Development of Railqual:A Service Quality Scale for Measuring Indian Railway Passenger

The main objective of this study is to present a framework developed for assisting Railways to monitor and control the quality of services provided to passengers. The study evaluated the passenger Rail Service quality of Indian Railways by developing RAILQUAL instrument on the basis of SERVQUAL and Rail Transport quality. Three new transport dimensions (comfort, security and convenience) are added to the original five SERVQUAL dimensions (i.e. assurance, empathy, reliability, responsiveness and tangibles). The instrument is tested for reliability and validity. Empirical study was conducted at Secunderabad Railway station of South Central Railway, India, using a purposive sample of 100 respondents. Valid responses from the questionnaire are statistically analyzed by using factor analysis. This study identified the attributes to evaluate the quality of Railway Passenger Services and develops a comprehensive instrument “RAILQUAL”, which can be used by the Railways for collecting feedback from passengers. This study would help the Railways to monitor, control and improve the service. It can also be used as a tool for comparing the performance of various Railway Zones and Divisions across the country.Keywords: Railqual; Service Quality; Indian Railway

The in vitro cultivation of cestodes

No abstract available

Qualitative Content Analysis: Why is it Still a Path Less Taken?

Die Geschichte der Inhaltsanalyse ist größtenteils die Geschichte ihrer quantitativen Variante. Obwohl die qualitative Inhaltsanalyse (QIA) in wissenschaftlichen Schriften behandelt wurde, blieb sie weitgehend auf eine explorative, impressionistische und weniger pragmatische Rolle beschränkt. Der in den 1940er Jahren verbreitete logische Positivismus und die Dominanz quantitativer Analyseformen prägten die Methode insbesondere in angelsächsischen Regionen in einem quantitativen Sinne. Diese und andere Trends überschatteten die methodologischen Entwicklungen innerhalb der QIA, obwohl kritische Stimmen Einwände gegen die übermäßige Fokussierung auf Quantifizierung und die Analyse des manifesten Inhalts auf Kosten der tieferen Bedeutungen im Text erhoben. Im Beitrag wird ein kurzer Rückblick auf die Geschichte und die Bedeutung der QIA gegeben, um anschließend auf die Hauptgründe ihrer Marginalisierung im angelsächsischen im Vergleich zum kontinentalen Kontext einzugehen. Während die stärkere Präsenz der qualitativen Forschung einschließlich der QIA in Deutschland und anderen nicht englischsprachigen Ländern durch die Dominanz der hermeneutischen intellektuellen Traditionen erklärt werden kann, ist ihre generelle Bedeutungslosigkeit im angelsächsischen Raum mit methodologischer Unklarheit, der positivistischen quantitativen Orthodoxie bei der Bewertung qualitativer Methoden und der erkenntnistheoretischen und ontologischen Ambiguität des Ansatzes verbunden. Basierend auf der Diskussion werden einige Überlegungen zu den zukünftigen Entwicklungen der QIA angestellt.The history of content analysis is largely the history of quantitative content analysis. Although qualitative content analysis (QCA) was used in scholarly writings, it remained largely limited to an explorative, impressionistic, and less pragmatic role. Researchers who laid the foundations for the method of content analysis and coined it as a significant quantitative research method were influenced by the logical positivism popular in the 1940s and the dominance of quantitative forms of analysis, especially in Anglo-Saxon regions. These and other trends overshadowed the methodological developments in QCA, although critical voices raised objections to the over-reliance on quantification and analysis of manifest content at the expense of the deeper meanings in the text. Against this background, I make an attempt to look back briefly at the history and significance of QCA, and then critically examine the main reasons for the marginalization of QCA in the broader Anglo-Saxon vs. Continental context in comparison to its quantitative counterpart. While the stronger presence of qualitative research, including QCA, is explained by the dominance of hermeneutic intellectual traditions in Germany and other non-English speaking countries, their general marginalization is related to the methodological uncertainty, positivist quantitative orthodoxy in evaluating qualitative methods, and epistemological and ontological ambiguity connected to the approach. Based on the discussion, I provide some reflections on the future developments of QCA

Prediction of Flow in Non-prismatic Compound Open Channel using Artificial Neural Network

Every stream on the planet is one of a kind. Some are tenderly bended, others are wind, and some others are generally straight and skewed. The extent of stream geometry additionally changes from segment to area longitudinally because of various pressure driven and surface conditions called non-prismatic channel. A significant part of the examination work are observed to be done on prismatic compound channels. There has additionally been an advancement of work found for winding channels. However, a time which has been dismissed is that of the work for non-prismatic compound channels. An exertion has been made to investigate the examination business related to non-prismatic directs in various sorts of stream conditions. A trial perception has been made to examine the speed appropriation, limit shear stress dispersion and vitality loss of a compound channel with merging surge plain. The computation of Depth normal speed, vitality misfortune, limit shear stress in non-prismatic compound channel stream is more perplexing. The expectation of the stream qualities in compound channels with prismatic and non-prismatic floodplains is a testing assignment for power through pressure engineers because of the three dimensional nature of the stream Basic traditional methodologies can't foresee the aforementioned stream attributes with adequate precision, subsequently here can effortlessly implementable system the Artificial Neural Network can be utilized for forecast, approval and investigation of the stream parameters specified. The model performed entirely agreeable when contrasted and the other traditional strategies

