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Insight into the effects of waste vegetable oil on self-healing behavior of bitumen binder
The application of waste vegetable oil (WVO) in bitumen has been the subject of research for years, however, the self-healing behavior of WVO modified bitumen (WMB) has not been adequately reported. In this research, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and laboratory experiments were performed to reveal the effects of WVO on the self-healing behavior of bitumen. Models of base bitumen and WMB were constructed. Further, dynamic calculations were carried out for the self-healing models of base bitumen and WMB both with 10 microcracks. The energy properties, conformation and density of bitumen during the self-healing process were analyzed. Meanwhile, the effects of WVO on the fractional free volume (FFV) of bitumen, the distribution of bitumen components and the mobility of bitumen molecules were investigated. Finally, the modified fatigue-healing-fatigue (FHF) test was conducted to verify the effects of WVO on the self-healing efficiency of bitumen. Results show that Van der Waals forces drive the mobility of bitumen molecules. Along with the disappearance of the central microcrack, the density of the self-healing system gradually increases and finally reaches that of the bulk bitumen. WVO with superior mobility capacity increases the FFV of bitumen and converts asphaltene large aggregated structure into small aggregated structure, which facilitates the mobility of the bitumen during the self-healing process. Thus, the addition of WVO contributes to the self-healing efficiency of the bitumen. The modified FHF test also verified that the self-healing efficiency of bitumen is improved with the presence of WVO. These findings provide further insight into the self-healing behaviors of WMB. 2022 -
Properties of high strength concrete with reduced amount of Portland cement a case study
In the last 15years Bangalore city has systematically modernized its concrete production process with the help of ready-mix concrete (RMC) facility. However, one of the present requirements of these facilities is to lower its carbon footprint by reducing consumption of Portland cement in the concrete production process. Further, the demand for high-strength concrete (HSC) has increased due to construction of high-rise buildings and other major infrastructure projects in the urban areas of the city. Therefore, this study presents the experimental test results of HSC mixes proportioned with reduced consumption of Portland cement. Four types of concrete mixes with 50% of Portland cement replaced by ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) were considered. Additionally, two control mixes without GGBS replacement were also tested. Fresh, hardened, and durability properties of all the mixes were experimental determined and presented. The results showed that concrete mixes proportioned with 50% GGBS obtained a maximum 28-day compressive strength of 77 MPa. Further, all the mixes with GGBS exhibited superior durability properties when compared to control mixes. Thus, concrete mixes with 50% GGBS replaced for Portland cement are favourable for producing HSC at RMC facilities at Bangalore city. 2021 The Author(s). This open access article is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 license. -
Unraveling the synergy between oxygen doping and embedding Fe nanoparticles in gC3N4 towards enhanced photocatalytic rates
With graphitic carbon nitride (gC3N4) showing considerable potential for photocatalytic applications, the four significant limitations: surface area, light-harvesting capability, photogenerated charge separation, and charge transfer at the interface, need to be comprehensively addressed. The present work aims to exfoliate the gC3N4 stacking layers and fragment the layers horizontally to form ultra-thin nanosheets (NS) by a facile mixed-acid treatment. The surface area of gC3N4 increased by one order of magnitude (120 m2/g), due to the formation of nanosheets with planar size below ?50 nm. Moreover, incorporating non-metal (oxygen) anion dopants and metal (iron) nanoparticles enhances the overall reactivity of gC3N4 NS under light irradiation. Co-integration of these strategies led to ?17 times improvement in the photocatalytic pollutants degradation rate compared to pristine gC3N4. First-principles calculations and experimental evidence suggest the formation of an intermediate band within the bandgap of gC3N4, caused by the hybridization of N-Fe-O, which assists in harvesting a larger number of photons. Nanosheet morphology provides a shorter distance to photogenerated charges towards the surface, while the incorporation of Fe and O together offers the lowest charge transfer resistance at the interface to efficiently degrade the adsorbed pollutant molecules on the surface. With all these promoting features along with cost-effective and stable elements, Fe-O-gC3N4 NS provides an ideal solution for tuning the intrinsic morphological and electronic structure of gC3N4 for its effective application in various photocatalytic reactions. 2022 -
Predictors of Hypertension among Indian Women of Reproductive Age Group: An Analysis from NFHS-5 Data
