Role of Social Media Influencer’s Credibility in Consumer’s Purchase Decisions

The use of social media influencers by the companies to promote their products is constantly on the rise since the last decades. Influencers on social media have replaced the celebrities from cinema or sports and now they are the flagbearer of influence. Social media influencers are someone who give character to the consumer’s judgments and shape their attitude regarding a brand or product through their posts in the form of photos, videos and other updates on social media platforms. The present study was conducted to identify the role of social media influencer’s (SMI) credibility in consumer purchase decisions. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the data of 123 respondents from Delhi/NCR. Multiple Regression analysis in SPSS was used to analyze the results. The findings revealed that the attributes of credibility i.e. information value and entertainment value of the branded content shared by SMIs have significant effects on followers

Seasonal abundance and bio-efficacy of different insecticides against castor semilooper on castor

The present study was conducted at Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Regional Research Station, Bawal, Haryana (India). The larvae of castor semilooper remain active from 30th standard weeks to 47th standard weeks. The maximum larval population was recorded on the 32th standard week (6.1 larvae per plant) and 38th standard meteorological weeks (6.2 larvae per plant) due the high rainfall, 158 and 120 mm, during these weeks, respectively. Correlation indicates that minimum temperature, evening relative humidity and rainfall exhibited a positive relationship (r- 0.588, 0.577 and 0.650) with the larval population. Bio-efficacy of four insecticides with different doses was tested against A. janata infesting castor crop. One day after spraying thiodicarb @ 468 g proved best toxicant followed by thiodicarb @ 375 g, deltamethrin @ 11.2 g, deltamethrin @ 10.5 g, quinalphos @ 250 g, quinalphos @ 200 g, novaluron @ 100 g and novaluron @ 75 g. At three days after spraying, it was found that novaluron @ 100 g was the most effective followed by novaluron @ 75 g, thiodicarb @ 468 g, deltamethrin @ 11.2 g, thiodicarb @ 375 g, deltamethrin @ 10.5 g, quinalphos @ 250 g and quinalphos @ 200 g. At seven days after spraying novaluron @ 100 g proved to be best toxicant followed by novaluron @ 75 g, thiodicarb @ 468 g, thiodicarb @ 375 g, deltamethrin @ 11.2 g, deltamethrin @ 10.5 g, quinalphos @ 250 g and quinalphos @ 200 g. Novaluron 100 g was the overall most effective with 75.97 mean per cent reduction in larval population

Ovicidal activity of three insect growth regulators against Aedes and Culex mosquitoes

a b s t r a c t Interspecific variations in the susceptibility of freshly and embryonated eggs of Aedes albopictus, Ae. aegypti, Ae. atropalpus and Culex pipiens were tested against three classes of insect growth regulators (IGRs) including ecdysone agonist (azadirachtin), chitin synthesis inhibitor (diflubenzuron) and juvenile hormone analog (pyriproxyfen) at 0.001, 0.01, 0.1 and 1.0 ppm concentrations. Egg hatching inhibition was dose dependent, the highest being at 1.0 ppm concentration for freshly laid eggs of Ae. albopictus (pyriproxyfen: 80.6%, azadirachtin: 42.9% and diflubenzuron: 35.8%). Aedes aegypti showed lower egg hatching inhibition when exposed to pyriproxyfen (47.3%), azadirachtin (15.7%) and diflubenzuron (25.5%). Freshly laid eggs of Cx. pipiens were most susceptible to diflubenzuron. Aedes atropalpus eggs were tolerant to all three classes of IGRs. Embryonated eggs of Ae. albopictus, Ae. aegypti, Ae. atropalpus and Cx. pipiens were resistant to pyriproxyfen, azadirachtin and diflubenzuron than freshly laid eggs. The median desiccation time (DT 50 ) of Ae. atropalpus eggs was maximum (5.1 h) as compared to Ae. aegypti (4.9 h), Ae. albopictus (3.9 h) or Cx. pipiens (1.7 h) eggs. Insignificant relationship between the rates of desiccation and egg hatching inhibition suggests other factors than physical providing eggs the ability to tolerate exposures to various IGRs. Egg hatching inhibition was due to the alteration in embryonic development caused by IGRs. Changes in the egg shell morphology and abnormal egg hatching from the side of the egg wall instead of operculum, was observed at higher concentrations of diflubenzuron. Morphological and physiological variations in eggs may be the key factor to influence the ovicidal efficacy of IGRs. The present data provide a base line for the improvement of the ovicidal efficacy of the insecticide and its formulation

