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This detailed study assessed heavy metal contamination of sediments/soil near central India’s largest copper mining area using 38 sampling sites within 10 km of the mine using atomic absorption spectroscopy. This study utilized multivariate pattern recognition methods, namely hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA), for source identification. Twelve parameters, i.e., copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), organic matter (OM), cation exchange capacity (CEC), soil pH, distance (D), and elevation (E) were analyzed. The hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was used to analyze the sample sites with similar metal contamination and principal component analysis (PCA) was used to analyze the relationship between the parameters as well as to identify sources of heavy metal pollution. Three major pollution hotspots were detected by AHC and were classified as unpolluted/low pollution sites (UPS: mean concentration factor of 1.35 for Cu), highly polluted sites (HPS: mean concentration factor of 22 for Cu), and extremely polluted sites (EPS: mean concentration factor of 74 for Cu). PCA revealed three hidden factors/components, namely PC1 (explaining 38% of the variability), PC2 (18% of the variability), and PC3 (14% of the variability). Metals showed strong positive loading in PC1, explaining the highest variability. The mean content of Cu in soil/sediment samples was 502.526 mg/kg. The mean copper content was 10 times higher than the natural crustal value of 45mg/kg, indicating severe pollution in several sites around the study area. Mapping of copper contamination was conducted to reveal the spatial distribution of copper contamination using QGIS. This study exposes the heavy metal contamination level in surface sediments/soil and the effectiveness of pattern recognition techniques for the assessment of multivariate datasets in discerning spatial disparities and identifying the contamination causes.

Background Candida species are responsible for various clinical infections ranging from mucocutaneous infection to life threatening invasive diseases along with increased resistance to antifungal drugs has made a serious concern. Resistance to antifungal agents has increased during the last decade. Thus, identification of Candida up to species level and its antifungal susceptibility testing has a paramount significance in the management of Candidal infections. The aim of the study was to speciate Candida species and to determine antifungal susceptibility pattern of Candida species to antifungal agents. Methods A total of 100 consecutive Candida species were isolated from 1248 clinical specimens over 7 months period. Growths on Sabouraud dextrose agar were evaluated for colony appearance, macroscopic examination, Gram staining, germ tube test and urea hydrolysis test. Further, they were processed for Candida speciation on CHROMagar. Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed as recommended by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) M44-A document. Results Out of 100 Candida isolates, Candida albicans (56%) was the most common species. Among the non- albicans Candida species, Candida tropicalis (20%) was the predominant isolate followed by Candida glabrata (14%). Regarding antifungal susceptibility pattern, Candida species were more susceptible to clotrimazole (82%) followed by fluconazole (64%) and miconazole (44%). Conclusions Candida albicans was the predominant species responsible for various Candidal infections. Among commonly used antifungal drugs clotrimazole, miconazole and fluconazole were most effective.

Ageing societies are likely to face rapidly changing structural macroeconomic trends, with fiscal balances likely to worsen over time. It is widely acknowledged by forecasters and financial markets that debt-to-GDP ratios are tending to rise over time, but there are signs that the size and persistence of future deficits and debts may be underestimated. This underestimation comes from three sources: i) incorrect consideration of the medical complications of older cohorts; ii) a demography-driven rise in inflation, real interest rates and interest expenses; and iii) misalignment of fiscal and monetary policy incentives in an inflationary environment. We argue that a new era is starting, when we will have to face complicated relations between demography, and fiscal and monetary policy.

Remote sensing technology has penetrated all the natural resource segments as it provides precise information in an image mode. Remote sensing satellites are currently the fastest-growing source of geographic area information. With the continuous change in the earth’s surface and the wide application of remote sensing, change detection is very useful for monitoring environmental and human needs. So, it is necessary to develop automatic change detection techniques to improve the quality and reduce the time required by manual image analysis. This work focuses on the improvement of the classification accuracy of the machine learning techniques by reviewing the training samples and comparing the post-classification comparison with the image differencing in the algebraic technique. Landsat data are medium spatial resolution data; that is why pixel-wise computation has been applied. Two change detection techniques have been studied by applying a decision tree algorithm using a separability matrix and image differencing. The first change detection, e.g., the separability matrix, is a post-classification comparison in which individual images are classified by a decision tree algorithm. The second change detection is, e.g., the image differencing change detection technique in which changed and unchanged pixels are determined by applying the corner method to calculate the threshold on the changing image. The performance of the machine learning algorithm has been validated by 10-fold cross-validation. The experimental results show that the change detection using the post-classification method produced better results when compared to the image differencing of the algebraic change detection technique.

