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Design And Development Of Artificial Intelligence Based Knowledge Management System For Managing Software Security Vulnerabilities
Software development practices play a signifcant role in building the world s future. It is the place where exciting technological evolution begins in the world. Exploration of critical challenges in the area of software development plays a signifcant role in fueling the pace of technological progression in the industry. This work focuses on exploring important areas of software development practices and problems faced by the industry. Understanding the critical parts of the software system development eco-system and the stakeholders associated with those will be important. Customers of software development teams, the software development industry and knowledge newlinesources, and the software development internal eco-system are the broad focus areas of study. Leveraging the data already spread across the eco-system and facilitating easy newlineaccess to practitioners as and when there is a need will be one of the primary focuses. newlineThe software development landscape module, customer landscape module, and industry landscape module are the key modules that will be explored in this work. The core aspiration of the work will be to integrate all the possible data across the industry newlineand process the same and make it easily accessible to the practitioners as and when they are needed. The process also makes the data smarter and more insightful over time. -
Impact of Adoption of Account Aggregator Framework In India
Open banking is closely associated with the Account Aggregator (AA) concept, enabling customers to securely and selectively authorise third-party providers to access their financial information. The AA framework works in tandem to protect client data while facilitating secure data transmission among authorised parties, promoting competition and innovation in the banking industry, and allowing clients to access and use financial services through various channels and platforms. Open banking can increase financial inclusion by allowing third-party developers to access customer data and construct new financial products and services on top of existing bank infrastructure. It can also encourage innovation and competition in the Indian banking sector, which would benefit customers in the long term. Open banking systems face significant challenges, such as weak security, data protection violations, money laundering, and terrorist funding risks. It is crucial to couple the widespread adoption of open banking frameworks with robust data protection and privacy legislation to safeguard customer data and financial information. India is adopting the Personal Data Protection Bill 2019, which proposes establishing a specialized. Data Protection Authority tasked with securing persons' data. Operational and cyber security hazards associated with open banking include data leaks, misuse, falsification, denial of service attacks, and infrastructure failures. To ensure compliance with these laws, financial institutions must implement mechanisms to monitor and manage risks related to open banking. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has developed the Data Empowerment and Protection Architecture (DEPA) to provide secure and privacy-protected access to personal data. DEPA includes data sharing agreements, consent management, and authentication for third-party developers. While unique to India, DEPA shares similarities with the European Commission's efforts to promote open banking and open finance in the European Union through the Payment Services Directive 2 (PSD2). PSD2 mandates that banks across all EU member countries provide API access to third-party payment account information and services. The study highlights the importance of perceived ease of use, trust, and utility in shaping people's attitudes and intentions towards an open banking fram ework. Interestingly, risk has a minimal impact on user adoption. This finding offers valuable insights to developers and marketers, indicating the need to prioritise user-friendly, trustworthy, and effective technologies while mitigating perceived risks to maximise adoption and customer satisfaction. This study attempts to understand better the influence of implementing the Account Aggregator Framework in India, and the sample size chosen comprised clients of the account aggregator framework in India. -
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. -
Exploring The Multifaceted Benefits Of Strobilanthes Jomyi P. Biju, Josekutty, Rekha & J. R. I. Wood : A Comprehensive Pharmacognostic Investigation On Its Medicinal And Insecticidal Properties
