Regular Service Research Articles

Eco-friendly Hospitality in Himalayas: An Investigation on Homestay Services in India

The hospitality sector has been considered as an equal contributor to tourism impacts. As far as the sustainable destination development is concerned, there requires a balanced approach by the authorities for economic benefits and the benefits to the environment. Where the concept of homestays is attaining is popularity among tourists, the realization for its contribution to economic development to the local population is also important along with keeping in view that these hospitality services are aligned with eco-friendly practices, thereby reflecting upon the sustained life of the Himalayan tourism. Hence, the present study was conducted to inspect the part of home stay practices in local socio-economic growth of people and to examine if these practices are aligned with environmental safety. The study has been conducted in various regions of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim. The study revealed a requirement for the awareness and increase in knowledge among the homestay authorities for adopting the sustainable hospitality practices in regular service operations along with considering its benefits for local economic development.

Reflections from a Psychologist Working with Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Sickle cell disease and thalassaemia are life-long haematological diseases that can impact the quality of life of patients. This impact on quality of life can require intermittent psychological input throughout the lifespan for management. Managing everyday life during the COVID-19 pandemic could be challenging for people with these health conditions, which could impact their health, their mood and anxiety, their perception of control, and their engagement with their regular healthcare services. This report describes the characteristics of these health conditions and discusses reflections, from a specialist psychology service working with this clinical population, about the impact of COVID-19 on patient engagement with the service. The main aim of this report is to highlight the relevance and usefulness of videoconferencing as a therapy format, suggest implications for further service development and suggest alternate ways of working therapeutically with clients.

Lessons learnt of the COVID-19 contact tracing strategy in Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan using systems thinking processes.

The strategy of test, trace and isolate has been promoted and seen as a crucial tool in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. As simple as the slogan sounds, effectively implementing it turns into a complex endeavor with multiple moving parts and the need for multisector collaboration. In this study, we apply a systems thinking lens to analyse the design and implementation of the contact tracing strategy for COVID-19 in the district of Islamabad, Pakistan. The data collection included participatory observation, reflective exercises, key informant interviews and participatory workshops with district health managers and health providers. The information gathered was structured using process and stakeholder mapping to identify the lessons learned of the COVID-19 contact tracing strategy. The results showed that the elements crucial for implementation were, good coordination during a crisis, available resources mobilized effectively and establishment of early active surveillance for contact tracing. Furthermore, the main aspects to be improved were lack of preparedness and existing surveillance systems and task shifting leading to impact on regular health services. The results of this study highlight the importance of developing information systems that are coherent with existing processes and resources, even in times of crisis.

Eleven years of teledermoscopy in the Netherlands: A retrospective quality and performance analysis of 18,738 consultations

Introduction Teledermoscopy supports and enhances the early detection of skin lesions by general practitioners in primary practice through remote consultation with dermatologists. Teledermoscopy has been a regular health service in Dutch primary care since February 2009. Teledermoscopy quality and performance outcomes on Dutch general practitioner primary care 11 years after its implementation were assessed. Methods Dutch primary care teledermoscopy consultation data was retrospectively analysed on timestamps and responses on non-mandatory evaluation questions posed to the general practitioner and teledermatologist during the teledermoscopy consultation process. Anonymized data (February 2009–February 2020) was extracted from a Dutch teledermoscopy service database. The timestamps and evaluation questions data were subject to the teledermoscopy quality and performance outcomes. A limited cost evaluation was performed. Results A total of 18,738 teledermoscopy consultations were sent by 1341 general practitioners (February 2009–February 2020). For 3908 (31.9%) teledermoscopy consultations, the general practitioner requested second opinion advice which led to 712 (18.2%) extra teledermoscopy referrals of patients who would not have been referred without teledermoscopy, including skin cancer teledermoscopy diagnoses. The general practitioner followed the teledermatologists’ advice on patient referral for 8813 (88.5%) patients, reported 97.3% of the teledermoscopy consultations as helpful and 95.1% as instructive, referred 68.0% less patients with teledermoscopy availability, referred overall 59.4% less patients, and needed 5.4 minutes (median) for sending a teledermoscopy consultation. Teledermatologist's median answer and response time was 2 minutes and 2.4 hours, respectively. The estimated cost reduction was €144.18 ($164.65) (50.2%) per teledermoscopy patient. Discussion Teledermoscopy is a useful service in general practitioner practice for requesting dermatologist advice in primary care settings to support the detection of skin lesion at an early stage and at lower costs. Teledermoscopy could also decrease the burden of secondary dermatology care since general practitioners reported that they did not refer the majority of patients to a dermatologist after the teledermoscopy consultation compared to their initial referral decision. General practitioners reported the teledermoscopy system as helpful and instructive which could contribute to enhancement of their dermatological knowledge.

