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Objectives: This paper describes the methodology of developing and implementation of a youth focused life skills training and counselling services programme (LSTCP) and assessment of factors associated with life skills of participants pre-training. Design: Development of all aspects of LSTCP (modules, methods and evaluation) was through a consultative process. Experiential learning based facilitation was decided as the approach for training participants. A quasi-experimental design with pre, post and follow-up assessment post-training was finalised. Data collection was done using specifically developed semi-structured self-administered questionnaire. Results: Multivariable logistic regression with life skills as outcome and various exposure variables was performed. About 2/3rd of participants had high level of life skills (68%). Increased score of extraversion (AOR = 1.57,95% CI = 1.32–1.85), agreeableness (AOR = 1.42,95% CI = 1.16–1.73), conscientiousness (AOR = 1.9,95% CI = 1.55–2.33), physical (AOR = 1.03,95% CI = 1.01–1.04), environmental (AOR = 1.02,95% CI = 1.004–1.03) and social quality of life (AOR = 1.01,95% CI = 1.006–1.02) were associated with high life skills score. Higher score of neuroticism (AOR = 0.66,95% CI = 0.53–0.79) was associated with low life skills score. Conclusion: The results presented provide an opportunity to understand the evolution of factors affecting life skills during the follow-up of this study. This study throws light on development of LSTCP for apparently healthy population in a setting like India and its states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal conductivity at ambient conditions is a vital parameter in the determination of heat flow, thermal modelling and various geoengineering purposes. We have measured thermal conductivity in the laboratory at ambient conditions using a steady-state method on 69 samples of sedimentary and metamorphic rocks from the Western Himalaya, India, for the first time covering major lithologies of the region. Density and porosity measurements have been carried out along with petrographic and geochemical studies to characterize these rocks. The investigated rocks include sandstone, limestone, dolomitic limestone, quartzite, slate, phyllite and schist. The average thermal conductivity is found to be the highest (5.4 W m–1 K–1) for quartzite, moderate (ranges between 3.2 and 4.2 W m–1 K–1) for sandstone, limestone and dolomitic limestone and lowest (ranges between 2.6 and 2.9 W m–1 K–1) for the slate, phyllite and schist. The average values of the porosity for the rocks are less than 2 per cent. The variations in thermal conductivity within each rock type more or less reflect the compositional change, rather than the porosity. The measured thermal conductivity of the sandstone and limestone is found much higher than usually observed in such rocks, while it is on the lower side in the case of quartzite, phyllite and schist. Moreover, sedimentary rocks have higher density and lower porosity than usually found in such rocks. In fact, in this region, the sedimentary rocks show a similar density to that of the metamorphic rocks. The average density in sedimentary and metamorphic rocks varies from 2590 to 2780 kg m–3 and 2630 to 2740 kg m–3, respectively. The study region comes under the seismic gap, and several hot springs also exist here. Therefore, the obtained results will be useful in thermal modelling, which is critical for the understanding of earthquake nucleation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work investigated mapping and scientometric techniques adopt on the publications towards analysis the research trend in energy storage and conversion. The research was conducted based on Web of Science data for the 1993–2021 periods. The study found out that India's research effort in the energy storage and conversion field was significantly less than world production for all years in the study period from 1993 to 2021. Although the research performance of the contribution of scientists rose to peak levels with over a thousand publications between 2014 and 2021, were the highest-rated collaborative authors with 10 (45.45%) of the publications of the Alagappa University. The main types of sources were published as articles with 23,394 (88.7%) publications. Research articles engaged the first position, Wang Y tops the list with 322 (1.22%) publications, followed by Zhang Y, Wang J, Li Y, Liu J, Zhang L, Liu Y, and Wang L had the 2nd to 8th position for them, of which more than 200 publications testify. It was found that the largest number of published papers in chemistry was 4,444 with 12,103 (45.89%) of the publications, Chinese Peoples were with 12,145 (46.05%) devoted about half of the research publications shared in energy storage and conversion applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article introduces Ipomoea aitonii (Convolvulaceae), a previously unrecorded addition to the flora of Telangana, India. It provides a detailed description of the species and includes images for proper identification, expanding the known biodiversity in the region. Topics include taxonomic treatment, distribution, and its ecological characteristics, contributing to the understanding of the region's plant diversity.

