Browse Items (472 total)
Sort by:
-
Outward Foreign Direct Investment From India ; A Sectoral Analysis
New opportunities have arisen as the global economy has been more integrated, with globalization and liberalization of government policies. As the world becomes more globalized, businesses boost their investments to keep up with demand. Trade and foreign investments are two notable paths to global integration, with trade being the traditional path. As an FDI pioneer and promoter, the FDI of the upper-middle-income countries became an essential source of integration with the low and middle-income countries. With globalization and liberalization policies India has become the most significant emerging economy. Economic policies urged Indian enterprises to compete internationally to keep up with fierce competitive environment and the adoption of new technology, such as expanding into new markets, acquiring assets and resources, and integrating their overseas operations. Outward FDI (OFDI) has been used by Indian enterprises to meet these strategic needs. India's overseas investments have increased significantly since the 1990s. The majority of empirical research has focused on FDI from upper-middle-income nations. As low- and middle-income nations like India become more important players in the FDI flow, it's necessary to understand the patterns, motivations, and factors that influence the location and impact of OFDI from these countries. Existing Studies focused on Inward FDI (IFDI), but this study focuses on Outward FDI (OFDI) from India. Earlier OFDI research has mostly focused on firm-specific advantages. This study examines India's OFDI trends, as well as changes in host country location determinants, sectoral composition, and their influence on both the home and host countries. In view of the changing direction of OFDI in India, this study compares investment motives and location factors between the upper-middle-income and low and middle-income countries complying with the international categorization established by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in its publication, the World Investment Report (WIR). This study analyzes the determinants and impact of India's OFDI in the home and host country during the period 1991-2020 in the context of Dunning's eclectic paradigm (OLI paradigm) and Investment Development Path (IDP) theory, using OFDI data from 1991 to 2020, which is longer than other studies by India's OFDI. This study employs panel data methodologies to identify crucial aspects and empirically test the nature of India's OFDI, which includes market seeking, resource seeking, technology and strategic asset seeking. The study uses a time series method to empirically test the relationship between India's OFDI, Trade and GDP. The results reveal that India's OFDI is motivated by market seeking, resource seeking, and technology seeking motives in upper-middle-income and low and middle-income countries. The results emphasize strategic assets as a significant motivation for investing in upper-middle-income countries rather than low and middle-income countries. India's OFDI is also actively linked to host country policies such as openness, corruption and market size. OFDI from India affects exports, as OFDI and exports are two means of internationalization. Theoretically, OFDI leads to further exports (positive or complements) or replaces exports with production (negative or substitution). Empirical testing of the OFDI-trade relationship shows a significant long-term positive relationship between the two. The study divided into five chapters. Chapter one comprises the introduction, backdrop of Global Outward FDI, India's FDI inflows and outflows, India's outward FDI, Need and Significance of the study. The second chapter consists of the literature review, theories of FDI, Statement of Problem. The third chapter deals with the methodology, research gap, research question, objectives of the study, and statistical tools used for the study. The fourth chapter focuses on the determinants of India's OFDI towards upper-middle and low and middle-income countries and the impact of India's OFDI on upper-middle and low and middle-income countries are analyzed in chapter three. It followed by a Geographical and sectoral analysis of India's OFDI in upper-middle and low and middle-income countries and a region-wise analysis in chapter five. Chapter six presents the study results, factors affecting India's Outward FDI among upper-middle and low and middle-income countries, followed by practical, theoretical and policy implications of the Study. -
Characterization and Strength Assessment of Alkali-Activated Iron Ore Tailing Composite Bricks
The current study outlines a process for producing environmentally friendly bricks that can also compete successfully in today's highly competitive market. The use of iron ore tailings (IOT), which are typically disposed of as waste by the mining industry, is the subject of ongoing research for brick production. Bricks were made using IOT, which was obtained from iron ore mines in India's southern region. The study is based on the alkali-activation method of producing IOT bricks, which has been shown to be the most energy-efficient method of production. This is because, in contrast to the traditional method of producing bricks, the alkali-activation method emits fewer greenhouse gases. India has an abundance of iron ore deposits, which has resulted in extensive mining activities, which has resulted in an increase in waste generation, The waste is typically disposed of by being dumped in one of the dumping sites or dams near the mining area. These tailings pose a significant threat to the environment in their immediate vicinity. As a result, the use of IOT in brick manufacturing will reduce the mining industry's waste disposal burden. Furthermore, the use of IOT in the production of bricks will reduce the use of natural raw materials in the production of conventional bricks. Several types of brick composites were developed in this study by combining Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS), Flyash, and IOT with a sodium silicate solution. Each