Andhra University

Employee engagement is a vast construct that touches almost all parts of human resource management facets weknow hitherto. If every part of human resources is not addressed in appropriate manner, employees fail to fullyengage themselves in their job in the response to such kind of mismanagement. The construct employeeengagement is built on the foundation of earlier concepts like job satisfaction, employee commitment andOrganizational citizenship behaviour. Though it is related to and encompasses these concepts, employeeengagement is broader in scope. Employee engagement is stronger predictor of positive organizationalperformance clearly showing the two-way relationship between employer and employee compared to the threeearlier constructs: job satisfaction, employee commitment and organizational citizenship behaviour. Engagedemployees are emotionally attached to their organization and highly involved in their job with a great enthusiasmfor the success of their employer, going extra mile beyond the employment contractual agreement.

Let V be a connected, compact, differentiable Riemannian manifold. If V is not closed we denote its boundary by S . In terms of local coordinates ( x i ), i = 1, 2, … Ν, the line-element dr is given by where gik (x 1 , x 2 , … x N ) are the components of the metric tensor on V We denote by Δ the Beltrami-Laplace-Operator and we consider on V the differential equation (1) Δu + λu = 0.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles were synthesized using a simple precipitation method with zinc sulfate and sodium hydroxide as starting materials. The synthesized sample was calcined at different temperatures for 2 h. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) analysis. SEM images show various morphological changes of ZnO obtained by the above method. The average crystallite sizes of the samples were calculated from the full width at half maximum of XRD peaks by using Debye-Scherrer's formula and were found to be in the nanorange. EDS shows that the above route produced highly pure ZnO nanostructures. PIXE technique was used for trace elemental analysis of ZnO. The optical band gaps of various ZnO powders were calculated from UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopic studies.

College students (N = 3,435) in 26 cultures reported their perceptions of age-related changes in physical, cognitive, and socioemotional areas of functioning and rated societal views of aging within their culture. There was widespread cross-cultural consensus regarding the expected direction of aging trajectories with (a) perceived declines in societal views of aging, physical attractiveness, the ability to perform everyday tasks, and new learning; (b) perceived increases in wisdom, knowledge, and received respect; and (c) perceived stability in family authority and life satisfaction. Cross-cultural variations in aging perceptions were associated with culture-level indicators of population aging, education levels, values, and national character stereotypes. These associations were stronger for societal views on aging and perceptions of socioemotional changes than for perceptions of physical and cognitive changes. A consideration of culture-level variables also suggested that previously reported differences in aging perceptions between Asian and Western countries may be related to differences in population structure.

BACKGROUND: There are no national data on the magnitude and pattern of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in India. The Indian CKD Registry documents the demographics, etiological spectrum, practice patterns, variations and special characteristics. METHODS: Data was collected for this cross-sectional study in a standardized format according to predetermined criteria. Of the 52,273 adult patients, 35.5%, 27.9%, 25.6% and 11% patients came from South, North, West and East zones respectively. RESULTS: The mean age was 50.1 ± 14.6 years, with M:F ratio of 70:30. Patients from North Zone were younger and those from the East Zone older. Diabetic nephropathy was the commonest cause (31%), followed by CKD of undetermined etiology (16%), chronic glomerulonephritis (14%) and hypertensive nephrosclerosis (13%). About 48% cases presented in Stage V; they were younger than those in Stages III-IV. Diabetic nephropathy patients were older, more likely to present in earlier stages of CKD and had a higher frequency of males; whereas those with CKD of unexplained etiology were younger, had more females and more frequently presented in Stage V. Patients in lower income groups had more advanced CKD at presentation. Patients presenting to public sector hospitals were poorer, younger, and more frequently had CKD of unknown etiology. CONCLUSIONS: This report confirms the emergence of diabetic nephropathy as the pre-eminent cause in India. Patients with CKD of unknown etiology are younger, poorer and more likely to present with advanced CKD. There were some geographic variations.

