Practice In India Research Articles

Managing Wind and Fire: Some Remarks from a Case Study on Kaḷarippayaṟṟụ

Throughout its development, the Keralan body practice kaḷarippayaṟṟụ has been characterised by various visions among the masters (gurukkaḷ) regarding the practice itself and its relationship to other Indian practices. Based on a case study, this chapter discusses some technical aspects and underlying principles of kaḷarippayaṟṟụ according to the understanding of a specific master. At first, it addresses the changes that this master made in the repertoire of exercises in order to reflect his views on the relationship between kaḷarippayaṟṟụ and yoga. In the second part, it concerns more generally the underlying principles of kaḷarippayaṟṟụ.

Reliability-based assessment of scour at pier in gravel beds

ABSTRACT Estimation of local scour depth at a bridge pier must be accurate and precise for the safety assessment of pier foundation. Many deterministic scour depth prediction models for bridge piers in sands and gravels have already been reported in the literature. However, the various types of uncertainties may be involved in the deterministic scour depth prediction models and thus affect the accuracy of the scour depth. To account for such uncertainties, a reliability analysis method is generally adopted. A sizable amount of laboratory and field data on scour has been procured in the present study to assess the performance of existing scour prediction models for gravel beds and develop a probabilistic scour prediction model using a First-Order Reliability Method (FORM) based on the object-oriented constraints optimization spreadsheet algorithm for the most appropriate selected deterministic scour prediction model. A new relationship of the silt factor has also been developed to estimate the scour depth in gravel bed as per Indian Practice. A safety factor based on the target reliability index has also been proposed in this study.

An empirical study of lean and green practices in Indian manufacturing companies: drivers and barriers

An empirical study of lean and green practices in Indian manufacturing companies: drivers and barriers

Evaluation of key enablers of green supply chain management in Indian manufacturing industries: a fuzzy approach

Manufacturing industries are an indispensable source for a nation's financial development; however, those industries are also a major source of increasing environmental issues. The situation is no different in India. Recently, green supply chain management (GSCM) is emerging as a key strategy that can reduce the negative impact on the environment. Indian manufacturing industries lag in implementing GSCM. This research highlights the different key factors that affect the execution of GSCM in the Indian manufacturing sector. Further, the fuzzy DEMATEL framework is established to prioritise the key factors and to establish a cause and effect relationship among the factors. The results of this study uncover that 'Environmental regulation and support factor' gains the dominant position among the main factors. Moreover, sub-factors like 'green innovation motivation', 'consumers' awareness about the environment', 'market competition', and 'reverse logistic adoption cost' create the highest impact on the execution of GSCM practices in Indian manufacturing firms.

“Lucky Enough”: The Music and Stories That Make Vaughan's Lounge, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

“Lucky Enough”: The Music and Stories That Make Vaughan's Lounge, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

The RLDS Church, Global Denominations, and Globalization: Why the Study of Denominations Still Matters

The RLDS Church, Global Denominations, and Globalization: Why the Study of Denominations Still Matters

Inclusivism, Perspectivism and Pluralistic Tendencies in the History of Indian Culture

This article provides a survey of approaches and conceptual means elaborated in recent decades in the studies of pluralistic tendencies in Indian culture. The concepts of inclusivism, perspectivism, antologizing and polyphony are discussed in a close relation with the specific context in which they were introduced, as well as with the implicit presuppositions of the scholars who elaborated them. In particular, the interpretations of inclusivism introduced by Paul Hacker and Gerhard Oberhammer were inextricably intertwined with the views on Indian religions these scholars developed. The concept of perspectivism was introduced in a philosophical context, mainly with respect to Bhartṛhari’s and Jaina philosophy. Antologizing and polyphony can be characterized as a more cautious way to conceptualize pluralistic tendencies in Indian traditional discourse, because they focus on narrative strategies that enable expressing alternative views in the frames of a single text. From a historical point of view pluralistic tendencies might be stipulated by the diverse social reality in Ancient India where heterogeneous cultural phenomena coexisted in a process of mutual reinterpretation and adaptation. Another possible presupposition of perspectivism could be the cyclic concept of time that was predominant in Indian traditional discourse. In Indian intellectual systems pluralistic practices were usually legitimized with the view that there are different levels of truth. Though instances of inclusivism can be discovered in the cultures of different regions, it was in India that inclusivism became a dominant trend in the cultural history.

