Search

The Paleogene coal deposits of the Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya have undergone examinations by various researchers, primarily focusing on organic petrography and geochemistry and highlighting the rank, type, and grade, with perspectives on potential utilization. However, the genesis of these coals has received limited attention from the researchers. This research article addresses this gap by conducting a comprehensive examination of the geochemical and mineralogical aspects of these coals. Coal samples from two coal seams at nine locations in the Sampar coalfield in Jaintia Hills were collected and studied. The samples are subjected to X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analyses, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, proximate, and ultimate analysis to study geochemical and mineralogical composition and ash yield. The study utilizes various geochemical proxies based on the inorganic constituents, providing insights into the paleo-depositional conditions and contributing to a deeper understanding of the unique characteristics of Meghalayan coals. The research indicates that these coals were formed in coastal swamps and lagoons on stable platforms, experiencing minimal tectonic activity, influenced by seawater incursions. These coals were deposited in reducing to significantly reducing conditions and warm and humid to semi-arid climatic conditions. No signature of a geothermally active fluid has been recorded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to examine the CO2 gas adsorption capability of coals from Sohagpur coalfield, India. Coal bed CO2 sequestration is a technique utilized to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions and improve global warming. Various factors, including pore structure, pore volume, mineral composition, moisture content, cleats, coal quality, pressure, and temperature, influence the adsorption of CO2 in coal seams. To conduct this investigation, multiple coal samples were collected from the study area and subjected to proximate analysis, ultimate analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR), Brunauer – Emmett–Teller (BET), and measurement of CO2 adsorption rates on the coal samples. Samples were characterized based on their geochemical properties, then pore and fracture properties and maximum adsorption of CO2 gas were determined. The interrelationship between the genetic properties of coal with the adsorption rate of CO2 gas was established. These coals lie mesopore in category with the presence of fractures and hydrogen bonds. The result of BET and kinetics rate indicates that the adsorption of gas was unrestricted multilayer type, and the maximum adsorption of CO2 gas at 50 bar is 2.15 moles gas/kg sample, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal is a primary and conventional energy source, but it also adversely impacts the environment. To mitigate the adverse effects of fossil fuels, the world is compelled to switch to more environmentally friendly resources like shale gas and coal bed methane (CBM). In India, coal has been mined and utilized for more than a century, but now it is high time to use the coal resource more cleanly. In this regard, CBM can be a good alternative. It is essential to mark out the coal seams which pose a high CBM generation potential. The study aims to determine the relationship between methane content and adsorbed gas content with coal characteristics and its depth of occurrence. In the present study, an investigation was carried out on the coal samples from the Sohagpur coalfield to detect the relation mentioned above. Vitrinite reflectance was calculated, which ranges from 0.85% to 1.08%. Adsorbed gas content and methane content were calculated using proximate analysis results and the coal seam depth. The study revealed that these coals are High Volatile Bituminous in rank. Also, Methane content increases with vitrinite reflectance and fixed carbon. As the depth increases, the value of gas content also increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with cardiovascular disorders (CVD) possess multiple comorbidities and are prone to be prescribed multiple drugs, thus predisposing them to various drug-drug interactions (DDIs). Objective: This study was carried out to assess the potential-DDIs (pDDIs) among the drugs prescribed to hospitalized patients with CVD and associated factors. Method: It was a retrospective study conducted with the help of the medical records department. Medical records of all the patients admitted to the cardiology department of our tertiary care center from January 1st, 2019, to December 31st, 2019, were included for analysis using Lexicomp, an up-to-date drug interaction screening tool. The pDDIs were divided into classes A, B, C, D, and X, and those belonging to classes D or X were considered clinically significant. