Who Gains and Who Loses in the Game of Groundwater Markets in Water-scarce Regions

The rights to groundwater belong to the landowner. Therefore, access to this resource is privy to well-to-do farmers and is beyond the reach of resource-poor farmers. The only option left with them is water markets. The present study has aimed at understanding the operations of groundwater markets in fragile conditions and has identified the losers and gainers in the game of water markets in the long-run. It has been found that water markets mitigate inequalities in accessibility to groundwater resource in the short-run. But, faster and excessive use of groundwater may increase inequity among the farming community in the long-run. In water-scarce regions, water markets function on the principles of profit maximization. The different strategies are adopted to make groundwater available for sale. The water markets operate under monopsonic conditions. The terms and conditions of groundwater markets, i.e. kind or cash, vary differently across the regions. The study has suggested that water rights should be redefined and nationalization of groundwater resource is the only alternative for its sustainable management. To restrict the overexploitation of aquifers, water trading should be allowed in a limited manner. Programmes for recharging aquifer should be initiated on a large scale. A community-based action is required for the efficient use of water resources in water-scarce conditions through effective institutional arrangement.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

E-pembelajaran di institusi pengajian tinggi dari perspektif generasi Y dan budaya

E-pembelajaran telah diimplementasikan dalam sistem pendidikan untuk meningkatkan minat pelajar terhadap pelajaran. Perubahan sistem pendidikan ini membolehkan komunikasi dua hala antara pengajar dan pelajar berbanding dengan pembelajaran konvensional. Namun, majoriti pelajar menggunakan e-pembelajaran hanya memuat turun nota kuliah serta menghantar tugasan dan tidak menggunakan e-pembelajaran untuk pembelajaran yang sebenarnya. Ini boleh menjejaskan perlaksanaan hasrat kerajaan dalam menyemai budaya pembelajaran sepanjang hayat di mana e-pembelajaran digunakan sebagai salah satu platform untuk merealisasikan matlamat tersebut. Ini disebabkan oleh sistem e-pembelajaran yang tidak memenuhi kehendak pelajar generasi kini maka pelajar tidak mengambil bahagian walaupun ianya boleh membantu mereka dalam proses pembelajaran. Kehendak setiap pelajar berbeza kerana setiap pelajar datang dari pelbagai latar belakang budaya. Kertas ulasan ini meneliti isu berkaitan dengan pelajar generasi Y yang semakin ramai menuntut di universiti serta memahami kehendak mereka terhadap e-pembelajaran. Isu budaya turut dibincangkan dalam ulasan ini bagi memahami nilai budaya Malaysia dan nilai global generasi Y yang berbeza dengan generasi lain. Hasil kertas ulasan ini mendapati bahawa ciri-ciri global gen Y dan budaya Malaysia berkongsi beberapa ciri yang boleh membantu meningkatkan keterlibatan pelajar dalam e-pembelajaran. Selain itu, kajian masa depan turut dicadangkan bagi terus meneroka budaya pelajar gen Y di Malaysia. Akhir sekali, hasil ulasan ini diharapkan dapat menyumbang kepada penggunaan e-pembelajaran di kalangan pelajar generasi Y dengan lebih meluas dalam mencapai hasrat kerajaan menyemai budaya pembelajaran sepanjang hayat

Factors influencing interdepartmental information sharing practice in electronic government agencies

Electronic information sharing is a key to effective government.This study is conducted to investigate the factors influencing interdepartmental information sharing (IS) practice in electronic government (EG) agencies.Based on previous study and observation, the issues on electronic government and information sharing are highlighted and the influencing factors are identified. Three domains of factors that are considered in this study are individual, organizational and technological factors. This paper proposes the conceptual framework of interdepartmental information sharing for electronic government agencies in Malaysia

Self inflicted human teeth bites: a case report

Human infighting has been a part of our civilization since times immemorial. These incidences may go unnoticed or may attract attention of law enforcing agencies depending upon the severity of the offence. Though weapons are generally employed to inflict injuries, rare cases have been reported in literature where human teeth have been used to serve this purpose. Human bites may be self inflicted or self suffered in connivance with others to level an allegation against an adversary. We are presenting here such a case where such injuries were produced to bring a false charge against a neighbor

