Kerala State in India has a unique Rural-Urban Continuum (RUC) settlement pattern where it is difficult to distinguish between urban from rural. However, like all the Indian States, the RUC ...settlements of Kerala are also divided into rural and urban, and this dichotomous classification forms the basis of spatial planning, governance, and management. The current situation has resulted in the spread of urban characterized settlements towards the environmentally fragile areas of the state. Despite several discussions regarding the RUC nature of settlements, details about the spatial characteristics of Kerala are missing in the literature. Accordingly, the paper explores the RUC settlement pattern of Kerala in two parts. The first part assesses the RUC pattern based on the existing Indian census definition. The result reveals that the urban and rural definitions do not hold validity in Kerala. The second part explores the settlements based on the topographic distribution, followed by a detailed analysis of the spatiotemporal dynamics of the built areas in three levels of detailing. The study reveals a spread of built-up areas across diverse topography and variation among the built-up areas of different urban areas. While the lowland regions indicated a dominance and clustering of built-up patches, in the midlands and towards the highland study areas, the built-up areas are smaller and more fragmented with an affinity towards the transportation corridors. Therefore the study helped characterize the spread of reclassified settlements and the changes in built-up areas across diverse topography and emphasized the requirement to move away from dichotomous classification as followed in some developed countries. The study recommends an RUC code for Kerala and an Eco-sensitive Regional Planning approach for a better spatial planning process. A modified and refined planning framework is also proposed as a final output from the research.
•The need for recognizing evolving regions with blurred rural and urban characteristics•The requirement of typological classification of Rural-Urban Continuum ( RUC) settlements•The relevance of Regional planning approach for Rural-Urban Continuum settlements for effective planning, management, and governance
Rapid urbanization has resulted in sudden degradation of the environmental quality of urban settlements, which are difficult to measure and quantify. The present study attempts to provide an ...assessment of the environmental quality by developing environmental quality index (EQI) for the Ernakulam district in Kerala, India. The index values are spatially mapped to develop an environmental quality index map for the study area under five different classes namely, very poor, poor, moderate, good, very good. The EQI values are calculated for nineteen composite variables classified under three domains namely, ecological, meteorological, and socio-economic domains. A preliminary statistical analysis and detailed principal component analysis (PCA) were performed to construct the environmental quality index for the study region. This was followed by a spatial mapping and analysis to provide a better understanding of the status of the environmental quality to the local residents, environmental planners, regional scientists and policymakers. The results obtained from the analysis show that the study area has a low overall environmental quality. The region considered in this paper has highlighting features of various settlement patterns, population distributions, and land use distributions, which indicates a clear transition in the environmental quality index of different settlement units. Hence, by selecting this region and observing various number of indicators, the real effect of urbanization on the quality of the environment was projected. The systematic methodological procedure explained in this paper can be used elsewhere also, where the study area has similar characteristics as that of the area considered in this study. The outcome of the study is applicable for present and future urban planning, building construction, land and resource management for a sustainable environment.
PurposeRapid urbanization and development of pilgrimage cities cause significant problems for the environment and society, leading to long-term challenges. Despite several discussions on city ...sustainability, the literature does not address some of the specific problems of pilgrimage cities. Hence, this study attempts at developing a method to examine the growth pattern and sustainability of pilgrimage cities in southern part of India.Design/methodology/approachThe benchmarking method and the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability are considered to construct the Pilgrimage City Sustainability Index (PCSI). Appropriate variables and categories are identified through a literature review and expert opinion survey. The benchmark values of the variables are derived by contemplating the pilgrimage cities of Tamil Nadu, one of the states with the largest tourist arrivals in India. Subsequently, three prominent pilgrimage cities from Tamil Nadu were chosen for the case study and the method was tested.FindingsThe result reveals that the cities investigated are performing above average in the sustainability index, with slight variations in their dimension scores. While the category scores of cities assist in identifying macro-level issues, the variable scores provide an insight into micro-level issues. Furthermore, the gap analysis between the benchmark and the present value of each variable discloses the immediate area of attention in each city. Thus, the cities could set more specific targets, frame strategies and/or collaborate with matching cities to bridge these gaps.Social implicationsThis index assessment provides a comparison of the pros and cons of these pilgrimage cities and helps identify their demand and supply. Policymakers can find appropriate tools and approaches that aid in sustainable urban development and tourism management.Originality/valueTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in emphasizing the application of the benchmarking method to assess the sustainability of Indian pilgrimage sites. With appropriate modifications, this method can be used in varied contexts across the globe.
