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The Dark Side of Internet of Things in E-Commerce: Uncovering the Misuse of Personal Information
The world today patronises e-commerce websites and the extent of ease, convenience and possibilities it has brought. E-commerce has positively rattled the world and, most importantly, the economy and gross domestic product of every nation. It has facilitated countries to be progressive and enjoy goods and services from beyond geographical borders. It made possible and common what was once regarded as impossible and far-fetched. E-commerce has not only over-stocked market shelves but also raised the world standard from a business and consumer point of view. E-commerce is defined to be a wide range of business activities in an online space for products, goods, and services (Gupta, 2014). E-commerce is the outcome of an economy that functions on the Internet. Though e-commerce has been present for over thirty years, its popularity and effect have risen enormously in the recent past. It is understood to be the business of buying, selling, and trading through electronic communications. E-commerce has two models in force, the B2B (Business to Business) and B2C (Business to Consumer), where the former is economic transactions between businesses, and the latter between a business and consumer. Though both models are popular and well-known, the former is sought after (Tian, and Stewart, 2006). Traditional commercial businesses have also adopted the mode of online trade and business for their goods. If not fully transformed, they have a dual approach of a continued brick-and-mortar structure and also an online portal. For example, H&M, a famous clothing store, has been in existence since 1947. It was in 1998 that they began their online retail store to keep in touch with the changing trends of the market needs. In 2023, there was as many as 1224 million e-commerce websites the world over. This in itself shows the extent to which the world has developed, adapted, and benefited from online businesses and transactions (Gennaro, 2023). The goal of e-commerce websites is just the same as a normal business. They intend to hit their profit margins, increase branding along with sales maximisation and risk minimisation. Apart from this, they have widened the aspect of an economy to now being a global economy where there are communications, interactions, and direct transactions buyers and sellers from various parts of the world. This advancement in business models has had a ripple effect on other aspects and tools of business functions, such as marketing and advertising. Marketing aims at making known to society the availability of certain products, goods, services, and their utility and features so that consumers can make an informed decision while shopping. Conventional marketing involves advertising and letting people know that such a product is available and has certain uses with the hope that promotion turns into a sale. Marketing has been open, standard, and objective. However, the marketing that we see today is powered by data, so it is subjective, customised and sure to catch the interest of consumers. This is happening through several online portals/agencies, and marketers who use data provided by online consumers for their monetary gain. At one point data is beneficial to the consumers in terms of availability of the products at their fingertips and without stepping out from home; on the other hand the data provided by the consumers remains stored with the websites, or in their cloud and subsequently used by such portals and also sold to others without approval from the users themselves. This raises serious concerns about the privacy rights of users and the extent of protection rendered to their data. There is constant debate in the convergence of data, Internet, and e-commerce because of the immense support in its ease and comfort versus the lesser known but great evil of infringement of rights to privacy and personal data. This chapter focuses on understanding how the personal information of consumers misused by e-commerce companies breaking down various roles of big data, the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, and digital marketing. 2025 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. -
The Internet of Things (IoT): A Cripple to Data Privacy and Security
The Fourth Industrial Revolution has paved the way for the intersection of technological advancements and innovation. Its widespread utility and convenience has had an overwhelming impact the world over. The Internet of Things (IoT) is one such advancement. It is an Internet-enabled system of physical sensory objects that have the ability to identify, share and analyse data. The goal of such advancement is to positively impact the quality of human life and to ease its everyday functioning. IoT functions on data, which can be general, personal and sensitive data. Law enforces and assures protection of personal data under the banner of privacy, known to be the right to data protection. It is recognized as an internationally accepted human right and, to nation-states, a fundamental right. The overall aim of such provisions in internationally recognised documents like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR, 1948), the European Charter of Fundamental Rights (2000) and domestic laws like the Federal