Payments transition in India – consumer preferences and policy shifts

Economic growth should be supplemented by an efficient payment and settlement system. Many attempts have been made to improve the efficiency of payment and settlement system in India. Especially the effort has been in terms of promoting digital economy. But the stickiness to payments through currency notes by the people has had a moderating effect on these efforts. The policy shift of Government of India towards demonetization of higher denomination currency notes has given thrust to digital payments. The study hypothesizes that post demonetization, the payment and settlement system indicators would show moderate to high deviation from the volume and value that can be forecasted using the historical data. Using Automatic ARIMA Forecasting in EViews, the forecasted values for the indicators for a period from November 2016 to March 2018 were estimated based on the historical data of the indicators from April 2011 to October 2016. The forecasted values of the indicators are then compared with the actual values of the indicators to see if they differ significantly by using paired t-test. The study finds evidence to suggest that the policy of demonetization and resultant reduced supply of currency notes has provided impetus to the Indian public to move towards digital platforms, and the increased supply of currency notes thereafter has not led to complete reversal of this shift in this change in consumer preference. This leads to the conclusion that through effective policy shifts, consumer preferences can be altered, and the Indian economy could become a less cash economy

Effect of Amomum subulatum seeds against cypermethrin induced haematological changes in wistar albino rats

Background: Cypermethrin is a well know agricultural pesticide used in the developing countries. It is associated with significant toxic potential on human health. Hence the present study was aimed to evaluate the protective role of Amomum subulatum against cypermethrin induced haematalogical changes in Wistar albino rats.Methods: The albino rats were divided into five different groups of six rats each. Group I considered as normal control, group II cypermethrin control (25mg/kg body weight p.o.), group III only test drug and group IV and V administered with cypermethrin 25mg/kg body weight along test drug 1.08 and 2.16mg/kg body weight for 28 consecutive days. At the end of 28th day blood was withdrawn and total haematalogical parameters were estimated.Results: In the cypermethrin control there was significant reduction in the WBC, Platelet, MCHC and considerable reduction in the haemoglobulin concentration in comparison to normal control. The test drug administered at both dose levels was significantly reversed the cypermethrin induced changes in haematalogical parameters.Conclusions: Authors can conclude that the Amomum subulatum has potency to reverse the cypermethrin induced haematalogical changes

Cost-Effectiveness of iGlarLixi Versus Premix BIAsp 30 in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Suboptimally Controlled by Basal Insulin in the UK

INTRODUCTION iGlarLixi is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise in addition to metformin (with or without sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors) to improve glycemic control in adults with insufficiently controlled type 2 diabetes (T2D). A cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted to compare iGlarLixi with premix biphasic insulin aspart 30 (BIAsp 30) in people with T2D suboptimally controlled with basal insulin (BI). METHODS The IQVIA CORE Diabetes Model was used to estimate lifetime costs and outcomes for people with T2D from a UK health care perspective at a willingness-to-pay threshold of £20,000. Initial clinical data were based on the phase 3 randomized, open-label, active-controlled SoliMix clinical trial which compared the efficacy and safety of once-daily iGlarLixi with that of twice-daily BIAsp 30. Costs associated with management and complications and utilities values were derived from published sources. Lifetime costs (in £GBP) and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were predicted; extensive scenario and sensitivity analyses were conducted. RESULTS Estimated QALYs gained were slightly higher with iGlarLixi (8.9 vs. 8.8) compared with premix BIAsp 30, at a higher cost (£23,204 vs. £21,961). The base case incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) per QALY was £13,598. Treatment acquisition was the main driver of cost differences (iGlarLixi, £11,750; premix BIAsp 30, £10,395). Costs associated with management and complications were generally similar between comparators. CONCLUSION iGlarLixi provides improved QALY outcomes at an acceptable cost compared with premix BIAsp 30, with an ICER below the threshold generally considered acceptable by UK authorities. In people with T2D, iGlarLixi is a simple, cost-effective option for advancing therapy of BI, with fewer daily injections than premix BIAsp 30

Treatment Approaches for Word Retrieval Deficits in Persons with Aphasia: Recent Advances

Word retrieval deficit is found to be one of the most persistent symptoms reported among the constellation of symptoms exhibited by persons with aphasia (PWAs). This deficit restraints the persons with aphasia to perform with ease across day-to-day conversations. As a consequence, PWAs fail to communicate their desired ideas or thoughts. Word retrieval is an intricate process as it entails various levels of processing. In addition, word retrieval breakdown can occur at multiple levels (semantic level or lexical-semantic level, or phonological level). Thus, there is a need for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to treat this deficit through effective treatment approaches. In recent decades, semantic feature analysis, verb network strengthening treatment, and phonological component analysis have received greater focus and importance in treating word retrieval deficits. Many studies confirmed that the use of these treatment approaches on PWAs possesses a pivotal role in remediating word retrieval deficits

