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Social Media Dependency and Facebook Usage among the Older Adults of Kerala
Social media has become an integral part of modern society, with people of all ages using various platforms to connect, share information, and stay up-to-date on current events. However, there has been a recent trend of increased Facebook usage among older adults, which has raised concerns about social media dependency. The current study explores the trends in social media dependency and Facebook intensity among older adults of Kerala. The present study employed a quantitative research design and the sample consisted of 416 older adults, aged above 60 years. Two scales were used to collect data: the Social Media Dependency Scale (SMDS) and the Facebook Intensity Measure (FBI). Frequency and percentage analysis, Spearman's Rho, Kruskal-Wallis H test, and Mann-Whitney U test were carried out using SPSS (Version 23) for deriving results. Those individuals who are more dependent on social media are also more likely to engage in high levels of Facebook activity. A good majority of the participants were found to be using social media and Facebook for more than 3 hours in a day and having more than 400 friends. Social media dependency and Facebook intensity were reported to be high in urban localities, South Kerala having significantly higher rates of social media dependency when compared to North and Central regions. Social media dependency was found to be high among males, whereas no difference was in Facebook intensity among male and females. Implications: Given the importance of social connections for the well-being of older adults, it is critical to understand the impact of social media use on their lives and develop strategies to promote healthy social media behaviour. 2023 Redfame Publishing Inc.. All Rights Reserved. -
Rv1899c, an HDAC1ZBTB25-Interacting Protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Promotes Stress Resistance and Immune Evasion in Infected Macrophages
Rv1899c, a previously identified HDAC1ZBTB25-interacting protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, plays a crucial role in bacterial adaptation and immune modulation. Recombinant M. smegmatis-expressing Rv1899c (MS_ Rv1899c) showed enhanced survival under acidic and oxidative stress compared to vector controls, along with improved early intracellular growth in THP1-derived macrophages. This was accompanied by reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS), diminished cytokines associated with inflammation and downregulation of autophagy proteins ATG5, Beclin, and LC3, which ultimately skewed the immune response, suppressing the pro-inflammatory M1 macrophage population. Targeting Rv1899c with 3-aminobenzamide (3-AB) impaired intracellular bacterial survival and restored IL-12B expression, while its combination with the HDAC inhibitor C1994 significantly enhanced bacterial clearance. Structural modelling confirmed the high stereochemical quality of the Rv1899c macrodomain, and computational studies identified 3-AB as the strongest ligand (?5.75 kcal/mol), stabilized through hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions with key residues. Molecular dynamics simulations conducted for 200 ns demonstrated stable proteinligand interactions with consistent parameters, while MM/GBSA analysis indicated favourable binding energy (?G_bind = ?6.6 kcal/mol), largely influenced by van der Waals and electrostatic forces. Together, these findings highlight Rv1899c as a mediator of stress resistance and immune evasion and propose it as a potential therapeutic target against M. tuberculosis. 2025 by the authors. -
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. -
Parental Expectations and Fear of Negative Evaluation Among Indian Emerging Adults: The Mediating Role of Maladaptive Perfectionism
Background: Contrary to traditional notions of emerging adulthood as a period free from parental pressures, the prolonged transition to adulthood in contemporary society implies that parental influence remains a significant factor in the lives of emerging adults. This presents a potential challenge to emerging adults, as navigating independence while managing parental expectations can result in adverse psychological outcomes. The present study examined the relationship between perceived parental expectations and fear of negative evaluation (FNE) and the mediating role of maladaptive perfectionism. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 466 emerging adults from India between 18 and 25 years old. They responded to the Perception of Parental Expectations Inventory, the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism-Brief Scale, and the Brief Fear of Negative EvaluationStraightforward Items Scale. Results: Correlation analyses revealed significant, positive associations between perceived parental expectations, maladaptive perfectionism, and FNE. Findings from regression analyses indicated that increased perceptions of parental expectations and maladaptive perfectionism predicted increased levels of FNE. The relationship between perceived parental expectations and FNE was fully mediated by maladaptive perfectionism. Conclusion: A key reason for heightened perceptions of parental expectations associated with increased FNE is that emerging adults tend to adopt unrealistic perfectionistic standards. Maladaptive perfectionism represents a vital intervention target for individuals who perceive elevated parental expectations and are at risk for FNE, offering promising avenues for promoting well-being in emerging adults. 2024 The Author(s). This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage). -
