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Mindfulness-Based Emotional Intelligence : Impact on Psychological Well-Being of School Teachers
Psychological well-being of school teachers is vital for healthy student engagement and a conducive classroom environment. This study sought to understand the role of mindfulness and emotional intelligence in the newlinepsychological well-being of school teachers. It was conducted in two phases. The first phase, through the survey method, sought to establish the relationship between mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and newlinepsychological well-being of school teachers. 125 female school teachers from Bangalore, India, drawn through convenience sampling, were surveyed. The tools used were the Five Facets of Mindfulness Questionnaire, Assessing Emotions Scale, Scales of Psychological WellBeing, and demographic details sheet. Results revealed positive and newlinemoderate to strong associations between the variables (r = 0.38 to 0.65). Moreover, mindfulness and emotional intelligence explained 45% of the variance in psychological well-being, as opposed to 42% by mindfulness alone. The second phase was a pre and post-experimental study. After random assignment to study (N = 19) and comparison (N = 29) groups, the study group underwent a seven-session mindfulness-based emotional newlineintelligence intervention through an online platform. The participants were assessed on mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and psychological well-being before and after the intervention. Results revealed that emotional intelligence showed a significantly increased post-intervention, but mindfulness and psychological well-being did not. -
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Interplay of illustration narration and metaphor in kolam art with reference to South Indian traditions
The goal of this research was to understand Kolam, from a three layer perspectives: illustration, narration and metaphor, which is practiced for centuries by women in Tamil Nadu, India. The elements of Kolam are dots and lines made with rice flour at the labyrinth of a house every morning. Although the art appears simple in structure when analyzed layer after layer it unfolds unfathomable encoded meanings of a living culture. Previous studies undertaken overlooked the correlation of illustration, narration and metaphor in Kolam which is argued in this study to be the heart of this art. The study used qualitative multimethod approach throughout the research process. Data was collected from multiple sources of selected rural and urban areas of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka with multiple methods. The description, analysis and interpretations lead to the conclusion that a Kolam narrates deep seated legends and living experiences passed over from generation to generation through an art form. Kolam is not just an art practiced in society, but an art that binds together the life of a society. An insider lives and continues the culture through it; an outsider learns to appreciate and respect the culture by it. -
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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. -
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Secure authentication framework 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 & 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. Verifying authenticity of remote users is a necessary pre-requisite in a cloud environment before allowing access to secure resources/services/ applications. The simplest & 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. From 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 Signon functionality. Two-factor authentication technology overcomes the limitations of password authentication and decreases the probability that the claimant is presenting false evidence of its identity to verifier. If different service providers set up their own two-factor authentication services, Users have to do registration and login process repeatedly. Also, Users accessing multiple cloud services may be required to hold multiple authentication tokens associated with various service providers. Authentication factors such as crypto-tokens and smart cards with cryptographic capabilities have been vastly used as a second authentication factor. However, Users are required to always carry these authentication tokens which make it cumbersome from practical usability perspective. Also its usage involves cost thus restricting its adoption to corporate environments. The authentication process can be made more user-convenient if the authentication factor chosen is such that it is commonly used by all types of Users. Leveraging the use of mobile phone as an authentication factor can help address issue of user convenience at no extra cost while improving the security of authentication schemes. Though, there has been an increasing focus on strengthening the authentication methods of cloud service users, there is no significant work that discusses an authentication scheme that can be adopted by the two categories of cloud Service Providers. Taking cognizance of aforesaid issues related to secured authentication in cloud environment, this research focused on designing secure Two-Factor authentication schemes that can be adopted by the two categories of service providers. This research carried out in different levels, proposes authentication architecture and protocols for the two categories of service providers. At the first level, research proposes Direct Authentication architecture for cloud Service Providers who prefer to authenticate its users by