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Ag Ions Versus Ag Nanoparticle-Embedded Glass for Antimicrobial Activity Under Light
Incorporating silver nanoparticles (NPs) into a host material has been recognized to limit the release of Ag+ ions, yet their efficacy in neutralizing nearby microorganisms remains uncertain. This study aims to compare the toxicity of Ag+ ions versus the plasmonic effect of Ag NPs within a glass matrix, assessing their respective killing efficiency and mechanisms against microorganisms. To achieve this objective, a simple ion exchange technique was employed to embed glass with silver ions, nanoclusters (NCs), or NPs, which was confirmed by UVVis-NIR spectrometer, photoluminescence (PL), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The biocidal action of these Ag species on model Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria was investigated in the absence and presence of visible light. The findings revealed that in the absence of light, plasmonic Ag NPs were less toxic to E. coli compared to Ag+ ions due to the predominant release of Ag+ ions dictating the antibacterial effect. However, exposure to visible light triggered the plasmonic effect in Ag NPs to disintegrate 100% E. coli in 1h compared to Ag+ ions (68%) owing to the localized heating around the Ag NPs, facilitated by surface plasmon resonance relaxation. The cell morphology investigated by Bio-AFM assisted in unraveling the mechanism leading to bacterial cell damage. Overall, this study demonstrates the sustained disinfection capability of Ag NPs embedded in glass without significant leaching, emphasizing their potential in prolonged antimicrobial applications. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2024. -
Ag Ions Versus Ag Nanoparticle-Embedded Glass for Antimicrobial Activity Under Light
Incorporating silver nanoparticles (NPs) into a host material has been recognized to limit the release of Ag+ ions, yet their efficacy in neutralizing nearby microorganisms remains uncertain. This study aims to compare the toxicity of Ag+ ions versus the plasmonic effect of Ag NPs within a glass matrix, assessing their respective killing efficiency and mechanisms against microorganisms. To achieve this objective, a simple ion exchange technique was employed to embed glass with silver ions, nanoclusters (NCs), or NPs, which was confirmed by UVVis-NIR spectrometer, photoluminescence (PL), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The biocidal action of these Ag species on model Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria was investigated in the absence and presence of visible light. The findings revealed that in the absence of light, plasmonic Ag NPs were less toxic to E. coli compared to Ag+ ions due to the predominant release of Ag+ ions dictating the antibacterial effect. However, exposure to visible light triggered the plasmonic effect in Ag NPs to disintegrate 100% E. coli in 1h compared to Ag+ ions (68%) owing to the localized heating around the Ag NPs, facilitated by surface plasmon resonance relaxation. The cell morphology investigated by Bio-AFM assisted in unraveling the mechanism leading to bacterial cell damage. Overall, this study demonstrates the sustained disinfection capability of Ag NPs embedded in glass without significant leaching, emphasizing their potential in prolonged antimicrobial applications. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2024. -
Ageing in Home: Place Attachment in Malayalam Films Android Kunjappan, #Home and Pookkaalam
[No abstract available] -
Ageing with Disability and Family Dynamics: A Social Constructionist Reading of Rohinton Mistrys Family Matter
This article examines how disability and ageing intersect within family structures and cultural expectations, foregrounding the role of ableism and ageism in shaping individual and collective experience. By examining Rohinton Mistrys Family Matters through the frameworks of social constructionism and ageism, the research underscores how age and disability are socially constructed and often associated with dependency and burden. Through the character of Nariman Vakeel, who experiences the dual challenges of old age and physical disability, this article critically examines how disability and ageing shape his health and wellbeing, access to care, and reliance on family and community support. The analysis highlights the ethics of caregiving and family responsibility, encouraging more inclusive and empathetic approaches to ageing and disability across cultural and familial contexts. Mistrys narrative mirrors real-world dynamics of care, responsibility, and economic burden within families. By situating Family Matters within broader discourses on ageing with disability, this article contributes to the growing field of interdisciplinary ageing studies and underscores the value of literature as a cultural text that reflects and critiques social realities. The study emphasises the importance of intergenerational understanding, encouraging families to recognise the emotional and social value of the elderly beyond their physical limitations. Finally, by demonstrating how literature reflects lived realities, the study highlights the role of cultural narratives in shaping more empathetic attitudes towards ageing and disability. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2026. -
