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Ganga and Yamuna Rivers: Through the Lens of the National Green Tribunal
Despite the country's extensive environmental jurisprudence and many historic rulings in which the courts have rescued worsening environmental situations, river (Ganga and Yamuna) water does not match the mandated minimum "bathing quality." Rivers like the Ganga and Yamuna, which flow through numerous states and towns, would be in a different situation. Without strict monitoring and enforcement of the measures, no action plan can work. Punishment of defaulters can serve as deterrence while also instilling fear in other non-compliant enterprises. In comparison to environmental legislation, the NGT Act allows for substantially harsher fines and penalties. River rejuvenation plans must be carefully monitored to ensure that they do not suffer the same fate. Making action plans will not improve river water quality unless they are implemented with sincerity and consistency, as well as continuous monitoring and severe enforcement. 2022 Technoscience Publications. All rights reserved. -
Detection of a new sample of Galactic white dwarfs in the direction of the Small Magellanic Cloud
Aims. In this study, we demonstrate the efficacy of the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) in identifying and characterizing white dwarfs (WDs) within the Milky Way Galaxy. Methods. Leveraging the UVIT point-source catalogue towards the Small Magellanic Cloud and cross-matching it with Gaia DR3 data, we identified 43 single WDs (37 new detections), 13 new WD+main-sequence candidates, and 161 UV bright main-sequence stars by analysing their spectral energy distributions. Using the WD evolutionary models, we determined the masses, effective temperatures, and cooling ages of these identified WDs. Results. The masses of these WDs range from 0.2 to 1.3 M? and the effective temperatures (Teff) lie between 10 000 K to 15 000 K, with cooling ages spanning 0.1-2 Gyr. Notably, we detect WDs that are hotter than reported in the literature, which we attribute to the sensitivity of UVIT. Furthermore, we report the detection of 20 new extremely low-mass candidates from our analysis. Future spectroscopic studies of the extremely low-mass candidates will help us understand the formation scenarios of these exotic objects. Despite limitations in Gaia DR3 distance measurements for optically faint WDs, we provide a crude estimate of the WD space density within 1kpc of 1.3 10-3 pc-3, which is higher than previous estimates in the literature. Conclusions. Our results underscore the instrumental capabilities of UVIT and anticipate forthcoming UV missions such as INSIST for systematic WD discovery. Our method sets a precedent for future analyses in other UVIT fields to find more WDs and perform spectroscopic studies to verify their candidacy. The Authors 2024. -
Role of psychosocial factors in criminal behaviour in adults in India
Over the years, there has been a steady increase in the number of crimes committed annually in India (Snapshots, 2014). The purpose of this paper was to delve into the psychological and social factors that contribute to the development of criminal behaviour in the Indian context. For the current research, concurrent embedded mixed research design was used. Twenty individuals with a criminal record were selected using purposive sampling and twenty individuals with no criminal record were matched on the basis of age, gender and socio economic status. Eysenck Personality Questionnaire- Revised was administered on them. A semi structured interview delving into understanding the social factors that contributed to the criminal behaviour was taken for six individuals who have a criminal record. Results revealed that there was no significant difference in the personality traits of extraversion, neuroticism, psychoticism and lie score between the two groups. However, various social factors like lack of social support, less emphasis on education and awareness, financial constraints and certain individual traits were found to be prevalent. Furthermore, an interactive effect of personality and environmental factors was established. A model was also proposed for providing interventions at an individual as well as societal level. 2017 International Journal of Criminal Justice Sciences. -
Energy efficient heterogeneous clustering scheme using improved golden eagle optimization algorithmfor WSN-based IoT
