Alienation or Assimilation: The Problem of Indian Diaspora in the Select Novel of Bharati Mukherjee and Jhumpa Lahiri

The migration of human beings has always been found in quest for a better life and future. Since the very beginning of the archaic world of human perception till today, the human migration has been continued in the exploration of better life, progress, prosperity, happiness and contentment but often it found only struggle and discontentment due to social, emotional or psychological disorder in the cultural background of detachment or alienation. Many branches of knowledge try to explore such migration in their terms and origination of human beings. In literature such migration comes to be studied under the head of Diaspora which deals with the literary sensibility of human beings and reveals certain features like nostalgia, homesickness, identity crisis, alienation, assimilation, cultural discourses and social upheavals that are fully responsible for the misfortunes of such migrant communities, located, dislocated and relocated without roots into the different parts of the world. The condition of such migrant people living under the umbrella of diaspora, has always been a dual state of mind which creates confusion and clashes into the sense of dislocation, alienation and other issues that these expatriates or immigrants deal with. Diasporic literature is exemplified with the perception of literature written on Diaspora or by Diaspora. The literary criteria of the diaspora, compresses the complexities and dynamic conditions of human migration: emigration and immigration. This paper explores the alienation or assimilation, the diasporic sensibility of Bharati Mukherjee and Jhumpa Lahiri in their selected novels, The Tiger’s Daughter, Jasmine and The Namesake respectively

The Self-Actualization of Indian Diaspora in the Select Novels of Bharati Mukherjee and Jhumpa Lahiri

The migration of human beings into the various countries of the world, has been in the search of betterment of chances for their literary as well as the social contributions in the present era of the diasporic world for the second and the third generation of migrants communities. It has been a journey for establishing a new identity of self-actualization of any individuality in the context of Diaspora. The term self-actualization is coined and developed as the psychological term by Abraham Maslow to describe the growth of an individual towards the fulfillment of their highest social as well as the emotional requirements. Bharati Mukherjee and Jhumpa Lahiri are the Indian Diasporic writers of novels as well as short stories, who write about the problems of Indian Immigrants, especially with the perspectives of feminine immigrant sensibilities. Very skillfully, both of them portray the struggle of Indian women for self- actualization and establishing new identity of Indianness with the self-fascination of foreignness through their novels as well as short stories. Their feminine characters are the representations of contemporary women who strive to live their life on their owns with the portrayal of full potential and capabilities and become an individual, they want to be. Most of their writings seem autobiographical to the extent that they reflect the diasporic experiences of the migrants as they writers are. This paper aims to bring out the journey of the migration to self-actualization of the some portrayals of Bharati Mukherjee and Jhumpa Lahiri in their works, Jasmine and The Lowlands, respectively that leads them to fluid identities of a diasporic life. Jyoti, the protagonist of Jasmine, is an Indian Immigrant who faces the problems of acculturation and alienation in the United States of America while the self actualization of Gauri in The Lowland seems to be destroyed in the hands of destiny in self-fascination of the diasporic lowlands. Both of these protagonists try to assimilate themselves into the foreign country as well as culture but Jasmine of Mukherjee seems to gain an independent identity towards the end of the novel while Gauri seems to be erased her Indian identity of motherhood in the self-fascination of Americanization. The readers can find in Mukherje and Lahiri, very successful presentation of the predicaments of The Third World women with all their frustrations, longings, hopes and aspirations in an alien land of migration

The influence of odd-even car trial on fine and coarse particles in Delhi

The odd-even car trial scheme, which reduced car traffic between 08.00 to 20.00 h daily, was applied from 1–15 January 2016 (winter scheme, WS) and 15–30 April 2016 (summer scheme, SS). The daily average PM2.5 and PM10 exceeded national standards, with highest concentrations (313 μg m–3 and 639 μg m–3, respectively) during winter and lowest (53 μg m–3 and 130 μg m–3) during the monsoon (June–August). PM concentrations during the trials can be interpreted either as reduced or increased, depending on the periods used for comparison purposes. For example, hourly average net PM2.5 and PM10 (after subtracting the baseline concentrations) reduced by up to 74% during the majority (after 1100 h) of trial hours compared with the corresponding hours during the previous year. Conversely, daily average PM2.5 and PM10 were higher by up to 3–times during the trial periods when compared with the pre–trial days. A careful analysis of the data shows that the trials generated cleaner air for certain hours of the day but the persistence of overnight emissions from heavy goods vehicles into the morning odd–even hours (0800–1100 h) made them probably ineffective at this time. Any further trial will need to be planned very carefully if an effect due to traffic alone is to be differentiated from the larger effect caused by changes in meteorology and especially wind direction