A channel state information based virtual MAC spoofing detector

Physical layer security has attracted lots of attention with the expansion of wireless devices to the edge networks in recent years. Due to limited authentication mechanisms, MAC spoofing attack, also known as the identity attack, threatens wireless systems. In this paper, we study a new type of MAC spoofing attack, the virtual MAC spoofing attack, in a tight environment with strong spatial similarities, which can create multiple counterfeits entities powered by the virtualization technologies to interrupt regular services. We develop a system to effectively detect such virtual MAC spoofing attacks via the deep learning method as a countermeasure. A deep convolutional neural network is constructed to analyze signal level information extracted from Channel State Information (CSI) between the communication peers to provide additional authentication protection at the physical layer. A significant merit of the proposed detection system is that this system can distinguish two different devices even at the same location, which was not well addressed by the existing approaches. Our extensive experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the system with an average detection accuracy of 95%, even when devices are co-located.

Feasibility of evaluating COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness and variant severity through a routine health information exchange.

ObjectivesTo date South Africa has experienced four distinct COVID-19 waves due to ancestral, Beta, Delta and Omnicron SARS-CoV-2 variants. We sought to answer pertinent public health questions in a timely manner as new COVID-19 variants emerge(d) using routine health service data linked through a service-facing health information exchange (HIE).
 ApproachA population cohort was defined amongst regular health service users in the Western Cape Province of South Africa based on recent utilisation of public sector services as reflected in the Provincial Health Data Centre (PHDC) which functions as a HIE. Infection, hospitalisation and mortality data were derived from routinely linked laboratory, service and national vital registration data sources. Serology done on residual specimens of patients monitored for HIV and diabetes treatment progress were linked to the PHDC, as were vaccination data from the national vaccination information system. A single linked and de-identified dataset was exported for analysis purposes.
 ResultsBased on accessing services in the preceding 3 years, a cohort of 3.5 million adult patients could be enumerated and linked to co-morbidity and SARS-CoV-2 outcome data. Serology from 16,000 specimens spread across the three inter-wave periods, and vaccine data from amongst the 5 million vaccine doses given in the Province, could also be linked. Variants could be identified by wave or by PCR assay target anomalies during cross-over periods. Publishable variant severity analyses were feasible from the sub-cohort of patients with diagnosed COVID-19, and variant-specific vaccine effectiveness was assessible amongst cases, in the population cohort, and in patients with HIV. The impact of prior infection and marginal value of vaccination in those with prior infection was assessible within the serology sub-cohort.
 ConclusionA single linked de-identified dataset derived from an operational HIE was able to quickly address critical public health questions related to COVID-19 variants in a privacy-preserving manner.

