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BRICS: Advancing Cooperation and Strengthening Regionalism
In the era of regional international relations and more interdependence, organisations like the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) can play a meaningful role in international level as well as regional in years to come. The recent summit of the BRICS reiterates that more cooperation is needed at various levels. In Delhi declaration, it is called for a more representative international financial architecture, with an increase in the voice and representation of developing countries and the establishment and improvement of a just international monetary system that can serve the interests of all countries and support the development of emerging and developing economies. Moreover, these economies having experienced broad-based growth are now significant contributors to global recovery. This is true. One must acknowledge the fact that the roles of the BRICS countries are composed of various political systems, various subcontinent, but in the changed context, all these countries are coming under the purview of the developing countries in broader terms. That makes the BRICS beyond the regional boundaries to set a benchmark in the regional cooperation. Chinas permanent status in the United Nations makes the BRICS more strategically oriented and pragmatic aspects of foreign policy engagement in the twenty-first century. The political leadership and vision is equally important with economic engagement. The four major theories of the international relations (IR) are striking in this respect which includes liberalism, realism, constructivism and Marxism. Theoretical framework relevant to regionalism in focusing on IR theories is also analysed in this article. The main argument of the article is that there is no prescribed regional model and BRICS has to tune to the member countries regional and political frameworks to engage with. Therefore, the framework of analysis is more or less critical about the Western engagement and it is region focused. 2012 Indian Council of World Affairs. -
Bridging Digital Divide in India: Positive Outlook Amid COVID-19
The digital divide is described as the gap in access to, knowledge of, use of, or ability to comprehend information and communication technology (ICT) between different societal groups. The digital divide can often give way to an upsurge in social inequalities. This study intended to comprehend the extent of the rural-urban digital divide in India regarding access to the internet and to analyze the increase or decrease in the same due to the global coronavirus pandemic. The analysis of the paper was primarily based on secondary data collected from the report on The Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicators issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India for June 2019 and June 2020. Percentage analysis was employed to comprehend the trend of the digital divide in terms of access for the years 2019 and 2020. The results disclosed that there was an increase in internet access in the rural population during the time frame of COVID-19, and this increase has led to a decrease in the digital divide in terms of access to the internet. Moreover, the study revealed that COVID-19, to some extent, has resulted in bridging the rural-urban digital divide in India in terms of access. The study further highlighted the importance of digital literacy and access to ICT, and suggested ways to improve digital literacy in India. 2022, Associated Management Consultants Pvt. Ltd.. All rights reserved. -
Bridging Service Quality Gaps
Indian Streams Research Journal, Vol-2 (10), pp. 38-42. ISSN-2230-7850 -
Brinkman-Bard convection in a box with temperature modulation
A bounded porous box saturated with Newtonian fluid and subjected to a sinusoidal temperature gradient has various practical applications, such as solar energy storage, groundwater remediation, food processing, and chemical reactors. We address the generalization of the classical Rayleigh-Bard convection problem in a horizontal fluid layer in an infinitely large domain heated from below to a finite three-dimensional box. We also look into a more intricate form of the modulated Rayleigh-Bard problem in which the temperature at the bottom boundary varies sinusoidally. The Rayleigh number quantifies the non-sinusoidal part of the temperature gradient, while the amplitude and frequency of modulation describe the sinusoidal one. The critical Rayleigh number is determined using linear and nonlinear stability analyses; for the latter, the energy method is used. There is a possibility of subcritical instabilities, as evidenced by the energy stability estimates being lower than the linear ones. Furthermore, eigenvalues are obtained as a function of aspect ratios, modulation amplitude, and frequency for varying Darcy numbers. Modulation amplitude more significantly triggers a change in flow patterns at the onset of convection compared to the effect of other parameters. Considering water-saturated porous media made up of different materials, we report the critical temperature difference between lower and upper surfaces required for the onset of convection. In addition, a comparison between such a temperature difference obtained from linear theory and the energy method is also provided in the same manner. It is observed that subharmonic instability occurs for all considered porous media packed densely or sparsely. 2024 Author(s). -
