Search Results (17)

We study the inequality of citations received for different publications of various researchers and Nobel laureates in Physics, Chemistry, Medicine and Economics using Google Scholar data from 2012 to 2024. Citation distributions are found to be highly unequal, with even greater disparity among Nobel laureates. Measures of inequality, such as the Gini and Kolkata indices, emerge as useful indicators for distinguishing Nobel laureates from others. Such high inequality corresponds to growing critical fluctuations, suggesting that excellence aligns with an imminent (self-organized dynamical) critical point. Additionally, Nobel laureates exhibit systematically lower values of the Tsallis–Pareto parameter b and Shannon entropy, indicating more structured citation distributions. We also analyze the inequality in Olympic medal tallies across countries and find similar levels of disparity. Our results suggest that inequality measures can serve as proxies for competitiveness and excellence. Full article

Rapid urbanization and the consequent alteration in land use and land cover (LULC) significantly change the natural landscape and adversely affect hydrological cycles, biological systems, and various ecosystem services, especially in the developing world. Thus, it is vital to study the environmental conditions of a region to mitigate the negative impacts of urbanization. Out of a wide array of parameters, the Environmental Criticality Index (ECI), a relatively new concept, was used in this study, which was conducted over the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA). It was derived using Land Surface Temperature (LST) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to quantify heat-related impact. An increase in the percentage of land area under high ECI categories, from 23.93% in 2000 to 32.37% in 2020, indicated a progressive increase in criticality. The Spatio-temporal Thermal-based Environmental Criticality Consistency Index (STTECCI) and hotspot analysis identified the urban and industrial areas in KMA as criticality hotspots, consistently recording higher ECI. The correlation analysis between ECI and LULC features revealed that there exists a negative correlation between ECI and natural vegetation and agriculture, while built-up areas and ECI are positively correlated. Bare lands, despite being positively correlated with ECI, have an insignificant relationship with it. Also, the designed built-up index extracted the built-up areas with an accuracy of 89.5% (kappa = 0.78). The future scenario of ECI in KMA was predicted using Modules for Land Use Change Evaluation (MOLUSCE) with an accuracy level above 90%. The percentage of land area under low ECI categories is expected to decline from 50.02% in 2000 to 35.6% in 2040, while the percentage of land area under high ECI categories is expected to increase from 23.93% in 2000 to 36.56% in 2040. This study can contribute towards the development of tailored management strategies that foster sustainable growth, resilience, and alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring a balance between economic development and environmental preservation. Full article

Objective: With rapid urbanization in countries like India, understanding the nutritional status and needs of urban populations, particularly among underprivileged groups such as people living in slums, is crucial. This study investigates the prevalence, characteristics, and determinants of child malnutrition in the urban slums of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) in West Bengal, India. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 736 children aged 6–59 months. Data were collected using structured interviews to gather socioeconomic, demographic, and dietary information, alongside anthropometric measurements. The analysis employed the Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF), and multiple linear regression (MLR) models to identify key factors influencing malnutrition. Results: The findings revealed a high prevalence of stunting (24.1%), underweight (22.3%), and wasting (15.4%) among children aged 6–59 months, with significant variations observed between the two study sites. Key predictors of anthropometric malnutrition include low household income, incidence of recent illness, low maternal nutrition, and delayed initiation of breastfeeding. Conclusions: Addressing child malnutrition in urban slums requires integrated strategies encompassing income-generation opportunities, health-sensitive urban planning, and focused maternal and child health interventions. Full article

Rapid urbanization and changing climatic procedures can activate the present surface urban heat island (SUHI) effect. An SUHI was considered by temperature alterations among urban and rural surroundings. The urban zones were frequently warmer than the rural regions because of population pressure, urbanization, vegetation insufficiency, industrialization, and transportation systems. This investigation analyses the Surface-UHI (SUHI) influence in Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), India. Growing land surface temperature (LST) may cause an SUHI and impact ecological conditions in urban regions. The urban thermal field variation index (UTFVI) served as a qualitative and quantitative barrier to the SUHI susceptibility. The maximum likelihood approach was used in conjunction with supervised classification techniques to identify variations in land use and land cover (LULC) over a chosen year. The outcomes designated a reduction of around 1354.86 Ha, 653.31 Ha, 2286.9 Ha, and 434.16 Ha for vegetation, bare land, grassland, and water bodies, correspondingly. Temporarily, from the years 1991–2021, the built-up area increased by 4729.23 Ha. The highest LST increased by around 7.72 °C, while the lowest LST increased by around 5.81 °C from 1991 to 2021. The vegetation index and LST showed a negative link, according to the correlation analyses; however, the built-up index showed an experimentally measured positive correlation. This inquiry will compel the administration, urban planners, and stakeholders to observe humanistic activities and thus confirm sustainable urban expansion. Full article

