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Background: India's recent increase in urbanization alongside with feminization of rural agriculture could increase the existing gender disparities in dietary diversity. With many rural men migrating to urban areas, women have increased domestic burdens as well as productive burdens such as making informed crop production decisions so household members consume a diverse diet. Given the rapid and recent onset of this phenomenon, there is a need to explore gender differentials in diet diversity across urban and rural areas to assess if certain populations are being disproportionately impacted by this trend. There are limited established quantitative studies discussing this gender disparity with respect to urbanization. Therefore, this paper compares dietary diversity among adult men, adult women, adolescent males, and adolescent females in urban and peri-urban locations. The authors also assess if various sociodemographic factors correlate with dietary diversity. Methods: Analyses were conducted on dietary diversity data collected by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) from selected urban (1108 individuals) and peri-urban (808 individuals) locations of Hyderabad, India. The total sample size of the population is n = 1816: 660 adult males, 662 adult females, 205 adolescent males, and 289 adolescent females. Results: Adult women and adolescent females have a higher diet disparity between peri-urban and urban areas when compared to adult males and adolescent males. Multivariate analyses followed by post hoc multiple comparisons testing further support that peri-urban adult women consume a less diverse diet compared to their urban counterparts and less than other peri-urban adult men and adolescent women. It was also found that marital status, type of household card owned, and the highest degree of education are statistically significant correlators of an individual's dietary diversity. Conclusions: Given that urbanization could negatively impact already vulnerable populations such as peri-urban adult women, who play a key role in children's nutrition, it is important to provide support to these populations. This paper suggests it is possible to do so through government subsidization of peri-urban farmers to grow more diverse crops, fortifying easily accessible foods with commonly lacking micronutrients, including Vitamin A, folic acid, and iron, market access, and affordable prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper attempts to see the women and child worker in the old city of Hyderabad in the Bangle industry. Women make up a sizable portion of India's labour force, yet they are paid less and have less secure jobs than men. As a result, many of these mothers choose to earn an income for their families by working from home. Women who work in the informal sector work with minimum pay and hence the girl child is an easy prey to assist the mother in supplementing the income and helping in the household chores so that more time is left to pursue the trade for an income. Our sample includes 100 women respondents and 150 girls. Being in the unregulated, home-based informal sector has made it challenging to organize the employees, leaving the bulk of bangle-makers in precarious positions both at work and at home. The increasing number of children, especially girls, who are taking part in the production of bangles is also a cause for alarm. It would appear that the piece rate method of payment and the fact that the work may be done from home encourage the participation of family members, including children, in the labour force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essay utilises autoethnography while adopting an explorative research strategy. The PhD thesis project on randonneuring served as the inspiration for the paper. The article details the complete process in a chronological way. It is a reflection on the fieldwork experiences. The fieldwork was carried out between August 2015 and October 2018 in Hyderabad, India. It is divided into three stages. The paper presents a detailed descriptive account of how the researcher was moving through different stages of the study. In stage 1, I describe how I stepped into the cycling world. This stage is marked by learning about the cycle and getting acquainted with the city's cycling community. This includes more of commuting and leisure riding. In stage 2, I participate in local races and venture into longer rides and eventually become a randonneur, i.e., further improving my skills, training and gauging my fitness level. In Stage 3, I have participated in the randonneuring events as a randonneur completing the Super Randonneur series (i.e., 200, 300, 400 and 600kms rides). The article provides specific anecdotes to build a better context for understanding the subjective experience of the cycling culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trauma is a global challenge and India has one of the highest trauma deaths in the world. Despite the United Nations' target to halve the global number of deaths and injuries from road traffic crashes by 2030, death tolls from road traffic injuries (RTI) are rising in India. In the pediatric age group, falls from height add to the burden of trauma. Uncontrolled bleeding from exsanguination on scene is estimated to account for nearly 40% of RTI trauma related mortality. Stopping the bleeding in the first few minutes is crucial for meaningful survival and hence the role of training lay public who can reach the scene in minutes. Active bleeding control (ABC) pilot research project to simulation train the bystanders to stop the bleed showed promising outcomes in Hyderabad, India. This paper describes the ABC project and discusses the role of pediatricians in training the public to reduce morbidity and mortality from uncontrolled bleeding at the trauma scene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrared thermography (IRT) has been a very successful tool for the diagnosis and monitoring of cultural heritage restoration projects. It has been used to identify anomalies, moisture issues, etc., in historic buildings. Although it is a promising tool, one of the limitations is that a method to deploy it onsite has not been standardized. This is due to the different variables that might affect thermal signatures captured by the thermal camera, when onsite. Especially since environmental conditions play a major role in thermography, the process must vary from region to region significantly. That said, efforts have been made over the years to establish some base standards for designated purposes of infrared thermography in the construction field. These standards and best practice methods, although comprehensive, do not effectively help with issues that are contextual to the location of the building, for instance, tropical climates, such as India. This paper aims to suggest guidelines for a passive approach of thermography, based on practical applications and procedures followed during the thermographic survey at the former British Residency in Hyderabad, India. Additionally, this paper explores the avenues through which region specific guidelines can be established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 'National Seminar on Electronic Publications' was organized by the Centre for Information Science of Mahatma Gandhi National Institute of Research and Social Action (MGNIRSA), Hyderabad, and took place in the premises of the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU), Kukatpally, Hyderabad. The seminar attracted about 150 participants from all over the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the step-by-step development and implementation of real-time data transmission from a distant Observatory. Using Python programming language, we have developed an algorithm for automated data transmission of high resolution real-time magnetic data from Choutuppal (CPL) and Hyderabad (HYB), India to INTERMAGNET Edinburgh GIN, with minimal internet services. We have designed a system to transfer the data in a secured and encrypted pattern with SSH keys and save the same dataset in the local server at CSIR-NGRI. Both the Observatories data are transmitted to GIN in real-time with a time frame of less than 300 s. After successfully transmitting real-time 1 min geomagnetic data from CPL and HYB Observatories to Edinburgh GIN, CPL's 1 s real-time data is also initiated