Constitutional Rights of Labour During Covid 19 Pandemic: A Study of India and Indonesia

The Covid 19 pandemic, and the legal sanction for lockdowns and curfews in 2020, had a profound impact on workers even as economic downturn, reduction of labour demand, unemployment, severe financial distress, forced migration or confinement, assailed the labour sector. The informal, contractual, migratory, daily wage, and blue-collar workers across the world were especially vulnerable and most deleteriously affected, by the pandemic. A review of the legislative, legal, and judicial responses to labour rights during the pandemic, in different States provides crucial insights into how the variegated national Constitutional philosophies regarding labour and associated rights, were originally conceived, and are presently perceived, negotiated, and implemented resulting in divergent outcomes in praxis. This article based on secondary sources, critically analyses the jurisprudence underlying the legislative, legal and judicial reflexivity to labour rights during the pandemic lockdown in 2020 and 2021 in India and Indonesia, which are the two hegemonic developing economies of Asia in their respective regions, to identify the lacunae and susceptibilities in constitutional conception and its legal articulation which may be amenable to reforms for making law more socially responsive for a more egalitarian and humane society

Erosion Wear Behaviour of Bio-Waste Reinforced Polymer Composites

Composite material has been used in India for last three years. Indigenous production of unsaturated polyester resin has started in 1962 and of glass fibers in 1965, preparing the foundation for growth of composites in India. Polymer composites are gaining popularity in many industrial applications due to their higher specific strength and module. In recent years the natural or bio-fiber composites have attracted substantial importance as a potential structural material. The attractive features of natural fibers like Jute, Sisal, Coir and banana have been their low cost, light weight, high specific modulus, renewability and biodegradability. Natural composites reinforced with such natural fibers have thus been a subject of intense study for low strength, low cost application in contrast to the synthetic fiber reinforced composite. In the present work “Erosion wear behavior of bio-waste reinforced polymer composite” tests were performed to calculate the erosion rate of the composites with different reinforcements. The composites were fabricated using Epoxy and Polyester resin as polymer, chicken feather and coir dust as reinforcements. Composites without reinforcement and composite with 20% weight fraction reinforcements were made. They were then experimented in the erosion testing machine. The angle of impact was varied keeping other variables constant. Graphs were drawn showing the variation with the mass loss and the erosion rate. The addition of these reinforcements caused a decrease in the density which increases the strength to weight ratio. The erosion test results showed that mass loss and erosion rate increases with the angle of impact. The erosion rate and mass loss also increase with time but there is a trend of decreasing mass loss and erosion rate at higher time values in reinforced composites. Reinforcement addition decreases the erosion rate. Results showed a lesser erosion rate in coir dust reinforcement than in chicken feather. Also polyester matrix composites showed lesser erosion rate than epoxy matrix composites. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that at high angle of impact, high degree of cavitation and formation of cracks is observed in the composites

A Field Study on the Stability of Road Cut Slopes in Nepal

The density of Nepal’s road network has more than tripled in the last three decades. This growth has been rapid, extensive and in places haphazard, occurring on both the local and strategic road networks, and has resulted in the widespread failure of road cut slopes throughout Nepal. To further understand this effect, field assessments were carried out along roads of different governing grade in Nepal, focusing on the stability of cut slopes and effectiveness of stabilisation measures adopted. This paper summarises the key findings of this study. Although there are multiple guidelines from the Government of Nepal with recommendations on the design and construction of road cut slopes and stabilisation measures, the cut slopes were commonly found to be excavated to steeper inclinations than advised in these guidelines. The cut slopes that were steeper than the advised inclination remained stable before the monsoon, but often failed during the monsoon season due to rainwater infiltration that leads to dissipation of soil suction. Field observations also revealed that the roadside drainage was either not implemented or was blocked. The retaining walls were found to be designed to the same geometry, despite differences in cutting heights and slope materials. This resulted in overturning, bulging, and cracking of the walls. Based on the findings of this study, it is clear that to build resilient road infrastructure in Nepal, the road cuttings need to be excavated according to rigorous engineering guidelines, and standards for the practice of quality assurance need to be implemented

Gut Microbiota and Health: A Review With Focus on Metabolic and Immunological Disorders and Microbial Remediation

Understanding and defining health is an important yet fuzzy topic. Despite several attempts, health is not a well-defined concept, therefore we seek to understand health from the perspective of the microbiome. Gut microbiota are an essential component in the modern concept of human health. However, the precise patterns of composition and functional characteristics of a healthy gut microbiome remain ill-defined. Microbial colonization patterns associated with disease states have been documented with the advancement of sequencing technologies. Several prebiotics and probiotics have been reported to restore the normal gut flora after being disrupted by various factors. Fecal microbial transplantation from healthy individuals into recipients suffering from diseases related to gut dysbiosis has also been reported to be effective in restoring the normal makeup of gut microbiota, as shown by its efficacy in treating Clostridium difficile infection, colitis, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, and neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson`s disease. In this review we attempt to define the parameters of healthy human gut flora and its disruption in diseased conditions, and restoration through administration of prebiotics, probiotics, and fecal microbial transplantation

