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Mainstreaming Northeast Tribal Women in India through Financial Education: A Systematic Review
Financial education is required to enhance financial literacy for socio-economic development. This paper aims to understand the financial literacy level among the Scheduled Tribes of India, specifically the Mao-Naga Tribe women of Northeast India. The current paper is based on secondary data and adheres to the steps and process of a systematic review. Prominent authors, times, tribes, countries, journals, and keywords have been identified for the comprehensive analysis. Since the goal of this paper is to review the existing literature regarding financial literacy among tribals, the findings indicate that financial education intervention, socio-cultural practices, social affinity, and early life financial experience affect individuals financial literacy. It has also been observed that a productive pathway to achieve financial literacy and inclusion lies in integrating financial education programs within the socio-cultural practices of tribal women. Thus, financial literacy can enhance the financial well-being that is necessary for socio-economic development among Mao-Naga Tribal women. This paper can help governments, central bank regulators, and researchers know the essential elements of financial literacy and identify the pertinent areas for further empowerment among sub-groups of the population, especially among tribal women of Northeast India. 2022 Journal of International Womens Studies. -
Recent trends in photocatalytic water splitting using titania based ternary photocatalysts-A review
Hydrogen is considered as an ideal fuel, and its use has several advantages. While several methods are available for producing hydrogen, photocatalytic water splitting using semiconductor-based photocatalysts is one of the better methods. Among the various semiconductors, titania, having many desirable properties, is a widely explored photocatalyst material to fabricate ternary heterojunctions. Preventing the recombination of photoexcited charge carriers, reducing the band gap, and enhancing the migration of charges are steps needed to improve the efficiency of the photocatalysts. Various modifications have been made to the structural and chemical properties of the photocatalysts. While innovative synthetic protocols can bring about the desired changes, incorporating metal oxides and noble metals with varied morphologies into titania leads to multijunction photocatalysts. Structural modifications to titania include incorporation of various nanostructured materials, noble metal nanoparticles, transition metal chalcogenides, polymer materials, semiconductors like g-C3N4, quantum dots, etc. 2022 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC -
Fluorescein Based Fluorescence Sensors for the Selective Sensing of Various Analytes
Fluorescein molecules are extensively used to develop fluorescent probes for various analytes due to their excellent photophysical properties and the spirocyclic structure. The main structural modification of fluorescein occurs at the carboxyl group where different groups can be easily introduced to produce the spirolactam structure which is non-fluorescent. The spirolactam ring opening accounts for the fluorescence and the dual sensing of analytes using fluorescent sensors is still a topic of high interest. There is an increase in the number of dual sensors developed in the past five years and quite a good number of fluorescein derivatives were also reported based on reversible mechanisms. This review analyses environmentally and biologically important cations such as Cu2+, Hg2+, Fe3+, Pd2+, Zn2+, Cd2+, and Mg2+; anions (F?, OCl?) and small molecules (thiols, CO and H2S). Structural modifications, binding mechanisms, different strategies and a comparative study for selected cations, anions and molecules are outlined in the article. 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. -
Eco-friendly innovations in food packaging: A sustainable revolution
Packaging is crucial in ensuring the quality and safety of food, protecting it from various contaminants, and extending its shelf life. Materials used for packaging food must be economical, durable, and possess good barrier properties. One of the major challenges faced by the food industry is developing an eco-friendly, economical, and sustainable packaging system. The conventional materials, which majorly depend on petroleum-derived polymers, are associated with several significant problems, such as environmental pollution, depletion of resources, generation of single-use wastes, leakage of chemicals into food products, limited recycling, and so on. As the food sector focuses on reducing its environmental impact, by encouraging revolutionary changes for an effective sustainable food packaging approach. The core objective of industrial packaging was to innovate a biodegradable material, especially derived from renewable biomass resources as eco-friendly alternatives in the food industry. One of the significant trends involves production of bioplastics, which are derived from renewable polymers such as corn starch, sugarcane, or algae. These materials offer a viable alternative to traditional petroleum-based plastics, as they are often compostable or biodegradable. The development of advanced bioplastics with improved barrier properties and durability is gaining traction, addressing environmental and health concerns and functionalizing a packaging material. The present review discusses the limitations of conventional packaging materials used in the food industry and focuses on the various polymers derived from natural sources, their physio-chemical properties, and their potential application as a sustainable material that reduce carbon emission, and enhance preservation of food and ensure food safety. 2024 Elsevier B.V. -
A Mental Health Epidemic?: Critical Questions on the National Mental Health Survey
