Important Determinant Research Articles

Nitrogen and phosphorus availability alters tree‐grass competition intensity in savannas

Abstract Plant essential macronutrients like nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) can limit savanna tree growth and are important determinants of savanna vegetation dynamics, along with rainfall, fire and herbivory. How nitrogen and phosphorus shape tree‐grass competition and their coexistence remain unclear, hindering our ability to predict how savannas may respond to altered nutrient cycling. Here, we evaluate (1) if trees and grasses respond differently to N versus P availability, or (2) if grasses are more competitive in low nutrient environments while trees are more competitive in high nutrient environments. To do this, we grew saplings of 6 tree and 1 grass species from the Kruger National Park, South Africa, for 16 weeks under fully factorial nutrient and competition treatments (with/without competitors, low/high rate of N supply and low/high rate of P supply) under a watering regime designed to mimic wet season rainfall in a mesic savanna. Trees and grasses foraged most aggressively for nitrogen and allocated biomass differently depending on nitrogen availability. Overall, tree growth decreased in competition with grass, even in high nutrient environments where they grew faster. Grasses were always better below‐ground competitors, utilising aggressive nutrient foraging strategies, including high root phosphatase activity in response to nitrogen and large root biomass allocation. Synthesis. In low nutrient environments (e.g. on nutrient‐poor sandy soils), nutrients may limit tree growth. Nutrient rich environments enable tree growth, but grasses continue to compete effectively with trees. Understanding what this means for ecosystem responses to nutrient availability is not trivial, especially in the context of fire and herbivory. However, it is clear that soil nutrients likely affect tree and grass growth and competition in savannas, which suggests that future changes in nutrient cycling, such as N deposition, may have important effects on savanna vegetation.

Perioperative nutritional status thought to be important, but poorly understood.

Malnutrition has been shown to increase complications and leads to poor outcomes in surgical patients, but it has not been studied extensively in orthopedic trauma. This study's purpose is to determine the perspective and assessment of nutrition by orthopedic traumatologists. A survey was created and distributed via REDCap to orthopedic traumatologists at 60 U.S. trauma centers. Out of 183 distributed surveys, 130 surgeons completed the survey (71%). The survey focused on the importance of nutrition and practice patterns in orthopedic trauma. Seventy-five percent of surgeons thought that nutritional status was "very important" to the final outcome of patients with orthopedic trauma injuries, 24% responded "somewhat important" and 1% responded "not important." Furthermore, 88% perform nutritional assessments; most surgeons (77%) utilize nutritional laboratory markers, with the most common markers being albumin, pre-albumin, transferrin and CRP. Additionally, 42% think trending the laboratory markers is important, and 50% are not sure if nutrition markers should be tested at multiple time points. Despite 75% of surgeons believing that nutrition is very important, only 8% discuss it with patients routinely. When asked what is more important for outcomes, nutrition or Vitamin D, almost three times as many surgeons thought nutrition was more important (29% vs 11%, respectively). While orthopedic traumatologists believe nutrition is an important determinant of patient outcomes, this study shows a clear lack of consensus and variability in practice regarding nutrition among surgeons. Orthopedic trauma surgeons need specific guidelines on how to assess and treat malnutrition in trauma patients.

Product market competition and corporate maturity mismatch: evidence from China

ABSTRACT This paper studies the effect of product market competition on corporate maturity mismatch, aiming to show how market competition influences management decision-making in maturities of financing and investing. Using a sample of non-financial public firms in China over 2007–2021, we find that product market competition is positively associated with corporate maturity mismatch. The motivation for lowering debt costs and the deteriorated firm performance could be potential channels. The effect is more pronounced for non-state-owned firms, firms with higher risk-taking, internationalized firms, and firms in R&D-intensive industries. Firms’ competitive positions are negatively associated with maturity mismatch. Our findings highlight that competition could be an important determinant in maturity mismatch. This study enriches our understanding of maturity mismatch causes and the link to the external business environment and provides implications for management and policymaking.

Backtalk: Academic jargon and the illusion of objectivity

Although some people view quantitative studies as more legitimate than qualitative studies, both methods are subject to bias, Iris Rotberg explains. The study’s methodological strengths and weaknesses are determined when researchers frame questions, choose samples and outcome measures, and collect data. These design decisions and their implementation are far more important determinants of research validity than are the subsequent data analyses, whether quantitative or qualitative.

