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Background Fungal disease is frequent in India, but its incidence and prevalence are unclear. This review aims at defining the frequency or burden of various fungal infections in India. Methods A systematic review of the literature on the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science (WOS) databases was conducted using appropriate search strings. Deterministic modeling determined annual incidence and prevalence estimates for multiple life- and sight-threatening infections with significant morbidity. Results Literature searches yielded >2900 papers; 434 papers with incidence/prevalence/proportion data were analyzed. An estimated 57 251 328 of the 1 393 400 000 people in India (4.1%) suffer from a serious fungal disease. The prevalence (in millions) of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis is 24.3, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis is 2.0, tinea capitis in school-age children is 25, severe asthma with fungal sensitization is 1.36, chronic pulmonary aspergillosis is 1.74, and chronic fungal rhinosinusitis is 1.52. The annual incidence rates of Pneumocystis pneumonia (58 400), invasive aspergillosis (250 900), mucormycosis (195 000), esophageal candidiasis in HIV (266 600), candidemia (188 000), fungal keratitis (1 017 100), and cryptococcal meningitis (11 500) were also determined. Histoplasmosis, talaromycosis, mycetoma, and chromoblastomycosis were less frequent. Conclusions India's fungal burden is high and underappreciated in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continental collision zones form at convergent plate boundaries after the negatively buoyant oceanic lithosphere subducts entirely into the Earth's mantle. Consequently, orogenesis commences, and the colliding continents are sutured together. During the collision, plate convergence and motion of the sutured boundary towards the overriding plate are manifest in its deformation, as is the case for the long-term (∼50 Ma) and nearly constant convergence rate at the India–Eurasia collisional zone that hosts the Himalaya. However, despite the long history of modelling subduction-collision systems, it remains unclear what drives this convergence, especially in models where subduction is driven solely by buoyancy forces. This paper presents dynamic self-consistent buoyancy-driven 2-D whole-mantle scale numerical models of subduction-and-collision processes to explore variations in density and rheological stratification of the colliding continent and overriding plate (OP) viscosity (a proxy for OP strength) that facilitate post-collisional convergence and collisional boundary migration. In models with a moderately buoyant indenting continent, the collisional boundary advance is comparatively low (0.1–0.6 cm yr–1), and convergence is driven by the dense continental lithospheric mantle that continues to subduct as it decouples from its deforming crust. Conversely, models with a highly buoyant indenting continent show sustained indentation at 0.5–1.5 cm yr–1 until the slab detaches. Furthermore, models with a weaker OP and lower backarc viscosity show an enhanced propensity for indentation by a positively buoyant continent. These models additionally highlight the role of whole mantle flow induced by the sinking of the detached slab in the lower mantle as it sustains slow convergence at an average rate of 0.36 cm yr–1 for ∼25 Myr after break-off as well as prevents the residual slab from educting. In previous buoyancy-driven partial mantle depth models such eduction does generally occur, given that free-sinking of the detached slab in the mantle is not modelled. Although these findings widen the understanding of the long-term convergence of indenting continents, the lower post-collisional advance rates (0.3–1.5 cm yr–1) compared to India's approximate 1000–2000 km of northward indentation during the last 50 Myr attest to the need for 3-D models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The number of patients with visual impairment and blindness from glaucoma is rapidly increasing with wide-ranging impacts for individuals and societies. However, the disease often goes undiagnosed for a long time, especially in low- and middle-income countries where healthcare services are limited. This paper presents the results of a pilot programme, which integrated targeted glaucoma screenings of people aged ≥40 y in community-based eye care services in the Ganjam district of Odisha state, India. Methods Using routine programme data, descriptive statistics were produced for the characteristics of patients participating in the screening programme and the rate and uptake of glaucoma referrals. Bivariate analysis was used to examine associations between patient characteristics, clinical risk factors and glaucoma diagnosis. Results Out of 23 356 individuals aged ≥40 y screened for glaucoma over a period of 18 mo, 2219 (9.5%) were referred and 2031 presented for further examination. Among them, almost half (n=968, 48%) were diagnosed with glaucoma, representing a screening to diagnosis conversion rate of 4.14% (95% CI 3.9 to 4.4%). A positive diagnosis of glaucoma among suspects was associated with female sex, age >60 y, visual impairment, vertical cap-to-disc ratio ≥0.6:1, intraocular pressure ≥30 mmHg and shallow anterior chamber (p<0.001). Conclusions The importance of targeted screening for glaucoma using simple referral criteria to identify patients at high risk of vision loss who can benefit from treatment is critical to slow the progression of the disease and the prevention of blindness. Further studies assessing costs of the targeted screening, the role of technology in improving programme effectiveness and efficiency and the longer term compliance with treatment are needed to support glaucoma policy frameworks, guidelines and clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a multiwavelength investigation of the Galactic H  ii  region IRAS 17149 − 3916. Using the Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope, India, first low-frequency radio continuum observations at 610 and 1280 MHz for this region are presented. The ionized gas emission displays an interesting cometary morphology, which is likely powered by the early-type source, E4 (IRS-1). The origin of the cometary morphology is discussed under the framework of the widely accepted bow shock, champagne flow, and clumpy cloud mechanisms. The mid- and far-infrared data from Spitzer -GLIMPSE and Herschel -Hi-GAL reveal a complex network of pillars, clumps, bubble, filaments, and arcs suggesting the profound influence of massive stars on the surrounding medium. Triggered star formation at the tip of an observed pillar structure is reported. High-resolution ALMA continuum data show a string of cores detected within the identified clumps. The core masses are well explained by thermal Jeans fragmentation and support the hierarchical fragmentation scenario. Four 'super-Jeans' cores are identified which, at the resolution of the present data set, are suitable candidates to form high-mass stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multiwavelength analysis of star formation associated with the extended green object, G19.88-0.53 is presented in this paper. With multiple detected radio and millimetre components, G19.88-0.53 unveils as harbouring a protocluster rather than a single massive young stellar object. We detect