Search

Core samples from four boreholes (SAV-1, SAV-117, SAV-124, SAV-125) within the Vaddugudem block of the Godavari Valley Coalfield, Southern India have been palynologically investigated to understand the stratigraphic setting of that area. Only 60 out of the 172 samples yielded identifiable palynoassemblages. From the observed palynofloral composition, five distinct palynoassemblages (Scheuringipollenites Assemblage: PA-I, Striatopodocarpites + Faunipollenites Assemblage: PA-II, Striates + Striasulcites Assemblage: PA-III, Striates + Guttulapollenites Assemblage: PA-IV, Lundbladispora + Verrucosisporites Assemblage: PA-V) were identified. Furthermore, five distinct palynozones (Scheuringipollenites barakarensis Zone = PZ-1, Striatopodocarpites + Faunipollenites Zone = PZ-2, Gondisporites raniganjensis Zone = PZ-3, Guttulapollenites gondwanensis-Striatopodocatpites tiwarii Zone = PZ-4 and Playfordiaspora cancellosa Zone = PZ-5) were identified. These correspond to the Artinskian (PZ-1), Wordian–Capitanian (PZ-2 and PZ-3), Wuchiapingian–Changhsingian (PZ-4) and Induan–Olenekian (PZ-5), respectively. The study site is situated within a geologically active region within the basin, primarily attributed to the exposure of elevated basement rocks on the eastern side of the borehole locations. Notably, the palynozones appear as relatively narrow layers in the boreholes investigated within this tectonically disturbed basin. The repetition of palynoassemblages and palynozones at small intervals suggests that the boreholes are located in a fault zone with multiple fault planes and that palynomorphs were reworked along these fault planes. Fault slices of different lithological units containing palynoassemblages may have intersected the boreholes. Specifically, the recurrence of thin marker palynoassemblages and palynozones, which show similarities in age to the Barakar and Lower Kamthi/Raniganj formations, is likely attributable to tectonic disturbances, such as faulting. This disturbance may have induced the reworking or migration of palynomorphs along the fault plane. As a result, it is concluded that variations in the stratigraphic abundance of these reworked palynomorphs can serve as indicators of tectonic settings, even when these settings are not readily discernible in the geological record. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Multi-morbidity is a pervasive and growing issue worldwide. The prevalence of multi-morbidity varies across different populations and settings, but it is particularly common among older adults. It poses substantial physical, psychological, and socio-economic burdens on individuals, caregivers and healthcare systems. In this context, the present study aims to provide an insight on the prevalence and degree of multi-morbidity; and also, on the relationship between level of multi-morbidity and morbid conditions among a group of slum-dwelling older women. Methods: This community based cross-sectional study was conducted in the slum areas of urban Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It includes total 500 older women, aged 60 years or above. Pre-tested schedules on so-demographic and morbidity profile have canvassed to obtain the information by door-to-door survey. To determine the relationship between the level of multi-morbidity and morbid conditions, correspondence analysis has performed. Results: The study revealed three most prevalent morbid conditions- back and/or joint pain, dental caries/cavity and hypertension. The overall prevalence of multi-morbidity was 95.8% in this group of older women. It was highly over-represented by the oldest-old age group (80 years and above). Majority were found to suffer from five simultaneous morbid conditions that accounted for 15.2% of the total respondents. All of the oldest-old women of this study reported to suffer from more than two medical conditions simultaneously. Three distinct groups were formed based on the inter-relationship between level of multi-morbidity and morbid conditions. The group 1 and 2 represents only 27.8% and 18% of the total sample. Whereas, group 3 comprises the highest level of morbidities (≥ 6) and 52.8% of total sample, and strongly related with general debilities, cardiac problems, asthma/COPD, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal problems, neurological disorders, hypothyroidism and oral health issues. Conclusion: The findings confirmed the assertion that multi-morbidity in slum living older adults is a problem with high prevalence and complexity. This study proposes an easily replicable approach of understanding complex interaction of morbidities that can help further in identifying the healthcare needs of older adults to provide them with healthy and more productive life expectancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the relationship between earnings quality and corporate cash holdings in an emerging economy. Existing literature posits that earnings quality is a result of information asymmetry and firms with lower earnings quality increases cash holdings, to shield the firm from future uncertainties. In this paper, the authors propose a 'private benefits hypothesis', which suggests that lower earnings quality is an indicator of opportunism and expropriation of resources in the firm, through tunneling or excessive executive compensations. As a result, firms with lower earnings quality increase cash holdings in their control, to increase their private benefits and to avoid the scrutiny of the external stakeholders. The authors further examine the monitoring role played by institutional investors on cash holdings, with varying degrees of earnings quality. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses an unbalanced panel data sourced from Prowessdx, from 2000 to 2019. The analysis employs 20,231 firm-year observations from 2,421 firms. Earnings quality is calculated following Dechow and Dichev (2002). Findings: Empirical analysis confirms that the firms with higher earnings quality reduce cash. Further, institutional investors reduce the cash holdings in firms with higher earnings quality. Institutional investors effectively reduce the cash only in firms with at least 10% of equity shareholding. The results are robust to alternative measures of earnings quality and endogeneity concerns. Originality/value: This study diverges from the information asymmetry hypothesis in the existing literature on earnings quality and cash holdings and highlights the underlying private benefits hypothesis, that will impact cash holdings. Next, the 10% institutional shareholding is important in the Indian context as it represents the minimum threshold at which block holders can request extraordinary general meetings (Section 100 of the Companies Act 2013) or the involvement of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) (Section 213 of the Companies Act 2013). This study highlights that unlike in Anglo-Saxon economies, institutional investors or other minority shareholders are empowered by the Companies Act 2013 to play a vital role in corporate governance with a mere 10% equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aims to use the response surface methodology to develop models for assessing monthly mean global solar radiation. Fifteen years of meteorological data (1986–2000) is used from 22 locations in India. From the data, an overall of 6 input parameters are selected (sunshine duration, temperature difference, humidity, precipitation, wind speed, and atmospheric pressure). The effect of each independent input parameter on the response (clearness index) is evaluated using different numbers and combinations of input parameters (ranging from two to six inputs) thereby resulting in 5 categories. A total of 57 empirical equations are developed using Minitab-19. The performance of the proposed models is compared by making use of statistical error tests. Further, these equations are ranked through the use of the global performance indicator. For each category, the best model is evaluated and the overall top model is also suggested. Global performance indicator values were in the range of − 3.907 to 0.948. Response plots are developed for the best models under each category and the effect of input parameters is discussed. Response surface methodology is found to be a modest and effective technique, and the models developed can be precisely used in different regions based on the availability of meteorological parameters. Highlights: • Global solar radiation is estimated based on six meteorological input parameters. • Response surface methodology is used to correlate the clearness index with variables. • Fifty-seven models under five categories (based on the number of input variables) are suggested. • Contours are made to analyze response with input variables (taken two at a time). • Errors analysis and GPI suggest that model 54 exhibits the best performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brucellosis is a widely prevalent zoonotic disease of major public health significance. A collection of Brucella melitensis and Brucella abortus field isolates of animal and human origin were subjected to MLVA-15 typing followed by phylogeography studies. The MLVA-15 analysis of B. melitensis (n = 65) field isolates resulted in 48 different profiles. The panel I marker bruce45 was found to be most conserved, while the rest of the panel I markers showed low to moderate length polymorphism. Among the panel II markers, bruce04, bruce16 and bruce30 showed a high discriminatory index. The MLVA-15 typing of 13 B. abortus field isolates revealed 13 different genotypes with panel II markers showing higher discriminatory ability vis-à-vis panel I. The minimum spanning tree analysis (MST) in comparison with isolates from the international database revealed that all B. melitensis and B. abortus isolates from this study belonged to the 'Eastern Mediterranean' and the 'abortus C' lineage, respectively. The MLVA-15 typing could differentiate field isolates of B. abortus and B. melitensis originating from different regions, reaffirming the technique's potential of high resolution and suitability for local epidemiological studies. The MLVA scheme also has the advantage of comparison of local isolates with a worldwide database, allowing for phylogeographical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work elucidates miofloral records from the Ganmachidam Formation (late Carboniferous–earliest Permian) of Spiti Valley, Tethyan Himalaya. The Ganmachidam Formation was hitherto considered as unfossiliferous, both for the faunal as well as floral records, and has been subjected to contentious age assessment. The present study has been carried out to find out the microfloral remains, assess the palynostratigraphic status, and the age of the Ganmachidam Formation. From the splintery shale sequence, a rich assemblage of palynomorphs has been recovered, having a dominance of monosaccate pollen grains, namely Parasaccites (Cannanoropollis), Crucisaccites, Divarisaccus, Densipollenites, Maculatasporites, followed