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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. -
Road-Traffic Congestion in Bengaluru : Psychological and Social Consequences
The study investigated the commuting experiences of frequent travelers during congestion using a three-phase sequential exploratory design. Using semi-structured interviews, phase-1 explored the experiences of a sample of ten (4 women and 6 men) regular commuters on Bengaluru's congested roads. Thematic analysis revealed that psychological experiences due to travel adversities during congestion generated negative affect that narrowed thought-action repertoire of the commuters into fight or flight responses. Fight responses caused negative road occurrences that intensified travel adversities further, creating a vicious cycle showing a non-linear loop. Social consequences included challenges for personal time and activities, family time, health and health care activities, work, social, community, and recreational activities, increase of virtual socialization, and social Darwinism. In phase 2, a check-list of psychological consequences was developed based on the thematic analysis. Phase 3 statistically validated the vicious cycle in a sample of 190 (87 women and 103 men) commuters using structural equation modelling. The model substantiated the probability of the vicious cycle. Based on the model, a mathematical model was developed that could be used to test the non-linear relationship between the components of the vicious cycle. -
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 Financial Literacy and Digital Financial Inclusion on Sustainable Development Among The Mao-Naga Tribe of Northeast India
This research empirically analyses the influence of financial literacy and digital financial inclusion on sustainable development. The notion of financial newlineliteracy, adopted from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, combines financial awareness, attitude, knowledge, and behaviour to achieve financial well-being. Digital financial inclusion is the process by which individuals or households in the underserved or unprivileged section of society have access to formal financial services through innovative digital technologies. The main features of digital financial inclusion include reduction of costs, security, ease of access, usefulness, and actual usage of digital financial services. The current study collected data from the Mao-Naga tribe of Manipur and newlineNagaland, Northeast India using a convenient and purposive sampling method. The research method is quantitative in nature, and primary data were collected from adult individuals who were 18 years old or above. These respondents were eligible and able to manage their own bank accounts independently. The study has a crosssectional time horizon with a deductive approach. The data consisted of 1147 samples of Mao-Naga tribe adults using a structured questionnaire on a seven-point newlineLikert scale. The statistical technique of Statistical Packages of Social Science newline(SPSS) software was utilised to ascertain the descriptive result of the study. The newlinehypothesis testing was conducted using the Partial Least Square Structural Equation newlineModelling (PLS-SEM) statistical model. The SMART-PLS 4.0 software was employed to test the hypotheses of PLS-SEM, explanatory variance, effect size, PLS predict, and importance-performance map analysis (IPMA). Financial literacy and sustainable development were analysed from a reflective-formative approach of higher-order constructs. This research indicates that financial literacy and digital financial inclusion can positively influence sustainable development among the Mao-Naga tribe. -
Role of Green Human Resource Management Practices on Sustainable Performance of the Service Sector Organizations
The prominence revolution took place in the 1980s, and then the Green HRM practises movement blew over the sustainable development literature in the 1990s. This represents an excellent practice because it newlineincorporates sustainable development principles into the operational processes newlineof the human resources department. According to Mishra (2017), Green HRM is a tactical instrument for arranging human resource competences and promoting ideas that motivate businesses to embrace sustainable strategies. newlineThe term human resource management (HRM) is used to describe a set of practices, procedures, and methods that are focused on managing and optimizing the performance of personnel within a business, thereby providing the organization with a competitive advantage. Despite the fact that green human resource management has grown to be a major source of concern, India has only relatively handful of first-hand studies done in this area. While conventional HRM concentrates on functions to provide an organisation a competitive edge, green HRM places an emphasis on the capture and retention of green efforts to meet corporate objectives. newlineGreen HRM in India is plagued by a variety of issues. The study has chosen a few traits from the research at hand that may be utilised to create Green HRM practices for sustainable development. It stands to reason for contemporary businesses to take environmental responsibility seriously (Jackson, Renwick, Jabbour and Camen, 2011). Numerous studies show that environmental newlineinitiatives increase production and provide companies a competitive edge (Bombiak and Marciniuk-Kluska, 2018). Although organizational solutions quotmoved beyond pollution control and the mitigation of environmental degradationquot, Saeed, Jun, Nubuor, Priyankara and Jayasuriya (2018) have highlighted its significance in the New Millennium Era. -
Role of healthcare quality in improving patients satisfaction at private hospitals in karnataka India
