DECENTRALIZED ALGORITHMS FOR NASH EQUILIBRIUM PROBLEMS – APPLICATIONS TO MULTI-AGENT NETWORK INTERDICTION GAMES AND BEYOND

Nash equilibrium problems (NEPs) have gained popularity in recent years in the engineering community due to their ready applicability to a wide variety of practical problems ranging from communication network design to power market analysis. There are strong links between the tools used to analyze NEPs and the classical techniques of nonlinear and combinatorial optimization. However, there remain significant challenges in both the theoretical and algorithmic analysis of NEPs. This dissertation studies certain special classes of NEPs, with the overall purpose of analyzing theoretical properties such as existence and uniqueness, while at the same time proposing decentralized algorithms that provably converge to solutions. The subclasses are motivated by relevant application examples

Management of elevated liver enzymes in geriatric diabetes by yogic practice

Objects: The liver plays a major role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. Moderately elevated liver enzymes are found in type 2 diabetes.  This study is designed to appraise the role of yoga on liver enzymes in geriatric type 2 diabetes and consequently, the study constantly monitored the improvement related to glycaemic control during the period of observation. Study design: A total number of 143 type 2 diabetes patients in an age group of 60-70 years with a history of diabetes for 5-10 years and having poor glycaemic control (HbA1c > 8 %) residing in Kozhikode district, Kerala, India participated in this study in test and control group together. The subjects were divided into three groups according to their glycaemic control: group I with HbA1c 8.6 – 9.7 %, group II with HbA1c 9.8 – 10.7 % and group III with HbA1c 10.8 – 12.7 %. The yogic practice sessions for the test group lasted for three months for 90 minutes a day, 6 days a week, under the guidance and supervision of experienced trainers.  Each session was systematically divided into structural components with 15 minutes of pranayamas (breath controlling exercises), 10 minutes of warm up exrcises, 50 minutes of asanas (yogic postures) and 15 minutes of supine relaxation in savasana. The control group, mean while, were asked to continue their routine activities like walking and other normal non specific exercises. Glucose, HbA1c, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and γ- glutamyl transpeptidase were estimated on base line and after 90 days of all the participants. Results: The participants in the test group showed statistically significant (p<0.001) decrease in glucose, HbA1c, and activity of liver enzymes after yogic practice. Conclusions: After 90 days of yogic practices, significant reduction in the liver enzymes was achieved in test group, corresponding to the reduction in blood glucose and HbA1c levels. The findings of this study demonstrate the efficacy of yogic practice, as a therapeutic, preventative and protective agent in geriatric type 2 diabetes mellitus by normalizing the liver function tests along with betterment in their glycaemic condition

A new record of two penaeid species from Goa coast

Adults of Penaeus japonicus (Bate) and juveniles of P. canaliculatus (Olivier) were recorded for the first time from the coastal and estuarine regions of Goa respectively. Their presence in Goa waters suggests that both the species have a wide distribution along the west coast of India. The available data from the neighboring states suggest that both the species are distributed in deeper waters and are caught during or immediately after the southwest monsoon. Hence, it may be possible to tap these valuable resources from Goa waters if the fishing operation is extended to depths beyond those presently fished and fishing is carried out during the SW monsoon season

Research in the assessment of capture and culture fisheries along the Indian coast

A review of the research conducted at National Institute of Oceanography, Goa to assess the capture and culture fishery potential of India is presented in the paper- the primary, secondary and benthic productivity of estuaries and backwaters are elucidated by taking the Mandovi-Zuari estuarine system as an example. The productivity of the coastal and oceanic waters around India are discussed. The expected fishery yield and present level of exploitation are assessed and further course of action discussed in this paper, in culture fisheries the contributions of NIO in the fields of mussel culture, shrimp culture, brine shrimp culture, seaweed culture, horse-shoe crab culture and fish culture are reviewed and discussed

A study of serum magnesium, calcium and phosphorus level, and cognition in the elderly population of South India

Introduction: Different studies have shown the role of micro and macronutrients on cognitive function. Macronutrients have been involved in many metabolic activities of the body including oxidation and reduction reactions in the central nervous system. This involvement of macronutrients in the activities of central nervous system indicates its role in cognition. The present study is designed to know the role of macronutrients and its relation with cognition by using biological samples.Materials and methods: A total of 337 subjects with a mean age of 49 participated in the cross sectional study fromdifferent parts ofKerala state in India. Individuals participating in this studywere administered a series of neuropsychological test batteries with major emphasis on 7-min screen test. All test procedures were administered by standard protocol after a written consent was obtained from the participating subjects. Analysis of macronutrients level of magnesium, calcium and phosphorus was done by using serum samples and the data obtained were then statistically analyzed using SPSS software version 17.Results: The macronutrients magnesium, calcium and phosphorus were found to be significantly related to the cognitive score. Increasing magnesiumand calciumlevel was associated with higher cognitive score (P<0.0031 and 0.001 respectively), while lower phosphorus level was significantly associated with lower composite score (P<0.001).Conclusion: The results of our study give us an expression that macronutrients such as calcium, magnesium and phosphorus may be associated with cognitive function in elderly population of our state. But further studies on a larger population are required to come out with a definite conclusion

