150 research outputs found

    Entrepreneurial marketing in subsistence marketplaces

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    There are more than a billion poverty-stricken entrepreneurs in the world who run micro-enterprises to meet basic consumption needs. This pervasive phenomenon presents an interesting theoretical conundrum - that of consumer-entrepreneur duality. This duality blurs the boundaries between consumption and entrepreneurship, which have traditionally been distinct domains of scholarly inquiry. The research reported in this dissertation aims to a) provide a theoretical foundation for the notion of consumer-entrepreneur duality and b) test the implications of the aforementioned duality empirically. A key insight flowing from the investigations is that factors in the consumption domain impact important outcomes in the entrepreneurial domain and vice versa.Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'Closed Access', the embargo will last until 2018-05-01The student, Srinivas Venugopal, accepted the attached license on 2016-04-18 at 08:47.The student, Srinivas Venugopal, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2016-04-18 at 09:04.This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2016-04-19 at 08:14.DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #9286 on 2016-07-07 at 14:17:05Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-07T21:17:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 4 VENUGOPAL-DISSERTATION-2016.pdf: 1854109 bytes, checksum: f8e3d9c290a0109c220b8b0fc51c60c1 (MD5) SrinivasVenugopal-DissertationApr17-Final.docx: 5793780 bytes, checksum: b6083d1e61eed44327c6ca98d0843dc4 (MD5) LICENSE.txt: 4215 bytes, checksum: 3a0d71a95b961c52e415358c38df4270 (MD5) PROQUEST_LICENSE.txt: 4561 bytes, checksum: 191925090206f5324017b16a1d5401bd (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-04-19Embargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 93274 Lift date: 2018-07-07T21:18:16Z Reason: Author requested closed access (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemLimited Restriction Lifted for Item 93274 on 2018-07-08T09:15:20Z

    The Use of Technology in the Management of Orthodontic Treatment-Related Pain

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    Orthodontic pain is one of the negatives associated with fixed orthodontic treatment that cannot be avoided. This pain usually comes around the wire placement period and gradually decreases once the endogenous analgesic mechanisms start functioning. Over the years, several treatment modalities have been utilized for relief from orthodontic pain, and these include mechanical, behavior modification, and pharmacological methods. However, in the last decade, there are several newer methods employing the use of technology that have come up and are being used for alleviating pain. From computerized indirect bonding to virtual treatment planning, technology has slowly become a vital part of an orthodontist’s repertoire. The digital age is here, and orthodontics must embrace the use of technology to help improve the quality of life of patients

    Aggregate breakdown of nanoparticulate titania

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    Six nanosized titanium dioxide powders synthesized from a sulfate process were investigated. The targeted end-use of this powder was for a de-NOx catalyst honeycomb monolith. Alteration of synthesis parameters had resulted principally in differences in soluble ion level and specific surface area of the powders. The goal of this investigation was to understand the role of synthesis parameters in the aggregation behavior of these powders. Investigation via scanning electron microscopy of the powders revealed three different aggregation iterations at specific length scales. Secondary and higher order aggregate strength was investigated via oscillatory stress rheometry as a means of simulating shear conditions encountered during extrusion. G' and G'' were measured as a function of the applied oscillatory stress. Oscillatory rheometry indicated a strong variation as a function of the sulfate level of the particles in the viscoelastic yield strengths. Powder yield stresses ranged from 3.0 Pa to 24.0 Pa of oscillatory stress. Compaction curves to 750 MPa found strong similarities in extrapolated yield point of stage I and II compaction for each of the powders (at approximately 500 MPa) suggesting that the variation in sulfate was greatest above the primary aggregate level. Scanning electron microscopy of samples at different states of shear in oscillatory rheometry confirmed the variation in the linear elastic region and the viscous flow regime. A technique of this investigation was to approach aggregation via a novel perspective: aggregates are distinguished as being loose open structures that are highly disordered and stochastic in nature. The methodology used was to investigate the shear stresses required to rupture the various aggregation stages encountered and investigate the attempt to realign the now free-flowing constituents comprising the aggregate into a denser configuration. Mercury porosimetry was utilized to measure the pore size of the compact resulting from compaction via dry pressing and tape casting secondary scale aggregates. Mercury porosimetry of tapes cast at 0.85 and 9.09 cm/sec exhibited pore sizes ranging from 200-500 nm suggesting packing of intact micron-sized primary aggregates. Porosimetry further showed that this peak was absent in pressed pellets corroborating arguments of ruptured primary aggregates during compaction to 750 MPa.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical references (p. 166-170)

