Ethnic fragmentation, public good provision, and inequality in India, 1988 - 2012

Using data from various rounds of the nationally representative NSSO survey between 1988 and 2012, we first construct national, state, and district-level figures for overall, within and between consumption inequality. We find an increase in inequality in India but only since 2004. We also document an increase in between group (or horizontal) inequality over the entire period. We then investigate the impact of ethnic fragmentation and public good provision on inequality. We hypothesize that by lowering the provision of public goods (specifically schools and health facilities), fragmentation will impact the incomes of the poorer sections more than those of the rich and thus increase inequality. Empirical results support this hypothesis. We find that the increase in overall inequality is lower in less fragmented districts, but there is no strong relationship between horizontal inequality and fragmentation or public good provision. This is because public good provision impacts within group inequality but not between group inequality

Unmet Supportive Care Needs of Men With Locally Advanced and Metastatic Prostate Cancer on Hormonal Treatment:A Mixed Methods Study

Background: Men affected by prostate cancer who are undergoing hormone therapy can endure a range of symptoms that can adversely affect quality of life. Little research has been conducted to date, to understand the specific unmet supportive care needs of this patient group within the context of current service delivery. Objective: The aim of this study was to understand the experiences of unmet supportive care needs of men affected by prostate cancer on hormone therapy in the United Kingdom. Methods: Mixed methods study recruited 31 men with >T3 prostate Cancer or worse and treated by hormone therapy. A small cross-sectional survey (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer [EORTC] C30 and PR25, Self-Management Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Supportive Care Needs Survey) was used to inform the interview schedule. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and framework approach was used to analyze the data. Results: Complex unmet supportive care needs that were related to physical, psychological/emotional, intimacy/sexual, practical, health system/informational, existential, and patient/clinician communication needs are experienced. Men articulated that current healthcare delivery is failing to provide a holistic person-centered model of care. Conclusion: This is one of the few studies that have identified the unmet supportive care needs of men receiving hormone therapy for >T3 prostate Cancer or worse. The needs are multiple and far-ranging. Implications for Practice: Despite national cancer reforms, unmet supportive care needs persist. The findings from this study may be central in the re-design of future services to optimize men's quality of life and satisfaction with care. Clinicians are encouraged to use these finding to help them optimize care delivery and individual quality of life

Role of MRI and MR Spectroscopy in the Evaluation of Ring Enhancing Lesions in Brain: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study

Introduction: Ring-enhancing lesions of the brain are challenging neuroimaging abnormalities with diverse etiologies. Conventional MRI often faces limitations in differentiating between various pathologies, necessitating advanced techniques like MR spectroscopy for accurate diagnosis. Aim: To study the characteristic imaging findings of various ring-enhancing lesions on MRI and evaluate the role of MR spectroscopy in their differentiation. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the Department of Radiodiagnosis, Dhiraj General Hospital, Vadodara, Gujarat, from December 2022 to June 2023. Eighty patients diagnosed with ring-enhancing lesions on MRI were included. All patients underwent MRI brain with contrast and single-voxel proton MR spectroscopy using a 1.5 Tesla MRI machine. Metabolite ratios (Cho/Cr, Cho/NAA, NAA/Cr) and presence of specific peaks were analyzed. Results: Mean age was 33.4±15.2 years with male predominance (56.3%). Seizures (65%) and headache (41.3%) were the most common presentations. Tuberculoma was the most frequent lesion (43.7%), followed by neurocysticercosis (28.7%), abscess (11.3%), metastasis (8.7%), and primary brain tumor (7.5%). On MR spectroscopy, tuberculomas showed lipid peaks in 82.8% (p<0.001), neurocysticercosis demonstrated choline peaks in 82.6% (p<0.001), while abscesses showed lactate peaks in 100% cases. The mean Cho/Cr ratio was significantly higher in primary brain tumors (5.1±1.32) and metastases (3.67±0.21) compared to infective lesions (p<0.001). Conclusion: MRI with MR spectroscopy significantly improves the characterization and differentiation of ring-enhancing brain lesions. Specific metabolite patterns help distinguish between infective and neoplastic etiologies, facilitating appropriate management

Archaeometric Approaches to the Roman Near East

The purpose of my research this summer has been to participate in a full suite of archaeometric and geoarchaeological analyses, particularly as they are applied to sedimentology. The first section of my research has focused on an introduction to these procedures at ARL including laboratory safety procedures, proper sample collection and processing methods, and introduction to methods and purposes for a variety of laboratory analyses including grain size distribution analysis using a state of the art Malvern Mastersizer 3000 laser diffraction particle size analyzer, organic matter and inorganic carbon analysis, and microartifact analysis. During the field collection phase I worked directly with Dr. Erin Darby and Howard Cyr (UT ARL) recording and analyzing soil stratigraphy and taking soil samples for post-season analysis. Upon their return from the field, I worked with ARL to analyze the curated sediment samples during the 2017 field season