and is one of the first Indian observatories to transmit real-time 1 s data to GIN. The details of algorithm development, function libraries and the challenges faced for 1 s and 1 min data transmission at both the Observatories are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to document the impact of task-based teacher training on the classroom teaching of two native-speaker English Teaching Assistants (ETAs). The data are drawn from a 30-hour teacher training course offered to the ETAs who taught in two different government schools in Hyderabad, India, as part of the United States India Education Foundation's Fulbright Fellowship Programme. The training offered to the ETAs consisted of eight modules: teaching vocabulary and grammar, developing listening, speaking, reading and writing and classroom management and lesson planning. Training was offered through tasks, responses to prompts, and case studies. It also included analysis of critical moments that emerged from the everyday teaching of the ETAs. Constructs such as teacher decision-making (Borg, 2006), critical reflection (East, 2014) and pre-service teacher mentoring (Gardiner 2017) have been used to build the theoretical support for the study. A Challenge-Input-Implementation (CII) model is developed to interpret and analyze the data. The data are gathered from three tools: a) reflective journals of ETAs which recorded pertinent issues that emerged from their everyday teaching and possible solutions to these; b) trainer's field notes that identified critical areas from lesson observation and post-observation conferences; and c) cognitive information sheet which documents ETAs perceptions of how their learning from the training impacted their teaching and what they would like to explore further in their future teaching careers. Findings revealed areas where trainees needed more support (e.g., class control), as well as the strengths that they have developed in instruction delivery (e.g., the ability to make the class interactive). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Succession planning is becoming a focus point for discussion in business world as very few organisations are prepared with their successors for occupying the position as and when it is needed. With special reference to Indian pharmaceutical companies, where talent is critical and rare in nature, this becomes a more crucial requirement. This paper, by integrating theory of Internal Labour Market (ILM), deals with the relationship among talent identification (TID), talent development (TD), talent retention (TR), and succession planning in Indian pharmaceutical companies. A survey method was used for collecting the response of senior level managers of pharmaceutical companies located in Hyderabad, India, and the hypothetical model and structural relationships were tested via structural equation modelling (SEM). The findings of the research present that TR plays a role of mediator in the relationship of TID, TD and succession planning in organisations. This study helps pharmaceutical companies to be future ready for succession planning by using their regular talent management strategies skilfully. This study beautifully develops an empirical relationship between TID, TD, and succession planning with the mediating effect of TR. Research also brings out the theoretical importance of ILM theory. This, as per best of researchers' knowledge, was not presented in earlier research on talent management or on succession planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to build a hybrid personalized multicriteria model in the Indian transportation industry to identify the most feasible transport mode suitable for commuters' customized preferences. A hybrid multicriterion model, i.e., Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), was used to compute the criteria weights, which were subsequently analyzed by three approaches, namely, Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), Fuzzy TOPSIS, Evaluation Based on Distance from Average Solution (EDA), and Interpretive Ranking Process (IRP). The case of an Indian metropolitan city, Hyderabad, is taken to illustrate the proposed approach. The paper highlights the following transport modes: metropolitan train (unconventional mode) and conventional modes such as the car, public bus transport, and bikes for Hyderabad. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis is performed to identify the consistency in ranking with variation in weights, and the Ensemble Ranking and transportation experts validate the rankings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Total electron data (TEC) from GPS nowadays can be used as a tool for understanding the space weather phenomena. The development of prediction model for TEC is quiet crucial and challenging due to the dynamic behavior of the ionosphere, since it depends on different factors such as seasonal, diurnal and spatial variations, solar geomagnetic conditions etc. In this paper, an attempt is made for predicting the GPS derived TEC values for different GNSS stations over India using a hybrid method based on Ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) deep learning method. The daily TEC time series data from the IISc Bangalore (Latitude 13.021, Longitude 77.570), Lucknow (Latitude 26.912, Longitude 80.956) and Hyderabad (Latitude 17.417, Longitude 78.551) stations over India during the period 2008 to 2015 of solar cycle 23 and 24 is used for analysis. The assessment of model performance for testing predicted output compared with LSTM and EMD-LSTM models, and their comparison results show that the hybrid EEMD-LSTM model presents better than the other models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information on the International symposium on Research Priorities in Dental Science and Technology in Asia and Africa held in Hyderabad, India on December 1-3, 2007 is presented. Nearly 300 participants from India and abroad attended the symposium, including 27 invited speakers. 66 free paper presentations were presented. The first day was marked by scientific sessions that included six invited papers and 26 free papers presentations.

This study aimed to perform a scientometric analysis of the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, from 2002 to 2020. The study has used different scientometric dimensions to evaluate the quantitative growth of research publications. The affiliation search was performed to find out the research publications by using the Scopus database. To make the analysis complete and to get better outcomes, authors have considered total publications produced since the inception of ISB, Hyderabad. This study has analysed the year-wise growth of publications, most preferred sources, authorship pattern, subject-wise distribution of papers, etc. Furthermore, the study also explored international research collaboration. During the study period, the study identified a total of 561 publications and 12029 citations. The study found that 2015 and 2018 are the most productive years with 52 publications. The majority of the papers have appeared under three authorship patterns, and the Degree of Collaboration and Collaborative Coefficient is apparent with a total of 0.90 and 0.57, respectively. The "Panel data models with spatially correlated error components" published by "Kapoor M., Kelejian H.H., Prucha I.R published in the Journal of Econometrics Section is a highly cited (335) paper, and Production and Operations Management is the topmost source for publication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, compression, flexural, tensile and abrasion tests are instituted by the addition of Bacillus megaterium MTCC with glass and steel fibers. The fundamental goal regarding this examination assignment is by segregate than apprehend calcite encouraging microscopic organisms yet in conformity with appearing at the reasonableness over these microorganisms because of utilizes among cement in conformity with enhancing its multiplication yet strength. Microorganisms in imitation of remain fused of cement duly after remaining soluble inferior proof by undergoing the high pH on cement and endospore-shaping after standing up to the mechanical anxieties actuated into cement during blending. They must show excessive urease work in conformity with inspiring calcium carbonate as calcite. Bacterial traces had been separated beyond soluble base exams on an embodied manufacturing