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Microalgae: a promising tool for plastic degradation
The use of plastics in the present-day routine is an unavoidable part of human life. It is posing a global environmental threat due to its never-ending accumulation. Complete disposal of plastics is a major problem, and for their complete degradation an effective solution or method has not been discovered yet. However, in order to turn to a biological approach for coping with the ever-increasing fear of plastic aggregation and decay, the development of a methodology would be useful for posterity. To eliminate plastic wastes, two scenarios exist: produce biodegradable plastics from renewable materials or fossil fuels as building blocks, such as hydrobiodegradable/oxo-biodegradable; or find appropriate microalgae and their toxins for the development of a protocol to effectively biodegrade the plastics. Just as biodegradation of plastics is a constructive option, as they are eco-friendly with not much harm done to the environment, the development of biodegradable plastic is also equally effective. Some of the algae that are isolated from the plastic wastes are green-algae, blue-green algae, diatoms, etc. Polyethylene is basically carbon and hydrogen polymer, which is exceptionally resistant to biodegradation (less than 0.5% over 100 years), whose degradation is dependent mainly on moisture, light, and temperature. The most used types of plastics like polyethylene terephthalate and polypropylene are a major threat as they are used in the manufacture of bottles, fibers, packing materials, etc. The degradation or disposal of these plastics is leading to their conversion into microsized particles which is further leading to harm to the environment, mainly when these microplastics interact with microalgae like Spirulina. However, landfill, incineration, and chemical methods are some of the conventional methods for polyethylene disposal that are fatal to the environment as they cause hazardous effects on flora and fauna. 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. -
An ethnopharmacological investigation of antidiabetic plants used in Gudibande Taluk, Chikkaballapur District, Karnataka, India
This research offers an ethnopharmacological investigation of the application of medicinal plants for treating diabetes. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted in Gudibande Taluk, Chikkaballapur District, Karnataka, India. Traditional healers were interviewed about 28 plant species belonging to 22 families being used in treating diabetes. Fabaceae was recorded as the most prevalent family with maximum number of plant species. Leaves of 41.9% plant species were noticed as the most frequently plant parts used followed by fruits (12.9%), seeds (12.9%), and root (6.5%) for the treatment of diabetes. The study also comprized molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations to assess the pharmacological potential of bioactive compounds, focused on interactions with human pancreatic alpha-amylase. Two ligands, metformin and compound 197678, were examined with GROMACS for 200 ns. The findings showed that all protein-ligand complexes maintained structural stability, with RMSD, RMSF, Rg, SASA, and hydrogen bonding metrics indicating the stability and possible effectiveness of these compounds. Conservation issues were also recognized, such as habitat loss and ignorance of younger generations about exposure of traditional knowledge. The results of the study underscored the healing potential of neglected medicinal flora and promote community-driven conservation of plants important for diabetes treatment. 2025, Indian journals. All rights reserved. -
Evaluating the performance of Cr-Soc-MOF Super-Adsorbents for CO2 capture from flue gas under humid condition through molecular simulation
One of the major criticisms for gas separation by utilizing Metal Organic Framework (MOF) porous material for all classes of adsorbents is their very poor performance under humidified gas streams. Very few MOFs show better CO2 separation from N2 mixture in the presence of moisture. Conversely, plenty of MOFs demonstrated good CO2 capture from dry gas streams. In order to explore the potential characteristics of gas separation under humid conditions by coordinatively unsaturated metal organic framework (CUS-MOF) with square octahedral (Soc) topology were exercised single component (CO2, N2) adsorption and co-adsorption (CO2/N2) in the presence of moisture at 298 K with pressure ranging from 0 to 10 bar. Herein, we investigated five exceptional Cr-Soc-MOFs similar to the experimentally established iso-structural topology by differing the polynuclear aromatic ring size and N-heteroatom to their pore wall. The specific interaction of guest molecules to the coordinatively unsaturated metal site (CUS), i.e., rigid ?3-oxygen-centered tri-nuclear metal carboxylate, of Cr-Soc-MOF-n series were identified with Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, this energy profile was used to derive specific force field. Further, Grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulation was employed with DFT-derived force field to identify suitable CO2 capture for Cr-Soc-MOFs in the presence of moisture. Interestingly, the Cr-Soc-MOFs with larger pore volume were retained not only CO2 uptake in the range of 23 35 wt% but also selectivity about 20 50 range even up to 70% of RH. Importantly, we introduced a mathematical tool to theoretically analyze the dynamic co-adsorption in the form of breakthrough curve measurement from CO2/N2 simulated co-adsorption by mimicking the real flue gas condition, also working capacity (?N), Regenerability (R%) and Adsorbent Performance Indicator (API) of Cr-Soc-MOF-n series were investigated. The CO2 separation performances of Cr-Soc-MOF-n series suggested that the polynuclear aromatic ring to their pore wall withstand CO2 uptake in the presence of humidity rather than N-heteroatom decorated Cr-Soc-MOF due to its high pore volume and the accommodation of extra aromatic ring in their pore channels. 