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Decolonising Caste in the Indian Context: The Psyche of the Oppressor
Caste is a social construct as well as a psychological phenomenon. So far, it has been predominantly viewed, understood and researched through the lens of anthropology, sociology, economics and political science. However, very little understanding has been gained in the domain of psychological science with respect to caste in the Indian context. The population of the Global South (includes the regions of Asia, Africa, Latin America and Oceania) cannot be understood with the frameworks and research undertaken by the Global North (Europe and North America, known as the West, the industrialised world) because the knowledge production centres of psychology have predominantly been Euro-American centric, as many critics have pointed out. Although research has been scarce in relation to caste and psychology, it has mostly revolved around the oppressed. Therefore, this article aims to shift the focus from the oppressed to the oppressor. To understand Indian human behaviour and thought, it is essential to view it through the lens of the colonial past, the caste system and religion, which are intertwined with each other. This article aims to look at the psychology of the oppressor in the Indian context through the psychological frameworks of purity and pollution. It also stems from the premise that casteism is inculcated through modelling and intergenerational learning. Hence, the above-mentioned factors help to understand unequal power relations and discrimination, which facilitate the decolonisation of the Indian psyche. It also highlights the influence of colonisation on the mind and behaviour with respect to caste. 2023 Department of Psychology, University of Allahabad. -
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. -
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On ? -Vertex Choosability of Graphs
A connected, simple graph G with vertex set V(G) = { 1 , 2 , , n} is said to be vertex (n,k)-choosable, if there exists a collection of subsets { Sk(v) ? V(G) : v? V} of cardinality k, such that Sk(u) ? Sk(v) = ? for all uv? E(G) , where k is a positive integer less than n. The maximum value of such k is called the vertex choice number of G. In this paper, we introduce the notion of ?- choosability of graphs in terms of their vertex (n,k)-choice number and initiate a study on the structural characteristics of ?-choosable graphs. 2020, The National Academy of Sciences, India. -
Exploring vector and raster data formats for geospatial visualization with python
The chapter uses Python to explore vector and raster data formats within geospatial visualization. It highlights their pivotal role across diverse environmental science, urban planning, and natural resource management domains. A nuanced comprehension of these formats is deemed essential for proficient geospatial visualization in Python, as they facilitate the storage and manipulation of spatial data. Vector data formats accurately represent points, lines, and polygons within a coordinate system. In contrast, raster data formats are tailored to depict continuous surfaces or grids of data. An array of libraries and tools are outlined for exploring and visualizing these geospatial data formats in Python, each serving distinct functionalities ranging from data manipulation to visualization. The chapter systematically introduces the concept of geospatial visualization, elucidates the disparities and application scenarios of vector and raster data formats, and subsequently elucidates various Python libraries and tools conducive to geospatial data manipulation and visualization. 2024 by IGI Global. -
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The Effect of Lyrical Music on Hopelessness in College Students
Hopelessness is a product of negative future expectations, negative feelings toward the future and feeling a lack of control over future improvements. One of the major factors that play a role in hopelessness are Negative Life Events (NLE) along with the interaction of negative inferential styles. College students are seen to experience both NLE and engage in negative inferential styles which is seen in their portrayal of hopelessness. The aim of the study was to reduce levels of hopelessness in college students through an intervention that involved listening to songs having hopeful lyrics. The study strived to answer the following question: Can hopeful lyrics in songs can have an effect on hopelessness? The sample consisted of college students (N=66), who were randomly assigned to three groups, namely the lyrical music group (hopeful lyrics and music), music group (only music) and the control group (no intervention). The Beck???s hopelessness scale was used to measure their levels of hopelessness before the intervention and at the end of 4 weeks. The lyrical music group and the music group participants were exposed to songs and instrumental tracks twice a week, for a duration of 4 weeks. The Wilcoxon Signed Rank test for related samples was used to analyse the effect of the intervention or lack of, on levels of hopelessness. The Kruskal-Wallis was used to analyse the difference score between the three groups. Results indicated that the lyrical music group (p = .001) had a significant difference in levels of hopelessness after the intervention, however the music group (p = .072) and the control group (p = .402) showed no significant difference. There was a significant difference between the three groups with regard to the difference obtained from their pre-test and post-test scores (p = .03). Pairwise comparisons have helped to see where that difference lies. Thus it can be concluded that hopeful lyrical music does have an effect on hopelessness and can be seen as differing from the functions of music alone. -
