Complementarity of Politics and Administration: An Empirical Examination

This dissertation is designed to examine the impact of the complementarity of politics and administration on local governments\u27 fiscal performance. The study adopts Svara\u27s Politics-Administration Complementarity Model, which explains the mutual interdependence and reciprocal influence of administrative relationships between the elected and appointed officials of local governments towards a General Management City (a traditional mayor-council city that appoints a professional city manager to conduct the city\u27s administration without formally adopting the council-manager form). By adopting the politics-administration complementarity model to a general management municipal administrative structure, this thesis hypothesizes that cities with general management administrative structures achieve measurable fiscal performance of a higher order compared to cities without professional management (as in traditional strong mayor cities), or cities with a clear separation of powers (as in the council-manager forms of government). This study employs a cross-sectional research design on the 1997 Census of Government\u27s data of 1,166 cities that had populations of 25,000 or more. This analysis employs four most commonly used dependent variables of municipal fiscal performance: namely the composite fiscal stress index, revenue capacity per capita, per capita general expenditures, and FTE employee rate. An ordinary least square regression model is used to isolate the impact of the municipal management structure on dependent variables while controlling for the exogenous effects of identified socioeconomic and fiscal condition variables. Results of this study support the hypothesis that the general management cities have better fiscal performance levels, as evidenced by lower revenue capacity per capita, per capita general expenditures and the FTE employee rates than the strong mayor cities. However, the composite fiscal stress index was lower in the strong mayor cities when compared with the general management cities. Thus, three out of four research hypotheses were not rejected based on the results of regression analyses. Exploratory analyses of the general management cities show that they have great fluctuations in population growth. The cities that have recently adopted general management structure struggle financially. Though the findings did not support claims based on Svara\u27s politics-administration complementarity model, still this study contributes substantially to the theory and practice of public administration, especially municipal government administration

Multiscale multiphysics model for hydrogen embrittlement in polycrystalline nickel

Référence bibliographique : Rol, 102487Appartient à l’ensemble documentaire : Pho20RolAppartient à l’ensemble documentaire : PACA1Image de press

Encryption Quality and Performance Analysis of GKSBC Algorithm

In the age of intensive data exchanges, security of data poses a major challenge to the existing communication arrangement. In this context the evolution and evaluation of new encryption system is inextricably linked to the process of realizing ever increasing network security needs. Recently a Generalized Key Scheme in a Block Cipher Algorithm (GKSBC) is found to be robust in cryptanalysis and the result of key sensitivity analysis was found satisfactory. This study compares GKSBC with the class of block cipher algorithms viz., RC6, AES and Blowfish, and presents a performance evaluation. To assess the encryption quality two measures viz., Encryption Quality measure and Correlation analysis is applied. Thorough experimental tests with detailed analysis showed the high quality and comparative efficiency of GKSBC algorithm. Keywords: symmetric, generalized, throughput, encryption, correlation

Improved QoS and avoidance of black hole attacks in MANET using trust detection framework

In recent times, secured routing is a major research in MANETs. The behaviour of malicious nodes in this network increases the risk of threats and induces abnormal operations in MANETs. This affects the security of data transmitted between the nodes in the network. Hence, an effective technique is needed to prevent the abnormal nodes after the process of detection. In this paper, we propose an improved Trust Detection Algorithm to increase the probability of detection and prevention of Black Hole nodes in MANETs. The proposed framework observes the behaviour of each node using various trust metrics that includes the relationship between the sensor nodes, social and service attribute trust and QoS metric trusts. The behaviour of sensor nodes is found through the communication and mobility behaviour of each node. This method avoids the black hole nodes in MANETs, when the routing is carried out with Zone Routing Protocol (ZRP). Hence, the privacy of data is retained using the proposed method. The proposed method is tested in terms of different combinations of with and without trusts. The result shows that the proposed method is effective through various QoS metrics like overall throughput, packet loss, energy consumption, trust level, false acceptance rate and missed detection rate