2022 Elsevier B.V. -
Molecular level investigation on the impact of geometric isomers as fluorinated ligands in SIFSIX MOF for natural gas sweetening
In natural gas (NG), significant amounts of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and carbon dioxide (CO2) are the most menacing contaminants that cause degradation of the purity of fuel. We considered fluorine-functionalized MOFs and employed cheaper and faster computational simulation techniques to understand the adsorption process. Hence, this includes structural optimization of newly designed fluorine-functionalized MOF with Density Functional Theory (DFT) and further Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulation at room temperature on those MOFs for understanding in detail the adsorptive separation process on sour gases. However, the main emphasis has been made on the adsorptive separation of H2S gas from sour gas. Eventually, the fluorination of organic ligand in [(SiF6)Ni(1,2-di(pyridin-4-yl)ethyne)2] MOF has resulted in an excellent H2S/CO2 separation performance from NG because of the different geometrical isomers. The cis isomer of 1,2-di(pyridin-4-yl)ethyne as ligand in MOF, i.e., SIFSIX-Ni-dpe-3-cis, shows a high CO2 affinity than H2S; on the contrary, the trans isomer of 1,2-di(pyridin-4-yl)ethyne as ligand in MOF, i.e., SIFSIX-Ni-dpe-3-trans, has H2S selective over CO2 and CH4. So, the resulting affinity variation indicates that structural variation by the stereochemistry of ligands in MOF plays a significant role in NG purification, which is further validated through detailed molecular simulation analysis. 2022 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. -
Stock market linkages in emerging Asia-Pacific markets
This study examines the stock market integration among major stock markets of emerging Asia-Pacific economies, viz. India, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, China, and Indonesia. The Johansen and Juselius multivariate cointegration test, Granger causality/Block exogeneity Wald test based on the vector error correction model (VECM) approach, and variance decomposition analysis were used to investigate the dynamic linkages between markets. Cointegration test confirmed a well-defined long-run equilibrium relationship among the major stock markets, implying that there exists a common force, such as arbitrage activity, which brings these stock markets together in the long run. The results of Granger causality/Block exogeneity Wald test based on VECM and variance decomposition analysis revealed the stock market interdependencies and dynamic interactions among the selected emerging Asia-Pacific economies. This result implies that investors can gain feasible benefits from international portfolio diversification in the short run. On the whole, the study results suggest that although long-term diversification benefits from exposure to these markets might be limited, short-run benefits might exist due to substantial transitory fluctuations. The Author(s) 2013. -
Linkages between Stock Market Development, Banks and Economic Growth in India: An ARDL Approach
The banking and stock market development was perceived to be an essential channel for economic growth through mobilisation and allocating productive investments. On the other hand, it was emphasised that economic growth would create demand for financial services and would lead to financial sector development. Existing literature attempts to investigate whether financial development is the primary driver of economic growth or vice versa. However, the issue remains unsolved and ambiguous. The present study investigated the causal relationship between stock markets, banks and economic growth in India using Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach. The empirical result confirmed the long-run bidirectional relationship between financial development and economic growth in India. In the short-run, the empirical evidence showed that the market capitalisation of the Bombay Stock Exchange and IIP were unrelated and that a bidirectional relationship existed between the value of shares traded on the Bombay Stock Exchange and output. Furthermore, the findings supported unidirectional causality from the National Stock Exchange market capitalisation to output in the short-run. The value of shares traded on the National Stock Exchange and output had a feedback connection. 2022 The Society of Economics and Development, except certain content provided by third parties. -
