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The Indian subcontinent is highly susceptible to natural disasters. To abate the effect of the disasters, the government emanates institutional mechanisms and strategies for disaster preparedness, mitigation and response. Although there is well-established institutional framework in India for disaster management, there is no study that proposes a disaster supply chain structure under the institutional framework and integrates information and digital technologies (IDT) of industry 4.0 within it. The present study overcomes this research gap. It introduces an IDT structure within the institutional framework of India for multi-agency information sharing, coordination and decision making. It formulates a mathematical model and analyses the impact of IDT on the total response time through three scenarios. The results of scenario analysis reveal the significance of IDT on the disaster supply chains and its capability to handle information delays and IDT failure. The present study can be adopted by disaster management institutions to construct and implement better response practices at the operational, planning and strategic levels. Furthermore, the proposed model in the study can be used for vaccination planning, which includes vaccine distribution, monitoring, regulation and effective implmentation as a response against the current pandemic situation caused due to SARS-CoV-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The University of Edinburgh holds a substantial collection of manuscripts in Persian, Arabic, Turkish, and South Asian languages, formerly known as the “Oriental Manuscript Collection”. This article reports recent steps taken to make this collection, which consists largely of manuscripts collected by Scottish East India Company officials between the late 18th and mid 19th centuries C.E, relevant to the present day global audience, and to widen access to it. This includes its renaming as "Manuscripts of the Islamicate World and South Asia", and the creation of a digitally searchable catalogue on the ArchivesSpace platform, largely through the use of “legacy data” from a 1925 printed catalogue, yet with a focus on making provenance information readily available. We discuss the challenges involved in renaming, and indeed reinterpreting, a historical collection whilst adhering to the principles of archival and library science. We share the methodology used to create our digitally searchable catalogue, a relatively simple model that may well prove useful for those curating similar collections.

Background: The Addressing Reproductive Coercion in Health Settings (ARCHES) intervention trains existing providers to address reproductive coercion (RC) and intimate partner violence (IPV) within routine family planning counseling. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a single ARCHES counseling session as adapted for use with abortion clients in Bangladesh. Methods: In this cluster-randomized controlled trial conducted between January 2019 and January 2021, health facilities with an abortion clinic with infrastructure for private counseling and onsite violence support services were eligible. Six facilities in Bangladesh met inclusion criteria, and matched pairs randomization with parallel assignment and a 1:1 allocation ratio was used to randomize three facilities to ARCHES and three facilities to control, which implemented standard counseling. Blinding was not possible as providers in intervention facilities participated in a three-day ARCHES training. Participants were abortion clients aged 18–49 years who could provide safe recontact information and be interviewed privately. The primary outcome was past three-month modern contraceptive use without interruption or interference. The trial was registered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03539315) on 29 May 2018. Findings: A total of 1492 intervention participants and 1237 control participants were enrolled. Available data were analyzed at each follow-up period: 1331 intervention and 1069 control participants at the three-month follow-up, and 1269 intervention and 1050 control participants at the twelve-month follow-up. ARCHES was associated with higher likelihood of modern contraceptive use at the three-month follow-up (adjusted RR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.06–1.10) and the twelve-month follow-up (adjusted RR = 1.06, 95% CI: 1.02–1.10). ARCHES was also associated with decreased incident pregnancy, decreased IPV, and increased knowledge of IPV support services. Interpretation: The ARCHES intervention is effective in increasing post-abortion modern contraceptive use and decreasing incident pregnancy and IPV among abortion clients in Bangladesh. Implementation of ARCHES should be considered in facilities with sufficient privacy for counseling. Funding: Society of Family Planning (#SFPRF11-07) and Ipas.

The South Asia region is facing a high burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) with limited health resources and low expenditure on health care. In addition to the burden of CKD and kidney failure from traditional risk factors, CKD of unknown etiologies from India and Sri Lanka compounds the challenges of optimal management of CKD in the region. From the third edition of the International Society of Nephrology Global Kidney Health Atlas (ISN-GKHA), we present the status of CKD burden, infrastructure, funding, resources, and health care personnel using the World Health Organizations building blocks for health systems in the ISN South Asia region. The poor status of the public health care system and low health care expenditure resulted in high out-of-pocket expenditures for people with kidney disease, which further compounded the situation. There is insufficient country capacity across the region to provide kidney replacement therapies to cover the burden. The infrastructure was also not uniformly distributed among the countries in the region. There were no chronic hemodialysis centers in Afghanistan, and peritoneal dialysis services were only available in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Kidney transplantation was not available in Afghanistan, Bhutan, and Maldives. Conservative kidney management was reported as available in 63% (n = 5) of the countries, yet no country reported availability of the core CKM care components. There was a high hospitalization rate and early mortality because of inadequate kidney care. The lack of national registries and actual disease burden estimates reported in the region prevent policymakers attention to CKD as an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Data from the 2023 ISN-GKHA, although with some limitations, may be used for advocacy and improving CKD care in the region.

Abstract The manuscript summarizes the outcomes of a one-day conference by the South Asian College of American College of Clinical Pharmacology (SAC-ACCP) in July 2023, at Bhopal. The theme of the conference was "Advancing pediatric drug development in South Asia." SAC-ACCP organized this event in Bhopal to foster the discipline of clinical pharmacology and to motivate researchers and physicians in the in the central part of India. The conference featured presentations on regional approaches to pediatric drug development in Asia by pediatric scientific experts from the pharmaceutical industry, regulatory agencies, as well as independent consultancies. The speakers highlighted several important aspects of the evolving regulatory landscape in India and proposed numerous actionable steps in acceleration of pediatric drug development. This commentary provides insights from presentations and the panel discussion at this conference and also makes an attempt to connect to similar discussions that occurred at the SAC-ACCP drug development conference in 2017. Keywords: Clinical pharmacology, drug development, essential medicines, India, innovation, pediatrics, South Asia, Author(s): Rajesh Krishna [1]; Manoj Jadhav (corresponding author) [2]; Rama Sivasubramanian [3]; Gangadhar Sunkara [4]; Vikram Gota [5]; Vis Niranjan [6]; Vipin Dhote [7]; Nidhi Sapkal [8]; Nirmala N Rege [...]

