Author: Gausman, J., Kim, R., Li, Z., Tu, L., Rajpal, S., Joe, W., Subramanian, S.V.,Sunil Rajpal
Comparison of Child Undernutrition Anthropometric Indicators Across 56 Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Publisher: JAMA Network Open, 2022
Abstract
|
Links
The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal Target 2.2 seeks to end all forms of malnutrition by 2030 by meeting targets, including the elimination of stunting and wasting in all children younger than 5 years. Such indicators are used to monitor childhood undernutrition but may not provide a complete picture at a population level. A total of 530 906 children (mean [SD] age, 29.0 [17.2] months; 272 355 [51.3%] boys and 258 551 [48.7%] girls) from 56 low- and middle-income countries were included in the analysis. Estimates of undernutrition generated using the conventional indicators of stunting, underweight, and wasting were lower than estimates generated using the CIAF in all countries. The CAF classification system pointed to considerable variation across countries in children with multiple AFs, which does not correspond to the overall prevalence of undernutrition. For example, 7.5% of children in Niger and 7.1% of children in Timor-Leste were stunted, underweight, and wasted, while 56.0% of children in Niger and 71.1% of children in Timor-Leste were undernourished according to the CIAF. In addition, children who had stunting, underweight, and wasting had 1.52 (95% CI, 1.45-1.61) times the odds of diarrhea compared with children who exhibited no AFs. The results of this study highlight the importance of using different approaches to aid understanding of the entire spectrum of AF with regard to research and development of policies and programs to address AF. The use of the CIAF and the CAF classification system may be useful for treatment to prevent AFs and could accelerate progress in meeting targets for the Sustainable Development Goal.
https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.1223
The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal Target 2.2 seeks to end all forms of malnutrition by 2030 by meeting targets, including the elimination of stunting and wasting in all children younger than 5 years. Such indicators are used to monitor childhood undernutrition but may not provide a complete picture at a population level. A total of 530 906 children (mean [SD] age, 29.0 [17.2] months; 272 355 [51.3%] boys and 258 551 [48.7%] girls) from 56 low- and middle-income countries were included in the analysis. Estimates of undernutrition generated using the conventional indicators of stunting, underweight, and wasting were lower than estimates generated using the CIAF in all countries. The CAF classification system pointed to considerable variation across countries in children with multiple AFs, which does not correspond to the overall prevalence of undernutrition. For example, 7.5% of children in Niger and 7.1% of children in Timor-Leste were stunted, underweight, and wasted, while 56.0% of children in Niger and 71.1% of children in Timor-Leste were undernourished according to the CIAF. In addition, children who had stunting, underweight, and wasting had 1.52 (95% CI, 1.45-1.61) times the odds of diarrhea compared with children who exhibited no AFs. The results of this study highlight the importance of using different approaches to aid understanding of the entire spectrum of AF with regard to research and development of policies and programs to address AF. The use of the CIAF and the CAF classification system may be useful for treatment to prevent AFs and could accelerate progress in meeting targets for the Sustainable Development Goal.
|
Author: Kumar, A., Rajpal, S., Alambusha, R., Sharma, S., Joe, W.,Sunil Rajpal
Can Anganwadi services strengthening improve the association between maternal and child dietary diversity? Evidence from Project Spotlight implemented in tribal dominated Gadchiroli and Chandrapur districts of Maharashtra, India
Publisher: PLoS ONE, 2022
Abstract
|
Links
Dietary intake is a fundamental determinant of maternal and child nutrition. This paper presents evidence on whether maternal and child dietary diversity can be improved with systemic improvements focused on strengthening training, capacity building, and behavior change communication among frontline workers to encourage improved nutritional practices among mothers and children in the intervention area. The evidence is derived from Project Spotlight intervention that was jointly implemented by Department of Women and Child Development, Government of Maharashtra and Tata Trusts in tribal dominated Gadchiroli and Chandrapur districts in Maharashtra. Based on a pre-post comparison of baseline (2019) and endline (2021) household survey data it is confirmed that there is a significant association between maternal and child dietary diversity in the study area. Notably, dietary diversity in mother-child dyads is marked with a higher consumption of fruits and vegetables as well as eggs and flesh foods. Econometric analysis further reveals that the association between maternal and child dietary diversity has improved after the systems strengthening interventions. The paper concludes that local interventions such as Project Spotlight for strengthening counselling services and coverage by frontline workers and enhancing knowledge and awareness on maternal and child dietary diversity among communities are important for improving maternal and child nutrition.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0264567
Dietary intake is a fundamental determinant of maternal and child nutrition. This paper presents evidence on whether maternal and child dietary diversity can be improved with systemic improvements focused on strengthening training, capacity building, and behavior change communication among frontline workers to encourage improved nutritional practices among mothers and children in the intervention area. The evidence is derived from Project Spotlight intervention that was jointly implemented by Department of Women and Child Development, Government of Maharashtra and Tata Trusts in tribal dominated Gadchiroli and Chandrapur districts in Maharashtra. Based on a pre-post comparison of baseline (2019) and endline (2021) household survey data it is confirmed that there is a significant association between maternal and child dietary diversity in the study area. Notably, dietary diversity in mother-child dyads is marked with a higher consumption of fruits and vegetables as well as eggs and flesh foods. Econometric analysis further reveals that the association between maternal and child dietary diversity has improved after the systems strengthening interventions. The paper concludes that local interventions such as Project Spotlight for strengthening counselling services and coverage by frontline workers and enhancing knowledge and awareness on maternal and child dietary diversity among communities are important for improving maternal and child nutrition.