raw material is analysed using particle size analysis (PSA), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM. The newly developed IOT bricks were put through a series of tests to determine their strength and durability in accordance with Indian standards. The developed IOT bricks had a maximum compressive strength of up to 18.45N/mm2 while water absorption was not more that 12.6%. Furthermore, the bricks were subjected to a series of wetting and drying tests to determine their long-term durability in accordance with Brazilian regulations. Each of the results obtained was validated using microstructure analysis of the product that was developed. Furthermore, the study sought to determine the compression strength of alkali-activated IOT brick prisms when combined with mortar of varying strengths. Finally, it was determined that more than 50 percent of the IOT can be used in combination with GGBS, flyash, and sodium silicate solution as an alkali activator to produce high-quality bricks under ambient temperature curing conditions. -
Growth and Characterization of Sb2Se3 and SnSe2 Crystals for Photovoltaic Applications
Tremendous development in crystal growth technology led to the production of good newlinequality samples for the design and fabrication of optoelectronic devices. As naturally available solids exhibit undesirable characteristics, the present research work deals with the artificial synthesis and characterization of defect free binary layered chalcogenide materials newline(LCMs) for photovoltaic (PV) applications. Antimony selenide (Sb2Se3) and tin diselenide newline(SnSe2) have gained special attention in the PV industry due to their eco-friendly, sustainable, and non-hazardous nature as well as the salient features such as moderate melting temperature, p-type conductivity with direct transition, optimum band gap and high newlineabsorption coefficient. Therefore, cost-effective synthesis was implemented to engineer bulk Sb2Se3 and SnSe2 crystals for the enhancement of optoelectronic parameters. Single crystal growth from melt allows the fabrication of large size samples under controlled environment. It gives rise to complexities in maintaining stable temperature for crystallization and newlineachieving chemical homogeneity, if multiple elements are present in the system. The newlinechallenges associated with Bridgman-Stockbarger and Czochralski methods for preparing bulk crystals include irregular heat flow, mechanical movement of furnace or crucible, thermal stress, etc. Moreover, reactivity of the melted material with the ampoule leads to structural irregularities. Hence, horizontal normal freezing (HNF), the facile and inexpensive melt growth technique was employed to explore the suitability of cleaved samples. Most of the vapor phase synthesis methods, especially, the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) deteriorates material quality, which adversely affects the physical properties due to the presence of contamination or foreign elements. But, the physical vapor deposition (PVD) process is favorable as it offers feasible instrumentation and yields stoichiometric specimens with supreme quality and fine-tuned characteristics. -
An Investigation of Multifractality and Herd Behaviour in Indian Capital Market During Macro-Political Events : An Empirical Evidence Through Econophysics Approach
The financial markets worldwide exhibit several complex and dynamic features in them. Among them, Multifractality is one of the most significant features of complex systems, and it has been identified and examined in the financial markets in recent years. Besides, studies in the past confirm that there exists a linkage between multifractality and herding behaviour in financial markets during extreme events. The current study attempts to investigate the presence of Multifractality caused by herding behaviour in the segments of the Indian capital market during the macro-political events. For this, the macro- political events were classified into three broad categories pre-scheduled events, intensified geopolitical events and uncertain macro-political events. Further, two major segments of the Indian capital market, namely, the equity and the Forex segment, were examined. The study employed the Multifractal Detrended Fluctuation Analysis approach to examine the Multifractality caused by herding behaviour during macro-political events. In addition, the study also measured the volatility surface and quantified the information uncertainty present in the selected segments of the Indian capital market. The findings suggest that the macro-political events impact the multifractality and herding behaviour in the examined segments of the Indian capital market. However, the degree of the multifractality caused by the herding behaviour traced in the market segments is event-specific. It differs based on the type of macro-political event. The overall analysis suggests that the pre-scheduled macro-political event's impact was higher for both equity and forex segments of the Indian capital market. Further, a high degree of multifractality caused by herding behaviour was traced in the Nifty segments during the intensified geopolitical events. On the other hand, uncertain macro-political events had no impact on the multifractality caused by the herding behaviour in equity and forex segments. The study results provide some significant implications for various market participants for investment decision-making and portfolio risk diversification during the macro-political events in India. -
Web User Access Log Analytics Using Neural Learning, Regression and Logit Boost Clustering Techniques for Accurate User Behavioural Pattern Identification