The index of success of the researchers is now mostly measured using the Hirsch index (h). Our recent precise demonstration, that statistically $h\sim \sqrt{N_c}\sim \sqrt{N_p}$, where $N_p$ and $N_c$ denote, respectively, the total number of publications and total citations for the researcher, suggests that average number of citations per paper ($N_c/N_p$), and hence h, are statistical numbers (Dunbar numbers) depending on the community or network to which the researcher belongs. We show here, extending our earlier observations, that the indications of success are not reflected by the total citations $N_c$, rather by the inequalities among citations from publications to publications. Specifically, we show that for highly successful authors, the yearly variations in the Gini index (g, giving the average inequality of citations for the publications) and the Kolkata index (k, giving the fraction of total citations received by the top $(1-k)$ fraction of publications; $k=0.80$ corresponds to Pareto’s 80/20 law) approach each other to $g=k\simeq 0.82$, signaling a precursor for the arrival of (or departure from) the self-organized critical (SOC) state of his/her publication statistics. Analyzing the citation statistics (from Google Scholar) of thirty successful scientists throughout their recorded publication history, we find that the g and k for the highly successful among them (mostly Nobel laureates, highest rank Stanford cite-scorers, and a few others) reach and hover just above (and then) below that $g=k\simeq 0.82$ mark, while for others they remain below that mark. We also find that all the lower (than the SOC mark 0.82) values of k and g fit a linear relationship, $k=1/2+cg$, with $c=0.39$, as suggested by an approximate Landau-type expansion of the Lorenz function, and this also indicates $k=g\simeq 0.82$ for the (extrapolated) SOC precursor mark. Full article

Air pollution is an immense problem due to its detrimental health effects on human populations. This study investigates the distribution of particle-bound heavy metals and associated health risks in three diverse areas (Durgapur as an industrial complex, Kolkata as an urban area, and Bolpur as a semi-urban region) in West Bengal, India. Twenty-one (84 samples) sampling sites were chosen, covering industrial, traffic, residential, and sensitive zones. The respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) samples were collected using a portable Mini-Vol Tactical Air Sampler, and heavy metal concentrations (Cd, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb, and As) were analyzed using ICP-OES. The non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks were assessed using exposure concentration (EC), hazard quotient (HQ), hazard index (HI), and additional lifetime cancer cases. The results highlight variations in heavy metal concentrations across the regions, with industrial areas exhibiting higher levels. Principal component analysis (PCA) unveiled distinct metal co-variation patterns, reflecting sources such as industrial emissions, traffic, and natural contributors. The sum of non-carcinogenic risks (HI) of all heavy metals exceeded the US EPA’s risk limit (HI<1) in both Kolkata and Durgapur, except for Bolpur. Similarly, the sum of cancer risk in three distinct areas exceeded the USEPA limits (1.00E-06). The Monte Carlo simulation revealed the 5th and 95th percentile range of cancer risk was 9.12E-06 to 1.12E-05 in Bolpur, 3.72E-05 to 4.49E-05 in Durgapur and 2.13E-05 to 2.57E-05 in Kolkata. Kolkata had the highest additional lifetime cancer cases compared to Bolpur and Durgapur. This study provides information on the complex connections between heavy metal pollution and possible health risks in industrial, urban, and semi-urban regions. Full article

Social inequalities are ubiquitous and evolve towards a universal limit. Herein, we extensively review the values of inequality measures, namely the Gini (g) index and the Kolkata (k) index, two standard measures of inequality used in the analysis of various social sectors through data analysis. The Kolkata index, denoted as k, indicates the proportion of the ‘wealth’ owned by $(1-k)$ fraction of the ‘people’. Our findings suggest that both the Gini index and the Kolkata index tend to converge to similar values (around $g=k\approx 0.87$, starting from the point of perfect equality, where $g=0$ and $k=0.5$) as competition increases in different social institutions, such as markets, movies, elections, universities, prize winning, battle fields, sports (Olympics), etc., under conditions of unrestricted competition (no social welfare or support mechanism). In this review, we present the concept of a generalized form of Pareto’s 80/20 law ($k=0.80$), where the coincidence of inequality indices is observed. The observation of this coincidence is consistent with the precursor values of the g and k indices for the self-organized critical (SOC) state in self-tuned physical systems such as sand piles. These results provide quantitative support for the view that interacting socioeconomic systems can be understood within the framework of SOC, which has been hypothesized for many years. These findings suggest that the SOC model can be extended to capture the dynamics of complex socioeconomic systems and help us better understand their behavior. Full article

