Browse Items (472 total)
Sort by:
-
Synthesis and characterization of heterocyclic derivatives and studies on their photophysical properties
Photophysical properties such as absorption, fluorescence, quantum yields and lifetime of fluorescent heterocyclic compounds have been a subject of extensive research interest. Absorption and fluorescence emission of fluorescent molecules results in electronic transitions between ground and singlet excited state. The bathochromic or hypsochromic spectral shift brings a considerable change in dipole moment of both the electronic states through solute-solvent interactions. We have synthesized some heterocyclic compounds and studied thier photophysical properties. Different derivatives such as Schiff base, chalcone, maleimide and pyranopyrazole were synthesized and characterized by FTIR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, mass spectrometry and elemental analysis. Photophysical properties of synthesized compounds have been studied through absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy and DFT calculations. We have used solvatochromic approaches such as Bilot-Kawski, LippertMataga, Bakhshiev, Kawski-Chamma-Viallet and Reichardt's solvent polarity parameters to evaluate dipole moments of ground state and singlet excited state of the synthesized heterocyclic compounds. The influence of specific and non-specific interactions on spectral properties was also investigated by using Kamlet-Abboud-Taft and Catalan multiple linear regression equations. X-ray diffraction analysis of hydroxyl Schiff base derivative has been carried out due to the presence of strong inter and intra molecular hydrogen bonding. Solvatochromic analyses of synthesized compounds were done using Bilot-Kawski, Lippert-Mataga, Bakhshiev, Kawski- Chamma-Viallet and Reichardt methods. All Solvatochromic graphs have been plotted for spectral parameters against solvent polarity parameters using Origin 8 software. The obtained experimental results from all methods were compared with theoretical results. The correlation coefficient between microscopic solvent polarity parameter and spectral Stokes-shifts were higher in comparison to bulk solvent polarity functions. Graphs for each molecule provided good correlation based on least square analysis. Dipole moment values of ground and excited states were calculated using slopes of different solvatochromic methods. Higher value of singlet excited state dipole moment indicated that the molecules were more polarised in the singlet excited state. Kamlet-Abboud-Taft and Catalan multiple linear regression (MLR) analyses were used to analyse the solvent effects on absorption, emission and difference in spectral energies of the synthesized molecules. Single point method was used to calculate the quantum yields of the synthesized compounds in ethanol using an ethanolic solution of anthracene as a reference compound. Edwards atomic increment method was applied to calculate the Onsager cavity radii of all the molecules using van der Waals volume. DFT/TD-DFT was used for quantum mechanical calculations of all the molecules. The geometrical structures of the synthesized molecules were optimized using B3LYP/6-311G(d, p) basis set. The positions of HOMO-LUMO orbitals were identified and the band gaps for all the molecules were calculated. Mulliken atomic charges and electrostatic potential surface (MEP) have also been evaluated for all the molecules to identify the ICT pathway and evaluate electrophilic and nucleophilic reactive sites around the molecules . The fluorescence quenching studies of a chalcone derivative by aniline in n-butanol and 1,4-dioxane was performed at 25 ? C which indicated that quenching reactions are diffusion limited. -
Effects of central bank intervention through quasi fiscal policies evidence from reserve bank of zimbabwe
This was a research exercise which was conducted to establish the impact of newlineZimbabwe s Central Bank s interventions on the economy. As Zimbabwe s economic newlinecondition went through a nose-dive, the government found itself unable to respond to newlinethe numerous needs with no resources. The country was achieving negative gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate every year since the turn of the new millennium. The country could not borrow from the Bretton Woods institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) because of the illegal sanctions imposed by the United States and European Union following the country s land reform program which acquired farms from the majority of the 4,000 white farmers who owned about 80 percent of the country s arable area. The Zimbabwe Economic and Democracy newlineRecovery Act of 2001 (ZEDERA), enacted in the USA prevented American companies from doing business in Zimbabwe. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe stepped in to assist. The research was aimed at establishing the effect the central bank intervention on the economy. Was the effect of the intervention good, or bad? Did the central bank s intervention really make things worse or did it ameliorate the effects of the downturn in the economy? For newlineinstance, did it contribute to the increase in inflation? What would have been the newlinesituation had the Bank not intervened? This study sought to answer the basic question: newline What was the overall impact of the RBZ s quasi-fiscal activities on the Zimbabwean newlineeconomy? Hypotheses were formulated on the basis of the above objectives and were tested newlinevia a variety of statistical techniques. The research instruments for data collection newlinewere a questionnaire and interviews guides. The questionnaire was the main research newlineinstrument followed by interviews. The questionnaire had a fusion of open ended and newlineclosed questions. The research showed that the RBZ s quasi-fiscal operations helped newlinethe country most in containing emergency situations and improved access to financial newlineresources by the productive sectors. -
The Mediating Role of Perceived Stress in the Relationship Between Gratitude and Well-Being among Information Technology Professionals
The information technology (IT) industry in India is an integral part of the nation s economy. Yet, IT professionals encounter a profusion of mental health challenges and well-being issues. This study explored, how can optimal experiences of well-being be determined among IT professionals? It adopted a narrative style of literature review as the principal objective of this review was to comprehend the well-being issues among IT professionals and to develop a conceptual framework. From the perspective of positive psychology, the study addressed the research lacuna by investigating the effect of gratitude on the professionals newlineperception of stress and well-being. It comprehended the professionals self-reflected aspects of stress and coping methods. The principal objective of this study was to investigate the mediation effect of perceived stress in the relationship between gratitude and well-being. The newlineinfluence of socio-demographic factors on perceived stress and the well-being differences based on self-reflected stress severity were also examined. Data from 421 participants were included for analysis in this mixed method research study. The data collection tools included: emotion subscale in the multi-component gratitude measure, perceived stress scale, subjective newlinehappiness scale, psychological capital questionnaire, anxiety and depression subscales in the mental health inventory, and fatigue assessment scale. Findings indicated that perceived stress fully mediated the gratitude well-being relationship. Furthermore, the results showed that certain socio-demographic variables influenced perceived stress. In addition, it was found that the professionals who conveyed that they encountered high stress, experienced lower well-being. This study contributes to the human-machine system by extending research on the emotions in software professionals. -
A Study on The Utilization of Lactic Acid Bacteria Fermented Sea Weed As Aqua Feed For Growth and Disease Resistance in Oreochromis Niloticus
Consumption of fermented foods are known to provide various health benefits. Fermentative microbes present in traditional foods are reported to confer health benefits. The present study was aimed to isolate a novel potent probiotic strain from the homemade fermented Indian recipe Moor Kuzhambu and Pickle, and its characterization to elucidate the efficacy of isolate in cholesterol and heavy metal reduction. Cultures isolated from Pickle (CK2) and Moor Kuzhambu (CK3) were newlineidentified as different strains of Pediococcus pentosaceus using 16S rDNA newlinesequence based bacterial identification method. The isolated strains exhibited newlinetolerance to gastric juice and was able to exhibit a broad range of tolerance to newlinevarying temperatures, pH, NaCl, solvent, phenol, trypsin, and artificial gastric newlinejuice. Cell surface studies such as auto aggregation, co-aggregations, and cell newlinesurface hydrophobicity determined the ability of the strains to aggregate on to intestinal cell surface and manifest competitive pathogen displacement. Remarkable biofilm reduction of 48% to 80% was observed in the probioticsupplemented samples. Similarly, a reduction of 80% to 85% free cholesterol was newlinenoted in cholesterol assimilation assays, and heavy metal (Cu+, Pb+, Zn+ and Fe+) newlineassimilation ability was observed. Pediococcus pentosaceus MK459541 strain newlineCK2 and (MK459539) CK3 were assessed for EPS synthesis, structural characteristics, antioxidant properties and heavy metal assimilation abilities. Maximum yield of EPS was observed in carbon source Xylose for CK3 and fructose for CK2. Similarly, EPS production was found to maximum when bacteria newlinewere supplemented with meat extract (CK2) and yeast extract (CK3). FTIR results exhibited the presence of functional groups such as Imine/Oxime group, carboxylic group, Halo groups, Nitro compounds, etc. Further studies on EPS CK2 and EPS CK3 revealed a strong antioxidant capacity of 73.92% to 97.75%. Heavy metal assimilation ability of the EPS was found to be strong and in decreasing order as follows Cu+, Fe+ and Zn+. -
