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Lack of planning and regulations around the landfills has resulted and continues to result in severe environmental damage to the immediate environment around the landfills. Our study systematically reviews the literature to understand different processes of monitoring and analysis of a waste disposal site. It further analyses a satellite footprint from Google Earth Engine, of the western part of India around the urban area of Bombay. For the satellite footprint, we compare different algorithms and satellites for detecting landfills using machine learning. We conduct a supervised classification for satellite images for Land Satellite Applied to Remote Sensing (LANDSAT) (2013 to 2023) and SENTINEL (2018 to 2023) using three different classification algorithms: CART (Classification and Regression Tree), Naive Bayes and SVM (Support Vector Machine). The LANDSAT SVM model was generally the most stable and consistently performed well. The model consistently has one of the highest accuracy scores over the years, followed closely by SENTINEL SVM. The analysis can be replicated to other cities and other large-area studies, and can act as a pointer in doing further analysis of the landfill that can further be used to prevent the effects of the waste disposal site on its surrounding environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to delineate the randomness and imprecision in a single framework of time-sequential information, we proposed the notion of a time-sequential probabilistic fermatean hesitant set (TS-PFHS). Triangular time-sequential probabilistic fermatean hesitant number (Tr-TS-PFHN) is also initiated as a triangular version of TS-PFHS along with its fundamental operations and a ranking function. For the employment of our proposed set, we formulated a solid transportation problem (STP) with multiple objectives with TS-PFHS parameters for a sustainable green environment. Consequently, we proposed an algorithm by utilizing fuzzy programming (FP) and weighted sum technique (WST) to address proposed green transportation model. Additionally, to highlight the significance of the suggested technique, a numerical instance based on the transportation of electric vehicles in India is also investigated. Finally, conclusion along with the future prospects and limitations of the work done are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis A is the most prevalent viral hepatitis in India and rarely can lead to life-threatening complications such as acute liver failure (ALF). Glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is the most common enzyme deficiency in the world, and in the setting of acute viral hepatitis, it can cause massive intravascular hemolysis, resulting in acute kidney injury. Here, we report a case of a 12-year-old male child who had hepatitis A–associated ALF, which was complicated by massive hemolysis due to underlying G6PD deficiency, manifesting as acute renal failure requiring renal replacement therapy with other supportive management. He had a prolonged, protracted stormy clinical course, which was further complicated by dialysis disequilibrium syndrome, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, and nosocomial sepsis, which improved over 4 weeks. Our case highlights the importance of having high index of clinical suspicion for G6PD deficiency in a child with acute viral hepatitis with complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice is sensitive to salinity stress at both the seedling and reproductive stages. The present study used 145 rice genotypes comprising of 100 landraces and 45 advanced breeding lines collected from different regions of India. These genotypes were evaluated in hydroponics under control [electrical conductivity (EC e) ∼1.2 dS/m] and saline (EC e ∼10.0 dS/m) environments along with susceptible (IR29) and tolerant (FL478) checks. The stress susceptibility index for eight morphophysiological traits was estimated. Analysis of variance showed significant differences among the genotypes for all the parameters studied in control, stress and relative stress conditions. We identified 3 landraces (Kuttimanja, Tulasimog and IET-13713I) as tolerant and 14 lines as moderately tolerant to salt stress. Strong correlations in the morphological (root and shoot lengths) and physiological traits (shoot Na+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ contents, and Na+/K+ ratio) were observed under all the conditions. The hierarchical cluster analysis grouped the genotypes into five clusters, among which cluster II comprised salt-tolerant lines. Haplotyping of Saltol region using 11 simple sequence repeat markers on 17 saline tolerant and moderately tolerant lines was conducted. Markers AP3206F, RM10793 and RM3412b, located close to SKC1 gene (11.23‒12.55 Mb), displayed diverse allelic variations and they were not related to the FL478 type. In this region, tolerant lines like Kuttimanja, IET-13713I and Tulasimog have new alleles. As a result, these lines may be suitable candidates for novel genomic regions governing rice salinity tolerance. Salt-tolerance ability of Kuttimanja, Tulasimog and IET-13713I was validated in two years in three salinity stress environments. These promising lines can be used in breeding programs to broaden the genetic base of salinity tolerance in rice, and it may help to dissect key genomic regions responsible for salinity tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor farmers are particularly vulnerable to environmental stressors and often rely on traditional knowledge and grassroots creativity to help them to adapt. Such adaptation can be enhanced using other knowledge sources, but this requires greater understanding of the processes of knowledge co-production among scientists, local communities and state actors. In this study we undertook knowledge co-production on an experimental basis with two contrasting communities: smallholder farmers in Jind (Haryana) and Adi women in East Siang district (Arunachal Pradesh). We found that the Jind farmers displayed grassroots creativity in coping with salinity induced stresses to rice-wheat cropping systems, while Adi women applied their traditional knowledge of food based on namdung (Perilla ocymoides, a local plant species) to cope with climate variability that affected fermentation. Jind farmers perceived the process of knowledge co-production as moderately credible and salient , but the legitimacy of the exercise was compromised by the relatively low level of participation by state actors. The farmers rated the practical outcomes of the co-produced zero-till wheat as low to moderate for combating salinity-induce risks but as high for a community rice nursery. The knowledge co-production process was considered more credible and salient among younger Adi women than older women, and the utility of the Adi women's co-produced adaptive practices were rated as moderate to high for reducing the impacts of climate variability on namdung based foods. In both cases, an emergent property of the knowledge co-production exercise was creation of a knowledge network that has the potential to lead to ongoing enhanced adaptation to environmental change. Insights from the study could help improve knowledge co-production in similar social-ecological systems, and can be integrated with environmental change policies. [Display omitted] • Resource-poor farmers are particularly vulnerable to environmental change. • Local knowledge with science was used in knowledge co-production for environmental adaptation. • Most farmers viewed the process of knowledge co-production positively. • Knowledge co-production was salient and credible but sometimes lacked legitimacy. • Creation of knowledge networks among participants emerged as an unexpected benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forests are becoming increasingly vulnerable to a range of climatic and non-climatic stressors. Thus, the forest vulnerability assessment is crucial for identifying potential risks and enhancing forest resilience. The present study attempts to explore the forest vulnerability in the protected area of Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR), India. A forest ecosystem vulnerability index (FEVI) was constructed using its three components (exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity) and site-specific indicators. Exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity indices were integrated to prepare the forest vulnerability map. The map was validated through the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and confusion metrics and found reliable. The results revealed that of the total area of the Reserve, the largest area was found under moderate vulnerability (48.36%), followed by high vulnerability (32.28%) and low vulnerability (19.36%). Madanpur , Raghia , and the lower part of Harnatanr and Chiutaha were identified as the most vulnerable ranges in the VTR. High exposure, high sensitivity and low adaptive capacity were attributed to high forest vulnerability in the VTR. Thus, continuous monitoring and devising effective forest management strategies are essential for reducing vulnerability and enhancing the resilience of the VTR. Urgent policy interventions are also required for promoting ecotourism and minimizing the dependency of communities on forest. The systematic framework employed in the present study may be applied to diverse geographical regions for identifying vulnerable sites and suggesting effective conservation and restoration strategies. • Vulnerability assessment prioritizes ecosystems for conservation and management. • Forest ecosystem vulnerability was assessed using IPCC holistic framework. • Site-specific indicators were integrated for each component of vulnerability. • Analysis identified the most and least vulnerable sites in the forest reserve. • Effective policy measures are essential to safeguard forests from risks and threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports size-resolved dithiothreitol (DTT)-based oxidative potential (OP: total and water-soluble) in rural kitchens using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), firewood (FW), and mixed biomass (MB) fuels in northeastern (NE) India. In comparison to LPG, volume-normalized total OP (OP total(v) DTT) was enhanced by a factor of ∼5 in biomass-using kitchens (74 ± 35 to 78 ± 42 nmol min−1 m−3); however, mass-normalized total OP (OP total(m) DTT) was similar between LPG and FW users and higher by a factor of 2 in MB-using kitchens. The water-insoluble OP (OP wi(v, m) DTT) fraction in OP total(v, m) DTT was greater than 50% across kitchens. Size distributions across kitchens and OPDTT categories ranged from unimodal to trimodal. OP ws(v) DTT was driven by metals as well as organics across size fractions while OP wi(v) DTT was majorly constrained by metals with an increasing importance of organics in fine particles of biomass-using kitchens. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that Cu and Ba explained 71% of the OP total(v) DTT variability in LPG-using kitchens, while water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) and Ba were responsible for 44% variability in FW-using kitchens. Finally, the high internal dose of OP total(v) DTT (28–31 nmol min−1 m−3) in biomass-using kitchens established the severity of oxidative stress on the exposed population. [Display omitted] • Size-resolved measurement of oxidative potential (OP) in indoor kitchens of NE India. • Biomass-using kitchens show ∼5 times enrichment of extrinsic total OP over LPG. • Water-insoluble OP contributes more than 50% to total OP across kitchens. • Differential role of metals and organics in driving OP across particle size and fuel types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the commonest cancers worldwide, with incidence rates in India being around 4%. It is a heterogeneous disease with multiple established prognostic factors. Ten to fifteen percent originate from microsatellite instability (MSI) pathway, characterized by defect in mismatch repair (MMR) gene. Identification of MMR defective protein is relevant for diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction. Certain clinical and histological features are known to be associated with defective MMR genes. The objectives of this study are to find the prevalence of MSI in CRC to identify features associated with MSI and assess the value of histopathology in predicting MSI. We evaluated various clinical and histological parameters for identifying prognostically favorable colon cancers in a tertiary hospital. One hundred fifty colon cancers were evaluated, and MSI status was correlated with clinicopathologic variables. The prevalence of MSI in CRC was found to be 11.3%. The factors associated with MSI were tumor differentiation, stage, tumor site, tumor size, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, Crohn's-like lymphoid reaction, and dirty necrosis. We have defined a "P" score for prediction of MSI using the clinicohistological parameters, which could be used to select patients who are to be tested for MSI. Assessment of clinical and histopathological features will help in patient stratification and selection of patients for MSI testing. The evaluation is economical, reproducible, and easy to apply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high number of jaundice cases were reported from two colocated training centers in North India. This outbreak was investigated to describe the epidemiology, identify risk factors, and recommend preventive and control measures. Initial line list was prepared, and case definition was defined as "the presence of icterus or passage of yellow-colored urine with fever/anorexia/vomiting/abdominal pain in a resident of Military Station A between 03/04/2016 to 06/06/2016". Case search was conducted through surveillance. An unmatched 1:1 case–control study was conducted to evaluate the associated risk factors. All cases were tested for hepatitis markers. Environmental investigation of food and water sources was conducted to identify the source of infection. Of 172 cases, all were males from two co-located military training centers (attack rate, 4.7%). Clinical features included icterus (100%), yellowish discoloration of urine (98.9%), anorexia (97.22%), fever (80%), nausea/vomiting (56%), and abdominal pain (52.77%). Only one case (0.6%) had complication of fulminant hepatitis, and there were no deaths (CFR = 0%). Consumption of juice with ice from juice shops was significantly associated with illness (Odds Ratio-14.3 [95%CI 7.4–27.6]). Of 172 cases, 167 (97.1%) tested anti-HEV-IgM positive. Juice shops in training centers were using ice made from contaminated water with positive coliform test. All other water samples tested satisfactory. No cross-contamination of water pipelines with sewage was observed. Epidemiological evidence concludes that a large viral hepatitis E outbreak was likely caused by consumption of juice with contaminated ice. Early stoppage of contaminated ice usage led to timely control of the outbreak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present research, biodiesels were prepared from Mahua and Jatropha oil by two-step transesterification. The physicochemical characteristics (viz. density, acid value, iodine value, kinematic viscosity, cloud-pour point, fire-flash point) of prepared biodiesels were evaluated. Finally, the prepared biodiesels were blended with mineral diesel in different proportion and physicochemical characteristics of blended dual biofuel sample blends were also evaluated in order to determine the best blend. The results revealed that the dual biofuel samples met the requirements of EN-14214 (Europe standards), ASTM D-6751 (USA standards) and IS-15607 (India standards). A set of regression equations were also formulated, this mathematical model revealed that different physicochemical properties had high values of the regression coefficient (R2) up to 0.986 for various proportions of blend samples. The obtained results have shown that the pre-treatment process can effectively reduce the free fatty acid value to less than 1% for biodiesels. Further, the values of density and kinematic viscosity were found to be better for sample blends B10, B20, and B30, while B40 was on the upper-end limit and B50 was found to be out of limit range. Furthermore, it was concluded that the sample blends B30 (with 15% blending of each biodiesel) and B40 (with 20% blending of each biodiesel) had better properties and can be used further to test their fuel combustion characteristics on a diesel engine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusarium dieback is a prevalent disease of tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze) in India and China. The pathogen affects plucking shoots and causes complete crop loss under favourable conditions. Although, other fungal diseases that infect tea were widely explored for pathogen identification and characterization, little is known about Fusarium dieback in major tea growing regions of India. Therefore, in this study 24 isolates of Fusarium species causing dieback on tea in 24 tea gardens of Assam and North Bengal were isolated and characterized through micro-morphological and molecular analysis using multi-locus DNA sequences to determine whether multiple species of Fusarium are responsible for dieback disease. Molecular analysis revealed the association of four species of Fusarium , namely F. concentricum, F. solani, F. fujikuroi, and F. oxysporum. The most dominant species was F. concentricum (62.5%), whereas the occurrence frequencies of F. solani, F. fujikuroi, and F. oxysporum were 20.8%, 12.5%, and 0.04%, respectively. All Fusarium isolates were pathogenic to tea leaves when individually and co-inoculated, with F. concentricum HPE0F10 and NHT0F17 exhibiting 19.3 mm lesion length being the most virulent isolates. The growth rate of the pathogen was positively correlated with lesion lengths (P < 0.001). Co-infection of two or multiple Fusarium species enhanced the disease severity and quicker disease development compared to single inoculation. All the isolates showed diverse genetic backgrounds based on Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) primers and principal coordinate analysis. In fungicide screening test, all isolates except HPE0F10, NDS0F18, and SNY0F22 were insensitive to M1 fungicide (copper oxychloride). Isolates GNP0F8 and LKW0F16 were insensitive to MBC + M3 (Carbendazim + Mancozeb), whereas HPE0F10, NLG0F11, IND0F13, and NLW0F19 were insensitive to DMI (respective each two to Hexaconazole and Valextra) fungicides. Notably, all the isolates were susceptible to propiconazole. Further, ISSR segregated isolates insensitive to MBC + M3 and M1 fungicides into two separate clusters, representing their distinctiveness. The fungicide screening results indicate that fungicide resistance can be managed by rotating different modes of action of fungicides against multiple Fusarium species causing tea dieback. • Fusarium concentricum, F. fujikuroi, F. oxysporum, and F. solani were identified as causal agents of tea dieback. • The identification was confirmed by multi-locus phylogenetic analysis. • Fusarium isolates showed variable pathogenicity through individual and co-inoculation tests. • ISSR primers revealed diverse genetic backgrounds among 24 Fusarium isolates. • Propiconazole was effective against all Fusarium isolates tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate and efficient monitoring, assessment, and prediction of water resources is crucial for the sustenance of life and health of the environment. Traditional methods for assessing water quality can be laborious and time-consuming, but the use of machine learning algorithms can improve the speed and precision of these predictions. The study aimed to evaluate the quality of surface water in the lower Thoubal river using a comprehensive approach that analyzed 12 physico-chemical properties of the water samples collected from 16 different sites. Four machine learning algorithms namely, deep neural network (DNN), gradient boost model (GBM), generalized linear model (GLM), and random forest (RF) were applied and compared for the prediction efficiency of a water quality index (WQI). Sensitivity and uncertainty analysis of the parameters were carried out using a DNN-based model. The study incorporated model evaluation using learning curve along with five key performance assessors. The findings revealed marked variation in the WQI in the watershed. Of the samples tested, about 70 % were found to have good water quality, 18 % had excellent water quality, 11 % had poor water quality, 1 % had very poor water quality, and less than 1 % were deemed unsuitable. Turbidity, BOD, and COD were found to be the most influential parameter towards WQI prediction. The effectiveness of the predictive models ranked as GLM>DNN>RF>GBM, GLM>GBM>DNN>RF, and GLM>DNN>RF>GBM; based on testing, training and 5-fold cross-validation. The GLM model consistently showed superior performance with the lowest RMSEs of 0.14783 in training, 0.15936 in validation, and 0.26115 in 5-fold cross-validation. Conversely, during the training, RF displayed the worst RMSEs of 5.38354, 4.79754 by GBM in validation, and 7.04887 by GBM in 5-fold cross-validation. The analysis using the Taylor diagram and learning curve further supported that GLM was the most effective model