In the Internet of Things, Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are networks of interconnected sensors that wirelessly collect and transmit information about the environment. Using IoT sensors, IoT applications can remotely monitor and control physical environments. Clustering in WSNs involves organizing sensor nodes into groups called clusters with one or more CHs for efficient data integration, communication and management, improving network performance and resource utilization. In WSNs, achieving energy efficiency is critical to extend network lifetime and ensure stable operation. An important aspect contributing to energy optimization is the selection of CHs. However, the lack of an efficient cluster head selection mechanism remains a significant challenge. Therefore, this study introduces an optimized multivariate cluster head selection method that leverages the Improved Golden Eagle Optimization Algorithm (IGEOA). With this approach, the selection of CHs is optimized, combining multiple objective functions designed for energy efficiency. By using this algorithm, clusters are formed based on the selected CHs. In addition, a cluster maintenance phase is integrated to supervise the post-establishment clustering of the network, which ensures optimal cluster performance and resource utilization in WSN. Evaluation through simulation illustrates that the proposed method significantly improves both performance and energy efficiency in a WSN environment. Bharati Vidyapeeth's Institute of Computer Applications and Management 2024. -
A Novel Generative Adversarial Network-Based Approach for Automated Brain Tumour Segmentation
Background: Medical image segmentation is more complicated and demanding than ordinary image segmentation due to the density of medical pictures. A brain tumour is the most common cause of high mortality. Objectives: Extraction of tumorous cells is particularly difficult due to the differences between tumorous and non-tumorous cells. In ordinary convolutional neural networks, local background information is restricted. As a result, previous deep learning algorithms in medical imaging have struggled to detect anomalies in diverse cells. Methods: As a solution to this challenge, a deep convolutional generative adversarial network for tumour segmentation from brain Magnetic resonance Imaging (MRI) images is proposed. A generator and a discriminator are the two networks that make up the proposed model. This network focuses on tumour localisation, noise-related issues, and social class disparities. Results: Dice Score Coefficient (DSC), Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR), and Structural Index Similarity (SSIM) are all generally 0.894, 62.084 dB, and 0.88912, respectively. The models accuracy has improved to 97 percent, and its loss has reduced to 0.012. Conclusions: Experiments reveal that the proposed approach may successfully segment tumorous and benign tissues. As a result, a novel brain tumour segmentation approach has been created. 2023 by the authors. -
Bifunctional Amorphous Transition-Metal Phospho-Boride Electrocatalysts for Selective Alkaline Seawater Splitting at a Current Density of 2Acm?2
Hydrogen production by direct seawater electrolysis is an alternative technology to conventional freshwater electrolysis, mainly owing to the vast abundance of seawater reserves on earth. However, the lack of robust, active, and selective electrocatalysts that can withstand the harsh and corrosive saline conditions of seawater greatly hinders its industrial viability. Herein, a series of amorphous transition-metal phospho-borides, namely Co-P-B, Ni-P-B, and Fe-P-B are prepared by simple chemical reduction method and screened for overall alkaline seawater electrolysis. Co-P-B is found to be the best of the lot, requiring low overpotentials of ?270mV for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), ?410mV for oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and an overall voltage of 2.50V to reach a current density of 2Acm?2 in highly alkaline natural seawater. Furthermore, the optimized electrocatalyst shows formidable stability after 10,000 cycles and 30h of chronoamperometric measurements in alkaline natural seawater without any chlorine evolution, even at higher current densities. A detailed understanding of not only HER and OER but also chlorine evolution reaction (ClER) on the Co-P-B surface is obtained by computational analysis, which also sheds light on the selectivity and stability of the catalyst at high current densities. 2024 The Authors. Small Methods published by Wiley-VCH GmbH. -
Non-Noble Bifunctional Amorphous Metal Boride Electrocatalysts for Selective Seawater Electrolysis
The global scarcity of freshwater resources has recently driven the need to explore abundant seawater as an alternative feedstock for hydrogen production by water-splitting. This route comes with new challenges for the electrocatalyst, which has to withstand harsh saline water conditions with selectivity towards oxygen evolution over other competing reactions. Herein, a series of amorphous metal borides based on the iron triad metals (Co, Ni, and Fe), synthesized by a simple one-step chemical reduction method, displayed excellent bifunctional activity for overall seawater splitting. Amongst the chosen catalysts, amorphous cobalt boride (Co?B) showed the best overpotential values of 182 mV for HER and 305 mV for OER, to achieve 10 mA/cm2, in alkaline simulated seawater. This superior activity was owed to the enrichment of the metal site with excess electrons (HER) and the in-situ surface transformation (OER), as confirmed by various means. In alkaline simulated seawater, the overall cell voltage required to achieve 100 mA/cm2 was 1.85 V for the Co?B catalyst when used in a 2-electrode assembly. The Co?B catalyst showed negligible loss in activity even after 1000 cycles and 50 h potentiostatic tests, thus demonstrating its industrial viability. The selectivity of the catalyst was established with Faradaic efficiency of above 99 % for HER and 96 % for OER, with no detection of chloride products in the spent electrolyte. This study using the mono-metallic boride catalysts will turn to be a precursor to exploit other complex metal boride systems as potential candidates for seawater electrolysis for large-scale hydrogen production. 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH. -