Chronic diseases and multi-morbidity in persons experiencing homelessness: results from a cross-sectional study conducted at three humanitarian clinics in Germany in 2020

BackgroundPersons experiencing homelessness (PEH) suffer a high burden of chronic diseases and multi-morbidity, yet face significant barriers in accessing healthcare services. These health inequalities were further aggravated during the COVID-19 pandemic. While there is a lack of comprehensive health data on PEH, even less is known about populations experiencing housing exclusion, a hidden form of homelessness. This study examines and compares chronic diseases and multi-morbidity in PEH, persons experiencing housing exclusion, and persons with secure housing who lacked access to regular healthcare services in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany.MethodsStudy participants were adults who sought medical care at clinics of the humanitarian organisation “Ärzte der Welt” in Munich, Hamburg and Berlin in 2020. The patients were categorised into three housing groups according to the ETHOS classification of homelessness and housing exclusion. Socio-demographic characteristics, self-rated health, chronic diseases and multi-morbidity were described in each group. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify socio-demographic factors associated with higher odds of chronic diseases and multi-morbidity in each housing group.ResultsOf the 695 study participants, 333 experienced homelessness, 292 experienced housing exclusion and 70 had secure housing. 92.3% of all patients had either no or limited health coverage, and 96.7% were below the poverty line. Males and EU/EEA citizens were highly represented among PEH (74.2% and 56.8% respectively). PEH had lower self-rated health (47.8%, p = 0.04), and a higher prevalence of psychiatric illness (20.9%, p = 0.04). In adjusted analyses, belonging to the age group 35–49 and ≥ 50 years were associated with greater odds of chronic disease (AOR = 2.33, 95% CI = 1.68–3.24; AOR = 3.57, 95% CI = 2.55–5.01, respectively) while being ≥ 50 years old was associated with multi-morbidity (AOR = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.21, 3.33). Of the 18 participants tested for SARS-COV-2, 15 were PEH, 1 of whom tested positive.ConclusionsHousing status was not an independent risk factor for chronic disease and multi-morbidity in our study population. However, PEH reported poorer self-rated and psychiatric health. Strategies to improve access to healthcare services amongst persons experiencing homelessness and housing exclusion are needed in Germany.

Measuring the impact of community-based interventions on type 2 diabetes control during the COVID-19 pandemic in Cape Town - A mixed methods study.

BackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic exposed the risks of poorly controlled noncommunicable diseases, especially in persons with diabetes. The pandemic outbreak in Cape Town, South Africa, required a rapid reorganisation of primary care services. Community-based measures were activated to ensure continuity of care by implementing home delivery of medication by community health workers. After five months of de-escalated chronic care, observations at an urban primary care facility suggested that noncommunicable disease patients had not overtly decompensated despite suspending regular in-facility services. This study attempted to understand what impact de-escalation of regular care and escalation of community-based interventions had on type 2 diabetes patients at this primary care facility.MethodsA mixed methods study design was used, consisting of data captured prospectively from diabetic patients who returned to the facility for routine care post-lockdown, as well as qualitative interviews to ascertain patients’ experiences of the home delivery service.ResultsThe data set included 331 (72%) patients in the home delivery group and 130 (28%) in the non-home delivery group. Regression analysis demonstrated a statistically significant relationship between home delivery and improved diabetic control (p < 0.01), although this may be because of confounding factors. The mean glycaemic control was suboptimal both at baseline and post-lockdown in both groups. Interviews with 83 study patients confirmed the acceptability of the home delivery intervention.ConclusionThe rapid reorganisation of primary care services illustrates the versatility of a functional community-oriented primary care service, although not fully developed yet, to adapt to emerging community healthcare needs in the pandemic era.