Objective To assess the availability of information on indicators of the World Health Organization and United Nations Children's Fund primary health-care measurement framework in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and to outline the opportunities for and challenges to using the framework in these countries. Methods We reviewed global and national data repositories for quantitative indicators of the framework and conducted a desk review of country documents for qualitative indicators in February-April 2023. We assessed data sources and cross-sectional survey tools to suggest possible sources of information on framework indicators that were not currently reported in the countries. We also identified specific indicators outside the framework on which information is collected in the countries and which could be used to measure primary healthcare performance. Findings Data on 54% (32/59) of the quantitative indicators were partially or completely available for the countries, ranging from 41% (24/59) in Pakistan to 64% (38/59) in Nepal. Information on 41% (66/163) of the qualitative subindicators could be acquired through desk reviews of country-specific documents. Information on input indicators was more readily available than on process and output indicators. The feasibility of acquiring information on the unreported indicators was moderate to high through adaptation of data collection instruments. Conclusion The primary health-care measurement framework provides a platform to readily assess and track the performance of primary health care. Countries should improve the completeness, quality and use of existing data for strengthening of primary health care. [phrase omitted] [phrase omitted] Objectif Etudier la disponibilite des informations concernant les indicateurs du cadre devaluation des soins de sante primaires de l'Organisation mondiale de la Sante et du Fonds des Nations Unies pour l'enfance au Bangladesh, en Inde, au Nepal, au Pakistan et au Sri Lanka, mais aussi presenter les opportunites et enjeux de l'application d'un tel cadre dans ces pays. Methodes Nous avons explore les referentiels de donnees nationaux et internationaux a la recherche d'indicateurs lies au cadre, puis nous avons effectue un examen preliminaire des documents de chaque pays pour y trouver des indicateurs qualitatifs entre fevrier et avril 2023. Nous avons evalue la provenance des donnees et les outils d'enquete transversale en vue de suggerer des sources potentielles d'informations sur certains indicateurs relatifs au cadre qui n'apparaissaient pas encore dans les pays susmentionnes. Nous avons par ailleurs identifie des indicateurs specifiques en dehors du cadre, sur lesquels les pays collectent des informations et qui pourraient servir a mesurer les performances des soins de sante primaires. Resultats Des donnees sur 54% (32/59) des indicateurs quantitatifs etaient partiellement ou entierement disponibles dans les differents pays, allant de 41% (24/59) au Pakistan a 64% (38/59) au Nepal. Des examens preliminaires de documents propres a chaque pays ont permis de recueillir des informations sur 41% (66/163) des sous-indicateurs qualitatifs. Il etait plus facile d'obtenir des precisions sur les indicateurs de moyens que sur les indicateurs de processus et de resultats. Enfin, le degre de faisabilite de l'acquisition d'informations sur les indicateurs non mentionnes etait modere a eleve, a condition d'adapter les instruments de collecte de donnees. Conclusion Le cadre d'evaluation des soins de sante primaires offre une plateforme permettant d'evaluer et de suivre aisement les performances en la matiere. Les pays devraient ameliorer l'exhaustivite, la qualite et l'utilisation des donnees existantes pour renforcer les soins de sante primaires. [phrase omitted] Objetivo Evaluar la disponibilidad de informacion sobre los indicadores del marco de medicion de la atencion primaria de salud de la Organizacion Mundial de la Salud y el Fondo de las Naciones Unidas para la Infancia en Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan y Sri Lanka, y exponer las oportunidades y los desafios que plantea la aplicacion del marco en estos paises. Metodos Se revisaron los repositorios de datos mundiales y nacionales para los indicadores cuantitativos del marco y se realizo una revision preliminar de los documentos de los paises para los indicadores cualitativos entre febrero y abril de 2023. Se evaluaron las fuentes de datos y las herramientas de encuestas transversales para sugerir posibles fuentes de informacion sobre los indicadores del marco que actualmente no se comunican en los paises. Tambien se identificaron indicadores especificos ajenos al marco sobre los que se recopila informacion en los paises y que se podrian aplicar para medir los resultados de la atencion primaria. Resultados Los datos sobre el 54% (32/59) de los indicadores cuantitativos estaban parcial o totalmente disponibles para los paises, oscilando entre el 41% (24/59) de Pakistan y el 64% (38/59) de Nepal. La informacion sobre el 41% (66/163) de los subindicadores cualitativos se pudo obtener mediante revisiones preliminares de documentos especificos de cada pais. La informacion sobre los indicadores de insumos fue mas facil de obtener que sobre los indicadores de procesos y productos. La viabilidad de adquirir informacion sobre los indicadores no declarados fue de moderada a alta mediante la adaptacion de los instrumentos de recopilacion de datos. Conclusion El marco de medicion de la atencion primaria proporciona una plataforma para evaluar y seguir facilmente el rendimiento de la atencion primaria. Los paises deben mejorar la exhaustividad, la calidad y el uso de los datos existentes para reforzar la atencion primaria., Introduction Health is central to the 2030 agenda of the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals (SDG), and primary health care is a strategy to achieve most of the SDG [...]

In healthcare professions, soft skills contribute to critical thinking, decision-making, and patient-centered care. While important to the delivery of high-quality medical care, soft skills are often underemphasized during healthcare training in low-and-middle-income countries. Despite South Asias large population, the efficacy and viability of a digital soft skills curriculum for South Asian healthcare practitioners has not been studied to date. We hypothesized that a web-based, multilingual, soft skills course could aid the understanding and application of soft skills to improve healthcare practitioner knowledge, confidence, attitudes, and intent-to-change clinical practice.In September 2019 a needs assessment observing soft skills practices was conducted in several Indian states. We developed a communication-focused soft skills curriculum that comprised seven 10-minute video lectures, recorded in spoken English and Hindi. Participants consisted of any practicing healthcare professionals and trainees in select South Asian countries age 18 and over. Participant knowledge, confidence, attitudes, and intent-to-change clinical practice were evaluated using pre- and post-course tests and surveys. Statistical analyses were performed using STATA and SPSS.From July 26, 2021 to September 26, 2021, 5750 registered and attempted the course, 2628 unique participants completed the pre-test, and 1566 unique participants completed the post-test. Participants demonstrated small but statistically significant gains in confidence (?