using a strong authentication mechanism and does not require Single Sign-On (SSO) functionality. For those Providers who prefer to provide its user with a SSO functionality the research proposes Brokered Authentication architecture. The next level of research focuses on proposing User Authentication Protocols for both Direct Authentication Service Providers (DASPs) and Brokered Authentication Service Providers (BASPs). The research proposes use of strong, Two-Factor Authentication Protocols without Verifier Table. The suggested protocols, provides Users with flexibility of using a Password and either a Crypto-token or a Mobile-token to authenticate with Service Providers. The proposed approach eliminates the requirement of the User to remember multiple identities to access multiple services and provides the benefit of a higher level of security on account of second authentication factor and non-maintenance of verifier table at server. Access to different services offered by multiple service providers using a single authentication token requires interoperability between providers. Also, the Service Providers will have to address the task of issuing the second authentication factor to Users. As a result, the research intends to propose the utilization of proposed two-factor authentication scheme within a specific environment which includes a trusted entity called an Identity Provider (IdP), with whom Users and Service Providers will be registered. The IdP is responsible for issuing and managing the second authentication factor. In brokered authentication, the IdP playing the role of an authentication broker also provides Single Sign-on functionality. The Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) is used by BASPs and the IdP to exchange authentication information about Users. A major objective of this research is to propose an authentication model that can be adopted by both categories of service providers. Hence, this research proposes an authentication framework for cloud which supports an integrated authentication architecture that provides the service providers with the flexibility to choose between direct and brokered authentication. The integrated two-factor authentication protocol, which does not require the server to maintain a verifier table, supported by the frame work allows users to do a single registration and access services of both direct & brokered authentication service providers using the same crypto-token/mobile-token. To verify claims about security strengths of the proposed authentication protocols, security analysis is done using theoretical intuition. The proposed protocols are found to offer desirable security features such as resistance to replay attack, stolen verifier attack, guessing attack, user impersonation attack etc. To verify the efficiency of the proposed protocols, the communication and computation costs are compared with similar schemes and it is seen that the costs are comparable. To validate the resistance of protocols to authentication attacks, they are analyzed using automated verification tool called ????Scyther??? and the protocol strength is verified by ???no attacks??? results. -
Malayalam biopics: From books to films /
This article talks about the difficulties that emerge when considering biographical films that are focused around biographical or autobiographical works of writing utilizing careful investigations of three Malayalam films. The films are an adjustment from their individual books. -
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. -
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. -
Isolation, Screening and Characterisation of Endophytes from Madiwala Lake for Biosurfactant, Bioremediation and Plant-Growth Promotion Properties
The significant surge in population, combined with the degradation of the environment, has imposed substantial stress on worldwide food newlinesecurity. The concerning pace of population growth, along with escalating environmental harm due to heightened industrialization, newlinehas indeed exerted considerable pressure on the global food provision. Considering the existing situation, the sustainable approach to enhance agricultural yield and facilitate environmental bioremediation entails utilizing endophytes that reside within plants. Endophytic microorganisms possessing the capacity to promote plant growth and exert biocontrol can significantly boost plant development amidst fluctuating environmental factors, both biotic and abiotic in nature. The current research aimed to extract bacterial and fungal endophytes from Alternanthera philoxeroides and newlineAlternanthera paranichoides and evaluate their potential for enhancing plant growth and controlling pests. Among the isolated newlineendophytic bacteria, Klebsiella pneumoniae exhibited various characteristics conducive to plant growth, leading to enhanced newlinegermination and vegetative growth in Vigna unguiculata plants. The isolate exhibited good Indoleacetic acid (IAA) production newline(48.752.95 g/mL) and potassium solubilization (2.130.07 ppm). The IAA production by K. pneumoniae was further enhanced by 4- fold using the RSM optimization to 195.662.51 g/mL. The newlineendophytic bacteria Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Bacillus subtilis newlineshowed good extracellular enzyme production and antimicrobial activity along with plant growth promotion. The endophytic bacterium B. amyloliquefaciens showed good newlinebiosurfactant production and bioremediation efficiency. The strain displayed notable resistance to Cr and Pb concentrations upto 2000 mg/L. It was found to possess maximum metal removal efficiency for Pb, 92.3% at pH 9 and 86.2 at 25 oC. -
