative spirit and makes the country a good example for other developing nations. However, global portfolio managers often overlook potential diversification opportunities beyond India's dynamic stock market. This study investigates the viability of MINT (Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Turkey) as diversification targets, specifically analyzing spillover effects and volatility dynamics between their stock markets and that of India. Leveraging vector autoregressions (VARs) and dynamic conditional correlation (DCC)–GARCH models, we uncover intricate relationships. Further, DCC–GARCH analysis reveals varying degrees of volatility spillover, offering valuable insights for risk management. Our findings suggest that MINT economies, particularly Mexico and Turkey, hold promise for Indian portfolio diversification. By strategically incorporating these markets, investors can potentially mitigate India-specific risks and enhance portfolio returns. We urge global portfolio managers to consider Turkey as a viable diversification avenue, acknowledging the nuanced market growth dynamics highlighted in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sea cucumbers, members of the echinoderm class Holothuroidea, are marine invertebrates with ecological significance and substantial commercial value. With approximately 1700 species, these organisms contribute to marine ecosystems through nutrient cycling and face various threats, including overfishing and habitat loss. Despite their importance, they are extensively exploited for diverse applications, from seafood to pharmaceuticals. This study investigates sea cucumbers' nutritional profile and bioactive elements, emphasizing their role as sources of essential compounds with potential health benefits. The demand for sea cucumbers, especially in dried form, is significant, prompting exploration into various drying techniques. Examining the global trade in sea cucumbers highlights their economic importance and the conservation challenges they face. Conservation efforts, such as awareness campaigns and international collaboration, are evaluated as essential steps in combating illicit trade and promoting the sustainable stewardship of sea cucumber populations. Practical Application: Around 1700 species of sea cucumbers were identified as vital ecological scavengers in the Holothuroidea class. High commercial value due to their health benefits, particularly their demonstrated inhibitory effect against various types of cancer. "Beche‐de‐mer" holds a 90% market share and is regarded as a luxury food item in Southeast Asian countries. Due to overexploitation, the species is classified as Schedule I under the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA) in India, prompting the implementation of a blanket ban on their harvesting to ensure its conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the Anthropocene, human modifications to fluvial landscapes have become a common aspect of their progress and development. The primary objective of this research is to delve into the human-induced alterations on fluvial landscapes at both the channel and basin scales. For channel scale investigation, we classify the channel cross-sections in terms of human interventions and relate them with the potential anthropic (or anthropogenic) geomorphology in the Kopai River basin (KRB) in India. A total of 35 cross-sections (CS) were surveyed at an interval of ~ 3 km from source to mouth, and a perceptional survey was executed among randomly selected 960 respondents in the seven community development blocks. The CS are classified into natural (alluvial and bedrock) and anthropogenic (monatogenic – mining-influenced, traffic- road-stream crossings, hydrogenic-influenced by hydrological projects like dams, and agrogenic- agriculture-influenced) categories following Sźabo's (1971) taxonomic approach. The statistical difference between natural and anthropic cross-sections is measured using seven hydromorphological characteristics. Basin scale investigation adopting Nir's index (1983) of potential anthropic geomorphology (IPAG) from 1961 to 2021 depicts that the IPAG is progressively decreasing with time, although the reality is different. We propose to extend the basic notion of the IPAG by incorporating more relevant parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics, an emerging contaminant, are widespread in oceans around the world, and rivers are the key conveyors of these pollutants into the oceans. There exists a dearth of available data pertaining to seasonal fluctuation, spatial distribution and risk assessment of microplastics in rivers extending from upper reaches to the lower reaches. The collection of such data is of utmost importance for the purpose of formulating beneficial management strategies for riverine microplastics. In order to bridge this research gap, an investigation was made in the Periyar River in Kerala, India, which is exposed to anthropogenic stress and is at risk of microplastic pollution. A total of eighteen sites (six sites each from downstream, midstream and upstream) along the 244 km of the river were investigated across three seasons in a year. The study revealed a discernible pattern in the spatial distribution of microplastic concentrations, wherein there was a rise in abundance from the upstream to midstream and then a sudden increase of abundance along the downstream regions towards the lower reaches. The highest mean microplastic abundance of 124.95 items/L was obtained during the monsoon season followed by post-monsoon season i.e. 123.21 items/L and pre-monsoon i.e. 120.50 items/L. The predominant forms of microplastics were found to be fibres, fragments and filaments. Most prevalent polymer types acquired were polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). Pollution hazard index (PHI) and pollution load index (PLI) were also evaluated to assess the water quality of this river. The findings of this study conclude that the Periyar River is polluted with microplastics throughout its course and offer significant insights into the detection of microplastic origins in river systems and lend support to the implementation of potential measures aimed at mitigating their impact., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

The Indian Companies Act (2013) mandates the appointment of at least one woman director for large publicly listed companies in India in order to increase gender diversity on corporate boards. The study analyzes the relationship between corporate governance mechanisms, board gender diversity, and ownership structure on dividend payout decisions in an emerging economy like India. The study uses data collected for nonfinancial firms listed on NSE (National Stock Exchange) 500 in India from the period 2008 to 2020. Contrary to the evidence from developed economies, the study finds that increased female representation and greater proportion of female independent directors on the board are associated with lower dividend payout decisions in the Indian context. As it stands, the female representation on corporate boards in India is woefully low and appears to be mere tokenism. The study explores the role of regulation in increasing gender diversity on corporate boards and offers insights from an emerging economy where such a regulation is in place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examined the influence of users' experiences with the unified payments interface (UPI) system on the usage behavior of central bank digital currency (CBDC) in India. Our research developed a novel conceptual framework that investigated the relationships between technology, cognitive factors, and behavioral intentions towards CBDC use. The framework integrated UPI usage experience as a moderator within existing models of behavioral intentions and use behaviors. We collected data through a survey conducted in major Indian cities during the pilot launch of CBDC. By utilizing a partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM), we analyzed the proposed model and the relationships between the constructs. Our findings