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Balancing Innovation and Tradition: An Analytical Study of the Interface between Intellectual Property and Cultural Appropriation in India
India, with its rich and diverse cultural heritage, is vulnerable to practices which may undermine its traditional knowledge. Intellectual Property (IP) rights, while designed to protect innovation and creativity, can also play a crucial role in safeguarding traditional knowledge. Cultural appropriation, which essentially refers to the unauthorized use of indigenous knowledge and practices by foreign entities who exploit these lesser-known art forms, expression or traditional knowledge relating to lifestyle and well being with an objective of commercial exploitation, has increasingly become a concern in the global south, including India. There have been several instances of cultural appropriation like patent claims on Indian traditional knowledge which have been part of local customs since time immemorial by misrepresenting the origin of the product or diluting the traditional knowledge and portraying it as a scientific breakthrough. Therefore, this paper explores the intersection of cultural misappropriation and protection under IP laws for appropriators in the context of India's heritage. This paper examines the challenges faced by indigenous communities in protecting their traditional knowledge such as loss of traditional knowledge, economic disadvantages and disrespect to the community. This paper highlights the importance of balancing the rights of indigenous communities with the broader public interest in accessing and enjoying cultural heritage. The study aims to focus on bottlenecks in the current IP system that fail to adequately protect traditional knowledge from misappropriation. It also explores the ongoing debates around fair benefit-sharing mechanisms, the importance of maintaining a traditional digital library that is accessible to all and the need for a sui generis system that aligns with the unique characteristics of traditional knowledge. The study advocates for stronger legal protections, ethical considerations and raising awareness across nations about the value of traditional knowledge which are crucial for fostering respect and preventing further exploitation. Moreover, recommendations are explored to suggest safeguarding the cultural heritage of indigenous communities in India against the backdrop of global intellectual property regimes by implementing robust IPR protection for traditional knowledge that can safeguard against unauthorized use and exploitation. 2025 Department of Law, University of North Bengal. All rights reserved. -
Balancing commercialization and sustainability in outer space: Addressing new challenges
One notable aspect of NewSpace is the growing influence of private non-state actors. Nation-states have also implemented policies that facilitate the involvement of private non-state players in space activities. The lack of progress in international space law since the Moon Agreement of 1979 highlights the need to reconsider and update the existing legal system. Therefore, it is necessary to create a different framework based on the concept of commercial reality. The article emphasises the impact of NewSpace on the technological and commercial aspects of the outer space industry. An analysis is conducted on the crucial requirement for regulatory reform in the field of outer space law and policy, which arises from these advancements in the future. The persistent obstacle in addressing the commercial development of NewSpace is the lack of clarity surrounding property rights in outer space, particularly concerning the ownership and utilisation of space resources. This article examines the issue presented by the national space laws, which have conflicting and inconsistent views on property rights in outer space. The article also aims to investigate the practicality of establishing an international framework for space cooperation. The importance of the New Age institutional mechanism for international collaboration and the agenda for the proposed mechanism are emphasized. The proposed institutional framework aims to achieve a balance between commercialization and profit-driven market pressures, considering their potential negative effects on the sustainable usage of outer space. In conclusion, the article discusses India's appropriate course of action in response to the emerging problems in the field of space exploration. 2025 IAA -
Balancing cerebrovascular disease data with integrated ensemble learning and SVM-SMOTE
The paper addresses the challenge of imbalanced classification in the context of cerebrovascular diseases, including stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), and vascular dementia. The imbalanced nature of cerebrovascular disease datasets poses significant challenges to conventional machine learning algorithms, making precise diagnosis and effective management difficult. The aim of the paper is to propose a novel approach, the INTEL_SS algorithm, which combines ensemble learning techniques with Support Vector Machine-Synthetic Minority Over-sampling Technique (SVM-SMOTE) to effectively handle the imbalanced nature of cerebrovascular disease datasets. The goal is to improve the accuracy of diagnosis and management of cerebrovascular diseases through advanced machine learning techniques. The proposed methodology involves several key steps, including preprocessing, SVM-SMOTE, and ensemble learning. Preprocessing techniques are used to improve the quality of the dataset, SVM-SMOTE is employed to address class imbalance, and ensemble learning methods such as bagging, boosting, and stacking are utilized to improve overall classification performance. The experimental results demonstrate that the INTEL_SS algorithm outperforms existing methods in terms of accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, and AUC-ROC. Performance metrics are used to assess the effectiveness of the proposed approach, and the results consistently show the superiority of INTEL_SS compared to state-of-the-art imbalanced classification algorithms. The paper concludes that the INTEL_SS algorithm has the potential to enhance the diagnosis and management of cerebrovascular diseases, offering new opportunities to apply machine learning techniques to improve healthcare outcomes. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature 2024. -