Brinkman-Bard convection in a rotating-binary liquid saturated porous medium
The primary intent of the work is to investigate the linear and weakly non-linear stability analyses of natural convection in a rotating binary liquidsaturated porous medium. In the mathematical model, Newtonian binary liquid-saturated porous medium with uniform rotation subjected to stress-free isothermal boundaries and the validity of OseenBoussinesq approximation is considered in the study. Normal mode analysis is operated to acquire the DarcyRayleigh number expression in terms of the other parameters. The amount of heat and mass transfer rates are approximated at the lower boundary by performing weakly non-linear stability analysis using truncated Fourier series solution. The analysis of critical Rayleigh number, critical wave number, heat, and mass transfer is done for different values of parameters and discussed in detail with the help of plots and tables. Lewis number stabilizes the convective system, whereas increasing in the separation ratio coefficient destabilizes the convective system. Weakly nonlinear stability analysis reveals that the binary liquids with a smaller separation ratio coefficient transport the maximum heat and minimum mass compared to binary liquids with large separation ratio coefficient values. The amount of heat transport is enhanced by 14% with increase in the values of Ta whereas the same is diminished by 3.5 % and 5% respectively for the ? and Le. Thus, the effect of rotations pronounced on the onset of convection, heat and mass transports predominantly compared to the effect of binary mixtures parameters. The results of the classical RayleighBard convection and natural convection in a liquid-saturated porous medium with local thermal-equilibrium assumption can be obtained as a particular case of the study by setting the appropriate limits. 2025 Elsevier Ltd -
Brinkman-Forchheimer flow of SWCNT and MWCNT magneto-nanoliquids in a microchannel with multiple slips and Joule heating aspects
Purpose: The microfluidics has a wide range of applications, such as micro heat exchanger, micropumps, micromixers, cooling systems for microelectronic devices, fuel cells and microturbines. However, the enhancement of thermal energy is one of the challenges in these applications. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to enhance heat transfer in a microchannel flow by utilizing carbon nanotubes (CNTs). MHD Brinkman-Forchheimer flow in a planar microchannel with multiple slips is considered. Aspects of viscous and Joule heating are also deployed. The consequences are presented in two different carbon nanofluids. Design/methodology/approach: The governing equations are modeled with the help of conservation equations of flow and energy under the steady-state situation. The governing equations are non-dimensionalized through dimensionless variables. The dimensionless expressions are treated via Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg-based shooting scheme. Pertinent results of velocity, skin friction coefficient, temperature and Nusselt number for assorted values of physical parameters are comprehensively discussed. Also, a closed-form solution is obtained for momentum equation for a particular case. Numerical results agree perfectly with the analytical results. Findings: It is established that multiple slip effect is favorable for velocity and temperature fields. The velocity field of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) nanofluid is lower than single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs)-nanofluid, while thermal field, Nusselt number and drag force are higher in the case of MWCNT-nanofluid than SWCNT-nanofluid. The impact of nanotubes (SWCNTs and MWCNTs) is constructive for thermal boundary layer growth. Practical implications: This study may provide useful information to improve the thermal management of microelectromechanical systems. Originality/value: The effects of CNTs in microchannel flow by utilizing viscous dissipation and Joule heating are first time investigated. The results for SWCNTs and MWCNTs have been compared. 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited. -
Brinkman-Forchheimer slip flow subject to exponential space and thermal-dependent heat source in a microchannel utilizing SWCNT and MWCNT nanoliquids