Palliative Care in India: Past, Present, and Future.

Over the last 4 decades, palliative care in India had steady growth and development from the early hospice movement in the 1980s to specialist and subspecialist palliative medicine in the 2020s. In the first decade, sustainable service delivery by capacity building, novel contextual community networking models, education facilitated by international collaboration, efforts towards opioid access, and nationwide networking through the formation of an association kindled the grand beginning of palliative care in India. Over the next 2 decades, palliative care in India evolved and developed as a speciality, disseminated across the nation, found its place in all clinical settings, engaged with specialities and subspecialities, developed its own specialist training program, and focused on indigenous research enabled through its own journal. Furthermore, end-of-life care awareness, training, advocacy, and initiatives towards policy and legislation reaped huge dividends in terms of improving the quality of dying in India. Generalist training through short and intermediate courses enhanced the knowledge and interest of the primary health care providers and non-palliative care specialists and education through international collaboration both in-person and distance learning modes augmented these efforts. In 2019, most elements of palliative care are part of the undergraduate medical curriculum. Policy initiatives by state and central governments and the inclusion of palliative care in the National Health Policy of 2017 offer hope for the future. In the last decade, we think that palliative care has found its footing and is ready to emerge as one of the dominant clinical specialities. Moreover, it is time for it to broaden its horizon, scope, and realm by developing into subspecialist verticals, being ubiquitous in all clinical spaces, focusing on robust evidence-based approach and research grounded in the Indian practice context.

Efficacy of Yoga in Coping with Mental Health Issues due to COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review

The world was shocked with the sudden outbreak of a virus in the early 2020 destroying lives and livelihoods of millions across the globe. The COVID-19 pandemic with its epicentre in Wuhan, China spread across the globe like a fire. To restrict the further spread of the virus, nations around the world went into complete lockdown restraining people from any movements outside their homes. The government imposition saved people from the dangerous virus but had a crucial impact over many people’s livelihood, employment and thus creating mental health problems. Many non-governmental as well as non-profitable organizations have tried their best to help humanity in the best possible ways to keep them engaged and also support their livelihoods. However, the need of the hour is to equip oneself with a good mental and physical health in these dark hours. Ancient Indian practices like yoga and meditation are proven tools to cope with misery, fear and anxiety during such times of despair. Their benefits encompass both physical health such as improving immune functions and activating parasympathetic activity, and mental health benefits like overcoming anxiety, depression and insomnia. This review highlights the benefits of yoga practices in combating the mental health issues faced by individuals due to lockdown, loss of near or dear ones and unemployment and highlights its role in improving wellness during the pandemic.

Deviation from constitution in matters of judicial appointments in India: An overview

Constitution of India provides a framework for higher judiciary by laying down its powers, appointment, tenure and removal of officers of courts including judges etc. Chapter IV of Part V provides for Union Judiciary i.e. the Supreme Court of India and chapter V of Part VI provides for State Judiciary i.e. the High Court. This research paper is an attempt to analyse how the Indian practices in appointment of judges to the highest court have from time and again deviated from the Constitution of India.

Against Contextualization: An Ethics of Encounter

Against Contextualization: An Ethics of Encounter

Design of Pile Foundation for Distillation Column

Abstract Equipment foundation is one of the most critical facility in every petrochemical, fertilizer, oil and gas plants. This equipment comprises distillation columns, vertical vessels, horizontal vessels, high pressure exchangers, reactors etc. Out of this equipment, distillation column is one of the most critical equipment due to its large diameter and height hence resulting into heavy dead load and heavy transverse loads at the base of column. Hence proper foundation system should be designed to cater all these loading without affecting the strength and serviceability of the foundation system. In most of the cases due to poor bearing capacity of soil one need to go for pile foundation. This paper summarizes the Indian code and process industry practices, design loads and load combinations to be adopted for design of pile foundation. One sample example is solved to evaluate the no of piles for column foundation by assuming suitable loading and vessel data.