Ageism, Culture and Willingness to Work with Older Adults Among Youth in India
Ageism is a phenomenon prevalent around the world today. It can be understood as the prejudiced attitudes, beliefs and discriminatory behaviour held towards people on the basis of their age. The present study aimed to explore the mindset of students aged 1825 in Delhi-NCR to know their perspective towards elderly in both, personal and professional domains. It seeks to identify and understand whether attitude of young adults towards older adults, awareness of ageism, the quality and quantity of intergroup contact, and filial piety attitudes influence their willingness to work with older adults. Individuals currently enrolled in an onsite course in a UGC-recognised University in Delhi-NCR participated in the study. The Facts on Aging Quiz (FAQ), Fraboni Scale of Ageism, Ambivalent Ageism Scale (benevolent and hostile attitudes) and Working with Older Adults Scale (WOAS) were administered on 200 participants. Filial piety and intergroup contact were also measured. Regression analysis highlighted the significant predictors of WOAS dimensions, namely, attitude, perceived behavioural control, subjective norm and working intentions. Intergroup contact frequency and quality along with compassionate reverence aspect of filial piety were significant contributors across the dimensions. The study has implications for intergenerational teams and diversity management training programs in organisations. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025. -
Agency and self expression: Fan writing as life writing
Fans, fandoms and fan activities have been part of every culture from time immemorial. Homers epics, Platos work all could be considered in a broad sense as belonging to the larger domain of fan activity or fan art as they are termed in modern day parlance. This paper examines India Forums a digital fan community based in India for audiences and fans of Indian television soaps/serials and attempts to understand how fanfiction and fan activities within this forum acts as means of self-expression and enable its fans to develop a sense of agency that is indigenous to the space in itself. This community is predominantly populated by women or gender anonymous and function as a space that allow fans to construct their own voices, identities and thereby agency, which is most often restricted to that space alone. The fans though not subaltern, in the technical sense of the term, as they belong to the urban space, have access to a computer and can read, write and speak English although not fluently, are still urban middle-class women who have been spoken for and never spoken themselves; and India Forums enable these unheard voices to be heard. This reading analyses the dynamics of this agential space, the politics of this agency and argues that all fan writing within this space functions as life writing within a hypertextual metaconversational paradigm which is not necessarily reflective of traditional forms of life writing using notions of revisionist Freudian psychoanalysis and paradigms of life writing. AesthetixMS 2021. This Open Access article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 4.0 International License -
AGGRESSION AS A PREDICTOR OF GENERAL WELL-BEING AMONG PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS
Social atrocities and discrimination make sanitary workers vulnerable to aggression which in turn disrupts their well-being. The issues concerning the psychological health of sanitary workers have been addressed less by researchers. The present study aimed to assess the level of aggression and general well-being among sanitary workers. An aggression questionnaire, consisting of four dimensions, namely physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger and hostility was used. The PGI general well-being measure and personal profile sheet consisting of socio-demographic details was given to 150 sanitary workers who were selected through purposive sampling method. The dimensions of aggression- anger and hostility were negatively correlated with the general well-being of the participants. Amongst the four dimensions of aggression, anger is found to be the predictor of general well-being. 2022 Australasian College of Health Service Management. All right reserved. -
Aggression Behaviour and Physical Fitness of National Handball Girls Players
Aggression is one of the significant types of feeling and emotion, which is exceptionally fundamental for sports execution. It is ordinarily propelled conduct at any rate for that specific purpose of time in the genuine play, which drives a player brimming with his energies towards his point. 150 School National Handball female players aged 14-17 years who were concentrated in higher optional schools of Andhra Pradesh Rural and Urban were haphazardly chosen as subjects. An aggression scale is used to contemplate the degree of aggression in any age gathering (over 14 years). The scale comprises 55 articulations. It is a Likert type 5-guide scale toward locating the aggressive conduct among Handball players. The premise of the discoveries is that the shooters have phenomenal aggression conduct than the all-rounders and defenders and shooters have more physical fitness than the all-rounders and defenders. In the examination, the Shooter would have a more aggressive inclination and physical fitness when contrasted with all-rounders and defenders. It is very different on the grounds that the Shooter alone for example independently will confront the adversary gathering of players because of body contact and the battle for greatness will lead the shooter to more aggressive than others. 2022 by authors, all rights reserved. -