Healthcare is known as the treatment, diagnosis, and prevention from disease, newlineinjury, illness and other types of mental and physical losses in human beings (Pallipedia, 2009). Governments, insurers, consumers and healthcare delivery systems are involved in a continuous tug of war situation across the world and trying to meet increased demand for healthcare services, reducing the cost of service and healthcare quality improvements. Quality was already an area of attention for some time in healthcare, but recently the focus has been shifted towards quality majorly to reform entire healthcare. Therefore, in the present study healthcare quality has been focused. The main objective of this study is to investigate the role of healthcare quality in improving patient s satisfaction at private hospitals in Karnataka, India. The research has been designed as analytical research and used survey method for conducting the research. Primary data collection was done using structured questionnaire from respondents. For this study target population was private corporate multispecialty hospitals situated in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Multistage proportionate sampling was used for data collection. Data analysis was done using SPSS and AMOS. The results and findings of the study confirmed that the main influencers of newlinepatient s satisfaction and perceived service quality were six latent constructs: safety, newlinetimeliness, effectiveness, efficiency, patient centeredness and equitability. The model of patient s satisfaction with integrated framework revealed the relationships between independent and dependent variables and gave insights into interplay between the construct relationships. Study suggested practical significance of each construct and also raised a need for more holistic view of the model. Hence results of the study provided valuable insights for the management of private healthcare institutions. -
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. -
Role of online visual merchandising and personality attributes on purchase intention of customers in the apparel industry
The visual merchandising sector on the online platform has considerably impacted the sales as online visual merchandising (OVM) strategies have become a relatively new concept. The tremendous growth of electronic retailing has led to the adoption of new visual merchandising concepts which are digital. A web space which is visible and aesthetically not appealing distracts the customers across all the generations, which makes them switch to other websites. Online retailing is a competitive and dynamic area, which is created based on the artificial brick and motor concept. This artificial brick and motor concept has to be created on an online shopping platform in terms of attracting the end consumers. Moreover, to do this there needs to be a trigger, or in other words a stimulus which causes an action which leads to a response (reaction). Based on the past theories by psychologists the stimulus and response is not the only factor that serves as a basis for decision making, there is a third essential and integral dimension, organism. Organism simply means a system consisting of interdependent parts which are interlinked. Therefore, personality attributes considered the organism is said to be vital in attracting prospective customers. Current research aims at analysing such prospects on an equal sample size of 400 newlineeach from generation X, Y, Z who have engaged in the online purchase of apparel. Responses newlinewere obtained equally from male and female respondents based on a web survey. Structural newlineequation modelling (SEM) was used for analyses of data. The study proposes a research framework of Stimulus-Organism-Response(SOR) model. Results of the study suggest different personality characteristics of generations considered as organisms mediate the relationship between online visual merchandising cues and play a vital role in purchase intention. Therefore, it is imperative to distinguish between ages and generations to cater to the needs of generation X, Y and Z segmented as customers. -
Role of project management methodologies in achieving project success and business value creation in financial services IT projects
Increasingly, project-based organizations, have been implementing project management methodology for specific projects based on the dynamic environment. Financial services face challenges in the form of unstable market conditions, economies and technology, strict controls, and higher stress to meet customer demands and maximize profits. Many IT initiatives fail to provide the desired outcomes as per the project budgets, project types, and project contexts. Some are also unable to deliver business value to the customers due to the adoption of an unsuitable project management methodology. Regardless of the wide variety of choices, project managers often fail to decide on available alternatives. Project managers tend to tailor projects based on criteria that may not be associated with the overall project objectives rationally. The goal of this newlineresearch work is to assess the role of hybrid and agile project management approaches in newlineachieving success and creating business value considering project contexts for financial newlineservices IT projects. A conceptual research framework and various propositions were built on the literature analysis. To analyse the theoretical support, data was gathered through an online questionnaire. The survey was administered to project managers who were newlineinvolved at different levels in IT project development in financial service organizations. The study findings demonstrate that the various key success factors vary significantly across hybrid and agile project management methodologies considering different success measures in IT projects. And, such factors and processes play a vital role, especially in large-size high-technology projects. This research work enriches the project management literature and offers practical guidance by applying the contingency approach for comparing the effect of key success factors applicable to financial service IT projects from the viewpoint of hybrid and agile project management approaches. -
Role of Soft Skills Development Programme on Employable Skills of Management Students in Bengaluru