This paper deals with the application of fuzzy logic in a relational database environment with the objective of capturing more meaning of the data. It is shown that with suitable interpretations for the fuzzy membership functions, a fuzzy relational data model can be used to represent ambiguities in data values as well as impreciseness in the association among them. Relational operators for fuzzy relations have been studied, and applicability of fuzzy logic in capturing integrity constraints has been investigated. By introducing a fuzzy resemblance measure EQUAL for comparing domain values, the definition of classical functional dependency has been generalized to fuzzy functional dependency (ffd). The implication problem of ffds has been examined and a set of sound and complete inference axioms has been proposed. Next, the problem of lossless join decomposition of fuzzy relations for a given set of fuzzy functional dependencies is investigated. It is proved that with a suitable restriction on EQUAL, the design theory of a classical relational database with functional dependencies can be extended to fuzzy relations satisfying fuzzy functional dependencies.

The Indo‐Gangetic Plain (IGP) encompasses a vast area, (accounting for ∼21% of the land area of India), which is densely populated (accommodating ∼40% of the Indian population). Highly growing economy and population over this region results in a wide range of anthropogenic activities. A large number of thermal power plants (most of them coal fed) are clustered along this region. Despite its importance, detailed investigation of aerosols over this region is sparse. During an intense field campaign of winter 2004, extensive aerosol and atmospheric boundary layer measurements were made from three locations: Kharagpur (KGP), Allahabad (ALB), and Kanpur (KNP), within the IGP. These data are used (1) to understand the regional features of aerosols and BC over the IGP and their interdependencies, (2) to compare it with features at locations lying at far away from the IGP where the conditions are totally different, (3) to delineate the effects of mesoscale processes associated with changes in the local atmospheric boundary layer (ABL), (4) to investigate the effects of long‐range transport or moving weather phenomena in modulating the aerosol properties as well as the ABL characteristics, and (5) to examine the changes as the season changes over to spring and summer. Our investigations have revealed very high concentrations of aerosols along the IGP, the average mass concentrations ( M T ) of total aerosols being in the range 260 to 300 μ g m −3 and BC mass concentrations ( M B ) in the range 20 to 30 μ g m −3 (both ∼5 to 8 times higher than the values observed at off‐IGP stations) during December 2004. Despite, BC constituted about 10% to the total aerosol mass concentration, a value quite comparable to those observed elsewhere over India for this season. The dynamics of the local atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) as well as changes in local emissions strongly influence the diurnal variations of M T and M B , both being inversely correlated with the mixed layer height ( Z i ) and the ventilation coefficient ( V c ). The share of BC to total aerosols is highest (∼12%) during early night and lowest (∼4%) in the early morning hours. While an increase in the V c results in a reduction in the concentration almost simultaneously, an increase in Z imax has its most impact on the concentration after ∼1 day. Accumulation mode aerosols contributed ∼90% to the aerosol concentration at ALB, ∼77 % at KGP and 74% at KNP. The BC mass mixing ratio was ∼10% over all three locations and is comparable to the value reported for Trivandrum, a tropical coastal location in southern India. This indicates presence of submicron aerosols species other than BC (such as sulfate) over KGP and KNP. A cross‐correlation analysis showed that the changes in M B at KGP is significantly correlated with those at KNP, located ∼850 km upwind, and ALB after a delay of ∼7 days, while no such delay was seen between ALB and KNP. Back trajectory analyses show an enhancement in M B associated with trajectories arriving from west, the farther from to the west they arrive, the more is the increase. This, along with the ABL characteristics, indicate two possibilities: (1) advection of aerosols from the west Asia and northwest India and (2) movement of a weather phenomena (such as cold air mass) conducive for build up of aerosols from the west to east. As the winter gives way to summer, the change in the wind direction and increased convective mixing lead to a rapid decrease in M B .