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Application of Hydrogel in Paddy Field for Soil Moisture Retention and Yield Optimization
Agricultural sustainability is essential to enhance food and water security, particularly in the context of climate change. To ensure food security and to protect water resources, agricultural and irrigation practices need to be amended with innovative technology that conserves water and increases productivity. In the recent past, applications of hydrogels in agriculture have received substantial attention among researchers as well as among farmers. Paddy is the core crop for the vast newlineparts of the world. The present study elaborates on various aspects of hydrogels such as classifications, ideal properties for agricultural application, analysis of soil characteristic changes for pre and post crop newlineseason, irrigation water quality analysis for crop season. BPT 5204 and NDLR 07 varities of paddy had been experimented in this study. newlineVerification of hydrogel degradation was conducted using Fourier transform infrared (ft-ir) spectroscopy. The experimental methods for determining hydrogel properties were given specific attention to properties such as swelling, retention, slow release, and degradation which are vital for agricultural sustainability. Hydrogel experiments have demonstrate significant improvement in water consumption, water use newlineefficiency, crop growth and yield parameters. The reduction in water footprint in major crops such as paddy and wheat through hydrogel might establish a shift towards sustainable irrigation practices if adopted on a large scale. Integrating innovative solutions with environmental-friendly newlinehydrogels in the coming decades will contribute to the pursuit of achieving newlinesustainable development goals. The application of hydrogel as soil conditioners was identified as a possible solution. to increase water use efficiency in irrigation and optimization of crop yield. The study points towards developing a framework for the evaluation of the suitability of hydrogel for agricultural applications when get scaled up to regional level. -
The Transnational Influence of Energy on Cultural Practices : A Study on Kuttanad Wetland Systems
The phenomenon of the extensive Kerala-Gulf migrations has exerted a significant influence on the socio-economic development and local cultures of the state. This study newlineinvestigates the evolving cultural perceptions and practices in the region with the rapid migrations, employing the conceptual framework of energy as a guiding lens. Energy is viewed as the fundamental and material fuel communities engage with to shape and organise their cultures. By situating the research in the field of Energy Humanities, it interrogates the role of shifting energy regimes and transnational energy systems in specifically shaping the local community s relation with the land and environment. The study focuses on Kuttanad, a wetland-based region in Kerala, historically known for its intense paddy cultivation and rice production. Wetland environments play a significant role in environmental sustainability by sustaining the carbon cycle and exist as complex biodiverse ecosystems. The study employs a mixed-method qualitative approach by combining ethnography and textual analysis that form the primary data for analysis. The selected novel Moustache (2020) by S. Hareesh translated by Jayashree Kalathil serves as the primary text. In ethnography, methods like semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and focus-group discussions were utilised to directly obtain insights from the newlineparticipants perspective. The collected data was systematically coded and analysed to newlineexplore an underlying energy unconscious within the culture. The findings present early agrarian Kuttanad as an organic-based energy regime with flow and animate forms as newlineprimary sources of energy that act as agency and effect in shaping local cultures. It newlinehighlights the overlooked aspect of energy s influence on the social dynamics, power newlinestructures, and everyday values and practices of local cultures. -
Collaboration between gram panchayat and women self-help groups on rural development in karnataka
Mahatma Gandhi said, Indiaand#8223;s development relays on development in rural India. To see a developed India, we must develop villages in India. India is trying to improve the living standard of rural people since Independence. Government, Non-Government Organizations, Voluntary Groups, and many individuals are making continuous efforts for decades to improve rural condition. There is a positive change and growth, but the achieved results are not satisfactory in relation to need, the available resources, opportunities, and the efforts made. What are the root causes of failures? Are there necessary coordination and collaboration among the development efforts to optimize the fruits and minimize the loss of human and material resources? Gram Panchayat Institutions and Self-Help Groups by women are two of major efforts which became very powerful means to empower and develop rural people. The Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 became a land-mark by establishing Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRI) in Indiaand#8223;s effort for rural development and reaching out the democracy to grass-root level by newlineforming Panchayat Raj Institutions with three tier system. The Reservation policy of 72nd newlineAmendment Act was another turning point in empowering effort. NGOs initiated Self-Help newlineGroups in India in early 1990s and later Government also supported and promoted the newlineinitiative. Will the Collaboration between the Gram Panchayat Institutions and Women SelfHelp Groups enhance development of rural area through higher level of Community newlineParticipation is the research question here. newlineThere are many writings, studies and evaluations on Gram Panchayat Institutions and SelfHelp Groups by women to assess the existing condition, and to make the efforts more efficient and effective towards rural empowerment and development. Still, studies on impact of collaboration between Gram Panchayat and Women Self-Help Groups on rural newlinedevelopment are missing. -