an ionized thermal jet using the upgraded Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope, India, which is found to be associated with a massive, dense and hot ALMA 2.7 mm core driving a bipolar CO outflow. Near-infrared spectroscopy with UKIRT–UIST shows the presence of multiple shock-excited H2 lines concurrent with the nature of this region. Detailed investigation of the gas kinematics using ALMA data reveals G19.88-0.53 as an active protocluster with high-mass star-forming components spanning a wide evolutionary spectrum from hot cores in accretion phase to cores driving multiple outflows to possible UCH  ii regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foldscope Instruments, Inc. creates and distributes low-cost, high-quality scientific tools to communities around the world to help advance education, research, and medical diagnostics. The Foldscope—a high-quality microscope created for less than a dollar in parts—was created in 2015. To date, the Foldscope has reached 1.6 million people worldwide in over 160 countries. A few notable uses for the Foldscope include identification of microscopic eggs of agricultural pests in India, creation of a catalog of the biodiversity of soil arthropods in the Amazon, detection of fake currency and medicine, following toxic blooms, detection of bacteria in water samples, and mapping of pollen diversity in a city landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a multiwavelength study of the extended green object, G12.42+0.50, in this paper. The associated ionized, dust, and molecular components of this source are studied in detail employing various observations at near-, mid- and far-infrared, submillimetre, and radio wavelengths. Radio continuum emission mapped at 610 and 1390 MHz, using the Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope, India, advocates for a scenario of coexistence of an UC H  ii region and an ionized thermal jet possibly powered by the massive young stellar object, IRAS 18079-1756, with an estimated spectral type of B1-B0.5. Shock-excited lines of H2 and [Fe  ii ], as seen in the near-infrared spectra obtained with UKIRT-UIST, lend support to this picture. Cold dust emission shows a massive clump of mass 1375 M⊙ enveloping G12.42+0.50. Study of the molecular gas kinematics using the MALT90 and JCMT archival data unravels the presence of both infall activity and large-scale outflow suggesting an early stage of massive star formation in G12.42+0.50. A network of filamentary features are also revealed merging with the massive clump, mimicking a hub-filament layout. Velocity structure along these indicates bulk inflow motion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information about various papers related to geophysics. Some of the papers are "The Seismic Structure of the Saurashtra Crust in Northwest India and Its Relationship With the Reunion Plume," by G.S.P. Rao and H.C. Tewari, "Maximum Horizontal Stress Orientations in the Cooper Basin, Australia: Implications for Plate-Scale Tectonics and Local Stress Sources," by S. D. Reynolds, S. D. Mildren, R. R. Hulls, J. J. Meyer and T. Flottmann, "A Magnetic Field Model With Daily Variations of the Magnetospheric Field and Its Induced Counterpart in 2001," by V. Lesur, S. Macmillan and A. Thomson.

Background: Adolescents (10-19 years old) comprise a fifth of the Indian population (253.2 million), yet there is very little published information about the burden of disease and injury for this age group. This paper aims to provide a contemporary picture of the leading causes of death and disability for Indian adolescent girls and boys for 2013, and changes in deaths and disability between 1990 and 2013.Methods: Data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study for India, for the years 1990 and 2013, were accessed. Data were categorized into two age groups: 10 to 14 years (younger adolescents) and 15 to 19 years (older adolescents) and analysed separately for girls and boys.Results: The study shows that for both younger and older adolescent boys and for older adolescent girls, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and injuries are responsible for a greater number of deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) than communicable diseases. Communicable diseases are still important causes of death and disability for young adolescents. Among older adolescents there is an increasing burden of death and disability due to self-harm, road traffic injuries, fire- and heat-related injuries and mental disorders such as depressive disorders.Conclusions: Although strategies to reduce the burden of communicable diseases among adolescents must continue to be an important focus, innovative, evidence-based strategies aimed at reducing the growing burden of NCDs and injuries must be elevated as a priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For better use of evaporative cooling techniques in humid climate, a desiccant cooling system (DCS) can be an alternative option in place of a conventional cooling system. This paper presents a theoretical comparative study of the performance of a DCS for four different climatic conditions of India (i.e. hot and dry, warm and humid, moderate and composite climates). From the analysis, it was found that the performance of a DCS is suitable in warm and humid climate. The thermodynamic equations of intermediate states of the desiccant cooling cycle are also presented. Effects of some parameters such as outdoor specific humidity, R/P ratio (regeneration air flow/process air flow) and power required to regenerate the desiccant wheel have been studied. The theoretical minimum R/P ratio has been computed for the maximum coefficient of performance (COP) of a DCS and its value was found to be 0.55 in Mumbai (warm and humid climate) for the 80% effectiveness of ECW. This paper also presents the relationship between COP and regeneration power with the different values of R/P ratios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper investigates trends in suicide rate, the reasons for and means of suicide and the occupation of deceased, to prioritize suicide prevention activities in India and to highlight the limitations to data quality for surveillance.Methods: Data available in the public domain from the National Crimes Record Bureau (NCRB) were analysed from 2001 to 2010 at the national and sub-national levels, split by age groups and sex for ages 15 years and above.Results: The reported suicide rate was 14.9 and 15.4 suicides per 100 000 population in 2001 and 2010, respectively. More developed states reported significantly higher suicide rates than the less developed (mean 20.5 versus 8.16), but neither experienced large changes over time. Among males, the reported suicide rate changed slightly (17.8 to 19.5); it remained almost similar for females (11.9 to 11.1). Housewives accounted for the highest proportion of suicide deaths over the decade. Distribution of the reasons for suicide remained almost constant over time; most suicides (33.7%) were due to personal/social reasons, followed by health at 24.3% and unknown reasons at 16.4%; differences were observed between the more and less developed states. Marriage-related suicides were higher for females, and health reasons increased with increasing age. Nationally, poison/overdose with drugs/pesticides was the leading means of suicide through the decade, although the gap between this