Browse Items (472 total)
Sort by:
-
Efficacy of Art Based Interventions for Emotional Problems among Children Affected by Earthquake in Nepal
The earthquake of April 2015 left Nepal in a vulnerable state. Children represent an estimated 3.2 million of the 8 million people affected by the earthquake. The aim of the study was to examine the role of art in dealing with the long-term impact of earthquake on emotional problems in children in Nepal. A purposive sampling was adopted to select 454 children studying in 4th and 5th standard from four schools in Kathmandu Metropolitan City. Children completed the Level of Exposure Scale while the parents provided information about the emotional and behavioural difficulties of children using the Nepali version of Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ/ 4-17). The influence of gender, severity of exposure, socio-economic status and type of family in relation to emotional problems were also examined in the selected group. The results of Phase 1 show that conduct, hyperactivity-inattention and peer problems were higher in boys while girls had higher pro-social behaviour. Children belonging to lower socio-economic status were found to be at risk for emotional problems. Gender and exposure were also identified as predictors of emotional problems in children. For the second phase of the study, those children with high emotional problems (N=60) were selected for an art-based intervention consisting of nine sessions. Both the treatment (N=30) and control group (N=30) completed the pre- and post- treatment measure of SDQ. The results show that the children in the treatment group reported lower levels of emotional problems, hyperactivity-inattention and peer problems compared to the control group (Cohen's d: 0.50-0.80). In the final phase of the study, 12 children from the treatment group were interviewed to identify the elements of art that contributed to a change in the emotional problems. A thematic vii analysis revealed six global themes: a new schema, an expression space, drawing the trauma, reappraisal of trauma narrative, protective factors and future benefits. The responses of the children show that the inherent properties such as regulation and social connection promoted by an engagement in arts needs to be adopted as an effective mode of trauma care. The findings also point to the possibility of using art-based therapy to overcome stigma which hinder the mental health professionals when implementing evidence-based treatments in the country. -
Development of computational techniques for preserving privacy using secure multi-party computation protocols
Data related to individual wealth, financial status and health is sensitive and to ensure confidentiality of these data special mechanism is required. For betterment of research and development, requirement is right input from authorized users. Due to personal confidentiality concerns, it is very difficult to get individuals sensitive information even if it is for mutual benefits. To get the real time data from actual users is critical to achieve extraordinary quality research outcomes. In collaborative computation participants are unwilling to provide straight answers when the questions involve personal information. The service providers who collect s data need to establish substantial trust with the parties. The confidentiality and integrity guarantees of the proposed protocols can simplify this issue. newlinePrivacy preservation is a big challenge for the data generated from various sources such as social networking sites, online transactions, weather forecast to name a few. The socialization of the internet and cloud computing generates pica bytes of unstructured data online with intrinsic values. The inflow of big data and the requirement to move this information throughout an organization has become a new target for hackers. The collaborative computation data is subject to confidentiality laws and should be protected. newlinePeople are more interested toward outsourcing work to a third party rather than maintaining their own resources, in this circumstance there is a requirement of insuring security from the service provider as it may lead to security breaches and party may not be interested in such service providers. newlineSecure multi-party computations deals with collection of challenges in which the requirement is the collaborative computation result. This computation needs input from multiple parties, but all the parties are concerned about their individual input. -
Empirical evidence on usability of mobiles in health care
Healthcare industry today has seen a lot of innovation and transformation like any other industry. With technological advancements it is growing leaps and bounds. One of the major challenges before the world today is effective management of diseases. The healthcare industry has been benefitted with the usage of information and communication technology (ICT). When integrated properly this technology has the potential to provide solutions to increased demands in quality, efficiency and improved workflow to help streamline healthcare operations. newlineDeveloping countries today are facing an increasing incidence of non communicable and communicable disease. M-health has the potential to extend help in both the fronts. Peep into various scenarios reveal that majority of diseases that kill people in the rural areas are curable with little information and this information dissemination can happen