This communication examines the impact of carbon nanotubes (single-wall carbon nanotubes [SWCNT] and multi-wall carbon nanotubes [MWCNT]) on magnetohydrodynamic Brinkman and Forchheimer flow in a planar microchannel with multiple slips. Flow through a porous medium is modeled via Brinkman and Forchheimer theory. The impacts of thermal-dependent heat source (THS) and exponential space-dependent heat source (ESHS) are deployed. Aspects of Joule and viscous dissipations are also retained. The dimensionless equations are solved using the Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg joint with shooting methodology. The significance of various nondimensional parameters on the flow distributions as well as skin-friction and Nusselt number is illustrated and analyzed. Closed form solution of momentum quantity is developed for a particular case. Obtained numerical results are in perfect agreement with analytical results. Further, the results of SWCNT and MWCNT are compared. 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. -
BrinkmanBard Convection with Rough Boundaries and Third-Type Thermal Boundary Conditions
The BrinkmanBard convection problem is chosen for investigation, along with very general boundary conditions. Using the Maclaurin series, in this paper, we show that it is possible to perform a relatively exact linear stability analysis, as well as a weakly nonlinear stability analysis, as normally performed in the case of a classical free isothermal/free isothermal boundary combination. Starting from a classical linear stability analysis, we ultimately study the chaos in such systems, all conducted with great accuracy. The principle of exchange of stabilities is proven, and the critical Rayleigh number, (Formula presented.), and the wave number, (Formula presented.), are obtained in closed form. An asymptotic analysis is performed, to obtain (Formula presented.) for the case of adiabatic boundaries, for which (Formula presented.). A seemingly minimal representation yields a generalized Lorenz model for the general boundary condition used. The symmetry in the three Lorenz equations, their dissipative nature, energy-conserving nature, and bounded solution are observed for the considered general boundary condition. Thus, one may infer that, to obtain the results of various related problems, they can be handled in an integrated manner, and results can be obtained with great accuracy. The effect of increasing the values of the Biot numbers and/or slip Darcy numbers is to increase, not only the value of the critical Rayleigh number, but also the critical wave number. Extreme values of zero and infinity, when assigned to the Biot number, yield the results of an adiabatic and an isothermal boundary, respectively. Likewise, these extreme values assigned to the slip Darcy number yield the effects of free and rigid boundary conditions, respectively. Intermediate values of the Biot and slip Darcy numbers bridge the gap between the extreme cases. The effects of the Biot and slip Darcy numbers on the HopfRayleigh number are, however, opposite to each other. In view of the known analogy between Bard convection and TaylorCouette flow in the linear regime, it is imperative that the results of the latter problem, viz., BrinkmanTaylorCouette flow, become as well known. 2023 by the authors. -
Broad-band mHz QPOs and spectral study of LMC X-4 with AstroSat
We report the results of broad-band timing and spectral analysis of data from an AstroSat observation of the high-mass X-ray binary LMC X-4. The Large Area X-ray Proportional Counter (LAXPC) and Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT) instruments onboard the AstroSat observed the source in 2016 August. A complete X-ray eclipse was detected with the LAXPC. The 340 keV power density spectrum showed the presence of coherent pulsations along with a ?26 mHz quasi-periodic oscillation feature. The spectral properties of LMC X-4 were derived from a joint analysis of the SXT and LAXPC spectral data. The 0.525 keV persistent spectrum comprised of an absorbed high-energy cut-off power law with photon index of ? ? 0.8 and cut-off at ?16 keV, a soft thermal component with kTBB ? 0.14 keV, and Gaussian components corresponding to Fe K?, Ne IX, and Ne X emission lines. Assuming a source distance of 50 kpc, we determined 0.525 keV luminosity to be ?2 1038 erg s?1 2022 The Author(s) Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Astronomical Society. -
Broadband near infrared emission in Cr3+: Cs2AgBiCl6 double perovskite halides
Near Infra-red phosphors with broad emission band, high thermal stability and excellent efficiency are required in various bioimaging applications. In this study, we report the design and chemical reflux synthesis of a new family of Cr3+: Cs2AgBiCl6 double perovskites. In detail this article focuses on the impact of Cr3+ doping on the crystal structure, optical and vibrational properties of Cs2AgBiCl6 double perovskites. Different concentrations of Cr3+ doped Cs2AgBiCl6 double perovskites were analyzed using UVVisible, Raman, Photoluminescence (PL), PL excitation, time resolved PL, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Morphological analyses were carried out using scanning and transmission electron microscopies. XRD spectra reveals that the cubic symmetry remains unaltered upon Cr3+ doping. Raman and Rietveld analysis show that the BiCl bond decreases upon Cr3+ incorporation. Optical absorption studies reveal a decrease in bandgap from 2.76 to 2.66 eV upon Cr3+ doping. PL spectroscopy of Cr 3+:Cs2AgBiCl6 exhibits a broad near infrared (NIR) emission band at 973 nm with an FWHM of 186 nm at 355 nm excitation. This demonstrates the promising prospects for NIR light emitting diode and bioimaging applications of Cr3+:Cs2AgBiCl6 double perovskites. 2023 Elsevier B.V. -