Prognostic significance of growth differentiation factor-15 across age in chronic heart failure.

Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF15), a cytokine in the transforming growth factor family, is up-regulated in stress and inflammatory conditions and is elevated in patients with heart failure (HF). However, the age-specific attributes and prognostic significance of GDF15 across age remain unknown in chronic HF (CHF). Serum levels of GDF15 were examinedin 942 hypertensive patients (median 68years) with CHF from the SUPPORT trial across the four age groups [under 50 (n=73), 51-59 (n=158), 60-69 (n=296), and 70-79years (n=415)] and in the continuous spectrum. Clinical correlates of GDF15 were explored using the classic stepwise and LASSO (least absolute shrinkage and selection operator) regression approaches. Interaction terms with age were tested in the LASSO regression approach. The associations with the composite outcome of HF hospitalization or all-cause death were investigated across ages. Median GDF15 levels (pg/mL) increased along with aging, from 691 in under 50years to 855 in 51-59years, 1114 in 60-69years, and 1516 in 70-79years (trend P<0.001). Age, sex, systolic blood pressure, history of diabetes, ischaemic heart disease, left ventricular (LV) end-systolic dimension, LV ejection fraction, estimated glomerular filtration rate, haemoglobin, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), troponin, C-reactive protein, and the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, diuretics, and statins were mutually selected as clinical covariates of GDF15. The LASSO regression analysis identified significant interactions between age and the history of diabetes and NT-proBNP, with particularly robust associations in patients aged between 60 and 70years. During the mean follow-up of 8.6years, 474 composite endpoints of HF hospitalization or death occurred. GDF15 was associated with a higher risk of HF hospitalization or all-cause death [adjusted hazard ratio 1.84 (95% confidence interval 1.45-2.33)], with a particularly heightened risk in patients aged around 70years (Pinteraction=0.0008). The model with GDF15 on top of other established risk factors yielded marginally higher C-statistics compared with the model without GDF15 (0.803 and 0.796, P=0.045). The additive value of GDF15 on top of other established risk factors appeared similar across ages. A universal cut-off value of 1400pg/mL performed well in discriminating between those with and without HF hospitalization or death. Some clinical correlates of GDF15 have an interaction with age. GDF15 is an important determinant of cardiovascular endpoints, particularly in patients aged around 70years. The additive value of GDF15 appeared consistent across ages, suggesting the use of a universal cut-off value.

Declining calcium concentration drives shifts toward smaller and less nutritious zooplankton in northern lakes.

Zooplankton community composition of northern lakes is changing due to the interactive effects of climate change and recovery from acidification, yet limited data are available to assess these changes combined. Here, we built a database using archives of temperature, water chemistry and zooplankton data from 60 Scandinavian lakes that represent broad spatial and temporal gradients in key parameters: temperature, calcium (Ca), total phosphorus (TP), total organic carbon (TOC), and pH. Using machine learning techniques, we found that Ca was the most important determinant of the relative abundance of all zooplankton groups studied, while pH was second, and TOC third in importance. Further, we found that Ca is declining in almost all lakes, and we detected a critical Ca threshold in lake water of 1.3 mg L-1 , below which the relative abundance of zooplankton shifts toward dominance of Holopedium gibberum and small cladocerans at the expense of Daphnia and copepods. Our findings suggest that low Ca concentrations may shape zooplankton communities, and that current trajectories of Ca decline could promote widespread changes in pelagic food webs as zooplankton are important trophic links from phytoplankton to fish and different zooplankton species play different roles in this context.

Assessing the fate and contribution of Foxd1-expressing embryonic precursors and their progeny in palatal development, homeostasis and excisional repair

Oral mucosal tissues heal rapidly with minimal scarring, although palatal mucosa can be associated with excessive fibrosis in response to injury. Investigations on the balance between neovascularization and tissue repair suggests regulation of angiogenesis is an important determinant of repair versus scarring. Associated with pericyte mediated fibrosis in kidney injury, FoxD1 is implicated in growth centres during cranio-facial development, although which cell lineages are derived from these embryonic populations in development and in adult animals is unknown. Using a lineage tracing approach, we assessed the fate of embryonic Foxd1-expressing progenitor cells and their progeny in palatal development and during wound healing in adult mice. During palatal development as well as in post-natal tissues, Foxd1-lineage progeny were associated with the vasculature and the epineurium. Post-injury, de novo expression of FoxD1 was not detectable, although Foxd1-lineage progeny expanded while exhibiting low association with the fibroblast/myofibroblast markers PDGFα, PDGFβ, vimentin, α-smooth muscle actin, as well as the neuronal associated markers S100β and p75NTR. Foxd1-lineage progeny were primarily associated with CD146, CD31, and to a lesser extent CD105, remaining in close proximity to developing neovascular structures. Our findings demonstrate that FoxD1 derived cells are predominantly associated with the palatal vasculature and provide strong evidence that FoxD1 derived cells do not give rise to populations involved directly in the scarring of the palate.

