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Objective: We prospectively determined incident cardiovascular events and their association with risk factors in rural India. Methods: We followed up with 7935 adults from the Rishi Valley Prospective Cohort Study to identify incident cardiovascular events. Using Cox proportional hazards regression, we estimated hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for associations between potential risk factors and cardiovascular events. Population attributable fractions (PAFs) for risk factors were estimated using R ('averisk' package). Results: Of the 4809 participants without prior cardiovascular disease, 57.7% were women and baseline mean age was 45.3 years. At follow‐up (median of 4.9 years, 23,180 person‐years [PYs]), 202 participants developed cardiovascular events, equating to an incidence of 8.7 cardiovascular events/1000 PYs. Incidence was greater in those with hypertension (hazard ratio [HR] [95% CI] 1.73 [1.21–2.49], adjusted PAF 18%), diabetes (1.96 [1.15–3.36], 4%) or central obesity (1.77 [1.23, 2.54], 9%) which together accounted for 31% of the PAF. Non‐traditional risk factors such as night sleeping hours and number of children accounted for 16% of the PAF. Conclusions: Both traditional and non‐traditional cardiovascular risk factors are important contributors to incident cardiovascular events in rural India. Interventions targeted to these factors could assist in reducing the incidence of cardiovascular events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This communication deals with seasonal variation of protozoans of edible ornamental fishes of West Bengal, India. During this survey, 1566 edible ornamental fishes were collected from different fish farms, ponds, and nearby markets of several district of West Bengal namely, Nadia, South 24 Parganas, Hooghly, North 24 Parganas, Birbhum, Purba Barddhaman, and Paschim Barddhaman from November 2019 to December 2022. Three ciliate ectoparasites belonging to the genera Trichodina, Trichodinella, and Tripartiella and three myxozoan parasites belonging to the genera Myxobolus, Thelohanellus, and Kudoa have been identified from edible ornamental fish, namely, Anabas testudineus, Bloch, 1792. Our study shows ciliate parasites have a higher rate of infection than myxozoan parasites. The highest prevalence of ectoparasitic infection has been reported during the post-monsoon season, i.e., from November to February, followed by monsoon season while lowest prevalence has been observed during pre-monsoon season, i.e., March to June, implying that environmental variables play a role in the spread of infections. The identification of these ciliates and myxozoans parasites was done by a widely used staining technique, along with an ultrastructural study of the myxozoan parasites using scanning electron microscopy. The current work also reveals the histopathological alterations in the gill and fin of Anabas testudineus, after infection with myxozoan parasites along with an ultrastructural study using scanning electron microscopy, which has not been previously studied. Therefore, this investigation also allows some insight into the previously unrecorded tissue-level alteration of infected host organs due to parasitic infestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to analyse the systemic risk emitted by all publicly listed commercial banks in a key emerging economy, India. Design/methodology/approach: The study makes use of the Tobias and Brunnermeier (2016) estimator to quantify the systemic risk (ΔCoVaR) that banks contribute to the system. The methodology addresses a classification problem based on the probability that a particular bank will emit high systemic risk or moderate systemic risk. The study applies machine learning models such as logistic regression, random forest (RF), neural networks and gradient boosting machine (GBM) and addresses the issue of imbalanced data sets to investigate bank's balance sheet features and bank's stock features which may potentially determine the factors of systemic risk emission. Findings: The study reports that across various performance matrices, the authors find that two specifications are preferred: RF and GBM. The study identifies lag of the estimator of systemic risk, stock beta, stock volatility and return on equity as important features to explain emission of systemic risk. Practical implications: The findings will help banks and regulators with the key features that can be used to formulate the policy decisions. Originality/value: This study contributes to the existing literature by suggesting classification algorithms that can be used to model the probability of systemic risk emission in a classification problem setting. Further, the study identifies the features responsible for the likelihood of systemic risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The estuaries of Maharashtra are under continuous pressure due to uncontrolled dumping of persistent toxic organic pollutants into these regions and their impact on the marine environment. In this study, total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) in water, sediments, fish, and biomarker responses in the Coilia dussumieri exposed to TPHs were determined in seven urbanized tropical estuaries along the west coast of India during the winter and summer. The results of the cluster analysis highlighted that the concentration of TPHs in the water, sediment, and fish in the study area was spatially varied, with the highest concentration in the northern area of Maharashtra (NM) estuaries