De-Scribing an Ex-Centric Community: Anglo-Indian Voices in Johny Miranda’s Jeevichirikkunnavarkku Vendiyulla Oppees: Requiem for the Living

The knowledge of a community’s presence is an inevitable step towards ensuring its visibility and accepting its authenticity. The Anglo-Indians of Kerala are distinctive on account of the intricate cultural nuances that have gone into their making which involves essences of the Portuguese, the Dutch, the native Malayalees, the Batavians, the Javanese, the Malaccans and maybe even the Africans who were probably brought in here in the course of the slave trade that was rampant then. Being such an essentially miscegenated population, the Anglo-Indian ethnicity has been defined and re-defined over the years, so much so that the community has been facing the challenge of extinction and decline. At this juncture, the novella, Jeevichirikkunnavarkku Vendiyulla Oppees: Requiem for the Living becomes a relevant record of the history of a community, beset with contradictions, benumbed with frustration and struggling to persevere even at breaking point.  Facing a crisis in gender positions and community orientations, the characters struggle to negotiate their identities and to come to terms with the reality of their being. Their obsessive quests and transgressive actions intensify the conflict raging within, eventually rendering vulnerable the status of their selfhood and the community they represent. The novella therefore is an oppees - a requiem -for a living community that is faced with the ominous prospect of extinction

Giving Every Student Opportunities to Succeed: An Analysis of Students Integrated (Written and Oral) Assessment at Tishk International University-Erbil

Abstract: Aim: This article reports on findings from work at Tishk International University-Erbil (TIU) as part of research undertaken to assess the conceptual understanding and critical thinking abilities of undergraduate students through integrated (written and oral) assessment. The research had two purposes: (1) to measure the various elements of students written and oral works; and (2) to use these common elements to address the soft-skills development issues of students and create opportunities for every student to succeed both in assessment and skill development. Methodology: 4-Year Degree program students take core courses, and their assessment is divided into 40% Formative and 60% Summative. In 2019 Spring Semester 100 students (59% male and 41% female) were included using comprehensive sampling method comprising 4 classes of TIU for the research purpose. The 4 cohorts’ formative (continuous) assessments data of written and oral coursework was collated and compared for measures of academic performance elements and how course activities and assignments promoted students’ soft skills development. Outcomes: Data sets were analyzed using frequency distribution tables to identify predictive patterns of students’ conceptual understanding and critical thinking skills. The findings indicate a significant difference among students’ skill sets. Students’ scores were Novice 0-65% ≤ (written) w 57% | (oral) o 47%; Beginner 66-75% ≤ w 22% | o 27%; Competent 76-85% ≤ w 14% | o 11%; Proficient 86-100% ≤ w 7% | o 15%. Results indicate that assessing students without knowing the level of student’s personal development had negative affect on students’ performance. There was also a relationship between written and oral assignments scores and students’ levels of personal development with regards to acquisition of soft skills that clearly reflected in their overall formative score. Significance: Formative assessments are a valuable indicator to identify competencies of students and recognize who is doing well and who is most vulnerable and at risk of failing the course. Results from this study is significant to Course Coordinators in Kurdistan higher education in enabling them to create learning and skilling opportunities for students, so that they succeed both in their education and in real-worl

TERRORISM AND THE RULE OF LAW: Analysis of International Law Perspectives

Aim: The purpose of this academic undertaking is to focus on the interface between terrorism and the rule of law. More precisely, this paper posits on the role of international law in shaping and implementing counter-terrorism strategies. But some facts must be understood in discussing terrorism and counter-terrorism as there are different varieties of terrorism. Terrorism comprises multi-level kinds of conduct. Terrorism is, however, essentially criminal acts that threaten individuals or a populace for the purpose of achieving some political objective. The dangers posed by terrorists to international peace and order needs tactical and strategic responses to combat them on national and global levels. Hence, the law of war and particularly Geneva Convention are addressed, as is the background international law of jus ad bellum, jus in bello and jus post bellum. Methodology: The analytical approach employed in this study falls broadly under the mantle of discourse analysis. On this epistemological foundation and adopting an interpretive logic, the discourse analytic technique employed in this article proceeded in two stages. The first stage entailed a close examination of texts representative of the ‘Terrorism-International Law’ discourse, particularly those by actors presumed to be authoritative or authorized speakers of the dominant discourse. As such, the primary units of analysis or ‘data’ for this research included: (1) official speeches and documents of senior policy makers; (2) books, articles and reports by major thinktanks, public intellectuals and journalists; and (3) academic books and scholarly articles in the core terrorism studies and international law. The second stage of the research involved subjecting the findings of the textual analysis to interpretation. It examined how terrorism and international law relate to each other and the challenges they pose for each other. Outcomes: Emerging from the data were specific themes that are central to this study. First, international law matters in the foundational way of setting up the institutions, the organizations, and the procedures through which states communicate and create counter-terrorism strategies. Second, international law matters in the sense that it creates legitimacy. It creates sense of expectations and reliance about how terrorism will be handled, and that factors into the reputation of states; it affects their calculation of self-interest. And finally, most importantly, international law matters because it creates rules about how states should behave with each other in the event of interstate terrorism, including the most fundamental matters of jus ad bellum and jus in bello. It tells states what they can and cannot do in a number of the most important circumstances. In conclusion, what I say about the pervasive nature of terrorism is that law is not only relevant, it becomes most relevant in these trying circumstances. These times of transition and trauma can offer an opportunity to strengthen international legal norms and combat international terrorism

