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To develop a specific watershed scenario, the quantity and quality of groundwater resources must be assessed and monitored locally. In the present study, an attempt has been made to identify possible groundwater potential zones, determine the quality of groundwater resources in this region, and evaluate their suitability for drinking and irrigation purposes. This goal has been achieved with the combined use of the weighted index overlay analysis (WIOA), groundwater quality index (GWQI), Remote Sensing (RS), and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques. The proposed study area, Shanmuganadhi, is marked with superior rainfall, oscillating temperature, and runoff with litho-units encompassing charnockite (CHK) and hornblende biotite gneiss (HBG). Over-abstraction of groundwater and intensive agricultural practices have resulted in declining and degrading water quantity and quality in this area. The resulting integrated thematic map has been classified into five groundwater potential zones, namely poor, low, moderate, high, and very high, covering 3.2, 45.49, 15.3, 27.9, and 8.1% area, respectively. Sixty groundwater samples were collected during the pre-monsoon (PRM) and analyzed for major Physico-chemical parameters. From the water quality index assessment, over 28.0% of the samples fall within the “excellent,” 8.0% “good” and 4.0% “poor” in CHK, followed by 5.71% “excellent,” 48.57% “good,” 37.14% “poor,” 5.71% “very poor” and 2.87% “unsuitable” for drinking purposes in HBG terrain of this region. Irrigation indices also demonstrated that most of the groundwater samples in the CHK and HBG exposed zones exhibited good classes for irrigation purposes, as evidenced by the SAR and %Na+. The outcome, which shows the research area’s groundwater potential zones, is beneficial for improved groundwater resource planning and management. It is concluded that for larger-scale groundwater-quality investigation and assessment, the groundwater quality index-making approach (GWQI) is more practical and dependable. Water planners and decision-makers may find it helpful in effectively controlling and monitoring groundwater quality at the basin or watershed scale. Reducing urban land use and natural runoff from farms can help prevent water contamination in some regions. To ensure the safe use of groundwater, long-term monitoring of these groundwater was suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Anamallais region of south India, crop shoots from the UPASI-3, UPASI-9, UPASI-17, Assam seedlings, and TRI-2043 cultivars were examined for seasonal variations in total phenolics, antioxidant activity, and minerals during four harvest seasons: summer (January to March), premonsoon (April and May), monsoon (June to September), and winter (October to December) of two consecutive years. The total phenolics of all cultivars were lower in monsoon period and grew over rest of the seasons and it was greater during summer. Crop shoot antioxidant activity as measured by the DPPH radical scavenging experiment exhibited a similar pattern to total phenolics. Summer was the season with the highest antioxidant activity across all cultivars, followed by premonsoon, winter, and monsoon. On the other hand, the employed cultivars differed noticeably in terms of seasonal change of minerals. These results appear to indicate that the harvest period is hypercritical in deciding the antioxidant potency of tea crop shoots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus pandemic emerged in early 2020 and turned out to be deadly, killing a vast number of people all around the world. Fortunately, vaccines have been discovered, and they seem effectual in controlling the severe prognosis induced by the virus. The reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test is the current golden standard for diagnosing different infectious diseases, including COVID-19; however, it is not always accurate. Therefore, it is extremely crucial to find an alternative diagnosis method which can support the results of the standard RT-PCR test. Hence, a decision support system has been proposed in this study that uses machine learning and deep learning techniques to predict the COVID-19 diagnosis of a patient using clinical, demographic and blood markers. The patient data used in this research were collected from two Manipal hospitals in India and a custom-made, stacked, multi-level ensemble classifier has been used to predict the COVID-19 diagnosis. Deep learning techniques such as deep neural networks (DNN) and one-dimensional convolutional networks (1D-CNN) have also been utilized. Further, explainable artificial techniques (XAI) such as Shapley additive values (SHAP), ELI5, local interpretable model explainer (LIME), and QLattice have been used to make the models more precise and understandable. Among all of the algorithms, the multi-level stacked model obtained an excellent accuracy of 96%. The precision, recall, f1-score and AUC obtained were 94%, 95%, 94% and 98% respectively. The models can be used as a decision support system for the initial screening of coronavirus patients and can also help ease the existing burden on medical infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a necessary division of the emergency department (ED) into the COVID suspect zone and a green zone based on a modified "The" Christian Medical college (CMCTS). Triaging was initially done based on the epidemiological criteria and evolved into symptom-based assessment when community transmission began. Methodology: This retrospective study included all patients who were triaged in the ED from April 2020 to December 2020. Data were collected from the ED triage software and were analyzed to determine the performance of the modified triage criteria in admitting patients to the ED. Results: Forty-three thousand patients were triaged during the study. Of which 35.9% (n = 15429) were sent to the COVID suspect zone and 64.1% (n = 27571) to the green zone. Of