High-spin spectroscopy in 207^{207}At: Evidence of a 29/2+^{+} isomeric state

Yrast and near-yrast states above the known 25/2$^{+}$ isomer in $^{207}$At are established for the first time. The level scheme is extended up to 47/2$\hbar$ and 6.5 MeV with the addition of about 60 new $\gamma$-ray transitions. The half-life of the 25/2$^{+}$ isomer is revisited and a value of $T_{1/2}$ = 107.5(9) ns is deduced. Evidence of a hitherto unobserved 29/2$^{+}$ isomer in $^{207}$At is presented. A systematic study of $B(E3)$ values for the transitions de-exciting the 29/2$^{+}$ isomer in the neighboring odd-$A$ At isotopes suggests a half-life in the 2$-$4 $\mu$s range for this state in $^{207}$At. The experimental results are compared with large-scale shell-model calculations performed using the KHM3Y effective interaction in the $Z$ = 50$-$126, $N$ = 82$-$184 model space and an overall good agreement is noted between the theory and the experiment. A qualitative comparison of the excited states and the isomers with analogous states in neighboring nuclei provides further insight into the structure of $^{207}$At.Comment: 15 pages, 13 figure

Coexisting single-particle excitations and octupole correlations in transitional nucleus 217Ra\mathbf{^{217}Ra}

The level structure of the transitional nucleus $\mathrm{^{217}Ra}$ has been extended with the addition of around 20 new transitions. The discrepancies between the placements of several transitions reported in the earlier studies are resolved. The newly-established negative-parity sequence at low excitation energies hints at the expected parity-doublet structures in this nucleus. The properties of the observed simplex bands are compared with that of similar bands in neighboring nuclei. Since the presence of parity-doublet structures reflect octupole correlations, theoretical calculations using reflection-asymmetric triaxial particle rotor model (RAT-PRM) have been performed. A comparison of the observed features of the simplex bands with the predictions of the RAT-PRM calculations suggests that $\mathrm{^{217}Ra}$ exhibits an intermediate the behavior between the extremes of spherical and octupole-deformed nuclei. The termination of the simplex bands at intermediate energies and the structures lying above reflect the dominance of the single-particle excitations at higher excitation energies.Comment: 15 pages, 16 figure

Neurodevelopmental disorders in children aged 2-9 years: Population-based burden estimates across five regions in India.

BACKGROUND: Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) compromise the development and attainment of full social and economic potential at individual, family, community, and country levels. Paucity of data on NDDs slows down policy and programmatic action in most developing countries despite perceived high burden. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We assessed 3,964 children (with almost equal number of boys and girls distributed in 2-<6 and 6-9 year age categories) identified from five geographically diverse populations in India using cluster sampling technique (probability proportionate to population size). These were from the North-Central, i.e., Palwal (N = 998; all rural, 16.4% non-Hindu, 25.3% from scheduled caste/tribe [SC-ST] [these are considered underserved communities who are eligible for affirmative action]); North, i.e., Kangra (N = 997; 91.6% rural, 3.7% non-Hindu, 25.3% SC-ST); East, i.e., Dhenkanal (N = 981; 89.8% rural, 1.2% non-Hindu, 38.0% SC-ST); South, i.e., Hyderabad (N = 495; all urban, 25.7% non-Hindu, 27.3% SC-ST) and West, i.e., North Goa (N = 493; 68.0% rural, 11.4% non-Hindu, 18.5% SC-ST). All children were assessed for vision impairment (VI), epilepsy (Epi), neuromotor impairments including cerebral palsy (NMI-CP), hearing impairment (HI), speech and language disorders, autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), and intellectual disability (ID). Furthermore, 6-9-year-old children were also assessed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning disorders (LDs). We standardized sample characteristics as per Census of India 2011 to arrive at district level and all-sites-pooled estimates. Site-specific prevalence of any of seven NDDs in 2-<6 year olds ranged from 2.9% (95% CI 1.6-5.5) to 18.7% (95% CI 14.7-23.6), and for any of nine NDDs in the 6-9-year-old children, from 6.5% (95% CI 4.6-9.1) to 18.5% (95% CI 15.3-22.3). Two or more NDDs were present in 0.4% (95% CI 0.1-1.7) to 4.3% (95% CI 2.2-8.2) in the younger age category and 0.7% (95% CI 0.2-2.0) to 5.3% (95% CI 3.3-8.2) in the older age category. All-site-pooled estimates for NDDs were 9.2% (95% CI 7.5-11.2) and 13.6% (95% CI 11.3-16.2) in children of 2-<6 and 6-9 year age categories, respectively, without significant difference according to gender, rural/urban residence, or religion; almost one-fifth of these children had more than one NDD. The pooled estimates for prevalence increased by up to three percentage points when these were adjusted for national rates of stunting or low birth weight (LBW). HI, ID, speech and language disorders, Epi, and LDs were the common NDDs across sites. Upon risk modelling, noninstitutional delivery, history of perinatal asphyxia, neonatal illness, postnatal neurological/brain infections, stunting, LBW/prematurity, and older age category (6-9 year) were significantly associated with NDDs. The study sample was underrepresentative of stunting and LBW and had a 15.6% refusal. These factors could be contributing to underestimation of the true NDD burden in our population. CONCLUSIONS: The study identifies NDDs in children aged 2-9 years as a significant public health burden for India. HI was higher than and ASD prevalence comparable to the published global literature. Most risk factors of NDDs were modifiable and amenable to public health interventions