Ride Dynamics of a Tracked Vehicle with a Finite Element Vehicle Model

Research on tracked vehicle dynamics is by and large limited to multi-rigid body simulation. For realistic prediction of vehicle dynamics, it is better to model the vehicle as multi-flexible body. In this paper, tracked vehicle is modelled as a mass-spring system with sprung and unsprung masses of the physical tracked vehicle by Finite element method. Using the equivalent vehicle model, dynamic studies are carried out by imparting vertical displacement inputs to the road wheels. Ride characteristics of the vehicle are captured by modelling the road wheel arms as flexible elements using Finite element method. In this work, a typical tracked vehicle test terrain viz., Trapezoidal blocks terrain (APG terrain) is considered. Through the simulations, the effect of the road wheel arm flexibility is monitored. Result of the analysis of equivalent vehicle model with flexible road wheel arms, is compared with the equivalent vehicle model with rigid road wheel arms and also with the experimental results of physical tracked vehicle. Though there is no major difference in the vertical bounce response between the flexible model and the rigid model, but there is a visible difference in the roll condition. Result of the flexible vehicle model is also reasonably matches with the experimental result.

ANTIDIABETIC, HYPOLIPIDEMIC, AND HISTOPATHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF ZINGERONE IN STREPTOZOTOCIN-INDUCED DIABETIC RATS

Objectives: This study assessed the effects of antidiabetic and hypolipidemic activity of Zingerone on STZ induced diabetic rats.Methods: In this study 30 Wistar male rats were divided into five groups: Group 1: Normals control receiving normal saline, Group 2: Diabetic controlreceiving single intraperitoneal administration of streptozotocin (STZ) (40 mg/kg body weight). Group 3: Five days after STZ administration, diabeticrats received zingerone (10 mg/kg body weight) orally for 30 days. Group 4: Five days after STZ administration, diabetic rats received metformin(50 mg/kg body weight) orally for 30 days and Group 5: Rats received zingerone alone (10 mg/kg body weight) orally for 30 days.Results: Zingerone treatment significantly reduced blood glucose level, Lipid profiles of serum, liver and kidney showed higher reduction in the levelsof phospholipids (PL), triglycerides (TG) and free fatty acids (FFA) of zingerone treated diabetic rats than STZ-induced diabetic rats and Met-treateddiabetic rats. In addition, zingerone treatment of STZ-rats was found to be effective in preserving the normal histological appearance of pancreaticislets, liver and kidney whereas the untreated diabetic rats exhibited pathological features.Conclusions: These findings substantiated the beneficial effects of zingerone in the treatment of diabetes through exhibiting hypolipidemic effectsas well as restoring the function of several organs including the pancreas. Thus, zingerone may have the potential in managing the effects of diabeticcomplications in human subjects.Keywords: Diabetes, Streptozotocin, Ginger, Zingerone, Antidiabetic, Hypolipidaemic

MUSICâ€: A STRESS RELIEVING FACTOR IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING DENTAL SURGERIES

ABSTRACTObjective: Music is one of the inexpensive, safe, and non-pharmacological stress-reducing factors. Various surgeries increase the stress levels ofthe patient by increasing their blood pressure and anxiety level. This change in blood pressure can be lowered by certain safe and non-invasivetechniques. One of the significant techniques is to listen to music. Hence, the objective of this study is to validate the fact that music help acts a stressrelieving factor by decreasing the blood pressure of the patient who is undergoing dental surgeries.Methods: About 20 participants were selected for the study; out of which, 15 participants participated in this study, and others were excludedas they did not meet the inclusion criteria. The blood pressure was calculated at rest position before the surgery, and then pleasant soft musicwas played to the patient during the surgery. Then, the blood pressure was measured at an interval of 5 minutes for a span of 15 minutes. Theobserved blood pressure was recorded. Statistical analysis was done with the recorded data in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Software(version 20).Results: Initially, the blood pressure of the patient was found to be at a mean level of 107/65 mmHg which rose to a greater heights of 116/68 mmHgwhich then lowered down to a mean level of 108/61 mmHg at the end of 15 minutes after the music was played to the patient during the surgery.Conclusion: This study can conclude by saying that pleasant and soft music has an ability to stabilize the systolic blood pressure of patients undergoingdental surgeries.Keywords: Systolic blood pressure, Music, Stress, Dental surgeries, Stress busters, Soft music

Glimpses of Tribal Botanical Knowledge of Tirunelveli Hills, Western Ghats, India

In the present paper, 46 plant species of angiosperms belonging to 19 genera of Euphorbiaceae that occur naturally in the Tirunelveli Hills of western Ghats, India, were chosen for study. It was found that the uses of Euphorbiaceous plants by the inhabitants of this region cover a number of broad categories including food, various kinds of poisons, medicines, sundry types of oils, waxes, rubbers, varnishes, compounds for paints and other industrial products