Nationalism And Islamism In The Kurdistan Region Of Iraq – The Emergence Of The Kurdistan Islamic Union: A Critical Review

This article is a review of a book published in the Routledge Studies in Middle Eastern Politics. The book under review, Nationalism and Islamism in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq: The Emergence of the Kurdistan Islamic Union, addresses timely and troubling issues in our democratic political discourse related in one way or another to the interface between religion and politics in the context of Islamic political parties. A diversity of specific topics is covered including Islam, religious nationalism, Kurdistan Region, democracy, and Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU), pertinently in the shadow of Kurdistan’s lack of statehood. This review aims to explore the interconnection between all these concepts and most specifically the interrelationship of religion and nationalism and how it has been perceived and practiced by the Islamic political party called Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). Finally, the book’s main thesis is briefly discussed, and conclusion is drawn on the implication of Islamic brand of religious nationalism in the Middle East in general and Kurdistan Region of Iraq in particular

Study of prevalence of work related stress and co-morbidities and its effect on work performance in KSRTC workers of Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka, India

Background: Occupational stress is becoming a universal concern. It is no longer taken as a   private problem that should be managed alone. Since it affects all categories of workers, it is currently considered an issue that needs to be tackled by the employer, industry and nation as a whole in order to not face a compromise in manpower and occupational productivity.Methods: The present study was a cross sectional, community based descriptive study. A total of 248 KSRTC employees of Dakshina Kannada district were included as part of the study. A Pre structured and pre tested and validated questionnaire for socio-demographic details, the Indian Diabetes Risk Score (IDRS) questionnaireand the AIS (The American Institute of Stress) Workplace Stress Survey questionnairewere used for data collection.Results: Majority of the employees were male and in the age range of 23-59 years. Using the Indian Diabetes Risk score, screening was done for diabetes and 19 cases were identified among the population. 55 cases of Hypertension were also identified and were referred to higher centers and started on treatment for the same. Almost all the study have stress of varying levels subjects had irregular eating habits, lack of exercise and lack of sleep. All the workers were found to have stress, with a majority of them using alcohol and tobacco as a means of coping with stress.Conclusions: Very few studies have been conducted to assess stress levels in organized sectors in India and Karnataka. Hence the present study was undertaken to assess the stress levels and associated health disorders amongst the KSRTC workers of Dakshina Kannada district and to suggest suitable measures to improve occupational health, if necessary.

Policy Challenges Facing Entrepreneurship Education in Indian Higher Education: Thematic Analysis

Entrepreneurship is politically a democratic liberal idea. Modeling independent India on the Soviet Union and China, Jawaharlal Nehru established the Indian state on the ideology of democratic socialism. The socialist ideology influenced the principles of economic and educational policies of the Indian government to establish a welfare state. By 1980s, the Soviet Union and China, due to internal contradictions of vast state-run command economies imploded their fragility. In India’s case economic development has led to the creation of a very large and largely inefficient bureaucracy. Widespread corruption, a lax work ethic, especially in public sector enterprises (both economic and education), an overemphasis on a discourse of rights and entitlements at the expense of an equally necessary discourse of duties, all contributed to the growing malaise of public indebtedness. This paper attempts to explore the impact of socialist ideology of the Indian state on entrepreneurship education in higher education. Formal higher education is positively correlated with entrepreneurship. Education inculcating the culture of competitiveness is the most important factor in determining the entrepreneurial orientation of the citizens. While liberalism encourages competitiveness, socialism totally discourages it. Unfortunately, the present entrepreneurship education in India is tightly controlled by the government and based on socialism. Hence, if India has to succeed in entrepreneurship and develop a national culture of competitiveness within higher education and its citizens, it needs to first begin by making amendment to the Preamble of the Indian Constitution

Using Kurdish in Preparatory English Language Classrooms: A Replication Study at Tishk International University-Erbil, Iraq