through mobiles which have a deeper penetration than any other technology. Most of the innovations in mobile technologies have not been evaluated beyond the pilot stage. Thus there is a need newlineto evaluate these interventions for them to become acceptable and usable by the patients and healthcare professionals. Various researchers time and again have argued the need for usability studies in healthcare innovations. This study is unique as it caters to both the aspects: technology acceptance and health technology acceptance and the context of usability. There is a large pool of studies which are available for technology acceptance but for healthcare context there has to be a mix of technology acceptance behavior and health behavior newlineacceptance. Researchers like Nutbeam (1998) have highlighted the importance of health behavior which is defined as activities which individuals take up irrespective of their health status for the objective of health maintenance even if such behavior may not be effective in the end. -
The Impact of Workforce Diversity on Organizational Climate in the Banking Industry
Liberalization, privatization, and globalization have paved the way to open the economy and integrate new philosophies and ideologies into the organization. The banking organization and other MNCs had opted for the ethos of enhancing the diversity of working professionals with the adoption of LPG. The novel approach to workforce diversity and organizational climate in the banking industry is considered in this study. The relevance of workforce diversity and the formation of an organizational climate are emphasized in this research work. The study's goal was reached through a series of steps, such as reviewing relevant literature and creating an appropriate theoretical framework. These steps laid the groundwork for creating and finalising research tools, which were done with the help of experts in the field. The creation of instruments for evaluating diversity and organizational climate was the final phase in this process. The study was carried out by using stratified sampling method with the participation of 778 bank employees from public and private banks located in the geographical area of Bangalore. The study's outcome states that There is no significant relationship between workforce diversity and organizational climate in the banking industry is rejected; this can be interpreted as the better organizational climate is highly correlated with the employees attitude towards organizational diversity. It indicated the importance of inculcating diversity and a favourable attitude towards diversity in the banking sector for the smooth conduction of work. "There is a significant relationship between workforce diversity and organizational climate in the banking industry". "Workforce diversity significantly influences the variation in the Organizational Climate". "Employee's belief differs significantly based on demographic profile, job profile, and organizational profile on workforce diversity in the banking industry" findings show only a few categories in the hypothesis. The gender of the reporting authority and the classification of the bank offers the difference in employees belief about gender diversity. "Employee's attitude differs significantly based on demographic profile, job profile, and organizational profile on workforce diversity in the banking industry" only a few demographic categories (marital status, gender of the reporting authority, and classification of bank) have a difference. Employee perception differs based on demographic profile, job profile, and organizational profile on workforce diversity in the banking industry. The study found that gender, gender of reporting authority, classification of the bank, monthly salary, and employee work experience show the difference in employees' perception towards workforce diversity. Employee culture differs based on demographic profile, job profile, and organizational profile on workforce diversity in the banking industry; the gender of the authority and classification of the bank show the difference in employees' culture. "Employee's organizational climate differs significantly based on a demographic variable, job profile, and organizational profile on workforce diversity in the banking industry, age, gender, gender of the reporting authority, and classification of the bank show the difference in organizational climate. The study found a positive correlation between the variable and the independent variables are the constant and strong predictors of the dependent variable. Employees' attitude towards workforce diversity is assessed based on demographics, job, and organisational profiles. Workforce diversity is appraised by evaluating different components of it, such as employees' beliefs, attitudes, perceptions, and culture. The results show that employees with same-gender reporting authority have a positive attitude towards workforce diversity and experience a positive organizational diversity climate. The public bank employees have a positive attitude towards workforce diversity and experience a positive organizational diversity climate. Employees' attitudes differ based on their marital status also. Employees' perception differs based on their work experience in the same bank and the monthly salary; those with 11 to 15 years of experience tend to have a positive perception. Age, gender, gender of the reporting authority, and the bank's classification are considered contributing factors to the organizational climate. The current study found the gender of reporting authority shows a difference in perception of gender diversity and organizational climate; the employees who have same-gender reporting authority tend to experience a positive organizational climate and a positive attitude towards workforce diversity. Classification of the bank also shows a difference where public bank employees experience a positive organizational climate and a positive attitude towards workforce diversity. Six hypotheses were tested, and a model for the banking industry in Bangalore was developed based on the results of these hypotheses testing. Theoretical models support all hypotheses. Fit indices show that all CB-CFA and CB-SEM models are a good fit. -
