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Efficacy of Canine - Assisted Therapy on Social Competence among INdividuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), because of their deficits in social newlinecompetence, often suffer a great deal in the community. Canine-assisted therapy (CAT) seems to be a useful approach to improve social functioning. This study aimed to investigate whether CAT can assist in improving the social competence of adults newlinewith ASD. The study employed an ABAB single case experimental design with four newlineparticipants. The social performance and social interactions with the therapy dog and newlinetherapist were the target measures of the study, and they were assessed using the newlineVellore Assessment of Social Performance and Animal-assisted Therapy Flowsheet. The baseline measures for the study were taken four times for 4 weeks for two newlinebaseline/reversal phases of the study. CAT was delivered by a trained dog along with newlinea certified animal-assisted practitioner twice a week for 4 weeks for 45-60 minutes newlineduring two intervention phases. The results were interpreted using descriptive, newlinegraphical, and numerical analysis. The mean scores indicated improvement in social newlineperformance and social interaction scores in the intervention phases. The visual newlineinspection showed similar results as indicated by the increasing trend line in newlineintervention phases. The results of the non-overlap of all pairs showed a medium to newlinestrong effect of CAT on improving social performance. The results validated the use newlineof CAT in the enhancement of social competence among adults with ASD. The study newlinesignificantly contributed to the field of CAT as well as has implications for aiding the newlineintegration of adults with ASD into mainstream society by enhancing their social newlinefunctioning. -
A Study on the Emergence of Subaltern Counterpublics in Select Malayalam Dalit Christian Narratives
The research A Study on the Emergence of Subaltern Counterpublics in Select Malayalam Dalit Christian Narratives attempts to put Kerala's vernacular Dalit Christian narratives into the scholarly canvas. As statistics do not provide solid data on the quotidian resistance, the narratives reveal the overt and covert struggles of the Dalit Christians. The study problematises the dominant narrative of the State and the Church and provides a way to articulate their voices and the transition from one religion to another. The primary texts for the study include Paul Chirakkarodes Pulayathara, Nostalgia and Eli Eli, Lama Sabach Thani, T.K.C. Vaduthalas Achante Venthinga Inna! and C Ayyapans Ghost Speech. The current study uses the combined frameworks of narratology, Lacanian psychoanalysis and subaltern counterpublics through the method of narrative analysis. Narrative analysis involves analysing stories or narratives to understand their meanings, experiences and values. The research argues that the Dalit Christian narratives become a testimony of subaltern counterpublics, narratology, and resistance tactics, suggesting a counter- narrative effect. They become treasure houses that carry group memory of community life and history. They are enclaved spaces where unfiltered articulations of marginalisation, abandonment, exploitation, rejection, resistance and empowerment occur. They function as proactive spaces that challenge dominant stereotypes and create an ideologically sound public sphere. Alternative discourse arenas become places of empowerment where subaltern counterpublics emerge, thus transforming the narratives into counter-narratives. The study acknowledges the agency of the Dalit Christian narratives to reform, rethink and reinterpret the form and content of Dalit Christian literature from a subaltern perspective. From an epistemological perspective, the Dalit Christian narratives produce knowledge garnered through analysing and interpreting the primary texts as representative of fusing personal and political resources to create a narrative of resistance and survival. -
A Study on The Utilization of Lactic Acid Bacteria Fermented Sea Weed As Aqua Feed For Growth and Disease Resistance in Oreochromis Niloticus
Consumption of fermented foods are known to provide various health benefits. Fermentative microbes present in traditional foods are reported to confer health benefits. The present study was aimed to isolate a novel potent probiotic strain from the homemade fermented Indian recipe Moor Kuzhambu and Pickle, and its characterization to elucidate the efficacy of isolate in cholesterol and heavy metal reduction. Cultures isolated from Pickle (CK2) and Moor Kuzhambu (CK3) were newlineidentified as different strains of Pediococcus pentosaceus using 16S rDNA newlinesequence based bacterial identification method. The isolated strains exhibited newlinetolerance to gastric juice and was able to exhibit a broad range of tolerance to newlinevarying temperatures, pH, NaCl, solvent, phenol, trypsin, and artificial gastric newlinejuice. Cell surface studies such as auto aggregation, co-aggregations, and cell newlinesurface hydrophobicity determined the ability of the strains to aggregate on to intestinal cell surface and manifest competitive pathogen displacement. Remarkable biofilm reduction of 48% to 80% was observed in the probioticsupplemented samples. Similarly, a reduction of 80% to 85% free cholesterol was newlinenoted in cholesterol assimilation assays, and heavy metal (Cu+, Pb+, Zn+ and Fe+) newlineassimilation ability was observed. Pediococcus pentosaceus MK459541 strain newlineCK2 and (MK459539) CK3 were assessed for EPS synthesis, structural characteristics, antioxidant properties and heavy metal assimilation abilities. Maximum yield of EPS was observed in carbon source Xylose for CK3 and fructose for CK2. Similarly, EPS production was found to maximum when bacteria newlinewere supplemented with meat extract (CK2) and yeast extract (CK3). FTIR results exhibited the presence of functional groups such as Imine/Oxime group, carboxylic group, Halo groups, Nitro compounds, etc. Further studies on EPS CK2 and EPS CK3 revealed a strong antioxidant capacity of 73.92% to 97.75%. Heavy metal assimilation ability of the EPS was found to be strong and in decreasing order as follows Cu+, Fe+ and Zn+. -
A Study on Nutritional, Biochemical and Pharmacological Property of Punica grantum L.
