13 research outputs found
Learning from Afghanistan: The Futility of Occupation in Nation-Building
No full textThis article explores the challenges and failures of nation-building under occupation Amidst an active warfare, using Afghanistan as a critical case study. Over two decades, the US-led intervention sought to establish stability and democracy but ultimately faltered due to misaligned strategies and systemic flaws. Efforts to impose Western governance structures clashed with Afghanistan’s deeply rooted tribal and cultural norms, fueling resistance and eroding legitimacy. The article identifies key shortcomings, including the neglect of local agency, cultural insensitivity, over-reliance on military solutions, and the perpetuation of dependency and corruption. It argues that nation-building by occupying forces is inherently flawed without prioritizing local ownership, cultural alignment, and respect for sovereignty. Drawing on lessons from Afghanistan, the article advocates for a localized and culturally adaptive approach to governance, emphasizing long-term commitment and integrated development strategies. These findings provide critical insights for rethinking international interventions and fostering sustainable, locally driven nation-building efforts
Author details
No full textAuthor details for the article titled 'A prospective study on health-seeking behavior and post exposure prophylaxis received by animal bite victims at an anti-rabies clinic in a tertiary care center in urban Bangalore'</p
Black Widow and Black Tigress: Understanding the Female Suicide Attackers from Russia and Sri Lanka
No full textThe phenomenon of female suicide attackers has introduced a new dimension to the landscape of terrorism, challenging traditional perceptions of gender roles and motivations within extremist activities. This article delves into the complex biographies of female suicide attackers in two different geopolitical settings: Sri Lanka and Russia. Women have been prominently involved in suicide attacks in Russia, in which it is closely related to Chechen conflict and during the Tamil insurgency for establishing independent state, Sri Lanka has also seen instances of female suicide attackers. To understand why some women are drawn into these acts of violence, it is essential to comprehend the radicalization process, grievances, and recruitment strategies in this area. This article aims to shed light on the multifaceted nature of this important issue by exploring the intricate web of factors that motivate women to engage in suicide terrorism and the wider societal implications of their involvement
MNDB: An Integrated Database for Comprehensive Exploration of the N6-Methyladenosine Methylome
No full textThe author has granted permission for their work to be available to the general public.The N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is recognized to have an important function incontrolling a variety of biological processes. This thesis introduces MNDB(Methyltranscriptome
Network DataBase), a sophisticated database with a web interface that provides researchers with
the ability to query N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification sites by specific cell lines or tissue
types, as well as differential methylation sites. We also constructed a novel pipeline that enabled
us to compile millions of peaks from publicly available m6A-seq and MeRIP-seq data, covering
numerous cell lines or tissues in various organisms. The MNDB web interface and genome browser
provide an intuitive and visually appealing platform for exploring and analyzing the data, offering
enhanced usability, functionality, and informativeness. Researchers can use this resource to obtain
comprehensive insights into N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification data, enabling them to make
informed decisions and advance their research. The research demonstrates the potential of the
advanced pipeline for studying the complex regulatory functions of N6-methyladenosine (m6A)
modification and provides a valuable resource for the scientific community. The MNDB database
is available for anyone to access and use.Electrical and Computer Engineerin
Real Time Suppression of Howling Noise in Public Address System
No full textAbstractHowling noise is a common phenomenon in a public address system. It is built up due to the acoustic coupling between the speaker system and the microphone when it creates a positive feedback. Real time implementation of howling noise detection and suppression was implemented using TMS320C6713 DSK starter kit. The whole implementation was done based on direct memory access (DMA) feature of the DSP processor. The method uses the properties of howling noise for efficient detection and has the advantage of suppressing the noise. Howling detection is performed based on spectral flatness measure (SFM) of each input speech frame. For frames without howling, the input is passed as such to the output. Howling suppression is performed by making output samples as zero if the presence of howling noise is detected
A Review on Challenges in DC Microgrid Planning and Implementation
No full textDC microgrids are gaining more attention with the increased penetration of various DC sources such as solar photovoltaic systems, fuel cells, batteries, etc., and DC loads. Due to the rapid integration of these components into the existing power system, the importance of DC microgrids has reached a salient point. Compared with conventional AC systems, DC systems are free from synchronization issues, reactive power control, frequency control, etc., and are more reliable and efficient. However, many challenges need to be addressed for utilizing DC power to its full potential. The absence of natural current zero is a significant issue in protecting DC systems. In addition, the stability of the DC microgrid, which relies on inertia, needs to be considered during system design. Moreover, power quality and communication issues are also significant challenges in DC microgrids. This paper presents a review of various value streams of DC microgrids including architectures, protection schemes, power quality, inertia, communication, and economic operation. In addition, comparisons between different microgrid configurations, the state-of-the-art projects of DC microgrid, and future trends are also set forth for further studies
Act of Altruism in Nicola Davies’ Whale Boy
No full textEco-consciousness deals with the concern of human beings towards nature. Nature protects humans in all
aspects unless they harm them. This act of selflessness is referred to as “altruism” in literature. Altruism