The decline in cellular iron is crucial for differentiation in keratinocytes.

Iron is a vital metal for most biological functions in tissues, and its concentration is exquisitely regulated at the cellular level. During the process of differentiation, keratinocytes in the epidermis undergo a noticeable reduction in iron content. Conversely, psoriatic lesions, characterized by disruptions in epidermal differentiation, frequently reveal an excessive accumulation of iron within keratinocytes that have undergone differentiation. In this study, we clarified the significance of attenuated cellular iron content in the intricate course of epidermal differentiation. We illustrated this phenomenon through the utilization of hinokitiol, an iron chelator derived from the heartwood of Taiwanese hinoki, which forcibly delivers iron into cells independent of the intrinsic iron-regulation systems. While primary cultured keratinocytes readily succumbed to necrotic cell death by this iron chelator, mild administration of the hinokitiol-iron complex modestly disrupts the process of differentiation in these cells. Notably, keratinocyte model cells HaCaT and anaplastic skin rudiments exhibit remarkable resilience against the cytotoxic impact of hinokitiol, and the potent artificial influx of iron explains a suppressive effect selectively on epidermal differentiation. Moreover, the augmentation of iron content induced by the overexpression of divalent metal transporter 1 culminates in the inhibition of differentiation in HaCaT cells. Consequently, the diminution in cellular iron content emerges as an important determinant influencing the trajectory of keratinocyte differentiation.

Exercise addiction symptoms and mental health during the forced exercises deprivation in greatest COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in Poland.

The paper describes the relationship between the symptoms of exercise addiction, behavioral strategies in situations of limited workout possibilities and mental health state in exercising individuals. The study included 391 participants, 286 women (73.1%) and 105 men (26.9%), aged 18 to 68 years. The respondents were surveyed online after 17-19 days of barriers to routine training due to greatest COVID-19 restrictions in Poland. Subjects completed the Exercise Dependence Scale, General Health Questionnaire - 28 (GHQ-28) and questionnaires enabling the collection of demographic and clinical data as well as data related to exercise behaviors. The variables related to exercise addiction and some related to behavioral changes are predictors of mental health, especially in terms of anxiety, insomnia and somatic symptoms. All the introduced variables accounted for 27.4% to 43.7% of the variation in the mental health status of the subjects, depending on GHQ subscales. Breaking the restriction rules by outdoor training protected against symptoms of psychological disorders, especially in relation to somatic symptoms (Beta = -0.23; p< 0.001). Individual assessment of stress induction in a given situation was a predictor of results in all GHQ subscales, which was the strongest for symptoms of anxiety and insomnia (Beta = 0.37; p< 0.001). Individuals with features of exercise addiction are at risk of deterioration of their well-being during forced abstinence. In addition, the subjective level of stress induction in a given situation is an important determinant that conditions psychological well-being, especially the aggravation of depressive symptoms. People who ignore restrictions and have low levels of stress, experience lower psychological costs.

Quantitative risk factor analysis of prior disease condition and socioeconomic status with the multiple myeloma development: nationwide cohort study

Early diagnosis and following management are important determinants of the prognosis of multiple myeloma (MM). However, screening for MM is not routinely performed because it is rare disease. In this study, we evaluated the association of prior disease condition and socioeconomic status (SES) with MM diagnosis and developed a simple predictive model that can identify patients at high risk of developing MM who may need screening using nationwide database from South Korea. According to multivariate logistic regression analysis, eight prior disease conditions and SES before diagnosis were shown to be predictors of MM development and selected for score development. Total prediction scores were categorized into four groups: patients without any risk (≤ 0) intermediate-1 (0.5–9), intermediate-2 (9–14), and high risk (> 14). The odds ratios for developing MM in the intermediate-1, intermediate-2, and high-risk groups were 1.29, 3.07, and 4.62, respectively. The association of prior disease conditions and SES with MM diagnosis were demonstrated and the simple scoring system to predict the MM risk was developed. This scoring system is also provided by web-based application and could be a useful tool to support clinicians in identifying potential candidates for MM screening.