Biologically active components present in different medicinal plants which protects the human from diseases and allow health benefits. In the present study, the nutritional, biochemical and newlinepharmacological analysis of the different parts of Punica granatum var Bhagwa was done. In the nutritional profiling, dry moisture content was found high in the flower (9.63%) followed by leaf, peel, root, stem and fruit. Ash content was recorded higher in the stem (30%/gm) followed by root, leaf, flower, fruit and peel. Also, the macro and microelements present in different parts of newlineP. granatum var Bhagwa were analyzed. The fruit recorded the highest amount of nitrogen and phosphorus whereas the peel was recorded with more potassium. The phytochemical newlinequantification showed the major content of carbohydrates in the flower (317.96 mg/g) and leaf (315.62 mg/g). The protein in fruit (69 mg/g) and proline in root (19.54 mg/g) were recorded. P. granatum peel was recorded with maximum phenolic and flavonoid content. It showed a high antioxidative response in comparison to other plant parts. This study also aims to explore the use of P. granatum seed oil as a reducing agent for the synthesis of cobalt nanoparticles. These cobalt particles showed a and#955;max at 279.88 nm for UV-visible spectrometry analysis. Furthermore, X-ray Diffraction, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope and Dynamic Light Scattering were performed to confirm the nature of these nanoparticles. The pharmacological potential of these cobalt oxide nanoparticles was tested against microbial pathogens. The results suggest that these nanoparticles exhibited significant newlineactivity against various human bacterial and fungal pathogens. Additionally, in vitro cytotoxicity analysis of CoONPs had targeted MCF-7 cancer cells with a significant IC50 value compared to non-cancerous cells (L929). This study concluded that Bhagwa variety of P. -
A Comprehensive Model for Forecasting the Nifty50 Index Using MAchine and Deep Learning Methodologgy with Reference to National Stock Exchange
The volatility and uncertainty make stock and stock price index predictions challenging. Many financial professionals and academics are interested in stock price/index prediction studies. This study presents computational ML and DL intelligence techniques for estimating the NIFTY50 index closing value on the Indian NSE using Fundamental Analysis and Technical Analysis. To forecast the NIFTY50 index, we first employed Fundamental Analysis and max voting, bagging, boosting, and stacking ensemble learning techniques. An embedded feature selection algorithm is utilized to determine the model's best fundamental indicators, and a grid search is performed to tweak hyperparameters for each base regressor. Our results demonstrate that the bagging and stacking regressor model 2 beat all other models, with the lowest RMSE of 0.0084 and 0.0085, respectively, indicating an improved fit of ensemble regressors. Subsequently, TA research was done to exhibit the influence of deep learning on the NIFTY50. This method employs a data augmentation mechanism and three GRU model variations. It is examined using two datasets, TA1 and TA2, which include technical indicators from the NIFTY50 index. The GRU model enhanced the NIFTY50 index prediction using the TA1 technical indicator dataset. Finally, the study examines a hybrid model to estimate equity market trends, combining PCA with ML methods such as ANN, SVM, NB, and RF. The proposed approach uses the trend deterministic data preparation layer to convert the continuous data to a discrete form denoted by +1 or -1. The empirical findings of this hybrid model demonstrate that the RF model with the first three principal components obtains precision of 0.9969, F1-score 0.9968 and AUC score of 1. Overall, the suggested research design outperforms baseline models in our experiments and shows promising results using fundamental and technical analysis indicators. Thus, this study provides an ideal tool for stock market prediction and financial decision-makers. -
In Service Teachers' Diffrentiated Instructional Strategy and Students' Reflective Thinking and Empowered Learning
Every educational program aims at the comprehensive growth and development of learners. Education policymakers and teachers who are part of any education system have a pivotal role in providing an environment that empowers learners. Thinking pervades all spheres of human action and the ability to think reflectively differentiates man from other animals. Psychological theories have proved that, in a classroom, each learner is unique and has different learning profiles, i.e., learning style, intelligence preference, culture and gender. Therefore, one- sized curriculum doesn't fit all. This research was conducted to measure the influence of differentiated instructional strategy of in-service- teachers as a pedagogy on students' reflective thinking and empowered learning. The researcher developed and standardized a module of 16 lesson plans on English grammar and poetry integrating essential components of reflective thinking and empowered learning into differentiated instruction. Randomly selected samples of this research consisted of 100 students of standard 9, boys and girls, from an English medium ICSE school in the urban district of Bangalore. After a try-out of a few lessons on 25 samples, the researcher taught the lessons through differentiated instruction within 3 months. Through control and experimental groups, pre-test and post-test design, data were collected through 2 measuring tools (1) a questionnaire to measure the level of reflective thinking and (2) Learner empowerment measure. Data analysis of the pre and post-test scores of the experiment group shows a significant impact of differentiated instruction on all four components of reflective thinking of students, i.e., Habitual Action, Understanding, Reflection and Critical Reflection; and on the components of empowered learning of students, i.e., Meaningfulness, Competence, Impact and Choice irrespective of the difference in the gender. The results indicate that differentiated instruction could be implemented in schools as an instructional method to include all types of students and respect their diversity. -
