Showing papers by "Jawaharlal Nehru University published in 2016"

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition)

Abstract: In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. For example, a key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process versus those that measure flux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process including the amount and rate of cargo sequestered and degraded). In particular, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation must be differentiated from stimuli that increase autophagic activity, defined as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (in most higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the field understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. It is worth emphasizing here that lysosomal digestion is a stage of autophagy and evaluating its competence is a crucial part of the evaluation of autophagic flux, or complete autophagy. Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. Along these lines, because of the potential for pleiotropic effects due to blocking autophagy through genetic manipulation, it is imperative to target by gene knockout or RNA interference more than one autophagy-related protein. In addition, some individual Atg proteins, or groups of proteins, are involved in other cellular pathways implying that not all Atg proteins can be used as a specific marker for an autophagic process. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field.

Transcription Factors and Plants Response to Drought Stress: Current Understanding and Future Directions

Abstract: Increasing vulnerability of plants to a variety of stresses such as drought, salt and extreme temperatures poses a global threat to sustained growth and productivity of major crops. Of these stresses, drought represents a considerable threat to plant growth and development. In view of this, developing staple food cultivars with improved drought tolerance emerges as the most sustainable solution towards improving crop productivity in a scenario of climate change. In parallel, unraveling the genetic architecture and the targeted identification of molecular networks using modern “OMICS” analyses, that can underpin drought tolerance mechanisms, is urgently required. Importantly, integrated studies intending to elucidate complex mechanisms can bridge the gap existing in our current knowledge about drought stress tolerance in plants. It is now well established that drought tolerance is regulated by several genes, including transcription factors (TFs) that enable plants to withstand unfavorable conditions, and these remain potential genomic candidates for their wide application in crop breeding. These TFs represent the key molecular switches orchestrating the regulation of plant developmental processes in response to a variety of stresses. The current review aims to offer a deeper understanding of TFs engaged in regulating plant’s response under drought stress and to devise potential strategies to improve plant tolerance against drought.

Piriformospora indica: Potential and Significance in Plant Stress Tolerance.

Abstract: Owing to its exceptional ability to efficiently promote plant growth, protection and stress tolerance, a mycorrhiza like endophytic Agaricomycetes fungus Piriformospora indica has received a great attention over the last few decades. P. indica is an axenically cultiviable fungus which exhibits its versatility for colonizing/hosting a broad range of plant species through directly manipulating plant hormone-signaling pathway during the course of mutualism. P. indica-root colonization leads to a better plant performance in all respect, including enhanced root proliferation by indole-3-acetic acid production which in turn results into better nutrient-acquisition and subsequently to improved crop growth and productivity. Additionally, P. indica can induce both local and systemic resistance to fungal and viral plant diseases through signal transduction. P. indica-mediated stimulation in antioxidant defense system components and expressing stress-related genes can confer crop/plant stress tolerance. Therefore, P. indica can biotize micropropagated plantlets and also help these plants to overcome transplantation shock. Nevertheless, it can also be involved in a more complex symbiotic relationship, such as tripartite symbiosis and can enhance population dynamic of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria. In brief, P. indica can be utilized as a plant promoter, bio-fertilizer, bioprotector, bioregulator, and biotization agent. The outcome of the recent literature appraised herein will help us to understand the physiological and molecular bases of mechanisms underlying P. indica-crop plant mutual relationship. Together, the discussion will be functional to comprehend the usefulness of crop plant-P. indica association in both achieving new insights into crop protection/improvement as well as in sustainable agriculture production.

Transcriptome analysis in different rice cultivars provides novel insights into desiccation and salinity stress responses.

