Concentration in Knowledge Output:A Case of Economics Journals

Journals moderate knowledge activity in economics. The activity of publishing article in professional journal forms significant part of knowledge output. Output of economics articles has been growing over the time. We examine an important question: Is there any case of institutional or location concentration in knowledge production? This paper analyses concentration indicators specific to economics journals and explores link between publication process and concentration. The analysis of various concentration measures present evidence for institutional-geographic-area-author concentration in Knowledge production in Economics. High concentration levels indicate possibility of institutional lock-in. The literature provides evidence for myopic refereeing, editorial favouritism and the presence of ‘lock-in’ effect. The achievement in journal publication is influenced by factors like institutional affiliation, propitious circumstances etc. Discussion carried out in this paper hints the possibility of causal link between unfair process and unfair outcome.Knowledge,Lotka's Law,Fourier Series

Evaluation of Barley Genotypes Against Spot Blotch Disease in Inner Tarai Region of Nepal

Spot blotch caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana (Sacc. in Sorok.) Shoem. is an important disease of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). A total of 126 barley genotypes received from Hill Crops Research Program, Kabre, Dolakha having SoluUwa as a susceptible check and Bonus as a resistant check were evaluated as barley disease screening nursery (BDSN) under natural epiphytotic condition at National Maize Research Program, Rampur, Chitwan during winter seasons of 2017 and 2018. The nursery was planted in augmented design. The resistant and susceptible checks were repeated and planted after each 10 tested entries. The unit plot size was 2 rows of one meter length for each genotype planted continuously with 25cm row to row spacing. The seed rate was 100 kg/ha. The recommended fertilizer dose of 23:30:0 N:P2O5:K2O kg/ha was applied. The double digit scale (00 to 99) was used to measure overall foliar infection on the whole plant during flowering, soft dough and hard dough stages. Other agronomic practices were followed as per recommendation. Genotypes B86019-1K-3K-0K3, ACC 2087, ACC 2441, ACC GHv-06816, ACC 1597, ACC 1612, ACC 2059 and ACC 2032 were resistant against spot blotch disease. Similarly, 32 barley genotypes were moderately resistant and rest of the tested genotypes were susceptible to the disease. The selected resistant barley genotypes can be used in crossing program and/or promoted for further testing to develop spot blotch resistant varieties for inner Tarai region of Nepal

SPEECH RECOGNITION USING SOM AND ACTUATION VIA NETWORK IN MATLAB

This paper proposes a method of Speech recognition using Self Organizing Maps (SOM) and actuation through network in Matlab. The different words spoken by the user at client end are captured and filtered using Least Mean Square (LMS) algorithm to remove the acoustic noise. FFT is taken for the filtered voice signal. The voice spectrum is recognized using trained SOM and appropriate label is sent to server PC. The client and the server communication are established using User Datagram Protocol (UDP). Microcontroller (AT89S52) is used to control the speed of the actuator depending upon the input it receives from the client. Real-time working of the prototype system has been verified with successful speech recognition, transmission, reception and actuation via network

Design and evaluation of timolol maleate ocuserts

A remarkable attempt was made to prepare timolol maleate ocuserts, which is significant beta adreno receptor antagonist, by the aid of different of different ratio of composition of polymers such as EC, HPMC and Eudragit RS 100. Twelve batches of suitable ophthalmic films formulated by the method of solvent casting technique. Out of which the best formulation was found out the zero order release was observed in batch and was considered as the least drug releasing one. The formulated ocuserts were flexible, uniform and was meant for physic-chemical evaluator parameters, in vitro drug release profile and in vivo evaluation made on male rabbit

Assessment of drug utilization among geriatric patients based on defined daily dose concept in a rural tertiary care teaching hospital

Background: The objectives of the study were to use the anatomical therapeutic chemical classification (ATC) /defined daily dose (DDD) concept to study the drug utilization pattern in geriatric patients in a rural tertiary care teaching hospital.Methods: An observational study was conducted at Rajah Muthiah Medical College Hospital (OPD and IPD) over a period of six months from November 2018 to April 2019. The data was collected from 204 patients using specially designed data collection form. The patients were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: A total of 204 patients were included in this study. The study population consisting of males 130 (63.7%) and females 74 (36.2%). Diseases related to the cardiovascular system 67 (32.84%) were the most common cause for the geriatric patients to attend the hospital, followed by surgical diseases 47 (23.03%), Oncological diseases 2 (0.98%) were the least frequency encountered. The average number of drugs prescribed per prescription was 8.79. Out of 1795 drugs prescribed, 60.86% of drugs were prescribed in generic form, and 39.14% were prescribed in brand name. The study analysed that 71.25% of drugs prescribed were from essential drug list (EDL) 2016-2018. Number of prescriptions with an injection was 74.04%. Paracetamol (N02B01) was the most frequently prescribed drug, followed by Amlodipine (C08CA01), Dexamethasone (H02AB02), Clopidogrel (B01AC04), Ferrous sulfate (B03AA07), Acetylsalicylic acid (B01AC06), Hydrocortisone (H02AB09), Tamsulosin (G04CA02), Atorvastatin (C10AA05), Furosemide (C03CA01).Conclusions: Drug utilization study can help in evaluating the quality of care given to the geriatric patients and promote rational use of medicines

Adoption Level of Animal Welfare Practices among Dairy Farmers in Central Plain Zone of Uttar Pradesh