for predicting surface water quality. Biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, electrical conductivity, turbidity and total hardness were found to be the key parameters influencing the water quality. Unregulated and illegal sand mining from the riverbed, garbage dumping into the water bodies, runoffs from agricultural fields have significantly deteriorated the water quality in the study area. The scalable approach of the study and its results can benefit the local water managers and water research community. [Display omitted] • Traditional water quality assessment methods are tedious. • Machine learning and deep learning can predict water quality with precision. • Generalized linear model was found to be the most effective predictive model. • Turbidity, conductivity and biological oxygen demand affect water quality negatively. • Unregulated sandmining and garbage dumping are the major water pollution source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helicobacter pylori infection has been known to be associated with dyspepsia for more than two decades; however, studies on this topic in India are limited. This study was carried out to estimate the Helicobacter pylori infection rates in non-ulcer dyspepsia. Helicobacter pylori infection rates detected by rapid urease test (RUT) positivity were analyzed in 235 patients presenting to a tertiary care center with dyspepsia having no evidence of peptic ulcer disease on esophagogastroduodenoscopy. In this study, the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection diagnosed by the RUT was found to be 40.85%. Gender-based prevalence was found to be 40.14% and 41.93% for men and women, respectively. The highest prevalence was found in the age group of 30–39 years. The most common area of involvement was the isolated antrum of the stomach as seen in 93 patients. This study shows a modest RUT positivity rate for Helicobacter pylori infection with the commonest site of involvement being the antrum of the stomach. Further studies will be needed to assess the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori in the community to analyze the extent of infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circulating plasma cells (CPCs) are frequently noted in variable frequencies in the entire spectrum of plasma cells neoplasms. With advent of high sensitivity multi-parametric flow cytometry, it is not only possible to detect CPCs present in very low numbers, but also to categorise them into circulating tumor plasma cells (CTPCs) and circulating normal plasma cells (CNPCs), based on their marker-profile. This study used multi-colour flow cytometry to evaluate the load of both CTPCs & CNPCs at the time of diagnosis and at six months' time-point of therapy, and evaluated associations of both with clinical and laboratory parameters. Twenty one newly diagnosed MM patients were enrolled. Six to nine millilitres of EDTA-anticoagulated peripheral blood sample was used for flow cytometry. A ten colour antibody panel was used for analysis of CPCs, which were categorised further into CTPCs and CNPCs. Approximately 4.8 million events were acquired for the analysis. The percentage &absolute numbers of CTPCs and CNPCs were noted and the proportion of CTPCs out of all CPCs (CTPCs + CNPCs) were also calculated for evaluating their statistical associations. All 21 patients of newly diagnosed MM showed presence of CPCs (CTPCs and/or CNPCs) at the time of diagnosis. The CTPCs were detected in 76 % of the study population. The median percentage and absolute counts of CTPCs were 0.52 % and 54.9 cells /µL, respectively. CNPCs were found in 95 % and the median percentage and absolute counts of CNPCs were 0.025 % and 2.66 cells/µL. After six months of therapy, CPCs (CTPCs and/or CNPCs) were found in all nine patients evaluated for this assay. CTPCs were found 33 %, with a median of 0.075 % and CNPCs were found in 89 % with a median of 0.01 %. Our study showed that the load of CTPCs was found to be higher in patients with presence of lytic bone lesions, plasmacytoma, presence of PCs on peripheral blood film by light microscopy, presence of Chr 1p32 deletion, expression of CD56 and CD81 on CTPCs, and in patients with absence of very good partial response (VGPR). Conversely, the load of CTPCs was significantly lower in patients with concomitant amyloidosis. Also, percentage of bone marrow plasma cells exhibited a significant positive correlation with the absolute count of CTPCs. We observed that the mean percentage of CNPCs was significantly higher in female patients. The load of CNPCs was lower in patients with thrombocytopenia and with hypoalbuminemia. Increased burden of CTPCs was associated with presence of lytic lesions, plasmacytomas, Chr 1p32 deletion, expression of CD56 and CD81 on tumor cells and with failure to achieve very good partial response. The CNPCs were lower in patients with thrombocytopenia and with hypoalbuminemia. To best ot our knowledge, this is the first study from India on the relevance of circulating tumor plasma cells and the first study in the world to analyse the associations of circulating normal plasma cells in newly diagnosed patients of multiple myeloma. The study also highlights the utility of multi-parametric flow cytometry in identification and enumeration of circulating plasma cells. Circulating plasma cells indicates poorer outcomes in patients of multiple myeloma. Twenty one newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients were evaluated by flow cytometry to enumerate and characterise circulating tumor plasma cells (CTPCs) and circulating normal plasma cells (CNPCs). Higher load of CTPCs correlated with known poor prognostic markers and poor response to therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Database with phenotypic and visual characteristics along with genotypic (STR) Information. • India's First Ever DNA Database with significant impact on forensic methodologies. • High quality entries as all entries included only after autopsy. • Publicly accessible phenotypic and other visual information. Simple claiming process for claimants. Identifying missing persons and unidentified dead bodies is a well-documented global problem in recent years. To curb this issue, countries such as the USA, UK, and Australia already have well-established DNA databases. Considering the alarming number of unidentified/unclaimed dead bodies reported in India every year, it is evident that the current practices are not sufficient to establish their identities. Forensic medicine professionals are ethically, morally, and dutybound to collect information about missing and unidentified persons and work with the government agencies to determine their identity. Concerning the social and public interest, we have developed the first-ever identification portal and DNA database of unidentified dead bodies autopsied at the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, AIIMS, New Delhi, India. After the investigation officer's informed consent, biological samples from unidentified dead bodies and a detailed phenotypic description, anthropological data and other visual characteristics of the deceased are recorded at the time of autopsy. This information is uploaded on our database which is available for public access, and the genotypic information generated through STR analysis is only available for internal usage. Claimants (biological relatives) may browse through the URL (https://umid-aiims.icmr.org.in/), and if they wish to claim an unidentified dead body, they may approach as per the given guidelines. The DNA profiles generated include a total of 16 STRs (15 autosomal tetranucleotide microsatellite STRs and 1 Sex Chromosome Specific STR). The claimant's STR profile is run through the questioned database to look for a potential match. If positive, the investigating officer of that particular case is informed for further necessary action. Until December 2020, our database consisted the information of 255 individuals and two unidentified cadavers were identified. This project's success can also lead to a pioneering National DNA database of unidentified and missing persons in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyze the epidemiology of hospitalized ocular injuries occurring in counter insurgency and proxy war environment in a forward area of northern India over a period of 13 years. Retrospective observational study of medical records was performed of 458 patients with ocular injuries primarily treated at zonal referral hospital of Indian Army between January 1992 and December 2004. A total of 559 eyes with ocular injuries were studied. The average age of the victims was 30 years. In 77% cases, injuries were sustained by army personnel and remaining by paramilitary forces. Of all cases, 86.5% cases were due to combat-related (militant action), of which 93.9% cases were caused by splinters from munitions. Among the eyes injured due to militant action, 60.36% were open globe injuries, 31.19% were closed globe injuries and 8.45% were isolated adnexal injuries. Among the eyes injured, 76.33% of the eyes with open globe injuries owing to militant action had perforating injuries, whereas in closed globe injuries, 47.74% eyes had corneal foreign body. Among eyes with open globe injuries, Corneo-scleral, scleral and corneal lacerations were seen in 45%, 28% and 27% eyes respectively. 