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LRE-MMF: A novel multi-modal fusion algorithm for detecting neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease among the geriatric population
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a prevalent neurological disorder characterized by progressive dopaminergic neuron loss, leading to both motor and non-motor symptoms. Early and accurate diagnosis is challenging due to the subtle and variable nature of early symptoms. This study aims to address these diagnostic challenges by proposing a novel method, Localized Region Extraction and Multi-Modal Fusion (LRE-MMF), designed to enhance diagnostic accuracy through the integration of structural MRI (sMRI) and resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) data. The LRE-MMF method utilizes the complementary strengths of sMRI and rs-fMRI: sMRI provides detailed anatomical information, while rs-fMRI captures functional connectivity patterns. We applied this approach to a dataset consisting of 20 PD patients and 20 healthy controls (HC), all scanned with a 3 T MRI. The primary objective was to determine whether the integration of sMRI and rs-fMRI through the LRE-MMF method improves the classification accuracy between PD and HC subjects. LRE-MMF involves the division of imaging data into localized regions, followed by feature extraction and dimensionality reduction using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The resulting features were fused and processed through a neural network to learn high-level representations. The model achieved an accuracy of 75 %, with a precision of 0.8125, recall of 0.65, and an AUC of 0.8875. The validation accuracy curves indicated good generalization, with significant brain regions identified, including the caudate, putamen, thalamus, supplementary motor area, and precuneus, as per the AAL atlas. These results demonstrate the potential of the LRE-MMF method for improving early diagnosis and understanding of PD by effectively utilizing both sMRI and rs-fMRI data. This approach could contribute to the development of more accurate diagnostic tools. 2024 The Authors -
Enhancement of Image Classification Using Transfer Learning and GAN-Based Synthetic Data Augmentation
Plastic bottle recycling has a crucial role in environmental degradation and protection. Position and background should be the same to classify plastic bottles on a conveyor belt. The manual detection of plastic bottles is time consuming and leads to human error. Hence, the automatic classification of plastic bottles using deep learning techniques can assist with the more accurate results and reduce cost. To achieve a considerably good result using the DL model, we need a large volume of data to train. We propose a GAN-based model to generate synthetic images similar to the original. To improve the image synthesis quality with less training time and decrease the chances of mode collapse, we propose a modified lightweight-GAN model, which consists of a generator and a discriminator with an auto-encoding feature to capture essential parts of the input image and to encourage the generator to produce a wide range of real data. Then a newly designed weighted average ensemble model based on two pre-trained models, inceptionV3 and xception, to classify transparent plastic bottles obtains an improved classification accuracy of 99.06%. 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. -
The red terror and a state of uncertainty: United Nations' role In the Indian maoist struggle
In this paper, the authors argue that the long drawn armed conflict between the Maoists and the Indian State has acquired the status of a non-international armed conflict due to the organized nature of the Maoists and the scale of violence arising out of the conflict. The systematic human rights abuses by both parties and forceful displacement of civilians is a tangible threat to international peace and security in the region. In light of the deadlock between the parties, the authors make a case for United Nations' intervention in mediating an end to the conflict and restoring peace and security in the region. Drawing inspiration from the role played by the UN in ending civil wars across the globe, this paper argues for a similar intervention in the non-international armed conflict in India. The authors argue that the UN should venture to exert pressure on the State to eliminate any further abuses of human rights, and remove the impasse between both the parties to facilitate a constructive dialogue. Copyright 2012 De Gruyter. All rights reserved. -
An Assessment of Farmers' Perception and Adaptive Capacity for Climate Change