Balancing Beauty and Facts: Examining the Dual Impact of Product Presentation and Information on Consumer Purchase Decisions in the Skincare Products
This paper is a discussion by the authors on effects of the presentation and information of product on consumer purchasing behaviour in skincare industry. In the existing competitive market where there are many products of similar kind and assertions, consumers are usually overwhelmed with excessive information. Product presentation-by designing the packaging, the aesthetics and branding something-develops the first impressions and emotional attraction, whereas product information including ingredients content, safety certification, labelling and others develops confidence and perceived quality. Nevertheless, there are not many studies that contrast their relative impact or investigate their mutual impact. This study bridges that gap by conducting a mixed method study consisting of a focus group visual preference testing (n=170) and an online survey of consumers (n=162). Results also show that information on the product, particularly ingredient disclosure and safety accreditation are a major determinant of purchase among consumers. Design and presentation may evoke immediate interest, but when product information is manipulated they have no statistical power on the ultimate purchase. It is important to note that the synergistic effect of presentation and information is not better than the effects of information alone. The implications of these findings are that although brand recognition increases with the aesthetic appeal, it is factual clarity that eventually leads to purchase intention. The research builds on the consumer decision-making theory because it focuses more on informational factors rather than emotional packaging cues in the ultimate buying of skincare products to provide marketing marketers with an excellent idea on how to increase transparency and authenticity to enhance consumer trust and confidence to buy a product. 2026, Iquz Galaxy Publisher. All rights reserved. -
Balancing AI and Pedagogy: The Future of Technology in Education
Education receives transformational changes through artificial intelligence elements we could not have predicted. The discussion now proceeds to show how existing smart systems transform established teaching practices and modify educational student procedures. The public can occasionally witness AI working through education setups that adapt lessons to individual students and chat-based tutoring services and predictive analytics programs which help early detection of academic issues. Such technology systems provide immediate feedback while alerting teachers about students needing help leading to an inevitable transformation of classroom environments. The present educational tools offer promising prospects to advance education into a different future framework. Natural language processing brings interactive experiences to lessons while virtual and augmented reality technologies present virtual simulations such as diverse environments. 2026, IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved. -
Balanced constrained partitioning of distinct objects
Partition is the process of dividing ? elements of a set into ? non-empty subsets where every element is included in exactly one subset. Set partitioning problems play an important role in real-world scenarios such as scheduling, management and grouping. In this paper, n distinct objects are arranged into different groups and the problem of partition is evaluated concerning a people assignment problem of a multi-site company. New constraints such as minimum and the maximum number of people in a single-site company (respectively m and M) that are fixed for all sites are introduced and the solutions for the partition problem for the constraints are also established. BEIESP. -
Balance of payment crisis in India: What the figure say
Volume 2, Issue 5, September-October 2013 -
Bacteriological Assessment of Drinking Water Samples from Tribal Area of Bhandardara Region, Maharashtra, India
Background The quality of drinking water still eludes the developing and third world countries. In India, we have significant population staying in rural area and in the tribal areas The tribal population placed in remote areas, lacks basic amenities such as water, electricity, proper sanitation, waste disposal and non availability of drinking water facilities, making them prone to the water borne infections. Lack of awareness about hygiene and safeguarding the health further complicates the matter. The present study was undertaken to assess the potability of drinking water, currently available in tribal area of Bhandardhara region (Maharashtra), samples were collected under aseptic conditions from the 23 villages and Bacteriological assessment was done. Materials and methods: Samples were collected from 23 villages of Bhandardhara region covering the tribal population of 35,407. The population falls under the 2 Rural Health Centers (Shendi and Rajur) of School of Public Health & Social Medicine, PIMS DU. The type of study was descriptive cross-section study based upon Simple Random Sampling