Browse Items (5511 total)
Sort by:
-
Autoregressive Distributed Lag Approach for Estimating the Nexus between Net Asset Value of Mutual Fund and Economic Determinants in India
India has seen a phenomenal growth in cumulative mutual fund investment from Rs 7.93 trillion in 2012 to Rs 40.38 trillion in 2022, which is more than a five-fold increase since last 10 years. Retail investors are now realizing the power of savings and Systematic Investment Plans (SIP) to build long term wealth. A financial literacy wave which is sweeping across India has projected mutual funds as a significant contributor and beneficiary of this phenomenon. The evolving economic landscape of India provides investors with excellent opportunities to capitalize on these fluctuations through systematic investment in safe investment vehicles like mutual funds. The market associated with mutual funds is always subjected to economic risks. The erratic fluctuations in macroeconomic variables can largely explain the Volatility in Net Asset Value (NAV) of equity oriented mutual fund schemes. With this background, this paper examines the impact of select macroeconomic variables on mutual funds performance in India. To analyse this, monthly observations of select macroeconomic variables, average NAV of large cap, mid cap, and small cap funds collected for a period of 10 years starting from January 2013 to November 2022. Descriptive statistics is used to probe the characteristics of the variable. In addition, correlation and ordinary least square method is applied to check the existing relationship and impact level of macroeconomic factors on NAV of select schemes. Lastly, short and long run relationship is analysed using Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model (ARDL). 2023, ASERS Publishing House. All rights reserved. -
Aza-Michael addition of 1,2-diazoles to structurally diverse enones: Efficient methods toward ?-amino ketones
An efficient and mild protocol was realized using 1,2-diazoles and related heterocycles with cyclic and acyclic enones in presence of T3P (2,4,6-tripropyl-1,3,5,2,4,6-trioxatriphosphorinane-2,4,6-trioxide) toward the regioselective formation of N-cycloalkyl heterocycles at room temperature. The developed reaction conditions showcased good selectivity over a wide range of 1,2-diazoles and enones by delivering N-cycloalkyl heterocycles in excellent yields. 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC. -
Azole-Based Antibacterial Agents: A Review on Multistep Synthesis Strategies and Biology
This article reviews current multistep synthesis strategies of azole-based antibacterial agents. In recent years, extensive use of chemical agents in treating different diseases resulted in the development of drug resistance. The war on multidrug resistance has resulted in the most significant loss to the worlds economy. Thus, the expansion of development of novel and potential candidates such as azoles and its derivatives is an escalating area in the field of medicinal chemistry. Azole compounds are increasingly being considered necessary in drug discovery paradigms as a number of them serve as lead compounds for the discovery of potent therapeutic agents. They have been used to treat bacterial, fungal, malarial, viral, and other general infections. They have also been known for their anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities. Their efficacy has been attributed to their electron-rich property, resulting in the formation of non-covalent bonds to the receptor proteins. Current research has given us a significant collection of synthetic strategies in the progress of azole compounds. This review article describes the survey of literature regarding multistep synthetic methods in the preparation of azole-based compounds and their antibacterial properties in the last 5 years. 2021 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. -
Azopyridine as a Linker Molecule in Polyaniline-Grafted Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite Electrodes for Asymmetric Supercapacitors
Electronically conducting polymers (ECPs)/carbon nanomaterial-based polyaniline electrodes have received great interest in the field of supercapacitors due to their high specific capacitance, good electronic conductivity, good mechanical strength, good chemical and electrochemical stabilities, etc. Among the various available ECPs, they have received much importance due to their excellent electrochemical performances. Herein, we report a facile synthesis of a PANI-grafted graphene oxide (GO)-azopyridine (Azo) (PANI/GO-Azo) nanocomposite and use it as electrodes for fabricating supercapacitors. The azo units present in the nanocomposite act as a spacer between PANI and GO. The interfacial polymerization method is adopted for the synthesis of PANI/GO-Azo nanocomposites. The PANI/GO-Azo nanocomposite electrode exhibits a gravimetric capacitance of 426 F g-1 at a current density of 0.25 A g-1 in 1 M H2SO4 (aqueous) electrolyte. The electrode possesses good cycling stability of more than 5000 cycles with a Coulombic efficiency of 98.5%. An asymmetric supercapacitor fabricated with PANI/GO-Azo as the positive electrode and activated carbon as the negative electrode delivers an energy density of 12.45 W h kg-1 with a power density of 274.9 W kg-1. This study proclaims that the PANI/GO-Azo nanocomposite electrode is highly promising for next-generation supercapacitors. 2023 American Chemical Society -