Broadband Spectral Properties of MAXI J1348-630 using AstroSat Observations
We present broadband X-ray spectral analysis of the black hole X-ray binary MAXI J1348-630, performed using five AstroSat observations. The source was in the soft spectral state for the first three observations and in the hard state for the last two. The three soft state spectra were modeled using a relativistic thin accretion disk with reflection features and thermal Comptonization. Joint fitting of the soft state spectra constrained the spin parameter of the black hole a * > 0.97 and the disk inclination angle i = 32.9 ? 0.6 + 4.1 degrees. The bright and faint hard states had bolometric flux a factor of ?6 and ?10 less than that of the soft state respectively. Their spectra were fitted using the same model except that the inner disk radius was not assumed to be at the last stable orbit. However, the estimated values do not indicate large truncation radii and the inferred accretion rate in the disk was an order of magnitude lower than that of the soft state. Along with earlier reported temporal analysis, AstroSat data provide a comprehensive picture of the evolution of the source. 2022. National Astronomical Observatories, CAS and IOP Publishing Ltd. -
Bromelain enhances digestibility of Spirulina-based fish feed
Microalgae like Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) are protein rich and can be alternative protein sources to fishmeal and soybean meal in fish feed formulation. The present study aims to improve the protein bioavailability of Spirulina by cost-effective protein extraction followed by protease supplementation in fish feed, using in vitro studies. Different extraction procedures such as microwave-assisted, high pressure, and temperature-mediated extraction, boiling and an isoelectric precipitation were employed to study the protein yield from Spirulina powder, and this was compared with the conventional soybean meal and fishmeal conditioning during feed manufacture. Bromelain is a potent protease that has not been widely used as a feed additive with Spirulina. To study the comparative efficiency of bromelain and other proteases like papain and trypsin on Spirulina and conventional feed substrates, a protease assay was performed at different temperatures and enzyme concentrations. The digestibility of these substrates was also studied in vitro, using gut extracts from the fingerlings of Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus). Unlike an in vivo feeding trial, a novel method was used to study the effect of protease supplementation on the inherent digestibility of the gut with an in vitro method. Bromelain showed the highest activity on all the substrates at both the temperatures. Bromelain supplementation improved the in vitro digestibility of the Spirulina that were subjected to protein extraction, more than the un-extracted one. The results of the present in vitro study suggest that Spirulina could serve as an alternative protein source, and bromelain-based supplementation could improve the digestibility of Spirulina-based fish diets. 2021, Springer Nature B.V. -
Bromelain improves the growth, biochemical, and hematological profiles of the fingerlings of Nile Tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus
A 6-week-long feeding trial experiment was conducted to study the efficacy of Bromelain, a blend of proteolytic enzymes present in pineapple wastes on growth performance, biochemical, and hematological profiles of the fingerlings of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. For this, 240 Nile tilapia fingerlings (9 0.11 cm) were fed a commercial diet, supplemented with different levels of pineapple peel extract (PPE) at 1:0, 1:1, 1:2, and 1:3 ratios. After 45 days of the feeding trial, growth parameters, biochemical constituents, and the level of blood cells were assessed. It was found that the growth parameters such as weight gain, feed efficiency ratio, and specific growth rate were increased (p < 0.05) along with the total protein and amino acid content and few hematological parameters; whereas the feed conversion ratio was found to be reduced significantly (p > 0.05) without changing the white blood cell count with PPE supplementation. Thus, the PPE can be a potential feed supplement in Nile tilapia aquaculture. 2022 Gopal Raaj et al. -
BSLnO: Multi-agent based distributed intrusion detection system using Bat Sea Lion Optimization-based hybrid deep learning approach