Abstract: Drought and salinity are the major environmental factors that affect rice productivity. Comparative transcriptome analysis between tolerant and sensitive rice cultivars can provide insights into the regulatory mechanisms involved in these stress responses. In this study, the comparison of transcriptomes of a drought-tolerant [Nagina 22 (N22)] and a salinity-tolerant (Pokkali) rice cultivar with IR64 (susceptible cultivar) revealed variable transcriptional responses under control and stress conditions. A total of 801 and 507 transcripts were exclusively differentially expressed in N22 and Pokkali rice cultivars, respectively, under stress conditions. Gene ontology analysis suggested the enrichment of transcripts involved in response to abiotic stress and regulation of gene expression in stress-tolerant rice cultivars. A larger number of transcripts encoding for members of NAC and DBP transcription factor (TF) families in N22 and members of bHLH and C2H2 TF families in Pokkali exhibited differential regulation under desiccation and salinity stresses, respectively. Transcripts encoding for thioredoxin and involved in phenylpropanoid metabolism were up-regulated in N22, whereas transcripts involved in wax and terpenoid metabolism were up-regulated in Pokkali. Overall, common and cultivar-specific stress-responsive transcripts identified in this study can serve as a helpful resource to explore novel candidate genes for abiotic stress tolerance in rice.

Transcriptome analyses reveal genotype- and developmental stage-specific molecular responses to drought and salinity stresses in chickpea.

Abstract: Drought and salinity are the major factors that limit chickpea production worldwide. We performed whole transcriptome analyses of chickpea genotypes to investigate the molecular basis of drought and salinity stress response/adaptation. Phenotypic analyses confirmed the contrasting responses of the chickpea genotypes to drought or salinity stress. RNA-seq of the roots of drought and salinity related genotypes was carried out under control and stress conditions at vegetative and/or reproductive stages. Comparative analysis of the transcriptomes revealed divergent gene expression in the chickpea genotypes at different developmental stages. We identified a total of 4954 and 5545 genes exclusively regulated in drought-tolerant and salinity-tolerant genotypes, respectively. A significant fraction (~47%) of the transcription factor encoding genes showed differential expression under stress. The key enzymes involved in metabolic pathways, such as carbohydrate metabolism, photosynthesis, lipid metabolism, generation of precursor metabolites/energy, protein modification, redox homeostasis and cell wall component biogenesis, were affected by drought and/or salinity stresses. Interestingly, transcript isoforms showed expression specificity across the chickpea genotypes and/or developmental stages as illustrated by the AP2-EREBP family members. Our findings provide insights into the transcriptome dynamics and components of regulatory network associated with drought and salinity stress responses in chickpea.

An improved intuitionistic fuzzy c-means clustering algorithm incorporating local information for brain image segmentation

Abstract: Original and segmented simulated brain image by different algorithms: (a) axial view of original simulated T1-weighted brain image with INU=0 and 1% noise, (b) skull stripping simulated brain image, (c) manual segmented CSF, GM and WM images, (d) IIFCM algorithm, (e) IFCM algorithm, (f) FLICM algorithm, (g) EnFCM algorithm, (h) FGFCM algorithm, (i) FCM_S1 algorithm, (j) FCM_S2 algorithm, (k) ImFCM algorithm. The segmentation of brain magnetic resonance (MR) images plays an important role in the computer-aided diagnosis and clinical research. However, due to presence of noise and uncertainty on the boundary between different tissues in the brain image, the segmentation of brain image is a challenging task. Many variants of standard fuzzy c-means (FCM) algorithm have been proposed to handle the noise. Intuitionistic fuzzy c-means (IFCM) algorithm, one of the variants of FCM, is found suitable for image segmentation. It incorporates the advantage of intuitionistic fuzzy sets theory. The IFCM successfully handles the uncertainty but it is sensitive to noise as it does not incorporate any local spatial information. In this paper, we have presented a novel approach, named an improved intuitionistic fuzzy c-means (IIFCM), which considers the local spatial information in an intuitionistic fuzzy way. The IIFCM preserves the image details, is insensitive to noise, and is free of requirement of any parameter tuning. The obtained segmentation results on synthetic square image, real and simulated MRI brain image demonstrate the efficacy of the IIFCM algorithm and superior performance in comparison to existing segmentation methods. A nonparametric statistical analysis is also carried out to show the significant performance of the IIFCM algorithm in comparison to other existing segmentation algorithms.