Effectiveness Of Internet-Delivered Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training On Perceived Cognitive Functions Among College Students With Borderline Personality Traits : A Non-Randomized Controlled Trial
As emotions have a profound effect on cognitive functions, individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) exhibit significant deficits in higher order thinking abilities. College students with BPD are susceptible to emotional experiences that may challenge their abilities to gain control over intrusive thoughts/emotions and flexibly cope during emotionally demanding situations. Emotional experiences may thereby weigh down newlinetheir capacity for effective affect-laden cognitive processing. In view of the high newlineprevalence of BPD among college students and the efficacy of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) in treating emotional dysregulation, the present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of internet-delivered DBT - Skills Training (DBT-ST) on perceived executive functioning and affect-laden cognitive processing among college students with the traits/presence of BPD. In this non-randomized controlled trial, 36 college students with the traits/presence of BPD were included. Thirteen DBT-ST sessions were attended by the study group, while thirteen Behavioral Activation sessions were attended by the control group. The DBT-ST protocol included the Mindfulness and Emotion Regulation modules. The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions for Adults was used to evaluate executive functioning based on self-report. Affect-laden cognitive processing was assessed using the Cognitive Control and Flexibility Questionnaire. The impact of the intervention on the outcome variables was examined using two-way repeated measures analysis of variance. The results of the study showed that participants in the study group who underwent DBT-ST significantly improved their abilities to initiate, plan and organize current and future-orientated task demands as well as to organize everyday environment, while the participants in the control group showed no such improvements. -
A study on the voting patterns and the impact of Kormangala smart votescampaign in ward 151, Kormangala , Bangalore /
The study on the voting patterns and the impact of Koramangala Smart Votes campaign, in Koramangala Ward 151, Bangalore. This aims at studying the voting pattern of the residents of Koramangala from two wards 151 and 147. Koramangala Smart Votes, a campaign which was conducted by the Smart Vote members to help the residents vote and vote for a right candidate by distributing profiles and organizing debates connecting the residents and the contesting candidates. The impact of this campaign has been assessed with the help of Lok Sabha and BBMP elections 2010 and the voter turn out in wards 151 and 147. To measure the impact, the researcher has done a quantitative and comparative study among the residents of wards 151 and 147 with a sample size of 60 respondents from each ward. It could be observed that Education helps to create better democratic environment and the Koramangala Smart Votes campaign was fairly successful in getting the residents to vote for the BBMP elections 2010. -
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A Study on the Impact of Microfinance in Women Empowerment with Specific Reference to ESAF Microfinance and Investments Pvt. Ltd. (EMFIL)
This study attempts to understand the impact of microfinance on women empowerment, in terms of changes in income and savings, preference for formal sources of credit, socio-economic status, and political participation. The study also attempts to find whether the members of a private microfinance institution are satisfied with the services offered by them. The study was conducted on a sample of 220 women beneficiaries of microfinance services of a leading MFI operating in Kerala state. The sample was selected by convenience sampling. The results of the study show that microfinance programs have created a positive impact to its beneficiaries. Majority of the respondents are engaged in various income generating activities because of the credit facilities provided by microfinance institutions. This resulted in a significant change in their income level and savings after participating in microfinance programs. This has helped them to earn income for their family and also enabled them to play an important role in their family and also in society. After joining microfinance programs they also preferred formal financial institutions for availing credit facilities. It was also found that microfinance has empowered women socially, economically and politically. The results also indicated that the MFI selected for the study was able to provide good service to its members and the members were satisfied on the services offered by the MFI. Keywords: Microfinance, Microfinance Institutions (MFI), Women Empowerment, Social, Economic and Political Empowerment.