In the past decades, various regions in U.P. had experienced severe floods. The effects of climate change also affected agricultural production. This study investigated the farmers' perception of climate change and suggested strategies for mitigating its effects using a primary survey with the help of a pre-structured schedule. Change in rainfall pattern, problems in seed quality, the emergence of new pests and diseases, changes in the crop cycle were the few effects that farmers' perceived due to climate change. Even the most mitigation efforts by the farmers cannot prevent some of the impacts of climate change within the following decades. It makes adaptation a must-have for addressing these impacts. 2022, The Society of Economics and Development. All rights reserved. -
Studies on phase transitions and dielectric properties of biowaste synthesized porous carbon nanoparticlesferroelectric liquid crystal mixture
Ferroelectric liquid crystals(FLCs), an exciting class of liquid crystals(LCs), found potential applications in the display as well as non-display regimes due to their fast response, low driving voltage and nonvolatile memory. The amalgamation of nanoparticles into FLCs has opened up new avenues in the LCs research field by alterations/modification of the existing properties of LCs. In this work, porous carbon nanoparticles (PCNPs) were dispersed into FLC mixture (W206E) and investigated their doping effect on FLCs textural, phase transition temperatures and dielectric studies in planar-aligned cells. Dielectric spectroscopy was carried out in the frequency range of 20 Hz to 10 MHz to explore the frequency as well as the temperature dependent of FLC in the entire SmC* region. The transition temperature of FLC mixture is increased by 4 C in PCNPs doped FLC sample then undoped FLC sample. Nearly 8.42% increase in permittivity is observed. A Gold stone relaxation mode at ?627 Hz was observed at lower frequency. 2024 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. -
CSR as an agent of financial stability: A use case of banking industry
The study was undertaken to examine the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) as an agent to improve the firm's performance and financial stability by enhancing goodwill and competitive advantage in the Indian banking industry. In the study, it has been hypothesized that CSR expenses have a positive relationship with financial stability. A correlation study has also been undertaken to determine any relationship among these variables, followed by a dependency regression test to show the levels of dependency of financial stability on CSR expenses and the Granger Causality test to find their causal relationship. The study has revealed a significant relationship between the financial stability variables and CSR expenses, and the Granger Causality level supports the findings. 2021 Ecological Society of India. All rights reserved. -
An effective face recognition system based on Cloud based IoT with a deep learning model
As of late, the Internet of Things (IoT) innovation has been utilized in applications, for example, transportation, medical care, video observation, and so on. The quick appropriation and development of IoT in these segments are producing an enormous measure of information. For instance, IoT gadgets, for example, cameras produce various pictures when utilized in medical clinic reconnaissance sees. Here, face acknowledgement is one of the most significant instruments that can be utilized for clinic affirmations, enthusiastic discovery, and identification of patients, location of fake gadgets. patient, and test clinic models. Programmed and shrewd face acknowledgement frameworks are profoundly precise in an overseen climate; notwithstanding, they are less exact in an unmanaged climate. Additionally, frameworks must keep on running on numerous occasions in different applications, for example, insightful wellbeing. This work presents a tree-based profound framework for programmed face acknowledgement in a cloud climate. The inside and out pattern have been proposed to cost less for the PC without focusing on unwavering quality. In the model, the additional size is isolated into a few sections, and a stick is made for each part. The tree is characterized by its branch area and stature. The branches are spoken to by a leftover capacity, which comprises of a twofold layer, a stack game plan, and a non-direct capacity. The proposed technique is assessed in an assortment of generally accessible information bases. An examination of the method is likewise finished with top to bottom craftsmanship models for the eye to eye connection. The aftereffects of the tests indicated that the example was considered to have accomplished a precision of 98.65%, 99.19%, and 95.84%. 2020 -
BEYOND SCREENS: A PSYCHO-THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION FOR ADOLESCENTS SUFFERING FROM INTERNET GAMING ADDICTION