Rate Adaptation Mechanism for Multirate WLAN with Background Traffic Awareness
In recent times wireless communication has become more popular with its commercial usage. WLAN has evolved over the years to facilitate wireless communications for commercial usage. IEEE 802.11 working group focuses on developing global standards that can support the WLAN evolution. There are many features that IEEE 802.11 working group emphases on to provide the best experience for the Wi-Fi user. The popularity of Wi-Fi among commercial users has demanded more importance in terms of traffic and congestion. IEEE 802.11 have come with many updates enhancing with additional spectrum space, method of spectrum utilization, and so on. There are a few aspects of Wi-Fi adoption that have been kept outside the scope of the 802.11 standards, which are open for research. Wi-Fi rate adaptation is one of newlinethe important aspects of research. Many researchers have contributed with effective newlinemethodologies to improve user experiences. The literature review proves the importance of rate adaptation in the performance of wireless communication. The different version of the IEEE 802.11 standard provides a set of transmission rates to choose from for single-stream transmission. It is important to switch the transmission rate dynamically for more efficient utilization of the physical medium in a fluctuating environment. Dynamically identifying the optimal transmission rate from a list of single-stream transmission rates is a tedious task. There are different causes for the change in channel conditions and packet loss in the network. Identifying the best data transfer rate for the next transmission is a tedious task in such a network. It requires identification of the exact cause of loss. Improper channel estimation may lead to the channel may be underutilized or overused. Both situations will degrade the newlineperformance of the network. Evaluating and identifying the latest channel condition is newlineimportant. -
Efficacy study of readiness for smoking cessation programme among male adolescents in bengaluru
Among the remarkably challenging preventable cause for death all over the world is cigarette smoking behavior.Smoking among adolescents in cities has proved unusually challenging in spite of determined efforts in developed and developing countries.Dearth of governmental will and source to implement wide-ranging anti-smoking policies to reverse the trends in youth smoking (StantonandMcGee,2009) makes the need to develop an attitude change towards smoking cessation very crucial in controlling the smoking behavior. newlineA novel approach to smoking cessation is considered in this study, here the emphasis newlineis laid on the importance of acquiring skills to quit rather than quitting itself. The newlineobjectives of the study were achieved through several phases, where in the relevant newlineliterature was reviewed and an apt theoretical framework was built, based on which the program content was developed and finalized under the guidance of experts in the field. The final step was the creation of a manual for the RSCP. The outcome measures were selected considering the study sample characteristics. The study was carried out by randomly assigning the study participants in the two groups with respective interventions. Outcome measures were determined before and after the training. The results indicate that the two groups significantly differed in the variable Readiness to change , Defensiveness and behavioral components of change. newlineSpecifically, the experimental group was ready to change their behavior when compared to the controlled group, suggesting that the developed RSCP facilitates adolescent s to realize a more realistic aspect of themselves relating to smoking behavior and are very much willing to make lifestyle changes which would eventually result in behavioral change among adolescents when compared to providing a general awareness on smoking behavior. -
Spectral and Timing Properties of Selected Black Hole Binaries
