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Graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) remains one of the major complications following allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). GvHD can occur in almost every tissue, with the skin, liver, and intestines being the mainly affected organs. T cells are implicated in initiating GvHD. T cells identify a broad range of antigens and mediate the immune response through receptors on their surfaces (T cell receptors, TCRs). The composition of TCRs within a T cell population defines the TCR repertoire of an individual, and this repertoire represents exposure to self and non-self proteins. Monitoring the changes in the TCR repertoire using TCR sequencing can provide an indication of the dynamics of a T cell population. Monitoring the frequency and specificities of specific TCR clonotypes longitudinally in different conditions and specimens (peripheral blood, GvHD-affected tissue samples) can provide insights into factors modulating immune reactions following allogeneic transplantation and will help to understand the underlying mechanisms mediating GvHD. This review provides insights into current studies of the TCR repertoire in GvHD and potential future clinical implications of TCR sequencing.

Background: Picrophilus torridus is a thermoacidophilic archaeon that thrives in an extremely low pH (0-1) and high temperatures (50-60°C). Thus, it is a suitable organism to study microbial genetics and metabolic adaptations to the extremely acidic and moderate thermal environment. Objective: In the present study we have conducted a global proteome analysis of P. torridus and discerned the cytosolic proteome of P. torridus using gel-free, liquid chromatographymass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Methods: The cytosolic proteins of P. torridus were extracted and identified using gel-free, LCMS/ MS. Gene Ontology-based pathway analysis and protein-protein interaction studies were performed to understand the role of various cytosolic proteins in sustaining the thermoacidophilic environment. Also, domain analysis of hypothetical/uncharacterized proteins was performed. Results: Using gel-free LC-MS/MS, 408 cytosolic proteins of P. torridus were identified, including 36 hypothetical/uncharacterized proteins. Thus, we could identify 26.58 % of the theoretical proteome of P. torridus. The majority of the cytosolic proteins were observed to be multi-functional and involved in activities related to microbial metabolism. Conclusion: Comparison with an earlier study that used gel-based LC-MS analysis to identify cytosolic proteins of P. torridus revealed that gel-free LC-MS was better in identifying more number of proteins and also, higher/lower molecular weight proteins. The findings of this study may contribute to our understanding of the P. torridus proteome and serve as a foundation for future proteomic research on other thermoacidophilic archaea.

The aim of this paper is to identify key dimensions of mobile wallet (m-wallet) service quality and to prioritize mobile wallet service providers on the basis of these dimensions. Based on extensive literature review and discussion with an expert, six key dimensions of m-wallet service quality, namely convenience, reliability and security, responsiveness, aesthetics, accessibility, and information quality/content, are proposed in this paper. Fuzzy TOPSIS approach is proposed to evaluate and rank mobile wallet alternatives. Four major mobile wallet players from the Indian market are prioritized on the basis of six key service quality dimensions. Examination of the literature indicates that this study is among the first attempts to identify m-wallet service quality dimensions as well as to prioritize mobile wallet alternatives using fuzzy TOPSIS. The findings will be valuable to academicians and practitioners alike. The key dimensions proposed in the paper will enlighten m-wallet service providers about the aspects of services to be focused on. Moreover, the fuzzy TOPSIS technique discussed in this paper will help m-wallet companies to compare them with their competitors. This will help managers to develop strategies to improve their services. On the academic front, the study will extend the knowledge base in the field of self-service technologies.

This investigation is done during COVID-19 to identify, rank, and classify MOOC (massive open online course) key acceptance factors (KAFs) from an Indian perspective. A systematic literature review identifies 11 KAFs of MOOC. One more novel factor named ‘contingent instructor’ is proposed by the authors considering pandemic and new normal post-COVID-19. The paper implements two popular fuzzy MCDM (multiple-criteria decision-making) techniques, namely fuzzy TOPSIS and fuzzy AHP, on 12 KAFs. The fuzzy TOPSIS approach is used to rank factors. Affordability, performance expectancy and digital didactics are found as the top three KAFs. Fuzzy AHP classified KAFs into three groups, namely high, moderate, and low influential. Examination of the literature indicates that this study is among the first attempt to prioritize and classify MOOC KAFs using fuzzy TOPSIS and fuzzy AHP approach. The results offer managerial guidance to stakeholders for effective management of MOOC, resulting in higher acceptance rate. Likewise, this investigation will upgrade the comprehension of MOOC KAFs among academicians. © 2021 IGI Global. All rights reserved.