by diverse bisaccate pollen grains, namely Scheuringipollenites, Crescentipollenites, Faunipollenites (Protohaploxypinus), Lunatisporites, Striatopodocarpites, Striatites, Rhizomaspora, Primuspollenites, and the spores Callumispora (Punctatisporites) and Calamospora in addition to woody fragments and fungal spores. Three palynoassemblages are identified. The recovered palynocomposition is corroborated with known records of palynomorphs from the Tethyan realm of India and from the late Carboniferous–Early Permian records of contemporaneous sequences across the globe. The composition of these palynoassemblages shows close correlation with the Crucisaccites monoletus Zone and Vittatina costabilis Interval Zone in the northeastern area of the Paraná Basin, Brazil, and lower Barakar palynozone (Scheuringipollenites barakarensis Assemblage Zone) of Peninsular India which indicates the studied section of the Ganmachidam Formation is late Pennsylvanian to early Permian in age. Moreover, occurrences of palynomorphs from the Carboniferous sequences having a glossopterid affinity further strengthen the idea that glossopterids might have originated in Carboniferous time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate whether the use of accounting conservatism in India decreases IPO underpricing, which is of attention to stakeholders and supervisors. Furthermore, the study examines how asymmetry information affects the implication of accounting conservatism for IPOs. Based on a regression analysis of 527 firms that went public through IPOs of "A" shares listed on the national stock exchanges between 2000 and 2020, the paper also examines whether the relationship between conservatism and under-pricing is robust to alternative measures of accounting conservatism, mean regressions, sample exclusions, and endogenous treatment models. The research study finds that accounting conservatism is negatively associated with the degree of IPO under-pricing, and the association between accounting conservatism and IPO under-pricing is more perceptible when information asymmetry is high. The paper's originality should shed light on what drives IPO underpricing and how it could be affected by accounting conservatism in an Indian economy, and provide find evidence that legal origin, a factor linked to the practice of conservatism, influences the relationship between under-pricing and conservatism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to examine the role of corporate governance (CG) on earnings management (EM) in Indian commercial banks. In addition, the study examines the role of board gender diversity within the CG framework using data from 22 publicly traded commercial banks in India from 2010 to 2019. The study uses Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to develop a comprehensive CG measure. Using a Panel Corrected Standard Error (PCSE) approach, the study finds that CG has a significant negative impact on EM in Indian commercial banks. The findings further revealed a positive association between gender diversity of boards and EM, indicating that the lack of gender diversity on a bank's board outweighs the benefits of gender-diverse boards. Our study shows that CG mechanisms are more effective when combined together than individual governance mechanisms. The study also provides new insight into the role of board gender diversity as a CG mechanism on EM in banks in the context of a developing country. The study provides practical implications for investors, managers, regulators and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate governance has been the centre of attention for policy-makers and researchers alike. Given the scale of operations of the companies and the strong adverse impact of misgovernance on various stakeholders, the importance of ethical governance practices in companies has increased in recent times. Lawmakers have tried to tighten the governance norms by introducing new provisions in the law from time to time. Despite this, there have been several corporate scandals, resulting from misgovernance, that has shaken the confidence of the investors. The present study aims at understanding the various corporate frauds that took place in the recent past, the CG practices adopted and followed by the corporations under study, and the scale of loss for the shareholders. We also present some basic financial ratios calculated from the company reports available in the public domain, to test the financial robustness of these corporations, and in the end, we provide suggestions to the policymakers to strengthen the CG practices mandated by them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Richly fossiliferous calc-argillaceous sediments interbedded between the carbonates of the 'Nummulitic series' and the sandstone-shale of the 'new series' around Nongkulang in the West Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, India, were originally designated as the Nongkulang hill series. The series was not considered as a formal unit due to the very thin succession and local nature of the sediments. In theGaroHills andKhasiHills, this lithosuccessionwas previously correlatedwith theKopili Stage, whose stratotype is non calcareous and largely unfossiliferous. Successive occurrences of late Eocene and early Oligocene foraminifera in the uninterrupted calc-argillaceous sediments in the Therria section suggest the presence of an Eocene-Oligocene boundary succession. Since the calc-argillaceous sediments closely resembled the Nongkulang series