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Background: In 2018, it was found that only a quarter of Grade 3 children in India were reading at grade level. A growing demand for English education has further limited children's literacy achievement. Despite a strong evidence base in favour of using systematic phonics for building English literacy skills, many teachers in India continue to use rote‐methods of literacy instruction. Objectives: We aimed to examine the efficacy of GraphoLearn (GL) English Rime, a computer‐assisted reading intervention, in improving the foundational literacy skills of 1st and 2nd grade students who were attending an English medium school in India. Methods: A total of 136 students across 6 classrooms were randomly allocated to play either GL or a control math game over a 5‐week intervention period. Students were pre‐ and post‐tested on various English literacy skills using tasks built into the GL software as well as through oral and paper‐based tasks. Results and Conclusions: Students who played GL showed significantly greater and faster development on in‐game measures of letter‐sound knowledge, rime unit recognition, and word recognition as compared to students who did not play GL. In addition, GL resulted in greater effects on these measures for students with stronger English literacy skills prior to the start of the intervention. No differences were found between groups on the oral and paper‐based tasks. Implications: GL was able to quickly and effectively teach critical sub‐skills for reading. However, a lack of effects on the out‐of‐game measures opens the door for further discussion on the successful implementation of such interventions. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic:India has an ongoing literacy crisis with many children failing to acquire functional literacy skills.Under‐resourced schools,outdated pedagogical methods, and a demand for English‐medium education are partially to blame.Globally, technology is being increasingly looked at to help improve student learning levels across all subject areas.There are a lack of studies examining the efficacy of various ed‐tech tools to improve literacy in the context of India.What this paper adds:The study aimed to test GraphoLearn English (GL), a mobile game designed to teach and practice early reading skills through phonics with first and second graders.Results showed that children who played GL outperformed those who did not play on critical literacy skills such as letter‐sound knowledge and word recognition.In addition, GL was more effective for those who had higher pre‐existing English literacy skills.However, improvements were only seen on measures assessed in the game and not on measures assessed orally or on paper.Implications for practice and/or policy:GL and other educational technologies can be extremely effective tools which allow for an individualized learning experience.However, it is important that for any educational game, learning moves beyond the game itself.Teachers are critical players in this process and must ensure that tech‐based instruction is integrated with teacher‐led instruction.Policy makers and school administration must ensure that teachers are adequately trained on when, with whom, and how to use such technologies before they are introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elder abuse is evil in human society. The present paper unveils this social issue from two major factors psychological and physical abuse. The study sensitizes the subject matter of study by examining the effects of demographic variables like gender and age on elders. For achieving the purpose of the study the research is a design by exploring and validating the factors of measuring elder abuse through the mix method approach, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). To test the established hypotheses of the effects of the demographic variable on elders the two-way ANOVA was applied. The present study verdicts the development of a sound measurement scale with two influence factors. The separate and composite effect of aging and gender type on elder abuse was evidenced. These findings are crucial especially when the prevalence of elder abuse is higher during COVID-19. The limited novel understudied variable opens an avenue for further research in behavioral and demographic variables like marital status. The present study has practical insinuation for caring the elders in any human society like physical and psychological treatment of elders to avoid abusive situations. In addition, the study attempts to validate the novel issues like psychological and physical abuse of elders in the dimensions of demographic variables. Some rare studies in the Indian continent established the motivation of conducting the research on this dimension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Recent studies highlight the negative impact of social isolation and involvement in leisure activities on enhanced well‐being of individuals. However, there is dearth of evidence on relationship between social isolation and leisure activities on cognitive abilities and depression of older adults in the Indian context. The paper reports the impact of social isolation and leisure activities on cognitive functioning and depression of older adults. Methods: Data were collected from the Longitudinal Ageing Study of India (LASI), and 63,806 participants aged 45 years or above were considered for the study with adherence to the exclusion criteria. Multivariate analysis was carried out to analyse the group‐based differences. Results: Social isolation (F = 102.09, p < 0.01; η2 = 0.09) and leisure (F = 224.54, p < 0.01; η2 = 0.07) had a statistically significant impact on the cognition and depressive symptoms of participants. Socially isolated older adults with little involvement in leisure activities had the worst cognitive functioning (M = 32.76, SD = 4.41), whereas middle‐aged adults who were actively involved in leisure activities and experienced the least social isolation exhibited the best cognitive functioning (M = 32.76, SD = 4.41). However, leisure and age as independent factors did not have a significant impact on depression. Conclusion: Socially isolated participants, irrespective of age, and involvement in leisure activities exhibit poor cognitive functioning and are more likely to suffer from depression as compared to their counterparts. The findings of the study can be used to design intervention strategies aimed at reducing social isolation by incorporating leisure activities to ensure the optimal functioning of middle‐aged and older adults. Key points: Socially isolated older adults with least involvement in leisure activities reported the worst cognitive functioning.Socially isolated participants reported a positive association with depressive symptomatology.Both middle‐aged and older adults who engaged in leisure activities reported better cognitive functioning as compared to their counterparts who did not engage in any form of leisure activities.Leisure as an independent factor is not significantly associated with depressive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: A well-designed supply chain performance measurement system, should account for not only the capabilities and performance attributes of the focal firm but also its supply chain partners. The purpose of this paper is to help design a system that strikes a balance between the strategic objectives of the focal firm and its supply partners vis-à-vis the requirements of supply chain performance (cost, quality, speed and customer taste). Design/methodology/approach: A theoretical framework on the strategic supply chain performance measurement system is developed based on existing literature and subsequently tested using a survey on 136 successful manufacturing organizations in India. The organizations were clustered into three strategy types and compared using analysis of variance on ranks to look for differences in preference for performance parameters. Findings: The study examined the five dimensions of the supply chain practices, namely, strategic supply/distribution network, customer relationship, internal operations, information sharing and social and environmental responsiveness. The empirical results demonstrate the inclusion of business strategy orientation in designing today's supply chain and hence its performance measurement system. Not supported hypotheses were addressed in the light of contextual factors. Research limitations/implications: The study is confined to finding preferences of non-financial aspects of supply chain performance and tier-1 suppliers. The research helps better design and benchmark supply chain performance metrics, based on the strategic choice of the firm. Originality/value: This paper highlights the shortcomings in the existing performance measurement and gaps in the existing literature in the supply chain context. Further, it gives a holistic view of strategic supply chain performance measurement design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The Information Technology and Information Technology Enabled Services (IT and ITES) industry has been the backbone of the Indian economy. The sector is characterized by long working hours, strict deadlines, night shift, constant usage of computers, etc. Hence, the industry and nature of the job are influencing the psychological risk factors of the employees. PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to explore the psychological risk factors (job stressors) of technocrat millennials and critically analyze them from the socio-demographic perspective. METHODS: A single cross-sectional study with snowball sampling was collected from 300 technocrat millennials in Ahmedabad city (India). Job stressors are examined as psychological risk factors. MANOVA and independent-sample t-test has been put to use for establishing the relationship between psychological risk factors and socio-demographic variables. RESULTS: The study highlighted that the experience, current position, size of family, number of children, gender, and family type had an impact on psychological risk factors of technocrat millennials. CONCLUSIONS: The study contributes to the literature on the psychological risk factors and its association with demographic variables, and specifically in Ahmedabad city (India). Income did not have an impact on psychological risk factor; whereas education was the only demographic variable affecting the responsibility for persons. The experience influenced the role overload, role ambiguity, poor peer relations, and intrinsic impoverishment. The study explained each socio-demographic variable's impact on 12 psychological risk factors separately. The result of the paper will give insight to HR managers in the recruitment and selection of employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Proper prediction of productivity can enable the enhanced estimation, realistic scheduling, and accurate cost forecasting of construction processes. Due to the existence of different labor sources (unionized and non-unionized), the prediction of productivity is still a significant problem in India. Moreover, the construction procurement processes and on-site performance are the predominant elements that can result in improved project outcomes. Thereby, the consideration of labor constraints and site conditions will play an important role in productivity improvement. Design/methodology/approach: This study investigates the factors affecting construction site productivity. A total of 28 factors are grouped under 7 categories as follows: labor constraints, safety and quality procurements, material and equipment (ME), site management, project working condition, delay controls, construction methods and techniques, and external factors. Furthermore, by involving these factors, the questionnaire survey was conducted among Indian construction practitioners. As a result, 204 responses were received and the data were analyzed using a reliability test, relative importance index (RII), and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Findings: The result of this study highlighted the importance of strategic construction management activities in terms of effective planning of ME, planning and realistic scheduling of construction activities, proper communication, information sharing, etc. Thus, this study provides a clear insight to the Indian construction practitioners in determining the effect of these site factors on the successful execution of their projects. Originality/value: In this paper, the problem of construction productivity in India and its causes are explained effectively. This study examines the preference of labor contract, labor source, and most importantly, the factors affecting site productivity. Moreover, the other lagging issues regarding the management of construction activities are also described in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Picture‐naming tests (PNTs) evaluate linguistic impairment in dementia due to semantic memory impairment, impaired lexical retrieval or perceptual deficits. They also assess the decline in naming impairment at various stages of dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) that occurs due to progressive cognitive impairment. With the increasing numbers of people with dementia globally, it is necessary to have validated naming tests and norms that are culturally and linguistically appropriate. Aims: In this cross‐sectional study we harmonized a set of 30 images applicable to the Indian context across five languages and investigated the picture‐naming performance in patients with MCI and dementia. Methods & Procedures: A multidisciplinary expert group formed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) collaborated towards developing and adapting a picture naming test (PNT) known as the ICMR‐PNT in five Indian languages: Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. Based on cross‐cultural adaptation guidelines and item‐wise factor analysis and correlations established separately across five languages, the final version of the ICMR‐PNT test was developed. A total of 368 controls, 123 dementia and 128 MCI patients were recruited for the study. Psychometric properties of the adapted version of the ICMR‐PNT were examined, and sensitivity and specificity were examined. Outcomes & Results: The ICMR‐PNT scores in all languages combined were higher in controls compared with patients with dementia and MCI (F2, 615 = 139.85; p < 0.001). Furthermore, PNT scores for MCI was higher in comparison with patients with dementia in all languages combined (p < 0.001). The area under the curve across the five languages ranged from 0.81 to 1.00 for detecting dementia. There was a negative correlation between Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) and ICMR‐PNT scores and a positive correlation between Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination—III (ACE‐III) and ICMR‐PNT scores in control and patient groups. Conclusions & Implications: The ICMR‐PNT was developed by following cross‐cultural adaptation guidelines and establishing correlations using item‐wise factor analysis across five languages. This adapted PNT was found to be a reliable tool when assessing naming abilities effectively in mild to moderate dementia in a linguistically diverse context. What this paper adds: What is already known on this subject: Picture‐naming evaluates language impairment linked to naming difficulties due to semantic memory, lexical retrieval or perceptual disturbances. As a result, picture naming tests (PNTs) play an important role in the diagnosis of dementia. In a heterogeneous population such as India, there is a need for a common PNT that can be used across the wide range of languages. What this study adds to existing knowledge: PNTs such as the Boston Naming Test (BNT) were developed for the educated, mostly English‐speaking, Western populations and are not appropriate for use in an Indian context. To overcome this challenge, a PNT was harmonized in five Indian languages (Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam) and we report the patterns of naming difficulty in patients with MCI and dementia. The ICMR‐PNT demonstrated good diagnostic accuracy when distinguishing patients with mild to moderate dementia from cognitively normal individuals. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: With the growing number of persons suffering from Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia around the world, its critical to have culturally and linguistically relevant naming tests and diagnosis. This validated ICMR‐PNT can be used widely as a clinical tool to diagnose dementia and harmonize research efforts across diverse populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between diversity management (i.e. diversity-focused human resource (HR) practices related to recruitment and selection, training and development, performance appraisal and compensation) and perceived firm performance, and the mediating effect of procedural justice. Design/methodology/approach: Primary data based on 400 respondents of 162 organizations operating in India were analysed using statistical tools such as factor analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multiple regression analysis. Findings: Multiple regression analysis indicated that diversity-focused HR practices had a positive association with perceived firm performance. Further, it was found that procedural justice played a partially mediating in the relationship between diversity-focused HR practices and perceived firm performance. Research limitations/implications: This paper relied on self-report surveys for data collection, and there laid a possibility of common method variance in the result findings. Hence, future studies should collect data from multiple sources by using multiple methods (e.g. interviews, surveys, peer reports, etc.). Practical implications: The first implication highlights that senior management's support is a prerequisite to execute justice-based diversity management processes, which in turn aid in harvesting the true potentials of diversity. Second, organizations should adopt an egalitarian approach while formulating and implementing diversity management initiatives to accentuate the fair and just perceptibility of procedures among employees. Originality/value: This study sheds new light on the effects of diversity-focused HR practices on firm performance (perceived) in Indian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to investigate empirically whether inter-industry differences exist in the capital structure of Indian firms. The paper also attempts to identify the possible sources of such variations in capital structure. The technique used for this cross-sectional analysis is one-way analysis of variance. The analysis covers the pre and post-liberalization periods separately to indicate if there is a clear break in the financing pattern of the Indian firms due t-o the policy change. Our conclusion is that though, differences in firm size contributes to the existing variation in financial leverage ratio across industry-classes to some extent, the nature of the industry itself or more precisely the differences in the fund requirement of industry groups based on the technology used is a major source of the existing variation. However, it is hard pressed to find tight evidence of the existence of credit constraints on firms, specially in a developing country like India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to examine the linkages of employment, chronic disease prevalence and medical care of the older population in India. Design/methodology/approach -- This study used the India Human Development Survey data for the analysis. Bivariate, multinomial logit regression and multiple classification analysis are used as methods for the study Findings -- The findings suggest a bi-directional relationship between employment and chronic diseases: the older population who are engaged in regular paid work has lower likelihood to the risk of chronic diseases compared to those who are not working. Conversely, the older population with chronic diseases may be unable to work in regular paid jobs. The greater proportions of not-working older population with savings and retirement pensions are more likely to seek modern treatment for the chronic diseases. Overall, the results foster that employment determines and is determined by chronic disease prevalence among the older population in India. Originality/value -- This paper tor the first time presents evidence on the linkages of employment, chronic disease prevalence and medical care of the older