Aggressive driving and ADHD symptoms in young male drivers: Examining the roles of personality traits and driving anger
Introduction Aggressive driving behaviors are linked to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, yet the moderating roles of personality traits and driving anger remain underexplored, particularly among two-wheeler riders in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study examined associations between aggressive driving violations and ADHD symptom severity, focusing on neuroticism and driving anger as moderators. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 150 male postgraduate two-wheeler riders in India. ADHD symptoms were assessed using the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale, aggressive driving violations via the Extended Driver Behaviour Questionnaire, driving anger using the Deffenbacher Driving Anger Scale, and personality traits through the 10-item Big Five Inventory. Multiple regression and moderation analyses were performed. Results Aggressive driving violations significantly predicted ADHD symptom severity (p < .001), independent of driving anger and neuroticism. A marginal interaction with neuroticism (p = .068) suggested a stronger association at lower neuroticism levels. Driving anger did not significantly moderate this relationship. Age and helmet non-use were also independently associated with ADHD symptoms (p = .045 and p = .024, respectively). Conclusions Aggressive driving violations show a stable association with ADHD symptom severity in young male two-wheeler riders in an LMIC context, with preliminary evidence for neuroticism as a moderator. These findings underscore the need for personality-informed interventions addressing self-regulatory and behavioral aspects of driving behavior in ADHD populations. 2025 Elsevier Ltd. -
Agile HR "lite": Adapting agile principles to HR
This chapter explores how agile practices, called agile "Lite, " are evolving within human resources (HR) departments and how they may affect organizational agility. In addition to highlighting the benefits of agile HR principles, the study offers organizations self-assessment questions to gauge their readiness for implementing agile HR practices. The insights provided are designed to help leaders foster dialogue, address concerns, and facilitate a smooth transition to agile HR practices. The chapter examines gaps in the understanding of agile implementation in HR, raises critical questions, and provides organizations with a self-assessment tool to assist in the process. It emphasizes the importance of agile principles for transforming human resources and provides valuable insight for organizations grappling with agile approaches. Overall, it contributes to a better understanding of agile principles and offers a readiness assessment for implementing them in HR. 2024, IGI Global. -
Agile HR-Based Employee Management Practices for Improving Hospital Service Delivery
The effective management of the human resources of a hospital is essential for the delivery of high-quality healthcare services, a task that has become incredibly challenging in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in India. The efficient management of employees is a top priority in healthcare organisations, which is why human resources (HR) plays a pivotal role in their functioning. It includes strategies for improving employee engagement, productivity, motivation, adaptability to change, welfare, and overall health in addition to traditional HR concerns. As part of this process, conducive working conditions must be created, talent management practices must be implemented, and flexibility must be provided to meet the evolving needs of healthcare professionals. The adoption of Agile HR practices is gaining momentum among hospitals in response to the dynamic challenges they face. In the Agile approach, the development cycle of 'Plan, Do, Check, and Act (PDCA)' enables real-time responsiveness. Through a qualitative research design with in-depth interviews conducted through purposive sampling, this study explores the implementation of Agile HR practices in hospitals located in Kerala and Karnataka. The research presents a novel human resources operating model, termed the 'Agile HR Model,' which advocates the integration of Agile principles into the management of healthcare employees. A key objective of this model is to enhance hospital service delivery by embracing agility and adaptability. The study provides HR managers and healthcare professionals with insights into enhancing the delivery of healthcare services. 2024, Iquz Galaxy Publisher. All rights reserved. -
Aging Bodies and Necropower: A Critical Study of Geronticide in Tamil Films K.D. and Thalaikoothal
