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Implications of Goods and Services Tax on Indian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
This research explores the impact and provides implications of Goods and newlineServices Tax , a comprehensive indirect tax reform on the growth of Indian newlineMSMEs, the fundamental drivers of economic progress and employment in India. newlineThe purpose is to assess the relationships and impact of the knowledge of GST, newlineInput tax credit (ITC), Revenue neutral rate (RNR), and GST compliance on the newlinegrowth of Indian MSMEs. Also, the research focuses on the interceding role of GST newlinecompliance in the relationship between GST knowledge, ITC, RNR and MSMEs newlinegrowth, as well as to discover facets that impede the implementation of effective newlinetax policies, particularly in the context of MSMEs. This study is based on a Crosssectional Survey with 531 MSME participants who are registered under Regular newlinescheme. Structural Equation Modelling - Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) in newlineSmart PLS4 was utilized to examine the relationships amongst the variables, assess newlinethe impact of each variable on the outcome variable, either directly or indirectly and newlineto test the research hypotheses. The results show, GST knowledge, ITC, and RNR newlinehave significant positive effects on GST compliance and on perceived growth of newlineMSMEs. Also, the study found, GST compliance has a complementary partial newlinemediating role in the relation between these factors and perceived growth of newlineMSMEs. Furthermore, GST knowledge, ITC, and RNR have positive effect on newlineperceived MSMEs satisfaction with the GST system. But, the effect of GST newlineknowledge and ITC on perceived satisfaction of MSMEs through GST Compliance newlinewas not significant. This hints that, while knowledge of GST and ITC are important, newlinecomplications in claiming ITC and burdensome compliance requisites can newlineunpleasantly impact compliance and satisfaction with GST. The study also newlineobserved significant variations in perceptions of GST knowledge, ITC, RNR, GST newlineCompliance, MSMEs satisfaction, and MSMEs growth across different newlinedemographic variables. -
Impact of Behavioural Biases, Emotional Intelligence and Financial Literacy on Financial Behaviour
Behavioural finance is the integration of finance and psychology. Finance pertains to the administration of finances by an individual, while psychology involves the examination of the mind and human conduct. Behavioural finance provides a reasonable explanation for the abnormalities observed in financial markets and the irrational decisions made by investors. The foundation of behavioural finance lies in the irrational choices made by individuals, which elucidates the reasons for investors frequently encountering different biases, emotional filters, and a lack of knowledge when making financial decisions. The primary challenges stem from three critical deficiencies: the investors' inability to express their cognitive and emotional biases, insufficient financial knowledge, and an inability to regulate emotions during financial decision-making. This study investigates the influence of investors' financial literacy, emotional intelligence, and behavioural bias on their financial conduct. Studies have shown that behavioural biases negatively impact financial behaviour. Financial literacy and emotional intelligence have been recognised as critical elements that significantly impact the financial behaviour of salaried class investors. -
Synthesize of Indigenous Natural Ester Based Liquid Dielectrics and its Performance Evaluation in Transformers
Transformer is generally considered to be the heart of the power system. Transformers are the main equipment in the transmission and distribution network to be monitored for uninterrupted flow of power. The liquid newlinedielectrics play an important role in functioning of transformer. It serves as an effective coolant and also it determines the life of transformer. Thus, the reliability of a power transformer is largely determined by the condition of insulation. The transformer oil is the bi product of petroleum. However, the usage of petroleum oil is running out of demand and there may be a severe shortage of oil exists in future. Also during its newlineuse and disposition, transformer oil is highly dangerous to aquatic and human life due to its non-biodegradability and hence it is not environment eco-friendly. This has given scope for new alternative biodegradable dielectric fluids such as natural esters, replacing the traditional mineral oil. These vegetable-oil-based liquids are non-toxic newlineand meet all the requirements for a high temperature insulating liquid. The Partial discharge pulses present in the liquid dielectric leads to breakdown of streamer development and formation of sludge. Hence it is important to analyze the Partial Discharge properties of oils. The aim of newlinethe present work is to investigate suitability of Indigenous Natural Ester newlinebased liquid dielectrics as a liquid dielectric coolant and also to analyze newlinethe partial discharge phenomena, particularly in transformers. The results obtained are well within the IEC 62770 standards. Results shows that developed indigenous natural ester oil that has better viscosity, breakdown voltage, flash point and partial discharge properties. As a result, developed indigenous oil will be an alternate for mineral oil in newlinehigh-voltage applications. -