DEPOSITIONAL AND STRATIGRAPHIC SIGNIFICANCE OF MARINE, GREEN-CLAY, MINERAL FACIES IN THE LOWER-MIDDLE MISSISSIPPIAN BORDEN AND FORT PAYNE FORMATIONS, WESTERN APPALACHIAN AND EASTERN ILLINOIS BASINS, KENTUCKY

Detailed study of strata associated with the glauconite-rich Floyds Knob Bed in the western Appalachian and eastern Illinois basins have corroborated previous interpretations that the unit is a widespread, largely synchronous marker horizon. However, in some areas there are multiple glauconite beds; in others a distinct bed is lacking, but the glauconite is dispersed throughout many beds, forming an interval rather than a distinct bed. In Kentucky and adjacent states, the Floyds Knob interval, in upper parts of the Lower-Middle Mississippian Borden-Grainger delta sequence and in lower parts of the Fort Payne carbonate sequence, was deposited at the end of loading-type relaxation during a flexural cycle in the Neoacadian (final) tectophase of the Acadian Orogeny. Tectonic influence, combined with a major late Osagean sea-level lowstand, created conditions that generated sediment starvation and shallower seas across widespread parts of the western Appalachian and eastern Illinois basins. In the absence of major sediment influx, glauconite was deposited uniformly across many major depositional settings, ranging from delta-platform to basinal environments. Especially important, however, is the newly reported occurrence of the Floyds Knob interval in basinal Fort Payne environments from south-central Kentucky, where it is represented by a thick, pelletal, glauconite-rich horizon that separates clastics at the base of the Fort. Payne Formation from carbonates at top. The study also provides the first-ever radiometric dating of the Floyds Knob glauconites, which suggests a late Osagean origin. These results support the existing biostratigraphic studies that point to a late Osagean origin for the Floyds Knob interval

A rare case of conjoined twins: craniothoraco omphalopagus-non janiceps

A very rare case of conjoined twins, incompatible with life. Craniothoraco omphalopagus terminated after second trimester anomalies scan. Only anecdotal case reports were available and their inheritance pattern remains a mystery. They were inoperable. Here we present such a case which was unbooked and unregistered and escaped detection till late second trimester due to non-availability of maternity services. These cases if they reached term had to be delivered always by classical caesarean due to obstructed labour and difficulty in delivery via LUS due to variety of difficulties and manoeuvrability by obstetrician. LSCS should not be attempted as it invariably leads to an inverted T scar on the uterus with increased blood loss. A classical caesarean section always leads to increased risk of future rupture and spoils the obstetric career of the woman. These cases if detected early can be delivered vaginally with ease by an experienced consultant

Cross Platform Applications With IBM Worklight

There is a tremendous increase in users with an iPhone, Android-based phone, Smartphone and tablet computers. The mobile operating system companies provide more resources for the creation of applications as per the users requirement. But due to the use of various operating system, it becomes problem for developers to develop the application for each operating system individually. So this has been solved by the cross platform mobile application development tool using Single source code, "Build Once, Run many ", Platform independent, which provide more scope in less time. The applications created by IBM Work light which helps avoid developing same type of application separately. This paper aims at developing an app that makes user to remind and book tickets(travel, movie) recharges mobiles and send free sms

A case of intrauterine fetal demise with cord prolapse

A case of intrauterine fetal demise with cord prolapse, presenting to the labour room in active labour. Labour was uneventful; however, it reminds of importance of institutional deliveries, alert midwives, and importance of dedicated obstetric operation theatres and teams to prevent adverse maternal and neonatal outcome

PANDEMICS, LOCKDOWN AND ECONOMIC GROWTH: A REGION-SPECIFIC PERSPECTIVE ON COVID-19

This study examines the impacts of COVID-19 induced factors and country specific health-care infrastructure and co-morbid factors on economic growth between January 1, 2021, to May 31, 2021 for 19 South and South-east Asian (SSEA) economies. Our findings indicate that COVID-19 related mortality negates growth, while vaccination and testing have no significant impact on growth during this period. We further quantify the effects by instrumenting government policy measures and vaccination drives in terms of testing, tracking and mortality. Our findings show a negative effect of lockdowns on growth, while vaccination has a positive impact on growth and controls fatality rate considerably

SPACE VECTOR BASED THREE PHASE GRID CONNECTED PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM

Solar energy has become a very potential new energy; Connected directly with grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems does not require bulk and lossy battery. Distributed generation and on-site supply of PV system reduces losses of transmission and distribution, and mitigates environment pollution. This paper establishes a Dynamic model of grid-connected PV system by Matlab/Simulink with d-and q-axis as coordinates which is synchronously rotating with the grid voltage to reflect the characteristics of the system accurately. Based on the accurate modeling system, optimum control and fault analysis are studied. The simulation and analysis verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, and demonstrate that the proposed control system has good static performance