15.75% of eyes with ocular injuries underwent eviscerations. The study reveals that splinter eye injuries from munitions were the most common cause of ocular morbidity in counter insurgency and proxy war. Implementation of use of protective glasses by the personnel deployed in such hostile environment and strict compliance of preventive measures would be effective in saving eyes and also medical and economic resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is paucity of published literature on follow-up outcome of mineralizing angiopathy with basal ganglia stroke related to minor head trauma. This retrospective study aims to bridge this knowledge gap. Patients (1 months- 15 years), presenting with acute stroke over a 5-year period were recruited. From this cohort, basal ganglia strokes following minor head trauma were analysed in detail and outcome assessed using the Recovery and Recurrence Questionnaire (RRQ). A total of 94 patients were eligible, 48 (51%) were basal ganglia stroke following minor head trauma [M: F 2.5:1; mean age 21 ± 8.5 (±SD months]. Further evaluation of this group revealed a median time of 60 min (range 0–96 h) from trauma to stroke onset. Nearly all had acute hemiparesis (45/48). Almost a third of patients (n = 13; 27%) had a transient hemi dystonia on the hemiparetic side after a median of 4 days (range 2–6 days) of symptom onset.Computed tomography (CT) head showed bilateral basal ganglia calcification in all; Most patients (31/48; 64.5%) were anaemic. Magnetic Resonance (MR) angiography, echocardiogram and thrombophilia screen was normal wherever they were performed (6/48).The median follow-up period - 14 months (Range 0–22months). Majority of patients (22/35; 63%) showed complete recovery at 18 months follow up, with maximum recovery occurring between 6 and 12 months. Minor head trauma leading to basal ganglia stroke in children was the most common cause of paediatric stroke in our patients. In follow-up most patients had recovered fully, though a significant minority did not recover completely. • Mineralising angiopathy associated stroke was the most common cause of paediatric stroke in our setting. • The Recovery and Recurrence questionnaire (RRQ) is a useful telephonic interview tool to assess paediatric stroke recovery. • Most patients (63%) of basal ganglia stroke after minor head trauma had complete recovery at 18 months follow up. • The maximal recovery of patients occured between 6 and 12 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: A systematic review and meta-analysis (SR-MA) of the available Indian literature on severe vivax malaria (SVM) was undertaken.Methods: Relevant studies in eight electronic databases were retrieved and reviewed. The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. The methodological quality of the studies included in the MA was assessed.Results: Overall, 162 studies were included in the work. The pooled proportion of SVM was 29.3%. The main severity signs/symptoms seen in SVM were jaundice, severe thrombocytopenia (ST), multi-organ dysfunction, and severe anaemia with pooled proportion of 37.4%, 37.2%, 24.2% and 20.4%, respectively. P. falciparum was inducing 6% less ST (RR = 0.94, 95% CI 0.5-1.5, I2 = 77.87%), 10% less thrombocytopenia (RR = 0.9, 95% CI 0.7-1.1, I2 = 91.68%) and 20% less DIC (RR = 0.8, 95% CI 0.3-1.9, I2 = 0%) than P. vivax. An atypical condition like myocarditis, was most commonly observed among the studied SVM cases. The mortality rate in SVM cases ranged from 0 to 12.9% among hospital patients with P. vivax mono-infections.Conclusions: The present SR-MA provides evidence for P. vivax as the etiologic agent of severe malaria leading to deaths in few cases as seen recently in India. However, research gaps outlined here emphasise the need for further studies on SVM in pregnancy, SVM in drug resistance and correlations with cytoadherence in disease severity due to P. vivax. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sports Medicine is an upcoming postgraduate speciality in India. A MD Sports Medicine specialist is expected to contribute in the prevention of sports injuries, sportsmen training and enhancement of performance apart from being involved in planning of conduct of sports events amongst many other roles and responsibilities. This requires hands-on training and acquisition of skill sets required to perform these roles. The National Medical Council of India highlights the need for a competency based curriculum and has laid down guidelines for the course. There was a felt need to develop Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) and milestones based on the prescribed curricula and develop a portfolio for continuous monitoring of the achievement of these EPAs. A five step model was done by experts in the field to prepare the EPAs, milestones and portfolio. This consisted of faculty development, identification of the EPAs and milestones and portfolio preparation. 114 EPAs and 961 milestones were identified by the subject experts. The portfolio was developed with the help of specialists and faculty of the field of sports medicine, and medical educationists. Post graduate medical education is mandated to be competency based. A portfolio has been developed in the current exercise for use in a competency based post-graduate curriculum in sports medicine. This will help in the better implementation of CBME in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Present study analyzed the seasonal and spatial distribution patterns, sources, and ecological risks of seven heavy metals (Cr, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) in the sediments of River Ganges, finding that the majority of concentrations were lithologic, except for Cd, which was significantly higher than background standards. Elevated values of geochemical indices viz. I geo , CF, RI, C d , mC d , HQ, mHQ, and P N suggest moderate to high ecological risk in the benthic environment and its organisms due to the synergistic effect of heavy metals. The PEC-Q metals revealed 8–10 % toxicity in the upstream and downstream sites, due to the influence of agricultural activities. Multivariate statistical techniques (PCM and PCA) indicated that Cd and Pb predominantly originated from anthropogenic sources, while other metals primarily derived from geological background. These geochemical findings may help to understand the potential risks and recommend strategies to mitigate the effects of metallic contamination in river sediments. [Display omitted] • The spatial distribution pattern of heavy metals (Cr, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) in River Ganges sediments were investigated. • The level of Cd is significantly elevated compared to the sedimentary background standards. • Residual fractions were attributed to the dominant geochemical phases of all heavy metals in sediments. • RI, C d , mC d , P N , and PEC-Q metals suggest moderate to higher ecological risk in the polluted hotspots of River Ganges. • Multivariate techniques (PCA and PCM) revealed that Cd and Pb predominantly originated from anthropogenic sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

About half of India's female population suffers from gynaecological disorders due to lliteracy, poverty, a lack of healthcare resources, and social stigma. Medicinal plants play a vital role in the basic healthcare services of tribal communities in India due to their ease of availability and cost, and their use is also a vital part of the cultural heritage. The study aimed to identify and document the medicinal plants used in female reproductive healthcare by the Gujjar tribe in the sub-Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India. One hundred twelve informants between 21 and 80 years of age were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaire and open-ended interviews. The documented data was quantitatively analysed by applying frequency of citation (RFC), informant consensus factor (ICF), family importance value (FIV) and the Jaccard's index (JI). The present study documented 90 plant species from 47 families with Leguminosae as the most cited family. The study identified Asparagus racemosus as the most important species based on RFC value. Menstrual disorder and leucorrhoea were among the primary disease categories based on ICF values. Roots were the most commonly used plant parts (22%) and decoction was the major mode of preparation (52%). Asparagus racemosus was one of the most frequently mentioned plant species in the present study. The findings of this investigation are important for documenting and prioritising plant species such as A. racemosus , Abrus precatorius , Bombax ceiba , Moringa oleifera , Curculigo orchioides , Cocculus hirsutus , and Centella asiatica for additional investig,ations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dragon fruit (red skin and red fleshed, Hylocereus polyrhizus), newly introduced cactus plant in Mizoram, India, exhibited stem rot (35.38%) disease in established orchards during 2017–2018. Recorded symptoms included small red-brown spots encircled with yellowish halos. The size of the spots gradually enlarged and later the tissues turned completely watery and rotten. Fusarium species were consistently isolated from the stem rot tissues of red-fleshed dragon fruit. The pathogen associated with the stem rot disease was identified as Fusarium equiseti based on the morphological characters (production of abundant macroconidia, single-celled microconidia, and solitary and intercalary chlamydospores) and multigene phylogenetic analysis of internal transcribed spacer of ribosomal DNA (ITS-rDNA), translation elongation factor 1α (TEF-1) and beta-tubulin (TUB2). The phylogenetic trees showed that all isolates belonged to the F. equiseti, a member of Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti species complex (FIESC). Four isolates were tested for pathogenicity that produced the symptoms of stem rots (up to 57.64% severity) at 15 days after inoculation. Koch's postulate was further established by re-isolating the F. equiseti from artificially infected plants. To our best knowledge, this is the first report of F. equiseti as a pathogen causing the stem rot of dragon fruit (red-fleshed) in India. • A disease with stem rot symptoms was observed on dragon fruit in Mizoram, India. • Fusarium equiseti was the causal pathogen of the disease. • Identity of the pathogen was confirmed through morphology and molecular. • This is the first report of F. equiseti causing stem rot of red flesh dragon fruit in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parasitic infections of the intestine are a major health problem, which is found more prevalent in developing countries such as India. They are one of the important causes of morbidity and mortality among people all over the world. Acute amoebic appendicitis is a rare entity. We came across a case of acute appendicitis in a young pregnant woman, which revealed colonies of Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites in the mucosal epithelium and submucosal layer of the appendix with marked evidence of acute appendicitis. This report highlights acute appendicitis of amoebic origin and emphasises the importance of thorough examination of the appendix at various levels during histopathology and about the combined treatment of appendicectomy combined with antimicrobials as the treatment of choice. Appendicectomy removes the focus of infection, and antimicrobials reduce the incidence of septic complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In India, changes in the life style pattern together with low consumption of vitamin D rich foods resulted in 50–90% of population as vitamin D deficient. Fortification is the common practice followed to overcome such micronutrient deficiencies. Vitamin D is fat soluble in nature and simultaneously sensitive to light and heat, however binding to milk protein improves the solubility and stability towards heat and light. Sodium caseinate, succinylated sodium caseinate (SNaCas), reassembled sodium caseinate (RNaCas) and