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM 5) has now included Internet Gaming disorder in section III as the condition that warrants more clinical research. Internet or Online gaming has become one of the most popular sources of entertainment among children and adolescents, representing the fastest-growing segment leading to hazards as well. Thus, there is a requirement for a psycho-therapeutic intervention module to help in overall psychological well-being of the adolescents suffering from Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD). A total of 8 adolescents suffering from IGD were treated with scientifically prepared psycho-therapeutic module in total of 12 group sessions. The eclectic approach to treatment is proven to be effective for adolescents yielding significant improvement in the clinical condition and promotes wise engagement in gaming. (2023). All Rights Reserved. -
ASSESSMENT OF WATER QUALITY IMPACTS ON CROP PRODUCTIVITY IN SALINE SOILS: INTEGRATING HYDRO CHEMICAL ANALYSIS AND CROP PERFORMANCE
This study aims to address the effect of water quality on crop productivity on saline soils. Water quality parameters to be studied include salinity level, pH, oxygen concentration, nutrient, and heavy metal level. The study will particularly focus on irrigation water sources that are situated in regions characterised by saline soils. Moreover, there are intended growth experiments for the evaluation of various specific crops such as rice, wheat or maize with different levels of water quality. The study will incorporate sophisticated analytical tools including ion chromatography, atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), and electric field mapping (EMI) to shed light on the current water quality and soil conditions of the selected area. The experiments that we plan to conduct will involve studying the growth parameters, yield, water use efficiency and the percentage of uptake of nutrients under several water quality scenarios. The data collected in this work will ascertain the link between the values of water quality parameters, soil salinity extent and productivity of crops and will provide the basis for the creation of innovative saline soil agriculture irrigation management practices. 2024, Scibulcom Ltd.. All rights reserved. -
Exploring perceptions of psychology students in Delhi-NCR Region towards using mental health apps to promote resilience: a qualitative study
Background: Mental health apps (MHapps) have the potential to become an essential constituent for addressing mental health disparities and influencing the psychological outcomes of students in India. Though lauded as a practical approach to preventing various mental health issues, there are concerns that developing and utilizing MHapps standardized on Western populations produce ineffective results for the natives of Asian countries such as India due to a wide range of cultural differences. This research was conducted on psychology students living in the Delhi-NCR region of the Indian subcontinent. The study explored psychology students perceptions, needs, and preferences regarding mental health apps that promote resilience, identified barriers and facilitators for developing effective mental health apps, and explored the cultural relevance of the development of MHapps in India. Methods: This was an exploratory study utilizing focus group discussions among psychology students. Psychology students were sampled using snowball sampling from Delhi-NCR region colleges to participate in FGDs. We conducted six focus groups, which included a representation of 30 psychology students from full-time UG/PG courses. The study used a reflexive thematic analysis framework using the six-step Braun and Clarke process to develop themes. Results: Psychology students valued MHapps for their easy accessibility, 24*7 functionality, affordable costs, highly engaging features, and the option of being anonymous. However, students preferred the apps based on established psychological frameworks with strong empirical evidence and the availability of remote mental health professionals with relevant qualifications and training. The main barriers to using MHapps identified by students included difficulties in differentiating between real and fake MHapps, lack of progress tracking of the users due to minimal human interactions, and ethical and data privacy concerns. Students also emphasized the cultural relevance of MHapps. The interpretation of our findings indicates that students demanded transparency regarding the authenticity of MHapps. Conclusion: The findings of this exploratory investigation offer a better understanding of how college students perceive the usage of MHapps to improve resilience. This study highlights that further research should explore the specific needs and preferences of university students for developing and implementing effective MHapps for different contexts. The Author(s) 2024. -
Design of Triple Tuned Passive Harmonic Power Filter - A Novel Approach
