Ocean and Climate information forecast services: Evaluations from the Fisher Folk communities of the West and East Coast of India

In comparison to the South-Asian countries, India tends to be high in range, experiencing the impact of the vicious spiral paradox between disaster, environment sustainability and coastal vulnerability. In order to address this discourse on the role of scientific and technological advancements in climate and weather forecast for the coastal communities, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) and its branching institutions provides the ocean state information to all the seafaring communities and organizations. In serving this purpose, the current work was focused on gauging the extent of adoption of the scientific weather forecast services towards the fisher folk communities across the two coastal states of India. The work aims to ascertain on the future needs of the fishers in terms of technology development and dissemination. About 1240 individual respondents were surveyed along the two coastal states, Andhra Pradesh (523 respondents off the East coast) and Kerala (717 respondents off the West coast) of India. Multistage random sampling method was used for selecting study locations and sample size to be surveyed in each coastal state/union territory. The primary data collection was carried out through questionnaire survey from each fisher respondents during the months of June 2018 to December 2019. 47% are registered users of the INCOIS services and 53% are non-registered users reliant on the ocean information services from other weather forecast departments and organisations. In light of this background, this article concurs with studies that propose a framework for the integration of ITK with scientific forecasting for improved seasonal predictions in order to reduce climate risks and vulnerabilit

Should I stay or should I go: South Indian artisanal fishers’ precarious livelihoods and their engagement with categorical ocean forecasts

Ocean State Forecasts contribute to safe and sustainable fishing in India, but their usage among artisanal fishers is often limited. Our research in Thiruvananthapuram district in the southern Indian state of Kerala tested forecast quality and value and how fishers engage with forecasts. In two fishing villages, we verified forecast accuracy, skill, and reliability by comparing forecasts with observations during the 2018 monsoon season (June–September; n 5 122). We assessed forecast value by analyzing fishers’ perceptions of weather and risks and the way they used forecasts based on 8 focus group discussions, 20 interviews, conversations, and logs of 10 fishing boats. We find that while forecasts are mostly accurate, inadequate forecasting of unusual events (e.g., wind .45 km h21) and frequent fishing restrictions (n 5 32) undermine their value. Fishers seek more localized and detailed forecasts, but they do not always use them. Weather forecasts are just one of the tools artisanal fishers deploy, used not simply to decide as to whether to go to sea but also to manage potential risks, allowing them to prepare for fishing under hazardous conditions. Their decisions are also based on the availability of fish and their economic needs. From our findings, we suggest that political, economic, and social marginality of south Indian fishers influences their perceptions and responses to weather-related risks. Therefore, improving forecast usage requires not only better forecast skill and wide dissemination of tailor-made weather information, but also better appreciation of risk cultures and the livelihood imperatives of artisanal fishing communities

Performance of the ocean state forecast system at Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services

The reliability of the operational Ocean State Forecast system at the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) during tropical cyclones that affect the coastline of India is described in this article. The performance of this system during cyclone Thane that severely affected the southeast coast of India during the last week of December 2011 is reported here. Spec-tral wave model is used for forecasting the wave fields generated by the tropical cyclone and vali-dation of the same is done using real-time automated observation systems. The validation results indicate that the forecasted wave parameters agree well with the measurements. The feedback from the user community indicates that the forecast was reliable and highly useful. Alerts based on this operational ocean state forecast system are thus useful for protecting the property and lives of the coastal communities along the coastline of India. INCOIS is extending this service for the benefit of the other countries along the Indian Ocean rim

Wave forecasting and monitoring during very severe cyclone Phailin in the Bay of Bengal

Wave fields, both measured and forecast during the very severe cyclone Phailin, are discussed in this communication. Waves having maximum height of 13.54 m were recorded at Gopalpur, the landfall point of the cyclone. The forecast and observed significant wave heights matched well at Gopalpur with correlation coefficient of 0.98, RMS error of 0.35 m and scatter index of 14%. Forecasts were also validated in the open ocean and found to be reliable (scatter index < 15%). The study also revealed the presence of Southern Ocean swells with a peak period of 20-22 sec hitting Gopalpur coast along with the cyclone-generated waves

30 inch Roll-Based Production of High-Quality Graphene Films for Flexible Transparent Electrodes