|
Author: Chandanpurkar H.A., Lee T., Wang X., Zhang H., Fournier S., Fenty I., Fukumori I., Menemenlis D., Piecuch C.G., Reager J.T., Wang O., Worden J.,
Influence of Nonseasonal River Discharge on Sea Surface Salinity and Height
Publisher: Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, 2022
Abstract
|
Links
River discharge influences ocean dynamics and biogeochemistry. Due to the lack of a systematic, up-to-date global measurement network for river discharge, global ocean models typically use seasonal discharge climatology as forcing. This compromises the simulated nonseasonal variation (the deviation from seasonal climatology) of the ocean near river plumes and undermines their usefulness for interdisciplinary research. Recently, a reanalysis-based daily varying global discharge data set was developed, providing the first opportunity to quantify nonseasonal discharge effects on global ocean models. Here we use this data set to force a global ocean model for the 1992–2017 period. We contrast this experiment with another experiment (with identical atmospheric forcings) forced by seasonal climatology from the same discharge data set to isolate nonseasonal discharge effects, focusing on sea surface salinity (SSS) and sea surface height (SSH). Near major river mouths, nonseasonal discharge causes standard deviations in SSS (SSH) of 1.3–3 practical salinity unit (1–2.7 cm). The inclusion of nonseasonal discharge results in notable improvement of model SSS against satellite SSS near most of the tropical-to-midlatitude river mouths and minor improvement of model SSH against satellite or in-situ SSH near some of the river mouths. SSH changes associated with nonseasonal discharge can be explained by salinity effects on halosteric height and estimated accurately through the associated SSS changes. A recent theory predicting river discharge impact on SSH is found to perform reasonably well overall but underestimates the impact on SSH around the global ocean and has limited skill when applied to rivers near the equator and in the Arctic Ocean.
https://doi.org/10.1029/2021MS002715
River discharge influences ocean dynamics and biogeochemistry. Due to the lack of a systematic, up-to-date global measurement network for river discharge, global ocean models typically use seasonal discharge climatology as forcing. This compromises the simulated nonseasonal variation (the deviation from seasonal climatology) of the ocean near river plumes and undermines their usefulness for interdisciplinary research. Recently, a reanalysis-based daily varying global discharge data set was developed, providing the first opportunity to quantify nonseasonal discharge effects on global ocean models. Here we use this data set to force a global ocean model for the 1992–2017 period. We contrast this experiment with another experiment (with identical atmospheric forcings) forced by seasonal climatology from the same discharge data set to isolate nonseasonal discharge effects, focusing on sea surface salinity (SSS) and sea surface height (SSH). Near major river mouths, nonseasonal discharge causes standard deviations in SSS (SSH) of 1.3–3 practical salinity unit (1–2.7 cm). The inclusion of nonseasonal discharge results in notable improvement of model SSS against satellite SSS near most of the tropical-to-midlatitude river mouths and minor improvement of model SSH against satellite or in-situ SSH near some of the river mouths. SSH changes associated with nonseasonal discharge can be explained by salinity effects on halosteric height and estimated accurately through the associated SSS changes. A recent theory predicting river discharge impact on SSH is found to perform reasonably well overall but underestimates the impact on SSH around the global ocean and has limited skill when applied to rivers near the equator and in the Arctic Ocean.
|
Author: Liu R.C.,Roger Liu
From ‘Sticks’ to ‘Carrots’ and ‘Nets’, then to ‘Needles’: The Evolution of the CPC’s Policy towards Taiwan
Publisher: China Report, 2022
Abstract
|
Links
This article traces the evolution of the Communist Party of China’ policy towards Taiwan and identifies the major characteristics of different leaderships in the history of CPC. With the major goal to manipulate the domestic politics of Taiwan to prevent it from moving further towards independence, the CPC has, within the framework of national strategy, used the carrot (promised benefits or attraction based on positive values), the stick (military actions or threats, blockades and coercive policies in international politics, etc.), the net (relationships, networks and United Front work; developing local collaborators) and the needle (infiltration, sabotage and disinformation warfare) interchangeably with different emphases depending on the strategic environments it faced. The CPC’s policy towards Taiwan, thus demonstrates flexibility in the choice of tactics but remains constant in its strategic goals.