range yet have been tried for urease movement, the dynamic in conformity with body endospores or precipitation over calcium carbonate. Considering its outcomes, she has been identified so Bacillus megaterium BSKAU, Bacillus licheniformis BSKNAU or Bacillus flexus BSKNAU. The effects have been contrasted Bacillus megaterium yet MTCC 1684 obtained from Microbial Type Culture Collection or bio life LTD, Hyderabad, India. In that trial with the aid of utilizing Bacillus megaterium MTCC1964 (105 cells/ml over blending water) or calcium lactate (5 g/lit) is utilized. The metal filaments 0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, or 1.5% yet glass strands 0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5% and 2.0% added in accordance with the sure and reckon the stress esteems because 7, 14 and 28 days. In this effect, we watched high-pressure multiplication within glass filaments at 1% than steel strands at 1.5%. These stage regarding glass strands then steel strands added according to the bacterial strong at to that amount factor discern the strain exorcism because blocks, pliancy because court of justice yet flexural attribute because bars at 7, 14, 28, 60 years old days. we either count the UPV take a look at for shapes and cantrobro take a look at because courthouse at 28 days historic and 60 days. SEM trial is done after discovering the propinquity concerning caco3 among Bacterial cement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the response of solar (S) tidal signatures on the horizontal component of the geomagnetic field at two observatories in India during 1980–2002 over solar cycles (SC) 21–23: Hyderabad (HYB), located in the low-latitude region, and Ettaiyapuram (ETT), situated at the magnetic equator. HYB represents the characteristics of solar quiet (Sq), while ETT is under the equatorial electrojet (EEJ) effect. Our results show the additional information about ter (S3), and quarta-diurnal (S4) tidal signatures of Sq and EEJ, along with diurnal (S1) and semi-diurnal (S2) at both observatories. In Sq solar tide, the average amplitude of S1 tide is consistently higher than that of EEJ tide by ~ 10%. During the same period, the S2, S3, and S4 tidal signatures of Sq are weaker than EEJ by ~ 2%, 5%, and 2.5%, respectively. During solar cycle maxima, the amplitude of the Sq tide is higher in SC-21 than in SC-22 and SC-23 by ~ 13% and 16%, while SC-22 has higher EEJ tidal amplitudes than other SCs by ~ 9%. We observe that the tidal signatures of Sq and EEJ closely follow the trend of solar radio flux ( F 10.7 ), except for S4 of Sq. The Pearson correlation coefficients (P) between F 10.7 and Sq/EEJ tidal amplitudes exhibit negative to positive correlation coefficients during different phases of SCs. The solar tidal amplitudes of Sq/EEJ (S1-S4) with F 10.7 during D, E, and J seasons have varying correlation coefficients, indicating that each tide has a distinct response on the geomagnetic field. Key Points : During SC-21, stronger amplitudes of Sq solar tides are observed, for EEJ it is SC-22. The weak correlation between tidal amplitude and F 10.7 may be related to the high occurrence rate of CEJs. Except S4 of Sq tide, the remaining tidal amplitudes of Sq and EEJ follow the trend of F 10.7 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

„Green Marketing" is process where the manufacturers sell their products based on the impact of that product on the environment. It includes the basic features of the products, usage, or packing of the product, which have minimal impact on the environment. Increasing in the awareness among the consumers about the environment is motivating them to buy the products that are environmental friendly. The other side manufacturers are trying to design new products and process or modifying the existing products to suit the new customer and environmental requirements. Detergents are an integral part of civilised society. Though some of the detergent manufacturing companies are following green marketing strategies, like water saving detergents, there are no specific studies conducted to know the impact of these strategies on consumer buying behaviour. This study was conducted in five metro cities, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Mumbai with a sample size of 370. The study found that green marketing claims made by the detergent companies is one of the important factors that motivates the consumers to buy a particular brand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sampling of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter cut off at 2.5 μm (PM) has been carried out over a semi urban site of Pune and an urban site of Hyderabad. Analysis of elemental Carbon (EC) and Organic Carbon (OC) present in PM was carried out using advanced Desert Research Institute's (DRI) Thermal/Optical Carbon Analyzer operated on IMPROVE_ A (Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments_ A) protocol. It is found that average concentration of EC and OC both at Pune and Hyderabad was highest during winter season and lowest during monsoon season. Winter high is mainly controlled by inversion, whereas monsoon low is due to rain-out and wash-out process. OC/EC ratio showed higher variation over Pune compared to that over Hyderabad in different seasons, indicating divergent sources of emission of OC and EC at Pune. Formation of Secondary Organic Carbon (SOC) has also been identified as one of the reasons for wide variation in OC/EC ratio value in different seasons over both the sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I discuss the ethical underpinnings to the anthropological analysis of age and reproductive decline in the 'management' of infertility, by suggesting that assisted reproductive technologies (ART) 'use' age and reproductive decline to further endanger women's bodies by subjecting it to disaggregation into parts that do not belong to them anymore. Here, the category of age becomes a malleable concept to manipulate women seeking fertility management. In ethnographic findings from two Indian ART clinics, amongst women aged between 20 and 35 years visiting an IVF/ART clinic in Hyderabad city in South India, and women above 50 years of age visiting an IVF/ART clinic in Hisar in North India—reproductive bodies are similarly disaggregated. In case of younger women, the treatment is fixated on rescuing eggs that may be in 'decline', and in case of older women, the aim is to engineer a viable pregnancy. Thus, the constant focus on eggs and wombs in infertility treatment creates a body that is not only not whole but also completely without agency. Age becomes a category that has rhetorical value to 'push' or persuade women into particular forms of fertility management through infertility medicine. I undertake a problematization of the egg and the uterus through the identification of the recurring motif of the menstrual cycle within IVF treatment to suggest that bodily holism is not part of ART discourse that unethically thrives on promoting technological intrusions to promote its use and normalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When flowing through Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana, India, the Musi River picks up (partially) treated and untreated sewage from the city. Downstream of the city, farmers use this water for the irrigation of rice and vegetables. Treatment of the river water before it is used for irrigation would address the resulting risks for health and the environment. To keep the costs and operational efforts low for the farmers, the use of constructed wetlands is viewed as a suitable option. Towards this end, the paper investigates the interests and perceptions of government stakeholders and famers on the treatment of wastewater for irrigation and further explores the consumer willingness to pay a higher price for cleaner produced vegetables. Full cost recovery from farmers and consumers cannot be expected, if mass scale treatment of irrigation water is implemented. Instead, both consumers and farmers would expect that the government supports treatment of irrigation water. Most stakeholders associated with the government weigh health and environment so high, that these criteria outweigh cost concerns. They also support the banning of irrigation with polluted water. However, fining farmers for using untreated river water would penalize them for pollution caused by others. Therefore public funding of irrigation water treatment is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To keep pace with population and economic growth, the city of Hyderabad, India, will need to identify and develop new supply sources almost continually. Increasing population growth rate, declining surface water resources, overexploitation of groundwater, deterioration of ground water quality and poor sewage treatment are the major water-related issues in Hyderabad. This paper reviews the current situation facing policy makers who need to come to terms with the problem of restricted water supply and increasing demand in an urban centre such as Hyderabad, India. The City Water Balance model developed in this study can be used to analyse different scenarios that include water conservation, urban wastewater reuse and improvement of distribution and conveyance efficiency. Water conservation programs, which include a 5% conveyance efficiency improvement, reusing 90 million cubic metres (MCM) of urban runoff and adoption of water harvesting by 0.5 million households together with recycling 120 MCM of wastewater recycling wastewater would be sufficient to meet the water demand by 2031, if the population grows at a rate of 2.