The two parameters of leaf dimension namely, length and width, show inverse correlation with the third parameter, the thickness. A thermal diffusion model is proposed which explains the inverse relationship between these and envisages that while leaf length and width are directly influenced by the microclimate the thickness is affected by the microclimate through endoclimate and energy balance in the leaves. The significance of the model is discussed in the light of its importance in assessing the survival range of plant (...) species along the altitudinal gradient. (shrink)

A recent study in Australasia (Selvaratnam & Venaruzzo, 2023) revealed some challenges and gaps in the governance of AI and data in higher education, mainly from the human-centeredness perspectives of accessibility, inclusivity and wellbeing. This paper is a narrative review to discern principles of a human-centered approach to the governance of artificial intelligence (AI), benchmarking literature, policies and practice across diverse geopolitical contexts for higher education, synthesizing the review results to provide guiding principles that can support this.

Over the last several years, regular evaluation of development programs has become essential in measuring and understanding their true impact. Feminist and gender-sensitive evaluations have gradually emerged, drawing attention to existing inequities--gender, caste, class, location, and more--and the cumulative effect of these biases on daily life. Such evaluations are also deeply political; they explicitly acknowledge that gender-based inequalities exist, show how they remain embedded in society, and articulate ways to address them. Based on four years of research, Voices and Values (...) offers critical insight into how gender, class, and nationality inflect and affect sociological research. It examines how feminist evaluations could make an effective contribution to new policy formulations oriented to gender and social equity. The essays here focus centrally on the structural roots of inequity: giving weight to all perspectives; adding value to marginalized groups and people under evaluation; and taking forward the findings of evaluation into advocacy for change. In doing so, each essay advances the understanding of feminist evaluation both conceptually and as practice. (shrink)

This Article examines how the legal subjectivity of the migrant subject is intimately connected to the construction of the citizenship subject and how both have been products of the colonial encounter. Deploying the lens of postcolonialism, I argue that the migrant is addressed through a spectrum of legal rules based on normative criteria reminiscent of the colonial encounter. These criteria reinscribe citizenship within dominant racial, sexual, and cultural norms as well as claims of civilizational superiority. That which does not fall (...) within the boundaries of citizenship is regarded as outcast, an "Other," and subject to restraint, persecution, censorship, social stigma, incarceration, and even annihilation. The discussion draws examples from recent judicial decisions in the context of postcolonial India, dealing with migrant bar dancers and migrant Muslims, highlighting the deep and lasting impact of the colonial encounter and the imperial imagination on understandings and constructions of citizenship in the contemporary period. The cases further illustrate how notions of "global" or "world" citizen, unbound by territory or the nation-state, are unable to account for the complex and contradictory understandings of citizenship that have emerged from within a postcolonial context. The arguments force us to inquire into the role of citizenship, its relevance or meaninglessness in the lives of the migrant once its exclusionary potential has been exposed. (shrink)

Purpose This study aims to identify and analyse the issues faced by internet-based small businesses in developing countries regarding cybersecurity and document how these businesses address the risks. Design/methodology/approach This study used the qualitative method. Respondents were internet-based small businesses selected by using theoretical sampling. Data were collected by using interviews and observations. The validity of the analysis was ensured by using triangulation and member checking. Findings This study reveals that small businesses managed to identify the loss of physical and (...) monetary assets as possible damage. However, only a few businesses identified loss of intangible assets as possible cyber risks. Most small businesses had used basic cybersecurity measures to protect data access and some primary business activities. Unfortunately, they rarely take initiatives in preventing and early detecting cyber risks. Research limitations/implications Findings of this study cannot be generalised as it aims to obtain new insights and document unexplored findings. Thus, if this study’s findings are going to be generalised, it is necessary to conduct an additional study. Secondly, this study did not assess how far small business had fulfilled the relevant information security framework as assessment required additional research, and this study only aimed to map the current situation in small businesses. Practical implications This study emphasised the importance of identifying valuable assets or resources when implementing cybersecurity measures. Focusing on security measures to protect identified assets from cyber risk will make the efforts more efficient and effective than using standardised cybersecurity measures. Third-party developers can also use this study to understand small businesses’ current cybersecurity implementation and their characters to design online platforms that suit these needs. Governments can also design educational activities that address small businesses’ lack of knowledge. Originality/value Most studies which focus on small businesses and information technology usually only discuss how they use IT. This study also brings new contributions by focusing on developing countries and specifically addresses internet-based technology cyber risk faced by e-commerce businesses. The qualitative method is used as most studies in e-commerce adoption were positivistic in nature, and inductive-based studies were rarely found on the topic. (shrink)