Using mother tongue in foreign language classroom has been discussed over the years and still remains a contested issue among teachers and experts in the foreign languages field. This paper replicated a study conducted in Spain and later in China with the aim of determining whether Kurdish should be used in the Preparatory English Classrooms, and attitudes of students and teachers towards using Kurdish in the classroom. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used questionnaires for collecting quantitative data from instructors and students, and interviews together with classroom observation for qualitative data from 100 students and 20 teachers. The results indicate that even though majority of students do not wish Kurdish to be used in class, they still like it when teachers do. Teachers overwhelmingly support prudent use of Kurdish in the classrooms mostly while giving instructions and when dealing with new vocabulary terms, especially under time limit constraints. Reasons for students’ luck of support for their mother tongue in class were suggested and recommendations made

Gastric Outlet Obstruction Palliation: A Novel Stent-Based Solution

Gastric outlet obstruction (GOO) after esophagectomy is a morbid outcome and significantly hinders quality of life for end-stage esophageal cancer patients. In the pre-stent era, palliation consisted of chemotherapy, radiation, tumor ablation, or stricture dilation. In the current era, palliative stenting has emerged as an additional tool; however, migration and tumor ingrowth are ongoing challenges. To mitigate these challenges, we developed a novel, hybrid, stent-based approach for the palliative management of GOO. We present a patient with esophageal cancer diagnosed with recurrent, metastatic disease 1 year after esophagectomy. She developed dehydration and intractable emesis, which significantly interfered with her quality of life. For palliation, we dilated the stenosis and proceeded with our stent-based solution. Using a combined endoscopic and fluoroscopic approach, we placed a 12-mm silicone salivary bypass tube across the pylorus, where it kinked slightly because of local tumor biology. To bridge this defect and ensure luminal patency, we placed a nitinol tracheobronchial stent through the silicone stent. Clinically, the patient had immediate relief from her pre-operative symptoms and was discharged home on a liquid diet. In conclusion, GOO and malignant dysphagia after esophagectomy are significant challenges for patients with end-stage disease. Palliative stenting is a viable option, but migration and tumor ingrowth are common complications. The hybrid approach presented here provides a unique solution to these potential pitfalls. The flared silicone tube minimized the chance of migration and impaired tumor ingrowth. The nitinol stent aided with patency and overcame the challenges of the soft tube. This novel strategy achieved palliation, describing another endoscopic option in the treatment of malignant GOO

The Physiological Effects of Amino Acids Arginine and Citrulline: Is There a Basis for Development of a Beverage to Promote Endurance Performance? A Narrative Review of Orally Administered Supplements

Nutritional and ergogenic aid supplementation is prevalent within athletic or general fitness populations, and is only continuing to gain momentum. Taken in isolation or as a combination, amino acid (AA) supplementation has the potential to increase endurance performance among other benefits. L-Arginine (L-Arg) and L-Citrulline (L-Cit) are two AAs proposed to increase endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthesis, with potential additional physiological benefits, and therefore may contribute to enhanced performance outcomes such as increased power output, or time to exhaustion. However, the appropriate dose for promoting physiological and performance benefits of these AAs, and their potential synergistic effects remains to be determined. Therefore, the aim of this review was to evaluate the varied concentrations used in the current literature, assess the effects of L-Arg and L-Cit in combination on physiological responses and endurance performance, and consider if there is a fundamental basis for providing these supplements in the form of a beverage. A total of six studies were considered eligible for the review which utilized a range of 3–8 g of the AA constituents. The findings support the notion that supplementing with a combination of L-Arg and L-Cit may increase NO production, enhance vasodilation, and therefore increase performance capacity in athletes. A beverage as a carrier for the two AAs is worth considering; however, there remains limited research assessing these outcomes across a consistent range of concentrations in order to see their full potential

Outcome and renal function following salvage surgery for bilateral Wilms tumor: a single-institution experience

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the surgical outcomes and renal function following salvage surgery for bilateral Wilms tumor (BWT). Summary background data The challenge for the surgeon treating BWT lies in striking a fine balance between renal preservation and oncological clearance.Methods: This is a retrospective review of medical records in a tertiary care hospital in India. Nine children with BWT who presented between 2005 and 2015 were reviewed and followed up through telephone. Survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method. A P value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: Seven (78%) of nine children were boys and two (22%) were syndromic. Six (67%) children presented at less than 1 year of age. Eight (89%) children presented with an abdominal mass. There were no metastases at presentation. All children underwent trucut biopsy and neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Six children underwent surgery: four underwent bilateral nephron sparing surgery (NSS) and two underwent unilateral nephrectomy with contralateral NSS. Tumor recurred in two children. The mean follow-up was 38 months (range: 5–108 months). Creatinine clearance (CrCl) improved postoperatively in all children. Postoperative hypertension was transient and resolved with improvement in CrCl.Conclusion: Children with BWT in the Indian subcontinent may be younger than those in the rest of the world. NSS yields good outcomes even for recurrences. Postoperative hypertension is transient in the majority of patients and correlated with improvement in CrCl. Prognosis is related to operability and syndromic association.Keywords: bilateral Wilms, creatinine clearance, hypertension, nephron sparing surger