Bacha Posh: Gender Construct in Afghan Culture Examined through the Lens of Children in Literature
With the fall of the Taliban in 2001 and their return in 2021, Afghanistan has undergone drastic socio-political changes. In many families, children are introduced to the practice of Bacha Posh (dressing up like a boy), an Afghan cultural custom where girls are dressed up as boys until they are married off. Despite children being central to this practice, it has not been studied through their eyes. This article examines the custom of Bacha Posh through the childrens perspective and situates it within the current socio-political scenario of the country. A textual and cultural analysis of three literary works is carried out through a study of their child characters to examine how Afghan culture creates its own gender construct. Two are significant works of childrens literature that revolve around real-life stories of Bacha Posh Nadia Hashimis One Half from the East (2016) and Deborah Ellis The Breadwinner (2000). The third work is The Underground Girls of Kabul (2014) by Jenny Nordberg, a seminal work in the study of Bacha Posh in which Nordberg focuses on the practice of Bacha Posh and presents the voice of children. This article then goes on to study the impact of the restrictive nature of the Taliban regime on girls and its influence on the cultural custom of Bacha Posh. It demonstrates how this practice creates an unstable gender construct among children, as evidenced by the gender dysphoria that some girls experience. It thus demonstrates the impact of culture on gender through filling in the gaps between culture, literature and politics. 2023, The International Academic Forum (IAFOR). All rights reserved. -
Bacillus cereus-mediated biofermentation of Sardine offal waste: A novel approach to enhance nutritional value by Response Surface Methodology optimization
The rising protein demand in the aquaculture sector has significantly impacted fishmeal supply and pricing. Excessive use of fishmeal can lead to environmental issues and negatively impact marine biodiversity and human food security. Consequently, finding alternative fishmeal in aquaculture is crucial for economic and environmental sustainability. The present study aimed to determine how Bacillus cereus (MT355408) could enhance nutritional value of Sardine fish waste, which could replace fish meal in the market. Solid-state fermentation (SSF) represents a biotechnological method that utilizes microbes to convert discarded fish byproducts into valuable products. The bacterial ability to produce enzymes was studied and optimised for its maximum production to be used as an inoculum for the SSF technique. Different prebiotic sources were also studied for better upliftment of bacteria in the solid-state surface. A single-factor analysis was conducted to investigate the influence of varying prebiotic concentrations, inoculum quantity, and fermentation duration on protein breakdown. After studying the single-factor tests, a further response surface model was employed for better yield. The results indicated that the highest protein yield could be achieved with a fermentation time of 132.893 hours, a prebiotic quantity of 25%, and an inoculum quantity of 5.3%. The study's findings also affirmed that the model was vital in enhancing the crude protein content during fermentation. In conclusion, the model's results contribute valuable insights into fermentation processes, offering practical implications for enhancing protein content and digestibility in similar contexts. 2024, Applied and Natural Science Foundation. All rights reserved. -
Bacillus velezensis-synthesized silver nanoparticles and its efficacy in controlling the Aedes aegypti
Abstract: Dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever are diseases that do not have any potential medications. The severity of these diseases is fatal and thus poses a severe threat to mankind. Aedes aegypti is the vector that carries and spreads the dengue virus. Therefore, controlling the development and population of mosquitoes is crucial. Many insecticides and other strategies of control have not become successful in their purpose. Therefore, establishing potential compounds that are environmentally safe and productive in inhibiting the growth of mosquitoes is still to be acquired. Bacillus velezensis (MW219533) was utilized in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles with silver nitrate as the metal ion source. The silver nanoparticles were characterized and confirmed using UVvisible spectrometry that indicated a peak at 421 nm. Further analytical measurements such as X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis confirmed the presence of crystalline, cylindrical-shaped silver nanoparticles of size 5659 nm. The LC50 was found to be 581.39, 616.37, 760.93, 801.94 and 867.66 g l?1 when tested against the five developmental stages of Aedes aegypti, such as first instar, second instar, third instar, fourth instar stages of larvae and pupae, respectively. The predatory efficacy of Poecilia reticulata was calculated with exposure to silver nanoparticles. Our study aims on developing an environmentally safe and economical approach to reduce the development of mosquitoes in the environment. The work signifies the biological method towards controlling the larvae and pupae stages of A. aegypti as well as to mark its safety at the aquatic level of the life cycle that leaves no traces of pollution on the environment. