Lattice expansion and non-collinear to collinear ferrimagnetic order in MnCr2_2O4_4 nanoparticle

We report magnetic behaviour of MnCr$_2$O$_4$, which belongs to a special class of spinel, known as chromite. Bulk MnCr$_2$O$_4$ shows a sequence of magnetic states, which follows paramagnetic (PM) to collinear ferrimagnetic (FM) state below T$_C$ $\sim$ 45 K and collinear FM state to non-collinear FM state below T$_S$ $\sim$ 18 K. The non-collinear spin structure has been modified on decreasing the particle size, and magnetic transition at T$_S$ decreases in nanoparticle samples. However, ferrimagnetic order is still dominating in nanoparticles, except the observation of superparamagnetic like blocking and decrease of spontaneous magnetization for nanoparticle. This may, according to the core-shell model of ferrimagnetic nanoparticle, be the surface disorder effect of nanoparticle. The system also show the increase of T$_C$ in nanoparticle samples, which is not consistent with the core-shell model. The analysis of the M(T) data, applying spin wave theory, has shown an unusual Bloch exponent value 3.35 for bulk MnCr$_2$O$_4$, which decreases and approaches to 1.5, a typical value for any standard ferromagnet, with decreasing the particle size. MnCr$_2$O$_4$ has shown a few more unusual behaviour. For example, lattice expansion in nanoparticle samples. The present work demonstrates the correlation between a systematic increase of lattice parameter and the gradual decrease of B site non-collinear spin structure in the light of magnetism of MnCr$_2$O$_4$ nanoparticles

From Victimhood to Survivor-Hood: Reflections on Women’s Agency in Popular Films on Sex Trafficking in India

Crimes against women have increasingly been reported in news media, since the 2012 ‘Nirbhaya’ incident took place. Recently the number of ‘women-centric’ films is steadily increasing. The present paper focuses on three recent films- Naa Bangaaru Talli (2014), Mardaani (2014) and Lakshmi (2014), which engage with the issue of sex trafficking, to understand the depiction of women’s vulnerability and agency with respect to gender-based violence. Though the films portray sex trafficking and their related issues in a realistic manner, none of these films move on to portray the next phase of rehabilitation and reintegration of victims. I also explore the extent to which the films emphasize the importance of individual resilience versus social enabling factors for overcoming sex trafficking. Finally, the paper speculates on the potential impact of these films on viewers

Experimental Processing of some of the Indian Clays for Chemical Purposes

Clays are of various types viz.,fire clays ball clays, stoneware clays, pipe clays, brick clays, bento-nite, kaolin etc. Excepting the last, the rest are avai-lable in sufficient purity and no dressing is usually necessary. Kaolin is to be washed free of gritty material in suitably designed washers

Exploring the Downside of IT Outsourcing: Outsourcing Tactics, Layoffs, and Organizational Outcomes

The beginning of the new millennium has been characterized by increased outsourcing and off-shoring of IT work. One outcome of this spurge has been massive layoffs of IT workers, with different companies following different approaches to downsizing IT workers. There is very limited empirical research examining layoff approaches accompanying IT outsourcing decisions and resultant organizational outcomes. Addressing this gap, this research study seeks to: (i) understand downsizing approaches accompanying IT outsourcing efforts and propose a conceptual typology for IT personnel layoffs, (ii) identify key factors that determine a firm’s choice of layoff approach while carrying out their IT outsourcing initiatives and, (iii) examine the organizational outcomes that result from IT outsourcing and accompanied IT personnel layoffs. We discuss our conceptual model linking outsourcing, layoff approaches and organizational outcomes and present details of our on-going research project

Curve counting in genus one: Elliptic singularities and relative geometry

We construct and study the reduced, relative, genus one Gromov-Witten theory of very ample pairs. These invariants form the principal component contribution to relativeGromov-Witten theory in genus one and are relative versions of Zinger's reduced Gromov-Witten invariants. We relate the relative and absolute theories by degeneration of the tangency conditions, and the resulting formulas generalise a well-known recursive calculation scheme put forward by Gathmann in genus zero. The geometric input is a desingularisation of the principal component of the moduli space of genus one logarithmic stable maps to a very ample pair, using the geometry of elliptic singularities. Our study passes through general techniques for calculating integrals on logarithmic blowups of moduli spaces of stable maps, which may be of independent interest

Extensional viscosity of copper nanowire suspensions in an aqueous polymer solution

Suspensions of copper nanowires are emerging as new electronic inks for next-generation flexible electronics. Using a novel surface acoustic wave driven extensional flow technique we are able to perform currently lacking analysis of these suspensions and their complex buffer. We observe extensional viscosities from 3 mPa$\cdot$s (1 mPa$\cdot$s shear viscosity) to 37.2 Pa$\cdot$s via changes in the suspension concentration, thus capturing low viscosities that have been historically very challenging to measure. These changes equate to an increase in the relative extensional viscosity of nearly 12,200 times at a volume fraction of just 0.027. We also find that interactions between the wires and the necessary polymer additive affect the rheology strongly. Polymer-induced elasticity shows a reduction as the buffer relaxation time falls from 819 to 59 $\mu$s above a critical particle concentration. The results and technique presented here should aid in the future formulation of these promising nanowire suspensions and their efficient application as inks and coatings.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, under review for Soft Matter RS