is the literary term describing humanity or kindness. The kind behaviour of nature is characterised as a
non-profitable aid to humans. There won't be any expectations, yet kindness will be expressed in a
natural way. According to ethology, altruistic behaviour can be found in humans and animals. It is
merely distinguished as a kinship between the two different groups. The novel Whale Boy deals with the
behavioural attitudes of a whale and a boy. Nicola Davies, an English zoologist and author, described the
kind behaviour of a wild creature towards humans. The novel centers on Michael Fontaine, a young boy
who wants to go whale-watching and fishing in the deep ocean off the coast of his island. Nicola Davis
focuses on marine wildlife and the issue of whaling and conservation. This article relates to the
relationship between Michael and the whale. Thus, through the act of altruism, the article attempts to
reflect the kinship between whales and humans
Laser processing in liquids: insights into nanocolloid generation and thin film integration for energy, photonic, and sensing applications
No full textNanoparticles in their pure colloidal form synthesized by laser-assisted processes such as laser ablation/fragmentation/irradiation/melting in liquids have attained much interest from the scientific community because of their specialties like facile synthesis, ultra-high purity, biocompatibility, colloidal stability in addition to other benefits like tunable size and morphology, crystalline phases, new compounds and alloys, and defect engineering. These nanocolloids are useful for fabricating different devices mainly with applications in optoelectronics, catalysis, sensors, photodetectors, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates, and solar cells. In this review article, we describe different methods of nanocolloidal synthesis using laser-assisted processes and corresponding thin film fabrication methods, particularly those utilized for device fabrication and characterization. The four sections start with an introduction to the common laser-assisted synthesis for nanocolloids and different methods of thin film fabrication using these nanocolloids followed by devices fabricated and characterized for applications including photovoltaics, photodetectors, catalysis, photocatalysis, electrochemical/photoelectrochemical sensors, hydrogen/oxygen evolution, SERS sensors and other types of devices reported so far. The last section explains the challenges and further scope of these devices from laser-generated nanocolloids
Errata: Initial results of imaging melanoma metastasis in resected human lymph nodes using photoacoustic computed tomography
No full textChanges have been made to this article. See the full text for a description of the changes.This article [J. Biomed. Opt. 16, 096021 (2011)] was originally published online on 23 September 2011 an error in the author list. A middle initial has been added to the author Michel W. Wouters, as it appears above. The article was corrected on 27 October 2011
JCTR Bulletin 2nd Quarter 2019
No full textLike in our previous issue of JCTR Bulletin, we are once again blessed with articles traversing a wide range of issues. We encourage JCTR readers to take time to read all seven articles presented in this issue of JCTR Bulletin. They are all loaded with very enriching and stimulating ideas. We take liberty to share some highlights of three of the articles in this issue of JCTR Bulletin to whet your appetite to read all the articles from cover to cover.
The first article by Fr. Michael Kelly, S.J. addresses the issue of hunger and food security. The author challenges us to find creative and ethically correct ways of responding to the food and nutrition needs of hungry people across the world. Faced with the growing numbers of people who go to bed hungry each night, each country is called to make food security a dominant national priority in order to give our brothers and sisters who are hungry something to eat.
The second article by Temple Anuforo, S.J. addresses the issue of genetically modified seeds. He exposes the folly of the pro-GMO camp who argue that given the changes in the world, there is no way to assure food security and a robust agricultural economy without turning to bio-technology. He does not only underscore the importance of precautionary principle advanced by the anti-GMO camp, which argues that in the face of uncertainty about a biological technology, it is better to err on the side of caution, but he also goes further to make a case that GMO seeds in themselves, even if they were not biologically toxic, still embody a form of extractive and unjust agricultural economics that denies farmers and the general population of the inherent rights to seed varieties.
The author argues that GMO seeds do not solve the problem of providing for the growing population because GMO technologies do not preclude creation of an extractive economy around seeds, which in itself is reprehensible as it lacks moral, scientific and economic standing. The argument states that seed is not a commodity; it is an integral ecological or covenant good. Like air and water, seed is a shared “democratic commons” or “covenant good” of human beings, which cannot be privatized without concomitantly creating situations of injustice, poverty and even slavery.
The third article by Bro. Jithin Jose Kalan, CMI, addresses the issue of migration. He argues that migration is an ageless human reality that could be defined as a natural behaviour of human beings. Migration is an unavoidable phenomenon in the contemporary world, and it has been part and parcel of the society we live in. The number of people who can no longer live in their homeland for political, social, economic and religious reasons is increasing. Given that Christianity itself has its root in a migrant background (the story of Abraham, Israel, and of Jesus), it follows that as Christians we must have concern for immigrants and refugees. The experiences of immigrants and refugees, especially their experiences of loneliness and despair present us with an opportunity to witness our faith in a very concrete way in the manner that we treat and relate with our brothers and sisters who are immigrants and refugees.Like in our previous issue of JCTR Bulletin, we are once again blessed with articles traversing a wide range of issues. We encourage JCTR readers to take time to read all seven articles presented in this issue of JCTR Bulletin. They are all loaded with very enriching and stimulating ideas. We take liberty to share some highlights of three of the articles in this issue of JCTR Bulletin to whet your appetite to read all the articles from cover to cov
