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The present study was aimed to evaluate five different microbial consortia for rapid composting of paddy straw and analyze the quality of compost produced. The experimental study on rapid composting of paddy straw was taken at ICAR-NBAIM, Kushmaur, Mau, Uttar Pradesh, India, during the period February to April 2022. The paddy straw was collected from the farm of ICAR-IISS, Mau, U.P., India and the collected paddy straw was chopped into 4-5 cm and further used for the study. The composting experiment was performed in bio-conversion bags of size [12 (L) x 4 (B) x 3 (H) feet]. There were six treatments in which five treatments were taken to evaluate five different microbial consortia and one control (no microbial consortium added). The five different microbial consortia tested were BIO-FAST, BIO-COMPOST, NCOF, PUSA and TEJAS. The results showed that Carbon-Nitrogen (C:N) ratio was reached to less than 20 at 60 days in BIO-FAST applied paddy straw followed by NCOF. While, the C:N ratio of control at 60 days was 33.71. Similarly, the primary nutrients (N, P and K) were higher (p < 0.05) in BIO-FAST followed by NCOF applied compost. The microbial activity and enzymatic activities were found to be insignificant (p < 0.05) in microbial consortia added treatments. The diluted extract of compost (50% and 20%) had higher germination index and no phytotoxicity effect. Thus, the results revealed that the addition of BIO-FAST accelerate the composting process and produce quality compost from paddy straw in 60 days.

Abstract Background Microbes produce diverse bioactive natural products with applications in fields such as medicine and agriculture. In their genomes, these natural products are encoded by physically clustered genes known as biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). Genome and metagenome sequencing advances have enabled high-throughput identification of BGCs as a promising avenue for natural product discovery. BGC mining from (meta)genomes using in silico tools has allowed access to a vast diversity of potentially novel natural products. However, a fundamental limitation has been the ability to assemble complete BGCs, especially from complex metagenomes. With their fragmented assemblies, short-read technologies struggle to recover complete BGCs, such as the long and repetitive nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) and polyketide synthase (PKS). Recent advances in long-read sequencing, such as the High Fidelity (HiFi) technology from PacBio, have reduced this limitation and can help retrieve both accurate and complete BGCs from metagenomes, warranting improvement in the existing BGC identification approach for better utilization of HiFi data. Results Here, we present HiFiBGC, a command-line-based workflow to identify BGCs in PacBio HiFi metagenomes. HiFiBGC leverages an ensemble of assemblies from three HiFi-tailored metagenome assemblers and the reads not represented in these assemblies. Based on our analyses of four HiFi metagenomic datasets from four different environments, we show that HiFiBGC identifies, on average, 78% more BGCs than the top-performing single-assembler-based method. This increase is due to HiFiBGC’s ensemble assembly approach, which improves recovery by 25%, as well as from the inclusion of mostly fragmented BGCs identified in the unmapped reads. Conclusions HiFiBGC is a computational workflow for identifying BGCs in long-read HiFi metagenomes, implemented majorly using Python programming language and workflow manager Snakemake. HiFiBGC is available on GitHub at https://github.com/ay-amityadav/HiFiBGC under the MIT license. The code related to the figures and analyses presented in the manuscript is available at https://github.com/ay-amityadav/HiFiBGC_analyses .

Introduction: Surgical fixation is required for displaced posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) tibial bony avulsion fractures or with fractures having grade 2 or more posterior instability. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the results of arthroscopic fixation of PCL tibial bony avulsion fractures using the double suture bridge technique. Materials and methods: A retrospective study was done involving 24 patients having displaced PCL tibial bony avulsion fractures. The arthroscopic double suture bridge technique was used to fix these fractures. Patients were followed up for a period of 3 year and assessed for knee related symptoms, signs, Lysholm knee score and satisfaction. Results: The study group consisted of 21 males and 3 females. Fracture union was achieved in all cases by 2 months post operative. The mean Lysholm knee score at follow up of 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years and 3 years was 86.6, 96.5, 98.8, 99.1 and 99.4 respectively. At latest follow up all the patients were satisfied with their knee function with respect to pain, range of motion, stability and resumption of pre injury activity level. Conclusion: The arthroscopic double suture bridge technique is an effective method for fixation of PCL tibial bony avulsion fractures with respect to knee stability, range of motion and resumption of pre injury activity level.

[Purpose] This article addresses the lack of legislation in India to govern digital currencies, as well as the legality of Bitcoin in comparison to Russia's ban on other digital assets for payment regulation, highlighting the necessity for effective legislation once all around the world. It further delves into potential misuse of private cryptocurrencies in a variety of ways while placing upon the need for both countries to form a new digital currency regulatory authority. [Methodology/Approach/Design] This paper probes into the existing legal regulations for Cryptocurrency in India, Russia and other countries by using primary and secondary data throughout the paper. The primary data have been taken from legitimate government sources such as Russia's federal law and other bills and laws enacted in India, such as the "Banning of Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2019" and "The Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2021." Various judgments like the case of Internet and Mobile Association of India v. Reserve Bank of India and Dwaipayan Bhowmick v. Union Of India and Ors. have been taken out from Manupatra which is an online database for legal research. Government reports and notifications from the Indian, Russian and US government have also been examined. The secondary data include numerous news articles from Times of India, The Mirror, India Times, The Moscow Times, Telegraph, The UK News and other new sites. Lastly, articles by various researchers like Bohme et al, Dyhrberg and Kim have also been thoroughly analysed. [Findings] It was concluded that legalising Cryptocurrency through codified laws, appropriate approval for digital currencies through regulatory authorities, establishing clear definition of ‘cryptocurrency’, uniform taxation for all types of Cryptocurrencies, updation of penal laws and setting imprisonment for cryptocurrency regulation violation seem to be some effective solutions to reignite the Indian and Russian Economies. [Practical Implications] The practical implication lies in the fact that the use of cryptocurrencies is increasing on a daily basis, but neither the national government nor the world organizations has made any steps to control the market for virtual currencies.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine the colonization of the throat and skin among patients of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) or acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and to elucidate the different Lancefield serotypes of streptococci (Group A, Group C, and Group G) among them. Methods: The prospective observational surveillance study was conducted from November 2016 to March 2018 among 161 enrolled family members belonging to 30 families with one of their patients being diagnosed with RHD/ARF. The outcome measures were period prevalence of serotypes of streptococci, streptococcal colonization of throat and skin lesions, and association of age and antibody titers with RHD/ARF. Results: Out of 30 families enrolled in our study, positive throat (n = 18)/skin (n = 1) cultures were found in 7 families (n = 19). The cultures were positive only for Group A streptococci (GAS), while none of the samples showed positivity for Group C or G serotypes. Overall period prevalence for our study period was 3.2%. Among the 18 members positive for GAS throat culture, 13 (72.2%) belonged to the age group 0.05). Conclusion: In conclusion, we found only GAS colonization in significantly higher proportion among the family members of cases of ARF in comparison to RHD. Rather there was no case of Group C and G streptococci colonization in cases or family members of RHD/ARF.