Animal welfare assumes much significance in the era of dairy commercialization, both for health of the animals as well as to improve the farm productivity. Although animal welfare scores, scales and modules have been developed and implemented at developed countries, the outreach of animal welfare and awareness about the same has not been given due importance in developing countries including India. In this context, the present research study was designed to make an attempt to find out the extent of adoption of animal welfare practices by the dairy farmers at field level. The study was conducted in the Central plain zone of Uttar Pradesh State. Four districts (Hardoi, Auraiya, Allahabad and Kaushambi) were selected purposively. One block from each district and from each block two villages and from each village 15 farmer-respondents were selected randomly. A total of 120 respondents were finally approached for the primary data collection. The salient findings revealed that, in case of overall adoption of animal welfare practices, more than half of the dairy farmers (55.83%) had medium level of adoption, whereas remaining 23.34 and 20.83% respondents had high and low levels of adoption, respectively. Hence, majority of the farmers were adopting the dairy management practices which met the welfare protocols of the dairy animals

Study of sickle cell anaemia with clinical and hematological correlation

Background: Sickle cell anaemia is a hemoglobinopathy with the production of abnormal hemoglobin, HbS which when exposed to hypoxemia produces sickling of RBC. Severity of the disease depends on the percentage of HbS. Rise in the levels of Hb F is associated with less intense clinical course. Drugs targeted at increasing levels of HbF have prognostic significance. The aim of the study is to analyse the age, sex distribution, clinical, hematological and electrophoretic appearances and to compare with other studies.Methods: 300 sickle cell positive patients, both male and females who attended OPD were studied with all the clinical findings  and hematological parameters. 52 cases were subjected to electrophoresis.Results: Males were 154 and females were 146. Degree of anaemia was severe in females when compared to males. Of 52 cases subjected for electrophoresis 36 were homozygous, 15 were heterozygous and 1 case Sickle thalassemia. 7 cases showed HbF above 5%.Conclusions: Most of the patients were under 40 yrs suggesting decreased survival after that age.  An increased level of HbF was associated with better prognosis suggesting the need to target at drugs which increase HbF

Selection of antigenically advanced variants of seasonal influenza viruses.

Influenza viruses mutate frequently, necessitating constant updates of vaccine viruses. To establish experimental approaches that may complement the current vaccine strain selection process, we selected antigenic variants from human H1N1 and H3N2 influenza virus libraries possessing random mutations in the globular head of the haemagglutinin protein (which includes the antigenic sites) by incubating them with human and/or ferret convalescent sera to human H1N1 and H3N2 viruses. We also selected antigenic escape variants from human viruses treated with convalescent sera and from mice that had been previously immunized against human influenza viruses. Our pilot studies with past influenza viruses identified escape mutants that were antigenically similar to variants that emerged in nature, establishing the feasibility of our approach. Our studies with contemporary human influenza viruses identified escape mutants before they caused an epidemic in 2014-2015. This approach may aid in the prediction of potential antigenic escape variants and the selection of future vaccine candidates before they become widespread in nature.This work was supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Global Health Grant OPPGH5383; National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Public Health Service research grants (USA); ERATO (Japan Science and Technology Agency); the Center for Research on Influenza Pathogenesis (CRIP) funded by the NIAID Contracts HHSN266200700010C and HHSN27 2201400008C; the Japan Initiative for Global Research Network on Infectious Diseases; Grants-in-Aid for Specially Promoted Research from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, Japan; Grants-in-Aid from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan; grants from the Strategic Basic Research Program of the Japan Science and Technology Agency; and by the Advanced Research & Development Programs for Medical Innovation from the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED). C.A.R. was supported by a University Research Fellowship from the Royal Society. The authors acknowledge a Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) VICI grant, European Union (EU) FP7 programs EMPERIE (223498) and ANTIGONE (278976); Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) program grant P0050/2008; Wellcome 087982AIA; and NIH Director's Pioneer Award DP1-OD000490-01. D.F.B and D.J.S. acknowledge CamGrid, the University of Cambridge distributed computer system. The Melbourne WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza is supported by the Australian Government Department of Health.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Nature Publishing Group via http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nmicrobiol.2016.5

Filarial Lymphedema Is Characterized by Antigen- Specific Th1 and Th17 Proinflammatory Responses and a Lack of Regulatory T Cells

Background: Lymphatic filariasis can be associated with development of serious pathology in the form of lymphedema, hydrocele, and elephantiasis in a subset of infected patients. Methods and Findings: To elucidate the role of CD4+ T cell subsets in the development of lymphatic pathology, we examined specific sets of cytokines in individuals with filarial lymphedema in response to parasite antigen (BmA) and compared them with responses from asymptomatic infected individuals. We also examined expression patterns of Toll-like receptors (TLR1–10) and Nod-like receptors (Nod1, Nod2, and NALP3) in response to BmA. BmA induced significantly higher production of Th1-type cytokines—IFN-c and TNF-a—in patients with lymphedema compared with asymptomatic individuals. Notably, expression of the Th17 family of cytokines—IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-21, and IL-23—was also significantly upregulated by BmA stimulation in lymphedema patients. In contrast, expression of Foxp3, GITR, TGFb, and CTLA-4, known to be expressed by regulatory T cells, was significantly impaired in patients with lymphedema. BmA also induced significantly higher expression of TLR2, 4, 7, and 9 as well Nod1 and 2 mRNA in patients with lymphedema compared with asymptomatic controls. Conclusion: Our findings implicate increased Th1/Th17 responses and decreased regulatory T cells as well as regulation of Toll- and Nod-like receptors in pathogenesis of filarial lymphedema