https://doi.org/10.1177/00094455221074255
This article traces the evolution of the Communist Party of China’ policy towards Taiwan and identifies the major characteristics of different leaderships in the history of CPC. With the major goal to manipulate the domestic politics of Taiwan to prevent it from moving further towards independence, the CPC has, within the framework of national strategy, used the carrot (promised benefits or attraction based on positive values), the stick (military actions or threats, blockades and coercive policies in international politics, etc.), the net (relationships, networks and United Front work; developing local collaborators) and the needle (infiltration, sabotage and disinformation warfare) interchangeably with different emphases depending on the strategic environments it faced. The CPC’s policy towards Taiwan, thus demonstrates flexibility in the choice of tactics but remains constant in its strategic goals.
|
Author: Singh S.,Shamsher Singh
Housing and Unfree Labour: A Village Case Study from Rajasthan, India
Publisher: Agrarian South, 2022
Abstract
|
Links
The phenomenon of unfree labour relations in the Indian countryside continues to remain a matter of concern. While multiple factors contribute to attachment and unfreedom of labour dependency on employers for housing, it is an understudied issue in the existing literature. Drawing on a detailed field study of an agriculturally advanced village in Sri Ganganagar district of north-western state of Rajasthan, this study discusses the role of housing in labour relations and contracts. It has been argued that when the proximate cause of unfree labour relations in this village is the lack of access to housing and homestead among the local landless Dalit labourers, the nature of overall dependence derives from multiple socio-economic factors rooted in unequal caste and class relations, inequality in land ownership and limited employment opportunities within the capital-intensive local agrarian production system. This article also discusses the nature, mechanisms and types of long-term labour contracts and labour services prevalent in the village and how all these are closely intertwined with caste relations. The study explores labour dependency in relation to labour contracts, wage negotiations, freedom and mobility, and working and living conditions.
https://doi.org/10.1177/22779760221101335
The phenomenon of unfree labour relations in the Indian countryside continues to remain a matter of concern. While multiple factors contribute to attachment and unfreedom of labour dependency on employers for housing, it is an understudied issue in the existing literature. Drawing on a detailed field study of an agriculturally advanced village in Sri Ganganagar district of north-western state of Rajasthan, this study discusses the role of housing in labour relations and contracts. It has been argued that when the proximate cause of unfree labour relations in this village is the lack of access to housing and homestead among the local landless Dalit labourers, the nature of overall dependence derives from multiple socio-economic factors rooted in unequal caste and class relations, inequality in land ownership and limited employment opportunities within the capital-intensive local agrarian production system. This article also discusses the nature, mechanisms and types of long-term labour contracts and labour services prevalent in the village and how all these are closely intertwined with caste relations. The study explores labour dependency in relation to labour contracts, wage negotiations, freedom and mobility, and working and living conditions.
|
Author: Narayanan S., Singh G.A.,Sajith Narayanan
Will legalizing corporate social responsibility get businesses to participate in welfare activities – the case of India
Publisher: Society and Business Review, 2022
Abstract
|
Links
This study provides evidence of the impact of mandatory CSR expenditure on welfare activities and SDGs. Unlike previous research, the results of this study are based on CSR expenditures rather than voluntary CSR scores. CSR spending increased from INR 10,066 crore in 2014–2015 to INR 24,689 crore in 2019–2020. Companies have prioritized CSR expenditure on education, followed by health care and rural development. The number of companies spending more than the mandated expenditure increased by around 75% from 2014–2015 to 2019–2020. However, the “comply or explain” approach of the law has led to a major number of companies spending zero on CSR. Companies have generally concentrated on moving CSR funds to designated funds rather than using them for capacity development to instill social responsibility culture.
https://doi.org/10.1108/SBR-10-2021-0199
This study provides evidence of the impact of mandatory CSR expenditure on welfare activities and SDGs. Unlike previous research, the results of this study are based on CSR expenditures rather than voluntary CSR scores. CSR spending increased from INR 10,066 crore in 2014–2015 to INR 24,689 crore in 2019–2020. Companies have prioritized CSR expenditure on education, followed by health care and rural development. The number of companies spending more than the mandated expenditure increased by around 75% from 2014–2015 to 2019–2020. However, the “comply or explain” approach of the law has led to a major number of companies spending zero on CSR. Companies have generally concentrated on moving CSR funds to designated funds rather than using them for capacity development to instill social responsibility culture.
Journal |
ABDC B
|
SCOPUS®
|
Q2
|
Author: Narayanan S.,Sajith Narayanan
Does Generation Z value and reward corporate social responsibility practices?