Trade Commission Act (1914) are to protect users and their data in light of the dynamic world of technology and innovation. IoT is user-friendly, enabling and convenient, but comes with its own set of challenges that cripples the fundamental and human right of data privacy and security. The current legislations on privacy hold data protection in highest reverence, assuring the user of absolute control. Though captivating in its definition of protection, in reality it falls short due to inefficiency in enforcement and application. The chapter offers a summary of the idea of data being ones own property and the crucial intervention of users data in the functioning of IoT. Highlighting the eagerness of embracing technological advancements, the chapter draws attention to the challenges of the IoT through the lens of data privacy and security. It traces its importance by using various case studies that reveal the loosely drafted, or rather incomprehensible, regulations of nation-states in protecting the right of privacy of users. The chapter concludes by considering a few ways of effective enforcement to keep intact the sanctity of the right to data privacy and security. 2025 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. -
IPR in Stem Cell Research, Therapy, and Regenerative Medicine
According to the World Trade Organization, intellectual property rights are rights given to persons over the creations of their minds. They usually give the creator an exclusive right over the use of his or her creation for a certain period. There is a critical need for fresh developments in the existing medical diagnostic techniques, therapy, pharmaceutical medications, and research, in a world where such a sizable number of people are afflicted with various ailments, some of which are fatal and still incurable. Pharmaceutical companies are developing novel and cutting-edge ways to treat diseases at an increasing rate. The major pharmaceutical corporations in the world, including Pfizer, Miltenyi, Biotec, AstraZeneca, and Mesoblast Limited are pursuing research in the area of stem cell and regenerative medicine. Regenerative medicine, stem cell research, and therapy are currently regarded as groundbreaking developments in the medical sciences. Understanding their intellectual property rights and the legal means through which these businesses can safeguard their discoveries becomes crucial. This paper will analyze the meaning of stem cell and regenerative medicines, the eligibility of IPR in Stem cell research under the Indian Patents Act, of 1970 and the morality and public issues related to the same. 2024 Taylor & Francis. -
Public-Private Partnership Ventures: A Diasporic Initiative in India Through Social Remittances and Philanthropic Work
Diaspora networks across the globe think of their homeland, which makes them continuously assist various projects that have public-private partnership ventures. Many of the members of the Indian diaspora had difficult times during their childhood in their native country. The conditions were not favorable within India prior to Indian Independence for acquiring desired skills in entrepreneurial activities. However, they managed to sail through the rough sea and reach the western coast in great adversity. The journey itself was a training for the early diaspora that resulted in learning the skills needed for setting up their business in the adopted countries. Indian diaspora from various developed countries have learned a great deal about the local culture, new skills in business partnership, consultancy services, research and innovations in technology that helped them to prosper in the adopted land and implement those ideas in their home country as a part of social remittances and giving back to the society. Developed countries have exhibited the feasibility of sustainable development through social entrepreneurship. Compulsory community service that trains people in new skill development also educates them in preserving the environment in which they reside. The public-private partnership model, which is in practice in developed countries, has become the agent of creation of social entrepreneurship with accountability toward the society. Diaspora communities that send social remittances to their home countries not only in the form of money but also ideas, identities and behaviors help set up public- private models of undertakings that would ensure sustainable growth in the long run. Philanthropic work is reckoned in the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model that we see in various parts of India, especially in states like Punjab (Sikh diaspora), Kerala (Malayali diaspora) and Gujarat (Gujarati diaspora). In this background, this chapter tries to examine the Indian diasporas schemes in India on the model of public-private partnership that they had either set up or observed in their adopted countries. This chapter also looks into how far diaspora remittances in totality help mitigate the existing problems in Indian villages, create new job opportunities for the local population, manage skill development centers and educate the masses in preserving the environment that would help in sustainable development through social entrepreneurship. 2024 by World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd. -
Covid-19 pandemic: How do the family businesses in India cope with the crisis?