Indian Approach to International Commercial and Investment Arbitration Vis-A-Vis Global Arbitral Institutes : A Critical Analysis
The rise of international trade and investments by the foreign states has led to increased number of contractual relationships between the parties. The world is now moving towards a new regime of dispute settlement via alternative dispute redressal mechanisms like arbitration, mediation, conciliation, and negotiation. Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 and amendments in 2015, 2019 and 2021 have promoted international commercial newlineand institutional arbitration in India. The amendments provide a slight sigh of relief but do not completely cater to the global needs of making India a preferred seat for international arbitration. The title of the thesis is INDIAN APPROACH TO INTERNATIONAL newlineCOMMERCIAL AND INVESTMENT ARBITRATION VIS- A- VIS GLOBAL ARBITRAL INSTITUTES: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS . It is covering the conceptual and theoretical framework of International commercial and International Investment arbitration, evolution of arbitration laws in India, comparative study of Indian arbitral institutes with respect to Singapore, UK and USA and judicial approach in international arbitration. It also analyses the judicial approach towards arbitration regime pertaining to enforcement of awards, newlineappointment of arbitrators or interim reliefs. The judicial intervention must be minimized and there is requirement of trained arbitration personals including foreign lawyers or academicians. Provisions must be made for third party funding and consolidation of arbitration proceedings providing data privacy. This study applies doctrinal methodology and through legislations, cases study, books, articles and research papers, relevant material newlinehas been collected. Along with doctrinal methodology, the empirical methodology newline(qualitative) has been adopted whereby hypothesis has been tested to reach out the findings and to find the answers of research questions. -
Effect of Museum Visit Intervention on Learning and Attitude Towards History
Place-Based Education is an education where learning happens in a place. The place could be museum, garden, palace, library etc. Place-based education is useful for the discipline of History as places are the existing evidence of past historical events. Therefore, students in History discipline can use place-based education for effective learning of history. The study attempts to find out the effect of museum visit intervention on learning and attitude towards newlinehistory. The study brings out how Museums act as an active agency to learn history. The study employed Quasi-experimental model with pre-test, post-test and follow-up post-test. Through purposive random sampling method, the participants were selected from 6th grade students of secondary schools of ICSE board located in the urban area of Kolkata in India. 120 students are included in the study group of the research (control group=60, experimental group=60). For the purpose of measuring museum visit intervention on learning and attitude towards history, researcher made achievement test and attitude scale with 5 point Likert scale was used. newlineThe instruction was provided in accordance with the History Course Curriculum of ICSE newlineboard. Experimental group visited the museum whilst the control group did not visit the newlinemuseum. Data analysis was conducted through SPSS program version 29. The result of the newlinestudy revealed that students of the experimental groups have performed better in comparison to the students of the control groups in learning and attitude towards history. Therefore, there is a recommendation to include museum visits pedagogies in the scope of social studies in History discipline. -
Molecularly Imprinted Nanomaterials for the Electrochemical Sensing of Environmental Pollutants
ntegrating molecularly imprinted nanoparticles, environmental contaminants are detected electrochemically on a glassy carbon electrode that caters as the transducer host. The modification of electrodes using different noble nanoparticles resulted in enhanced electrooxidation of analytes. The allocation of chitosan as a reducing and stabilizing agent in the green synthesis of noble metal nanoparticles enhances the sensor's efficiency. Different characterizations like UV-Visible Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infra Red Spectroscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy, and Dynamic Light Scattering analysis further confirm the synthesized nanoparticles' morphology, stability, and size. The different experimental conditions needed for effective detection, like electrolytes, potential window, scan rate, and pH, were optimized with utmost careful examination. The morphological characterization of the electrodes were executed utilizing Scanning Electron Microscopy and Optical profilometry, whereas the electrochemical characterization was performed using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy. The Nyquist plot showcased the low resistance and high charge transfer of modified imprinted electrodes with enhanced surface area. Using Differential Pulse Voltammetry, the sensor was validated with nano to femto-level detection limits and a wide linear range with good sensitivity. The imprinting factor displays the superior electroactivity of imprinted sensors compared to non-imprinted sensors. The molecularly imprinted electrode effectively detected environmental pollutants in different water samples. Hence, all the works point to the exceptional approach of imprinted nanomaterials in electrochemical detection with its simplicity and facile preparation. It may be used to develop a susceptible voltammetric sensor for researching environmental pollutants. -