Publisher: Journal of Marketing Management, 2022
Abstract
|
Links
Corporate activities vastly impact the environment and society, and people are increasingly becoming conscious of this. Generation Z (GenZ), an emerging customer segment globally, is particularly concerned about sustainability. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives assist businesses in meeting these expectations. Will purchase intention (PI), brand equity (BE), and willingness to pay (WTP) for these companies’ brands rise as a result of their CSR initiatives? Will the effects of CSR’s three dimensions–environmental, social, and economic – on these outcomes be different? To study this, a 4(CSR)* 2(brands) between-subjects factorial design experiment was conducted with 414 students in India using an incentive-based Becker-DeGroot-Marschak (BDM) procedure. Marketers and researchers will gain valuable insights into the effects of different dimensions of CSR on consumer behaviour from the findings of this study.
https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2022.2070654
Corporate activities vastly impact the environment and society, and people are increasingly becoming conscious of this. Generation Z (GenZ), an emerging customer segment globally, is particularly concerned about sustainability. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives assist businesses in meeting these expectations. Will purchase intention (PI), brand equity (BE), and willingness to pay (WTP) for these companies’ brands rise as a result of their CSR initiatives? Will the effects of CSR’s three dimensions–environmental, social, and economic – on these outcomes be different? To study this, a 4(CSR)* 2(brands) between-subjects factorial design experiment was conducted with 414 students in India using an incentive-based Becker-DeGroot-Marschak (BDM) procedure. Marketers and researchers will gain valuable insights into the effects of different dimensions of CSR on consumer behaviour from the findings of this study.
Journal |
ABDC : A
|
SCOPUS®
|
Q1
|
Author: Goyal Y.,Yugank Goyal
Public procurement during the pandemic: experience of India and China
Publisher: Journal of Public Procurement, 2022
Abstract
|
Links
The paper examines the public procurement experiences of India and China during the Covid-19 pandemic and locates them in a framework it proposes. The paper aims to enrich the knowledge of how public procurement could be strategically used in emergencies. It is found that as compared to China, in India (a) despite the presence of significant flexibilities, (b) there was a little divergence from standard procurement practices, perhaps explained by (c) weaker governance capacity and legitimacy, (c) more allocative (rather than structural) goals of procurement and (d) higher levels of centralization.
https://doi.org/10.1108/JOPP-07-2021-0046
The paper examines the public procurement experiences of India and China during the Covid-19 pandemic and locates them in a framework it proposes. The paper aims to enrich the knowledge of how public procurement could be strategically used in emergencies. It is found that as compared to China, in India (a) despite the presence of significant flexibilities, (b) there was a little divergence from standard procurement practices, perhaps explained by (c) weaker governance capacity and legitimacy, (c) more allocative (rather than structural) goals of procurement and (d) higher levels of centralization.
|
Author: Hatcher M.,Michael Hatcher
Do we need an account of prayer to address the problem for praying without ceasing?
Publisher: Religious Studies, 2022
Abstract
|
Links
1 Th. 5:17 tells us to pray without ceasing. Many have worried that praying without ceasing seems impossible. Most address the problem by giving an account of the true nature of prayer. Unexplored are strategies for dealing with the problem that are neutral on the nature of prayer, strategies consistent, for example, with the view that only petition is prayer. In this article, after clarifying the nature of the problem for praying without ceasing, I identify and explore the prospects of five different strategies that are neutral in this sense. I also raise problems for each strategy.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0034412522000087
1 Th. 5:17 tells us to pray without ceasing. Many have worried that praying without ceasing seems impossible. Most address the problem by giving an account of the true nature of prayer. Unexplored are strategies for dealing with the problem that are neutral on the nature of prayer, strategies consistent, for example, with the view that only petition is prayer. In this article, after clarifying the nature of the problem for praying without ceasing, I identify and explore the prospects of five different strategies that are neutral in this sense. I also raise problems for each strategy.
|
Author: Samanta T.,Tannistha Samanta
The Lost Daughter: Gerontological Reflections on the Life Course Perspective’s Missing Plot
Publisher: Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 2022
Abstract
|
Links
Gyllenhaal’s The Lost Daughter with its deeply troubling, turbulent and yet unwavering chaos allows us to rethink how the past is never really lost. It is in the uneasy dialectic between individual lives, social structures, and emotional states that The Lost Daughter finds an unexpected gerontological articulation. Specifically, this article utilizes one of the assured tools of gerontology- the life course perspective- to argue that the persisting effects of social-psychological states (e.g. guilt, reprieve, and resentment) experienced earlier in life have been overlooked in this paradigm due to its empirical emphasis on macro processes of cohorts, trajectories and family transitions. The article concludes with reflections on how this intersubjective reading of the life course contributes to the practice of gerontological social work.