Introduction: Hypertension among women not only augments the risk of cardiovascular diseases but also leads to antenatal and intra-natal complications. Materials and Methods: A subset of data collected during National Family Health Survey-5, comprising of 7,24,115 women, 1549 years of age was analysed to identify key predictors of hypertension, using Probit Regression Model (PRM) which was run separately for rural and urban women. Results: Overall prevalence of hypertension among women of reproductive age group was 11% (10.4% and 12% in rural and urban areas respectively). 5% and 13.41% of women were obese and 1.2% and 2.6% were diabetic in rural and urban areas respectively. Obese, uneducated, rich women and those on medications showed higher prevalence, while women consuming milk, eggs, chicken, fruits, and vegetables daily showed lower prevalence. On using PRM, significant predictors of hypertension were increasing age, rural residence, pregnancy, increasing weight, diabetes, illiteracy, access to medical insurance, and indulgence in alcohol and smoking. Conclusion: Findings from the study contribute to the body of evidence favouring multifactorial causation. Hypertension awareness should be promoted especially among rural residents, older women, with emphasis on intake of balanced diet with less consumption of sodium and increased intake of fruits and vegetables. 2023 National Journal of Community Medicine. -
A generalized software reliability prediction model for module based software incorporating testing effort with cost model
As software innovation has advanced, it has been noted that the testing effort function (TEF) is one of the key factors influencing the improvement of software reliability. This paper presents a simplified model which incorporates the testing effort for the reliability growth of a software. A closed form solution has been derived for the reliability of the software. This study examines the impact of testing efforts on a software reliability model based on NHPP. The sensitivity analysis has been made available to investigate how the created model's system parameters affect the cost function, mean value function, and softwares reliability. The parameters of the model have been estimated using the non-linear least square estimation (MLE) method in MATLAB software. Additionally, a warranty cost model is constructed to assess the optimal release policy for the software. The general form of the reliability expression involves elliptic integrals, which can be computed easily through a software like Mathematica. We have derived analytical solutions for reliability pertaining to several particular cases. Optimal release time for the software product has been calculated for some particular cost-sets. Goodness of fit curves have been plotted to compare the proposed model with some well-known existing SRGMs. Numerical illustrations are provided to bolster the analytical outcomes. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Society for Reliability and Safety (SRESA) 2024. -
Potential health, environmental implication of microplastics: A review on its detection
Microplastic contamination of terrestrial and aquatic environment has gained immense research attention due to their potential ecotoxicity and biomagnification property when enterer into food chain. Heterogenous nature of microplastics coupled with their ability to combine with other emerging pollutants have increased the severity of this crisis. Existing detection methods often fails to accurately quantify the amount of microplastic components present in environmental and biological samples. Thus, a great deal of research gap always exists in our current understanding about microplastics including the limitations in screening, detection and mitigation. This review work presents a comprehensive out look on the impact of microplastics on both terrestrial and aquatic environment. Furthermore, an in-depth discussion on various microplastic detection techniques recently used for microplastic quantification along with their significance and limitations is summarised in this review. The review also elaborates various physical, chemical and biological methods used for the mitigation of microplastics from environmental samples. 2024 Elsevier B.V. -
A Cross-sectional Study for Examining Catastrophic Healthcare Expenditure Across Socio-demographic Variables among Employees in a Sedentary Occupation
Health expenditure above a certain threshold level can result in a financial catastrophe by reducing the expenses on necessities. Certain socio-demographic variables have been observed to play a role in influencing catastrophic healthcare expenditure, guiding the present study to examine this scenario for employees in sedentary occupations. A cross-sectional study has been conducted among 370 employees recruited through a random sampling technique. Multinomial logistic regression was used to test the main objective of the study. The factors associated with a higher probability of catastrophic healthcare expenditure were males with increasing age. Years of work experience tend to be associated with a lower likelihood of catastrophic healthcare expenditure. No conclusive evidence could be drawn for BMI, income, marital status and education. 2024 Indian Journal of Community Medicine. -
Measuring the Economic Burden of Health Conditions among White?Collar Employees: A Cross?Sectional Study from Delhi? NCR