    Parallelizing Unstructured Sparse Matrix Computations on Large-Scale Multiprocessors

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    Problems in the class of unstructured sparse matrix computations are characterized by highly irregular dependencies and communication patterns that are not known at compile-time, but can be completely determined at run-time before the computations are actually performed. For this class of problems, current parallelizing compilers are unable to produce efficient code on large-scale distributed memory MIMD multiprocessors, and manual techniques are inflexible and too ad hoc to be generally effective. In this thesis, we propose a run-time automatic partitioning and scheduling methodology for unstructured sparse matrix computations on large-scale multiprocessors. Our methodology is based on extracting information from the problem instance by preprocessing its symbolic structure, and using this information to achieve high performance in repeated iterations of the computations during which the symbolic structure is unchanged. We present efficient software tools to help users build their parallelization system by following this methodology. We demonstrate the efficacy of our methodology on sparse Cholesky factorization, which has historically proven to be hard to parallelize. The highlight of our approach is a new two-dimensional block partitioning scheme. We build a run-time parallel system for block sparse Cholesky factorization called Sparse Hybrid Automatic Parallelization Environment (SHAPE), consisting of a parallel partitioner, a parallel scheduler and a parallel communication optimization algorithm. These are modular tools tied together by an explicit representation for block-based unstructured computations. We employ SHAPE to carry out an extensive experimental study of sparse Cholesky factorization on the iPSC/860. The experimental results show that with a judicious choice of partitioning parameters, our block-based partitioning and scheduling method outperforms a well-known column-based method in delivering high performance on a variety of structured and unstructured matrices. The preprocessing itself is shown to be very efficient, its cost being recovered in a small number of iterations of the factorization. Our methodology and tools may be used to parallelize other unstructured sparse matrix computations for which the same symbolic structure is used in several iterations of the computations. Such computations include sparse triangular solution and sparse matrix-vector multiplication.Technical report DCS-TR-30

    SHAPE: A Parallelization Tool for Sparse Matrix Computations

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    We describe the design, implementation and performance of a Sparse Hybrid Automatic Parallelization Environment (SHAPE). SHAPE partitions and schedules sparse matrix computations for Cholesky factorization with the goal of achieving good performance at low cost, while providing flexibility for use as an experimental tool. It employs efficient parallelization algorithms which reduce the communication cost without adversely affecting the load balance by using a hybrid mixture of column and block partitions. Through several parameters, SHAPE aims for portability across a diverse range of sparse matrix structures and message-passing multiprocessors with different communication cost parameters. We present preliminary timing results on the iPSC/860 and compare the performance of SHAPE with that of a commonly used column-based method. The results show that SHAPE significantly reduces computation time, number of messages, and overall communication time for a variety of test matrices.Technical report dcs-tr-29

    Supplementation of (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) Fenugreek Leaves Stimulates the Insulin Action in Streptozotocin- Induced Diabetic Rats