these were examined to determine whether the Nongkulang qualifies for an independent lithounit or a part of the Kopili Stage. The Nongkulang series was mapped and its stratigraphic sections measured via river and road outcrops in a stretch from the Someswari (= Simsang)River in theGaroHills to the Therria nala inKhasiHills. With definite lithocontacts, lateral continuity, and variation in lithology and fauna, the series is justified as a formal lithounit characterized by small size Nummulites, ooids and thin impure limestone beds, and divisible into lower, middle and uppermembers. It is redefined and described as theNongkulang Formation andassigned late Eocene to early Oligocene age based on integrated larger and planktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy. Atentative Eocene-Oligocene boundary is documented in the middlemember. The associated Prang and Kopili formations are also refined and revised. The Nongkulang Formation corresponds to the Eocene-Oligocene transition and contains terminal Eocene biostratigraphic events. These new sites documenting the Eocene to Oligocene succession may be potentially useful to study sea level changes in NE India and adjoining Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by legislation mandating CSR expenditure to improve social equality and economic development in India, we examine the association of CSR expenditure and financial inclusion with the performance of banking firms in the period after introduction of the legislation. We study whether mandated CSR expenditure and/or financial inclusion measures are associated with better financial performance, using both accounting and stock market measures of performance, for Indian banks during 2015–2017. Our results demonstrate that level of CSR expenditure and degree of financial inclusion is not associated with banks' financial performance when performance is measured in accounting terms. However, a significant negative association is found when performance is measured by stock market return. These results suggest that the current design of the legislation is unlikely to achieve its purpose. This is the first study to present clear evidence on the associations of mandatory CSR spending and firm‐level financial inclusion with accounting‐based and market‐based bank performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a methodology to find out a suitable ocean wave energy converter (OWEC) device for Indian coastal region. A comprehensive literature survey of all the existing OWEC devices is done and thereafter, 13 OWEC devices are shortlisted on the basis of Indian coastal wave power flux density. A systematic approach is used to predict unknown quantities such as: total annual cost per MW, system overall efficiency and relative impact on surrounding. List of the selected devices is narrowed down based on total annual cost per MW, efficiency and effect on surrounding environment. The proposed analysis concluded that cost-effective OWEC devices which are efficient as well as eco-friendly are L1-L3 (Sweden), and SSG (Norway) for Indian coast. A similar approach can also be applied to predict a suitable OWEC device for other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Business reporting in India is becoming more transparent and dynamic as it is impacted by regulatory changes and varying information needs of stakeholders. In recent days, Indian companies are increasingly investing their financial and intellectual capital in undertaking, managing and reporting economic, environmental and social aspects. Reporting economic, environmental and social aspects in a single report is termed as integrated reporting (IR). The present paper is empirical in nature and involves analysing the awareness level of IR practices among academicians, accountants and auditors. It also evaluates the level of compliance of voluntary IR practices with GRI. Data were collected both from primary and secondary sources and collected data were analysed with the help of statistical tools such as reliability analysis, t-test, levene's test. The study concludes that the academicians, accountants and auditors positively perceive the impact of IR practices on various aspects of business and there exist differences in IR reporting practices among selected companies as per GRI guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Research Papers of the Wroclaw University of Economics / Prace Naukowe Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego we Wroclawiu is the property of Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny we Wroclawiu and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose Based on agency theory, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the determinants on the dissemination level of corporate governance disclosure (CGD).Design/methodology/approach The sample of the study incorporates listed companies in Nifty 500 Index for the period 2009-2014. The Governance Disclosure Score calculated by Bloomberg is used as a proxy for the dissemination level of corporate governance information. In total, eight explanatory variables are uses, namely, board’s size, number of board meetings, CEO duality, presence of women on the board, company’s size, financial performance, Tobin’s Q ratio and financial leverage.Findings The results of study suggest a need for improvement in CGDs by Indian companies, as they fail to comply the majority of the proposed disclosure items. Furthermore, it is revealed that the number of board director, the value of company, the