https://doi.org/10.1080/01634372.2022.2059797
Gyllenhaal’s The Lost Daughter with its deeply troubling, turbulent and yet unwavering chaos allows us to rethink how the past is never really lost. It is in the uneasy dialectic between individual lives, social structures, and emotional states that The Lost Daughter finds an unexpected gerontological articulation. Specifically, this article utilizes one of the assured tools of gerontology- the life course perspective- to argue that the persisting effects of social-psychological states (e.g. guilt, reprieve, and resentment) experienced earlier in life have been overlooked in this paradigm due to its empirical emphasis on macro processes of cohorts, trajectories and family transitions. The article concludes with reflections on how this intersubjective reading of the life course contributes to the practice of gerontological social work.
|
Author: Ganguly A., Vasudevan R.,Arpan Ganguly
Financial liberalization and the Indian non-financial, corporate sector
Publisher: Competition and Change, 2022
Abstract
|
Links
A distinct feature of the India’s path of financial liberalization is that it led to the emergence of the corporate, non-financial sector, rather than the financial sector as the key wedge for the penetration of global finance. Neoliberal reforms eroded the traditional role of development banks and state-directed credit and empowered a section of large corporations and non-financial companies in India. The partial, calibrated path to capital account liberalization has meant that this section of the Indian non-financial corporate sector, rather than the commercial banking system came to be the conduit integrating the Indian economy with international financial markets. Where the Indian state had earlier harnessed finance towards developmental priorities, it shifted to channeling finance in service of the internationally embedded segment of the corporate sector that enjoys disproportionate access to both the domestic financial system and international financial markets.
https://doi.org/10.1177/10245294211068102
A distinct feature of the India’s path of financial liberalization is that it led to the emergence of the corporate, non-financial sector, rather than the financial sector as the key wedge for the penetration of global finance. Neoliberal reforms eroded the traditional role of development banks and state-directed credit and empowered a section of large corporations and non-financial companies in India. The partial, calibrated path to capital account liberalization has meant that this section of the Indian non-financial corporate sector, rather than the commercial banking system came to be the conduit integrating the Indian economy with international financial markets. Where the Indian state had earlier harnessed finance towards developmental priorities, it shifted to channeling finance in service of the internationally embedded segment of the corporate sector that enjoys disproportionate access to both the domestic financial system and international financial markets.
Journal |
ABDC B
|
SCOPUS®
|
Q1
|
Author: Rakesh V.T., Menon P.,Preetha Menon
Pricing challenge in servitisation: Can servitisation improve ecological sustenance?
Publisher: World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, 2022
Abstract
|
Links
Servitisation is a business strategy adopted by companies worldwide. This paper attempts to find out whether servitisation is a runaway success and if not, the reasons for holding it. Further it is explored whether servitisation help improve the ecological well-being of a country. Methodology adopted was a systematic literature review. Results show that servitisation has been successful but not to the extent of companies adopting it as a blind strategy. Among the factors that led to its failure, pricing was the prominent factor as branded companies compete with local unorganised service providers. A pricing model incorporating brand equity would make it possible for branded companies to price their services right the first time itself. Researches show that the current cases of servitisation do not add much value towards the cause of ecological sustenance. But they also say that servitisation and sustainability complement each other, and commercial success of servitisation will enhance sustainability and therefore circular economy.
https://doi.org/10.1504/WREMSD.2022.120785
Servitisation is a business strategy adopted by companies worldwide. This paper attempts to find out whether servitisation is a runaway success and if not, the reasons for holding it. Further it is explored whether servitisation help improve the ecological well-being of a country. Methodology adopted was a systematic literature review. Results show that servitisation has been successful but not to the extent of companies adopting it as a blind strategy. Among the factors that led to its failure, pricing was the prominent factor as branded companies compete with local unorganised service providers. A pricing model incorporating brand equity would make it possible for branded companies to price their services right the first time itself. Researches show that the current cases of servitisation do not add much value towards the cause of ecological sustenance. But they also say that servitisation and sustainability complement each other, and commercial success of servitisation will enhance sustainability and therefore circular economy.
|
Author: Saha A., Rooj D., Sengupta R.,Debasis Rooj
Loan to value ratio and housing loan default – evidence from microdata in India
Publisher: International Journal of Emerging Markets, 2022
Abstract
|
Links
The study provides a fresh perspective on the default drivers in the Indian housing finance market based on micro-level data. In our analysis, the authors find clear evidence of endogeneity in LTV and argue that any attempts to decipher the default drivers of housing loans without addressing the issue of endogeneity may lead to faulty interpretation. Therefore, this study is unique in recognizing endogeneity and has gone deeper in identifying the default drivers in the Indian housing market not addressed by earlier papers on the Indian housing market. The authors also control for the regulatory changes in the Indian housing finance market and include state-level control variables like per capita GDP and the number of workers per thousand to capture the borrowers' ability to pay characteristics.
https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOEM-10-2020-1272
The study provides a fresh perspective on the default drivers in the Indian housing finance market based on micro-level data. In our analysis, the authors find clear evidence of endogeneity in LTV and argue that any attempts to decipher the default drivers of housing loans without addressing the issue of endogeneity may lead to faulty interpretation. Therefore, this study is unique in recognizing endogeneity and has gone deeper in identifying the default drivers in the Indian housing market not addressed by earlier papers on the Indian housing market. The authors also control for the regulatory changes in the Indian housing finance market and include state-level control variables like per capita GDP and the number of workers per thousand to capture the borrowers' ability to pay characteristics.