Development and efficacy of creativity enhancement programme for adolescents with specific learning disability
Adolescents with Specific Learning Disability (SLD) face academic and emotional challenges in their school life. Creativity is a skill which helps adolescents to approach problems of daily life differently. That would help them to explore and nurture their self-esteem. Though there is a debate on whether creativity is innate or learned, activities are still required for children to recognize and nurture the creative skills in children. Studies show that creative tasks develop self-esteem in children and also decrease depression in children with SLD. Creativity newlineEnhancement Programme (CrEP) is developed as part of the study in consultation with experts in the field based on Torrance s Theory of Creativity. The Programme tested newlinethe efficacy in improving the creativity and the self-esteem as well as reducing anxiety and depression of 100 adolescents with SLD. The adolescents with SLD, studying in class sixth to ninth in five schools that follow newlinethe state syllabus and English medium of instruction, which are situated in South Bengaluru were selected. Initial screening consisted of an assessment of SLD and newlineintelligence to select participants. Out of 100 students with SLD, 50 students each were randomly allocated to experimental and control groups. The intervention programme consisted of creativity enhancement activities such as drawing, bridge construction, sand art, best out of waste, and find a friend. Baqer Mehdi Test of Creative Thinking and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale at were used as assessment tools and measured the study variable before, after and three months after the intervention. newlineResults showed CrEP could improve non-verbal newlinecreativity: Elaboration and Self-esteem. Similarly, this intervention could reduce depression. CrEP is useful in helping adolescents with SLD to explore and nurture their creativity, which would help them build their self-esteem and reduce the risk of mental health problems. -
Role of employee value proposition in creating employer brand value for employee attraction and retention
Employee Value Proposition is a set of associations and offerings provided by an organisation in return for the skills, capabilities and experiences an employee brings to the organisation. Employee newlineexpectations from the employer is now shifted from monetary to more intrinsic values like rewards, recognition, and flexible work. newlineUnderstanding the value proposition is vital to devise appropriate human resource strategies for employee attraction and retention. Human resource managers have realised that the communicating the value propositions to the employees is as important as devising them. This has led human newlineresource managers to collaborate with marketing team to develop right newlinecommunicating strategies to build a lucrative employer brand to attract right talent into the organisation. Previous studies lack focus on dual outcomes of employer brand. The current study develops an employer brand for internal employees and potential employees. Although the value proposition components remain same for both category of employees, the order of preference differs. The study has used structured questionnaire to newlineunderstand the order of preference of value proportion components for internal and potential employees among generation X, Y and Z. The findings assist human resource managers to use the developed framework newlineto identify the value proposition preferred and develop and communicate the Employee Value Proposition accordingly. The theoretical contribution includes proposing differentiated Employer Brand framework for internal and potential employees. -
Role of Humanoid Robots in Enhancing Communication and Social Skills among Students with Mild Autism
Introduction Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face challenges in social newlineinteraction. This is a growing concern and needs a due redressal for their wellbeing. Failing to address these challenges can cause further isolation resulting in displaying antisocial behaviours. Children with Autism require the intervention of technology. Over the years, special schools have been using newlineAssistive Technologies (AT) that bridge the gap in learning for students with newlinedisabilities in general and Autism in particular. As a result of this initiation newlineearlier studies have deciphered that the end result of drawing AT into teaching and learning have been promising and optimistic. Available literature has shed light on the positive impact of emerging and assistive technologies on the learning of students with disabilities. However, the use of emerging newlinetechnologies by special tutors to build vital skills amongst