the 8490 (55%) nasopharyngeal swab reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests done in the COVID suspect zone, 61.4% were positive for COVID-19 while only 9.2% (n = 274) of 2866 tested in the green zone were positive. COVID-19 positivity was the highest in the mid-pandemic months of July, August, and September 2020. In the COVID suspect zone, factors for predicting a negative RT-PCR result were priority 1 presentation and early and late pandemic presentations. The positive predictive value of our modified triage criteria during the pandemic was 85% with a higher accuracy during the peak of the first wave (July-September 2020). Conclusion: The modified CMCTS successfully segregated COVID-19-positive patients from the COVID-19 negative patients during the first wave of the COVID-19 in 2020. The CMCTS criteria can be easily adopted or adapted in other hospitals in India in case of future waves of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The handicraft sector plays a significant role in providing employment opportunities in rural and semi-urban areas of the country. It helps in generating substantial income for the artisans. The uses for palm leaves are abundant. Attractive items made of Palm Leaves are very popular in South India, mostly in Southern Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. However, to generate sustainable revenue through their products, the artisans need to understand the buyer's requirements. This study aims to understand the consumer's purchasing behavior when buying palm leaf products. The sample consists of 233 consumers with diverse backgrounds from the state of Tamil Nadu, India. A questionnaire was developed to measure awareness and attitude influence while purchasing palm leaf products. The results can help the artisans to get an insight into end-user expectations and requirements toward palm leaf products and suggest strategies to increase the income of artisans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In India, Telugu is one of the official languages and it is a native language in the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states. Although research on Telugu optical character recognition (OCR) began in the early 1970s, it is still necessary to develop effective printed character recognition for the Telugu language. OCR is a technique that aids machines in identifying text. The main intention in the classifier design of the OCR systems is supervised learning where the training process takes place on the labeled dataset with numerous characters. The existing OCR makes use of patterns and correlations to differentiate words from other components. The development of deep learning (DL) techniques is useful for effective printed character recognition. In this context, this paper introduces a novel DL based residual network model for printed Telugu character recognition (DLRNTCR). The presented model involves four processes such as preprocessing, feature extraction, classification, and parameter tuning. Primarily, the images of various sizes are normalized to 64x64 by the use of the bilinear interpolation technique and scaled to the 0, 1 range. Next, residual network-152 (ResNet 152) model-based feature extraction and then Gaussian native Bayes (GNB) based classification process is performed. The performance of the proposed model has been validated against a benchmark Telugu dataset. The experimental outcome stated the superiority of the proposed model over the state of art methods with a superior accuracy of 98.12%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Liver is a complex, highly vascular organ, where anatomical variations are the norm. This study aimed to analyze all the three hepatic vascular anatomical variations in a single study which would help us understand the prevalence of hepatic vascular (arterial, portal, venous) anomalies in the population catered to by our institution. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 545 contrast-enhanced CT scans was done from November 2019 from the institute PACS after satisfying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The raw imaging data were processed in PACS software — Centricity™ Universal Viewer and Syngo.via Vb20 platform, for axial, coronal, and axial-oblique multiplanar reformation, maximum intensity projection (MIP), and volume rendering (VR) images. Data were analyzed in the three vascular phases to determine the anatomical variations. Analysis was done by two surgical residents in the division of HPB surgery, which was verified by a certified radiologist. Results: There were no major differences in the prevalence rates of the vascular anomalies across gender and domicile distributions. The prevalence of normal hepatic artery and variant hepatic artery in our study was 69% and 31%, respectively. Accessory left hepatic artery (10%) was the most common hepatic artery variant in our study. Single RHV was seen in 77.4%, and other RHV variants like two RHV with common trunk, two RHV with independent drainage, and three RHV with common trunk contribute 22.6% of our study population. Accessory inferior RHV was seen in 19.8% of the study population. Normal portal vein anatomy was found in 81.1% in our study, and the most common variant in our study population was trifurcation of portal vein (16.1%). Conclusion: This was the largest study until date from South India, studying all three hepatic vascular anatomical variations in a single study. Variations in the anatomy of hepatic arteries, portal veins, and hepatic veins are common. A good knowledge of the same is necessary especially for a hepatobiliary surgeon or for an interventional radiologist, to plan and avoid complications during a procedure. Preoperative contrast-enhanced CT scan and whenever necessary a VR or a MIP reconstruction will precisely help in identifying these variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This paper presents a cross-sectional longitudinal study on the relationship between sleep and work-related