Liminal Resistances: Local Subjections in my Story, Vidheyan, and the God of Small Things

This project investigates various ways in which resistance is explored by Kamala Das, Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Arundhati Roy in My Story, Vidheyan, and The God of Small Things respec-tively. “Liminal Resistances: Local Subjections in My Story, Vidheyan, and The God of Small Things” aims to examine the workings and creative subversions of hegemonic discourses of caste, class, gender and color within the local milieu of Kerala, India. By exploring the theoreti-cal apparatuses employed in three diverse texts set in Kerala, this project identifies: firstly, Das’s subversion of Nair Kerala’s sense of gendered and casted normativity in My Story; secondly, Adoor’s depiction of the notion of home that enables self-recognition between the exploited and tyrant ensuring both suppression and libratory self-formation for classed subjects in Vidheyan; and finally, Roy’s portrayal of the conceptual category of whiteness within Kerala as being nei-ther uniformly subservient nor stable as depicted in The God of Small Things. It is hoped that by identifying and exploring the theoretical nuances of resistances in these generically diverse texts—autobiography, film, and fiction-- all set within the local realms of Kerala, this project will contribute a new scholarship in postcolonial studies that will recognize and problematize local instances of subversions and their representations within the Indian subcontinent

How Much Will I Spend? Factors Affecting Consumers’ Estimates of Future Expense

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141049/1/jcpy141.pd

PRELIMINARY PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS AND CYTOTOXICITY POTENTIAL OF PINEAPPLE EXTRACT ON ORAL CANCER CELL LINES

ABSTRACTObjective: This study aims at performing a preliminary phytochemical analysis to evaluate the phytochemical composition of pineapple extract andits cytotoxicity potential on oral cancer cell lines.Methods: Preliminary phytochemical analysis of pineapple extract was done, 3-(4, 5-Dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2, 5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromideassay for evaluating the cytotoxicity potential of the extract on oral cancer cell lines was performed.Results: Phytoconstituents such as flavonoids, coumarins, and phenols were present in the pineapple extract. The extract also exhibited increasedcytotoxicity with increased concentration.Conclusion: This study is conducted to see if pineapple extract is effective in treating oral cancer in a natural way instead of harmful treatments.Keywords: Cytotoxicity, Pineapple extract, Anticancer drug.Â

Yield forecasting in cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) plantations under intensive management

A study was undertaken to develop a model for forecasting the yield in cardamom plantations under intensive management. Thirteen biometrical characters namely tillers per clump, tiller height leaves per tiller, vegetative buds per clump, bearing tillers per clump, panicles per clump, panicle length, racemes per panicle, capsules per raceme, seeds per capsule, leaf length, leaf breadth and recovery percentage were chosen as explana tory variables and they exhibited a precision of about 82%. Step down regression resulted in the retention of only four characters namely, panicles per clump, racemes per panicle, capsules per raceme and leaf breadth with which yield can be estimated with around 77% precision. &nbsp

Factor analysis in cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton)

A pooled factor analysis of 17 variables representing morphological, yield contributing and qualitative characters of 90 genotypes of cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) was carried out at Myladumpara (Kerala), for identifying marker characters which accommodate the inheritance of associated characters. Among the 17 characters subjected to the analysis, 6 factors were identified as having maximum influence on growth, yield and quality of cardamom. Among the six factors identified, three factors controlled yield and yield contributing characters, two factors controlled qualitative characters and one factor controlled growth characters. The characters identified with maximum factor loadings in each group include bearing tillers clump-I, seeds capsule-I, internodal length, racemes panicle-I, leaf breadth and capsules (dry) kg-I. The six principal components or factors accounted for 78.09% of the total variance. &nbsp

Non-Conscious Influences on Consumer Choice

While consumer choice research has dedicated considerable research attention to aspects of choice that are deliberative and conscious, only limited attention has been paid to aspects of choice that occur outside of conscious awareness. We review relevant research that suggests that consumer choice is a mix of conscious and nonconscious influences, and argue that the degree to which nonconscious influences affect choice is much greater than many choice researchers believe. Across a series of research domains, these influences are found to include stimulus that are not consciously perceived by the consumer, nonconscious downstream effects of a consciously perceived stimuli or thought process, and decision processes that occur entirely outside of awareness

Insilico generation of novel ligands for the inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 main protease (3CLpro) using deep learning

