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The author proposes a customer relationship marketing-enabled student-attracting product redesign conceptual model for education for business by focusing on customization in business degrees through mirror mapping the interests and career focus of marketing degree students and skills demand of the industry as different from a business degree in analytics. An implementation of the model would make customer acquisition, retention, and relationship processes much more efficient and effective. The author proposes a new way of granting business degrees through "customized personalization" rather than "mass customization" for career focused rather than "get educated, get-job"-focused students. The suggested model has significant implications for institutions' strategy formulators, customer relationship marketing heads, and policymakers.

Background & objectives: The Government of India has initiated a population based screening (PBS) for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). A health technology assessment agency in India commissioned a study to assess the cost-effectiveness of screening diabetes and hypertension. The present study was undertaken to estimate the cost of PBS for Type II diabetes and hypertension. Second, out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) for outpatient care and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among diabetes and hypertension patients were estimated. Methods: Economic cost of PBS of diabetes and hypertension was assessed using micro-costing methodology from a health system perspective in two States. A total of 165 outpatients with diabetes, 300 with hypertension and 497 with both were recruited to collect data on OOPE and HRQoL. Results: On coverage of 50 per cent, the PBS of diabetes and hypertension incurred a cost of ₹ 45.2 per person screened. The mean OOPE on outpatient consultation for a patient with diabetes, hypertension and both diabetes and hypertension was ₹ 4381 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3786-4976), ₹ 1427 (95% CI: 1278-1576) and ₹ 3932 (95% CI: 3614-4250), respectively. Catastrophic health expenditure was incurred by 20, 1.3 and 14.8 per cent of patients with diabetes, hypertension and both diabetes and hypertension, respectively. The mean HRQoL score of patients with diabetes, hypertension and both was 0.76 (95% CI: 0.72-0.8), 0.89 (95% CI: 0.87-0.91) and 0.68 (95% CI: 0.66-0.7), respectively. Interpretations & conclusions: The findings of our study are useful for assessing cost-effectiveness of screening strategies for diabetes and hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a neoplastic disorder, which accounts for 13% of all hematological malignancies globally. While, conventional chemotherapy used to be the mainstay treatment for the disease, the landscape of treatment witnessed a paradigm shift with the introduction of high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT). In this paper, we present a cost analysis of various services provided to multiple myeloma patients, using either of the two modalities of treatments i.e. conventional chemotherapy or ASCT. Bottom-up costing methodology was used to collect data on all health system resources, i.e. capital or recurrent, which were used to provide various services to MM patients. Capital costs were annualized for their useful life using a discount rate of 5%. Out of pocket expenditure on treatment was also ascertained. Cost was assessed for various services, including outpatient consultation, bed day hospitalization in general ward, high dependency unit intensive care setting and bone marrow transplant unit. Unit costs were calculated from both health system and patient perspective. The overall cost per patient for ASCT (including high dose chemotherapy) and conventional chemotherapy from societal perspective was INR 395,527 (USD 6085) and INR 62,785 (USD 966) respectively. Estimates on cost from our study could be used for planning health services, and evaluating cost effectiveness of different modalities of care for multiple myeloma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty-three genotypes of green gram (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) were collected to determine the extent of genetic diversity through morphological characters as well as random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR), and simple sequence repeat (SSR) fingerprinting results. Analysis of variance revealed significant mean square values that indicated a substantial degree of genetic variability among the genotypes. Significant genetic variance was observed for days to 50% maturity, days to maturity, plant height (cm), number of branches/plant, number of pods/plant, pod length (cm), 1000-seed weight (g), seed yield/plant (g), biological yield (g), and harvest index (%) during cultivation in three different environments. Hierarchical Euclidean and cluster analysis based on 10 morphological characteristics grouped all 23 genotypes into three divergent clusters. RAPD (15), ISSR (13), and SSR (10) markers produced a total of 216 bands, of which 190 exhibited polymorphism. The similarity coefficients were significant for all markers; however, they were higher in ISSR than in RAPD or SSR. In the UPGMA dendrogram based on the combined morphological, RAPD, ISSR, and SSR results, the 23 genotypes were divided into three main clusters. The present study revealed that morphological and molecular markers may be successfully utilized for determining genetic diversity and relationships in green gram genotypes and could be used in green gram breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Nanotechnology has potential in the development of novel and effective delivery of drugs within lungs. Different strategies have been utilized for pulmonary delivery of drugs, including the use of lipid-based delivery systems (liposomes, ISCOMs, SLNs), use of polymeric matrix (PLGA, poly caprolactone, cynoacrylates, gelatin), development of polysaccharide particulates (chitosan, alginates, Carbopol, etc.), biocompatible metallic inorganic particles (iron, gold, zinc), etc. This paper reviews various nanopaticulate approaches in the form of lipids, polymers, metals, polysaccharides, or emulsions based for pulmonary drug delivery that could provide an increased biological efficacy and better local and systemic action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]