Women's perspectives on responses to intimate partner violence

Master'sMASTER OF SOCIAL SCIENCE

Evaluation of data centre networks and future directions

Traffic forecasts predict a more than threefold increase in the global datacentre workload in coming years, caused by the increasing adoption of cloud and data-intensive applications. Consequently, there has been an unprecedented need for ultra-high throughput and minimal latency. Currently deployed hierarchical architectures using electronic packet switching technologies are costly and energy-inefficient. Very high capacity switches are required to satisfy the enormous bandwidth requirements of cloud datacentres and this limits the overall network scalability. With the maturity of photonic components, turning to optical switching in data centres is a viable option to accommodate greater bandwidth and network flexibility while potentially minimising the latency, cost and power consumption. Various DCN architectures have been proposed to date and this thesis includes a comparative analysis of such electronic and optical topologies to judge their suitability based on network performance parameters and cost/energy effectiveness, while identifying the challenges faced by recent DCN infrastructures. An analytical Layer 2 switching model is introduced that can alleviate the simulation scalability problem and evaluate the performance of the underlying DCN architecture. This model is also used to judge the variation in traffic arrival/offloading at the intermediate queueing stages and the findings are used to derive closed form expressions for traffic arrival rates and delay. The results from the simulated network demonstrate the impact of buffering and versubscription and reveal the potential bottlenecks and network design tradeoffs. TCP traffic forms the bulk of current DCN workload and so the designed network is further modified to include TCP flows generated from a realistic traffic generator for assessing the impact of Layer 4 congestion control on the DCN performance with standard TCP and datacentre specific TCP protocols (DCTCP). Optical DCN architectures mostly concentrate on core-tier switching. However, substantial energy saving is possible by introducing optics in the edge tiers. Hence, a new approach to optical switching is introduced using Optical ToR switches which can offer better delay performance than commodity switches of similiar size, while having far less power dissipation. An all-optical topology has been further outlined for the efficient implementation of the optical switch meeting the future scalability demands

A Debate of Work Protection Among Informal Wage Earning Women Workers in Bengal

The conceptualization of work security provision in universal labor standards does not really question the reasons of powerlessness and vulnerabilities that poor households are exposed to. As a consequence, the work protection in India does not necessarily ensure work security provision to the poorest. This article captures the problem of work security from the life experiences of women workers who earn their livelihood from informal wage work. An important focus of the study remains on the institutional negotiations. Broadly, the article through the experiences of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act implementation in India has focused on the changing reasons of marginalization and powerlessness

Do Homologous Thermophilic–Mesophilic Proteins Exhibit Similar Structures and Dynamics at Optimal Growth Temperatures? A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study

Structure and dynamics both are known to be important for the activity of a protein. A fundamental question is whether a thermophilic protein and its mesophilic homologue exhibit similar dynamics at their respective optimal growth temperatures. We have addressed this question by performing molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of a natural mesophilic–thermophilic homologue pair at their respective optimal growth temperatures to compare their structural, dynamical, and solvent properties. The MD simulations were done in explicit aqueous solvent under periodic boundary and constant pressure and temperature (CPT) conditions and continued for 10.0 ns using the same protocol for the two proteins, excepting the temperatures. The trajectories were analyzed to compare the properties of the two proteins. Results indicated that the dynamical behaviors of the two proteins at the respective optimal growth temperatures were remarkably similar. For the common residues in the thermophilic protein, the rms fluctuations have a general trend to be slightly higher compared to that in the mesophilic counterpart. Lindemann parameter values indicated that only a few residues exhibited solid-like dynamics while the protein as a whole appeared as a molten globule in each case. Interestingly, the water–water interaction was found to be strikingly similar in spite of the difference in temperatures while, the protein–water interaction was significantly different in the two simulations

Isolation and computational characterization of glutathione peroxidase gene from an aquatic fern -Salvinia molesta

Abstract. Pteridophytes and more specifically ferns represent a large but threatened group of plants which often serve as important environmental markers for pollution. Reports regarding stress responses in ferns are rare, apart from a few studies involving the ecological distribution and molecular marker studies. This work isolates a glutathione peroxidase enzyme from an aquatic fern widely distributed in fresh and polluted water bodies adjacent to sources of environmental polluted sources. Further computational analyses were performed to study the structure of the protein encoded by the open reading frame. Results indicate the presence of a large number of binding pockets which serve as important binding sites in the interactions with the cognate ligands. Introduction

A benzimidazole-based chemodosimeter for the fluorometric detection of Zn and Cu via 1,5 proton shifts and C–N bond cleavage