The recent emergence of novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has become a global public health crisis, and a crucial need exists for rapid identification and development of novel therapeutic interventions. In this study, a recurrent neural network (RNN) is trained and optimized to produce novel ligands that could serve as potential inhibitors to the SARS-CoV-2 viral protease: 3 chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro). Structure-based virtual screening was performed through molecular docking, ADMET profiling, and predictions of various molecular properties were done to evaluate the toxicity and drug-likeness of the generated novel ligands. The properties of the generated ligands were also compared with current drugs under various phases of clinical trials to assess the efficacy of the novel ligands. Twenty novel ligands were selected that exhibited good drug-likeness properties, with most ligands conforming to Lipinski’s rule of 5, high binding affinity (highest binding affinity: −9.4 kcal/mol), and promising ADMET profile. Additionally, the generated ligands complexed with 3CLpro were found to be stable based on the results of molecular dynamics simulation studies conducted over a 100 ns period. Overall, the findings offer a promising avenue for the rapid identification and development of effective therapeutic interventions to treat COVID-19

RNA sequencing and lipidomics uncovers novel pathomechanisms in recessive X-linked ichthyosis

Recessive X-linked ichthyosis (RXLI), a genetic disorder caused by deletion or point mutations of the steroid sulfatase (STS) gene, is the second most common form of ichthyosis. It is a disorder of keratinocyte cholesterol sulfate retention and the mechanism of extracutaneous phenotypes such as corneal opacities and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are poorly understood. To understand the pathomechanisms of RXLI, the transcriptome of differentiated primary keratinocytes with STS knockdown was sequenced. The results were validated in a stable knockdown model of STS, to confirm STS specificity, and in RXLI skin. The results show that there was significantly reduced expression of genes related to epidermal differentiation and lipid metabolism, including ceramide and sphingolipid synthesis. In addition, there was significant downregulation of aldehyde dehydrogenase family members and the oxytocin receptor which have been linked to corneal transparency and behavioural disorders respectively, both of which are extracutaneous phenotypes of RXLI. These data provide a greater understanding of the causative mechanisms of RXLI’s cutaneous phenotype, and show that the keratinocyte transcriptome and lipidomics can give novel insights into the phenotype of patients with RXLI

From engagement to competency: The pathway to making disability naïve frontline workers competent in the delivery of an evidence-based autism intervention in New Delhi, India

Background: As countries like India improve access to maternal and infant care, the health systems need to develop services that enable all children to thrive. A key demographic which needs to be supported are children with disabilities, such as autism. With an estimated prevalence of one percent, there are over five million young children who need services to support their needs. However, the paucity of specialist care makes access to interventions difficult. In this context a public health research not-for-profit is evaluating the effectiveness of the task-sharing approach to support the delivery of an evidenced social communication intervention for young children with autism. This paper describes the process of engaging and training the non-specialist frontline Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), who are embedded within the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare under the Delhi State Health Mission, to deliver a complex intervention for autism to inform the future scalability of services for neurodevelopmental disorders. Methods: The present study describes the process which included (i) engagement meetings, (ii) recruitment, (iii) training, (iv) internship, and (v) competency evaluation. The shortlisted ASHAs received a 7-day classroom training followed by an internship period with practice cases. Finally, competency assessments, comprising of a test of knowledge and skills through role-plays, was administered. Results: Twenty three Primary Urban Health Centers across seven districts of Delhi were approached and 408 ASHAs were engaged in initial meetings. Telephonic screening with 127 ASHAs resulted in 72 ASHAs being selected for in-person interviews. Of the 45 ASHAs who attended, 33 were shortlisted for training and 18 completed it. Fifteen ASHAs entered the internship of which 7 ASHAs achieved competency. Discussion and conclusion: There was significant attrition along the pathway to having a competent non-specialist worker deliver a complex autism intervention. The lessons learnt from this process can inform the possibility of developing a cadre of disability specific frontline health workers who can deliver evidence-based interventions for neurodevelopmental disorders under supervision

Dietary and nutritional change in India: implications for strategies, policies, and interventions

Despite the global transition to overnutrition, stunting affected approximately 159 million children worldwide in 2014, while an estimated 50 million children were wasted. India is an important front in the fight against malnutrition and is grappling with the coexistence of undernutrition, overnutrition, and micronutrient deficiencies. This report summarizes discussions on trends in malnutrition in India, its evolution in the context of economic growth, intrahousehold aspects, infant and young child feeding practices, women's status, maternal nutrition, and nutrition policymaking. The discussion focuses on a review of trends in malnutrition and dietary intakes in India in the context of economic change over the past four decades, identification of household dynamics affecting food choices and their consequences for family nutritional status in India, and effective malnutrition prevention and treatment interventions and programs in India and associated policy challenges