In the push for passenger transportation electrification, Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) serve as a suitable bridge towards sustainable transportation, especially in settings marked by ...rapid urbanization and socio-economic variations, such as India. Compared to conventional vehicles, PHEVs can offer distinct advantages, but Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) often overshadow their potential. Addressing the dearth of PHEV-specific research, this study investigates consumer attitudes and preferences for PHEVs in two Indian megacities: Delhi and Kolkata. Using a three-step method on attitudinal and stated preference data from 415 (Delhi) and 500 (Kolkata) car-owners, the study segmented consumers employing factor and cluster analyses, revealing dominant groups such as the ’actively concerned’, which merges consumers with technological enthusiasm and environmental awareness. Mixed logit models further unveil consumers’ willingness-to-pay (WTP) for various PHEV attributes. Notably, Delhi consumers exhibited 56 % more WTP for Advanced Vehicle Technology (AVT) options compared to their Kolkata counterparts. While Delhi consumers prioritized battery range, battery warranty, and recharging time, Kolkata consumers emphasized emission reduction. Sensitivity analysis revealed price as a dominant adoption barrier, suggesting subsidies could enhance PHEV uptake. This research highlights diverse PHEV preferences across Indian cities, underscoring the need for city-specific policy interventions.
•A methodological approach is demonstrated to obtain key attributes affecting PHEV adoption.•Kruskal-Wallis H-test is used to investigate consumer perception heterogeneity.•Exploratory factor models ...are developed to identify latent factors.•Grey relation analysis is used to rank attributes loaded on each latent factor.
The present study demonstrates a methodological approach to prioritize a key set of attributes influencing consumer perception towards Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) in a typical Indian context. Based on the literature search, an exclusive set of 22 attributes influencing PHEV adoption were selected and conventional car owners' perception towards these attributes were collected from two Indian megacities, namely Delhi and Kolkata. Initially, Kruskal-Wallis H-test was used to investigate heterogeneity in consumer perception towards PHEV-related attributes across different population subgroups. The heterogeneity study revealed a significant difference in perception for several attributes across the two cities. Subsequently, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was used to identify a set of latent factors influencing PHEV choice for both cities. For ranking of attributes within each latent factor, Grey Relation Analysis (GRA), was employed. Based on the EFA and GRA results, purchase cost, safety, air conditioning, battery warranty, public charging availability, battery recharging time, and tailpipe emission are identified as key attributes affecting PHEV adoption. Such findings could guide the car manufacturers and the government to lay an added emphasis on the priority attributes to enhance the appeal of PHEV as a mode among Indian consumers.
This paper investigates the commuter and non-commuter preferences for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles in two Indian metro cities namely Delhi and Kolkata based on a stated preference (SP) framework. ...The SP data collected from the car-owning population in each city were analyzed using Mixed Logit (ML) models to obtain the commuter and non-commuter respondents’ perceived benefit associated with PHEV operation-specific attributes in terms of willingness to pay (WTP). Thereafter, a sensitivity analysis was carried out to understand the impact of improvement in related attributes on consumer preferences towards PHEVs. The findings suggest an added focus by car manufacturers on fuel cost savings, battery recharging time, battery range, tailpipe emission, and battery warranty to attract commuters. This study also highlights that high purchase cost and lack of public charging stations are key barriers towards PHEV adoption. Based on study results, policy actions such as higher subsidy, increased public charging stations, and public educational and awareness campaigns by Government could play a major role towards wider diffusion of PHEVs in Indian context.
•This paper investigates commuter and non-commuter preferences for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV)•The choice data collected from car-owing population are analyzed using Mixed Logit models•Requirements of PHEV models are likely to vary depending on city and trip characteristics•High purchase cost is identified as one of the major barriers towards PHEV adoption
Barrett’s esophagus (BE) is a common disease in which the lining of the esophagus transitions from stratified squamous epithelium to metaplastic columnar epithelium that predisposes individuals to ...developing esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). We hypothesized that BE provides a unique environment for increased long-interspersed element 1 (LINE-1 or L1) retrotransposition. To this end, we evaluated 5 patients with benign BE, 5 patients with BE and concomitant EAC, and 10 additional patients with EAC to determine L1 activity in this progressive disease. After L1-seq, we confirmed 118 somatic insertions by PCR in 10 of 20 individuals. We observed clonal amplification of several insertions which appeared to originate in normal esophagus (NE) or BE and were later clonally expanded in BE or in EAC. Additionally, we observed evidence of clonality within the EAC cases; specifically, 22 of 25 EAC-only insertions were present identically in distinct regions available from the same tumor, suggesting that these insertions occurred in the founding tumor cell of these lesions. L1 proteins must be expressed for retrotransposition to occur; therefore, we evaluated the expression of open reading frame 1 protein (ORF1p), a protein encoded by L1, in eight of the EAC cases for which formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissue was available. With immunohistochemistry, we detected ORF1p in all tumors evaluated. Interestingly, we also observed dim ORF1p immunoreactivity in histologically NE of all patients. In summary, our data show that somatic retrotransposition occurs early in many patients with BE and EAC and indicate that early events occurring even in histologically NE cells may be clonally expanded in esophageal adenocarcinogenesis.