Mobile agent based knowledge management in education system

This paper looks into delivering a Mobile Agent Based Knowledge Management System in Education System. Firstly the paper looks at reviewing the issues that are occurring in Knowledge Management System. A proposed system structure is made to show how a mobile agent works and is used in education system. XML Metadata with Aglet is used here for faster retrieval of data. A security framework is also presented to look at protecting a distributed network from malicious mobile agents.We also recommended an intelligent search module for the agent to search the required data

Characterization of 3D Orthogonal Woven Carbon/Kevlar Composite Under Tensile Loading

In the present work, the tension response of polypropylene (PP) based composites reinforced with Carbon/Kevlar fabrics was investigated. The weft, wrap, and binder are considered in the direction (XYZ) and woven into a 3D fabric. Two homogeneous fabrics with Carbon (CCC), Kevlar (KKK), hybrid Carbon/Kevlar (CCK), and hybrid Kevlar/Carbon (KKC) fabrics were produced using a hand-made spoke frame. The architecture of the fabrics was three-dimensional orthogonal (3D-O). Four different composite laminates were manufactured using a vacuum bag-assisted moulding technique. The tensile loading was applied using a Nano-UTM set-up at travel of +6.25/-3.1 mm and software-automated generation of stress-strain data. The results indicated that the tensile properties of thermoplastic 3D-O composites are sensitive. In all the composites, the peak stress, strength, and modulus were increased when noticed with the 2D fabric. The experimental results show that the tensile strength of CCK and CCC with carbon fibres used in their weft and warp direction was greater than that of KKC and KKK with Kevlar fibres used in fibres weft and warp direction. The hybridization and 3D orthogonal weaving method also increased the tensile strength. The observation were characterized through scanning electron microscope

Characterization of 3D Orthogonal Woven Carbon/Kevlar Composite Under Tensile Loading

In the present work, the tension response of polypropylene (PP) based composites reinforced with Carbon/Kevlar fabrics was investigated. The weft, wrap, and binder are considered in the direction (XYZ) and woven into a 3D fabric. Two homogeneous fabrics with Carbon (CCC), Kevlar (KKK), hybrid Carbon/Kevlar (CCK), and hybrid Kevlar/Carbon (KKC) fabrics were produced using a hand-made spoke frame. The architecture of the fabrics was three-dimensional orthogonal (3D-O). Four different composite laminates were manufactured using a vacuum bag-assisted moulding technique. The tensile loading was applied using a Nano-UTM set-up at travel of +6.25/-3.1 mm and software-automated generation of stress-strain data. The results indicated that the tensile properties of thermoplastic 3D-O composites are sensitive. In all the composites, the peak stress, strength, and modulus were increased when noticed with the 2D fabric. The experimental results show that the tensile strength of CCK and CCC with carbon fibres used in their weft and warp direction was greater than that of KKC and KKK with Kevlar fibres used in fibres weft and warp direction. The hybridization and 3D orthogonal weaving method also increased the tensile strength. The observation were characterized through scanning electron microscope

Physicochemical and pasting properties of unleavened wheat flat bread (Chapatti) as affected by addition of pulse flour

Abstract: Unleavened flat bread (chapatti) was prepared from wheat-pulse composite flours wherein wheat flour was replaced from 5-20% by kidney bean and black gram flours. Water absorption for dough making increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) in composite flours. Sensory evaluation of flat breads produced from wheat-pulse composite flours showed significant decrease in color, taste, aroma, breakability, and overall acceptability score at 15% or higher level of replacement. Pasting properties of composite flours and breads produced thereof displayed significant decrease in peak, trough, final, and setback viscosity while increase in pasting temperature was observed. This suggested that starch has gelatinized considerably and flat breads have been baked sufficiently. Significant lower setback viscosity of composite flour than control wheat flour indicates that composite flat breads can maintain freshness for longer time than control bread