Social media influencers: Key to influence consumer’s intention to purchase fitness products

According to Nielsen research, homebound clients have resulted in a 60% increase in global video content consumption. The frequency with which content creators did live video sessions on social media platforms rose as well in 2020. According to research, 54% of shoppers do a search on social media for product reviews posted by influencers before making a buy. Social media influencers (abbreviated as SMIs) now play a key role in marketing for a wide variety of firms. The goal of this study was to ascertain the importance of similarity and activity of social media influencers (SMI) on customer purchasing decisions about fitness and health products. A structured questionnaire was used to survey 90 respondents from Delhi/NCR. Multiple Regression analysis was used to analyze the data in SPSS. The data reveal that the attractiveness, expertise, and trustworthiness of branded material associated with fitness products shared by SMIs has a significant impact on followers' purchase intentions for such products

Social Media Influencers: Key to Influence Consumer's Intention to Purchase Fitness Products

According to Nielsen research, homebound clients have resulted in a 60% increase in global video content consumption. The frequency with which content creators did live video sessions on social media platforms rose as well in 2020. According to research, 54% of shoppers do a search on social media for product reviews posted by influencers before making a buy. Social media influencers (abbreviated as SMIs) now play a key role in marketing for a wide variety of firms. The goal of this study was to ascertain the importance of similarity and activity of social media influencers (SMI) on customer purchasing decisions about fitness and health products. A structured questionnaire was used to survey 90 respondents from Delhi/NCR. Multiple Regression analysis was used to analyze the data in SPSS. The data reveal that the attractiveness, expertise, and trustworthiness of branded material associated with fitness products shared by SMIs has a significant impact on followers' purchase intentions for such products

The Insect Growth Regulator Pyriproxyfen Terminates Egg Diapause in the Asian Tiger Mosquito, Aedes albopictus.

The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, is a highly invasive mosquito species that transmits chikungunya and dengue. This species overwinters as diapausing eggs in temperate climates. Early diapause termination may be a beneficial strategy for winter mosquito control; however, a mechanism to terminate the diapause process using chemicals is not known. We tested the hypothesis that a hormonal imbalance caused by the administration of juvenile hormone analog would terminate egg diapause in A. albopictus. We tested the insect growth regulator pyriproxyfen on all developmental stages to identify a susceptible stage for diapause termination. We found that pyriproxyfen treatment of mosquito eggs terminated embryonic diapause. The highest rates of diapause termination were recorded in newly deposited (78.9%) and fully embryonated (74.7%) eggs at 0.1 and 1 ppm, respectively. Hatching was completed earlier in newly deposited eggs (25-30 days) compared to fully embryonated eggs (71-80 days). The combined mortality from premature diapause termination and ovicidal activity was 98.2% in newly deposited and >98.9% in fully embryonated eggs at 1 ppm. The control diapause eggs did not hatch under diapausing conditions. Pyriproxyfen exposure to larvae, pupae and adults did not prevent the females from ovipositing diapausing eggs. There was no effect of pyriproxyfen on diapausing egg embryonic developmental time. We also observed mortality in diapausing eggs laid by females exposed to pyriproxyfen immediately after blood feeding. There was no mortality in eggs laid by females that survived larval and pupal exposures. In conclusion, diapausing eggs were the more susceptible to pyriproxyfen diapause termination compared to other life stages. This is the first report of diapause termination in A. albopictus with a juvenile hormone analog. We believe our findings will be useful in developing a new control strategy against overwintering mosquito populations

Multicriteria Oppositional-Learnt Dragonfly Resource-Optimized QoS Driven Channel Selection for CRNs

Cognitive radio networks (CRNs) allow their users to achieve adequate QoS while communicating. The major concern related to CRN is linked to guaranteeing free channel selection to secondary users (SUs) in order to maintain the network’s throughput. Many techniques have been designed in the literature for channel selection in CRNs, but the throughput of the network has not been enhanced yet. Here, an efficient technique, known as multicriteria oppositional-learnt dragonfly resourceoptimized QoS-driven channel selection (MOLDRO-QoSDCS) is proposed to select the best available channel with the expected QoS metrics. The MOLDRO-QoSDCS technique is designed to improve energy efficiency and throughput, simultaneously reducing the sensing time. By relying on oppositional-learnt multiobjective dragonfly optimization, the optimal available channel is selected depending on signal-to-noise ratio, power consumption, and spectrum utilization. In the optimization process, the population of the available channels is initialized. Then, using multiple criteria, the fitness function is determined and the available channel with the best resource availability is selected. Using the selected optimal channel, data transmission is effectively performed to increase the network’s throughput and to minimize the sensing time. The simulated outputs obtained with the use of Matlab are compared with conventional algorithms in order to verify the performance of the solution. The MOLDRO-QoSDCS technique performs better than other methods in terms of throughput, sensing time, and energy efficiency