Intrusion detection system (IDS) is a robust model that plays an essential role in dealing with intrusion detection, especially in detecting abnormal anomalies and unknown attacks. The major challenges faced by IDS are the computation time required for analysis, and the exchange of a huge amount of data from one division of the network to another. For the sake of tackling such limitations, this probe proposes a multi-agent enabled IDS for detecting intrusions using the Bat Sea Lion Optimization (BSLnO) algorithm. The proposed strategy consists of five phases, namely pre-processor agent, reducer agent, augmentation agent, classifier agent, and decision agent. Initially, input data is subjected to pre-processor agent, where pre-processing is carried out using data normalization and missing value imputation. Thereafter, the pre-processed result is fed up to the reducer agent, where dimension reduction is carried out using mutual information. The third step is data augmentation in which the dimensionality of data is enhanced. After that, the augmented result is subjected to classifier agent to classify intrusions or malicious activities present in the network based on hybrid deep learning strategies, namely deep maxout network and deep residual network. A developed BSLnO is implemented by incorporating Bat Algorithm (BA) and Sea Lion Optimization (SLnO) algorithm to train the hybrid classifier. The proposed scheme has acquired a higher precision of 0.936, recall of 0.904, and F-measure of 0.920. 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. -
BSSA: Binary Salp Swarm Algorithm with Hybrid Data Transformation for Feature Selection
Feature selection is a technique commonly used in Data Mining and Machine Learning. Traditional feature selection methods, when applied to large datasets, generate a large number of feature subsets. Selecting optimal features within this high dimensional data space is time-consuming and negatively affects the system's performance. This paper proposes a new binary Salp Swarm Algorithm (bSSA) for selecting the best feature set from transformed datasets. The proposed feature selection method first transforms the original data-set using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and fast Independent Component Analysis (fastICA) based hybrid data transformation methods; next, a binary Salp Swarm optimizer is used for finding the best features. The proposed feature selection approach improves accuracy and eliminates the selection of irrelevant features. We validate our technique on fifteen different benchmark data sets. We conduct an extensive study to measure the performance and feature selection accuracy of the proposed technique. The proposed bSSA is compared to Binary Genetic Algorithm (bGA), Binary Binomial Cuckoo Search (bBCS), Binary Grey Wolf Optimizer (bGWO), Binary Competitive Swarm Optimizer (bCSO), and Binary Crow Search Algorithm (bCSA). The proposed method attains a mean accuracy of 95.26% with 7.78% features on PCA-fastICA transformed datasets. The results show that bSSA outperforms the existing methods for the majority of the performance measures. 2013 IEEE. -
Bt cotton and the voices of the widows in the face of farmer-suicides
This article deploys the culture-centered approach to foreground the everyday constructions of farmer-suicides amid the agrarian epidemic among the farmer-widows to attend to the everyday structures that constitute the meanings of the suicides. The depictions of the patriarchal structures of decision-making in agriculture are intertwined with the broader erasure of the interplays of inequality in farmers experiences from the discursive sites of neoliberal agriculture. Furthermore, the voices of the widows disrupt the monolithic construction of agricultural technologies as tools of modernization and progress dominant in the development communication scholarship, instead, depicting the ways in which new technologies (such as Bt cotton) are constituted within, and reproduce, the overarching inequalities. 2020 National Communication Association. -
Buffer zones in Wayanad: A social constructivist exploration into farmers mental health
Buffer zones are regions set aside to border protected areas to preserve biodiversity, control interactions between people and wildlife, and foster sustainable development. The majority of research on buffer zones focuses on ecological issues, and little is known about how they affect local communities mental health. This study explores buffer zones potential consequences on farmers mental health in Wayanad. Through purposive sampling, eleven participants residing in Wayanad were recruited for the study. The socio-demographics of participants were collected through printed translated questionnaires. The qualitative exploration of their lived experiences, perceptions, and coping strategies was conducted using semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis by Braun and Clarke was used to gain a clearer understanding of the data collected. Through in-depth analysis of the data, it was identified that Mental Health Factors, Communication Factors, Financial Impact, Operational Stress, Interference of Judiciary and Legislature, and Seclusion of the Tribal Community were the issues the farmers faced in Wayanad. The results will contribute to the expanding mental health field and give policymakers, conservationists, and mental health professionals information about the potential psychological effects of buffer zones and guide them in creating suitable interventions and support systems to improve mental health. The Author(s) 2024. -