Construction of multifunctional hyaluronic acid modified gold nanoparticles clocked with Irinotecan and indocyanine green: Investigation of chemotherapy and cancer cell imaging
To overcome the inherent limits of conventional cancer therapy, there is an immediate need to establish multifunctional drugs that combine accurate diagnosis with treatment. The work describes a small nanocomposite's mild and easy fabrication, including Irinotecan, folic acid, hyaluronic acid, and indocyanine green-integrated gold nanoparticles. The gold nanoparticles with indocyanine green integrated (HA@ICG/Au) were developed in one step for photodynamic treatment and biological fluorescence imaging. Both the drug delivery of Irinotecan and the enhancement of cellular selectivity are achieved by the hyaluronic acid-altered ICG/Au (HA@ICG/Au). To regulate the release of Irinotecan during tumour chemotherapy, the dual-targeted and pH-responsive system known as HA@ICG/Au:FA@IRI was developed. The nanocomposite composed of HA@ICG/Au:FA@IRI had a tiny surface area and was highly efficient at encapsulation and loading drugs. In an acidic milieu, the nanocomposite showed excellent biocompatibility, colloidal stability, photostability, and a rapid cumulative release rate. The improved cellular uptake of HA@ICG/Au:FA@IRI for fluorescence imaging was validated by fluorescence microscopy in vitro. The nanocomposite showed impressive cancer cell death when exposed to laser irradiation using a combination of synergistic chemotherapy and photodynamic treatment (PDT). Taken as a whole, the results show that the nanocomposite was successfully developed to target tumors in two different ways, resulting in a potentially helpful theranostics agent. 2025 Elsevier B.V. -
TiO2-sodium alginate core-shell nanosystem for higher antimicrobial wound healing application
Wounds that are not properly managed can cause complications. Prompt and proper care is essential, to prevent microbial infection. Growing interest in metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) for innovative wound treatments targeting healing and microbial infections. In this research, sodium alginate-coated titanium dioxide (TiSA) NPs are synthesized through a green co-precipitation method, combining inorganic TiO2 (Titanium dioxide) and SA (sodium alginate). Analysis via XRD and TEM revealed that the resulting TiSA NPs possessed an anatase phase and polygonal structure, respectively. Biomedical investigations demonstrated that TiSA NPs exhibited enhanced antimicrobial activity compared to the positive control, as well as its counterparts, and showed higher wound healing capabilities compared to TiO2 NPs. The antimicrobial effectiveness of TiSA NPs relied on various physicochemical factors, including small particle size, an altered band gap, and the presence of oxygen vacancies, resulting in microbial cell death. Moreover, TiSA NPs treatment demonstrated higher wound healing activity (98 1.09 %) compared to its counterparts after 24 h of incubation. Assessment of cytotoxicity on healthy fibroblast cells (L929) revealed that TiSA NPs exhibited lower toxicity compared to TiO2 NPs. These findings support the potential of TiSA NPs as promising agents for antimicrobial activity and wound healing. 2025 Elsevier B.V. -
Facile fabrication of dasatinib laden multifunctional polymeric micelles: Evaluation of anti-proliferative and apoptotic activities in human cancer cells
Dasatinib (DAS) has recently gained significant interest for its anticancer potential. Yet, the lipophilicity inherent in DAS limited its potential use as a chemotherapeutic drug. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of polyethylene glycol-polycaprolactone (PEG-PCL) as a nanocarrier for DAS to increase its anticancer capabilities. The DAS-loaded PEG-PCL nanoparticles (termed as DAS@PEG-PCL NPs) were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Morphological staining and MTT tests were employed to investigate drug-loaded nanoparticles' apoptotic and anti-proliferative effects. The MTT assay demonstrated that incorporating DAS onto PEG-PCL NPs resulted in a dose-dependent increase in cytotoxicity in A549 (lung cancer) and HeLa (cervical cancer) cells. The A549 cancer cells were analyzed for their morphology using the acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) and DAPI staining techniques. Overall, these findings demonstrate that the polymeric PEG-PCL nanoparticle systems hold great potential as a novel therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment. 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC. -
Idiosyncratic Deals and Motherhood Stress: Understanding the Mediating Effect of Work to Family Enrichment with Moderating Effect of Workplace Dignity