Determinants of Internal Branding for Customer-Orientation
International Journal of Research in Commerce, IT & Management, Vol-4 (5), pp. 33-38. ISSN-2231-5756 -
Investing in Indias electric revolution: A case study of OLA electric
Subject Area: Entrepreneurship, Strategy. Study Level/Applicability: The case is best suited for a course on Entrepreneurial Finance while introducing the sources of finance and a course on Private Equity and Venture capital, while discussing target screening. It exemplifies how new-age ventures can position themselves to attract investments and how venture capital firms use environmental scanning to identify potential investment opportunities. Designed for second-year MBA students, the case assumes familiarity with strategic management concepts like Porters Five Force and Resource-Based View. Case Overview: Amala Menon is a seasoned venture capitalist, strategist, sustainability enthusiast, and founder of Samrithi VentureCaptial and has been actively looking out for investment opportunities in the Electronic Vehicle (EV) space. Believing in the huge potential and the push received by supportive government policies in India, Amala is assessing Ola Electric Mobility Pvt. Ltd (Ola Electric) as an investable option among a list of growing players in the space. A wholly owned subsidiary of ANI Technologies Pvt. Ltd, the parent company of Ola Cabs, Ola Electric, valued at USD 5 billion as of 2022, was founded in 2017 to facilitate mass electric mobility and hence reduce emission and fuel dependency. Though crunching financial metrics and valuation numbers come in during assessing an investment option, she strongly emphasizes evaluating the organizations readiness to obtain further funding in terms of its management team, the potential of the business model and several other crucial parameters. Ultimately, valuation exercise, according to her, aids founders and investors in confirming the strategic positioning of the venture and the business models validity. Hence, at this point, Amala, considering qualitative and quantitative aspects, is focused on assessing whether Ola is a wise investable option compared to its peers. Expected Learning Outcomes: This case study enables participants to: (1) Critically appraise investment prospects in new-age EV startups like Ola Electric considering industry-specific and organization-specific factors. (2) Explore both financial and non-financial factors crucial for evaluating Ola Electrics potential as a promising investment. (3) Evaluate Ola Electric as a potential investment option by leveraging strategic frameworks such as Resource-Based View, Internal and External Factor Evaluation to formulate an investment recommendation. (4) Apply the insights gained from the environmental scan to guide Amalas investment decision regarding Ola Electric. Association for Information Technology Trust 2024. -
Does Sentiments Impact the Returns of Commodity Derivatives? An Evidence from Multi-commodity Exchange India
The advancements in technology, increased accessibility to various modes and platforms of communication, and increased willingness on the part of participants to share their ideas/opinions has resulted in huge amounts of data on the World Wide Web, hence, easily available to impact decision-making. Furthermore, commodity prices are primarily driven by demand and supply, wherein such news is open to the cognitive thinking of individuals. Thus, using the principles of natural language processing, which combines concepts of linguistics, computer science and artificial intelligence, helps in improving the accuracy of price determination. Therefore, this article aims to examine the relationship between sentiments conveyed through various sources and the performance of Indias largest commodity market, multi-commodity exchange (MCX). The correlation and causation between sentiment scores extracted from such textual content and the daily returns of select commodity derivatives are analysed. The results show varying levels of significance of sentiments on the returns of commodity contracts and imply that there is an increased scope of using such unstructured content in the field of finance. 2021 MDI. -
Paytms crossroads: an analysts dilemma