population in India by using a unique and comprehensive data source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally Cancer is the second leading cause of death and approximately 9.6 million deaths due to cancer in 2018. Approximately about 1 in 6 deaths is due to cancer globally. In low and middle-income countries approximately 70% of deaths are due to cancer. Some common cancers in Indian women are Breast, Cervix, Ovary, Mouth & Esophagus, Colorectal and other cancers. Breast cancer is the commonest cancer among women across the World as well as in India. Although rapid advancement, mammography & screening has increased rate of survival but women who survive continue to face medical, physical, social and psychosocial challenges. Evaluation of quality of life is also important for understanding the effect of treatment and how much different factors affect quality of life of the breast cancer patients. This paper aims to predict Quality of Life (QoL) in breast cancer patients using various physical, psychological, social and spiritual domains. This descriptive and cross sectional study was undertaken to determine the factors affecting quality of life (QOL) in breast cancer patients. Patient's response and hospital records analyses the dimensions which affects quality of life among breast cancer patients in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Findings suggest strong relationship between clinical and socio-demographical factors and breast cancer patients' QoL. This study demonstrates the strength of the relationship between education and physical well-being, education with social well-being and education with spiritual well-being. A strong relationship was found between marital status and spiritual well being. A strong relationship was found between clinical stage and spiritual well being. A good relationship was found between tumor stage and social and spiritual well being. A strong relationship was also found between type of treatment and physical, psychological and social well being. This study fills a gap in the literature related to QoL in Indian women suffering from carcinoma breast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organisational justice leads to fair treatment and ethical behaviour within an organisation. Work engagement is positive work-related state of mind characterised by vigour, dedication, and absorption. Justice acts as a factor to enhance trust in the organisation and make employees more motivated to work together. The present paper aims to study the perception of bank employees towards organisational justice and work engagement and to examine the relationship between organisational justice and work engagement in banking sector. Further, to investigate the impact of organisational justice on work engagement. Data has been collected from 96 bank employees of Haryana state through survey method. Descriptive statistics, t-test, one way ANOVA, correlation, and regression have been used to analyse the data. Significant differences are noticed in the perception of bank employees with respect to gender, age and experience. There is positive and significant correlation between organisational justice and work engagement. The result shows that organisational justice has positive and significant impact on employees' work engagement. The theoretical implications of the results are discussed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prediction of stock prices has become an important area of research in the field of financial analytics and has garnered a lot of attention among academicians. Drawing on the literature on application of econometric tools and also machine learning techniques, this paper presents a framework for predicting stock returns using three unsupervised feature selection techniques, four predictive modeling techniques and finally an ensemble combining the four predictive modeling techniques. To design the ensemble, evolutionary algorithm is applied. In order to assess the results of our study, four different performance measures, namely, Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Mean Squared Error (MSE), Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) and Index of Agreement (IA) have been utilized. Our feature selection results indicate that all explanatory variables are not significant for different classes of companies and also for different time periods. This gives us insight into the fact that, for stock returns prediction, one has to be careful of the predictors to be chosen. Further, results indicate that for all the forecasting methods, namely, random forest, bagging, boosting and support vector regression, forecasting efficiency for large cap and mid-cap firms was better than that of small cap firms. Statistical analysis through Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) suggests that of all four predictive modeling techniques, boosting was the most efficient technique for forecasting the stock returns. We then proceeded to construct an ensemble of the above four methods. In terms of all four measurement metrics, performance of the proposed ensemble was better in both training and testing phase as compared to the efficiency of the individual predictive modeling techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This paper describes a fictitious study of a fictitious drug. A companion paper in this issue of the Indian J Psychiatry critically examines this paper and provides author, reader, reviewer, and researcher perspectives on problems related to the design and conduct of a clinical trial; on issues related to the analysis of data; on how to write a research paper; and on how to critically read or review a journal article. Readers are invited to appraise this paper and then compare their assessment with that presented in the companion paper. Background: This study sought to compare the safety and efficacy of placeboxetine (PB) hydrochloride extended release capsules with sertraline hydrochloride in patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder in 15 general hospitals in south India. Materials and Methods: In a prospective, open-label, 15-center, randomized controlled clinical trial, consecutive outpatients diagnosed with major depressive disorder of at least moderate severity were randomized 1:1 to receive flexible doses of either PB or sertraline once each morning. Patients were evaluated every two weeks, until the study endpoint, using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) and the Montgomery-Asberg Rating Scale (MADRS). Safety was determined through assessments of vital signs, adverse events, study discontinuation rates, hematological parameters, metabolic parameters, electrocardiography, and other measures. Results: Ten patients dropped out of the study from each treatment arm. There was a significant, marked improvement in HAM-D and MADRS scores in each group by the treatment endpoint. There was no significant difference between PB and sertraline groups on either HAM-D or MADRS at any visit. The response rate was 90% with PB and 92% with sertraline. The remission rate was 70% with PB and 75% with sertraline. All laboratory parameters were within normal limits in all patients. There were no serious adverse events. Conclusions: Placeboxetine is as safe and effective as sertraline in Indian patients with major depressive disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: International construction projects encompass various risks, and it is essential to evaluate and manage them to achieve project and firms' success. As approaches to addressing international market risks vary from one country to another, the purpose of this paper is to identify the critical risk factors of embarking on international construction projects according to Indian experiences. Design/methodology/approach: After primarily verifying the identified 26 risk variables, a questionnaire survey was conducted to draw upon the views of experts who possess international project experience. The 105 responses were analyzed using univariate and multivariate techniques. An analysis of variance identified the significant variables that influence overall performance on international construction projects, which were then grouped according to underlying relationships using factor analysis to determine the specific risk factors. Furthermore, considering these risk factors as independent variables and overall project performance as a dependent variable, a stepwise regression analysis was carried out to identify relatively critical risk factors. Findings: The results revealed that of the identified four risk factors, the project-specific risk factor emerged as the foremost critical risk factor, the economic and market-specific risk factor was the second most critical risk factor, the firm-specific risk factor was the third most critical risk factor and the political-specific risk factor was the least critical risk factor. These findings were also validated appropriately. Research limitations/implications: This study was limited to the data acquired from Indian construction firms, predominantly consultants and contractors. Though the survey respondents possessed adequate familiarity in international construction, commonly perceived limitations in self-reported surveys such as the lack of conscientious responses and reporting bias were not an exception in this research. Practical implications: The risk factors and their criticality – as identified in this study – can aid the multinational firms and international aspirants to prioritize the critical aspects and develop a suitable risk mitigation strategy to achieve greater project success in international market. Originality/value: By investigating the various risk factors that influence overall performance of international construction projects, this research considerably contributes to the body of knowledge pertaining to international construction risk management that will enable firms from India and similar developing nations to emphasize on critical risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In the present era of modernization, the social group members interact with each other with selfish and unselfish intents. However, the unselfish means and ends build a long term relationship among people. On the other hand, selfish ends bud out unethical means such as abuses, violence and