Motherhood stress has developed as a substantial yet underexplored outcome of present-day employment practices, particularly in organizational contexts where flexibility is increasingly individualized. While prior research has examined motherhood stress, flexible work arrangements, and idiosyncratic deals largely in isolation, limited attention has been given to how personalized flexibility shapes the psychological experiences of working mothers. This study attempts to bridge this gap by examining how I-deals influence motherhood stress through psychological and relational mechanisms embedded within organizational and socio-cultural contexts. Drawing on interdisciplinary literature, this study positions I-deals as context-dependent resources whose effects on motherhood stress are mediated by work family enrichment and where workplace dignity has a moderating role. The study adopts a quantitative survey approach across 410 female employees in the Indian IT sector to test the proposed hypotheses among working mothers. The study establishes a direct and negative association between Idiosyncratic deals and work to family enrichment which further plays a mediating role with motherhood stress. It also found that workplace dignity plays a significant role in moderating the association between I-deals and work to family enrichment. The study contributes by integrating organizational behaviour and motherhood research, reconceptualizing flexibility as a psychologically contingent practice, and highlighting the importance of work to family enrichment and dignity in shaping stress outcomes. The findings offer an understanding and practical insights for organizations looking to design flexibility policies that genuinely support working mothers without inadvertently intensifying stress. 2026, Iquz Galaxy Publisher. All rights reserved. -
Developing a psychometric scale to measure motherhood stress among newly working mothers in Indias IT sector
While becoming a mother is an incredible blessing, it can also be a very stressful time for women. India has a unique cultural and economic diversity, with women facing distinct challenges in their role as new mothers, including family obligations and a tendency toward a patriarchal mindset. This research aims to identify the unique stress factors related to motherhood stress for a new working mother in the IT sector and to create a scale to measure these factors. The study employed a mix of qualitative methods, such as focus group discussions, and quantitative research methods, including a pilot survey among 115 mothers, to develop a new scale for motherhood stress. Four main factors were identified through exploratory factor analysis: career-related stress, adequacy of support systems, maternal guilt, and self-efficacy. A new 31-item scale is proposed. Internal consistency, reliability, and validity were established for all items on the scale, with a KMO value of 0.826 and a Cronbach's alpha of 0.840. This new scale will be a useful tool for organizations to understand motherhood stress among newly working mothers and to adopt practices that reduce stress and address prejudices through interventions such as anti-discrimination policies, managerial sensitization, flexible work options, career counseling, and peer support. For policymakers, this study highlights the need for an industrial policy that recognizes the cultural setting and the unique challenges faced by Indian working mothers, as well as the importance of rigorous enforcement of maternity policies to ensure equitable treatment for them. 2026 AESS Publications. All Rights Reserved. -
High Performance Ferrocene Immobilized Electrodes for the Synthesis of 3-Acetyl Coumarin: A Sustainable Approach
An electrocatalyst was developed for the synthesis of 3-acetyl coumarin, a known anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial compound, by constructing and employing an electrocatalyst with immobilized ferrocenyl aniline onto electro-polymerized anthranilic acid, on a carbon fiber paper electrode. The effectiveness of the modified carbon fiber paper electrode was assessed by analyzing its physicochemical and electrochemical properties, using optical profilometry, field-emission scanning electron spectroscopy (FE-SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), cyclic voltametric techniques and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) respectively. 3-acetyl coumarin was synthesized using salicylaldehyde and ethyl acetoacetate as starting materials in the presence of piperidine, with lithium perchlorate as supporting electrolyte and ethanol as solvent, at potentiostatic conditions. The reaction was carried out in a three-electrode, single compartment system, at ambient conditions for three hours by using a constant potential of ?1.4 V. The product was purified by column chromatography and characterized by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR). The developed electrode was found to be highly efficient towards the synthesis of 3-acetyl coumarin with a good yield of 78%, thereby proving the efficiency and selectivity of the process. 2025 The Electrochemical Society (ECS). Published on behalf of ECS by IOP Publishing Limited. All rights, including for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies, are reserved. -
Influence of Cooking and Fermentation on Nutrient and Anti-nutrient Profiles of Millet and Rice; [????? ??? ? ????? ?? ?????????? ???? ???? ? ?????? ?? ?????? ? ??? ?]