Preterm Labor and Treatment Efficacy-Safety

With medical sciences on the verge of advancement, preterm labor still remains a bothersome issue in modern obstetrics. A few therapeutic agents that suppress uterine contractile activity have gained success up to some extent. Tocolytics are medications used to suppress premature labor. These drugs can decrease the strength and frequency of uterine contractions and help in delay the onset of labor but are not able to prolong pregnancy to full-term. Presently, the choice of a best tocolytic drug remains debatable. This review discusses efficacy and safety of various useful agents which have been used so far. Further clinical trials are required to select an effective, and most importantly, safe therapy for the threatened preterm labor

Some economic consequences of the transition from civil war to peace

Drawing on evidence from Africa - especially Ethiopia and Uganda - the authors of this volume draw conclusions about economic policy in the aftermath of civil war. A sample of conclusions follows. Civil wars differ from international wars. They are informal, often have no clear beginning and end, weaken rather than strengthen the authority of the state, and leave two unreconciled armies to be demobilized within one territory. Civil wars erode the institutions of civil society, leading to a decline in the stock of social capital, which takes some time to restore. Private investment and government revenue are slow to recover, and military expenditures are not easily reduced. As a result, there is little or no peace dividend in the short run. The period of transition to peace is a particularly suitable time for radical policy reform, despite the high degree of polarization typical in countries engaged in civil war. And speedy reform, far from increasing uncertainty, is likely to reduce it. After a civil war, private agents are fearful both of each other and of the government. This, perhaps even more than physical damage to infrastructure, hinders private-sector-led recovery, as irreversible investment is delayed despite being financeable. The transition to peace is primarily the transition from fear and the defensive responses that became ingrained in wartime. The peace dividend comes as a gradual recovery of confidence induces repatriation of financial and human capital. Such confidence can be boosted by the early sequencing of investment-sensitive policy reforms and by preserving low inflation through direct consumer price index targeting. Lack of confidence can be compensated for by temporary undervaluation of the exchange rate, or however, may prove more difficult to make credibly time-bound. Finally, aid can permit accelerated rehabilitation of the infrastructure (especially transport networks) needed to return to a market economy. Contrary to the studies hypothesis, the authors found that demobilization - at least in Uganda - did not lead to a significant upsurge in insecurity. In the short term, demobilization significantly reduced crime, unless the demobilized lacked access to land. If the demobilized returned to their home areas and were given some assistance, with identifiable exceptions they were able to find income-earning opportunities.Debt Markets,Emerging Markets,Economic Theory&Research,,Investment and Investment Climate

Extra-matrix Mg\u3csup\u3e2+\u3c/sup\u3e Limits Ca\u3csup\u3e2+\u3c/sup\u3e Uptake and Modulates Ca\u3csup\u3e2+\u3c/sup\u3e Uptake-independent Respiration and Redox State in Cardiac Isolated Mitochondria

Cardiac mitochondrial matrix (m) free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]m) increases primarily by Ca2+ uptake through the Ca2+ uniporter (CU). Ca2+ uptake via the CU is attenuated by extra-matrix (e) Mg2+ ([Mg2+]e). How [Ca2+]m is dynamically modulated by interacting physiological levels of [Ca2+]e and [Mg2+]e and how this interaction alters bioenergetics are not well understood. We postulated that as [Mg2+]e modulates Ca2+ uptake via the CU, it also alters bioenergetics in a matrix Ca2+–induced and matrix Ca2+–independent manner. To test this, we measured changes in [Ca2+]e, [Ca2+]m, [Mg2+]e and [Mg2+]m spectrofluorometrically in guinea pig cardiac mitochondria in response to added CaCl2 (0–0.6 mM; 1 mM EGTA buffer) with/without added MgCl2 (0–2 mM). In parallel, we assessed effects of added CaCl2 and MgCl2 on NADH, membrane potential (ΔΨm), and respiration. We found that \u3e0.125 mM MgCl2 significantly attenuated CU-mediated Ca2+ uptake and [Ca2+]m. Incremental [Mg2+]e did not reduce initial Ca2+uptake but attenuated the subsequent slower Ca2+ uptake, so that [Ca2+]m remained unaltered over time. Adding CaCl2 without MgCl2 to attain a [Ca2+]m from 46 to 221 nM enhanced state 3 NADH oxidation and increased respiration by 15 %; up to 868 nM [Ca2+]m did not additionally enhance NADH oxidation or respiration. Adding MgCl2 did not increase [Mg2+]m but it altered bioenergetics by its direct effect to decrease Ca2+ uptake. However, at a given [Ca2+]m, state 3 respiration was incrementally attenuated, and state 4 respiration enhanced, by higher [Mg2+]e. Thus, [Mg2+]e without a change in [Mg2+]m can modulate bioenergetics independently of CU-mediated Ca2+ transport

The Implementation of Labor Development Principles According to Job Creation Law as a Reason to Protect Wages Rights

Wage is a fundamental right of labor. Since the passage of the Job Creation Law, the wage policy has changed. In order to aid national development, the wage is ruled to be distributed following the principle of job creation. Instead of bringing peace, that change has led to public criticism towards the Job Creation Law, which is deemed to injure labor rights. This study aims to analyze the legal protection and the implementation of labor development principles in the Job Creation Law. This study is normative legal research and applies a juridical approach. The primary data were obtained from the regulation analysis, while the secondary data were collected from a literature review regarding wage rights. This research reveals that the legal protection of wages in the new regulation is not far better than the previous law. The wage policies initially stipulated explicitly in the Labor Law were revoked from the Job Creation Law, where the labor principles are not applied. By the protection not better than that of the former regulation, it is implausible to improve the welfare of workers and their family members