Character association and path analysis studies in germplasm lines of rabi sorghum (Sorghum bicolor(L.) Moench)

The field experiment was carried out using 121 germplasm lines of rabi sorghum to study association among the yield and its component traits, direct and indirect effects of traits on the yield. Association studies indicat-ed that at both genotypic and phenotypic levels, panicle width (rg=0.190; rp=0.204) and 1000 grain weight (rg=0.450; rp=0.520) showed significantly positive correlation with grain yield per plant. Genotypic correlation magnitude was higher than phenotypic correlation. Partitioning of yield and yield components both at phenotypic and genotypic levels into direct and indirect effects revealed that the characters that had positive direct effects on grain yield were 1000 grain weight (Ppi=+0.3085, Pgi=+0.4621), panicle length (Ppi=+0.1516, Pgi=+0.2843), days to maturity (Ppi=+0.1539, Pgi=+0.1391) at both genotypic and phenotypic level. On grain yield indicating importance of these characters hence, due consideration should be given to these characters while planning a breeding strategy by utilizing rabisorghum

Impact of Foreign Aid on Economic Growth in Nepal

Master's thesis Business Administration BE501 - University of Agder 2019Nepal, being one of the least developed countries,has beenreceiving aid for more than six decades. It is very important to see how the country is being able to utilize the aid receipts in the economic developmentof the nation.Using annual time series data from 1983 to 2013, the effect of foreign aid oneconomic growth of Nepal has been analysed.The empirical work has beenperformed in two phases(1983-2002 and 1983-2013). The result from Johansen’s cointegrationtest for the shorter time interval, when there was relatively a poor economic situationin the country,revealsthat aid has a negative long-run effect on per capita real GDP.In a longer time interval, including a period of improvement on macroeconomic indicators,the effectiveness of aid is increasedshowing a significantpositive effect of foreign aid on per capita real GDP. There is a negative impact of aid on per capita real GDP in the short run.A good policy environment helps increasetheaid effectiveness. However, the prevailing trade policy in the country is negatively affecting the aid effectiveness due totheextremely increased trade deficit. Keywords:Foreign aid, Economic Growth, Cointegration, Error Correction Model, Nepa

Digital Social Enterprise for Sustainable Development: Insights from the Case Study in Nepal

It is generally agreed that digital social enterprises (DSE) through the digitalization process can contribute to sustainable development. However, there are a few theoretical and empirical studies in this research stream. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a qualitative interpretive case study in Nepal. Applying the theory of affordances as an analytical tool, we identified five digital affordances: transactability, communicability, accessibility, manageability, and digitizability. By actualizing these affordances, DSEs can contribute to access to market and finance, social engagement, waste management, and digitized information. We also identified various challenges such as lack of awareness about digital affordances and capabilities to actualize those affordances, lack of digital culture, and poor mapping system that can inhibit the actualization of the affordances and showed the facilitating conditions that can address these challenges. Finally, we suggest future research avenues

SWOT ANALYSIS OF MODERN AND TRADITIONAL SHOPS IN THANE CITY

There has been an increase in the number of retail formats emerging in India. The last few years have seen new formats of retail spreading out to the second-tier cities and towns. Consumers in these areas are exposed to modern shopping options and experiences like never before. Competition amongst formats is increasing with Modern Trade eating into the pie of Traditional retailers. Retailers need to become aware of their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, Maximize their strengths and opportunities, Minimize their weaknesses and threats, and develop suitable/appropriate strategies to benefit by applying the same. Hence a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, and Opportunities, Threats) analysis of Modern and Traditional retailers will help to capture, analyze and convert consumer data into actionable information and transform their professional models to survive and thrive. A Quota Sample of 559 Households of Low, Medium, and High-income groups was studied through the Survey method, in Thane City, Maharashtra, India. This paper attempts to explore Product, Service, Customer, Promotion, Payment and Other considerations that are essential to shoppers which both Modern and Traditional retailers need to take cognizance of

Examining a Customer Relationship Management Strategy: The Antecedents and Consequences of Gift-Giving Behavior