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the association between the factors associated with and the occurrence of clinically significant pDDIs, with a P -value <.05 considered statistically significant. Results: Almost all the records reflected (335/338) at least 1 pDDI. A total of 4966 pDDIs were detected, of which the majority belonged to category C (75.3%), and 5.1% of pDDIs were clinically significant. The patients who were prescribed more than 10 drugs per day (OR = 2.46; 95% CI: 1.27-4.82; P =.008), prescribed parenteral formulation (OR = 1.84; 95% CI: 1.57-2.21; P <.0001), or had a diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (OR = 2.33; 95% CI:1.1-5.12; P =.03) were associated with clinically significant pDDIs. Other factors, that is, female sex, use of fixed-dose combinations, and the triad of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, were positively associated with clinically significant pDDIs. Conclusion: Even though every patient had at least 1 pDDI, the prevalence of clinically significant pDDIs was relatively less. Use of >10 drugs/day, parenteral formulation, patients with acute coronary syndrome were significantly associated with clinically significant pDDIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic-rich shale rocks from the Paleocene–Eocene Palana Formation in western Rajasthan, India, were systematically investigated based on inorganic and organic geochemistry combined with microscopic examinations to evaluate the sedimentary paleoenvironmental conditions and volcanic activity and their impact on the high organic carbon accumulation. The Palana shales are categorized by high organic matter (OM) and sulfur contents, with total values up to 36.23 wt.% and 2.24 wt.%, respectively. The richness of phytoplankton algae (i.e., telalginite and lamalginite) together with redox-sensitive trace elements further suggests a marine setting and anoxic environmental conditions during the Paleocene–Eocene. The significant low oxygen conditions may contribute to enhancing the preservation of organic matter during deposition. The mineralogical and inorganic geochemical indicators demonstrate that the Palana organic-rich shale facies was accumulated in a warm and humid climate with moderate salinity stratification conditions in the water columns, thereby contributing to the high bioproductivity of the phytoplankton algae blooms within the photic zone. The presence of significant contents of zeolite derived from volcanic material together with silica minerals such as apophyllite and tridymite in most of the Palana organic-rich shales indicates a volcanic origin and supports hydrothermal activities during the Paleocene–Eocene period. These volcanic activities in this case are considered the influx of large masses of nutrients into the photic zone due to the ash accumulation, as indicated by the presence of the zeolites in the Palana shales. Therefore, the high bio-productivity associated with effective OM preservation led to the organic carbon accumulation in the Palana Formation during the Paleocene–Eocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the geochemical and petrographic characteristics of seven bituminite shales from the Kapurdi mine in the Rajasthan, NW India, in order to assess their organic matter inputs and evaluate the oil-prone potentials. These bituminite shale samples exhibit high total organic carbon (TOC) content (up to 45.11 wt.%). The high TOC contents were correlated with low total sulfur content of less than 1 wt.% and suggest that these bituminite shales were deposited in a fresh lacustrine environment. The dominance of such lacustrine environmental setting was confirmed by the presence of the Botryococcus algae. The analyzed bituminite shales are characterized by a bimodal distribution of normal alkanes and relatively low isoprenoid Pr/Ph, Pr/n-C17 and Ph/n-C18 ratios. These characteristics suggest that these bituminite shales contain a blend of organic matter that was derived primarily from algal lacustrine and other aquatic organic matter, with terrigenous land plants and deposited under suboxic to anoxic environmental conditions. Such findings of the organic matter (OM) input and environmental conditions are consistent with mainly Types I and II kerogen and small amounts of Type II/III kerogen, thus yielding both oil and gas prone to higher concentrations of oil generation potential. The dominance of hydrogen-rich kerogen and oil generation potential is in agreement with the findings of high hydrogen index (HI = 240–425 mg HC/g TOC) and H/C atomic ratio of more than 1.20. The abundance of n-alkene and n-alkane doublets in the pyrolysis–gas chromatography (Py–GC) also indicates that these bituminite shales have potential to generate high concentrations of paraffinic waxy oil. Most of the maturity indicators show that the bituminite shales from the Kapurdi mine have not yet entered the main stage of oil generation window, exhibiting a range of immature stages. Therefore, as highlighted in this study, these bituminite shales can be considered as a good candidate for oil shale reoterting processes to release commercial amounts of oil upon using artificial heating techniques such as hydrothermal conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Present research analyzes and evaluates the impact of e-resources usage factors (training modes, awareness, influencers, utilitarian benefits and ease of use) towards satisfaction and intention to use these e-resources. Design/methodology/approach: The data for present study were collected from postgraduate students of Delhi (India) and 248 valid responses were received through the survey. After reliability and validity tests, structural relationships between