fights. The situation becomes tough when the same becomes evident among the family relationship and as a consequence the elderly are being treated unfairly. Out of such cases, some are reported and the majority of them remain unreported, which eventually becomes the cause of concern for the social welfare agencies. Thus, this paper aims to examine the elder abuse (EA) tendency in metro, non-metro and religious cities. Design/methodology/approach: For this study, a mixed-method approach is used to develop survey instruments, validate findings using qualitative and quantitative data sources for better generalization of results. The present study explored and confirmed the related factors using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis for the establishment of a valid scale of EA. Further, the difference of perceptions among the elders for abuse across the metro, non-metro and religious cities was statistically checked using the ANOVA and post hoc techniques. Findings: The present study identified the traces of EA and created a comprehensive understanding of it. The present study manifests the prevailing practices of EA in society by discussing the demerits of dependency and modernization. Moreover, the present study assesses the pervasiveness and the repercussion of dependency and the impact of modernization on EA followed by a discussion on how the victim elders may handle the situation. In the present study, a scale is developed to identify EA because of the dependency of the elderly and the modernization of society. Originality/value: Some exclaiming thoughts such as the dependency of elders elevate the chances of EA on one side, while modernization of society hampers the social/family bonding leading to EA. The inconsistent development across the region has created modernization as a significant factor for EA. The level and depth of modernization across locations such as metro, non-metro and religious cities are the cause for varying degrees of EA. Based on the literature review, the present study has sensed the presence of EA in society at large by developing a scale for the aforesaid purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to estimate the combined uncertainty in the measurement of dose equivalent at laboratory level using CaSO 4 :Dy-based thermoluminescent dosemeter badge system by including variations in the components of the system. The variability of performance of the system is analysed using random effects one way analysis of variance model. The model enables estimation of the overall variance of the performance of the sampled population. The population in the study comprises all possible indicated dose equivalents on irradiation of dosemeters to a specific dose equivalent and radiation quality. Coefficient of variation and combined uncertainty at 95% level of confidence in the measurement of H p(10) due to S-Cs radiation quality are found to be 6.6 and 14.3%, respectively, at the dose level of 5.31 mSv. The above parameters in the measurement of in-use quantity, i.e. whole body dose or photon dose equivalent are found to be 7.4 and 16.4%, respectively. The performance of the monitoring system on relative response has been observed to be satisfactory. Various factors affecting the variability of performance of the system are identified for further improvement in coefficient of variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between employees' perceptions of diversity within management levels (i.e. senior management, middle management and lower management levels) and perceived organizational performance. The study also examines differences in perceptions of diversity within different levels of management across nature and ownership forms of organizations. Design/methodology/approach: Primary data were gathered from a sample of 400 employees from 162 organizations of diverse industries operating in India. Statistical techniques like analysis of variance and stepwise multiple regressions were used to analyze the data. Findings: Employee perceptions of diversity at the senior, middle and lower management levels of organizations are weakly, most significantly and positively, and negatively related to perceived organizational performance. It has also been found that the perceptions of diversity within different levels of management differ across nature and ownership forms of the organization. Research limitations/implications: The study relies on self-reported questionnaires as the method of data collection, which can lead to common-method bias. Hence, further studies can collect data by using multiple sources. In addition, future researchers can employ both subjective and objective measures to fetch results that are more valid. Practical implications: To harvest the benefits of diversity, organization should foster positive perceptions among employees toward diversity. Originality/value: The study gives new insight into why employees' perceptions are significant in considering the possible outcomes of diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: In the present studies, we examine the construct validity and criterionrelated validity of a previously unpublished, eight-item measure of relational wellbeing. Methods: First, in two pre-COVID-Era pilot studies within the UK (n's = 207 and 146, respectively), results of exploratory factor analyses revealed that--with the possible exception of one item regarding close relationships--the items assessed individual differences along a single dimension (i.e., relational wellbeing), rather than two distinct dimensions (i.e., social connections and close relationships). Second, in an initial pre-COVID-Era main study within the UK (n = 192), results of confirmatory factor analyses provided support for the hypothesized onedimensional factor pattern, although the same problematic item from the pilot studies continued to under-perform relative to the other seven items. Findings: In a subsequent COVID-Lockdown-Era main study across India (n = 205), Greece (n = 354), and the UK (n = 390), results of confirmatory factor analyses established that--after omitting the same problematic item that had surfaced in the preceding studies--a one-dimensional factor pattern provided equally satisfactory fit for the three samples. Original value: Although we had not set out to test a priori hypotheses regarding mean similarities or differences in relational wellbeing among our COVIDLockdown-Era studies, results of an analysis of variance revealed that persons within the UK scored significantly lower in relational wellbeing than did persons in India or Greece. Limitations: As noted above, one particular item repeatedly performed poorly in factor analyses; this item ideally should be dropped from the relational wellbeing scale in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the trend pattern of India's Foreign Trade during the pre- and post-liberalization periods. Further, the study is mainly based on the secondary data collected from published sources. To study the impact of the foreign trade, data relating to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), one of the most important economic indicators, has been collected for the period of 54 years that include pre- and post-liberalization periods. For analysis, statistical tools like multiple regression method, ANOVA, and Durbin Waston autocorrelation tests are applied. The results revealed that country's foreign trade increased consistently during pre- and post-liberalization periods, but it increased more during the post-liberalization period compared to pre-liberalization period. During the study period, the growth rate of imports was more than the growth rate of exports. This led to deficit in the balance of payment of the country. The volume of trade and GDP has been increasing year by year. A positive and increasing trend during the period of study has also been observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Retailing in India is evolving rapidly, indicated by increase in consumer spending at unprecedented rates and increase in number of global players investing in this sector. Private brands, which were once a small part of retailers' merchandise, are occupying a significant portion of most retail operations today. For evaluating any retail store, the first thing customer takes into account is the brands (merchandize) it carries. This statement holds true in case of metro cities; however, a similar trend is evident in the young urban population of Ahmedabad as well. The current study attempts to discover the consumer perceptions related to private labels in apparels and its impact on store loyalty. Purpose: The study indicates the factors moderating the perceptions of customers towards private labels and tries to explore their impact on store loyalty. Design/methodology/approach: The data is collected using a self administered questionnaire. The sample size for the study is 305 respondents. The focal product was private label apparels sold in four retail stores of Ahmedabad district. Analysis has been done by using multivariate technique like Factor Analysis followed by one way ANOVA and Chi Square test. Findings: The factors for moderating private label perceptions include value, proximity, brand loyalty, familiarity, shopping exploration, sale proneness, store image and variety seeking behavior. Additionally it was found that value, proximity, brand loyalty, familiarity, shopping exploration and store image have relationship with store loyalty. It was also found that innovativeness and promotional offers have association with store loyalty. Research Limitations / implications: A key limitation of this study is the sampling frame. Future studies should replicate this study in different context. Paper type: Research paper [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Markowitz portfolio optimization model, popularly known as the Mean-Variance model, assumes that stockreturns follow normal distribution. But when stock returns do not follow normal distribution, this model wouldbe inadequate as it would prescribe sub-optimal portfolios. Stock market literature often deliberates that stock returns are non-normal. In such context the Markowitz model would not be sufficient to estimate the portfolio risks. The purpose of this paper is to expand the original Markowitz portfolio theory (mean-variance) via