Site suitability analysis for agricultural land use of Darjeeling district using AHP and GIS techniques

Abstract: Darjeeling district covered with 60.89 % of its land under Himalayan dense forest producing exquisite biodiversity and variations in climate with a diversified fauna and flora. Therefore, designs great scope for agricultural development in the rural area of the Himalayan foothills to boost rural economies. However, agriculture not mostly developed in this district due to different physical threats (such as very high slope and elevation, dense vegetation cover, fewer irrigation facilities, dry soil, etc.), socio-economic problems and lack of adequate transportation. Land suitability analysis can help to establish the strategies for the development of agricultural productivity. AHP with the integration of GIS-based multi-criterion decision making an approach using DEM and Landsat 8 satellite data was utilized to evaluate land suitability for agriculture production in hilly areas. Various ‘expert opinions’ was used to determine the results of selected parameters whereas pairwise comparison matrix used to established the weights. About, 5.31 % area is classified in the class highly suitable, 29.82 % in moderately suitable, 24.27 % in marginally suitable, and 40.60 % in unsuitable for agriculture. The techniques, methodology and results of the study can be effective to assess the suitable land for agriculture in hilly regions.

Assessment of groundwater quality of Lakshimpur district of Bangladesh using water quality indices, geostatistical methods, and multivariate analysis

Abstract: Groundwater evaluation indices, multivariate statistical techniques, and geostatistical models are applied to assess the source apportionment and spatial variability of groundwater pollutants at the Lakshimpur district of Bangladesh. A total of 70 groundwater samples have been collected from wells (shallow to deep wells, i.e., 10–375 m) from the study area. Groundwater quality index reveals that 50 % of the water samples belong to good-quality water. The degrees of contamination, heavy metal pollution index, and heavy metal evaluation index present diversified results in samples even though they show significant correlations among them. The results of principal component analysis (PCA) show that groundwater quality in the study area mainly has geogenic (weathering and geochemical alteration of source rock) sources followed by anthropogenic source (agrogenic, domestic sewage, etc.). Cluster analysis and correlation matrix also supported the results of PCA. The Gaussian semivariogram models have been tested as the best fit models for most of the water quality indices and PCA components. The results of semivariogram models have shown that most of the variables have weak spatial dependence, indicating agricultural and residential/domestic influences. The spatial distribution maps of water quality parameters have provided a useful and robust visual tool for decision makers toward defining adaptive measures. This study is an implication to show the multiple approaches for quality assessment and spatial variability of groundwater as an effort toward a more effective groundwater quality management.

Antifungals: Mechanism of Action and Drug Resistance

Abstract: There are currently few antifungals in use which show efficacy against fungal diseases. These antifungals mostly target specific components of fungal plasma membrane or its biosynthetic pathways. However, more recent class of antifungals in use is echinocandins which target the fungal cell wall components. The availability of mostly fungistatic antifungals in clinical use, often led to the development of tolerance to these very drugs by the pathogenic fungal species. Thus, the development of clinical multidrug resistance (MDR) leads to higher tolerance to drugs and its emergence is helped by multiple mechanisms. MDR is indeed a multifactorial phenomenon wherein a resistant organism possesses several mechanisms which contribute to display reduced susceptibility to not only single drug in use but also show collateral resistance to several drugs. Considering the limited availability of antifungals in use and the emergence of MDR in fungal infections, there is a continuous need for the development of novel broad spectrum antifungal drugs with better efficacy. Here, we briefly present an overview of the current understanding of the antifungal drugs in use, their mechanism of action and the emerging possible novel antifungal drugs with great promise.

