214 research outputs found
Book Review: "Mystic Echoes: Stories Rooted in Sikh Spiritual Realms" (Book Author: Dr. Devinder Pal Singh; Book Reviewer: Prof. Hardev Singh Virk)
No full textDr. Devinder Pal (DP) Singh joined the Physics Department in 1983 as an Ad-hoc Lecturer to teach Physics and complete his doctorate degree in Physics (Acoustics). I found him as a dedicated teacher and researcher. Upon moving to Canada as an immigrant, he initiated a new venture, the “Center for Understanding Sikhism”. A similar organization, the “Institute for Understanding Sikhism,” was established in 1999 by Dr. D. S. Chahal in Montreal. I was perplexed as to why a hardcore physicist was meddling in Sikhism. My curiosity was satisfied after reviewing his book, “Science and Sikhism: Conflict or Coherence.” I started rating him as one of the greatest exponents of Sikhism (Sikhi) in the modern age.
The Foreword “A Sacred Mirror: Seeing Ourselves Through Sikh Narratives” is by Bhai Harbans Lal, Ph.D., D. Litt (Hons). Bhai Lal appreciates the technique used by D. P. Singh: “It brings the living essence of Gurbani into our day-to-day existence. These are not abstract theological exercises, nor are they simply nostalgic tales of rural life. Instead, they are powerful spiritual parables, immersive narratives that reveal how the universal truths embedded in Sikh teachings manifest in the hearts, struggles, and transformations of everyday people”.
The author introduces his UNIQUE work in the Preface “Bridging the Temporal and the Timeless” as follows: “The stories in Mystic Echoes: Stories Rooted in Sikh Spiritual Realms emerge from the convergence of profound spiritual reflection, lived experience, and the enduring resonance of Sikh philosophy. They are not merely works of fiction, but narrative expressions of spiritual truths rooted in the teachings of the Sikh Gurus”. Further, D. P. Singh explains the relevance and importance of chosen topics: “Each story in Mystic Echoes is an attempt to explore a specific spiritual theme from within the Sikh tradition: Naam (Divine Name), Hukam (Divine Order), Haumai (Ego), Maya (Worldly Illusion), Raza (Divine Will), Sunn (Primal Void), Sahaj (Equilibrium), Bhaau and Bhae (Devotional Love and Reverent Fear), Nadar (Grace), Wismad (Wondrous Bliss), Anhad Naad (Unstruck Melody), Chautha Pad (Fourth State), Dasam Duar (Tenth Gate), Panj Tat (Five classical elements), and Daya (Compassion) among others
Book Review: "Mystic Echoes: Stories Rooted in Sikh Spiritual Realms" (Book Author: Dr. Devinder Pal Singh; Book Reviewer: Prof. Hardev Singh Virk)
No full textDr. Devinder Pal (DP) Singh joined the Physics Department in 1983 as an Ad-hoc Lecturer to teach Physics and complete his doctorate degree in Physics (Acoustics). I found him as a dedicated teacher and researcher. Upon moving to Canada as an immigrant, he initiated a new venture, the “Center for Understanding Sikhism”. A similar organization, the “Institute for Understanding Sikhism,” was established in 1999 by Dr. D. S. Chahal in Montreal. I was perplexed as to why a hardcore physicist was meddling in Sikhism. My curiosity was satisfied after reviewing his book, “Science and Sikhism: Conflict or Coherence.” I started rating him as one of the greatest exponents of Sikhism (Sikhi) in the modern age.
The Foreword “A Sacred Mirror: Seeing Ourselves Through Sikh Narratives” is by Bhai Harbans Lal, Ph.D., D. Litt (Hons). Bhai Lal appreciates the technique used by D. P. Singh: “It brings the living essence of Gurbani into our day-to-day existence. These are not abstract theological exercises, nor are they simply nostalgic tales of rural life. Instead, they are powerful spiritual parables, immersive narratives that reveal how the universal truths embedded in Sikh teachings manifest in the hearts, struggles, and transformations of everyday people”.