variables were studied. Findings: The present study revealed that all five factors significantly affected satisfaction and intention to use e-resources. However, influencers were found to have the highest impact on satisfaction and intention to use e-resources. Originality/value: The present study is a maiden attempt to explore the impact of e-resources usage factors on satisfaction and intention to use by postgraduate students at management schools in Delhi, India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comprehensive account on the evolution of the Tertiary Himalaya coals of India and their various attributes. The coal bearing sequences in Himalaya have formed in two different geotectonic settings, first under foreland basin (Oligocene coals of Assam, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh of northeastern India) and second under Platform basin (Eocene coals of Meghalaya of north-eastern India) conditions. The Jammu coals of northwest India developed in the late Paleocene in the western Himalayan foreland basin. A sea transgression inundated the Jammu area which gave rise to forest swamp and Jammu coals eventually formed under tropical humid climatic conditions in the tropical climatic belt of northern hemisphere. In northeastern India, the Oligocene coals have shown more maturity than the Eocene coals and have relatively high carbon content and they also have developed caking characters in many coalfields. This may be because the Eocene coal developed in the tropical climatic belt when the northern part of the northeast India was still in the southern hemisphere and the Oligocene coal evolved when the northern part of the northeast India was in the northern hemisphere and the collision during the Oligocene in this part improved the maturity of Oligocene coal due to Himalayan orogeny. The Himalayan coals are exceedingly rich in vitrinite with variable quantities of liptinite and inertinite macerals. Dominance of typical Tertiary angiospermic floral assemblage in the Himalayan coals is well indicated by the occurrence of single, double and triple celled telutospores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rituximab, one of the most commonly used biologics, was once approved by the United States Food and Drug Association (US FDA) for the management of different systemic autoimmune disorders, and it is now used extensively in managing off-label indications. There is a scarcity of data regarding its utilization pattern in India. Objective: To assess rituximab usage pattern in two tertiary care hospitals of Central India. Methods: A cross-sectional, retrospective study was performed to analyze the data of patients from two tertiary care centers of Central India who had received rituximab between 2019 and 2021. The usage was categorized either for FDA-approved indications or for off-label indications. Multiple logistic regression was applied to evaluate which factors would influence the use of rituximab for an FDA-approved indication. Results: A total of 79 medical records of patients. The majority of the patients (77.2%) had received rituximab for an FDA-approved indication. The most common approved and off-label indications detected were non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and autoimmune disorders, respectively. The use of rituximab for an FDA-approved indication was associated with increased age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.99-1.1), male sex: AOR = 2.55, 95% CI = 0.74-9.93, malignancy: AOR = 9.39, 95% CI = 1.46-76.12, and diabetes: AOR = 1.38, 95% CI = 0.19-13.74. Conclusions: The use of rituximab was more common for an FDA-approved indication rather than for an off-label indication. Factors such as advancing age, male sex, and malignancy were frequently associated with the FDA-approved use of rituximab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The Transversus Abdominis Plane (TAP) block is a relatively simple technique that provides analgesia that, as part of a multimodal analgesic treatment, may be useful in the prevention of postoperative pain. Ultrasound (USG) versus Peripheral Nerve Stimulator (PNS) guided TAP blocks are being frequently given postoperatively for pain these days in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Aim: To assess the analgesic efficacy of USG guided and PNS guided transversus abdominis plane block in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Materials and Methods: The randomised clinical study was conducted in the Department of Anaesthesiology, Shyam Shah Medical College, Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, India, from March 2020 to June 2021. Ninety adult patients were enrolled and randomly allocated into three groups. Group 1 (n=30) received bilateral USG-guided TAP block with 20 mL of 0.375% ropivacaine along with standard postoperative analgesia regimen. Group 2 (n=30) received bilateral PNS-guided TAP block with 20 mL 0.375% ropivacaine along with standard postoperative analgesia regimen. Group 3 (Control) (n=30) received standard postoperative analgesia regimen consisting of inj. paracetamol iv 1 gm (6 hourly) and inj. diclofenac 75 mg i.v. (12 hourly). Each patient was assessed for VAS score, duration of analgesia, total analgesic consumption and patient satisfaction for 24 hours