The Experiential Facets of Special Interest Tourism Offerings of Wayanad, Kerala

Wayanad, an exquisite hill station of Kerala, is emerging as one of the most preferred destinations for nature lovers as well as special interest tourists. Keeping in mind the demand for Special Interest Tourism (SIT) promotion and with the objective of sustaining the natural and unique cultural heritage of Wayanad, an attempt is made in this paper to explore the special interest tourism avenues of Wayanad. All the popular tourist sites of the destination have been personally visited to get firsthand information about the potential for Special interest tourism. An Effort is also made to know the perception of service providers about the current trends in special interest tourism in Wayand. For this, a qualitative study has been conducted based on interaction with various travel and accommodation service providers of Wayanad. Few of the specialised tour proiders were also interviewed for this study. Content analysis was done to interpret the data collected through interviews. The result of the study brings to light the tremendous potential for SIT In Wayanad and its significance for sustainable tourism development

Congruity and Incongruity between Projected (DMO) and Perceived (UGC) Destination image – A Comparative Content Analysis

User-generated Content (UGC) in the digital world has gained credibility as a kind of word-of-mouth in recent years with the advent of new Information and communication technologies (ICT). Travelers rely on UGC information than DMO content while the travel decision-making process. No previous research has been conducted to correlate both UGC and DMO destination images of Kerala. The study analyzes the dominant attributes of the destination image of Kerala presented through DMO and UGC Visual Content. Also, find out whether there is any commonality in destination attributes between pictures posted by tourists (UGC) and DMO or vice versa. Images of Kerala were gathered for this study from DMO’s website (www.keralatourism.org), Instagram, and Facebook, two of the most popular social media platforms worldwide. By applying content analysis methodology to the collected DMO and UGC images of Kerala Tourism, the research objectives are attained. Data from the last five years were considered for the study to understand the latest trends and changing patterns. The results aid tourism stakeholders in planning effective social media marketing strategies to capture the imagination of tourists, hence creating a better destination image online

Gastroprotective effect of plumbagin and ethanolic extract of plumbaginales in experimentally-induced ulcer

Introduction: Medicinal plants with phenolic compounds have been shown to have antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. The objective of the study was to evaluate the anti-ulcer effects of ethanolic extracts of Plumbaginales namely P. auriculata, P. indica and P. zeylanica and plumbagin in aspirin and ethanol induced gastric ulcer models.Methods: In vivo studies including DPPH scavenging assay, lipid peroxidase inhibition assay, acid neutralizing capacity test, aspirin- and ethanol-induced ulcer models were performed to assess the antioxidant and antiulcer effects of plants. By using the models of Aspirin (200 mg/kg, 1 hour after the administration of last dose of the extract/ranitidine) and ethanol (1 mL/200 g, 90) induced ulcer, animals were randomly divided into three groups of six animals each. Group I served as positive control, group II acted as standard and received ranitidine (20 mg/kg). The group III was treated with ethanolic extract by oral route in a dose of 300 mg/kg for a period of 5 days. The animals were sacrificed and the stomach was then excised and cut along the greater curvature, washed carefully with 5.0 mL of 0.9 NaCl and ulcers were scored.Results: Both the aspirin- and ethanol-induced models of ulcer with various extracts of Plumbaginales showed significant acid neutralizing and antioxidant properties.Conclusion: This study suggests that root extracts of P. auriculata may have good quality potentials for use in peptic ulcer diseases and that P. auriculata possesses an antiulcer effect