The author introduces his UNIQUE work in the Preface “Bridging the Temporal and the Timeless” as follows: “The stories in Mystic Echoes: Stories Rooted in Sikh Spiritual Realms emerge from the convergence of profound spiritual reflection, lived experience, and the enduring resonance of Sikh philosophy. They are not merely works of fiction, but narrative expressions of spiritual truths rooted in the teachings of the Sikh Gurus”. Further, D. P. Singh explains the relevance and importance of chosen topics: “Each story in Mystic Echoes is an attempt to explore a specific spiritual theme from within the Sikh tradition: Naam (Divine Name), Hukam (Divine Order), Haumai (Ego), Maya (Worldly Illusion), Raza (Divine Will), Sunn (Primal Void), Sahaj (Equilibrium), Bhaau and Bhae (Devotional Love and Reverent Fear), Nadar (Grace), Wismad (Wondrous Bliss), Anhad Naad (Unstruck Melody), Chautha Pad (Fourth State), Dasam Duar (Tenth Gate), Panj Tat (Five classical elements), and Daya (Compassion) among others
Professor Puran Singh: Scientist, Poet and Philosopher
No full textProfessor Puran Singh, a unique synthesis of a poet, philosopher and scientist, rose like a celestial star on the firmament of modern Indian literature. The many splendored personality of this great chemist, mystic poet, visionary and interpreter of the Sikh cultural consciousness still beckons scholars to explore the extent of his vision in various fields. After a splendid in-depth study of the Life and Work of Puran Singh, Dr. Hardev Singh Virk has made a successful attempt to unravel the persona of this multi-dimensional genius in his book titled 'Professor Puran Singh - Scientist, Poet and Philosopher.'
The book is an anthology of 11 essays - 7 in English and 4 in Punjabi. In the 'Introduction to the book, the author traces a brief history of the kindling of his interest in the 'Life and Works of Puran Singh.' Then he articulates the purpose of the book to elaborate the ideas of this eminent scholar through different mediums to reach a wider audience. Dr. Virk stresses that poetic and other literary works of Puran Singh are of International standards and worth a Nobel Prize in literature. Still, sadly these works have not been adequately projected at the world forum
Understanding Anand - A Book Review (Book Author: Dr. Karminder Singh Dhillon)
No full textDr. Karminder Singh Dhillon is a much-acclaimed theologian, a renowned civil servant, a prolific writer and a profound
scholar of comparative religious studies. Born in 1960 at Teluk Anson, Perak, Malaysia, he retired after 32 years long
professional career in the Malaysian Civil Service. His incisive articles on Sikh theology have been regularly published in
various international journals. Currently serving as Joint Editor for the Sikh Bulletin, USA, he, with his exceptional writing style, has established himself as an eminent exponent of the Sikh doctrines. In addition, he has published about one dozen books on various aspects of Sikhi.
Dr. Dhillon’s book 'Understanding Anand' explores the Spirituality of Bliss as outlined in 'Anand,' a composition by Guru Amar Das, the third Sikh Guru, and enshrined in Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS) on pages 917-922, in Ramkali Raag. He emphasizes that Gurbani advocates a spirituality of Fearlessness and Contentment leading to Anand (bliss and Joy). He laments that our clergy is intent on promoting the Spirituality of Fear and the Spirituality of Asking, which is the antithesis of what Gurbani stands for. He enunciates that Gurbani's spiritually brilliant and divinely genius messages lead to Vigaas, the Spirituality of Bliss and Joy (Anand). In 'Foreword' of the book, Gyani Jarnail Singh Arshi points out that the translation methodology adopted by the author makes the messages of Anand hymns free from literal translation trends as well as snatan, vedic and yogic slants. The book includes three 'Introductory Essays,' i.e. (i)The Spirituality of Anand, (ii) The Methodology of This Book, and (iii) How to Read This Book. The book's last section elaborates on the Anand composition
Understanding Anand - A Book Review (Book Author: Dr. Karminder Singh Dhillon)
No full textDr. Karminder Singh Dhillon is a much-acclaimed theologian, a renowned civil servant, a prolific writer and a profound
scholar of comparative religious studies. Born in 1960 at Teluk Anson, Perak, Malaysia, he retired after 32 years long
professional career in the Malaysian Civil Service. His incisive articles on Sikh theology have been regularly published in
various international journals. Currently serving as Joint Editor for the Sikh Bulletin, USA, he, with his exceptional writing style, has established himself as an eminent exponent of the Sikh doctrines. In addition, he has published about one dozen books on various aspects of Sikhi.