Nowadays, there is a race between active and passive harmonic filters and still ambiguity persists. It is a proven fact that active harmonic filters (AHFs) are costly solutions though have proved better than passive harmonic filters. Except sizing and resonance problems, tuned passive harmonic filters (TPHFs) are proved to give economical solutions with little compromise on their performance. The accurate design of TPHFs gives a greater impact on its performance. The triple-TPHF (TTPHF) is essential to alleviate first three dominant ac side current harmonics simultaneously at the high voltage direct current (HVdc) converters and it is proved better than the single and double TPHFs. Existing equivalent methods of TTPHF design failed to give satisfactory performance under dynamic conditions. Hence, this article introduces a novel parametric method-based design of TTPHF, which will give better performance under static and dynamic loading conditions. The results also reveal that the proposed TTPHF design method will perform better than the existing methods. 2021 IEEE. -
Exploring How Gender and Culture Shape the Lived Experiences of Indian Clients with Emotional Abuse: A Social Justice Approach to Counselling
In this study, we have carried out an in-depth, idiographic exploration of how Indian clients describe their experiences of emotional abuse in a parent-adult child context from a social justice lens. This study focused on the contribution of persisting systemic influences, including gender and culture, in maintaining emotional abuse. We collected data from seven participants through a semi-structured interview schedule, and utilized an interpretative phenomenological analysis for the research design and analysis. Findings indicatedvarious cultural and gender norms were responsible for contributing to and maintaining emotional abuse. The five master themes developed included Unmet Emotional Needs, Mental Health Issues due to Impact of Emotional Abuse, Gender and Culture Norms as Backgrounded, Unfair and Oppressive Norms and Attitudes, and Intergenerational Nature of Norms, Beliefs, and Abuse. Implications for counsellors, policymakers, and researchers in the fields of counselling and psychotherapy, social justice, social psychology, and critical psychology are discussed. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2024. -
Facile synthesis of Bi2WO6-NiO nanocomposite for supercapacitor application
In order to prepare for future high-power storage-related applications, a tremendous amount of studies have been conducted on the manufacturing of high-performance supercapacitor electrodes. The hydrothermal technique was used to synthesize Bi2WO6NiO nanocomposite (NC), which was examined using FTIR, XRD, HR-TEM, EDX, FESEM, and XPS techniques. Furthermore, the Bi2WO6-NiO NC performs with an elevated specific capacity of 398.2C/g at 10 mV/s. The charge transfer resistance (Rct) and solution resistance (Rs) of Bi2WO6-NiO NC were determined as 0.81 and 0.23 ? using electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS). Bi2WO6-NiO NC extended the chargedischarge time and rate capacities, as shown by the galvanostatic chargedischarge (GCD) analysis. Even after 2000 cycles, Bi2WO6-NiO NC cyclic stability was superior with a capacitive retention of 89.3 %. A power density of 6750 W/kg resulted from the constructed asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) device based on Bi2WO6-NiO/AC, exhibiting an energy density of 32.5 Wh/kg. Additionally, the ASC maintains high cyclic stability with 90.8 % of initial capacity, even after 2000 chargedischarge cycles in a row. 2024 Elsevier B.V. -
Patients trust in the Indian healthcare system and its impact on the intention to use artificial intelligence-based healthcare chatbots
Purpose: Indian patients have different medicine systems available at the service that alter their healthseeking behaviour (HSB). This study aims to examine the beliefs and behaviour of patients in India towards the healthcare system and how it affects their intention to use healthcare chatbots. Design/methodology/approach: A survey instrument was developed from standard scales and validated by experts. The data was collected from 397 respondents in an urban area and tested using a structural equation model in SAS JMP software. Findings: The study found that awareness and perception of chatbots and distrust on doctors and health systems impact trust in a chatbot. The results show that trust in chatbots influences the intention to use chatbots. The belief in alternative medicine systems and HSB also influence the intention to use chatbots. The study findings also imply that health-care chatbots should cater to HSB and the belief in alternative medicine. Research limitations/implications: The study was conducted only among the urban population because services based on technology are more available in metro cities. Bengaluru is considered the representative population of urban India. Practical implications: The level of disruption that chatbots can provide to the healthcare system makes this study significant. The study findings will help to manage the factors that can enable chatbot inclusivity, as the current system is inaccessible to many patients. Originality/value: This paper addresses an identified need to study patients trust in the Indian healthcare system and their intention to use chatbots. The level of disruptions these chatbots can cause in the health-care system is undeniable and patients trust in these chatbots will eventually transform the health-care sector. 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited. -