An effective teaching modality not only improves the efficiency of the teaching process but also promotes active learning. Teaching modalities are continuously evolving due to advancement in technology. There is a range of contradictory reports available in the extant literature regarding the effectiveness of different teaching modalities. This work assesses and prioritises four teaching modalities namely face-to-face teaching, pure online teaching, blended teaching and flipped classroom teaching. Assessment is made based on 8 criteria identified from the literature in consultation with the experts. Analysis revealed that the flipped classroom and blended teaching approaches are the most effective teaching modalities. Examination of the literature indicates that to date no study evaluated all the four aforementioned teaching modalities in a single study. The study is the first attempt to assesses 4 teaching modalities based on 8 eight common criteria by extending TOPSIS to a single-valued neutrosophic environment. Current work provides valuable insights to various stakeholders including academicians, policymakers and practitioners, who are interested in giving a rich learning experience to learners.

l-Asparaginase catalyzes the hydrolysis of l-asparagine to aspartic acid and ammonia and is used in the medical and food industries. In this investigation, from the proteomes of 176 archaeal organisms (with completely sequenced genomes), 116 homologs of l-asparaginase were obtained from 86 archaeal organisms segregated into Asp1, Asp2, IaaA, Asp2like1, and Asp2like2 families based on the conserved domain. The similarities and differences in the structure of selected representatives from each family are discussed. From the two novel archaeal l-asparaginase families Asp2like1 and Asp2like2, a representative of Asp2like1 family

Phagocytosis is a complex cellular uptake process involving multiple distinct steps of cargo recognition, uptake, phagosome maturation and eventual phagolysosome resolution. Emerging literature shows that heterogeneity of phagocytosis at multiple steps at a single cell level influences the population outcome. However, the determinants of phagocytic heterogeneity are not clear. Here we show that the variance in the endocytic capacity of individual cells in a macrophage population determines subsequent phagocytic uptake and trafficking. Our results document the extensive heterogeneity in the endocytic uptake of individual macrophages, and show that cells with higher endocytic capacity preferentially phagocytose diverse cargo, including pathogenic Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Interestingly, M. tuberculosis infected cells sustain the higher endocytic capacity following infection. Modulating endocytic capacity by inhibiting endocytosis reduces phagocytic uptake. Differential uptake of M. tuberculosis into cells with different endocytic capacities correlates with the efficiency of phagocytic delivery to lysosomes, thus contributing further to phagocytic as well as mycobacterial heterogeneity. Thus, variance in endocytic capacity is a determinant of generating heterogeneity in phagocytosis at multiple steps.

© 2022 The Authors. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)., Intracellular pathogens manipulate host cells to survive and thrive. Cellular sensing and signaling pathways are among the key host machineries deregulated to favor infection. In this study, we show that liver-stage Plasmodium parasites compete with the host to sequester a host endosomal-adaptor protein (APPL1) known to regulate signaling in response to endocytosis. The enrichment of APPL1 at the parasitophorous vacuole membrane (PVM) involves an atypical Plasmodium Rab5 isoform (Rab5b). Depletion of host APPL1 alters neither the infection nor parasite development; however, upon overexpression of a GTPase-deficient host Rab5 mutant (hRab5_Q79L), the parasites are smaller and their PVM is stripped of APPL1. Infection with the GTPase-deficient Plasmodium berghei Rab5b mutant (PbRab5b_Q91L) in this case rescues the PVM APPL1 signal and parasite size. In summary, we observe a robust correlation between the level of APPL1 retention at the PVM and parasite size during exoerythrocytic development., This work was supported by grants from the la Caixa Banking Foundation and Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (HR17-00264 and PTDC/SAU-PAR/30751/2017 respectively, both to M.M.M.). A.L and S.S.B were sponsored by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia fellowships (PD/BD/114036/2015, SFRH/BD/114464/2016, respectively). V.S acknowledges funding from the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) (EMR/2016/006810), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. V.P. and C.S. were supported by GRK2581 (P6) SPHINGOINF of the Growing Spine Foundation (DFG).