With the increase in technology access, the expectations of the employers while hiring the candidates has increased manifold. The newlinecandidates however do not possess the required skills as expected by the corporate professionals. The study, therefore, aims to understand the impact of an employable newlineskill training module based on experiential learning on the soft skill development of management postgraduate students. The study used a one-group pre-test post-test design. The study was based on the Experiential newlineLearning Theory (Kolb, 1984) and the Theory of Multiple Intelligences (Gardner, 1983). In order to find the essential skill sets that have to be possessed by management postgraduates a systematic review of literature of 243 included studies was conducted to understand the skill sets required by management postgraduates. newlineFrom the analysis, it was found that formal communication skills like oral communication, meeting participation, written communication could be effectively developed using the modules with a high effect on the skill newlinedevelopment. The modules were also found to have a significantly large effect on the problem-solving, persuasiveness, critical thinking and lateral thinking skills of the students. In addition to the above, the modules created a deeper understanding of the strengths, capabilities and the weaknesses of newlinethe participants and enabled them to communicate the same effectively thus newlinepreparing them for interviews and group discussions. The modules additionally enabled the participants to appropriately use gestures, tone and their voice in formal communication in a manner that can enhance the effectiveness of their communication. These skills were also found to be lacking in students according to the studies of Abas and Imam (2016); Andelt et al., (1997); Cotton (1993); Crosling and Ward (2002); Gandhi (2013); Hodges and Burchell (2003); Jackson (2009); Levy and Canon (2016) among newlineothers. -
Sale and transplantation of human organs in india critical evaluation of the legal framework
The demand for the organ transplantation far exceeds the availability of organs or donors. This leads to unfair trade and commerce in human organs. Though India has a legal framework to regulate various aspects of organ transplantation the same does not seemed to have addressed the issue either adequately or comprehensively. The supply of donated organs has been inadequate for years. Current methods of obtaining organs and tissues have not provided an adequate supply of organs for use in transplantation. Obviously, the problem of scarcity is acute newlinefor the individuals who require organ transplants.Organ Transplantation is a lifesaving method.But, still it is unclear whether existing law is adequate to curb the organ sale and regulate organ transplantation. Although the general field of transplantation is still in a state of change and growth, there have been recent developments in legislation, especially giving priority to the genuine consent of the donor. Although the majority of legislation has been written for cadaver organ donation, slowly, regulation is developing for living organ donation as well.The advantages of cadaver transplantation are obvious: the dead donor encounters no risk in the performance of the transplantation operation. At present this is the only way that a vital organ newlinecan be replaced. The donor, once pronounced dead, is not exposed to any of the hazards which face the live donor. The laws of different countries allow either the potential organ donor to consent or dissent to the donation during his life time, or his relatives to consent or dissent after newlinehis death. Due to these different legislative possibilities, the number of donations per million people varies substantially in different countries. In most countries with the dissent solutions, newlinethere is no waiting list for donations, or the list is short, while most countries with consent solutions have substantial organ shortages. -
School Counseling in India : School Counselor Roles, Policy and Implementation
With a lack of comprehensive policy and literature on stakeholders perspectives and the counseling program s implementation, there is much to be known about the present status of school counseling in India. Three research questions examined in two phases were the perception of actual and preferred roles of the school counselors from the perspective of school administrators, school counselors, teachers, students, and parents; awareness and implementation of school counseling policy from the perspective of administrator and counselors; and implementation of the school counseling program. Quantitative phase I met newlineobjectives one and two using cluster sampling to select 1029 participants. School newlineadministrators and counselors completed the Survey on Knowledge and Implementation of newlinePolicies Regarding School Counseling which was developed and validated by two experts in newlinethe study. All participants completed the International Survey of School Counselor Activities (ISSCA) (Fan et al., 2018). Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, the KruskalWallis H test, and post-hoc Bonferroni-Dunn. Qualitative phase II met objective three using purposive sampling to recruit 14 participants for a semi-structured interview. Qualitative newlinecontent analysis indicated that school counseling in India is still developing, with newlineinconsistencies in understanding the counselor s role among stakeholders. There were differences in awareness and knowledge about the responsibility of implementing school counseling policies. School counseling programs were affected by role ambiguity, stigma about mental health issues, lack of comprehensive structure to the counseling program, and lack of research and evaluation. Implications of the study are discussed. -
Secure authentication frame work for cloud