financial leverage and the presence of women affect negatively the dissemination level of corporate governance information. While, the size of company is the only determinant that positively affects the extent of CGD.Practical implications The results are valuable because they reveal the attributes that determines which companies needs less or extra monitoring by shareholders and investors regarding the applied corporate governance practices. In addition, the study can be valuable to policy makers responsible for the regulation of company’s accountability in relation to corporate governance practices.Originality/value The study extents previous studies by incorporating for the first time Bloomberg’s rating approach regarding the dissemination level of CGD in Indian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2013, a new law required Indian firms, which satisfy certain profitability, net worth, and size thresholds, to spend at least 2% of their net income on corporate social responsibility (CSR). We exploit this regulatory change to isolate the shareholder value implications of CSR activities. Using an event study approach coupled with a regression discontinuity design, we find that the law, on average, caused a 4.1% drop in the stock price of firms forced to spend money on CSR. However, firms that spend more on advertising are not negatively affected by the mandatory CSR rule. These results suggest that firms voluntarily choose CSR to maximize shareholder value. Therefore, forcing a firm to spend on CSR is likely to be sub-optimal for the firm with a consequent negative impact on shareholder value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: India is a patchwork of tribal and non-tribal populations that speak many different languages from various language families. Indo-European, spoken across northern and central India, and also in Pakistan and Bangladesh, has been frequently connected to the so-called "Indo-Aryan invasions" from Central Asia ∼3.5 ka and the establishment of the caste system, but the extent of immigration at this time remains extremely controversial. South India, on the other hand, is dominated by Dravidian languages. India displays a high level of endogamy due to its strict social boundaries, and high genetic drift as a result of long-term isolation which, together with a very complex history, makes the genetic study of Indian populations challenging. Results: We have combined a detailed, high-resolution mitogenome analysis with summaries of autosomal data and Y-chromosome lineages to establish a settlement chronology for the Indian Subcontinent. Maternal lineages document the earliest settlement ∼55-65 ka (thousand years ago), and major population shifts in the later Pleistocene that explain previous dating discrepancies and neutrality violation. Whilst current genome-wide analyses conflate all dispersals from Southwest and Central Asia, we were able to tease out from the mitogenome data distinct dispersal episodes dating from between the Last Glacial Maximum to the Bronze Age. Moreover, we found an extremely marked sex bias by comparing the different genetic systems. Conclusions: Maternal lineages primarily reflect earlier, pre-Holocene processes, and paternal lineages predominantly episodes within the last 10 ka. In particular, genetic influx from Central Asia in the Bronze Age was strongly male-driven, consistent with the patriarchal, patrilocal and patrilineal social structure attributed to the inferred pastoralist early Indo-European society. This was part of a much wider process of Indo-European expansion, with an ultimate source in the Pontic-Caspian region, which carried closely related Y-chromosome lineages, a smaller fraction of autosomal genome-wide variation and an even smaller fraction of mitogenomes across a vast swathe of Eurasia between 5 and 3.5 ka. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the value relevance of segment information for both public and private sector banks in India. In doing so, this paper examines a rapidly developing economy and perhaps its most critical sector during this period of strong economic growth.Design/methodology/approach In this study uses the simplified Ohlson model, for a sample of 136 private sector and public sector banks for the period 2007-2010 in India.Findings The paper finds that public sector banks have higher share prices, higher earnings and more equity compared with private sector banks. Segment earnings data is highly value relevant for both sectors; however, segment equity data is only marginally value relevant for Indian banks. The number of segments is also value relevant and associated with higher share prices.Originality/value The results of this study contribute additional evidence to the literature on segment reporting by studying the effect of adoption of segment reporting in an emerging market. Findings from the paper are particularly relevant as India is currently in the process of changing its segment reporting requirements and moving to an IFRS-based segment standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the military policies and capabilities of various Asian nations, and it mentions the deterrence-related impact that China's increasing maritime and air-warfare capabilities have on U.S. naval deployments. The Chinese military's development of advanced anti-ship cruise missiles is mentioned, along with India's national security concerns and Chinese-Japanese relations. China's defence economics and defence spending across Asia are also examined.