Prevalence of asthma in urban and rural children in Tamil Nadu

Background. There are very few community-based studies on the prevalence of asthma in Indian children. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of asthma in children under 12 years of age and to study possible differences in the prevalence of childhood asthma in urban and rural areas of Tamil Nadu. Methods. A total of 584 children from Chennai and 271 children from 25 villages around Chennai formed the urban and rural groups, respectively. From November 1999 to February 2000, data were collected using a simplified version of the ISAAC questionnaire, which was administered by trained students. Symptoms suggestive of asthma or hyperreactive airways disease in children under 12 years of age were recorded from the selected urban and rural populations by questioning the parents. The results were analysed separately for children 0-5 and 6-12 years of age. Results. Of the 855 children studied, the overall prevalence of breathing difficulty (including asthma) was 18% and the prevalence of ‘diagnosed’ asthma was 5%. Twenty-two per cent of urban and 9% of rural children 6-12 years of age reported breathing difficulty ‘at any time in the past’ (p<0.01). A significantly higher proportion of 6-12-year-old urban children also reported nocturnal dry cough (28.4%v. 18.7%,p<0.05). Urban children reported recent wheeze more often than rural children (92% v. 77%, p=0.01). Conclusions. Symptoms suggestive of asthma were present in 18% of children under 12 years of age. Though the prevalence of diagnosed childhood asthma was about 5% in both urban and rural areas, the prevalence of ‘breathing difficulty’ and nocturnal cough was significantly higher among urban children in the age group of 6-12 years. Children living in urban areas also reported ‘recent wheeze’ more often than rural children. Our data suggest that the actual prevalence of asthma and other ‘wheezy’ illnesses may be higher than that previously documented. Further studies are needed to confirm the difference in prevalence between urban and rural children and also to identify possible causes that could account for the higher urban prevalence of asthma in Tamil Nadu

Analisis Koefisien Harga Satuan Tenaga Kerja Di Lapangan Dengan Membandingkan Analisis Sni Dan Analisis Bow Pada Pembesian Dan Bekisting Kolom

Pekerjaan sekecil apapun apabila tidak didukung oleh tenaga kerja dengan kemampuan kerja yang baik dan bahan yang bermutu baik, tidak akan memberikan hasil yang maksimal dan memuaskan dalam sebuah proyek. Bahkan akibat penggunaan sumber daya manusia yang kurang tepat bisa mengakibatkan kerugian yang besar pada proyek konstruksi. Masalah utama penelitian ini adalah berapa besar koefisien analisis harga satuan tenaga kerja yang sebenarnya di lapangan pada pekerjaan kolom beton bertulang. Salah satu cara mendapatkan koefisien analisis harga satuan adalah dengan cara pengamatan secara langsung menggunakan metode work sampling (teknik uji petik). Pengamatan dilakukan secara langsung di lapangan terhadap 14 tenaga kerja yang terbagi atas 3 kelompok kerja, yaitu 5 orang pada pekerjaan bekisting, 4 orang pada pekerjaan sengkang, dan 5 orang pada pekerjaan tulangan. Setelah menganalisis data, didapat nilai koefisien analisis harga satuan tenaga kerja sebagai berikut: 0,162 OH tukang dan 0,108 OH pekerja, pada pekerjaan bekisting: 0,036 OH tukang dan 0,038 OH pekerja, pada pekerjaan pembesian

PERANAN KONSULTAN MANAJEMEN KONSTRUKSI PADA TAHAP PELAKSANAAN MECHANICAL ELECTRICAL – PLUMBING (ME-P) PROYEK PEMBANGUNAN PT. TRAKINDO UTAMA

Jasa  Konsultan  manajemen  konstruksi  biasanya  digunakan  pada  proyek  berskala  besar, dimana  konsultan  manajemen  konstruksi  berperan  untuk  mengelola  manajemen  proyek. Meskipun  demikian,  penggunaan  jasa  konsultasi  ini  tidak  menjamin  suatu  proyek pembangunan bisa berjalan  lancar. Justru berbagai permasalahan pada  tahap pelaksanaan pembangunan sering terjadi. Dalam pelaksanaan proyek ini, manajemen konstruksi berfungsi untuk mengatur  dan mengendalikan  pelaksanaan  kegiatan  proyek  dengan mengoptimalkan peranan  konsultan  manajemen  konstruksi.  Metode  yang  digunakan  adalah  manajemen konstruksi  murni,  mengingat  konsultan  manajemen  konstruksi  adalah  murni  wakil  pemilik proyek.  Pada  tahap  pelaksanaan  mechanical  electrical-plumbing  (ME-P)  proyek pembangunan  PT.  Trakindo  Utama,  peranan  konsultan  manajemen  tidak  dilaksanakan sepenuhnya  terutama dalam hal: (1) mengkoordinasi dan memberi pengarahan pada pihak-pihak  yang  terlibat,  (2)  melaksanakan  pengawasan  pekerjaan  di  lapangan,  (3)  mengen-dalikan  jadwal pelaksanaan berdasarkan waktu  yang  telah ditentukan dalam  jadwal  induk, sehingga pada akhirnya pekerjaan mengalami keterlambatan. Kata kunci : Konsultan Manajemen Konstruksi, pelaksanaan ME-P, wakt