Interventions for Child Labor in the Indian Brick Kiln Industry

Hazardous child labor is defined as work which, by its nature, is harmful to the health, safety, and moral of children. Hazardous child labor is notably found in the brick kiln industry of India. Families rely on their children to increase their productivity, largely due to debt bondage. Other reasons for child labor in this industry include barriers to educational opportunities and social implications resulting from the caste system. It is beneficial for intervention policies to prioritize eradicating debt bondage. However, this can only be accomplished if alternative working options are available. Previous efforts to increase working opportunities in rural India, such as NREGA, have been ineffective. The Indian government should develop a more extensive policy to ensure optimal implementation. Because child labor is correlated with a lack of education, lowering educational fees will allow families to put their children through school, leading to more employment opportunities for children later on

Assessing seaweed extract as a biostimulant on the yield of organic leafy greens in Tennessee

Biostimulants are a better alternative to expensive organic fertilizers used in certified organic crop production. Seaweed extracts (Stimplex®), derived from brown algae (Ascophyllum nodosum) present in marine water, can be used as a “biostimulant” in agriculture to enhance plant yield and improve plant growth. The aim of this study was to elucidate the effect of Stimplex® on the yield of leafy green vegetables produced in an organic farming system. A Stimplex® greenhouse trial was conducted in fall 2015 and spring 2016 at the Tennessee State University organic research farm. Six leafy greens –lettuce, mustard, kale, Swiss chard, amaranths and collards– were foliar sprayed with Stimplex® (treated) bi-weekly for six weeks at the recommended dose of 3.2 ml/L (0.4 oz/gal of water), and six were untreated (control). Seedlings were raised in the greenhouse from organic seeds in pots, and organic management practices were followed per National Organic Program standards throughout the study. For each leafy green, a total of five treated potted plants and five untreated potted plants were used in three replications. Results showed that plants treated with Stimplex® were more vigorous, healthier and increased yield over untreated plants, except for amaranths. The percentage increase in plant yield of all crops was between 11% and 35%. The highest and lowest increase in plant yield was observed in the mustard greens (35.8 %) and Swiss chard (11.0%). Results suggest Stimplex® stimulates higher yields in leafy greens

Enhancing Sustainable Cultivation of Organic Bell Pepper through Fulvic Acid (FA) Application: Impact on Phytochemicals and Antioxidant Capacity under Open-Field Conditions

Fulvic acid (FA) is an eco-friendly solution for reducing the reliance on agrochemicals and enhancing crop quality. The study aimed to investigate the impact of soil and foliar application of FA on the phytochemical content and antioxidant properties of organically grown bell peppers at both the green and red stages. Bell pepper cv. Revolution was grown under open-field conditions at the certified organic farm at Tennessee State University, Nashville, with nine treatments and three replications. FA was applied as a soil drench and foliar spray at four different rates (0, 2.3, 5.5, 7.8, 10.9 mL L−1). The fruits were harvested 55 days (green stage) and 86 days after transplantation (red stage). The study showed significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) between the treatment and maturation stage. The foliar treatment of 7.8 mL L−1 resulted in the highest phenolic content in green bell peppers. The highest total flavonoid content in red bell peppers was achieved with a soil treatment of 7.8 mL L−1. Additionally, the highest level of vitamin C in red bell peppers occurred with a soil concentration of 5.5 mL L−1. In conclusion, applying FA as a biostimulant can enhance the quality of organically grown bell peppers, offering promising opportunities for sustainable agricultural practices

Comparative Study of Sensory Attributes of Leafy Green Vegetables Grown Under Organic and Conventional Management

This study was carried out to compare the sensory qualities of leafy green vegetables (collard, kale, lettuce and swiss chard) grown under organic and conventional production systems. Four leafy greens were produced on an organically and conventionally managed research farm of Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN in Spring 2019 and 2020. Crops in a conventional field were grown in the open field, whereas in organic field crops were grown in the open and under three different row covers (agribon cloth, insect net and plastic). Row covers in organic systems were used to protect crops from insect damage. Plant samples were collected from all the treatments and evaluated for sensory qualities including color, texture, taste, odor and flavor following two approaches i.e., instrumental and via consumer panel perception. Consumer panel perception results showed minor differences in the sensory qualities between organic and inorganically produced leafy greens. Instrumental methods showed no differences in color parameters of kale, lettuce and swiss chard grown under organic and conventional production systems. In collard, the lightness (L*), b* (yellow-blue axis), brightness (Y) and chroma (C) values were higher in conventional, while hue angle was higher in organic (open). There were no differences in instrumental textural values of organically and conventionally grown leafy greens. Among row covers, the textural value of collard and kale was higher in open relative to row covers. The content of main quality contributors 1-Hexanol was higher in conventionally grown collard compared to organic (open). Aldehyde compound was higher in organically grown kale and trans-hex-2-enyl-acetate (Ester) compound was higher in conventionally grown kale. Monoterpenes were higher in organic lettuce and ketones were higher in conventionally grown lettuce. Overall, there were not many differences in the sensory qualities of leafy greens grown under organic and conventional production systems. Further comparative studies between organic and conventional systems on sensory qualities of leafy greens are needed