This study investigates how the traditional processing methods, such as cooking and fermentation, affect the nutritional, anti-nutritional, and mineral composition of the six edible grains, including the three rice varieties (Oryza sativa: Matta, Boiled and Brown rice) and the three millets (foxtail, jowar and pearl millet). The grains were analyzed in their raw, cooked, and fermented forms. The carbohydrates and the protein content were determined along with the anti-nutritional compounds such as the flavonoids, oxalates, phenolics, phytates and the tannins. The mineral concentrations of calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, manganese, and zinc were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. The results showed that cooking significantly reduced carbohydrate content by 85-90% across all grains, while fermentation caused an even greater reduction of up to 95%. Protein levels were grain-specific, and fermentation generally enhanced the protein concentration by 20 50%. Flavonoid content was reduced by 70-90% while phytates, and oxalates were reduced substantially by 60 90% through both treatments due to leaching and thermal degradation, while the phenolic content increased by 25-40%, particularly in the foxtail millet. The tannin levels decreased with cooking by 40-60%, but they increased after the fermentation, likely due to the enzymatic release of the bound compounds. Mineral concentrations were consistently declined in the cooking and fermented forms, yet fermentation improved bioavailability by reducing the anti-nutrients. Overall, the cooking was more effective in lowering the anti nutritional factors, whereas the fermentation enhanced the protein and improved the accessibility of the essential minerals such as iron and zinc. These findings emphasizes the importance of the traditional household processing methods in enhancing the nutritional quality of rice and millet-based diets, particularly in the regions dependent on cereal staples. 2025, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. All rights reserved. -
Experimental evaluation of image segmentation for heart images
The cardiac death is the principal reason of the death in the world.The research work focuses on finding an efficient image segmentation technique for the computer aided detection and also to decrease the noise in the image.The segmentation is implemented with the help of fuzzy C-means clustering along with dual inverse thresholding function and Otsu thresholding.Experimental proof is evaluated with the help of morphological functions and with Gaussian function.The result of the work provides an accurate segmentation for myocardial ischemia in the human heart photo image as well as magnetic resonance imaging. Copyright 2021 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. -
An Integrated Segmentation Techniques for Myocardial Ischemia
Abstract: Myocardial Ischemia segmentation is a challenging task for basic and translational research on cardiovascular, as it provides ultimately realistic in heart muscle model. The main objective of the research work is to find an efficient segmentation technique for the myocardial ischemia based on the myocardial infarcted MRI data set for the accurate classification of scar volume. The paper will give an insight about the segmentation technique based on myocardial ischemia and discusses essential cellular components. The paper provides an integrated approach which comprises of fuzzy c-means and morphological operations along with median filtering enhancement technique help in detecting the myocardial ischemia. The developed model is tested with 2D and 3D enhanced myocardial ischemia MRI and also with normal heart. The purpose of segmentation in myocardial ischemia is to identify the scar region in the heart. The integrated model is evaluated based on statistical measures and validated based on manual segmentation done by clinical expert. The scar classification is done based on the myocardial ischemia segmentation which leads to better prediction of arrhythmia in heart patient. The integrated model is considered as one of the best model for segmenting myocardial ischemia. 2020, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd. -
Classification of myocardial ischemia in delayed contrast enhancement using machine learning
This chapter addresses the classification of myocardial ischemia in delayed contrast enhancement using machine-learning techniques for magnetic resonance imaging which solves the social issue of a sudden cardiac death. To automate the classification of myocardial ischemia, the computer-aided design has a crucial path on the mixture ensemble of machine learning. The mixture ensemble of machine learning can partition a high-dimensional image in a simultaneous and competitive way. The detection and the segmentation processes are carried out through Fuzzy C-Means multispectral and single-channel algorithms along with a morphological filtering technique for feature extraction. Furthermore, the feed forward neural network (FFNN) technique is trained through the Levenberg-Marquardt Back Propagation algorithm for the classification of myocardial ischemia in delayed contrast enhancement. The proposed classification model performs well for the classification of myocardial ischemia. The rigorous process of the proposed result reveals that the FFNN classifier produces 99.9% accuracy on the classification of myocardial ischemia and also shows that the given classifier is considered one of the best methods in classifying medical myocardial ischemia. 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. -
Medical image classification using MRI: An investigation
The main objective of the paper is to review the performance of various machine learning classification technique currently used for magnetic resonance imaging. The prerequisite for the best classification technique is the main drive for the paper. In magnetic resonance imaging, detection of various diseases might be simple but the physicians need quantification for further treatment. So, the machine learning along with digital image processing aids for the diagnosis of the diseases and synergizes between the computer and the radiologist. The review of machine learning classification based on the support vector machine, discrete wavelet transform, artificial neural network, and principal component analysis reveals that discrete wavelet transform combined with other highly used method like PCA, ANN, etc., will bring high accuracy rate of 100%. The hybrid technique provides the second opinion to the radiologist on taking the decision. Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019. -