We report that 30-inch scale multiple roll-to-roll transfer and wet chemical doping considerably enhance the electrical properties of the graphene films grown on roll-type Cu substrates by chemical vapor deposition. The resulting graphene films shows a sheet resistance as low as ~30 Ohm/sq at ~90 % transparency which is superior to commercial transparent electrodes such as indium tin oxides (ITO). The monolayer of graphene shows sheet resistances as low as ~125 Ohm/sq with 97.4% optical transmittance and half-integer quantum Hall effect, indicating the high-quality of these graphene films. As a practical application, we also fabricated a touch screen panel device based on the graphene transparent electrodes, showing extraordinary mechanical and electrical performances

A neo-institutional perspective on ethical decision-making

Drawing on neo-institutional theory, this study aims to discern the poorly understood ethical challenges confronted by senior executives in Indian multinational corporations and identify the strategies that they utilize to overcome them. We conducted in-depth interviews with 40 senior executives in Indian multinational corporations to illustrate these challenges and strategies. By embedding our research in contextually relevant characteristics that embody the Indian environment, we identify several institutional- and managerial-level challenges faced by executives. The institutional-level challenges are interpreted as regulative, normative and cognitive shortcomings. We recommend a concerted effort at the institutional and managerial levels by identifying relevant strategies for ethical decision-making. Moreover, we proffer a multi-level model of ethical decision-making and discuss our theoretical contributions and practical implications

Valorizing the 'Irulas' traditional knowledge of medicinal plants in the Kodiakkarai Reserve Forest, India

A mounting body of critical research is raising the credibility of Traditional Knowledge (TK) in scientific studies. These studies have gained credibility because their claims are supported by methods that are repeatable and provide data for quantitative analyses that can be used to assess confidence in the results. The theoretical importance of our study is to test consensus (reliability/replicable) of TK within one ancient culture; the Irulas of the Kodiakkarai Reserve Forest (KRF), India. We calculated relative frequency (RF) and consensus factor (Fic) of TK from 120 Irulas informants knowledgeable of medicinal plants. Our research indicates a high consensus of the Irulas TK concerning medicinal plants. The Irulas revealed a diversity of plants that have medicinal and nutritional utility in their culture and specific ethnotaxa used to treat a variety of illnesses and promote general good health in their communities. Throughout history aboriginal people have been the custodians of bio-diversity and have sustained healthy life-styles in an environmentally sustainable manner. However this knowledge has not been transferred to modern society. We suggest this may be due to the asymmetry between scientific and TK, which demands a new approach that considers the assemblage of TK and scientific knowledge. A greater understanding of TK is beginning to emerge based on our research with both the Irulas and Malasars; they believe that a healthy lifestyle is founded on a healthy environment. These aboriginal groups chose to share this knowledge with society-at-large in order to promote a global lifestyle of health and environmental sustainability

Rationale and design of the United Kingdom Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction Registry

\ua9 Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.Objective: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a common heterogeneous syndrome that remains imprecisely defined and consequently has limited treatment options and poor outcomes. Methods: The UK Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction Registry (UK HFpEF) is a prospective data-enabled cohort and platform study. The study will develop a large, highly characterised cohort of patients with HFpEF. A biobank will be established. Deep clinical phenotyping, imaging, multiomics and centrally held national electronic health record data will be integrated at scale, in order to reclassify HFpEF into distinct subgroups, improve understanding of disease mechanisms and identify new biological pathways and molecular targets. Together, these will form the basis for developing diagnostics and targeted therapeutics specific to subgroups. It will be a platform for more effective and efficient trials, focusing on subgroups in whom targeted interventions are expected to be effective, with consent in place to facilitate rapid recruitment, and linkage for follow-up. Patients with a diagnosis of HFpEF made by a heart failure specialist, who have had natriuretic peptide levels measured and a left ventricular ejection fraction >40% are eligible. Patients with an ejection fraction between 40% and 49% will be limited to no more than 25% of the cohort. Conclusions: UK HFpEF will develop a rich, multimodal data resource to enable the identification of disease endotypes and develop more effective diagnostic strategies, precise risk stratification and targeted therapeutics. Trial registration number: NCT05441839