and hanging decreased over time. The state level data showed considerable heterogeneity in the quality of data across the indicators assessed.Conclusions: These data provide a range of information to identify vulnerable groups, to formulate appropriate suicide prevention strategies. Addressing the limitations in data quality would facilitate further utility of surveillance data to prevent suicides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examine patterns of self-reported diagnosis of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and prevalences of algorithm/measured test-based, undiagnosed, and untreated NCDs in China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia, and South Africa. Nationally representative samples of older adults aged ≥50 years were analyzed from wave 1 of the World Health Organization's Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (2007-2010; n = 34,149). Analyses focused on 6 conditions: angina, arthritis, asthma, chronic lung disease, depression, and hypertension. Outcomes for these NCDs were: 1) self-reported disease, 2) algorithm/measured test-based disease, 3) undiagnosed disease, and 4) untreated disease. Algorithm/measured test-based prevalence of NCDs was much higher than self-reported prevalence in all 6 countries, indicating underestimation of NCD prevalence in low- and middle-income countries. Undiagnosed prevalence of NCDs was highest for hypertension, ranging from 19.7% (95% confidence interval (CI): 18.1, 21.3) in India to 49.6% (95% CI: 46.2, 53.0) in South Africa. The proportion untreated among all diseases was highest for depression, ranging from 69.5% (95% CI: 57.1, 81.9) in South Africa to 93.2% (95% CI: 90.1, 95.7) in India. Higher levels of education and wealth significantly reduced the odds of an undiagnosed condition and untreated morbidity. A high prevalence of undiagnosed NCDs and an even higher proportion of untreated NCDs highlights the inadequacies in diagnosis and management of NCDs in local health-care systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Recently, the Indian government launched health insurance schemes for the poor both to protect them from high health spending and to improve access to high-quality health services. This article aims to review the potentials of health insurance interventions in order to improve access to quality care in India based on experiences of community health insurance schemes. Data sources PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE (R), All EBM Reviews, CSA Sociological Abstracts, CSA Social Service Abstracts, EconLit, Science Direct, the ISI Web of Knowledge, Social Science Research Network and databases of research centers were searched up to September 2010. An Internet search was executed. Study selection One thousand hundred and thirty-three papers were assessed for inclusion and exclusion criteria. Twenty-five papers were selected providing information on eight schemes. Data extraction A realist review was performed using Hirschman's exit-voice theory: mechanisms to improve exit strategies (financial assets and infrastructure) and strengthen patient's long voice route (quality management) and short voice route (patient pressure). Results of data synthesis All schemes use a mix of measures to improve exit strategies and the long voice route. Most mechanisms are not effective in reality. Schemes that focus on the patients’ bargaining position at the patient-provider interface seem to improve access to quality care. Conclusion Top-down health insurance interventions with focus on exit strategies will not work out fully in the Indian context. Government must actively facilitate the potential of CHI schemes to emancipate the target group so that they may transform from mere passive beneficiaries into active participants in their health. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Summary: This paper appraises the public health burden of mortality in India caused by the practice of dowry and examines the association of some demographic and socio-economic factors with dowry deaths and dowry-related suicides. The paper is based on the data available on the public domains of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), third National Family Health and Survey-2005-06, Planning Commission of India and Census of India 2001. In 2007, the total number of dowry deaths and dowry-related suicides reported in India were 8093 and 3148, respectively. There was a 74% increase in dowry-related deaths from1995 to 2007, while there was a 31% increase in the reporting of dowry-related suicides. Occurrence of dowry deaths has significant association with some demographic and socio-economic variables. The data reveal that the status of women is undesirable, and the burden of mortality and related morbidity is enormous. There should be a national injury surveillance system and reliable estimates of dowry-related homicides. However, available information can be used to design and implement some counter-measures to prevent dowry-related violence and deaths. The study warrants the undertaking of research to give insights into circumstances and triggers of such violence, the healthcare seeking of these victims, bottlenecks in seeking health care and reporting to the police. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Indus Civilization (3rd to 2nd millennium BC) has been understood primarily through the study of its cities. However, the majority of the population lived in rural villages whose material remains have not been the focus of archaeological research. There has been no consensus on the nature of the social organization of the Indus Civilization, and the focus on urban sites and elite artefacts has meant that there has been little investigation into urban–rural interactions or the impact of urbanization on rural hinterlands. Food production, particularly that of staple crops, is one of the key links between a city and the villages that surround it. This paper uses phytolith analysis, a method of identifying plants and their constituent components using microscopic plant silica, to explore if the development of the cities affected the daily practice of crop processing and exchange in the Indus Civilization. This helps to ascertain whether city-centralized models of social organization can be applied to all aspects of rural–urban interactions. Using samples from Early and Mature Harappan periods at the village site of Masudpur VII in Haryana, India, the aims of crop processing, the crop assemblage and the local environmental conditions have been explored. This study concludes that contrary to the assumed city-focused models, the aims of the processing, composition of the crop assemblage and the local environmental conditions at Masudpur VII were not altered by the development of the city of Rakhigarhi in close proximity to it. This paper demonstrates that an understanding of ancient civilizations cannot be accurately drawn from the study of only their most conspicuous sites, especially when most of the people lived in the rural hinterlands. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses papers presented in the journal's special section that examined the history of India, including David Gilmartin's paper on the judicial treatment of caste in India, Sujit Sivasundaram's assessment of the impact of colonialism on India and Mithi Mukherjee's exploration of freedom in the Gandhian nonviolent movement.