Introduction: Postpartum haemorrhage with an atonic uterus is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality during Lower Segment Caesarean Section (LSCS) in nearly 50% of cases. Oxytocin is the most commonly administered drug for achieving post-delivery adequate uterine contractions and placenta expulsion, thereby preventing postpartum haemorrhage. Coadministration of phenylephrine during LSCS under spinal anaesthesia inhibits Oxytocin-induced hypotension. Aim: To compare the effectiveness of co-administration of two different doses of phenylephrine with oxytocin in preventing the incidence of Oxytocin-induced hypotension. Materials and Methods: A randomised, double-blinded controlled trial was in the Department of Anaesthesiology, SMS Medical College and Attached Group of Hospitals, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India from August 2021 to July 2022, involving 120 parturients with American Society of Anaesthelsiologists (ASA) grade second undergoing LSCS under subarachnoid block. They were randomised into three groups: Group A received oxytocin 3U with normal saline, Group B received Oxytocin 3U with Phenylephrine 50 mcg, and Group C received Oxytocin 3U with Phenylephrine 75 mcg administered intravenously over five minutes after the baby’s extraction. The incidence of hypotension, requirement for the total rescue dose of Phenylephrine, and side effects were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Chi-square test. Results: Demographic parameters such as age, height, weight, gestational age, and duration of surgery were comparable in all groups. The incidence of hypotension (Group A (Control): 77.5%, Group B (PE50): 47.5%, Group C (PE75): 22.5%, p

Cefuroxime axetil, a second-generation cephalosporin antibiotic, has long been utilized to treat various bacterial infections. However, recent advances in nanotechnology have provided new directions for enhancing its effectiveness through the development of innovative nanoformulations. Cefuroxime axetil, which is classified as a β-lactam agent, has a broad spectrum of activity against both gram-positive and gram-negative microorganisms. This drug exists in polymorphous crystalline and amorphous forms, the latter of which exhibits superior bioavailability. This review explores the pharmacokinetic and various pharmacodynamic properties and mechanisms of action of cefuroxime axetil. Moreover, the challenges posed by the drug’s poor aqueous solubility and bioavailability, and the potential of nanoformulations to address these limitations and enhance the therapeutic efficacy of this agent, are discussed.

The landfill is a cheap way of solid waste management in developing countries. The majority of landfills are non-sanitary and work as open garbage dumping sites and pose threats to public and environmental health. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of the chemistry and microbiology of landfills is imperative to develop the right policies for landfill management. In the current study, we investigated the chemistry and microbiology of three Indian landfill sites using culture-based and culture-independent molecular approaches. Our data indicate that the nature of landfills varies from site to site in terms of chemistry, pollutants, and pathogens. We also enriched and cultivated three methanogens using an optimized medium and constructed two high-quality draft genomes from enriched microbiomes using metagenome-assembled genome approaches. The phylogenomic study of one draft genome showed the highest 93% sequence similarity with members of Methanomassiliicoccaceae and was always enriched with Acholoplasma and Anaerohalosphaera lusitana. Despite all the efforts, we did not isolate it in pure culture and hypothesized that for the cultivation of some not-yet-cultured methanogen, the presence of other organisms plays an important role, and their syntrophic interaction must be discerned for its successful cultivation in the future. Co-cultivation of amino acid-degrading organisms indicates that their co-culture can assist in boosting the growth of methanogens. In addition, our data indicated that landfill leachate contains a heavy load of pollutants and treatment is a must before discharge in nature or use in irrigation or biofertilizer.

Abstract Uncultured microbes represent a huge untapped biological resource of novel genes and gene products. Although recent genomic and metagenomic sequencing efforts have led to the identification of numerous genes that are homologous to existing annotated genes, there remains, yet, an enormous pool of unannotated genes that do not find significant sequence homology to existing annotated genes. Functional metagenomics offers a way to identify and annotate novel gene products. Here, we use functional metagenomics to mine novel carbohydrate binding domains that might aid human gut commensals in adherence, gut colonization, and metabolism of complex carbohydrates. We report the construction and functional screening of a metagenomic phage display library from healthy human fecal samples against dietary, microbial and host polysaccharides/glycoconjugates. We identify several protein sequences that do not find a hit to any known protein domain but are predicted to contain carbohydrate binding module-like folds. We heterologously express, purify and biochemically characterize some of these protein domains and demonstrate their carbohydrate-binding function. Our study reveals several previously unannotated carbohydrate-binding domains, including a levan binding domain and four complex N-glycan binding domains that might be useful for the labeling, visualization, and isolation of these glycans.

Objective Tobacco use begins at an early age and typically leads to a long-term addiction. The age of initiation for tobacco use is not well studied in South Asia, where 22% of tobacco smokers and 81% of smokeless tobacco (SLT) users reside.Methods Data from the nationally representative Global Adult Tobacco Surveys in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan were analysed to examine patterns of initiation among smokers and smokeless tobacco users.Results Data on 94 651 individuals were analysed, of which 13 396 reported were ever daily smokers and 17 684 were ever SLT users. The proportion of individuals initiating tobacco use before the age of 15 years has increased over time. The rates of SLT initiation among those aged 15–24 years increased markedly in Bangladesh (by 7.8%) and Pakistan (by 37.7%) between 1983 and 1999–2000. Among males, the increase in SLT initiation was higher in individuals aged below 15 years compared with other age groups in India and Bangladesh. Smoking initiation among females aged below 15 years has also significantly increased in India over time. Compared with the initiation of tobacco smoking before the age of 15 years, a greater increase in the proportion of SLT users was observed in urban areas.Conclusion Our findings indicate that the proportion of youth initiating tobacco (both smoking and smokeless) before the age of 15 years has increased over time in all three countries. Moreover, variations in age at initiation for different types of tobacco products across countries, and by rurality, were noticeable. Younger youths (aged up to 15 years) should therefore be a priority population for tobacco control interventions. Strategies such as raising the legal age of tobacco sale and use to 21 years, and, other measures under WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), may prevent underage use and avert lifelong addiction to tobacco products.