X-ray binaries hosting a black hole (accretor) and a main sequence or a post-main sequence star (companion star) are called black hole X-ray binaries (BHXBs). BHXBs are gravitationally bound systems where the matter from the companion star is accreted onto the accretor either via a Roche lobe overand#64258;ow (low-mass companion star) or stellar wind (high-mass companion star). The accreted matter spirals towards the accretor, losing its angular momentum in the process. The gravitational potential energy of the in-falling matter is converted to kinetic energy which is eventually released as X-rays. X-ray spectrum of BHXB is quite complex by nature, which is contributed by various X-ray production processes. Systematic and comprehensive investigations of the X-ray production mechanisms are essential for understanding the fundamentals of accretion physics and exploring the general relativistic effects in extreme gravity environments. Launch of several dedicated X-ray missions like Uhuru, Ginga, RXTE, Chandra, XMM-Newton, NuSTAR, Swift, etc. for over half a century have led to the discovery, classifcation and fair understanding of spectro-temporal properties of BHXBs. Despite the continuous and ongoing newlineefforts, the physics of the accretion mechanism in BHXBs, accretion disk geometry, the origin of quasi periodic oscillations (QPOs), energy-dependent time lags and coherence of X-ray photons in different energies, etc., are yet to be completely understood. Hence, there is a need for newlinerevisiting these problems using the data from more sensitive instruments, that have broadband energy coverage and have better spectral and timing resolutions than RXTE. Thus, data from the latest missions like AstroSat, Swift, NuSTAR with their broadband energy coverage, especially in the lower energy regime (and#8804; 3.0 keV), and larger effective area can help fll in the gap in the newlineexisting body of knowledge and provide a holistic understanding of these sources. -
Development of Family Intervention for Management of Psychogenic Seizures : A Qualitative Study
Background: In the somatoform and dissociative spectrum, family functioning has been poorly researched based on the search in PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, PROQUEST, EBSCO and Cochrane Reviews. In Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures (PNES) primarily, family functioning has been understood as a comparison between Epileptic Seizures (ES) and PNES. However, an attempt to study different aspects of family functioning and its ability to influence the newlinemanifestation of the disorder is yet to be made. Methods: This study attempted to understand different family functions qualitatively by interviewing both the patients and family members of these patients. Nine patients and seven families of these patients participated in the study. Braun and Clarke s thematic model was used. Latent thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Based on the analysis, major and sub-themes were used to develop family intervention and a family psychoeducational model. Both were developed with the help of the GUIDED Checklist to report health interventions; the TIDieR format and Delphi newlinetechnique was used to collect the expert opinion of the developed intervention. newlineResults: Two sets of results and analyses were compiled with qualitative data, that is, for patients and families. Major themes and sub-themes were developed for both, including family interaction, attachment, poor communication, structural-systemic aspects, distressful family aspects, negative newlineexpressed emotions, cultural aspects, nature of the illness, family s views of the illness and coping mechanisms. These themes indicated the importance of family functioning and its impact on the manifestation of the disorder. newlineConclusion: The researcher concludes that family dysfunction can impact the manifestation of the disorder. Hence, an additional family intervention or psychoeducation is essential for holistic newlinetreatment. -
Fabrication of Robust Wettability Gradients on Soft Surfaces Through Physicochemical Modulations
The creation of robust surface gradients on soft materials is an emerging area of research in materials chemistry. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), an elastomeric soft material, is widely employed in diverse research fields due to its exceptional properties including ease of processability, newlinebiocompatibility, and transparency. These properties make it an ideal choice for applications in microfluidics, soft robotics, and biomedical devices. Creating surface gradients on soft surfaces can be challenging, requiring expensive chemicals, sophisticated instrumentation, time, and complex experimental setups. This study presents simple and cost-effective methods newlinefor creating chemical (wettability) and physical (morphological) gradients on newlinePDMS surfaces. The methods we developed to create wettability gradients involves (i) newlinecreation of a gradient of crosslinking density on the PDMS surface by using newlinea differential curing method and (ii) selective inhibition of normal curing newlineusing an inhibitor. Contact angle measurements confirm the successful newlinecreation of both radial and linear gradient of surface wettability using both these methods with regions of higher crosslinking density exhibiting higher hydrophobicity. We have also devised an innovative technique for fabricating morphological gradients on soft surfaces. The method makes use of newlinedifferential curing and buckling instability to create hierarchical wrinkled patterns on the PDMS surface. Optical microscopy and profilometry confirm the uniformity, reproducibility, and controlled optical properties of the wrinkled surface patterns. newlineGradients we prepared demonstrated excellent performance in various applications, including water collection, cell adhesion, and triboelectric charge generation. They can be utilized in microfluidics, sensors, and newlinebiomedical devices due to their structural consistency, controllable physical newlineresponses, and reproducibility of the performances. -