This paper attempts to answer the question: why do the police use deadly force in a democratic country? Police shootings in India are better known as encounters, a term that refers to a specific type of police contact—a spontaneous, unplanned ‘shoot-out’ between the police and alleged criminals, in which the criminal is usually killed, with few or no police injuries. The police use of deadly force remains largely unquestioned or unaccountable. This paper explores the wider structural and systemic factors that create conditions in which killing ‘hardened’ criminals seems to be the last resort for the police to gain some control in the fight against crime. Wider cultural and specifically police sub-cultural factors that make police killing of alleged criminals both feasible and acceptable in a democratic country are discussed. Based on a qualitative study of Mumbai police officers’ narratives accounting for use of deadly force, the paper draws upon wider policing literature in the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, South Africa and certain Latin American countries to explain why this form of police violence occurs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: This paper presents a design toolbox developed for Philips Design in commission of Philips Medical Systems that provides insight into the healthcare context of rural India. Creating products for this context requires an understanding of the needs of the people within it. This paper discusses ‘contextual design’ through the combination of different descriptive and experiential tools, used to introduce designers into a context they are not familiar with. The toolbox has been evaluated using different performance techniques with design students. The use of role-play techniques has proven increasing relevance in many aspects: increasing the understanding and experience of participants about the context, creating an embodied and common understanding of the ideas being developed and communicating the concepts in their context. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives. There are no valid instruments to measure disease activity in Takayasu arteritis (TA). We aim to provide a valid measure to assess clinical disease activity with or without incorporating acute phase reactants.Methods. The Indian Takayasu Clinical Activity Score (ITAS) was initially derived from disease manifestations scored in the Disease Extent Index (DEI.Tak). The ITAS was validated by a group of physicians scoring both live and paper cases for inter-rater reliability (IRR), convergence with BVAS, correlation with the Physician’s Global Assessment (PGA) and ESR/CRP. It was further validated at a single centre in 177 patients for its ability to discriminate between active and inactive disease state at first visit and sensitivity to change in 132 active patients measured serially at two follow-up visits. ITAS-A also included graded scores for ESR/CRP.Results. The final ITAS2010 contains 44 items with 33 features arising from the cardiovascular system. Seven key items are weighted to score 2 and all others score 1 only. Inter-observer variability was highly satisfactory (IRR 0.97). The ITAS showed superior inter-rater agreement compared with the BVAS (IRR 0.9) and PGA (IRR 0.82). In the single-centre study, median ITAS scores at first visit were significantly higher in active disease (5.62 ± 3.14) compared with grumbling (3.36 ± 1.96) and inactive disease (1.27 ± 1.26, P < 0.0001). The therapy induced a significant decrease in the ITAS2010 but the higher ITAS-A scores remained elevated.Conclusion. The ITAS2010, validated in over 300 TA patients and sensitive to change, is a useful measure of clinical disease activity for patient monitoring. Higher ITAS-A scores suggest poor control of active disease by current therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hunger is a key marker of health disparity, depicting the everyday consequences of inequalities that are physiologically felt directly by the most vulnerable segments of the population, often resulting from the broader structural inequities in a society. In this project, we report our work with food insecurity in West Bengal, India and Indiana, USA. Through interviews, focus groups, community-wide discussions, photo exhibits cocreated through the PhotoVoice method, and community meetings, community members develop solutions that are meaningful to their everyday lived experiences. White Papers, policy briefs, exhibits, community meetings, and coalitions emerge as solutions developed through our partnerships that focus on addressing specific problems related to food insecurity by fostering spaces for listening to the voices of the food insecure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces an inexpensive, low-tech Audio-Self-Administered Questionnaire that uses a basic MP3 player (MP3/ASAQ) and compares its performance in collecting data about sensitive attitudes with a number of alternatives, including a face-to-face survey. The paper compares five administration procedures in an experiment conducted in a survey on sensitive caste-related attitudes in rural India. Respondents in the MP3/ASAQ group listened to a prerecorded instrument that presented them with a number of first-person statements made by “respondents like [them],” entered their responses on an answer sheet using simple shapes and logos, and finally placed their form in a bolted ballot box. Like previous studies evaluating self-administration techniques, our study indicates that the MP3/ASAQ significantly increased socially undesirable answers, as compared with an equivalent face-to-face interview. Comparisons with additional administration procedures suggest that when self-administration is combined with the use of earphones the threat of bystander disapproval (as opposed to interviewer disapproval) is reduced by effectively isolating respondents from their social environment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

