Dynamics of Newtonian Fluids and Nanofluids in Various Geometries
In this thesis, the boundary-layer flows of Newtonian fluids in different geometries newlineprimarily, a horizontal surface and a vertical surface. To account for the imperfections arising in realistic scenarios, we have considered a horizontal surface with undulations and a vertical surface with a non-uniform temperature distribution. Additionally, it is wellknown that to meet the cooling rate requirements in the industry, the thermal performance of ordinary heat transfer fluids is not suitable. The concept of insertion of nanometresized metallic particles in the fluid leads to an increase in the thermal conductivity of the newlineordinary base liquids. Therefore, to fully comprehend the affect of these nanoparticles on the onset of convection and fluid motions and to assess how the enhanced thermophysical newlineproperties may affect the heat transfer is another key objective of this research. newlineA Comparative Study of Thermo-convective Flows of a Newtonian Fluid over Three newlineHorizontal Undulated Surfaces in a Porous Medium In the first problem of this thesis, elaborated in Chapter 5, a comparison has been presented between the results of three thermoconvective flows of a Newtonian fluid over uniformly heated, undulated horizontal surfaces in a porous medium against the background of the results of a flat plate. The undulations are assumed to have sinusoidal, sawtooth, and triangular waveforms. At large surface amplitudes, secondary flow is observed in the cases newlineof sinusoidal and triangular waveforms, but not in the cases of a sawtooth surface and a newlineflat plate. The variation of the mean Nusselt number and mean skin friction with surface newlineamplitude and the Rayleigh number indicate that heat transfer and viscous friction at the boundary increase with individual and collective increases in the values of the amplitude and the Rayleigh number. The heat transfer and skin friction by the flat surface are much less than that of all three undulated surfaces.
Heat and Mass Transfer Analysis of Newtonian and Non-Newtonian Nanofluids in The Presence of Motile Microorganisms
This dissertation deals with the analysis of heat and mass transfer in Newtonian and newlinenon-Newtonian nanoand#64258;uid in the presence of motile microorganisms. The major application of the and#64258;uids in heat and mass transfer process is its capability to conduct heat. Hence, the and#64258;uids act as a source that conducts heat and cools down the temperature of the appliance. Whereas, the capacity of heat conductance is low in case of regular and#64258;uids, hence the concept of nanoand#64258;uids was introduced whose thermal conductivity is more when compared to regular and#64258;uids. The high thermal conductivity of nanoparticles helps in conducting more heat and the property of and#64258;uid to and#64258;ow helps the nanoparticles to and#64258;ow all over the desired surface and conduct heat. During the process of nanoand#64258;uid and#64258;ow, the nanoparticles undergo random motion that is termed as Brownian motion and they also experience the thermophoretic force that causes the nanoparticles to move from hotter region to colder region. Further, the presence of nanoparticles would either result in sedimentation or formation a layer of nanoparticles over the surface. This layer of nanoparticles adhered to the surface creates corrosion. Hence, it is important to prevent the nanoparticles from forming its layer over the surface and also the sedimentation of nanoparticles must be avoided to have no blockages in the system. Hence in this regards, self propelled microorganisms newlineare allowed to swim in the nanoand#64258;uid which in turn constitutes bioconvection. Considering these assumptions, problems in this dissertation are modelled such that it deals with the analysis of bioconvection caused due to the swimming of microorganisms in the and#64258;ow newlineof nanoand#64258;uid. The mathematical models of the and#64258;ow, heat and mass transfer of Newtonian and non Newtonian nanoand#64258;uids are designed using the partial differential equations with various assumptions to achieve realistic results.