BackgroundDespite decades of a call to action to engage men in reproductive health, men are often left out of programs and interventions. In India, where half of pregnancies are reported as unintended, patriarchal gender norms and still dominant patterns of arranged marriages make engaging men in family planning and strengthening couples communication critical in increasing reproductive autonomy and helping young couples meet their reproductive goals. This study explores the feasibility and acceptability from the men's perspective of the pilot of a gender transformative intervention for newly married couples in India.MethodsA pilot study was conducted of TARANG, a 4 month intervention for newly married women, with light touch engagement of husbands (4 sessions). A total of 41 husbands participated in the pilot, and we collected baseline knowledge and endline feasibility and acceptability data from them, along with in depth qualitative interviews with 13 men. The study was conducted in June 2023-January 2024.ResultsMen had low levels of knowledge about biology, family planning, with the majority of men reporting that no one had provided them information about these topics. Most men wanted to delay the first birth by at least 2 years, yet less than a quarter had discussed childbearing plans with their partner or engaged in family planning methods. While all men reported high acceptability (satisfaction and usefulness), feasibility (participation) was low, with only 43% attending 2 or more sessions. Main barriers to participation included commitments due to work and migration. Men reported that the intervention led to improvements in their relationships with their wives, gave them a sense of empowerment, and led them to become resources for other men in their community.ConclusionsMen in these rural communities are not receiving the information that they need to meet their reproductive goals, however, they greatly desire this information and ways to improve relationships with their new wives. Such an intervention appears to have the potential to help change norms and spread information in the community and provide men with positive, life affirming feelings. Providing information through technology could address barriers to in-person engagement. TRIAL REGISTRATION CLINICALTRIALS.GOV : 03/13/24.NCT06320964.

This paper investigates the impact of COVID-19 on remittance flows to South Asia. Using a monthly panel data set of five South Asian countries (namely Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) for the period January 2020 to August 2021. This study, applying the pooled ordinary least square estimation method, generally, finds a positive impact of COVID-19 on remittance flows to South Asia. Further investigation reveals the existence of a non-linear (inverted U-shaped) relationship between COVID-19 cases and remittances. This means that with the initial covid spread leading to temporary restrictions affecting economic activity in home countries, remittances start increasing to support families' income and consumption affected by the regulations. However, the very high levels of infection rates leading to continued lockdowns in home countries decrease the incentives for investment with substantially reduced economic activities, thus decreasing aggregate remittances. We found similar results when replacing infection rates with deaths from COVID-19. However, increasing COVID-19 infection rates and deaths in migrants' host countries reduce remittances to migrants' home countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring new hydrocarbon resources has always been challenging in complex tectonic settings. Geological models become more complex in regions with structural deformation and lithological heterogeneity, as well as in areas far from exploration wells. The Mehar gas field, a newly discovered prospect located in the Lower Indus Basin, Pakistan, has been explored in its southern and northeastern parts, but the economic potential of the western part is still unknown. This study focuses on the identification of a new prospect on the western limb of the Mehar anticline by integrating advanced pre-stack simultaneous and lambda–mu–rho (LMR) seismic inversion attributes. The combination of two inverted attributes proved successful in delineating new hydrocarbon-charged sands. Potential traps were delineated via seismic mapping, while reservoir intervals were identified through petrophysical analysis. The major field production comes from Paleocene and Lower Cretaceous sandstones, which extend with appreciable thickness toward the western limb of the Mehar anticline. Low values of inverted ZS and VP/VS ratios reveal the presence of gas, whereas greater values of mu–rho (µρ) and low values of lambda–rho (λρ) are correlated with the presence of clean sands containing fluid. The results obtained, provided validation at produced and blind well locations, can be extrapolated to areas deemed far from the utilized wells with less lithostratigraphic control. The adopted methodology has proven useful in characterizing gas-bearing zones when P-impedance alone does not work to distinguish between reservoir sands and non-reservoir shale. Additionally, the same approach can be applied to other basins with similar geological conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How do key players in Bombay's screen industries—producers, directors, writers, and business developers—understand, imagine, and navigate the dizzying new world of streaming platforms in India? Tracking the emergence of symbiotic relationships between new streaming platforms and established media professionals, I discuss how a restructuring of industry dynamics is elemental to the processes of cultural legitimation of new streaming tastes and the reconfigurations of the relationships between texts, industries, and audiences. Through case studies of a few prominent creative professionals associated in various capacities with global and local streaming platforms, I sketch the multiple linkages between contemporary streaming cultures and the structural histories of both film and television in the subcontinent. Ultimately, this article argues that media workers' self-reflexivity and theorizations about the industry-in-digital transit help us not only grasp the heterogeneity of this moment, but also trace notions of value and taste in Bombay's emerging digital media ecologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals' coping differs based on sociocultural determinants and the nature of illness. This study developed a coping typology for South Asians with chronic illnesses and differentiated the coping profiles based on sociocultural determinants. Individuals (n = 384) with chronic illness were recruited. The Brief COPE scale was used for data collection and latent profile analysis for typology development. The class differences were examined in terms of age, gender, socioeconomic status, education, type of family, smoking, primary decision maker in the family, type of community, number of years living with chronic illness and type of health care services used. Latent profile analysis supported four class model: Avoider‐Emotion (n = 34, 9%), Problem‐Emotion (n = 128, 33.9%), Problem‐Avoider (n = 55, 14.6%) and Emotion‐Avoider (n = 161, 42.6%) copers. Comparison of classes across chronic illness showed that individuals with chronic respiratory disorders were Emotion‐Avoider and Avoider‐Emotion copers, those with cardiac problems were Problem‐Emotional and Problem‐Avoiders copers, those with renal problems were Emotional‐Avoiders and Problem‐Emotions copers, and individuals with mental health issues were mainly Problem‐Emotional and Emotion‐Avoider copers. These class differences were statistically different (χ2 = 134, df = 18, p <.001). The findings can be useful for developing coping programmes for South Asian populations in low‐ and middle‐income countries and South Asian immigrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study attempts to answer the question: If global warming were to increase by 1.5°, 2° and 3°C (compared to the pre-industrial baseline of 1850–1900), at what rate would South Asia be warming? A basis for influencing climate policy-making in India and countries part of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (i.e., SAARC, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) has been put forth. IPCC provides tools for analyzing mean near-surface air temperature data using CMIP6 (global climate model) and CORDEX-SA (regional climate model). This study reports the generated outputs from both projection models by analyzing and comparing data to better understand climate change in the region. While CMIP6 provided a coherent overall picture of South Asia, CORDEX-SA projected the average temperature variations of Indian states better. The decreasing order in which Indian states are expected to be affected by average temperature rise is Himalayan states from north to north-east; northwestern and western states along the Pakistan border; western coastline along the Arabian Sea; southern states along the eastern coastline (Bay of Bengal); central and eastern states. Both models projected the temperature rise in the Indian state of West Bengal to be the highest in the coming decades. Among SAARC nations, Afghanistan was projected to be the most affected and Bangladesh the least, following the same pattern of temperature variation as the Indian regions neighbouring them. Further, it was found that a mean temperature rise of 1.5° and 3°C would occur over South Asia in the timeframe of 2035–2038 and 2062–2068, respectively. Regarding monthly variation, temperature rise is expected to affect the period of January (average 1.35°C rise) to April (average 1.05°C rise) the most. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public institutions are essential for executing government policies. Citizens' trust in public institutions is a crucial factor to consider when assessing the state of democracy. Working processes, trends, organisational principles, neutrality, approaches and impartiality are also used to assess an institution's trustworthiness. Failing to satisfy any of these indicators can create distrust. Good governance is essential for every country to move forward and attain its development goals. For most countries in South Asia, governance is not in a good condition, with government institutions struggling to perform satisfactorily. In this situation, distrust may be fostered among citizens with limited conviction in democracy and diminish the reliability of public institutions. By taking these issues into account, this article uses secondary literature to evaluate the level of trust in the public institutions of South Asian States with a distinct emphasis on good governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study investigates the factors behind growing communal violence in Bangladesh that is mostly perpetrated against non-Muslim communities by examining three different cases. The qualitative study has been undertaken with the help of available secondary resources and in-depth interviews of experts as primary sources. The findings confirm that the ongoing communal violence in Bangladesh is not spontaneous but rather comprises deliberate and well-orchestrated incidents. It has been noted that apart from communal identity or ideological discord, other factors have played a pivotal role in these constant attacks. All these attacks are primarily intertwined with local politics and power relations as there is evidence of local political leaders' and members' involvement in the assaults. Besides, the entrenchment of extremist elements and growing intolerance at the mass level have a formidable impact on the gradual alienation of non-Muslim communities. The inaction of the state agencies and a culture of impunity have been largely responsible for the deterioration of communal harmony in Bangladesh. Due to these factors, no organised cultural campaign or resistant mechanism could gain a strong foothold against communal violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study explores the preservation policy and techniques employed in preserving library materials in three libraries in South Asia: Central University of Kashmir; Islamic University of Science and Technology; and University of Kashmir. The study aims to: investigate preservation policy/plan/division of selected libraries; investigate the current preservation technique used in the libraries; explore the category of staff responsible for preservation of library materials; and identify capacity building programs attended by staff at local, national/international level on preservation. Data collection was employed: results were tabulated, interpreted, and correlated with the published literature to ferret out meaningful findings and draw logical conclusions. The study reveals that: binding (sewing) and fumigation (solid fumigation) are widely employed techniques in preservation; manuscripts are mostly prioritized for preservation; and usually professionals are involved in dealing with preservation. However, none of the libraries possess preservation policies, which are crucial for the preservation of the library collection on a systematic and scientific basis. In order to cope with the changing environment of information preservation and management, libraries regularly organize seminars and conferences on preservation, and it is hoped that stakeholders continue to identify loopholes and to build capacity for preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maternal self‐efficacy during infancy is shaped by many factors, including maternal mental health and social support. This study examines how depression, emotional support, and childcare support relate to maternal self‐efficacy among mothers of infants in rural Pakistan. Participants included 885 mothers assessed at 3 and 6 months postpartum. At 3 months postpartum, mothers completed interview measures of depression, emotional social support, support with day‐to‐day childcare tasks (daily childcare support), and childcare support when they were unable to care for their child (childcare support when needed). At 6 months postpartum, participants reported on maternal self‐efficacy. Generalized estimating equations were used to test the associations between depression and social support at 3 months and maternal self‐efficacy at 6 months, as well as the interaction between depression and social support. Depression at 3 months was not associated with maternal self‐efficacy at 6 months when controlling for depression at 6 months. Emotional support was associated with increased self‐efficacy, but daily childcare support was not. We found weak evidence that childcare support when needed was associated with increased self‐efficacy only among mothers with depression. Results suggest that emotional support and childcare support when needed may be helpful for promoting mothers’ self‐efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pakistan has the highest rates of consanguinity in the world, with nearly two‐thirds marrying cousins. To understand this pattern, we adopt the theoretical framework of intensive and extensive kinship that allows us to predict correlates of consanguineous marriages and logically connect patterns in Pakistan with those in other regions. Using data from the Punjab Consanguinity Survey, we examine indicators of economic development, fertility, cultural norms, and marriage payments as potential correlates of cousin marriage. Consistent with the intensive kinship framework, we find that number of cousins, parental consanguinity, spousal proximity, and caste or clan endogamy are associated with higher likelihood of consanguinity. In contrast, the likelihood of cousin marriage decreases with extensive kinship indicators including husband's education, co‐education, and large wedding expenditures. For women, cousin marriages are often “marrying down” financially, keeping women's wealth in the family. Comparison of Pakistan to other countries highlights the importance of low levels of literacy and female education, high fertility, and rapid population growth. We conclude that high rates of cousin marriage persist in Pakistan due to slow economic development which maintains motivations for cooperation with kin, and high fertility rates which sustain the large numbers of cousins that enable high levels of consanguinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The underground hydrogen storage represents a promising long-term, large-volume solution for hydrogen and hydrogen-methane blends, which is crucial for the anticipated "hydrogen economy" in South Asia. The suitability of any storage location hinges on its capacity and the associated costs of storage. This study provides a comparative analysis of the storage capacities for green hydrogen across fifty-nine porous geological reservoirs in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka— the four major South Asian economies. The levelized cost of hydrogen storage (LCHS) was calculated for pure hydrogen storage in these basins. Additionally, the storage capacities of the five largest basins from India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan were evaluated for hydrogen-methane blends at 25%, 50%, and 75% concentrations. The findings indicate that South Asia's total pure hydrogen storage capacity is 29,799.43 TWh, with India contributing over 75%. Furthermore, hydrogen-methane blends were found to store more energy than pure hydrogen, with a 75% hydrogen blend storing over 65% more energy in the same basin. The primary cost factors for hydrogen storage in South Asia are compressor costs, followed by the costs of working gas and well construction. Under the parameters considered, the LCHS in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka are $2.01, $1.28, $1.2, and $2 per kilogram of injected hydrogen. • 59 porous reservoirs of South Asian countries were evaluated for hydrogen storage. • Pure hydrogen storage capacity of South Asia is 29,799.43 TWh. • Hydrogen-methane blends store more energy than pure hydrogen in the same volume. • In South Asia, compressors have the highest capital cost, and working gas the lowest. • The LCHS: India $2.75/kg, Bangladesh $2.03/kg, Pakistan $1.95/kg, Sri Lanka $2.74/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young people are increasingly turning away from agriculture in many parts of the global South, even where agriculture remains the backbone of livelihoods and the rural economy. This tendency among rural youth has become a critical research and public concern given