Web Usage Mining (WUM), is the process of mining user behaviour patterns from huge log fles. Weblogs provide substantial input to learning the identity of an online user. Analysis of these patterns extracted from the weblog datasets is currently being explored by various researchers. Due to the recent advent of automation, mining patterns from weblogs are automated. These automated mining processes focus on browsing habits and usage patterns. To make this process of gathering better, there are many ways to look at how users act and put them into relevant groups.Identifying, detecting, and classifying features that demarcate specifc traits that are related is an important task. Conventional research is designed to discover web usage mining strategies through clustering and classifcation methods. However, there is a need to focus on and improve the accuracy of the prediction systems that classify acquired features to fgure out the patterns of web users. Deep learning methods are used to mine weblog data to improve accuracy and precision. To improve user behaviour pattern mining, a two-level clustering process is introduced as Ensemble Fuzzy K-Means with Logit Boost Clustering (EFK-LBC) technique to extract the weblog. In this technique, a preprocessing step is included to remove redundant data and choose reliable log fles. The Fuzzy-K means clustering technique is used to identify behavioural patterns exhibited by recurrent users. Finally, the Logit Boost Clustering method is introduced to the data,that help in generating a strong cluster. Clustering of web users frequent behavioural patterns using the Logit Boost ensemble technique helps the proposed EFK-LBC method to improve newlinethe accuracy up to 88% and reduce the clustering time by 20% compared with existing approaches. Though the proposed EFK-LBC technique performs better for user identifcation, the different initialization of clusters provides various fnal clustering results. -
Efficacy of Art Based Interventions for Emotional Problems among Children Affected by Earthquake in Nepal
The earthquake of April 2015 left Nepal in a vulnerable state. Children represent an estimated 3.2 million of the 8 million people affected by the earthquake. The aim of the study was to examine the role of art in dealing with the long-term impact of earthquake on emotional problems in children in Nepal. A purposive sampling was adopted to select 454 children studying in 4th and 5th standard from four schools in Kathmandu Metropolitan City. Children completed the Level of Exposure Scale while the parents provided information about the emotional and behavioural difficulties of children using the Nepali version of Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ/ 4-17). The influence of gender, severity of exposure, socio-economic status and type of family in relation to emotional problems were also examined in the selected group. The results of Phase 1 show that conduct, hyperactivity-inattention and peer problems were higher in boys while girls had higher pro-social behaviour. Children belonging to lower socio-economic status were found to be at risk for emotional problems. Gender and exposure were also identified as predictors of emotional problems in children. For the second phase of the study, those children with high emotional problems (N=60) were selected for an art-based intervention consisting of nine sessions. Both the treatment (N=30) and control group (N=30) completed the pre- and post- treatment measure of SDQ. The results show that the children in the treatment group reported lower levels of emotional problems, hyperactivity-inattention and peer problems compared to the control group (Cohen's d: 0.50-0.80). In the final phase of the study, 12 children from the treatment group were interviewed to identify the elements of art that contributed to a change in the emotional problems. A thematic vii analysis revealed six global themes: a new schema, an expression space, drawing the trauma, reappraisal of trauma narrative, protective factors and future benefits. The responses of the children show that the inherent properties such as regulation and social connection promoted by an engagement in arts needs to be adopted as an effective mode of trauma care. The findings also point to the possibility of using art-based therapy to overcome stigma which hinder the mental health professionals when implementing evidence-based treatments in the country. -
Cost Effective Synthesis of Carbon Nanoparticles and Exploring the Fluorescence and Electrochemical Applications
Graphene-based materials and composites for sensing are a fascinating field in material science research that is experiencing rapid advancement. But the applications of graphene-based materials were often hampered by their high production cost, low yield, expensive and scarce precursors, harmful processing techniques, etc. Coal is made up of islands of nanometer-sized crystalline carbon domains linked by a 3D network of amorphous aliphatic carbon and polymerized aromatic hydrocarbons that can be extracted using mild oxidizing agents. In this context, the present study reports the successful usage of low-grade coal, lignite as an ideal precursor for the production of carbon nanostructures for various sensing applications. This research is divided into three parts where value addition to coal is being done along with finding solutions to three major environmental issues: fluorescence sensing of copper ion; noninvasive glucose fluorescence sensing; simultaneous electrochemical sensing of heavy newlinemetal ions cadmium and lead. In the first study, carbon nanostructures were synthesized from lignite by a simple, scalable, and economical technique and the as-prepared carbon nanostructures, namely LC1, LC2 and LC3, demonstrated excellent fluorescence characteristics. LC3 exhibited remarkable copper ion sensing with a dual linear range with limits of detection (LOD) as low as 1.32 pM and 2.35 pM, with limits of quantification (LOQ) 4 pM and 7.14 pM respectively. The accuracy of the manufactured sensor was shown by the recovery rates of copper ions, which varied from 98.18% to 101.2% with Relative newlineStandard Deviations (RSDs) below 0.4%. The results are captivating, implying that newlinethese lignite derived carbon nanostructures could be employed to efficiently and newlineeconomically detect low concentrations of copper ions in water. In the second study, carbon nanoribbons and nanosheets with superior fluorescence were synthesized from lignite, using a facile chemical oxidation process. -
Exploring Meaningfullness of Life among Survivors of Sex Trafficking in India
