While the human papillomavirus vaccine is medically indicated to reduce the risk of genital warts and certain types of cancer, rates of HPV vaccination repeatedly fall short of public health goals. Individual-level factors contributing to low vaccination rates are well documented. However, system-level barriers, particularly the need for parental consent, have been less explored. To date, there is no legal or ethical consensus in the USA regarding whether adolescents might permissibly self-consent to the HPV vaccine. Consequently, there is considerable variability (...) in medical practice at the provider and state level. In this essay, we explore the ethical acceptability of vaccinating adolescents for HPV without parental consent. We argue that the same ethical considerations that justify permitting minors to consent to treatment for sexual and reproductive health care—namely, public health benefit and adolescents’ developing autonomy—similarly justify permitting minors to consent to HPV vaccination. Based on this analysis, we conclude that allowing adolescents to self-consent to the HPV vaccine is ethically justifiable and should be reflected in US state policies. (shrink)

This paper advocates for the inclusion of patient perspectives in the diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders (EDs) for ethical, epistemological, and pragmatic reasons. We build upon the ideas of a recent editorial published in this journal. Using EDs as their example, the authors argue against dominant DSM-oriented approaches in favor of an increased focus on understanding patients’ subjective experiences. We argue that their analysis stops too soon for the development of practical—and actionable—insights into how to effect the integration of (...) first-person and third-person accounts of EDs. Methods Contextual analysis was used to make the case for patient perspectives. (shrink)

Focused on Nandi Timmana’s sixteenth-century Telugu epic poem, Pārijātāpaharaṇamu, this article analyzes citrakāvya, a genre of poetry that includes various kinds of patterned verses, word puzzles, and figural poems. The seventeenth-century Telugu grammarian Appakavi outlines three genres of citrakāvya: 1) citrakavitvamu ; 2) bandhakavitvamu ; and 3) garbhakavitvamu. Timmana employs all three genres of citrakāvya in Theft of a Tree 5.92–99, which are set in the voice of Nārada praising Kṛṣṇa as god. Rather than reading citrakāvya as simply a form (...) of alaṅkāra, I argue that citrakāvya primarily functions as a form of stotra in the context of Timmana’s Theft of a Tree. Shifting the flow of his rather fast-paced narrative, Timmana intentionally uses citrakāvya to praise and even capture god through the complex figuration of syllables and sounds. Timmana’s citras are essential to scripting a new layer of the pārijāta narrative, one that highlights the voice of the poet himself speaking to his god. (shrink)

Normative moral theories are frequently invoked to serve one of two distinct purposes: (1) explicate a criterion of rightness, or (2) provide an ethical decision-making procedure. Although a criterion of rightness provides a valuable theoretical ideal, proposed criteria rarely can be (nor are they intended to be) directly translated into a feasible decision-making procedure. This paper applies the computational framework of bounded rationality to moral decision-making to ask: how ought a bounded human agent make ethical decisions? We suggest agents ought (...) to follow moral maxims: principles that approximate rightness in many situations, but that can be overridden in specific, precisely describable circumstances. While this intuitive idea has been proposed many times before, we provide a precise model of how maxim consequentialism functions as an approximation to an act-consequentialist criterion of rightness, while maintaining the flexibility and defeasibility that has eluded most forms of rule consequentialism. Furthermore, while our overarching aim is to propose a new normative standard of moral decision-making, we demonstrate how maxim consequentialism can also function as a descriptive account of human behavior. We conclude by noting that different criteria of rightness may lead to different maxim-based ethics. (shrink)

The present study is a correlational field study because the purpose of this study is to ascertain the nature of relationship between Anasakti and adjustment. Anasakti, the concept of Bhagavad Gita, refers to an intense though disinterested action, performed with a spirit of passion, without nurturing concerns regarding success or failure, loss or gain, likes or dislikes. The present study is conducted on 291 Hindu graduate adults in the age range of 45–65 years. Incidental-cum-purposive sampling technique is used for data (...) collection. A positive correlation is found between Anasakti and adjustment. The study reveals that if Anasakti increases then adjustment level also increases. (shrink)

Compilation of basic text of six systems of Indian philosophy.

