Interactive Effect of Calcium and Magnesium on Rooting of Schefflera arbolicola Cuttings

An experiment ‘‘Interactive effect of calcium and magnesium on rooting of Schefflera arboricola cuttings’’ was conducted at Ornamental Nursery Farm, Department of Horticulture, The University of Agriculture Peshawar during 2012-13.  Calcium and magnesium each at 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20% were used alone and in combination. Calcium at the rate of 20% caused highest number of roots (11.07), root weight (2.65g) and root length (23.97cm) whereas magnesium alone at the rate of 10% resulted in better root length (24.21cm) and root weight (2.17g). Cutting treated with calcium and magnesium at the rate of 20% and 10% respectively produced highest root length (28.53cm) and root weight (2.93g), whereas highest number of roots (12.67) were observed in cuttings treated with 20% calcium and no magnesium respectively. Hence 20% calcium and 10% magnesium each alone and in combination respectively are recommended for the good quality root growth of Schefflera arboricola propagation through cuttings

Generativity and Aspirational Dignity in Old Age - The Engagement of Older People for Younger People among Elite Professionals in Delhi and other Indian Cities

The dissertation titled, “Generativity and Aspirational Dignity in Old Age – Engagement of Older People for Younger People among Elite Professionals in Delhi and other Indian Cities” is an empirical study that seeks to study occupational and personal potential of older people who chose to work after retirement. The study explores the questions on the extent to which the elderly can use their expertise and personal strengths in intergenerational relations, the extent to which elderly are actively involved in work post-retirement, the interest of the elderly in such an engagement and the importance of this commitment for the individual's emotional condition. The study also examines how far older people in the commitment described here see an opportunity to realize their personal criteria of a good life. The theoretical framework of the study takes into consideration the fundamental and pertinent concepts of ageism, generativity, ageing with dignity, respect and social inclusion, cultural values and attitudes, health and wellbeing, meaningful involvement and productive ageing. In this study ‘Generativity’ theory of human development stages by Erikson (1950/1963), by McAdams and de. St. Aubin (1992) and dignity of older people by Nordenfelt (2003) have been adopted to explain the meaningful engagement of older people in work environment in the changing intergenerational relations in urban Indian societies. The research design chosen for the study is “descriptive” as it involves quantitative data and qualitative data. The composites of independent variables in the form of scales are used to learn Generativity using Loyola Generativity Scale (LGS) and Well-being using Ryff’s Scale. Indepth interviews are conducted to understand respondents’ and employers’ perspectives and views. The study is based on the responses of 83 retired professionals who took up second inning and 14 select employers. The respondents were selected based on identified criteria and the supposition that they possess the required knowledge and experience and they will be able to provide information that is both detailed (depth) and generalizable (breadth) on motives for engagement in job post retirement. Also, who would make first cautious statements about possible influences of individual personality characteristics on this engagement. The samples were selected from services, public and industry sectors including startups from different zones in India. The sample was also designed keeping in mind socio-demographic factors (extrinsic factors) and to represent the industrial, service and the public sectors. The purposive sampling method is deployed to help reach the target group. The interviews were conducted in person or on phone. The data is collected from the field and the analysis is based on the field data. The quantitative data relates to the study of generativity and well-being of the sampling units, both individually and on an average basis. Data is analysed from the responses of the Ryff’s Scale and The Loyola Generativity Scale. The overall score from the Ryff’s Scale is a measure of well being and that from the Loyola Generativity Scale is a measure of generativity. In order to create composite index scores different questions are added together and the scores compared across respondents in order to assess their overall performance. The scores can be interpreted as High Scores and Low Scores. The qualitative data is collected through in-depth interviews, which were conducted to explore respondents’ perspective and views vis a vis the research questions. The questions revolved on the themes of Generativity and wellbeing. The participants were observed during the interview and field notes taken. In the research study selective employers were interviewed in depth in order to understand their perspective and to provide information on possible support of the elderly in new workplace. In addition, information about the assessment of this support by the employers was also collected qualitatively. The employers were categorized into two categories, those who hired the retired elderly and those elderly who were the business owners. The result based on responses of the employers elicited that the employers perceived certain qualities of elderly positively, while some qualities negatively vis-à-vis productivity and relations with co-workers. Across sectors there doesn’t exist any policy for hiring the retired. Individuals retiring from influential posts with strong networks are headhunted and mid-performers are hired through references. For the analysis of generativity, the respondents, based on the mean scores were divided into two groups, namely high performers (those who scored equal to or