BUILDING A DATA ETHICAL FUTURE: Data Policies and Frameworks
Technology-driven choices are shaping the digital engagement of individuals and policymakers. Rapid technological advancements and the increasing utilisation of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have presented profound ethical challenges concerning privacy, accountability, and transparency. Existing Data Acts, internet policies, and government frameworks fall short of protecting individuals and states from violations of their digital footprints. This article advocates for a human-centric approach to data ethics, drawing on the concept of the common good, as articulated by John Rawls. Through a systematic review of global data privacy laws, acts, guidelines, and practices, the article examines potential disparities and emphasises the need for universal data legislation, guidelines, and policies. It highlights the significance of data policies and frameworks in fostering ethical data usage, trust, and integrity. By applying Kants philosophy of respecting individuals autonomy, the article emphasises the importance of informed consent and recommends ethical guidelines for both users and content creators. 2023, Journal of Dharma: Dharmaram Journal of Religions and Philosophies (DVK, Bangalore) -
Building a resilient future: collaborative sustainability regulation
The challenge of sustainability lies in achieving a balance between satisfying present needs and protecting resources for future generations with an emphasis on its three pillars - environmental, social and governance. This study explored sustainable development encompassing environmental, social and governance aspects along with sustainability reporting through various sustainability frameworks. A systematic review of literature for the period 2010-23 on major worldwide sustainability frameworks was conducted, by offering insights into enhancing reporting mechanisms for a sustainable future. Secondary data related to sustainability reports were obtained from the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board and International Integrated Reporting Council, which helped in examining sector and year variations across countries. The results reflected that mandatory sustainability disclosures help to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and global sustainability frameworks help to set standards, disseminate information and promote transparency. Collaboration of investment, company action and sustainability organizations can lead to a sustainable global economy. The adoption of sustainability reporting can help organizations by fostering a proper understanding of sustainability practices, improving transparency and identifying potential business opportunities in sectors with lower sustainability. The paper provided insights into sustainability reporting published across various countries in both advanced as well as emerging and developing economies. The analysis showed which sectors and time periods have had the most sustainability reports and which areas needed to be targeted for action to advance sustainable development. 2024 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of National Institute of Clean-and-Low-Carbon Energy. -
Building a sustainable relationship between customers and marketers
Finding new customers is costlier than retaining the existing customers for the business. Therefore, building a strong relationship with customers helps marketers to retain their existing customers. Incorporating ethical and moral values into marketing activities offer a way to build a strong relationship. This study identifies the factors that bind customers and marketers into a sustainable relationship in the Indian context. This study constitutes a framework to understand and apply sustainable relationship marketing in the personal care industry. This study touches certain marketing disciplines such as marketing mix policy, transparency in trades, building trust, product delivery, promises delivery, and sustainable relationship. The convenience sampling technique used for the selection of respondents from the Mohali City of Punjab, and interview them. The finding suggests that promises delivery is the most important factor for a sustainable relationship. If promises are delivered effectively then the life of the relationship will be longer. Copyright 2024 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.