Porosity of core-shell nanoparticles

The porosity of titania and zirconia covered Ag and Au nanoparticles has been investigated using the metal core reactivity as a probe. The presence of pores was confirmed by a newly discovered reaction between halocarbons and core-shell nanoparticles, in which the core gets converted into ions, which are leached out through the shell. Halocarbons having different alkyl chain lengths react with metal cores at different rates due to the differences in the accessibility of the core. It is also observed that the electrochemical accessibility of the core can be reduced by blocking the pores by adsorbates such as cis-dithiocyanato-bis(2,2'-bipyridyl-4,4'- dicarboxylic acid)ruthenium(II) dye (popularly called N3 dye). With the adsorbed dye molecules on the oxide shell, metal cores are stable for extended periods of time even after the addition of halocarbons. The porosity of the Au@SiO2 system, in which a silica shell is formed over the metal clusters through monolayers, has also been studied. Our studies show that the porosity of different kinds of shells is largely similar, allowing molecular and ion penetration

Effectiveness of an Evidence-Based Practice Training Program for Nurse Educators: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: Evidence-based practice (EBP) endeavors to integrate the best available evidence with clinical expertise and patient preference to enhance clinical outcomes. For nurses to effectively demonstrate EBP, the concepts of EBP should be systematically incorporated into the nursing curriculum, with nurse educators playing a pivotal role in execution. However, the effect of EBP training programs on nurse educators remains largely unexplored. AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of an EBP training program on the knowledge, attitude, practice, and competency of nurse educators. METHODS: A pragmatic randomized controlled trial was conducted at a nursing education institution. Fifty-one nurse educators were cluster randomized into intervention and control groups. A 30-hour EBP training intervention was provided for nurse educators in the intervention group. The outcome variables were knowledge, attitude, practice, and competency regarding EBP. These outcomes were evaluated using the EBP knowledge and practice questionnaire, EBP attitude scale, and Fresno test. Data were collected at baseline, the end of 5 months, and the end of 10 months. RESULTS: Fifty-one eligible participants were enrolled in the study. The intervention and control group had three clusters each with 27 and 24 participants, respectively. Participants in both groups were comparable for variables such as age, years of experience, and educational background (p > .05). Between groups, outcome variables were compared using mixed linear multi-level modeling. Nurse educators who received the EBP training program demonstrated significant differences in knowledge (p < .05), attitude (p < .05), practice (p < .05), and competency scores (p < .05), than that of the control group, indicating the intervention effectiveness. LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: EBP training programs are effective in improving the knowledge, attitude, practice, and competency of nurse educators

Analysis of the impacy of organisational culture on occupational stress : the role of job satisfaction in IT SMEs in India and the UK

This thesis investigates the impact of organisational culture on occupational stress and job satisfaction of IT personnel working in the SMEs of India and the UK. Occupational stress is found to have negative impact on individuals and firm’s performance while organisational culture cannot be ignored as a determinant. Current literature has not focused sufficiently on the relationship between occupational stress, organisational culture and retention strategies in the context of developing countries. The study adopts the application of Denison’s model for researching organisational culture and the Spector JSS survey to determine the job satisfaction of employees using the five-point Likert Scale. Mixed methodology employed in this study by combining probability and non-probability sampling technique to gather 62 qualitative responses whereas 284 quantitative responses through gatekeepers approach. Funnel approach, coding, percentages, and charts for qualitative analysis while IBM SPSS for quantitative data analysis. Under strategic framework, the reported results indicate overall the organisational culture affects occupational stress whereas the relationship between organisational culture and occupational stress differ in India and the UK. The relationship between job satisfaction and occupational stress differ in contrasting economies. Organisational culture improves the firm’s performance due to increased organisational commitment, job satisfaction and lower stress. Proposed model provided recommendations to improve job satisfaction, reduce stress and develop healthy organisational culture. The research contributes to organisational behaviour at international level through cross sectional comparative analysis. The thesis provides implication towards the HR to form a platform for discovering retention strategies. HR department can use implications to examine causes of occupational stress within the IT sector. Furthermore, HR professionals could integrate the techniques to reduce occupational stress of employees within the embedded organisational culture. The policies for occupational stress reduction could strengthen the commitment of the employees through Work-Life Balance programme. Policy makers could benefit from this thesis by understanding the organisational culture affected by national and international cultures