Context: India is considered a treasure for geneticists and evolutionary biologists due to its vast human diversity, consisting of more than 4500 anthropologically well-defined populations (castes, tribes and religious groups). Each population differs in terms of endogamy, language, culture, physical features, geographic and climatic position and genetic architecture. These factors contributed to India-specific genetic variations which may be responsible for various common diseases in India and its migratory populations. As a result, interpretations of the origins and affinities of Indian populations as well as health and disease conditions require complex and sophisticated genetic analysis. Evidence of ancient human dispersals and settlements is preserved in the genome of Indian inhabitants and this has been extensively analysed in conventional and genomic analyses. Objective and methods: Using genomic analyses of STRs and Alu on a set of populations, this study estimates the level and extent of genetic variation and its implications. Results: The results show that Indian populations have a higher level of unique genetic diversity which is structured by many social processes and geographical attributes of the country. Conclusion: This overview highlights the need to study the anthropological structure and evolutionary history of Indian populations while designing genomic and epigenomic investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guembelitria is an essential biotic component in the Late Cretaceous-Early Paleogene (K/Pg) marine successions to provide crucial information about the K/Pg boundary; however, it is not well studied in Indian subcontinent. Biostratigraphically well constrained K/Pg successions of Therriaghat and Mahadeo in the East Khasi Hills District, Meghalaya, India provided a scope to present a comprehensive account of the genus in the perspective of differences of opinion about its species. A total of six species including Guembelitria langparensis n. sp., are recognized and their stratigraphic distribution is recorded. A review of the taxonomic validity of the known species, an evaluation of the diverse concepts of Guembelitria cretacea Cushman, and semiquantitative analysis of the recovered species permitted their clustering into two morphogroups that had different ecology. Morphogroup I comprising Guembelitria cretacea, Guembelitria trifolia and Guembelitria langparensis n. sp., is characterized by flared and short spire tests that form a bioseries and thrived as surface floaters. Morphogroup II comprising Guembelitria irregularis, Guembelitria danica and Guembelitria sp a, possesses high spire, narrow tests that have morphological abnormalities and had preference for living in subsurface stressed environment. The occurrence of the species and accompanying other features like ratio of planktonic to benthic foraminifera (p/b), lithologic assemblage and incidence of phosphorite, are used to infer depositional environments and sea level changes during successive biozones of the sequence. The recognized Guembelitria events during the K/Pg transition are discussed with reference to world occurrences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China, Brazil, India, Russia, Malaysia, Turkey and South Africa have added significantly to the growth of outward developing country foreign direct investment (OFDI) in recent years. These trends reveal emerging capabilities in companies from outside the developed world and they have prompted several questions: How do developing countries’ firms succeed in entering global markets? Do these firms improve their competitiveness through OFDI? This article investigates the OFDI phenomenon in South Africa. It starts by exploring some theoretical considerations, then provides an overview of internationalisation trends, and finally sets out revealing case studies of the most successful South African firms. The article shows that, although no single homogeneous internationalisation strategy emerged for all successful South African conglomerates, the common denominator was excellent entrepreneurial and management capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A chiropteran inventory of Himachal Pradesh, northwestern India is presented. Based on field observation and the study of museum collections and published literature, the occurrence of 28 species within 14 genera and five families is affirmed. The study also provides observations on ecology and biology of selected species, and ecological, zoogeographical and conservation aspects of the chiropteran fauna of Himachal Pradesh are also discussed. Considering the lack of studies on the bat fauna of Himachal Pradesh, it is expected that systematic and intensive field surveys will refine significantly our knowledge of diversity and distribution of Chiroptera in the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indian