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    Trigonella foenum-graecum (Fenugreek) leaves exhibit antidiabetic and antioxidant properties. The present study was designed to elucidate the insulin stimulatory effect on supplementation of fenugreek leaves in streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats. Supplementation of fenugreek leaves mixed with diet at doses of 0.5g and 1.0g/kg of body weight twice daily to diabetic rats for a period of 45days resulted in change in bodyweight, increase in weight of pancreas, enhances the insulin levels and a significant decrease in fasting blood glucose levels. Histopathological observations showed marked changes of the pancreas in treatment with the fenugreek leaves improved the functional state of the pancreatic β-cells and partially retained the damage caused by streptozotocin to the pancreatic islets. These findings of our study clearly indicate the insulin stimulatory effect of fenugreek leaves. The effect observed with the fenugreek leaves was better than that of glibenclamide (600 µg/kg bodyweight). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------1Reader, Department of Biochemistry, Sathyabama University Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India2Director of Research, Ex-Dean of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Annamalai University, Chidambaram*Corresponding author, Email: [email protected], Ph: +91-44- 24503064, Mob: +91-9244488676Cite This Article As:Annida Balakrishnan and Venugopal. P. Menon. 2010. Supplementation of (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) Fenugreek Leaves Stimulates the Insulin Action in Streptozotocin- Induced Diabetic Rats. J. Ecobiotechnol. 2(3): 26-32

    Are We Hearing Right? The Negative Impact of New SARS-CoV-2 Preventive Measures and Prolonged Use of Treatment Modalities during Orthodontic Treatment

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    Since the dental treatment involves the use of various instruments and machines, there is ample presence of both distracting as well as destructive noise, and these are defined based on various parameters. With an increase in safety measures incorporated into dental practices, such as extra-oral suction devices and respirators, there has also been a corresponding rise in noise levels usually present in a clinic. Previous clinical experiments and trials have shown that the noise in a dental office can permanently bring about hearing damage. In addition to this, working with added safety measures during the pandemic, such as the use of personal protective equipment, respirators, and face shields can decrease operator efficiency and the ability to communicate normally. Dentistry has already been demonstrated to be one of the most hazardous occupations because of the high risk of infections. An Orthodontist must protect their eyes and mouth from potentially hazardous situations and the ears to prevent hearing damage

    A Novel Temporary Anchorage Device Aided Sectional Mechanics for Simultaneous Orthodontic Retraction and Intrusion

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    Closing spaces on light wires with inadequate knowledge and inappropriate mechanics can cause a “roller coaster” effect leading to an improper occlusion. Current knowledge of biomechanics, along with the incorporation of TADs, has made this process less challenging and more predictable. Resistance to sliding is considered the most prominent inhibitor of space closure in archwire-guided space closure or sliding mechanics, in turn delaying treatment duration considerably. In our case, resistance to sliding, primarily binding of the wire in the bracket slot, was nullified with the use of loop and sectional mechanics. This case report is aimed at showcasing the successful treatment of a young lady with a novel clinical setup to retract the canines into the premolar extraction space and simultaneously retract and intrude the anterior segment using sectional archwires and TADs in just under nine months. The current setup with sectional wires and TADs produced an uprighting, and an intrusive effect on the upper incisors during space closure. Additionally, the anchorage design avoided any significant change in the vertical dimension during sagittal correction of the Class II malocclusion. The occlusal plane remained almost stable with good amount of uprighting of the lower incisors following lower space closure too. The use of good biomechanical principles helped us achieve all the treatment goals and objectives in a very short period of time

    Impacts of physical calibration of a spectral wave model and effects of using different temporal wind inputs

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    Spectral wave modelling can reduce uncertainties in the estimation of wave energy resource assessment, converter design, extreme value analysis, etc. In spectral models, wave growth is represented with different approaches, resulting in wave resource assessments having large differences especially at high wave values. In this paper a modified version of the North Sea Wave Database is used to quantify the impact of wind temporal fidelity on the wind growth components. The Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN) model has been modified, with two different wind inputs used from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). Results are compared with in-situ measurements an inter-comparison for 20 years (1980-1999). Differences are found on mean and maxima values of wave parameters, with little changes in directionality. However, higher temporal resolution of the wind does not mean always a better hindcast, in fact attention to the calibration of wind-wave growth interactions and whitecaps leads to similar results. Finally, the high fidelity hindcasts are compared, identifying limitations and opportunities for improvements in wave energy assessments.Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Offshore Engineerin
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