revealed the significant impact of hedonic motivation and performance expectancy on users' behavioral intentions towards CBDC. Social influence also played a significant role in CBDC usage. Furthermore, we identified that prior UPI usage negatively moderated the relationship between performance expectancy and behavioral intention, as well as the relationship between social influence and use behavior. However, prior UPI usage did not significantly moderate the relationships between perceived risk, hedonic motivation, behavioral intention, and use behavior. These findings contribute to our understanding of the factors influencing CBDC adoption and usage behavior in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The financial influence of agriculture today is expanding in tandem with the economy of our nation and has become the large industry which plays a vital and crucial role for the uplifting of our nation. Keeping track of plant diseases caused by the assistance of experts could be expensive when it comes to the agricultural area, so there is a need for a system capable of automatically identifying since it could revolutionize the monitoring of vast fields of crops and allow for the plant's treatment of leaves as soon as possible after disease detection. There are numerous illnesses that harm various plants/crops and hamper their growth and agricultural fields. So there is a need to identify the disease and tell how to recover from it. So there is a need to develop such an application which could help in the prediction of plant/crops disease and how to recover from the same. In many nations, including India, agriculture is a substantial industry. Given that a massive portion of the Indian financial system depends on agricultural production, it is crucial to give the issue of food production a careful study. The agricultural industry gave immense importance to the nomenclature and acknowledgment of crop infection on both technical and financial level. While monitoring the plant diseases which are caused in the agricultural fields with the help of experts could be very expensive in the long run so a technique or system that can recognize diseases automatically is required because it could change the way the vast fields of crops are monitored, and a perfect automated system could be built which could easily detect the plant diseases. It has become a necessity to develop an automated system which could easily detect the plant diseases beforehand and could easily help in overcoming them by suggesting the measures and techniques to overcome them. So that agricultural productivity could be increased, and agricultural production could be done properly with vast production of good quality crops which in turn help in growth of our nation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the research is to look into factors that influence consumers' online shopping behaviour in India during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the early stages of COVID-19, more cases were reported by international travellers. The unexpected lockdown impacted India's online shopping and marketing trends drastically. Consumers' shopping behaviour suddenly changed during the lockdown situation. The article's objective is to look into the elements that affect Indian customers' online purchase choices during the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers investigated the impact of product, price, time-saving, payment, security, and administrative factors on consumers' online purchasing behaviour during COVID-19. The study used an online survey approach to gather data from 139 Indian online consumers using a standardised questionnaire with a three-point Likert scale. Non-probability sampling was the method employed. Descriptive statistics analysis, reliability analysis, and t-test were used to examine the data. In the end, the results revealed that payment, product, and administrative factors had an influence on improving consumer online purchase patterns during COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Conventional Fe-Mg exchange geothermometers generally are not effective means to measure the peak metamorphic temperatures of granulites because of Fe-Mg diffusion during the re-equilibration during the exhumation and cooling. Therefore, it is essential to find alternative geothermometers. In this study, we investigated the magnitude of Mg isotope fractionation between the coexisting clinopyroxene and garnet in garnet pyroxenites and high-pressure mafic granulites from southern India. The clinopyroxene and garnet from the garnet pyroxenites have δ26Mg values of −0.04 to −0.07‰, and −0.65 to −0.64‰, respectively, with Δ26MgCpx-Grt = δ26MgCpx − δ26MgGrt = 0.62 and 0.57‰. The δ26Mg values of the coexisting clinopyroxene and garnet in the high-pressure mafic granulites are 0.03 to 0.07‰ and −0.54 to −0.55‰, respectively, with Δ26MgCpx-Grt = 0.57 and 0.62‰. The inter-mineral Mg isotope fractionations between the clinopyroxene and garnet of the garnet pyroxenites are similar to those of the high-pressure mafic granulites and more or less fall within the equilibrium fractionation lines at peak metamorphic temperatures. The measured peak temperatures for all four samples indicate equilibrium Mg isotope fractionations between the clinopyroxene and garnet. The clinopyroxene-garnet Mg isotope geothermometer of Li et al. (2016) yields temperatures of 994 ± 60 °C and 1048 ± 89 °C for the garnet pyroxenites, and 1048 ± 89 °C and 994 ± 65 °C for the high-pressure mafic granulites, which are slightly lower than those at both 10 and 12 kbar from the clinopyroxene-garnet Mg isotope thermometer of Huang et al. (2013). Compared with the peak metamorphic conditions from phase equilibrium modeling, the clinopyroxene-garnet Mg isotope thermometry yielded temperatures corresponding to the peak metamorphic conditions of the garnet pyroxenites and the high-pressure mafic granulites, whereas the conventional clinopyroxene-garnet Fe-Mg exchange thermometry yielded lower temperatures corresponding to the retrograde metamorphism. These results underscore the inter-mineral Fe-Mg exchange between clinopyroxene and garnet during the retrograde cooling of the ultrahigh temperature (>900 °C), which, however, did not disturb their Mg isotope fractionation equilibrium attained during the ultrahigh-temperature metamorphic condition. Therefore, we conclude that clinopyroxene-garnet Mg isotope thermometry, together with phase equilibrium modeling, is a valid tool to constrain the peak metamorphic temperature conditions even for ultramafic-mafic granulites that have undergone ultrahigh-temperature metamorphism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the antecedents of human rights infringements (HRIs) by emerging market firms (EFs). We used fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to examine HRIs in 245 firms based in eight emerging markets, between 2003 and 2012. Our findings disclose three equifinal configurations of high levels of HRIs, all involving EFs that have expanded to a high number of foreign markets: (i) large, old, low performing state-owned enterprises (SOEs) operating in high quality institutions' home and host markets, (ii) small, young, over-performing EFs operating in low quality institutions' home and host markets, and finally (iii) large, old, high performing SOEs, operating in low quality institutions' home and host markets. We contribute to the literature by examining a novel dataset on HRIs by EFs, and by building a configurational explanation of HRIs that bridges the arguments of the institutional theory and strain theory literatures on corporate wrongdoing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the results of petrology, SHRIMP zircon U–Pb analysis, conventional Fe–Mg geothermobarometry, REE (rare earth element)‐based geothermobarometry, and phase equilibrium modelling, for newly discovered ultramafic‐mafic granulites (garnet pyroxenite with minor plagioclase and garnet‐bearing granulite) in the Namakkal Block of the southern granulite terrain (SGT), India. Results from this study shed