The Proterozoic-Cambrian transition records the appearance of essentially all animal body plans (phyla), yet to date no single hypothesis adequately explains both the timing of the event and the evident increase in diversity and disparity. Ecological triggers focused on escalatory predator–prey “arms races” can explain the evolutionary pattern but not its timing, whereas environmental triggers, particularly ocean/atmosphere oxygenation, do the reverse. Using modern oxygen minimum zones as an analog for Proterozoic oceans, we explore the effect of low oxygen levels on the feeding ecology of polychaetes, the dominant macrofaunal animals in deep-sea sediments. Here we show that low oxygen is clearly linked to low proportions of carnivores in a community and low diversity of carnivorous taxa, whereas higher oxygen levels support more complex food webs. The recognition of a physiological control on carnivory therefore links environmental triggers and ecological drivers, providing an integrated explanation for both the pattern and timing of Cambrian animal radiation.

In the present study, the feasibility of nowcasting convective activity is examined by using thermodynamic indices derived from the ground‐based microwave radiometer (MWR) observations located at a tropical station, Gadanki (13.5°N, 79.2°E). There is a good comparison between thermodynamic parameters derived from MWR and colocated GPS radiosonde observations, indicating that MWR observations can be used to develop techniques for nowcasting severe convective activity. Using MWR observations, a nowcasting technique was developed with the data of 26 thunderstorm cases observed at Gadanki. The analysis showed that there are sharp changes in some thermodynamic indices, such as the K index, the humidity index, precipitable water content, the stability index, and equivalent potential temperature lapse rates, about 2–4 h before the occurrence of thunderstorm. A superepoch analysis was made to examine the composite temporal variations of the thermodynamic indices associated with the occurrence of thunderstorms. The superepoch analysis revealed that 2–4 h prior to the storm occurrence, appreciable variations in many parameters are observed, suggesting thermodynamic evolution of the boundary layer convective instability. It is further demonstrated that by monitoring these variations it is possible to predict the ensuing thunderstorm activity over the region at least 2 h in advance. The association between the temporal evolution of thermodynamic indices and convective activity has been tested for the independent case of nine thunderstorms. The present results suggest that ground‐based MWR observations can be used effectively to predict the occurrence of thunderstorms at least 2 h in advance.

A double stir casting process was used to fabricate aluminum composites reinforced with various volume fractions of 2, 4, 6, and 8 wt% RHA and SiC particulates in equal proportions. Properties such as hardness, density, porosity and mechanical behavior of the unreinforced and Al/x%RHA/x%SiC (x = 2, 4, 6, and 8 wt%) reinforced hybrid composites were examined. Scanning electron microscope (model JSM-6610LV) was used to study the microstructural characterization of the composites. It was observed that the hardness and porosity of the hybrid composite increased with increasing reinforcement volume fraction and density decreased with increasing particle content. It was also observed that the UTS and yield strength increase with an increase in the percent weight fraction of the reinforcement particles, whereas elongation decreases with the increase in reinforcement. The increase in strength of the hybrid composites is probably due to the increase in dislocation density. A systematic study of the base alloy and composites was done using the Brinell hardness measurement and the corresponding age hardening curves were obtained. It was observed that in comparison to that of the base aluminum alloy, the precipitation kinetics of the composites were accelerated by adding the reinforcement. This effectively reduced the time for obtaining the maximum hardness by the aging heat treatment.

Over the past several years, great advances have been made towards novel drug delivery systems. The phenomena of interpolymer interactions and formation of polyelectrolyte complexes have been the focus of intensive fundamental and applied research. Interpolyelectrolyte complexes combine unique physicochemical properties with high biocompatibility. Studies have been carried out on many different polymer blends and types. Such combinations may possess unique properties that are different from those of individual component. The present review emphasizes on the applicability of polyelectrolyte complexes in drug delivery technology.