Background: In the past few decades, there has been a significant increase in healthcare expenditure due to the prevalence of health issues across the globe. This is primarily seen among white-collar employees due to the sedentary nature of their jobs, which affects their current earnings (Purchasing Power) directly due to the reallocation of their real income towards healthcare expenditure (Economic Burden) and indirectly by impacting work productivity through sick leaves. Aim: To measure the economic burden of disease(s) among white-collar employees, and to study the same across different socio-demographic variables. Methods: A cross-sectional study has been conducted in the region of Delhi-NCR among 357 white-collar employees. A random sampling method was adopted using a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire collected information regarding the direct and indirect costs of health conditions with a recall period of one month. The cumulative score of these monthly costs was converted to annual data to estimate the economic burden of the health conditions among the employees over a year. Results: As compared to Communicable diseases (16.24%), Non-communicable diseases (27.17%) were more prevalent among the respondents. Compared to other diseases, the employees suffering from Heart diseases (INR 7,62,237.50), Spinal health issues (INR 1,73,625.00), and Diabetes (INR 1,64,535.71) incurred more economic burden. At a 5% significance level, no significant difference was observed in economic burden for Gender and BMI. However, the economic burden was significantly different across the categories of Age and Monthly income. A positive association can be observed in economic burden with the increasing categories of age and monthly income. Conclusion: With the nature of sedentary work (desk jobs), white-collar employees are at a greater risk of exposure to various NCDs than CDs and incur a significant amount of out-of-pocket expenditure to manage their health status. 2023 Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications. All rights reserved. -
Strategically fabricated Ag loaded Fe-g-C3N4 nanosheet for photocatalytic removal of aqueous organic pollutant
The efficiency of the photocatalyst towards the degradation of organic pollutants depends on the harvesting of the visible light and inhibiting the recombination rate of electron-hole pairs to create a large number of charge carriers to drive the redox reaction. Most charge carriers recombine in 2D photocatalyst like g-C3N4 through the bulk process within the stacked layered structure. The recombination through bulk can be suppressed through nanosheet formation, while surface recombination can be inhibited via fast interfacial photogenerated charge transfer. In the present work, Ag-loaded Fe-doped g-C3N4 nanosheet (Ag/Fe-g-C3N4 NS) photocatalyst was synthesized by combining three effective strategies i.e., Fe doping, nanostructuring, and Ag loading. Various analytical techniques have been employed to characterize all the prepared samples. The results indicate that Fe doping influences visible light absorption by modifying the electronic and optical properties. In contrast, nanosheet formation leads to a significant increment in the number of active sites due to the increased surface area. Ag anchoring over Fe-g-C3N4 NS favors charge separation at the interface of Fe-g-C3N4 and Ag due to the presence of the Schottky barrier. Integration of all the three strategies in Ag/Fe-g-C3N4 NS creates a synergistic effect to add beneficial properties and displays a 5-fold improvement in photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants, as compared to pure g-C3N4. The present study provides a novel and facile approach for realizing an efficient photocatalyst for environmental remediation. 2022 Elsevier B.V. -
Improving Organizational Sustainable Performance of Organizations Through Green Training
It is necessary to equip employees with green abilities as well as to develop their dedication towards green behaviour, in order to improve an organization's environmental performance. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the direct impact of green training on organizational environmental performance (OEP) and the mediating effect of organizational citizenship behaviour on the environment (OCBE). The study is based on responses from 107 employees of the IT sector in India. The findings suggest that green training has a significant positive impact on the organizational environmental performance, and that the impact is strengthened by organizational citizenship behaviour towards the environment. The findings are of particular importance given the growing importance of sustainability in the organizational context. 2023 IGI Global. All rights reserved. -
Educational Perspective & Antecedental Outcomes of Green HRM for Employees Sustainable Behaviour
It is necessary to equip employees with green abilities and develop their dedication towards sustainable behaviour to improve an organizations sustainable performance. The objective of this study is to assess the direct effects of green human resource management on employees' sustainable behaviour (ESB) and the mediating role of employees' educational perspectives (EPE). The study is based on responses from 320 IT sector employees in India. The findings suggest that green HRM has a significant positive impact on employees' sustainable behaviour (ESB) and that the impact is strengthened by the education perspective of employees (EPE). The findings are significant, given the growing importance of sustainability in the organizational context 2022, Journal for ReAttach Therapy and Developmental Diversities.All Rights Reserved. -