The Value of Vaccines in Maintaining Health System Capacity in England

ObjectivesIn situations of excess demand for healthcare, treating one patient means losing the opportunity to treat another. Therefore, each decision bears an opportunity cost. Nevertheless, when assessing the value of health technologies, these opportunity costs are not always fully considered. We present a pragmatic approach for conceptualizing vaccines’ health system capacity value when considering opportunity costs. MethodsOur approach proxies opportunity costs through the net monetary benefit forgone as scarce healthcare resources are used to treat a vaccine-preventable disease instead of a patient from the waiting list. We apply this approach to cost the resource “hospital beds” for 3 different scenarios of excess demand. Empirically, we estimate the opportunity costs saved for 4 selected vaccination programs from the national schedule in England during a hypothetical scenario of long-lasting excess demand induced by the pandemic. ResultsThe opportunity cost avoided through vaccination rises with excess demand for treatment. When treating an acute vaccine-preventable outcome is a suboptimal choice compared with treating elective patients, preventing a vaccine-preventable disease from blocking a hospital bed generates opportunity cost savings of approximately twice the direct costs saved by avoiding vaccine-preventable hospitalizations. ConclusionsPolicy makers should be aware that, in addition to preventing the outcome of interest, vaccines and other preventative health technologies deliver value in maintaining regular healthcare services and clearing the pent-up demand from the pandemic. Therefore, health system capacity value should be a key-value element in health technology assessment. Existing and potential future vaccination programs deliver more value than hitherto quantified.

DEVELOPMENT OF AIR TRANSPORT BETWEEN YUGOSLAVIA AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1945-1992

Air transport between Yugoslavia and the United States was one of the defining aspects of Yugoslav civil aviation after the Second World War. Cooperation between the two countries developed in several fields. Early attempts to regulate civil air transport by the means of a bilateral agreement were made as early as 1945, but without success. Three agreements on air transport were eventually signed in 1949, 1973 and 1977. Pan American World Airways started overflying Yugoslav territory in 1950 on its international routes between North America and the Middle East and started landing at Belgrade in 1963, thus providing a true connection between the two countries. From 1970, Yugoslav Airlines operated charter flights between Yugoslavia and USA, followed by the introduction of a regular service between Belgrade, Zagreb, and New York in 1976. From 1964 to 1966 and during 1972, another Yugoslav air operator, (Inex) Adria Airways also flew charter flights between Yugoslavia and the United States. Apart from this, most passenger airplanes used in Yugoslavia were made in the United States, while some Yugoslav factories manufactured components for American aircraft producers. Yugoslav airmen and other aviation experts undertook training in America, greatly improving the functioning and safety of Yugoslav civil aviation in general. The disintegration of Socialist Yugoslavia and international sanctions imposed on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1992 also led to a ban on air traffic between Yugoslavia and the rest of the world. The United States introduced this ban several days before the sanctions came into force, ending all air transport services between the two countries.

IMPLEMENTASI PROFILE MATCHING PADA PRIORITAS APPROVAL PENGAJUAN LAYANAN PREMIUM PADA PT. PLN (PERSERO) ULP SEMARANG BARAT

Premium services are useful for overcoming blackout problems that often occur in previous regular services, with this service customers will get energy services with very adequate supplies. The system for submitting regular service upgrades to premium services at PLN. ULP Semarang Barat so far has not been able to provide the appropriate decision regarding the customer to be approved for the right type of premium service (bronze, silver, gold and platinum). The level of accuracy resulting from testing 15 data on the old system assessment is 0.87%, this means that profile matching can be referenced as an assessment of granting approval for premium service submissions

Patient and researcher experiences of patient engagement in primary care health care research: A participatory qualitative study.