This paper analyzes the act of thalaikoothal, performed on ill and infirm older people in the southern part of the state of Tamil Nadu, India, with reference to two Tamil films, K.D. (2019) and Thalaikoothal (2023), which portray the horrors of the practice. A kind of involuntary euthanasia, the ritual continues to have covert social acceptance as exemplified in the films, favoring the common stereotype that marks aging bodies as unproductive and unworthy of living. Therefore, this article explores the aging bodies in the films as sites of power, controlled by death enforced through Thalaikoothal, employing Mbembes concept of necropower. It also examines the effects of the practice on the elderly, who are compelled to prepare themselves for a forced death. The study further identifies the underlying factors contributing to the prolonged existence of Thalaikoothal even in the present times. 2023, University of Zadar. All rights reserved. -
Aging Populations, Economic Growth, and Sustainable Development: A Policy Perspective
Over the last century (from 1925 to 2025), there has been a 311% growth in global population (from 2 billion to 8.22 billion). Scientific and technological advancements, increased educational and healthcare facilities, and active involvement of women in the labor market have contributed to this significant change. However, the globe faces an imbalance between the percentages of youth, working, and oldage populations. The decline in the fertility rate and an increase in longevity have contributed to the disproportionate growth of the old- age population. Although the increased life expectancy can be credited as a substantial achievement of society, there are complex discussions on the contributions of older people to economic growth. From this perspective, this chapter critically examines the role of the old- age population in enhancing economic growth and sustainable development of society. It also proposes specific policy suggestions for achieving the UN Decade of Healthy Aging objectives (2021- 2030) that align with the SDGs. 2026 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved. -
Aging, sexual intimacy, and challenges in contemporary India: A qualitative study
An individual's life is shaped by age norms practiced in a particular society. In most societies, there is a deadline for every life event. Sexual intimacy is an essential part of every individual. However, sexual intimacy seems appropriate for young individuals, and middle-aged and older are considered asexual. Those who share sexual intimacy at a later age have to face the consequences for this age-inappropriate behavior in society. This study analyses Badhaai Ho film to explore the consequences of sharing sexual intimacy by middle-aged heterosexual couples in their 50s as it is forbidden by prevalent social norms. This study also explores the role of family in dealing with the repercussions of actions against the prescribed social norms. Thematic analysis suggests that society has a predefined age-bound box for individuals with different age categories. The middle-aged couple suffers various consequences for breaking the prescribed age-bound box. The role of the family is found to be crucial in mending the box by replacing it with an updated version. There are also gender differences in attitude toward sexual intimacy. Implications of this study can be utilized to explore the pathway of social change in existing social (age) norms in any society. Copyright 2022 Srivastava and Upadhaya. -
AGNI II
AGNI II, a commemorative postage stamp on the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India was issued on 1 January, 2000. Through the issue of the stamp, commemorating, the successful flight testing of intermediate range ballistic missile - AGNI II, emphasizing the the country's defence programmes " peaceful deterrence" -
AGRI 4.0 AND THE FUTURE OF CYBER-PHYSICAL AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS
Agri 4.0 and the Future of Cyber-Physical Agricultural Systems is the first book to explore the potential use of technology in agriculture with a focus on technologies that enable the reader to better comprehend the full range of CPS opportunities. From planning to distribution, CPS technologies are available to impact agricultural output, delivery, and consumption. Specific sections explore ways to implement CPS effectively and appropriately and cover digitalization of agriculture, digital computers to assist the processes of agriculture with digitized data and allied technologies, including AI, Computer Vision, Big data, Block chain, and IoT. Other sections cover Agri 4.0 and how it can digitalize, estimate, plan, predict, and produce the optimum agricultural inputs and outputs required for commercial purposes. The global team of authors also presents important insights into promising areas of precision agriculture, autonomous systems, smart farming environment, smart production monitoring, pest detection and recovery, sustainable industrial practices, and government policies in Agri 4.0. 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights are reserved including those for text and data mining AI training and similar technologies. -
Agricultural credit and agricultural productivity across Indian states: An analysis