Effectiveness of Financial Inclusion through PMJDY Scheme: A Study of the PMJDY Beneficiaries in Tamil Nadu
The study explored whether various banking dimensions, viz. savings and borrowings, literacy and promotions, bank facilities and other bank services, contributed to the PMJDY beneficiaries' satisfaction in the Coimbatore region. Moreover, the study examined whether the satisfaction of the beneficiaries obtained through banking dimensions led to the frequent usage of bank accounts under the PMJDY. The data were collected from 380 beneficiaries of PMJDY from 12 administrative blocks in the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu, the Southern part of India. Factor analysis and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were used for the analysis. The results showed that the banking dimensions, viz. savings and borrowings and literacy and promotions, had positively influenced the beneficiaries' satisfaction. There was a linkage between the beneficiaries' satisfaction with frequent bank accounts under the PMJDY in rural areas of the Coimbatore region. It was found that an enriched banking service through politeness and benevolence of bank employees would enhance satisfaction, which helped the bank to acquire and retain existing beneficiaries for a thriving business environment. 2024 The Society of Economics and Development, except certain content provided by third parties. -
On the Temporal Causal Relationship Between Macroeconomic Variables: Empirical Evidence From India
The present study examines the dynamic interactions among macroeconomic variables such as real output, prices, money supply, interest rate (IR), and exchange rate (EXR) in India during the pre-economic crisis and economic crisis periods, using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds test for cointegration, Johansen and Juselius multivariate cointegration test, Granger causality/Block exogeneity Wald test based on Vector Error Correction Model, variance decomposition analysis and impulse response functions. The empirical results reveal a stronger long-run bilateral relationship between real output, price level, IR, and EXR during the pre-crisis sample period. Moreover, the empirical results confirm a unidirectional short-run causality running from price level to EXR, IR to price level, and real output to money supply during the pre-crisis period. Also, it is evident from the test results that there exist short-run bidirectional relationships running between real output and EXR, price level and IR, and IR and EXR in the pre-crisis era, respectively. Most importantly, long-run bidirectional causality is found between real output, EXR, and IR during the economic crisis period. And the study results indicate short-run bidirectional causality between money supply and EXR, IR and price level, and IR and output in India during the crisis era. Also, a short-run unidirectional causality runs from prices to real output in the crisis period. The Author(s) 2014. -
Psychotic-like experiences in the emotional dysregulation-impulsivity link
Emerging research suggests psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) exist on a continuum and consist of subclinical phenomena like perceptual abnormalities and delusional ideation. PLEs may influence impulsivity- and previous literature shows a link between emotional dysregulation and impulsivity. This study examined whether PLEs as well as gender moderated the relationship between emotional dysregulation and impulsivity in a non-clinical sample of young adults. A total of 95 females and 95 males completed self-report measures assessing emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, and PLEs. Associations among study variables were examined using correlational analyses, followed by a moderated moderation analysis conducted using Hayes PROCESS macro. Emotional dysregulation and impulsivity, as well as PLEs and impulsivity, were positively correlated. Moderation analyses revealed gender-specific effects: among females, higher PLEs attenuated the association between emotional dysregulation and impulsivity, whereas in males, PLEs amplified this relationship. These findings suggest that PLEs shape how dysregulated affect translates into impulsive behavior differently for men and women, potentially reflecting distinct emotion regulation strategies. Future research should investigate the mechanisms behind these gender-specific pathways and examine whether these patterns generalize across cultural contexts. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2026. -
Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Structure Subjected to Blast Loads Without and with Carbon Fibres
In the past few decades, the terrorist attack on buildings has significantly increased. Blast loads due to explosions cause severe damage to the buildings structural and non-structural elements which may also lead to progressive collapse of the building. Hence, there is a need for the structures to be analysed and designed for blast loads in addition to the conventional loads. An investigation is undertaken to minimize the damage of a G+3 storied building and by improving the mechanical properties such as compressive strength, nonlinear behaviour of M40 grade concrete by adding carbon fibres in different dosages. A finite element model of G+3 storied building has been created using Ansys/LS Dyna to analyse the structure subjected to a blast load with charge weights of 50 kg, 100 kg, 150 kg at 3000 mm standoff distance. The lateral deflections and strains of the structure are determined for different charge weights to study the behaviour of the structure when subjected to blast loads. The addition of carbon fibres has improved the behaviour of structure by reducing the strains and deflections and optimum dosage of fibres is also determined in this paper. 2023, Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. All rights reserved. -