Sex trafficking is a form of human trafficking which is considered a contemporary form of slavery. It is made up of victims (supply), buyers (demand), and traffickers (distributors). Sex trafficking is a billion dollars industry. It generates more profit than any other industry in the world, illicit or otherwise. It is estimated that one woman or child is commercialized to be a sex slave every hour. The present study aimed to explore the meaningfulness of life among survivors of sex trafficking in India. It is a two-phase research design where the researcher has collected quantitative data first, and qualitative data was collected during the second phase. The qualitative phase comprises data from 126 subjects They were divided into two groups. Group 1, survivors rescued within two years (N=63), and group 2, survivors post two years after the rescue (N=63). Group 1 (M=15.58) scored lower on the meaningfulness of life compared to group 2 (M=23.15). Group 1 (M=16.80) is less satisfied with life compared to group 2 (M=22.65). Group 1 (M=61.09) has a lower quality of life compared to group (M=77.49). Group 1 tends to have lesser positive emotions and more negative emotions compared to group 2. There was a moderate positive correlation between the current meaning in life and satisfaction with life, r=.42, n=126, p<.001. There was a negative moderate correlation between the current meaning in life and negative emotions r=-49, n=126, p<.001, and there was a strong, positive vii correlation between current meaning in life and positive emotions, r=.53, n=126, p<.001. Results from the qualitative phase, which comprises data from 20 participants show that survivors' life in slavery was meaningless and marked by torture and rape. The meaningfulness of life for participants in the current study depends on a new identity, acceptance, education, spirituality, and respect. Those who have children found the meaningfulness of life in motherhood. Participants reported not being fully satisfied with their life and they described what they need to increase their life satisfaction. First is livelihood, that is food and shelter over their heads, good health, and dreams/goals fulfillment that for most of them is to get an education and/or professional training. Survivors reported having more negative emotions than positive emotions. Physical health problems found among participants were headache, gastritis, cough, and fever. Psychological health symptoms found among them were depression, anxiety, isolation, crying spells, and fatigue. Survivors have a limited social life because they distrust almost all people. The environment was found to be unsafe for girls and women and they ask for protection for themselves and for all females in the country. -
Mapping Cityscapes : Interrogating the Cultural Spaces in the Select Novels of Bapsi Sidhwa
Bapsi Sidhwa (1939) a well-known Pakistani Zoroastrian novelist in English offers the cityscapes of Lahore that provide the settings for her fictional works. The select newlinenovels for the study include The Crow Eaters (1978), The Pakistani Bride (1983), IceCandy Man (1988) and An American Brat (1993). Fascinated by the cityscapes of Lahore, the novelist personalizes the cityscapes and the personalized cityscapes are fictionalized. The novelist is aided by imagination. However, the imagined cityscapes in the select novels become illegible with a growing sense of alienation from the city. The cityscapes are cityspaces that are shape shifting. The metaphorical cityscapes in newlinethe select novels are woven with imagination, memory and nostalgia. The thesis examines the fictional representation of the cityscapes of Lahore and the relationship between the novelist and the imagined cityscapes. The study adopts the method of qualitative textual analysis in an attempt to examine the cityscapes. This illumines the in-between status of the cityscapes connecting the factual and fictional images of the city. The study unveils a layered construction of heterogeneous cityscapes which are selective and subjective. The urban cultural spaces are interrogated through the fictional characters who experience the city like fleurs and contribute to the making of the spatial stories. The acts of walking in the city offer knowledge of the city which enables the fictional characters to attain self-awareness. The awareness helps in achieving autonomy in the movements of the fictional characters. However, only a few fictional characters are perfect fleurs and the others view the city as voyeurs. Since the imagined cityscapes of Lahore are guided by the sense of place, the legibility of the cityscapes declines with the acts of alienation from the city. However, the novelist attempts to recover the palimpsest cityscapes from memory through cognitive mapping. -
Multi Parameterized Modified Local Binary Pattern for Lung Cancer Detection by Deep Learning Methods
The research work is focusing on developing a classification model for Lung Cancer detection by integrating the image features with Modified Local Binary Pattern (MLBP), Modified Principal Component Analysis (MPCA), newlinesymptoms and Risk factors using Deep Learning methods and converting the image features into three dimensional (3D) images. The aim of this research is to identify the malignant and normal tumours from the Computer newlineTomography (CT) images with improved accuracy. The 2D CT images of Lung Cancer patients have been preprocessed with Median and Gabor filtering methods and watershed segmentation. The CT images are also newlineprocessed with the Zero Component Analysis (ZCA) whitening and Modified Local Binary Pattern. The processed image is used in the research for classification. The Lung Cancer dataset in the research are collected from newlinevarious medical colleges. The dataset contain CT images with Lung Cancer and without Lung Cancer. The research is conducted by integrating the selected Image features, Risk factor and symptoms of Lung Cancer of the newlinesame patients. The Integration using feature selections is carried out with Modified Principal Component Analysis. The Modified Principal Component Analysis is used in the research to reduce the time complexity. The results are evaluated with Gini coefficient, Confusion Matrix parameters and ROC newlinecurve. Two Dimensional (2D) CT images are converted into a Three Dimensional (3D) image for the clarity and the visibility of Lung Cancer nodules. The conversion from 2D to 3D has been using combining two methods, the orthogonality and visualization of 4D rotation. This enabled to find the location of the Lung Cancer from different angle and with different viewpoints. The 3D image shows the location of the Lung Cancer by Four Dimensional (4D) visualization and 3D rotation, thus giving clarity to the newlineexisting 2D images. -