Cultural Memory In The Captivity Novels of NA D'Souza Alan Machado
Captivity novels are stories of men and women who were abducted and forcibly taken as captives and subjugated to slavery, usually for religious or political reasons. The research critically engages the captivity novels of Na DSouza and Alan Machado, which vividly evoke the harrowing captivity experience of Mangalore Konkani Catholic community during Tipu Sultans regime. It is alleged that Tipu, after the Second Anglo-Mysore war, wreaked vengeance on Konkani Catholic Christians on suspicion for betraying him and supporting the British. After two hundred years of great silence, the struggle for identity and the quest for history led the post-conflicting community to articulate the contents of the archives into the fabric of a literary composition. The literary works of DSouza and Machado are an essential bridge between generations problematizing history and memory illustrating the events of Great Captivity. The captivity narratives are cultural artefacts of memory that present alternative history of the Mysore Kingdom and revive the memories of the captivity experience of Mangalore Konkani Catholic Christians. The memories of the miseries revived in the writings of DSouza and Machado at the beginning of the twenty first century from the victims point of view expose the gaps in the official records of the Mysore Kingdom and emphasise the community's resilience and cultural significance. These narratives constitute the melancholic representation of the traumatic experience of the community and enable the community of the sufferers to re-live the torments which in turn act as a therapeutic agent. Thus, the imaginative recount of the Great Captivity by DSouza and Machado in the form of novels using memory as a tool challenge the historical construct and call for a legitimate space for the vanquished version in the construction of history. -
Improved Deep Learning Model for Detection and Classification of Pneumonia from X-Ray Images
Pneumonia is a severe respiratory disease that can lead to inflammation, fluid accumulation in lungs and breathing difficulties, which needs immediate and accurate diagnosis. Chest X-Ray images are a necessary tool to diagnose pneumonia because manual interpretation poses challenges, particularly for radiologists with less expertise. Artificial intelligence (AI), specifically Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), has become a significant in the field of pneumonia detection within chest X-Ray images in recent years. This research presents SarNet, a neural network model developed for the identification of pneumonia in chest X-Ray images. The study involved the compilation of dataset containing chest X-Ray images categorized as normal, pneumonia, and COVID-19 pneumonia cases, each accompanied by appropriate annotations. This dataset was employed as the basis for training and assessing SarNet's performance, underscoring its promise in transforming the diagnosis of pneumonia. SarNet proved highly effective, achieving good accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity compared to traditional diagnostic methods. The model's simplicity, with 41 layers, strikes a balance between depth and computational complexity, enhancing efficiency and ensuring accurate pneumonia detection. Furthermore, the study expanded its scope to include COVID-19 pneumonia detection. SarNet achieved an accuracy of 99.15% in binary classification and 94.9% in multiclass classification, including healthy, pneumonia, and COVID-19 pneumonia cases. -
Environmental Reporting Practices : Evidence From Indian Commercials Banks
The last decade has witnessed increasing concern towards the environment due to the ravages inflicted on them by mankind. With the concept of sustainable development perpetually growing over the years, global institutions have been acknowledging their other duties towards the society, and have been integrating environmental practices into their strategic framework to significantly contribute to the sustainable bandwagon. However, since the financial crisis of newline2008, it has been found that banking institutions have become active participants in fostering environmental sustainability. Also, due to the increased awareness and pressure from the stakeholders, these institutions have been reporting their environmental initiatives and practices in their bank reports and websites. The extensive review of the literature reveals that there are hardly any studies that have been carried out in the Indian context, pertinently in the banking sector. Therefore, considering this as a major research gap, the present study aims to comprehensively evaluate the environmental reporting practices of selected commercial