Questions are raised about an approach towards psychiatric epidemiology, which directly imports models in medicine to count disorders of the mind to produce staggering evidence to the effect that 11% of Indians suffer from mental disorders. An alternative psychiatric epidemiology is needed, which relies on the principles of slow research, is value-based, and which defines mental health as an ethical and political problem. 2022 Economic and Political Weekly. All rights reserved. -
Conservation of Endangered Cordyceps sinensis Through Artificial Cultivation Strategies of C. militaris, an Alternate
Cordyceps, an entomopathogenic fungus belonging to the Ascomycota phylum, is a familiar remedial mushroom that is extensively used in the traditional medicinal system, especially in South Asian nations. The significance of this genus members in a range of therapeutic and biotechnological applications has long been acknowledged. The exceedingly valuable fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis (Cordyceps sinensis) is found in the alpine meadows of Bhutan, Nepal, Tibet, and India, where it is severely harvested. Driven by market demand and ecological concerns, the study highlights challenges in natural C. sinensis collection and emphasizes the shift towards sustainable artificial cultivation methods. This in-depth review navigates Cordyceps cultivation strategies, focusing on C. sinensis and the viable alternative, C. militaris. The escalating demand for Cordyceps fruiting bodies and bioactive compounds prompts a shift toward sustainable artificial cultivation. While solid-state fermentation on brown rice remains a traditional method, liquid culture, especially submerged and surface/static techniques, emerges as a key industrial approach, offering shorter cultivation periods and enhanced cordycepin production. The review accentuates the adaptability and scalability of liquid culture, providing valuable insights for large-scale Cordyceps production. The future prospects of Cordyceps cultivation require a holistic approach, combining scientific understanding, technological innovation, and sustainable practices to meet the demand for bioactive metabolites while ensuring the conservation of natural Cordyceps populations. Graphical Abstract: (Figure presented.). The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2024. -
Bioactive compounds from Cordyceps and their therapeutic potential
The Clavicipitaceae familys largest and most diverse genus is Cordyceps. They are most abundant and diverse in humid temperate and tropical forests and have a wide distribution in: Europe, North America, and East and Southeast Asian countries, particularly: Bhutan, China, Japan, Nepal, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Tibet, and the Himalayan region of India, and Sikkim. It is a well-known parasitic fungus that feeds on insects and other arthropods belonging to 10 different orders. Over 200 bioactive metabolites, that include: nucleotides and nucleosides, polysaccharides, proteins, polypeptides, amino acids, sterols, and fatty acids, among others have been extracted from Cordyceps spp. demonstrating the phytochemical richness of this genus. These components have been associated with a variety of pharmacological effects, including: anti-microbial, anti-apoptotic, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory activities. In this paper, the bioactivity of various classes of metabolites produced by Cordyceps spp., and their therapeutic properties have been reviewed in an attempt to update the existing literature. Furthermore, one of its nucleoside and a key bioactive compound, cordycepin has been critically elaborated with regard to its biosynthesis pathway and the recently proposed protector-protmechanism as well as various biological and pharmacological effects, such as: suppression of purine and nucleic acid biosynthesis, induction of apoptosis, and cell cycle regulation with their mechanism of action. This review provides current knowledge on the bioactive potential of Cordyceps spp. 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. -
Do geopolitical tensions instigate mindless following in stock markets? An empirical enquiry into the indices of CNX Nifty HFT
Geopolitical tensions between nations play a crucial role in triggering volatility and affecting the investors behavior in stock markets. This empirical work attempts to detect the traces of herding and bubble embedded in the Indian stock indices of CNX Nifty 50 and CNX Nifty 100 (both in High-Frequency Trading domains) during the latest events of geopolitical tensions escalated between India-China and India-Pakistan. An event window approach is employed to capture the impact of these events on herding behavior and information uncertainty in the considered stock indices. Multifractal Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (MFDFA) is applied to compute the Hurst value in all the trading days of the event window. The results of both indices exhibit conclusive evidence of herding and bubble formation during the overall period of geopolitical tensions between India-China and India-Pakistan. However, the degree of herding in the stock indices intensifies to a profound pattern when the tensions between India and China escalated into deadly violent clashes, and also during the heightened tensions between India and Pakistan that eventually ended up in airstrikes across the boundaries. The overall level of information uncertainty depicted by entropy is within control. The volatility in these stock indices has been confirmed to follow a unidirectional pattern. Krishna T. A., Suresha B., 2021 -
Pore size matters!a critical review on the supercapacitive charge storage enhancement of biocarbonaceous materials