Development and Evaluation of a customized yoga module to alleviate stress among the employees of a Deemed to be University of coastal Karnataka, India

Yoga, an ancient Indian practice has gained global acclaim in recent times as a way of life aiming to promote a healthy mind in a healthy body. Stress is a set of harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the demand does not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the human being. Cardiopulmonary effects of stress are debilitating and hence preventive measures, namely yoga, can alleviate its adverse impact. Thus, there is a need to develop customized yoga modules based on local needs and objectively evaluate their effectiveness in alleviating the signs and symptoms of stress. A certified yoga trainer developed a customized yoga module and it was validated by experts. Fifty healthy employees were recruited for the study and thirty-four participants completed the one-month practice of the developed yoga module. All the participants underwent testing of Heart Rate Variability (HRV), Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT), salivary cortisol levels, and Cohen's Perceived Stress Scoring (PSS) before and after the yoga intervention. All the HRV and PFT parameters showed a trend towards improved cardiopulmonary functioning with significant improvement observed in SDNN of HRV and FVC of PFT following yoga intervention. Salivary cortisol levels and perceived stress scores reduced significantly following the practice of yoga. In our study, the developed customized yoga module for the employees of a Deemed to be University documented a demonstrable improvement in SDNN measure of HRV, Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) of PFT; along with a significant reduction in salivary cortisol levels and perceived stress scores thus alleviating stress.

A Retrospective, Observational, EMR-Based Real-World Evidence Study to Assess the Incidence of Pedal Edema in Essential Hypertensive Patients on Amlodipine or Cilnidipine.

Introduction Calcium channel blockers have pedal edema as one of the confining factors of treatment. A real-world study may help evident reality of the situation in regular Indian clinical practice. The aim of the study is to assess effectiveness and incidence of pedal edema in essential hypertensive patients treated with amlodipine or cilnidipine monotherapy. Methods Retrospective EMR data of adult essential hypertensive patients, prescribed amlodipine (n = 800) or cilnidipine (n = 800) as monotherapy, were analyzed. Incidence of pedal edema from baseline visit was analyzed in terms of dose and duration of treatment. The changes in systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) from baseline and proportion of patients achieving target BP goals were assessed. Results In amlodipine and cilnidipine groups, mean changes in SBP and DBP from baseline to end of the study period were 28.4 and 15.1 mmHg and 24.3 and 13.5 mmHg, respectively (p value <0.05). More than 50% of patients in both groups achieved BP goal at the end of the study (p value 0.266). In amlodipine group, total 23.9% reported pedal edema, while in cilnidipine, 27.6% (p value 0.0863). At the end of the study, 3.5% and 8.2% of patients remain with pedal edema, respectively, in both groups (pvalue <0.005). Conclusion Amlodipine demonstrated greater BP reduction at a lower average dose, better efficacy, and tolerability in terms of pedal edema count as a lesser number of patients reported edema at the end of the study and a higher percentage of patients continued the prescribed baseline dosage regimen as compared to cilnidipine. Thus, the study established amlodipine as an effective and well-tolerated antihypertensive for Indians.

CONFLUENCE OF ART AND TECHNOLOGY WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO CONTEMPORARY ART PRACTICE IN INDIA

For centuries, across the worlds, artists have struggled to invent new techniques to perfect their articulation, which in turn has changed art and its relation to the viewer. In the course of art history technology has served as a useful aid to develop innovative methods for making art. For long the utilitarian notion of technology did not clash with the metaphysical or intuitive notions of art. But in modern times the reproduction technology has raised questions concerning authenticity and originality of an artwork. In the present transitory times, the digital technology is continuously redefining art and the manner in which the art/audience response circuit has undergone a paradigm shift. The present paper attempts to delineate a capsule account of the confluence between art and technology in general and discuss how Indian contemporary artists engage the art/technology interface in their art practice.

Could Agnihotra yagya have any role in the prevention and management of epidemics as COVID-19: A scientific perspective