postoperatively. Results: The average mean VAS score in first 24 hrs was 2.04±0.80 in group 1, 2.10±0.70 in group 2 and 3.18±0.63 in group 3. The duration of analgesia was least in group 3 (5.8±2.31 hrs) followed by group 2 (9.67±2.47 hrs) and maximum in group 1 (11.87±2.97 hrs). The total tramadol requirement in first 24 hrs postoperatively was 126.67±44.98 mg in group 1, 140±62.15 mg in group 2 and 226.67±63.97 mg in group 3. Conclusion: Postoperative analgesia with USG and PNS guided TAP block enables better pain control and less analgesic consumption. PNS guided TAP block is good alternative when compared with control for postoperative analgesia when USG machine is not available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The Indian pharmaceutical market is flooded with different fixed drug combinations (FDCs), many of which lack a rational justification. The study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding FDCs among the physicians of a tertiary-care teaching center. Method: The target sample size for this cross-sectional study was calculated as 75, and the study was conducted between February and August 2020 by using a content-validated questionnaire. Descriptive statistics had been utilized for data analysis, and Chi-square test had been applied for intergroup comparison (with P < 0.05 considered to be significant). Results: The mean age of the physicians who participated in this survey was 33.2 years. While 44% of them could identify all the potential advantages of using FDCs, only 09% could correctly recognize all the disadvantages associated with the same. Among the list of rational and irrational FDCs, only 49% could single out the irrational ones. And though the majority (83%) of the respondents do check for the rationality of FDCs before prescribing them, still out of 25 most commonly prescribed FDCs, 16 lacked any scientific justification for combination, and 09 (out of 16) had been banned by the Government of India. Conclusion: The outcome of this cross-sectional questionnaire-based study reflects the deficit in the knowledge regarding FDCs, as well as incoherence among the knowledge, attitude, and prescription practice. Though the physicians have cultivated a healthy attitude towards prescribing FDCs, the same is not reflected in their practice. In order to rectify these disparities, the authors have proposed certain recommendations within this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent times, active research is going on for bridging the gap between computer vision and natural language. In this paper, we attempt to address the problem of Hindi video captioning. In a linguistically diverse country like India, it is important to provide a means which can help in understanding the visual entities in native languages. In this work, we employ a hybrid attention mechanism by extending the soft temporal attention mechanism with a semantic attention to make the system able to decide when to focus on visual context vector and semantic input. The visual context vector of the input video is extracted using 3D convolutional neural network (3D CNN) and a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) recurrent network with attention module is used for decoding the encoded context vector. We experimented on a dataset built in-house for Hindi video captioning by translating M S R - V T T dataset followed by post-editing. Our system achieves 0.369 CIDEr score and 0.393 METEOR score and outperformed other baseline models including RMN (Reasoning Module Networks)-based model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent times, research activity on image caption generation has attracted several researchers. The present work attempt to address the problem of Hindi image caption generation using Hindi Visual genome dataset. Hindi is the official and most spoken language in India. In a linguistically diverse country like India, it is essential to provide a means that can help the people to understand the visual entities in their native languages. In this paper, an encoder-decoder based architecture is proposed where Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is employed for encoding visual features of an image and stacked Long Short-Term Memory (sLSTM) in combination with both uni-directional LSTM and bi-directional LSTM for generating the captions in Hindi. For encoding the visual feature representation of an image, VGG19 based pre-trained model is used and sLSTM architecture is employed for caption generation at the decoder side. The model is tested over Hindi visual genome dataset to validate the proposed approach's performance and cross-verification is carried out for English captions with Flickr dataset. The experimental results of the proposed approach manifest that the model is qualitatively and quantitatively better than state-of-the-art approaches for Hindi caption generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In an underdeveloped country like India where there are varied constraints in accessing healthcare, telemedicine can prove to be instrumental in providing access to the scant medical resources and infrastructures. The irony lies in its underutilization, which is multifactorial. Objective: The present research was planned to evaluate the level of awareness, knowledge, and attitude toward