Studies have highlighted common challenges and barriers to patient engagement in research, but most were based on patient partners' or academic researchers' experiences. A better understanding of how both groups differentially experience their partnership could help identify strategies to improve collaboration in patient engagement research. This study aimed to describe and compare patient partners' and academic researchers' experiences in patient engagement research. Based on a participatory approach, a descriptive qualitative study was conducted with patient partners and academic researchers who are involved in the PriCARE research programme in primary health care to examine their experience of patient engagement. Individual semi-structured interviews with patient partners (n = 7) and academic researchers (n = 15) were conducted. Academic researchers' interview verbatims, deidentified patient partners' summaries of their interviews and summaries of meetings with patient partners were analysed using inductive thematic analysis in collaboration with patient partners. Patient partners and academic researchers' experiences with patient engagement are captured within four themes: (1) evolving relationships; (2) creating an environment that fosters patient engagement; (3) striking a balance; and (4) impact and value of patient engagement. Evolving relationships refers to how partnerships grew and improved over time with an acceptance of tensions and willingness to move beyond them, two-way communication and leadership of key team members. Creating an environment that fosters patient engagement requires appropriate structural support, such as clear descriptions of patient partner roles; adequate training for all team members; institutional guidance on patient engagement; regular and appropriate translation services; and financial assistance. For patient partners and academic researchers, striking a balance referred to the challenge of reconciling patient partners' interests and established research practices. Finally, both groups recognized the value and positive impact of patient engagement in the programme in terms of improving the relevance of research and the applicability of results. While patient partners and academic researchers identified similar challenges and strategies, their experiences of patient engagement differed according to their own backgrounds, motivesand expectations. Both patient partners and academic researchers highlighted the importance of finding a balance between providing structure or guidelines for patient engagement, while allowing for flexibility along the way. Patient partners from the PriCARE research programme were involved in the following aspects of the current study: (1) development of the research objectives; (2) planning of the research design; (3) development and validation of data collection tools (i.e., interview guides); (4) production of data (i.e., acted as interviewees); (5) validation of data analysis tools (code book); (6) analysis of qualitative data; and (7) drafting of the manuscript and contributing to other knowledge translation activities, such as conference presentations and the creation of a short animated video.

The Role of Schools in Early Marriage Education and Reproductive Health Rights (Case Study: Students in Wonosobo District)

The role of schools is an important factor in shaping human civilization. The phenomenon of the high number of high school marriages in Wonosobo with all the social changes that surround it, until 2019 marriages under the age of 19 (nineteen) years there were 430 cases including marriage dispensation. The Merried By Accident (MBA) case dominates all of these cases. The focus of this research is the analysis of the role of school in child marriage and women's reproductive rights, two things that influence each other and whether women's reproductive health rights include the right to abortion and to refuse pregnancy which often occurs in society. This study uses qualitative research by conducting in-depth interviews and discussion group forums which are analyzed and described using a symbolic interactionism approach. The results of the study found that there was a shift in the meaning of marriage for high school children, the high number of cases of child marriage was dominated by changes in social behavior and adolescent relationships, so that pregnancy before marriage led to dropping out of school. Women's reproductive health rights are especially not ready to give birth, take care of children so that the life cycle after giving birth to children does not get serious attention, and it is not uncommon for domestic violence (KDRT) to be a way out to solve problems that cause divorce at a young age. The role of schools has not shown significant results because there is almost no curriculum in schools that requires provisions about marriage. The ideal school role is in the form of providing early marriage education and reproductive health, having an effective school fee subsidy, providing regular health services, and motivating students in the spirit of learning at school.

Pop-Up Cycleways

Problem, research strategy, and findings Government agencies are increasingly interested in accelerating cycleway infrastructure to achieve co-benefits of increased physical activity, transport efficiencies, and reduced greenhouse emissions. Comprehensive evidence supports this policy direction, yet delivery of infrastructure in many cities remains slow, fragmented, and wrought with political struggle. Political forces, rather than a lack of evidence, appear to be the key challenge to implementing active transport policies. In this study we used Kingdon’s multiple stream theory to examine the policy development process that led to the rapid installation of pop-up cycleways in Sydney (Australia) in response to COVID-19. Takeaway for practice Significant disruption to regular transport services induced by the COVID-19 pandemic created a policy window where political expediency resulted in rapid implementation of active transport–friendly policy and legislative changes. The policy realignment occurred due to increased government agency collaboration and the elevation of cycling to an unprecedented level of priority within government. This study shows the value of ongoing commitment to evidence-based policy solutions to clearly identified urban challenges despite institutional barriers, the need to develop political alliances for when opportunities for policy change arise, and the need to swiftly capitalize on these policy windows when they open. This case study provides insights for cycling policy development in jurisdictions traditionally burdened by skepticism and reluctance to implement bicycle infrastructure by revealing the multivalent nature of policy adoption.