Plant-based medication, is an established practice in Indian medicine, initially newlineinvolvedin the direct use of raw plant parts for treating various health conditions. Later, valuable components are identified, isolated, and utilized to treat diseases. The newlineStrobilanthes Blume genus has a rich therapeutic history around the globe, especially in countries such as India, China, Myanmar, and Thailand. Strobilanthes jomyi, a recently identified species found in Kerala, India is still in wide use by tribal communities in the Kasaragod district for wound healing. This study aimed to evaluate the microscopic, macroscopic, organoleptic, fluorescent, physicochemical, mineral composition, phytochemical, Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry, antioxidant, anthelmintic, insecticidal, antimicrobial, and cytotoxicity activities of S. jomyi leaves, stem, and root. The different vegetative parts were subjected to Soxhlet extraction using methanol as a newlinesolvent and analysed using standard Protocols. Macroscopic andmicroscopic examinations revealed non-glandular trichomes and paracytic stomata in the leaves, raphides in the stem and petiole, and tannin cells in the root. Cystoliths were observed only in the petiole. Powder analysis exhibited the presence of fibres, trichomes, palisade cells, spiral xylem vessels, bordered pit vessels, and raphides. The leaves contained higher phenolics, flavonoids, carbohydrate, protein, proline, and chlorophyll content compared to the root and stem. The methanolic extract of leaves showed higher antioxidant activities than the root and stem. GC-MS analysis identified bioactive compounds such as 2,4-di-tert-butyl phenol, phytol,squalene, phenol, neophytadiene, and lupeol in the root, stem, and leaves. All vegetative partsof S. jomyi exhibited excellent anthelmintic activity, with the highest newlineobserved in the leaves, followed by the root and stem. Insecticidal activity was only newlineobserved in the leaf extract. Anti-microbial and anti-cancerous activities were remarkable newlineacross all vegetative parts. -
The Culinary Space : Reading Food and Identity Intersections in Select Narratives
This study focuses on select fictional narratives with food mentions at the peripheries to enquire into the textualisation of food that exhibits the existence of an enunciative culinary newlinespace wherein the nuances of individual and collective identities are negotiated. The culinary space is conceptualised by considering the defined and built physical space wherein activities associated with the culinary realm occur and the imaginative space created through the presence and absence of food. This culinary space interacts with mobility, which serves as the newlinelinking idea that ties together Anita Nair s Ladies Coup(2001), Bharti Kirchner s newlineDarjeeling (2002), Monica Ali s Brick Lane (2003), Kunzang Choden s The Circle of Karma newline(2005), and Manjushree Thapa s Seasons of Flight (2010), and informs these specific newlinetextualisations of food and prompts the need to focus on the representations of everyday lived experiences. This study reads the chosen narratives to enable a reading that is distinct from the conventional one of culinary narratives centred on food and establishes that the textualisation of food in narratives with food at the peripheries is an important site of investigation. This close reading through an approach directed by concepts from food studies and select notions from space and mobility looks into how the culinary space serves as the site of defining and re-imagining of individual and cultural identities of the characters through memories of food and relations to and through food. These insights add to the existing discourses on identity by looking into the textualisation of food shaped by notions of newlinespace and mobility to show that the transformative quality of food is reflected in the dynamism of the culinary space that endorses the same in the negotiation of identities that are explored, perceived, and projected within. -
A Study on Domination in Signed Graphs
Signed graphs, which represent the positive and negative interactions between networks, have gained signifcant attention in various felds, particularly social network analysis. Domination, a fundamental concept in graph theory, is important in understanding the structural characteristics of graphs and determining the minimum number of vertices needed to cover the entire graph. However, research on domination in the context of signed graphs has been limited, with most studies focusing on graphs. This thesis explores a variant of domination called restrained domination in signed graphs and investigates the characteristic properties of these signed graphs in relation to the restrained domination number. Throughout the thesis, we establish exact values and bounds for the restrained domination number in diferent classes of signed graphs. Additionally, we examine the restrained domination property in various derived signed graphs, including the line signed graph, semi-total point signed graph, semi-total line signed graph, and total signed graph. Additionally, we study criticality concepts associated with the restrained domination number in signed graphs. Specifcally, we analyze the efects of removing edges or vertices from signed graphs, as well as adding edges in signed graphs, on the restrained domination number. Further, we extend the concept of restrained domination number to encompass various variants, namely connected restrained domination number, restrained double domination number, and total restrained domination number for signed graphs. We derive relevant results and newlinefindings for these parameters, contributing to a deeper understanding of domination newlinein signed graphs. -