While living a life based on universal principles is well accepted by many, the reality of living acts as a great detriment to those who want to centre their lives on these timeless truths. Further, institutional mechanisms and work environments do not conform in general to such principle-centred living. The agents of the state, especially those in the police, have to work under tremendous obstacles and pressures from within and without, and often get a bad reputation, sometimes undeservingly. Moreover their (...) value systems may also degrade in these environments, a direction that requires to be altered by the ‘guardians of the law’. It is important to bring about alignment of values and ethical perceptions of state administrators with some universal laws. The Buddhist practice of vipassana mediation can play a significant role in such transformations, as is evident from the responses from Delhi Police personnel who underwent vipassana in one of their training programmes. Vipassana has made significant differences in the lives and perceptions of these trainees—both at the professional and personal level. This paper introduces these concepts and cites evidences from the feedback sheets of trainees to recommend worldwide adoption of such practices for those who occupy seats of power and responsibility. The feedback shows positive and very encouraging trends in all dimensions—work related, humanitarian, family and self—in other words, in professional, personal and deep inner lives. (shrink)

In the history of literary experimentation, the writer has evolved into a social medium for literary readings of numerous literary works that were previously only known to those with a keen interest in literature and literary genres. As a result, many well-known literary works have been succinctly summarised in front of everyone in a way that is both helpful and provides details while still remaining concise. In this essay, the researcher wants to show how Twitter has developed into a literary (...) form, competing with other well-known literary works like novels, plays, short stories, and poetry, particularly haiku. Beginning with an introduction to Twitter literature and its definition, the study then focuses on the format in which literary tweets are provided, including the word count and length of the presentation of the literary work. Then, the literary subgenres that appeared on Twitter were criticised. The paper provides instances of literary accounts on Twitter and distinguishes the literary genres on Twitter. The study also discusses Twitter’s literary value in educating readers about a variety of literary works, particularly those who are uninterested in or uninterested in literature. Moreover, the distinction between reading literary works in their authentic forms vs their Twitter-based forms. The researcher contrasts the literary subgenres that are best suited for Twitter distribution. As a complement to the other well-known literary genres and in keeping with the varied, quick, and advanced modern day, the researcher concludes by presenting Twitter as one of the crucial literary genres of the new millennium that must be given significance and relevance. However, this study makes the case that Twitter might be. It is seen as an expression of an experimental platform for postmodern electronic literature that can ensure a revival of the steadily dwindling fantasy reading habit that is appealing to the generation of technology enthusiasts. (shrink)

Senior service colleges provide professional education to prepare military and government civilians for public service at the senior levels of strategy and policy. Inclusive in the program of study...

Manipulation of physical models such as tangrams and tiles is a popular approach to teaching early mathematics concepts. This pedagogical approach is extended by new computational media, where mathematical entities such as equations and vectors can be virtually manipulated. The cognitive and neural mechanisms supporting such manipulation-based learning—particularly how actions generate new internal structures that support problem-solving—are not understood. We develop a model of the way manipulations generate internal traces embedding actions, and how these action-traces recombine during problem-solving. This model (...) is based on a study of two groups of sixth-grade students solving area problems. Before problem-solving, one group manipulated a tangram, the other group answered a descriptive test. Eye-movement trajectories during problem-solving were different between the groups. A second study showed that this difference required the tangram's geometrical structure, just manipulation was not enough. We propose a theoretical model accounting for these results, and discuss its implications. (shrink)

This Book Brings A Clear And Insightful Presentation Of The Wisdom Of Hinduism In All Its Fundamental Principles.

This paper presents a human–robot interaction framework where a robot can infer implicit affective cues of a human and respond to them appropriately. Affective cues are inferred by the robot in real-time from physiological signals. A robot-based basketball game is designed where a robotic “coach” monitors the human participant’s anxiety to dynamically reconfigure game parameters to allow skill improvement while maintaining desired anxiety levels. The results of the above-mentioned anxiety-based sessions are compared with performance-based sessions where in the latter sessions, (...) the game is adapted only according to the player’s performance. It was observed that 79% of the participants showed lower anxiety during anxiety-based session than in the performance-based session, 64% showed a greater improvement in performance after the anxiety-based session and 71% of the participants reported greater overall satisfaction during the anxiety-based sessions. This is the first time, to our knowledge, that the impact of real-time affective communication between a robot and a human has been demonstrated experimentally. (shrink)