Learning outcomes: This case study enables participants to:??To understand the fintech landscape in India and assess how market dynamics can impact Paytms valuation.??To evaluate the drivers affecting the value of Paytm and arrive at Paytms valuation.??To critically appraise the investment decision made. Case overview/synopsis: Rajani Chandran, a seasoned financial analyst, relooks her recommendation of Paytm in light of the recent revocation of its Payment Bank License. Paytm, the flagship service of One97 Communications Ltd., a financial technology company, is a pioneer in the Indian digital payments and financial services market. However, the developments post going public in 2021 were not always favorable. The frequent fallout with Reserve Bank of India brought restrictions on onboarding new customers and ultimately the revocation of the license. This drastic move is of huge concern to those who have invested in the company. Thus, given this backdrop, Rajani initially explored the dynamic landscape of the Indian digital payments and fintech industry, considering macroeconomic factors, competition and regulatory dynamics. She delved into Paytms financial performance to gauge its position in the market. The next phase of the careful scrutiny involved arriving at the equity value of the venture using the discounted cash flow model. Finally, Rajani critically appraised the drivers of valuation, incorporating both quantitative and the story she has crafted around Paytm. Consequently, participants in this case study are prompted to evaluate Paytm and arrive at a valuation and furnish a comprehensive recommendation based on their analyses, thus understanding the intricacies of evaluating a fintech company with immense potential. This case study serves as a valuable resource for students seeking to comprehend the complexities of financial analysis and valuation within the context of a dynamic and evolving industry landscape. Complexity academic level: The case is best suited for a course on Financial Statement Analysis while discussing how the financial statements of new-age tech companies can be analyzed and Business Valuation while introducing DCF valuation. The case serves as a comprehensive example of the multifaceted challenges and considerations that a buy-side analyst should have while valuing a company and pitching an investment within the fintech industry. Designed for second-year MBA students, the case assumes familiarity with financial reporting and strategic management concepts such as Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental (PESTLE) and strength, weakness, opportunity and threat (SWOT) analyses and Business Canvas Model. Supplementary material: Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code: CSS 1: Accounting and Finance. 2025, Emerald Publishing Limited. -
Is Open ready for investment? A venture capitalists dilemma
Learning outcomes: Upon completion of the case study, student will be able to discuss valuation of new-age ventures and understand how it is different from the valuation of organisations with a longer history; analyse the considerations (quantitative and qualitative) while evaluating investments in new-age ventures; and develop a framework involving the various dimensions of investment readiness. Case overview/synopsis: The fintech space in India has seen an upsurge of activities since 2016. The growth of Paytm, RazorPay and many such ventures and the drastic improvements in this ecosystem have been significant catalysts for this segment of new-age tech companies. Funding and valuations have seen a sharp increase, especially when businesses worldwide felt the after-effects of the pandemic, with India being home to a large number of unicorns, second only to the USA. Open Financial Technologies Ltd (OPEN TECH) is one such venture that claimed its spot as the 100th unicorn of India within a span of five years since inception. With a strong focus on disrupting the banking sector in India, this neo-bank aspires to be the equivalent of Stripe in India and eventually be a strong competitor in the international market. Richard ONeil is an active investor in the fintech space, based out of the UK, and he is currently looking to expand the market by considering investment options. In the process, Richard and his team have identified India as a viable and competitive market, as new venture support and funding are increasingly emphasized through policies such as Startup India, Make in India and many such more to sustain and propel its benefits. As the team was exploring ventures worth investing, Open Financial Technologies caught their attention. However, Richard, given his experience across fields and being a seasoned private equity investor, realised that valuing new-age companies is as much an art as it is a science. Multiple quantitative and qualitative aspects need to be considered while relevance of traditional valuation techniques to put a value on such entrepreneurial ventures is questioned. At this juncture, he finds it crucial to evaluate the investment readiness of OPEN TECH. This case allows students to understand how valuation of new ventures is different from that of established companies and analyse the crucial factors worth considering while evaluating an investment proposal as a venture capitalist, which eventually helps shape the funding pitch of an entrepreneur in the space. Complexity academic level: This case study can be useful for students undertaking graduate- and executive-level courses on business valuation and strategy and entrepreneurship, as well as entrepreneurial finance elective at the undergraduate level. One could use this case in courses on entrepreneurship and innovation, such as an introductory course on entrepreneurial finance and a course on venture capital and private equity. It also allows discussion on fintech and neobanking and the valuation of privately held companies. Supplementary materials: Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code: CSS 1: Accounting and finance. 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited. -