SUMMARY This paper describes a 3-D lithospheric density model of the Western Continental Margin of India (WCMI) based on forward modelling of gravity data derived from satellite altimetry over the ocean and surface measurements on the Indian peninsula. The model covers the north-eastern Arabian Sea and the western part of the Indian Peninsula and incorporates constraints from a wide variety of geophysical and geological information. Salient features of the density model include: (1) the Moho depth varying from 13 km below the oceanic crust to 46 km below the continental interior; (2) the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) located at depths between 70 km in the southwestern corner (under oceanic crust) and about 165 km below the continental region; (3) thickening of the crust under the Chagos-Laccadive and Laxmi Ridges and (4) a revised definition of the continent-ocean boundary. The 3-D density structure of the region enables us to propose an evolutionary model of the WCMI that revisits earlier views of passive rifting. The first stage of continental-scale rifting of Madagascar from India at about 90 Ma is marked by relatively small amounts of magmatism. A second episode of rifting and large-scale magmatism was possibly initiated around 70 Ma with the opening of the Gop Rift. Subsequently at around 68 Ma, the drifting away of the Seychelles and formation of the Laxmi Ridge was a consequence of the down-faulting of the northern margin. During this second episode of rifting, the northern part of the WCMI witnessed massive volcanism attributed to interaction with the Reunion hotspot at around 65 Ma. Subsequent stretching of the transitional crust between about 65 and 62 Ma formed the Laxmi Basin, the southward extension of the failed Gop Rift. As the interaction between plume and lithosphere continued, the Chagos-Laccadive Ridge was emplaced on the edge of the nascent oceanic crust/rifted continental margin in the south as the Indian Plate was moving northwards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A frequent pattern found among crypto-religious communities is that the rituals or beliefs held in secret are transmitted primarily by women, from mothers to daughters. This paper examines a small community of women in south India, the secret Christians of Sivakasi, in order to investigate why these women chose to maintain a delicate, and at times dangerous, balance between their outward observance of Hindu rituals and their inner, private adherence to Christianity. By contextualizing these Nadar women's lives in the vexed history of caste conflict in late nineteenth-century south India, I show that women in this upwardly mobile Hindu community found in clandestine Christian circles a means of securing a limited autonomy in an intensely patriarchal milieu, especially as their lives became increasingly circumscribed by Brahmanical customs. Georg Simmel and Paul Christopher Johnson's analyses of the affective dynamics of secrecy illuminate the complex motivations for women's involvement in these groups, in spite of the risks, and help explain why the conjugal bond becomes the focus of so much attention in the narratives of Secret Christians. By identifying features that distinguish crypto-religiosity, a relatively rare but distinctive outcome of religious encounter, in dialogue with Maurus Reinkowski and Joel Robbins's work, I hope to make this category more useful, and push our understanding of the complexities of religious change beyond the well-known dyad of conversion and syncretism. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper argues that manifestations of the sacred in Hollywood biblical spectaculars, as well as in films from Bollywood (the Hollywood of Bombay), have been significantly contoured by a reticulate set of oral norms. That is, the films' depictions of hierophany are tied to a way of knowing that maintains roots in orality (as distinct from a way of knowing historically permitted and/or induced by a cultural investment in the written word). Such orally inflected norms as epical and exoteric abundance, melodrama, frontality, and a telescoping of the real into the mythic compel us to re-think the common critical assumption that religious spectaculars are not authentically manifesting the sacred or that they can only be operating as escapist metaphors. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

While almost a decade old, Ted Hopf’s observation that the democratic peace is an observation in search of a theory still holds validity. In particular, the mechanisms behind the democratic peace are poorly understood, making it difficult for scholars to provide a compelling explanation. Underappreciated in the existing work is the role of identity and the importance this has for driving the democratic peace. With a focus on developing a dyadic democratic peace mechanism and using a case study approach, this paper utilizes the Copenhagen School’s securitization framework to examine how identity plays out in the US response to the Indian and Iranian nuclear programs. It finds that in fact identity does play an important role in how security policy is constructed. In policy terms, if the democratic peace does rely on identity to trigger the constraining norms that limit the escalation of conflict to violence, it is unlikely the democratic peace can be spread by force and it is possible that states nominally democratic can be excluded from the community of democracies if their behavior or significant other aspects of their perceived identity are at variance with the accepted democratic identity standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many seismic observations have shown that strong heterogeneities exist in the bottom few hundreds kilometres of the mantle. Among different seismic phases, this region, that is, the D″ layer, can be most globally sampled by diffracted waves along the core mantle boundary. Here, we assess the amplitude and distribution of S-wave velocity variations in the D″ layer of an existing tomographic model. We compare observed SHdiff traveltime anomalies to synthetic ones obtained using (1) the coupled spectral element method (CSEM), which is our reference exact method, (2) non-linear asymptotic coupling theory (NACT) and (3) 1-D ray theory. Synthetic waveforms are calculated down to 0.057 Hz with a corner frequency at 0.026 Hz. In the first part of this paper, we compare the traveltime anomaly predictions from the three different methods. The anomalies from CSEM and NACT are obtained by taking cross-correlations of the 3-D and 1-D synthetic waveforms. Both NACT and standard ray theory, which are used in other recent tomographic models, suffer from biases in traveltime predictions for vertically varying structure near the core–mantle boundary: NACT suffers from saturation of traveltimes, due to the portion in the kernel calculation that is based on the reference 1-D model, while ray theory suffers from wave front healing effects in the vertical plane, exacerbated in the presence of thin low velocity layers. In the second part, we compare observed traveltime anomalies and predictions from CSEM. The data consists of 506 Sdiff traveltime anomalies from 15 events, obtained form global seismograph network records. The tomographic model does a good job at predicting traveltimes of Sdiff phases especially when the path mostly samples fast S velocity regions at the base of the mantle, such as beneath