An Innovative Approach for the Detection of High Boiler Adulterants in Sandalwood and Cedarwood Essential Oils

Owing to the important uses of essential oils, its adulteration is a serious issue of concern. Among the adulterants, the high volatiles can be detected through GC and GC/MS. However, the detection of subtle high boiler adulterants is extremely difficult, and requires development of novel techniques to overcome the challenges faced by the essential oil industry. In current study, the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was validated as an innovative approach for quantitative estimation of adulteration in essential oils taking sandalwood and cedarwood oils as case study. The low−cost vegetable oils like castor oil, coconut oil, and synthetic polymer like polyethylene glycol-400 (PEG-400) were used as high boiler adulterants. The physical parameters like specific gravity and refractive index of pure and adulterated oil samples were analyzed followed by their TGA analysis. The physical parameters of adulterated samples did not show significant variation from that of pure essential oils, thus need alternate analytical techniques to overcome this issue. The TGA of pure essential oil was volatized in single−stage around 200–260℃, whereas the high boiler adulterants such as vegetable oils and synthetic PEG-400 majorly volatized in the range 300–500℃ and 260–400℃, respectively. The adulterated samples exhibited mostly two-stage weight loss pattern, which was quantitatively estimated with high accuracy by this technique. Therefore, the TGA analysis can be used as a novel technique for rapid and precise detection of high boiler adulterants in essential oils like sandalwood and cedarwood due to difference in their volatile behaviour

An Innovative Approach for the Detection of High Boiler Adulterants in Sandalwood and Cedarwood Essential Oils

866-874Owing to the important uses of essential oils, its adulteration is a serious issue of concern. Among the adulterants, the high volatiles can be detected through GC and GC/MS. However, the detection of subtle high boiler adulterants is extremely difficult, and requires development of novel techniques to overcome the challenges faced by the essential oil industry. In current study, the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was validated as an innovative approach for quantitative estimation of adulteration in essential oils taking sandalwood and cedarwood oils as case study. The low−cost vegetable oils like castor oil, coconut oil, and synthetic polymer like polyethylene glycol-400 (PEG-400) were used as high boiler adulterants. The physical parameters like specific gravity and refractive index of pure and adulterated oil samples were analyzed followed by their TGA analysis. The physical parameters of adulterated samples did not show significant variation from that of pure essential oils, thus need alternate analytical techniques to overcome this issue. The TGA of pure essential oil was volatized in single−stage around 200–260℃, whereas the high boiler adulterants such as vegetable oils and synthetic PEG-400 majorly volatized in the range 300–500℃ and 260–400℃, respectively. The adulterated samples exhibited mostly two-stage weight loss pattern, which was quantitatively estimated with high accuracy by this technique. Therefore, the TGA analysis can be used as a novel technique for rapid and precise detection of high boiler adulterants in essential oils like sandalwood and cedarwood due to difference in their volatile behaviour

Recycling potential of brewer's spent grains for circular biorefineries

Brewer's spent grain (BSG) is the major by-product of the brewing industry. BSG is principally composed of carbohydrates and proteins, with substantial amount of lipids. Presently, BSG usage is restricted to low-grade applications such as ruminant feed or landfills. The high volume, nutrient-rich composition, low cost (€35/ton), abundance, and around the year availability, makes it a promising and renewable feedstock for biorefinery development. The current review begins with beer production process, where BSG is produced. Further, it appraises emerging biotechnological advancements and green processes targeting BSG valorisation ensuring maximal resource recovery. Particularly, it illustrates diverse marketable products obtained by repurposing carbohydrate and protein fraction of BSG using either isolated or cascading approach. We believe that this review will encourage more research groups to work on developing innovative technologies for integrated and holistic valorisation of BSG. Inclusive efforts towards reduced water consumption and waste minimisation is further advocated, which are presently primary challenges associated with beer industry. It will leave a significant imprint on environmental sustainability and pave a way for developing circular bio-based economy