Dr. Dhillon’s book 'Understanding Anand' explores the Spirituality of Bliss as outlined in 'Anand,' a composition by Guru Amar Das, the third Sikh Guru, and enshrined in Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS) on pages 917-922, in Ramkali Raag. He emphasizes that Gurbani advocates a spirituality of Fearlessness and Contentment leading to Anand (bliss and Joy). He laments that our clergy is intent on promoting the Spirituality of Fear and the Spirituality of Asking, which is the antithesis of what Gurbani stands for. He enunciates that Gurbani's spiritually brilliant and divinely genius messages lead to Vigaas, the Spirituality of Bliss and Joy (Anand). In 'Foreword' of the book, Gyani Jarnail Singh Arshi points out that the translation methodology adopted by the author makes the messages of Anand hymns free from literal translation trends as well as snatan, vedic and yogic slants. The book includes three 'Introductory Essays,' i.e. (i)The Spirituality of Anand, (ii) The Methodology of This Book, and (iii) How to Read This Book. The book's last section elaborates on the Anand composition
Effect of pristine graphene incorporation on charge storage mechanism of three-dimensional graphene oxide: superior energy and power density retention
No full textIn the race of gaining higher energy density, carbon's capacity to retain power density is generally lost due to defect incorporation and resistance increment in carbon electrode. Herein, a relationship between charge carrier density/charge movement and supercapacitance performance is established. For this purpose we have incorporated the most defect-free pristine graphene into defective/sacrificial graphene oxide. A unique co-solvent-based technique is applied to get a homogeneous suspension of single to bi-layer graphene and graphene oxide. This suspension is then transformed into a 3D composite structure of pristine graphene sheets (GSs) and defective N-doped reduced graphene oxide (N-RGO), which is the first stable and homogenous 3D composite between GS and RGO to the best of our knowledge. It is found that incorporation of pristine graphene can drastically decrease defect density and thus decrease relaxation time due to improved associations between electrons in GS and ions in electrolyte. Furthermore, N doping is implemented selectively only on RGO and such doping is shown to improve the charge carrier density of the composite, which eventually improves the energy density. After all, the novel 3D composite structure of N-RGO and GS greatly improves energy and power density even at high current density (20 A/g). © The Author(s) 2016.1
Ecological Niche Modeling and Local Knowledge Predict New Populations of \u3cem\u3eGymnocladus assamicus\u3c/em\u3e a Critically Endangered Tree Species
No full textGymnocladus assamicus is a critically endangered tree species endemic to northeastern India. Local inhabitants traditionally used this species for a variety of purposes. However, rapid population declines led to the species being considered extinct, until fieldwork in 2004 to 2007 identified 14 discrete populations of 1 to 7 trees each. To overcome constraints on field surveys imposed by the region’s remoteness and rugged terrain, we targeted areas of further field inventories by estimating the potential distribution of the species. Ecological niche modeling enabled us to identify 26 sites which the model predicted to be highly suitable for the species’ occurrence. We conducted rapid field surveys at 14 of the most accessible of these predicted sites. New populations were discovered at 5 of the 14 surveyed sites. In the remaining 12 less accessible sites, we interviewed residents from nearby villages and obtained indirect evidence of populations at 5 additional sites, which remain to be confirmed by direct field observations. This study demonstrates the utility of niche modeling as a tool for locating new populations of rare and endangered species. Our results will enhance ongoing efforts towards in situ conservation of this endangered species
Distribution system state estimation through Gaussian mixture model of the load as pseudo-measurement
No full textThis study presents an approach to utilise the loads as pseudo-measurements for the purpose of distribution system state estimation (DSSE). The load probability density function (pdf) in the distribution network shows a number of variations at different nodes and cannot be represented by any specific distribution. The approach presented in this study represents all the load pdfs through the Gaussian mixture model (GMM). The expectation maximisation (EM) algorithm is used to obtain the parameters of the mixture components. The standard weighted least squares (WLS) algorithm utilises these load models as pseudo-measurements. The effectiveness of WLS is assessed through some statistical measures such as bias, consistency and quality of the estimates in a 95-bus generic distribution network model. © 2009 © The Institution of Engineering and Technology.Abur A., 2004, POWER SYSTEM STATE E; ANDERSON TW, 1966, INTRO MULTIVARIATE S; [Anonymous], MATLAB