children with autism has not been sufficiently explored. The lack of adequate exploration in the aforementioned domain paves the way for this research in particular. Objectives This study aims to explore the benefits of using humanoid robots which is an emerging technology in recent years with specific reference to inclusive newlineclassroom setup. Inclusive classrooms use humanoid robots to develop social and- communication skills amongst students with mild autism. This study sheds light by using both qualitative and quantitative methods and identify whether robots can effectively address children s social and communication skills which contributes to children s speech and behavioural development. Methods As mentioned above this research has been undertaken with a qualitative research design a combination of tools to explore how humanoid robots enable in the development of social and- communication skills amongst students with mild autism. The researcher has conducted semi-structured interviews newlinewith special tutors and counsellors to gain insights into the positive benefits of newlinechild - robot interaction. -
Development and standardization of a tool to measure direction, motive and affect of social comparison among adolescents
Social comparison process is a pervasive social phenomenon (Suls, Martin and Wheeler, 2002). People very often make a comparison with others either intentionally or unintentionally in their daily life. This phenomenon of perceiving self in one s social standing in comparison to others can influence different outcomes including self-concepts, self-esteem, and distinct feelings.This evaluative method provides useful information to generate accurate evaluation about one s abilities and opinion, especially on self-related dimensions. This concepts is very relevant to study in the adolescent population, as children s development of self is largely shaped by social environment experience with family and friends. Social comparison plays an important role in adolescents development of one self-concept especially self-esteem in important dimensions of self. Having outlined the relevance of social comparison theory in the context of this research, it is imperative to attempt this type of exploration and developing a concept based assessment tool to measure different facet of social comparison theory-direction, motive and affect. newlineThis study followed mixed design to better set the context through theoretical and empirical approach for the development for a new tool. In the initial phase, concept exploration was done through literature review to understand the conceptual framework of the approach, followed by qualitative exploration using interview method on 12 adolescents and 4 school counselors. This exploration let to the development of items based on eight dimensions of self, identified in this study. In the second phase, a pilot test was conducted on a sample of 237 adolescents and fulfilled the initial psychometric cleansing of the tool. In the third phase, the main test was administered to sample of 531 adolescents age between (12-16 years). The initial construct analysis was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis and the scale satisfied the model fit hypothesis using structural equation model (SEM). -
Empowering women living with HIV AIDS A study on organisational strategies and challenges
The acts of discrimination and exclusion meted out to the people living with HIV/AIDS, and the stigma attached to the condition deprives the afflicted, of their capacity to exercise their fundamental rights and to access basic necessities. Specifically, the suffering of the women stricken by this chronic, incurable malady, the majority of whom from newlineeconomically weaker sections of our society is very poignant. From the time this pandemic broke out in 1984, world organisations, national and local organisations, both government and non-government have come to newlinethe aid of the PLWHA. Some of them cater singularly to the needs of the WLWHA, who are as such more vulnerable ever since the plight of the women living with the deadly disease was brought to light. But as the years went by, there has been a decline in the help extended to the WLWHA. This study is undertaken to ascertain the current state of newlineservices and strategies used by the organisations to empower the WLWHA and the challenges faced by the organisations in their endeavours. Appropriate questionnaires were administered to analyse the situations and find the facts about the services, strategies and challenges from the perspective of the organisation WLWHA. A few case studies of the WLWHA were done to delve into the depths of their perceptions. From the study, it has been learned that the organisations have prioritized medical and rehabilitation services to empower the women. Medical care is given directly by the organisations and also through networking with government bodies and other services newlineproviders. Affected women and family members are counselled for acceptance of the condition and familial and societal integration. Occupational therapy and vocational training are other strategies for newlineempowerment.Organisations provide nutritious food for the women and arrange for them to get the necessary provisions through Public newlineDistribution System (PDS) or through donors. -