A Model for Churn Prediction Based on Qualitative Support Interaction Features for Hotel Technology Provider
Customer retention is a significant driver of a company s growth. Machine learning has gained immense popularity as a means to predict customers at risk of churn. Churn prediction models are capable of highlighting customers who are at high risk of churn well in advance. A popular approach to improve the performance of churn prediction models is by using input variables that are mainly quantitative and structured in nature. There are limited works in literature that newlineinvestigate smart means to effectively utilize and integrate unstructured data into churn prediction models, and study the impact on model efficacy. One of the roadblocks to effectively utilize unstructured data is the associated cost of annotation which is both time consuming and requires intensive manual effort. To overcome this obstacle, researchers often adopt a semi-supervised newlineapproach called active learning that aims to achieve state-of-the-art performance using minimal number of samples. Although active learning boosts classifier performance, the underlying query strategies are unable to eliminate redundancy in selected samples for manual annotation. Redundant samples lead to increased cost and sub-optimal performance of learner. Inspired by this challenge, the study proposes a new representation-based query strategy that selects highly newlineinformative and representative subsets of samples for manual annotation. Data comprises newlinemessages of a set of customers sent to a service provider. Series of experiments are conducted to analyse the effectiveness of the proposed query strategy, called Entropy-based Min Max Similarity (E-MMSIM), in the context of topic classification for churn prediction. The foundation of E-MMSIM is an algorithm that is popularly used to sequence proteins in protein databases. The algorithm is modified and utilized to select the most representative and informative samples. The performance is evaluated using F1-score, AUC and accuracy. -
Experience and Agency of Children with Intellectual Disabilities in Schools : An Ethnographic Study in Haryana, India
India currently has more than 24 million children within the age group of 0-18 years experiencing some form of disability. Among them, India has the highest population of children at risk of developmental disabilities (UNICEF, 2011). However, there is a significant dearth of knowledge regarding their lived experiences. Surprisingly, qualitative understandings of the lives of children with intellectual disabilities within their school environments are lacking in India. Thus, this research aims to fill this gap by focusing on comprehending the lived experiences and agency of these children within their schools, families, and neighborhoods. Recognizing them as social agents has the potential to challenge the marginalized status often attributed to them. The objective of this research was to understand the lived experiences of children with intellectual disabilities across various school setups, including government schools, private schools, and mainstream schools. Furthermore, it seeks to understand the values and perspectives of the schools, school authorities and teachers, and the manner in which children with intellectual disabilities employ their agency in their day- to-day lives within different educational structures. Ethnographic research was, therefore, conducted in four government schools, two private schools and two special schools in Karnal district, Haryana, India. Haryana was chosen due to the existence of previous research on the cultural understanding of disability in the state. A total of 25 children with intellectual disabilities and 44 school teachers were interviewed and observed. Classroom observations and shadowing also served as important methods of data collection. The findings reveal that policies, school structures and processes, as well as teachers' practices and attitudes, continue to perpetuate exclusionary practices for children with intellectual disabilities. The notion of "inclusive schooling" remains superficial within the Indian context. However, within these exclusionary systems and processes, a diverse range of differences were noted in terms of the experiences, beliefs, and preferences of children. These differences are influenced by a complex interplay of their social environment (school and home), cultural norms and personal attributes. Academic aspirations and experiences of personal friendship emerged as dynamic and intricate aspects of their lives. Evaluating these elements presents challenges as children's academic achievements and friendships are continually evolving, forming, and dissolving. Data analysis also demonstrates that children with intellectual disabilities not only actively construct meanings but also possess an awareness of the cultural context in which they exist. Their interactions with others, including the researcher, were heavily influenced by these cultural contexts. Their actions contribute differently to social and relational networks, depending on the barriers they encounter within each institution. The performativity of their agency was explored through an understanding of their "silences," which proved to be an essential element in analyzing their agency.Additionally, their agency was examined through their utilization of digital technologies which was actively used by children to maintain friendships with old friends, to develop new friendships and for entertainment purposes. This research, therefore, aims to integrate the notions of agency, culture, and structure in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the experiences of children with intellectual disabilities in various educational environments in an Indian state. -
Development and Efficacy of Parenting Skill Training for Mothers of Adolescents in Kerala