impairment of rational features and psychological management among construction workers. Materials and Methods: Questionnaire surveys were conducted to the construction workers at the workplace. Impairments in rational features and psychological control were not associated with sleep duration or rotating shift schedules. The link between sleep disorder and psychological management was also transient, as a sleep disorder may be related to immediate and future impairments in psychological management Results: The findings indicated that thirteen per cent of the variance in the disturbed rational feature at the initial stage [F(6, 382) =11.77, p=0.01] and 24% of the variance in the unsettled rational feature at the final stage [F(6, 168) =11.55, p=0.01] were determined by the multiple hierarchical regression and psychological management has 11% of the variance at the initial stage and 9% of the conflict in unsettled psychological management at the final stage [F(7, 179) =3.71, p=0.01]. Conclusion: Sound sleep is an integral part of human health. Construction workers are often required to undergo accelerated training after being hired, resulting in inadequate sleep and subsequently impacting their psychological well-being. The study recommends that construction workers focus more on optimal sleep quality and quantity, as sleep disturbances could affect psychological well-being, decrease performance, and increase risks in the workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anthracnose is a major foliar disease of soybean associated with Colletotrichum species. In India, C. truncatum is the most widely associated species, whereas, other species are also being reported to cause anthracnose disease in soybean. Methods: Twenty-eight soybean infected samples were collected from different location of India, in order to obtain the pure cultures and were subjected to pathogenicity test. Microscopic observations were made for morphological characterization of all the isolates. Molecular detection was carried out using ITS primers and the sequences were deposited in the NCBI GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis was made using the MegaX bioinformatics tool. Result: The pure cultures were subjected to pathogenicity test, which had reproduced similar symptoms found under field conditions. Microscopic observations on spore morphology were made which revealed that truncate conidia were associated in twenty-seven isolates and cylindrical conidia in one isolate. Molecular detection made showed sequence similarity to Colletotrichum truncatum and the isolate with cylindrical spore was sharing homology with C. plurivorum. Phylogeny analysis clustered the two species into two groups. Hence, the study shows the association of two distinct species in causing anthracnose of soybean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Various studies have proved the association between several disease including dental crowding, malocclusion and craniofacial deformities with blood group. Certain skeletal problems in sagittal plane are heritable and the skeletal muscle volume and strength, a heritable trait varies with different facial patterns. Aim: To evaluate the association between ABO blood groups and Rhesus (Rh) factor with skeletal malocclusions in sagittal and vertical plane. Materials and Methods: An observational study was conducted with a sample of 240 participants who reported to Department of Orthodontics in SRM dental college and hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India seeking orthodontic treatment over a period of two years from September 2018 to December 2020. Participants were assessed for skeletal malocclusion in sagittal and vertical plane and for their ABO and Rh blood grouping. Chi square test was used for determining the association between sagittal and vertical skeletal malocclusion with ABO and Rh blood grouping. The association of the gender and the malocclusion was determined as a secondary outcome of the study. Results: A total of 240 participants (mean age: 19.81±5.95 years; 95 males and 145 females) were observed and data was analysed. A significant association was found between Rh positive blood group and skeletal class II malocclusion with high angle (p-value 0.025) Skeletal class I malocclusion with high angle was found to be associated significantly with O+ group (p-value<0.001). The female gender was found to be associated significantly with sagittal skeletal class II malocclusion with high angle (p-value 0.049). Conclusion: There is an association between the ABO blood groups and skeletal sagittal malocclusion and vertical skeletal pattern. Skeletal class II malocclusion with high angle pattern was associated significantly with Rh+ blood group and Class I Skeletal malocclusion with high angle pattern was significantly associated with O+ blood group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results of a survey of failure mechanisms of wind turbine blades in India, observed by service companies, are presented. Surface erosion is the most often observed blade damage mechanism, followed by lightning strikes. Leading edge erosion can be observed even 1–2 years after wind turbine installation, while structural cracks are observed most often only 5–8 years after installation of the wind turbines. The most often emergency repair requests are connected with blade bolt replacement, followed by lightning strikes. Lightning strikes are registered relatively often, every 1–2 years, depending on climate. Lightning strikes are also most often observed in monsoon areas of India and are most common reason for the wind turbine downtimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problems and effects of global warming stand a primary concern for most of the people in today’s world. As the demand for energy increases, the available energy resources noticeably decrease which rapidly upsurges the need for energy-efficient buildings. Housing is one of the largest energy consumers as it consumes about 40% of the total