Abstract The first regional synthesis of long‐term (back to ~ 25 years at some stations) primary data (from direct measurement) on aerosol optical depth from the ARFINET (network of aerosol observatories established under the Aerosol Radiative Forcing over India (ARFI) project of Indian Space Research Organization over Indian subcontinent) have revealed a statistically significant increasing trend with a significant seasonal variability. Examining the current values of turbidity coefficients with those reported ~ 50 years ago reveals the phenomenal nature of the increase in aerosol loading. Seasonally, the rate of increase is consistently high during the dry months (December to March) over the entire region whereas the trends are rather inconsistent and weak during the premonsoon (April to May) and summer monsoon period (June to September). The trends in the spectral variation of aerosol optical depth (AOD) reveal the significance of anthropogenic activities on the increasing trend in AOD. Examining these with climate variables such as seasonal and regional rainfall, it is seen that the dry season depicts a decreasing trend in the total number of rainy days over the Indian region. The insignificant trend in AOD observed over the Indo‐Gangetic Plain, a regional hot spot of aerosols, during the premonsoon and summer monsoon season is mainly attributed to the competing effects of dust transport and wet removal of aerosols by the monsoon rain. Contributions of different aerosol chemical species to the total dust, simulated using Goddard Chemistry Aerosol Radiation and Transport model over the ARFINET stations, showed an increasing trend for all the anthropogenic components and a decreasing trend for dust, consistent with the inference deduced from trend in Angstrom exponent.

Abstract. With the recent increase in the satellite-based navigation applications, the ionospheric total electron content (TEC) and the L-band scintillation measurements have gained significant importance. In this paper we present the temporal and spatial variations in TEC derived from the simultaneous and continuous measurements made, for the first time, using the Indian GPS network of 18 receivers located from the equator to the northern crest of the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) region and beyond, covering a geomagnetic latitude range of 1° S to 24° N, using a 16-month period of data for the low sunspot activity (LSSA) years of March 2004 to June 2005. The diurnal variation in TEC at the EIA region shows its steep increase and reaches its maximum value between 13:00 and 16:00 LT, while at the equator the peak is broad and occurs around 16:00 LT. A short-lived day minimum occurs between 05:00 to 06:00 LT at all the stations from the equator to the EIA crest region. Beyond the crest region the day maximum values decrease with the increase in latitude, while the day minimum in TEC is flat during most of the nighttime hours, i.e. from 22:00 to 06:00 LT, a feature similar to that observed in the mid-latitudes. Further, the diurnal variation in TEC show a minimum to maximum variation of about 5 to 50 TEC units, respectively, at the equator and about 5 to 90 TEC units at the EIA crest region, which correspond to range delay variations of about 1 to 8 m at the equator to about 1 to 15 m at the crest region, at the GPS L1 frequency of 1.575 GHz. The day-to-day variability is also significant at all the stations, particularly during the daytime hours, with maximum variations at the EIA crest regions. Further, similar variations are also noticed in the corresponding equatorial electrojet (EEJ) strength, which is known to be one of the major contributors for the observed day-to-day variability in TEC. The seasonal variation in TEC maximizes during the equinox months followed by winter and is minimum during the summer months, a feature similar to that observed in the integrated equatorial electrojet (IEEJ) strength for the corresponding seasons. In the Indian sector, the EIA crest is found to occur in the latitude zone of 15° to 25° N geographic latitudes (5° to 15° N geomagnetic latitudes). The EIA also maximizes during equinoxes followed by winter and is not significant in the summer months in the LSSA period, 2004–2005. These studies also reveal that both the location of the EIA crest and its peak value in TEC are linearly related to the IEEJ strength and increase with the increase in IEEJ.

Plastic polymers are non-degradable solid wastes that have become a great threat to the whole world and degradation of these plastics would take a few decades. Compared with other degradation processes, the biodegradation process is the most effective and best way for plastic degradation due to its non-polluting mechanism, eco-friendly nature, and cost-effectiveness. Biodegradation of synthetic plastics is a very slow process that also involves environmental factors and the action of wild microbial species. In this plastic biodegradation, fungi play a pivotal role, it acts on plastics by secreting some degrading enzymes, i.e., cutinase`, lipase, and proteases, lignocellulolytic enzymes, and also the presence of some pro-oxidant ions can cause effective degradation. The oxidation or hydrolysis by the enzyme creates functional groups that improve the hydrophilicity of polymers, and consequently degrade the high molecular weight polymer into low molecular weight. This leads to the degradation of plastics within a few days. Some well-known species which show effective degradation on plastics are Aspergillus nidulans, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus glaucus, Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus nomius, Penicillium griseofulvum, Bjerkandera adusta, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Cladosporium cladosporioides, etc., and some other saprotrophic fungi, such as Pleurotus abalones, Pleurotus ostreatus, Agaricus bisporus and Pleurotus eryngii which also helps in degradation of plastics by growing on them. Some studies say that the degradation of plastics was more effective when photodegradation and thermo-oxidative mechanisms involved with the biodegradation simultaneously can make the degradation faster and easier. This present review gives current knowledge regarding different species of fungi that are involved in the degradation of plastics by their different enzymatic mechanisms to degrade different forms of plastic polymers.