light on the growth, evolution, and thermal state of lower continental crust during the Neoarchean, as a cross‐section of the Archean lower continental crust is well‐exposed in the SGT. SHRIMP zircon U–Pb dating of a garnet pyroxenite sample (18ID‐41) yielded a weighted mean 207Pb/206Pb age of 2531 ± 6 Ma, which is the same within uncertainty as one weighted mean SHRIMP metamorphic zircon 207Pb/206Pb age of 2519 ± 9 Ma from mafic granulite sample (18ID‐43). In addition, zircon U–Pb analyses also yielded an apparent 207Pb/206Pb age of 2474 ± 3 Ma (1σ) for the garnet pyroxenite, and a weighted mean 207Pb/206Pb age of 2489 ± 8 Ma for the mafic granulite. Thus, the timing of metamorphism of the ultramafic‐mafic granulites was constrained to be ca. 2530–2470 Ma. The peak metamorphic phase assemblage of the garnet pyroxenite is grt–cpx–pl–ilm–liq, which was modelled to be stable at 1058–1172°C/7.8–11.6 kbar, whereas the retrograde mineral assemblage of grt–cpx–hbl–pl–qz–ilm–liq occurred at 877–888°C/9.9–11 kbar. The mafic granulite was demonstrated to record similar peak and retrograde metamorphic P–T conditions to those of the garnet pyroxenite but have a relatively small P–T range of the peak mineral assemblage. The ultrahigh temperature metamorphism of these ultramafic‐mafic granulites was further confirmed by the temperature results (1057–1087°C) from the REE‐in‐two‐pyroxene thermometer. As a result, a retrograde metamorphic P–T path characterized by near‐isobaric cooling from ~1080°C at ~10 kbar to ~900°C at ~10 kbar was constructed for these rocks, which is consistent with an extremely high thermal state that persisted for ca. 60 Ma in the lower crust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

America's Indo-Pacific strategy is essentially a combination of its Asia-Pacific and Indian strategies: through the consolidation of its strategic alliances, it can deepen its relations with Asia-Pacific allies, and through its "wedging strategy" it can pull India into its orbit to become a strategic "fulcrum" bridging the region. India was both a key member and leader of the non-aligned movement, while also previously forming a "quasi-alliance" with the Soviet Union. At present, it has responded to the US Indo-Pacific strategy with cautious initiative. From the vantage point of a state targeted vis-à-vis a wedging strategy, India's strategic behavior is shaped by the strategic environment, its primary strategic objectives, and the relations between allies within the context of a unique strategic environment. This paper identifies two types of strategic environments: the general strategic environment and the specialized strategic environment; it further identifies primary strategic objectives as economic development, sovereign integrity and independence, national security and great state status (especially with respect to that of regional or global major powers); meanwhile, the alliance relationship is defined according to the extent to which there are divisions across state interests and the capacity of states to act autonomously vis-à-vis the alliance. Through an analysis of India's diplomatic experiences, this paper argues that against the backdrop of America's "Indo-Pacific" strategy and a lose general strategic environment, the primary strategic objective of achieving major state status and a "large divide over interests and a major space for autonomous action" shape India's cautious initiative with respect to its alliance relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study focused on determining the potential geographical suitability of cassava and sweet potato, two major tropical root crops of India, using the species distribution model, MaxEnt and QGIS. The model showed excellent performance based on the AUC (area under the ROC curve) values (> 0.8) obtained during training and testing. District wise geographical suitability is analysed, and the results indicate an increase in the geographical suitability of cassava in the future with a percentage increase of 42, 41; 32, 43; and 33, 32 for 2030, 2050, and 2070, respectively, for the two representative concentration pathways (RCPs) 4.5 and 8.5. The same for sweet potato is 32, 25; 27, 31; and 23, 21, respectively. The geographical suitability of rice and potato is also tested in India in the future to compare the results of cassava and sweet potato. The percentage increase in rice suitability is 17, 15; 15, 17; and 13, 11 for 2030, 2050, and 2070, respectively, for the two RCPs about its current growing locations. The increase in geographical suitability of potato is 10, 11; 10, 9; and 10, 9%, respectively. The outcome of this study shares information about the highly suitable districts for cassava, sweet potato, rice, and potato across the Indian subcontinent in the future. It can assist the decision managers in diversifying crops to highly suitable areas to ensure food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soybean–wheat cropping system is the most commonly used in the black soil of India which produces enormous amounts of nutrient‐rich residues. However, black soil has some production limitations, such as rapid drying, high bulk density, low nutrients, and poor microbial populations, making it vulnerable to degradation. Optimal retention of soybean and wheat residues in black soil under the zero‐tillage (no‐till) system can improve soil properties and help protect the land from degradation. Thus, the main objective of this study was to test the effect of different levels of soybean and wheat residue retention on the physical, chemical, and biological properties of black soil. Therefore, an experiment was conducted in the zero‐tillagesoybean–wheat system at the Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal, India from 2014 to 2018. In this study, the effect of four levels of soybean and wheat residue retention (no residue, 30, 60, and 90%) on soil properties was evaluated. Results revealed that soil organic carbon (C) significantly increased from 0.67 to 1.0% in 5 years through 90% residue retention. Retaining 90% (7.0 t) of soybean residue added 2.9 t C, 197.3 kg nitrogen (N), 32.4 kg phosphorus (P), and 89.7 kg potassium (K) in 5 years, while 6.2 t C, 85.7 kg N, 15.3 kg P, and 232.2 kg K were added through 90% (13.8 t) wheat residue during the same period. Different pools of soil C (oxidizable, labile, and particulate organic matter (OM)‐carbon), soil OM, soil moisture, soil porosity, available nutrients, and bacterial, fungal, and actinomycetes count was significantly enhanced due to retention of 90% residue over 60 and 30%. It was observed that retention of 90% soybean and wheat residues (7.0 and 13.8 t ha−1, respectively) significantly improved the physical, chemical, and biological properties of black soil in 5 years, therefore protected the soil from degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of cores from the Lower Gondwana basin in eastern India confirms the presence of abundant organic matter, indicating a high shale gas prospective zone. Shale is intrinsically (transversely) anisotropic due to the preferential orientation of anisotropic clay platelets depending on the geological processes of deposition. Such anisotropy needs to be incorporated in modeling for an accurate explanation of observed seismic anisotropy in shale. Combined anisotropic formulations of self-consistent approximation (SCA) and differential effective medium (DEM) theory is the most suitable among existing theories to deal with the complex microstructure of shale. We start by predicting the bulk and rigidity moduli of clay mineral aggregates as 21 GPa and 10 GPa from our model, which are difficult to measure in the laboratory due to the small crystal size of clay. A concept of host medium (HM) is presented here, which is constituted of clay mineral aggregates, kerogen, and unconnected pores. Other minerals are added in the biconnected composite constituted of HM and connected pores filled with water. An orientation distribution function (ODF) of clay particles is determined using the combined SCA-DEM theory from the observed ultrasonic