This essay explores the ways in which the definition of Indian culture has become a site of contest, and how this contest played out in the controversy that erupted over the release and screening of Deepa Mehta's diasporic film, Fire, in India. I locate this controversy within the broader controversies that are taking place over culture, particularly when issues of sex and sexuality are involved. The continuous targeting of representations of sex and sexuality, betrays an underlying fear that sex is (...) something that is threatening to Indian cultural values, to the Indian way of life, to the very existence of the Indian nation. I discuss the responses to the release of the film by the forces of the Hindu Right as well as feminist and lesbian groups and critique the uncomplicated understandings of culture that informed these positions. Contingent upon these responses rests the story in Fire and the way in which the lesbian subject, a sexual subaltern, is constructed in the cultural space represented in the film. I challenge the positions that suggest that the women are represented as victims in the film, and draw attention to the cultural, sexual and familial ruptures brought about by the main protagonists through their desire for one another. I explore the complicated understandings of agency and desire that are represented through the assertion of this relationship. (shrink)

Study on Naiṣkarmyasiddhi of Sureśvarācārya, compendium of Advaita philosophy.

Post-modernism and its influence in Sri Lanka.

Background In an effort to improve the quality of medical care, the philosophy of patient-centered care has become integrated into almost every aspect of the medical community. Despite its widespread acceptance, among patients and practitioners, there are concerns that rapid advancements in artificial intelligence may threaten elements of patient-centered care, such as personal relationships with care providers and patient-driven choices. This study explores the extent to which patients are confident in and comfortable with the use of these technologies when it (...) comes to their own individual care and identifies areas that may align with or threaten elements of patient-centered care. Methods An exploratory, mixed-method approach was used to analyze survey data from 600 US-based adults in the State of Florida. The survey was administered through a leading market research provider (August 10–21, 2023), and responses were collected to be representative of the state’s population based on age, gender, race/ethnicity, and political affiliation. Results Respondents were more comfortable with the use of AI in health-related tasks that were not associated with doctor-patient relationships, such as scheduling patient appointments or follow-ups (84.2%). Fear of losing the ‘human touch’ associated with doctors was a common theme within qualitative coding, suggesting a potential conflict between the implementation of AI and patient-centered care. In addition, decision self-efficacy was associated with higher levels of comfort with AI, but there were also concerns about losing decision-making control, workforce changes, and cost concerns. A small majority of participants mentioned that AI could be useful for doctors and lead to more equitable care but only when used within limits. Conclusion The application of AI in medical care is rapidly advancing, but oversight, regulation, and guidance addressing critical aspects of patient-centered care are lacking. While there is no evidence that AI will undermine patient-physician relationships at this time, there is concern on the part of patients regarding the application of AI within medical care and specifically as it relates to their interaction with physicians. Medical guidance on incorporating AI while adhering to the principles of patient-centered care is needed to clarify how AI will augment medical care. (shrink)

Most of the papers presented at the worshop held at Calcutta.

The SlutWalk campaigns around the world have triggered a furious debate on whether they advance or limit feminist legal politics. This article examines the location of campaigns such as the SlutWalk marches in the context of feminist legal advocacy in postcolonial India, and discusses whether their emergence signifies the demise of feminism or its incarnation in a different guise. The author argues that the SlutWalks, much like the Pink Chaddi (panty) campaign in India, provide an important normative and discursive challenge (...) to a specific strand of feminism based on male domination and female subordination in the area of sexuality and also speaks to the emergence of consumer agency in the very heart of pleasure in the neo-liberal moment. It serves as a space clearing gesture, a form of feminism ‘lite’, rather than offering a transformative or revolutionary politics, and thus enables the possibility of feminist theoretical positions in a postcolonial context that have hitherto been marginalised or ignored in feminist legal advocacy in India to emerge. (shrink)