Technique. Drinking water samples (100ml) were aseptically collected in sterile container. Water samples from sources supplied for other domestic purpose were not collected. The water samples were subjected to Most Probable Number Test (MPN) as per the standard test procedure using multiple tube method and E.coli detection test kit (HiMedia). Results: The outcome of the MPN test were interpreted based on tables giving the bacterial count per 100 ml (MPN/100ml) of the water sample tested. The outcome determined the MPN count with Klebsiella spps being highest (60.86%) Next common organism isolated was E.coli (21.73%) followed by Pseudomonas (17.39%). Coliform count being higher in all the 23 samples, water was deemed unfit for drinking. Conclusion: Our results were comparable with other studies done in different tribal areas of India highlighting the fact that drinking water is un-potable in Tribal areas of Bhandardhara region and local population is unaware of the cascading health effects due to un-potable water. Community engagement and advocacy for good water quality is key. The various governmental organization also should take precautions/measures to ensure safe drinking water in tribal areas. 2025 Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved. -
Bacteriocins as Biotechnological Tools in Food and Pharmaceuticals: Applications and Future Prospects
The World Health Organization (WHO) and FAO have defined probiotics as non- pathogenic living organisms that greatly benefit host cells and have several positive outcomes at the level of gut. The intake of probiotics at an adequate amount confers good health and many times is used for several treatments (Hill et al. 2014; Gibson et al. 2017). Not only the microorganisms as a whole, but the proteins or peptides secreted by these species have tremendous applications in food spoilage, pharmaceuticals, antibiotic development, and much more. Thus, antimicrobial peptides from bacteria have drawn more attention for their wide range of applications. 2023 selection and editorial matter, Arti Gupta and Ram Prasad; individual chapters, the contributors. -
Bacterial Pigments as Antimicrobial Agents
In this chapter, we discuss various bacterial derived secondary metabolites pigments which has antimicrobial properties. Though these metabolites were identified more than several decades ago, attention into their bioactivities has emerged in the last few decades. Their increasing acceptance is an outcome of their cost-effectiveness, biodegradability, noncarcinogenic property, and eco-friendly characteristics. This chapter has made an attempt to take an in-depth observation into the current bacterial derived pigments and their bioactivity against various microorganisms. 2024 selection and editorial matter, Mohammed Kuddus, Poonam Singh, Raveendran Sindhu and Rachana Singh; individual chapters, the contributors. -
Bacterial diversity of geochemically distinct hot springs located in Maharashtra, India
Bacterial diversity of four thermally different hot springs of Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra, India, was investigated using culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches. A total of 144 bacterial cultures were isolated and identified using MALDI-TOF MS (matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry) and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Culture-independent analysis by Ion Torrent sequencing targeting the V3 region of the 16S rRNA gene revealed the predominance of Firmicutes across all the hot springs, followed by Chloroflexi, Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria, Armatimonadetes, Actinobacteria, Nitrospirae, Acidobacteria, and DeinococcusThermus, with subtle differences in their abundance. At the lower taxonomic rank of genus, we noted the prevalence of Acinetobacter followed by Clostridium, Planomicrobium, Bacillus, Streptomyces, and Leptolyngbya. Metagenomics imputation using in silico approach revealed divergence in the metabolic capabilities of bacterial communities along the thermal gradient of host springs, with site TS (63C) featuring the abundant functional gene families. 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. -
Bacterial biofilm inhibition activity of ethanolic extract of hemidesmus indicus
Multi-drug resistance is one of the biggest nightmares in the field of healthcare today. Adding on to this, some bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa have the ability to form biofilms. These essentially are large colonies of bacteria that are held together by polysaccharides and other biomolecules which in turn facilitate in their adherence to solid substrate both natural and synthetic. This further creates a life-threatening implication leading to nosocomial infections like pneumonia, Urinary tract infections (UTI), etc. increasing the co-morbidities and mortality of critically-ill patients. The combination of antimicrobial resistance, ability to form biofilms and threat of nosocomial infections calls for a need to investigate newer, safer alternatives. Plant based medicaments have been used for centuries and they are a great alternative to synthetic drugs. In the present study, ethanolic extracts of Hemidesmus indicus was evaluated against clinically-important multi-drug resistant organisms. Percentage biofilm inhibition of plant extracts of Hemidesmus indicus by crystal violet assay method. Triplicate analysis was done and data obtained was statistically interpreted using Microsoft Excel. Alcoholic extracts of Hemidesmus indicus exhibited significant biofilm inhibitory activity against the common bacteria Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. Further, isolation of the chief active constituent responsible for Anti-biofilm activity is in process. 2020, National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources (NISCAIR). All rights reserved. -