The Covid-19 pandemic brought about a major economic breakdown throughout the world due to the shutting down of businesses and organizations. Covid-19 took a toll on India also, the second-most populous country. In India, family-run businesses are the deep-rooted, oldest, and most widespread form of business ownership. Most family businesses, while keeping the welfare of their customers, employees, and communities in mind, have resorted to remote work and halting non-essential work. The government of India took measures mainly consisting of an increased moratorium period, corporate tax cuts, lower interest on delayed tax payments, extension in return filing deadline, and other policy decisions. This study discusses the impact of Covid-19 on family businesses and how family businesses cope with the shock to the system. In addition, it covers innovative and strategic solutions adopted by the family businesses as a shield to their business against the impact of the crisis and to grow progressively overcoming the pandemic situation. 2023, IGI Global. -
Synthesis and physico-chemical characterization of ZnS-based green semiconductor: A review
One-dimensional (1D) semiconductor nanostructures have been attracting a great deal of attention because of their excellent electronic and optoelectronic performance. Zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanostructures have attracted increasing attention because of their potential application in both conditional optical devices and new generation of green nanostructure semiconductors because of their special structure-related physical and chemical properties. Synthetic form of ZnS can be transparent, and it is used as a window for visible optics, infrared optics, and functional materials. In this chapter, the detailed studies of synthesis, characterization of crystals, and noncrystalline behavior is reported. The crystal structure of semiconductor and its morphological studies are compared and fabrication methods will be described. The major parameters that influence on ZnS doped with metal ions and rare earth ions and its optoelectronic properties will be carefully analyzed. In addition, the primary application of ZnS micro- and nanocrystals will be described. At the end, the predicted future applications and development directions of doped and undoped ZnS nanocrystals will be given. 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. -
Rare-earth-activated phosphor for laser lighting
The chapter describes that Y2Ba3B4O12 doped with europium ions were synthesized by a modified conventional solid-state reaction method. The formations of the phosphor crystal structure are confirmed via the X-ray diffraction technique. The luminescence measurement upon excitation in ultraviolet and emission in visible range shows the characteristics of Eu3+ excitation and emission. The occurrence of the charge transfer band is explained in detail. The emission spectrum of Eu3+ ions consists mainly of several groups of lines in the 550-725nm region, due to the transitions from the 5D0 level to the levels 7FJ (J=0, 1, 2, 3, 4) of Eu3+ ions. The phenomena of concentration quenching are explained on the basis of electron-phonon coupling and multipolar interaction. The purity of the red emission is also checked, and it makes Eu3+-doped poly-borate-based phosphor as a promising candidate for laser lighting application. 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. -
Spectroscopic parameters of red emitting Eu3 +-doped La2Ba3B4O12 phosphor for display and forensic applications
Eu3+-activated La2Ba3B4O12 (LBBO) phosphor was synthesized by the solid-state reaction method. LBBO phosphors characterized by structural analysis (X-ray diffraction), including refinement parameters and crystallite size, morphological analysis by (Scanning Electron Microscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy). Photoluminescence (PL) studies of synthesized phosphors monitored in the range of 450-675 nm for the LBBO phosphor doped with Eu3 +. An excitation peak was found at 254nm and several sharp emission peaks were found around 466, 541, 588, 593, 613, and 626nm with high intensities. The crystallite size of the Eu3 +-doped LBBO phosphor was around 126nm. It is found that the intense emission peak is in the red region. The detailed processes involved and a possible mechanism for the PL are studied and discussed. The phosphor can also be used in forensic science to detect fingerprints. 2021 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved. -
Involvement and implementation of corporate social responsibility (CSR): A case of COVID-19 evidence from various countries
Industry performance is a pivotal indicator for assessing the robustness of economic growth of a country. Any fluctuations in this indicator wield considerable influence over economic growth. Previous research has established that the industry performance is not a static phenomenon but rather exhibits variations across different time periods. Amongst the multitude of crises, the COVID-19 pandemic reverberated across every nation, spreading to all strata of society. It had an adverse impact on both public and private sector impacting the lives of millions. Industries were struggling with dwindling profits, thus trying vehemently to cut costs in diverse realms. This challenging financial predicament made it difficult for companies to uphold their corporate social responsibilities. Hence, only a few companies initiated CSR activities due to the paucity of funds. Having this in the backdrop, this case study analysis aims to examine corporate involvement and implementation of CSR activities during the COVID-19 pandemic and assesses the extent to which these activities have helped improve people's lives. 2024, IGI Global. All rights reserved. -
Smart therapist: The mental health detector
In this fast-moving world, mental health disorder has turned to be one of the important issues which need utmost care and concern. According to the National Mental Health Survey Report, at least 14% of the India's population needs attention for mental disorders, of which stress, depression, and anxiety are the most common. An automated system that helps in detecting these mental disorders and thereby helps us to lead a better life by moulding our lifestyle is desirable. This chapter proposes an Intelligent Therapist based on machine learning which diagnoses a person's mental state through a set of questionnaires that helps in determining his/her mental state. The chatbot analyses the response and classifies them into different categories as per the severity of the disorder. The model is trained and tested on varying datasets to provide better accuracy in the understanding of human behaviour. This web-based chatbot will be accessible to anyone having access to the internet and will act as a preliminary self-check-up point. 2025 selection and editorial matter, Neha Goel and Ravindra Kumar Yadav; individual chapters, the contributors. -