Journal |
ABDC B
|
SCOPUS®
|
Q2
|
Author: Lahorkar A., Bhosale H., Sane A., Ramakrishnan V., Valadi J.,Aamod Sane
Identification of Phase Separating Proteins with Distributed Reduced Alphabet Representations of Sequences
Publisher: IEEE/ACM Transactions on Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, 2022
Abstract
|
Links
Phase separation of proteins play key roles in cellular physiology including bacterial division, tumorigenesis etc. Consequently, understanding the molecular forces that drive phase separation has gained considerable attention and several factors including hydrophobicity, protein dynamics, etc., have been implicated in phase separation. Data-driven identification of new phase separating proteins can enable in-depth understanding of cellular physiology and may pave way towards developing novel methods of tackling disease progression. In this work, we exploit the existing wealth of data on phase separating proteins to develop sequence-based machine learning method for prediction of phase separating proteins. We use reduced alphabet schemes based on hydrophobicity and conformational similarity along with distributed representation of protein sequences and biochemical properties as input features to Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Random Forest (RF) machine learning algorithms. We used both curated and balanced dataset for building the models. RF trained on balanced dataset with hydropathy, conformational similarity embeddings and biochemical properties achieved accuracy of 97%. Our work highlights the use of conformational similarity, a feature that reflects amino acid flexibility, and hydrophobicity for predicting phase separating proteins. Use of such “interpretable” features obtained from the ever-growing knowledgebase of phase separation is likely to improve prediction performances further.
https://doi.org/10.1109/TCBB.2022.3149310
Phase separation of proteins play key roles in cellular physiology including bacterial division, tumorigenesis etc. Consequently, understanding the molecular forces that drive phase separation has gained considerable attention and several factors including hydrophobicity, protein dynamics, etc., have been implicated in phase separation. Data-driven identification of new phase separating proteins can enable in-depth understanding of cellular physiology and may pave way towards developing novel methods of tackling disease progression. In this work, we exploit the existing wealth of data on phase separating proteins to develop sequence-based machine learning method for prediction of phase separating proteins. We use reduced alphabet schemes based on hydrophobicity and conformational similarity along with distributed representation of protein sequences and biochemical properties as input features to Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Random Forest (RF) machine learning algorithms. We used both curated and balanced dataset for building the models. RF trained on balanced dataset with hydropathy, conformational similarity embeddings and biochemical properties achieved accuracy of 97%. Our work highlights the use of conformational similarity, a feature that reflects amino acid flexibility, and hydrophobicity for predicting phase separating proteins. Use of such “interpretable” features obtained from the ever-growing knowledgebase of phase separation is likely to improve prediction performances further.
|
Author: Jadhav D., Shenoy D.,Dinesh Shenoy
Building dynamic capabilities of an academic library: A research agenda
Publisher: Journal of Academic Librarianship, 2022
Abstract
|
Links
Though academic libraries do not compete with others in the real sense, every ambitious librarian would want his or her library to be better than the others. How would a librarian be able to achieve this? Traditionally, librarians have focused on building excellence in processes and operations. However, such processes and operations can be imitated and implemented by other libraries, resulting in those competencies being short lived. Researchers in strategic management have developed theories on how organizations can build competencies that cannot be imitated, and thus be ahead of their competitors. One such theory – referred to as the dynamic capabilities – is adapted to identify the micro-foundations including the roles, activities and competencies required to build these capabilities for academic libraries. Four themes – searching & sensing, shaping, seizing, and transforming – related to developing dynamic capabilities of academic libraries have been identified. Potential research questions have also been formulated to direct future research.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2022.102502
Though academic libraries do not compete with others in the real sense, every ambitious librarian would want his or her library to be better than the others. How would a librarian be able to achieve this? Traditionally, librarians have focused on building excellence in processes and operations. However, such processes and operations can be imitated and implemented by other libraries, resulting in those competencies being short lived. Researchers in strategic management have developed theories on how organizations can build competencies that cannot be imitated, and thus be ahead of their competitors. One such theory – referred to as the dynamic capabilities – is adapted to identify the micro-foundations including the roles, activities and competencies required to build these capabilities for academic libraries. Four themes – searching & sensing, shaping, seizing, and transforming – related to developing dynamic capabilities of academic libraries have been identified. Potential research questions have also been formulated to direct future research.