PURPOSE: Optimization of the fermentation medium for maximum alkaline protease production was carried out using a new strain, Bacillus Sp. PE-11. METHODS: The carbon source (glucose), the nitrogen source (peptone) and salt solution were selected to optimize. A 2(3 )full factorial composite experimental design and response surface methodology were used in the design of experiments and in the analysis of results. This procedure limited the number of actual experiments performed while allowing for possible interactions between the three components. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The optimum values for the tested variables for the maximum alkaline protease production were; glucose 7.798 (g/L), peptone 9.548 (g/L) and salt solution 8.757%. The maximum alkaline protease production was 4,98,123 PU/L. This method was efficient; only 20 experiments were necessary to assess these conditions, and model adequacy was very satisfactory, as the coefficient of determination was 0.941. CONCLUSIONS: In the work, we have demonstrated the use of a central composite factorial design by determining the conditions leading to the high yield of enzyme production. Thus, smaller and less time consuming experimental designs could generally suffice for the optimization of many fermentation processes.

Cadmium is known to be toxic for living organism even if it is present in low levels. Generally it is associated with zinc and copper minerals and is produced as a byproduct of these industries. It enters the environment from electroplating, smelting, alloy manufacturing, pigments, plastic, cadmium-nickel batteries, fertilizers, pesticides, mining, pigments and dyes, textile operations and refining industries. Various ways of cadmium removal are: precipitation, ion exchange, solvent extraction and adsorption. The present review specifically describes various types of adsorbents which have been used for removing cadmium from aqueous solutions. General emphasis has been on the utilization of agricultural, industrial wastes and low cost synthetic oxides as adsorbents. In most of the studies batch mode data has been evaluated by determining the kinetic, isothermic and thermodynamic parameters. A number of studies have also addressed the mechanism of adsorption process employing instrumental techniques such as XRD, FTIR, SEM etc. Modeling of column data has also been reported by some researchers. More attention needs to be given for regeneration/reuse/ safe disposal of the loaded adsorbents wherein the data are insufficient. The engineering aspects also need attention for commercial application of various adsorbents. International Journal of Engineering, Science and Technology, Vol. 2, No. 7, 2010, pp. 81-103