Towards Sustainable Open Heart Surgery in Zimbabwe.

Open heart surgery has become more readily available worldwide, especially in the West, whilst it remains elusive for the majority of the people in Sub-Saharan Africa, and Zimbabwe in particular. Efforts to provide the service began in the 1950s and open heart surgery became a regular service from 1989 to 2003. From 1997, Zimbabwe went through a phase of political and economic turmoil resulting in the disruption of meaningful service. This study seeks to make the case for prioritization of domestic resources toward open heart surgery, taken as learning from African countries that faced a similar predicament such as Ghana but who have since been able to sustain their programs. To ensure the success of the program, the following are necessary: the requisite personnel, equipment, consumables, and competitive remuneration. The plan is to work with Government, the private sector, and other players to harness resources toward sustainable open heart surgery in Zimbabwe.

인천∼제주 해상물류 활성화 방안에 대한 연구

On December 10, 2021, the ‘Incheon-Jeju’ ferry started its first regular service after 7 years and 8 months. The ferry, which had been cut off after the Sewol ferry disaster in April 2014, was reopened. The resumption of the ‘Incheon-Jeju’ waterway is expected to revive the local economy of the Incheon coastal pier and revitalize the logistics business of the Incheon coastal pier due to the increase in the supply of Jeju agricultural and marine products. In the meantime, the flow of logistics from Jeju to the Seoul metropolitan area via Honam is expected to lead directly from Jeju to Incheon Port, reducing logistics costs and resolving the distortion of logistics, thereby opening the door to logistics business through maritime transport. In addition, Incheon Port Authority expects that the annual number of coastal passengers will recover to 1 million, and it is expected to increase the number of coastal passengers, revitalize the area around the coastal pier and revitalize the local economy by contributing to the expansion of Incheon Port infrastructure and revitalization of coastal tourism. Accordingly, it is necessary to study a plan to revitalize the local economy according to the increase in maritime freight volume between Incheon and Jeju. It is time for policy proposals to revitalize the Incheon regional economy due to the increase in the Incheon-Jeju maritime trade volume. Therefore, in this study, the current status of maritime logistics between Incheon and Jeju before and after the Sewol ferry disaster was investigated, and the ‘total employment of An analysis model was developed for ‘inducing effect’ and ‘economic inducement effect’. Based on this research model, “total employment induction effect” and “economic inducement effect” caused by the increase in maritime transport volume were calculated and “how much the Incheon local economy is activated” simulation was performed. In other words, after the Sewol ferry disaster in 2014, only about 5-6% of Jeju Samdasoo and Jeju agricultural products entered Incheon Port, and on December 10, 2021, sea transportation from Jeju → Incheon Port was resumed and about 60 to 65% of Jeju Samdasoo and Jeju agricultural products were resumed. It is expected to flow into Incheon Port again. Therefore, by estimating the change in future cargo volume for the next three to five years, such as 2022 to 2025, the number of jobs created by the total employment induction effect and the economic inducement effect were calculated. In other words, when the vitalization of maritime logistics between Incheon and Jeju is normalized, Jeju Samdasoo, Jeju agricultural products, etc. will flow into Jeju → Incheon Port, and the volume of marine cargo is expected to increase from a minimum of 1.45 million tons to a maximum of 215 tons. It is expected that the total employment inducement effect will occur from a minimum of 1,629 people to a maximum of 2,618 people. In addition, it was analyzed that there was an economic inducement effect of at least 106 billion won to a maximum of 170.3 billion won due to an increase in the amount of sea freight flowing from Jeju to Incheon.