Modelling glacier-bed overdeepenings and possible future lakes for the glaciers in the Himalaya-Karakoram region

Abstract: Surface digital elevation models (DEMs) and slope-related estimates of glacier thickness enable modelling of glacier-bed topographies over large ice-covered areas. Due to the erosive power of glaciers, such bed topographies can contain numerous overdeepenings, which when exposed following glacier retreat may fill with water and form new lakes. In this study, the bed overdeepenings for ~28 000 glaciers (40 775 km2) of the Himalaya-Karakoram region are modelled using GlabTop2 (Glacier Bed Topography model version 2), in which ice thickness is inferred from surface slope by parameterizing basal shear stress as a function of elevation range for each glacier. The modelled ice thicknesses are uncertain (±30%), but spatial patterns of ice thickness and bed elevation primarily depend on surface slopes as derived from the DEM and, hence, are more robust. About 16 000 overdeepenings larger than 104m2 were detected in the modelled glacier beds, covering an area of ~2200 km2 and having a volume of ~120km3 (3-4% of present-day glacier volume). About 5000 of these overdeepenings (1800 km2) have a volume larger than 106m3. The results presented here are useful for anticipating landscape evolution and potential future lake formation with associated opportunities (tourism, hydropower) and risks (lake outbursts).

Molecular mechanisms and mode of tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer.

Abstract: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women around the globe Tamoxifen is used for the last 40 years as an endocrine therapy for breast cancer. This resulted in the reduction of mortality rate by 30% and it still remains one of the most effective therapies against breast cancer. However, resistance against tamoxifen is still one of the major hurdles in the effective management of breast cancer. Intense research has been conducted in the past decade to further explore its resistance mechanism, but still a lot of research will be needed to effectively alleviate this problem. Several biochemical factors and molecular pathways, such as the modulation of ER signaling, upregulation of growth factors had been observed as key factors for tamoxifen resistance (TR). After, initial therapy of five to ten years, breast cancer patients develops resistance towards this drug. The resistance leads to the development of other cancers like uterine cancer. Here, we briefly explore all the molecular events related to tamoxifen resistance and focus on its mechanism of action as well as other pharmacological approaches to better its beneficial effects in the treatment of breast carcinoma.

Contesting Urban Metabolism: Struggles Over Waste‐to‐Energy in Delhi, India

Abstract: Recent scholarship on the materiality of cities has been criticized by critical urban scholars for being overly descriptive and failing to account for political economy. We argue that through the conceptualization of urban metabolisms advanced by ecological economists and industrial ecologists, materialist and critical perspectives can be mutually enriching. We focus on conflict that has erupted in Delhi, India. Authorities have embraced waste-to-energy incinerators, and wastepickers fear that these changes threaten their access to waste, while middle class residents oppose them because of their deleterious impact on ambient air quality. We narrate the emergence of an unlikely alliance between these groups, whose politics opposes the production of a waste-based commodity frontier within the city. We conclude that the materiality and political economy of cities are co-constituted, and contestations over the (re)configuration of urban metabolisms span these spheres as people struggle to realize situated urban political ecologies.

Nanostructured Boron Nitride With High Water Dispersibility For Boron Neutron Capture Therapy

Abstract: Highly water dispersible boron based compounds are innovative and advanced materials which can be used in Boron Neutron Capture Therapy for cancer treatment (BNCT). Present study deals with the synthesis of highly water dispersible nanostructured Boron Nitride (BN). Unique and relatively low temperature synthesis route is the soul of present study. The morphological examinations (Scanning/transmission electron microscopy) of synthesized nanostructures showed that they are in transient phase from two dimensional hexagonal sheets to nanotubes. It is also supported by dual energy band gap of these materials calculated from UV- visible spectrum of the material. The theoretically calculated band gap also supports the same (calculated by virtual nano lab Software). X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis shows that the synthesized material has deformed structure which is further supported by Raman spectroscopy. The structural aspect of high water disperse ability of BN is also studied. The ultra-high disperse ability which is a result of structural deformation make these nanostructures very useful in BNCT. Cytotoxicity studies on various cell lines (Hela(cervical cancer), human embryonic kidney (HEK-293) and human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7)) show that the synthesized nanostructures can be used for BNCT.

Radioprotective Agents: Strategies and Translational Advances.