banks in India for the period from 2011 to 2022. newlineThis study follows an explorative and descriptive research design, with a deductive research approach. However, this research is based on secondary data, and adopts both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Following the judgmental sampling technique, the sample of the study consists of thirty public and private commercial banks in India. The content analysis technique has been adopted to extract environmental information from bank reports and websites using the developed environmental reporting index. The independent sample t-test is newlineused to compare the environmental reporting performance of public and private-sector newlinecommercial banks. This study analyses the relationship between environmental reporting and bank-specific characteristics using the Pearson correlation coefficient analysis. -
Research Competence of University Teachers in Relation to Organisational Ethos and Research Culture
The standards of research depend on the maintenance and coordination of research activities that are conducted by the universities. The flexibility in ordinance and statutes empowers the universities to frame the guidelines that empower the research competence of the teachers. However, newlinethe existing framework is not adjusted to modern approaches to research competence which creates issues in developing a framework for evaluation for research competence. The objective of the present newlinestudy is to develop and validate a framework for research competence for university teachers. The study measures the relationship between research competence, organisational ethos, and research culture of university teachers. The study used the existing measuring instruments to evaluate newlineorganisational ethos and research culture. Researcher has developed the measurement scale for research competence. The validity and reliability have been done for all the measuring instruments research competence, organisational ethos and research culture. The factor analysis has conducted for newlinethe measuring instrument of research competence. The quantitative data for the study has been taken from the self-reported experience of 451 university teachers. The study found that there was a significant difference in demographic variables such as gender, age, work experience, educational newlinequalification, and subject background with organisational ethos, research culture, and research competence of university teachers. The structural equation model showed the relationship between the components of research competence, organisational ethos, and research culture. The present study can newlineassist policymakers to evaluate the research competence, organisational ethos, and research culture of the university teachers. The study indicates the practical and academic importance of university newlineteachers to enhance research performance. -
Community Consciousness and The Construction of Social Honour : A Study Among The Kurds in Finland
Research on honour has recently been overshadowed by discussions surrounding honour-related violence (HRV), particularly honour killings. Typically, inquiries into how the concept of honour, often associated with violent acts, is formed, and expressed on personal or communal levels remain unanswered or are only superficially explored. This study aims to uncover the social structures underlying the concept of honour, demonstrate its manifestation through social interactions, and elucidate how individuals respond to threats against their honour. Because of the many tragic instances of HRV within Kurdish diaspora communities, Kurds and Kurdish culture frequently feature in discussions concerning this phenomenon. Therefore, data for current research has been collected from Kurds living in the diaspora, specifically in Finland. The data were elicited through a combination of methods to be as comprehensive as possible. This included 24 semi-structured interviews with individual participants and four Focus Group Discussions involving 16 participants. A closer look at the data shows that the construction of Kurdish honour is based on a complex interaction of social structures. These structures can be broken down into three key elements: institutional, relational, and embodied factors. In this regard, the research has identified six structural components. The study demonstrates that the intensity of honour-related conflicts stems from an intricate interplay of structural factors. However, the relative weight of these factors determines the flashpoints of tension. Through the lens of structuration theory, the study demonstrates the role of everyday practices and dynamic social factors in shaping individuals' discursive consciousness around honour. Individuals' conceptualization of honour may sometimes diverge from its practical application, leading to a space for social negotiation where honour undergoes continuous reshaping into a dynamic equilibrium that impacts daily life. It's essential to recognize that this equilibrium varies among individuals. However, a threat to honour can prompt varying facework procedures, contingent upon individual characteristics and community expectations. Current Inquiry uncovers six distinct behavioural patterns individuals exhibit during a crisis of honour. The investigation of the participants' narratives reveals a diverse Kurdish culture, as evidenced by their different perceptions about the tolerable thresholds of honour violations and contradictory discourses concerning honour. The final significant finding is that the fear of dishonour typically outweighs the desire for honour among the Kurds, as indicated by both daily language use and chronological analysis of conflict cases. This observation holds significant implications, not only for reevaluating normative terminology but also for informing social and political preventive measures. -