This research aims to explore adoption intention towards mobile wallet (m-wallet) amid COVID-19 outbreak using mediated-moderation framework. This study, in its uniqueness, utilises the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) theory as its theoretical base. The study investigated the effect of relative advantage, ease of effort, favourable infrastructure conditions, security considerations, and touch-free transactions on m-wallet adoption. The model includes perceived values as a mediator and perceived critical mass (PCM), promotional benefits (PBs) and users' demographics as moderators for deeper understanding of the phenomenon. A total of 327 responses were collected using purposive sampling method. The results revealed that relative advantage, favourable infrastructure conditions, security considerations and touch-free transactions exert a positive significant effect on m-wallet adoption intention. Further, except for ease of effort, perceived values mediate the association among antecedents and adoption intention and PCM, PBs and age found to be crucial moderators between perceived values and intention. This study enriches the existing literature on the adoption of m-wallet. Practically, this study helps marketers frame strategies to enhance the adoption and usage of m-wallet.

Secretory proteins are important for microbial adaptation and survival in a particular environment. Till date, experimental secretomes have been reported for a few archaea. In this study, we have identified the experimental secretome of Picrophilous torridus and evaluated the efficacy of various signal peptide predictors (SPPs) in identifying signal peptides (SPs) in its experimental secretome. Liquid chromatography mass spectrometric (LC MS) analysis was performed for three independent P. torridus secretome samples and only those proteins which were common in the three experiments were selected for further analysis. Thus, 30 proteins were finally included in this study. Of these, 10 proteins were identified as hypothetical/uncharacterized proteins. Gene Ontology, KEGG and STRING analyses revealed that majority of the sercreted proteins and/or their interacting partners were involved in different metabolic pathways. Also, a few proteins like malate dehydrogenase (Q6L0C3) were multi-functional involved in different metabolic pathways like carbon metabolism, microbial metabolism in diverse environments, biosynthesis of antibiotics, etc. Multi-functionality of the secreted proteins reflects an important aspect of thermoacidophilic adaptation of P. torridus which has the smallest genome (1.5 Mbp) among nonparasitic aerobic microbes. SPPs like, PRED-SIGNAL, SignalP 5.0, PRED-TAT and LipoP 1.0 identified SPs in only a few secreted proteins. This suggests that either these SPPs were insufficient, or N-terminal SPs were absent in majority of the secreted proteins, or there might be alternative mechanisms of protein translocation in P. torridus.

CsaA is known to function as a protein secretion chaperone in bacteria. Homologs of CsaA are also found in archaea while they are absent in eukaryotes. This paper presents the biophysical, biochemical analysis and crystallographic structure determination of CsaA from a thermoacidophilic archaeon Picrophilus torridus (PtCsaA). The PtCsaA appears to prevent the aggregation of heat denatured Bovine Carbonic Anhydrase II (BCAII). Differential denaturation of PtCsaA by guanidine hydrochloride (Gdn-HCl) and urea indicates the stabilization of the protein via salt bridges. Denaturant mediated decrease in 8-Anilinonaphthalene-1-sulfonic acid (ANS) binding and shift in wavelength signifies the partial unfolding of the protein molecule and exposure of hydrophobic patches to solvent on denaturation. The crystal structure of PtCsaA was solved to a resolution of 1.7 A. The structure of PtCsaA appears to be similar to bacterial CsaA in architecture. Docking of a six amino acid peptide in the substrate binding pocket of PtCsaA suggests conservation in the substrate binding cavity. Residues involved in the formation of the binding cavity and hydrogen bonds responsible for the dimerization of PtCsaA were compared with those observed in the structure of Bacillus subtilis CsaA. The similarities and differences in electrostatic surface potential of the substrate binding cavities in bacterial CsaA and PtCsaA are discussed.