Intersecting Ecocriticism and Gender in Selected Writings of Easterine Kire
The research study, Intersecting Ecocriticism and Gender in Selected newlineWritings of Easterine Kire, analyses the intersection of histories, identities, gender, and ecology to understand the larger context of marginalisation and newlinerepresentation. Indigenous literature often subverts Western worldviews and mainstream discourses with counter-discourse narratives by placing their stories at the centre. In recent times, literature from Indigenous societies has established a position in which Indigenous people represent, resist, newlinedecolonise, and construct their identity. The Indigenous Naga community has experienced marginalisation for decades, having suffered multiple oppressions of their history, stories, knowledge, and lack of rights; however, contemporary literary writings challenged the silencing system through writing back and representation. In her fictional works, Naga author Easterine Kire explores the possibilities of reviving and restoring the Angami Naga community and their newlinelost cultures and identities. Focusing on analysing three important themes: Peoplestories, Ecopolitics, and Gender politics, the study represents Naga histories, emerging identities, gender, and ecological concerns as interpreted in the fiction of Easterine Kire. The objective is to represent Indigenous Naga voices using fictional narratives of Easterine Kire to reclaim, revive, and redefine Indigenous culture and history from an insider s perspective. It also examines how intersecting narratives contribute to the larger context of Naga identity construction. newlineEasterine Kire s writing is a culturally conscious and decolonial strategy in newlinewhich she incorporates her community s oral tradition and storytelling in her fictional narratives. Easterine Kire s narrative engages in a deep conscious cultural revival and reinvention of her community s cultural heritage. -
An investigation into the causes of non compliance with labour laws by zimbabwean local authorities
The current research; which I carried out in Mashonaland East Province of Zimbabwe between 2012 and 2014 was prompted by the surge newlinein labour related disputes in sub-national governments in Zimbabwe as well as the evident poor levels of compliance to labour laws by local authorities which also happen to be a poorly rated sector of the economy in terms of service delivery. In carrying out the study, I was guided by the following newlineresearch objectives: to identify the challenges being faced by Zimbabwean newlinelocal authorities in complying with the labour laws, to establish the extent to which non compliance affects labour relations in local government in Zimbabwe, to ascertain the impact of non-compliance on service delivery and finally to assess the government monitoring aspect. The targeted population for the study comprised all the ten local authorities and ministry of local government employees from the province. The study mainly newlineemployed the exploratory research design and I found that non-compliance with labour laws by Zimbabwean local authorities was not only as a result of the quality of labour relations and management systems (internal controls and corruption) but also lack of governmental financial support, political newlineinterference, skills migration (brain drain), increased poverty (economic meltdown) and high unemployment rate. In light of the research findings, I recommend that the government formulates deliberate policies to re-engage the international community as this will help attract foreign direct investment; thereby reducing poverty, unemployment, skills migration and corruption. I also recommend an increase in the financial support by government to its sub national governments. There should also be total newlinedecentralization of all sub national governments to ensure efficiency and newlinenon-interference with local authorities operations. -
Perceived Morbidity, Health Seeking Behaviour and Healthcare Utilisation among Inter-State Women Migrant Workers in Kerala
