Chronic diarrhea in PEDs

This issue of eMedRef provides information to clinicians on the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and therapeutics of chronic diarrhea in children

Off-grid electricity interventions for cleaner livelihoods: A Case study of value chain development in Dhenkanal district of Odisha

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.Lack of access to electricity in rural areas hinders productive activities, which in turn affects sustainable rural development. Off-grid electrification options can offer an alternative but in order to develop productive uses of electricity in off-grid area, a detailed study of livelihoods and potential areas for improvement in the value chain is required. This paper reports such a study where a livelihood baseline survey was undertaken in a cluster of five remote off-grid village in Dhenkanal district of Odisha (India) and through a series of interviews, focused group meetings and stakeholder interactions, the study finds that value-added services can be developed through an off-grid electrification intervention. Electrification can support productive activities, thereby offering an opportunity for improved income generation and a better quality of life and a transition to cleaner energy sources. The study provides a novel value chain framework for linking off grid projects with local livelihoods replicable across multiple geographies ensuring sustainability of these projects

Integrating and implementing CSR: A case of CONCOR (Container Corporation of India) in India

CSR in India is gaining momentum as a result of new legislation and pressure from multiple stakeholders. This chapter discusses the CSR program of a public sector enterprise, CONCOR (Container Corporation of India) in light of the changing regulatory environment form CSR in the country. This success story highlights how the CSR program in an Indian public sector enterprise was designed, planned and implemented right from its inception stage. The critical success factors for the implementation of CSR program on economic and social status of the beneficiaries are studied and presented. The findings of the project highlight the broad scope and implementation of different CSR initiatives and the effectiveness of the implementing organization in enhancing the capabilities of these poor communities and thus improving their livelihoods

Product strategy vis-à-vis environment: are strategies of pesticide manufacturers in India sustainable?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present strategic responses of leading Indian pesticide manufacturers to the voice of stakeholders and regulatory authorities regarding environment friendly products and processes. The study has made a unique attempt to analyze the product portfolio of selected Indian vs multinational companies with respect to market attractiveness as well as environmental attractiveness. Design/methodology/approach – A comparison of corporate, business and operational level strategies of domestic vs multinational companies impacting environment has been made by selecting two companies of each type from the industry on the basis of their turnover. The product portfolios of selected companies have been analyzed on the basis of a matrix constructed for market attractiveness and environmental attractiveness. Findings – The study finds that both domestic and multinational companies have been making efforts to reorient their product strategy towards a relatively greener portfolio. Also, multinationals are having more environmentally safer products than their domestic counterparts. Indian firms have been catching up by acquiring brands/companies to expand/reorient their product portfolios, whereas multinationals have been adopting merger and acquisition strategies as well as launching new products using indigenous research and development of their parent companies. Related diversification is the preferred strategic move by both the groups, though in different areas. Practical implications – The study classifies the products of various companies on the basis of market as well as environmental attractiveness and also recommends the strategies to manage a product portfolio. Similar kind of portfolios could be constructed and used for analyzing the product mix of firms in other sectors. Originality/value – The originality of the study lies in the fact that, although the pesticide industry is very important to study from both an environmental and a strategic perspective, no effort has ever been made to study the environmental strategies of firms and also the comparison of domestic as well as multinational firms. The product portfolio based on market as well as environmental attractiveness devised in the study is novel in nature.Corporate strategy, Environmental management, India, Pesticides, Product management, Sustainable development

Pigeonpea sterility mosaic virus a green plague-Current status of available drug and new potential targets

Pigeonpea is one of the important legume crops with high protein content and nutritional traits. It has enormous potency for its widespread adoption by farming communities. It is affected by various kinds of biotic and abiotic stresses. In the context, of biotic stresses Sterility mosaic disease (SMD) is one of the severe diseases in pigeonpea which ultimately lead to the drastic yield loss. The virus belongs to the genus Emaravirus, family- Fimoviridae. SMD is associated with two diverse types of Emaravirus, Pigeonpea sterility mosaic virus1 (PPSMV-1) and Pigeonpea sterility mosaic virus 2 (PPSMV-2). It is transmitted by the mite (Aceria cajani), mainly environmental contributing to the feasibility for the mites for the inoculation of the virus. The SMD is mainly governed by two genes SV1 that includes the dominant allele and serves as an inhibitory action on the resistance of the SV2. Methods for identification of the virus include RT-PCR, DIBA and ELISA using alkaline phosphatase or penicillinase. To control SMV disease farmers generally adopted intercropping methods. There are few potential drugs have been identified for the administration of the disease such as 0.1% Fenazaquin, Dicofol, Imidacloripid, Carbosulfan; Spiromesifin includes the inhibition of the mite inoculation on the pigeonpea plant. The present review describes compressive and systematic insights on SMV protein targets and potential drugs that could be utilized as the presumed drug targets for the finding of true drugs against the SMD in pigeonpea

A sustainable livelihood framework to implement CSR project in coal mining sector

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) in mining areas has increased momentum especially in countries like India where it has been made mandatory. The primary objective of this paper is to document actual social challenges of mining in field areas and find out how companies in the coal sector can work in a systematic manner to achieve uplift of affected communities. The first part of the paper draws evidence from three different bodies of literature, i.e. CSR and coal mining, capacity building and livelihood generation in mining areas. We try to converge the literature to propose a novel framework for livelihood generation work through capacity building with the help of CSR investments. The paper also documents a live case of planning and the implementation of capacity building activities in Muriadih coal mines in the Jharkhand state of India and offers lessons to both business and policy makers. The proposed framework has only been experimented in a local context, yet has the potential to be replicated in other mining areas

Scoping study on fruits and vegetables : results from India

Currently, one in three of the world's population suffer from one or more forms of malnutrition. The Agricultural Development and Nutrition teams at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in collaboration with the UK's Department for International Development (FCDO), seek to investigate the potential of vegetable and fruit supply chains to increase the supply of and strengthen demand for nutritious foods, as well as increase local market opportunities for increased income, especially for women. This report highlights the conclusions from a study in India, and identifies several root causes, as well as opportunities for interventions to further develop the fruit and vegetable sectors, and with that enhance consumption