than in the southern region of Maharashtra (SM) estuaries during both seasons. The enrichment of TPHs in water and sediment in the middle part of most estuaries highlights the addition of anthropogenic organic matter. A higher concentration of TPHs in the muscle tissue of Coilia dussumieri observed in NM during the winter season, indicates the energetic intake and storage of large quantities of TPHs in their muscle tissue. The biochemical results showed decreased levels of total protein (PRT) under exposure to TPHs, under oxidative stress and reversing correlations was observed between catalase (CAT) and lipid peroxidation (LPO) activities with the respective TPHs. Similarly, reduced activity of the CAT antioxidant and increased glutathione-S-transferase (GST) under exposure to TPHs were more likely to occur under hydrocarbon stress. However, current results indicate that Coilia dussumieri actively produces oxidative stress and antioxidant reaction that can be used as biomarkers of pollution in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing number of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) engenders a genuine concern for achieving sustainable development. Properly recycling ELV is paramount to checking pollution, reducing landfills, and conserving natural resources. The present study evaluates the sustainability of India's ELV recycling system from techno-socio-economic and environmental aspects as an instrumental step for assessing performance and progress. This investigation has performed the Strength-Weakness-Opportunity-Threat (SWOT) analysis to evaluate ELV recycling in the long-term viability and examine the critical factors and potential. This research makes practical recommendations for effectively encountering persistent challenges in the ELV recycling system based on Indian values. This research adopts an explorative and Integrated bottom-up mixed approach; it interfaces qualitative and quantitative data and secondary research. This study reveals that the social, economic, technological, and environmental aspects of the sustainability of India's ELV recycling system are comparatively limited. The SWOT analysis demonstrates that potential market size and resource recovery are more significant strengths, whereas lack of an appropriate framework and limited technology are major challenges in the recycling of ELVs in India. Sustainable development and economic viability have emerged as great opportunities, while informality and environmental impact have surfaced as primary potential threats to ELV recycling in India. This paper offers insights and yields critical real-world data that may assist in rational decision-making and developing and implementing any subsequent framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Investor Sentiment Index (ISI) is widely regarded as a useful measure to gauge the overall mood of the market. Investor panic may result in contagion, causing failure in financial markets. Market participants widely use the ISI indicator to understand price fluctuations and related opportunities. As a result, it is imperative to systematically review the compiled literature on the subject. In addition to reviewing past studies on the ISI, this paper attempts a bibliometric analysis (BA) to understand any related publications. We systematically review over 100 articles and carry out a BA on a set of information based on the publication year, the journal, the countries/territories, the deployed statistical tools and techniques, a citation analysis, and a content analysis. This analysis further strengthens the study by establishing interesting findings. Most articles use the Baker and Wurgler index and text-based sentiment analysis. However, an Internet-search-based ISI was also used in a few of the studies. The results reveal the lack of direct measures or a robust qualitative approach in constructing the ISI. The findings further indicate a vast research gap in emerging economies, such as India's. This study had no limit on the period for inclusion and exclusion. We believe that our current work is a seminal study, jointly involving a systematic literature review and BA, that will enormously facilitate academicians and practitioners working on the ISI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four new mite species of the family Phytoseiidae, namely, Euseius chittooriensissp. nov., Euseius karpasaesp. nov., Euseius neoalstoniaesp. nov., and Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) gilbertoisp. nov., are described based on specimens collected from plants at the southern part of Andhra Pradesh, India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four new mite species of the family Phytoseiidae (Acari: Mesostigmata), namely, Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) hasnuhanae Karmakar & Molla sp. nov., Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) theae Karmakar & Molla sp. nov., Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) ramdhuraensis Karmakar & Molla sp. nov., and Phytoseius dumurae Karmakar & Molla sp. nov. are described based on specimens collected from Hasnuhana (Cestrum nocturnum L.: Solanaceae), Tea plant (Camellia sinensis L.: Theaceae), Ulatkambal plant (Abroma augustum (L.): Malvaceae), and Fig plant (Ficus carica L.: Moraceae) at the Northern Hill Zone of West Bengal located amidst the Central Himalayan Mountain range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwaters and soils were analyzed to examine the equilibrium state of natural 238U decay products (226Ra, 210Pb, and 210Po) around