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Journal of Cell Science, helping earlycareer researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Ajay Singh is first author on ' Local DNA synthesis is critical for DNA repair during oocyte maturation', published in JCS. Ajay is a postdoc in the lab of Dr H. B. D. Prasada Rao at the National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, Hyderabad, India, investigating the quality of and lifespan-determining factors of mature oocytes in mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper describes and analyses the Hadrami migration to and adaptations in Hyderabad, India. The various adaptive niches exploited by the Hadramis in Hyderabad before the merger with India in 1948 are outlined, particularly the ones relating to the military field. Hadrami officers and soldiers were a typical features of the Nizam's army. But this was to change with the Indian take-over in 1948. The second part of the paper outlines these changes as they relate to Hyderabad in general and to the new adaptive strategies adopted by the Hadramis in particular. The new evolving adaptations during the 1950s was based on petty trade and represented a downward turn in the fortunes of the Hadramis. During this period the Hadrami identity was fading and they tended to disappear among the other Muslims in the city. In the 1970s, however, labour migration to the Gulf helped improve the economic status of the Hadrami families, and it lead to a strengtheneing of the diasporic organisations that could facilitate the migration and which also strengthened the Hadrami diasporic identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advances in both information and sensor technologies have enabled the development of Real Time Remote Monitoring (RTRM) capabilities for environmental management. An online and real time remote monitoring system for air pollution has been designed and installed at a traffic police station at Punjagutta in Hyderabad, India. The system is optimized using electrochemical sensors and a real time particulate matter analyzer. The system also monitors meteorological parameters such as temperature, humidity, rainfall, barometric pressure, wind speed and wind direction. The system periodically monitors both pollution and meteorological parameters at pre- programmed intervals of $$frac{1}{2}$$ hr during peak periods and 1 hr during non peak periods of the day and continuously uploads to a predestinated web site (www.appcb.org/home.htm) using File Transfer Protocol. The web site renders a quick, simple and graphical display of air pollution levels and meteorological parameters and their significance to humans. The present paper highlights design considerations of a pollution monitoring system, system hardware and software requirements and practical limitations and future directions for real time remote monitoring of air pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric aerosols are an important contributing factor to turbidity in urban areas besides having impact on health. Aerosol characteristics show a high degree of variability in space and time as anthropogenic share of total aerosol loading is quite substantial and is essential to monitor the aerosol features over long time scales. In the present study extensive observations of columnar aerosol optical depth (AOD), total columnar ozone (TCO) and precipitable water content (PWC) have been carried over a tropical urban city of Hyderabad, India. Significant variations of AOD have been observed during course of the day with low values of AOD during morning and evening hours and high values during afternoon hours. Spectral variation of AOD exhibits high AOD at smaller wavelengths and vice versa except a slight enhancement in AOD at 500 nm. Anomalies in AOD, particulate matter and black carbon concentrations have been observed during May, 2003. Back trajectory analysis of air mass during these episodes suggested variation in air mass trajectories. Analysis of the results suggests that air trajectories from land region north of study area cause high loading of atmospheric aerosols. The results are discussed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change is anticipated to have a profound impact on drought occurrences, leading to detrimental consequences for the environment, socioeconomic relations, and ecosystem services. In order to evaluate the extent of drought impact, a comprehensive study was conducted in the Hyderabad–Karnataka region, India. Precipitation data from 31 stations spanning a 50-year period (1967–2017) were analyzed using the standardized precipitation index (SPI) based on gamma distribution. The findings reveal that approximately 15% of the assessed years of experienced drought conditions, with a range of influence between 41% and 76% under SPI_3, and between 43% and 72% under SPI_6. Examining the timescale magnitude frequency provided insights into variations in the severity of drought events across different locations and timescales. Notably, the Ballari (−8.77), Chitapur (−8.22), and Aland (−7.40) regions exhibited the most significant magnitudes of drought events for SPI_3 with a 5-year return period. The heightened risk of recurrent droughts in the study area emphasizes the necessity of integrating SPI in decision-making processes, as such integration can markedly contribute to the development of reliable and sustainable long-term water management strategies at regional and national levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, I track a housing scheme introduced in Hyderabad, India, to redevelop slums (in situ) into two-bedroom apartments. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, I argue that existing forms of governance cyclically enact a suspension of poor people's lives and often dispossess the poor of one set of rights in the process of delivering another set. In their own descriptions of these schemes, displaced communities emphatically account for the forms of suffering they repeatedly incur, which are unaccounted for in the records of the state. In their experience, governance is not only arbitrary and labyrinthine, but it also entails necessary experiences of dispossession that ironically accompany schemes for their development. This regime of dispossession that chronically underlies schemes for poverty alleviation is what I call 'cruel governance'. Over time, this mode of development accompanied by dispossession has resulted in cynical realignments of subaltern politics towards the state and its projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid urbanization and industrialization in many parts of the world have made air pollution a global public health problem. A study conducted by the Swiss organization IQAir indicated that 22 of the top 30 most polluted cities in the world are in India. This creates the problem of air pollution, which is very relevant to India as well. Exposure to air pollutants has both acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) impacts on health. Among the major air pollutants, particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) is the most harmful, and its long-term exposure can impair lung functions. Pollutant concentrations vary temporally and are dependent