Hybrid Intrusion Detection Technique for Internet of Things
The rapid expansion and integration of Internet of Things (IoT) applications in newlinevarious aspects of daily life has significantly surprised and impacted contemporary society. The most crucial keyword concerning these applications is security, specifically, in the enormous amount of data generated every second, and how it is used. These applications are vulnerable to various attacks, which could result in an unthinkable catastrophe if not managed and controlled with sufficient foresight. Growing concerns about data security in the expanding IoT landscape are driven by factors such as increased vulnerability of devices to viruses, susceptibility to denial-of-service attacks, and heightened risk of intrusion attempts. To prevent such occurrences, stronger precautions should be taken, enabling system developers and manufacturers of IoT devices to enhance their approaches to better security mitigation. It is essential to identify all potential threats and vulnerabilities that are created explicitly for IoT infrastructures. It is believed that to lessen potential dangers, there is a need for more significant research on security attacks. Security difficulties have been found and must be dealt with, so they may be avoided. Further research must address security challenges in IoT-based environments, particularly for suppliers and consumers, to gradually raise the reliability of IoT applications. Although many conventional methods are still used, there might be superior options for devices with limited resources. Artificial intelligence plays a significant role in this issue. newlineThis research first tries to comprehend how machine learning methods relate to attack newlinedetection. The effects of different machine learning techniques are evaluated using the newlineUNSW-NB 15 dataset. Additionally, it has been found that each model performs worse overall, mainly when security issues are present. As a result, real-time datasets and Deep Learning (DL) algorithms for intrusion detection in the IoT need to be prioritized. -
A Frame Work For Continous Indian Sign Language Recognition Using Computer Vision
Sign language is a non-vocal, visually oriented natural language used by the hearing newlineimpaired and the hard-for-hearing part of society. It combines multiple modalities newlinelike hand movements, facial expressions and body poses. Static gestures involve basic finger movements such as numbers and alphabets, dynamic signs include words, and a sign sentence consists of grammatically connected and meaningful dynamic words. Sign Language Translation (SLT) models have been an actively evolving research topic under computer vision. One of the most challenging aspects in earlier iterations of SLTs was accurately capturing the intricate and constantly changing hand movements and facial expressions characteristic of sign language. newlineHowever, the advent of deep learning models has facilitated significant advancements in the field, particularly in the realm of continuous sign language translation. newlineThe research endeavours to develop a lightweight deep-learning framework newlinespecifically tailored for the translation of Indian Sign Language (ISL) into text and newlineaudio. The proposed framework introduces two collaborative deep-learning components that extract and classify features synergistically. The ISL video sequence serves as the input, which undergoes feature extraction utilizing the Inception V3 architecture, enabling the extraction of features from each frame. Classification models tend to be bulky and intricate, consuming substantial memory space and requiring extended training periods. This challenge has been addressed by introducing a lightweight LSTM model, which effectively utilizes the feature map generated by the Inception model for accurate classification. It is important to note that each sign possesses unique characteristics yet exhibits similar feature maps. The performance of the framework is assessed based on the speed and accuracy achieved in converting the input video into text and audio formats. -
Symbols as Photographic Texts in the Travel Narratives of Paulo Coelho
Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho de Souzas The Pilgrimage, The Alchemist, Zahir, Aleph and Hippie are known for using literary symbols to describe journeys where the protagonists travel to different destinations searching for something valuable. The author resorted to multiple religions, cultures, traditions, mythologies and folklore to derive inspiration to use those symbols and frame his philosophical thoughts. As the symbols used by Coelho can be deciphered in whatever way subject to personal interpretations, one way of understanding them can be from the perspectives of their already established meanings in religions, cultures, traditions, mythologies and folklore. Such a way of understanding limits the possible meanings that can be derived from those symbols. Moreover, another sign system is known for conveying limited meanings, usually called photographs. Though absolute material accuracy is seen as the hallmark of photography, the meaning of photographs also depends upon their interpretations, and photographic truth is considered a myth. Still, photographs possess documentary properties and convey limited meanings to a large extent. This thesis studied the idea of photography, defining the same by understanding the historical developments in photography over time. Knowing the definition and properties of photographs, it looked at how photographs convey limited meanings and exhibit 'iconic' properties in general. After isolating and studying the literary symbols used by Coelho in the five travel narratives mentioned above using the Peircean model of semiotic analysis, the thesis concludes that symbols act as photographic texts to a certain limit in the five novels, as they tend to move towards becoming 'iconic' from 'symbolic' if understood from the perspectives of their existing meanings in religions, cultures, traditions,mythologies and folklore. -
Understanding Nonsense Verse : A Study of Select Works of Sukumar Ray
Among all the literary genres created and cultivated over the ages, Nonsense verse newlineperhaps emerges as one of the most challenging to comprehend. Nonsense verse often employs subversion (language, syntax, logic, etc.) as its tool and usually leaves the readers in a state of confusion. A look into the limericks of Edward Lear would bear newlinetestimony to this fact. For readers and researchers, the quest for meaning has newlineunravelled many literary and philosophical pursuits. One such possibility, therefore, newlinecould be the attempt to comprehend and critically analyse the unique literary genre newlinetermed Nonsense verse. From the multiple understandings and debatable definitions newlineof verse forms, one striking and rare genre evolves into nonsense poetry. Following newlinethe cue, this thesis purports to seek sense and meaning from what is labelled newline nonsense . It depicts that the functionality of existing, creative stylistics in language newlineand understanding and the text s contextual placement bring out the sense in nonsense. As Edward Lear mastered this art form in the West, Sukumar Ray crafted this genre in India, though he was not the only one. The thesis traces the evolution of nonsense verse in India, literary and folk, to understand the possible functionality of this genre as it exists in India. As the study shows, the writer who made the most contributions to this evolution was Sukumar Ray. Therefore, understanding the evolution and function of Indian nonsense verse become the object of the study, and an in-depth, contextual study of the select poems of Sukumar Ray, the national pioneering writer of nonsense, becomes the subject. This research attempts to unearth a fresh approach to re-evaluating the function of nonsense verse and possibly confer upon it a more considerable eminence. The thesis aims to provide comprehension and newlinecredibility to the genre through the study of select works of Sukumar Ray. -
Classification of Alzheimer's Disease Stages Using Machine Learning Techniques
Alzheimer s disease (AD) is a type of mental disorder which deteriorates the normal functioning of human brain by reducing the memory capacity of an individual. Age is the most common factor for AD and this disease cannot be reversed or stopped. Doctors can only treat the symptoms of AD which include personality changes and brain structural changes. Analyzing neuro-degenerative disorders, neuroimaging plays an important role in diagnosing subjects with AD and other stages of AD. The proposed research identified this gap and using MRI and PET newlineimages for recognizing AD in its early occurrences by the professionals. This helps in tailoring an appropriate treatment procedure for treating AD. As per literature survey, many researchers have worked with convolutional methods like inbuilt skull stripping with two or more conversions and classified with different CNN architectures. The proposed research experimented advanced skull stripping method and classified using deep learning architectures. This research emphasizes the implementation of ResNet50 architecture with T1 weighted MRI and Amyloid PET images for detecting the abnormalities in the brain patterns based on the image attributes. For the proposed experiment, a total of 5000 T1 weighted MRI data and 3000 newlineAmyloid PET data were used. The collected images were pre-processed with noise removal newlinetechniques and skull stripping method. The ResNet50 is used to classify AD from the data newlineobtained from the ADNI dataset. Pre-processed images /data were fed to the tuned for three class classification on ADNI image data at 200 Epochs shows the accuracy of 97.3% for T1 weighted MRI data and 98% for Amyloid PET data. The experimental results of the proposed model prove that it classifies the images according to various stages with better accuracy than the other existing models by achieving excellent results. -