telemedicine among the faculty members of tertiary-care teaching centers in Chhattisgarh, India. Methods: A questionnaire-based survey was conducted to collect appropriate data, which were utilized for analysis as well as various intergroup analyses (among different designations, age groups, sex, and worksite). The data have been presented as median and percentage, while for intergroup comparison Mann-Whitney Test was performed. Results: Among the 115 respondents, only 34% were females. The mean age was around 40.7 years, and 58% were <40 years of age. Their median scores of awareness, knowledge, and attitude were estimated to be 06, 14, and +9, respectively. No statistically significant difference was observed in the awareness, knowledge, and attitude among the faculty members belonging to different designations, age groups, and worksites. Conclusions: Though, in general, the faculty members have demonstrated a favorable attitude toward the use of telemedicine yet most of them scored below the median mark. Furthermore, the estimated level of knowledge and awareness was also mediocre. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study presents hydrocarbon generative potential and thermal maturity of the Paleogene coals from Sutunga, Meghalaya, India using petro-geochemical method. The petrographic examination showed that the analyzed samples contain abundant vitrinite group macerals (mean 71.8%) with a significant amount of the liptinite (17.4%) group maceral, while the concentration of inertinite group is less (3.1%). Vitrinite reflectance (0.38 to 0.69 %Rom), indicates that the rank of Sutunga coals as sub-bituminous 'B' to high volatile bituminous 'C'. The results obtained from rockeval pyrolysis show that the hydrogen index (HI) ranges from 245 to 348 mg HC/g TOC and temperature at S2 peak (Tmax) is 412 to 441 °C. These coals contain Type III and Type II/III kerogen and are immature in nature. The total organic carbon (TOC) and S2 yield of Sutunga coals vary from 27.5–93.3 wt%, and 86.0–300.1 mg HC/g rock respectively indicating its high potential for hydrocarbon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigations on the Paleogene lignites were carried out through geochemical, mineralogical and petrographic analyses to assess their paleodepositional environment, source rock potential and thermal maturity. The samples were collected from the Barsingsar lignite mines in the Bikaner–Nagaur Basin, Western Rajasthan, India. Huminite reflectance assigns these samples as lignite (low-rank coal). Barsingsar lignites are dominated by the huminite maceral group, while inertinites and liptinites occur in subordinated amount. The mineral matter is dominated by carbonates, pyrite and argillaceous (in descending order). Gelification index, tissue preservation index, groundwater index and vegetation index indicate the prevalence of a dry forest swamp having ombrotrophic to mesotrophic conditions in the paleomire. Rock–Eval pyrolysis indicates high hydrogen index relative to oxygen index and excellent hydrocarbon potential. The Barsingsar lignites are characterized by mixed type III and type II kerogens, which are thermally immature. Several minerals like quartz, coesite, siderite, aragonite and rutile minerals have been identified by XRD analysis, whereas selected trace elements primarily Sr, Zr, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, V, Ni, Rb and Co were also detected. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy pattern shows the dominance of clay minerals and the presence of aromatic, aliphatic and some oxygen functional groups in these lignites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Barmer lignite has been determined to be ortholignite or low-rank lignite C, indicating its immaturity for hydrocarbon generation. • Barmer lignite is derived mainly from herbaceous vegetation with a higher contribution of woods in the Giral fen compared to the Kapurdi bog. • During peat accumulation the paleoclimate was under warm and humid and oxic to anoxic conditions in the basin. • The Barmer lignite shows potential for gaseous hydrocarbon prospect, however, the source rock is immature. The Barmer Basin in Rajasthan is considered one of the most important petroliferous sedimentary basins of India. Apart from a hydrocarbon-producing source rock, the basin also hosts some significant lignite deposits of Giral fen and Kapurdi bog developed during the late Paleocene to early Eocene, being currently under exploitation. Applying organic petrology, geochemical, mineralogical techniques, and Rock-Eval pyrolysis on samples obtained from seams in both mines, the paleodepositional settings in both areas were reconstructed, and the hydrocarbon generation potential was assessed. The T max (377–427 °C) and PI (0.01–0.09) values in the studied samples from the Barmer Basin indicate an immature nature of the organic matter. HI values range from 66 to 476 mg HC/g TOC, revealing that the Giral and Kapurdi lignite contains mostly Type III and mixed Type II-III kerogen and can generate mainly gaseous hydrocarbons, although few samples have liquid hydrocarbon generation potential. Significant values of TOC (20–60 wt%) reveal that they may act as a good source of hydrocarbons and make them favourable for the generation of hydrocarbons. The