Sandwich structured pedot-TiO2/GO/PEDOT-TiO2 electrodes for supercapacitor
In this study, we fabricated a divergent strategy to enhance the electrochemical capacitive properties of electrodes via the cost-effective multistep green and facile electrodeposition and brush coating technique of PEDOT-TiO2/GO/PEDOT-TiO2 composite. The synthesised composite showed both EDLCs and pseudocapacitive behaviour with a good specific capacitance of 501 Fg?1 for sandwiched structure at 1 Ag?1. From the results, synthesized composite has a better ion transportation mechanism which leads to a fast chargedischarge cycle as well as a very high value of power density (500 kW/ kg) suitable for supercapacitor applications. The substance demonstrated excellent electrochemical stability, retaining 94 % of capacitance after 2000 cycles. The obtained nanocomposites were examined by FTIR, XRD, Raman, SEM-EDX and electrochemical analyses such as CV, GCD and EIS analyses. We consider that the highly stable PEDOT-TiO2/GO/PEDOT-TiO2 nanocomposite with super-capacitive behaviours is a very promising material for high-performance electrochemical storage. 2023 The Authors -
Polyaniline/Reduced Graphene Oxide/Zinc Oxide Hybrid Electrodes Fabricate by Combining Electrospinning/Electrospray Technique for Supercapacitors
This study presents the successful synthesis and characterization of polyaniline (PANI), PANI/reduced graphene oxide PANI/rGO (PR), and PANI/rGO/ZnO (PRZ) nanocomposites as electrode materials for supercapacitors. Employing electrospinning and electrospraying techniques, we developed nanofibrous composites with enhanced structural and electrochemical properties. The addition of rGO and ZnO in the PRZ composite significantly improved specific capacitance, stability, and charge-transfer efficiency. Electrochemical analyses, including cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic chargedischarge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), revealed a peak specific capacitance of 845 F g?1 at 0.5 A g?1 for PRZ, outperforming PR (395 F g?1), and PANI (140 F g?1). These enhancements are attributed to the synergistic effects of carbon-based and pseudocapacitive components, resulting in higher conductivity, improved redox activity, and reduced internal resistance. Additionally, the PRZ composite exhibited excellent cyclic stability, retaining 89% of its capacitance over 5000 cycles, underscoring its durability and suitability for long-term energy storage applications. 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. -
Electro-sprayed Quaternary Composite of Poly(aniline-co-pyrrole), Graphene Oxide, and Iron Oxide as an Efficient Electrode for Hybrid Supercapacitor Application
Abstract: A novel quaternary nanocomposite has been developed using a cost-effective and user-friendly method called electro-spraying. This composite consists of poly(aniline-co-pyrrole), Graphene Oxide (GO), and Iron Oxide (Fe3O4), aimed at achieving improved electrochemical stability and performance. The composite electrodes displayed an impressive specific capacitance of 950 Fg1 at a current density of 0.5 Ag1 when tested in a 1 M H2SO4 solution. Furthermore, even after 2000 cycles at a current density of 1 Ag1, the electrode exhibited an outstanding capacitance retention rate of 91%, showcasing its remarkable stability and long-lasting performance. These exceptional properties can be attributed to the synergistic effects arising from the combination of the conducting polymer, metal oxide, and graphene oxide components within the electrode material. Additionally, significant advancements in other electrochemical properties make this nanocomposite a promising candidate for use as an electrode material in supercapacitors. Pleiades Publishing, Ltd. 2024. -
Designing a Dynamic Topology (DHT) for Cluster Head Selection in Mobile Adhoc Network
The mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) are a collection of dynamic nodes facilitating communication from source to destination either using single or multi hop forwarding mechanism. The nodes within the network possess energy constraints for which an effective clustering mechanism is used for facilitating communication between the nodes within and outside the clusters by designing a dynamic hybrid topology (DHT). The paper concentrates on clustering mechanism (EBCH) for reducing the energy consumption during communication from source to destination and number of parameters where analyzed in order to determine the selection of cluster head based on the energy consumption because this is directly related to the lifetime of the network. The implementation was carried out using MATLAB which offered an environment for performing simulation. The obtained results on comparison with conventional ENB and CPN algorithm improved the operations of cluster computation in ad hoc environments effectively in relation to the cluster head selection and reduced energy consumption. 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. -