Shared Mobility and Indias Generation Z: Environmental Consciousness, Risks, and Attitudes
Shared mobility platforms have built scalable digital marketplaces that facilitate the allocation and sharing of transportation and promote sustainable urban travel. Generation Zs attitude toward shared consumption is closely linked to their perceptions of the importance of sustainability. This study identifies Generation Zs awareness of shared mobility platforms in India and the factors that influence their use. Data were collected from 318 respondents from Generation Z in India and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings indicate that Generation Zs intention to use shared mobility is influenced by environmental consciousness, social aspects, economic benefits, and perceived risks. Results also show that perceived risks have an indirect effect on intention, which is mediated by attitude. The novel conceptual model developed and tested in this research can be used to inform policies and business models for the adoption of shared mobility services for Generation Z, ultimately promoting more sustainable transportation systems and improved urban mobility. 2024 by the authors. -
Exploring boronate-appended hyperbranched amino-functionalized dendrimer-empowered sensors for the potential recognition of FSH in age-categorized human plasma samples
Boronic acids can act as ideal saccharide receptors as they possess a high affinity for diols and readily form cyclic-boronate esters when reacting in an aqueous medium. Here, we present hydrophilic amino-functionalized boronic acid dendrimer (Af-BAD) for the first time, with significantly enhanced sensitivity towards Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) detection. In this study, newly synthesized Af-BAD was dip-coated on a gold substrate to create an impedance-type sensing working electrode. The effects of Af-BAD coating on the gold chip, the sensing properties for FSH recognition, sensitivity, and stability were measured by the charge transfer resistance across the electrochemical setup. The impedimetric measurements were conducted in the presence of [Fe(CN)6]3-/[Fe(CN)6]4- redox reporter at pH 7.4. The increments in the charge-transfer resistance were monitored upon increasing the FSH concentrations from 25 fg/mL to 100 pg/mL. The device achieved good sensitivity with a calculated detection limit of 4.01 fg/mL and acceptable linearity. The observed behavior was linear concerning the tested concentrations. An attempt at a real application to serum samples was also successfully conducted. Meanwhile, the level of tolerance of boronic acid dendrimer with other competing glycoproteins and monosaccharides was also tested. In this study, we also compared human plasma FSH levels in female oral cancer patients and normal controls using the Af-BAD modified device and the clinically used ELISA method. With a sound understanding of boronate materials and their affinity, amino functionalized multi-boronic acid dendrimer was developed as a highly selective conjugate toward glycoprotein FSH detection. Copyright 2025. Published by Elsevier Ltd. -
Enhancing the biodegradability and environmental impact of microplastics utilizing Eisenia fetida earthworms with treated low-density polyethylene for sustainable plastic management
Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is widely used in food packaging and agricultural mulching, but its disposal generates macro, meso and microplastics that infiltrate the food chain and carry harmful substances. The present study aimed to improve remediation strategies for soils contaminated with LDPE and enhance the survivability of Eisenia fetida. The study dissolved LDPE in trichloroethylene and treated it with starch, hydrogen peroxide, nitric acid and acetic acid, initiating thermo-oxidative reactions. The treatment decreased LDPE's crystallinity index from 48.48% to 44.06% (single treatment), 44.06% to 40.02% (double treat-ment) and 40.02% to 32.98% (triple treatment), achieving a 15.5% reduction in crystallinity. LDPE microplastics with 40.02% crystallinity showed lower mortality rates in Eisenia fetida earthworms compared to those with 44.06% and 32.98% crystallinity and untreated LDPE. When introduced to E. fetida, microbiota in the earthworm casts included unidentified species from Pseu-domonas and Zoopagomycota, known polyethylene degraders. Microbial analysis of treated LDPE microplastics showed changes in gut microbiota, including potential degraders from Aeromonas and Malassezia restricta. XRD (X-ray diffraction techniques analyses) and FTIR(Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) analyses provided insights into distinct LDPE degradation patterns, identifying hydroxyl and carboxylic groups as functional groups. The study also investigated the ability of altered mi-croflora with treated microplastics to degrade LDPE, favouring decreased earthworm mortality rates. The crystallinity index of treated polyethylene further reduced from 40.02% to 23.58% after 21 days of exposure to E. fetida. This research advances the understanding of oxidised plastics' ecological impacts and will help to develop environmentally sustainable and biodegradable LDPE. Author (s). -