Food additives and contaminants in infant foods: a critical review of their health risk, trends and recent developments
The infant food market has expanded rapidly over the past two decades. However, the industry faces significant challenges, including concerns over the health effects of infant food additives and issues with food safety. However, new evidences suggest that certain food additives, such as those used to preserve and transport infant formula to keep it fresh for longer, should be avoided. Science into the effects of additives on human behavior makes up a sizable sector of the additives market. Problems such as hypernatremic dehydration, malnutrition, and obesity in infants are directly linked to faulty formula production. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has established the toxicity types and chemical tests necessary for evaluating the safety of food additives and GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) compounds. These tests are crucial in understanding the food safety aspects of food additives. The health effects of different types of food additives on infants are discussed in this context. The article gives an outline of various national and global agencies that provides recommendations and standards to gauge the quality of baby food. The immunological responses, allergic reaction pathways and other related health hazards among the infants and young children caused by the food additive are discussed in this article. Graphical Abstract: (Figure presented.) The Author(s) 2024. -
A review on the immunomodulatory properties of functional nutraceuticals as dietary interventions for children to combat COVID-19 related infections
COVID-19 is a significant threat to humanity in the present day due to the rapid increase in the number of infections worldwide. While most children may be spared of the direct mortality effects of the disease, those with weak immune systems are prone to adverse effects. Child mortality increases due to the stress caused to the health care system that disrupts essential health care needs such as immunisation and antenatal care. The use of functional foods (FF) aids in disease-prevention as they are known to have protective effects against COVID-19 by boosting childrens cellular and humoral immunity. Plant components such as glycyrrhizin, epigallocatechin gallate, allicin, and fucoidan exhibit antiviral properties against various viruses, including SARS-CoV 2. Microbial foods that are made of probiotics, can enhance immunity against various respiratory viruses. Food enriched with additives such as lactoferrin, piperine, and zinc can boost immunity against COVID-19. With proper definitive drug therapy not available for treating COVID-19 and most of the disease management tools rely on symptoms and non-specific supportive care, developing a functional paediatric formulation will prevent further deterioration in infant health. It is wise to investigate the toxicological aspects of Functional Foods components especially when formulating for children. The safe limits of ingredients should be strictly followed during FFs formulation. Stronger regulations with advanced analytical techniques can help to formulate functional foods into the mainstream in child nutraceuticals. The purpose of this review is to compile collective information on the functional nutraceuticals specifically for infants and children up to the age of 10 years that could confer immunity against COVID-19 and other related viruses. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]. 2023, The Author(s). -
Prognostic value of somatosensory-evoked potentials in neurology: A critical review in hypoxic encephalopathy
Prediction of prognosis in comatose patients surviving a cardiac arrest is still one of the intractable problems in critical care neurology because of lack of fool-proof ways to assess the outcome. Of all these measures, somatosensory-evoked potential (SSEP) has been perhaps the most evaluated and heavily relied-upon tool over the past several decades for assessing coma. Recent studies have given rise to concerns regarding the 'absoluteness' of SSEP signals for the prognostic evaluation of coma. In this critical review, we searched the literature to focus on studies conducted so far on the prognostic evaluation of postanoxic coma using SSEPs. All those studies published on the use of SSEP as a prognostication tool in postanoxic coma were reviewed. A narrative review was created that included the strengths as well as limitations of the use of SSEP in postanoxic coma. The use of SSEP in coma has been universal for the purpose of prognostication. However, it has its own advantages as well as limitations. The limitations include challenges in performing and getting SSEP signals during coma as well as the challenges involved in reading and interpreting the signals. The recent usage of therapeutic hypothermia has become another factor that often interferes with the SSEP recording. Finally, based on these study results, some recommendations are generated for the effective use of SSEPs in comatose patients for further prognostication. We advocate that SSEP should be an integral component for the assessment of postanoxic comatose patients due to its several advantages over other assessment tools. However, SSEP recorDings should follow certain standards. One should be aware that its interpretation may be biased by several factors. The bias created by the concept of 'self-fulfilling hypothesis' should always be borne in mind before discontinuation of life support systems in terminal patients. -
Bioconvective flow of bi-viscous Bingham nanofluid subjected to Thompson and Troian slip conditions
