Computer based modelling and simulation

Simple models for deterministic systems are explained in this part. These models are useful in engineering, business, economics and sociology.     

Second sound

In Part 1¹ we describe the propagation of temperature and entropy as waves superfluids emphasizing the experimental demonstration of their existence. Here we dwell upon a microscopic view of these waves and point out that they can exist even in crystals at low temperatures.     

Building Communities: Some Experiences with IT

Broad access to information plays a crucial role for empowerment, skill building, and more active participation of different groups of society, thus making an important contribution to social development. While information technology offers almost unlimited ways to enhance information access and management and to improve organizational structures, communication and workflows, it is the interaction between people, organization, and technology that makes economic and social development possible.In this paper the author describes some of the efforts with which she has been associated directly or vicariously. In these initiatives to enhance economic and social development, ITs enabling capacity has been harnessed imaginatively.     

Double codes: Community radio in Bolivia

Abstract

In this article, we report results of interviews conducted with 20 informants at 8 community radio stations across the major regions of Bolivia. We explore the activism and community practices that have energized Bolivian community radio stations over a sustained period. We are in particular interested in the bottom-up networking by these community stations to interlink with each other. These networks actualize the goals of horizontal and participatory communication called for by Latin American theorists. We seek to learn from these endeavors and also contribute to their continued flourishing by analyzing potential threats to them.     

Indian = Hindu? The Development of Nationalist Attitudes Among Hindu and Muslim Children in India

Many political movements across the world today define citizenship in exclusionary ethnic or religious terms. This study extends research on ethnic–national associations in adults to children, adding to the relatively sparse literature on the development of national associations in children and in nonwestern contexts. Explicit and implicit religious–national associations were examined in a sample of 160 nine- to sixteen-year-olds (79 Hindu; 81 Muslim) in Gujarat, India. Results suggest that while Hindu children show a strong Indian = Hindu association by age 9, Muslim children appear to be buffered from this association. Furthermore, this association uniquely predicts variance in children’s attitudes about social policy and their concept of nationality, above and beyond their age, religion, and intergroup attitudes.     

Use of on-line databases by faculty members and research scholars of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), New Delhi (India): A survey

The study is focused on finding out the level of use of on-line databases by faculty members and research scholars of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), Delhi (India). Both are Central Universities and are funded by the University Grants Commission (UGC). A well-structured questionnaire was administered to faculty members and research scholars of the JNU and JMI to collect data regarding the use of on-line database. The survey reveals that all of the faculty members and research scholars are aware of the availability of on-line databases and largely use them for reference purposes in their research work and studies. The degree of usefulness and utilization of on-line databases is high among the universities' faculty members and research scholars. The survey further reveals that the respondents from both universities are aware of the search options for accessing on-line databases. It is also found that a large number of respondents of JNU and JMI are using field searching and Boolean operators to access information from on-line databases.     

Examining the relationship among student perception of support, course satisfaction, and learning outcomes in online learning

Support for student learning is a key element in optimizing student learning experiences in any learning environment and its importance has been widely discussed. This study looked at student support, particularly in the course context, focusing mainly on guidance provided to students within a course. Three categories of support were identified and used for the purpose of this study: instructional, peer, and technical support. A total of 110 students completed an online survey on students' perceptions of support and course satisfaction in an undergraduate online course at a large southeastern university. The results showed perceived support was significantly related to their overall satisfaction of the online course. The findings of this study suggest that teachers should communicate what types of support are available to students and provide an easy way of accessing and taking advantage of the support.     

The dynamics and stability of lubricating oil films during droplet transport by electrowetting in microfluidic devices

The operation of digital microfluidic devices with water droplets manipulated by electrowetting is critically dependent on the static and dynamic stability and lubrication properties of the oil films that separate the droplets from the solid surfaces. The factors determining the stability of the films and preventing surface fouling in such systems are not yet thoroughly understood and were experimentally investigated in this study. The experiments were performed using a standard digital microfluidic cartridge in which water droplets enclosed in a thin, oil-filled gap were transported over an array of electrodes. Stable, continuous oil films separated the droplets from the surfaces when the droplets were stationary. During droplet transport, capillary waves formed in the films on the electrode surfaces as the oil menisci receded. The waves evolved into dome-shaped oil lenses. Droplet deformation and oil displacement caused the films at the surface opposite the electrode array to transform into dimples of oil trapped over the centers of the droplets. Lower actuation voltages were associated with slower film thinning and formation of fewer, but larger, oil lenses. Lower ac frequencies induced oscillations in the droplets that caused the films to rupture. Films were also destabilized by addition of surfactants to the oil or droplet phases. Such a comprehensive understanding of the oil film behavior will enable more robust electrowetting-actuated lab-on-a-chip devices through prevention of loss of species from droplets and contamination of surfaces at points where films may break.