reassembled succinylated sodium caseinate (RSNaCas) were complexed with ergocalciferol (vitamin D 2). Milk protein-vitamin D 2 complexes (NaCas-VD, SNaCas-VD, RNaCas-VD and RSNaCas-VD) and free vitamin D 2 (free-VD) showed highest stability when stored at −20 °C, followed by 4 °C and 37 °C. At the end of storage period of 48 h, the stability (%) of vitamin D 2 in milk protein-vitamin D 2 complex and free vitamin D 2 (free-VD) fortified milk was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in fortified samples stored in transparent glass bottles (upto 53.88%) as compared to samples stored in low density polyethylene (LDPE) pouches (upto 49.56%) upon exposure to different light intensities (1485, 2970, 4455 lux). Complexation of vitamin D 2 with milk protein provided greater stability to withstand the heat treatments (pasteurization, boiling and sterilization). Stability of vitamin D was greater from milk protein-vitamin D 2 fortified milk stored in transparent glass bottles than the fortified milk stored in LDPE pouches. • Complexes showed the highest stability at −20 °C and lowest stability at 37 °C. • Glass bottles are more effective packaging material as compared to LDPE pouches. • Complexation of vitamin D 2 to milk protein improves its stability. • Free vitamin D (fat soluble) showed the lowest vitamin D stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present our experience of ABO-incompatible renal transplant using immunoadsorption (IA) columns. We have compared efficacy of two commercially available columns. This single-center prospective study was conducted at Army Hospital Research and Referral, Delhi. All consecutive ABO-incompatible renal transplants from January 2014 to February 2018 were analyzed. Of 30 patients who underwent transplantations, 28 underwent antibody depletion with immunoadsorption columns. Of them, 14 cases were in the "Glycosorb group," while 14 in the "Adsopak group." The donors in the Adsopak group were older than those in the Glycosorb group (p < 0.05). Both groups had spousal donors in majority. The cutoff for the antibody titer was 1:8. The median titer in the Adsopak group was 128 (range, 1:4 to 1:2048), while that in the Glycosorb group was 24 (range, 1:8 to 1:128). All patients in the Glycosorb group had baseline titers ≤1:128, while 13 patients in the Adsopak group had baseline titers ≤1:512. Nil titer was achievable with Glycosorb® (50%,7/14) but not with Adsopak® (P < 0.01). Around 4 sessions were required for the Glycosorb group, while around 8 sessions were required for the Adsopak group before transplantation (p < 0.001). The Glycosorb group was advantageous in terms of graft failure because no rejection was noticed in these patients in their follow-up period. Three patients in the Adsopak group developed rejection (two had mixed rejection, and one had antibody-mediated rejection). Four patients died of sepsis (three in the Glycosorb and one in the Adsopak group). Lower baseline serum creatinine level was achieved in the Glycosorb group. Results of ABO-incompatible renal transplantation were satisfactory, and the use of immunoadsorption columns could effectively deplete antibody titers. Glycosorb columns were more efficient than Adsopak columns. Graft survival was better with Glycosorb. Posttransplant infections were a major cause of mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Pregnancy hypertension is associated with 7.1% of maternal deaths in India. The objective of this trial was to assess whether task-sharing care might reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes related to delays in triage, transport, and treatment.Study Design: The Indian Community-Level Interventions for Pre-eclampsia (CLIP) open-label cluster randomised controlled trial (NCT01911494) recruited pregnant women in 12 clusters (initial four-cluster internal pilot) in Belagavi and Bagalkote, Karnataka. The CLIP intervention (6 clusters) consisted of community engagement, community health workers (CHW) provided mobile health (mHeath)-guided clinical assessment, initial treatment, and referral to facility either urgently (<4 h) or non-urgently (<24 h), dependent on algorithm-defined risk. Treatment effect was estimated by multi-level logistic regression modelling, adjusted for prognostically-significant baseline variables. Predefined secondary analyses included safety and evaluation of the intensity of mHealth-guided CHW-provided contacts.Main Outcome Measures: 20% reduction in composite of maternal, fetal, and newborn mortality and major morbidity.Results: All 14,783 recruited pregnancies (7839 intervention, 6944 control) were followed-up. The primary outcome did not differ between intervention and control arms (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.92 [95% confidence interval 0.74, 1.15]; p = 0.47; intraclass correlation coefficient 0.013). There were no intervention-related safety concerns following administration of either methyldopa or MgSO4, and 401 facility referrals. Compared with intervention arm women without CLIP contacts, those with ≥8 contacts suffered fewer stillbirths (aOR 0.19 [0.10, 0.35]; p < 0.001), at the probable expense of survivable neonatal morbidity (aOR 1.39 [0.97, 1.99]; p = 0.072).Conclusions: As implemented, solely community-level interventions focussed on pre-eclampsia did not improve outcomes in northwest Karnataka. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mini grids are increasingly filling the supply gap between government supplied electricity and the requirements of households and enterprises. We present a descriptive analysis of enterprise development within a large mini grid based rural electrification initiative launched in India in 2015. Using data from two surveys conducted with 229 enterprise operators, we explore the change in aspirations among enterprise owners and the impacts of longer duration of reliable electricity on key business outcomes. We find that improved quality of electricity from mini grids leads to a shift towards using mini grids as the primary source of electricity; transition from lighting to productive uses of electricity; and increased aspirational demand for electricity among enterprise operators. Further, we find a positive relationship between increased hours of reliable electricity supply and extended hours of operation and customer footfall, but not with revenue generation. Our findings suggest that mini grids offer an important opportunity for enhancing local aspirations for business development and should be an integral part of policies focused on rural enterprise development. • We surveyed 229 enterprises connected to solar mini-grids in September 2016 and June 2018. • Enterprises shift towards using mini grid electricity as their primary source. • Enterprises adopt more productive loads over time and reveal an increase in aspirational demand for electricity. • Longer duration of reliable power is correlated with increased operational hours and customer footfall, but not revenue. • Mini grids can benefit enterprise development by increasing aspirations and allowing experimentation with business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work a fuzzy reinforcement learning (RL) based intelligent classifier for power transformer incipient faults is proposed. Fault classifiers proposed till date have low identification accuracy and do not identify all types of transformer faults. Herein, an attempt has been made to design an adaptive, intelligent transformer fault classifier that progressively learns to identify faults on-line with high accuracy for all fault types. In the proposed approach, dissolved gas analysis (DGA) data of oil samples collected from real power transformers (and from credible sources) has been used, which serves as input to a fuzzy RL based classifier. Typically, classification accuracy is heavily dependent on the number of input variables chosen. This has been resolved by using the J48 algorithm to select 8 most appropriate input variables from the 24 variables obtained using DGA. Proposed fuzzy RL approach achieves a fault identification accuracy of 99.7%, which is significantly higher than other contemporary soft computing based identifiers. Experimental results and comparison with other state-of-the-art approaches, highlights superiority and efficacy of the proposed fuzzy RL technique for transformer fault classification. • A novel RL based classifier for Transformer faults diagnosis. • Uses J48 decision tree for pruning the data. • Achieves much higher classification accuracy than conventional techniques. • Comparisons made with other state of art approaches. • Uses Actual or Physical data from Electricity Board in India for simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is known that social media is one of the largest sources of unstructured data. Analyzing that data and harvesting meaning out of that is a tedious job. Recently opinion mining has become an emerging topic due to the vast amount of opinioned data available on the various social networking sites. Microblogging has appeared relatively recently, and twitter is the most popular microblogging sites used by the people. It is one of the biggest free, open data-source. In the world today, twitter often witnesses a lot of opinions. Opinion mining and sentiment analysis help researchers to gain insight into public emotions. In this paper, Twitter is used as a source of opinioned data. Twitter APIs are used for the collection of tweets. In this paper, R is used for the acquisition, pre- processing, analyzing the tweets, then sentiment analysis is performed based on the different approaches. In this paper, Tweets were collected from the period of Jan 2019 to March 2019. Using that tweets, sentiment analysis was performed to gain the opinion polarity of the folks concerning general elections held in India. Two candidates were considered for this study: Candidate-1 and Candidate-2. It was concluded that Candidate-1 is more liked and is famous as compared to Candidate-2. The result obtained in our paper was in full compliance with the actual election results obtained in May 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across diverse geographies, mini-grids have been employed to provide energy access to off-grid and rural communities. In India, amid the government push to expand grid infrastructure, concerns have been raised about the viability of mini-grid business models that are largely run by private companies. While the role of mini-grids in previously un-electrified areas has been studied extensively, there exists limited empirical evidence regarding their uptake in grid-connected regions. In this paper, we analyze adoption and use of mini-grids among rural communities