Relationship between education and fertility preferences in Mexico: Lessons from Italy

Education is an important determinant of reproductive preferences. However, few studies have explored the evolution of its role in countries with different levels of fertility transition, due to the lack of adequate data. In this paper, we analyze the role of education as a determinant of fertility preferences in Mexico, a country which is rapidly approaching the end of fertility transition, albeit with substantial differences between different areas of the country. Using survey data, we contrast the results with evidence from a very low fertility country, Italy. The results indicate a persistent negative correlation between fertility preferences and educational levels in Mexico. However, a more detailed analysis at the territorial level reveals that in the most developed regions—such as Mexico City—the relationship is going into reverse, with more educated women showing a greater willingness to having another child, similarly to Italy, where higher levels of education have a positive effect on fertility intentions.

Psychometric performance of the CFQ-R-8D compared to the EQ-5D-3L and SF-6D in people with cystic fibrosis.

This study aimed to compare the psychometric performance of the Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire-Revised-8 Dimensions (CFQ-R-8D), a new, condition-specific, preference-based measure, with that of generic preference-based measures EQ-5D-3L and Short Form 6 dimensions (SF-6D). Data from three trials of participants with CF aged ≥ 14 years who completed the CFQ-R and EQ-5D-3L or SF-6D were used. Analyses were undertaken to evaluate convergent validity based on correlations with CFQ-R domain scores. Known-group validity was assessed based on percent predicted forced expiratory volume in one second and pulmonary exacerbations. Responsiveness was based on correlation of change and sensitivity to change based on change in symptom severity. Effect sizes and standardized response means were estimated. CFQ-R-8D utilities and dimensions were strongly correlated with most of the overlapping CFQ-R domain scores (ρ > 0.5); EQ-5D-3L and SF-6D utilities and dimensions had moderate (ρ > 0.3) to strong correlations in dimensions capturing similar concepts. All measures showed evidence of known-group validity (P < 0.05). Change correlations were strong for CFQ-R-8D utilities and dimensions and CFQ-R, but they were moderate for SF-6D and mostly weak ((ρ > 0.1) for EQ-5D-3L. The SF-6D had the largest mean change over time and effect sizes, followed by CFQ-R-8D and then EQ-5D-3L. Neither CFQ-R-8D or SF-6D utility scores had ceiling effects (< 9% responses in full health) compared with those of EQ-5D-3L (61-62%). In participants classified as being in full health by EQ-5D-3L, CFQ-R-8D captured CF-specific health problems, particularly cough, abdominal pain, and breathing difficulty. The CFQ-R-8D reflected known-group differences and changes over time with stronger evidence of good psychometric performance than EQ-5D-3L and similar evidence as SF-6D. Additionally, the CFQ-R-8D captured more condition-specific symptoms than EQ-5D-3L or SF-6D, which are important determinants of health-related quality of life for people with CF.

UPF1 ATPase autoinhibition and activation modulate RNA binding kinetics and NMD efficiency.

The RNA helicase UPF1 interacts with mRNAs, mRNA decay machinery, and the terminating ribosome to promote nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD). Structural and biochemical data have revealed that UPF1 exists in an enzymatically autoinhibited 'closed' state. Upon binding the NMD protein UPF2, UPF1 undergoes an extensive conformational change into a more enzymatically active 'open' state, which exhibits enhanced ATPase and helicase activity. However, mechanically deficient UPF1 mutants (i.e. poorly processive, slow, and mechanochemically uncoupled) can support efficient NMD, bringing into question the roles of UPF1 enzymatic autoinhibition and activation in NMD. Here, we identify two additional important features of the activated open state: slower RNA binding kinetics and enhanced ATP-stimulated RNA dissociation kinetics. Computational modeling based on empirical measurements of UPF1, UPF2 and RNA interaction kinetics predicts that the majority of UPF1-RNA binding and dissociation events in cells occur independently of UPF2 binding. We find that UPF1 mutants with either reduced or accelerated dissociation from RNA have NMD defects, whereas UPF1 mutants that are more dependent on UPF2 for catalytic activity remain active on well-established NMD targets. These findings support a model in which the kinetics of UPF1-mRNA interactions are important determinants of cellular NMD efficiency.