Internal migrants in India are estimated to be 37% of the total population with Kerala estimated to host over 25 lakhs of internal migrants. Migration, both internal and international can influence a country or region s socio-economic development. The interrelation between health and migration is highlighted in the Sustainable Development Goals where health is determined as an indicator of people-centred, rights-based, inclusive, and equitable development . Though migrants as such are a vulnerable population, the gender experience of migration differs, as women migrants often face triple discrimination of being a woman, unprotected worker and a migrant making them the most vulnerable within the migrant community. They are often overlooked while formulating schemes and policies depriving them of health and social security benefits. The present newlinestudy aims to understand the perceived morbidity, health seeking behaviours and healthcare utilization among Interstate Women Migrant Workers in Kerala. The sequential exploratory research design was employed to newlinecollect data from workers in the seafood processing and textile manufacturing sectors. The qualitative phase had two focus group discussions with 8 participants each and four in-depth interviews while the quantitative newlinephase had cross-sectional surveys with 300 respondents. The focus group discussion and in-depth interview paved the way for understanding the issues and concerns of the respondents regarding their health seeking newlinebehaviours and healthcare utilization as well as hinting at their attitude towards health in general. Themes were able to provide insight into the factors underlying healthcare utilization as well as provided suggestions from the respondents which could have policy implications. The quantitative data was elaborate and was able to address the various dimensions of health seeking and determine the factors influencing healthcare utilization among interstate women migrants in Kerala. -
Cultural Politics of sports and nationalism in indian popular cinema
The idea of India does not naturally happen. Like Benedict Anderson points out in his Imagined Communities, the media plays a huge role in ensuring that the public upholds certain notions of the nation. So, the imagining of a nation into existence as well as the sustenance of the collective are media-enabled. If print media had influenced people to envisage a nation by narrativizing a cultural commonality within members of a particular political setup in a particular geography (as in the case of 19th century Europe), the part played by popular cinema in independent India in feeding the imagining of Indianness cannot be considered less significant. Cinema texts based on war, terrorism, partition, etc. lend themselves for a nationalist treatment. Sports-themed Indian popular cinema too chooses to establish a marriage of convenience with nationalism. While sports and nationalism right from the first decade of the 20th century have had a history of helping each other thrive, - owing to nationality-based participation in Olympics and a similar format adopted by most other global events - it is in the 21st century that Indian Popular Cinema started exploiting the sports-nationalism relationship for its own progress. This research studies the discourse on Indian nationalism that three sports-themed texts of Indian popular cinema offer. Apart from proving to be huge box office hits, Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India, Chak De! India, and M S Dhoni: The Untold Story offer a lot for culture and nation theorists to ponder upon. -
Forcing Parameters and Propagation Time of Certain Graph Classes
A branch of mathematics that treats vertices and edges of a graph is called graph theory. This theory is used to replicate many real-life situations and physical problems. Graph coloring problem is one of the prominent studies in extremal graph theory. Suppose information has to be communicated in a network or some product has to be marketed to all the people in a cluster then there are two types of cost that needs to be encountered, one the cost of selecting the initial set of vertices in a network and the second is, time it takes to propagate the information through the entire network. The sum of these two parameters is known as the total cost. Optimizing the total cost, which is the sum of vertices and the time it takes to propagate information through the entire network, is a challenging problem for any newlinegraph. Such an interesting and well-studied problem is called the dynamic coloring newlineproblem. The forcing problem also known as infecting or spreading problem is one newlinesuch dynamic coloring problem where two colors- white and black are used. Assume that a fxed set of vertices in a graph G are initially black and that the remaining vertices are considered white vertices. The aim of the forcing process is to obtain, fully black-colored vertices of the graph G by progressively applying the color change law, making sure that at least one white vertex is forced black in every discrete time interval. The forcing index is the minimum cardinality of the forcing sets. Diand#64256;erent types of forcing, such as one forcing, connected one forcing, k-forcing connected k-forcing etc., are defned based on the color change law. The one forcing is the basic form of forcing. A generalised form of one forcing is known as k-forcing where k lt V (G). The time taken by a forcing set to force the entire vertices of the graph G black is the propagation time or iteration index. The subject of study aims to fnd the one forcing number and k-forcing number of diand#64256;erent types of graph classes and derived graph classes. -