Design and Development of A Generic Framework for Surface Water Delineation and Monitoring Using a Hybrid Level Set Algorithm on Landsat Multi-Spectral Data
Surface water bodies are critical to the existence and sustenance of civilizations. Water bodies in urban cities across the world have undergone drastic decline in quality and quantity. This has been the result of a multitude of reasons like increase in population, urbanization and encroachment. Monitoring changes to water bodies is a newlinenecessary requirement in devising strategies to conserve them. This thesis proposes newlinea generic framework for monitoring and forecasting changes in the surface area of newlinelakes using a hybrid level set algorithm for water body delineation followed by a double exponential smoothing model for forecasting. The proposed hybrid level set algorithm combines the advantages of edge based and region based level sets. An edge detection term is introduced into the formulation which improves the delineation accuracy by forcing the level set evolution to stop at the boundaries of the region of interest. The performance of the algorithm was analyzed using Pearson s Correlation Co-effcient (PCC), Structural Similarity Index (SSIM) and Dice Similarity index and found to have superior performance compared to established methods in the literature. The study uses Landsat multi-spectral data for the last 30 years to build the proposed framework for forecasting the changes in the surface area of water bodies. The experiments were conducted for nine lakes in Bangalore, a fast growing city in India, and a steady decrease in the surface area is observed for most of the lakes that were studied. The city s renovation attempts have also seen that the some of the lakes are sustaining the rapid urbanization. The proposed forecast model has yielded acceptable results with an average error of 0.22% and a correlation coeffcient of 0.94 between the actual surface area and the forecasted surface area. The framework can be customized in the future to study specifc water bodies by plugging in external newlineparameters to improve the forecasting accuracy. -
Application of Hydrogel in Paddy Field for Soil Moisture Retention and Yield Optimization
Agricultural sustainability is essential to enhance food and water security, particularly in the context of climate change. To ensure food security and to protect water resources, agricultural and irrigation practices need to be amended with innovative technology that conserves water and increases productivity. In the recent past, applications of hydrogels in agriculture have received substantial attention among researchers as well as among farmers. Paddy is the core crop for the vast newlineparts of the world. The present study elaborates on various aspects of hydrogels such as classifications, ideal properties for agricultural application, analysis of soil characteristic changes for pre and post crop newlineseason, irrigation water quality analysis for crop season. BPT 5204 and NDLR 07 varities of paddy had been experimented in this study. newlineVerification of hydrogel degradation was conducted using Fourier transform infrared (ft-ir) spectroscopy. The experimental methods for determining hydrogel properties were given specific attention to properties such as swelling, retention, slow release, and degradation which are vital for agricultural sustainability. Hydrogel experiments have demonstrate significant improvement in water consumption, water use newlineefficiency, crop growth and yield parameters. The reduction in water footprint in major crops such as paddy and wheat through hydrogel might establish a shift towards sustainable irrigation practices if adopted on a large scale. Integrating innovative solutions with environmental-friendly newlinehydrogels in the coming decades will contribute to the pursuit of achieving newlinesustainable development goals. The application of hydrogel as soil conditioners was identified as a possible solution. to increase water use efficiency in irrigation and optimization of crop yield. The study points towards developing a framework for the evaluation of the suitability of hydrogel for agricultural applications when get scaled up to regional level. -
Moral Identity, Moral Emotions and Maladaptive Personality Traits Among Adolescents in South Korea by Doo Jong Kim
The rule of survival of the fittest often thwarted the leap towards holistic development. How does morality associate with personality in adolescent development? Drawing on the theories of Augusto Blasi and Gordon Allport, the present study took a morality-personality integrative approach to adolescent development and viewed moral identity centrality as an agentic drive for their holistic growth. It aimed to determine whether moral identity centrality, other-praising moral emotion, and personality dysfunction of maladaptive personality traits are coherent in predicting antisocial behaviour in a sample of 436 Korean adolescents (M = 15.71 years, SD = .70; female 48.4%). The present study set up three hypotheses in the structural relationship of research variables (i.e., moral identity centrality, other-praising moral emotion, personality dysfunction of maladaptive personality traits and antisocial behaviour). Hypothesis 1: Personality dysfunction of multiple maladaptive personality traits predicts antisocial behaviour. Hypothesis 2: Other-praising moral emotion and personality dysfunction mediate moral identity centrality and antisocial behaviour. Hypothesis 3: Sex does not make notable differences in the structural relationship of research variables. The study analyzed the data mainly through structural equation modelling (SEM). As a result, all hypotheses were accepted. First, four multiple maladaptive traits, i.e., negative affectivity, antagonism, disinhibition, and psychoticism, significantly predicted adolescents antisocial behaviour (and#946; = .791, p lt .001) (Hypothesis 1). Second, the modified structural model showed a serial multiple mediation effect of other-praising moral emotion and personality dysfunction between moral identity centrality and antisocial behaviour (Hypothesis 2). Third, multi-group analyses showed apparent coherence among research variables regardless of sex (Hypothesis 3). -