Analysis of genetic variant associated with heart failure mortality implicates thymic stromal lymphopoietin as mediator of strain-induced myocardial fibroblast-mast cell crosstalk and fibrosis.

Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of death and disability globally. Heritable factors and the extent and pattern of myocardial fibrosis are important determinants of outcomes in patients with HF. In a genome-wide association study of mortality in HF, we recently identified a genetic polymorphism on chromosome 5q22 associated with HF mortality. Here, we sought to study the mechanisms by which this variant may influence myocardial disease processes. We find that the risk allele is located in an enhancer motif upstream of the TSLP gene (encoding thymic stromal lymphopoietin), conferring increased binding of the transcription factor nescient helix-loop helix 1 (NHLH1) and increased TSLP expression in human heart. Further, we find that increased strain of primary human myocardial fibroblasts results in increased TSLP expression and that the TSLP receptor is expressed in myocardial mast cells in human single nuclei RNA sequence data. Finally, we show that TSLP overexpression induces increased transforming growth factor β expression in myocardial mast cells and tissue fibrosis. Collectively, our findings based on follow-up of a human genetic finding implicate a novel pathway in myocardial tissue homeostasis and remodeling.

Adoption and intensity of use of personal protective equipment by agricultural pesticide handlers: Empirical evidence from Peruvian agriculture

Pesticide use poses risks to human health that could be mitigated by the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), among other things. The aim of this study is to analyze the adoption and adoption intensity among a sample of nearly 12,000 crop farmers in Peru who grow a wide range of crops. This study further aims at identifying the factors that condition PPE use and intensity of use, with special attention paid to crop specialization. To achieve this objective, an econometric hurdle model that separates the decision on whether to adopt PPE from the decision on how many PPEs to employ was used. Results show that about a third of the sample farmers did not use any PPE when applying pesticides. For those farmers already using PPE, average PPE use intensity was relatively low at two PPEs, with boots being the most used PPE, followed by masks and gloves. The decision to adopt PPEs was strongly and positively influenced by farmers' level of education, access to credit, and training on pesticide use. The same factors were also found to be positively associated with PPE use intensity, which was further shown to be driven by cooperative membership. Crop specialization is shown to be an important determinant of both PPE adoption and adoption intensity. Interventions to promote PPE use should mainly target farms with a higher degree of specialization in cereal production, as these farms were less likely to use and intensify PPE adoption than farms specializing in other crops. Other relevant pathways to increasing PPE use include improving farmers’ educational status, communicating information on pesticide use, alleviating credit constraints, and strengthening farmer organizations.

Jump Risk Contagion and Determinants Driven by COVID-19 in Sino-US Stock Market: An Empirical Analysis from a Dependence Perspective

This paper examines the jump risk contagion between the US and China during the financial crisis driven by COVID-19, and the impact of a series of determinants to detect the transmission mechanisms. Specifically, we employ the ARJI–GARCH model to capture jump behavior and apply the Clayton Copula to construct lower tail jump contagion. Furthermore, we conduct regression analysis on variables related to economic fundamentals and investor behavior to explore the fundamental or pure contagion hypotheses. Our results suggest an increased jump dependence during major catastrophic crises such as COVID-19, but it is closer to a memory-less process. Besides, bilateral trade, similarity in fundamentals and investor behavior are all important determinants, and pure contagion hypothesis exists between the Chinese and US stock markets during the pandemic.

A better integration of health and economic impact assessments of climate change

Climate change could lead to high economic burden for individuals (i.e. low income and high prices). While economic conditions are important determinants of climate change vulnerability, environmental epidemiological studies focus primarily on the direct impact of temperature on morbidity and mortality without accounting for climate-induced impacts on the economy. More integrated approaches are needed to provide comprehensive assessments of climate-induced direct and indirect impacts on health. This paper provides some perspectives on how epidemiological and economic impact assessments could be better integrated. We argue that accounting for the economic repercussions of climate change on people’s health and, vice versa, the consequences of health effects on the economy could provide more realistic scenario projections and could be more useful for adaptation policy.