This paper describes the bioconvection phenomenon and its significant influence on the thermal features of the flow of bi-viscous Bingham (BVB) nanofluid past a vertically stretching flat surface. The analysis of the impact of convection parameters is considered along with various other forces. Meanwhile, the flow of BVB nanofluid is put through the slip conditions defined by Thompson and Troian for the velocity at the boundary. The flow of BVB nanofluid is modeled using the partial differential equations (PDEs) under the assumptions of thermophoresis and Brownian motion which occur due to the movement of nanoparticles. Along with these forces, the radiation is also considered so that the obtained results are close to the practical scenarios. Thus, using the proper Lie group similarity transformations, the intended mathematical model is converted into ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The resulting equation system is encoded using the RKF-45 technique, and the outcomes are explained using graphs and tables. The solutions found for the model showed that, for higher ranges of the non-Newtonian fluid parameter, the velocity decreases while the heat transferred by the nanofluid increases. The availability of motile density at the surface grows as the Plet number rises, whereas the Schmidt numbers decline in their respective profiles. 2023 World Scientific Publishing Company. -
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Revolution of the Indian Agricultural Landscape using Machine Learning and Big Data Techniques: A Systematic Review
The world of Big Data has been rapidly expanding into the domains of Engineering and Machine Learning. The biggest challenge in the Big Data landscape is the incompetence of processing vast amounts of data in a time-efficient manner. The agriculture domain has so long only relied on traditional method for yield prediction. This can be bettered by using novel Machine Learning techniques and innovative thinking. The study provides the review of most of the techniques already implemented in the ML, Big Data and Agriculture domain- traditional and modern- while focusing on highlighting the difference in accuracy between the traditional methods and the more advanced methods. 2022 IEEE. -
A Different Humour: A Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of the Nature of Participation of Select Indian Female Stand-Up Comedians on YouTube
In recent times, Stand-up Comedy space in India has been registering itself as an alternative public sphere. As comedy has always been understood to be a masculine domain in any given society, it becomes imperative to examine if this aspect of the ????implied??? public sphere of the Stand-up Comedy space changes the dimension of comedy. This dissertation studied the nature of participation of both the male and female stand-up comics on YouTube using descriptive surveys which reported the default nature of the stand-up comedy space in India. Furthermore, the thesis studied the implications of the performances by select few female comics with specific reference to the audience reception of their comedic routines. In addition, this dissertation studied how female stand-up comics negotiate their citizenship and gender in a stand-up comedy space in India. Thematic and Critical Discourse Analysis were used to examine the theme, style, and nature of humour pervasive throughout their comedic routines. The style of humour presentation by the select female comics included subversion which was articulated in varied ways, often by marking it explicitly through themes, narratives and humour, and in other times, using it covertly. The thesis explored the dimensions of ???unladylike??? or ???unfunny??? which were used as markers to identify their routines by both themselves and their YouTube audience/commentators, the thesis also attempted to explain how these comedians found a balance between ????doing gender??? and ????undoing gender??? in these comedy spaces. The thesis concluded with an argument that the stand-up comedy space as negotiated by the select comics provides us a glimpse of an emergent feminist public sphere. -
Evaluation of Consumer Experiences by Extended AIDUA Framework in the World of the Metaverse the Future of Next-Gen Hospitality
The hospitality industry is continuously exploring novel ways to enhance consumer experiences, and the advent of the metaverse presents exciting prospects for transforming guest interactions. The metaverse can provide an immersive, 3D social experience of a virtual world by using technologies like virtual reality and augmented reality, which helps bridge the gap between the real and virtual worlds. This study explores consumer experiences in the metaverse in the hospitality context. Using the extended AIDUA (artificial intelligence device usage acceptance) model, the research aims to comprehensively analyze customers willingness to accept the metaverse in the dynamic digital landscape. The objective of this study is to investigate how the metaverse revolutionizes consumer experiences in the hospitality sector, specifically in the context of room and amenity booking, in-house events, and virtual tours. In this study, a three-step cognitive appraisal process with utilitarian motivation and the attitude of the customers that determines customers willingness and objection to utilizing AI devices is evaluated through secondary data. The metaverse empowers guests to optimize in-house event participation, seamlessly navigate their stay through taking a virtual walkthrough to explore a higher-end suite, and touring the city virtually. Practical implications for industry practitioners and researchers seeking to exploit the potential of the metaverse to create an immersive and unforgettable consumer experience in the ever-evolving landscape of hospitality are explored in this chapter. 2024 selection and editorial matter, Park Thaichon, Pushan Kumar Dutta, Pethuru Raj Chelliah and Sachin Gupta; individual chapters, the contributors. -
A novel fibrinolytic enzyme producer from mangrove soil sediments: Screening, isolation, strain improvement, and fermentation