living in grid-electrified villages. The findings are based on the primary data of 2648 households and 544 non-farm enterprises from 54 villages in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in India. Our results suggest that despite the presence of central-grid infrastructure, users adopt mini-grid in regions which lack reliable power supply. The mini-grid uptake was found to be relatively higher among non-farm enterprises, which, unlike households, have not received adequate policy attention and support. However, mini-grids were being used only for meeting basic lighting and cooling loads in most cases, primarily due to affordability concerns. Based on our findings, we argue that grid-interactive mini-grids could be used to serve rural enterprises as they value reliable power supply. Yet, the current low levels of electricity demand among non-farm rural enterprises suggest that growth in electricity demand and in turn enterprise productivity would require complementary services and infrastructure. • Insights from a survey of 54 villages having both central grid and solar mini-grid. • Mini-grid use among non-farm enterprises is significant, but low among rural households. • Lack of reliable grid-power supply in surveyed villages is a key driver of mini-grid use. • Rural enterprises currently have low electricity demand. • Mini-grid connections primarily used to meet basic lighting and cooling energy demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A very large number of engineering students are graduating every year in India but a very small percentage of these graduates are employable. There are many factors that contribute to low employability and one of the prominent factors is teaching effectiveness in the engineering institutions. Industry-academia collaborations and train-the-trainers programs can play a significant role in improving the quality of teaching. This work discusses the importance of industry-academia collaboration for improving the quality of teaching in engineering institutions and presents the results and learningsof organizing a three month long train-the-trainers course on Advances in Programming at our university campus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drastic increases in oil prices and need to reduce global warming are issues that have raised huge public awareness, which in turn encouraged many developed and developing countries to adopt new energy policies. Renewable energy resources are gaining fast attention in solving power supply problems in almost every area to shield the environment. In solving power supply problem standalone microgrid systems including renewable energy sources plays a key role. For a stand-alone renewable power delivery system, battery is the crucial component which allows storing excess renewable energy and further using the energy as and when needed by the load. In order to achieve the best performance and utilization the state of charge of the batteries should be assessed. This paper presents heuristic approaches to evaluate the state of charge (SOC) of lead–acid battery through optimal power generation in a standalone hybrid wind-solar renewable power delivery system. The mathematical analysis is made by the application of modified heuristic techniques, i.e. tuned genetic algorithm (TGA) and improved colliding body optimization(ICBO), for a specific loading condition in India. More optimized power is generated by the renewable distributed energy sources when evaluated by ICBO than that achieved by TGA, for both winter and summer load demands. These optimized value of power generated by the application of ICBO, resulted in low average value of SOC. The low values of SOC further prevent the battery from malfunctioning for a longer period of time. In order, to explore more optimal generation pertaining to good value of SOC parametric studies of modified algorithms, i.e. TGA and ICBO have been carried out. A set of critical operational parameters have also been obtained through parametric study of TGO and ICBO for a specific real time load profiles. Thus the reliable and optimal values lead to a better prospect in utilizing standalone renewable power delivery system for Indian future power scenario. Moreover, a comparative study has also been performed in analysing the performances of conventional and non-conventional methods in this regard. It has been found that the heuristic techniques, viz ICBO and TGA delivered 13% and 17% better result in comparison to that obtained by linear programming method respectively. Thus it can be surmise that the heuristic techniques perform well in considering the uncertainties and approximations of real world problem of generation renewable power, pertaining to better values of SOC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renal transplantation in developing countries like India is largely live donor transplantation. Cadaveric transplantation comprises <2% of all transplants in India. Ninety-two cadaveric renal transplantations were included. Various donor and recipient characteristics were analysed along with graft and patient survival, using Kaplan–Meier method. The mean age of the recipients was 35.5 ± 10.9 years while that of cadaver was 43.9 ± 17.0 years. Proportion of females among recipients was 47.8% while that of donors was 34.8%. The most common underlying pathology was chronic glomerulonephritis (44.6%). Antithymocyte globulin was used as induction in 84.8% of cases. Tacrolimus-based triple-drug regimen was most commonly used as maintenance (80.4%). The mean follow-up time was 39.02 ± 28.24 months. The most common cause of death was sepsis (47%). More than 50% deaths (9/17) occurred within first 3 years, while 61.5% of graft loss occurred 5 years after transplantation. The mean graft survival time was 81.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 72.8–90.4). Cumulative proportion of graft survival was 91.6% at 3 years and 77.1% at 5 years. Although females have better mean graft survival time (91.6 vs 73.5 months), it was not a significant difference as shown by log-rank test (p value = 0.062). Pretransplant haemodialysis has no significant effect on graft loss, but patients on peritoneal dialysis have significantly higher odds of graft loss (odds: 4.86, p value < 0.05 [0.018]). The mean patient survival time was 99.5 months (95% CI: 84.0–114.9). Cumulative proportion of patient survival was 83.3% at 3 years and 70.8% at 5 years. Graft and patient survival rate of cadaveric transplant at our centre was satisfactory. There is need to sensitise and augment the rate of cadaveric transplantation to increase the donor pool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Comparative studies on the basis of presence and absence of minerals. • Discrimination of the mineral body from the settlements. • Pyrrhotite and limonite (iron ore) minerals have been traced. • Mixture Tuned Matched Filtering algorithm produces a better mineral map. Geology majorly deals with the structures, features, minerals, rocks, etc. of the planet Earth. Geologists are using the technology of remote sensing for structural interpretation and regional mapping. Ores and minerals identification are also done with the help of remote sensing. This paper is mainly focused on the identification of minerals and mapping with the help of various algorithms such as Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM), Spectral Feature Fitting (SFF) and Mixture Tuned Matched Filtering (MTMF) using airborne hyperspectral data. Minerals are identified on the basis of the visible and near-infrared spectral reflectance. Spectral reflectance is having absorption features at different positions and absorption peaks are used for the analysis of imagery. This technique provides surface mineralogical details. SAM algorithm mainly computes the angle between the unknown pixel spectrum and unique pixel spectrum. SFF algorithm matched the continuum removed the spectrum of the imagery pixel from the continuum removed reference spectra. MTMF algorithm detects the abundance of the minerals and removes the erroneous positive. Total 13 endmembers (minerals) were identified in the study area. These minerals are grouped into clay minerals, iron minerals, carbonate minerals, and other minerals. These endmembers are used for the mineral map creation from different algorithms. Algorithms produce the diverse kind of mineral map and these are compared with each other on the basis of the mineralogy and discrimination of mineralized region from settlements. Mineral map produced by MTMF algorithm provides convenient results with better accuracy than other algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses 810 households data collected from two states of India-Raipur district in Chhattisgarh State and Ranchi in Jharkhand- to analyse the LPG cooking transition. Most of the available studies for the South Asia region and particularly for India had mainly focused on the access aspect of clean cooking in terms of fuel or stove. In this study, we particularly focus on the household transition to clean cooking fuel (LPG) in terms of its usage. Using the Tobit regression model for censored data the study highlights the socioeconomic and other factors that may influence LPG transition. The study finds that there could be common as well as location specific factors driving LPG transition. Income linkages with LPG usage may be weak in regions with high prevalence of home produced or collected solid fuel consumption. Duration of LPG acquisition, considered in the study as a factor of behavioural aspect, has emerged as an important variable promoting LPG transition over time. The analysis suggests that LPG capital subsidy scheme, PMUY, has provided a trigger for LPG transition among beneficiary households. Increasing the share of LPG in monthly cooking fuel may require good LPG services such as doorstep delivery. • Using a Tobit model approach this study identifies the factors promote LPG usage for cooking. • The finding suggests that PMUY scheme, LPG acquisition duration, and LPG doorstep delivery impact LPG usage. • There could be common as well as location specific factors driving LPG transition. • Sustained LPG usage may happen over time, once user understands the costs and benefits of clean fuels. • Availability of large amount of home produced and collected solid fuel may be acting as a deterrent for LPG transition, even in the economically well off households. Therefore, apart from awareness raising campaigns, developing a market for alternative use of locally available biomass will create an opportunity cost of burning it. Availability of home produced fuel may hinder LPG transition, even in the economically well off