above the Mean score on LGS) and low performers (those who scored below the Mean score on LGS). The scores were substantiated with the qualitative findings from in-depth interviews and the scaled statements described. The interview responses and LGS scores threw light on commonalities among various groups of respondents, their distinct characteristics and at the same time highlighted issues and challenges. The results indicated that elderly feel responsible for the young generation and that generativity at work has several relationships while the low scoring respondents faced issues with relationships at work. Statistically, the results showed that average scores of low and high scoring respondents significantly differ in overall LGS score and its subcategories. Each subcategory is significantly associated with each other which shows that improvement in one category can lead to improvement in other category. But Job type doesn’t have a significant effect on average LGS score. The qualitative data on wellbeing was collected with the help of in-depth interviews based on the objectives and quantitative data was collected from the responses using Ryff’s Scale. Based on the Mean scores, the respondents under each subcategory were divided into two groups, namely high performers (those who scored equal to or above the Mean score on Ryff’s Scale) and low performers (those who scored below the Mean score on Ryff’s Scale). In-depth interviews were taken and the Ryff’s Scale scores and interview responses threw light on commonalities among various groups of respondents, their distinct characteristics and at the same time highlighted issues and challenges. The results also showed that wellbeing at workplace meant more than working and performing. Dignity was found to be important to the retired rehired and it was seen as a multidimensional notion while the low scoring respondents faced unfavourable work conditions. Statistically, the results showed that average scores of low and high scoring respondents significantly differ in overall Ryff’s Scale score and its subcategories. Each subcategory is significantly associated with each other which shows that improvement in one category can lead to improvement in other category. But Job type doesn’t have a significant effect on average Ryff’s Scale score. Further, it was found the respondents with high performance or scores in Personal Growth and Autonomy have a better chance to perform well in Generativity, whereas the high scoring respondents in Self-Acceptance and Positive Relations too have a chance to perform well with two subcategories of LGS. Same holds for high scorers in Purpose in Life who stand a chance to perform well on one subcategory of LGS. For qualitative data analysis, the Ideal typical grouping technique conceptualised and methodology developed by Uta Gerhardt (1994) is used. The study deals with the three objectives; to understand the extent to which elderly people in India have an opportunity to use their expertise and personal strengths in intergenerational relations; to examine the extent to which elderly people are actively involved in the reemployment/second innings, the interest of the elderly in such an engagement and the importance of this commitment, above all, for the individual’s emotional condition and; to what extent older people in the commitment described here see as opportunity to realize their personal criteria of good life. It emerged that five ideal typical groups may be identified based on similarity in psychological wellbeing, generativity, psychological characteristics and sociodemographic factors. And factors such as past professional life, age, organizational support, personal resources, circumstantial second innings and past unfulfilled professional lives are important determinants. The analysis, however does not represent the whole population of elderly in India. Rather, this study represents the experiences of relatively privileged elderly. Overall, the result confirms that our Hypothesis is met. The result confirms that the high scoring elderly in India avail opportunity to use their expertise and personal strengths in intergenerational relations. The high scoring elderly are actively involved in the reemployment, they have interest in such an engagement and this commitment is important for their emotional condition. The high scoring elderly in the commitment see this opportunity to realize their personal criteria of good life. The low scoring elderly don’t avail opportunity fully to use their expertise and personal strengths in intergenerational relations and they are not performing well in terms of active involvement in reemployment/second innings, they have low interest in such an engagement and it is not favoring their emotional condition, thereby failing them to realize their personal criteria of good life. It is recommended that it is a joint responsibility of the government, private sector and the individuals to make structured plans and open up for meaningful engagement in work-life post retirement. Physical, social and cultural opportunities be provided for the elderly. Efforts to promote generativity and wellbeing of the elderly at workplace will help improve their work efficiency and organizational productivity, bring the young and old generations together for better work environment and positively affect health of the elderly, thereby reducing economic burden on the government machinery. The government and the corporate would have to work in tandem to create Age-friendly environment. At the same time the elderly should practice self-actualization and be ready to take up work post retirement. Those in active service should perform and maintain the mindset that basis their past performance they could apply for extension or continue to work post retirement in some other organization or in form of being self-employed. Lastly, the potential of elderly should be utilized by the society through voluntary service or unpaid work