concentrations of major oxides and selected trace elements indicate that the Giral and Kapurdi lignite was developed in warm humid to some extent arid warm climate and oxic conditions prevailed in the basin. Petrographic indices suggest the peat accumulation occurred in a dry forest mire under limnic to limnotelmatic conditions. The indicators further suggest the lignite originated from the bog and fen under mesotrophic to ombrotrophic hydrological condition. The Giral and Kapurdi lignite were determined to be ortho -lignite or low-rank lignite C rank, immature for hydrocarbon generation. The lignite derived mainly from herbaceous vegetation with a higher contribution of woods in the Giral fen compared to the Kapurdi bog. Geochemical indicators suggest the presence of freshwater conditions and a shift from freshwater to brackish water conditions within the basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, petrographic and geochemical investigation of Meghalayan coal deposits have been carried out to classify these coals in terms of rank, type and grade, using Indian and International classification schemes. Based on petrographic and geochemical characteristics, an attempt has also been made to identify the potential utilization of Meghalayan coals for various industrial applications. According to the study, these coals have been classified as sub-bituminous C to high volatile bituminous in rank, vitric in type and clean to ashy in grade. Considering their hydrocarbon potential, these coals are suitable for liquefaction and gasification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to know about the depositional environment and petrographic characteristics of lignite deposits of the Nagaur district, Rajasthan, India, and to decipher source rock potential. Lignite samples have been collected from all the working and exposed lignite seams from Matasukh lignite mines of Nagaur following the pillar sampling method. The petrographic study has been done following the International Committee for Coal and Organic Petrology and ISO norms. The study has shown that Nagaur lignites are mostly dominated by the huminite group of macerals followed by liptinite group. The huminite group is mainly represented by attrinite, textinite and ulminite, whereas liptinite is represented mainly by primary liptinites such as resinite, sporinite, suberinite and cutinite. An inertinite group of macerals occurs in the least concentration as compared to the huminite and liptinite group macerals and mainly represented by the semifusinite, funginite and inertodetrinite. In these lignites, carbonate mineral matters are dominating over the pyrite and argillaceous mineral matter. The maceral constituents present in the studied samples indicate a high proportion of type III kerogen and are capable of generating gases only. Based on the reflectance of Eu-ulminite B maceral, Nagaur lignites may be classified as 'Low-rank B' (lignite B). The study reveals that lignites originated in the bog forest under ombrotrophic to mesotrophic hydrological conditions. Gelification Index and the Tissue Preservation Index suggest an accumulation of peat in the marshy environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the interrelationships among the extracted constructs of airline service quality (SQ), perceived image, perceived value, passenger satisfaction and their influence on passengers’ future behavioral intentions in the domestic aviation sector market in Indian context. Design/methodology/approach – A conceptual framework is developed based on previous studies. In order to address a lack of comprehensive evaluation of airline SQ, this study extracted the dimensions of airline SQ and used them in the structural model. The conceptual model is tested using structural equation modeling approach using maximum likelihood estimation technique. A sample of 526 domestic full-service passengers was used to test the hypothesized relationships among the constructs. Findings – Out of the three dimensions of airline SQ extracted, convenience and promptness with reliability dimension of SQ was having a direct influence on perceived image, perceived value and passenger satisfaction which in turn influence BI. The findings of this study indicate the passenger evaluation process flows from perceived image to satisfaction via passenger perceived value and not directly from perceived image to passenger satisfaction. Only passengers’ satisfaction was found to have a direct influence on passengers’ future BI. Originality/value – This study modified SERVPERF instrument for airline settings and empirically validated the instrument using data from Indian domestic passengers. This research adds to the body of knowledge by providing a conceptual framework which gives an empirical insight into the interrelationship among the constructs of airline SQ, perceived image, perceived value, passenger satisfaction and its effects on passenger’s future BI. The conceptual model developed and tested in this paper will act as a reference in forming suitable marketing strategies for airline’s competitive advantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze the interactions among different enablers of total quality management (TQM) and its outcome variables in service sector specific to Indian domestic airline industry. No