A circular economy targets zero waste converting both natural and synthetic wastes to valuable products, thereby promoting sustainable development. The porous nanocarbon synthesized from bio-waste is one such product used in applications such as energy storage, catalysis, and sensors. Different techniques are employed for synthesizing carbon from the biowastes and each route results in different properties toward end-user applications. Among them, surface area and porosity are the two critical factors that influence the energy storage capabilities of these synthesized carbon nanostructures. Besides the high surface area of the bio-derived carbons, the hindrance in supercapacitive performance is owing to its low porosity. Fewer review/research papers report the porosity tuning of these carbons for their influence on enhancing the performance of energy storage devices (supercapacitors). This critical review analyses the importance of porosity in these bio-derived carbons and reviews the recent development in its synthesis techniques along with its improvement in the energy storage capability. Special attention is also delivered to identify the ambient source of biowaste for carbon electrodes (fabrication) in supercapacitors. The recent research progress in tuning the porosity of these bio-derived carbons and the influence of electrolyte with porosity in affecting its supercapacitive energy storage is elucidated here. The research challenges, future research recommendations, and opportunities in the synthesis of bio-derived porous carbon for supercapacitor applications are briefed. 2022 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. -
Analysis of Statistical and Deep Learning Techniques for Temperature Forecasting
In the field of meteorology, temperature forecasting is a significant task as it has been a key factor in industrial, agricultural, renewable energy, and other sectors. High accuracy in temperature forecasting is needed for decision-making in advance. Since temperature varies over time and has been studied to have non-trivial long-range correlation, non-linear behavior, and seasonal variability, it is important to implement an appropriate methodology to forecast accurately. In this paper, we have reviewed the performance of statistical approaches such as AR and ARIMA with RNN, LSTM, GRU, and LSTM-RNN Deep Learning models. The models were tested for short-term temperature forecasting for a period of 48 hours. Among the statistical models, the AR model showed notable performance with a r2 score of 0.955 for triennial 1 and for the same, the Deep Learning models also performed nearly equal to that of the statistical models and thus hybrid LSTM-RNN model was tested. The hybrid model obtained the highest r2 score of 0.960. The difference in RMSE, MAE and r2 scores are not significantly different for both Statistical and Vanilla Deep Learning approaches. However, the hybrid model provided a better r2 score, and LIME explanations have been generated for the same in order to understand the dependencies over a point forecast. Based on the reviewed results, it can be concluded that for short-term forecasting, both Statistical and Deep Learning models perform nearly equally. 2024 Bentham Science Publishers. -
Opportunistic mycoses in COVID-19 patients/survivors: Epidemic inside a pandemic
Being considered minor vexations, fungal infections hinder the life of about 15% of the world population superficially, with rare threats to life in case of invasive sepsis. A significant rise in the intrusive mycoses due to machiavellian fungal species is observed over the years due to increased pathology and fatality in people battling life-threatening diseases. Individuals undergoing therapy with immune suppressive drugs plus recovering from viral infections have shown to develop fungal sepsis as secondary infections while recovering or after. Currently, the whole world is fighting against the fright of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), and corticosteroids being the primitive therapeutic to combat the COVID-19 inflammation, leads to an immune-compromised state, thereby allowing the not so harmful fungi to violate the immune barrier and flourish in the host. A wide range of fungal co-infection is observed in the survivors and patients of COVID-19. Fungal species of Candida, Aspergillus and Mucorales, are burdening the lives of COVID-19 patients/survivors in the form of Yellow/Green, White and Black fungus. This is the first article of its kind to assemble note on fungal infections seen in the current human health scenario till date and provides a strong message to the clinicians, researchers and physicians around the world non-pathological fungus should not be dismissed as contaminants, they can quell immunocompromised hosts. 2021 -
Dietary nutrients and their control of the redox bioenergetic networks as therapeutics in redox dysfunctions sustained pathologies
Electrons exchange amongst the chemical species in an organism is a pivotal concomitant activity carried out by individual cells for basic cellular processes and continuously contribute towards the maintenance of bioenergetic networks plus physiological attributes like cell growth, phenotypic differences and nutritional adaptations. Humans exchange matter and energy via complex connections of metabolic pathways (redox reactions) amongst cells being a thermodynamically open system. Usually, these reactions are the real lifeline and driving forces of health and disease in the living entity. Many shreds of evidence support the secondary role of reactive species in the cellular process of control apoptosis and proliferation. Disrupted redox mechanisms are seen in malaises, like degenerative and metabolic disorders, cancerous cells. This review targets the importance of redox reactions in the body's normal functioning and the effects of its alterations in cells to obtain a better understanding. Understanding the redox dynamics in a pathological state can provide an opportunity for cure or diagnosis at the earlier stage and serve as an essential biomarker to predict in advance to give personalized therapy. Understanding redox metabolism can also highlight the use of naturally available antioxidant in the form of diet. 2021 Elsevier Ltd -
Prevalence of Cardiovascular Diseases in South Asians: Scrutinizing Traditional Risk Factors and Newly Recognized Risk Factors Sarcopenia and Osteopenia/Osteoporosis