Long-term use of asbestos-contaminated talcum power has been reported to be the main causative agent for carcinogenesis in many research studies. In recent developments Johnson & Johnson has lost multimillion-dollar lawsuits for being associated with the development of mesothelioma and ovarian cancer by its talc-based baby powder. In May 2020, the company announced, the end of the sale of its baby powder in the USA and Canada and in August 2022, announced the global discontinuation by 2023. However, in India vast proportions of people are using talc-based baby powder and the products are readily available in the market. The purpose of this communication is to create awareness and draw attention of authorities for effective regulation, including prohibition of sale and retraction of the contaminated talc-based products from the Indian market at the earliest.

Context: Clinical study for immunity. Aims: The present study aimed to assess the effect of proprietary polyherbal formulation (PPHF), labelled as Kofol immunity tablets (KIT) on innate and adaptive immune responses in healthy individuals, on the backdrop of COVID-19 pandemic. Settings and Design: Single-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, exploratory study in institutional setting. Materials and Methods: Post Ethics Committee permission, screened healthy individuals of either sex aged 18–35 years were randomized to PPHF/Placebo for 2 months. Major assessment variables included peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), questionnaire-based immune status, perceived stress, and quality of life (QOL) with immune-specific cell counts (CD4+, CD8+), cytokines (interferon gamma [IFN-γ], tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α], interleukin 10 [IL-10]), and oxidative stress in red blood cells (RBCs) (malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase [GPx]), done at day 60. Statistical Analysis Used: Mean ± standard deviation and paired/unpaired t-test for parametric data analysis while median (range) and Wilcoxon Rank sum test/Mann–Whitney test for nonparametric data analysis, were done. Categorical data was analyzed using Chi-square test. GraphPad InStat software, version 9 was used with p < 0.05, as the level of statistical significance. Results: Of 52 recruited, 28 individuals completed the study. PPHF significantly increased PEFR, improved immune status along with QOL compared to baseline. It also decreased perceived stress from moderate and severe grade to mild. Serum IFN-γ levels remained almost constant post-PPHF treatment. PPHF significantly decreased MDA and increased GPx in RBCs. Significant decrease and increase in TNF-α and IL-10, respectively, were seen in PPHF group. The safety parameters post-PPHF treatment remained within normal reference ranges. Conclusions: PPHF is an efficacious and safe formulation with immunomodulatory potential.

Background: Enteric fever is a major public health problem; the burden of disease worldwide is approximately 11.9–26.9 million cases and 129,000–217,000 deaths each year. The burden of disease in India is approximately 6 million per year. Enteric fever is caused by Gram-negative bacteria Salmonella typhi or Salmonella paratyphi A, B or C, which is a bloodstream infection. The re-emergence of susceptibility of old antibiotics such as ampicillin, co-trimoxazole, and chloramphenicol in S. typhi has been observed. Aims: The objective of the study was to study the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of S. typhi, S. paratyphi A and S. paratyphi B and also the clinical and laboratory profile of enteric fever with respect to blood counts, liver function tests and typhoid serology in adult patients with enteric fever. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in the Department of Internal Medicine and Microbiology at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in 76 adult patients of blood culture-positive enteric fever. Clinical and laboratory profile of patients was recorded. Antibiotic sensitivity patterns were studied in all cases and the prevalence of multidrug-resistant strains, if the present was established. Results: The mean age in this study was 31.46 + 11.29 years. There were 46 male patients and 30 female patients. Fever was present amongst all patients (100%). Myalgia/headache was present amongst the majority of patients (98.7%). Pain in the abdomen (57.9%) was present. Leucopenia and leucocytosis were present in 25% and 2.6% of patients, respectively. Serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase and serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase were abnormal amongst 36.8% and 38.2% of patients, respectively. Complications, such as ileal perforation and gastrointestinal (GI) bleed, were not seen in the patients of enteric fever in this study. Typhidot IgM was positive in 50% of patients. S. typhi (blood culture) was amongst more than half of the patients (69.7%) and S. paratyphi A was 30.3%. Ampicillin was resistant to 5.3% and chloramphenicol and cotrimoxazole each were resistant to 2.6%. Levofloxacin was resistant to 38.2%. Ceftriaxone, azithromycin and cefixime were sensitive to 100%. Multidrug resistance (resistance to ampicillin, chloramphenicol and cotrimoxazole) was seen in 2.6% of cases, which was associated with S. typhi. There was no multidrug resistant (MDR) strain seen with S. paratyphi A. Conclusions: This study showed that fever, myalgia/headache, pain in the abdomen, nausea/vomiting and diarrhoea were the common clinical manifestations of enteric fever. Other important conclusions were low percentages of comorbidities, low occurrence of leucocytosis, high typhidot IgM positivity, low MDR and most of the drugs were 100% sensitive. Ileal perforation and GI bleeding were not found in any case of enteric fever in this study.

Building upon recent advances in GaSb-based diode lasers and Er-doped fluoride fibre technologies, this article demonstrates for the first time the fibre-based amplification of mid-infrared diode lasers in the wavelength range around 2.78 $\mu$m. The laser setup consists of a GaSb-based diode laser and a single-stage Er-doped fibre amplifier. Amplification is investigated for continuous wave (CW) and ns-pulsed input signals, generated by gain-modulation of the GaSb-based seed lasers. The experimental results include the demonstration of output powers up to 0.9 W, pulse durations as short as 20 ns, and pulse repetition rates up to 1 MHz. Additionally, the amplification of commercial and custom-made GaSb-based seed lasers is compared and the impact of different fibre end-cap materials on laser performance is analysed.

INTRODUCTION: Acute appendicitis is one of the commonest causes of acute abdomen encountered in surgical practice, requiring emergency surgery. Open appendicectomy by Grid Iron incision had been gold standard for many years. Laparoscopic technique provided an opportunity to explore new method of management of the suspected cases of the acute appendicitis. AIMS & OBJECTIVES: To compare laparoscopic and open appendicectomy in terms of intra-operative duration, complication of surgery and post operative outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 50 patients with clinical diagnosis of appendicitis were studied. After pre-operative work up, patients were randomly assigned for laparoscopic appendicectomy or open appendicectomy. All cases were observed in the intra- and post-operative period till they were discharged and then later followed up for a period of 4 weeks in the outpatient department. OBSERVATIONS AND RESULTS: A total of 25 patients assigned for laparoscopic appendectomy and 25 patients assigned for open appendectomy were analysed. Majority of patients were male in 3rd or 4th decade of life and had acute appendicitis. There was statistically significant difference of duration of surgery, post-operative pain, duration of hospital stay and return to work in both the groups. There was statistically insignificant difference of post-operative complication in both the groups. CONCLUSION: laparoscopic appendectomy is better than open appendectomy in a properly prepared and selected patient in terms of Duration of surgery, Post operative pain & need of analgesic, Post operative complications like wound infection, Duration of the postoperative hospital stay and Time period to return to work.