Paternal cocaine-seeking motivation defines offspring’s vulnerability to addiction by down-regulating GABAergic GABRG3 in the ventral tegmental area

Epidemiological investigations indicate that parental drug abuse experiences significantly influenced the addiction vulnerability of offspring. Studies using animal models have shown that paternal cocaine use and highly motivated drug-seeking behavior are important determinants of offspring addiction susceptibility. However, the key molecules contributing to offspring addiction susceptibility are currently unclear. The motivation for cocaine-seeking behavior in offspring of male rats was compared between those whose fathers self-administered cocaine (SA) and those who were yoked with them and received non-contingent cocaine administrations (Yoke). We found that paternal experience with cocaine-seeking behavior, but not direct cocaine exposure, could lead to increased lever-pressing behavior in male F1 offspring. This effect was observed without significant changes to the dose-response relationship. The transcriptomes of ventral tegmental area (VTA) in offspring were analyzed under both naive state and after self-administration training. Specific transcriptomic changes in response to paternal cocaine-seeking experiences were found, which mainly affected biological processes such as synaptic connections and receptor signaling pathways. Through joint analysis of these candidate genes and parental drug-seeking motivation scores, we found that gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor subunit gamma-3 (Gabrg3) was in the hub position of the drug-seeking motivation-related module network and highly correlated with parental drug-seeking motivation scores. The downregulation of Gabrg3 expression, caused by paternal motivational cocaine-seeking, mainly occurred in GABAergic neurons in the VTA. Furthermore, down-regulating GABAergic Gabrg3 in VTA resulted in an increase in cocaine-seeking behavior in the Yoke F1 group. This down-regulation also reduced transcriptome differences between the Yoke and SA groups, affecting processes related to synaptic formation and neurotransmitter transmission. Taken together, we propose that paternal cocaine-seeking behavior, rather than direct drug exposure, significantly influences offspring addiction susceptibility through the downregulation of Gabrg3 in GABAergic neurons of the VTA, highlighting the importance of understanding specific molecular pathways in the intergenerational inheritance of addiction vulnerability.

User acceptance of social network-backed cryptocurrency: a unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT)-based analysis

Turbulent market conditions, well-publicized advantages, and potential individual, social, and environmental risks make blockchain-based cryptocurrencies a popular focus of the public and scientific communities. This paper contributes to the literature on the future of crypto markets by analyzing a promising cryptocurrency innovation from a customer-centric point of view; it explores the factors influencing user acceptance of a hypothetical social network-backed cryptocurrency in Central Europe. The research model adapts an internationally comparative framework and extends the well-established unified theory of acceptance and use of the technology model with the concept of perceived risk and trust. We explore user attitudes with a survey on a large Hungarian sample and analyze the database with consistent partial least square structural equation modeling methodology. The results show that users would be primarily influenced by the expected usefulness of the new technology assuming it is easy to use. Furthermore, our analysis also highlights that while social influence does not seem to sway user opinions, consumers are susceptible to technological risks, and trust is an important determinant of their openness toward innovations in financial services. We contribute to the cryptocurrency literature with a future-centric technological focus and provide new evidence from an under-researched geographic region. The results also have practical implications for business decision-makers and policymakers.

Changing dividend payout behavior and predicting dividend policy in emerging markets: Evidence from India

Dividends have become increasingly important for capital market participants to achieve financial goals in the rapidly changing Indian economy. This study aims to simplify the evolving Indian dividend puzzle by analyzing the dividend trends, examining the evolving nature of firm and macroeconomic determinants of dividends, and developing a dividend policy prediction model. Dividend trends of 3,162 non-financial listed Indian firms from 2006–2022 are studied to gain insights about the Indian dividend puzzle. Regularization and logit models are used to explore the nature of impact of important dividend determinants. Data-mining methods are employed to build a robust model for dividend policy prediction. Trend analysis reveals a decline in the quantum of dividends and proportion of dividend-paying firms with approximately 90% of the dividend-payers belonging to the manufacturing and service sector. Further findings suggest that size, age, maturity, profitability, past dividends, earnings, and bank monitoring of firms had a favorable impact on the likelihood of dividend payments. Macroeconomic indicators such as GDP growth rate, repo rate, percentage change in equity issues, listings, gross fixed assets formation also had a positive impact. The annual percentage change in debt issues and new project announcements at the macro level with investment prospects at firm level negatively impacted dividends. Dividend prediction model based on the random forest technique achieved the highest prediction accuracy of 90.77% and 77.31% under binomial and multi-class situations. These findings are expected to help corporate executives, portfolio managers and investors proactively design optimal dividend policies and formulate their investment strategies.