Here, we report the design and synthesis of the fluorescent probe APBHN, which was derived from 2- (1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)benzenamine and is capable of detecting intracellular Zn and Cu ions in the micromolar range. Single-crystal X-ray analysis revealed that the structure of the ligand comprises a fused cyclic system with a pendent naphthol moiety. With the addition of Zn and Cu ions the inherent fluorescence behaviour of the ligand APBHN is perturbed via a chemodosimetric change that involves a 1,5 proton shift followed by C–N bond cleavage. Upon detailed analysis, it was found that the ligand forms 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 (metal to ligand) complexes with the corresponding metal ions. The detection limits of Zn2+ and Cu2+ were 5.59 μM and 0.148 μM, respectively, with APBHN, which are lower than the WHO guidelines (76 μM for Zn2+ and 31.5 μM for Cu2+) for drinking water. Moreover, APBHN could be used as a practical, visible colorimetric test kit for both Zn2+ and Cu2+. APBHN can efficiently detect Zn2+ and Cu2+ in liver carcinoma cells with insignificant cytotoxicit

Spectrally selective CrMoN/CrON tandem absorber for mid-temperature solar thermal applications

CrMoN(H)/CrMoN(L)/CrON tandem absorber was deposited on stainless steel (SS) and aluminium (Al) substrates by sputtering method. The nitrogen flow rate was varied in order to obtain the CrMoN(H) (high metal content) and CrMoN(L) (low metal content) layers. The structural properties of the coatings were studied using X-ray diffraction technique. The optimized tandem absorber on SS substrate exhibited high absorptance in the range of 0.90-0.92 and emittance in the range of 0.13-0.15. The optical constants of CrMoN(H), CrMoN(L) and CrON layers were obtained from spectroscopic ellipsometric measurements. The optical constants data revealed that the CrMoN(H) layer is the main absorber layer in the tandem absorber. The tandem absorber deposited on SS substrates was thermally stable up to 425 and 500C in air and vacuum for 7 hrs, respectively. The changes in the chemical composition of the tandem absorber were studied by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and micro-Raman spectroscopy techniques. The tandem absorber deposited on Al substrates qualified the performance criterion evaluation test and the service life time of the coating is more than 25 years

Assessing vegetation fragmentation and plantation efficiency in an intertidal mudflat of Eastern India using Radar Forest Degradation Index and spatial metrics

Potentiality of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) based Radar Forest Degradation Index (RFDI) combined with field observations for monitoring spatio-temporal dynamics of intertidal mudflat vegetation was assessed in this study. Five vegetation zones were delineated in the Junput mudflat of eastern India with very high classification accuracy (Kappa coefficient ≥ 0.79). Fragmentation and coalescence patterns of different vegetation zones under two plantation initiatives were also analysed by different spatial metrics. Results reveal gradual degradation of tree dominated vegetation zones and growth of shrub dominated and herbaceous ones from 2007 to 2019. Plantation of exotic species like Eucalyptus globulus and Casuarina equisetifolia along the shoreline had been found to be less effective against storms and sea surges. Conversely, native mangrove plantations and associated herbs had demonstrated remarkable growth in the intertidal areas. Based on the findings, the study pointed out that a zone-wise cum site-specific plantation strategy is needed towards developing effective bio-shields

Australia-India Indo-Pacific Oceans initiative: regional collaborative arrangements in marine ecology in the Indo-Pacific baseline study

This Report collects together a series of baseline studies on Regional Collaborative Arrangements in Marine Ecology in the Indo Pacific. The findings from these studies are the basis of a set of recommendations for the Australian Government to promote greater Indo-Pacific cooperation in marine ecology.Published versio

MicroRNA 26a (miR-26a)/KLF4 and CREB-C/EBP beta regulate innate immune signaling, the polarization of macrophages and the trafficking of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to lysosomes during infection

For efficient clearance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), macrophages tilt towards M1 polarization leading to the activation of transcription factors associated with the production of antibacterial effector molecules such as nitric oxide (NO) and proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). At the same time, resolution of inflammation is associated with M2 polarization with increased production of arginase and cytokines such as IL-10. The transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms that govern the balance between M1 and M2 polarization, and bacteria-containing processes such as autophagy and trafficking of Mtb to lysosomes, are incompletely understood. Here we report for the first time, that the transcription factor KLF4 is targeted by microRNA-26a (miR-26a). During Mtb infection, downregulation of miR-26a (observed both ex vivo and in vivo) facilitates upregulation of KLF4 which in turn favors increased arginase and decreased iNOS activity. We further demonstrate that KLF4 prevents trafficking of Mtb to lysosomes. The CREB-C/EBP beta signaling axis also favors M2 polarization. Downregulation of miR-26a and upregulation of C/ebpbeta were observed both in infected macrophages as well as in infected mice. Knockdown of C/ebpbeta repressed the expression of selected M2 markers such as Il10 and Irf4 in infected macrophages. The importance of these pathways is substantiated by observations that expression of miR-26a mimic or knockdown of Klf4 or Creb or C/ebpbeta, attenuated the survival of Mtb in macrophages. Taken together, our results attribute crucial roles for the miR-26a/KLF4 and CREB-C/EBP beta signaling pathways in regulating the survival of Mtb in macrophages. These studies expand our understanding of how Mtb hijacks host signaling pathways to survive in macrophages, and open up new exploratory avenues for host-targeted interventions