velocity measurements. Our model shows strong intrinsic anisotropy at the shallow depth that decreases with depth because of the changes in the microstructure of the shale. The P-velocity predicted from our model, widely used Biot–Gassmann theory (BGT) and Biot–Gassmann theory modified by Lee (BGTL) match well with the measured data where P-wave anisotropy is insignificant. We also predict from our model the volume of kerogen and total organic carbon as 26–43% and 6–8%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Restoration of degraded land is imperative for addressing climate change, deriving additional benefits such as biomass and biofuel for supporting a biobased economy and also for meeting various targets of the Bonn Challenge and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN‐SDGs). In this context, the present research aimed to evaluate the performance of mixed biomass plantations on the saline land of western India over a period of 4 years. The impact of plantations on soil quality over the study period (2015–2018) was analysed by the Saline Soil Reclamation Index (SSRI), developed through principal component analysis. The study found a strong correlation between plant growth attributes and soil quality (p <.01). Soil porosity, texture, pH balance, electrical conductivity (EC), available potassium (AK) and available nitrogen (AN) levels are found to be the key indicators regulating the plant growth. The EC, AK and AN levels were seen to change significantly during the initial stage (2014) from 25 dS m−1, 10 mg kg−1 and 23 mg kg−1 to 1 dS m−1, 24 mg kg−1 and 39 mg kg−1, respectively, towards the end of the study period (2018). Among the various test plants, six species (Albizia lebbeck, Casuarina equisetifolia, Cordia dichotoma, Pithecellobium dulce, Pongamia pinnata, Terminalia arjuna) were found with high SSRI (>0.50); while the rest displayed moderate SSRI (0.30–0.49), except for Azadirachta indica, which shown low SSRI (<0.30). The trees having high SSRI are most suitable for the reclamation of saline soil and therefore, SSRI can be used as a tool for assessing the progress of saline land restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents the analysis of combustion characteristics of high ash Indian coal (28%–40%) collected from different mines of Singaurali coalfield, India. All the coal samples were characterized by proximate and gross calorific value analysis. Combustion performance of the coals were characterised using thermo-gravimetric analysis to identify the burning profile of individual coals. Various combustion kinetic parameters such as ignition temperature, peak temperature and burnout temperature, ignition index and burnout index, combustion performance index plus rate and intensity index of combustion process, activation energy were determined to analyse the combustion behaviour of coal. Further all these combustion properties were compared with the volatile matter, ash, fixed carbon and fuel ratio of each coal. Theoretical analysis shows that with increase in ash content, combustion performance initially increases and later descends. Further, coal with (25 ± 1.75)% volatile matter, 20%–35% ash and fuel ratio 1.4–1.5 were found to be optimum for coal combustion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aims to analyze the work done on leukemia detection and diagnosis using machine learning, deep learning and different image processing techniques from 2011 to 2020, using the bibliometric methods. Methods: different articles on leukemia detection were retrieved using one of the most popular database-Scopus. The research articles are considered between 2011 to 2020. Scopus analyzer is used for getting some analysis results such as documents by year, source, county and so on. VOSviewer Version 1.6.15 is used for the analysis of different units such as coauthorship, co-occurrences, citation analysis etc. Results: In our study, a database search outputs a total of 617 articles on leukemia detection from 2011 to 2020. Statistical analysis and network analysis shows the maximum articles are published in the years 2019 and 2020 with India contributed the largest number of documents. Network analysis of different parameters shows a good potential of the topic in terms of research. Conclusions: Scoups keyword search outcome has 617 articles with English language having the largest number. Authors, documents, country, affiliation etc are statically analyzed and indicates the potential of the topic. Network analysis of different parameters indicates that, there is a lot of scope to contribute in the further research in terms of advanced algorithms of computer vision, deep learning and machine learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had a massive impact on healthcare systems, increasing the risks of psychological distress in health professionals. Burnout is a prolonged response to chronic emotional and interpersonal stressors on the job and is defined by the three dimensions of emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and personal inefficacy. Methodology: A cross-sectional descriptive design was used to assess the burnout and resilience among frontline nurses in the emergency department of a tertiary care center in North India during COVID-19 pandemic. The sample consisted of 120 frontline nurses working in the emergency department, selected by a simple random sampling method. Data were collected using the Maslach burnout inventory-general survey and the Connor--Davidson Resilience Scale. Results: The nurses in the emergency during pandemic experienced a moderate-to-severe level of burnout in emotional exhaustion (29.13 ± 10.30) and depersonalization (12.90 ± 4.67) but mild-to-moderate level of burnout in reduced personal accomplishment (37.68 ± 5.17) and showed a moderate to a high level of resilience (77.77 ± 12.41). The two metrics of burnout viz., emotional exhaustion and personal inefficacy had a significantly negative correlation with resilience among the frontline nurses in the emergency (r = 0.25, p < 0.05 and r = 0.31, p < 0.01, respectively). A significant negative correlation has been identified between burnout and resilience that informs the role of resilience in alleviating burnout during this pandemic. Conclusion: Effective interventions for improving resilience are needed to relieve nurses' burnout and workplace stressors. Also, the administration should ensure a healthy workplace and adopt a positive attitude and harmonious relationship with the frontline workers in the mitigation of the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regionalization approach is adopted to test the credibility of a newly developed, large‐scale, conceptual hydrological model, namely, satellite‐based hydrological model (SHM), under data‐scarce conditions. SHM has a modular structure. There are five modules: surface water module (SW), which uses natural resources conservation service‐curve number and Hargreaves equation; forest module (F), which uses water balance and subsurface dynamics; snow module (S), which uses temperature index and radiation‐temperature index algorithms; groundwater module, which considers contributions from SW, F, and S modules and uses water level variation process; and routing module, which uses modified spatial distributed direct hydrograph model. Four neighboring basins of varying size are selected to form the reference (Subarnarekha) and the test (Brahmani, Baitarani, and Kangsabati) basins. The similarity index and hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis show that Brahmani is the most homogeneous basin with respect to the Subarnarekha basin. The model simulations are run at 1 km resolution. The values of statistical indices Nash‐Sutcliffe efficiency, coefficient of determination, and percent BIAS, are found to be 0.82%, 0.84%, and 13.99%, respectively, during calibration (1993–1999; 1993 as a warm‐up period), and 0.61%, 0.63%, and 14.13%, respectively, during validation (2000–2004) at Jenapur gauging station of the Brahmani river basin. Subsequently, the calibrated parameters are transferred in the model