Abstract Compared to the clinical sector, the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the food sector is relatively low. However, their presence in seafood is a significant public health concern. In India, fish and fishery products are maximally manually handled compared to other food products. In this study, 498 fish samples were collected under various conditions (fresh, chilled or dressed) and representatives from their surroundings. These samples were screened for the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus, determining its antimicrobial resistance, MRSA and genetic profile. It is observed that 15.0% and 3.0% of the total samples were screened positive for S. aureus and MRSA, respectively. The S. aureus strain MRSARF-10 showed higher resistance to linezolid, co-trimoxazole, cefoxitin, ofloxacin, gentamicin, rifampicin, ampicillin/sulbactam and Piperacillin–tazobactam. This MRSA, spa type t021 and SCCmec type V strain isolated from dried ribbon fish (Family Trachipteridae) carried virulence factors for exoenzymes such as aureolysin, serine, toxin genes and a novel MLST ST 243, as revealed from its draft-genome sequence. This highly pathogenic, multidrug-resistant and virulent S. aureus novel strain is circulating in the environment with chances of spreading among the seafood workers and the environment. It is further suggested that Good Hygienic Practices recommended by World Health Organization need to be followed during the different stages of seafood processing to provide pathogen-free fish and fishery products to the consumers.

Problem considered: Tobacco use is the second most common preventable cause of death in the world and quitting tobacco is an important strategy to prevent premature morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was to determine the correlates of quit attempts among tobacco users in India from GATS-2 data. Methods: Complex sample analysis was considered for logistic regression analysis to identify the correlates of quit attempts using Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS)- 2 (2016–17) data. Weighted estimates were calculated for sample statistics. Results: A marked difference was observed in quit attempt rates across various states of India (p

Plant species utilize a variety of regulatory mechanisms to ensure sustainable productivity. Within this intricate framework, numerous non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play a crucial regulatory role in plant biology, surpassing the essential functions of RNA molecules as messengers, ribosomal, and transfer RNAs. ncRNAs represent an emerging class of regulators, operating directly in the form of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs). These ncRNAs exert control at various levels, including transcription, post-transcription, translation, and epigenetic. Furthermore, they interact with each other, contributing to a variety of biological processes and mechanisms associated with stress resilience. This review primarily concentrates on the recent advancements in plant ncRNAs, delineating their functions in growth and development across various organs such as root, leaf, seed/endosperm, and seed nutrient development. Additionally, this review broadens its scope by examining the role of ncRNAs in response to environmental stresses such as drought, salt, flood, heat, and cold in plants. This compilation offers updated information and insights to guide the characterization of the potential functions of ncRNAs in plant growth, development, and stress resilience in future research.

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus-2 [SARS CoV2], the virus that cause the COVID-19 pandemic remained a persistent challenge worldwide. India emerged as the second most affected nation after the United States. Many previous studies confirmed the association of comorbidities like diabetes, hypertension, etc. as associated with adverse outcomes in COVID-19.Aim of the work: The current study aimed to ascertain the association of comorbidities like diabetes, hypertension, and CAD with adverse disease outcomes in COVID-19 pneumonia.Patients and Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted with the data retrieved from medical records of patients admitted with a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction [RT-PCR] positive COVID-19 in the intensive care unit [ICU] of a tertiary medical college. We analyzed 467 RT-PCR confirmed COVID19 cases with respect to the association with adverse and critical disease states. Criticality was defined as any one of: a] use of ventilation, b] death or c] Radiographic assessment of lung edema [RALE] Score >24.Results: Of the total cases among critical cases, 52% [95% CI 46%-59%] has comorbidity and non-critical cases 41% had comorbidity [95% CI 34%-48%]. The prevalence of diabetes among critical cases was 43% [95% CI 37%-49%] while in non-critical cases it was 28% [95%CI 21%-34%]. Hypertension was prevalent in 30% [95% CI 24%-37%] in non-critical cases while it was prevalent in 33 % [95% CI 27%-38%] in critical cases. We also examined the association of comorbidities in the ICU admitted cohort and found that there is a significant association of diabetes [p-

We investigate the gain bandwidth and wavelength-tuning range of an erbium-doped fluoride fibre amplifier. The presented experimental setup consisted of a widely wavelength-tunable optical parametric oscillator (OPO), which was amplified in a single-stage Er-doped fluoride fibre amplifier. The OPO laser provided seed pulses with a pulse width of 5.2 ns and a repetition rate of 10 kHz. The fibre section consisted of 2.2 m of double-clad, single-mode fibre with a doping concentration of 7 mol%. Wavelength-tuning was analysed at gain values of up to 26 dB and amplified pulse energies of up to 37.4 $\mu \mathrm{J}$. Using this setup, we demonstrate continuous wavelength tuning of more than 100 nm, covering the wavelength range from 2712 nm to 2818 nm.

Phytoplasma taxonomy has been a topic of discussion for the last two and half decades. Since the Japanese scientists discovered the phytoplasma bodies in 1967, the phytoplasma taxonomy was limited to disease symptomology for a long time. The advances in DNA-based markers and sequencing improved phytoplasma classification. In 2004, the International Research Programme on Comparative Mycoplasmology (IRPCM)- Phytoplasma/Spiroplasma Working Team – Phytoplasma taxonomy group provided the description of the provisional genus ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma’ with guidelines to describe the new provisional phytoplasma species. The unintentional consequences of these guidelines led to the description of many phytoplasma species where species characterization was restricted to a partial sequence of the 16S rRNA gene alone. Additionally, the lack of a complete set of housekeeping gene sequences or genome sequences, as well as the heterogeneity among closely related phytoplasmas limited the development of a comprehensive Multi-Locus Sequence Typing (MLST) system. To address these issues, researchers tried deducing the definition of phytoplasma species using phytoplasmas genome sequences and the average nucleotide identity (ANI). In another attempts, a new phytoplasma species were described based on the Overall Genome relatedness Values (OGRI) values fetched from the genome sequences. These studies align with the attempts to standardize the classification and nomenclature of ‘Candidatus’ bacteria. With a brief historical account of phytoplasma taxonomy and recent developments, this review highlights the current issues and provides recommendations for a comprehensive system for phytoplasma taxonomy until phytoplasma retains ‘Candidatus’ status.