Risk Factor Based Stage Advancement Prediction of Cataract Using Deep Learning Techniques
In modern world, Cataract is the predominant causative of blindness. Treatment and detection at the early stage can reduce the number of cataract sufferers and prevent surgery. Two types of images are generally used for cataract related studies- Retinal Images an Slit lamp Images. The quality of Retinal images is selected by utilizing the hybrid naturalness image quality evaluator (hybrid NIQE-PIQE) approach. Here, the raw input image quality score is and Deep newlinelearning convolutional neural network (DCNN) categorizes the images based on quality newlinescore. Then the selected quality images are again pre-processed to remove the noise present in the images. The individual green channel (G-channel) is extracted for noise filtering. Moreover, hybrid modified histogram equalization and homomorphic filtering (Hybrid GMHE-HF) is utilized for enhanced noise filtering. The Slit lamp image quality selection is done using Blind/Referenceless Image Spatial Quality Evaluator (BRISQUE) model. Further a new algorithm Normalization based Contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization (NCLAHE) is used for image enhancement. Images are pre-processed utilizing the wiener filtering (WF) with Convolutional neural network (CNN) with adaptive atom search optimization (CNN-AASO) for removing the noise. Further, the denoised image is enhanced by Gaussian mixture based contrast enhancement (GMCE) for contrast enhancement. The cataract detection and classification is performed using two phases. In phase I, the cataract is detected using Deep Optimized Convolutional Recurrent Network_Improved Aquila Optimization (Deep OCRN_IAO) model. Phase II uses slit lamp images and detects the type and grade of cataracts through proposed Batch Equivalence ResNet-101 (BE_ResNet101) model.This work also proposes the risk factors for cataracts and classify the cataracts risk using deep learning models. The dataset is pre-processed by missing values and the string values are converted into numeric values. -
Modified Carbon-Based Composites and Their Electrochemical Studies
Energy storage has emerged as the world's most important issue, attracting the focus of researchers and commercial developers due to the economy's rapid growth and the rise in the usage of portable electronics and electronic vehicles. These devices make it possible to efficiently capture and store the excess energy produced during times of high generation, so that it can be used when there is little or no generation. Devices for storing renewable energy contribute to grid stability and lessen the reliance on fossil fuel-based power plants. Moreover, they contribute to the decarbonization of the energy industry, mitigating climate change, and promoting a sustainable future. This thesis explores the potential of modified carbon-based composites as advanced materials for energy storage applications particularly supercapacitors and solar thermal fuels. The research focuses on the careful design and synthesis of ternary composites, incorporating carbonaceous materials such as carbon nanotubes, graphene oxide, and graphitic carbon nitrides, metal sulphides, nitrogen rich moieties, and conductive additives like polyaniline and polypyrrole. A wide variety of methodologies were used to describe the structural and morphological characteristics of the composite materials. Thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and other techniques were used. These methods gave important information about the composite materials' chemical structure, type of bonding and arrangements, surface morphology, and thermal stability. Electrochemical techniques, such as cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, have been extensively employed to investigate the performance and behaviour of supercapacitor electrodes and devices. The results demonstrate significant improvements in electrochemical performance, including enhanced specific capacitance, excellent cycling stability, and remarkable rate capability. These findings indicate that the modified carbon-based ternary composites hold promise for high-performance energy storage devices. Ultimately, this research contributes to the development of next-generation energy storage technologies, offering more efficient and sustainable solutions for storing energy. -
Fabrication of Molecularly Imprinted Electrochemical Sensors for Food Additives
Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have emerged as a promising technique for the newlinepreparation of synthetic polymers with specific binding sites for target molecules. These polymers have found applications in various fields, including sensing, where they serve as a recognition element for the detection and quantification of analytes in chemical and biological environments. In recent years, MIPs have been utilized as sensing materials for biomolecules, food additives, pesticides, metal ions, and other target species. This work presents the development of MIP-based electrochemical sensors for the selective and rapid detection of food additives, namely tartrazine, 4-hexylresorcinol, butylated hydroxy anisole, and brilliant blue FCF. Conducting polymers, metal nanoparticles and 2D material-based electrode modifications have been employed in newlinethe preparation of MIPs for electrochemical sensing applications. Investigations reveal newlinea significant enhancement in the electrochemical oxidation/reduction current of the analytes upon the surface modifications applied to the Carbon Fibre Paper (CFP) substrate. The surface morphology of the modified electrodes was characterized using techniques such as Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Electron Diffraction X-ray (EDX), X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Optical newlineProfilometry, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Nyquist plots newlinedemonstrated the lowest charge transfer resistance at the finally modified working newlineelectrodes compared to other control electrodes. Optimization of experimental newlineconditions, including pH effects, investigation of reaction mechanisms through scan rate variations, determination of the number of cycles required for film newlineelectrodeposition to achieve maximum current response, and determination of the potential window, was carried out using cyclic voltammetry (CV). The quantification newlineof analytes was performed using Differential Pulse Voltammetry (DPV). -
Synthesis, Adsorptive Properties and Applications of Modified Aluminum Oxyhydroxide-PVA Films
Over the past few years, there has been an increasing interest in polymer films and newlinemetal-incorporated polymer films because of their distinctive characteristics and newlinepotential applications. The effectiveness of alumina or modified alumina polymer films newlineas adsorbents or catalysts is greatly influenced by their surface properties, texture, chemical composition, and thermal stability. This thesis describes the synthesis of aluminum oxyhydroxide - polyvinyl alcohol composite films by sol-gel method. The synthesized films were modified by incorporating transition metals and cross-linking agents depending on the desired application as a catalyst or adsorbent. The synthesized films were characterized using different techniques, like powder X-ray diffraction studies (pXRD), Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), Raman spectra, BrunauerEmmett-Teller surface area (BET), Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) isotherm, atomic newlineforce microscopy, optical profilometry, thermogravimetric analysis, Scanning electron newlinemicroscopy (S.E.M), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to determine the newlinestructural and textural properties. The films were deployed as adsorbents for the removal of heavy metals and dyes from water as well as catalysts for industrially important organic transformations. The results of the characterization studies were used to correlate the surface characteristics and adsorptive capacities of the fabricated films. The films were found to have tuneable surface properties and enhanced adsorptive newlinebehaviour, which could be modified as per the application. Transition metalincorporated films exhibited remarkable adsorption properties for the elimination of heavy metals and organic dyes from aqueous solution. The adsorption reaction kinetics newlinewere investigated to ascertain the rate and mechanism of the reaction to improve the newlineefficiency, economic efficiency and environmental sustainability of the reaction. -
Design, Synthesis, and Applications of Carbon Dots with Controlled Physicochemical Properties