setup of the Subarnarekha basin for simulating streamflow over a randomly chosen period 1998–2000. The results, obtained with both Brahmani and Subarnarekha parameters, confirm that the model performs well with the regionalized parameters, and is suitable for hydrologically homogeneous ungauged basins. The results show that the newly developed model may be used for the water balance simulations in ungauged or scantily gauged basins, leading to the development of water resources plans for better utilization of this vital resource. The results from the sensitivity analysis and uncertainty analysis show that the nonsensitive parameters have a negligible impact on the model results. Further study, however, may be needed to evaluate the model performance and to establish its universal credibility. Recommendations for Water Resource Managers and The Scientific Community1.This successful testing of the newly developed hydrological model implies that it may be a useful tool for water resources assessment in data‐scarce conditions.2.The encouraging results support the further application of the model for data‐scarce basins in different parts of India and the world.3.This study, for the first time, applies a tool namely "cluster 3.0" (generally used in biotechnology) for hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis to perform homogeneity test. Any modeler and policymakers may use the tool for homogeneity test of a basin with respect to a reference basin without learning the mathematical theory, in details.4.The results of parametric sensitivity analysis would help the future modelers in applying this model by providing ideas of the value ranges of model parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates the success of stocking fingerlings of Indian major carps ‐Gibelioncatla (Hamilton), Labeo rohita Hamilton and Cirrhinus mrigala Hamilton – to enhance fish yield in 58 small reservoirs in Odisha State, India. Fish stocking and yield data were collected from State Fisheries Department, Odisha. The relationships between area, stocking density and fish yield of different size groups of reservoirs were assessed using the Pearson correlation coefficient (r). Fish yield increased significantly (p < 0.05, t‐test) from 204 kg/ha/year in 2012–13 to 323 kg/ha/year in 2013–14 due to adoption of CBF. The corresponding per capita fish production increased from 398 kg fisher−1 year−1 to 702 kg fisher−1 year−1 benefitting more than 8,000 fisher households. Reservoirs in the size group 100–500 ha showed the highest response of fish yield with respect to stocking of fingerlings. The size of fingerlings at stocking and area of the reservoir had greater impact on enhancing fish yield. Stocking had a profound positive impact on fish yield. This study forms a baseline evaluation of the impact of stocking on small tropical reservoirs in India. It also recommends management measures and discusses issues, and the way forward for sustainable fisheries enhancement in small tropical reservoirs in eastern India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of the Indian construction sector is expected to result in a significant demand–supply gap with respect to construction materials such as sand, limestone, and aggregates. Additionally, the vast quantity of unprocessed Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste pose serious problems in some places, particularly in residential, institutional, industrial or commercial construction hotspots. While several waste quantification methodologies have been proposed in the literature, the quantification of waste generation in India is inadequate. This inadequacy can be attributed to the lack of appropriate hierarchical control mechanism, absence of a common C&D waste estimation method, and the lack of C&D waste processing knowledge among generators, collectors, operators, regulators, and the general public. The C&D Waste Management Rules 2016 were introduced to ensure organized collection, storage, transportation, treatment/processing, and disposal of C&D waste in India and fix responsibilities of all stakeholders for management of C&D waste. This comprehensive research attempts to analyze the existing legislation and challenges, and proposes an information framework for organized collection, storage, treatment/processing, and disposal of C&D waste. The C&D waste processing mechanism, potential application of recycled C&D waste products, its limitations, and the best practices of C&D waste management in India are important constituents of the proposed framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using survey data from China and India, we explore the impact of network strategy of new ventures in emerging markets. We focus on two critical dimensions of network strategy, namely, broadening and deepening the network and two types of knowledge: market knowledge and technological knowledge. We find that proactive network deepening is associated with market knowledge and network broadening with technological knowledge. From a network perspective, our work highlights the counterintuitive outcomes of breadth versus depth orientation in network strategy, highlighting differences between advanced and emerging economies. We use a post-hoc multi-group analysis to show the differences even within the two emerging markets: India and China. The direct effect of partnering proactiveness on market knowledge in India is significantly higher than that in China but there is no significant difference as to the effect of technological knowledge. We use this exploratory study to highlight the opportunities for network and entrepreneurship scholars to study emerging markets and, in particular, undertake comparative studies between new ventures in China and India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile payment services hold the potential for financial inclusion in developing economies. Low-income countries are characterized by distinctive conditions like price sensitivity, low digital penetration, high risk of failure, and competitive emerging markets, which further influence mobile payment usage. We develop a research model to identify the contextual facilitators (like price benefit, network externalities, trust, and habit) and barriers (like risk, lack of facilitating conditions, and operational constraints) driving mobile payment usage intention. We test the model using data from 298 survey respondents from India who had adopted and were currently using mobile payment services. The factors that facilitate or constrain users' intention to continue using mobile payments are essential in understanding the technology's sustenance and its future in enabling financial inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The north‐eastern part of the Chotanagpur Granite Gneiss Complex (CGGC) in the East Indian shield contains enclaves of migmatitic pelitic granulites (PG) within felsic orthogneiss (FOG). Field observations, petrology and geochronology (LA–MC–ICP–MS U–Pb dating of zircon and EPMA Th–U–total‐Pb dating of monazite) of the PG suggest two distinct metamorphic events. The earliest event M1, which is characterized by high‐temperature (>850°C) granulite facies metamorphism, occurred in the timespan of ~1680–1580 Ma. Extensive dehydration melting of biotite + sillimanite + quartz‐rich protoliths led to stabilization of the restitic assemblage (garnet + alkali‐feldspar + quartz + sillimanite + ferrian‐ilmenite) together with large volumes of felsic melts (leucosomes). Collisional tectonics followed by delamination and asthenospheric upwelling could have triggered the M1 event. Subsequently, at ~1470–1400 Ma, the igneous protolith of the host FOG intruded and hydrated the PG. Thereafter, a second metamorphic event, M2, accompanied by compressional structures, affected both the rock types. A clockwise P–T path that culminated at ≥10 kbar ~760–850°C and is followed by a steeply decompressive retrograde path characterizes this event. The P–T path and the inferred geothermal gradient (<27°C/km) are compatible with a continent–continent collisional setting. Geochronological