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is typically diagnosed after the disease has metastasized; it is among the most lethal forms of cancer. We recently described aberrant expression of an open ...reading frame 1 protein, ORF1p, encoded by long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1; L1) retrotransposon, in PDAC. To test whether LINE-1 expression leads to somatic insertions of this mobile DNA, we used a targeted method to sequence LINE-1 insertion sites in matched PDAC and normal samples. We found evidence of 465 somatic LINE-1 insertions in 20 PDAC genomes, which were absent from corresponding normal samples. In cases in which matched normal tissue, primary PDAC and metastatic disease sites were available, insertions were found in primary and metastatic tissues in differing proportions. Two adenocarcinomas secondarily involving the pancreas, but originating in the stomach and duodenum, acquired insertions with a similar discordance between primary and metastatic sites. Together, our findings show that LINE-1 contributes to the genetic evolution of PDAC and suggest that somatic insertions are acquired discontinuously in gastrointestinal neoplasms.
DRASTIC is a very simple and common model used for the assessment of groundwater to contamination. This model is widely used across the world in various hydrogeological environments for groundwater ...vulnerability assessment. The Ohio Water Well Association (OWWA) developed DRASTIC model in 1987. Over the years, several modifications have been made in this model as per the need of the regional assessment of groundwater to contamination. This model has fixed weights for its parameters and fixed ratings for the sub-parameters under the main parameters. The weights and ratings of DRASTIC parameters were fixed on the basis of Delphi network technique, which is the best technique for the consensus-building of experts, but it lacks scientific explanations. Over the years, several optimization techniques have been used to optimize these weights and ratings. This work intends to present a critical analysis of decision optimization techniques used to get the optimum values of weights and ratings. The inherent pros and cons and the optimization challenges associated with these techniques have also been discussed. The finding of this study is that the application of MCDA optimization techniques used to optimize the weights and ratings of DRASTIC model to assess the vulnerability of groundwater depend on the availability of hydrogeological data, the pilot study area and the level of required accuracy for earmarking the vulnerable regions. It is recommended that one must choose the appropriate MCDA technique for the particular region because unnecessary complex structure for optimization process takes more time, efforts, resources, and implementation costs.
ABSTRACT
Squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus (SCC) is the most common form of esophageal cancer in the world and is typically diagnosed at an advanced stage when successful treatment is ...challenging. Understanding the mutational profile of this cancer may identify new treatment strategies. Because somatic retrotransposition has been shown in tumors of the gastrointestinal system, we focused on LINE‐1 (L1) mobilization as a source of genetic instability in this cancer. We hypothesized that retrotransposition is ongoing in SCC patients. The expression of L1 encoded proteins is necessary for retrotransposition to occur; therefore, we evaluated the expression of L1 open reading frame 1 protein (ORF1p). Using immunohistochemistry, we detected ORF1p expression in all four SCC cases evaluated. Using L1‐seq, we identified and validated 74 somatic insertions in eight tumors of the nine evaluated. Of these, 12 insertions appeared to be somatic, not genetically inherited, and sub‐clonal (i.e., present in less than one copy per genome equivalent) in the adjacent normal esophagus (NE), while clonal in the tumor. Our results indicate that L1 retrotransposition is active in SCC of the esophagus and that insertion events are present in histologically NE that expands clonally in the subsequent tumor.
In esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, we observed novel LINE‐1 insertions present in a minority of cells in the normal tissue and the same insertion in most or all of the cells comprising the cancer tissue of a patient. This phenomenon is likely due to the selective amplification of a cell with a novel LINE‐1 integration which may have occurred during embryonic development or in adult life.
Dental caries and periodontal problems still remain a global health care burden. In developing and underdeveloped countries, the unmet treatment needs of a large part of population is a challenge to ...the service providers. WHO believes that oral health is a right to everyone. The use of traditional medicine helps in achieving these goals to a large extent. Medicinal plants are a basis for conventional medicine and a substitute for them. Thus, it becomes a matter of importance to have a greater understanding of the pharmacologically active components of the herbal components and their various uses in dentistry. This article aims to understand the phytotherapeutic uses of four commonly used herbal plants, miswak, moringa, triphala and neem.
Casein phosphopeptides-amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP) is a bioactive agent with a base of milk products, which has been formulated from two parts: casein phosphopeptides (CPP) and amorphous ...calcium phosphate (ACP). CPP was produced from milk protein casein and has a remarkable ability to stabilize calcium phosphate in solution and to substantially increase the level of calcium phosphate in dental plaque. CPP-ACP buffers the free calcium and phosphate ion activities, thereby helping to maintain a state of supersaturation with respect to tooth enamel, reducing demineralisation and promoting remineralisation. The free calcium and phosphate ions move out of the CPP, enter the enamel rods and reform onto apatite crystals. Laboratory, animal and human studies have shown that CPP-ACP inhibits cariogenic activity. CPP-ACP is useful in the treatment of white spot lesions, hypomineralised enamel, mild fluorosis, tooth sensitivity and erosion, and prevents plaque accumulation around brackets and other orthodontic appliances. CPP-ACP also facilitates a normal post-eruptive maturation process and is ideal for protecting primary teeth at a time when oral care is difficult. CPP-ACP has commercial potential as an additive to foods, soft drinks and chewing gum, as well as additive to toothpastes and mouthwashes to control dental caries.
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