Smokeless tobacco (SLT) consumption is associated with multiple adverse health effects and mortality, with the highest burden in India. The WHO FCTC has banned tobacco advertisement, promotion and sponsorship via Article 13. Indian laws also prohibit any kind of direct or indirect advertisements in all forms of audio, visual, and print media; brand promotion; and sponsorship of tobacco products. However, the tobacco industry continues to find aggressive marketing ways to advertise their products. This study aims to assess the extent of surrogate advertisement of smokeless tobacco products through frequency modulation (FM) radio stations in the city of Delhi (National Capital Territory of India). In this study, the advertisements broadcasted over FM radio across different channels (private and government owned) in total 162 h were analyzed. The time duration was spread evenly over morning peak hours, off hours, and evening peak hours. It was found that multiple brands including Vimal, Kamla Pasand, and Rajshree have used surrogate advertising to market their brands that are commonly associated with smokeless tobacco products. However, no such advertisement was found to be aired on government-owned FM channels. The total surrogate advertisements broadcasted were over 286 times, where no significant difference was found in distribution among peak and non-peak hours. The study indicated that the tobacco industry is making its way to sell the products through indirect advertisements. The need of the hour is to not only enforce tobacco advertising ban laws in all forms of advertising media but also to strictly regulate smokeless tobacco products.

Introduction: This study hypothesises that the presence of a third person during the interaction between the survey investigator and the woman respondent leads to underreporting of smokeless tobacco (SLT) use by Indian women, including pregnant and breastfeeding women. Methods: Cross-sectional data from the National Family Health Survey conducted in 2015–16 was analysed for SLT use among women aged 15–49. Multivariate logistic regression examined the odds of SLT use reporting by women respondents in the presence of their husbands and other male or female adults. Results: SLT use reporting by women significantly varied by the presence of someone during the interview. The analysis shows that the odds of reporting SLT use among women who were neither pregnant nor lactating was 20.6% lower when they were interviewed in the presence of their husbands than when they were interviewed alone. Similarly, compared to those interviewed alone, the odds of women reporting SLT use was 16.5% lower among pregnant and breastfeeding women interviewed in the presence of any adult female. The odds of women under-reporting SLT use were higher in Central and Western India. Conclusions: This study argues that the current survey estimates misconstrue the authentic prevalence of tobacco use among women in India, including pregnant and lactating women. Due to social desirability or the presence of a third person during the survey interview, those respondents who do not report their tobacco use status are also more likely to forego essential support for successful tobacco cessation. Survey methodology must be strengthened to avert the presence of a third person during the interview to ensure better reporting and population health estimates.

Phase loss is a typical problem in the optical domain, and optical detectors only measure the amplitude distribution of a signal without its phase. However, an optimal phase is desired in a variety of practical applications, such as optical metrology, nondestructive testing, and quantitative microscopy. Several methods have been proposed to quantitatively measure phase, among which interferometry is one of the most commonly used. An intensity interferometer has also been used to recover phase and enhance the phase difference measurement via the intensity correlation. In this paper, we present and examine another technique based on the Stokes correlation for enhancing phase measurement by a factor of two. The enhancement in phase measurement is accomplished through an evaluation of the correlation between two points of Stokes fluctuations of randomly scattered light and by recovering the enhanced phase of the object by using three-step phase shifting along with the Stokes correlations. This technique is expected to be useful for imaging and the experimental measurement of the phase of a weak signal.

We report on the characterization and analysis of a GaN-based distributed feedback laser diode (DFB-LD) with 3rd-order laterally etched sidewall gratings centered at a wavelength of 420 nm. We also compare the device parameters with two commonly used Fabry-Perot (FP) devices operating at 450 nm and 520 nm. Intrinsic properties of the devices were extracted, including damping factor, carrier and photon lifetimes, modulation efficiency, differential gain, and parasitic capacitance. These parameters showed that the DFB exhibits a lower damping rate and parasitic capacitance while demonstrating a higher modulation efficiency, indicating that the DFB shows good potential for communications applications. Additionally, spectral linewidth of a GaN DFB is reported. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first demonstration of parameter extraction and spectral linewidth measurement for GaN-based DFB-LDs.

The Sandalwood Spike disease (SSD)-related to ‘Ca. Phytoplasma asteris’ has threatened the existence of sandalwood in India. The epidemiology of SSD is still poorly understood despite the efforts to understand the involvement of insect vectors in SSD transmission and alternate plant hosts over the last two decades. Apart from the transmission of SSD phytoplasma through insect vectors, the information on vertical transmission is entirely unknown. Over 200 seeds from SSD-affected trees and over 500 seedlings generated using commercially purchased seeds were screened for the presence of SSD phytoplasma to understand the vertical transmission in an insect-free environment. The end-point nested PCR and real-time nested PCR-based screening revealed an alarming rate of 38.66% and 23.23% phytoplasma positivity in one-month and four-month-old seedlings, respectively. These results were further validated by visualizing the phytoplasma bodies in sandalwood tissues using scanning electron microscopy. The presence of phytoplasma DNA in the seeds and seedlings is a concern for the commercial distribution of sandalwood seedlings in the current setup. This also poses a fear of spreading the disease to newer areas and negatively affecting the economy. The seedling mortality was also suspected to be associated with isolated bacterial and fungal isolates such as Erwinia, Curtobacterium, Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus, Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Neofusicoccum isolated using a culture-dependent approach. These findings strongly recommend the accreditation of commercial production of sandalwood seedlings curtailing SSD phytoplasma’s menace. Additionally, a new nested end-point and qRT PCR assays developed in this study proved valuable for the rapid screening of phytoplasma in many plant samples to detect phytoplasmas.

We performed whole-genome sequencing of two phytoplasmas associated with sugarcane grassy shoot (SCGS) and Bermuda grass white leaf diseases. These are the first draft genomes of SCGS phytoplasma (strain SCGS) and ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma cynodontis’ (strain LW01) and may help to delineate these phytoplasmas at a finer taxonomic level.