Segmentation technique for medical image processing: A survey
Segmentation is one of the popular and efficient technique in context to medical image analysis. The purpose of the segmentation is to clearly extract the Region of Interest from the medical images. The main focus of this paper is to review and summarize an efficient segmentation method. While doing the comparison study on segmentation methods using the Support Vector Machine, K-Nearest Neighbors, Random Forest and the Convolutional Neural Network for medical image analysis identifies that Convolutional Neural Network works efficiently for doing in-depth analysis. The Convolutional Neural Network can be used as segmentation technique for achieving the high accuracy on medical image analysis. 2017 IEEE. -
Harnessing transition metal oxide?carbon heterostructures: Pioneering electrocatalysts for energy systems and other applications
Exponential demand for energy resources and fossil fuel substitution with green alternatives are essential to bringing sustainable development and a solution to the energy crisis. Transition metal oxides (TMOs) and their composites (TMOCs) as promising electrocatalysts to develop potential energy conversion and storage devices contribute to the solution to this crisis. The productivity of green fuels such as hydrogen from water-splitting reactions, the efficiency of energy storage and harvesting devices including supercapacitors and batteries, and the performance of electrochemical sensors can be remarkably enhanced with TMOs and their composites. Excellent electrochemical attributes, stability, abundant reserves, low cost, environment-friendly, and low toxicity make TMOs and their composites an excellent choice. The tunability of the physical and chemical properties of TMOs makes them attractive for research in designing different energy storage devices. This review presents a concise overview of the unique physical and electrochemical aspects of various TMOs and TMOCs, such as spinels, perovskites, and TMO-integrated carbon-based compounds, and their relevance for specific applications, emphasizing energy-related fields. The recent research advancements of TMOs-based functional materials for emerging applications, such as water splitting, fuel cells, supercapacitors, batteries, and sensing, are discussed. This review also highlights the advantageous properties and pertinent fabrication methods of TMOs and TMOCs for electrocatalysis, along with the methods to enhance their electrocatalytic abilities, which improve the overall efficiency of the desired applications. 2024 -
Discovery of inverse-Compton X-ray emission and estimate of the volume-averaged magnetic field in a galaxy group
Observed in a significant fraction of clusters and groups of galaxies, diffuse radio synchrotron emission reveals the presence of relativistic electrons and magnetic fields permeating large scale systems of galaxies. Although, these non-thermal electrons are expected to upscatter cosmic microwave background photons up to hard X-ray energies, such inverse-Compton (IC) X-ray emission has so far not been unambiguously detected on cluster/group scales. Using deep, new proprietary XMM-Newton observations (?200 ks of clean exposure), we report a 4.6 ? detection of extended IC X-ray emission in MRC 0116 +111, an extraordinary group of galaxies at z = 0.131. Assuming a spectral slope derived from low frequency radio data, the detection remains robust to systematic uncertainties. Together with low frequency radio data from the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT), this detection provides an estimate for the volume-averaged magnetic field of (1.9 0.3) ?G within the central part of the group. This value can serve as an anchor for studies of magnetic fields in the largest gravitationally bound systems in the Universe. 2023 The Author(s) Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Astronomical Society. -
FSDA: Framework for Secure Data Aggregation in wireless sensor network for enhancing key management
An effective key management plays a crucial role in imposing a resilient security technique in Wireless Sensor Network (WSN). After reviewing the existing approaches of key management, it is confirmed that existing approachs does not offer good coverage on all potential security breaches in WSN. With WSN being essential part of Internet-of-Things (IoT), the existing approaches of key management can definitely not address such security breaches. Therefore, this paper introduces a Framework for Secure Data Aggregation (FSDA) that hybridizes the public key encryption mechanism in order to obtain a novel key management system. The proposed system does not target any specific attacks but is widely applicable for both internal and external attacks in WSN owing to its design principle. The study outcome exhibits that proposed FSDA offers highly reduced computational burden, minimal delay, less energy consumption, and higher data transmission perforance in contrast to frequency used encryption schemes in WSN. Copyright 2018 Institute of Advanced Engineering and Science. All rights reserved. -
N-tier modelling of robust key management for secure data aggregation in wireless sensor network
Security problems in Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) have been researched from more than a decade. There are various security approaches being evolving towards resisting various forms of attack using different methodologies. After reviewing the existing security approaches, it can be concluded that such security approaches are highly attack-specific and doesnt address various associated issues in WSN. It is essential for security approach to be computationally lightweight. Therefore, this paper presents a novel analytical modelling that is based on n-tier approach with a target to generate an optimized secret key that could ensure higher degree of security during the process of data aggregation in WSN. The study outcome shows that proposed system is computationally lightweight with good performance on reduced delay and reduced energy consumption. It also exhibits enhanced response time and good data delivery performance to balance the need of security and data forwarding performance in WSN. 2019 Institute of Advanced Engineering and Science.