Bacillus velezensis-synthesized silver nanoparticles and its efficacy in controlling the Aedes aegypti
Abstract: Dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever are diseases that do not have any potential medications. The severity of these diseases is fatal and thus poses a severe threat to mankind. Aedes aegypti is the vector that carries and spreads the dengue virus. Therefore, controlling the development and population of mosquitoes is crucial. Many insecticides and other strategies of control have not become successful in their purpose. Therefore, establishing potential compounds that are environmentally safe and productive in inhibiting the growth of mosquitoes is still to be acquired. Bacillus velezensis (MW219533) was utilized in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles with silver nitrate as the metal ion source. The silver nanoparticles were characterized and confirmed using UVvisible spectrometry that indicated a peak at 421 nm. Further analytical measurements such as X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis confirmed the presence of crystalline, cylindrical-shaped silver nanoparticles of size 5659 nm. The LC50 was found to be 581.39, 616.37, 760.93, 801.94 and 867.66 g l?1 when tested against the five developmental stages of Aedes aegypti, such as first instar, second instar, third instar, fourth instar stages of larvae and pupae, respectively. The predatory efficacy of Poecilia reticulata was calculated with exposure to silver nanoparticles. Our study aims on developing an environmentally safe and economical approach to reduce the development of mosquitoes in the environment. The work signifies the biological method towards controlling the larvae and pupae stages of A. aegypti as well as to mark its safety at the aquatic level of the life cycle that leaves no traces of pollution on the environment. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.] 2023, Indian Academy of Sciences. -
Bacillus cereus-mediated biofermentation of Sardine offal waste: A novel approach to enhance nutritional value by Response Surface Methodology optimization
The rising protein demand in the aquaculture sector has significantly impacted fishmeal supply and pricing. Excessive use of fishmeal can lead to environmental issues and negatively impact marine biodiversity and human food security. Consequently, finding alternative fishmeal in aquaculture is crucial for economic and environmental sustainability. The present study aimed to determine how Bacillus cereus (MT355408) could enhance nutritional value of Sardine fish waste, which could replace fish meal in the market. Solid-state fermentation (SSF) represents a biotechnological method that utilizes microbes to convert discarded fish byproducts into valuable products. The bacterial ability to produce enzymes was studied and optimised for its maximum production to be used as an inoculum for the SSF technique. Different prebiotic sources were also studied for better upliftment of bacteria in the solid-state surface. A single-factor analysis was conducted to investigate the influence of varying prebiotic concentrations, inoculum quantity, and fermentation duration on protein breakdown. After studying the single-factor tests, a further response surface model was employed for better yield. The results indicated that the highest protein yield could be achieved with a fermentation time of 132.893 hours, a prebiotic quantity of 25%, and an inoculum quantity of 5.3%. The study's findings also affirmed that the model was vital in enhancing the crude protein content during fermentation. In conclusion, the model's results contribute valuable insights into fermentation processes, offering practical implications for enhancing protein content and digestibility in similar contexts. 2024, Applied and Natural Science Foundation. All rights reserved. -
Bacha Posh: Gender Construct in Afghan Culture Examined through the Lens of Children in Literature
With the fall of the Taliban in 2001 and their return in 2021, Afghanistan has undergone drastic socio-political changes. In many families, children are introduced to the practice of Bacha Posh (dressing up like a boy), an Afghan cultural custom where girls are dressed up as boys until they are married off. Despite children being central to this practice, it has not been studied through their eyes. This article examines the custom of Bacha Posh through the childrens perspective and situates it within the current socio-political scenario of the country. A textual and cultural analysis of three literary works is carried out through a study of their child characters to examine how Afghan culture creates its own gender construct. Two are significant works of childrens literature that revolve around real-life stories of Bacha Posh Nadia Hashimis One Half from the East (2016) and Deborah Ellis The Breadwinner (2000). The third work is The Underground Girls of Kabul (2014) by Jenny Nordberg, a seminal work in the study of Bacha Posh in which Nordberg focuses on the practice of Bacha Posh and presents the voice of children. This article then goes on to study the impact of the restrictive nature of the Taliban regime on girls and its influence on the cultural custom of Bacha Posh. It demonstrates how this practice creates an unstable gender construct among children, as evidenced by the gender dysphoria that some girls experience. It thus demonstrates the impact of culture on gender through filling in the gaps between culture, literature and politics. 2023, The International Academic Forum (IAFOR). All rights reserved. -
B/N-doped carbon dots based fluorescent sensor for picric acid in industrial effluents /
Patent Number: 202141045089, Applicant: Ponmudi Keerthana.