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.] 2023, Indian Academy of Sciences. -
Bacterial biofilm inhibition activity of ethanolic extract of hemidesmus indicus
Multi-drug resistance is one of the biggest nightmares in the field of healthcare today. Adding on to this, some bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa have the ability to form biofilms. These essentially are large colonies of bacteria that are held together by polysaccharides and other biomolecules which in turn facilitate in their adherence to solid substrate both natural and synthetic. This further creates a life-threatening implication leading to nosocomial infections like pneumonia, Urinary tract infections (UTI), etc. increasing the co-morbidities and mortality of critically-ill patients. The combination of antimicrobial resistance, ability to form biofilms and threat of nosocomial infections calls for a need to investigate newer, safer alternatives. Plant based medicaments have been used for centuries and they are a great alternative to synthetic drugs. In the present study, ethanolic extracts of Hemidesmus indicus was evaluated against clinically-important multi-drug resistant organisms. Percentage biofilm inhibition of plant extracts of Hemidesmus indicus by crystal violet assay method. Triplicate analysis was done and data obtained was statistically interpreted using Microsoft Excel. Alcoholic extracts of Hemidesmus indicus exhibited significant biofilm inhibitory activity against the common bacteria Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. Further, isolation of the chief active constituent responsible for Anti-biofilm activity is in process. 2020, National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources (NISCAIR). All rights reserved. -
Bacterial diversity of geochemically distinct hot springs located in Maharashtra, India
Bacterial diversity of four thermally different hot springs of Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra, India, was investigated using culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches. A total of 144 bacterial cultures were isolated and identified using MALDI-TOF MS (matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry) and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Culture-independent analysis by Ion Torrent sequencing targeting the V3 region of the 16S rRNA gene revealed the predominance of Firmicutes across all the hot springs, followed by Chloroflexi, Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria, Armatimonadetes, Actinobacteria, Nitrospirae, Acidobacteria, and DeinococcusThermus, with subtle differences in their abundance. At the lower taxonomic rank of genus, we noted the prevalence of Acinetobacter followed by Clostridium, Planomicrobium, Bacillus, Streptomyces, and Leptolyngbya. Metagenomics imputation using in silico approach revealed divergence in the metabolic capabilities of bacterial communities along the thermal gradient of host springs, with site TS (63C) featuring the abundant functional gene families. 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. -
Balance of payment crisis in India: What the figure say
Volume 2, Issue 5, September-October 2013 -
Balanced constrained partitioning of distinct objects
Partition is the process of dividing ? elements of a set into ? non-empty subsets where every element is included in exactly one subset. Set partitioning problems play an important role in real-world scenarios such as scheduling, management and grouping. In this paper, n distinct objects are arranged into different groups and the problem of partition is evaluated concerning a people assignment problem of a multi-site company. New constraints such as minimum and the maximum number of people in a single-site company (respectively m and M) that are fixed for all sites are introduced and the solutions for the partition problem for the constraints are also established. BEIESP. -
Balancing cerebrovascular disease data with integrated ensemble learning and SVM-SMOTE