A framework for information security assurance using DNA cryptography
Molecular biology is a branch of life science which plays a pivot role in improving the quality of life whereas Information security is another aspect for social edification, which human beings will never compromise. Both are subjects of high relevance and inevitable for humanity. Thus, an amalgamation of these subjects turns up as an innovation which is beneficial for Information security and storage. The secure transfer of information was of significant concern from ancient civilizations. Various techniques have been proposed from time immemorial to maintain the security of data so that only intended recipient should be able to receive the message other than the sender. newlineThe Information security aspects became prominent with the introduction of the newlineInternet. Regardless of the type of information which varies from a single newlinecharacter to the much-discussed Big Data , it is necessary to ensure secure storage and protection which is a matter of concern.Cryptography is an art by newlineitself and the science of secrecy which protects information from unauthorized newlineaccess. Various techniques have evolved through years of information protection newlinewhich includes Ciphers, Cryptography, Steganography, Biometrics and the most newlinerecent Nano-Cryptography comprising of Quantum Cryptography and DNA Cryptography. newlineDNA cryptography is an emerging and promising field of Information security. Dr. Leonard Adleman s experiment to solve the Hamiltonian Path Problem, which is an NP-complete problem using computational properties of DNA, has newlineredefined the word computing. The emergence of DNA computing marked the beginning of DNA Cryptography.It was a leap forward in the field of security to use biomolecular concepts and the later research followed on DNA encryption gives us new hope of unbreakable algorithms. DNA based encryption schemes work on the principles of DNA computing techniques.Cryptosystems based on DNA got relevance due to bio-computational properties of DNA. -
Impact of functional inter dependency on employee satisfaction with performance appraisal in real estate industry
Earlier researches have consistently underlined an intrinsic proportionate relationship between the success of an organization and the effort put in by the employees towards the attainment of the set goals for success. An employee with a higher level of job satisfaction tends to be more positively disposed and productive in the work place, than the opposite of it. A positively charged wok atmosphere contributes much to the overall growth of an organization and is the result of the satisfaction newlinelevel enjoyed by employees. One major factor that determines employee satisfaction is the organization s system in place to reward and recognise the employee through performance appraisal. Genuine unbiased performance appraisal tends to bolster the performance of employees. Thus, performance appraisal is one of the most widely researched areas in newlineindustrial/organizational psychology (Murphy and Cleveland, 1995). Recent studies among employees indicate several inadequacies with the current performance appraisal system in use as it does not measure the performance in all directions. Thus, there seems to be a gap that needs exploration. Employee s deliverables depend on external and internal newlinefactors. Functional interdependence is one such internal factor which influences the performance of the employee. However, there is limited knowledge available on the role of interdependency factors in the performance of the employee during the performance review. This article presents a conceptual framework to understand the role of functional newlineinterdependence in the performance appraisal and the satisfaction of the employee whose deliverables are highly functional interdependence. The framework proposes the relationship between the functional newlineinterdependence in the job, fairness in the performance appraisal by considering that interdependence and subsequently the satisfaction or dissatisfaction of the employee in performance appraisal. -
Understanding The Pastoral Ethnobotany in Koppal and Vijayanagar Districts of Karnataka for Sustainability
The research aimed to comprehensively explore the ethnobotanical significance and nutritional value of wild plants utilized by pastoralists in Koppal and Vijayanagar districts. The study area selection involved meticulous consideration of the geographical and ecological relevance. Determining an appropriate sample size was crucial to ensure representative data collection, achieved through systematic methodologies. Informants were thoughtfully selected to gather newlineindigenous knowledge about the diverse uses of wild plants, emphasizing their fodder, newlineveterinary, edible, and medicinal applications. Employing ethnobotanical research methods, interviews were conducted to document plant usage, elucidate their taxonomical identities, and create an extensive inventory. The collection of plants referenced by pastoralists during interviews was a pivotal step. Detailed assessments of plant categories, habits, habitats, and newlinespecific plant parts used were documented. Herbarium preparation and authentication were newlineconducted meticulously to preserve and validate the collected plant specimens. newlineComparison with ethnobotanical studies from other subtropical regions worldwide was newlineconducted using the Jacquard index, revealing similarities and differences. The evaluation of sustainable utility focused on wild edible plants, analysing their viability for long-term utilization. Furthermore, investigating the forage quality of selected wild fodder and hay supplement plants was carried out. Analysing their proximate provided insights into their nutritional value. In summary, this comprehensive research delved into ethnobotanical practices, taxonomic identification, nutritional evaluation, and sustainable utilization of wild plants among pastoral communities. The findings not only contributed to ethnobotanical knowledge but also provided valuable insights into the potential economic and ecological significance of these plants for the communities involved. -