Klinefelters Syndrome: Change in T-Scores with Testosterone, Bisphosphonate, and Vitamin D Treatment over 6 Years

Background: Klinefelter's syndrome (KS) is characterized by extra X chromosomes and features of primary hypogonadism including osteopenia and osteoporosis. Testosterone therapy (TTh) is widely used to treat men with KS and low serum testosterone/hypogonadal symptoms, though studies on its efficacy in improving bone density show varied outcomes. Materials and Methods: We studied the effects of TTh, bisphosphonates, and vitamin D/calcium in 38 men with KS and low testosterone, hypogonadal symptoms, and T-scores consistent with osteoporosis. Our aim was to investigate at the end of follow-up (median: 87 months, range: 27-147 months), associations between age, baseline total testosterone, and T-scores, and change in T-scores after treatment. Results: At final assessment, all men had T-score values outside the osteoporotic range (-1.1 standard deviation [SD],-1.8 SD). Baseline age but not median baseline testosterone appeared associated with change in T-score and T-score at final assessment. All men had dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry every 6 months and demonstrated continued improvement in T-scores after 3 months and up to 72 months. Baseline age and T-scores (stratified by median) were associated with change in T-score at final assessment. Compared with men ≥51 years, those aged <51 years showed significantly greater improvement in T-scores between 6 and 30 months. Men with worse T-score values (<3.7 SD) showed significantly greater improvement at every time point up to 36 months. Our results indicate that TTh, bisphosphonates, and vitamin D/calcium improve osteoporosis although there is a need to better understand the effects of the individual therapies, age, and baseline T-score on treatment efficacy

Nitrogen and potassium nutrition of French basil (Ocimum basilicum Linn.)

Studies were undertaken on red sandy loam soil (Kandiustalf) in a semi-arid tropical climateat Bangalore (Karnataka) to find out the effect of fertilizer application in influencing oilproduction, quality and soil fertility in French basil (Ocimum basilicum). The study showedthat application of nitrogen (up to 100 kg ha-1) increased herb and essential oil yields in themain crop, first ratoon and second crop while potassium application (up to 80 kg ha-1)increased the yields in the second ratoon and second crop suggesting that soil potassiumdepletion occurred with time. &nbsp;Nitrogen application increased methyl chavicol (by 4.1%) anddecreased linalool (by 14.2%) contents in basil oil. Yield increases were accompanied by higherremoval of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium from soil (by 247%, 23% and 94%,respectively) by the crop and lower amounts of exchangeable potassium (by 37.8 %) in soil.Due to the depletion of soil potassium, interactions between nitrogen and potassium weresignificant in the second crop of basil. Application of 100 kg nitrogen ha-1&nbsp;and 80 kg potassiumha-1&nbsp;gave optimum yield and quality of oil. &nbsp

Klinefelters Syndrome: Change in T-Scores with Testosterone, Bisphosphonate, and Vitamin D Treatment over 6 Years

Background: Klinefelter’s syndrome (KS) is characterized by extra X chromosomes and features of primary hypogonadism including osteopenia and osteoporosis. Testosterone therapy (TTh) is widely used to treat men with KS and low serum testosterone/hypogonadal symptoms, though studies on its efficacy in improving bone density show varied outcomes. Materials and Methods: We studied the effects of TTh, bisphosphonates, and vitamin D/calcium in 38 men with KS and low testosterone, hypogonadal symptoms, and T-scores consistent with osteoporosis. Our aim was to investigate at the end of follow-up (median: 87 months, range: 27–147 months), associations between age, baseline total testosterone, and T-scores, and change in T-scores after treatment. Results: At final assessment, all men had T-score values outside the osteoporotic range (1.1 standard deviation [SD], 1.8 SD). Baseline age but not median baseline testosterone appeared associated with change in T-score and T-score at final assessment. All men had dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry every 6 months and demonstrated continued improvement in T-scores after 3 months and up to 72 months. Baseline age and T-scores (stratified by median) were associated with change in T-score at final assessment. Compared with men ‡51 years, those aged <51 years showed significantly greater improvement in T-scores between 6 and 30 months. Men with worse T-score values (<3.7 SD) showed significantly greater improvement at every time point up to 36 months. Our results indicate that TTh, bisphosphonates, and vitamin D/calcium improve osteoporosis although there is a need to better understand the effects of the individual therapies, age, and baseline T-score on treatment efficacy