Mind-Set In Mathematics Learning : Role of Teacher-Student Interaction on Student Engagement, Wellbeing and Achievemrent
Mathematics learning is an integral part of the school curriculum. Children learn basic concepts in mathematics and then gradually reach the abstract level. Challenges in mathematics learning are largely observed after grade seven. Students may show disinterest towards the subject due to several reasons including past learning experiences, teacher-student interaction (TSI), anxiety and self-efficacy levels. If the students cannot connect what they learn, it impacts their interaction in the classroom, and it acts as a reason for losing interest. The literature review reveals the importance of mathematics anxiety, self-efficacy, and utility value and contribute to the construct of mind-set. Student engagement is influenced by mind-set in mathematics learning and TSI, and predicts achievement and wellbeing. The study adopts a mixed-method design with the qualitative study aiming to support the quantitative study and strengthen the validity of the results. The quantitative study sample consists of 774 eighth graders from various English medium schools in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The qualitative phase seeks to determine the students' perception of mathematics learning through their classroom experiences among 17 students using semi-structured interviews. The tested conceptual model shows an excellent fit. It shows mind-set in mathematics affects TSI, influences student engagement and leads to student-wellbeing. There was no indirect effect for the achievement and other variables. The findings related to the open-ended questions indicate the importance of teachers and content. There is a lack of understanding among students about the practical application of the learning content. The thematic analysis results provided five main themes: student attributes, teacher attributes, classroom environment, content-related and utility value. Integration of the findings leads to the importance of TSI and student engagement in the mathematics classroom. Also, the connection between variables related to mathematics learning and student wellbeing. The results of the study have important implications for developing engaging pedagogies. -
Identifying 'Self' Through Society : A Socio-Psychological Perspective of A Song of Ice and Fire
The Socio-Psychological Character Analysis Model (SPCAM) is developed to analyse complex literary characters. It helps readers of Literature understand the characters psyche and behaviour by keeping in mind their social background and influences. To develop the literary model, SPCAM, concepts from two theories are synthesised, which are Symbolic Interactionism (SI) and Cognitive newlineBehavioural Theory (CBT). The common threads between the two theories weave them together, and the complementary threads strengthen the developed model. SPCAM studies how characters make meaning while interacting with themselves and others in the society, while also identifying and evaluating their thoughts and beliefs. Using SPCAM helps the user to systematically extract necessary data newlinefrom the text, tabulate it according to the parameters set by the model, and examine the character s internal and external factors, as provided in the text, leading to a comprehensive review of the character and a character conceptualisation. SPCAM helps the users to substantiate their claims about a newlinecomplex character by helping them be more methodical and thorough. The introductory chapter establishes the need and scope of the research. It reviews the benefits of collaborating with Social Psychology for a literary analysis. After which, it defines the theories merged to build the model. The newlinedeveloped model, SPCAM is then explained in detail. This is followed by the rationale for using fantasy fiction, a brief about the author, George R.R. -
Rate Adaptation Mechanism for Multirate WLAN with Background Traffic Awareness