Carbon quantum dots possess excellent physiochemical properties, high photostability. In this work, fabrication of boron functionalised nitrogen doped carbon quantum dot was achieved to detect harmful pollutant as picric acid. Firstly, nitrogen doped CQD was synthesized by rapid microwave approach from L-serine and citric acid which acts as precursor. Then functionalisation with boric acid under reflux condition to obtain B/N-CQD. -
Azopyridine as a Linker Molecule in Polyaniline-Grafted Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite Electrodes for Asymmetric Supercapacitors
Electronically conducting polymers (ECPs)/carbon nanomaterial-based polyaniline electrodes have received great interest in the field of supercapacitors due to their high specific capacitance, good electronic conductivity, good mechanical strength, good chemical and electrochemical stabilities, etc. Among the various available ECPs, they have received much importance due to their excellent electrochemical performances. Herein, we report a facile synthesis of a PANI-grafted graphene oxide (GO)-azopyridine (Azo) (PANI/GO-Azo) nanocomposite and use it as electrodes for fabricating supercapacitors. The azo units present in the nanocomposite act as a spacer between PANI and GO. The interfacial polymerization method is adopted for the synthesis of PANI/GO-Azo nanocomposites. The PANI/GO-Azo nanocomposite electrode exhibits a gravimetric capacitance of 426 F g-1 at a current density of 0.25 A g-1 in 1 M H2SO4 (aqueous) electrolyte. The electrode possesses good cycling stability of more than 5000 cycles with a Coulombic efficiency of 98.5%. An asymmetric supercapacitor fabricated with PANI/GO-Azo as the positive electrode and activated carbon as the negative electrode delivers an energy density of 12.45 W h kg-1 with a power density of 274.9 W kg-1. This study proclaims that the PANI/GO-Azo nanocomposite electrode is highly promising for next-generation supercapacitors. 2023 American Chemical Society -
Azole-Based Antibacterial Agents: A Review on Multistep Synthesis Strategies and Biology
This article reviews current multistep synthesis strategies of azole-based antibacterial agents. In recent years, extensive use of chemical agents in treating different diseases resulted in the development of drug resistance. The war on multidrug resistance has resulted in the most significant loss to the worlds economy. Thus, the expansion of development of novel and potential candidates such as azoles and its derivatives is an escalating area in the field of medicinal chemistry. Azole compounds are increasingly being considered necessary in drug discovery paradigms as a number of them serve as lead compounds for the discovery of potent therapeutic agents. They have been used to treat bacterial, fungal, malarial, viral, and other general infections. They have also been known for their anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities. Their efficacy has been attributed to their electron-rich property, resulting in the formation of non-covalent bonds to the receptor proteins. Current research has given us a significant collection of synthetic strategies in the progress of azole compounds. This review article describes the survey of literature regarding multistep synthetic methods in the preparation of azole-based compounds and their antibacterial properties in the last 5 years. 2021 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. -
Aza-Michael addition of 1,2-diazoles to structurally diverse enones: Efficient methods toward ?-amino ketones
An efficient and mild protocol was realized using 1,2-diazoles and related heterocycles with cyclic and acyclic enones in presence of T3P (2,4,6-tripropyl-1,3,5,2,4,6-trioxatriphosphorinane-2,4,6-trioxide) toward the regioselective formation of N-cycloalkyl heterocycles at room temperature. The developed reaction conditions showcased good selectivity over a wide range of 1,2-diazoles and enones by delivering N-cycloalkyl heterocycles in excellent yields. 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.