Abstract: Radioprotectors are agents required to protect biological system exposed to radiation, either naturally or through radiation leakage, and they protect normal cells from radiation injury in cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. It is imperative to study radioprotectors and their mechanism of action comprehensively, looking at their potential therapeutic applications. This review intimately chronicles the rich intellectual, pharmacological story of natural and synthetic radioprotectors. A continuous effort is going on by researchers to develop clinically promising radioprotective agents. In this article, for the first time we have discussed the impact of radioprotectors on different signaling pathways in cells, which will create a basis for scientific community working in this area to develop novel molecules with better therapeutic efficacy. The bright future of exceptionally noncytotoxic derivatives of bisbenzimidazoles is also described as radiomodulators. Amifostine, an effective radioprotectant, has been approved by the FDA for limited clinical use. However, due to its adverse side effects, it is not routinely used clinically. Recently, CBLB502 and several analog of a peptide are under clinical trial and showed high success against radiotherapy in cancer. This article reviews the different types of radioprotective agents with emphasis on the strategies for the development of novel radioprotectors for drug development. In addition, direction for future strategies relevant to the development of radioprotectors is also addressed.

Marital status, widowhood duration, gender and health outcomes: a cross-sectional study among older adults in India

Abstract: Previous research has demonstrated health benefits of marriage and the potential for worse outcomes during widowhood in some populations. However, few studies have assessed the relevance of widowhood and widowhood duration to a variety of health-related outcomes and chronic diseases among older adults in India, and even fewer have examined these relationships stratified by gender. Using a cross-sectional representative sample of 9,615 adults aged 60 years or older from 7 states in diverse regions of India, we examine the relationship between widowhood and self-rated health, psychological distress, cognitive ability, and four chronic diseases before and after adjusting for demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, living with children, and rural–urban location for men and women, separately. We then assess these associations when widowhood accounts for duration. Being widowed as opposed to married was associated with worse health outcomes for women after adjusting for other explanatory factors. Widowhood in general was not associated with any outcomes for men except for cognitive ability, though men who were widowed within 0–4 years were at greater risk for diabetes compared to married men. Moreover, recently widowed women and women who were widowed long-term were more likely to experience psychological distress, worse self-rated health, and hypertension, even after adjusting for other explanatory variables, whereas women widowed 5–9 years were not, compared to married women. Gender, the duration of widowhood, and type of outcome are each relevant pieces of information when assessing the potential for widowhood to negatively impact health. Future research should explore how the mechanisms linking widowhood to health vary over the course of widowhood. Incorporating information about marital relationships into the design of intervention programs may help better target potential beneficiaries among older adults in India.

Probing the CP violation signal at DUNE in the presence of non-standard neutrino interactions

Abstract: We discuss the impact of non-standard neutrino matter interactions (NSI) in propagation on the determination of CP phase in the context of the long baseline accelerator experiments such as Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE). DUNE will mainly address the issue of CP violation in the leptonic sector. Here we study the role of NSI and its impact on the question of observing the CP violation signal at DUNE. We consider two scenarios of oscillation with three active neutrinos in absence and presence of NSI. We elucidate the importance of ruling out subdominant new physics effects introduced by NSI in inferring CP violation signal at DUNE by considering NSI terms collectively as well as by exploiting the non-trivial interplay of moduli and phases of the NSI terms. We demonstrate the existence of NSI-SI degeneracies which need to be eliminated in reliable manner in order to make conclusive statements about the CP phase. Email: masud@hri.res.in Email: animesh.chatterjee@uta.edu Email: pm@jnu.ac.in ar X iv :1 51 0. 08 26 1v 2 [ he pph ] 2 2 Ju n 20 16

Meteorological conditions, seasonal and annual mass balances of Chhota Shigri Glacier, western Himalaya, India