findings suggest a protracted orogeny for the M2 event with its major pulse during ~970–950 Ma. When combined with the published information, this study supports the view that a large (if not the entire) portion of the Indian shield and the granulite terranes of east Antarctica share similar tectonothermal events that led to the formation of two supercontinents, Columbia and Rodinia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to understand the impact of fetal gender on neonatal birth weight for the gestational age at the time of birth. Only neonates with a gestational age of 28 weeks or more than 28 weeks were included in the study. METHODS: This prospective study was conducted within the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of a rural tertiary center in Northern India. The study was conducted after ethical clearance and informed consent from participants who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Data collection included neonatal gender, birth weight, Apgar scores, and gestational age. Neonates were delivered vaginally or by cesarean section at 28 or more weeks of gestation. Statistical analysis was done using version SPSS-22 software. RESULTS: Of 2,997 live fetuses, 1,574 (52.5%) were male, 1,421 (47.4%) were female, and 2 (0.07%) had ambiguous genitalia. Mean ± standard deviation (SD) for male neonate's birth weight was 2.79 ± 0.503 kg (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.76–2.81), for females 2.67 ± 0.485 kg (95% CI: 2.64–2.69) respectively (p =.000). Males had lower Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes of age compared to females (7.06 ± 0.859, 8.83 ± 0.838 vs. 7.12 ± 0.645, 8.88 ± 0.612). There were no significant difference between fetal gender and gestational age at birth (18% females were preterm vs. 15.4% males, 81.8% females were term vs. 84.2% males, 0.1% females post-term vs. 0.4% males; p =.079). CONCLUSION: Fetal gender was related to birth weight. Male neonates had a higher birth weight, but lower Apgar scores than female neonates. Fetal gender was not correlated with gestational age at the time of birth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bangong–Nujiang Suture Zone (BNSZ) is one of the main suture zones in the Tibetan Plateau and indicates the existence of the Bangong–Nujiang Neo‐Tethys Ocean (BNO). It was formed by the collision between the Qiangtang and Lhasa blocks after the closure of the BNO. However, its evolutionary processes and subduction polarity remain controversial. Research on the BNSZ is of great significance for exploring plate tectonic evolution and ocean–continent connection. The scarcity of the BNSZ structural data is one of the most important reasons for the debate of the BNO tectonic evolution. Based on structural analysis in the field and combined with previous petrology and palaeomagnetic data, this paper has determined that the closure time of the BNO is progressive and scissor‐like, from Middle Jurassic in the east to Early Cretaceous in the middle and late Early Cretaceous to early Late Cretaceous in the west. There was a three‐stage deformation in the BNSZ: (a) N–S‐directed compression induced by the initial collision; (b) WNW–directed transpression related to the stress adjustment; and (c) NE–SW‐directed compression caused by the low‐angle NE‐directed subduction of the Indus–Yarlung Zangbo Ocean. The different structural pattern along the eastern segment of the BNSZ may have resulted from orogenic bending due to the later Himalayan Orocline caused by the India–Eurasia collision in the Cenozoic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tan–Lu Fault Zone (TLFZ) is the largest continental‐scale strike‐slip fault zone in East China. It experienced a complex Meso‐Cenozoic deformation and controlled the development and evolution of the Bohai Bay Basin (BBB). Though its Mesozoic sinistral and Cenozoic dextral motions have been well documented, its strike‐slip transition history and mechanism from sinistral to dextral motions in the Early Paleogene remain poorly understood. To investigate these issues, we made a thorough analysis on the fault geometry and kinematics as well as the response of depocentre in the Early Paleogene of the sags adjacent to the TLFZ across the southeast BBB. The results show that the WNW‐/NW‐, E‐W‐, and ENE‐/NE‐trending extensional faults developed in the Early Paleogene of those sags share almost the same geometrical and kinematic features. Such features indicate that the TLFZ is sinistral in Ek3‐Ek2 depositional stage, extension dominated in Ek1 depositional stage, and dextral in Es4L depositional stage. Such strike‐slip transition of the TLFZ is a comprehensive effect of the plate events around the Eurasian Plate. The NNW‐directed subduction of the Pacific to the Eurasian plates triggers the sinistral motion of the TLFZ during 65–55 Ma, but this sinistral motion is terminated by the far‐field effect of the NNE‐directed India–Eurasia collision initiating at 55 Ma. Then, the kinematic adjustment of the Pacific Plate from NNW to WNW breaks the stress balance exerted on the TLFZ by the subduction of the Pacific to Eurasian plates and the India–Eurasia collision and makes it turn into dextral motion gradually during 48–42 Ma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present qualitative study was to understand the experiences of South Asian ethnic minority women in accessing health‐care services in Hong Kong, a Chinese‐oriented society. Levesque's framework (2013) was adopted to conduct and analyze focus group discussions among 30 South Asian women aged between 21 and 72 years, who came from India, Nepal, and Pakistan. The overarching theme was identified as disengagement between South Asian women and the health‐care system, with the following five themes: attitude and awareness, sociocultural factors, time constraints, financial burdens, and inadequate interaction. These were linked to barriers affecting South Asian women's ability to access health care, the common challenges encountered being those related to language, culture, and communication. Lengthy waiting periods discourage these women from seeking health care in Hong Kong. Enhancing accessibility to appropriate health‐care‐related information and culturally‐informed patient–provider interaction can improve knowledge, trust, and satisfaction among these women, thereby enhancing their engagement with the health‐care system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The empirical evidence from the extant literature has been equivocal regarding the influence exerted by different ownership types on corporate social responsibility (CSR), especially in developing countries such as India characterized by institutional voids. We use a longitudinal panel dataset of 500 large Indian companies to test a model of corporate ownership forms as key determinants of CSR engagement in India. Based on neo-institutional theory, our model of CSR determinants investigates the roles of three salient aspects of ownership namely multinational ownership/affiliation, state ownership and family ownership and control, after controlling for the influence of firm size, firm age, leverage, the availability of slack resources, profitability and various governance attributes. Our ordered logit regressions indicate strong support for the role of multinational ownership and family control and management in promoting higher levels of CSR engagement. Contrary to expectations, public sector ownership appeared to negatively impact CSR engagement. We offer our conjectures on this anomalous finding and the research possibilities it opens up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of Internet banking has transformed the banking systems across the globe. As a channel to market, Internet banking allows geographical constraints to be overcome by offering various products and services at lower customer costs. An understanding of the factors influencing customer adoption of Internet banking is both relevant and timely. This study integrates technology acceptance model and perceived risk theory in understanding Internet banking