Smart Vehicle Service Management System Using IoT

Abstract: To ensure the proper operation and efficient operation of the vehicle, regular vehicle service is necessary to monitor various parts of the vehicle. This paper “Smart Vehicle Service Management System using IoT” is being proposed to detect some problems in vehicle and also it provides a platform to book online service to the vehicles. It sends an alert message in form of SMS to the user if any problem is detected and suggests that servicing to vehicle is now required. The system is integrated with different sensors like FSR, adxl, DHT11, level etc to detect problem in vehicle and being displayed in LCD, so if any problem is detected the buzzer will give alert sound indicating the vehicle has a problem. Along this a Node MCU and GSM module is being placed to get live updates in cloud and also in a form of SMS and the same data is stored data in cloud. The alert message received in form of SMS is redirected to the SVSMS website which will allow the user to book online service. The proposed system helps the user to detect the problems in prior and act precisely so that efficiency of the vehicle is maintained and cost/ inconvenience could be avoided.

APPLICATION OF ANTI-EPIDEMIOLOGICAL MEASURES AND COVIDAUTOMAT IN PUBLIC WATER TRANSPORT

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the reduction of services, including transport services. Companies operating in public water passenger transport were not prepared for the implementation of restrictions because, in some countries, the general procedures for the safe operation of regular public water passenger transport were not known. The main contribution of this paper is to discuss the implementation of the current system of safe operation of regular public water transport services in the Netherlands and Spain to a generally applicable model for transport companies. This article links these measures with the general plan for the release and tightening of measures of the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic known as COVIDAUTOMAT.

A Study on Developing a Taxi Service for Women to Decrease the Crime Rate

The present study aims to understand the levels of women’s public safety and the demand for an exclusive women’s taxi service. The study is based on primary data collected from 52 female respondents (majorly working) of various cities including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi, etc. The five-point response category of the Likert type has been used for examining the responses. With the help of percentage analysis and various chart representations, data has been analyzed. The empirical results indicated that 67% of responses faced inconvenience during public transport usage. In fact, most of the women expressed their need for a women’s taxi service with additional safety features like a GPS tracking system, shatterproof glass, easily accessible emergency buttons, etc. and they are also ready to pay a premium amount for these features. This means that many of the women will choose an exclusive women’s taxi service over a regular taxi service if provided. Limitations and business models have also been discussed.

Good agricultural practices in mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco); Perception and factors affecting awareness among farmers in Gulmi, Nepal

Citrus, in general, and mandarin, in particular, has long been one of Nepal's most important fruit crops. However, in recent years, a lack of good cultivation procedures and negligence has resulted in a significant reduction in its productivity. The declining situation cannot be controlled without the transfer of science-based knowledge and skills where Good Agricultural Practices have been linked to higher output. A study was carried out in 2020 to assess the perception of farmers towards Good Agricultural Practices and factors affecting awareness of GAP among mandarin growers. Altogether 100 households from Dhurkot and Chhatrakot Rural Municipalities, and Resunga Municipality from Gulmi district, were purposively chosen for the study in the command area of the PMAMP PIU Citrus Zone, and sampling was carried out using a simple random sampling technique. Data were collected with the use of a semi-structured questionnaire, entered, and analyzed using SPSS and STATA software. The farmers were categorized into GAP aware and unaware based on the criteria made by the focus group discussion carried out with the leading farmers, mandarin experts, and government agriculture officers. The findings revealed that 39% of the total respondents knew about GAP for mandarin. The entire respondents agreed that GAP-produced fruit has a nicer appearance and better quality and fruits meet national and international standards and enhance exportability of fruits, however, 61.5% of respondents didn’t agree that GAP helps in providing subsidies from governmental organizations. The output of the binary logit model suggested that an increase in participation in training and contact with extension agents has a significant effect on awareness of GAP. Participatory GAP training, regular extension services to smallholding farmers could be beneficial for mandarin farmers leading to commercialization.