India, China, North America and Northern Pacific. The underprediction of the positive observed traveltime anomalies seems to occur in regions where the paths sample close to the border of the large low shear velocity provinces, such as beneath Southern Pacific, South of Australia, Philippine Sea plate and Northwestern Pacific Ocean. Inspection of the observed seismograms at higher frequencies indicate that (1) the gradient of structure is underestimated and (2) there are post-cursors to the Sdiff which bias the lower frequency traveltime measurements, and which are not taken into account by the tomographic inversion, because of the approximate theoretical framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Mental and neurological disorders (MNDs) account for a large, and growing, burden of disease in low- and middle-income countries. Most people do not have access to even basic health care for these disorders. Recent evidence shows that task-shifting to non-specialist community health workers is a feasible and effective strategy for delivery of efficacious treatments for specific MND in low-resource settings. New global initiatives, such as the WHO''s mental health Gap Action Program, are utilizing this evidence to devise packages of care for specific MNDs. This paper describes a plan that seeks to integrate the evidence on the treatment of specific MNDs, based on a task-shifting paradigm, for scaling up services for MNDs at the level of a defined population. The plan was developed by a state government in India in collaboration with technical partners, as a model District Mental Health Program for India''s National Mental Health Program. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In India, traditional values as well as the timeless way of building compact residential environments is now threatened by new and foreign influences from the Occident. These influences are incompatible with the climate of the country and traditional culture of its people. [Schoenauer N. 6000 Years of Housing. W.W. Norton, New York, 2000]In the context of the worldwide concern for global warming and a need for reduced carbon emissions, increased energy efficiency, reduced waste and need for alternative sources of energy; this paper reviews passive design strategies that were used in the traditional buildings across India and assess their potential in modern design. This study offers a classification of vernacular environmental design traditions across the subcontinent based on the Koppen–Grieger climatic regions and a detailed study of thermal comfort in traditional and modern dwellings, in two of the eight regions, using environmental performance modelling. The results show that traditional passive techniques provide a high degree of comfort for a longer part of the day while potentially minimizing energy use. Some problems were identified in adopting the passive strategies to the present context. For example, there are limitations in the use of traditional building materials, such as, earth, but suitable alternatives with similar properties can be readily adapted to the same effect. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents an analysis of energy payback time and life-cycle conversion efficiency earning by solar energy park (SEP) at I.I.T Delhi, New Delhi, India. There are a number of hybrid photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) systems with stand-alone photovoltaic (SAPV) power supply in the SEP. The analysis is based on experimental and theoretical annual performance of each system. Life-cycle conversion efficiency analysis considering the embodied energy of various systems in the park has been performed for life cycles of 30, 40 and 50 years. It is found that the cost of power generated by the SAPV system decreases with increase in the life cycle of the system. The energy payback time of the park is 2.52 years and 17.21 years for thermal and electrical energies. The return on capital decreases marginally with increase in life cycle, however it increases marginally if embodied energy is taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper focuses on certain issues pertaining to energy, carbon emissions and sustainability of building construction with particular reference to the Indian construction industry. Use of sustainable natural materials in the past, related durability issues, and the implications of currently used energy-intensive materials on carbon emissions and sustainability are discussed. Some statistics on the Indian construction sector regarding materials produced in bulk quantities and the energy implications are discussed. Examples of low embodied energy materials are provided. An analysis of total embodied energy in conventional and alternative building systems shows nearly 50% reduction in embodied energy of buildings. Potential uses for solid wastes for building materials are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The objective of this paper was to report a bacterium designated as 88D, capable of producing poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) [P (3HB-co-3HV)] copolymer from a single carbon source, which was isolated from a municipal sewage treatment plant in Hyderabad, India. This microorganism, based on the phenotypical features and genotypic investigations, was identified as Bacillus sp. The optimal growth of Bacillus sp. 88D occurred between 28 and 30°C and at pH 7. The strain yielded a maximum of 64.62% dry cell weight (DCW) polymer in the medium containing glucose as carbon source, which was followed by 60.46% DCW polymer in glycerol containing medium. Bacillus sp. 88D produced P (3HB-co-3HV) from glucose or glycerol, when they were used as a single carbon substrate. This bacterium produced polyhydrxybutyrate (PHB) when sodium acetate was used as sole carbon substrate. The viscosity average molecular mass (Mv) of the copolymers ranged from 523 to 627 kDa. The physical, chemical and mechanical properties of the biopolymers were characterized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an analysis of carbon credit earned by each district for supplying minimum subsistence electricity to each family (energy security) in India. The minimum subsistence electricity has been defined as electricity required for running one fan and one light. Average insolation per annum available for 10 h a day (when insolation is >150 W/m2) is the basis for numerical computation. Number of Stand alone Photo Voltaic (SAPV) panels with battery backup has been optimized. On the basis of annual performance and carbon credit earned, the life cycle cost analysis of SAPV panels have been performed. The computation of the carbon credit earned by SAPV panels as per the norms of the Kyoto Protocol under climate condition of the corresponding district has also been carried out. Estimation of carbon credits, which will accrue to the nation, has also been done. Return on the investment analysis on the basis of the life cycle cost analysis has also been carried out. It is found that the cost of power generated (€0.102/kWh, €0.0916 and €0.0847 for life cycle of 30, 40 and 50 years respectively), carbon credit earned and return on capital by the SAPV system for Indian climatic condition will be cheaper than the cost of power generated by conventional systems. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background Improvement in people's knowledge of HIV/AIDS and reduction in stigma and discrimination have been key factors in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The objective of the present paper is to examine the mediation effect of comprehensive knowledge on people's attitudes towards HIV positives in India. Methods Data for the study have been drawn from nationally representative India's National Family Health Survey, 2015-16. Statistical methods of data analysis included odds ratio and logistic regression models. Results Two in every five men and of women with comprehensive knowledge held a positive attitude towards PLHIVs. The people in rural areas and females against their counterparts are less likely (OR: 0.85, p < 0.05) to have positive attitude. The mediation by comprehensive knowledge, contributed to 46% of direct effect from gender perspective on comprehensive positive attitude. Among males, aged group 25-44 and among females age <25 had most positive attitude towards people living with HIV (PLHIV) as compared to their counterparts. Conclusions There existed a difference between males and females in attaining comprehensive knowledge and having comprehensive positive attitude. The mediation by comprehensive knowledge contributed, though partially, direct effects from gender perspective on comprehensive positive attitude. The findings are programmatically relevant to device content analysis of the material in the information, education and communication strategies. Key messages The mediation effect of comprehensive knowledge on people's attitudes towards HIV positives has been substantial in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this present paper, a life cycle cost analysis based on the energy and exergy analysis of a hybrid photovoltaic-thermal (HPV/T) water collector has been carried out for various Indian cities, i.e. Srinagar, Mumbai, Jodhpur, New Delhi and Banglore. The main focus of the study is to see the effect of interest rate, life of HPV/T water collector, subsidy, etc, on cost/kWh. The study reveals that (i) annual thermal and electrical efficiency decreases with an increase in solar radiation and (ii) cost/kWh is higher in the case of exergy than in the case of thermal energy. The results of a HPV/T water and air collector have also been compared. It is observed that the thermal efficiency of a HPV/T water collector is higher than that of a HPV/T air collector by 20%–25%. Similarly, electrical and exergy efficiencies differ by 2%–5%. Further, it is observed that the cost/kWh of a HPV/T water collector is lower than that of a HPV/T air collector for all locations covered in the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploration along the Naga Thrust and Fold Belt in the Assam province of Northeast India encounters geological as well as logistic challenges. Drilling for hydrocarbons, traditionally guided by surface manifestations of the Naga thrust fault, faces additional challenges in the northeast where the thrust fault gradually deepens leaving subtle surface expressions. In such an area, multichannel 2-D seismic data were collected along a line perpendicular to the trend of the thrust belt. The data have a moderate signal-to-noise ratio and suffer from ground roll and other acquisition-related noise. In addition to data quality, the complex geology of the thrust belt limits the ability of conventional seismic processing to yield a reliable velocity model which in turn leads to poor subsurface image. In this paper, we demonstrate the application of traveltime and waveform inversion as supplements to conventional seismic imaging and interpretation processes. Both traveltime and waveform inversion utilize the first arrivals that are typically discarded during conventional seismic processing. As a first step, a smooth velocity model with long wavelength characteristics of the subsurface is estimated through inversion of the first-arrival traveltimes. This velocity model is then used to obtain a Kirchhoff pre-stack depth-migrated image which in turn is used for the interpretation of the fault. Waveform inversion is applied to the central part of the seismic line to a depth of ∼1 km where the quality of the migrated image is poor. Waveform inversion is performed in the frequency domain over a series of iterations, proceeding from low to high frequency (11–19 Hz) using the velocity model from traveltime inversion as the starting model. In the end, the pre-stack depth-migrated image and the waveform inversion model are jointly interpreted. This study demonstrates that a combination of traveltime and waveform inversion with Kirchhoff pre-stack depth migration is a promising approach for the interpretation of geological structures in a thrust belt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with the implications of earthquake depth distributions in the Himalayan–Tibetan collision zone for the general understanding of lithosphere rheology. In particular, recent studies have argued that microearthquakes in the uppermost mantle beneath Nepal and some earthquakes at 80–90 km depth, close to the Moho in SE and NW Tibet, reinforce the conventional view of the last 25 yr that the continental lithosphere is well represented by strong seismogenic layers in the upper crust and uppermost mantle, separated by a weak and aseismic lower crust. That view was recently challenged by an alternative one suggesting that the continental lithosphere contained a single strong seismogenic layer, that was either the upper crust or the whole crust, but did not involve the mantle. We re-examine the seismic structure and seismicity of the Himalayan–Tibetan collision zone, recalculating earthquake depths in velocity structures that are consistent with seismic receiver functions and surface wave dispersion studies, and calculating a geotherm for the Indian Shield consistent with kimberlite nodule geochemistry. Earthquakes occur throughout the crustal thickness of the Indian Shield, where the lower crust is thought to consist of dry granulite, responsible for its seismogenic behaviour and