that mass youth un (der)employment has emerged as a defining feature in many countries. In this paper, we interrogate and depart from the dominant narrative of the youth‐agriculture disconnect by focussing on socio‐economic conditions that shape diverse patterns of youth livelihood in rural areas. Our empirical evidence draws on ethnographic studies conducted in rural parts of Nepal with in‐depth interviews with young people complemented by key informant interviews with local leaders and community workers who shared their experiences and local narratives of the links among youth, agriculture and migration. Findings show that youth aspiration to leave agriculture is hard to deny, although this is heavily mediated by economic status, caste and gender in rural contexts. Given the chronic livelihood insecurity and the structural barriers rooted in class, caste and gender, we find that youth from underprivileged backgrounds do not have the luxury of considering an ‘exit’ from agriculture despite their mobility aspirations. When a longer‐term livelihood trajectory is considered, youth aspirations to transition out of agriculture show some degree of temporality regardless of their background, suggesting their re‐engagement in agriculture later in their life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the climate has admittedly always been hot and humid in cities like Karachi, increasingly hotter temperatures are exacerbating the impact of heat on informal, precariously employed outdoor workers such as street vendors, guards and rickshaw drivers, who must negotiate their right and access to shade at the everyday scale. Recalling Mike Davis' radical, political claim that shade is an inalienable human right, this paper proposes that few people working in the outdoor spaces of the South Asian city today understand or experience shade in these terms. Rather shade is something that must be claimed, alongside other rights and entitlements. Moreover, shade alone is insufficient as it cannot reduce the exposure of bodies to harmful ambient radiations and overall thermal discomfort. This paper makes three broad propositions for outlining a theory for the social study of shade in the South Asian city. By paying closer attention to the ways that outdoor workers negotiate shade in Karachi, this paper opens up for analysis a wider spectrum of claims-making activity in changing South Asian urban climates. It places workers' search for shade in the broader context of shade policing and urban management aimed at creating spatial as well as social order. Finally, this article emphasises key directions and questions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract\nIMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONDespite the considerable health and economic burden of disability in the South Asian (SA) region, there is limited evidence of impairments and disabilities prevalence and the need for Assistive Technologies (ATs). This scoping review aims to synthesise the evidence of the impairments and disabilities in SA countries. This review followed Arksey and O’Malley’s methodological framework. EBSCOhost, EMBASE, PubMed, and Web of Science databases were searched for original research articles from SA countries. In this study, impairment and disability refer to functional limitations restricting individuals from performing activities, including visual, hearing, speaking, cognitive, mobility, and self-care difficulties. The review included full-text, English-language articles addressing any impairment and disability, without restrictions on publication date. This review identified 105 articles distributed over the six impairment and disability domains: visual, hearing, mobility, self-care, speaking, and cognitive. Most evidence originated from India (50.5%) and focused on visual impairments (53.3%). The review identified that heterogeneity in methodologies, case identification definitions, and study settings contributed to variations in prevalence estimation and restricted the comparability within and across countries. Besides, the uneven distribution of studies across countries suggests varying inclinations of countries toward specific impairment and disability domains. The review identified variations in prevalence due to differences in methodologies, definitions, and contexts. The review also identified the uneven distribution of studies, limited evidence on ATs, reliance on self-reported data, and lack of nationally representative research. Future research should use standardised case identification and evidence-based approaches to enhance comparability and minimise response biases.More than half (53%) of the existing research publications on impairments and disabilities solely focus on visual impairment. This research gap highlights a deficiency in attention towards other forms of impairments, as well as assistive and rehabilitation services for those conditions.While the South Asian region (SA) is struggling with various challenges, including health and economic issues, information related to the availability and utilisation of Assistive Technologies (ATs) is limited due to the lack of empirical evidence.Owing to the absence of a standardised methodology and case identification definition, the prevalence of impairments notably varies across studies within countries.Analysing the factors contributing to the higher usage rates of ATs in the SA region for visual impairment could potentially improve AT adoption rates for other impairment types.More than half (53%) of the existing research publications on impairments and disabilities solely focus on visual impairment. This research gap highlights a deficiency in attention towards other forms of impairments, as well as assistive and rehabilitation services for those conditions.While the South Asian region (SA) is struggling with various challenges, including health and economic issues, information related to the availability and utilisation of Assistive Technologies (ATs) is limited due to the lack of empirical evidence.Owing to the absence of a standardised methodology and case identification definition, the prevalence of impairments notably varies across studies within countries.Analysing the factors contributing to the higher usage rates of ATs in the SA region for visual impairment could potentially improve AT adoption rates for other impairment types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special section of Contemporary South Asia brings together a curated selection of papers presented at the 2023 British Association for South Asian Studies (BASAS) Annual Conference, held at the University of Leeds. These papers explore enduring themes of memory politics, state power, and socio-spatial exclusion in South Asia, examining how colonial legacies shape contemporary dynamics. Collectively, the studies underscore the persistence of colonial pasts in modern India’s socio-political landscape and illuminate the creative strategies of resistance employed by marginalized groups. This section contributes to critical discussions on South Asia's politics of memory, space, and resistance, offering fresh insights into the ways power is exercised and contested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Individuals with neurodevelopmental and/or neurocognitive disorders (NNDs) have complex, long‐term care needs. In Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, informal carers shoulder the responsibility and strain of providing care for people with NNDs. Intense care demand, societal and cultural care expectations, and lack of support infrastructure often lead to psychosocial strain in this inadequately researched community, particularly during crises such as the COVID‐19 pandemic. This study explored and identified specific features of the coping styles exhibited by informal carers of people with NNDs from Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Material and methods: Between June and November 2020, 245 carers in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh responded to open‐ended questions in the CLIC (Coping with Loneliness, Isolation, and COVID‐19) survey. A reflexive thematic analysis was conducted to uncover the underlying themes and identify coping strategies and stressors. A frequency analysis was performed to examine the associations between these themes and carer nationality. Significant tests identified coping styles. Results: We identified three coping styles: religiosity (Pakistan), caregiving as a natural life path (Bangladesh), and self‐care (India). The religiosity and natural life path styles reside on the fatalism/acceptance continuum and suggest an insight‐oriented therapeutic approach. Self‐care is a problem‐solving strategy that calls for a behaviorally oriented approach. Family overreliance on the carer was a concern across all three groups. Conclusions: The findings underscore the need for accessible support pathways to sustain care standards, ensuring the well‐being of carers and care recipients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the determinants of quality of life in South Asian countries, focusing on Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Pakistan from 2000 to 2018. Life expectancy is used as the dependent variable, representing life quality. The independent variables include carbon