A formative measurement model and development of quality of work-life scale based on two-factor theory: evidence from Indian private industries
Purpose: This study examines the quality of work-life (QoWL) as a formative construct and validates the scale in an Indian context. Taking a cue from the two-factor (Herzberg) theory, the study developed and validated a formative assessment model of QoWL in the current scenario. Design/methodology/approach: Cross-sectional data and a self-administered questionnaire were used to analyze the QoWL scale based on a sample of 841 respondents from IT/ITES, BFSI, CPG and manufacturing sectors. Indicators/items of QoWL were considered a first-order reflective construct, and factors of QoWL were considered second-order formative construct in the study. Embedded two-stage approach was used to assess the antecedent construct in the model in which QoWL was measured with seven formative indicators in stage one, and all the constructs of the QoWL are measured with a single item (Global_QWL, i.e. the essence of all constructs) in stage two. Findings: The study found QoWL as a formative construct with seven significant dimensions; namely, hygiene factors included fairness in compensation (FC), job security (JS), interpersonal relationship (IR), health and wellbeing (HWB), where motivational factors had rewards and career growth (RG), work-life balance (WLB) and learning and development (LD). The study also indicated the strong association of a single item (global_QWL) with all constructs of QoWL. The study findings conceptualize a QoWL as a formative construct within the mentioned sector and can be generalized and extended to other sectors of the economy as well. Research limitations/implications: Future researchers can take guidance to deal with the formative construct in the development and validation of scale in various topics in the field of HRM. Future researchers can extend the study across cities and different sectors. Practical implications: In this VUCA world, employees have to be constantly on their toes to ensure their organization remains relevant. In this context, the least organization can do for their employees is to offer a conducive environment and favorable QoWL. This study aims to assist the key decision-makers in applying the QoWL index as a formative construct and aiding them in improving the quality of their decisions. Social implications: Researcher believes that applying the QoWL index as a formative construct can aid decision-makers in improving the quality of their decisions by equipping them with relevant inputs and knowledge. Government can focus on the employees' welfare and introduce the current motivational and hygiene factors in the area of quality of life of the Indians. Originality/value: Formative assessment measurement of QoWL model was validated with the two-factor theory to understand the work environment of India in the private sector across different sectors. The unique finding of the study was a single item (global_QWL) to conclude the QoWL index as a formative construct by redundancy analysis. 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited. -
Quality of work life, emotional and physical well-being of police personnel in India
The job profile of police officers places exceptional demands on them leading to risks to life, personal discomfort and stress. This article aims to examine how the physical and emotional well-being of police personnel is affected by their perceived quality of work life (QWL). The study looked at the questionnaire responses of 234 police personnel. Emotional well-being is measured as the absence of depression, emotional hyperactivity, difficulty relaxing, irritability and anxiety, whereas physical well-being is measured as the presence of diabetes, thyroid problems, insomnia and obesity. The study assessed police perceptions of QWL as provided by the government. The study findings are segregated for QWL on the basis of dominant ill-being and dominant well-being. Factors such as career and development, working environment, safety, work load, compensation and fear of punishment should be carefully analysed and improved. Some 71.8% of the respondents suffered from two or more emotional ailments; 70% suffered from two or more physical ailments. Findings suggest that QWL dimensions that fall within dominant ill-being need to be addressed immediately by policy makers and management to improve police well-being. The Author(s) 2021. -
Linking non-financial motivators of women entrepreneurs with entrepreneurial satisfaction: A cluster analysis