The primary objective of this research is to develop and assess the effectiveness of an intervention program tailored for mothers of adolescents in Kerala to strengthen their parenting skills. The digital age and unique socio-cultural context present new challenges in child-rearing, and existing parenting programs fall short of addressing these evolving issues. The study employed a mixed-method framework with specific objectives to fill this research gap. The research unfolded in three phases. The initial stage encompassed comprehensive interviews with ten mothers and their adolescents, utilizing a constructionist model for thematic analysis. It unveiled five main and 22 sub-themes, shedding light on mothers' and adolescents' needs and challenges in Kerala. The second phase focused on designing an intervention module specifically suited to address the needs and challenges identified in the qualitative phase. The study used a pre-test, post-test, and experimental design with a control group for the third phase. The researcher used the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire, the Family Environmental Scale, and the Parental Satisfaction Scale to measure the efficacy of the training. The results presented significant improvements in parenting practices in the experimental group, particularly in positive parenting and mothers' involvement with their children. Corporal punishment and inconsistent discipline decreased, while family environment and parenting satisfaction increased. This study contributes substantially to the mental health field by offering an evidence-based program to assist mothers in navigating parenting challenges during adolescence. This intervention aims to improve family dynamics and adolescent well-being. It is a valuable resource for trainers seeking to facilitate behavioral changes within the target groups. -
Design, Analysis and Validation of Electric Vehicle Control and Safety for Different Path Profiles and Braking Conditions
Energy conservation and Environmental pollution are two major challenges today for our society. Currently, utilization of the latest technology, to reduce energy consumption and harmful emissions from vehicles, is gaining significance in the contexts related to automobile, energy and power industries. Considerations of these contexts enable us to form a more realistic newlineperspective and a need for developing fuel efficient, comfortable and affordable electric vehicles. The importance of design and development of electric vehicle (EV) is better perceived when, there is a major impact on our future society due to (i) the energy saving aspect from newlineboth the customer side on individual expenditure as well as from the national economy viewpoint and (ii) the huge benefit due to reduction of emissions from internal combustion engines using fossil fuels. EV offers the best solution which not only avoids emissions but overcome the dependency on petroleum resources as well. Due to fewer moving parts, monitoring and controlling of EV are also smooth and relatively much easier. The embedded control techniques used in EV also contribute for a better controllable, observable, predictable newlineand efficient vehicle drive. This current research work focuses mainly on Electric Vehicle Mobility and Control aspects for a deeper study. This research work addresses topics related to mathematical modelling and simulation studies for design and analysis of EV control and safety. Validations of the several case studies done during this research are supported by software tools namely MATLAB/Simulink and IPG Carmaker Virtual Driving Simulation Platform. Starting from modelling, throughout the various stages of this work, realistic vehicle parameters and specifications are considered. The newlinedifferent levels of testing, validation and trial runs of the model-based designs are also validated by software in loop and hardware in loop approaches. Automotive Safety Integrity Level B/C hardware was used for the implementation purpose. -
Design and Implementation of Low Complexity Multiplier-Less Reconfigurable Band Tuning Filter Structure with Sharp Sub-Bands
Digital flter banks are extensively used for communication purposes for channelization. Reconfgurable non-uniform multi-channels with sharp transition widths are necessary for channelization in digital channelizer and spectrum sensing in wireless communication networks. The aim of this research work is to design reconfgurable flter structures featuring non-uniform and sharp transition newlinewidth channels with reduced number of flter coeffcients. The four different flter structures are proposed in this research for achieving low complexity reconfgurable structure for the design of multiple non-uniform sharp transition width arbitrary bandwidth channels. The foundational newlineelement of this research is centered around the design of a prototype flter. This prototype flter serves as a basis for developing various reconfgurable flter structures. Leveraging the prototype newlineflter s bandwidth characteristics, these structures are categorized into two main groups: narrow band prototype flters and wide band prototype flters. The narrow band prototype flter category comprises structures capable of designing a single fnite impulse response flter with a narrow passband characterized by sharp transition widths. In contrast, the wide band prototype flter category includes structures capable of designing a single FIR flter with a wide passband also characterized by sharp transition widths. A novel flter structures are designed with the help of interpolated newlinefnite impulse response, cosine modulation technique, complex exponential modulation technique and frequency response masking techniques. The proposed method is evaluated using MATLAB R2019b, where the linear phase FIR flter coeffcients are computed based on the Parks-McClellan algorithm. The examples are employed to illustrate the effcient operation of the proposed designs. The results point to the fact that the proposed designs have less multiplier complexity than existing cuttingedge techniques. -