Objective Areca nut is one of the most widely consumed substances globally, after nicotine, ethanol and caffeine and classified as carcinogenic to humans. This study examines the disparity and determinants of areca nut consumption with and without tobacco in India.Design Nationally representative cross-sectional study.Participants We used the nationally representative Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2016–2017. The analytical sample size was 74 037 individual’s aged 15 years and above with a response rate of 92.9%.Measures Current consumption of areca nut without tobacco and with tobacco.Method We examined determinants of areca nut consumption (without tobacco and with tobacco) using multinomial logistic regression, accounting for the survey design.Results About 23.9% (95% CI 23.1 to 24.8) of the adult population consume areca nut, that is, approximately 223.79 million people in India; majority of users (14.2%–95% CI 13.5 to 14.9) consumed areca nut with tobacco. When compared with women, men were more likely to consume areca nut (with tobacco relative risk (RR)=2.02; 95% CI 1.85 to 2.21 and without tobacco RR=1.13; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.20). Age, marital status, education, occupation, caste, religion and region were significantly associated with areca nut consumption. However, the direction and magnitude of association differ with respect to the areca nut consumption with and without tobacco.Conclusion The ongoing tobacco control efforts would not address the majority of areca nut users until greater attention to areca nut consumption with and without tobacco is reflected in health policies in India.

Introduction Tobacco imagery in films and television increased in India after it ended conventional tobacco advertising in 2004. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) introduced rules to eliminate this tobacco imagery in 2005 which took effect in amended form in 2012. This study presents the enablers and barriers in development and implementation of the regulations to curb tobacco imagery in films and television in India.Method We reviewed legislation, evolving regulations, parliamentary questions, judicial decisions, Bollywood trade publications and relevant news articles from 2003 to 2019 and interviewed key informants.Results Based on the WHO reports and civil society demands, the MoHFW issued a complete ban on tobacco imagery in movies and television programmes in 2005. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB) joined the film industry in opposing the rules. A filmmaker challenged the rules in court, which ruled that they violated constitutional freedoms. On appeal by MoHFW, the Supreme Court allowed the rules to take effect. Continuing opposition by MoIB and the film industry weakened the rules and delayed implementation until 2012. As of 2020, rather than a ban, all films with tobacco imagery require strong editorial justification, 100 s of antitobacco messages produced by the MoHFW, and a static health warning at the bottom of screen during tobacco imagery display. In 2015, less than 48% of movies had tobacco imagery compared with 89% in 2005.Conclusions Although, not a ban, MoHFW, supported by local advocates and WHO, issued regulations that resulted in a substantial drop in on-screen tobacco imagery and increased exposure to antitobacco messages. India’s experience informs WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control parties as they develop and implement policies to curb tobacco imagery in entertainment media.

Young academics have been facing a problem of high turnover rate due to missing links between the institutions’ policies and the performance. This study explores the effect of job embeddedness and community embeddedness on creative work performance and intentions to leave of young teaching staff in academic institutions in Pakistan. In this study, 300 qualified young academics from public and private universities were selected as subjects and asked to complete a questionnaire. Data were collected via mail-survey. A variance-based structural equation model is employed to measure the path model. The results show that the fit-dimension of organizational- and community-embeddedness, along with the moderating effect of organization size and the availability of nearby alternative jobs have a significant impact on improving perceived creative performance and reducing staff turnover intentions. This study suggests that organizations should focus on organizational-fit and community-fit constructs in their nurturing strategies to embed young teachers in their academic institutions. This study also suggests that monetary rewards only are relatively ineffective to improve retention. Hence, public and private sector universities should facilitate meaningful contributions from young teachers in creative work and provide opportunities for social interactions and personal development.

We examined the magnitude of smokeless tobacco (SLT) use in India and identified policy gaps to ascertain the priorities for SLT control in India and other high SLT burden countries in the Southeast Asia region. We reviewed and analysed the legal and policy framework to identify policy gaps, options and priority areas to address the SLT burden in India and lessons thereof. In India, 21.4% adults, including 29.6% of men, 12.8% of women, use SLT while more than 0.35 million Indians die every year due to SLT use. SLT use remains a huge public health concern for other countries in the region as well. Priority areas for SLT control should include: constant monitoring, increasing taxes and price of SLT products, strengthening and strict enforcement of existing laws, integration of SLT cessation with all health and development programmes, banning of advertisement and promotion of SLT, increasing age of access to tobacco up to 21 years, introducing licensing for the sale of SLT, standardising of SLT packaging and preventing SLT industry interference in the implementation of SLT control policies besides a committed multistakeholder approach for effective policy formulation and enforcement. SLT control in India and the other high SLT burden countries, especially in the Southeast Asia region, should focus on strengthening and implementing the above policy priorities.

While previous studies have examined the impact of informal institutions to determine entrepreneurial activities, this paper explores the different configurational paths of informal institutions to promote men’s and women’s entrepreneurial activities across factor-driven and efficiency-driven economies. We collected data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor for 56 countries for the years 2008–2013 and employed fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to conduct the empirical analysis. The results confirm that a single antecedent condition is unable to produce an outcome while combination of different conditions can produce an outcome. We find that cultural-cognitive institutional antecedents in combination with social-normative antecedents create configurations of conditions that lead to the higher levels of men’s and women’s entrepreneurial activities in factor-driven and efficiency-driven economies. Moreover, this study shows that these causal conditions configure differently to promote men’s and women’s entrepreneurial activities in factor-driven and efficiency-driven nations. This paper may create awareness in potential entrepreneurs regarding specific sets of institutional antecedents that can increase the emergence of entrepreneurship in different economic clusters. We show that institutional antecedents which are essential to promote entrepreneurship combine distinctly for men’s and women’s entrepreneurship and this combination varies in different stages of economic development.

This study examines the socioeconomic determinants of dual use of smoked and smokeless tobacco (SLT) in India between 2009–10 and 2016–17. Data from two rounds of the nationally representative cross-sectional Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) conducted in 2009–10 and 2016–17 was used. Complete sample size from both rounds of survey covering 143,333 individuals (GATS I: 69,296 and GATS II: 74,037) from 153,239 households (GATS I: 76,069 and GATS II: 77,170) included in the study. Dual use was assessed based on current smoked and SLT users in both rounds. Bivariate analysis was applied to assess differences in dual tobacco use by socioeconomic status (SES) and across regions, whereas, pooled sampled analysis was conducted to examine the determinants of dual use applying multinomial logistic regression model. Findings reveal that dual use has declined in India from nearly 5% in 2009–10 to 3.4% in 2016–17. Considerable regional and SES differences in dual use are evident. Multivariate results indicate, while age is positively associated with dual use, education and household wealth was negatively associated. Dual use of tobacco was found to be considerably higher among men as compared to women (RRR: 15.66, 95%CI 14.20–17.27). Awareness about the adverse health consequences of tobacco was also negatively associated with dual tobacco use (RRR: 0.56, 95%CI 0.50–0.64). Future awareness and enforcement efforts should focus on all forms of tobacco, especially targeting vulnerable SE groups.