subcontinent harbours both the human mtDNA macrohaplogroups M and N, of which M is the most prevalent. In this study, we discuss the overall distribution of the various haplogroups and sub-haplogroups of M among the different castes and tribes to understand their diverse pattern with respect to geographical location and linguistic affiliation of the populations. An overview of about 170 studied populations, belonging to four distinct linguistic families and inhabiting different geographic zones, revealed wide diversity of about 22 major haplogroups of M. The tribal populations belonging to the same linguistic family but inhabiting different geographical regions (Dravidian and Austro--Asiatic speakers) exhibited differences in their haplogroup diversity. The northern and southern region castes showed greater diversity than the castes of other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Control and preventive measures for gonococcal infections are based on precise epidemiological characteristics of N. gonorrhoeae isolates. The shortcomings of phenotypic typing methods has led to development of molecular genetic methods. Epidemiological analysis of N. gonorrhoeae isolates by genotypic methods has not been carried out in India so far. Therefore, in the present study the potential utility of opa-typing and ribotyping for molecular epidemiological study of gonococcal strains was determined. Sixty gonococcal isolates were collected from among 62 males with urethritis, 22 females with endocervicitis, and 10 sexual contacts of these patients from January, 2006 to June, 2007 in New Delhi. The isolates were subjected to ribotyping (with AvaII and HincII), and opa-typing (with TaqI and HpaII) for epidemiological characterization of gonococcal population. Ribotyping with AvaII yielded 6 ribotype patterns while twelve RFLP patterns were observed with HincII. opa-typing of the 60 isolates revealed a total of 54 opa-types, from which 48 were unique and 6 formed clusters. Of the 48 isolates with unique opa-types, none were known to be from sexual contacts. Fifty-two opa-types were observed with TaqI-digested PCR product while Opa-typing with HpaII demonstrated 54 opa-types. The opa-types from isolates that were epidemiologically unrelated were distinct, whereas those from the sexual contacts were identical. The results showed that opa-typing is highly useful for characterizing gonococcal strains from sexual contacts and has more discriminatory than ribotyping that could differentiate between gonococci of the same ribotype. The technique even with a single restriction enzyme has a high level of discrimination (99.9%) between epidemiologically unrelated isolates. The results of both methods indicate that gonococcal infection among the patients studied was not derived from common core groups. In conclusion, the molecular methods such as opa-typing and ribotyping can be used for epidemiological characterization of gonococcal strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article makes an assessment of the recent international expansion of Indian companies by contrasting it to the earlier - much more modest - wave of investments abroad. It also traces the evolution of the Indian government's policy towards outwards investments and makes the claim that an important reason for the rise of investments abroad is the gradual relaxation of the Indian government's restrictions on capital outflow after the economic reforms of the 1990s. The new Indian investments abroad are characterised by being dispersed over a very large number of countries and economic sectors and- most remarkable - Indian companies are now also targeting the markets in Europe and the USA through acquisitions of local companies. At the same time, Indian companies have continued to expand their presence in other developing countries, where their activities may contribute to both economic progress and a reduction of economic dependence on relations with developed countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The caste system has persisted in Indian Hindu society for around 3,500 years. Like the Y chromosome, caste is defined at birth, and males cannot change their caste. In order to investigate the genetic consequences of this system, we have analysed male-lineage variation in a sample of 227 Indian men of known caste, 141 from the Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh and 86 from the rest of India. We typed 131 Y-chromosomal binary markers and 16 microsatellites. We find striking evidence for male substructure: in particular, Brahmins and Kshatriyas (but not other castes) from Jaunpur each show low diversity and the predominance of a single distinct cluster of haplotypes. These findings confirm the genetic isolation and drift within the Jaunpur upper castes, which are likely to result from founder effects and social factors. In the other castes, there may be either larger effective population sizes, or less strict isolation, or both. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trichoderma species offer considerable potential for controlling aflatoxin contamination in groundnut and other crops. Initial classification of 48 Trichoderma isolates, derived from four different groundnut cultivation sites in India was based on alignment of 28S rDNA sequences to GenBank sequences of ex-type strains. This was found to be substantially more reliable than our routine morphological characterization, but did not provide a comprehensive diagnostic solution, as unique single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) haplotypes could not be identified for all species. However, all the Trichoderma isolates could be readily distinguished by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis, based on six primer pair combinations, which generated 234 polymorphic bands. In addition, individual AFLP bands were identified which differentiate closely related species. Similarly, AFLP bands were identified that correlated with different types of antagonism to Aspergillus flavus. The implications of these results for the development of simple polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based diagnostic assays for antagonistic isolates of Trichoderma is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demonstrates that Pakistan's military has consistently failed to achieve its strategic objectives based on the country's wars with from 1947 to 1999. Pakistan's violation of the principle of knowing what is to be attained by war before commencing one; Inadequacy of its command structure; Reasons for the failures.

The cities of North India, such as Delhi, face a significant public health threat from severe air pollution. Between October 2021 and January 2022, 79 % of Delhi's daily average PM 2.5 (Particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm) values exceeded 100 μg/m 3 (the permissible level being 60 μg/m 3 as per Indian standards). In response to this acute exposure, using Respiratory Face Masks (RFMs) is a cost-effective solution to reduce immediate health risks while policymakers develop long-term emission control plans. Our research focuses on the health and economic benefits of using RFMs to prevent acute exposure to PM 2.5 pollution in Delhi for different age groups. Our findings indicate that, among the fifty chosen RFMs, M50 has greatest potential to prevent short-term excess mortality (908 in age ranges 5-44), followed by M49 (745) and M48 (568). These RFMs resulted in estimated economic benefits of 500.6 (46 %), 411.1 (37 %), and 313.4 (29 %) million Indian Rupee (INR), respectively during October-January 2021-22. By wearing RFMs such as M50, M49, and M48 during episodes of bad air quality, it is estimated that 13 % of short-term excess mortality and associated costs could be saved if at least 30 % of Delhi residents followed an alert issued by an operational Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) developed by the Ministry of Earth Sciences. Our research suggests that RFMs can notably decrease health and economic burdens amid peak PM 2.5 pollution in post-monsoon and winter seasons until long-term emission reduction strategies are adopted. It is suggested that an advisory may be crafted in collaboration with statutory bodies and should be disseminated to assist the vulnerable population in using RFMs during winter. The analysis presented in this research is purely science based and outcomes of study are in no way to be construed as endorsement of product., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. The authors also declare that The Ministry of Earth Science (MoES) of the Government of India, and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) may not fully endorse the findings from this study, and authors don't have any commercial interests with manufacturers of masks presented in this study., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

In 1987/88 a winter outbreak of infantile gastroenteritis occurred in Manipur, India which was mainly due to rotaviruses of long electropherotype and subgroup (SG) I. The VP7 gene of one of these viruses (M48) has been cloned and sequenced. It was found to be very closely related to the VP7 genes of the G2 serotype human rotaviruses RV-5 and S2. Follow-up epidemiology of this event in Manipur during 1989-1992 yielded mainly rotaviruses of more conventional characteristics (94 isolates of SG II and long electropherotype, and 90 isolates of SG I and short electropherotype), but also 6 isolates of SG I with long electropherotype, indicating that these viruses continue to circulate in the Manipur community. One isolate of short electropherotype was of subgroup II, and one long electropherotype isolate reacted with the group A but not with either the subgroup I or subgroup II monoclonal antibodies.