The growing popularity of cloud based services is prompting organizations to consider shifting applications and data onto cloud. However, organizations dealing with highly sensitive information are apprehensive of moving its applications and data to public cloud owing to concern about security of its information. It is hence incumbent on service providers that only legitimate Users will access its services and resources in cloud. newlineVerifying authenticity of remote users is a necessary pre-requisite in a cloud environment before allowing access to secure resources/services/ applications. The simplest and most commonly used user authentication mechanism is password based authentication. However, Users tend to choose easy to remember password, and many a times use same password for multiple accounts, which makes it often the weakest link in security. Furthermore, service providers authenticating Users on the basis of password, stores password verification information in their databases and such authentication schemes with verification table are known to be vulnerable to various attacks. newlineFrom the perspective of authentication requirements, service providers in a cloud environment can be broadly categorized into two. Those service providers dealing with highly sensitive information and working in a regulated environment can be grouped into category one as in those offering services for sectors like health care, finance. These providers require a strong and secure authentication mechanism to authenticate its users, without any additional functionality. Similarly, there is a second category of service providers dealing with secure information but operate in a collaborative environment as providers providing their applications bundled through a web portal. To provide the Users with a seamless authentication experience, while accessing multiple services during a session, the second category of service providers prefer to have Single Sign-on functionality. -
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. -
Self-care practices, professional quality of life and challenges : An exploration among counsellors in Kerala
The profession of counselling continues to prove its importance in today's fast- paced world, where pausing down and listening to someone are becoming an odd and luxurious concern of people. The counsellor may feel as though they are in a marathon, which demands them to continuously offer unconditional positive regard and empathy for their clients. This may leave them incapacitated to look into themselves and to recognize what is happening to them in this process of caring for others. Though profound discourses take place in the international scenario about the criticality of rendering to the need and well- being of counsellors, evidence-based studies, and effective interventions in this regard are still lacking in the Indian context. This study seeks to fill this gap by exploring, how the positive and negative feelings of continuous caring can affect the professional quality of life of counsellors, what are the self-care mechanisms they adopt, and which are the professional issues they find most concerning. To meet these objectives, the present research employs a mixed- method design in a sequential explanatory fashion. The study encompasses three different phases wherein phase I and II; the sample consisted of counsellors working in various government projects in Kerala selected through dense sampling method and purposive sampling method respectively. In phase III, counsellor experts with more than 20 years of experience in the field are considered through purposive sampling. Findings describe that counsellors tend to follow an unbalanced self-care routine with significantly less focus on professional aspects. The presence of a high risk of burnout and secondary traumatic stress with a moderate feeling of compassion satisfaction call for immediate interventions for counsellors. Lack of benefits, safety issues, concerns about professional identity, poor working conditions, absence of career prospects, and lack of professional credentials are the major challenges identified by the counsellors. Considering these challenges, a set of recommendations are proposed by counsellor experts, which suggest reformations at both the systemic level and academic formation. Specific recommendations are also listed on the development of personal self and professional self for safe, effective and ethical practice of counsellors across a variety of practice settings. Implications exist for policymakers and counsellor educators to create an avenue for supporting a healthier and sustainable counsellor workforce. -
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. -
Sentencing Framework in the Administration of Criminal Justice in India :
This Thesis aims at having uniformity while sentencing the accused in respect of similar newlineoffences by various criminal courts. It is submitted that, in India, there is no separate sentencing Act which provides for the sentencing of the accused. It is submitted that the present thesis also recommends for the post sentencing/research process and administration of Criminal Justice through courts and supervisory power of the court over the executive after newlinethe conviction of the accused and during the pre-trial detention. Emphasis is also laid on newlineBails Act which is required to be legislated in the administration of Criminal Justice in India. The said Bails Act and Sentencing Act are very much in force in different common law countries such as New Zealand, UK, and USA. Similar legislations are the need of hour in the present day for administration of Criminal justice in India. The thesis also aims at highlighting the disparity of Sentencing by the different Criminal Courts in India. There are instances where length of detention itself is held to be sufficient, mitigating grounds are taken into consideration, and the accused is being given set-off for the period that he has already newlineundergone. The administration of post-sentencing process, more particularly probation is also being highlighted. The need for probation is also being highlighted, so also the requirement of plea bargaining being more popularised. The grant of parole by the executive in ignorance of conviction order is also critically analysed. Reforms are suggested for the better administration of criminal justice with special reference to sentencing. -