Background: CsaA is among the few chaperones which are present in both bacteria and archaea, but absent in eukaryotes. There are no reports on interactome analysis of CsaA from archaea, till date. Identification of binding partners of CsaA might be helpful in understanding CsaA-associated processes in Picrophilus torridus an extreme thermoacidophilic euryarchaeon. Objectives: The present study was conducted to identify the binding partners of CsaA of P. torridus (PtCsaA). Methods: The binding partners of PtCsaA were isolated and identified using a pull down assay and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Results: The results revealed twelve potential binding partners of CsaA. These were thermosome subunits (Q6KZS2 and Q6L132), nascent polypeptide-associated complex protein (Q6L1N3), elongation factor 1-alpha (Q6L202), uncharacterized protein (Q6L0Y6), citrate synthase (Q6L0M8), asparaginyl- tRNA synthetase (Q6L0M5), succinyl-CoA synthetase beta chain (Q6L0B4), pyruvate ferredoxin oxidoreductase alpha and beta chain proteins (Q6KZA7 and Q6KZA6, respectively), malate dehydrogenase (Q6L0C3) and reversed fumarylacetoacetase (Q6KZ97). Functional categorization revealed that of these, six proteins were involved in energy metabolic pathways, three were archaeal chaperones, two were involved in translation and one might be a transcription regulator. STRING-based analysis of the protein-protein interactions of the experimental interactome revealed strong interactions among them. Conclusion: PtCsaA might be a multifaceted protein which besides translation might also play important role in metabolic processes of P. torridus. However, further experiments investigating the binding partners of CsaA in other archaea are required for a better understanding of CsaA-associated processes in archaea.

DNA replication protein Cdc45 is an integral part of the eukaryotic replicative helicase whose other components are the Mcm2-7 core, and GINS. We identified a PIP box motif in Leishmania donovani Cdc45. This motif is typically linked to interaction with the eukaryotic clamp proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). The homotrimeric PCNA can potentially bind upto three different proteins simultaneously via a loop region present in each monomer. Multiple binding partners have been identified from among the replication machinery in other eukaryotes, and the concerted /sequential binding of these partners are central to the fidelity of the replication process. Though conserved in Cdc45 across Leishmania species and Trypanosoma cruzi, the PIP box is absent in Trypanosoma brucei Cdc45. Here we investigate the possibility of Cdc45-PCNA interaction and the role of such an interaction in the in vivo context. Having confirmed the importance of Cdc45 in Leishmania DNA replication we establish that Cdc45 and PCNA interact stably in whole cell extracts, also interacting with each other directly in vitro. The interaction is mediated via the Cdc45 PIP box. This PIP box is essential for Leishmania survival. The importance of the Cdc45 PIP box is also examined in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, and it is found to be essential for cell survival here as well. Our results implicate a role for the Leishmania Cdc45 PIP box in recruiting or stabilizing PCNA on chromatin. The Cdc45-PCNA interaction might help tether PCNA and associated replicative DNA polymerase to the DNA template, thus facilitating replication fork elongation. Though multiple replication proteins that associate with PCNA have been identified in other eukaryotes, this is the first report demonstrating a direct interaction between Cdc45 and PCNA, and while our analysis suggests the interaction may not occur in human cells, it indicates that it may not be confined to trypanosomatids., Author summary Leishmaniases are manifested in three forms: cutaneous, sub-cutaneous and visceral. The prevalent form in the Indian subcontinent is visceral leishmaniasis (VL), which is fatal if not treated on time. While there are drugs for treatment, the hunt for additional drugs continues due to emerging drug resistance patterns. The parasite is transmitted by the bite of the sandfly, whereupon it establishes itself within cells of the host immune system (macrophages) and reproduces by binary fission. The replication of its genome is essential for parasite survival. Eukaryotic DNA replication is generally conserved across species. This study targets Cdc45, a protein that helps unwind the DNA double helix to enable copying of the two strands into two daughter strands. The new chains of DNA are synthesized by DNA polymerases, and a trimeric protein, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), helps clamp the polymerases onto the template. In this study we find Cdc45 to interact with PCNA, and have identified the motif in Cdc45 via which it does so. Our results suggest this interaction may be used by other eukaryotes as well. Based on the results of our experiments we propose that Cdc45 may help moor PCNA-polymerase complexes to template DNA.

To what extent do public firms switch to bonds when bank credit supply falls, and how do their real outcomes compare to those of other firms? Examining four U.S. crises during 1988–2011 shows that only 8.4% of debt-receiving firms broke their reliance on loans and switched to bonds. These were high quality firms that, despite incurring large costs, did not suffer significantly more in output, investment, and employment than predominantly bond-issuing firms. Most firms either received loans, or no debt, and fared significantly worse. Thus, public firms do not widely substitute bonds for loans, remaining vulnerable to bank health fluctuations.