A primary study on the degradation of low-density polyethylene treated with select oxidizing agents and starch
Polyethylene has become an integral part of our contemporary lives. The neoteric versatile nature of polyethylene is used in constructing various applications. Out of the plastic waste discarded, 60% of the plastic waste enters landfills. The polyethylene discarded in the soil and water on exposure to the environment forms macroplastics (>2.5 cm), mesoplastics (5 mm-2.5 cm) and microplastics (<5 mm). Microplastics in the water and soil are observed to have lethal and ecotoxicological effects on aquatic and terrestrial organisms. They enter the food chain and permeate into the food that one eats. In order to address this impending concern, the present study aimed to treat plastics to form a degradable, safe and earthy material. The dissolved polyethylene was treated with starch and was made to react with oxidizing agents such as hydrogen peroxide, nitric acid and acetic acid to lower its inert ability to withstand its degradation. The effect of starch and oxidizing agents on dissolved low density polyethylene was subsequently analysed. The analysis of treated polyethylene showed a decrease in its crystallinity percentage by 6.19 and an increase in its functional groups on reaction with solvent trichloroethylene made to react with starch and oxidizing agents. In the present research, tests were conducted to obtain the various methods that can be utilized to reverse the inert ability of polyethylene. The prevailing recycling model that uses antioxidation techniques is counterproductive since it was found that such techniques appeared to make the polyethylene more resistant to further degradation. In this study, the polyethylene was dissolved in the solvents, such as xylene and trichloroethylene, to make the polyethylene more susceptible to reactants and hence a viable model for treating polyethylene. : Author (s). Publishing rights @ ANSF. -
Enhancing Biodegradability and Ecological Impact: Treatment of Low-Density Polyethylene for Sustainable Plastic Management with Eudrilus eugeniae Earthworms
Low-density Polyethylene (LDPE) is widely used in food packaging and agricultural mulching, but its disposal creates harmful macro-, meso- and microplastics. To address this, LDPE has been treated to become biodegradable. The treatment involved dissolving LDPE in trichloroethylene and treating it with starch, hydrogen peroxide, nitric acid and acetic acid, reducing its crystallinity from 48.48% to 32.98% through Single (T), double (TT) and triple (TTT) treatments. This 15.5% decrease in crystallinity enhanced polymer degradation. When LDPE microplastics with 40.02% crystallinity (TT) were tested on Eudrilus eugeniae earthworms, they showed a lower mortality rate compared to other treated and untreated LDPE. The 40.02% crystallinity LDPE exhibited hydroxyl and carboxylic functional groups. Treated LDPE (TT) introduced to earthworm casts showed microbiota, including Mycobacterium and Rozellomycota, known for Polyethylene degradation. Additionally, microbial examination of treated LDPE revealed Aeromonas and Pyrenochaetopsis leptospora in the earthworm gut, potential LDPE degraders. X-ray differaction (XRD) analysis and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra indicated distinct degradation patterns. After 21 days with Eudrilus eugeniae, treated LDPE's crystallinity decreased from 40.02% to 22.84%. This study highlights the significance of oxidized treated LDPE for microbial colonization and degradation, supporting Eudrilus eugeniae survival and improving soil biota health. 2025 - Kalpana Corporation. -
An Outlook of Gender Differential Happiness in India
Studies on happiness and subjective wellbeing, in general, are aplenty, but applying a gender lens to it is comparatively rare, especially in the Indian context. The social construction of gender roles will influence happiness being a subjective matter. This paper explores this idea of gender differential happiness in light of India's peculiar social and cultural context. Using the World Value Survey (WVS) for India (Wave 6) in 2012 and Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression analysis, the study finds that self-reported happiness is gender differential in India. Factors such as marital status, educational attainments, managerial roles and thrust on women empowerment were found to be vital for happiness for all. However, there are visible patriarchal gender stereotype notions with factors such as individual autonomy and homemaking. 2024 IEEE. -
Exploring the impact of influencer marketing strategies on sustainability in the fashion industry