In blasting of soft to medium hard rock, the problem of high density resulting in excessive utilization of emulsion explosive is well known. The authors have conducted some experimental blasts to delve into the detonation behavior of conventional blasting and various other explosive consumption reduction techniques which induce air gaps using plastic tubes, plastic bottles or plastic balls in the explosive column. Resistance wire technique is used for gauging in-hole continuous velocity of detonation. The VOD varies from 5321.6 m/s to 4544.2 m/s and from 5123.4 m/s to 4274.2 m/s in conventional site mixed emulsion column and distributed spherical air gap column respectively. The detonation behavior is stable and similar in both these cases. While using plastic bottles or plastic tubes as air gaps, the VOD is fluctuating from 4636.3 m/s to 3268.4 m/s and from 4935.9 m/s to 3362.8 m/s respectively with a collapse of about 12 % from the average VOD of conventional SME column. The VOD falls abruptly when the detonation wave encounters large air gaps but it is successfully travelling through the air gaps making the detonation behavior more capricious.

Avant le déclenchement de la crise, les pays émergents jouissaient d'une croissance rapide et leurs banques centrales avaient fortement progressé dans la mise en œuvre de politiques monétaires modernes se rapprochant de celles en vigueur dans les pays développés. Cette période de croissance généralisée est maintenant révolue et a fait place à un jeu à somme nulle. Il en résulte que les dernières générations d'investissements réalisés dans les économies émergentes ne procureront que de très faibles rentabilités. Nous considérons donc que le modèle de croissance des pays émergents est en panne et qu'il est urgent de mettre un terme à cette mauvaise allocation des ressources. Comme cela est apparu depuis 2013, la politique monétaire n'est pas capable d'engendrer les réallocations de capital nécessaires vers de nouveaux secteurs et de nouvelles zones géographiques. L'adoption de politiques industrielles modernes est un outil bien plus efficace qui doit devenir le socle des politiques économiques des pays émergents. Before the crisis emerging countries experienced substantial economic growth and their central banks made considerable progress in adopting modern and theoretically sound frameworks, which further reinforced the benign environment. That period of global growth now appears to have given way to a period where incremental growth looks more like a zero-sum game. As a result, later vintages of the capital stock in the emerging market export sector are likely to generate very low returns. We thus consider that their growth model is broken and that resource misallocation must be stopped. As highlighted during the last post crisis period, monetary policy is ill-equipped to reallocate resources to new sectors and regions. A better tool would be a modern industrial policy that must become the cornerstone of emerging countries policies.

Avant le déclenchement de la crise, les pays émergents jouissaient d’une croissance rapide et leurs banques centrales avaient fortement progressé dans la mise en œuvre de politiques monétaires modernes se rapprochant de celles en vigueur dans les pays développés. Cette période de croissance généralisée est maintenant révolue et a fait place à un jeu à somme nulle. Il en résulte que les dernières générations d’investissements réalisés dans les économies émergentes ne procureront que de très faibles rentabilités. Nous considérons donc que le modèle de croissance des pays émergents est en panne et qu’il est urgent de mettre un terme à cette mauvaise allocation des ressources. Comme cela est apparu depuis 2013, la politique monétaire n’est pas capable d’engendrer les réallocations de capital nécessaires vers de nouveaux secteurs et de nouvelles zones géographiques. L’adoption de politiques industrielles modernes est un outil bien plus efficace qui doit devenir le socle des politiques économiques des pays émergents.Classification JEL : E58, G01, O23, O25. Before the crisis emerging countries experienced substantial economic growth and their central banks made considerable progress in adopting modern and theoretically sound frameworks, which further reinforced the benign environment. That period of global growth now appears to have given way to a period where incremental growth looks more like a zero-sum game. As a result, later vintages of the capital stock in the emerging market export sector are likely to generate very low returns. We thus consider that their growth model is broken and that resource misallocation must be stopped. As highlighted during the last post crisis period, monetary policy is ill-equipped to reallocate resources to new sectors and regions. A better tool would be a modern industrial policy that must become the cornerstone of emerging countries policies.Classification JEL: E58, G01, O23, O25.

AbstractSince 1991–92, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has promoted Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in India, inspired by the Grameen Bank model in Bangladesh, with the goal of empowering women. Over time, SHGs have evolved into a well-known movement across the country. These groups are designed to empower women by enabling them to generate income through group-led, indigenous product selling in their local market. This study involves a field visit to SHGs located in Jamdhar village, within the Kendrapara tehsil. In the Kendrapara district of Odisha, around 75% of the population relies on agriculture for their livelihood. However, frequent natural disasters often disrupt the income of farming families. The objective of the visit was to assess whether women involved in SHGs are contributing economically to their households and to understand the challenges and opportunities faced by these groups. Findings reveal that the SHG members have succeeded in increasing their monthly incomes by selling their SHGs’ indigenous products. The groups are also disciplined in repaying small loans sanctioned by banks for their business activities, which ultimately reflects their financial position and commitment to their business. Women members show strong involvement in both the production and marketing of their goods. SHGs are expanding rapidly, especially when their products are purchased under government schemes. The study recommends that the government should further support SHGs, particularly in agriculture and allied sectors, by ensuring access to inputs, offering training programs, and facilitating effective marketing channels for their products.