energy. This study aims to improve the energy consumption and the strength of houses in India compared to other materials in construction walls. The study includes the record of electricity life cycle, fuel consumption and Life Cycle Energy Costs (LCEC), the intensity of the annual energy consumption and the peak value of the annual demand, its evaluation and presents the comparison with the original planning. Finally, the measure of the total annual energy and total electricity and fuel life cycle costs for the building wall in the Indian scenario using sustainable energy efficient design and construction methods under BIM and tools like Revit, Insight360 and Green Building Studio are presented. An energy analysis model that integrates BIM to create precise residential performance forecasts with better optimization scenarios is represented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to develop a prediction model using a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) analysis approach that identifies the potential impact of sleep deprivation on construction laborers. Based on the data collected from India’s most populous city, Bengaluru Karnataka, employing nearly 800,000 to one million laborers in the construction industry, a dataset was created to establish the relationship of sleep deprivation on laborers. Upon establishing the datasets, CRM methodology using mathematical expressions and designs in the Solutions Box of Microsoft. CRM helped derive significant variables leading to the result, a statistical analysis method to indicate daily sleep cycle disturbances and the working hours are the most influential factors, followed by age, gender, service length, quality of work and nature of work. The results obtained should contribute to creating awareness among construction laborers and contractors about the consequences of sleep deprivation on laborers' health and work productivity. Thus, incorporating safety measures improves the health of the laborers and indirectly contributes to growth of the construction industry and the country’s economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer detection is a crucial topic in the healthcare sector. Breast cancer is a major reason for the increased mortality rate in recent years among women, specifically in developed and underdeveloped countries around the world. The incidence rate is less in India than in developed countries, but awareness must be increased. This paper focuses on an efficient deep learning-based diagnosis and classification technique to detect breast cancer from mammograms. The model includes preprocessing, segmentation, feature extraction, and classification. At the initial level, Laplacian filtering is applied to identify the portions of edges in mammogram images that are highly sensitive to noise. Subsequently, segmentation is done using modified adaptively regularized kernel-based fuzzy C means (ARKFCM). Feature extraction is accomplished using the morphological, texture, and moment invariants. The corresponding feature values are provided as inputs to a deep neural network (DNN) model that classifies the normal and abnormal portions in the mammogram images. The performance of the proposed model is validated with the Mammographic Image Analysis Society (MIAS) database. The efficiency of the proposed classifier is experimentally proved by comparing the various classifiers with respect to their statistical performances. On an applied database, the proposed model offered a maximum classification with the highest accuracy level of 99.13%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater and saline water interaction is the most common processes in the coastal aquifers that alters the quality of aquifer waters. The quaternary alluvium aquifer system is a significant water resource of southeast coastal Tamil Nadu that provides water supplies for industrial, agriculture, and domestic utilities. Hydrogeochemical investigations were attempted to analyze groundwater–saline water interactions for which a total of three hundred and sixty samples representing surface water, pore water, and groundwater samples collected from three significant locations (location A, B, and C) and analyzed for major ion concentrations. Piper plot infers surface and pore water samples representing saline water type (Na-Cl) in all the three locations due to tidal variation and sand dominant surface layer. Groundwater samples represent (Ca-HCO3) type at location A due to fresh groundwater discharge, mixed or subterranean estuary (Ca, Mg-Cl, HCO3) at location B due to conversion of freshwater (Ca-HCO3) at low tide to saline water (Na-Cl) at high tide, and saline (Na-Cl) water at location C due to proximity and influence of tides. The Cl−/HCO3− vs. Cl− plot represents two water types, such as fresh groundwater (0.5) and strongly affected by seawater intrusion (6.6). The plot (Ca2++Mg2+)/(K++Na+) vs. log Cl− represents freshwater in location A, mixing in location B, and saline water in location C. Groundwater samples observed to be fresh in location A (20.0 km away from the coast), recirculated in location B (9.0 km away from the coast), and saline in location C (0.5 km away from the coast). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the process and experience of implementing a Community event-based Surveillance (CEBS) pilot project in one district in Tamil Nadu, India. The project was implemented by National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE) in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu State Public Health Department and US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. The design and process of implementation of the pilot project was developed in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu State Public Health Department. Training materials and an SMS/phone call-based system was developed for community-level reporting. Data pertaining to signals, verified events and response were collected from April – December 2017 and February – December 2019. The frequency of reported signals, the proportion of verified events and the percentage/type of events responded by the health staff were computed. The stakeholders agreed on seven signals for detection of events. Three hundred health workers, 85 doctors and 8214 volunteers were trained. A total of 144 signals were reported of which the three most commonly reported signals were fever with rash (35%), clusters of similar illness (26%) and death of three or more animals or birds in one week (23%). Among the 25 events requiring action, 16 were not reported from existing surveillance systems. The current project demonstrated that CEBS can add value to the existing surveillance systems by engaging the communities to detect and report. Although the current pilot project was implemented in only one district, many important lessons were learnt including, the challenges that should be mitigated before expansion. The State Level leadership is actively exploring ways to strengthen a culture of reporting by initiating programmes that routinely and publicly acknowledge and appreciate reporters and to actively sensitise communities to reduce stigma of reporting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Treatment of drug-sensitive TB consists of an intensive phase of 2 months followed by a continuation phase of 4 months. After completion of intensive phase of therapy, sputum AFB smear microscopy is repeated and presence of smear conversion is suggested as a significant early predictor of treatment effectiveness. Delay in sputum conversion will lead to prolongation of the period of time that patients remain contagious. Objectives: To study the determinants of delayed sputum conversion among Tuberculosis patients in Malappuram district Methodology: A Case control study was conducted among tuberculosis patients residing in Malappuram district of Kerala and registered under NTEP in District Tuberculosis Centre (DTC), Manjeri, Malappuram. After satisfying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 90 tuberculosis patients who failed to achieve sputum smear negativity after completion of 2 months of intensive phase multi drug therapy were taken as cases. Another 90 tuberculosis patients those who achieved sputum smear negativity after completion of 2 months of intensive phase therapy were selected as control group. Data was collected by interview method. Results: Patients with lower socio-economic status (OR = 3.59, 95% CI 1.92- 6.73), low BMI or underweight (OR = 1.98, 95% CI 1.1 - 3.6), multiple symptoms (OR= 5.50, 95% CI 1.98 - 15.28), increased duration of symptoms (OR=4.54, 95% 2.24-9.19), co-morbid condition of diabetes mellitus (OR = 2.25, 95% CI 1.24 - 4.09) are at statistically significant risk of delay in sputum smear conversion after intensive phase of anti-tubercular therapy. Conclusion: Patients with lower socio-economic status, low BMI or underweight, multiple symptoms, increased duration of symptoms, co-morbid condition of diabetes mellitus are at statistically significant risk of delay in sputum smear conversion after intensive phase of anti-tubercular therapy. Treating physicians and public health experts should give special attention to TB patients with these risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The incidence, manifestations, outcome and clinical predictors of paradoxical TB-IRIS in patients with HIV and culture confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in India have not been studied prospectively. Methods: HIV+ patients with culture confirmed PTB started on anti-tuberculosis therapy (ATT) were followed prospectively after anti-retroviral therapy (ART) initiation. Established criteria for IRIS diagnosis were used including decline in plasma HIV RNA at IRIS event. Pre-ART plasma levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to evaluate associations between baseline variables and IRIS. Results: Of 57 patients enrolled, 48 had complete follow up data. Median ATT-ART interval was 28 days (interquartile range, IQR 14–47). IRIS events occurred in 26 patients (54.2%) at a median of 11 days (IQR: 7–16) after ART initiation. Corticosteroids were required for treatment of most IRIS events that resolved within a median of 13 days (IQR: 9–23). Two patients died due to CNS TB-IRIS. Lower CD4+ T-cell counts, higher plasma HIV RNA levels, lower CD4/CD8 ratio, lower hemoglobin, shorter ATT to ART interval, extra-pulmonary or miliary TB and higher plasma IL-6 and CRP levels at baseline were associated with paradoxical TB-IRIS in the univariate analysis. Shorter ATT to ART interval, lower hemoglobin and higher IL-6 and CRP levels remained significant in the multivariate analysis. Conclusion: Paradoxical TB–IRIS frequently complicates HIV-TB therapy in India. IL-6 and CRP may assist in predicting IRIS events and serve as potential targets for immune interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ophiorrhiza trichocarpon Blume is newly recorded from Western Ghats, India. A detailed description, with images and relevant notes are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigation has been made to identify groundwater vulnerability to pollution by using geoelectric and hydrochemical investigations in an important industrial town Mettur located in Tamilnadu state of India. Schlumberger vertical electric soundings were carried out in 23 locations and groundwater samples collected from bore wells in the same locations. The resistivity value with <20 Ωm up to a depth of 36 m indicate contamination of groundwater in areas influenced by sewages from industries, domestic and agricultural practices in the central and southern part of the study area. The calculated specific conductance was noted higher than EC in central and southern part of the study area with low resistivity indicating the contaminated nature of groundwater. Concentrations of Ca, Na, Mg and K along with Cl, HCO, SO and NO were higher in certain locations when compared with WHO and ISI standards. The facies concept demarcated four groups based on the nature of groundwater contamination. The trace elements Fe and Pb were higher in locations confined to industrial zones and Zn and Cu were within the prescribed limit in all the samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Drape is a property that affects the aesthetic appeal and functionality of materials used for clothing manufacture. When various cut components of apparel are assembled together, the drape behavior of the final garment could be affected compared to the base fabric. Goat suede leathers are widely used for making apparels. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the effect of sewing on the drape characteristics of goat suede leather. Design/methodology/approach – For this study commercially available goat suede leathers of Indian origin from five different firms were used. The bending length, drape coefficient and number of nodes were measured for goat suede leathers with different stitch and seam values and compared with the same measurements taken in plain leather. For bending length measurement, plain, single stitched and seamed samples were prepared. For drape coefficient measurement, plain, radially stitched and seamed namely half circle and quarter circle samples were prepared. Findings – The introduction of seam (0.5 and 1 cm allowance) on the goat suede leathers increases the bending length significantly thereby reducing the drape ability but the influence of single stitch on the bending length is negligible. On contrary, there is a significant increase in drape coefficient values for simple radial stitched as well as for seamed samples. The number of nodes generated reduced marginally upon the introduction of stitch or seam. Originality/value – The paper provides the information on the effect of sewing on the drape characteristics of goat suede apparel leathers. This is the first of its kind study on leather as clothing material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Between 1991 and 2006, 684 cases of salivary gland tumours were analysed retrospectively, of which 422 (62%) were benign and 262 (38%) malignant. Sixty-one percent of tumours were in the parotid gland, 22% in the minor salivary glands, and 17% in the submandibular glands. The most common benign tumour was pleomorphic adenoma (86%), and the most common malignant tumours were adenoid cystic carcinoma (25%) and mucoepidermoid carcinoma (18%). Among the minor salivary gland tumours, most were seen in the palate (68%). We analyse the incidence and distribution of all types of salivary gland tumours in an Indian series, and provide data for comparison with other epidemiological studies from different geographical sites and races. Demographic data from these studies should help us to a better understanding of the biological and clinical characteristics of the disease. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article describes Korthalsia rogersii, one of the endemic rattans in the South Andaman Islands in India. Calamus, Daemonorops and Korthalsia are the three genera of rattans in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Korthalsia rogersii is on its way to extinction mainly due to the uncontrolled and unsustainable extraction of canes from Burmanallah in South Andamans.

Discusses the effects of globalization on women in India. How increased commercialization implies more wage labor; Increase in the number of self-employed small marginal farmers, artisans and craft workers that are unable to stand competition; Ways in which export emphasis changes land use, crop patterns and general resource use; Fewer opportunities for paid work for women.

Focuses on problems concerning the teaching of African-American literature in Indian universities. Difficulty of crossing cultural barriers; Delaying information on poet's identity; Lack of background information on ethnic groups; Discomfort with multiple viewpoints.

The aim of the study was to establish the level of knowledge on the management of dental trauma among physicians at Pondicherry, India. A questionnaire was designed and was given to physicians working in medical colleges or as residents in advanced training programs in medicine in Pondicherry, India. The questionnaire contained a clinical situation of tooth avulsion and various treatment options. Only 5.5% of the medical professionals knew about reimplantation and none knew that the patients’ mouth was the best transport medium. 90% of them accepted that they had no knowledge on dental trauma management. As the physicians get an opportunity to attend a case of dental trauma in emergency or private practice, it is vital that they possess sufficient knowledge on primary management of tooth avulsion, before referring to dentists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Business models: new growth drivers for increasing renewable energy adoption by the C&I segment. • Key new trends that are being explored in the Indian market. • Adoption of large-format modules. • Cost analysis of onsite/rooftop solar installation models in India. • Risks and challenges: existing buildings, design standards and codes, lack of manufacturers. Commercial and industrial (C&I) applications have been the most active in india's onsite solar market. These applications account for almost three-quarters of the rooftop solar market in India. As a result of the COVID pandemic that began in 2020, solar installation slowed. The C&I market segment, on the other hand, is likely to recover and see a rise in solar installations. The C&I market has been forced to optimize its costs in light of the pandemic. In addition to helping companies accomplish these goals, rooftop solar systems with battery storage can also contribute to their social responsibility efforts. Rooftop solar systems with battery storage are also expected to grow in popularity. Battery prices are expected to reach $100 per kWh in roughly two years (by 2023), propelling the rooftop solar and battery storage sectors forward. Rooftop solar