One of the most valuable approaches in spatial analysis for a better understanding of the hydrological response of a region or a watershed is certainly the analysis of the well-known land use land cover (LULC) dynamicity. The present case study delves deeper into the analysis of LULC dynamicity by using digital Landsat TM and Landsat OLI data to classify the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) into seven classes with over 90% classification accuracy for decadal level assessments of 30 years (for the years 1989, 1999, 2009, and 2019). The change index, the Dematel method for analyzing the cause-effect relationship among the LULC classes, the Jaccard Similarity Index for measuring the nature of similarity among the LULC classes, and the Adherence Index for measuring the consistency of the LULC classes after the transition was used in this study to analyze the LULC transformation. In more detail, the present study considers how urban land use is altering at the expense of other land uses. Besides the shifting pattern of mean centers of the LULC classes through time, also gives a very significant insight into the LULC dynamics over 30 years of span. The current study of LULC dynamicity and transformation patterns over the 30 years of the KMDA area is expected to assist land and urban planners, engineers, and administrators in sustainable decisions and policies to ensure inclusive urbanization that accommodates population growth while minimizing the impact on potential natural resources within the whole study area. Full article

High ambient temperature is a key public health problem, as it is linked to high heat-related morbidity and mortality. We intended to recognize the characteristics connected to heat vulnerability and the coping practices among Indian urbanites of Angul and Kolkata. In 2020, a cross-sectional design was applied to 500 households (HHs) each in Angul and Kolkata. Information was gathered on various characteristics including sociodemographics, household, exposure, sensitivity, and coping practices regarding heat and summer heat illness history, and these characteristics led to the computation of a heat vulnerability index (HVI). Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used with HVI as the outcome variable to identify the determinants of high vulnerability to heat. The results show that some common and some different factors are responsible for determining the heat vulnerability of a household across different cities. For Angul, the factors that influence vulnerability are a greater number of rooms in houses, the use of cooling methods such as air conditioning, having comorbid conditions, the gender of the household head, and distance from nearby a primary health centre (PHC). For Kolkata, the factors are unemployment, income, the number of rooms, sleeping patterns, avoidance of nonvegetarian food, sources of water, comorbidities, and distance from a PHC. The study shows that every city has a different set of variables that influences vulnerability, and each factor should be considered in design plans to mitigate vulnerability to extreme heat. Full article

The impact of heat stress among the elderly in India—particularly the elderly poor—has received little or no attention. Consequently, their susceptibility to heat-related illnesses is virtually unknown, as are the strategies they use to avoid, or deal with, the heat. This study examined perceptions of comfort, heat-related symptoms, and coping behaviors of 130 elderly residents of Kolkata slums and 180 elderly residents of rural villages south of Kolkata during a 90-day period when the average 24-h heat indexes were between 38.6 °C and 41.8 °C. Elderly participants in this study reported being comfortable under relatively warm conditions—probably explained by acclimatization to the high level of experienced heat stress. The prevalence of most heat-related symptoms was significantly greater among elderly women, who also were more likely to report multiple symptoms and more severe symptoms. Elderly women in the rural villages were exposed to significantly hotter conditions during the day than elderly men, making it likely that gender differences in symptom frequency, number and severity were related to gender differences in heat stress. Elderly men and elderly village residents made use of a greater array of heat-coping behaviors and exhibited fewer heat-related symptoms than elderly women and elderly slum residents. Overall, heat measurements and heat-related symptoms were less likely to be significant predictors of most coping strategies than personal characteristics, building structures and location. This suggests that heat-coping behaviors during hot weather were the result of complex, culturally influenced decisions based on many different considerations besides just heat stress. Full article

Urban areas are mostly heterogeneous due to settlements and vegetation including forests, water bodies and many other land use and land cover (LULC) classes. Due to the overwhelming population pressure, urbanization, industrial works and transportation systems, urban areas have been suffering from a deficiency of green spaces, which leads to an increase in the variation of temperature in urban areas. This study investigates the conceptual framework design towards urban green space (UGS) and thermal variability over Kolkata and Howrah city using advanced remote sensing (RS) and geospatial methods. The low green space is located in the highly built-up area, which is influenced by thermal variations. Therefore, the heat stress index showed a high area located within the central, north, northwestern and some parts of the southern areas. The vegetated areas decreased by 8.62% during the ten years studied and the other land uses increased by 11.23%. The relationship between land surface temperature (LST) and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) showed significant changes with R² values between 0.48 (2010) and 0.23 (2020), respectively. The correlation among the LST and the normalized difference built-up index (NDBI) showed a notable level of change with R² values between 0.38 (2010) and 0.61 (2020), respectively. The results are expected to contribute significantly towards urban development and planning, policymaking and support for key stakeholders responsible for the sustainable urban planning procedures and processes. Full article