households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parthenium hysterophorus L. is considered globally as one of the most troublesome weeds, which has invaded non-cropped as well as cropped lands in many tropical and sub-tropical countries including India. Biological control using the Mexican beetle (Zygogramma bicolorata Pallister) among other agents, has been considered most successful in India. In the present study, models were developed using climatic indices (minimum temperature, maximum temperature, rainfall and relative humidity) as independent variables to determine the suitable sites for the establishment of Z. bicolorata. Regression approach for model building revealed 79.6% concordance, 20.0% discordance, and 0.4% tie between predicted probabilities and observed responses whereas, decision tree using J48 algorithm classified 81.7% instances correctly which helped to frame the rules for predicting the establishment of Z. bicolorata. Based on these rules, it was concluded that a site experiencing climate with indices values of average minimum temperature 24.2–26.2 °C and rainfall 191.2–257.3 mm during July to October would be highly suitable for setting up the Z. bicolorata population in the region. These models might be useful to decide the most suitable sites for release and establishment of Z. bicolorata in India as well as in other parts of the world with similar climatic conditions. • Parthenium hysterophorus L. is one of the most troublesome weeds globally. • Biological control of P. hysterophorus using Zygogramma bicolorata Pallister has been considered most successful in India. • Regression approach and decision tree using J48 algorithm were used to model the establishment of beetle using climatic variables. •. Minimum temperature and its interaction with rainfall and relative humidity were found to be important climatic variables • These models might be useful for the selection of most suitable sites for release and establishment of Z. bicolorata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we estimate the cost reduction potential of parabolic trough based concentrated solar Power systems in India and consequently their implications for levelized cost of electricity. Using the past as well as envisaged global cumulative diffusion of CSP systems and the learning rates reported in the literature, the expected capital cost of parabolic trough based CSP systems in India has been estimated. Present capital cost of parabolic trough based CSP plant in India has been taken as US $2540/kW. Local manufacturing of CSP components and consequently reduced logistics is expected to reduce the capital cost by 14% and 8% respectively. A learning rate of 10% for the global cumulative diffusion in the base case scenario is expected to reduce capital cost to 49% of the present cost by the end of 2050. Present LCOE of US $151/MWh of CSP plant in India is expected to reduce to US $76/MWh by the end of 2050. Provision of 6 hour thermal storage is expected to reduce LCOE of CSP plant in India by 18% as compared to LCOE of CSP plant without storage. Analysis for different learning rates (5%, 10% and 15%) for CSP plant and different discount rates (6%, 8% and 10%) has also been undertaken and results obtained are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 5G telecom technology adoption from supply side in a developing country is studied. • Nineteen factors and twenty-two 5G adoption subfactors are identified. • Supply side 5G adoption model is proposed with unique factors and subfactors. • Service provider flexibility and operational capability act as enablers. • Long implementation time and diverse ecosystem of multiple players act as barriers. The current 3G and 4G telecom technologies present challenges in the form of network congestion, low average revenue per user and limited applications across different industries. This is driving the need for faster adoption and implementation of 5G technologies. Researchers have largely focused on the technical aspects of 5G and its adoption on the demand side, while the focus on the supply side—business implications, enablers and barriers to adoption for the telecom service providers (TSPs)—is limited. A supply side perspective on 5G adoption in developing economies needs more attention as their ecosystem of technology deployment is different from that of developed economies. India being one of the prominent developing countries and the second largest telecom market in the world, with 5G adoption at a nascent stage, is an apt case for studying enablers and barriers. Thus, this exploratory study focuses on identifying the factors for adoption of 5G by TSPs. The study makes theoretical contributions to literature by identifying seven unique factors and eight unique subfactors and proposing a new 5G adoption model for TSPs. Recommendations are provided to aid policy and decision-makers in designing policy interventions and strategies for faster 5G adoption from the supply side of the diverse ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study focuses on detection and analysis of rip currents through a low-cost smartphone-based beach monitoring system (SBMS) by taking the advantage of multiple in-built cameras and on-board memory. The famous tourist destination, Rama Krishna (RK) beach, in East coast of India has been chosen for the study, as it is experiencing high number of drownings (525 causalities since 2006). Videos of 20-min duration were collected covering different time frames of 2022 and an open-source Quantitative Coastal Imaging Toolbox (QCIT) toolbox has been used to process the videos. Rectified Timex images are generated and utilised to analyse the morphodynamic changes of the beach. Several rip currents have been observed along the coast, with strongest being maximum length of 242 m with a width of 55 m. Beach modal states have been computed to determine the rip current hazard associated with it. Sequential transect data indicated the existence of waves at infra-gravity motions within the rip current channels. During the study period, the beach is dominated by Transverse Bar and Rip (TBR) beach type, which is known for its rip current danger. Rhodamine dye experiments have been conducted to practically measure the strength of the rip currents using video data and field data synergistically. The study is first of its kind in exploring the potential application of low-cost smartphones to scientifically monitor rip currents at any beach. Our study would help in further extending this work for beach sites and can be applied to projects where limited funds are available. We suggest to apply this methodology as a preliminary study before setting up permanent video monitoring station. • Introducing a low-cost Smartphone-based Beach Monitoring System (SBMS). • Rip current detection and speed estimation from Timex images and Rhodamine B Dye. • Morphodynamical beach state and rip current risk estimation. • Identification of potential Rip current hotspot zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governments worldwide are currently in the nascent stages of integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into their operations, and as a result, they are encountering a multitude of challenges. The objective of this research is to ascertain the key challenges that government organizations in India face when adopting AI, and to present them in a hierarchical framework. Through an extensive review of existing literature and focus group discussions involving policymakers and AI experts, we have identified 15 key challenges pertaining to AI adoption in the Indian government context. We employed the interpretive structural modelling approach to develop a hierarchical framework that represents the identified challenges in a structured manner. The outcomes of this research have both theoretical and practical implications, and they help bring out the complexities of AI implementation in the government sector. • Examining AI challenges in Indian government: Lit review & expert focus group • A framework of AI challenges was developed using interpretive structural modelling. • Theoretical and practical implications of the proposed framework are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A thorough and systematic review of registered clinical trials on herbal medicine implemented in the treatment and prophylaxis of COVID-19 is lacking today. This article aims to sum up the characteristics of registered clinical trials of COVID-19 in India using Alternative and Complementary Systems of Medicines as an intervention. Analyses of this data can help point the direction in which current research is heading in terms of medicinal plants included in the preparation of herbal medications to aid phytochemical-based antiviral drug discovery for SARS-CoV-2. The thorough search of the registered clinical trials data from March 2020 to February 2021 for COVID-19 has been performed involving Alternative and Complementary Systems of Medicines as an intervention. Extracted data were critically analyzed and in silico evidence for antiviral activity of these medicinal plants against SARS-CoV-2 was gathered and reported. Of the 228 clinical trials of Alternative and Complementary System of Medicines retrieved from the CTRI database, interventions were mostly immunomodulators and antiviral agents. Critical analysis of phytoconstituents of interventions shows recurrent presence of 21 medicinal plants in these trials. In silico studies point towards their antiviral ability to inhibit SARS-CoV-2. Discoveries from this study gave an idea about the future COVID-19 contemplates & trials and phytopharmaceuticals that can be considered for further research in this direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widespread occurrence and predominant association of chilli veinal mottle virus (ChiVMV) with the valuable chilli landraces of North East Region (NER) of India and associated threat to chilli production necessitated the development of simplified and robust detection procedure. Present study reports a simplified reverse transcription-recombinase polymerase amplification (RT-RPA) method for detection of ChiVMV in crude leaf extract prepared through simplified extraction protocol using NaOH:EDTA (1:1) based tissue lysis, without the need of conventional RNA extraction and sample processing. Developed RT-RPA assay could be performed at an isothermal temperature (38 °C) in 30 min and exhibited no cross-reactivity with other prevalent chilli viruses (potato virus Y, cucumber mosaic virus, large cardamom chirke virus, capsicum chlorosis orthotospovirus, pepper mild mottle virus and chilli leaf curl virus), indicating high specificity. It could detect ChiVMV up to 