No abstract

An index fund is a mutual fund that aims to imitate some benchmark index. There are several advantages of investing in an index fund, namely, exposure to a diversified portfolio, minimization of company-specific risks, high liquidity, etc. In India, there has been a significant growth in the number of index funds from 2002 onwards. Today there are more than 20 index funds imitating the NIFTY or SENSEX. In this article, we review and compare a number of Indian index funds. The CRISIL composite ranking of an index fund reflects the quarterly performance of that fund and is subject to fluctuations. We are interested in those index funds that do not deviate significantly from the underlying benchmark index in the long run. This ensures that an investor gets the benefit of any strong rally in the benchmark index, which the index fund imitates. We identify some index funds that satisfy our criteria, and are also ranked above three (indicating above average performance) in the CRISIL rankings of March 2011 and December 2010.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors affecting the financial sustainability of the Indian Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) post-Andhra Pradesh (AP) crisis Design/methodology/approach – Regression analysis is used to test the significance of the independent variables on the variable of interest, i.e. the operational self-sustainability. Three-stage regression analysis, i.e. Partial F-test, residual analysis and Box–Cox-type transformations is applied to see the impact of the variables on financial sustainability of the Indian MFIs. The study is based on the data of the Indian MFIs during three fiscal years from 2010-2011 to 2012-2012 reported in the Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX). Findings – The authors’ results indicate that in 2010-2011, the linear regression model seems to be good fit to the data, whereas in 2011-2012 and 2012-2013, the appropriateness of the linear regression models seems questionable (the error distribution seems to be skewed). It is observed that square root of the dependent variable exhibits adequate fit for 2011 and 2012. Therefore, a substantial change in the model for estimating sustainability of Indian MFIs is observed in the post-AP crisis era. It is observed that portfolio quality and capital management are important determinants for the financial sustainability of the MFIs. Practical implications – This study identifies the factors affecting the sustainability of the Indian MFIs, especially after the reforms following the AP crisis in India. The study suggests that from 2012-2013, the factors such as write-off ratio, capital-to-asset ratio, ratio of financial revenue to assets and provision for loan impairment-to-asset ratio are the main factors which have significant impact on the operational self-sufficiency (OSS) of Indian MFIs. This indicates that the quality of portfolio must be improved to reduce the vulnerability of the Indian MFIs. Social implications – After the AP crisis, the performance of Indian MFIs is stabilized to a greater extent. The various performance indicators are improving. Originality/value – The paper provides a detailed comparative analysis of the factors effecting financial sustainability of the Indian MFIs, before and after the regulatory reforms in 2011. A substantial change is observed after 2011-2012. Such a study on the Indian microfinance sector seems to be new (to the best of the authors’ knowledge).

Potyviral coat protein (CP) and helper component-proteinase (HCPro) play key roles in both the regulation of viral gene expression and the formation of viral particles. We investigated the interplay between CP and HCPro during these viral processes. While the endogenous HCPro and a heterologous viral suppressor of gene silencing both complemented HCPro-less potato virus A (PVA) expression, CP stabilization connected to particle formation could be complemented only by the cognate PVA HCPro. We found that HCPro relieves CP-mediated inhibition of PVA RNA expression likely by enabling HCPro-mediated sequestration of CPs to particles. We addressed the question about the role of replication in formation of PVA particles and gained evidence for encapsidation of non-replicating PVA RNA. The extreme instability of these particles substantiates the need for replication in the formation of stable particles. During replication, viral protein genome linked (VPg) becomes covalently attached to PVA RNA and can attract HCPro, cylindrical inclusion protein and host proteins. Based on the results of the current study and our previous findings we propose a model in which a large ribonucleoprotein complex formed around VPg at one end of PVA particles is essential for their integrity.

Background: The most injuries of badminton players involve a critical association between the movement tasks and training programs strategies. This review highlights on the common musculoskeletal injuries experienced by badminton players. The large majority of injuries, when recognized early on, can be prevented effectively with minor adjustments in the training programs, rehabilitation of essential muscles and flexibility. Objectives: To determine the common musculoskeletal injuries experienced by badminton players To determine some probable cause of musculoskeletal sports injuries experienced by badminton players. Methodology: A review was conducted on articles published between the year 2007 to 2018 to draw a conclusion on the prevalence and prevention of the common musculoskeletal injuries in badminton players. 20 studies including research articles was reviewed. The studies were critically appraised and cross references were checked. Results and Conclusion: According to the results of this research the incidence of injury in the lower and upper extremities are relatively high in badminton players. The implementation of custom fit physical fitness training programme, physiotherapy, continual medical supervision, considering scientific and practical principles to all level of athletes can be effective in the prevention of sports injuries. Discussion: Further studies to be conducted in a broader perspective way. Also, physical fitness training programme should be formulated based on the demand of the sport and the athlete.