One of the primary reasons for complications and death worldwide are cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), with a death toll of approximately 18 million per year. CVDs include cardiomyopathy, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, heart attack, hearth failure, etc. Over 80% of the CVD mortality is recorded from lower and middle-income countries. Records from the past decade have highlighted the increase of CVDs among the South Asian populations, and the prime purpose of the review is to jot down the reasons for the steep spike in CVDs. Studies analyzing the causative factors for the increase of CVDs in South Asians are still to be verified. Apart from known predisposing and lifestyle factors, other emerging risk factors associated with CVDs, namely the musculoskeletal diseases sarcopenia and osteopenia, should be tracked to tackle research gaps in upcoming analyses. This requires loads of scientific efforts. With proper monitoring, the raising alarm that the CVD burden generates can be reduced. This review discusses the already established signs and recognizes important clues to the emerging etiology of CVDs in the Asian population and prevention measures to keep it at bay. 2023 Elsevier Inc. -
Photoaligned Liquid Crystalline Structures for Photonic Applications
With the advancement of information display technologies, research on liquid crystals is undergoing a tremendous shift to photonic devices. For example, devices and configurations based on liquid crystal materials are being developed for various applications, such as spectroscopy, imaging, and fiber optics. One of the problems behind the development of photonic devices lies in the preparation of patterned surfaces that can provide high resolution. Among all liquid crystal alignment techniques, photoalignment represents a promising non-contact method for the fabrication of patterned surfaces. In this review, we discuss the original research findings on electro-optic effects, which were mainly achieved at the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the collaborating research laboratories. 2023 by the authors. -
CHARACTER STRENGTHS INTERVENTIONS IN HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS: A LITERATURE REVIEW
This review provides a comprehensive overview of interventions on character strengths in college and university students. Both qualitative and quantitative studies were reviewed. The review showed that focusing on character strengths leads to improved well-being, stronger interpersonal relationships, and reduced levels of stress, depression, anxiety, and academic pressure among students. The review also suggests that such interventions can be integrated into elective courses, first-year programs, and short-term training sessions tailored to address the specific needs of students. The interventions can offer a cost-effective alternative to traditional mental health strategies and could be implemented within college counseling centers. The limitations and practical implications of character strengths intervention modules designed specifically for college students are pointed out. By highlighting positive attributes and nurturing personal growth, character strengths interventions emerge as a valuable tool in bolstering the overall well-being of college students. The Author(s). All articles are licensed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY 4.0 ). -
Economic and sustainable management of wastes from rice industry: combating the potential threats
Rice is one of the imperative staple foods, particularly in the developing countries. The exponential boom in human population has resulted in the continuous expansion in the rice industry in order to meet the food demands. The various stages of paddy processing release huge quantity of solid wastes, mainly rice husk, rice husk ash and liquid wastes in the form of rice industry wastewater. The discharge of the rice industry wastewater imparts a substantial threat to the aquatic bodies and the nearby surrounding and, thus, consequently demands eco-benign treatment plan. As a result, different strategies are needed to enhance the effluent quality and minimize the operational cost of the treatment process. Therefore, efficient technological approach targeting the minimization of pollution as well as assuring the economic prosperity should be implemented. In this review article, several aspects related to the rice industry discussing the significant challenges involved in the generation of both solid and liquid wastes, mitigation experiments and future prospects have been meticulously elaborated. Furthermore, the article also focuses on the various processes utilized for reducing the pollution load and promoting the practice of reuse and recycle of waste rather than the discharge action for the sake of sustainability and the emergence of novel techniques for the generation of energy and value-added products. 2017, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany. -
Nanocarbon assisted green hydrogen production: Development and recent trends
The increasing consumption of energy and consequent fast depletion of fossil fuels and associated environmental challenges necessitate transformative innovations in the field of energy conversion. Owing to its exceptional energy density and zero emissions during combustion, Hydrogen is hailed as a promising source of clean and renewable energy that can replace fossil fuels in future energy conversion systems. Since Hydrogen is not readily available in the atmosphere, a variety of pathways have been followed for the evolution of Hydrogen from water and organic materials, which requires the involvement of catalysts to accelerate the reactions. Currently, noble metals and their alloys represent state-of-the-art materials for HER (Hydrogen Evolution Reaction), and the scarcity and high expense of such materials impose significant constraints on their widespread implementation in hydrogen production. In this context, nanocarbons and their composites for HER are worth exploring owing to their abundance, cost-effectiveness, eco-friendliness, exceptionally large surface-to-volume ratio, and excellent electrical and charge transfer properties. Here, three leading hydrogen production methods - biological, electrochemical, and photo-driven- are analyzed based on their characteristics, effectiveness, and limitations w.r.t. different nanocarbon materials. 2023 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC -
In-Depth Review of Microeconomic Analysis of Business Tourist Spending
Most prior research used tourist arrivals to examine international tourism demand. However, tourist arrival is not an accurate factor to determine international tourism demand as it does not show the actual spending pattern of tourists which includes goods and services purchased. Literature has proven that business tourists always spend more than leisure tourists; thus, tourist expenditure is an essential measure of international tourism demand. For the current research, we summarised 31 studies to review several variables that could affect tourism demand and expenditure. The current research concludes that microeconomic modelling should be the focus and given priority for studying tourism demand and the factors that affect business tourist expenditure. The Author(s) 2018. -
A review of challenges and solutions in the preparation and use of magnetorheological fluids
This review of MRF (magnetorheological fluids or MR fluids) brings out the challenges in methods of preparation, difficulties encountered in storage and use, and possible solutions to overcome the challenges. Magnetorheological fluid in the rheological fluid domain has found use due to its ability to change its shear strength based on the applied magnetic field. Magnetorheological fluids are composed of magnetizable micron-sized iron particles and a non-magnetizable base or carrier fluid along with additives to counter sedimentation and agglomeration. Magnetorheological fluids can respond to external stimuli by undergoing changes in physical properties thus enabling several improved modifications in the existing technology enhancing their application versatility and utility. Thus, magnetorheological fluid, a rheological material whose viscosity undergoes apparent changes on application of magnetic field, is considered as a smart material. Such materials can be used for active and semi-active control of engineering systems. Many studies on the designs of systems incorporating MR fluids, mainly for vibration control and also for other applications including brakes, clutches, dynamometers, aircraft landing gears, and helicopter lag dampers, have emerged over last couple of decades. However, the preparation as well as the maintenance of magnetorheological fluids involves several challenges. Sedimentation is a major challenge, even when stored for moderate periods of time. A comprehensive review is made on the problems confronted in the preparation of magnetorheological fluids as well as sustenance of the properties, for use, over a long period of time. Other problems encountered include agglomeration and in-use thickening (IUT) as well as rusting and crusting. Of interest is the mitigation of these problems so as to prepare fluids with satisfactory properties, and such solutions are reviewed here. The control of magnetorheological fluids and the applications of interest are also reviewed. The review covers additives for overcoming challenges in the preparation and use of magnetorheological fluids that include incrustation, sedimentation, agglomeration, and also oxidation of the particles. The methodology to prepare the fluid along with the process for adding selected additives was reviewed. The results showed an improvement in the reduction of sedimentation and other problems decreasing comparatively. A set of additives for addressing the specific challenges has been summarized. Experiments were carried out to establish the sedimentation rates for compositions with varying fractions of additives. The review also analyzes briefly the gaps in studies on MR fluids and covers present developments and future application areas such as haptic devices. 2019, The Author(s). -
The unique risk factor profile of triple-negative breast cancer: a comprehensive meta-analysis
Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has a poor prognosis compared with other breast cancer subtypes. This systematic review and meta-analysis examines whether known risk factors for breast cancer are also associated with TNBC in adult women. Methods: EMBASE, Medline, SCOPUS, and gray literature were queried with no limit on the date or language of publication. The exposures of interest included parity, breastfeeding, duration of breastfeeding, age at menarche, age at first live birth, oral contraceptive (OC) use, duration of OC use, use of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), family history, body mass index (BMI), alcohol use, smoking, and breast density. The main outcome of interest was TNBC. Study quality was determined using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for case control studies and cohort studies. We estimated weighted odds ratios from random effects models to study the exposureoutcome associations. Protocol was registered under the number: PROSPERO 2021 CRD42021254594. Results: Thirty-three studies were included. Family history, longer duration of OC use, and higher breast density were significantly associated with increased risk for TNBC, whereas later age at menarche, later age at first birth, and breastfeeding were protective against TNBC. Parity, MHT, alcohol, smoking, and BMI were not significantly associated with TNBC overall, but higher parity was associated with higher risk among Black women. Conclusion: Our findings highlight that TNBC has a distinct risk factor profile compared with overall breast cancer. This can be the foundational work in identification of actionable TNBC risk factors to improve prevention and early detection of these poor prognosis breast tumors. The Author(s) 2024.