Nascent polypeptide-associated complex (NAC) is a ribosome-associated molecular chaperone which is present only in archaea and eukaryotes. The primary function of NAC is to shield the newly synthesized polypeptide chains from inappropriate interactions with the cytosolic factors. Besides that, NAC has been implicated in diverse biological functions, which suggest that it might be a multifunctional protein. An elaborate study on NAC can provide useful information on protein folding in extreme conditions in which many archaea grow. Thus, in the present study, we have studied the biophysical and the biochemical characteristics of NAC of Picrophilus torridus, an extreme thermoacidophilic archaeon. The study of protein–protein interactions and binding partners of a protein provides useful insights into the new/unreported roles of a protein. Thus, in this study, we have identified the binding partners of NAC in P. torridus. The NAC protein of P. torridus was cloned, expressed, and purified, and its binding partners were isolated by a pull down assay followed by identification with liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the biophysical and the biochemical characterization of NAC from P. toridus and the identification of its interacting partners.

Molecular chaperones are a diverse group of proteins that ensure proteome integrity by helping the proteins fold correctly and maintain their native state, thus preventing their misfolding and subsequent aggregation. The chaperone machinery of archaeal organisms has been thought to closely resemble that found in humans, at least in terms of constituent players. Very few studies have been ventured into system-level analysis of chaperones and their functioning in archaeal cells. In this study, we attempted such an analysis of chaperone-assisted protein folding in archaeal organisms through network approach using Picrophilus torridus as model system. The study revealed that DnaK protein of Hsp70 system acts as hub in protein-protein interaction network. However, DnaK protein was present only in a subset of archaeal organisms and absent from many archaea, especially members of Crenarchaeota phylum. Therefore, a similar network was created for another archaeal organism, Sulfolobus solfataricus, a member of Crenarchaeota. The chaperone network of S. solfataricus suggested that thermosomes played an integral part of hub proteins in archaeal organisms, where DnaK was absent. We further compared the chaperone network of archaea with that found in eukaryotic systems, by creating a similar network for Homo sapiens. In the human chaperone network, the UBC protein, a part of ubiquitination system, was the most important module, and interestingly, this system is known to be absent in archaeal organisms. Comprehensive comparison of these networks leads to several interesting conclusions regarding similarities and differences within archaeal chaperone machinery in comparison to humans. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s12192-018-0933-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

CsaA is a protein involved in the post-translational translocation of proteins across the cytoplasmic membrane. It is considered to be a functional homolog of SecB which participates in the Sec-dependent translocation pathway in an analogous manner. CsaA has also been reported to act as a molecular chaperone, preventing aggregation of unfolded proteins. It is essentially a prokaryotic protein which is absent in eukaryotes, but found extensively in bacteria and earlier thought to be widely present in archaea. The study of phylogenetic distribution of CsaA among prokaryotes suggests that it is present only in few archaeal organisms, mainly species of Thermoplasmatales and Halobacteriales. Interestingly, the CsaA protein from these two archaeal orders cluster separately on the phylogenetic tree with CsaA from Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. It, thus, appears that this protein might have been acquired in these archaeal organisms through independent horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events from different bacteria. In this review, we summarize the earlier biochemical, structural, and functional characterization studies of CsaA. We draw new insights into the evolutionary history of this protein through phylogenetic and structural comparison of bacterial CsaA with modelled archaeal CsaA from Picrophilus torridus and Natrialba magadii.

I propose a “technology channel” through which imports of low-skilled intermediates (offshoring) benefit both high- and low-skilled workers by inducing capital deepening and innovation in developed countries. Data strongly support the presence of this channel. Offshoring is associated with large increases in technology variables – equipment-labor ratio and R&D intensity – and labor outcomes – employment and wage bills of high- and low-skilled workers. I formalize this channel in a structural model. Results show that it is the dominant mechanism through which offshoring affects labor outcomes, offsetting negative substitution effects on low-skilled wages, and generating a large welfare gain.