acceptance among Indian bank account holders. Specifically, this study categorizes perceived risk as external risk and internal risk, and examines its influence on customer beliefs and adoption of Internet banking. Using two-step predictive analytics of structural equation modeling and artificial neural network analysis, the 270 responses reveal that both external risk and internal risk inhibit customer acceptance of Internet banking. More importantly, neural network analysis reveals that perceived ease of use and external risk are two important factors determining how well Internet banking is accepted by customers. The implications of the study findings and future research directions are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbapenems have been used for many years to treat severe nosocomial Enterobacteriaceae infections. The spread of resistance to these drugs among other bacterial families is an emerging problem worldwide, mostly caused by New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM-1). We screened for the prevalence of NDM-1-expressing enteric pathogens from hospitalized patients with acute diarrhea in Kolkata, India, and identified 27 Vibrio fluvialis-harboring blaNDM-1 (NDM-VF) strains. These isolates were also resistant to all the tested antimicrobial drugs except doxycycline. The large plasmid of V. fluvialis harboring blaNDM-1 could be easily transferred to other enteric pathogens. Genes flanking the blaNDM-1 were found to be identical to the reported sequence from an Escherichia coli isolate. Analyses showed that the V. fluvialis possessing the NDM-VF region belonged to different clones. The pathogenicity of V. fluvialis to humans and its ubiquitous presence in the environment call for constant monitoring of this species for emerging antimicrobial drug resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little research has addressed depression in abused women across cultures. This review examines depression and intimate partner violence (IPV) by comparing and contrasting the IPV definitions, family dynamics, coping, and expressions of depression of women in China, Japan, India, and the United States. Findings reveal that depression is expressed differently across cultures. Somatization is commonly found in Asian countries, but it is not properly assessed by existing Westernized depression assessment tools. In addition, cultural factors were shown to shape abused women’s ways of adaptive coping. Cultural awareness and sensitivity are fundamental for successful assessment and intervention for abused women with depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ‘quality performance–financial performance’ relationship has been significantly studied in managerial literature. However, no definite quantification has been given regarding its type. This study aims to explore the relationship between quality management (QM) practices, quality performance and financial performance of the manufacturing firm. First, critical QM practices have been identified and classified into categories. Then, a structural model linking these practices, quality performance and financial performance factors has been proposed and empirically tested. The empirical data were obtained from a questionnaire-based survey of 152 Indian manufacturing companies. After the data were collected, the scales were purified using loading values and composite reliability. The resultant purified scales were then tested for convergent validity through partial least-square path modelling using Visual PLS software. The result showed a positive relationship between QM practices, quality performance and financial performance. In addition, the result illustrates the direct impact of quality performance on financial performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India has been projected as one of the most sought-after retail destinations by many national and international consultancy firms. In the whole retail sector, clothing has emerged as one of the leading segments in terms of growth and a frontrunner in terms of growth in output. Since the beginning of this century, India has witnessed an increase in the number of retail stores in different parts of the country. The emergence of apparel retail stores in smaller cities of the country is definitely an attempt to tap the potential in the market. With the emergence of organized apparel store, apprehensions about the closure of unorganized retail outlets have been expressed. However, the success or failure of any retail outlet depends on the attitude of customers towards it. Hence, this paper attempts to determine the differences in the attitude of consumers towards unorganized apparel retailers and predict the future of unorganized retailers in India by analyzing respondents from Tier I (Delhi, Bengaluru and Pune) and Tier II (Amritsar, Jalandhar and Ludhiana) cities of India. 720 respondents (120 from each city) were contacted using snowball sampling technique for filling the questionnaire. However, only 600 questionnaires were found suitable for the purpose of analysis. The study applies Fishbein's model, and the results reveal differences in the attitudes of respondents from both the categories of cities towards unorganized apparel stores. Furthermore, the effects of level of income and family size on buying behavior of the consumers are also determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is one of a series that reassesses the dhāraṇī texts of Mahāyāna Buddhism. The article seeks to examine dhāraṇī texts by using the linguistic tools of pragmatics, especially historical pragmatics, to assist the understanding of their statements. Rather than the meaning of the term dhāraṇī as a subject term, the domain of truth-conditional semantics, this paper examines statements in texts labelled dhāraṇī. Pragmatics examines meaning in context, and the categories of speech acts developed by Searle has been especially helpful in mapping out differences within such texts and the formalization of statements across texts. The grammaticalization of specific speech elements, especially interjections, in the context of mantra-dhāraṇīs is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) rainfall product 3B42-V7 and the telemetric station data sets of years 2010 and 2011 for the monsoon season were used to study the spatial and temporal variability of the daily rainfall in Tunga and Bhadra River basins in Karnataka. The daily rain observations of gauge and TRMM estimates show correlation coefficient values of 0.63 for the stations located within the Western Ghats (highland) and 0.40 for the stations located away from the Western Ghats (midland). The threshold of 50% and 75% of the mean surface rainfall gives a good accuracy of 0.89 and 0.4 for midland stations and 0.62 for highland stations. The reliability of the TRMM data varies depending on the root mean square error of 10.74 mm in highland region and 5.25 mm in midland region. The amplitude of the variability is high over the highland stations; this may be due to the orography and the inconsistency in cell resolution of the satellite to that of the point data of the rain gauging stations. The variability in the diurnal time scale is also studied and it is found that high rainfall activity is in the afternoon hours in both the highland and midland regions. A bimodal variation during the active monsoon phase and unimodal variation during rest of the season is noticed in the highland region of the area, and unimodal variation in midland region is noticed throughout the south-west monsoon period. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article examines the taxonomic status of Calyptothecium hamatum, which is a bryophyte with a controversial status. It explores the value of checking the specimen type to understand the correct taxonomic status of the bryophyte. It provides a background of Calyptothecium hamatum, which was originally identified as Pilotrichum hamatum in 1869 and was transferred to Calyptothecium in 1905. It notes that Calyptothecium hamatum can be found in several countries including China and India.