and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) are ideal alternatives for behind-the-meter (BTM) applications in India due to their 90 GW of capacity. An Indian case study breaks down the costs of PV installation. This study examines the emerging technology trends in India's Commercial & Industrial Rooftop Solar market, as well as general advice for consumers and investors contemplating solar PV installations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mortality rate was 0.2%, 3.5%, 6.2% and 12.9% among fully vaccinated, partially vaccinated, indeterminate and unvaccinated patients respectively. • Prior vaccination impacted severity of infection by reducing the need for oxygen, NIV and ICU admission. COVID-19 vaccines were authorised for emergency use to mitigate the impact of the pandemic. This study evaluated the effect of prior vaccination with either Oxford Astra Zeneca's Covishield™ or Bharath Biotech's Covaxin® on mortality among symptomatic COVID-19 patients during the second wave of the pandemic in India. In this cohort study comprising of RT-PCR confirmed symptomatic COVID-19 patients presenting during April and May 2021, the effect of prior vaccination on mortality (primary outcome), need for hospitalization, oxygen therapy, non-invasive ventilation (NIV) and intensive care unit (ICU) admission were assessed and expressed as risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The mean (SD) age of the cohort (n = 4183) was 46.3 (15.5) years; 17.9% (748/4183) had received at least one dose of Covishield™ and 4.8% (201/4183) had received Covaxin®. Mortality was 0.2% (95% CI: 0.2% – 0.7%), 3.5% (1.9–5.2%), 6.2% (0.3–12%) and 12.9% (11.8–14.1%) among fully vaccinated (>2 weeks after two doses), partially vaccinated (>2 weeks after one dose or <2 weeks after two doses), indeterminate (<2 weeks after one dose) and unvaccinated patients respectively. The difference in mortality among unvaccinated vs. fully vaccinated was 12.7% (95% CI: 11.4–13.9%), unvaccinated vs. partially vaccinated was 9.4% (7.4–11.4%) and unvaccinated vs. indeterminate vaccinated was 6.8% (0.8–12.7%). On adjusted analysis, as compared to unvaccinated patients, at least one dose of vaccine reduced the need for hospitalization (RR: 0.40; 95% CI: 0.35–0.47), oxygen (0.33; 0.27–0.40), NIV (0.23; 0.17–0.32), ICU admission (0.18; 0.12–0.27) and mortality (0.18; 0.11–0.29). Among symptomatic COVID-19 patients, prior vaccination with Covishield ™ or Covaxin® impacted the severity of illness and reduced mortality during a period of widespread delta variant circulation. Full vaccination conferred greater protection than partial vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lectotype of Garcinia imberti Bourd. is designated here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attempts were made to assess the biochemical characteristics and genetic diversity of 52 fluorescent pseudomonads isolated from the soils of different forests in the Western Ghats of Uttara Kannada District, Karnataka. The isolates were tentatively identified up to species level based on biochemical and physiological characteristics. Among the isolates, 37 were tentatively identified as Pseudomonas fluorescens, 13 as P. aeruginosa and two as P. aureofaciens. Fifteen isolates were subjected to RAPD-PCR with eight random primers using UPGMA method. A high level of genetic diversity was observed in these isolates. The dendrogram constructed for the pooled data had six clusters and clearly grouped the biochemically identified species of pseudomonads together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: South Asians (SAs) represent ∼25% of the world's population and account for >50% of global cardiovascular (CV) deaths, yet they continue to be underrepresented in contemporary clinical trials. The REDUCE-IT study demonstrated in a high-risk and predominantly White population that icosapent ethyl (IPE) lowered major adverse cardiovascular events by 25%. We sought to determine the generalizability of these results to a high-risk population of SAs with established CV disease living in Canada., Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study of 200 statin-treated SAs (≥45 years) with atherosclerotic CV disease (ASCVD) (NCT05271591). SA ethnicity was self-identified as being of Anglo-Indian, Bangladeshi, Bengali, Bhutanese, Goan, Gujarati, Indian, Jatt, Kashmiri, Maharashtrian, Malayali, Nepali, Pakistani, Punjabi, Sindhi, Sinhalese, Sri Lankan, Tamil, Telugu, or other SA. ASCVD was defined as the presence of coronary, carotid, or peripheral atherosclerosis., Findings: Mean age of the cohort was 67 years, where 82% were men and 57% had diabetes. The predominant ASCVD phenotype was coronary artery disease (94%). Mean (SD) baseline LDL-C and triglycerides were 1.70 (0.8) mmol/L and 1.42 (1.0) mmol/L, respectively. Three-quarters were on high-intensity statin therapy. According to the Health Canada/Canadian Cardiovascular Society Guidelines and FDA-approved indication, 33% and 25% of the participants were, respectively, eligible for IPE., Conclusions: A large proportion of high-intensity, statin-treated, high-risk patients with ASCVD and of self-reported SA ethnicity are eligible for IPE. These data have important translational implications for SAs who are at a disproportionately higher risk of CV morbidity and mortality., Funding: This study was funded by an unrestricted grant provided by HLS Therapeutics Inc, Canada., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests H.T. reports personal fees and honorarium from the Canadian Medical and Surgical Knowledge Translation Research Group. D.L.B. discloses the following relationships: Advisory Board: AngioWave, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Cardax, CellProthera, Cereno Scientific, Elsevier Practice Update Cardiology, High Enroll, Janssen, Level Ex, McKinsey, Medscape Cardiology, Merck, MyoKardia, NirvaMed, Novo Nordisk, PhaseBio, PLx Pharma, Regado Biosciences, Stasys; Board of Directors: AngioWave (stock options), Boston VA