Regional disparities are prevalent in almost all nations globally irrespective of whether being developed, developing, or under-developed. With the recent shift of focus towards human development, ...the presence of inequalities in social development is one of the major issues faced by developing nations and hence becomes the underlying theme of this paper. It attempted to explore the spatial inequalities in the social development of a selected region within and representing Kerala state, India. This research attempted to address the following question: whether a state which has been performing socially well has inequalities present among its regions. A set of relevant variables were shortlisted from a holistic literature review and further screened using various criteria followed by an expert opinion survey. Subsequently, spatial analysis of regional disparities was conducted in two stages. Firstly, a composite index to measure the development of settlements was constructed by adopting the principal component analysis approach. Secondly, the settlements were grouped into three homogenous clusters by k-means cluster analysis and named accordingly. The results revealed that, in terms of reduced inequalities, the settlements performed well in social infrastructure development followed by road infrastructure. At the same time, the performance of the settlements in social characteristics was poor. Significant variations were also found in employment and housing infrastructure development. While the composite index helped compare the development status of settlements, the classification of settlements aided in identifying regions and sectors that were backward in terms of social development. Accordingly, solutions and strategies were proposed for balanced regional development.
Fructosamine can be used to estimate glycaemia in individuals in whom HbA1c may be unreliable. We aimed to establish clinically useful fructosamine treatment targets in a population with a high ...prevalence of conditions affecting erythrocyte survival, including variant haemoglobin and G6PD deficiency.
Fructosamine was measured on a clinical basis in individuals in whom HbA1c was suspected to be unreliable by their primary physician. Study endpoints were incident retinopathy and albuminuria in individuals with Prediabetes (n = 60), Type 1 (n = 161) or Type 2 diabetes (n = 1350) during follow up of 4.4 ± 2.3 years.
Fructosamine ≥ 250 umol/L was significantly associated with incident retinopathy, and fructosamine ≥ 300 umol/L with incident microalbuminuria, in univariate analysis and adjusted for established risk factors. Fructosamine ≥ 250 umol/L was also significantly associated with incident retinopathy in individuals with HbA1c < 7.0% (53 mmol/mol) at inclusion.
In this patient population, a single measurement of fructosamine significantly and independently predicts incident retinopathy in individuals with HbA1c < 7.0% (53 mmol/mol). Routine measurement of fructosamine on at least one occasion is recommended as part of assessment of prediabetes or diabetes mellitus in populations with a high prevalence of conditions affecting erythrocyte lifespan.
We use electroabsorption (EA) spectroscopy to measure the exciton binding energy (E B), electron–hole reduced effective mass (μ), and one-electron band gap (E g) at the fundamental absorption edge of ...the hybrid organic–inorganic perovskite CH3NH3PbI3 in its tetragonal phase at 300 K. By studying the second-harmonic EA spectra at the fundamental absorption edge we establish that the room-temperature EA response in CH3NH3PbI3 follows the low-field Franz–Keldysh–Aspnes (FKA) effect. Following FKA analysis we find that μ = 0.12 ± 0.03m 0, E B = 7.4 meV, and E g = 1.633 eV. Our results provide direct experimental evidence that at room temperature primary transitions occurring in CH3NH3PbI3 can essentially be described in terms of free carrier generation.