Comparative Analysis of Various Ensemble Approaches for Web Page Classification
The amount of data available on web pages is enormous, and extracting the relevant information and classifying them is an important task. Web page classification finds applications in web content filtering, maintaining and expanding web directories, building efficient crawlers, etc. Machine Learning methods known for their well-established classification approaches have proved to be effective in web page classification. The present work uses ensemble methods like Bagging Meta Estimator, Random Forest, Adaptive boosting, Gradient Tree boosting, Extreme Gradient boosting and stacking to improve single classifiers results. One dataset is manually created to classify web pages into IoT projects and non-IoT projects. Another publicly available dataset is used to classify publications- and conference-related web pages. The advantage of the Ensemble methods over single classifiers has been validated, and various parameters to tune the Ensemble classifiers have been presented and analysed, with accuracy being the metric for performance. Features like learning rate, number of estimators, and maximum number of features have been tuned besides other parameters, and a comparison has been presented. 2023 Scrivener Publishing LLC. -
Energy Intelligence: The Smart Grid Perspective
Smart grids enable a two-way data-driven flow of electricity, allowing systematic communication along the distribution line. Smart grids utilize various power sources, automate the process of energy distribution and fault identification, facilitate better power usage, etc. Artificial Intelligence plays an important role in the management of power grids, making it even smarter. With the help of Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things, smart grids can optimize the energy consumption, provide continuous feedback on usage, and monitor live usage statistics, thereby making the energy intelligent. Smart grids require specific hardware to continuously monitor and adapt to the requirements of the system. By enabling energy intelligence, we empower building-level and city-level optimizations that make use of green energy, thereby contributing more toward sustainable development. Thus, the multifaceted energy management system uses sustainable and renewable energy sources, combined with smart devices to provide a two-way communication system to optimize the end-to-end distribution of energy, beneficial to both suppliers and consumers. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023. -
Adapting Case Study Pedagogy for Non-Residential Business Schools: Strategies for Implementation
Case study pedagogy is widely recognized as a powerful teaching approach in business education programs. However, its implementation in non-residential business schools poses distinct challenges. Optimizing case study pedagogy to the unique needs and circumstances of non-residential students necessitates a specific strategy. This chapter delves into various strategies essential for the effective implementation of case study pedagogy in non-residential business schools. First, an overview of 2024 by IGI Global. All rights reserved. -
Navigating the doctoral programme: A journey metaphor in heutagogical context
The journey towards a doctoral degree, the highest academic degree, is challenging. It is a journey full of emotions and experiences that provides a feeling of achievement and fulfilment. The doctoral research process is sometimes overwhelming, and scholars are lost in the wilderness of the activities. Navigating a social science doctoral programme, including the business and management streams, requires understanding the pathways and the nuances. This paper presents metaphors of the doctoral journey that helps scholars in developing a better mindset and plan an enriching journey. The methodology used is a qualitative-conceptual metaphor analysis. The study considers the heutagogical framework and develops analogies from the travel and tour domain and applies it to the doctoral programme. The paper compares self-guided tours, Driver Vs Passenger, Roller coaster, pilgrimage model and self-experience that the scholars need to take up in their doctoral journey 2024, IGI Global. All rights reserved. -
Harnessing digital innovation for inclusive tourism: Role of emerging technologies in creating accessibility and equity
The rapid advancement of digital technologies has ushered in a new era for the tourism industry, presenting unprecedented opportunities to enhance inclusivity, accessibility, and equity in travel experiences. This study investigates the transformative potential of emerging technologies in fostering a more inclusive tourism landscape. Specifically, it examines how selected digital innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI), augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), mobile applications, and wearable devices are shaping the accessibility and equity of tourism for diverse populations. This chapter begins with a comprehensive literature review, highlighting current trends, challenges, and existing studies on inclusive practices in the tourism sector. The paper delves into a detailed analysis of each emerging technology, showcasing successful integration examples from real-world cases. It evaluates the benefits and potential challenges of adopting these technologies, especially in enhancing accessibility for travelers with disabilities. The examination addresses physical, sensory, and cognitive accessibility barriers, providing insights into how technology reshapes travel experiences for diverse individuals. This chapter delves into the role of emerging digital innovations in fostering equity within the tourism sector. By facilitating cross-cultural connections and enhancing access to tech-driven travel experiences, these technologies contribute to a more inclusive landscape. The study scrutinizes socioeconomic dimensions, shedding light on the holistic impact of tech integration. While acknowledging challenges and ethical concerns, responsible technology deployment is endorsed to counterbalance drawbacks and bridge the digital divide, enabling marginalized communities to leverage the benefits of this digital transformation. The implications of this study are relevant for businesses, policymakers, and tourism stakeholders. The chapter concludes by providing practical recommendations for the responsible incorporation of emerging technologies and emphasizing the long-term sustainability of inclusive digital innovations. By shedding light on the transformative potential of these technologies and outlining guidelines for their application, this research contributes to the evolution of a more accessible, equitable, and inclusive tourism industry. 2024 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. -