BACKGROUND: The leaf juice or water decoction of Catharanthus roseus L. (Apocyanaceae) is used as a folk medicine for the treatment of diabetes all over the world. In the present investigation, the leaf juice of C. roseus has been evaluated for its hypoglycemic activity in normal and alloxan-induced diabetic rabbits. METHODS: The blood glucose lowering activity of the leaf juice was studied in normal and alloxan-induced (100 mg/kg, i.v.) diabetic rabbits, after oral administration at doses of 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 ml/kg body weight. Blood samples were collected from the marginal ear vein before and also at 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 18, 20 & 24 h after drug administration and blood glucose was analyzed by Nelson-Somogyi's method using a visible spectrophotometer. The data was compared statistically by using Student's t-test. RESULTS: The leaf juice of C. roseus produced dose-dependent reduction in blood glucose of both normal and diabetic rabbits and comparable with that of the standard drug, glibenclamide. The results indicate a prolonged action in reduction of blood glucose by C. roseus and the mode of action of the active compound(s) of C. roseus is probably mediated through enhance secretion of insulin from the beta-cells of Langerhans or through extrapancreatic mechanism. CONCLUSIONS: The present study clearly indicated a significant antidiabetic activity with the leaf juice of Catharanthus roseus and supports the traditional usage of the fresh leaves by Ayurvedic physicians for the control of diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Terminalia chebula (Combretaceae) has been widely used in Ayurveda for the treatment of diabetes. In the present investigation, the chloroform extract of T. chebula seed powder was investigated for its antidiabetic activity in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats using short term and long term study protocols. The efficacy of the extract was also evaluated for protection of renal functions in diabetic rats. METHODS: The blood glucose lowering activity of the chloroform extract was determined in streptozotocin-induced (75 mg/kg, i.p.; dissolved in 0.1 M acetate buffer; pH 4.5) diabetic rats, after oral administration at the doses of 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg in short term study. Blood samples were collected from the eye retro-orbital plexus of rats before and also at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 h after drug administration and the samples were analyzed for blood glucose by using glucose-oxidase/peroxidase method using a visible spectrophotometer. In long term study, the extract (300 mg/kg) was administered to streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, daily for 8 weeks. Blood glucose was measured at weekly intervals for 4 weeks. Urine samples were collected before the induction of diabetes and at the end of 8 weeks of treatments and analyzed for urinary protein, albumin and creatinine levels. The data was compared statistically using one-way ANOVA with post-hoc Dunnet's t-test. RESULTS: The chloroform extract of T. chebula seeds produced dose-dependent reduction in blood glucose of diabetic rats and comparable with that of standard drug, glibenclamide in short term study. It also produced significant reduction in blood glucose in long term study. Significant renoprotective activity is observed in T. chebula treated rats. The results indicate a prolonged action in reduction of blood glucose by T. chebula and is probably mediated through enhanced secretion of insulin from the beta-cells of Langerhans or through extra pancreatic mechanism. The probable mechanism of potent renoprotective actions of T. chebula has to be evaluated. CONCLUSION: The present studies clearly indicated a significant antidiabetic and renoprotective effects with the chloroform extract of T. chebula and lend support for its traditional usage. Further investigations on identification of the active principles and their mode of action are needed to unravel the molecular mechanisms involved in the observed effects.

Segmentation, a new method, for color, gray‐scale MR medical images, and aerial images, is proposed. The method is based on gray‐scale morphology. Edge detection algorithm includes function edge and marker‐controlled watershed segmentation. It features the simple algorithm implemented in MATLAB. The watershed segmentation has been proved to be a powerful and fast technique for both contour detection and region‐based segmentation. In principle, watershed segmentation depends on ridges to perform a proper segmentation, a property that is often fulfilled in contour detection where the boundaries of the objects are expressed as ridges. For region‐based segmentation, it is possible to convert the edges of the objects into ridges by calculating an edge map of the image. Watershed is normally implemented by region growing, based on a set of markers to avoid oversegmentation.

The TAG hydrothermal field is a site of major active and inactive volcanic-hosted hydrothermal mineralization in the rift valley of the slow-spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 26[degree]N. The axial high is the principal locus of present magmatic intrusions. The TAG field contains three main areas of present and past hydrothermal activity: (1) an actively venting high-temperature sulfide mound; (2) two former high-temperature vent areas; (3) a zone of low-temperature venting and precipitation of Fe and Mn oxide deposits. The volcanic centers occur at the intersections between ridge axis-parallel normal faults and projected axis-transverse transfer faults. The intersections of these active fault systems may act as conduits both for magmatic intrusions from sources beneath the axial high that build the volcanic centers and for hydrothermal upwelling that taps the heat sources. Radiometric dating of sulfide samples and manganese crusts in the hydrothermal zones and dating of sediments intercalated with pillow lava flows in the volcanic center adjacent to the active sulfide mound indicate multiple episodes of hydrothermal activity throughout the field driven by heat supplied by episodic intrusions over a period of at least 140 [times] 10[sup 3] yr. The sulfide deposits are built by juxtaposition and superposition during relatively long residence times near episodic axial heat sources counterbalanced by mass wasting in the tectonically active rift valley of the slow-spreading oceanic ridge. Hydrothermal reworking of a relict hydrothermal zone by high-temperature hydrothermal episodes has recrystallized sulfides and concentrated the first visible primary gold reported in a deposit at an oceanic ridge.