Women entrepreneurs confronted with several obstacles while managing their business houses and dealt firmly developing successful ventures over time. The long term sustainability of their business reflects their entrepreneurial skills. The existence of certain forces empowered entrepreneurial drive of women entrepreneurs leading to their satisfaction and engagement in their ventures. The present investigation evaluated the antecedents of women's entrepreneurial satisfaction by examining 405 women entrepreneur participants using confirmatory factor analysis and cluster analysis techniques. This study comprises only micro and small businesses of women. The non-monetary determinants emerged out as the significant determinants of satisfaction of women entrepreneurs. The results revealed four clusters of women entrepreneurs based on motivational theory such as micro-achievers, entrepreneurial team, liberal and socialist feminism and optimism. The results also indicated that the clusters of women entrepreneurs' respond distinctively towards various dimensions of entrepreneurial satisfaction, i.e., quality of married life, overall venture satisfaction, achieved innovation, achieved freedom, team orientation, achieved recognition and identity and achieved employee trust. 2022 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. -
How does anticipatory trauma reaction and climate-friendly behaviour make an affect at the individual level? The role of social norms and self-efficacy
Climate change is unavoidable and requires serious consideration at both the organizational and individual levels. Climate change mitigation, reduction in greenhouse gas emissions globally and climate financing for developing countries and so forth are key issues and challenges toward environmental sustainability. This paper aims to develop a framework for climate-friendly behaviour (CFB) for environmental sustainability from an individual perspective. The present study recognizes the role of social norms and self-efficacy in developing positive behaviour toward environmental sustainability. On the proposed integrated CFB framework of value-belief-norms (VBN) and self-efficacy theory, this study is a unique conceptual-empirical scholarly development, examining individual-level contemplation toward climate-supportive policy measures. This research evaluates the relationship between anticipatory trauma reaction (ATR) and CFB in the presence of perceived social efficacy (PSE) and perceived social norms (PSN) as moderators and mediators. We have used the survey method to examine a sample of 238 respondents and assess the structural equation modelling analysis and PLS predictions using SmartPLS software. The findings indicate that climate change-related anxiety-driven ATR facilitates CFB among individuals. Next, the study adds value to VBN theory as the results also suggest that PSN improve ATR's positive impact on CFB. This work further expands the horizon of self-efficacy theory by arguing that PSE transmits the positive effect of ATR on CFB. The study delivers many worthy theoretical and practical contributions toward climate change policies and environmental sustainability implications. 2023 ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. -
Exploring the role of E-servicescape dimensions on customer online shopping: A stimulus-organism-response paradigm
With limited empirical evidence and an incomplete understanding of e-servicescape environment, its effects on e-commerce websites still needs to be explored. Hence, the study understands and assesses the effects of e-servicescape environment on customer purchase behavior, considering the moderating role of gender. The stimulus-organism-response framework was adapted to formulate a conceptual model, in which the e-servicescape (stimulus) features were modelled as an antecedent of customer trust (organism) on website that directs customer behaviour of purchase intention (response). To conduct an analysis, a data sample of 304 responses was collected from those who have earlier used e-commerce websites using a structural equation modelling technique. Results of the study shows that e-servicescape dimensions are a strong predictor of trust that strongly impacts customer purchase intention. Results further reveal that in an online environment, the gender gap is depleting as it impacts all three dimensions of the e-servicescape on customer behavior which remains consistent for both groups. Copyright 2020, IGI Global. -
Exploring private university attractiveness from students perspective to ensure sustainable institutes: an empirical investigation from Indian perspective
Purpose: This study aims to explore various determinants of university attractiveness and its relationship with sustainable institutes. Further, the study examines the mediating role of perceived student support and sense of belongingness on the relationship between university attractiveness and sustainable institutes. Design/methodology/approach: The data analysis was conducted with 637 responses from the students from private universities located in the northern region of India. Variance based partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was applied in the study to investigate the proposed conceptual model on sustainable higher institutions. Additionally, by applying PLS Predict, the predictive relevance of sustainable institutions with important and performing constructs was found out. Findings: The results of this study indicate that university attractiveness plays a critical role in enhancing perceived student support, and it has a direct and significant impact on developing sustainable institutes. Further, students sense of belongingness is expressed as significant mediator between university attractiveness and sustainable institutes. The predictive relevance of the study