Synthesize of Indigenous Natural Ester Based Liquid Dielectrics and its Performance Evaluation in Transformers
Transformer is generally considered to be the heart of the power system. Transformers are the main equipment in the transmission and distribution network to be monitored for uninterrupted flow of power. The liquid newlinedielectrics play an important role in functioning of transformer. It serves as an effective coolant and also it determines the life of transformer. Thus, the reliability of a power transformer is largely determined by the condition of insulation. The transformer oil is the bi product of petroleum. However, the usage of petroleum oil is running out of demand and there may be a severe shortage of oil exists in future. Also during its newlineuse and disposition, transformer oil is highly dangerous to aquatic and human life due to its non-biodegradability and hence it is not environment eco-friendly. This has given scope for new alternative biodegradable dielectric fluids such as natural esters, replacing the traditional mineral oil. These vegetable-oil-based liquids are non-toxic newlineand meet all the requirements for a high temperature insulating liquid. The Partial discharge pulses present in the liquid dielectric leads to breakdown of streamer development and formation of sludge. Hence it is important to analyze the Partial Discharge properties of oils. The aim of newlinethe present work is to investigate suitability of Indigenous Natural Ester newlinebased liquid dielectrics as a liquid dielectric coolant and also to analyze newlinethe partial discharge phenomena, particularly in transformers. The results obtained are well within the IEC 62770 standards. Results shows that developed indigenous natural ester oil that has better viscosity, breakdown voltage, flash point and partial discharge properties. As a result, developed indigenous oil will be an alternate for mineral oil in newlinehigh-voltage applications. -
Role of Soft Skills Development Programme on Employable Skills of Management Students in Bengaluru
With the increase in technology access, the expectations of the employers while hiring the candidates has increased manifold. The newlinecandidates however do not possess the required skills as expected by the corporate professionals. The study, therefore, aims to understand the impact of an employable newlineskill training module based on experiential learning on the soft skill development of management postgraduate students. The study used a one-group pre-test post-test design. The study was based on the Experiential newlineLearning Theory (Kolb, 1984) and the Theory of Multiple Intelligences (Gardner, 1983). In order to find the essential skill sets that have to be possessed by management postgraduates a systematic review of literature of 243 included studies was conducted to understand the skill sets required by management postgraduates. newlineFrom the analysis, it was found that formal communication skills like oral communication, meeting participation, written communication could be effectively developed using the modules with a high effect on the skill newlinedevelopment. The modules were also found to have a significantly large effect on the problem-solving, persuasiveness, critical thinking and lateral thinking skills of the students. In addition to the above, the modules created a deeper understanding of the strengths, capabilities and the weaknesses of newlinethe participants and enabled them to communicate the same effectively thus newlinepreparing them for interviews and group discussions. The modules additionally enabled the participants to appropriately use gestures, tone and their voice in formal communication in a manner that can enhance the effectiveness of their communication. These skills were also found to be lacking in students according to the studies of Abas and Imam (2016); Andelt et al., (1997); Cotton (1993); Crosling and Ward (2002); Gandhi (2013); Hodges and Burchell (2003); Jackson (2009); Levy and Canon (2016) among newlineothers. -
Research Competence of University Teachers in Relation to Organisational Ethos and Research Culture