Abstract: We present the updated glaciological mass balance (MB) of Chhota Shigri Glacier, the longest continuous annual MB record in the Hindu-Kush Karakoram Himalaya (HKH) region. Additionally, 4 years of seasonal MBs are presented and analyzed using the data acquired at an automatic weather station (AWS-M) installed in 2009 on a lateral moraine (4863ma.s.l.). The glaciological MB series since 2002 is first recalculated using an updated glacier hypsometry and then validated against geodetic MB derived from satellite stereo-imagery between 2005 (SPOT5) and 2014 (Pleiades). Chhota Shigri Glacier lost mass between 2002 and 2014 with a cumulative glaciological MB of –6.72mw.e. corresponding to a mean annual glacier-wide MB (Ba) of –0.56mw.e. a–1. Equilibrium-line altitude (ELA0) for the steady-state condition is calculated as ~4950ma.s.l., corresponding to an accumulation–area ratio (AAR0) of ~61%. Analysis of seasonal MBs between 2009 and 2013 with air temperature from AWS-M and precipitation from the nearest meteorological station at Bhuntar (1050ma.s.l.) suggests that the summer monsoon is the key season driving the interannual variability of Ba for this glacier. The intensity of summer snowfall events controls the Ba evolution via controlling summer glacier-wide MB (Bs).

Molecular mechanisms of action of quercetin in cancer: recent advances

Abstract: In the last few decades, the scientific community has discovered an immense potential of natural compounds in the treatment of dreadful diseases such as cancer. Besides the availability of a variety of natural bioactive molecules, efficacious cancer therapy still needs to be developed. So, to design an efficacious cancer treatment strategy, it is essential to understand the interactions of natural molecules with their respective cellular targets. Quercetin (Quer) is a naturally occurring flavonol present in many commonly consumed food items. It governs numerous intracellular targets, including the proteins involved in apoptosis, cell cycle, detoxification, antioxidant replication, and angiogenesis. The weight of available synergistic studies vigorously fortifies the utilization of Quer as a chemoprevention drug. This extensive review covers various therapeutic interactions of Quer with their recognized cellular targets involved in cancer treatment.

Presence of unique glyoxalase III proteins in plants indicates the existence of shorter route for methylglyoxal detoxification

Abstract: Glyoxalase pathway, comprising glyoxalase I (GLY I) and glyoxalase II (GLY II) enzymes, is the major pathway for detoxification of methylglyoxal (MG) into D-lactate involving reduced glutathione (GSH). However, in bacteria, glyoxalase III (GLY III) with DJ-1/PfpI domain(s) can do the same conversion in a single step without GSH. Our investigations for the presence of DJ-1/PfpI domain containing proteins in plants have indicated the existence of GLY III-like proteins in monocots, dicots, lycopods, gymnosperm and bryophytes. A deeper in silico analysis of rice genome identified twelve DJ-1 proteins encoded by six genes. Detailed analysis has been carried out including their chromosomal distribution, genomic architecture and localization. Transcript profiling under multiple stress conditions indicated strong induction of OsDJ-1 in response to exogenous MG. A member of OsDJ-1 family, OsDJ-1C, showed high constitutive expression at all developmental stages and tissues of rice. MG depletion study complemented by simultaneous formation of D-lactate proved OsDJ-1C to be a GLY III enzyme that converts MG directly into D-lactate in a GSH-independent manner. Site directed mutagenesis of Cys-119 to Alanine significantly reduces its GLY III activity indicating towards the existence of functional GLY III enzyme in rice-a shorter route for MG detoxification.

Nonstandard interactions spoiling the C P violation sensitivity at DUNE and other long baseline experiments

Abstract: It is by now established that neutrino oscillations occur due to nonzero masses and parameters in the leptonic mixing matrix. The extraction of oscillation parameters may be complicated due to subleading effects such as nonstandard neutrino interactions and one needs to have a fresh look how a particular parameter value is inferred from experimental data. In the present work, we focus on an important parameter entering the oscillation framework--the leptonic $CP$-violating phase $\ensuremath{\delta}$, about which we know very little. We demonstrate that the sensitivity to $CP$ violation gets significantly impacted due to nonstandard neutrino interaction effects for the upcoming long baseline experiment, Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment. We also draw a comparison with the sensitivities of other ongoing neutrino beam experiments such as $\mathrm{NO}\ensuremath{ u}\mathrm{A}$ and T2K as well as a future generation experiment, T2HK.

Gender Difference in Health-Care Expenditure: Evidence from India Human Development Survey.

Abstract: Background While the gender disparity in health and mortality in various stages of life in India is well documented, there is limited evidence on female disadvantage in health-care expenditure (HCE).