Sexual Function and Sexual Satisfaction among Non-Working Married Women in Bengaluru
Background: Sexual function and satisfaction are two important components of the sexual health of women. Both are influenced by various external and internal factors over their life cycle. This study aims to explore the factors of sexual function and newlinesatisfaction among non-working married women in Bengaluru using an exploratory newlinesequential research study and highlighting the implications for social work practices. newlineMaterials and Methods: The study has two phases. The first phase was a qualitative newlineexploratory research study that adopted an inductive thematic data analysis. In-depth newlinequalitative interviews were conducted with 11 non-working working married women. The interviews were audio recorded and the transcribed data were analyzed with ATLAS.ti software. The results were presented thematically. The second phase was a newlinecross-sectional survey of 180 non-working married women. The data were collected newlinethrough semi-structured interviews with the Female Sexual Function Index, the New newlineSexual Satisfaction scale, the Psychological Distress Scale, the Subjective Happiness newlinescale, and questions related to socio-demographic details, and health. Descriptive and inferential statistics were carried out and multiple regression analyses were conducted with jamovi v2.3. to find the predictors of both sexual function and satisfaction. Results: In the qualitative phase various factors of sexual function and satisfaction were explored and organized into three global themes. They are Somatic and personal factors, Factors related to the mind, and Situational and extrinsic factors. The quantitative study found that physical, psychological, couples characteristics-related, family, and socio-cultural factors together predict a 17.3% variance in sexual function and a 78.6% variance in sexual satisfaction of women. Conclusion: The study could find positive and negative factors of sexual function and satisfaction. -
Smart Beta Investing in India : Portfolio Construction, Implementation, and Evaluation
The smart beta strategies, having marked their footprint in the developed markets in the last decades on the backdrop of the failure of active investing, are capturing emerging markets such as India recently. In this regard, the study attempts to examine the performance of smart beta strategies in long-only, multifactor, and alternative indexing frameworks in India. The study builds alternatively weighted (AW) univariate portfolios. Firstly, the cap-weighted (CW) single-factor portfolios are built. Subsequently, the portfolios are alternatively weighted and compared to the CW portfolio. Next, the CW multifactor portfolios are built and compared with singlefactor portfolios. Finally, the AW multifactor portfolios are built and newlinecompared with CW multifactor portfolios. All the portfolios are tested for their significant performance relative to the risk-free rate, market, and alpha under factor models. The portfolios were constructed from the constituents of NIFTY 500, adjusting for survivorship bias. The sample period spanned over 21 years from 01/10/2000 to 31/09/2021. The hypotheses were tested using the One-Sample T-test or Wilcoxon Signed Rank test for the difference in return, based on return distribution, and the Wald test for the difference in alpha and exposure using the Seemingly Unrelated Regression framework. The portfolios were constructed and analyzed using Python. We find mixed evidence of factor presence; the factor portfolios built on market data such as Illiquid, Winner, Stable, and Size offered better performance than those built on fundamental data such as Value, Strong, and Conservative. The Integrated portfolio does not differ from Mixed and single-factor portfolios, except for underperformance against the Illiquid portfolio. The alternative weighting offered mixed performance at single and multifactor levels. -
Social group work intervention for adolescents with learning difficulty
School social workers have a significant role in imparting holistic education in schools. Life skill training program in schools is an appropriate intervention strategy. Specialized skills and intervention methods like social group work, learnt by school social workers help in proper assessment and implementation of required services in school settings. Adolescents with learning difficulty have trouble expressing their feelings, claiming themselves down and reading non-verbal cues which can lead to difficulty in the classroom and with their peers. The aim of current research is to study the efficacy of life skill training program through social group work intervention in enhancing the self-esteem, interpersonal relationship and coping newlinebehavior of adolescents with learning difficulty in Hindupur, Andhra Pradesh. newlineAdolescents studying in Hindupur were selected for the intervention study which has newlinea quasi experimental design. The study results advocate several hypotheses for the newlinepossible causes and prevalence of learning difficulty. The results highlights that newlinelearning difficulty is associated with low income families and education of the parents. The pre test and post test scores of the group revealed that the self esteem of newlineadolescents with learning difficulty improved significantly after the group work intervention, Indicating that the intervention may have contributed to the change in self-esteem of adolescents with learning difficulty. The empathic concern domain showed significant improvement in post test scores with regard to interpersonal newlinerelationship. Other domains like perspective taking, fantasy and personal distress newlinedidn t show significant change in the post test indicating that the intervention may newlinehave to be modified accordingly. This is even seen with the results of coping newlinebehavior.