adding the higher order moments like skewness (third moment about the mean) and kurtosis (fourth moment about the mean) in the return characteristics. The research paper investigates the impact of including higher moments using multi-objective programming model for portfolio stock selection and optimization. The empirical results indicate that the inclusion of higher moments had a considerable impact in estimating the returns behavior of portfolios. The portfolios optimized using all the four moments, generated higher returns for the given level of risk in comparison to the returns of the Markowitz model during the study period 2000-2011. The results of this study would be immensely useful to fund managers, portfolio managers and investors as it would help them in understanding the Indian stock market behavior better and also in selecting alternative portfolio selection models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – In developing countries like India, changing economic and social condition necessitated working of women irrespective of their religion, class or social status. But at the same time, it raised number of related issues like managing for family adjustment, working environment, etc. The purpose of this paper is to study gender issues like gender stereotype, gender discrimination and sexual harassment in the context of Indian environment. Design/methodology/approach – A structured questionnaire was developed to collect primary data from 500 firms in India. The data collected through questionnaire was coded and tabulated keeping in context with the objective of the study and was analysed by calculating frequencies, factor analysis and one way analysis of variance. Findings – Results elucidate seven job-related factors (infrastructure, HR functions, organisational climate, legal pursuit, empowerment, training and development and ethical concerns) and two individual factors (interpersonal and mindset) that are considered essential for women employees in Indian organisations. Analysis indicates that though age and level of management has no significant effect on these factors but male and female respondents differ significantly on their opinion regarding these issues. Research limitations/implications – The respondents in present study have been taken mainly from service sector, manufacturing sector and education sector, thus the study looks at only organised sector. The research work suffers from the usual limitations of survey research method. Practical implications – With women becoming an integral part of the workforce, managers must examine their reliance on stereotypical views concerning women. Gender is a socio-cultural phenomenon and organisations are a key aspect of a given culture. Organisational analysis needs to take into account the relationship between gender, gender stereotypes and organisational life. Originality/value – The paper studies gender issues of gender stereotype, gender discrimination and sexual harassment on a pan India basis covering various sectors and contribute to the subject from Indian perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a developing country like India, the entrepreneurs in small and medium enterprises face a large number of problems related to managerial skills and adequate resources for further expansion of their business. Presently, implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM) practices is another significant obstacle faced by the Indian entrepreneurs due to tough competition in the national and international markets on account of globalization. Good quality management is the need of the hour as it improves the competitiveness, effectiveness and flexibility of the organization. In this paper, an attempt has been made to explore the problems faced by the entrepreneurs of small and medium enterprises in the implementation of TQM practices. One-way ANOVA has been used to find the significant difference between the demographical variables of the entrepreneurs and impeding factors in the implementation of TQM in small and medium enterprises on a sample of 150 entrepreneurs collected from four states of North India. The findings reveal that the entrepreneurs in lower age group face these problems relatively more than the entrepreneurs in higher age group. Further, entrepreneurs having education up to technical level face these problems relatively less as compared to entrepreneurs who have education up to a lower level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Auto-components industry is a major subsector of automobile manufacturing sector and largest feeder industry that has put India on the global map for excellence and innovation. The purpose of this case study is undertaken to explore and understand the instruments adopted in designing and implementing the policies by Pune auto-component small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach – The study used published literature and field survey for investigating policies designed and implemented by the SMEs in Pune. Survey was planned for statistical homogeneity on the basis of geography, class of ownership and the period of enquiry. Triangulation between methods, respondents, records and documents, was used to increase accuracy between sources. Structured questionnaire response has been analyzed by logical and statistical techniques to arrive at conclusions. One-way analysis of variance was employed for statistical analysis to corroborate the findings. Findings – Pune SMEs have revealed the tri-lateral instrument consisting of conceptualisation, formulation and outcome analysis as a basis for designing policies for business and further exposed bi-lateral instrument, which uses grouping of core and complimentary approaches for effectively addressing the challenges in business, which extends to their accomplishment of continued existence and development. Originality/value – This paper will add value to the knowledge base of entrepreneurship and SMEs especially in auto-components sector. Apart from this it will aid industrialists, entrepreneurs, consultants, and managers in managing SMEs, making better and informed decisions regarding the adoption of a tri-lateral approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the nexus between CO2 emissions (CO2E), GDP, energy use (ENU), and population growth (PG) in India from 1980–2018 by comparing the "vector error correction" model (VECM) and "auto regressive distributed lag" (ARDL). We applied the unit root test, Johansen multi-variate cointegration, and performed a Variance decomposition analysis using the Cholesky approach. The VECM and ARDL-bound testing approaches to cointegration suggest a long-term equilibrium nexus between GDP, energy use, population growth and CO2E. The empirical outcomes show the existence of a long-term equilibrium nexus between the variables. The Granger causality results show that short-term bi-directional causality exists between GDP and ENU, while a uni-directional causality between CO2E and GDP, CO2E and ENU, CO2E and PG, and PG and ENU. Evidence from variance decomposition indicates that 58.4% of the future fluctuations in CO2E are due to changes in ENU, 2.8% of the future fluctuations are due to changes in GDP, and 0.43% of the future fluctuations are due to changes in PG. Finally, the ARDL test results indicate that a 1% increase in PG will lead to a 1.4% increase in CO2E. Our paper addresses some important policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

About 5% of the total population of world has hearing impairment and this is 6.3% in India. The hearing impairment in patients can be corrected by using a hearing aid or cochlear implant (CI) .Hearing aid is a traditional way while CI, which is surgically implanted, is a modern way to correct the hearing impairment. In comparison to hearing aids CI increases speech intelligibility at a greater level. Also speech intelligibility decreases in noise though acceptable in noise-free environments. With the advancement of technology over past decades, it shows increase in speech intelligibility with new emerging speech coding strategies. In this paper the basic speech processing strategies for speech coding and different techniques and algorithms, which aimed to increase the speech intelligibility, are being reviewed. Speech will be analyzed based on some measures like Analysis of Variation (ANOVA), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) etc. The focus will be on speech perception and intelligibility enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weather forecasting is an important issue in the field of meteorology all over the world. The pattern and amount of rainfall are the essential factors that affect agricultural systems. India experiences the precious Southwest monsoon season for four months from June to September. The present paper describes an empirical study for modeling and forecasting the time series of Southwest monsoon rainfall patterns in the North-East India. The Box-Jenkins Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) methodology has been adopted for model identification, diagnostic checking and forecasting for this region. The study has shown that the SARIMA (0, 1, 1) (1, 0, 1) model is appropriate for analyzing and forecasting the future rainfall patterns. The Analysis of Means (ANOM) is a useful alternative to the analysis of variance (ANOVA) for comparing the group of treatments to study the variations and critical comparisons of rainfall patterns in different months of the season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Family caregivers are vital for long-term care for persons with serious health-related suffering in Kerala. Long-term caregiving and ageing may become burdensome and detrimental to patients and caregivers. We compared the caregiver burden and quality-of-life of ageing caregivers with younger caregivers. We also explored the palliative care nurses' perceptions of the family caregivers' issues. Methods: We did a mixed method study focusing on two groups: (i) three in-depth interviews and a cross-sectional survey among 221 caregivers of palliative care patients in five randomly selected panchayats (most peripheral tier of three-tier local self-government system in India concerned with governance of a village or small town) of Kollam district, Kerala, as part of development and