Fibrinolytic enzymes are used for addressing many cardiovascular disease conditions. However, current fibrinolytic enzymes are highly expensive with many side effects which necessitate the development of alternative cost-effective processes for low-cost production of these lifesaving enzymes. Since the availability of a suitable strain is considered the basic requirement for any process development effort, we started our work in this direction with screening and isolation of fibrinolytic enzyme producers. The goal of this study was to screen and isolate fibrinolytic enzyme producers from a relatively unexplored environment, i.e., the mangroves. Mangroves are wetlands and are one of the unique and less studied habitats for the production of therapeutic molecules. Microbiota that produces fibrinolytic enzymes from Coringa mangroves located in Kakinada District, Andhra Pradesh, India, is lacking. Therefore, in this study, fibrinolytic enzyme-producing bacterium was screened from samples obtained from Coringa mangroves. Out of 200, protease enzyme-producing isolates obtained from screening 30 mangrove soil samples, 7 isolates exhibiting fibrinolytic activity were selected. Out of these 7, the highest fibrinolytic enzyme-producing bacterial strain (AIBL_AMSB2) was characterized by biochemical and genomic methods, which was finally identified as Bacillus subtilis subsp. Inaquosorum by 16S rRNA analysis. The strain was also found to be an amylase producer. AIBL_AMSB2 was subjected to strain improvement using random mutagenesis techniques (i) Ultraviolent radiations (UV) and (ii) Ethyl methyl Sulphonate (EMS), which resulted in an improved mutant strain AIBL_AMSB2_M7E32 exhibiting 54.70% improvement in fibrinolytic activity. Batch fermentation in controlled experimental conditions using the obtained mutant strain resulted in a 133.54% increase in growth OD and a 391.11% increase in enzyme activity. Thus, the study reports an increased fibrinolytic enzyme activity producing mangrove isolate and its production by submerged fermentation. Further studies to prove the potential of the enzyme on blood clots are necessary to utilize for industrial application. 2024 Bhavana Sompalli and Alok Malaviya. -
Purification and evaluating in vitro activity of a fibrinolytic protease produced by a mangrove isolate Bacillus subtilis AIBL_AMSB2_M7E32
One of the main causes of heart-related problems globally is intravascular thrombosis. Microbial fibrinolytic proteases play a very crucial role in the management of thrombosis. Plasminogen activators and plasmin-like proteins, which are fibrinolytic enzymes of microbial origin, hydrolyze thrombin with great efficacy and without causing noticeable side effects. These fibrinolytic enzymes can also be manufactured efficiently and economically in huge quantities within a short period. However, the search for novel fibrinolytic enzymes demands difficult purification procedures, as well as physicochemical and structural-functional properties that provide information about their mode of action. In this study, the strain named Bacillus subtilis AIBL_AMSB2_M7E32, isolated from the Coringa mangrove soils, was shown to produce a fibrinolytic enzyme. The enzyme was purified by a four-step purification process that resulted in a 43.33-fold purification with a specific activity of 6368.20 (U/mg). Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that the purified enzyme was a protein of about 28 kDa and showed fibrinolytic activity on a zymogram. In vitro assay on blood clots revealed that the purified enzyme could lyse the blood effectively by a percentage of 72.96 0.16a%, indicating that the enzyme could be used as a fibrinolytic agent. Furthermore, an observation for enzyme stability and its in vivo activity studies would be necessary for its application in the market. 2024 Bhavana Sompalli and Alok Malaviya. -
Navigating the landscape of green marketing trends and identifying greenwashing red flags
Through this chapter, the authors intend to provide information to the fashion and retail industry about the latest trends and their drawbacks, further increasing the awareness of environmentally conscious consumers. The objective of the study is first to examine the prevalent green marketing strategies adopted by fashion and retail businesses. Further, it also evaluates the actual reality and effectiveness behind the strategies used by brands to understand if they are creating an illusion of sustainability or are genuinely committed through case studies of various retail brands. Lastly it investigates consumer attitudes and perceptions of green marketing in fashion and retail. This research employs an approach to explore driving factors for green marketing in the fashion and retail industry. Utilizing secondary data, a comprehensive review of existing literature on sustainable practices, consumer behaviour, and industry trends was done. 2024, IGI Global. All rights reserved. -
Individuals Attitude Concerning Memes: A Study Reference to Active Social Media Users
Todays digital world, memes are more popular among the youngsters to express ones emotion. Nowadays, almost everyone is largely relying on social media to send memes and emojis in order to share the information in a humorous way. Lots of research article are reviewed about the social media memes, internet memes and this paper summarizes the usage of social media and following the trending pattern in communicating or sharing information through the social media platform. This study is aimed to study about the individuals attitude towards memes and its effect among the social media users. Through survey, total of 193 samples were collected by using questionnaire and statistical tools like Reliability test, Chi square and Correlation analysis have been used to interpret the collected data. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024. -
National cinema in India: exploring myths and realities
[No abstract available]