A Study on Restrained Geodetic Domination in Graphs
In a graph G = (V, E), the shortest path between any two vertices u and v in G is u and#8722; v geodesic. This distance concept leads to the introduction of geodetic set and geodetic number which has wide applications in location theory and convexity theory. A vertex subset S of a graph G is said to be a geodetic set, if all vertex in G is in u and#8722; v geodesic for some pair of vertices u and v in S. The minimum cardinality of such a set is the geodetic number and is denoted as g(G). A vertex subset M of a graph G is said to be a dominating set of G if for all vertex v and#8712; V (G), either v and#8712; M or v is adjacent to a vertex in M. The minimum cardinality of such a set is the domination number and is denoted by and#947;(G). In general, the geodetic set and newlinethe dominating set of a graph need not be the same. This led to the study of the geodetic dominating set. If a geodetic set S is a dominating set of a graph G, then S is called a geodetic dominating set. The minimum cardinality of such a set is the geodetic domination number, which is represented by and#947;g(G). There are several studies done on the geodetic and domination concepts so far. In the present study, we have explored the concept of restrained geodetic domination and its structural properties in graphs particularly in product graphs and derived graphs. A vertex subset S of a graph G = (V, E) is called a restrained geodetic dominating set if S is a geodetic dominating set of G and lt V and#8722; S gt has no isolated vertex. The minimum cardinality of such a set is called restrained geodetic domination number, which is denoted by and#947;gr(G). We have studied this concept for diand#64256;erent classes of graphs and concerning the graph operations such as Cartesian product, corona product, and join of graphs. Further, the study is extended to restrained geodetic domination in derived graphs such as edge subdivision graph, line graph and power of a graph. Also, investigated the properties of graphs with the restrained geodetic domination number equal to the order of the graph. -
Sensitivity Analysis of Heat Transport in Nanofluids with Marangoni Convection
Crystal growth, soap flm stabilization, coating processes, and growth of silicon newlinewafers involve Marangoni convective and#64258;ows. In microgravity situations, Marangoni effect is more prominent than gravity-induced buoyancy forces. In such situations, the convective and#64258;ows in the and#64258;uids will be driven by surface tension gradients. Moreover, the control of heat transport in the hydromagnetic semiconductor crystals involves Marangoni convection. Therefore, the heat transport rate in Marangoni convective and#64258;ow of nanoand#64258;uids is optimized in this research work. The thermal, thermo-solutal, mixed thermo-solutal Marangoni convection problems are explored in the presence of an external magnetic feld. The thermal phenomenon is scrutinized by including thermal radiation. Diand#64256;erent external eand#64256;ects are included in the problems and a detailed parametric analysis is carried out by using graphical visualizations. The newlinegoverning equations are constructed by utilizing the conservation equations of mass, newlinemomentum, energy and concentration. Realistic nanoand#64258;uid models are chosen which are validated with experimental data. Finite-diand#64256;erence-based and Runge-Kuttabased solving methodologies are adopted. The optimization of the heat (and mass) transport is carried out using the Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The facecentered central composite design is used for optimization. The quadratic empirical models obtained are further explored by estimating the sensitivity. The problem studied in each chapter is given below: Thermal Marangoni and#64258;ow of a nanoand#64258;uid with nanoparticle aggregation newlineA study of magnetohydrodynamic thermal Marangoni convection of ethylene glycol (EG) based titania (TiO2) nanoand#64258;uid is carried out by considering the eand#64256;ect of nanoparticle aggregation. The heat transport phenomenon is scrutinized with thermal radiation. The eand#64256;ective thermal conductivity and viscosity with aggregation are modeled by using the Maxwell-Bruggeman and Krieger-Dougherty models. -
The Impact of Workforce Diversity on Organizational Climate in the Banking Industry