ASSESSMENT OF WIND-INDUCED RESPONSE AND DRIVABILITY OF THE CONFEDERATION BRIDGE

The Confederation Bridge is a 13 km long precast concrete structure, constructed between 1993 and 1997, comprised of 43 - 250 m spans in an alternating rigid frame/cantilevered drop-in span arrangement. Wind studies were conducted in the early \u2790s at the Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel Laboratory to predict the design wind speed and associated design wind loads for the bridge. The dynamic wind loads were developed using full-aeroelastic model test data for the first time. The bridge owners implemented a comprehensive bridge monitoring programme to document the interaction of the bridge with its environment by installing a complex instrumentation system along a one kilometre section of the bridge in 1998. The research reported in this thesis analyses this dataset, augmenting it as necessary with data from other instrumentation on the bridge, to determine the accuracy of the original design wind speeds and wind loads predicted in 1994. Based on ten years of wind records it is shown that the design ten-minute mean wind speed with a 100-year return period is within 1.5% of the 1994 design value, and that the bridge has been subjected to this design event once during the November 7, 2001 storm. The dynamic load effects predicted using the 1994 loads adjusted for the actual damping of the prototype are 6% and 28-58% greater than those determined from the on­ site monitoring data for the transverse and vertical effects, respectively. The research therefore validates the aerodynamic model-based methodology developed in 1994 which can be used to derive wind loads using on-site monitoring or full-aeroelastic model test data. A second research topic is the challenge of driving high lightly loaded vehicles across the bridge during wind storms. Data are presented from an instrumented bus and truck-trailer that were driven repeatedly across the bridge during a severe windstorm. The drivers’ perceptions of the severity of the wind effect on the control of the vehicle are strongly correlated to the transverse accelerations that they are subjected to, which increase with increasing vehicle speed. Current operating procedures that restrict high­ sided vehicles from crossing the bridge when the wind speed exceeds 70 km/h in any direction were not perceived to be unsafe by either participating driver. The response of a bus and a truck-trailer crossing the bridge under wind conditions are different: the truck- trailer seems to be much more susceptible to roll-over than the bus

Online Machine Learning for Graph Topology Identification from Multiple Time Series

High dimensional time series data are observed in many complex systems. In networked data, some of the time series are influenced by other time series. Identifying these relations encoded in a graph structure or topology among the time series is of paramount interest in certain applications since the identified structure can provide insights about the underlying system and can assist in inference tasks. In practice, the underlying topology is usually sparse, that is, not all the participating time series in influence each other. The goal of this dissertation pertains to study the problem of sparse topology identification under various settings. Topology identification from time series is a challenging task. The first major challenge in topology identification is that the assumption of static topology does not hold always in practice since most of the practical systems are evolving with time. For instance, in econometrics, social networks, etc., the relations among the time series can change over time. Identifying the topologies of such dynamic networks is a major challenge. The second major challenge is that in most practical scenarios, the data is not available at once - it is coming in a streaming fashion. Hence, batch approaches are either not applicable or they become computationally expensive since a batch algorithm is needed to be run when a new datum becomes available. The third challenge is that the multi-dimensional time series data can contain missing values due faulty sensors, privacy and security reasons, or due to saving energy. We address the aforementioned challenges in this dissertation by proposing online/-batch algorithms to solve the problem of time-varying topology identification. A model based on vector autoregressive (VAR) process is adopted initially. The parameters of the VAR model reveal the topology of the underlying network. First, two online algorithms are proposed for the case of streaming data. Next, using the same VAR model, two online algorithms under the framework of online optimization are presented to track the time-varying topologies. To evaluate the performance of propose online algorithms, we show that both the proposed algorithms incur a sublinear static regret. To characterize the performance theoretically in time-varying scenarios, a bound on the dynamic regret for one of the proposed algorithms (TIRSO) is derived. Next, using a structural equation model (SEM) for topology identification, an online algorithm for tracking time-varying topologies is proposed, and a bound on the dynamic regret is also derived for the proposed algorithm. Moreover, using a non-stationary VAR model, an algorithm for dynamic topology identification and breakpoint detection is also proposed, where the notion of local structural breakpoint is introduced to accommodate the concept of breakpoint where instead of the whole topology, only a few edges vary. Finally, the problem of tracking VAR-based time-varying topologies with missing data is investigated. Online algorithms are proposed where the joint signal and topology estimation is carried out. Dynamic regret analysis is also presented for the proposed algorithm. For all the previously mentioned works, simulation tests about the proposed algorithms are also presented and discussed in this dissertation. The numerical results of the proposed algorithms corroborate with the theoretical analysis presented in this dissertation.publishedVersio