Stock market sensitivity to macroeconomic factors: Evidence from China and India
The purpose of this study is to analyse the impact of Chinese macroeconomic factors on Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) Composite returns and Indian macroeconomic factors on Nifty returns based on monthly data from January 1998 to December 2018. This study adopts quantile regression approach. The QR allows examining the conditional dependence of specific quantile of SSE and Nifty returns with respect to the conditioning factors. The authors present results for two sample periods that are pre-recession and recession period from 1998 to 2008 and the post-recession period from 2009 to 2018. This paper also documents quite interesting and useful results for the entire period. From the results, It is concluded that Chinese consumer price index significantly affects the SSE returns only for lower quantiles. However, Indian consumer price index has a significant and positive impact on the Nifty returns for the upper quantiles. Further, Chinese interest rates and Indian interest rates have no impact on the SSE and Nifty returns respectively across the different quantiles. Moreover, the Chinese exchange rate influence the SSE returns at the extreme dataset. However, the Indian exchange rate is insignificant. It is important to note that the dependence structure of China shows a negligible change during the post-recession period. Conversely, the dependence structure has changed significantly for India post-recession. The implication of this paper would guide stock market participants. 2020 AESS Publications. All Rights Reserved. -
Performance evaluation of ternary blended geopolymer binders comprising of slag, fly ash and brick kiln rice husk ash
The use of industrial and agro-based precursor materials from local sources can achieve desirable properties for geopolymer binders, and thus realize the carbon-efficient sustainable materials in the construction industry. At the same time, the synergy between these precursors can be assessed using the multilevel material investigation, which has not been explored extensively. Moreover, there are limited studies on ternary geopolymer synthesized with rice husk ash from uncontrolled burning source such as brick kilns. Therefore, this study evaluates the performance of ternary blended geopolymer binders comprised of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS), fly ash (FLA), and brick kiln rice husk ask (BRHA), implementing the multilevel material approach. The experimental program includes assessment and comparative analyses of the properties of geopolymer binders such as setting time, flow, compressive strength, density, water absorption, and efflorescence. Additionally, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses examine crystallographic structure and microscopic morphology of the composite binders. The initial setting time ranged from 21 min to 47 min for ternary mixes, in comparison to 21 min to 58 min for binary mixes. GGBFS significantly contribute in setting of binder due to hydration reaction and formation of C-S-H gel. The flow of ternary mixes exhibits standard deviation of 11.42 mm when compared to 20.96 mm of binary mixes. Lower dispersion in flow values suggests improved coaction between GGBFS, FLA, and BRHA. The compressive strength of ternary mixes improved when compared to the binary mixes. The optimum performance of 60 MPa was obtained for G60A40F95R5, which was 25% and 66.67% higher than binary mixes G60F40 and G60R40, respectively. Similarly, ternary mix G70A30F95R5 showed the least water absorption of 2.08% which was 53% and 58.4% lower than the binary mixes G70F30 and G70R30, respectively. The improvement in the properties of ternary mixes was confirmed from XRD analysis, which reveal coexistence of C-S-H along with crystalline SiO2 that positively improve the microstructure of the composite binder. Moreover, SEM analysis showed dense microstructure for ternary mixes when compared to binary mixes, which further validate the improvement in the strength of such binders. The sustainability analysis discloses the enhanced performance of ternary mixes, wherein, G60A40F95R5 showed 19.35% and 46.23% lower carbon dioxide parameter than binary mixes G60F40 and G60R40, respectively. All in all, the multilevel material investigation provides a great avenue to delve in to the best performing ternary mixes which will find desirable applications in construction industry. 2024 The Authors -