The standards of research depend on the maintenance and coordination of research activities that are conducted by the universities. The flexibility in ordinance and statutes empowers the universities to frame the guidelines that empower the research competence of the teachers. However, newlinethe existing framework is not adjusted to modern approaches to research competence which creates issues in developing a framework for evaluation for research competence. The objective of the present newlinestudy is to develop and validate a framework for research competence for university teachers. The study measures the relationship between research competence, organisational ethos, and research culture of university teachers. The study used the existing measuring instruments to evaluate newlineorganisational ethos and research culture. Researcher has developed the measurement scale for research competence. The validity and reliability have been done for all the measuring instruments research competence, organisational ethos and research culture. The factor analysis has conducted for newlinethe measuring instrument of research competence. The quantitative data for the study has been taken from the self-reported experience of 451 university teachers. The study found that there was a significant difference in demographic variables such as gender, age, work experience, educational newlinequalification, and subject background with organisational ethos, research culture, and research competence of university teachers. The structural equation model showed the relationship between the components of research competence, organisational ethos, and research culture. The present study can newlineassist policymakers to evaluate the research competence, organisational ethos, and research culture of the university teachers. The study indicates the practical and academic importance of university newlineteachers to enhance research performance. -
Study of the diffuse ultraviolet background radiation at high galactic latitudes
The diffuse background radiation is observed throughout the whole sky and across every wavelength of the electromagnetic spectrum. The study of this background is of great importance as it contains photons coming from a va- riety of astrophysical environments, traveling over the time scales of a few hundred light years to the age of the universe itself. After the discovery of the cosmic microwave background, the diffuse sky in all the other wave- lengths was studied with great interest as they could provide useful insights into the formation history of the universe. In the work outlined in this the- sis, I will be describing this diffuse background radiation observed in the ultraviolet (UV) region. Over more than three decades of observations of the diffuse sky in the UV has revealed our lack of understanding of all the components that con- tribute to the observed background sky in this wavelength region. Initial studies arrived at controversial conclusions with one group suggesting that most of the observed diffuse surface brightness is due to the dust scat- tered starlight while another group suggested contribution from an exotic component along with the dust scattered component. We will explore this background sky in detail by trying to identify individual components and quantify its contribution at various regions in the sky. We have started our analysis at the Galactic pole regions with |b| > 80 using the data from Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) in the ultravio- let band. A major Galactic component of the diffuse sky in the UV is the starlight scattered by interstellar dust (also called Diffuse Galactic Light: DGL). We chose to study the Galactic poles due to the low dust environ- ment in these regions and easier modeling of the DGL component. We found consistent offsets in the UV data at a level of 230 290 photons s?1 cm?2 sr?1 1 (hereafter photon units) in the far-UV (FUV: 1539 and 480 580 photon units in the near-UV (NUV: 2316 when the UV surface brightness was compared with Galactic tracers like E(B-V) and the infrared surface brightness. These offsets represent the UV brightness at zero column densities. Part of this offset comes from the extragalactic background light (EBL) originating in background galaxies, Quasi-Stellar Objects (QSOs), etc. After careful estimation of this EBL component, we found a residual UV surface brightness of about 120 180 photon units in the FUV and 300 400 photon units in the NUV. The DGL component came to be about 120 photon units in these regions. We also found evidence for contribution from molecular hydrogen fluorescence at a column density of log NH > 20.2 (NH is in cm?2). We conclude that this contribution from H2 is from the cirrus features present at high Galactic latitudes. We further confirmed our findings at the north and south Galactic poles by studying the region between latitudes 70< b < 80 where we found similar offsets and the fluorescence contribution from H2 at the same levels as in the NGP. We proposed a possible contribution to the observed residual surface brightness coming from Hawking evaporation of Primordial Black Holes. But the level of this radiation was not sufficient to account for the entirety of the observed excess. The failure of this explanation only further deepens the mystery of the source of the excess surface brightness of the UV sky. -
Sale and transplantation of human organs in india critical evaluation of the legal framework