the Singhbhum region, Jharkhand, India. Activity ratios of 210Pb/226Ra, 210Po/210Pb, and 210Po/226Ra in groundwater and soil indicate disequilibrium in both the matrices. The contour map of the radionuclides indicated heterogeneous distribution in the study area. Disequilibrium arises due to the high diffusion rate of 222Rn from bedrock to the groundwater and subsequent production of 210Pb and 210Po in the aquifer, and high deposition rate of radon decay products on the soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interconnectedness among banks is a key distinguishing feature of the banking system. It helps mitigate liquidity problems but on the other hand, acts as a curse in propagating systemic risk at times of distress. Thus, as banks cannot function in isolation, this study uses the Contemporary Theory of Networks to examine banking competition in India for five distinct economic phases, emphasizing upon the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This paper proposes a Market Power Network Index (MPNI), which uses network parameters to measure banks' market power. This network structure shows a formation of bank clusters that are involved in competition. Specifically, network properties, such as centroid, average path length, the distance of a node from the centroid, the total number of connections in the inter-bank market, and network density, do go on to explain banking competition. It is interesting to note that crisis periods witness a lower level of competition, with GFC bearing the least competition. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic shows a lower trend, but it is of a higher magnitude than GFC. It was also found that big-sized, profitable, capital adequate, and public banks dominate the banking system. Notably, this study was conducted on a sample of 33 listed Indian banks from April 2008 to December 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

West Bengal and Odisha, two distinguished provinces of India, are consecrated with prosperous animal resources. Both territories have substantially affluent traditional dairy-based products. Rasgulla is one of such kind of traditional Indian dessert made from milk casein with attractive white colour having a spongy, porous structure and spherical shape, popular all over the world for its taste, flavour and unique texture. It is mainly originated in the West Bengal and Odisha, through a cascade of ethnic gastronomic phenomena. Both the traditional and cutting-edge practice of rasgulla preparation has its own impact on the sensory attributes of the product. Researchers' approach to improve textural, colour and sensory qualities of this astonishing dairy product has an appulse on overall acceptability of the product. Different types of milk and coagulant have a tremendous effect on the final quality of the product in terms of nutritional, textural and palatability characteristics of rasgulla. To make this traditional sweetmeat more nutritious, fortification and enrichment of functional features have been studied. Anti-diabetic rasgulla has been prepared to conquer the diabetes mellitus through re-modulation in the extent of sugar used to process this sweetmeat. Shelf-life of casein based products is one of the main concerns for researchers, due to abundance of ample amount of nutrients for optimum growth of microorganisms, along with the warm and humid condition of Indian subcontinent which accelerates the microbial propagation. Though the product has immense nutritional and sensory idiosyncrasy as well as folk medicinal importance, it is yet to be explored in coetaneous medical sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mango leather produced from dried mango pulp is a traditional fruit product in India. Traditionally it is processed through natural convective drying or sun drying of ripe mango pulp. Mango leather was produced through sun, convective (hot air), freeze, and microwave drying. Drying kinetics was studied with the help of nine empirical models used extensively in food industries. Root mean square error (RMSE), correlation coefficient (R²), and the sum of square errors (SSE) these four statistical measures were examined for nine different models to learn the best-fitted model. The Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy study was conducted for compositional analysis of differently dried samples in the wavelength range of 400-4000 cm-1 at ambient temperature. For sensory analysis, the test panel was constructed as per ISO 8586-1. ISO 4120:2004, ISO 5496:2005, ISO 10399:2004 standards were maintained for selecting panel members. Quantitative descriptive analysis of different mango leather was estimated as per the protocols defined in ISO 11035:1994. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Casein ball (rasgulla) is a round-shaped white coloured cheese ball of a very soft springy and porous texture dipped in sugar syrup and is one of the traditional milk-based sweets of India. Both fresh pineapple pulp (PP) and hot air (PH), microwave (PMW), microwave convective (PMWC) and freeze-dried (PF) pineapple powder mixed with chhana in 1:4 ratio were used to prepare the pineapple fortified rasgulla and coded as PP, PH, PMW, PMWC and PF, respectively. Pineapple (Ananas comosus) was chosen mainly due to its high amount of bioactive components, which reduce the rate of deterioration along with value addition purpose. The study aims to observe the effect of period of storage over 0-50 hours at room temperature (25±2°C) on casein ball (rasgulla) samples (fortified using differently