In recent times wireless communication has become more popular with its commercial usage. WLAN has evolved over the years to facilitate wireless communications for commercial usage. IEEE 802.11 working group focuses on developing global standards that can support the WLAN evolution. There are many features that IEEE 802.11 working group emphases on to provide the best experience for the Wi-Fi user. The popularity of Wi-Fi among commercial users has demanded more importance in terms of traffic and congestion. IEEE 802.11 have come with many updates enhancing with additional spectrum space, method of spectrum utilization, and so on. There are a few aspects of Wi-Fi adoption that have been kept outside the scope of the 802.11 standards, which are open for research. Wi-Fi rate adaptation is one of newlinethe important aspects of research. Many researchers have contributed with effective newlinemethodologies to improve user experiences. The literature review proves the importance of rate adaptation in the performance of wireless communication. The different version of the IEEE 802.11 standard provides a set of transmission rates to choose from for single-stream transmission. It is important to switch the transmission rate dynamically for more efficient utilization of the physical medium in a fluctuating environment. Dynamically identifying the optimal transmission rate from a list of single-stream transmission rates is a tedious task. There are different causes for the change in channel conditions and packet loss in the network. Identifying the best data transfer rate for the next transmission is a tedious task in such a network. It requires identification of the exact cause of loss. Improper channel estimation may lead to the channel may be underutilized or overused. Both situations will degrade the newlineperformance of the network. Evaluating and identifying the latest channel condition is newlineimportant. -
Isolation of Fungal Endophytes From Hulimavu Lake Flora and Characterization and Optimization of Fungal Enzymes
The present work was aimed at isolating fungal endophytes from Hulimavu Lake, newlineextracting their secondary metabolites and fungal enzymes to subsequently probe the newlinebiological properties of these fungal endophytic bioactive compounds and enzymes. newlineHulimavu Lake, known for its notoriously high levels of pollution contributed by newlineanthropogenic factors, was chosen for this study with the literature-evidence backed newlinehypothesis that plant habitat stress also positively favors the type and quanta of bioactive compounds with novel features produced by its endophytes. Literature survey was performed to identify the probable types of plants found in this lake that could be used for the study and these were subsequently collected, identified and processed under laboratory conditions. These plants were authenticated by a certified botanist and were identified as Alternanthera philoxeroides, Ricinus communis and Persicaria glabra. Fungal endophytes were then isolated from different plant parts collected and were screened using preliminary LCB staining followed by DNA sequencing analysis. Based on ITS region sequencing, nucleotide homology and phylogenetic tree mapping, these fungal endophytic cultures were identified as Aspergillus niger, Talaromyces amestolkiae, Cladosporium phaseolorum and Diaporthe phaseolorum. Crude extracts obtained from these fungal endophytes displayed bacterial growth inhibition and significant free radical scavenging/ reduction potential that was comparable to standard ascorbic acid, hence depicting antioxidant activity of these extracts. Owing to their biological properties these crude extracts were further tested for cytotoxic properties on newlinedifferent models like that of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Baker s yeast), Artemia salina newline(Brine shrimp) and MCF-7 cell line. The presence of fungal endophytic enzymes like newlineprotease, amylase, laccase and lipase was detected qualitatively and estimated newlinequantitatively. -
Risk and Return Analysis of Socially Responsible Equity Investment for Optimum Portfolio
The sustainable development goals of industry, innovation and infrastructure aims at building sustainability by paving way for socially responsible investing. Socially responsible investing identifies investment newlineavenues that considers social and environmental responsibilities along with newlinefinancial return. The question of risk and return relationship and whether socially responsible investment outperforms conventional investment has been keen area of interest to empirically drive investors in order to establish an optimal portfolio for socially responsible equity investments. The aim of the study is identifying Equity investments which are Socially Responsible newlinefrom listed Equity investments in India, to examine whether socially responsible equity investments outperformed conventional equity newlineinvestments, to assess the equity investments performance which are socially responsible and equity investments which are conventional across different sectors based on the risk adjustment metrics for establishing an Optimal Equity portfolio which are Socially responsible with Sharpe Index newlineOptimization Model. The study identified socially responsible companies which adhered to sustainability reporting and disclosures of ESG from the total companies listed newlinein BSE and NSE as on 31.12.2021. Annual average return rate, standard deviation, beta and different risk adjustment metrics for evaluating the performance of equity investments which are socially responsible and the equity investments which are conventional was utilized by the study. The newlinesample period of the research between lies between 2012 to 2022. Correlation analysis as well as t-test have been performed using E-views software. Socially responsible equity companies showed significant strong positive newlinerelationship of risk and return than conventional companies. Commodities, Health care, Industrials, Information Technology and Telecommunication sectors outperformed conventional companies of similar sector. -
