This thesis explores the dispersion stability, microstructure and phase transitions involved in the nanoclay system. It describes the recently discovered formation of colloidal gels via two routes: the first is through phase separation and second is by equilibrium gelation and includes the first reported experimental observation of a system with high aspect ratio nanodiscs. The phase behavior of anisotropic nanodiscs of different aspect ratio in their individual and mixed states in aqueous and hydrophobic media is investigated. Distinct phase separation, equilibrium fluid and equilibrium gel phases are observed in nanoclay dispersions with extensive aging. The work then explores solution behavior, gelation kinetics, aging dynamics and temperature-induced ordering in the individual and mixed states of these discotic colloids. Anisotropic ordering dynamics induced by a water-air interface, waiting time and temperature in these dispersions were studied in great detail along with aggregation behavior of nanoplatelets in hydrophobic environment of alcohol solutions.

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The health technology has become a hot topic in academic research. It employs the theory of social networks into the different levels of the prediction and analysis and has brought new possibilities for the development of technology. This book is a descriptive summary of challenges and methods using disease identification with various case studies from diverse authors across the globe. One of the new buzzwords in healthcare sector that has become popular over years is health informatics. Healthcare professionals must deal with an increasing number of computers and computer programs in their daily work. With rapid growth of digital data, the role of analytics in healthcare has created a significant impact on healthcare professional’s life. Improvements in storage data, computational power and paral- lelization has also contributed to uptake this technology. This book is intended for use by researchers, health informatics professionals, academicians and undergraduate and postgraduate students interested in knowing more about health informatics. It aims to provide a brief overview about informatics, its history and area of practice, laws in health informatics, challenges and technologies in health informatics, applica- tion of informatics in various sectors and so on. Finally, the research avenues in health informatics along with some case studies are discussed.

This volume straddles between being a compilation of chapters exploring the fundamental conceptual categories within Marxism while engaging with those categories at the same time demonstrating the dynamic ability of the Marxian theoretical paradigm to evolve. Challenging the misinterpretation of Marxian theory as rigid, deterministic and outdated it shows how the concepts used by the framework become relevant tools for understanding and analysing society. Divided across two parts the volume grounds the Marxian concepts in a concrete historico-material context of India. It will be an important source for any student interested in social theory in general and Marxism in particular.

Every day, millions of people are unaware of the amazing processes that take place when using their phones, connecting to broadband internet, watching television, or even the most basic action of flipping on a light switch. Advances are being continually made in not only the transmission of this data but also in the new methods of receiving it. These advancements come from many different sources and from engineers who have engaged in research, design, development, and implementation of electronic equipment used in communications systems. This volume addresses a selection of important current advancements in the electronics and communications engineering fields, focusing on signal processing, chip design, and networking technology. The sections in the book cover: Microwave and antennas Communications systems Very large-scale integration Embedded systems Intelligent control and signal processing systems

This book presents chapters from diverse range of authors on different aspects of how Blockchain and IoT are converging and the impacts of these developments. The book provides an extensive cross-sectional and multi-disciplinary look into this trend and how it affects artificial intelligence, cyber-physical systems, and robotics with a look at applications in aerospace, agriculture, automotive, critical infrastructures, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, smart transport systems, smart cities, and smart healthcare. Cases include the impact of Blockchain for IoT Security; decentralized access control systems in IoT; Blockchain architecture for scalable access management in IoT; smart and sustainable IoT applications incorporating Blockchain, and more. The book presents contributions from international academics, researchers, and practitioners from diverse perspectives. Presents how Blockchain and IoT are converging and the impacts of these developments on technology and its application; Discusses IoT and Blockchain from cross-sectional and multi-disciplinary perspectives; Includes contributions from researchers, academics, and professionals from around the world.

This volume examines the role of neoliberalism and its impact on education in South Asia. It contends that education is in a state of crisis across the world. This is reflected not only in the way the state has withdrawn to pave way for private capital but also in the manner in which knowledge and ways of understanding the world are being challenged by manipulation and adverse influences. A process of 'factoryisation' is underway as disciplining of human minds and redefinition of the purpose of human existence are being geared to fall in line with the needs of private capital. The book brings together incisive contributions from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Nepal to explore newer possibilities to deal with the educational crisis, and looks at a range of critical themes in education: pedagogy, teacher-learner relationship, teacher education, the state of the university, and policy. Rich in content, critical and insightful, this book will be a valuable addition for scholars and researchers of education and education policy, sociology, public policy and South Asian Studies.

In this groundbreaking critique of neoliberalism in schooling and education, an international cast of education policy analysts, educational activists and scholars deftly analyze the ideologies underlying the global, national and local neoliberalisation of schooling and education. The thrilling scholarship that makes up Global Neoliberalism and Education and its Consequences exposes the machinations, agenda and impacts of the privatising and 'merchandisation' of education by the World Bank, the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), biased think tanks, global and national corporations and capital, and the full political spectrum of Neoliberal governments. Including such topics as the increasing polarization of racialized and gendered social classes as a consequence of neoliberal policies, the role and shape of markets and education in the era of globalised Capitalism, the effects of the profit motive in higher education, the impact of the Heritage Foundation in the USA, and even a critical evaluation of education in Cuba--readers are sure to find startling insight and provocative arguments throughout Global Neoliberalism and Education and its Consequences.