Polyvinyl alcohol and epoxy based composites for radition shielding applications
The present study has been focused towards designing efficient, non-toxic and cost-effective shielding materials with good mechanical strength for protection against radiations encountered in various environments like aerospace, hospitals, research and nuclear reactor establishments. From this perspective, to impart desired shielding properties, high Z filler dispersed polymer matrices such as Bi/WO3-polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), Ta2O5-epoxy, Ta2O5-Bi2O3-epoxy, micro Bi2O3-epoxy and nano Bi2O3-epoxy with varying filler contents have been synthesized. Structural characterizations were carried out using X-ray diffraction newline(XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy to reveal the interactions newlinebetween filler and polymer matrix. The morphological analyses were performed using newlinescanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. The AC conductivity measurements and newlineoptical studies revealed low conductivity property of the composites. The thermo newlinegravimetric analysis (TGA) and mechanical studies were conducted to ascertain thermal newlinestability and mechanical properties of the composites. With increase in filler concentration mechanical properties of Bi/WO3-PVA composites were found to be weakening. The TGA studies of Bi/WO3-PVA composites showed decrease in peak degradation temperature with increase in filler content. This prompted us to further design epoxy composites as epoxy matrix has good thermal stability and mechanical strength. Compared to neat epoxy, dispersion of varying wt% of Ta2O5 and Bi2O3 into epoxy matrix led to significant improvement in stiffness, storage modulus, glass transition temperature and thermal stability of the composites. Epoxy composites with 5 wt% of Ta2O5 and 30 wt% of Bi2O3 revealed better thermal and tensile properties when compared to same wt% Bi2O3 filled epoxy composites. The synergistic influence of micro and nano Bi2O3 filler on epoxy matrix composites showed similar thermal behaviour. -
Foreign Policy of China a Under Deng Xiaoping and its Contemporary Relevance
Political leadership plays an important role in foreign policy decision making in general. Studying leadership traits, styles, beliefs and world view is one of the common methods to comprehend political leaders and their influence on foreign policy. When it comes to authoritarian countries like China, its foreign policy decision making has several layers of which political leaders play all the more crucial role. Irrespective of the period Imperial, Nationalist or Communist the political leaders of China are guided by its history, philosophy and the then existing domestic and global circumstances, in formulating and implementing the country s foreign policy. Political leadership plays an important role in foreign policy decision making in general. Studying leadership traits, styles, beliefs and world view is one of the common methods to comprehend political leaders and their influence on foreign policy. When it comes to authoritarian countries like China, its foreign policy decision making has several layers of which political leaders play all the more crucial role. Irrespective of the period Imperial, Nationalist or Communist the political leaders of China are guided by its history, philosophy and the then existing domestic and global circumstances, in formulating and implementing the country s foreign policy. The central enquiry of the study is to assess contemporary relevance of Deng s foreign newlinepolicy paradigm. Through field visits and rigorous analysis of primary sources, the newlinestudy establishes that relevance of Deng s policy continues in the present context except on China s pro-activeness towards issues pertaining to its territorial integrity and sovereignty. Using China s case, the study advances the framework of understanding pertaining to the role of political leadership in foreign policy making. The study also makes certain broad policy recommendations to various stakeholders for consideration. -
Biomarkers of Autistic Study : Biochemical, Genomics, Epigenetics and Cytogenetic Signatures
Autism is a complex disorder characterized by social issues, impaired communication, newlineand repetitive behavior. The prevalence of autism has increased significantly over the past two decades, with an estimated incidence of 1 in 150 children in 2000. Cytogenetic investigations are essential for confirming clinical diagnoses, as the disorder has high phenotypic variability and genetic heterogeneity. A study aims to confirm behavioral phenotypes of autistic subjects newlinein South India using DSM IV and ATEC open questionnaires. The study found that metabolic factors, including hormones, neurotransmitters, and oxidative ions, play crucial roles in the progression of symptoms. The study also revealed the roles of two major causative genes (NRXN1 and CNTNAP2) in a spectrum of genotypes imparting severity and heterogeneity. -