|
Author: Mochish K S,Mochish K S
Journalism and Public Health Crises - Media and the COVID pandemic in India
Publisher: Social Scientist, 2022
|
Author: Jain, D.K., Singh, R., Patel, A., Chand, R.,Devendra Jain
Foreign exchange market asymmetries in Pacific small island developing states: Evidence from Fiji
Publisher: International Journal of Finance & Economics, 2022
Abstract
|
Links
After abandoning Bretton Wood, the foreign exchange market has been dominated by three types of economies: export-oriented economies (China and other Asian countries), commodity economies (Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and oil exporting nations) and reserve-currency economies (US, EU, UK, and Swiss). As a result, the asymmetric development of the foreign exchange market has reduced the monetary and fiscal space for PSIDS, which face structural challenges such as a low population base, import dependence, aid dependency, climate risk, and political uncertainty. The ‘Exchange Market Pressure Index’ (EMPI) for Fiji is developed in this article to quantify the pressure on the exchange rate and monetary authorities' responses to micromanaging balance sheet impacts. The calculated EMPI accurately reflects four instances of financial distress in Fiji, including significant exchange market pressure in response to growing trade deficits and external debt, the global financial crisis's contagion effect, and political uncertainty. Our EMP Index's robustness is attributed in part to the employment of a dynamic time series estimate method, a time-varying weighing scheme, and a high-frequency monthly dataset.
https://doi.org/10.1002/ijfe.2654
After abandoning Bretton Wood, the foreign exchange market has been dominated by three types of economies: export-oriented economies (China and other Asian countries), commodity economies (Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and oil exporting nations) and reserve-currency economies (US, EU, UK, and Swiss). As a result, the asymmetric development of the foreign exchange market has reduced the monetary and fiscal space for PSIDS, which face structural challenges such as a low population base, import dependence, aid dependency, climate risk, and political uncertainty. The ‘Exchange Market Pressure Index’ (EMPI) for Fiji is developed in this article to quantify the pressure on the exchange rate and monetary authorities' responses to micromanaging balance sheet impacts. The calculated EMPI accurately reflects four instances of financial distress in Fiji, including significant exchange market pressure in response to growing trade deficits and external debt, the global financial crisis's contagion effect, and political uncertainty. Our EMP Index's robustness is attributed in part to the employment of a dynamic time series estimate method, a time-varying weighing scheme, and a high-frequency monthly dataset.
Journal |
ABDC B
|
SCOPUS®
|
Q2
|
Author: Gosain, K., Samanta, T.,Tannistha Samanta
Understanding the Role of Stigma and Misconceptions in the Experience of Epilepsy in India: Findings From a Mixed-Methods Study
Publisher: Frontiers in Sociology, 2022
Abstract
|
Links
It is surprising that although 12 million people in India suffer from epilepsy this remains a thoroughly under-researched area in the sociology of health and practice. We address this intellectual and policy neglect by reviewing the social, psychological and legal challenges governing the lives of people living with epilepsy (PWE) by paying particular attention to negotiations in arranged marriages and employment. Drawing on the analytical frameworks of the sociological study of stigma, critical race theory and paying attention to the cultural models of health and suffering, this study utilized a combination of (online) survey data (N = 100) and in-depth qualitative interviews (N = 10) with PWE and their families. The online survey was administered to map the level of awareness about epilepsy and its clinical management among the general population, whereas the in-depth interviews were conducted to understand the experience, self-perception and everyday struggles of those diagnosed with the condition. Findings from the survey on non-PWE suggest a general lack of awareness and fearful misconceptions around epilepsy related seizures. In-depth interviews with PWEs revealed concealment (of the illness) as a dominant coping strategy to attenuate the social alienation and rejection associated with epilepsy. Further, PWE participants reported persistent discrimination, harassment and prejudiced understanding of diminished cognitive capacities at workplaces as a result of cultural myths and popular representations of epilepsy-related seizures. The study also demonstrated the significance of institutional support groups in assisting PWE to cope with symbolic violence and forge solidarities. We conclude with reflections on the ethical dilemmas faced by medical practitioners while dealing with social-medical interventions of epilepsy treatment. Overall, results from this study undergird the significance to revisit the social-moral as well as legal frameworks that persistently restrict opportunities for PWE in India. In an attempt to reimagine inclusive futures regardless of disease, disability and affliction, we attempt to move beyond the biomedical gaze and instead privilege stories of individual personhood, struggles and aspirations.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsoc.2022.790145/full