Summary Wage inequality has risen in India over the past three decades. A similar phenomenon has been documented widely for other developing countries. However, unlike in other countries, which saw widening wage structures both between and within skill groups, I show that inequality in India increased between groups but fell within them over the period 1983–2005. Returns to education increased with the wages of college graduates rising relative to high school graduates who, in turn, earned increasingly more than less educated workers. But workers within education groups witnessed lower wage dispersion over time. Defining demographic groups more narrowly, by additionally including characteristics such as experience, gender, industry, and state, among others, regression results show that inequality increased between them while simultaneously declining within them, as indicated by a compression of the residual wage inequality. Decomposition analysis attributes the decline in wage dispersion within groups to falling returns to unobservable characteristics. This, previously undocumented, divergent trend in inequality between and within skill groups in India cannot be explained by the three main arguments in the extant literature for why developing countries have witnessed a rise in wage inequality in recent decades following trade liberalization—greater imports of skill-complementary technology, offshoring, and reallocation of skilled labor toward exporting firms. I provide several pieces of suggestive evidence to argue that reduction in labor market frictions and growth in offshored tasks from developed countries that are routine in content, but performed by high-skilled workers, can lead to the divergent trends in inequality between and within groups. Compositional changes in the labor force do not account for the inequality patterns witnessed in India.

Intracellular pathogens commonly manipulate the host lysosomal system for their survival, however whether this affects the organization and functioning of the lysosomal system itself is not known. Here, we show usingin vitroandin vivoinfections that the lysosomal content and activity is globally elevated inM. tuberculosisinfected macrophages. The enhanced lysosomal state is sustained over time and defines an adaptive homeostasis of the infected cell. Lysosomal alterations are caused by mycobacterial surface components, notably the cell wall lipid SL-1, which functions through the mTORC1-TFEB axis. Mtb mutant defective for SL-1 levels shows reduced lysosomal content and activity compared to wild type. Importantly, this phenotype is conserved duringin vivoinfection. The alteration in lysosomal phenotype in mutant Mtb lead to decreased lysosomal delivery of Mtb, and importantly, increased survival of intracellular Mtb. These results define the global alterations in the host lysosomal system as a crucial distinguishing feature of Mtb infected macrophages that is host protective and contribute to the containment of the pathogen.

The archaeal protein folding machinery is quite similar to that found in eukaryotes, especially in terms of shared components like chaperones. Cyclophilins are chaperones found in both eukaryotes and archaea, which catalyze the reversible cis-trans isomerization around peptidyl-prolyl imide bond (PPIase activity). Eukaryotes possess multiple cyclophilin genes, many of which have acquired divergent functions. Archaea, having a single copy of this gene, may help better in comprehending the role of cyclophilins in maintaining cellular proteostasis. However, no cyclophilin homologs from archaea have been characterized as yet, limiting comparison with their eukaryotic counterparts. In the present work, we characterize in detail a cyclophilin from the archaea, Methanobrevibacter ruminantium (MrCyp). We explore the functional and structural characteristics of MrCyp using various biophysical techniques. MrCyp exhibits both the PPIase and aggregation prevention activity. Analysis of folding/unfolding data and measurement of ∆GNUH2O and Tm suggest that the protein is thermodynamically stable. MrCyp helps in increasing cell viability of E. coli cells. These features imply that MrCyp could be a promising candidate for co-expression mediated enhancement in the yield and quality of over-expressed proteins in heterologous expression systems such as E. coli. This is the first study of its kind, reporting the detailed functional characterization of an archaeal cyclophilin.

Internet banking is regarded as a delivery channel, which over a period of time has gained recognition. It in fact has experienced growth in many countries and has changed the traditional way of banking. This channel has provided competitive advantage to the banks. With the help of internet banking the consumer has an access to number of services just at the click of a mouse. The present study is based on the responses of 450 consumers surveyed in Delhi and National Capital Region to understand the consumer awareness towards internet banking and the respondents were selected from public, private and foreign sector banks. To achieve the objectives of the study a questionnaire with five-point Likert scale consisting of various aspects related to internet banking was designed and random sampling method was adopted to collect the responses. The results of the study indicate that the level of consumer awareness is higher in case of private and foreign sector banks in comparison to public sector banks. Public sector banks need to focus on their working in order to battle with the private and foreign sector banks.