Modification of carbon dots (CDs) is essential to enhance their photophysical newlineproperties and applicability. Physical (e.g., composite material blending, coreshell architecture) and chemical (e.g., doping, surface passivation) methods exist to modify CDs. Different precursors can impart varied functionalities and heteroatomic dopants on CDs. Despite several modification strategies, the reproducibility and scalability of CDs still need to be improved. Newer approaches for modifying CDs are thus essential to ensure lab-to-lab and batchto-batch consistency. Our study focused on developing novel strategies for the physicochemical modifications of CDs. The theoretical simulation we performed for surface-functionalised CDs with the aid of density functional theory and time-dependent density functional theory helped to predict the mechanism of photoluminescence (PL) and to analyse the effect of hydrogen bonding on the newlineproperties of CDs (Chapter 3). We have developed a novel and general method for preparing amine functionalized CDs from modified paper precursors (Chapter 4). This strategy allows us to prepare CDs with customized functionalities, alleviating the post-synthesis modification. A novel ionimprinting strategy involving CDs synthesised from modified paper precursors newlinewas also developed through our research (Chapter 5). In another work, we utilized silk fibers as a matrix for immobilising CDs (Chapter 6). CDs prepared from mulberry leaves were fed to silkworms to produce CD-embedded silk fibres, which could be used to detect dopamine. In addition, we prepared CDs newlinefrom an unreported natural source (frankincense), which were used to detect lead ions (Chapter 7). We demonstrated the heavy metal sensing application of these newlineCDs in combination with a UV-light LED chip and a smartphone, which is relevant in resource-limited areas. The research results presented in the thesis are expected to inspire further investigations and applications related to CDs. -
Study of Early-Type Emission -Line Stars in the Galaxy Using Lamost and GAIA
The study of massive emission-line stars (ELS), particularly those classifed as O, B, and A spectral types, is crucial in advancing our understanding of various fundamental aspects of astrophysics. They provide valuable insights into the accretion processes, the physical conditions of material around the star, and the stellar evolution. The frst theme of thesis focuses on identifying and characterising hot ELS newlinefrom large spectroscopic surveys such as LAMOST and Gaia DR3. Utilising the low-resolution spectroscopic database provided by LAMOST DR5, we employed an automated Python routine and identifed 3339 unique sources encompassing 4138 spectra that exhibited Hand#945; in emission. Since both HAeBe stars and Classical Ae/Be stars show Hand#945; emission, we differentiated them in terms of IR excess, from the analysis of 2MASS and WISE photometry. This analysis led to the identifcation of 1089 Classical Be stars, 233 Classical Ae stars, and 56 Herbig Ae/Be (HAeBe) stars. This homogeneous emission-line spectra will facilitate detailed investigations of the emission phenomenon, removing concerns related to data compilation newlinebiases from diverse sources. We also compared the astrophysical parameters obtained from Gaia DR3 with those derived from LAMOST spectra. The emission-line source classifcations in Gaia DR3 were reasonably consistent with those in the LAMOST OBA emission catalogue. Additionally, newlinewe used a larger dataset of ELS to update the empirical relation for converting pseudo-equivalent width to observed equivalent width in Gaia DR3, employing a second-degree polynomial relation and piece-wise linear ft newlineparameters. As the second theme of the thesis, we examined the X-Shooter spectral newlinedatabase to study the circumstellar medium of HAeBe stars through various spectral features and near-infrared excess. We observed that the ma-jority of massive and young stars exhibited emission in all higher-order HI newlinelines, while stars displaying only lower-order lines had effective temperatures below 12000 K and ages ranging from 5 to 10 Myr. -
Optical Spectroscopy of Classical Be Stars in The Galaxy
A classical Be (Be hereafter) star is a special type of massive B-type main newlinesequence star surrounded by a geometrically thin, equatorial, gaseous, decretion disc orbiting the central star. Spectra of Be stars show emission lines of different elements. Studying these lines provide an excellent opportunity to understand the geometry and kinematics of the circumstellar newlinedisc and properties of the central star itself. Be stars, thus provide excellent opportunities to study circumstellar discs. However, the disc formation mechanism in Be stars the Be phenomenon is still poorly understood. The present study focuses on studying a large sample of Be stars through newlineoptical spectroscopy and using two national optical telescope facilities. We performed the spectroscopic study of all major emission lines for a sample of 115 feld Be stars in the wavelength range of 3800 - 9000 using the 2.1-m HCT facility at Ladakh. To our knowledge, this is the frst study where near simultaneous spectra covering the whole spectral range of 3800 - 9000 has been studied for over 100 feld Be stars. We, therefore, produce an atlas of emission lines for Be stars which will be a valuable resource for researchers involved in Be star research. We made use of the unprecedented capability of the Gaia mission to re-estimate the extinction parameter (AV ) for these stars. The estimated AV values are used for extinction correction in the analysis of Balmer decrement (D34 and D54) for our program stars. D34 in our sample ranges between 0.1 and 9.0, whereas the corresponding D54 value mostly (and#8776; 70%) ranges between 0.2 and 1.5, clustering somewhere near 0.8 and#8722; 1.0. Our study indicates that Be star discs are generally optically thick in nature in majority of the cases. Through comparative study with the literature, we also noticed that the Hand#945; EW values in Be stars are usually lower than -40 Further from our analysis, it appears that the emission strength of Hand#945;, P14, FeII 5169 and OI 8446 is more in early B-type stars. -