Social medias explosive expansion has forced firms to rethink their marketing tactics to communicate with a wider range of customers by providing value and enabling two-way dialogue. Influencers may contribute to increasing brand awareness and giving value to companies when they work with brands and the appropriate target audience. This study aims to evaluate the influence of source credibility dimensions such as trustworthiness, attractiveness, and perceived expertise on consumer attitudes toward fashion influencers and to assess how these attitudes impact consumers intentions to make purchases and provide recommendations. Also, determine the direct impacts of source credibility on these purchase and recommendation intentions. The research includes 342 individuals who follow a famous fashion influencer in India by using the convenient sampling method. Hierarchical regression analysis has been performed on data using SPSS. The outcome of the study shows the effect of trustworthiness and perceived expertise on attitudes toward influencers in the fashion industry. Copyright 2025 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. -
Artificial Intelligence: Economic Impact, Labor Productivity, and Policy Implications
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a transformative technology that changes automation and cognitive functions traditionally performed by humans. This research examines the various economic effects of AI, emphasizing its ability to enhance productivity and disrupt labor markets. AI, while it may have automated tasks, has also created new job opportunities and transformed existing roles. The rise of AI has led to significant economic disturbances, especially in terms of unemployment. Today, businesses are more inclined toward AI rather than a human workforce because it is more cost-effective and time-effective. This tendency is evident not only in the financial sector but also in education and e-commerce where the use of artificial intelligence has significantly improved service quality and productivity. However, this transition also presents challenges like joblessness and an educated workforce that rightly deserves strong policy frameworks that put ethical guidelines, global cooperation, and optimistic breakthroughs first while tackling social inequalities. In spite of advancements, further experiential research is required to grasp the consequences of these policy approaches completely. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2025. -
Influence of Social Media Marketing on Student Decision-Making in Higher Education
This present study looks into the role of social media marketing as an important tool that helps organizations achieve their goals, bearing in mind the rapid spread in the modern digital world. Higher education institutions, such as colleges and universities, are making use of these social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube to share information regarding their academic programs, campus life, and even success stories. These websites have helped institutions to increase their access and engagement at the grass-roots level. It, thus, has also become an excellent tool to enroll prospective students. College or university search methods have undergone many significant changes in the present day. Over the centuries, students relied mainly on familial and social connections along with printed sources of information, to guide choices. Today, however, they increasingly use social media sites to research available choices, read reviews, watch multimedia and communicate with educational institutions. 2026 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved. -
The peculiar radio-loud narrow line Seyfert 1 galaxy 1H 0323+342
We present a multiwavelength study of the radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy (NLSy1) 1H 0323+342, detected by the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope. Multiband light curves show many orphan X-ray and optical flares having no corresponding ?-ray counterparts. Such anomalous variability behavior can be due to different locations of the emission region from the central source. During a large flare, a ?-ray flux doubling timescale as small as ?3 hr is noticed. We built spectral energy distributions (SEDs) during different activity states and modeled them using a one-zone leptonic model. The shape of the optical/UV component of the SEDs is dominated by accretion disk emission in all the activity states. In the X-ray band, significant thermal emission from the hot corona is inferred during quiescent and first flaring states; however, during subsequent flares, the nonthermal jet component dominates. The ?-ray emission in all the states can be well explained by inverse-Compton scattering of accretion disk photons reprocessed by the broad-line region. The source showed violent intra-night optical variability, coinciding with one of the high ?-ray activity states. An analysis of the overall X-ray spectrum fitted with an absorbed power-law plus relativistic reflection component hints at the presence of an Fe K? line and returns a high black hole spin value of a = 0.96 0.14. We argue that 1H 0323+342 possesses dual characteristics, akin to both flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) and radio-quiet NLSy1 galaxies, though at a low jet power regime compared to powerful FSRQs. 2014. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.