on the local meteorology and emissions at a given geographic location. PM2.5 forecasting models have the potential to develop strategies for evaluating and alerting the public regarding expected hazardous levels of air pollution. Accurate measurement and forecasting of pollutant concentrations are critical for assessing air quality and making informed strategic decisions. Recently, data-driven machine learning algorithms for PM2.5 forecasting have received a lot of attention. In this work, a spatiotemporal analysis of air quality was first performed for Hyderabad, indicating that average PM2.5 concentrations during the winter were 68% higher than those during the summer. Following that, PM2.5 modelling was done using three different techniques: multilinear regression, K-nearest neighbours (KNN), and histogram-based gradient boost (HGBoost). Among these, the HGBoost regression model, which used both pollution and meteorological data as inputs, outperformed the other two techniques. During testing, the model acquired an amazing R² value of 0.859, suggesting a significant connection with the actual data. Additionally, the model exhibited a minimum Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 5.717 μg/m³ and a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 7.647 μg/m³, further confirming its accuracy in predicting PM2.5 concentrations. In our investigation, we discovered that the HGBoost3 model beat other PM2.5 modelling models by having the lowest error and the highest R² value. This study made a substantial addition by incorporating the spatiotemporal relationship between air pollutants and meteorological variables in predicting air quality. This method has the potential to improve the creation of more precise air pollution forecast models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study was conducted to report on the pattern of spectacles use and compliance among the elderly (aged ≥60 years) in homes for the aged in Hyderabad region in Telangana State, India. Methods: Participants were recruited from 41 homes for the aged centres for comprehensive eye health assessments. A questionnaire was used to collect information on current and past use of spectacles, type of spectacles, spectacles provider and amount paid for the spectacles. For those that reported using spectacles in the past, information was collected on the reasons for their discontinuation. Compliance with spectacles use was assessed after eight months of provision of the spectacles. Results: A total of 1182/1513 participants were examined from 41 homes for the aged in Hyderabad, India. The mean age of the participants examined was 75 years (standard deviation (SD): 8.8 years; range: 60–108 years); 764 (64.6%) of them were women and 240 participants (20.3%) had no formal education. The prevalence of spectacles use was 69.9% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 67.1–72.4; n = 825). Bifocals were the most commonly used type of spectacles (86.7%) followed by single vision glasses for distance vision (7.4%). Private eye clinics were the largest service provider (85.5%) followed by local optical outlets (6.9%) and other service providers (7.7%). The prevalence of spectacles compliance was 81.5% (211/259). Conclusion: Use of spectacles and compliance are high among the elderly living in residential care homes in the Hyderabad region. Spectacles use can be further improved by periodic eye assessments along the lines similar to school eye programs, which can immensely benefit this vulnerable, aged population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the Indian government declared the first lockdown on 25 March 2020 to control the increasing number of COVID-19 cases, people were forced to stay and work from home. The aim of this study is to quantify the impact of stay-at-home orders on residential Air Conditioning (AC) energy and household electricity consumption (excluding AC energy). This was done using monitored data from 380 homes in a group of five buildings in Hyderabad, India. We gathered AC energy and household electricity consumption data at a 30-min interval for each home individually in April 2019 and April 2020. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was done on this data. To offset the difference in temperatures for the month of April in 2019 and 2020, only those weekdays were selected where the average temperature in 2019 was same as the average temperature in 2020. The study establishes that the average number of hours the AC was used per day in each home increased in the range 4.90–7.45% depending on the temperature for the year 2020. Correspondingly, the overall AC consumption increased in the range 3.60–4.5%, however the daytime (8:00 AM to 8:00 PM) AC energy consumption increased in the range 22–26% and nighttime (8:00 PM to 8:00 AM) AC energy consumption decreased by 5–7% in the year 2020. The study showed a rise in household electricity consumption of about 15% for the entire day in the year 2020. The household electricity consumption increased during daytime by 22- 27.50% and 1.90- 6.6% during the nighttime. It was observed that the morning household electricity peak demand shifted from 7:00 AM in 2019 to 9:00 AM in 2020. Conversely, the evening peak demand shifted from 9:00 PM in 2019 to 7:00 PM in 2020. An additional peak was observed during afternoon hours in the lockdown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air Conditioners (ACs) have become a major contributor to residential electricity consumption in India. Non-intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM) can be used to understand residential AC use and its contribution to electricity consumption. NILM techniques use ground truth information along with meter readings to train disaggregation algorithms. There are datasets available for disaggregation, but no dataset is available for a hot tropical country like India especially for AC event detection. Our dataset's primary objective is to help train NILM algorithms for AC event detection and compressor operations. The dataset comprises of home-level electrical current consumption and manually tagged AC ground truth (ON/OFF status) data at 1-min interval, indoor environment temperature and relative humidity readings at 5-min interval and dwelling, AC and household characteristics. The data was collected from 11 homes located in a composite climate zone-Hyderabad, India for 19 summer days (May) 2019. The dataset consists of 1.6 million data points and 450 AC cycles with each cycle having a runtime of more than 60 min (> 2000 compressor ON/OF cycles). Public availability of such a dataset will allow researchers to develop, train and test NILM algorithms that recognize AC and identify compressor operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Breast Self-examination (BSE) is the simplest and easiest way to look for abnormalities. It's an inexpensive and easy procedure that needs to be implemented from a young age. BSE will help in early diagnosis and treatment of benign and malignant tumours. Inadequate knowledge about BSE was seen usually in non affluent women. Though, affluent individuals have access to good and better healthcare, still there seems to be a lack. Aim: To understand the reasons and barriers among affluent women concerning BSE. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the field area of Ayaan Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, India, from March 2021 to February 2022. A total of 250 women were included in the study between the ages of 21-49 years. Data was collected using a predesigned pretested questionnaire to evaluate socio-demographic, reasons and barriers to BSE. Data were presented in numbers and percentages. Results: The mean age of the study population was 34.60±8.31 years. All 250 women were educated and with the majority being graduates (n=176, 70.4%), only 140 (56%) had a working occupation and the 205 (82%) were married. The feeling of mass in either of the breast (123, 49.2%), followed by family history of breast cancer (99, 39.6%) and breast pain (92, 36.8%) were the common reasons for performing SBE. The barriers to self-examination were majorly due to lack of knowledge (164, 65.6%), lack of breast complaints (164, 65.6%), absence of lump (130, 52%), followed by 115 (46%) who did not like to touch their breast. Forgetfulness was seen in 93 (37.2%) subjects. Conclusion: Poor awareness of the BSE practice exists even among affluent women. There is an urgent need for awareness about screening techniques, including BSE, in media and health facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Journal of Cell Science, helping early-career researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Shivnarayan Dhuppar is first author on ‘Investigating cell cycle-dependent gene expression in the context of nuclear architecture at a single-allele resolution’, published in JCS. Shivnarayan is a postdoc in the lab of Dr Aprotim Mazumder at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Hyderabad, India, where he likes to think ‘how does it work?’, with the ‘it’ being anything from the biology of a cell to its functions and the physics behind them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Like many other developing countries, urban sprawl is a growing phenomenon in India, which poses socio-economic and environmental challenges that worryingly affect urban sustainability. In this study, a latent class clustering approach was used to investigate perceptions of urban sprawl among 622 urban and peri-urban dwellers in Hyderabad. The empirical results clustered the respondents into three distinct classes based on their perceptions of urban sprawl impacts: 'undecided respondents', 'negative perceivers', and 'opportunity perceivers'. The majority of respondents were undecided with no strong views towards the impacts of urban sprawl, which may increase their vulnerability and hinder effective adaptation to the adverse economic, social and environmental effects of urban sprawl. This also provokes concerns about the effectiveness of government interventions to build public awareness of urban development and its impacts on the city. With regard to the role of demographic and socio-economic characteristics in shaping the perception of the respondents, the results revealed that social caste plays a determining role in forming dwellers' perception. In particular, members of marginalised social castes were more likely to form positive perceptions of the impacts of urban sprawl as urban expansion generates better and stable income that improve their social status. In addition, individuals with higher levels of education were more likely to form negative or positive perceptions, implying that efforts to raise social capital could be a useful means for mitigating the impacts of urban sprawl. Finally, membership in community development organisations was a key factor in dictating membership of the negative perceivers' class. Overall, our findings suggest that an appropriate policy framework and specific programmes are needed for enhancing dwellers' perception towards the impacts of urban sprawl, which can enhance the design, acceptance, and implementation of a more sustainable governance of urbanisation and contribute to achieving urban sustainability in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new Functional link broad learning system is used for solar irradiance prediction. • Large number of mapped feature nodes is created from expanded cluster of inputs. • Random weights and biases and suitable activation functions are used for these nodes. • Mapped feature nodes are used as inputs to enhancement nodes for FLBLS. • A new hybrid optimization technique is used for optimization of FLBLS parameters. A new machine learning approach for forecasting short-termsolar irradiance is presented in this paper considering different weather conditions and time horizon in a microgrid environment. Using historical solar irradiance, a short-term forecasting model known as Robust optimized functional link broad learning system (FLBLS) is developed. Here the original input comprising delayed historical solar irradiance samples is initially expanded by exponential trigonometric functions and the expanded features are then used to create a large number of feature nodes using random weights and biases. Further the newly created features are fed as inputs to the enhancement nodes forming a broad learning system (BLS). This newly formed flat FLBLS facilitates incremental learning in fast remodelling of the network if needed for efficient performance without a retraining process unlike deep neural networks using several hidden layers and filters, etc. The proposed approach is designed on the basis of the standard random vector functional link network (RVFLN), however unlike the traditional RVFLN that applies inputs directly and set up the enhancement nodes, in our proposed approach, initially the inputs are expanded and map the expanded inputs to generate a set of mapped features. It reduces the lengthy process unlike deep neural networks that involves the back propagation algorithm for error minimization. The proposed FLBLS approach simplifies the learning process with the proper choice of feature nodes as it can be implemented to a flat network or a simpler network such as ELM that requires only the simple calculation of the output weight and obtain the final output where retraining is not required for adding extra feature nodes or enhancement nodes like deep neural architectures. Also, the minimum variance strategy with the training samples is useful in rejecting the effects of noise and outliers in the system and make the network robust which gets reflected in computing output weights using generalized least square. The minimum variance strategy further enhances the performance of the proposed system. To improve the prediction accuracy, the FLBLS parameters are optimized using an efficient metaheuristic chaotic firefly-sine cosine levy flight algorithm. Also, to reject the effects of noise and outliers and make the network robust a minimum variance strategy is used with the training samples that gets reflected in computing output weights using generalised least squares. The suggested method is experimented rigorously and analysed with different time frames designed for 30 min and 60 min ahead solar irradiance prediction. The obtained results from experiments confirm that the proposed FLBLS approach outperforms other randomized neural network forecasting methods as well many state-of-the-art methods using solar irradiance data of Hyderabad, India collected from National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). This approach exhibits with the lowest errors in different case studies among all the compared methods. This FLBLS designed approach is an efficient approach for the purpose of solar irradiance prediction with highly nonlinear data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report prevalence and risk factors for multimorbidity and multi-disability among elderly people in residential care in the Hyderabad region in South India. In total, 1182 elderly (aged ≥ 60) participants were examined in 41 homes for the aged centres. Detailed interviews were conducted by trained personnel to collect personal and demographic information. A questionnaire was used to assess the history of non-communicable diseases and Washington Disability Questionnaire (WDQ) was administered to assess disabilities. The mean age of the participants was 75.0 years (SD 8.8 years; range: 60–108 years), 35.4% were men, 20.3% had no formal education, 60.7% had school education and 19% had higher education. The prevalence of multimorbidity was 37.6% (95% CI: 34.8–40.4). Prevalence of multi-disability was 23.6% (95% CI: 21.2–26.3; n = 270). In total, 857 (72.5%) participants reported using at least one medication for NCDs. Over a third of the elderly in residential care had multimorbidity, and a quarter of them had multi-disability. A holistic health care system that comprises health and wellness coupled with rehabilitation to address disabilities is needed to achieve healthy aging in elderly in homes for the aged in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction industry adds more than 35 percent of global emissions through the entire lifecycle procedure of the structure. Every stage of construction process from raw material extraction to demolition is responsible for carbon emissions in the form of either embodied or operational carbon. Carbon emissions be reduced by implementing modernization and sustainability in building design typically with greater use of material resources such as recycled steel, recycled concrete using the circular economy concepts and automation tools. This study focuses on a case of a two-storey commercial structure located in Hyderabad, Telangana State in India to ascertain specifically