Given the significance of the gifting industry- the National Retail Federation reports that Americans were forecasted to spend 18.9 billion dollars on Valentines’ Day gifts in 2015, we model the impact of gift-giving on customer buying behavior using two Type I Tobit models. We address the following research questions with individual level transaction data that spans seven years from a large national retailer: How are past personal spending, gift spending, and gift-receiving related to future gift spending? How are past gift spending and gift-receiving related to future personal spending? How do past gift behaviors moderate the relationship between past personal spending on future personal spending and future gift spending? Our findings have strong managerial implications in terms of whether and how firms should encourage gift-giving. By understanding the financial implications of customers’ gift behaviors for the firm and which customers are most likely to engage in gift behaviors, firms can better communicate with their customers to encourage future spending

Experimental study on corroded steel beams rehabilitated using BFRP wrap

There are many structurally deficient bridges in service all around North America. These bridges can cause a potential danger to public safety, and thus, are in desperate need of replacement or rehabilitation. Flexural rehabilitation of corroded steel beams using Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) and Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) have been studied in the past. However, studies have not been conducted on the rehabilitation of corroded steel beams using Basalt Fibre Reinforced Polymer (BFRP). This research examined the feasibility and effectiveness of using BFRP fabric for the rehabilitation of corroded steel beams by performing full-scale tests and developing finite element models. The study found that both yield and ultimate load capacities of a corroded steel beam can be fully restored provided sufficient thickness of BFRP fabric is used. It may be difficult to fully restore the ductility of a corroded steel beam; however, the ductility can be improved and the improvement depends on the thickness of BFRP fabric

Formal Synthesis of CJ-12,954 and CJ-13,014 using Zinc-Mediated Tandem Chain Extension-Aldol Reaction and Synthesis and Investigation of Diastereoselectivity of Hydroxy-Cyclopropyl Peptide Isosteres

A formal synthesis of the natural products CJ-12,954 and CJ-13,014 was successfully accomplished using the zinc-mediated tandem chain extension-aldol reaction methodology. This chemistry was performed on a chiral β-keto imide synthesized using a DCC coupling reaction. The diastereoselectivity of the aldol reaction was controlled by an Evans chiral auxiliary. Comparison between the reported and experimental spectral data for the spiroketals confirmed the structural assignment. The diastereoselectivity of the homologation-cyclization-rearrangement-lactonization reaction of β-keto imide derived from phenyl carbamate-protected proline was studied. Tetra-n-butylammonium fluoride-mediated rearrangement of trimethylsilyl cyclopropanol demonstrated the role of chiral auxiliary and the amino acid stereocenter in controlling the diastereoselectivity of the bicyclic lactone formation

Prevalence of hypertension among rural population of Doiwala block, Dehradun, Uttarakhand India

Hypertension is a major health problem in developed as well as in developing countries. The prevalence pattern of hypertension in developing countries is different from that in the developed countries. The increasing epidemic of hypertension in India was documented by studies done at various places across the country. Various studies estimated a prevalence rate of hypertension among urban population ranging from 1.24% in 1949 to 36.4% in 2003 and for rural people from 1.99% in 1958 to 21.2 % in 1994.  Uttarakhand is a newly formed and one of the hilly states of the India with more than 70% rural population. Since very scanty reports are available on prevalence of hypertension from Uttarakhand so this community based cross sectional study was conducted to know about the prevalence of hypertension in rural population of an area of Uttarakhand. Gumaniwala, a village near Rishikesh was the place of survey.  A total of 340 peoples aged 30 years and above were selected through simple random sampling method for the study. All the subjects underwent an interview through a pretested questionnaire and clinical examination. Blood pressure of all the study subjects was measured using standardized technique. All the data were analyzed using SPSS software version 16.0. The prevalence of hypertension was presented as percentage. The association between categorical variables and hypertension were tested using Chi square test. A p value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.  The overall prevalence of hypertension and pre-hypertension was 33.2% and 40.6% respectively. The prevalence of hypertension among females is higher (34.2%) than in males (32.4%). Among all studied variables age, smoking and Body mass index (BMI) were significantly related with hypertension (p<0.05). Since prevalence of hypertension is associated with socio-demographic factors hence the identification of the variables influencing hypertension is an important aspect for taking appropriate preventive measures to stop increase in the incidence of hypertension