Student support services are the cardinal features of the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) System. In India, the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), 13 state open universities and over 200 Distance Education Institutes (DEIs) attached to conventional universities and private/autonomous institutes offering programmes through the distance mode ( MHRD, 2013 ) have all created adequate provisions for learner support services and the systems, rules, regulations and norms have been put in place. However, it is significant that a learner in (...) the ODL system remains away from the teacher and the peer group. Thus, the learner feels isolated ( Das & Ghosh, 2011a ) and needs the empathy of all the functionaries concerned. It has been our experience at IGNOU that more often than not the functionaries fail to realize the value of a learner and the learner fails to understand the value attributed to him by the ODL system. Without such realization the rules and regulations lose their significance. Hence, inculcation of values is of paramount importance in the functioning of the ODL system. In this article we have discussed about ‘inculcation of values’ among the ‘learners’ as well as the ‘functionaries’ for developing ‘best practices’ in learner support services in the ODL system. The inputs are based primarily on direct experiences of the authors. (shrink)

Stone, J. Thoughts on supposed "Death of law".--Krishna Iyer, V. R. Jurisprudence and jurisconscience.--Sharma, G. S. Law and social change in India.--Sharma, S. D. The concept of justice in Manu.--Chand, H. Legal values for a developing country.--Ramarao, T. S. The new international law relating to the rights and duties of States.--Sinha, B. S. Custom and customary law in Indian jurisprudence.--Mazumdar, D. L. Techno-economic structure of our industrial society.--Subrahamanian, N. Law and social change.

Critical and comparative study of the Vedāntakaustubhaprabhā of Keśavakāśmīri Bhaṭṭācārya, commentary on Vedāntakaustubha of Śrīnivāsācārya, treatise on Vedanta.

Study in the context of the Hindu philosophical system, with special reference to Vedanta.

Ayurveda is a traditional system of healthcare that is native to India and has a rich documented literature of its own. Most of the historians agree that the documentation of core Ayurveda literature took place approximately in between 400 BCE and 200 CE, while acknowledging that the roots of its theoretical framework can be traced back to a much earlier period. For multiple reasons many significant contributions of Ayurveda literature to various streams of biological and medical sciences have remained under-recognized (...) while recounting the historical milestones of development. This is true in the context of the physiology of digestion and metabolism too. In this communication we try to reconstruct a picture of the processes of digestion and metabolism as had been understood by ancient Ayurveda scholars. Though this understanding was primitive and insufficient in many ways, we argue that this deserves to be documented and acknowledged. To help with grasping the importance of these contributions, we juxtapose them with the corresponding insights pertaining to this subject reported by prominent western scientists. The major contributions of Ayurveda that have been recounted in this paper are those related to the description of three distinct phases of digestion (Avasthapaka), multiple sets of transformative entities acting at different levels of metabolism (Agni), and the roles ascribed to various internal and external factors in executing these physiological functions. (shrink)

Positive psychology has paved the way for newer and more informed ideas of living a meaningful, integrated and well-rounded quality of living. The current era of the pandemic has also moulded the ways in which individuals perceive their quality of life and how they want to integrate a holistic approach towards their well-being. The workplace settings have seen tremendous changes in terms of how employers, employees and the organisations at large function and operate. The pre-pandemic concept of success has shifted (...) its focus from hard work to developing grit among employees to increase the overall efficiency of the organisations. Grit has revolutionised the conventional standards of success, meaning in life and has impacted personal as well as occupational welfare. This integration of positive psychology and transpersonal psychology has catalysed the purpose for the current study. To help organisations and individuals thrive in their professional endeavours at the workplace and to provide them with relevant psychological tools to enhance their occupational growth, the present study has been conducted empirically to investigate the antecedents and consequences of grit among 209 working professionals in India. The results of this study indicate that the transpersonal capital of metacognition, flow, optimism and empathy have a significant role to play in developing grit among the participants. The findings have implications for enhancing job satisfaction and job performance of participants. The current research also provides a framework to organisations towards designing interventions for improving efficiency at the workplace. (shrink)