STAT TOOLBOX; BARAN ME, 1995, IEEE T POWER SYST, V10, P483, DOI 10.1109-59.373974; BILMES J.A., 1998, ICSITR97021; Blackman S.S., 1986, MULTIPLE TARGET TRAC; Celik M. K., 1999, P IEEE PES 1999 WINT, V1, P442; DEMPSTER AP, 1977, J ROY STAT SOC B MET, V39, P1; FREEDMAN D, 1981, Z WAHRSCHEINLICHKEIT, V57, P453, DOI 10.1007-BF01025868; Gauvrit H, 1997, IEEE T AERO ELEC SYS, V33, P1242, DOI 10.1109-7.625121; Ghosh AK, 1997, IEEE T POWER SYST, V12, P45, DOI 10.1109-59.574922; Jabr RA, 2004, IEE P-GENER TRANSM D, V151, P103, DOI 10.1049-ip-gtd:20040030; Kehtarnavaz N, 1998, PATTERN RECOGN LETT, V19, P133, DOI 10.1016-S0167-8655(97)00173-6; Lewis F. L., 1986, OPTIMAL ESTIMATION; Li K, 1996, IEEE T POWER SYST, V11, P911; Lin WM, 1996, IEE P-GENER TRANSM D, V143, P43, DOI 10.1049-ip-gtd:19960049; LU CN, 1995, IEEE T POWER SYST, V10, P229, DOI 10.1109-59.373946; Lubkeman DL, 2000, IEEE T POWER DELIVER, V15, P399, DOI 10.1109-61.847280; Mardia K. V., 1979, MULTIVARIATE ANAL; MCLACHLAN GJ, 1988, MIXTURE MODELS INTER; REDNER RA, 1984, SIAM REV, V26, P195, DOI 10.1137-1026034; ROYTELMAN I, 1993, IEEE T POWER DELIVER, V8, P2009, DOI 10.1109-61.248315; Salmond D. J., 1988, 88004 ROYAL AER EST; Seppala A., 1995, P INT C EMPD NOV 21, V2, P696, DOI 10.1109-EMPD.1995.500813; Silverman B.W., 1986, DENSITY ESTIMATION S; Singh R, 2009, IEEE T POWER SYST, V24, P668, DOI 10.1109-TPWRS.2009.2016457; Singh R, 2009, IET GENER TRANSM DIS, V3, P666, DOI 10.1049-iet-gtd.2008.0485; Wang YW, 2004, J INORG MATER, V19, P129201
Meter placement for distribution system state estimation: An ordinal optimization approach
No full textThis paper addresses the problem of meter placement for distribution system state estimation (DSSE). The approach taken is to seek a set of meter locations that minimizes the probability that the peak value of the relative errors in voltage magnitudes and angle estimates across the network exceeds a specified threshold. The proposed technique is based on ordinal optimization and employs exact calculations of the probabilities involved, rather than estimates of these probabilities as used in our earlier work. The use of ordinal optimization leads to a decrease in computational effort without compromising the quality of the solution. The benefits of the approach in terms of reduced estimation errors is illustrated by simulations involving a 95-bus UKGDS distribution network model. © 2006 IEEE.Abur A., 2004, POWER SYSTEM STATE E; [Anonymous], MATLAB STAT TOOLBOX; Gou B, 2001, IEEE T POWER SYST, V16, P819; HO YC, 1994, IEEE T AUTOMAT CONTR, V39, P1025; Ho Y.-C., 2007, ORDINAL OPTIMIZATION; Jabr RA, 2009, IET GENER TRANSM DIS, V3, P713, DOI 10.1049-iet-gtd.2009.0019; Lau TWE, 1997, J OPTIMIZ THEORY APP, V93, P455, DOI 10.1023-A:1022614327007; Lewis F. L., 1986, OPTIMAL ESTIMATION; Li K, 1996, IEEE T POWER SYST, V11, P911; MONTICELLI A, 1985, IEEE T POWER AP SYST, V104, P1035, DOI 10.1109-TPAS.1985.323453; Rakpenthai C, 2007, IEEE T POWER DELIVER, V22, P101, DOI 10.1109-TPWRD.2006.881425; Singh R, 2009, IEEE T POWER SYST, V24, P668, DOI 10.1109-TPWRS.2009.2016457; Singh R, 2009, IET GENER TRANSM DIS, V3, P666, DOI 10.1049-iet-gtd.2008.0485; UK Generic Distribution System, UK GENERIC DISTRIBUT; Wang HB, 2004, IEEE T POWER SYST, V19, P207, DOI 10.1109-TPWRS.2003.8214261712
My Journey in Science (Autobiography of An Indian Scientist): Book Review
No full textAutobiographical books of Punjabi Scientists are a rare genre. "My Journey In Science" by internationally acclaimed scientist Professor Hardev Singh Virk is a welcome addition to this category. Prof. Hardev Singh Virk, a multifaceted personality, is an eminent Physicist, an ardent researcher, an eloquent orator, a passionate poet, and a globe trotter. In addition, he is a devout Sikh, a renowned Sikh theologian, and a prolific writer in many areas of Science, Religion, and Literature.
On reading “Up Against Odds”, the autobiography of Piara Singh Gill, a world-famous Physicist, Professor Virk was motivated to write his autobiography “Mera Jeevan Safar” in Punjabi. Later, the book was transliterated in Shahmukhi and published as an e-book by the Academy of Punjab in North America. In addition, for the benefit of young people, who are born and brought up in the West, and are not well versed in the Punjabi language, Professor Virk took the arduous task of publishing his autobiography in English. His autobiography titled "My Journey In Science" with a sub-title: "Autobiography of an Indian Scientist" contains a lot more detail about his scientific endeavors, as compared to its Punjabi version.
The purpose of "My Journey In Science" is to inspire the younger generation to pursue their chosen fields of study, with full dedication against all odds. This ensues from the fact that he has dedicated it to his grandchildren, who inspired him to write this book. Additionally, the author uses the forum to express his extreme gratitude to all the mothers, the teachers, and the seekers of Truth, who inspired him in his life journey, by dedicating it to them as well
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