This study aims to explore the significance of job embeddedness (JE) theory and practices to reducing employee turnover and then suggest future research directions. It also reviews the systematic development of JE theory and its relationship with different workplace theories. A comprehensive content analysis, including a systematic review of articles published between 2008 and 2018, is conducted to understand the extensive role of JE in the workplace. A total of 108 research papers published in various high-ranking journals are selected for further analysis. To identify the mediating role of JE in the service and manufacturing industry, most of the existing studies focus on turnover intention, organizational commitment, employee engagement, and job satisfaction. However, many other key areas, which can be linked to JE to understand and evaluate the theory of organizational and employee behavior, are ignored in the literature. In this study, a further understanding of JE is suggested to be expanded in accordance with various elements of organization and employee theories, such as job design, job burnout, and role performance. This study contributes to the literature by further expanding JE theory and proposing a comprehensive JE framework that researchers and practitioners can adopt in future research.

Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) pollution is accompanied by other co-contaminants, such as perchlorate and chlorates, which can retard biodegradation. The effects of perchlorate and chlorate on aerobic RDX degradation remain unclear. We hypothesized that they have a negative or no impact on aerobic RDX-degrading bacteria. We used three aerobic RDX-degrading strains—Rhodococcus strains YH1 and T7 and Gordonia YY1—to examine this hypothesis. The strains were exposed to perchlorate, chlorate, and nitrate as single components or in a mixture. Their growth, degradation activity, and gene expression were monitored. Strain-specific responses to the co-contaminants were observed: enhanced growth of strain YH1 and inhibition of strain T7. Vmax and Km of cytochrome P450 (XplA) in the presence of the co-contaminants were not significantly different from the control, suggesting no direct influence on cytochrome P450. Surprisingly, xplA expression increased fourfold in cultures pre-grown on RDX and, after washing, transferred to a medium containing only perchlorate. This culture did not grow, but xplA was translated and active, albeit at lower levels than in the control. We explained this observation as being due to nitrogen limitation in the culture and not due to perchlorate induction. Our results suggest that the aerobic strain YH1 is effective for aerobic remediation of RDX in groundwater.

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) is one of the most common types of soft tissue sarcomas in adults. Distant metastases are developed in 30–40% of patients with MFH, with the most common site being the lung. However, metachronous MFH has not been reported previously in literature. This report describes a case of a 30-year-old man, who had two metachronous thigh tumors, both of which were confirmed to be MFH on histopathology and immunohistochemistry evaluations. A contemporary multidisciplinary approach to therapy including surgery, radiation and chemotherapy was advocated. Two primary sites of MFH raised the possibility of a genetic abnormality that could predispose such a patient to develop multiple primary sites of the same tumor.

Introduction We studied adolescent and adult perceptions of the effects of larger size, 85% versus 40%, Graphic Health Warnings (GHWs) on conventional and plain tobacco packs, in India. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 2121 participants (aged ≥13 years), during the period 2015–16, in Delhi and Telangana, India. Four categories of GHWs on tobacco packs were shown: A – 40% existing (April 2013–April 2016), B – 40% new (April 2016–present), C – 85% new, and D – plain packs (85% new). Regression models tested percentage differences in choice of categories for eight outcomes, adjusted for gender, area of residence, socioeconomic status, age, and tobacco use. Results Of the total 2121 participants, 1120 were from Delhi, 1001 from Telangana, 50% were males, 62% were urban residents, 12% were adolescents, and 72% had never used tobacco. Among packs shown, the majority of participants perceived the 85% size GHWs more effective than the 40% size GHWs across all outcomes. The perceived increase in noticeability of GHWs was 45% for category C (p

Altitude is the major factor affecting both biodiversity and soil physiochemical properties of soil ecosystems. In order to understand the effect of altitude on soil physiochemical properties and bacterial diversity across the Himalayan cold desert, high altitude Gangotri soil ecosystem was studied and compared with the moderate altitude Kandakhal soil. Soil physiochemical analysis showed that altitude was positively correlated with soil pH, organic matter and total nitrogen content. However soil mineral nutrients and soil phosphorus were negatively correlated to the altitude. RT-PCR based analysis revealed the decreased bacterial and diazotrophic abundance at high altitude. Metagenomic study showed that Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria and Actinobacteria were dominant bacteria phyla at high altitude soil while Bacteroidetes and Fermicutes were found dominant at low altitude. High ratio of Gram-negative to Gram positive bacteria at Gangotri suggests the selective proliferation of Gram negative bacteria at high altitude with decrease in Gram positive bacteria. Moreover, Alphaproteobacteria was found more abundant at high altitude while the opposite was true for Betaproteobacteria. Abundance of Cytophaga, Flavobacterium and Bacteroides (CFB) were also found comparatively high at high altitude. Presence of many taxonomically unclassified sequences in Gangotri soil indicates the presence of novel bacterial diversity at high altitude. Further, isolation of bacteria through indigenously designed diffusion chamber revealed the existence of bacteria which has been documented in unculturable study of WIH (Western Indian Himalaya) but never been cultivated from WIH. Nevertheless, diverse functional free-living psychrotrophic diazotrophs were isolated only from the high altitude Gangotri soil. Molecular characterization revealed them as Arthrobacter humicola, Brevibacillus invocatus, Pseudomonas mandelii and Pseudomonas helmanticensis. Thus, this study documented the bacterial and psychrophilic diazotrophic diversity at high altitude and is an effort for exploration of low temperature bacteria in agricultural productivity with the target for sustainable hill agriculture.

Concrete cracks are very serious and potentially dangerous. There are three obvious limitations existing in the present machine learning methods: low recognition rate, low accuracy, and long time. Improved crack detection based on convolutional neural networks can automatically detect whether an image contains cracks and mark the location of the cracks, which can greatly improve the monitoring efficiency. Experimental results show that the Adam optimization algorithm and batch normalization (BN) algorithm can make the model converge faster and achieve the maximum accuracy of 99.71%.