validation of the Achutha Menon Centre Caregiver Burden Inventory; (ii) five in-depth interviews with purposively selected primary palliative care nurses as part of a study on local governments and palliative care. We used a structured interview schedule to collect cross-sectional data on sociodemographic and caregiving-related characteristics, caregiver burden, and health-related quality of life using the EuroQol EQ5D5L and interview guidelines on caregiver issues tailored based on participant type for qualitative interviews. Results: Older caregivers comprised 28.1% of the sample and had significantly poorer health and quality-of-life attributes. More senior caregivers experiencing caregiver burden had the lowest mean scores of 0.877 (Standard deviation (SD 0.066, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.854–0.899) followed by younger caregivers with high burden (0.926, SD 0.090, 95% CI 0.907–0.945), older caregivers with low burden (0.935, SD 0.058, 95% CI 0.912–0.958) and younger caregivers with low burden (0.980, SD 0.041, 95% CI 0.970–0.990). Caregivers faced physical, psychological, social, and financial issues, leading to a caregiver burden. The relationships between the palliative care nurses and family caregivers were complex, and nurses perceived caregiver burden, but there were no specific interventions to address this. Conclusion: In our study from Kollam, Kerala, three out of ten caregivers of palliative care patients were 60 years of age or older. They had significantly lower health-related quality of life, particularly if they perceived caregiver burden. Despite being recognized by palliative care nurses, caregiver issues were not systematically addressed. Further research and suitable interventions must be developed to target such problems in the palliative care programme in Kerala. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and Objective: To evaluate the attitudes of Indian nurses towards the importance of family involvement in nursing care and the association between nurse attitudes and sociodemographic characteristics. Background: Involving the family in the care process is crucial for delivering family‐ and patient‐centred care and ensuring the best possible patient outcomes. Nevertheless, published literature revealed that the nurses may lack clarity regarding the role of family members in the patient's care, which in turn hinders families' participation in care. Design: Cross‐sectional descriptive study. The STROBE checklist was used to report the present study. Methods: A total of 203 Nurses participated in a prospective cross‐sectional study between May 2022 and August 2022. They were recruited through convenience sampling from two tertiary care centres in India. A two‐part questionnaire was used to gather the data; the first section contained questions for gathering sociodemographic information, and the second part contained the standardized FINC‐NA scale. Results: The mean age of the nurses was (28.08 ± 4.722) years, and their median professional experience was 2.5 (1–5.5) years. Nurses' attitude regarding family's importance in patient care was found to be significantly associated (p ≤.05) with education level, marital status, religion and hometown region. Conclusion: In several items Indian nurses have positive attitudes towards family involvement in care but some of the lower scoring items can present opportunities for focused improvement. Continuing development programmes about family‐centered care can constitute important strategies to improve the positive attitudes of nurses towards families in practice. Patient and public contribution: No patient or public contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Procuring communication skills that enable nurses to be effective yet person-centeredness is increasingly a hallmark of quality cancer care. The growing importance of patient outcomes and experiences in health care may mean that communication skill training is finally getting the attention it so clearly deserves. Objectives The main objectives of the study were to assess the efficacy of communication skill training on knowledge and skills of nursing students in conveying diagnosis to patients with cancer. Materials and Methods Quasi-experimental pretest–posttest with control group research design was adopted for the study. A total of 32 third-year BSc nursing students (intervention group, 16; control group, 16) were selected by nonprobability purposive sampling technique from two selected colleges at Mangaluru. Baseline proforma, self-administered knowledge questionnaire, and breaking bad news assessment schedule were used for data collection. Tools were validated by 11 subject experts. Communication skill training was provided for 8 hours (2 hours of theory and 6 hours of skill training on conveying diagnosis). A blinding method was adopted to assess the skill of the students that enable to avoid subjectivity. Results The mean age of participants in the intervention group was 20.56 and of participants in the control group was 20.94. All participants (100%) of both the intervention and control groups were females. The results showed there was a significant difference found in knowledge scores (t = 8.52, p = 0.000) between the intervention and control groups after the intervention. There was a significant improvement found in conveying diagnosis skills among students between the intervention and control groups in different time periods. There was a slight positive correlation found between pretest knowledge scores and eliciting concerns domain of conveying diagnosis skill (r = 0.57, p = 0.023). Conclusion The study results revealed that communication skill training session was very effective for improving the knowledge and skills of students, and it enables them in providing quality care to patients with cancer through effective communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Due to the lack of cadavers, anatomists across the nation are facing trouble in teaching. Plastinated specimens can be used to get around this deficiency and reliance. Aim: To assess the change in weight during plastination using melamine. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional cadaveric study was conducted in the Department of Anatomy at GMC Kota, Rajasthan, India, using nine specimens from cadavers obtained between June 2016 and June 2017. Freshly dissected specimens from a fresh cadaver were used for plastination. The weight reduction after dehydration using acetone (three changes of seven days each), degreasing using xylene (three changes of seven days each), impregnation with a melamine-xylene mixture (10 days in a vacuum), and curing was recorded. Weight was measured using a digital weighing balance and recorded after each step. All statistical analyses were performed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) in MedCalc software version 22.009. Results: There was a gradual weight loss after each step except for impregnation. The percentage of mean weight after dehydration was 58.59±4.03%, after degreasing was 56.21±2.55%, after impregnation was 66.06±4.69%, and after curing was 48.26±5.39% and p-value was highly significant (<0.05). Conclusion: Continuous reduction in weight without distortion of anatomy resulted in lightweight plastinates which were odorfree and aesthetically pleasing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study involved assessment of 70 three-line hybrids obtained by crossing five CMS lines and 14 testers using line x tester mating design for combining ability and heterosis for 13 yield and grain quality traits. The Analysis of Variance identified significant difference among crosses and the ratio of GCA and SCA variances were less than unity indicating non-additive gene action for all the traits. The line COMS 24A and testers RNR 15048, WGL 32100, CBSN 504, CBSN 509, CBSN 511 and IR64 DRT were identified as best general combiners through gca effects. Among the hybrids, COMS 24A X WGL 32100, COMS 24A X CBSN 504, COMS 25A X CBSN 511, COMS 25A X CBSN 517, COMS 23A X IR64 DRT and COMS 23A X CBSN 509 demonstrated outstanding sca effects, mean and standard heterosis over CORH 3 and CORH 4. Two hybrids viz., COMS 25A X CBSN 511 and COMS 25A X RNR 15048 had medium slender grain type and hold promise for commercial exploitation in south India especially Tamil Nadu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestic and export demand of Guar Seed and its derivative Guar Gum has increased phenomenally due to its application in multi-billion dollar shale energy industry in the US. To examine the performance of Guar Seed futures market, its efficiency and price discovery is tested in the present study using robust models like Johansen's cointegration, Vector Error Correction method, Impulse Response and Variance Decomposition. Temporal relation between spot and futures prices from 2004 to 2011 studied using the above techniques indicates that both spot and futures prices observe long-run co-movement and therefore futures contracts can serve as a useful hedging instrument. In the short run, unidirectional flow of information from the futures to the spot market is observed, i.e., futures market leads the spot market for Guar Seed. Error correction is taking place in both the markets, although futures market is seen to make quicker adjustment to restore market equilibrium. But the process of adjustment to disequilibrium is slow in both the markets. This gives an indication that participation in futures market is low which makes the process of information transmission slow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background This paper describes the process of setting up community-based organisations (CBOs) of sex workers during the 5-year community mobilisation initiative of the Swagati project, an HIV prevention programme in nine coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh. Method The Swagati project facilitated the formation of 11 CBOs through partnerships with local nongovernmental organisations and meetings with groups of sex workers. Activities included peer-led outreach, information campaigns, institution building through community committees and capacity building for organisational development. Results In 2010, a Community Ownership and Preparedness Index tool assessed the CBOs in terms of leadership, democratic