Occupational Exposure to Cooking Oil Fumes : Biochemical, Cytogenetic and Molecular Signatures
Occupational exposure to Cooking Oil Fumes (COFs) is a widespread concern in the newlineculinary industry, and it has raised significant health apprehensions due to its potential adverse effects on individuals working in kitchens. This current research presents a comprehensive analysis of the biochemical, cytogenetic, and molecular analysis observed in individuals exposed to COFs in their workplace. The study employed a cross-sectional approach, involving a cohort of kitchen personnel working in diverse culinary settings. Biochemical assessments focused on analyzing blood parameters, such as lipid profiles, liver enzymes, and markers of oxidative stress, to gauge the impact of COFs on the participants systemic health. Cytogenetic investigations encompassed the assessment of chromosomal aberrations and micronuclei frequency in peripheral blood lymphocytes, shedding light on potential genotoxicity associated with COF exposure. Moreover, molecular analyses involved the examination of ApoE and BMAL1 gene expression patterns related to inflammation, oxidative stress response, and detoxification pathways also this aspect aimed to uncover the newlineunderlying molecular mechanisms influenced by COFs. Preliminary results suggest a significant association between COF exposure and alterations in biochemical parameters, newlineparticularly an increase in oxidative stress markers and changes in lipid profiles, indicative of potential cardiovascular risks. Cytogenetic assessments revealed an elevated frequency of chromosomal aberrations and micronuclei formation, highlighting genotoxic effects linked to COF exposure. Molecular investigations demonstrated differential expression patterns of ApoE and BMAL1 genes involved in inflammation and oxidative stress responses, further corroborating the adverse effects of COFs on cellular processes. The findings of this research underscore the importance of addressing occupational exposure to COFs and implementing appropriate safety measures in cooking area. -
Isolation, Identification and Characterization of A Potential Probiotic Bacteria and its Application in Aquaculture
In the current study, Bacillus subtilis PKB1 was isolated from dried anchovies and identified using morphological and biochemical analysis followed by 16S rRNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The antibacterial and anti- haemolytic properties of the bacteria were also examined. Probiotic qualities were assessed by measuring the isolated strain's tolerance to artificial gastric juice. To assess the isolated strain's capacity for stress tolerance, additional exposure to varied pH, temperature, and organic solvent concentrations was given. Bacillus subtilis in MRS medium produced exopolysaccharide (EPS) which was purified and a maximum yield of 1928mg/L was achieved. The novel exopolysaccharide was purified and characterized to be a heteropolysaccharide. The polysaccharide present had a molecular weight of about 20 kDa overall. FTIR spectroscopy revealed the presence of carboxyl, hydroxyl, and methylene groups in the EPS. The extremely cross-linked structure of the EPS with lumps that resembled spikes was revealed by atomic force microscopy. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) revealed that it possessed rough, asymmetrical lumps. Emulsification activity was also observed in the EPS. The current study's findings suggested that this EPS might make a good candidate for further applications. Utilizing probiotics derived from unconventional sources may improve the variety of probiotics accessible for use in aquaculture procedures. Probiotics are used in the field of aquaculture in order to improve immunity and to protect against pathogenic microbes. Species such as Aeromonas hydrophila and Vibrio parahaemolyticus are responsible for increasing mortality, decreasing production efficiency and forcing antibiotic overuse. In this study, the role of the isolated probiotic in promoting growth performance in Nile tilapia was examined using growth and challenge studies. The experiment was conducted for a duration of 30 days. Weight gain, histology and mortality rates were studied in the presence and absence of pathogenic microbes. Bacillus subtillis PKB1 supplementation for Nile tilapia helped to maintain the integrity of gill filaments and improved survivability and weight gain when used at a concentration of 1x104 CFU/ml. The study showed that the isolate improved the survival rate of Nile Tilapia against Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Aeromonas hydrophila. -