Objective: COVID-19 has challenged the healthcare systems of the world and was declared as public health emergency of international concern. With more than 55 million cases of COVID-19 and 1,355,769 deaths globally, the world is still searching for cure. In the absence of any definite treatment, the practices of prevention have occupied the central role, with governments across the globe promoting the same. In the context of this global catastrophe, an ancient Indian practice of Agnihotra yagya (fire ablations) is being presented here with the scientific evidences to explore the possibility before the world for its repurposing for prevention and management of epidemics as COVID-19. Data Source: Databases of Google Scholar and PubMed were searched with the keywords anti-microbial effects and their different combinations and permutations along with hand search, benefits, of Agnihotra, research, Yagya. Review Methods: Relevant articles were downloaded and stored in a folder. Then, they were screened for their relevance after reading, and finally, 70 articles were included in the study, bringing the scientific aspects in a systematic manner to put forward the scientific aspects. Results and Conclusion: The existing evidence support the anti-microbial, healing, energizing effects along with beneficial effects on the comorbidities of patients, thus decreasing the percentage and intensity of morbidity and mortality rates of diseases. With the above observations, Agnihotra Yagya may be researched more extensively, bringing out more evidences for the real utilization of this practice in the fight against COVID 19.

The Effects of Yoga on Cardiovascular Risk Factors among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a fastest evolving metabolic disorder and India houses second highest number of patients with diabetes after China. Cardiovascular diseases are the major cause of mortality among patients with T2DM. Yoga is an ancient Indian practice that proves to be effective for patients with diabetes. The present systematic review and meta-analysis has been conducted to see the benefits of yoga on blood pressure, lipid profile, and anthropometric measures among patients with T2DM. The articles were extracted from three databases - PubMed, The Cochrane library, and Google scholar. Only English language articles, with PEDro score≥6, were included in the current study. The duplicates were removed using Mendeley. Fourteen randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and three 3 non-RCTs were included in the analysis. The meta-analysis was done using Review Manager 5.3. The results reveal that yoga is effect in improving blood pressure (P<0.01), lipid profile (P<0.01) except HDL (P=0.06), and anthropometric measures (P<0.01) except waist-hip ratio (P=0.79). Heterogeneity was also high for most of the variables. It may be concluded from the results that the yoga is effective in improving of blood pressure, lipid profile, and anthropometric measures. However, high heterogeneity sought the need of more high quality RCTs to affirm these findings.

Nomination of candidates to international judicial and legal bodies: a critical examination of Indian practice*

When and how India nominates individuals to international judicial and legal bodies has not attracted much attention in international legal scholarship. This article aims to fill that gap by critically examining India’s nominations to international judicial and legal bodies, including the International Court of Justice, International Law Commission, Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization, and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. The article finds that India has consistently nominated serving and retired government officials and judges to these international bodies. Expertise in international law that lies outside the echelons of executive and judicial power, such as in universities, has been persistently ignored and disregarded in making these nominations. This practice has resulted in situations where several capable international lawyers from academia, who are arguably better suited to serve on these international bodies, have never got an opportunity to do so. India’s practice differs from that of other liberal democracies such as the United States and the United Kingdom, which routinely nominate people with demonstrable academic expertise in international law to such bodies. The article also argues that India needs to establish a transparent procedure of nominations to these international bodies to boost the credibility of the process.

IAPEN India : Nutrition Consensus Guidelines in Oncology Clinical Practice

Malnutrition is one of the most common and significant issue during the treatment of cancer. Poor nutritional management during the treatment may impede the progress in the treatment. Many international societies have nutritional recommendations published on their websites. India, being a multicultural population with varied nutritional habits and local beliefs have no cohesive evidence-based nutritional approach during and after treatment. The current guideline has been formulated jointly by oncologists, nutritionists, and multidisciplinary professionals with an aim to provide science based standard nutritional guidance to the community healthcare professionals across India. The committee referred to major international guidelines published in recent past. With intense deliberations adopted few selective recommendations which are compatible with Indian practice. Keywords: Cancer, Nutrition, Consensus guideline, nutrition in cancer, IAPEN guidelines, IAPEN cancer guidelines

The “Nets and Anchors” on the Indian Community in Mwanza City (Tanzania): Ethnographic Challenges and Encounters

Abstract The use of “nets and anchors” framework requires a researcher to get a broad perspective of life in the case-study area through everyday observations and conversations with its residents before attempting an in-depth perspective of life as it is narrated by the key respondents of community groups. This framework was adopted in a study conducted among the Indians living in Mwanza City, Tanzania during the period of COVID-19 pandemic. This paper discusses the challenges encountered when conducting ethnographic research on the socio-cultural practices of Indians in Mwanza. The paper points out that COVID-19 pandemic among other factors hindered the process of collecting data through participant observation and interviews on the Indian community in Mwanza City.