the embodied carbon released during different stages of construction using standard empirical formulae. Enormous amounts of embodied carbon emissions were observed and an alternative approach of using sustainable materials such as Ferrock, recycled steel, etc. was proposed to mitigate the same. It is evident from the study that eco-friendly materials are the effective alternatives to promote carbon neutrality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Justification: In India, there is a lack of uniformity of treatment strategies for aplastic anemia (AA), and many children are managed only with supportive care due to non-availability of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Process: Eminent national faculty members were invited to participate in the process of forming a consensus statement in Hyderabad in July, 2016. Draft guidelines were circulated to all members, and comments received in a online meeting in October, 2020 were incorporated into the final draft. These were approved by all experts. Objective: To facilitate appropriate management of children with acquired aplastic anemia. Recommendations: Key recommendations are: i) A bone marrow biopsy is must to make a diagnosis of AA; ii) Rule out inherited bone marrow failure syndromes (IBMFS), connective tissue disorders, viral infections, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), drug or heavy metal induced marrow suppression in all cases of AA; iii) Conservative approach to transfusions should be followed, with a target to keep hemoglobin >6 g/dL in children with no co-morbidities; iv) HLA-matched sibling donor HSCT is the preferred choice of treatment for newly diagnosed very severe/severe AA; v) In absence of HLA-matched family donor, a matched unrelated donor (MUD) transplant or immunosuppressive therapy (IST) should be considered as alternate choice based on physician expertise; vi) Fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) based conditioning with cyclosporine and methotrexate as graft versus host disease (GvHD) prophylaxis is the preferred regimen; vii) Horse ATG and cyclosporine are the recommended drugs for IST. One should wait for 3–6 months for the response assessment and consideration of next line therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: An average face is always more aesthetic than an atypical face, so setting soft tissue treatment goals for male and female orthodontic patients required local norms, like average measurements of local aesthetically pleasing profile is more important than adopting universal norms. Aim: To obtain angular and average measurements of softtissue facial profiles for males and females in young adults of Hyderabad, India. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics, Government Dental College and Hospital, Hyderabad, India, from the December 2007 to January 2010. The study included 104 aesthetically pleasing individuals between the age group of 16 years to 25 years (42 male and 62 female) selected by Orthodontists and laypersons, facial profile photographs were taken with standardised photographic set up with camera using 100 mm macrolens. Photographs were traced and 12 angular measurements were taken. Descriptive statistical analysis was done using software MATLAB (Matrix Laboratory) mean, maximum, minimum value, standard deviation and confidence intervals were calculated. Student's t-test was done to determine sexual dimorphism, and p-value =0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Total of 104 subjects (42 male subjects; mean age: 21.4 years and 62 female subjects; mean age: 19.6 years) were analysed. There was a statistically (p-value <0.05) significant sexual dimorphism in seven of the angular measurements were noted. The nasofrontal (females-141°±4.8°, males-137.86°±5.2°), nasal angle (females -84.4±9°, males-80.7°±6.9°), vertical nasal (males-32.08°±3.3°, females-28.33°±3.636°), nasal dorsal angle (males-180.19°±7.112°, females-174.43°±6.648°), cervico-mental angle (females-98.41°±5.4°, males-95.7°±5.1°), angle of facial convexity (females-173.2°±4.4°, males-169.6°±54.8°), and angle of total facial convexity (females-149°±4.6°, males-144.4°±5.2°), showed sexual dimorphism. In the present study, large variability was observed with the nasolabial (p-value=0.314), and mentolabial (p-value=0.798) angles. Conclusion: Successful orthodontic treatment is mainly measured by patient appraisal only, this can be obtained by giving the locally more aesthetically pleasing facial profile to the patient, setting soft tissue facial profile treatment goals to native individuals is far more important than following universal norms in the total benefit of the patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) or Kala Azar is a chronic protozoal infectious disease caused by the Leishmania donovani complex which causes a variety of hematologic manifestations. It is manifested by fever, hepatosplenomegaly, weight loss, pancytopenia and hypergammaglobinemia. In India it is mainly seen in the states of Bihar and West Bengal. Patients with VL can present to the hematologist for variety of hematological presentation even before the diagnosis of VL is made. Anemia is the most common hematological manifestation of VL. VL may also be associated with leucopenia, thrombocytopenia, pancytopenia, hemophagocytosis and disseminated intravascular coagulation. Hematological improvement is noted with the treatment for VL. Relapses are rare. In this case report, we present a rare case of leishmaniasis with pancytopenia, which is rare in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic imposed challenges to access rehabilitation intervention to individuals with visual impairment, thereby increasing their disability effects. This study explored the viability maintaining the continuum of care through telerehabilitation.Methods: This study is a retrospective analysis of individuals with vision impairment who underwent telerehabilitation at the center of excellence in eye care at Hyderabad, Telangana, India, between April and September 2020. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health framework was followed to provide services such as counseling for mental well-being, information and resources, educational interventions, Assistive Technology programs, therapeutic interventions for children with multiple disabilities, access to digital audio books and rehabilitation helpline.A team of professionals involved in the service care. Phone and what's app calls were used to facilitate the training.The duration and the number of training sessions were individual need-based with an average of 45 minutes per session and 175 training sessions.Results: Three hundred and fifty individuals and their families benefited. The service include early intervention (n = 129), and low vision care (n = 176) inclusive of computer training (n = 53), soft skills (n = 53), digital books (n = 55).Nearly two-thirds of the participants were male (n = 205).Conclusion: Evidence from this study suggests telerehabilitation as a successful model of care.A well-planned telerehabilitation approach can expand the scope of reaching the visually impaired from geographically isolated areas where scarcity of service providers and service centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper life cycle energy (LCE) demand of a residential building of usable floor area about 85.5m2 located at Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh), India is evaluated under different envelopes and climates in Indian context. The house is studied with conventional (fired clay) and alternative wall materials (hollow concrete, soil cement, fly ash and aerated concrete) under varying thickness of wall, and insulation (expanded polystyrene) on wall and roof. The house is modelled for five different climatic zones of India, i.e. hot and dry, warm and humid, composite, cold and moderate. Study suggests that alternative wall materials alone (without insulation) reduce LCE demand of the building by 1.5–5%. Aerated concrete (AC), as wall material, has better energy performance over other materials. LCE savings are significant when insulation is added to external wall and roof. It varies from 10% to 30% depending on the climatic conditions. Maximum LCE savings with insulation are observed for warm and humid climate and least for moderate climate. For same thickness of insulation, LCE savings are much more with roof insulation than wall insulation. But wall insulation is found to be preferable to a thicker wall. It is also observed that there is a limit for thickness of insulation that can be applied on external walls and roof from life cycle point of view. This limit is found to be about 10cm for composite, hot and dry, warm and humid, and cold climates and 5cm for moderate climate. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Highly sophisticated balloon-borne scientific payloads have stringent requirement on the telemetry and command system. The development and fabrication of the on-board TT&C package for telemetry, tracking, command, safety and ranging for these experiments is done in-house at the National Balloon Facility (NBF) at Hyderabad. In the last few years, we have made major improvements both in the ground station and the on-board sub-systems, thereby improving the data quality, data handling speed and the general flight control along with aviation safety. The new system has telemetry data rate up to 1Mbps. A reduction in weight, power and cost of the reengineered on-board integrated package has also lead to the ease of operation during field tests prior to launch and at remote recovery sites. In this paper, we describe the details of the new control package, its flight performance and our plans for portable S-band telemetry and telecommand system to cater to the balloon flights from Antarctic station and long duration balloon flights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the urbanisation drive comes steady growth in urban water demand. Although in the past this new demand could often be met by tapping unclaimed water sources, this option is increasingly untenable in many regions where little if any unclaimed water remains. The result is that urban water capture, and the appropriation of associated physical and institutional infrastructure, now often implies conflict with other existing uses and users. While the urbanisation process has been studied in great depth, the processes and, critically, impacts of urban water capture and appropriation are not well researched or understood. This paper undertakes a critical examination of the specific case of Hyderabad, one of India's fastest growing cities, to shed light more generally on the process of water capture by cities and the resultant impacts on pre-existing claims, particularly agriculture. It does this by examining the history and institutional response to Hyderabad's urban–rural water contest; how the results of that contest are reflected in surface and groundwater hydrology; and the eventual impacts on agriculture. The findings show that the magnitude, and sometimes even direction, of impact from urban water transfer vary in space and time and depend on location-specific rainfall patterns, the nature of existing water infrastructure and institutions, and farmers' adaptive capacities and options, notably recourse to groundwater. Broader consideration of the specific findings provides insights into policy mechanisms to reduce the possible negative impacts from the global, and seemingly inexorable, flow of water to the world's growing cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The present study deals with the impact of extensive anthropogenic activities associated with festivities and agricultural crop residues burning in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) on satellite-derived reflectance during November 2007. Intense smoke plumes were observed in the IRS-P4 OCM satellite data over IGP associated with agricultural crop residue burning during the study period. Terra-MODIS AOD and CALIPSO LIDAR backscatter datasets were analysed over the region to understand the spatial and temporal variation of the aerosol properties. Ground-based measurements on aerosol optical properties and black carbon (BC) mass concentration were carried out during 7–14 November 2007 over urban region of Hyderabad, India. Top of the Atmosphere (TOA) reflectance estimated from IRS-P4 Ocean Color Monitor (OCM) data showed large variations due to anthropogenic activities associated with crop residue burning and fireworks. Atmospheric corrections to OCM satellite data using 6S radiative transfer code with inputs from ground and satellite measurements could account for the variations due to differential aerosol loading. Results are discussed in this paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this article, I report on the primary features of the IJCAI-07 program, including its theme, schedule, and organization. In particular, I discuss an effective and novel presentation format at IJCAI in which oral and poster papers were presented in the same sessions categorized by topic area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The acceleration and deceleration rates vary from one vehicle type to another. The same vehicle type also exhibits variations in acceleration and deceleration rates due to vast variation in their dynamic and physical characteristics, ratio between weight and power, driver behaviour during acceleration and deceleration manoeuvres. Accurate estimation of acceleration and deceleration rates is very important for proper signal design to ensure minimum control delay for vehicles, which are passing through the intersection. The present study measures acceleration and deceleration rates for four vehicle categories: Two-wheeler, Three-wheeler, Car, and Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV), by using Open Street Map (OSM) tracker mobile application. The acceleration and deceleration rates were measured at 24 signalized intersection approaches in Hyderabad and Warangal cities. The study also developed acceleration and deceleration models for each vehicle type and the developed models were validated based on field data. The results showed that the predicted acceleration and deceleration models showed close relation with those measured in the field. The developed models are useful in predicting average acceleration and deceleration rate for different vehicle types under mixed and poor lane disciplined traffic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbiological air contamination in operation theatres (OTs) and labor rooms (LRs) is a major risk factor for surgical site infection. Routine monitoring in vulnerable areas such as OTs and LRs should always be performed as part of infection control to evaluate the contamination by microorganisms and monitor for the presence of nosocomial agents. The present study is aimed to isolate and identify various pathogens in a hospital environment. The research was performed in the Bacteriology lab, Microbiology Department, Dr. Patnam Mahender Reddy Institute of Medical Sciences, Chevella, Ranga Reddy district, Hyderabad, India between November 2017 and November 2020 for a period of 3 years. Surface swabbing and settle plate technique were two sampling techniques used in the analysis. A total of 3492 samples were collected from various hospital surface sites and 5 OTs and LR sites and equipment via the swab technique, while a Petri plate gravitational settling (passive) sampling method was selected for the collection of air samples and all these samples were properly transferred to the microbiology laboratory and processed by standard microbiological protocols. A total of 3492 surface swabs were taken from 5 OTs, LR sites and equipment from the hospital. Out of these 294 (8.42%) were culture positive and 3198 (91.58%) were culture negative. Among 294 microbial isolates, the highest number was reported from Bacillus spp. 212 (72.11%) and least number was from Pseudomonas spp. 6 (2.04%). Through air sampling methods, bacterial isolates were isolated from OTs and LR of various clinical departments and it was found that the highest bacterial count was reported from general surgery (677 CFU/m3) followed by orthopaedics (585 CFU/m3). Most of the microbial isolates isolated from OTs and LR of clinical departments found be species belonging to Bacillus spp. and Coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CoNS). In developing countries, routine indoor air quality management in healthcare facilities needs to be constantly monitored and appropriate measures are taken to detect and prevent acquired infections in hospitals. Settle plate methods for air and surface swabbing, also in resourcelimited settings, are very useful, simple and cost-effective techniques for OT and LR monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]