The increasing urbanization trend across the world has contributed positively to economic development on the one hand but resulted in several irreversible man made damages to the environment as well. ...Hence, environmental quality (EQ) assessment gains significance in urban and regional planning research. It is imperative to group the settlements into sub-regional levels for a better planning process. Hence, there is a need for a framework to assess the EQ to integrate it into the planning framework. The current research proposes a 3-tier assessment methodology for various spatial dimensions at the macro, meso, and micro scales to fulfil this need. The analysis is structured into three sections in accordance with this. The first part focuses on identifying the correct variables that can capture the region's EQ through a scientific screening process. The second part of the research focuses on identifying a methodological framework to group the settlements based on homogeneity of environmental quality using Cluster analysis. For this, a multivariate analytical method called cluster analysis is employed. The third part of the research discusses the output of 5-cluster solutions appropriately named based on their underlying characteristics. The outcome of the cluster analysis reveals the problems and prospects associated with each of the five clusters and the focus areas for policy directions. The result of the study will be helpful for urban and regional planners to formulate appropriate spatial planning recommendations to integrate the region's environmental quality into the planning framework.
•A novel approach of regional environmental qualityassessment through composite variables is made possible.•The research proposes a 3-tier assessment hierarchy for various spatial dimensions at the macro, meso, and micro scales.•The composite environmental quality helps to identify the regional and local challenges.•The environmental quality varies with the degree of urbanization and the socio economic condition of a region.
This paper investigates the livelihood vulnerability experienced by agricultural households in Kuttanad, a below sea level farming system in southern India, in the aftermath of a major flood in ...August 2018. For this purpose, we constructed a flood coping strategy index (FCSI), to measure coping strategy intensity, using the data on the severity and frequency of various coping strategies adopted by households. Furthermore, we estimated a Tobit regression model to identify the factors influencing the intensity of coping strategy choices. The FCSI revealed that only two per cent of agricultural households experienced a ‘severe’ level of vulnerability because of the quick and effective policy response of the Kerala state government. In addition, Tobit regression analysis indicated that female‐headed and labour households are more vulnerable than their respective counterparts. While income exerts a negative influence on the degree of livelihood vulnerability, agricultural landholding has a positive effect, as it increases cultivation loss during a flood.
نبذة مختصرة
تبحث هذه الورقة في ضعف سبل العيش التي تعاني منها الأسر الزراعية في كوتاناد، وهو نظام زراعي تحت مستوى سطح البحر يقع في جنوب الهند، في أعقاب فيضان 2018. لهذا الغرض، قمنا ببناء مؤشر إستراتيجية التعامل مع الفيضانات، وهو مقياس لشدة إستراتيجية التعامل، وذلك باستخدام البيانات الخاصة بشدة وتكرار استراتيجيات التعامل المختلفة التي اعتمدتها الأسر. علاوة على ذلك، أقمنا نموذج انحدار طوبيا لتحديد العوامل المؤثرة على حدة خيارات استراتيجية التعامل. كشف مؤشر إستراتيجية التعامل مع الفيضانات أن 2 في المائة فقط من الأسر الزراعية عانت من مستوى "شديد" من الضعف بسبب سياسة الاستجابة السريعة والفعالة من قبل السلط المحلية. علاوة على ذلك، أشار تحليل انحدار طوبيا إلى أن الأسر التي تعولها نساء والأسر العاملة أكثر ضعفاً من نظيراتها. بينما يؤثر الدخل تأثيراً سلبياً على مستوى ضعف سبل المعيشة، فإن حيازة الأراضي الزراعية لها تأثير إيجابي حيث أنها تزيد من خسارة الزراعة أثناء الفيضان.