Inclusive business models in tourism: A comprehensive analysis through the business model canvas
Tourism has become a cornerstone of global economic growth and cultural exchange, generating opportunities and challenges for various stakeholders. In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on inclusive business practices within the tourism sector, aiming to create value not only for shareholders but also for local communities, marginalized groups, and the environment. This book chapter explores integrating inclusive principles into tourism business models and developing an Inclusive Business Model Canvas. The chapter begins by introducing the concept of inclusive business in the context of tourism and its significance in fostering sustainable development and social progress. It highlights the changing landscape of tourism, characterized by increased awareness of responsible travel, ethical considerations, and the need for equitable distribution of benefits. Subsequently, the chapter delves into the Business Model Canvas, a versatile tool for visualizing, analyzing, and designing business models. Each component of the canvas-Key Partnerships, Key Activities, Key Resources, Value Propositions, Customer Segments, Channels, Customer Relationships, Revenue Streams, and Cost Structure-is examined through the lens of inclusivity. This chapter comprehensively analyses how the Business Model Canvas can be employed as a strategic tool to guide the integration of inclusive practices into tourism businesses. It contributes to the growing body of literature on sustainable and responsible tourism, shedding light on innovative approaches that create value for businesses and communities. The chapter concludes by emphasizing the need for a holistic approach to inclusive business in tourism, highlighting the interconnectedness of the canvas components and the importance of aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It also outlines future research directions and provides recommendations for businesses, policymakers, and stakeholders interested in fostering inclusive and sustainable tourism practices. 2024 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. -
Dynamic Channel Allocation in Wireless Personal Area Networks for Industrial IoT Applications
Industrial wireless networks gain a substantial growth in size in the global market. In the congested scenarios of the industrial IoT application instances of wireless personal area networks, it should have a medium access strategy that is efficient and works autonomously to provide a reliable channel by reducing packet collisions. Medium access protocols must consider properties of the links between devices before a node is allowed to access the shared medium. Characteristic metrics of the channel like link quality indicator, received signal strength indicator, and path loss distance have to be considered in the contention resolution process between the nodes. A fuzzy-based channel allocation algorithm is proposed with dynamic adaptation of contention window in channel access strategy of the MAC layer standard. As per the simulation results, the algorithm proposed showed better results in terms of network throughput and packet delivery rate. 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. -
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Travel and Tourism Industry of India and Middle East Nations
Travel and Tourism is one of the business sectors across the world that experienced a devastating effect of the Covid-19 Pandemic. All allied sectors of tourism were also affected by the pandemic in an unprecedented manner. The Tourism sector is one of the significant contributors to the GDP of many countries and the largest service industry, where a greater number of women and youth are employed. The Middle East nations and India which are highly reliant on international tourism for economic growth, have been seriously affected by the Pandemic. Apart from the mainstream, a large number of people are informally associated with the tourism sector for their livelihood all over the world. Tourism industry occupies a significant position in enhancing the demand for products and services from different sectors of the economy. In the post covid- period there is a drastic fall in the GDP contribution of the Tourism sector to the economy of Middle East countries and India. This chapter examines the impact of the Pandemic on the Travel & Tourism sector of Middle East nations and India, and proposes the strategies to overcome the present adversities and to revive the industry in the new normal situation even though there is uncertainty and challenges in the road ahead. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2024. -
Development of effective charging station for EVs using multiport converter and photovoltaic cell integration
The adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is increasing rapidly as a response to the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on fossil fuels. However, the deployment of a reliable and cost-effective EV charging infrastructure remains a challenge. To address this challenge, this paper proposes the development of an effective charging station using multiport converter and photovoltaic cell integration. A promising approach in the transportation sector is an efficient charging station with multiport converter and photovoltaic cell integration. A multiport converter, photovoltaic cells, a battery energy storage system, and an electric vehicle charging port constitute the proposed charging station. The power flow between the photovoltaic cells, the battery energy storage system, and the electric vehicle charging port is controlled by the multiport converter. The excess energy generated by the photovoltaic cells is stored in the battery energy storage system. The proposed charging station is designed and analysed using MATLAB/Simulink. The simulation results show that the proposed charging station is capable of providing an electric vehicle a reliable and consistent power supply. In contrast to conventional charging stations, the proposed charging station is also capable of offering a faster charging rate. 2024 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.