Economic Burden and Productivity Loss of Employees with Lifestyle Diseases in Sedentary Occupations During Pandemic
Over the past few decades, the prevalence of Lifestyle Diseases or Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) have increased. There has been an increasing concern about these lifestyle diseases, with hypertension acting as the most prevalent lifestyle disease in the populace. It further exaggerates the issue as its prevalence increases exposure to other lifestyle diseases such as Diabetes and Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD). With health being an important component of human capital, the presence of lifestyle diseases has an economic impact on the individual and the organisation. The presence of an illness reduces the productivity level delivered by the individual to work, resulting in productivity loss. Apart from impacting an employee's productivity, the prevalence of lifestyle diseases incurs a significant monetary expense in the form of healthcare required to manage them. This monetary expense is called an economic burden or out-of-pocket expenditure. On these grounds, the current study examines the economic burden and impact on the productivity of employees suffering from lifestyle diseases (Hypertension, Diabetes and CVD) working in sedentary occupations. With lifestyle diseases majorly influenced by the lifestyle patterns of an individual, employees working in a sedentary occupation are at greater exposure to lifestyle diseases and hence were selected as the target population. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 426 employees of sedentary occupations in the Delhi-NCR region. The economic burden has been measured as a sum of the direct and indirect costs of the diseases incurred in a year. Using the estimates of economic burden, Catastrophic Healthcare Expenditure (CHE) was measured at different threshold levels. The study has also evaluated productivity loss through presenteeism and absenteeism approaches. An attempt was made to examine the relationship between the economic burden 7 and productivity loss through presenteeism and absenteeism approaches. The result of the study shows a significant share of the economic burden for lifestyle diseases and their comorbidities. CHE was highest at the 40% threshold level. The level of disparity in catastrophe among lower and high-income individuals was also highest at the 40% threshold level. Further statistical results show a high cost of absenteeism due to lifestyle diseases compared to presenteeism and found that economic burden has a strong positive relationship with absenteeism and presenteeism. Overall, the study concludes that lifestyle disease incurs a substantial economic burden and CHE for employees working in sedentary occupations. The estimate for the same increases if multiple lifestyle diseases are present. Further, the impact of catastrophe is more for low-income than high-income individuals due to the limited availability of resources to manage the health issue. Apart from causing monetary expense, the presence of lifestyle diseases also causes a high cost of absenteeism and presenteeism, increasing the economic cost of managing lifestyle diseases. -
Effect of Phonological and Phonetic Intervention on Proficiency in English Pronunciation and Oral Reading Among Bengaluru Teacher Trainees
The current research aimed to determine the effect of phonological and phonetic intervention in enhancing proficiency in English pronunciation and oral reading among teacher trainees. The study adopted a single-group pre and post-test intervention design. The researcher developed intervention modules on phonology and phonetics, and a segmental approach was adopted to teach individual sounds. The research design was executed in five stages: experts' opinions on the need for such a study, a preliminary study to find the need for the study, the development of intervention modules and validation of the modules, the pilot study to check the reliability of the tools, and the main study. The researcher applied Oscillo-graphic and observation methods to analyse and test the participants' pronunciation and oral reading progress during the experiment. Communicative Language Learning (CLL) and Audiolingual approaches were adopted to teach individual sounds to participants. The National Assessment of Educational Progress Scale for Reading and Pronunciation (NAEP 2012) was adopted to measure the scores. The other instruments, i.e., audio-to-test phonetic transcription software and Audacity recording software, were used in the experiment to record and analyse the audio clips. The experiment was conducted on n=104 teacher trainees of Bengaluru, India. The current study targeted teacher trainees/ B Ed college students of English method as a population. The population of teacher trainees was 1470 English methods from Bangalore north, south, and central. Further, the sample size for the main study was 104, and it was selected through a stratified random sampling technique. The assessment tools overall reliability (Cronbach Alpha value) (NAEP) on Pronunciation and Oral reading is 0.873. The data normality was tested with the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The data EFFECT OF PHONOLOGICAL AND PHONETIC INTERVENTION was normally distributed. Hence, the data was not normally distributed; the non- parametric tests were used to test the hypotheses. The hypotheses testing on phonological and phonetic awareness revealed the difference between pre- intervention and post-intervention scores in phonological and phonemic awareness and oral reading among teacher trainees, the sig. Value is less than 0.05 across all the attributes. The Wilcoxon signed rank test revealed the scores after the intervention, a post-test with a statistically significant value of 0.001. The post-test score, which was after the intervention, is significantly higher. The values across all the attributes related to oral reading and pronunciation with a statistically significant value of 0.001. The other