Impacts of Caste Based Reservation System on the Lives of Scheduled Caste Engineers in India: A Case Study

This case study in the qualitative inquiry investigated the social and economic conditions of scheduled caste engineers in India who utilized affirmative action known as caste-based reservation program, to complete their Bachelor of Engineering studies and proceeded onto an engineering career. I selected seven scheduled caste engineers (five males and two females) as participants in this study. Data collection methods consisted of in-depth interviews, documents, and personal reflexivity journals. Data analysis generated two major themes. The first theme summarized the participants’ socio-economic conditions before they received affirmative action while the second theme portrayed their lives afterward. The study revealed the existence of discrimination, overall poverty, social stigma, and lack of economic and social opportunities before affirmative action. Their economic conditions improved after affirmative action, although their social situation—marred with stigma and discrimination—either remained unchanged or worsened. Social identity theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979), and critical race theory (Delgado & Stefancic, 2012) explained that the formation of social groups (lower versus upper castes) and the ordinariness of racism (normalization of the caste system) could lead to the participants’ unchanged social conditions. One major recommendation is for the government of India to continue affirmative action benefits to the scheduled castes with more focus on improving their social conditions. Future studies could investigate the impacts of caste-based reservation system on other professions such as teaching, medicine, and management

Comparison of stressful life events among family caregivers of cancer, mental retardation and schizophrenia patients leading to stress, anxiety and depression and its effect on quality of life

Background: Mental retardation (MR), schizophrenia and cancer are chronic disorders, requiring long term treatment along with family support. Principal caregiver is usually nonprofessional family person who play a pivotal role in supporting the patient medically, emotionally and financially which in turn affects their own health and quality of life. To identify stressful life events, level of anxiety, stress, depression and Quality of life in these family caregivers (FC), this study was planned.Methods: After gaining consent, the FC were assessed on Presumptive Stressful Life Events Scale (PSLE), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) and WHO Quality of Life -Bref Scale (WHOQOL-Bref). Data so gained was analyzed by SPSS-21 and results were drawn.Results: 66 FC of cancer patients, 39 FC of MR patients and 53 FC of Schizophrenia patients were assessed. All three groups were found to be matched socio-demographically. On PSLE Mean of total stressful life events for cancer FC was 7±1.5, for MR 6.02±1.5 and for schizophrenia FC was 5.75±1.70 and this difference was statistically significant. Mean of total undesirable life events was 5.31±1.3, 4.33±1.34 and 3.86±1.46 respectively and this difference was also statistically significant. Similarly difference in mean stress score of total life events and for undesirable events was also statistically significant. On DASS scale no statistically significant difference was found within the groups. Quality of life was significantly low depicting high impact on physical health and social life of these care givers.Conclusions: Family Caregivers of cancer, mental retardation and schizophrenia groups are highly affected and there is urgent need to address these issues for early diagnosis and treatment

Analysis of Various Decentralized Load Balancing Techniques with Node Duplication

Experience in parallel computing is an increasingly necessary skill for today’s upcoming computer scientists as processors are hitting a serial execution performance barrier and turning to parallel execution for continued gains. The uniprocessor system has now reached its maximum speed limit and, there is very less scope to improve the speed of such type of system. To solve this problem multiprocessor system is used, which have more than one processor. Multiprocessor system improves the speed of the system but it again faces some problems like data dependency, control dependency, resource dependency and improper load balancing. So this paper presents a detailed analysis of various decentralized load balancing techniques with node duplication to reduce the proper execution time

Assessment of Biomass Potential in Engine Emission Reduction

77-80The twin crisis of environmental degradation and fossil fuel depletion has confronted the world with the upcoming threat to seek the solution for some alternate fuel. The present condition of environment forces the search of some suitable alternate fuel. The present degradation of environment is also mainly influenced by the diesel vehicles. The emissions released by these diesel vehicles not only degrade the environment but also increase the number of health diseases. The present research on bio-fuels will lead to develop a sustainable solution to this problem and also create a harmonic relationship between the economy and ecosystem. The present research will provide the optimized blending ratio compression ratio and other operating parameters to be selected while approaching to sustainable output. The present study will depict the behavior of different bio-fuels poured in VCR engine at different compression ratio at different operating parameters. The outcomes of this research paper reveals the discussion on the potential assessment of different biofuels in the reduction of engine emissions

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF TI (III), V (III),VO (IV), MOO (V),FE (II) AND FE (III) COMPLEXES OF BENZIL- 2,4-DINITROPHENYL HYDRAZONE P-BROMO ANILINE

The complexes of Benzil-2, 4-dinitrophenyl hydrazone-p- bromo aniline with Ti(III),V(III), VO(IV),MoO (V), Fe(II), Fe(III) have synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, magnetic measurement data, molar conductance, TGA,UV-visible and IR spectra data. The complexes of Ti (III), V (III), Fe (II) and Fe (III) have octahedral geometry while VO (IV) and MoO(V) have distorted octahedral geometry due to the presence of M=O moiety

Property Estimation with Automated Ball Indentation Using Artificial Neural Network and Finite Element Simulation

Abstract A combined mechanical property evaluation methodology with ABI (Automated Ball Indentation) simulation and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) analysis is evolved to evaluate the mechanical properties for material. The experimental load deflection data is converted into meaningful mechanical properties for this material. An ANN database is generated with the help of contact type finite element analysis by numerically simulating the ABI process for various magnitudes of yield strength (σ yp ) (200 MPa -500 MPa) with a range of strain hardening exponent (n) (0.1-0.5) and strength coefficient (K) (500 MPa -1500 MPa). For the present problem, a ball indenter of 1.57 mm diameter having Young's Modulus approximately 100 times more than the test piece is used to minimize the error due to indenter deformation. Test piece dimension is kept large enough in comparison to the indenter configuration in the simulation to minimize the deflection at the outer edge of the test piece. Further, this database after the neural network training; is used to analyze measured material properties of different test pieces. The ANN predictions are reconfirmed with contact type finite element analysis for an arbitrary selected test sample. The methodology evolved in this work can be extended to predict material properties for any irradiated nuclear material in the service

Anti-bacterial activity of neoandrographolide derivatives: In silico interaction with the bacterial target

157-164Natural products and their semi synthesized molecules have been used as efficient antibiotics since a long time. The present global health scenario has raised the demand for novel antimicrobial agents and drug targets that are effective against drug resistant pathogens, emerging infections etc. The current study has promoted the antibacterial activity of the glucoside labdane ‘neoandrographolide’, isolated from the methanolic extract of the medicinal plant Andrographis paniculata. Further modification at its glucoside hydroxyl groups to generate ester and acetonide derivatives was done and the antibacterial potential of these compounds was screened against common bacterial pathogens. Among various derivatives, 4,6-O-(4-methoxybenzylidene) neoandrographolide exhibited promising results. In addition, molecular modeling study of the active compound was also explored to identify its probable binding mode on the bacterial target. The present study reported antibacterial activity of neoandrographolide derivatives for first time and also the bioactive molecule, 4,6-O-(4-methoxybenzylidene) neoandrographolide was examined as a potent antibacterial agent against different strains