This study investigated the impact of three prior distributions: matched, standard vague, and hierarchical in Bayesian estimation parameter recovery in two and one parameter models. Two Bayesian estimation methods were utilized: Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) and the relatively new, Variational Bayesian (VB). Conditional (CML) and Marginal Maximum Likelihood (MML) estimates were used as baseline methods for comparison. Vague priors produced large errors or convergence issues and are not recommended. For both MCMC and VB, the hierarchical and matched priors showed (...) the lowest root mean squared errors (RMSEs) for ability estimates; RMSEs of difficulty estimates were similar across estimation methods. For the standard errors (SEs), MCMC-hierarchical displayed the largest values across most conditions. SEs from the VB estimation were among the lowest in all but one case. Overall, VB-hierarchical, VB-matched, and MCMC-matched performed best. VB with hierarchical priors are recommended in terms of their accuracy, and cost and (subsequently) time effectiveness. (shrink)

Malang City has evolved into a prominent hub for students. Embracing this new role, it has become a sought-after destination for learners from outside Java who wish to pursue their education at local universities. The influx of international students brings a vibrant intercultural dynamic to the city, affecting both the local community and the students themselves. As these students undergo the adaptation process to integrate and thrive in their new environment, they often face challenges such as culture shock, which arises (...) from insufficient preparation and knowledge about their new surroundings. Culture shock can be minimized in the process of student adaptation by the application of intercultural communication, which can bridge the constraints of understanding in society. This research aims to examine the impact of intercultural communication on the adaptation process of Hindu students in Malang City, focusing on how it can reduce the incidence of culture shock. Employing a qualitative-interpretative approach, the research gathers data through comprehensive and interactive interviews based on the informants' personal experiences. Informants are selected using purposive sampling, and data is analyzed using the Miles and Huberman framework, which involves data collection, reduction, and interpretation. The outcomes highlight that culture shock among Hindu students in Malang City is influenced by internal factors, including personal abilities, insufficient factual information, and experiences in intercultural social interactions. While external factors include language, food, customs, and climate. The phases of culture shock development in the adaptation process include the optimistic phase, cultural phase, recovery phase, and adjustment phase. The duration for students to transition from experiencing culture shock to achieving adaptation ranges from one month to a year. Effective intercultural communication plays a crucial role in this adaptation process, helping to reduce the impact of culture shock by facilitating stages of convergence, divergence, and maintenance. (shrink)

Recently, there has been an increased interest in developing statistical methodologies for analyzing single case experimental design data to supplement visual analysis. Some of these are simulation-driven such as Bayesian methods because Bayesian methods can compensate for small sample sizes, which is a main challenge of SCEDs. Two simulation-driven approaches: Bayesian unknown change-point model and simulation modeling analysis were compared in the present study for three real datasets that exhibit “clear” immediacy, “unclear” immediacy, and delayed effects. Although SMA estimates can (...) be used to answer some aspects of functional relationship between the independent and the outcome variables, they cannot address immediacy or provide an effect size estimate that considers autocorrelation as required by the What Works Clearinghouse Standards. BUCP overcomes these drawbacks of SMA. In final analysis, it is recommended that both visual and statistical analyses be conducted for a thorough analysis of SCEDs. (shrink)

The ultimate purpose of this research is to investigate how far Google Sites can develop students' learning outcomes in writing ability. The need for English becomes one of the reasons why the requirement of universities in public consisting of speaking English. This research was conducted as a case study, with the objective of investigating the integration of Google Sites into language teaching strategies, specifically the design and execution of creating web-based instructional resources in Google Sites, and the benefits it provides (...) in inspiring students to enhance their authentic writing skills. This research included 31 second-semester students, all of whom were enrolled in one of the universities in Indonesia. Among these students, 19 were female (61.29%) and 12 were male (38.71%), and they were all enrolled in the Department of English Education. These individuals were chosen based on their prior experience in language education, as they had received instruction in the subject. Based on the outcomes of the teaching treatment that utilized Google Sites to enhance students' writing skills, it can be inferred that Google Sites serves as an effective media blog for improving students' writing abilities. These results show the effectiveness of using Google Sites in both face-to-face and non-face-to-face learning settings for teaching English to students with various text materials and categories, as determined by a p-value of less than 0.01. Therefore, Google Sites can be considered an effective tool for teaching English. (shrink)

Articles on rationalist movement in Sri Lanka.