Increasing soil carbon (C) in arable soils is an important strategy to achieve sustainable yields and mitigate climate change. We investigated changes in soil organic and inorganic carbon (SOC and SIC) under conservation agriculture (CA) in a calcareous soil of the eastern Indo‐Gangetic Plains of India. The treatments were as follows: conventional‐till rice and wheat (CT‐CT), CT rice and zero‐till wheat (CT‐ZT), ZT direct seeded rice (DSR) and CT wheat (ZT‐CT), ZTDSR and ZT wheat without crop residue retention (ZT‐ZT), ZT‐ZT with residue (ZT‐ZT+R), and DSR and wheat both on permanent beds with residue (PB‐PB+R). The ZT‐ZT+R had the highest total SOC in both 0–15 and 15–30 cm soil layers (20% and 40% higher (p <.05) than CT‐CT, respectively), whereas total SIC decreased by 11% and 15% in the respective layers under ZT‐ZT+R compared with CT‐CT. Non‐labile SOC was the largest pool, followed by very labile, labile and less labile SOC. The benefits of ZT and residue retention were greatest for very labile SOC, which showed a significant (p <.05) increase (~50%) under ZT‐ZT+R compared with CT‐CT. The ZT‐ZT+R sequestered ~2 Mg ha−1 total SOC in the 0–15 cm soil layer in 6 years, where CT registered significant losses. Thus, the adoption of CA should be recommended in calcareous soils, for C sequestration, and also as a reclamation technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: There is scarce data on the prevalence of harm to adolescents from others' use of alcohol from India. Aims: The aim is to study the prevalence of harm to school students from others' alcohol use in the district of Ernakulam, Kerala and examines its psychosocial correlates among victims. Settings and Design: This was a cross-sectional survey of 7560 students of the age range of 12–19 years from 73 schools. Materials and Methods: Harm consequent to others' drinking was assessed using a brief version of the World Health Organization–Thai Health Questionnaire on Harm to Others from Drinking. Standardized instruments were used to assess other measures. Statistical Analysis: The prevalence of various harms was determined. Mixed-effect logistic regression was used to explore the sociodemographic, academic, and psychological factors associated with various types of harms and odds ratios reported. Results: Harm due to others' alcohol use was reported by 44.5%, frequent harm by 15.7%, psychological harm by 43.3%, physical harm by 9.7%, property harm by 2.9%, and financial harm by 15.4%. Boys reported greater harm than girls. Girls experienced relatively greater harm within the family and boys outside the family. Being older, having a part-time job and urban residence increased the odds of harm. Adolescents reporting harm had higher odds of substance use, psychological distress, suicidality, sexual abuse, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptom-counts. Conclusion: The high prevalence of harm from others alcohol use to adolescents with multiple negative impacts underscore the urgent need for public health measures to reduce social costs of alcohol use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cerebrovascular accidents constitute the most common cause of disability all over the world. In India prevalence rate is 545 per 100000 and mortality rate is around 7.5 per thousand. Therefore the authors undertook a study on patients who underwent coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). They were investigated for clinical and/or radiological evidence of cerebrovascular disease (CVD) with the aim to decide on early neurological intervention. Patients and Methods: 210 patients who had undergone CABG were evaluated with neck vessel Doppler using high resolution duplex scanner system and computed tomography (CT) scan as well as MR angiogram (MRA) in addition to assessment of co morbid risk factors. Results: 91% of patients who had undergone CABG had radiological evidence of CVD. The most common risk associated with CAD and CVD was Hypertension (HT), DM, dyslipidemia and combined HT and DM in that order. Neck vessels were normal in 59%. Significant disease was found in only 7.2%. Internal carotids were abnormal in 82%. Infarcts were seen in 82.1%. Discussion: This study reveals patients with CAD have a high degree of asymptomatic CVD. It is mostly due to small vessel disease including internal carotids but not so much with large vessels. Therefore, patients with CAD carry a high risk of vascular cognitive dysfunction. This can be reduced by effective management of the systemic risk factors. Screening for large vessel disease which is commonly done is likely to give a false sense of security. Conclusion: As against western population Indians seem to have small and medium sized vessels disease in the setting of CAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat flow has been determined by combining temperature measurements in 7 boreholes with thermal conductivity measurements in the Upper Vindhyan sedimentary rocks of Shivpuri area, central India. The boreholes are distributed at 5 sites within an area of 15 × 10 km; their depths range from 174 to 268 m. Geothermal gradients estimated from borehole temperature profiles vary from 8.0-12.7 mK m in the sandstone-rich formations to 25.5-27.5 mK m in