study has been done regarding the implementation of TQM in Indian domestic aviation sector. To fill this gap interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) based quality framework model has been developed to understand the mutual interactions among the variables and to identify the driving and dependence power of these variables. Design/methodology/approach – An ISM and TISM based approach have been used to study and analyze the interactions between identified variables. Findings – In this research work, a total of 14 variables have been identified based on extensive literature review, brainstorming and experts opining from the Indian airline industry and academia. The result showed that top management commitment, training, continuous improvement, benchmarking, employee involvement and commitment have strong driving power and weak dependence power and are at the lowest level in hierarchy in the ISM and TISM model, while the outcome variables of TQM have low driving power but have high dependence power. Practical implications – Top management must stress on variables having strong driving power for efficient implementation of TQM. By implementation of TISM model in the Indian airline industry, organizations would become more productive, competitive and would eventually become more profitable. Originality/value – In this research work, ISM and TISM based quality framework structural model have been proposed for Indian domestic aviation industry which is a new effort in the area of TQM implementation in this sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the sighting record of Bengal Florican Houbaropsis bengalensis found in Lower Dibang Valley District in Arunachal Pradesh, India. The study shows the population decline of this species because of the loss of habitat and of hunting that restricted its distribution within the protected areas. It notes that the species can also be found in some of the unprotected river islands in the eastern part of the country.

Abstract: The present paper entails the results of the chemical and petrological studies carried out on Vastan Lignites of Gujarat. Petrographically there is an unambiguous dominance of huminite group of macerals over the liptinite and inertinite groups and is chiefly represented by telohuminite and detrohuminite. Ulminite dominates among telohuminite while attrinite and densinite mainly contribute to detrohuminite. Liptinite and inertinite groups are recorded comparatively in small concentrations. Argillites are the main inorganic component while the carbonates and sulphides contribute meagerly to the total mineral matter content. Chemically these lignites are characterized by high moisture content with moderately high volatile matter and variable ash contents. The fixed carbon and the elemental carbon show a moderate concentration. The sulphur content is more in the Lower seam with an average content of 1.59%. The study reveals that these lignites originated under moderate to high water cover in limnic environments with evidences supporting anaerobic decay of the organic matter with a loss of structural components of vegetal matter to a lesser extent. Moreover, the influx of fresh waters raised the pH of the paleomire which was further raised by carbonate rich surface water and was responsible for high sulphur content in some of the sections. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Obesity adversely affects quality of life which then acts as a barrier to weight loss and weight loss maintenance. Hence, those interventions which positively influence the quality of life along with weight reduction are considered useful for sustained weight loss in persons with obesity. An earlier study showed better quality of life in obese adults who had experience of yoga compared to yoga naïve obese adults. However, the main limitation of the study was the small sample size ( n =20 in each group)., Objective: The present study aimed to determine whether with larger sample sizes the quality of life would differ in yoga experienced compared to yoga naïve adults with obesity., Methods: There were 596 Asian Indian obese adults (age range 20 to 59 years; group mean age ± SD; 43.9 ± 9.9 years): of whom (i) 298 were yoga experienced (154 females; group mean age ± SD; 44.0 ± 9.8 years) with a minimum of 1 month of experience in yoga practice and (ii) 298 were yoga naïve (154 females; group mean age ± SD; 43.8 ± 10.0 years). All the participants were assessed for quality of life using the Moorehead-Ardelt quality of life questionnaire II. Data were drawn from a larger nationwide trial which assessed the effects of yoga compared to nutritional advice on obesity over a one-year follow-up period (CTRI/2018/05/014077)., Results: There were higher participant-reported outcomes for four out of six aspects of quality of life in the yoga experienced compared to the yoga naïve ( p < 0.008, based on t values of the least squares linear regression analyses, Bonferroni adjusted, and adjusted for age, gender, and BMI as covariates). These were enjoyment in physical activities, ability to work, self-esteem, and social satisfaction., Conclusion: Obese adults with yoga experience appear to have better quality of life in specific aspects, compared to yoga naïve persons with a comparable degree of obesity.

