Towards Mapping Competencies through Learning Analytics: Real-time Competency Assessment for Career Direction through Interactive Simulation

Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 201, pp. 1-13

Gender Based Within-Household Inequality in Childhood Immunization in India: Changes over Time and across Regions

Background and Objectives: Despite India’s substantial economic growth in the past two decades, girls in India are discriminated against in access to preventive healthcare including immunizations. Surprisingly, no study has assessed the contribution of gender based within-household discrimination to the overall inequality in immunization status of Indian children. This study therefore has two objectives: to estimate the gender based within-household inequality (GWHI) in immunization status of Indian children and to examine the inter-regional and inter-temporal variations in the GWHI. Data and Methods: The present study used households with a pair of male-female siblings (aged 1–5 years) from two rounds of National Family Health Survey (NFHS, 1992–93 and 2005–06). The overall inequality in the immunization status (after controlling for age and birth order) of children was decomposed into within-households and between-households components using Mean log deviation to obtain the GWHI component. The analysis was conducted at the all-India level as well as for six specified geographical regions and at two time points (1992–93 and 2005–06). Household fixed-effects models for immunization status of children were also estimated. Results and Conclusions: Findings from household fixed effects analysis indicated that the immunization scores of girls were significantly lower than that of boys. The inequality decompositions revealed that, at the all-India level, the absolute level of GWHI in immunization status decreased from 0.035 in 1992–93 to 0.023 in 2005–06. However, as a percentage o

Spatial Income Inequality in India, 1993-2011: A District Level Decomposition

Using nationally representative household survey data, and district and state as two levels of aggregation, we examine role of individual and geographical factors in determining the level and the change in income inequality in India. We find that between-state income differences account for the majority of between-district income inequality in rural India in 2011. However, in urban India within-state income differences explain most of the between- district inequality in 2011. We also find that the between-district component accounts for one-third of the increase in total income inequality in rural India between 1993 and 2011. We find significantly smaller level of inequality but similar trends using the consumption expenditure data

Development and Optimization of a Novel Health Drink Comprising Seaweed, Algae, and Lab from Food Waste Origin: Chapter 13

Millet-based health beverages are gaining popularity as individuals increasingly seek nutritious and innovative alternatives to traditional drinks. These health drinks not only hold commercial viability but also boast notable therapeutic and nutritional attributes. This study specifically focused on crafting a novel fermented health drink utilizing proso millet as a foundational ingredient, complemented by seaweed and SCP for added nutrient supplementation and therapeutic potential. Proso millet, abundant in proteins, vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and polyphenols, stands out as a gluten-free option, catering to individual’s intolerant to gluten. Its high lecithin content contributes to neurological health. Seaweeds, particularly Sargassum sp., emerge as a noteworthy source of bioactive chemicals with potential health benefits, offering phenols and polysaccharides that aid in blood sugar and blood pressure regulation. The inherent antibacterial and antioxidant properties of Sargassum sp make it a promising therapeutic agent. Chlorella sp, a commercially produced unicellular green algae, is recognized worldwide as a nutritional supplement rich in minerals and vitamins, including D and B12.The health drink sample exhibited enhanced antimicrobial activity, and a detailed nutritional analysis revealed elevated protein content due to the inclusion of spirulina and chlorella spp. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) results highlighted a rich array of metabolites in the beverage, contributing to metabolic health. The synergistic combination of proso millet, seaweed, and chlorella presents a diverse range of nutritional benefits, offering a holistic approach to enhancing overall health and well-being for consumers

An exploration of vibration based damage detection techniques for composite materials

Structural damage monitoring is inevitable for the structures to perform during their intended service life adroitly. In the present review, literature related to techniques for diagnosing vibration-intensive damages have been evaluated in order to determine the material characteristics, such as stiffness and damping. Also, extensive review has been presented in the for damage detection in composite materials. The review encompasses the literature published in last 42 years, i.e., 1982 to 2024. The literature review is classified into sections as damage detection workflow, composite materials, damage detection techniques, and advanced damage detection techniques. The usage of strain energy, mode-shapes, waveform dimension, wavelet transform and updating finite element models in detection of damage are also discussed. Further, an overview of concepts, techniques, and advancement in vibration-induced damage detection are presented. The limitations of each technique are explained. An insight on advanced techniques and tools from genetic algorithm and artificial neural network regarding their employability to detect the damage is provided. This work portrays the damage detection methodologies

Current therapeutic applications and pharmacokinetic modulations of ivermectin

Ivermectin is considered to be a wonder drug due to its broad-spectrum antiparasitic activity against both ectoparasites and endoparasites (under class of endectocide) and has multiple applications in both veterinary and human medicine. In particular, ivermectin is commonly used in the treatment of different kinds of infections and infestations. By altering the vehicles used in the formulations, the pharmacokinetic properties of different ivermectin preparations can be altered. Since its development, various vehicles have been evaluated to assess the efficacy, safety, and therapeutic systemic concentrations of ivermectin in different species. A subcutaneous route of administration is preferred over a topical or an oral route for ivermectin due to superior bioavailability. Different formulations of ivermectin have been developed over the years, such as stabilized aqueous formulations, osmotic pumps, controlled release capsules, silicone carriers, zein microspheres, biodegradable microparticulate drug delivery systems, lipid nanocapsules, solid lipid nanoparticles, sustained-release ivermectin varnish, sustained-release ivermectin-loaded solid dispersion suspension, and biodegradable subcutaneous implants. However, several reports of ivermectin resistance have been identified in different parts of the world over the past few years. Continuous use of suboptimal formulations or sub-therapeutic plasma concentrations may predispose an individual to resistance toward ivermectin. The current research trend is focused toward the need for developing ivermectin formulations that are stable, effective, and safe and that reduce the number of doses required for complete clinical cure in different parasitic diseases. Therefore, single-dose long-acting preparations of ivermectin that provide effective therapeutic drug concentrations need to be developed and commercialized, which may revolutionize drug therapy and prophylaxis against various parasitic diseases in the near future. The present review highlights the current advances in pharmacokinetic modulation of ivermectin formulations and their potent therapeutic applications, issues related to emergence of ivermectin resistance, and future trends of ivermectin usage