emissions, remittances, information and communication technology, income inequality, government health expenditure, economic development, and food security. Cross‐sectional time series FGLS is the main analytical method, supplemented by Pedroni and Kao cointegration tests and the Drisc/Kraay method. The findings indicate that information and communication technology, remittances, economic progress, and food security positively impact life expectancy, while CO2 emissions, income inequality, and government health expenditures negatively affect it. The study proposes several policy recommendations to improve the quality of life in the South Asian region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting its severe effects on health systems, economies, and poverty levels. With an estimated 6.9 million deaths worldwide and the deepest recession since World War II, the pandemic had diverse regional impacts. South Asia, for example, experienced varying degrees of health and economic challenges; India faced over 500,000 deaths and a sharp economic downturn, while other nations in the region were less severely affected. The pandemic's relatively brief duration, aided by global responses like lockdowns, social distancing, and rapid vaccine distribution, facilitated a quicker economic recovery, bolstered by unprecedented counter-cyclical policies. The article also examines South Asian case studies, including regional trade integration, the economic benefits of vaccination, and the socio-economic impacts on women in Bangladesh. It further discusses Pakistan's response, Sri Lanka's populist policies, and Indonesia's monetary policy adjustments, offering valuable lessons for managing global health crises and economic downturns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study unravels the relationship between trade and connectivity and presents a narrative to re-energise the South Asian regional economic integration in the post-pandemic period. In addition, the study also examines the effect on conflicts and institutional factors in South Asian trade. The study uses the bilateral gravity analysis in 2SLS (Two-Stage Least Squares) framework to address the endogeneity issues. The study finds that South Asia may gain enormously if they reduce the conflicts across the border and secure improvement in both hard and soft infrastructure. Given that the trade is a dynamic concept, connectivity disruption costs cause havoc to the region, which then promotes dis-integration. Facilitating business beyond the border in post-pandemic requires an enhanced trade facilitation and connectivity in the region. The renewed and shared agenda of the South Asian regional cooperation in post-pandemic should, therefore, aim to reduce both intra- and inter- regional trade facilitation gaps as well as to expand the connectivity. The process of South Asian regional integration has to contribute to narrowing the gaps by providing resources for the development of trade infrastructure. Therefore, South Asia has to enhance its own connectivity and trade facilitation arrangement to take forward the agenda of South Asian integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The objective of the current study was to estimate the prevalence and associated factors of overweight/obesity among Bangladeshi adolescents aged 15–19 y and to identify whether wealth-related inequality exists for overweight/obesity among Bangladeshi older adolescents. Methods We analyzed publicly available national representative secondary data from the 2019–2020 Bangladesh Adolescent Health and Wellbeing Survey. This cross-sectional survey was carried out among 18 249 adolescents aged 15–19 y regardless of their marital status using a two-stage stratified sampling technique (the data of 9128 eligible adolescents were included in this analysis). The WHO reference population for body mass index-for-age (1+Z score) was considered as overweight/obesity. Results We found that girls had significantly (p<0.05) higher prevalence of overweight/obesity (11.63%) than boys (8.25%); however, their biological sex as well their age were not significantly associated with higher odds of overweight/obesity. Those who were in their higher grade (grade 11 and higher) in the school and had been exposed to media were more likely (1.67 and 1.39 times, respectively) to be overweight/obesity compared with primary grade (0–5) and those who experienced no media exposure, respectively. Inequality analysis revealed that adolescents belonging to wealthy households had significantly higher rates of overweight/obesity than those in poorer households (concentration index=0.093). Conclusions The study exhibited the multifaceted nature of overweight/obesity among Bangladeshi older teenagers, revealing that their school grade, exposure to media content and wealth-related inequality emerged as significant contributing factors. The findings underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions and public health strategies to address the escalating burden of overweight and obesity in this age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special issue critically examines the interplay between the law and politics of state trans/formation, status precarity and the abuse of law. Globally, governments have exercised state power to undermine citizenship status, democratic well-being and the rule of law. This introduction makes the case for this focus and highlights the range of the special issue's intervention. Firstly, it shows how the contributions in the special issue build upon scholarship that tackles these three values independently and offers a more comprehensive analysis of contemporary challenges of the law and politics of citizenship. It studies the mutual attrition of citizenship, law and democracy by adopting a focus on South and Southeast Asia, especially India, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Secondly, it emphasises the special issue's methodological contribution by drawing from the theory-generative capacities of focusing on Asia and the Global South more generally. Thirdly, the introduction highlights the cross-cutting substantive contributions of the articles, especially status liminality and statelessness, securitisation and authoritarian politics, bureaucracy and paperwork, and minority and human rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the utilization and advancements of constructed wetlands (CWs) in South Asia (SA), focusing on their roles, costs, and efficacy enhancements through pre- and post-treatment units for various pollutants. Notable findings include Phragmites and Canna species as commonly used macrophytes, achieving high removal rates for various pollutants. CWs consistently remove total suspended solids, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, emerging contaminants, and antimicrobial resistant bacteria at substantial rates. Anaerobic baffled reactors are effective pretreatment devices for high-strength wastewater. Moreover, CWs exhibit lower operational and maintenance costs compared to conventional treatment methods. However, the bibliometric analysis reveals limited regional cooperation in SA. Key challenges identified include the absence of guidelines for media, vegetation, and maintenance. The review underscores the necessity for further research in optimizing CWs' efficiency through land area management, plant selection, and enhanced design and operation and maintenance protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palliative care is a comprehensive approach aimed at improving the quality of life of patients with serious illness and their families. Nevertheless, there exists a dearth of systematically synthesized empirical evidence regarding the key elements that contribute to good home palliative care (HPC) from a familial standpoint in the context of South and Southeast Asia. This paper aims to describe family perspectives on key elements of good home palliative care in both regions. We conducted a scoping review using Arksey and O'Malley's methodological framework. The search was done in 6 electronic databases: PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, APA PsycINFO, and APA PsycArticles Full Text. Inclusion criteria were (1) exploring family experiences of palliative care, (2) home setting, and (3) South and Southeast Asian countries. Twenty-four studies were included from Bangladesh (n = 1), India (n = 6), Indonesia (n = 7), Malaysia (n = 2), Singapore (n = 2), and Thailand (n = 6). Five key elements of HPC from family perspectives were comprehensive moral and psychological support; religious and spiritual activities with religious figures involvement; empathetic, responsive, and continued home palliative care; adequate access to information and skills training; and facilitation in dealing with systemic barriers. The crucial role of religious and spiritual activities and the need for facilitation in facing systemic barriers were specific to South and Southeast Asia. HPC teams should be able to provide holistic support for patients and their families, which is influential for the quality of care. Improving care on a systemic level in these regions should be a policy priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examine the critical question of whether global equity and bond assets (both green and non-green) offer effective hedging and safe haven properties against stock market risks in South Asia, with a focus on Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The increasing integration of global financial markets and the volatility experienced during recent economic crises raise important questions regarding the resilience of South Asian markets and the potential protective role of global assets. Drawing on methods like VaR and CVaR tail risk estimators, the DCC-GJR-GARCH time-varying connectedness approach, and cost-effectiveness tools for hedging, we analyze data spanning from 2014 to 2022 to assess these relationships comprehensively. Our findings demonstrate that stock markets in Bangladesh experience lower levels of downside risk in each quantile; however, safe haven properties from the global financial markets are effective for Bangladeshi, Indian, and Pakistani stock markets during the crisis period. Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan stock market neither receives hedging usefulness nor safe haven benefits from the same marketplaces. Additionally, global green assets, specifically green bond assets, are more reliable sources to ensure the safest investment for South Asian investors. Finally, the portfolio implications suggest that while traditional global equity assets offer ideal portfolio weights for South Asian investors, global equity and bond assets (both green and non-green) are the cheapest hedgers for equity investors, particularly in the Bangladeshi, Pakistani, and Sri Lankan stock markets. Moreover, these results hold significant implications for investors seeking to optimize portfolios and manage risk, as well as for policymakers aiming to strengthen regional market resilience. By clarifying the protective capacities of global assets, particularly green ones, our study contributes to a nuanced understanding of portfolio diversification and financial stability strategies within emerging markets in South Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities face increasing heat risk due to global and local warming, and the risk is greater in the developing world. South Asia, in particular, faces increasing urban climate risk, but the translation of urban climate knowledge into sustainable climate-sensitive planning is weak. In this paper, we report on our conversations with experts from the Sri Lankan urban planning community on the barriers to and opportunities for urban climate mitigation action. We uncover six themes (insights, integrate, specify, exhort, commitment, and continuity) that best exemplify both the barriers to and opportunities for enhancing heat risk resilience in this primate city. We then map a set of agencies and actors that need to be involved in any holistic risk resilience plan and draw wider lessons to sustainably manage the urgent practical gaps in heat health planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to identify the intricate connections arising from finance and governance to water, food, and energy, utilizing data from 2000 to 2021 for eight South Asian countries. To address cross‐sectional dependence and panel heterogeneity, this study applied an augmented mean group (AMG) approach to discover long‐term connections across the chosen indicators. The estimators' outcome shows interconnectedness across water, food, and energy (WFE) resources, showing that water promotes food and energy, and food promotes water and energy. In contrast, energy fosters food production and reduces water availability. Further, governance positively influences food production (0.434%), water (0.044%), and energy consumption (0.142%). Likewise, finance positively and significantly responds to WFE consumption. Our results highlighted that governance unilaterally influences energy dynamics while bidirectional causal links emerge between finance, food, and energy. The obtained outcomes are re‐validated with feasible generalized least square (FGLS) and Driscoll and Kraay (DK) estimators. Ultimately, our study offers valuable insights for shaping economic, environmental, and food and water security policies in the region and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Asian countries face a shortage of clean drinking water and have little access to basic sanitation facilities. Furthermore, despite its beautiful landscape, this region has the lowest share of global tourism. Therefore, this study is a baseline attempt to examine the short-term and long-term effects of access to clean drinking water and sanitation on tourism inflow to South Asia from 1995 to 2020. The estimated result of the cross sectional dependence test and CIPS unit root analysis urges using the cross sectional autoregressive distributed lag (CS-ARDL) technique. The estimation result of CS-ARDL reveals that GDP per capita and institutional quality significantly impact international tourism in the long run. At the same time, death from unsafe drinking water and sanitation significantly negatively affects it. However, in the short run, only institutional quality reveals a significant positive effect on tourist arrival. The findings urge selected South Asian countries to enhance the quality of government institutions and improve access to clean drinking water and sanitation for the development of the tourism sector. Furthermore, sustainable policies are recommended to attract international tourists and address factors that impede tourism activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Asian narratives are underrepresented in dance movement psychotherapy academia. Systematically supporting more anecdotal literature on utilising the body's innate wisdom in illness prevention and treatment is essential to support equitable accommodation of oral narratives. In this critical reflection, I have integrated my emerging perspectives as a member of the South Asian diaspora, a clinician who has trained and worked within the medical model and an early career researcher. I present two anecdotal themes and brief case examples relevant to contemplating the value of oral narratives within dance movement psychotherapy. They are: (1) embodied storytelling as a way of building emotional intelligence, and (2) intuition as a way of trusting one's bodily cues in individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides empirical evidence on the relationship between women's land ownership and nutritional outcomes in Nepal. Using three waves of the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey and employing a bounding technique by Oster, I estimate bounded treatment effects of land ownership. The results show that women's land ownership is associated with a reduction in the incidence of childhood underweight and stunting and an increase in women's body mass index. Additionally, I find the selection on unobservable characteristics has to be larger than the selection on observable characteristics to drive these estimates to zero, suggesting that land ownership credibly improves nutritional outcomes. Furthermore, heterogeneous results show that the negative association between land ownership and childhood nutritional status is more prominent in male children and children from the Brahmin caste. Similarly, the negative relationship between land ownership and underweight in women is more pronounced in women employed in agriculture and rural areas. While I argue that landownership improves nutrition, these estimates are sensitive to the assumptions made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the impact of financial instability (FI) on environmental degradation (ED) along with economic growth (EG), foreign direct investment (FDI), and energy consumption (EC) in five South Asian economies from 1980 to 2021. The study uses a fixed-effect panel model and a two-step system GMM for robust outcomes. The empirical findings demonstrate that FI has a positive and significant effect on ED in South Asian economies. However, the impact of FI on ED varies across South Asian countries. Overall, the impacts of EG, FDI, and EG are positive and significant on ED in South Asia. The effects of EG, FDI, and EG are also heterogeneous for countries in South Asia. However, FDI reduces ED in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India. Therefore, the study provides several policy recommendations to combat ED in the South Asian region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of Review: Health data sciences can help mitigate high burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) management in South Asia by increasing availability and affordability of healthcare services. This review explores the current landscape, challenges, and strategies for leveraging digital health technologies to improve CVD outcomes in the region. Recent Findings: Several South Asian countries are implementing national digital health strategies that aim to provide unique health account numbers for patients, creating longitudinal digital health records while others aim to digitize healthcare services and improve health outcomes. Significant challenges impede progress, including lack of interoperability, inadequate training of healthcare workers, cultural barriers, and data privacy concerns. Summary: Leveraging digital health for CVD management involves using big data for early detection, employing artificial