10−9 dilution (100 ag/μl) of crude leaf extract, 10 ag/μl of RNA of ChiVMV infected leaf tissues and plasmid DNA containing viral gene insert, thus exhibiting sufficient sensitivity which is at par or better than the standard RT-PCR. Developed RT-RPA assay was employed to reveal the widespread occurrence of ChiVMV in NER India with 50.81% (1545 samples tested) of symptomatic and 7.85% (1593 samples tested) of asymptomatic samples tested positive. RT-RPA exhibited higher sensitivity in detection of ChiVMV infection in field samples as compared to the standard RT-PCR which gave false negative in 2.07% of symptomatic and 2.01% of asymptomatic samples. The developed assay was further applied in screening of 49 chilli germplasm for ChiVMV infection. The pooled results of field screening based on the disease score indicated that none of the chilli germplasm had immune or complete resistance, while 29 chilli germplasm (bird's eye chilli: C. frutescens ; Morokatekpa: C. annuum , Leihao morok, Morok masingkha; Chingpimorok: Capsicum sp.) exhibited tolerant reaction with a disease score of 1.27–2.00. All the tested bird's eye chilli germplasm showed tolerance to the ChiVMV. The artificial screening to the severe isolate and qRT-PCR based viral titre determination confirmed the results of field screening wherein the germplasm RCMC6, RCMC7, RCMC17, RCMC27 and RCMC42 exhibited either asymptomatic or mild mosaic symptoms and decrease in viral titre at 20 DAI thus categorized as tolerant. The simplified RT-RPA assay developed and validated in the present study can be applied in routine detection of ChiVMV in field samples, disease-free seedling production and resistance screening under resource poor laboratory setup with limited technical expertise. Chilli germplasm with tolerance to ChiVMV identified in the present study can be used as donors in resistance breeding. • A simplified RT-RPA method for detection of ChiVMV in crude leaf extract (NaOH:EDTA - 1:1). • Developed RT-RPA assay could be performed at 38 °C in 30 min and exhibits sufficient sensitivity. • RT-RPA assay was employed to reveal the widespread occurrence of ChiVMV in NER India. • RT-RPA assay was used as a tool for detection of ChiVMV in chilli germplasm screening experiments. • Developed RT-RPA assay have applications in routine detection of ChiVMV, virus-free seedling production and resistance screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lack of adequate and consistent lighting has a detrimental impact on the overall well-being of poor households in India. For school-going children in these households, this challenge has contributed to issues such as difficulty in studying after dark, reduced performance in schools, increased dropout from school due to poor educational outcomes, and exposure to pernicious emissions from predominantly kerosene-burning wick lamps. Use of off-grid solar lamps in these poor households has the potential to address these challenges. There is limited research investigating the impact of solar lamps on school going children in rural India. We analyzed the data collected from the Million Solar Urja Lamp Program (MSP) implemented in four states of India. The survey of 873 rural poor households in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Odisha utilized a purposive random sampling method to reveal that the use of solar lamps increased total study time (TST) per day during dark hours from 88 to 118 min in the impact period. Furthermore, enhancement in study time was found more for girls (32 min/day) than boys (27 min/day). Total kerosene expenditures in these households decreased from 0.94 US$ to 0.67 US$ per month while total electricity expenditures dropped from 3.7 US$ to 3.5 US$ per month. The findings shows that number of rooms, household head's education, and the child's class have a positive and significant influence on TST in dark hours at home. A notable observation was that the use of kerosene-burning lighting during the impact period shows a negative correlation with TST in dark hours as compared to baseline period due to the adoption of solar study lamps. The results also show that with increment in studying time, a large number of children moved from lower study time group to moderate and higher study time group. • Impact of solar lamp dissemination among children of poor households. • Analyzed the data collected from the Million Solar Urja Lamp Program (MSP) implemented in four states of India. • Use of solar lamps increased total study time per day of children. • Total kerosene and electricity expenditures in the households decreased. • With increment in studying time, a large number of children moved from lower to moderate and higher study time group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Violence against health-care workers has become a great issue in health-care organizations. This study was conceptualized with the aim to know the prevalence of violence and to identify gap between rate of reporting of an incident of violence at a tertiary care hospital in India. The study was descriptive and cross-sectional; a validated questionnaire was used as a tool. Reported incidents of violence against workers were collected. P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant in the analysis. A Z test for proportion at 95% confidence interval was applied to analyze the level of difference between prevalence, rate of reporting, and their level of awareness. Of 394 respondents, 136(34.5%) workers had experienced workplace violence in the last 12 months. It was found that total 32 incidents of workplace violence were reported to the concerned authority. The reporting rate of violence is significantly low (23.5%), in spite of high prevalence (34.5%). Level of awareness regarding the reporting mechanism and regulations for the safeguard of health-care workers against workplace violence is only 24.6 %. This study concluded that the prevalence of violence among health-care workers is quite high, but the reporting rate is significantly low. The low rate of reporting is because of lack of awareness about the reporting mechanism of workplace violence. It is recommended that sensitizing workshops should be conducted to increase the level of awareness, which will result in reduction in the prevalence of violence and building a safe and secured workplace for health-care providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Global elimination of vaccine preventable diseases, such as measles, mumps and rubella is a priority. Many countries have reported diminishing of antibody titres against these diseases among young population as immunization coverage of adolescents and adults in not monitored. The objective of this study was to determine the susceptibility against measles, mumps and rubella among young adults. Methods In this cross-sectional study serological evidence of susceptibility to measles, mumps and rubella was determined by qualitative detection of IgG antibody titres by commercially available enzyme linked florescence assay (VIDAS, bioMerieux) in serum samples young adults. Results A total of 335 young individuals (mean age: 20.54 ± 1.37 years) participated voluntarily between May 2017 to September 2018, of which 183 (54.63%) were males. Seroprotection against measles, mumps and rubella were 87.16%, 82.69% and 79.10% respectively. Conclusion Serological surveillance is important to monitor immune status in population. Susceptibility of young adults to measles, mumps, and rubella indicates need for booster vaccination. With the recent launch of measles-rubella vaccination campaign in India, country specific data will be required to plan periodicity of such campaign, which in turn would be based on accumulation of susceptible individuals in a community. Lastly, inclusion of mumps vaccine in the national universal immunization program needs consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The World Health Organization (WHO) in 2013 has revised its guidelines on antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–positive adults and further updated it in 2016. Based on the WHO recommendations, in May 2017, National AIDS Control Organisation, India recommended initiation of ART treatment for all people living with HIV, regardless of CD4 count, clinical stage, age, or population. This systematic review aims to assess the clinical effectiveness and cost implication of the new guidelines for India. Methods A systematic and comprehensive literature search on PubMed, OvidSP, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar was carried out. Studies reporting either acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or mortality or both as outcome variables were selected. A meta-analysis of the available studies was carried out. The risk ratio was calculated to assess the reduction in AIDS or mortality or both. Cost-effectiveness analysis using health technology principles evaluating the lives saved in terms of incremental cost-effectiveness ratio and cost per quality-adjusted life years gained was carried out. Results Nine eligible studies were included for the meta-analysis. For India, the pooled relative risk of AIDS or mortality or both being 0.84 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.76–0.92) and 0.78 (95% CI, 0.68–0.89) for ART initiation at CD4 count of ≤350 vs CD4 count of ≤500 and at CD4 count of ≤500 vs CD4 count > 500 cells/mm3, respectively. The incremental cost for per additional life saved is US$ 2592 and US$ 2357 for ART initiation at ≤500 and > 500 CD4 count, respectively. Conclusion The adoption of the new WHO guidelines is beneficial with substantial reduction in AIDS or mortality or both. This study suggests that adopting new WHO guidelines is cost-effective for India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper emphasizes the usage of Retired Electric Vehicle Batteries (REVB) to support a system with a Centralized Charging Station (CCS) for charging electric vehicle batteries. This paper also focuses on power flow from the Grid to the Centralized Charging Station (G2CCS), power flow from solar PV to the Centralized Charging Station (PV2CCS), PV to the Grid (PV2G), and power flow from Retired Electric Vehicle Batteries to the Centralized Charging Station (REVB2CCS), Retired EV batteries to the Grid (REVB2G), various schemes for EV's in India, and barriers to the adoption of EV respectively. The review of the modelling and optimization is mainly based on retired EV batteries for EVs charging with recent trends, and future possibilities of retired EV batteries are also discussed. This review paper provides valuable references for researchers and assists them in continuous improvement in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]