Does high fertility contribute to child malnutrition in poor countries? We test this hypothesis using unanticipated fertility reductions caused by secondary infertility. Though not randomly assigned, we argue that infertility should be largely exogenous with respect to children's nutrition; or to the extent there is any correlation, we expect infertile couples to have less healthy children, biasing against our test. Using panel data from India, we find that children whose parents experience infertility are less likely to be underweight. The effects are large, and suggest that one-third of India's recent decline in malnutrition may be attributable to fertility reductions. (JEL codes: I15, J13, O15) [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Studies on the suspended particulate matter (SPM) in the Mandovi estuary, western India indicate that during the monsoon and pre-monsoon, the SPM increases, and the major and trace metals decrease from stations in the upstream to downstream of the estuary. SPM is consistently low at all stations during the post-monsoon. Trace metals (Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr, and Pb) show strong inter-relationships. They correlate well with Fe and Mn only during the monsoon. The concentrations of Cr, Cu, and Pb are high during the post-monsoon. Enrichment factors and I values of metals indicate that Mn shows significant to strong pollution in all seasons, while Cr, Ni, and Zn during monsoon, and Cr during the post-monsoon show moderate pollution. SPM is controlled by the turbidity maximum, while major and trace metals are governed seasonally by a combination of river discharge, resuspension, spillage of Fe-Mn particulates, and anthropogenic contamination. Incursion of saline waters deep into the river channel during the dry season facilitates aggregation and settling of particulate-borne pollutants close to the discharge area, thereby keeping the estuarine waters free from major contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assess threats to environmental sustainability by examining the trends in three measures of the ecological footprint (EF) - the total EF, the per capita EF, and the EF intensity of the economy (EF/GDP) - for China, India, Japan, and the United States. from 1961 to 2003. The EF, an estimate of the land area needed to sustain use of the environment, is the most comprehensive measure of anthropogenic pressure on the environment available and is growing in use. We argue that the total EF is the most relevant indicator for assessing threats to nature's capital and services, that per capita EF is the most relevant indicator of global inequalities, and that EF intensity is the most relevant indicator of economic benefits from environmental exploitation. We find in all four nations that the ecological intensity of the economy declined (i.e., efficiency improved) over this period, but the total national EF increased substantially. This is a demonstration of the Jevons paradox, where efficiency does not appear to reduce resource consumption, but rather escalates consumption thereby increasing threats to environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the study conducted regarding the impact of agricultural practices in Kapgari watershed in India to its soil and water resources . The study was done through the use of single objective linear programming and multiobjective goal-programming techniques. Agricultural practices have been seriously investigated to monitor its contribution to water pollution. The researcher identifies the areas of the watershed that are regarded as responsible for the disproportionate quantity of pollution. It reveals that agrochemical levels brought into the area through the runoff water was high and needed to be reduced, and sub-watershed I area losses more nutrient than sub-watershed are II and the cultivable area in the watershed area is 96 percent of the total cultivable area.

India's Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) provides daily supplementary nutrition and other public health services to women and children. We estimated associations between exposure to early‐childhood ICDS nutrition and adult reproductive outcomes. During 1987–1990, a balanced protein–calorie supplement called "upma"—made from locally available corn–soya ingredients—was rolled out by subdistricts near Hyderabad and offered to pregnant women and children under age 6 years. In a controlled trial, 15 villages received the supplement and 14 did not. We used data from a 2010–2012 resurvey of adults born during the trial (n = 715 in intervention and n = 645 in control arms). We used propensity score matching methods to estimate the associations between birth in an intervention village and menarcheal age, age at first pregnancy, and fertility of adults. We found that women born in the intervention group during the trial, as compared with the control group, had menarche 0.45 (95% confidence interval [CI: 0.22, 0.68]; p <.001) years later and first pregnancy 0.53 (95% CI [0.04, 1.02]; p <.05) years later. Married women from the intervention group had menarche 0.36 (95% CI [0.09, 0.64]; p <.01) years later, first cohabitation with partner 0.8 (95% CI [0.27, 1.33]; p <.01) years later, and first pregnancy 0.53 (95% CI [0.04, 1.02]; p <.05) years later than married women in the control group. There was no significant difference between intervention and control group women regarding whether they had at least one childbirth or the total number of children born. The findings were similar when we employed inverse propensity score weighted regression models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In India, which has numerous officially recognized scripts, there is a primary need for categorizing the documents on the basis of the scripts used therein. Identification of script used in a document is essential for its effective handling both manually and digitally. Identification of script in a document image is an important research problem in the pattern recognition field, which, at times, suffers from the issue of growing dimensionality of the feature vector and requires an efficient feature selection technique. Keeping this fact in mind, in this paper, we propose a clustering‐based filter feature selection framework in order to extract an optimal and effective feature subset from the original feature vector. The present feature selection methodology is evaluated on a script classification problem involving handwritten documents in 12 major Indic scripts. Experiments are done at word‐level, text‐line‐level, and block‐level. Experiments demonstrate that a reasonable increment in classification accuracy has been realized using comparatively lesser number of features. The proposed framework for feature selection is computationally inexpensive and can be applied to other pattern recognition problems as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquilaria malaccensis, categorized by IUCN as globally vulnerable, is in high demand in the Middle East and Asian markets for its unique resinous agarwood. In August 2015, symptoms of dieback were observed on A. malaccensis trees planted in the Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Garden, Panbari, Golaghat of the Assam Forest Department. The entire crowns of 70 trees showed complete leaf loss and severe dieback. Rotting at the collar region and of roots was also observed. Isolation from the infected roots consistently yielded Fusarium equiseti identified following standard laboratory procedures and analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence of the ribosomal DNA. Symptoms of wilt, dieback and root rot were observed on 5‐month‐old Aquilaria seedlings 25 days after inoculation with the isolated fungus. This paper is the first report of F. equiseti causing wilt and dieback of A. malaccensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on a seminar on high technology and the labor market held in New Delhi, India. This seminar was organized by the International Institute for Labour Studies and the Indian Council of Social Science Research. It brought together an informal network of academics, policy-makers and trade unionists concerned with the relationship between high-technology industrialization, labour markets and general issues of economic and social development. Much of the debate was dominated by discussion of the Indian experience, although China also was represented by a strong contingent. Three main issues discussed were the role and likely impact of high-tech industrialization for India and China, autarkic versus more open paths to development, and the significance of state policy. Whether high-tech should or could play a major role in a country's development was a major concern of the Indian participants. However Chinese participants were more convinced about the positive aspects of both high-tech and world economy connections.