Liberalization, privatization, and globalization have paved the way to open the economy and integrate new philosophies and ideologies into the organization. The banking organization and other MNCs had opted for the ethos of enhancing the diversity of working professionals with the adoption of LPG. The novel approach to workforce diversity and organizational climate in the banking industry is considered in this study. The relevance of workforce diversity and the formation of an organizational climate are emphasized in this research work. The study's goal was reached through a series of steps, such as reviewing relevant literature and creating an appropriate theoretical framework. These steps laid the groundwork for creating and finalising research tools, which were done with the help of experts in the field. The creation of instruments for evaluating diversity and organizational climate was the final phase in this process. The study was carried out by using stratified sampling method with the participation of 778 bank employees from public and private banks located in the geographical area of Bangalore. The study's outcome states that There is no significant relationship between workforce diversity and organizational climate in the banking industry is rejected; this can be interpreted as the better organizational climate is highly correlated with the employees attitude towards organizational diversity. It indicated the importance of inculcating diversity and a favourable attitude towards diversity in the banking sector for the smooth conduction of work. "There is a significant relationship between workforce diversity and organizational climate in the banking industry". "Workforce diversity significantly influences the variation in the Organizational Climate". "Employee's belief differs significantly based on demographic profile, job profile, and organizational profile on workforce diversity in the banking industry" findings show only a few categories in the hypothesis. The gender of the reporting authority and the classification of the bank offers the difference in employees belief about gender diversity. "Employee's attitude differs significantly based on demographic profile, job profile, and organizational profile on workforce diversity in the banking industry" only a few demographic categories (marital status, gender of the reporting authority, and classification of bank) have a difference. Employee perception differs based on demographic profile, job profile, and organizational profile on workforce diversity in the banking industry. The study found that gender, gender of reporting authority, classification of the bank, monthly salary, and employee work experience show the difference in employees' perception towards workforce diversity. Employee culture differs based on demographic profile, job profile, and organizational profile on workforce diversity in the banking industry; the gender of the authority and classification of the bank show the difference in employees' culture. "Employee's organizational climate differs significantly based on a demographic variable, job profile, and organizational profile on workforce diversity in the banking industry, age, gender, gender of the reporting authority, and classification of the bank show the difference in organizational climate. The study found a positive correlation between the variable and the independent variables are the constant and strong predictors of the dependent variable. Employees' attitude towards workforce diversity is assessed based on demographics, job, and organisational profiles. Workforce diversity is appraised by evaluating different components of it, such as employees' beliefs, attitudes, perceptions, and culture. The results show that employees with same-gender reporting authority have a positive attitude towards workforce diversity and experience a positive organizational diversity climate. The public bank employees have a positive attitude towards workforce diversity and experience a positive organizational diversity climate. Employees' attitudes differ based on their marital status also. Employees' perception differs based on their work experience in the same bank and the monthly salary; those with 11 to 15 years of experience tend to have a positive perception. Age, gender, gender of the reporting authority, and the bank's classification are considered contributing factors to the organizational climate. The current study found the gender of reporting authority shows a difference in perception of gender diversity and organizational climate; the employees who have same-gender reporting authority tend to experience a positive organizational climate and a positive attitude towards workforce diversity. Classification of the bank also shows a difference where public bank employees experience a positive organizational climate and a positive attitude towards workforce diversity. Six hypotheses were tested, and a model for the banking industry in Bangalore was developed based on the results of these hypotheses testing. Theoretical models support all hypotheses. Fit indices show that all CB-CFA and CB-SEM models are a good fit. -
A Study on Upper Domatic Number and Its Variants in Graphs
For a graph G = (V, E), a vertex partition and#8673; = {V1, V2, . . . , Vk} is an upper domatic partition if Vi dominates Vj or Vj dominates Vi or both, for every Vi, Vj 2 and#8673;, whenever i 6= j. The upper domatic number D(G) is the maximum order of an upper domatic partition of G. This thesis consists of studies on upper domatic number and its variants in graphs. The bounds of D(G) in terms of order, size, !(G) and #(G) are established. The class of graphs with equal upper domatic newlinenumber and clique number is characterised. The relation between upper domatic number and minimum degree of the graph is explored. The case when the upper domatic number and domatic number are equal is investigated and the graphs for which D(G) and the domatic number d(G) coincide are characterised. Apart from the relation between the D(G) and other graph parameters, the upper domatic number of some special classes of graphs including unicyclic graphs, complement of cycles and powers of graphs is determined. Transitivity, Tr(G), a variant of upper domatic number is defined as the maximum number of sets in a vertex partition {V1, V2, . . . , Vk} such that Vi dominates Vj where 1 i lt j k. The results from the study on this concept include characterisation of graphs with transitivity at least k, exact values of transitivity of few classes of graphs, few upper bounds of transitivity of graphs, the transitivity of trees and an algorithm to determine the same. Along with this, the concept of total upper domatic number is introduced as a new variant of upper domatic number. The total upper domatic number is the maximum order of a total upper domatic partition of G which is an upper domatic partition such that the graph induced by each partite set does not contain any vertex of degree zero. Basic properties and bounds of upper domatic number in terms of order and maximum degree are discussed. Further, the total upper domatic number of some special classes of graphs is determined. -