A Study on Near Proper Coloring of Graphs
An equitable coloring of a graph G is a proper vertex coloring in which the number of vertices in any two color classes are equal or almost equal. In this graph coloring, there is a partition of tasks into subsets which perform at the same time. Equitable coloring play an important role when there is a requirement of dividing a system with binary conand#64258;ict free subsystems with equal or newlinenearly equal elements. The non-availability of sufcient number of colors leads to diand#64256;erent defective coloring problems. An equitable near proper coloring of a graph G is an improper coloring in which the vertex set can be partitioned into k color classes V1, V2, . . . , Vk ; (1 lt k lt and#967;e(G)) such that the number of vertices in any two color classes diand#64256;er by at most one and the resulting monochromatic edges are minimised by restricting the number of color classes that can have adjacency among their own elements. The minimum number of monochromatic newlineedges obtained from an equitable near proper coloring of G is called equitable defective number. This study introduces the notion of equitable near proper coloring of a graph G and investigates the equitable defective number for a few graph classes. In this study, the equitable near proper coloring of various graph classes and derived graphs are discussed, and the corresponding equitable newlinedefective number for any k where 2 and#8804; k and#8804; and#967;e(G) and#8722; 1 is obtained. -
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. -
Tertiary Packaging Issues and Their Influence on Repurchase Intention and Loyalty of Customers Towards E-Retailers
his thesis investigates the significance of tertiary packaging in the context of e-retail business and its influence on customer preference, repurchase intention, and loyalty towards e-retailers. With the rapid growth of e-retail, it is expected to become the dominant form of retail worldwide, surpassing traditional brick and mortar establishments. While e-retail offers convenience and flexibility to customers, intensifying competition among e- retailers raises concerns about how they will effectively manage it. As e- retailers resort to increased marketing efforts to attract customers, certain aspects, including tertiary packaging, may be inadvertently overlooked. Tertiary packaging plays a critical role in the e-retail process, and this study analyses its impact on customer perception and satisfaction. By exploring the issues related to tertiary packaging that affect customers, this research aims to provide insights to e-retailers for developing a more efficient and sustainable tertiary packaging model. The anticipated outcomes of this research are expected to enhance e-retailers' ability to attract customers, increase repurchase intention, and foster loyalty towards the e-retailer, ultimately contributing to their long-term success in the evolving e-commerce landscape. -
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. -
Modified Carbon Based Electrodes for Electrochemical Sensing of Biomolecules
Now-a-days a large variety of biological analytes are detected by highly sensitive newlineelectrochemical sensors which are inexpensive and simple as compared to conventional methods such as UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, spectrofluorometry, HPLC and gas chromatography. Electrochemical analysis is exceptional owing to its economical, low energy consuming and unique approach in the method design, and high sensitivity for the analyte determination. Carbon based electrochemical sensors are commonly used because of their low cost, good electron newlinetransfer kinetics, good chemical stability, and biocompatibility. Recently electrochemical properties of pencil graphite electrodes (PGEs) have been explored in the analysis of various organic compounds. High electrochemical reactivity, easy modification, commercial accessibility, fine rigidity, disposability and low-cost of PGE make it ideal to be used as an effective working electrode. The thesis presented explains different modified PGEs have been employed in the electrocatalytic determination biomolecules such as cholesterol, cortisol, Vitamin B6 and morin. newlineThe modified electrodes are effectively used for the ultra-level sensing of these biomolecules in real samples. The electroactive surface area and the conduvtivity of bare PGE is enhanced newlinedifferent electrode modifiers such as and#946;-CD, graphene, conducting polymer, metal oxides and metal nanoparticles. The modified electrodes are found to exhibit good electrocatalytic behavior towards the target biomolecules. Cyclic voltammetric (CV) studies and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic (EIS) technique were used to investigate the electrochemical properties of the modified sensing platform. The newlinemorphology and step wise fabrication process of the modified electrodes were characterized byvii Ramana spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS),scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).