Engineering Leadership Competencies for Entry-Level Civil Engineers

The general problem is that while technical engineering firms today require entry-level, full-time engineers to possess leadership skills, companies have failed to indicate which leadership competencies are most important in their recruitment and hiring process. This study\u27s contributions could have implications for the long-term career prospects of engineers as well as the future outlook and sustainability of engineering companies. The specific problem is that various disciplines in the engineering profession, such as the construction sector, have yet to clearly define which leadership competencies are most important for the job market in their specific areas. Advancements in this regard are important for both entry-level engineers and engineering companies given the strong competition in local and international markets. The purpose of this qualitative study using a multiple case study design was to explore the views of managers in the construction industry on leadership competencies most needed in the job market for entry-level civil engineers. The study was framed by three concepts of engineering leadership. The research question was: How do the perceptions of managers in the construction industry establish a basis of leadership competencies most needed in the job market for entry-level civil engineers? Applying the knowledge gained from this inquiry has the potential for positive social impact by driving reforms in educational curricula and professional settings and with industry leaders to further the personal development of early-stage civil engineers, supporting their career success and the success of their companies

Calibration of CR-39 regarding the Track Length using the Spontaneous Fission Spectrum of Cf252

The objective of our studies was to calibrate the Solid State Nuclear Track Detector (SSNTD), CR-39 for the identification of spontaneous fission produced from the Cf252. The calibration of detectors was carried out with Solid State Surface Barrier Detector and the Radio Chemical Technique. A number of CR-39 detectors were exposed to the fission fragments of Cf252 in vacuum at 45o and 90o. The detectors were etched in 6N NAOH at 40o C to reveal the tracks of spontaneous fission. The etched tracks recorded by CR-39 were scanned using the optical microscope at the magnification of 40x (Leitz-orthoplan). The actual lengths of the tracks were measured using the projected lengths and depths. The graphs of the lengths were drawn as a function of % yield from the obtained data. Now this data was correlated with the results obtained by Flynn. He used the radiochemical technique (offline technique). Our detectors provide us an offline technique. The calibration curve between the track lengths vs the ffs masses was drawn. It was observed that the accuracy in measuring the masses and energies of the ffs is preserved in our case. Keywords: Calibration, CR-39, Track Length, Spontaneous Fission Spectru

The poverty impact of rural roads : evidencefrom Bangladesh

The rationale for public investment in rural roads is that households can better exploit agricultural and nonagricultural opportunities to use labor and capital more efficiently. But significant knowledge gaps remain as to how opportunities provided by roads actually filter back into household outcomes and their distributional consequences. This paper examines the impacts of rural road projects using household-level panel data from Bangladesh. Rural road investments are found to reduce poverty significantly through higher agricultural production, higher wages, lower input and transportation costs, and higher output prices. Rural roads also lead to higher girls'and boys'schooling. Road investments are pro-poor, meaning the gains are proportionately higher for the poor than for the non-poor.Transport Economics Policy&Planning,Rural Roads&Transport,Economic Theory&Research,Rural Transport,Rural Poverty Reduction