Synthesis of SnO2-Sodium alginate-polyethylene glycol-crocin nanocomposite for enhanced antimicrobial and anticancer activity
Bacteria and fungi contribute to antibiotic resistance, posing a growing threat to human health, while cervical cancer remains a significant health concern, impacting women's well-being and mortality rates worldwide. In the present work, the efficiency of formulated tin oxide-sodium alginate-polyethylene glycol-crocin nanocomposites (SnO2-SAPEG-Cro-NCs) on antimicrobial as well as growth inhibition and apoptosis induction in cervical cancer cells was evaluated. The developed nanostructure was exposed to several spectroscopic investigations, including UV, FTIR, XRD, PL, EDAX, DLS studies, and FESEM structural observation. The results of the antimicrobial study revealed increased inhibition zones from 8.5 to 16 mm around the SnO2-SAPEG-Cro-NCs treatment over different pathogens, which proves its antimicrobial efficacy. The findings of the MTT study demonstrated that SnO2-SAPEG-Cro-NCs (0.510 ?g/mL) treatment remarkably inhibited the HeLa cell viability with IC50 concentration of 5 ?g/mL. The SnO2-SAPEG-Cro-NCs-treated HeLa cells also revealed increased intracellular ROS generation at 5 and 7.5 ?g/mL, which may facilitate oxidative stress-mediated cell death. Further, the dual staining and DAPI staining results demonstrated that the SnO2-SAPEG-Cro-NCs treatment effectively increased the apoptosis in the cervical cancer HeLa cells. Overall, the outcomes authorized that SnO2-SAPEG-Cro-NCs is an excellent antimicrobial and anticancer agent for future use. 2024 Elsevier B.V. -
How does geopolitical risk affect CO2 emissions? The role of natural resource rents
In a panel dataset of 38 developing and industrialized countries from 1970 to 2021, this study investigates how geopolitical risk and resource rents affect CO2 emissions. After implementing diagnostics, the paper observes significant relationships among CO2 emissions, geopolitical risk, natural resource rents, per capita income, and share of renewable energy in the long run. The panel data estimations show that geopolitical risk, natural resource rents, and per capita income increase CO2 emissions. However, the share of renewable energy is negatively associated with it. The mediation effect of geopolitical risk and natural resource rents on CO2 emissions is also positive. Potential policy repercussions are also discussed. 2023 Elsevier Ltd -
Evaluation of test methods for fracture resistance of high modulus asphalt binders from rheological and mechanical perspectives
High modulus asphalt binder (HMAB) has excellent rutting resistance but it might have premature cracking concerns due to its high stiffness. In this study, the intermediate temperature fracture performance of six HMABs was evaluated from a rheological and mechanical standpoint. The linear amplitude sweep (LAS) test, Glover-Rowe (G-R) parameter, and pure linear amplitude sweep (PLAS) test were employed for the rheological characterization, while the binder fracture energy (BFE) test and the double-edge notched tensile (DENT) test were implemented to investigate mechanical performance. The results show that HMABs have lower cracking resistance than conventional asphalt binders, and this was due to the insufficient ductility of their internal polymer networks. Of the five test methods, the PLAS, BFE, and DENT tests are highly recommended for evaluating the cracking resistance of HMABs at intermediate temperatures. 2022 Elsevier Ltd -
Chinese maritime relations with Malabar Coast, 12001500 AD: A quest for naval dominance
China has had a long history of maritime expedition. Its Indian Ocean connectivity, long before European explorers arrived at the Malabar Coast, had made significant impact on the maritime trade in the Indian Ocean region. Chinas expedition to the Southern Asia was aimed to expand the benevolence of Chinese emperor and to establish its suzerainty in maritime trade rather than to establish the permanent position on land. The political dynamics at home caused the rise and fall of the maritime might of China. The famous explorer, Zheng Hes expeditions represented Chinas ambition to expand its control over the Indian Ocean regions. The Malabar Coast with its geographical advantages had developed maritime activities enhancing its commercial fortunes. China had to accept the strength of Malabar kingdoms in terms of political power, trade and commercial advantages. Importantly, Malabar kingdoms did not accept the Chinese assertions of supremacy but engaged with the Chinese on equal terms. An attempt is made here to trace Chinas maritime strategy to expand their power beyond the immediate periphery and establish its supremacy in the Indian Ocean. 2019, 2019 National Maritime Foundation.