Investigations on the Design, Performance and Effect of Feed Mechanisms, Defected Ground Structures and Materials for Optimized Microstrip Antenna Array
Microstrip antenna exhibiting low-profle features such as and#64258;exible, lightweight and newlinelow production cost attracts majority of communication industries working the lower newlinepart of the microwave spectrum ranging from 1 GHz to 6 GHz. Also, the microwave integrated circuit technology enables the integration of feed systems and other microwave integrated circuits on the same substrate where the antenna is printed. However, single antenna topologies feature a number of drawbacks, including low gain, poor directivity, narrow bandwidth and limited coverage being low in profle. In the perspective of miniaturization, developments in wireless communication have had a signifcant impact on antenna or array design based on the gain, bandwidth and directivity requirements for specifc wireless applications. As a result, usage of single antenna is not considered appropriate for diversity reception, long-distance communication, signal-to-interference as well as signal-to-noise ratio maximization, and direction of arrival determination, interference rejection, and high power applications. A high-gain broadband antenna or array may be the good choice for outdoor line-of-sight access points to increase signal strength and coverage range. To meet these requirements the antenna designers either can use conventional antennas or rely on miniaturized antennas. When antenna arrays are built using such small antennas to enhance the above said parameters, suitable and compact feed networks are required to ft within the given space of the overall transmitter-receiver geometry. This research work addresses the challenges faced by antenna researchers in newlineminiaturization, maintenance of gain-bandwidth and high-directivity narrow-beam newlineradiation of microstrip antenna arrays, through an investigation made on the design, new mathematical modelling of feed mechanisms for arrays, their inand#64258;uence on 1D and 2D uniform and non-uniform arrays, and the performance enhancement by amalgamating proposed arrays with defected ground structures and metasurfaces. -
Selective Oxidation of Hetrocyclic Alcohols Using Carbon Based Modified Electrodes
Electro-organic synthesis has achieved great significance over the conventional synthesis routes due to its diverse features which includes the in-situ generation of reagents, replacement of harmful redox reagents, rapid response, and low energy consumption. The choice of reactants (heterocyclic alcohols) for the electrochemical oxidation is solely based on the applications of its corresponding aldehydes. Furthermore, 2-thiophene methanol, piperonyl alcohol, 5-methyl furfuryl alcohol and Tetrahydro furfuryl alcohol have been chosen as reactants of interest as their corresponding aldehydes 2-thiophene carboxaldehyde, piperonal, 5-methyl furfural and Tetrahydro furfural possess various synthetic applications such as production of newlinedyestuffs, perfumes, veterinary products, agrochemicals and pharmaceutical drugs. newlineCarbon based electrodes provide a versatile platform for catalysis reactions. newlineElectrocatalysts for the selective oxidation of heterocyclic alcohols are designed on newlineemploying diverse modifications on the carbon fiber paper (CFP) electrode. Such newlinemodifications have attracted researchers due to their exceptional selectivity, stability, newlineelectrical conductivity and lower charge transfer resistance. The modifications newlineemployed in the current study include immobilized laccase-based materials and newlinegraphitic carbon nitride-based composites. newlineThe physico-chemical properties of the fabricated electrodes were studied using newlinedifferent characterization techniques like Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (EDS), X-Ray Photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Optical Profilometry (OP) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Electrochemical investigations were performed using Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), Chronoamperometry (CA) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). Optimization of experimental conditions such as effect of pH and scan rate to understand the reaction mechanism were studied in detail. -
Synthesis of Carbon Containing Composites for Energy and Environmental Applications
The population has grown rapidly, resulting in increased energy consumption and environmental issues. Researchers are developing new materials with unique physical and chemical properties to tackle these challenges. This has led to a focus on exploring novel approaches to synthesize micro and nanomaterials for use in the energy and environmental sectors. In this study, carbon-containing catalysts were developed as photocatalysts, electrocatalysts for water splitting reactions, and electrode materials for supercapacitor application. To evaluate the physicochemical characteristics of these materials, various characterization methods were employed, including X-ray diffraction, newlineScanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry, X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, High-resolution Transmission electron microscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Differential reflectance spectroscopy, Dynamic light scattering, and Thermogravimetric analysis. The electrochemical and photocatalytic studies of the prepared materials were carried out by optimizing the different parameters. The four chapters include newlineCr2AlC MAX Phase as the catalyst used for photocatalysis, bismuth ferrite/Cr2CTx MXene, cobalt ferrite/Cr2CTx MXene composites for supercapacitor and electrocatalytic water splitting, bismuth ferrite/graphitic carbon nitride/N-doped graphene quantum dots for supercapacitor application, and Cobalt ferrite/graphitic carbon nitride/N-doped graphene quantum dots for supercapacitor and newlineelectrocatalytic water splitting application.