Background Until 1990, spitting was an offence in United Kingdom carrying a £5 fine. Spitting was also banned in other developed countries especially in Europe early in the 20 th Century as a preventive measure against tuberculosis and later to maintain cleanliness. Several health experts consider spitting a public health concern and smokeless tobacco in all its forms induces spitting, thereby causing risk for communicable diseases like tuberculosis. Methods A comprehensive review of existing literature on prohibition of spitting in public places was undertaken. Legislative and policy publications were reviewed for the reasons of such prohibition and punishments thereon. Results Spitting has been considered a public inconvenience and a nuisance. Spitting of chewing and other smokeless tobacco stains and defaces public vehicles, buildings and other public property and is a public nuisance. In a scientific study done in India the most frequent cited reason for quitting tobacco use was spitting and ash dropping which was embarrassing in-front of others. Several states in India have banned spitting by law. Nepal has banned use of any kind of tobacco products in public places. Bhutan prohibits smearing lime and spitting doma in public area. Hangzhou- a province in China has banned spitting in public places. Countries like Singapore, Myanmar and Australia also have imposed ban on spiting in public and impose hefty fine for violation of the provisions. Conclusions Several countries and cities have promulgated norms against spitting in public places, including spitting after SLT use. There is a need to undertake further research to study impact of spitting ban on SLT use.

Background The FCTC country reports indicate that 70% of the reporting parties have implemented Article 12 in their jurisdictions. The MPOWER Report 2015 also indicates that nearly 40% of the Parties conducted at least one anti-tobacco national mass-media campaign. However, both reports do not provide any specific information on implementation of Article 12 with respect to SLT products. There are 23 Parties with more than 1 million SLT users. Methods This paper presents an analysis of the FCTC country reports, MPOWER report, besides the relevant indicators under GYTS, GSPS, GHPS and GATS with respect to mass-media, education and training efforts undertaken and reported by the Parties with high SLT burden. The health warning regulations of these parties has been reviewed. The paper also looks at other sources of mass-media information on hazards of SLT use like YouTube. Results The analysis reveals that: Only a limited number of Parties have implemented national and sub-national mass-media campaign on SLT. India is the only country with dedicated national mass-media on anti-SLT awareness, besides tobacco free schools, communities and villages. Only nine Parties from high burden countries have implemented health warnings on SLT. Some countries have also used mass-media including YouTube for raising anti-SLT awareness besides earned media. School education have limited information on hazards of SLT use. Limited Parties have included prevention of tobacco use in school curriculum. Teachers are not trained nor do they have access to teaching materials for youth tobacco prevention. Conclusions Parties with high SLT burden should use the Global Tobacco Surveillance System to collect data on various aspects of Article 12 on SLT use. This will help in developing and implementing focused and comprehensive national media education and communication initiatives to prevent SLT use, especially among vulnerable population group. Social media campaigns can also be used as effective interventions for SLT control.

Background Globally women face the problem of tobacco both as user and non-user. She face the greatest indirect burden including the health, economic and social cost of tobacco use by a family member while the tobacco industry continue to target women globally to increase their profits by recruiting more female tobacco users. This is increasingly complex with multiple products and multiple factors at play. Though in the developed countries tobacco use among females is declining, it is still very high and in places increasing among the low SES. In LMICS the gender gap is further narrowed while in some cases girls being ahead of boys. Methods The paper undertakes extensive review of available literature on girls and women with respect to tobacco. The information is reviewed for a gender analysis on prevalence, pattern and tobacco industry tactics for promoting tobacco use. Results Women are exposed to tobacco smoke at home. They suffer greater impact when pregnant. In case of tobacco use by family women are the ones who bear the indirect cost of such tobacco use by family. On the other hand they are targeted by tobacco industry and lured to using tobacco at an early age. In societies where smoking by women has been considered a taboo for long, the number of girls and women smokers is increasing. They are also using all kinds of smokeless tobacco products easily available in such societies, especially in South East Asia. Conclusions Tobacco control efforts globally should become gender responsive. Policy makers should recognise the importance of taking into consideration the gender aspects of tobacco use. It is important to understand the social and health issues challenging girl´s and women´s both due to their own tobacco use and tobacco use by a family member. We need more female leaders in the fight against tobacco control globally.

Background There are approximately 346 million adult smokeless tobacco (SLT) users in the world dominated by the South-East Asian region accounting for nearly 86%. India alone accounts for 67% of the SLT users in the world. While the literature on price and tax measures for smoked tobacco products like cigarettes are more systematic and widely available this is not the case with SLT products. This paper presents the global status of price and tax measures implemented on SLT products by the Parties to FCTC. Methods An analysis of the country reports from the FCTC reporting instrument and the MPOWER Report 2015 is presented including a comparative analysis of cigarettes and SLT products. A review of the existing literature on the price and tax measures along with gaps and recommendations is also presented. Results Taxes on SLTs vary considerably across countries, from no tax on SLTs in five countries to 80.63% in Madagascar. Similarly, there is larger variation in prices of SLT products across countries and within country, across products. Available estimates show that the price elasticity for various SLTs are largely less than one, and hence, responds to price increases. Estimates on affordability of SLTs indicate that these products have become more affordable over the years. The recent changes in SLT taxation under the GST reform in India have reduced the tax burden further on these products. Conclusions Parties should equally implement price and tax measures on SLT. Taxation on SLT should be such that it keeps up with inflation, at the same time, ensuring that their prices sufficiently go up, making SLTs less and less affordable. The tax rates should be standardised across the SLT products to prevent substitution with other tobacco products. Efforts should be made to establish a standardized unit for the purposes of pricing or taxing SLTs.

Background Article 16 of WHO FCTC focuses upon limiting the supply and exposure of tobacco products to Minors. Implementation of Article 16 has been researched by few local and regional studies, primarily focusing on Cigarettes. This paper evaluates global progress in the area of access of SLT products to minors and compares with cigarettes. Methods A cross-sectional database of notified policies in FCTC ratified countries (n = 179) was prepared for SLT and CIG. Indicators studied were: Ban on Sale to minors; Treaty requirements (under the Ban on Sale to Minor); ban on sale by minor, prohibition on distribution of free tobacco products and prohibition on sale of loose/individual tobacco products. Countries were categorized according to World Bank Income groups and WHO regions. Data was analyzed using SPSSv17.0. Results Unequal implementation of provisions under Article 16 has been implemented for CIG and SLT products (nearly 79% Parties for CIG and 67% for SLT). Most countries have a partial (or none) policy in place (only 12% Parties have notified all provisions under Article 16(1) for CIG, and 10% for SLT). Implementation has been evaluated for CIG through indicators in GYTS, but not for SLT. Conclusions A comprehensive policy formulation on banning sale of tobacco to minors and its proper enforcement is required to prevent access and availability of tobacco including SLT to minors.