dried pineapple), based on different physicochemical parameters such as phenolic content, antioxidant activity, colour change, hardness and sensory analysis. With the progress in storage time, the colour difference and hardness of all the rasgulla samples also increased and on the other hand, the total polyphenol content (TPC) and DPPH activity values decreased. The addition of differently dried pineapple powder to rasgulla helped to increase the TPC and DPPH scavenging activity, TPC and DPPH both increased by 3.5 fold and 5 fold respectively for PMWC (Microwave convective dried pineapple rasgulla). Also, hardness was decreased by 8.07 % in PMWC than NR (Normal rasgulla).Least colour difference was observed for PP (Pineapple pulp rasgulla) after 50 hours of storage. Significant changes on different sensory parameters were also observed with increase in storage time. Among all the samples the best result was observed for PMWC rasgulla. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to review the status of corporate CSR practices in a large Maharatna company in India, by critically appraising the resource application in the spectrum of focus areas, Schedule VII of the CSR rules, and the consequent impacts. The study focuses on the geographic spread of social investments over a period of time. Finally, the study explores the extent of social implications due to CSR initiatives. For the purpose of the study, we selected IOCL, a major oil and gas company, and the largest corporate identity in India in terms of turnover. The findings showed that through its social development activities, besides major CSR projects, its CSR initiatives have touched millions of lives by providing various infrastructure and grassroots development activities in the focus areas identified in the CSR policy of the company. Provision of water facilities; infrastructure at hospitals, schools, colleges, and skill development institutes/industrial training institutes; and setting up sports facilities across the country were some of the projects undertaken by IOCL. Environment-related initiatives like providing LPG connection to the disadvantaged section of society, improving sanitation, health, and livelihood, and providing livelihood generation skills stand tall among various initiatives undertaken. However, the investments are concentrated in and around the operating area, as per policy, in synchronisation with the prevailing act, thereby creating spatial inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study tumor characteristics of choroidal osteoma by swept source optical coherence tomography. Methods: A retrospective case series done at tertiary referral center in northern India. All patients diagnosed with choroidal osteoma examined on swept source optical coherence tomography were included. Swept source optical coherence tomography images were analyzed for integrity of retinal layers—intraretinal layers, outer retinal layers (photoreceptor), retinal pigment epithelium, and contour abnormalities. Choroidal changes assessed were tumor attributes such as shape, depth of choroidal involvement, tumor mass reflectivity pattern, tumor vascularity, and evolutionary structural abnormalities such as deossification, focal depressions, or choroidal neovascular membrane. Results: A total of 15 eyes of 11 patients were analyzed. Seven of 11 patients were females. Mean age of presentation was approximately 26 years. Tumor was large in nine cases (>7.5 mm). Deossification was seen in 12 eyes. Inner and outer retinal integrity was maintained in 7 and 2 eyes, respectively. Most common internal tumor reflectivity pattern seen was a lamellar appearance (12/15). Increased signal transmission to choroid and focal area of deep excavation was present in 11 and 4 eyes, respectively. Osteoclastic activity was noted in 12 eyes. Choroidal neovascular membrane was seen in 6 eyes. Small lesions showed lamellar pattern of tumor reflectivity with preservation of retinal pigment epithelium and overlying retina. Larger tumors were deossified with 6 irregular tumor contour, disorganization of the outer retina, increased signal transmission to choroid, and areas of osteoclastic activity. Conclusion: Swept source optical coherence tomography was helpful in assessing tumor attributes and predicting the different timelines in tumor evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India tops the chart of the world's leading milk producers. Hence it is only natural that the Indian cuisine would have a number of milk based desserts. Rasgulla is one such sweet dish based on coagulated milk protein, locally known as chhana. This East Indian dessert enjoys widespread popularity all over the country not only for its delicious taste but also for the rich nutritional constituents. The health benefits of Rasgulla can be further enhanced by the addition of pineapple (Ananas comosus) powder. Pineapple is a rich source of vitamin C and malic acid and it also has beneficial effects on the digestive system. Hence pineapple powder forms an appropriate choice for enrichment of Rasgulla. However the nutritional enrichments become futile if the taste is compromised. Therefore sensory evaluation is performed in order to ensure the marketability of the product. However traditional sensory evaluation has the serious limitation of subjectivity. It depends strongly on the individual preferences of the panelists. In order to remove this subjectivity fuzzy logic analysis is used. Fuzzy logic is used to mathematically modify the sensory scores given to each sample for each parameter (colour, flavor, taste, mouth feel) and thereby obtain comparable scores. These final scores are used to rank each of the Rasgullas containing different amounts of pineapple powder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The outcome of breast cancer treatment largely depends on the timing of detection. The health promotion interventions have an immense contribution to early detection and improved survival. Therefore, this review aimed to provide evidence on the efficacy of the health promotion interventions to increase the uptake of breast cancer screening and to develop effective interventions targeting women. Methods Online databases (PubMed/MEDLINE/PubMed Central, Ovid/MEDILINE, EMBASE, Web of Science and Google Scholar) were searched for studies published between January 2005 and January 2017. A quality coding system was assessed using Cochrane checklists for randomized controlled trial (RCT) and Downs and Black checklists for non-RCT. The score was rated for the included articles by each researcher independently and the average score is given accordingly. This study was registered in PROSPERO as [PROSPERO 2017: CRD42017060488]. Results The review dovetailed 22 studies. Thirteen studies (59.10%) were conducted in the Unite States, 4 in Iran (18.18%), 2 in India (9.09%) and 1 each in Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Israel. The interventions were classified as 'individual-based', 'community-based', 'group-based teachings and training' and 'behavioral model based'. The majority of the studies showed favorable outcomes after health promotion interventions, including improvements in women's view of breast screening, breast self-examination and knowledge of breast screening. Conclusion The review confirmed that most of the health promotion interventions targeting women boosted the breast screening in one or another way. However, the limited quality of the included studies showed that further research is needed to improve the trials in the next future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Over 75% of global cardiovascular (CVD) deaths occur in low-to-middle-income countries (LMICs). In limited resource settings non-lab-based CVD risk algorithms could be as effective as lab-based algorithms in identifying high-risk groups. We aimed to compare the concordance between lab-and non-lab-based absolute CVD risk algorithms in a LMIC setting. Methods The study was conducted in the Rishi Valley, Andhra Pradesh, India. Over 8,000 participants were surveyed between 2012-2015. The 10-year absolute CVD risk score was computed and compared using lab-and-non-lab based Framingham and WHO algorithms. Results In participants aged 35-74 years, absolute CVD risk score increased with age, and was greater in men than women, for all risk assessment tools. Using the Framingham lab-based algorithm, 15.6% were categorized as high-risk while 14.5% were at high-risk using the non-lab-based algorithm. The non-lab-based Framingham risk score had close agreement and strong correlation with the lab-based Framingham risk score in women (90%, Spearman's rho (rs)=0.81) and men (83%, rs=0.89). Similarly, the non-lab-based WHO risk score had close agreement and strong correlation with the lab-based WHO risk score in women (95%, rs=0.83) and men (92% rs=0.84). In both cases, agreement was better in women than men (P < 0.05 for a two-sample test of proportions). Conclusions The effectiveness of non-lab-based Framingham and WHO algorithms are comparable to that of lab-based algorithms in discriminating high-and low-risk groups. However, the performance of non-lab-based risk score is better among women than men. Key messages Non-lab-based CVD risk algorithms could be effective and resource-efficient in LMIC settings, particularly among women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Low-to-middle-income countries (LMICs) have limited resources to tackle the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Most screening guidelines recommend the use of absolute risk scoring to determine treatment, but there is uncertainty among policy makers and clinicians about which risk algorithm to choose. We aimed to compare laboratory-based absolute CVD risk algorithms in a LMIC setting. Methods The study was conducted in the Rishi Valley, Andhra Pradesh, India. Over 8,000 participants were surveyed between 2012-2015. The 10-year absolute risk was computed and compared using the Framingham, WHO, and Australian absolute risk CVD algorithms. Results In participants aged 35-74 years, 151 (3%) had prior CVD. In all algorithms, absolute CVD risk increased with age and was greater in men than women. Using the WHO algorithm 4% were characterized as high-risk while >29% were at high-risk using the Australian risk tool. Agreement of risk classification among men ranged from a high of 84% (Spearman's rho (rs) =0.92) between Australian and Framingham algorithms to 43% (rs=0.6) between the Australian and WHO risk scores. Among the high-risk population, only 15% were on lipid-lowering or antihypertensive therapy. Conclusions The Framingham and Australian risk scores enable some discrimination between high- and low-risk groups. However, the WHO algorithm underestimates these high-risk groups. Even though one third of the participants were at high-risk, most of them were not receiving recommended treatment. Key messages Lab-based CVD risk assessment tools have the potential in identifying high-risk populations in LMICs but the WHO risk scoring tool should be used with caution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]