Lung cancer detection using image processing techniques
Lung cancer is one of the hazardous disease which leads to high death rates in the world. A cancer is an irregular growth of cells that can be characteristically derived from a single irregular cell and that may spread to whole part of the lung. So, it is necessary to find it at the earlier stages and take basic steps to cure.CT scan is one of the sensitive method used in the medical field for treating the patients. The quality of the image is very important for detection of lung cancer. Pre-processing of an image is a necessary process, as there is a difficulty in detecting cancer cells in an image due to the presence of noise and low-quality of images. To reduce the volume of these problems, diagnosis of lung cancer steps like image enhancement, image segmentation, feature extraction methods can be used. For processing and implementation of these methods Matlab tool has been used. This paper focuses on improving the quality of image and to optimise the work. Implementation is done using image processing toolbox that is available in Matlab tool.The whole idea of this research is to show the improved work in the existing system and to get more agreeable results. RJPT All right reserved. -
Investigation of PWM Methods for a 9 Level Boost Inverter Using CD-type Carriers
The article introduces an innovative boost inverter topology that utilizes two switching capacitors and a single Direct Current (DC) source to generate a nine-level output voltage waveform. This design eliminates the need for sensors or additional electronics since the capacitor voltages automatically balance themselves. Unlike traditional inverters, an input DC boost converter isnt necessary, as the output voltage is often twice the input voltage, particularly when the inverter is powered by a natural source. Furthermore, novel modulation techniques proposed for CD-type carrier waves exhibit enhanced efficiency, higher RMS voltage, and reduced harmonic distortion (THD). The effectiveness of the suggested carriers has been verified through investigations employing phase disposition (PD), alternate phase opposition disposition (APOD), and phase opposition disposition (POD). Each technique described under 9LBI has been assessed using a MATLAB/Simulink configuration. The operational and dynamic performance of the proposed architecture has been modeled using MATLAB/Simulink. 2024, TUBITAK. All rights reserved. -
Forced Labour, Global Supply Chain and TNCs: Recent Trends and Practices
The abolition of forced labour is a fundamental element of contemporary international human rights law, but the idea has undergone a protracted and complex history, and the scope of the various international mechanisms that handle different aspects of it is not always precisely defined. Slavery, forced labour, and related practices are strictly prohibited under international law. Forced labour is a longstanding and complex obstacle in global supply chains, frequently associated with the desire for inexpensive products and the outsourcing of manufacturing processes to nations with lax labour regulations. The growing power of transnational corporations (TNCs) poses significant challenges to workers at the bottom of supply chains. However, disagreements have made it unclear how to deal with new forms of forced labour, or modern forms of slavery. This confusion highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to combating these issues. Efforts to stop or restrict forced labour will be made easier with a clear legal definition at both the national and international levels, particularly with an emphasis on the human rights perspective. 2024 Kluwer Law International BV, The Netherlands -
Labour Rights in the Wake of the WTO
One of the most contentious issues surrounding globalization includes trade and labours rights. In the real world, trade and labour circumstances have an impact on one another. Trading nations should be subject to significant labour standards. It was believed that enforcing labour standards via trade agreements helps to improve the working conditions and income in poor countries, and minimize wage inequalities between rich and poor countries. The World Trade Organizations (WTOs) establishment has resulted in the liberalization of trade and investment. Transnational corporations (TNCs) have become more economically powerful than many countries around the world in todays era of globalization and free trade. These powerful TNCs are violating labour rights and are not accountable for that because of the lack of a legal framework. This calls for a look at issues that arise at the interface of international trade and labour standards, including a brief historical review of labour rights and the, as well as the impact of TNCs on labours and accountability. 2023 Kluwer Law International BV, The Netherlands