strength as manifested by its relatively large effective elastic thickness. The crust of the Indian Shield is thin (∼35 km) for an Archean shield, and this, in turn, leads to a steady-state Moho temperature that could be as low as ∼500 °C. When this shield is thrust beneath the Himalaya in Nepal, the relatively low mantle temperature, together with the high strain rates associated with it adopting a ‘ramp-and-flat’ geometry, may be responsible for the mantle microearthquakes that accompany other earthquakes in the lower crust. Further north, the upper crust of India south of the Indus Suture Zone has been removed, the uppermost lower crust of India has heated up, and seismicity is restricted to a few earthquakes very close to the Moho at 80–90 km, where errors in Moho and earthquake depth determinations make it unclear whether these events are in the crust or mantle. A similar situation exists in NW Tibet beneath the Kunlun, where earthquakes at 80–90 km depth occur very close to the Moho. Both places are about 400 km north of the Himalayan front, and we suspect both represent the minimum distance India has underthrust Tibet, so that India underlies most of the SE and nearly all of the NW Tibetan plateau. The distribution of earthquake depths throughout the region is consistent with a generic global view of seismicity in which earthquakes occur in (1) ‘wet’ upper crustal material to a temperature of ∼350 °C, or (2) higher temperatures in dry granulite-facies lower crust or (3) mantle that is colder than ∼600 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the ability of P-wave receiver functions to constrain both the velocity and density contrasts across the Moho. Expressions for receiver function amplitudes corresponding to a layer over a half-space are extended to media with depth-dependent properties by explicitly accounting for free-surface reflection coefficients. Forward numerical computations show that receiver function amplitudes become frequency-dependent for depth-dependent structures and that, for a given frequency, wavelengths associated to Ps converted phases are larger than wavelengths associated to multiply reverberated phases. When consistent measurements of the amplitudes of Ps phase and multiples can be obtained, the extended expressions suffice to account for the observed amplitudes. Receiver function amplitudes are sensitive to both velocity and density contrasts across the Moho, and a two-step grid-search procedure is proposed to recover the contrasts from their measurement. The near-surface velocity is recovered in the first step from the amplitude of the direct P wave and then used in the second step to work out the relative density and S-wave velocity contrast from the amplitude of the secondary phases. Examples from central Spain (PAB) and the Indian Shield (HYB) are discussed and demonstrate that receiver function amplitudes can constrain contrasts across the Moho accurately enough to be utilized in geological interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a method and results of an ethnographic study aimed at building an understanding of Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) adoption in Mumbai, India. The study combined field observations and semi-structured interviews (N=43) of early ATM adopters, bank customers who do not use ATMs, and people who used the ATM for the first time as part of our research. Data were analysed to identify specific cultural traits that may affect the adoption of ATMs in urban India. Results demonstrated the unique role of the cultural context in affecting users'' expectations and behavioural possibilities, thus determining people''s response to the machine. This led to the conclusion that an understanding of cultural biases and metaphors can facilitate technology diffusion and acceptance informing design localisation and supporting the development of strategies to motivate and train users. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In 1830 W. H. Sleeman, a servant of the East India Company, ‘discovered’ a religious cult of highway robbers. Victims were murdered at the scene of the crime by strangulation with a silk scarf. This phenomenon he termed ‘thuggee’ and the gang members who preyed upon native travellers ‘thugs’. They were, he asserted, ‘villains as subtle, rapacious, and cruel, as any who are to be met in the records of human depravity’. This paper examines the history of the thuggee phenomenon, situating it in the context of British colonial expansion into the subcontinent. It is argued that both the ‘discovery’ of thuggee and its eventual demise in the face of competing images of native criminality flowed from the impact upon native society of expanding British authority and the needs of governance to know, categorize and subdue the Indian subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The study area is the Birbhum district of the State of West Bengal in India. It is one of the backward districts in India. Objectives The paper investigates the existing pattern of obstetric health care practices and the factors associated with the utilization of such care. Method The present analysis includes 495 adult married women of both rural and urban areas of nine Blocks of Birbhum district. Besides performing χ2 tests to see the association of the relevant individual and household characteristics, logistic regression was also carried out to measure the effect of these characteristics on the use of obstetric health care. Results In Birbhum district of West Bengal 65 percent mothers go to doctors for antenatal check-up during their pregnancy, but only 26 percent mothers deliver their babies in institutions and 30 percent mothers get the help of professional health assistants during delivery. Educated women have emphasized role in the practice of obstetric health care. Husbands education and the standard of living of the family also have some effect on the practice of antenatal check up, place of delivery and assistance of health professional. While most of the family background variables have significant effect on the practice of antenatal check up, these variables do not have much effect on the choice of delivery or seeking assistance of health professionals. Contrary to the popular belief the working status of women does not have favourable influence on the obstetric health care practices. In developing countries like India, it is the poverty, which compels the women to take jobs—that too in low paid jobs especially in rural backward areas. Conclusion The status of literacy of mothers and standard of living of the family are of prime importance in improving the obstetric health care practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]