On propagation of rationalism in Sri Lanka, pioneered by Abraham T. Kovoor, 1898-1978.

During the past decade, it has become apparent that it is within our grasp to understand fully the development and functioning of complex organisms. It is widely accepted that this undertaking must include the elucidation of the genetic blueprint – the genome sequence – of a number of model organisms. As a prelude to the determination of these sequences, clonebased physical maps of the genomes of a number of multicellular animals and plants are being constructed. Yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) vectors, (...) by virtue of their relatively unbiased cloning capabilities and capacity to carry large inserts, have come to play a central role in the construction of these maps. The application of YACs to the physical map of the Caenorhabditis elegans genome has enabled cosmid clone ‘islands’ to be linked together in an efficient manner. The long‐range continuity has improved the linkage between the genetic and physical maps, greatly increasing its utility. Since the genome can be represented by a relatively small number of YACs, it has been possible to make replica filters of genomically ordered YACs available to the community at large. (shrink)

This study aims to identify the challenges of the digital divide and privacy in digital health communication in Indonesia, with the background that digital technology has revolutionized various sectors, including healthcare, enhancing the efficiency and accessibility of services. Despite significant advancements, the digital divide and privacy issues remain major obstacles in adopting digital health technology in Indonesia. This research employs a quantitative approach, collecting data through surveys and in-depth interviews to evaluate the use of digital media in health communication between (...) doctors and patients. The main findings reveal that the use of digital media for health communication has significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the existing digital divide and privacy challenges. The study also highlights that improving digital literacy and technological infrastructure is crucial in addressing these gaps. Collaboration between the government and private sector is necessary to strengthen data privacy regulations and support the development of user-friendly digital health applications. The implications of this research include strategic recommendations to enhance access and efficiency of digital health services, and to strengthen data privacy protection, thereby supporting a more effective and inclusive digital health system in Indonesia. (shrink)

Balancing Change and Tradition in Global Education Reform is an invaluable resource for policymakers, faculty, students, and anyone interested in how decisions made about the education system ultimately affect the quality of education, educational access, and social justice.

Increasing women’s participation in intrahousehold decision-making has been linked with increased agricultural productivity and economic development. Existing studies focus on identifying the decision-maker and exploring factors affecting women’s participation, yet the context in which households make decisions is generally ignored. This paper narrows this gap by investigating perceptions of women's participation and the roles of social norms in agricultural decision-making. It specifically applies a fine-scale quantitative responses tool and constructs a women’s participation index to measure men’s and women’s perceptions regarding (...) women’s participation in decisions about 21 agricultural activities. The study further examines the correlation between social norms in these perceptions as measured by the WPI for 439 couples in West Java, Indonesia. We find that first, men and women have different perceptions about women's decision-making in agricultural activities, but the same perceptions of the types of activities in which women have the most and the least participation. Second, joint decisions come in various combinations but overall, the women’s role is smaller. Third, social norms influence spouses' perceptions of decision-making participation, which explains most of the variation of the WPI. These results suggest that rigorous consideration of social norms is required to understand intrahousehold decision-making. (shrink)

We compared study characteristics of randomized controlled trials funded by industry (N=697) to those not funded by industry (N=835). RCTs published in high-impact journals are more likely to be blinded, more likely to include a placebo, and more likely to post trial results on ClinicalTrials.gov. Our findings emphasize the importance of evaluating the quality of an RCT based on its methodological rigor, not its funder type.

Commentary on the Pramāṇanayatattvāloka of Devasūri, work on Jaina epistemology and metaphysics; includes Gujarati translation.

Three Sanskrit Texts on Caitya Worship, in relation to the Ahoratravrata; an edition and synopses in English. Ratna Handurukande., The International Institute for Buddhist Studies, Tokyo 2000. xxv, 131 pp. ISBN 4-906267-45-9.