Aim: Diabetes plays a major role in progression of renal failure. The risk-factor profile changes during the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) from mild/moderate to end-stage renal disease. The relationship between glycemic indices, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI) and age at diagnosis in Indians has been less investigated. We assessed association of these risk factors with CKD stages in Indian population., Methods: This study was carried out on patients (n = 162) who were diagnosed with CKD and normal control group (n = 155). For BMI, National Institutes for Health criteria were used to categorize the patients., Result: The mean age of CKD patients were significantly increased with the advancement of stage. BMI, systolic blood pressure (SBP), postprandial sugar level (PP), urea and creatinine were also significantly higher with elevated stages, whereas no differences were observed in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and fasting blood sugar (FBS). The logistic regression study gave a significant result (p = 0.000) when we compared the group of CKD patients with established/prolonged postprandial blood sugar. It was independently associated with mild CKD [odds ratio (OR) = 5.213, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.06-13.21, p = 0.000], moderate CKD (OR = 7.724, 95% CI = 4.05-14.74, p = 0.000) and severe CKD (OR = 7.610, 95% CI = 4.03-14.36, p = 0.000)., Conclusion: SBP and PP were the best predictors of prevalent nephropathy in this population, while DBP and FBS were found to be less effective. This may have implication for kidney disease risk stratification and protection.

Breast cancer (BC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide, and this study further demonstrates that the women of Varanasi (north India) are not untouched by this fatal disease. During BC development, epigenetic activity plays a key role in silencing gene expression. Its widespread occurrence in the cancer genome could inactivate many cellular pathways including DNA repair, cell cycle control, apoptosis, cell adherence, and detoxification. In this study, our aim was to determine the penetrance of BRCA1 promoter methylation and its correlation with pathological and demographic factors in sporadic BC in an Indian population. Our analysis included 127 patients who were diagnosed with sporadic BC. Methylation-specific PCR for the BRCA1 promoter was used during the study and correlated with pathological and demographic factors. Methylation of the BRCA1 promoter was detected in 8.7% (11/127) of the tumors. Correlation of promoter methylation with demographic factors and clinicopathological markers revealed the following data: (i) BRCA1 methylation was more frequently observed in tumor samples taken from premenopausal or perimenopausal women (P=0.026), (ii) methylation of the BRCA1 promoter negatively correlated with estrogen receptor (P=0.040), progesterone receptor (P=0.013), and epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (P=0.002), (iii) the overall promoter methylation was higher in more advanced stages (P=0.036) of the disease. This study has immense implications for understanding epigenetic mechanisms in BC development. The result suggests that the epigenetic silencing of BRCA1 is uncommon and is associated with the triple-negative phenotype.

Background: Obesity is caused by disturbances of energy balance, which is homeostasized by the physiological processes. The study aims to determine the possible impact of rising prevalence of obesity and its effect in the development of breast carcinoma (BC) in Indian population., Methods: This study is carried out on patients (N = 358) who were diagnosed with BC and breast diseases (BD) by calculating their BMI admitted during the period of 2005 to 2009. NIH criteria were used to categorize the patients. Pathological factors of BC patient were then compared among groups., Result: These results were indicative of significant positive association between BC risks with peri/post menopausal status, residence, diet nature, and tobacco uses. Metastases were identified more commonly with increasing weight. It was found to be independently associated with obesity I (OR = 3.103, 95% CI = 1.633-5.895) and obesity II (OR = 6.803, 95% CI = 2.415-19.162). Disease stage and cancer related mortality were significantly associated with increased BMI., Conclusion: The higher prevalence of severe obesity among Indian population was associated with BC. The only alteration apart from early diagnosis is opting for a more natural lifestyle that will affect energy equilibrium and prove to be a viable option for prevention in carcinoma of breast for better survival., (Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)