The paper addresses the challenge of imbalanced classification in the context of cerebrovascular diseases, including stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), and vascular dementia. The imbalanced nature of cerebrovascular disease datasets poses significant challenges to conventional machine learning algorithms, making precise diagnosis and effective management difficult. The aim of the paper is to propose a novel approach, the INTEL_SS algorithm, which combines ensemble learning techniques with Support Vector Machine-Synthetic Minority Over-sampling Technique (SVM-SMOTE) to effectively handle the imbalanced nature of cerebrovascular disease datasets. The goal is to improve the accuracy of diagnosis and management of cerebrovascular diseases through advanced machine learning techniques. The proposed methodology involves several key steps, including preprocessing, SVM-SMOTE, and ensemble learning. Preprocessing techniques are used to improve the quality of the dataset, SVM-SMOTE is employed to address class imbalance, and ensemble learning methods such as bagging, boosting, and stacking are utilized to improve overall classification performance. The experimental results demonstrate that the INTEL_SS algorithm outperforms existing methods in terms of accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, and AUC-ROC. Performance metrics are used to assess the effectiveness of the proposed approach, and the results consistently show the superiority of INTEL_SS compared to state-of-the-art imbalanced classification algorithms. The paper concludes that the INTEL_SS algorithm has the potential to enhance the diagnosis and management of cerebrovascular diseases, offering new opportunities to apply machine learning techniques to improve healthcare outcomes. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature 2024. -
Balancing module in evolutionary optimization and Deep Reinforcement Learning for multi-path selection in Software Defined Networks
Software Defined Network (SDN) has been used in many organizations due to its efficiency in transmission. Machine learning techniques have been applied in SDN to improve its efficiency in resource scheduling. The existing models in SDN have limitations of overfitting, local optima trap and lower efficiency in path selection. This study applied Balancing Module (BM)-Spider Monkey Optimization (SMO)-Crow Search Algorithm (CSA) for multi path selection in SDN to improve its efficiency. The balancing module applies Gaussian distribution to balance between exploration and exploitation in the multi-path selection process. The Balancing module helps to escape local optima trap and increases the convergence rate. Deep Reinforcement learning is applied for resource scheduling in SDN. The Deep reinforcement learning technique uses the reward function to improve the learning performance, and the BM-SMO-CSA technique has 30 J energy consumption, where the existing models: DRL has 40 J energy consumption, and Graph-ACO has 62 J energy consumption. 2022 -
Balancing work and life inacademia: unraveling theemployee engagement mystery
Purpose: This study aims to further the understanding of employees engagement by explaining their organizational commitment through their perception of the availability of work-life benefits in the organization. This study also investigates the mediating role of job satisfaction in this context. Design/methodology/approach: The model was tested on the primary data collected in two phases from 270 teaching professionals in higher education institutes in Northern India. Barren and Kennys algorithm and hierarchical regression analysis were used to test the hypotheses. Findings: The results reveal that employees perception of work-life benefits strongly influences their organizational commitment. Also, the results support that employees job satisfaction mediates the above-mentioned relationship. Research limitations/implications: Self-reported data could be considered as a key limitation of this study and for more accurate results supervisors (line managers) perspective could also be included in future studies. Also, in addition to perceived work-life benefits, supervisors support could also have an impact on employees commitment, thus its inclusion in the model could draw a clearer picture. Originality/value: This research has two key contributions: first, it adds to the limited literature examining the employees engagement issues in the academic sector. Second, this research is one of, if not the first, to investigate perceived work-life benefits among third-level teaching staff in India to explain employees commitment to their organizations. 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited. -
Banana peels as a cost effective substrate for fungal chitosan synthesis: optimisation and characterisation