intelligence for diagnostics, and integrating multiomics data for health insights. Addressing these challenges through policy frameworks, capacity building, and international cooperation is crucial for improving CVD outcomes in region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pomfret fish, particularly the black pomfret (Parastromateus niger), serves as a significant economic resource in South Asia, particularly in the coastal regions of Balochistan, Pakistan. This study investigates various biological parameters of Parastromateus niger collected from the Gaddani coastal area of Pakistan, focusing on length-weight relationships, gut fullness, and population demographics. A total of 117 fish specimens were collected, with females dominating the samples. Length and weight data were analyzed separately for males and females, with statistical calculations revealing strong correlations (r2 values ranging from 0.918 to 0.985) between length and weight for both sexes. Gut fullness was categorized into five levels, with the highest percentage observed during July, suggesting potential breeding activity during this period. The zooplanktons were identified as primary dietary components of Parastromateus niger. The study also highlights the importance of regulatory measures to sustainably manage fish populations, especially during breeding seasons, and calls for further research into the intensive culturing and feeding regimes of black pomfret to enhance its production. Overall, these findings contribute to a better understanding of the biological characteristics and potential for aquaculture development of Parastromateus niger in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximately one-third of the world’s 169 million migrant workers come from the Asia and Pacific region, primarily working in temporary, low-wage jobs in the Gulf, where they face human and labor rights issues. In 2003, 12 Asian migrant-origin states formed the Colombo Process to address these labor concerns. This article examines and contrasts two major emigrant-origin states’ – India and Bangladesh –behavior in the Colombo Process, a regional consultative process, and other multilateral migration governance fora, focusing on the social construction of skills. Both countries inherited a colonial legal system of emigration regulation which distinguished emigrants into “high-” and “low-skill” categories, which India continues to reproduce, while Bangladesh aims to reformulate their categorization. This article investigates the how, where, and when of the countries’ emigrant categorization processes by tracing the categories’ origins, their reproduction, and reformulation. This article highlights the significant role migrant-origin states play in the politics of skill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) are the largest extant terrestrial megaherbivores native to Asia, with 60% of their wild population found in India. Despite ecological and cultural importance, their population genetic structure and diversity, demographic history, and ensuing implications for management/conservation remain understudied. We analyzed 34 whole genomes (between 11× and 32×) from most known elephant landscapes in India and identified five management/conservation units corresponding to elephants in Northern (Northwestern/Northeastern), Central, and three in Southern India. Our data reveal signatures of divergence and serial colonization and a potential dilution of genetic diversity from north to south of India. The northern populations diverged from others more than 70,000 years ago, have higher genetic diversity, and have low inbreeding (pi = 0.0016 ± 0.0001; F ROH > 1 MB = 0.09 ± 0.03). Two of three populations in Southern India have low diversity and are inbred, with very low effective population sizes compared with census sizes (pi = 0.0014 ± 0.00009 and 0.0015 ± 0.0001; F ROH > 1 MB = 0.25 ± 0.09 and 0.17 ± 0.02). Analyses of genetic load reveal the purging of potentially high-effect insertion/deletion (indel) deleterious alleles in the southern populations and a decreasing number of deleterious alleles from north to south in India. However, despite dilution and purging for the damaging mutation load in Southern India, the load that remains is homozygous. High homozygosity of deleterious alleles, coupled with low neutral genetic diversity, make southernmost populations high priority for conservation attention. Most surprisingly, our study suggests that patterns of genetic diversity and genetic load can correspond to genomic signatures of serial founding events, even in large, highly mobile, endangered mammals. • Asian elephant genomes show north-south divergence and serial colonization in India • Elephant populations show deep divergences in India • There are five management units of Asian elephants in India • These five populations retain distinct genetic load due to their unique histories Khan et al. discover signatures of north-to-south divergence and serial colonization by Asian elephants in India. Whole-genome sequences of elephants reveal that the five management units retain differential genetic load due to their unique histories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

\nBackground: South Asia and Southeast Asia account for more than 40% of the global stroke burden, with differences in stroke risk factors, mortality, and outcomes compared to high-income countries. Sociocultural norms compound the preexisting biological risk differences, resulting in a disproportionate burden of stroke in women in this region. This review summarizes the sex and gender differences across the stroke care continuum in South Asia and Southeast Asia over the past 20 years. Summary: Despite a higher incidence of stroke in men than women in South and Southeast Asia, women have greater stroke severity and poorer outcomes after stroke. Higher levels of premorbid disability and poor physical health at baseline may be contributory. There is a high prevalence of vascular risk factors such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiac sources of embolism, as well as metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance, among the women in this region. Smoking is uncommon among women; however, other forms of smokeless tobacco, such as tobacco leaf and betel nut chewing, are more prevalent, especially in the rural areas in these countries. Women are more likely to have delayed presentations to the hospital due to untimely recognition of stroke symptoms; however, with regards to door-to-needle times or intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) rates, we found equivocal data. Wide gaps exist in stroke awareness and healthcare-seeking behaviors, with women more commonly opting for public hospitals and low-cost wards, more likely to discontinue treatment, and less likely to adhere to poststroke rehabilitation. Key Findings: This review exposes the gender lacunae in stroke service provision across South Asia and Southeast Asia while acknowledging the many knowledge gaps in our understanding. Although the biological risk differences are non-modifiable, educational, policy, and economic measures to mitigate sociocultural barriers are much needed in the region. Sound epidemiological data are needed from more countries to better understand these differences and bridge this gap. It is imperative to advocate and implement policies and programs for stroke care viable for women, cognizant of the gender and cost bias, as well as the interplay of social and cultural structures specific to the regions. In South-and-Southeast Asia, women have greater stroke severity and poorer outcomes after stroke. This is attributable to a higher prevalence of conventional vascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, arrhythmias, and poor lipid regulation as well as hormone related sex-specific factors such as pregnancy, menopause and hormonal replacement therapy which can augment the risk of stroke in women. Women from this region were seen to have similar risk-factor trends with higher frequency of cardiac causes of stroke. Contrary to the rest of the world, tobacco smoking was less common among South-and-Southeast Asian women however, other forms of smokeless tobacco ie consumption of tobacco without burning such as tobacco leaf or betel nut chewing are prevalent especially in countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan. Less frequent forms of stroke like venous strokes are also more common in women in this region. Etiologically, sociocultural practices such as post-partum fluid restriction, dehydration and anemia have been associated although more recently hormonal contraception is also emerging as a cause. Poor awareness, delays in healthcare seeking behaviour, and inadequate availability of stroke services further compounded by disparities augmented by the sociocultural construct of gender, result in wide gaps in stroke care disfavoring women in South-and-Southeast Asia. Future directions to improve equity of care should target improved public awareness of stroke among women, policies cognizant of the existing gender-disparity with the intent of making them viable for women, and equal representation of women in stroke research to better understand gender-based differences in stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]