hypotheses testing on gender, age, and qualification, the Mann-Whitney test, and Kruskal Wallis were used, and the results were not statistically significant. The statistical test was used to test the progressive improvement of teacher trainees during the intervention, and it was statistically significant with 0.001 across all the attributes. The data analysis revealed a positive impact of intervention at the post-test on teacher trainees. The study has navigated the need for language proficiency among teacher trainees, especially in English pronunciation and oral reading. The study substantiates the evidence that effective intervention and teachers' knowledge of pronunciation would enhance proficiency levels in pronunciation and oral reading among teacher trainees. The study also hopes that Policy Makers, Universities, B.Ed. Colleges and teacher educators will be beckoned to use technology-integrated intervention to teach phonology and phonetics. -
Evaluation of Bending Stiffness of Transmission Line Conductors
Cables are made of helically wound wires and have a wide range of engineering applications. This thesis considers the use of such cables in overhead electrical power transmission lines. The loading on such cables is generally axial pull or tension and torsion. The oscillation of the overhead power transmission lines due to the wind or static bending in any applications, newlineintroduce an additional bending load on such cable assemblies and are subjected to varying newlinebending curvatures and results in reduction in bending stiffness. The effective stiffness of the cable assembly in its bent state varies widely between two extreme newlinebehaviours a monolithic infinite friction state offering the maximum stiffness and a newlinecompletely loose wire zero friction state offering the minimum thickness. Due to the wide variation of this extreme values, the estimation of the cable stiffness at any intermittent stage of bending has been quite challenging and is under continuous refinement. Though many mathematical models are stipulated in the last seven decades in cables, seldom they consider the influence of wire forces and moments about its normal, bi-normal, and axial directions together, in any analysis and evaluated the cable response. newlineThe dominant wire force and moments about the axial directions were never missed by many newlineauthors. Though the global behavior of the cable apparently seems to be all right even with the omission of some forces/moments, the mechanism of its constituent wires needs a fully proven scientific explanation that predicts the local behavior also correctly. The ultimate response of the cable will be complete when accurate theories are attributed for the global and local newlinebehaviours. Hence, this research work addresses the complete mechanics of the helically wound cables and considers the influence of wire forces and moments, in all the three directions, together in the newlineanalysis and evaluates the cable response. -
Understanding The Pastoral Ethnobotany in Koppal and Vijayanagar Districts of Karnataka for Sustainability
The research aimed to comprehensively explore the ethnobotanical significance and nutritional value of wild plants utilized by pastoralists in Koppal and Vijayanagar districts. The study area selection involved meticulous consideration of the geographical and ecological relevance. Determining an appropriate sample size was crucial to ensure representative data collection, achieved through systematic methodologies. Informants were thoughtfully selected to gather newlineindigenous knowledge about the diverse uses of wild plants, emphasizing their fodder, newlineveterinary, edible, and medicinal applications. Employing ethnobotanical research methods, interviews were conducted to document plant usage, elucidate their taxonomical identities, and create an extensive inventory. The collection of plants referenced by pastoralists during interviews was a pivotal step. Detailed assessments of plant categories, habits, habitats, and newlinespecific plant parts used were documented. Herbarium preparation and authentication were newlineconducted meticulously to preserve and validate the collected plant specimens. newlineComparison with ethnobotanical studies from other subtropical regions worldwide was newlineconducted using the Jacquard index, revealing similarities and differences. The evaluation of sustainable utility focused on wild edible plants, analysing their viability for long-term utilization. Furthermore, investigating the forage quality of selected wild fodder and hay supplement plants was carried out. Analysing their proximate provided insights into their nutritional value. In summary, this comprehensive research delved into ethnobotanical practices, taxonomic identification, nutritional evaluation, and sustainable utilization of wild plants among pastoral communities. The findings not only contributed to ethnobotanical knowledge but also provided valuable insights into the potential economic and ecological significance of these plants for the communities involved. -
Managing Sustainability in Perishable Food Supply Chains : A Case of Mango From Farm-to-Table