It is surprising that although 12 million people in India suffer from epilepsy this remains a thoroughly under-researched area in the sociology of health and practice. We address this intellectual and policy neglect by reviewing the social, psychological and legal challenges governing the lives of people living with epilepsy (PWE) by paying particular attention to negotiations in arranged marriages and employment. Drawing on the analytical frameworks of the sociological study of stigma, critical race theory and paying attention to the cultural models of health and suffering, this study utilized a combination of (online) survey data (N = 100) and in-depth qualitative interviews (N = 10) with PWE and their families. The online survey was administered to map the level of awareness about epilepsy and its clinical management among the general population, whereas the in-depth interviews were conducted to understand the experience, self-perception and everyday struggles of those diagnosed with the condition. Findings from the survey on non-PWE suggest a general lack of awareness and fearful misconceptions around epilepsy related seizures. In-depth interviews with PWEs revealed concealment (of the illness) as a dominant coping strategy to attenuate the social alienation and rejection associated with epilepsy. Further, PWE participants reported persistent discrimination, harassment and prejudiced understanding of diminished cognitive capacities at workplaces as a result of cultural myths and popular representations of epilepsy-related seizures. The study also demonstrated the significance of institutional support groups in assisting PWE to cope with symbolic violence and forge solidarities. We conclude with reflections on the ethical dilemmas faced by medical practitioners while dealing with social-medical interventions of epilepsy treatment. Overall, results from this study undergird the significance to revisit the social-moral as well as legal frameworks that persistently restrict opportunities for PWE in India. In an attempt to reimagine inclusive futures regardless of disease, disability and affliction, we attempt to move beyond the biomedical gaze and instead privilege stories of individual personhood, struggles and aspirations.
|
Author: Sottong, H.,
“Hero of Two Worlds”: The Equestrian Monument to Giuseppe Garibaldi in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Publisher: Italian American Review, 2022
Abstract
|
Links
On September 21, 1897, both houses of the Argentine National Congress approved the placement of an equestrian monument of Giuseppe Garibaldi in the Parque 3 de Febrero. The monument was inaugurated in 1904, and the name of the plaza where the statue stands was changed from Plaza de los Portones to Plaza Italia. At around the same time, in the decades following Garibaldi's death in 1882, monuments in his honor sprang up in a number of cities throughout Italy.1 While it seems only natural that Garibaldi would be so ubiquitously honored in the country that he helped to unify, it comes as more of a surprise that a Risorgimento hero would receive such a great honor within Argentina, at a time when many Argentine national heroes had yet to be memorialized.
https://doi.org/10.5406/26902451.12.1.02
On September 21, 1897, both houses of the Argentine National Congress approved the placement of an equestrian monument of Giuseppe Garibaldi in the Parque 3 de Febrero. The monument was inaugurated in 1904, and the name of the plaza where the statue stands was changed from Plaza de los Portones to Plaza Italia. At around the same time, in the decades following Garibaldi's death in 1882, monuments in his honor sprang up in a number of cities throughout Italy.1 While it seems only natural that Garibaldi would be so ubiquitously honored in the country that he helped to unify, it comes as more of a surprise that a Risorgimento hero would receive such a great honor within Argentina, at a time when many Argentine national heroes had yet to be memorialized.
|
Author: Chattopadhyay S., Jacob S.,Sreeparna Chattopadhyay
Changing Birth Practices in India: Oils, Oxytocin and Obstetrics
Publisher: South Asia Research, 2022
Abstract
|
Links
Institutional births increased in India from 39% to 79% between 2005 and 2015. Drawing from 17 months of fieldwork, this article traces the shift from home to hospital births across three generations in a hamlet in Assam in Northeast India. Here, too, one finds that most births have shifted from home to hospital in less than a decade, aided by multiple factors. These include ‘free’ birthing facilities and financial incentives offered by government schemes, idiosyncratic changes within the hamlet, such as the introduction of biomedical practices through home births where oxytocin was used, and changes in cultural belief systems among local people. The exploration reveals significant transitions between (and fluidities of) categories such as local/global, tradition/modernity, past/present and nature/technology, creating a complex and ambivalent narrative of change, in which the voices of mothers should not be ignored.
https://doi.org/10.1177%2F02627280221105126
Institutional births increased in India from 39% to 79% between 2005 and 2015. Drawing from 17 months of fieldwork, this article traces the shift from home to hospital births across three generations in a hamlet in Assam in Northeast India. Here, too, one finds that most births have shifted from home to hospital in less than a decade, aided by multiple factors. These include ‘free’ birthing facilities and financial incentives offered by government schemes, idiosyncratic changes within the hamlet, such as the introduction of biomedical practices through home births where oxytocin was used, and changes in cultural belief systems among local people. The exploration reveals significant transitions between (and fluidities of) categories such as local/global, tradition/modernity, past/present and nature/technology, creating a complex and ambivalent narrative of change, in which the voices of mothers should not be ignored.
|