the shale-rich formations, consistent with the contrast in thermal conductivities of the two rock types. Heat flow in the area ranges between 45 and 61 mW m, with a mean of 52±6 mW m. The heat flow values are similar to the >50 mW m heat flow observed in other parts of the northern Indian shield. The heat flow determinations represent the steady-state heat flow because, the thermal transients associated with the initial rifting, convergence and sedimentation in the basin as well as the more recent Deccan volcanism that affected the region to the south of the basin would have decayed, and therefore, the heat flow is in equilibrium with the radiogenic heat production of the crust and the heat flow from the mantle. The present study reports the heat flow measurements from the western part of the Vindhyan basin and provides heat flow information for the Bundhelkhand craton for the first time. Radioelement (Th, U and K) abundances have been measured both in the sedimentary rocks exposed in the area as well as in the underlying basement granite-gneiss of Bundelkhand massif exposed in the adjacent area. Radioactive heat production, estimated from those abundances, indicate mean values of 0.3 μW m for sandstone with inter-bands of shale and siltstone, 0.25 μW m for sandstone with inter-bands siltstone, 0.6 μW m for quartzose sandstone, and 2.7 μW m for the basement granitoids. With a total sedimentary thickness not exceeding a few hundred metres in the area, the heat production of the sedimentary cover would be insignificant. The radioactive heat contribution from the basement granitoids in the upper crust is expected to be large, and together with the heat flow component from the mantle, would control the crustal thermal structure in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The microsurgical anatomy of the posterior circulation is very complex and variable. Surgical approaches to this area are considered risky due to the presence of the various important blood vessels and neural structures. Aims: To document the microsurgical anatomy of the posterior circulation along with variations in the Indian population. Materials and Methods: The authors studied 25 cadaveric brain specimens. Microsurgical dissection was carried out from the vertebral arteries to the basilar artery and its branches, the basilar artery bifurcation, posterior cerebral artery and its various branches. Measurements of the outer diameters of the vertebral artery, basilar artery and posterior cerebral artery and their lengths were taken. Results: The mean diameter of the vertebral artery was 3.4 mm on the left and 2.9 mm on the right. The diameter of the basilar artery varied from 3-7 mm (mean of 4.3 mm). The length varied from 24-35 mm (mean of 24.9 mm). The basilar artery gave off paramedian and circumferential perforating arteries. The origin of the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) varied from 0-21 mm (mean 10.0 mm) from the vertebrobasilar junction. The diameter of the AICA varied from being hypoplastic i.e., < 0.5 mm to 2 mm (mean 1.0 mm). The superior cerebellar artery (SCA) arises very close to the basilar bifurcation, in our series (1-3 mm from the basilar artery bifurcation). The diameter of the SCA varied from 0.5- 2.5 mm on both sides. The posterior cerebral artery (PCA) is divided into four segments. The PCA gave rise to perforators (thalamoperforators, thalamogeniculate arteries, circumflex arteries and peduncular arteries), medial posterior choroidal artery, lateral posterior choroidal artery and cortical branches. In 39 specimens the P1 segment was found to be larger than the posterior communicating artery, in six specimens it was found to be equal to the diameter of the posterior communicating artery and in five specimens it was found to be smaller than the posterior communicating artery diameter (fetal circulation). Conclusions: The authors have documented the various anomalies as well as the differences of the anatomy in this area in the Indian population as compared to the Western literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate dental crowding in the deciduous dentition and its relationship to the crown and the arch dimensions among preschool children of Davangere. Stratified randomized selection of one hundred, 3-4 year old healthy children with all primary teeth erupted was done and divided into two groups. One group had children with anterior crowding in both the arches while the other had spacing. Alginate impressions of the upper and lower arches were made and the study casts were obtained. The tooth and arch dimensions were determined. Mesiodistal dimensions of all the teeth were significantly larger in the crowded arch group. However, the buccolingual dimensions of the maxillary right central incisor, mandibular lateral incisors and the maxillary molars and the crown shape ratio of maxillary lateral incisors, mandibular canines and mandibular right second molar was statistically different. No significant correlation was found between the arch width and the presence of crowding of deciduous dentition. The arch depth of the spaced dentition was greater when compared to the crowded ones. The arch perimeter of the crowded arches was significantly less than the spaced arches.