The technology based self service banking (TBSSB) refers to automated banking services that customer avail without interaction with bank employees. This paper investigates the relationship between dimensions of TBSSB service quality, customer satisfaction and loyalty. The paper also examines the mediating role of customer satisfaction in the relationship. The dimensions are identified and confirmed by conducting EFA and CFA respectively using SPSS 16.0 and AMOS 20.0. Dimensions of TBSSB SQ are identified as Convenience, Reliability & Security, Responsiveness and Personalization. AMOS 20.0 is used to investigate the relationship between dimensions using SEM. It is found that Convenience and personalization have significant effect on customer satisfaction, and personalization and customer satisfaction have significant effect on loyalty. Customer satisfaction is also confirmed as a mediating factor. This study may help bank managers to investigate the customers' quality perceptions about TBSSB services and enlighten banks about the aspects of services to be focused.

Background: The International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG) criteria have recently been endorsed by various bodies for screening and diagnosing Gestational Diabetes (GDM). The present study was done to diagnose gestational diabetes (GDM) by the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG) criteria in a North Indian Population and to evaluate the performance of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) in screening and diagnosis of GDM. Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study on 417 pregnant women. The women were screened for GDM between 24 weeks and 28 weeks of gestation by 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and GDM diagnosed by the IADPSG criteria. Results: The prevalence of GDM was 17.7% [95% Confidence interval (CI) 21.4 -14.1%] using the IADPSG criteria. Amongst the women diagnosed to have GDM, 64.9% had abnormal fasting plasma glucose (FPG). FPG cut-off value of 92 mg/dL identified 11.5% pregnant women with GDM. FPG cut-off value of 80 mg/dL ruled out GDM in 54.7% women. If 80 mg/dL were made the cut point to decide who should have the 75-g OGTT, then 56.8% (45.3 % with values 5.1 mmol/L) of pregnant women could avoid the 75-g OGTT with the probability that 1.9% of patients with GDM may be missed. Conclusions: FPG at 24-28 weeks’ gestation could be used as a screening test to identify GDM patients. Women with an FPG between ≥ 80 mg/dL and ≤ 92 mg/dL would require a 75-g OGTT to diagnose GDM.

Mobile wallets (m-wallet) have played a prominent role in changing our system of payment from cash to digital payment. The current study employs a systematic review of articles published on m-wallets between January 2008 and January 2020. To identify the relevant studies, research databases are searched using different keywords. Research articles published on m-wallets are selected based on particular inclusion criteria and clustered on the basis of keywords, abstract and title. To ensure a reasonable accuracy in the selection and grouping of published literature, suggestions of experts are taken into consideration. The articles on m-wallets are categorized on the basis of their themes. Eight dominant themes are identified by the authors. The findings suggest that although m-wallets have been in existence for more than a decade, there is hardly any study related to m-wallet service quality measurement. Thus, the authors propose 10 dimensions to measure the service quality of m-wallets based on the extensive review of studies on electronic services (e-services) and m-wallets. The proposed dimensions of m-wallet service quality are prioritized using the fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) approach. The m-wallet service quality dimensions proposed in the article will help practitioners to develop strategies for building a customer base. Moreover, the results of the fuzzy TOPSIS technique employed in this study will apprise managers about critical quality factors that need sincere attention for gaining competitive advantage and retaining customers.

Background: It is now well established that not only overt but subclinical thyroid dysfunction can also have adverse effects on fetal and maternal outcomes. In recent years several studies show a much larger prevalence of SCH and marked variation between different ethnic groups. The aim of this study was to find out the prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism during first trimester in a teaching hospital in North India. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted in all the consecutive first trimester pregnant women attending Santosh Medical College, Hospital, Ghaziabad from June 2014 to April 2015 after institutional ethics approval and consent from the study subjects. Morning samples of serum were tested for TSH. If serum TSH value was more than 2.5mIU/L then Free T4 and TPO Antibody level were estimated. Results: Serum TSH level was normal in 66.2 % women, 32.5 % women had subclinical hypothyroidism and 1.3 % women had overt hypothyroidism using a first trimester normal reference range of 0.1 to 2.5 mU/l suggested by American Thyroid Association or by the American Endocrine Society. Using 5 mIU/L as upper limit of TSH suggested by some Indian studies serum TSH level was normal in 90.6 % women, 8.1 % women had subclinical hypothyroidism and 1.3 % women had overt hypothyroidism. Conclusion: The prevalence of SCH is very high in our study population. We feel that the use of thyroid function reference values based on studies using different populations and different backgrounds can introduce bias in the evaluation of a local population.