governance, decision making and others qualities. All except two CBOs scored in the 'promising' category. One of these CBOs moved to promising stage by the year 2011 indicating good progress, considering how recently they were established. The Community Ownership and Preparedness Index assessments of organisational strengths showed wide variations among the CBOs, despite the essentially similar organisational steps taken by the Swagati programme. A Behavioural Tracking Survey (2010) of individual CBO members also showed district-level differences in sex workers' expressions of confidence in collective action, participation in organisational activities and other indicators. Conclusion Mobilising marginalised populations such as sex workers to form CBOs is a complex process and can be affected by many influences, including the qualities of CBO leadership. Although the CBOs have not yet reached full 'maturity', they have made significant improvements in terms of collectivisation and its translation into collective action as reported by individual sex workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to analyse attitudes, understanding of gambling and gambling related harm among Asians in New Zealand using secondary data from the New Zealand 2006/07 Gaming and Betting Attitudes Survey (GBAS). Design/methodology/approach -- This survey interviewed 1,973 nationwide randomly selected youths and adults ($18 years) using structured questionnaire. Chinese (N = 113) and Indian (N = 122) data were analysed separately to compare between them and with NZ Europeans (N = 792). Descriptive analysis was carried out and was subsequently tested for significant correlations by weighted (p < 0.01) and un-weighted (p < 0.05) variables. Findings -- A higher proportion of Chinese males (66.8 percent) represented in the survey compared to Indian (43.0 percent) and NZ European (48.9 percent) where Chinese consisted of more youthful age structure. Chinese respondents were more likely to be in the lowest income bracket (NZ$10,000) compared to others. Among the ten gambling activities "casino table gambling" and "casino electronic machines" (slot-style machine) were most popular among the Chinese where Indians preferred "gambling/casino evening". A significant proportion of Chinese were unwilling to refer family or friends to gambling help services despite believing that gambling does more harm than good. Pre-committed gambling sum was the most common harm minimising strategy suggested by participants. They believed education and consultation could deter youths from harmful gambling. Research limitations/implications -- This survey highlighted gambling behaviours and thoughts of the ethnic minority population in New Zealand. Study outcomes would be valuable in formulating ethnic specific preventative programme and may have policy implication. Originality/value -- There has been limited research on gambling behaviour of ethnic minorities in New Zealand. This paper fills some of the gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the last few decades the growth in telecommunication sector in India has gained momentum on account of joint effort of government and the non-government sectors. This galloping growth is due to the enormous increase in mobile subscriber base. As general customers, various factors affect our decision while choosing any particular service provider. So, this paper looks into two major aspects of mobile telephone industry• the concentration of market share and identifying the most important and the least important factors affecting choice of a service provider with the help of tools like Herfindahl Index (HHI), ANOVA and Rank Score Analysis. The results denote that the young users' market is highly concentrated with Vodafone capturing the largest portion of the market. The analysis also reveals that the factors like good network coverage and family friends using the same network are of utmost importance to the customers whereas the offer of free connection with handset being the least important one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the dimensions of strategic sourcing and determines its relationship with organisational supply chain agility and performance. It classifies manufacturing firms based on their level of supply chain agility and test the diffrences in firms' performnace across the clusters so obtained. Design/methodology/approach: This research employs survey method and data is collected from 128 manufacturing companies in India. Valid and reliable measures of strategic sourcing, supply chain agility and organizational performance are developed. Factor structure and initial validity is determined and K-Means cluster analysis is applied for clustering firms based on their level of supply agility. Multiple regression and ANOVA is used for hypotheses testing. Findings: Strategic suplier partnership, sourcing flexibility, supplier evaluation and trust in supply chain members are the key dimensions of strategic sourcing. Result shows the significant effect of strategic sourcing and its dimensions on supply chain agility and firms' performance. Research limitations/implications: Data is collected from single node/respondent of supply chain and further research can be carried out by using multiple node data of each supply chain to make the research more meaningful and generalisable. Practical implications: Findings are useful to develop and measure the competitive capabilities of strategic sourcing and guide the organisations to enhance supply chain responsiveness and organisational performance. Originality/value: The paper provides strategic dimensions of sourcing and their measurement scales. Provide evidence regarding the impact of strategic sourcing on agility of supply chains and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper suggests that India will be the next important tourist generating country to emerge after the People's Republic of China, and seeks to provide some information on a key segment of future overseas tourists, the well educated. The paper reports the results of a study of over 1,000 Indian students at four Indian universities. The study uses the Leisure Motivation Scale of Beard and Ragheb (1983) and replicates a finding of four dimensions, albeit with a modification relating to the intellectual and challenge factors. The destination used for the study was New Zealand for a number of reasons. At the time of the study the New Zealand Prime Minister had recently visited India, Tourism New Zealand had opened offices in Mumbai and a, then current, popular Bollywood film had been produced in New Zealand. Attitudes toward New Zealand were found to be positive, and some evidence is provided for the possible development of more urban based tourism in New Zealand to avoid the environmentally damaging aspects associated with more traditional adventure tourists in that country. The paper ends with various recommendations and comments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Inspired by India’s focus in the 11th and 12th Five Year Plans on fulfilling the surging energy needs, the purpose of this paper is to capture the Quality of work life (QWL) in the Indian power sector.Design/methodology/approach QWL measured with seven dimensions was validated with CFA, and the χ2 difference test based on the Bonferroni method (Simes, 1986) was used for discriminant validity. Individual processes were analyzed with correlation analysis and ANOVA. The influencers of QWL in three processes were compared with standardized coefficients and model fit indices.Findings Freedom from work-related stress, salary, relationship with work colleagues, job security and communication and job satisfaction positively influenced QWL. Supervisor support was not found to influence QWL, while job involvement was found to negatively influence QWL.Research limitations/implications The scope of this study is limited to India, however, and results may not generalize to other countries. Hence, future studies should replicate the study in power sector or allied manufacturing sector in different cultural settings. Another limitation lies in its relatively small sample size; therefore, generalizability of the results may be restricted.Practical implications The findings provide useful information to assist HR managers in improving the QWL among Indian power sector employees.Originality/value The study is one of the first studies to date to empirically examine the QWL among Indian power sector employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate convergence hypothesis in a balanced panel of 22 Indian states for the time period of 1980-81 to 2010-11 by applying nonparametric model setting in a panel framework.Design/methodology/approach The present study uses nonparametric and semi-parametric panel data methods to test the absolute and conditional convergence, respectively, and examines the income convergence using nonparametric panel data methods with state specific effects taken into consideration. These models are being estimated by the iterative process for a balanced panel of state wise per capita income and other conditioning variables for the time period of 1980-81 to 2010-11. For removing the fixed effects, the authors follow within transformation procedure according to the feasibility of the problem. Since convergence is estimated by regressing dependent variable on initial level of independent variable (as growth rate of income and per capita income in this case). So using usual transformation for removing the fixed effects is not feasible because by doing so the authors may end up with singular matrices on both sides of the regression model.Findings The results reject the null of parametric specification for both absolute as well as conditional convergence model. As to the outcome of the empirical analysis, the findings reveal that the Indian states are diverging in absolute sense and converging on conditional basis. Convergence happens to be consistent and conditional upon public expenditure, power generation share of primary and tertiary sector to Gross State Domestic Product.Originality/value The originality of the study is in its application of advanced methodology to highlight the model misspecifications while testing the convergence hypothesis in earlier literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: In India, opioid substitution therapy (OST) has been scaled-up in the recent years for HIV prevention among injecting drug users. This study aimed to assess the change in knowledge and attitude of the OST staff who underwent a five-day training programme on OST.Methods: Using a “pre-test post-test” design, routine data collected from 267 staff who underwent the OST training was analysed. The staff composition was: doctors (n = 42, 15.7%), nurses (n = 49, 18.4%), counsellors (n = 45, 16.9%) and other programme staff (n = 131, 49.1%). A 20-item, pen and paper questionnaire was administered right before the beginning of and immediately after the completion of the training. The questions were categorised into one of the five domains to assess whether changes in scores are confined to certain domains. Overall scores and scores in different domains were compared using paired-sample t-tests. The score difference in different cadres was compared using univariate general linear model with post-hoc comparisons.Findings: The difference between the total mean pre-test scores (9.24) (out of maximum possible score of 20) and post-test score (13.8) was significant. Comparison between various domains showed significant differences across all cadres. Doctors recorded significantly higher scores compared to other cadres.Conclusion: It is feasible to train different cadres of service providers together on OST in five days. The training was able to improve the participants’ knowledge and their attitude towards injecting drug users. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Aim. The impact of early referral to palliative care on quality of life for patients with lung cancer has already been discussed. However, the benefits of early integration of palliative care service (EIPCS) combined with standard oncology care for nonmetastatic lung cancer patients remain unclear. Hence, we designed a study to assess the impact of EIPCS among nonmetastatic cancer patients in India. Methods. In this randomized controlled trial study, we divided the data from 115 patients with diagnosed nonmetastatic lung cancer between age group of >18 years to ≥65 years. Following clinicopathological and radiology diagnosis, patients were referred to pain and palliative medicine department. Patients were randomly assigned by palliative physicians into two groups: Group A (N = 64), those who were receiving standard oncology care (chemotherapy or radiation or both) along with EIPCS, and Group B (N = 51), receiving standard oncology care. Patients were followed up every 3 weeks up to 3 months. Primary outcomes, symptoms' burden, and psychological well-being were measured by validated tools. To define the impact of EIPCS, appropriate statistics were calculated as the mean ± standard deviation of the score of validated tools. Statistical significance was defined at p < 0.005. Results. From the beginning, we had taken 115 patients, and on 42 days' follow-up, the number of dropout patients for Group A was 3 (due to unable to contact), and for Group B, 9 (due to physical condition). This was followed by a reassessment after 126 days where dropout patients for Group A was 4 (due to unable to contact), and for Group B, 7 (due to physical condition). Following statistical report compliance at 126 days by WEMWBS was 21.16 ± 3.65 in Group A versus 16.1 ± 1.93 versus in Group B and by ESAS 51.84 ± 0.01 in Group A versus 97.64 ± 2.18 in Group B. Conclusion. The findings of this study showed that patients with nonmetastatic lung cancer who received standard oncology care combined with EIPCS had increased the psychological well-being and reduced symptoms burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Millets are the staple food for millions in Asian and several African countries. They are rich in dietary fiber, micronutrients, and beneficial phytochemicals. This study attempted to understand the consumption pattern of millets among south Indian adults in Chennai using a validated semi quantitative questionnaire which was administered telephonically. Purposive random sampling method was adopted for obtaining data from 100 millet consumers. The study results were analyzed using chi-square test, oneway analysis of variance, and correlation analysis. Equal percent of participants (41%) consumed millets 1-3 times a week and 1-3 times / month. Respondents considered millets nutritious and healthy as the main reason for consumption. Monthly income and family size significantly influenced frequency of consumption of millets. With reference to income groups, respondents belonging to income group >Rs. 50,000/month showed the highest percentage of frequency of consumption of millets, when compared to other income groups. Most consumers felt millets were affordable. Kali (stiff porridge/balls, kanji (porridge), pongal, upma, and biscuits were the most sought-after choices. Majority of the consumers combined other grains especially pulses in millet preparations such as pongal and kichidi. Finger millet preparations were the most commonly consumed millet-based preparation among all income groups or it could be concluded that consumers have a positive attitude toward millets for consumption and voiced the need for development of ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat value-added millet products such as millet dosa batter, noodles, flakes, breads, and millet-based beverages, for promoting consumers' health and fitness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hippocampal volume data from India have recently been reported in younger adults. Data in older adults are unknown. The present paper describes hippocampal volume from India among older adults and compares the same with patients having Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Materials and Methods: A total of 32 cognitively normal subjects, 20 patients with AD, and 13 patients with MCI were enrolled. Patients were evaluated for the diagnosis of AD/MCI using the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke and the Related Disorders Association criteria and the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) Scale (score = 0.5), respectively. Hippocampal volume was measured using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine by manual segmentation (Megnatom Symphony 1.5T scanner) three-dimensional (3D) sequences. Results: Age and duration of illness in the MCI group were 70.6 ± 8.6 years and 1.9 ± 0.9 years, respectively. In the AD group, age and duration of illness were 72 ± 8.1 years and 3.1 ± 2.2 years, respectively. In cognitively normal subjects, the age range was 45-88 years (66.9 ± 10.32) years. Mean mini–mental status examination (MMSE) score of healthy subjects was 28.28 ± 1.33. In the MCI group, MMSE was 27.05 ± 1.79. In the AD group, MMSE was 13.32 ± 5.6. In the healthy group, the hippocampal volume was 2.73 ± 0.53 cm3 on the left side and 2.77 ± 0.6 cm3 on the right side. Likewise, in MCI, the volume on the left side was 2.35 ± 0.42 cm3 and the volume on the right side was 2.36 ± 0.38 cm3 . Similarly, in the AD group, the volume on the right side was 1.64 ± 0.55 cm3 and on the left side it was 1.59 ± 0.55 cm3 . Post hoc analysis using Tukey’s honestly significant difference (HSD) showed, using analysis of variance (ANOVA) that there was a statistically significant difference between healthy and AD (P ≤ 0.01), and between healthy and MCI (P ≤ 0.01) subjects. There was a correlation between MMSE score and hippocampal volume in the AD group. Conclusion: The volume of the hippocampus in older Indian adults was 2.77 ± 0. 6 cm3 on the right side and 2.73 ± 0.52 cm3 on the left side. There was a significant hippocampal volume loss in MCI/AD compared to cognitively normal subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper is an attempt to identify and evaluate the critical success factors (CSFs) responsible for the success of public private partnership (PPP) road projects in Gujarat, a state in western India. 44 CSFs were identified from extensive literature survey and interaction with experts. A questionnaire was designed with responses to be given for the identified CSFs by experienced PPP practitioners of India. Questionnaire survey responses were analyzed using coefficient of variance method, factor analysis method, one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test and independent t-test. The results of the factor analysis showed that out of 44 CSFs, 18 CSFs appear to be most critical. Further, out of 20 CSFs identified through coefficient of variation method, 15 CSFs were found to be similar to the 18 CSFs identified through factor analysis method. The results of one way ANOVA test revealed that 8 factors were considered to be significantly different among the group of respondents. Independent t-test was conducted for these 8 factors to observe the difference between two mutual respondents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicosis is one of the major occupational lung diseases among stone miners; currently, it is a major concern in India given its 12–30% prevalence. The objective of this study was to determine the exposure profile of respirable dust and crystalline silica concentrations from sandstone, masonry stone, and granite stone mines in India. Personal respirable dust samples were collected from each type of mine and analyzed for dust and respirable crystalline silica concentrations. The mean dust concentrations were found to be 0.47 mg/m3, 1.24 mg/m3, and 3.28 mg/m3 for sandstone, masonry stone, and granite stone mines, respectively. The mean respirable crystalline silica concentrations were 0.12 mg/m3 for sandstone mines and 0.17 mg/m3 for masonry stone and granite stone mines. The concentrations in sandstone mines was below the standard stipulated by the Directorate General of Mine Safety in India (0.15 mg/m3), whereas in the granite and masonry mines the concentrations just exceeded the limit. The Indian standard for respirable crystalline silica is three to six times higher than the standard set elsewhere (i.e., by OSHA, ACGIH®, and Egyptian Labor Law standards). Considering the large number of silicosis cases among stone miners in India, the present standard appears inadequate. It is recommended that the standard be lowered to match international standards that minimize the risk of silicosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]