الكلمات المفتاحية : الفيضانات، الزراعة، الضعف، مؤشر إستراتيجية التعامل مع الفيضانات، انحدار طوبيا، كوتاناد
摘要
本文对2018年洪水后库塔纳德地区 (印度南部一处海平面以下农业系统)农户的生产资料易损度方面进行了研究为此，我们利用从各户采集到的各种应对策略的严重程度和频率的数据，构建了一种应对策略强度的衡量标准——洪水应对策略指数（FCSI）。此外，我们估算了一个Tobit回归模型，以确定影响应对策略选择强度的因素。FCSI结果表明，由于州政府快速有效的政策反应，只有2%的农户的易受损度达到了“严重”程度。此外，Tobit回归分析表明，女性户主家庭和劳动力家庭相对更易受损。虽然收入对生产资料易损度有负影响，但农业土地增加了洪水期间的耕作损失，因此对易损度有正影响
关键词： 洪水，农业，脆弱性，洪水应对策略指数，Tobit回归模型，Kuttanad
The depth-wise distribution of plant available boron (B) extracted by dilute HCl (HCl), tartaric acid (TA), hot calcium chloride (HCC), hot water (HW), ammonium acetate (AA), Ammonium ...Bicarbonate-Diethylene Triamine Penta Acetic acid (AB-DTPA) and mannitol calcium chloride (MCC) in some acidic lateritic soils (Alfisols) of Birbhum, West Bengal, India, was examined in relation to their physicochemical properties and grain yield, concentration and removal of B by rice grain to screen out the most suitable extractant for lateritic soils. The highest overall mean B concentration of surface soils (0.325 mg kg
−1
) was obtained by 0.05 M HCl, whereas its lowest content was obtained by MCC (0.145 mg kg
−1
) and with increasing depth its content was decreased for all the extractants used. The sequence of B extraction by various extractants was as follows: HCl > TA > HCC > HW > AA > AB-DTPA > MCC. Higher extractability of HCl is due to lower pH and attendant dissolution of soil minerals. Most often, decrease in organic carbon, clay, CEC, amorphous iron and aluminum oxides or increase in manganese oxide contributed to the observed drop in B along soil depth. The B extracted by different extractants showed significant positive correlations among themselves. The HCl extracted B showed the highest correlation with grain yield, concentration, and removal of B by rice grain. The HCl extractable B enhanced adjusted R
2
value in multiple regression equation, boosting the predictability of the model. Thus, in acidic lateritic soils (Alfisols), the 0.05 M HCl is the best extract for estimating plant available B.
Pregnant women are at greater risk for severe COVID-19 disease and are a priority group for vaccination. Trinidad and Tobago (TTO) introduced COVID-19 vaccination for pregnancy in August 2021, ...however uptake is presumed to be low. The objective was to determine the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and uptake rates among pregnant women in TTO and reasons for vaccine hesitancy.
This was a cross-sectional study on 448 pregnant women conducted at specialized antenatal clinics within the largest Regional Health Authority in TTO, and at one private institution from February 1 to May 6, 2022. Participants completed an adapted WHO questionnaire on reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Logistic regression was used to assess factors affecting vaccination decisions.
The vaccine acceptance and uptake rates in pregnancy were 26.4% and 23.6%, respectively. The main reason for vaccine hesitancy was lack of research on the COVID-19 vaccine in pregnancy (70.2%), where 75.5% of women believed the vaccine would harm their babies and 71.2% believed there was not enough data. Women seeking care in the private sector (OR: 5.24, 95% CI: 1.41-19.43) and who had comorbidities (OR: 3.72, 95% CI: 11.57-8.83) were more likely to take the vaccine, while Venezuelan non-nationals (OR: 0.09, 95% CI: 0.01-0.71) were less likely to take the vaccine. Older women (OR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.12-2.89), women with tertiary education (OR: 1.99, 95% CI: 1.25-3.19), and women seeking care in the private sector (OR: 9.45, 95% CI: 4.36-20.48) were more likely to accept the vaccine.
Lack of confidence in the vaccine was the main reason for hesitancy, which may reflect paucity of research, lack of knowledge or misinformation of the vaccine in pregnancy. This highlights the need for more targeted public education campaigns and promotion of the vaccine by health institutions. The knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of pregnant women obtained from this study can guide the development of vaccination programs in pregnancy.
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