The study analyses the relationship between formal agricultural credit and agricultural productivity in India. Secondary data have been collected from various sources for the selected states of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal for the time period 19901991 to 20172018. Fixed effect model is used to perform the state-level panel data analysis to establish the relationship between the agricultural credit and agricultural productivity. In addition to this, the study also focuses on analysing the effectiveness of Doubling of agricultural credit policy. The findings from the analysis show that direct agricultural credit and doubling of agricultural credit policy has a positive impact on productivity, whereas the indirect credit has a significant negative impact on productivity. In order to increase agricultural productivity, policies should focus on providing direct credit at a larger scale. 2021 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. -
Agricultural Crop-Yield Prediction: Comparative Analysis Using Machine Learning Models
Machine learning (ML) is a crucial decision-support tool for predicting agricultural crop yields, enabling choices about which crops to grow and what to do while they are in the growing season. The research on agricultural production prediction has been supported by the application of several ML techniques. We employed a comparative analysis in this study to synthesize using three ML models, including linear regression, polynomial regression, and K-nearest neighbors (KNN), and extracted the results for the prediction of yield. Crop yield depends on a variety of aspects such as temperature, pesticide usage, rainfall, and even year due to changing climatic conditions. It is in our best interest to find out the crop yield based on these factors, as it will help in advancing the farming sector. These collected data have gone through preprocessing - i.e., cleaning, to ensure that no redundant or error data is used to train the ML models. Before we train the models, the dataset is divided into training and testing to provide the performance metrics of each model we use. The experimental results on predictions indicate KNN performs slightly better in comparison with linear regression and polynomial regression models. 2024 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. -
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Agricultural Internet of Things (AIoT) Architecture, Applications, and Challenges
The internet of things (IoT) is a system that involves adding sensors, software, and network connectivity to physical devices, enabling them to collect and exchange data. This technology has the potential to bring significant advancements to various sectors, including agriculture. In farming, the agricultural internet of things (AIoT) utilizes IoT to improve efficiency, sustainability, and productivity. Through the real-time collection and analysis of data, AIoT can optimize growing conditions, prevent diseases and pests, and ultimately increase crop yields. By monitoring factors such as soil moisture, temperature, and nutrient levels, AIoT technology can effectively track crop health and detect potential issues in advance. In this way, AIoT technology is helping farmers to make more informed decisions and take more effective actions to improve crop yields, reduce waste, and lower costs. AIoT in agriculture finds practical applications in smart irrigation systems, precision agriculture, livestock monitoring systems, and climate control systems. Smart irrigation systems utilize weather data and soil moisture sensors to efficiently manage water consumption. Precision agriculture employs sensors and data analysis techniques to optimize planting, fertilization, and pest control practices. Livestock monitoring systems aid in monitoring and managing the well-being of farm animals. Climate control systems utilize AIoT to regulate and optimize environmental conditions for crops and livestock. Livestock monitoring systems use sensors to track the health and well-being of animals. Climate control systems for greenhouses and barns use AIoT devices to monitor temperature, humidity, and other environmental factors to optimize growing conditions. Sensors can be used to monitor various environmental factors in a farm, by connecting the sensors to a cloud-based platform for storing and analyzing data. The wireless sensor networks can be used to calculate the dew point on leaves and adjust the greenhouse environment to prevent and control plant diseases. Drones equipped with sensors, cameras, and other imaging technology can also be used to monitor crop conditions, as this allows farmers to take proactive measures to address these issues, preventing crop loss and reducing the need for pesticides and other chemicals. IoT/sensor nodes are vital components in precision agriculture as they gather real-time data. Integrating data analytics and machine learning into the agricultural system improves its practicality and efficiency. Real-time data availability enhances precision in agriculture, and combining data analytics with this information leads to notable progress in the field. However, AIoT technology is gradually advancing in agriculture, but there is a need for a more rigorous research approach in this area. Additionally, the current literature lacks coherence and solid research on the interconnectedness of technology and agriculture. 2024 selection and editorial matter, Alex Khang, Vugar Abdullayev, Vladimir Hahanov and Vrushank Shah; individual chapters, the contributors.