Massive accumulation of unprocessed banana peels enthralls sustainable issues as they are eventually dumped as landfills leading to emission of obnoxious gasses. To avoid these persisting challenges the present study shims lights on chitosan production from the characterised fungal strain using banana peel hydrolysate as an effective medium. Substantial amount of carbohydrate in banana peels serves as a potential solution for fungal chitosan production in a view to attain a circular bioeconomy and repurposed for synthesis of beneficial products in a cost effective manner. Presence of fermentable sugars in banana peels qualifies them as a feasible substrate which could be exploited for scaling up of fungal chitosan synthesis. Screened isolate was subjected to statistical optimisation using formulated medium to elucidate the influential factors that had significant effect on chitosan production. The harvested chitosan biomass was characterised through standardised techniques and evaluated for further studies. Statistical optimisation reveals that ammonium nitrate (5 g/L), pH (6) and incubation time (144 hrs) were the three PBD variables that had a greater influence on fungal chitosan yield. The validated developed model exhibited maximum yield of 200 mg/L, a 4.4 fold increase than unoptimised medium (45 mg/L). These findings emphasise the fermentative synthesis of chitosan through valorisation of banana peel prop up a complementary approach in concomitant with preserving renewable resources and bioproduct formation. 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. -
Banking System and Financial Inclusion Process in India: Issues and Perspectives
PSNA Journal of Business and System, Vol-3 (1), pp. 74-83. ISSN-2319-2909 -
Barbell-shaped giant radio galaxy with ? 100 kpc kink in the jet
We present for the first time a study of peculiar giant radio galaxy (GRG) J223301+131502 using deep multi-frequency radio observations from GMRT (323, 612, and 1300 MHz) and LOFAR (144 MHz) along with optical spectroscopic observations with the WHT 4.2m optical telescope. Our observations have firmly established its redshift of 0.09956 and unveiled its exceptional jet structure extending more than ? 200 kpc leading to a peculiar kink structure of ? 100 kpc. We measure the overall size of this GRG to be ? 1.83 Mpc; it exhibits lobes without any prominent hotspots and closely resembles a barbell. Our deep low-frequency radio maps clearly reveal the steep-spectrum diffuse emission from the lobes of the GRG. The magnetic field strength of ? 5 ?G and spectral ages between about 110 to 200 mega years for the radio lobes were estimated using radio data from LOFAR 144 MHz observations and GMRT 323 and 612 MHz observations. We discuss the possible causes leading to the formation of the observed kink feature for the GRG, which include precession of the jet axis, development of instabilities and magnetic reconnection. Despite its enormous size, the Barbell GRG is found to be residing in a low-mass (M200 ? 1014 M) galaxy cluster. This GRG with two-sided large-scale jets with a kink and diffuse outer lobes residing in a cluster environment, provides an opportunity to explore the structure and growth of GRGs in different environments. 2022 EDP Sciences. All rights reserved. -
Barriers to career advancement of women chefs leading to their poor visibility in hotel industry: A study with special reference to Bengaluru /
Asian Journal of Managerial Science, Vol.7, Issue 2, pp.34-36, ISSN No: 2249-6300. -
Barriers to corporate social responsibility implementation in the medium size manufacturing sector: an interpretive structure modelling approach
Purpose: Corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices are gaining momentum globally but their implementation becomes problematic due to the presence of barriers. So, this study aims to identify the barriers to CSR implementation among manufacturing enterprises, develop their classification and establish relationships among the barriers. Design/methodology/approach: An exhaustive list of barriers was identified from the literature, and following surveys and expert opinions, 19 critical barriers were extracted. Interpretive structure modelling was used to understand the hierarchal and contextual relationships among barriers of CSR implementation. Findings: The results show that are no autonomous variables present in the study. The proposed conceptual framework presents the hierarchy and interlinkage of barriers to CSR implementation in manufacturing enterprises. The results also indicate that rigidity in culture and corruption in the system and within the governance system of the country are the two most influential barriers that impede CSR implementation in manufacturing enterprises. Originality/value: The interactions among CSR barriers provide policymakers, industrial practitioners and managers with a framework to recognise and evaluate mutual relationships and interlinking among barriers. CSR training and undertaking CSR in collaboration can help medium enterprises overcome these barriers and prepare strategies to mitigate their impact. 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited. -
Base mediated spirocyclization of quinazoline: One-step synthesis of spiro-isoindolinone dihydroquinazolinones
A novel approach for the spiro-isoindolinone dihydroquinazolinones has been demonstrated from 2-aminobenzamide and 2-cyanomethyl benzoate in the presence of KHMDS as a base to get moderate yields. The reaction has been screened in various bases followed by solvents and a gram scale reaction has also been executed under the given conditions. Based on the controlled experiments a plausible reaction mechanism has been proposed. Further the substrate scope of this reaction has also been studied. This journal is The Royal Society of Chemistry.