Pharmaceutical Tablet Uniformity Prediction Using Spectroscopy-Based Data Fusion and Machine Learning Approaches
The pharmaceutical industry is highly regulated, and every manufacturer must demonstrate the drug product's quality, safety, and efficacy before market release. Quality control plays a vital role in ensuring drug products' consistency, purity, and potency through rigorous testing of raw materials in the process and the finished stages of manufacturing. Quality risk management and process understanding are critical to maintaining quality throughout manufacturing. Quality by Design (QbD) offers a structured approach, while Process Analytical Technology (PAT) facilitates real-time monitoring to control risk of product quality. Process analyzers, multivariate methods, process control, and continuous improvement tools are part of the PAT framework that enhances process understanding and aids risk mitigation strategies. Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is a commonly used analytical technique in PAT environments for both qualitative and quantitative measurements; these are real-time and non-destructive process analyzers. Chemometrics helps extract information from this chemical data using mathematical and statistical methods. With the advent of Industry 4.0, machine learning models have gained popularity in spectroscopy due to their ability to handle complex, high-dimensional data and adapt to various applications. This research introduces a systematic approach to implementing machine learning models as an alternative to traditional chemical testing in predicting the content uniformity of pharmaceutical tablets. The objective is to improve the quality of data analysis and its predictive performance. This study also outlines the importance of using manufacturing information as stratified variables in predictive modeling and spectroscopic data, or sensor fusion data. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach, a real-world NIR dataset developed based on various characteristics such as manufacturing scale, tablet strength, dose proportion, and coating is utilized. This real-world application of the research makes the content more relatable and interesting to the reader. This allows the seamless use of the model across different known environments as the model is trained using sensor data fusion. A comparison of Partial Least Squares regression models and machine learning Neural Network models is evaluated for the model predictability. The work also delves into selecting and optimizing appropriate hyperparameters for a chosen optimal model. It explores the impact of model performance to ensure successful implementation in the production environment and discusses various approaches in monitoring during life cycle management. -
Job Involvement of secondary school teachers of bangalore in relation to their work ethics organisational culture and leader behaviour of heads of institutions
Education has been the mainstay of our culture, right from the time of the Gurukul to the present day. Even today, the single most important factor in our education system is the teacher and his qualities. The issue of teacher motivation and Job Involvement is an essential factor for classroom newlineeffectiveness and improvement of educational institutions. Though many studies have been conducted in the area of Job Satisfaction of teachers in India, Job Involvement of teachers has received comparatively little attention. Literature review indicates that Work Ethics, Organizational Culture, Leader Behaviour of Heads of Institutions do newlineinfluence Job Involvement along with other variables. In this area, few independent studies are available, but a study related to all these variables is not available. Moreover, most of these studies related to Job Involvement are overseas studies. Hence the investigator felt the need to take up the present study titled Job Involvement of secondary school teachers of Bangalore in relation to their Work Ethics, Organizational newlineCulture and Leader Behaviour of Heads of Institutions. The main objectives of the study were: 1) To find out the relationship between Job Involvement of secondary school teachers their work ethics, organizational culture and Leader Behaviour of Heads of newlineInstitutions. 2) To find out whether differences in background variables like Gender, Subject specialization etc would account for significant difference in Job Involvement. 3) To find out whether any differences in levels of Work Ethics, Organizational Culture, and Leader Behaviour of Heads of Institutions results in any significant difference in Job Involvement of secondary school teachers 4) To find out the interactionxvi effect of the independent variables on Job Involvement 5) To find out newlinewhether the independent variables selected by the researcher are significant predictors of Job Involvement of secondary school teachers. Based on these objectives, researcher formulated 30 hypotheses.