This research explores the significant role of India in the global food production sector, with a specific focus on perishable goods. It examines how this sector contributes to rural income and overall economic growth, while also addressing issues like post-harvest losses and inefficiencies in the perishable sector. The study highlights the necessity of a sustainable and efficient perishable sector for the progression of the Indian economy. By utilizing insights from resource-based view theory, stakeholders theory and systems theory, the research delves into the challenges and opportunities present in India's perishable food supply chain, emphasizing the crucial role of farmers in ensuring quality and effectiveness in India. Additionally, the study explores the broader context of Indian agriculture, with a specific focus on the perishable and horticulture sectors, their economic importance, and challenges such as post-harvest losses and the impacts of climate change. The research advocates for a strategic collaborative approach involving governments, businesses and communities to secure the sustainability and resilience of the perishable food supply chain in light of current and future challenges. The existing literature on the perishable food supply chain is evaluated to find the research gaps. This evaluation is conducted through a bibliometric analysis, shedding light on areas that have been neglected or inadequately explored in prior research. The identified gaps serve as the foundation for the research objectives of the study, aiming to fill these voids with fresh insights and discoveries. To establish the groundwork for the investigation, this research also initiates an in-depth discourse on each hypothesis, ensuring that the research design presented is both transparent and logical. The ultimate objective is to enhance comprehension of the perishable foodsupply chain, paving the way for future studies to build upon this foundational work. Then the research seeks to elucidate the research methods utilized to meticulously validate the researchmodel, employing stringent techniques and measures to guarantee the integrity and dependability of the findings. This framework aims to encapsulate the entire research process succinctly, from its fundamental objectives to the eventual implications of its findings, guiding readers through the investigative journey undertaken in the study. To achieve these objectives, a research model is presented that examines the interrelationships between quality, efficiency, sustainability and technological capabilities within the perishable food supply chain. The research methodology employed in this study combines both quantitative and qualitative techniques. It encompasses a detailed description of the sampling procedure and data collection methods, including the utilization of probability sampling techniques and surveys. Furthermore, the statistical tools and techniques employed in the study is Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The study formulates a comprehensive model that takes into account quality, efficiency and sustainability within the perishable food supply chain, with a specific focus on the moderating impact of technological capabilities. It identifiespositive connections between quality and sustainability, efficiency and sustainability, as well as the combined influence of quality and efficiency on sustainability. Technological capabilities are revealed to bolster these connections, underscoring the significance of circularity in the supply chain to minimize waste and align with sustainability objectives. The research concludes by providing insights on the challenges and prospective pathways towards more sustainable, efficient, and quality-driven practices in the perishable sector, particularly in light of technological advancements and the global trend towards circularity. -
Photocatalytic Degradation of Textile Dyes Using Strobilanthes Species Mediated Nanoparticles
Discharge of dye pollutants from textile industries jeopardizes ecosystem by leading to grave threats like contamination of water resources and hazardous health effects. The current study points and focuses at the synthesis, characterization, dye degradation and toxicity analysis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) derived from Strobilanthes barbatus and Strobilanthes hamiltoniana leaf extracts. UV-visible spectrum analysis validated the biogenesis of ZnO and Ag NPs, revealing unique peaks at 359 nm for ZnOSB NPs, 360 nm for ZnOSH NPs, 428 nm for AgSB NPs, and 432 nm for AgSH NPs. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) investigation identified phytochemicals involved in nanoparticle synthesis, manifesting the presence of flavonoids, saponins and alkaloids. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) examination disclosed the crystalline structures of ZnOSB NPs, ZnOSH NPs, AgSB NPs and AgSH NPs displayed an average crystalline size of 22.29 nm, 26.9 nm, 23.5 nm and 20.6 nm. Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) study revealed information on the hydrodynamic diameter and colloidal stability of the NPs, which showed average particle size for ZnOSB NPs, ZnOSH NPs, AgSB NPs and AgSH NPs as 91.6 nm, 165.4 nm, 142.3 nm and 255.3 nm. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) were used to investigate the morphology and elemental composition of ZnO NPs and Ag NPs, revealing particle shape and size variations. The morphological shapes of ZnOSB NPs were spherically shaped NPs, ZnOSH NPs showed rod-shaped NPs, AgSB NPs and AgSH NPs both showed spherical-shaped NPs. The High-resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) validated the nanoparticles' size and crystalline characteristics, similar to FESEM. The photocatalytic degradation of textile dyes using ZnO NPs and Ag NPs were researched, and the results revealed that diverse dyes degraded efficiently under UV light exposure. The ZnO NPs and Ag NPs showed excellent catalytic degradation at dye (Reactive Blue 220, Reactive Blue 222A, Reactive Yellow 145, and Reactive Yellow 86) concentrations of 1 ppm, 5 ppm, and 10 ppm with NP concentrations of 1 mg/ml. Chemical kinetics research unveiled that the degrading processes had pseudo-first-order kinetics. It has been observed that nanoparticles such as ZnO NPs and Ag NPs can maintain their photocatalytic activity across multiple cycles of dye degradation. Phytotoxicity tests conveyed that ZnO and Ag NPs were beneficial in lowering seed germination inhibition and toxicity in Vigna radiata. The brine shrimp lethality experiment indicated that the synthesized nanoparticles were not hazardous. This comprehensive work gives insight and sheds light on the synthesis, characterization, and use of ZnO and Ag NPs utilizing plant extracts, highlighting their promise for environmental remediation and sustainable nanoparticle synthesis.