Study of Classical Be Stars in Open Clusters in the Galaxy
Classical Be stars (CBe) in open clusters older than 100 Myr are identifed. The objective is to study their characteristics relating to age, spectral type and evolutionary state. This study compliments with that of Mathew et al. (2008), where they identifed and characterized emission-line stars in open clusters younger than 100 Myr. For this research, we surveyed a sample of newline71 open clusters older than 100 Myr using the slitless spectroscopy technique, with the Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT). From the survey we identifed 15 CBe stars from the 11 open clusters older than 100 Myr. Out of 15 CBe stars, 13 CBe stars show Hand#945; in emission. Among these CBe stars, TYC 2679-432-1 is a new detection, belonging to Berkeley 50 open newlinecluster. Two more CBe stars, out of 15 CBe stars, are found to exhibit Hand#945; in absorption for the frst time. This suggests that they might be passing through a disc-loss episode (or transient phase). Apart from our survey of 71 old open clusters, we found additional 16 Be stars from 6 open clusters older than 100 Myr in the literature (which was not observed in the slitless survey due to observation limitations). In addition to HFOSC instrument mounted on HCT, we used Opto Mechanics Research (OMR) spectrograph newlinemounted on 2.3-m Vainu Bappu Telescope (VBT) for taking the slit spectra of CBe stars. We performed the optical spectroscopy of 16 classical Be stars in 11 open clusters older than 100 Myr. Among these 16 stars, 15 newlinewere identifed from our previous slitless spectroscopic study. The remaining one, LS III +47 37b is a new detection, which is confrmed through the present study. Our analysis also suggests that one out of these 16 stars, [KW97] 35-12 might be a weak Hand#945; emitter in nature showing Hand#945; EW of -0.5 Moreover, it is found that the Hand#945; EW for 15 stars is lt -40 in agreement with previous works. Interestingly, we did not observe any FeII emission line or even the OI 8446 emission feature in any of our sample stars. -
Effectiveness of the Services Delivered by Special Schools for Children with Intellectual Disability
Special schools are the most widespread in the country among the various models for the education of children with intellectual disabilities. In India, there are large number of special schools for children with intellectual disabilities, implementing special education programme using various methods and materials. The present research attempts to determine the effectiveness of special schools rendering services for children with intellectual disability. A comprehensive understanding of the practices followed by different special schools would provide more insight into the functioning of special schools that serve children with intellectual disability. This study explores the various practices in special schools and the progress of children in self-care, behaviour and communication after receiving special education. The study also focused on understanding the progress of children with mild, moderate, and severe intellectual disability. The study used mixed research method. A causal design was used to assess special schools' effectiveness with a focus on self-care, behaviour, and communication of children. Both quantitative and qualitative method of data collection and interpretation were done to conclude the study. The self-structured interview schedule was used for qualitative research and collected information from 12 special schools. Cases were developed based on the qualitative data. Within-case and cross-case analysis with thematic analysis were used for analyzing the data. Quantitative data was collected from caretakers of 98 children, using a standardized tool Behavioural Assessment scale for Indian Children with Mental Retardation (BASIC- MR). The impact of special education on the self-care, communication and behaviour of Children with Intellectual Disabilities were analyzed with Wilcoxon Signed Rank test using the baseline data and their progress of the children after five years in special school. The result shows that there are changes in behaviour, self-care and communication of children with ID after they joined special school. The results also highlighted that there is a difference in children's progress based on the level of intellectual disability (mild, moderate and severe). The qualitative analysis explained the best practices exhibited by special schools for children with ID.