Aggregation of Key with Searchable Encryption for Group Data Sharing

Data sharing is an important functionality in cloud storage. In this article, we show how to securely, efficiently, and flexibly share data with others in cloud storage. We describe new public-key cryptosystems which produce constant-size ciphertexts such that efficient delegation of decryption rights for any set of ciphertexts are possible. The novelty is that one can aggregate any set of secret keys and make them as compact as a single key, but encompassing the power of all the keys being aggregated. In other words, the secret key holder can release a constant-size aggregate key for flexible choices of ciphertext set in cloud storage, but the other encrypted files outside the set remain confidential. This compact aggregate key can be conveniently sent to others or be stored in a smart card with very limited secure storage. We provide formal security analysis of our schemes in the standard model. We also describe other application of our schemes. In particular, our schemes give the first public-key patient-controlled encryption for flexible hierarchy, which was yet to be known

New Zealand cricket injury analysis based on 12 years of Accident Compensation Corporation data

Objectives To provide epidemiological data for cricket injuries in New Zealand. Methods A retrospective analytical review using epidemiological cricket data obtained from the national Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) for 2005-2016. Injury incidence was calculated per 1000 participants. Results There were 86 562 injuries (77 212 males and 9350 females) during the 12 years with higher injury incidence for males (64.1) than females (36.1). While cricket-related injury claims increased by 42.6%, the injury incidence decreased from 59.0 in 2006 to 42.8 in 2016. The pooled injury rate per 1000 participants was highest for hand/fingers (9.2) and lumbar (8.1) body regions, and for contact (44.7) activities. Players aged 10-20 years were more likely to experience injury. Conclusions Analysis of 12 years of ACC cricket-related injury claims showed only minimal reductions in injury incidence over the years. Therefore, cricket-related contact injuries to the hand/fingers and head need to be the focus of injury prevention programmes (eg, via promoting use of protective gear and correct technique), particularly in players aged 10-20 years

Comparison of Multiple Hop Test Kinematics Between Force-Platforms and Video Footage – A Cross Sectional Study

Background: Multiple hop performances have been assessed using force-platforms and motion-capture cameras. However, the accessibility of these technologies might be a hindering factor for many performance coaches. Currently, tablet devices are being used as alternatives to measure jumping and hopping performances. Objective: This study aimed to compare multiple hop kinematics using the Kinovea application with force-platforms, the gold standard. Methods: Using an observational cross-sectional study design, male athletes (n=44; age 20.1 ± 1.4 years) completed triple hops (3-Hop) and quintuple hops (5-Hop) on force-platforms while being filmed using an iPad. Ground contact time, flight time and total time were analysed using Kinovea and compared with the force platform data. Results: Statistical analysis showed a high level of agreement across all variables of interest but significant differences (flight time; -2.14 to -5.96 %, ground contact time; 4.89 to 5.83 %, total time; -0.37 to -0.58%) were observed across all variables of interest. A systematic bias for flight and ground contact times were seen for 3-Hop and 5-Hop. Conclusion: The use of iPad and Kinovea application can be used as a valid alternative to measure multiple hop kinematics when performance coaches do not have access to expensive force-platforms or motion-capture cameras

Ophiorrhiza, a promising herbaceous source of the anticancer compound camptothecin

Camptothecin is an important source for the synthesis of some of the major anti-cancer agents such as irinotecan and topotecan. Traditional source of camptothecin are prominently woody plants such as Camptotheca acuminata Decne. and Nothopodytes nimmoniana (Graham) Mabb., and the increasing demand for camptothecin leads to the level of threatening their existence. Ophiorrhiza species composed of herbaceous plants with quick growth characteristics which are reported as alternative source of camptothecin. The present review focus on taxonomical status, traditional uses, biological activities and phytochemical constituents with a special attention in bioproduction of camptothecin from Ophiorrhiza species and its future prospects