was reported to be high. Most important indicators of university attractiveness were found to be teaching, research and publications, branding and promotion, and diversity in courses offered by the private universities. Research limitations/implications: The conceptual model under study can be investigated with a moderating effect of private and government universities in future. Additionally, the role of additional variables in online scenario under current pandemic situation can be assessed through the model used in this study. Future research can be done by using qualitative analysis through thematic analysis and sentiment analysis of students in higher education institutes. Originality/value: The present study is the first to explore the mediating relationship of perceived student support and sense of belongingness with university attractiveness and sustainable institutes. The conceptual framework can prove to be important for education specialists, administrators of education institutes at university level and policymakers. The study offers effective ideas for policymakers to bring sustainability in education sector in near future especially in emerging economies and attain sustainable development goals. 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited. -
Employee relations: a comprehensive theory based literature review and future research agenda
This study aims to conduct a systematic and integrative literature review to consolidate the extensive information on employee relations accumulated over the past century, thereby offering new insights into domain-specific phenomena. The research followed a four-phase search strategy in accordance with the Scientific Procedures and Rationales for Systematic Literature Reviews (SPAR-4-SLR) protocol. The keyword search utilized terms such as 'employee relations,' 'employee relation,' 'employment relation,' and 'employment relations' in the Scopus and Web of Science databases. By employing an integrative approach along with specific inclusionexclusion criteria, the researchers synthesized articles from leading journals in the field of employee relations, categorizing them based on geographical region, article types, prominent authors and their affiliations, and the most cited research articles. In the final stage, the researchers presented new insights through a conceptual framework utilizing the ADO-TCCM approach, which encompasses antecedents, outcomes, theories, context, methodology, mediators, and moderators of employee relations. This study synthesizes findings and reorganizes key themes into innovative frameworks, providing fresh perspectives on various aspects of employee relations. Ultimately, it offers valuable insights into the critical factors that strengthen long-term employee-employer relationships. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024. -
Female Director and Agency Cost: Does board gender diversity at Indian corporate board reduce agency conflict?
We examined the presence of women directors in top-level management and their effect on principal-principal conflict (PP) and principal-agent conflict (PA) on the firms listed on Indian stock exchange using a panel model approach. For analysis purpose, this study covers the sample of 75 companies belonging to various industries and listed in Bombay Stock Exchange Index, has been studied over thirteen financial years, i.e. from year 2006 to year 2019. This study uses panel data analysis, i.e. fixed effect model and random effect model. The proportion and presence (dichotomous) of women directors on top level management board is taken as the independent variable. Principalprincipal conflict measured by assets utilization ratio (AUR), and principal-agent conflict is been measured by dividend payout ratio (DPR), are taken as dependent variable in this study. The prime results of this study using panel data analysis, i.e. fixed effect (FE) and random effects (RE) estimation models point towards no significant impact of the female director (proportion and presence) on the firm's agency cost (PP and PA). 2021. Transnational Press London. All Rights Reserved. -
Gender Differentials in Entrepreneurship: Insights from a Multi-method Study
Gender inequality is an obstacle to inclusive growth, and literature reveals shortcomings in the basic entrepreneurial assumption of equal access to resources, support and economic opportunities for women. International bodies have emphasised the need to examine gender differentials at various levels like, country, organisational and individual levels. Our study is a novel attempt in this direction and aims to build a comprehensive understanding of gender differentials in entrepreneurship using multi-method research design. We analyse and integrate findings from the macro-level using national level datasets (NSSO and Economic Census) and the micro-level using surveys (primary data and GEM India data). Our results note a gender equality lacuna, calling for the need to include meaningful sex-disaggregated data in national surveys, the entrepreneurial intentions of women, behavioural traits impacting women entrepreneurs, the importance of entrepreneurship education, fear of failure, self-confidence and the need for role models. We propose a model of macro and micro factors impacting women entrepreneurship in developing countries. 2022 SAGE Publications.