The objective of the present study is to estimate the duration of extreme thermal bioclimate conditions in and around Kolkata, one of the highly densely populated cities in India. The biometeorological conditions have been calculated by Physiologically Equivalent Temperature (PET) using the RayMan model at 05:30 h and 14:30 h (IST) based on meteorological data for the stations Kolkata (Alipore), Dum Dum, and Diamond Harbour for the period January 2020 to December 2021. Dum Dum is located to the north of Kolkata, and Diamond Harbour is situated to the south of Kolkata. The meteorological data were retrieved from the station data measured by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). The atmospheric variables required to calculate the PET index are air temperature, relative humidity, cloud cover, and wind speed. A recent study reported that stations outside Kolkata suffer warmer human thermal stress conditions. To account for the prolonged thermal stress periods, PET greater than 40 °C is categorized as an episode if it turns up consecutively between 1 and 5 days, 6 and 10 days, 11 and 15 days, 16 and 20 days, 21 and 25 days, and 26 and 30 days. The number distribution of days not exceeding 40 °C remains the same for all the stations. The number of episodes occurring successively for 6–10 days, 11–15 days, 16–20 days, and 21–25 days is highest in Diamond Harbour relative to Kolkata and Dum Dum at 14:30 h. Episodes occurring successively for 26–30 days appear in Kolkata and Dum Dum, whereas no episodes appear in Diamond Harbour. Full article

Extreme heat and heat waves have been established as disasters which can lead to a great loss of life. Several studies over the years, both within and outside of India, have shown how extreme heat events lead to an overall increase in mortality. However, the impact of extreme heat, similar to other disasters, depends upon the vulnerability of the population. This study aims to assess the extreme heat vulnerability of the population of four cities with different characteristics across India. This cross-sectional study included 500 households from each city across the urban localities (both slum and non-slum) of Ongole in Andhra Pradesh, Karimnagar in Telangana, Kolkata in West Bengal and Angul in Odisha. Twenty-one indicators were used to construct a household vulnerability index to understand the vulnerability of the cities. The results have shown that the majority of the households fell under moderate to high vulnerability level across all the cities. Angul and Kolkata were found to be more highly vulnerable as compared to Ongole and Karimnagar. Further analysis also revealed that household vulnerability is more significantly related to adaptive capacity than sensitivity and exposure. Heat Vulnerability Index can help in identifying the vulnerable population and scaling up adaptive practices. Full article

An urban ecosystem’s ecological structure and functions can be assessed through Urban Surface Ecological Status (USES). USES are affected by human activities and environmental processes. The mapping of USESs are crucial for urban environmental sustainability, particularly in developing countries such as India. The COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented negative impacts on socio-economic domains; however, there was a reduction in human pressures on the environment. This study aims to assess the effects of lockdown on the USES in the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA), India, during different lockdown phases (phases I, II and III). The land surface temperature (LST), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and wetness and normalized difference soil index (NDSI) were assessed. The USES was developed by combining all of the biophysical parameters using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The results showed that there was a substantial USES spatial variability in KMA. During lockdown phase III, the USES in fair and poor sustainability areas decreased from 29% (2019) to 24% (2020), and from 33% (2019) to 25% (2020), respectively. Overall, the areas under poor USES decreased from 30% to 25% during lockdown periods. Our results also showed that the USES mean value was 0.49 in 2019but reached 0.34 during the lockdown period (a decrease of more than 30%). The poor USES area was mainly concentrated in built-up areas (with high LST and NDSI), compared to the rural fringe areas of KMA (high NDVI and wetness). The mapping of USES are crucial in different biophysical environmental conditions, and they can be very helpful for the assessment of urban sustainability. Full article

We present here a somewhat personalized account of the emergence of econophysics as an attractive research topic in physical, as well as social, sciences. After a rather detailed storytelling about our endeavors from Kolkata, we give a brief description of the main research achievements in a simple and non-technical language. We also briefly present, in technical language, a piece of our recent research result. We conclude our paper with a brief perspective. Full article