The demand for the organ transplantation far exceeds the availability of organs or donors. This leads to unfair trade and commerce in human organs. Though India has a legal framework to regulate various aspects of organ transplantation the same does not seemed to have addressed the issue either adequately or comprehensively. The supply of donated organs has been inadequate for years. Current methods of obtaining organs and tissues have not provided an adequate supply of organs for use in transplantation. Obviously, the problem of scarcity is acute newlinefor the individuals who require organ transplants.Organ Transplantation is a lifesaving method.But, still it is unclear whether existing law is adequate to curb the organ sale and regulate organ transplantation. Although the general field of transplantation is still in a state of change and growth, there have been recent developments in legislation, especially giving priority to the genuine consent of the donor. Although the majority of legislation has been written for cadaver organ donation, slowly, regulation is developing for living organ donation as well.The advantages of cadaver transplantation are obvious: the dead donor encounters no risk in the performance of the transplantation operation. At present this is the only way that a vital organ newlinecan be replaced. The donor, once pronounced dead, is not exposed to any of the hazards which face the live donor. The laws of different countries allow either the potential organ donor to consent or dissent to the donation during his life time, or his relatives to consent or dissent after newlinehis death. Due to these different legislative possibilities, the number of donations per million people varies substantially in different countries. In most countries with the dissent solutions, newlinethere is no waiting list for donations, or the list is short, while most countries with consent solutions have substantial organ shortages. -
Studies on the Culture Conditions, Nutritional Value of the Black Soldier Fly, Hermetia illucens (Diptera : Stratiomyid) and its Suitability as Aquaculture Feed
The Black Soldier Fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens, has emerged as a promising newlinesolution in aquaculture due to its remarkable ability to convert organic waste into newlineprotein-rich biomass. This has garnered interest among aquaculturists seeking costeffective and sustainable alternative ingredients for aqua feed. However, fully newlineharnessing the potential of this insect requires a deeper understanding of its life cycle and nutritional composition. A key challenge in utilising BSF larvae (BSFL) for newlineaquafeed production is the lack of standardized culture systems. This study addresses this gap by establishing a comprehensive culture system using two common organic wastes, fruit waste (FW) and vegetable waste (VW), as rearing substrates. By evaluating the growth performance of BSFL reared on these substrates, the research sheds light on optimal conditions for large-scale BSF production. The study investigated the impact of FW and VW substrates on BSFL growth through a thorough analysis of growth performance, morphometric measurements and newlineScanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Results showed that BSFL reared on FW exhibited better growth (40 days) than those reared on VW (46 days). Morphometric analysis and SEM identified five larval stages and the prepupa, pupa, and adult stages. Additionally, the study analysed the nutritional composition of BSFL at different newlinedevelopmental stages, such as Instar 3 through instar 5, prepupa and pupa, including newlineprotein, carbohydrate, lipid, amino acids and fatty acids. This provided insights into newlinehow variations in substrate impact the nutritional quality of BSFL at different stages, which is crucial for ensuring that BSFL-derived feed meets the dietary requirements of target aquaculture species. Significant differences were found in the proximate composition of the substrates (FW and VW), resulting in significant variations in BSFL nutrition. BSFL reared on FW exhibited higher nutritional content especially crude newlineprotein (54.160.64%), than those reared on VW, except for crude lipids (2.200.01%). -
A study on sexual harassment of women garment workers
Sexual harassment at work place is a manifestation of deep rooted patriarchy prevailing in the larger society encouraging power based discriminatory practices and in turn creating hostile work environments where women workers are vulnerable to experience harassment and abuse. In Karnataka, majority of the garment factories are located in Bangalore and they employ around five lakh women . Economic dependence on the job for their livelihood, social perception of obeying the superiors, job insecurity and spilt over patriarchal biases into the work environment make the women garment workers more vulnerable to become victims of sexual harassment. There is a lack of empirical studies which measures the working conditions and how it is related to the concept of sexual harassment and coping behaviours of the victims in the garment factories in India. The aim of the current research study is to analyze the nature and frequency of sexual harassment experienced by the victim, organizational mechanisms to deal with sexual harassment, and consequences of sexual harassment on the victim-vocational, psychological, interpersonal and physical strain, the strategies (whether external or internal coping strategies) used by the victim to cope with sexual harassment and develop a training manual based on the findings of the study to help victims effectively deal with sexual harassment at workplace. The research study has adopted a descriptive and quantitative research design. Data has been collected from a sample of 312 victims of sexual harassment (women garment workers) who have approached two unions for support through structured interview method using structured, close ended, standardized interview schedules.