Research Institute, Bristol-Myers Squibb (stock), DRS.LINQ (stock options), High Enroll (stock), Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care, TobeSoft; Chair: Inaugural Chair, American Heart Association Quality Oversight Committee; Consultant: Broadview Ventures; Data Monitoring Committees: Acesion Pharma, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Baim Institute for Clinical Research (formerly Harvard Clinical Research Institute, for the PORTICO trial, funded by St. Jude Medical, now Abbott), Boston Scientific (Chair, PEITHO trial), Cleveland Clinic (including for the ExCEED trial, funded by Edwards), Contego Medical (Chair, PERFORMANCE 2), Duke Clinical Research Institute, Mayo Clinic, Mount Sinai School of Medicine (for the ENVISAGE trial, funded by Daiichi Sankyo; for the ABILITY-DM trial, funded by Concept Medical), Novartis, Population Health Research Institute; Rutgers University (for the NIH-funded MINT Trial); Honoraria: American College of Cardiology (Senior Associate Editor, Clinical Trials and News, ACC.org; Chair, ACC Accreditation Oversight Committee), Arnold and Porter law firm (work related to Sanofi/Bristol-Myers Squibb clopidogrel litigation), Baim Institute for Clinical Research (formerly Harvard Clinical Research Institute; RE-DUAL PCI clinical trial steering committee funded by Boehringer Ingelheim; AEGIS-II executive committee funded by CSL Behring), Belvoir Publications (Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter), Canadian Medical and Surgical Knowledge Translation Research Group (clinical trial steering committees), Cowen and Company, Duke Clinical Research Institute (clinical trial steering committees, including for the PRONOUNCE trial, funded by Ferring Pharmaceuticals), HMP Global (Editor in Chief, Journal of Invasive Cardiology), Journal of the American College of Cardiology (Guest Editor; Associate Editor), K2P (Co-Chair, interdisciplinary curriculum), Level Ex, Medtelligence/ReachMD (CME steering committees), MJH Life Sciences, Oakstone CME (Course Director, Comprehensive Review of Interventional Cardiology), Piper Sandler, Population Health Research Institute (for the COMPASS operations committee, publications committee, steering committee, and USA national co-leader, funded by Bayer), Slack Publications (Chief Medical Editor, Cardiology Today’s Intervention), Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care (Secretary/Treasurer), WebMD (CME steering committees), Wiley (steering committee); Other: Clinical Cardiology (Deputy Editor), NCDR-ACTION Registry Steering Committee (Chair), VA CART Research and Publications Committee (Chair); Patent: Sotagliflozin (named on a patent for sotagliflozin assigned to Brigham and Women’s Hospital who assigned to Lexicon; neither I nor Brigham and Women’s Hospital receive any income from this patent); Research Funding: Abbott, Acesion Pharma, Afimmune, Aker Biomarine, Amarin, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Beren, Boehringer Ingelheim, Boston Scientific, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Cardax, CellProthera, Cereno Scientific, Chiesi, CinCor, CSL Behring, Eisai, Ethicon, Faraday Pharmaceuticals, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Forest Laboratories, Fractyl, Garmin, HLS Therapeutics, Idorsia, Ironwood, Ischemix, Janssen, Javelin, Lexicon, Lilly, Medtronic, Merck, Moderna, MyoKardia, NirvaMed, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Owkin, Pfizer, PhaseBio, PLx Pharma, Recardio, Regeneron, Reid Hoffman Foundation, Roche, Sanofi, Stasys, Synaptic, The Medicines Company, Youngene, 89Bio; Royalties: Elsevier (Editor, Braunwald’s Heart Disease); Site Co-Investigator: Abbott, Biotronik, Boston Scientific, CSI, Endotronix, St. Jude Medical (now Abbott), Philips, SpectraWAVE, Svelte, Vascular Solutions; Trustee: American College of Cardiology; Unfunded Research: FlowCo, Takeda. G.M. reports honoraria from the Canadian Medical and Surgical Knowledge Translation Research Group. R.V. reports education support from Boston Scientific and Teleflex and honoraria from AstraZeneca and Boehringer Ingelheim. A.M.D. reports honoraria and consulting fees from HLS Therapeutics. G.B.J.M. reports honoraria, consulting fees and academic grants from HLS Therapeutics. J.F.T. reports receiving research funding to the Montreal Heart Institute Research Center from Abbott, Biosensors, Idorsia, Microport, Novartis, and advisory board or consultant for Abbott, Bayer, HLS Therapeutics, JAMP Pharma, Novartis, Pendopharm, Phasebio, and Servier.tics. J.C.T. reports reports research grants from Amarin, AstraZeneca, Ceapro, DalCor Pharmaceuticals, Esperion, Ionis, Novartis, Pfizer, and RegenXBio; honoraria from AstraZeneca, DalCor Pharmaceuticals, HLS Pharmaceuticals, Pendopharm, and Pfizer; minor equity interest in DalCor Pharmaceuticals; and authorship on patents pertaining to pharmacogenomics-guided CETP inhibition and use of colchicine after myocardial infarction (J.C.T. has waived his rights in the colchicine patents). PV reports honoraria and consulting fees from HLS Therapeutics. L.A.L. reports receiving research funding from, has done CME on behalf of, and/or has acted as an adviser to Amarin, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Amgen, Esperion, HLS Therapeutics, Kowa, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, and Sanofi. S.V. holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Cardiovascular Surgery; and reports receiving research grants and/or speaking honoraria from Amarin, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, EOCI Pharmacomm Ltd, HLS Therapeutics, Janssen, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Otsuka, Pfizer, PhaseBio, S & L Solutions Event Management Inc, Sanofi, Sun Pharmaceuticals, and the Toronto Knowledge Translation Working Group. He is the President of the Canadian Medical and Surgical Knowledge Translation Research Group, a federally incorporated not-for-profit physician organization., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)