Financial Capability and Decision Making Effects on Financial Wellbeing of Women in Community Based Organisations
Financial Social Work (FSW) is a multi-disciplinary interactive approach that deals with financially vulnerable populations financial issues/solutions. FSW deals with individual, family and community wellbeing by increasing access to good financial services, asset-building opportunities, financial education and guidance. The two concepts newlineunderlying FSW are financial capability and financial wellbeing. Financial capability is increasingly becoming a priority for policymakers, social workers, academicians and organisations of economic and social newlinesignificance. In India, limited studies are available for measuring the financial capability of Indian citizens. While literature suggests various studies on financial capability and financial wellbeing, the focus on their combined effect has been limited. The feminisation of poverty is an newlineessential topic when discussing the capability and wellbeing of women. This refers to the increasing tendency for those in poverty to be women and children due to the reasons such as economic conditions, demographic composition and government policy. Hence, it is relevant to consider newlinewomen as the focus point of the study. The present study measures women s financial capability and examines how demographic factors influence the same. The study also explores the impact of financial capability on the decision making ability and financial wellbeing of women associated with Community Based Organisations (CBOs). It further newlineexamines whether the decision making ability mediates between financial capability and financial wellbeing. Primary data was collected from the respondents through a structured questionnaire to identify and establish these aspects. In total, 1000 women who were associated with the CBOKudumbashree in the state of Kerala, India, identified through the multistage sampling technique, participated in the survey-based study.
Discrimination and Coping of Old Settlers in Sikkim
The study was conducted to explore the existence and manifestation of discrimination in Sikkim. In the Indian context, race-based discrimination has been extensively studied from the point of view of the northeasterners residing in mainland India. An important reason for this is the differences in race, culture, language, and minority status of the northeasterners in mainland India. However, within the northeastern states all of the above mentioned aspects are reversed newlineand the minority is the mainland Indian community, race-based discrimination has not been studied. Sikkim was considered as the region for study as it is part of the sister states of the northeastern region and the Rajya Sabha Committee on Petitions has acknowledged that discrimination has been practiced in the state. An exploratory sequential mixed design was adopted for the newlinestudy. Eleven telephonic semi-structured interviews were conducted for the qualitative phase with members of the old settlers of Sikkim. A survey was conducted for the quantitative phase. Thematic analysis revealed two global theme, five organizing themes and 44 basic themes. Survey method revealed that 51% of old settlers felt discriminated daily in Sikkim. The results newlinerevealed that race based discrimination does exist in Sikkim with it being purported at newlineinstitutional and interpersonal levels.
Facile Fabrication of Nano carbon Derivatives for Optical and Electro chemical Applications
From synthesis of novel materials to their end-use applications, the prime objective of the material science community is to address the burgeoning social issues across the world. Noxious emissions from fossil fuel combustion, increased incidence of skin cancer, drug misuse, and ever-increasing demand for energy are some of the global concerns that require urgent consideration. This drives a relentless quest for a multifunctional material with broad applicability that can directly and constructively impact the quality of life, environment, and economic progress. However, materials of this kind should embrace versatile characteristics, improved competency, plausibility, and lower cost. In light of this, the current doctoral research emphasizes the development of trailblazing graphene-based materials with manifold usages derived from a naturally abundant carbonaceous fossil fuel coke to discover scientific solutions to the aforesaid trials and tribulations. Fossil fuel coal, mainly used for energy purposes, is often discouraged from industrial and domestic consumption due to its contribution to global warming. Despite the fact that coal is a non-renewable resource and a source of greenhouse gas emissions, it is one of the world's bountiful carbon resources. Therefore, it can be exploited as a potent substitute for conventional graphite, enabling the extraction of value-added graphene derivatives along with the sustainable utilization of coal. However, the purity of the precursor is a vital criterion to guarantee the quality and supply of graphene materials. In this doctoral work, coal-coke with 99% carbon content was used for the production of high-quality oxidized multilayer graphene derivatives by employing an environmentally-benign synthesis technique. The obtained graphene structure exhibited a multi-emissive fluorescence property having emissions ranging from blue to green-yellow. In addition, it also possessed remarkable electrochemical performance, good rate capability, and durability, signifying its expediency in energy storage devices. In an attempt to further enhance the scope of as-synthesized coke-based graphene derivatives, heteroatoms such as nitrogen and phosphorus were introduced into the graphene lattice via substitutional doping. It was perceived that nitrogen doping impressively amended the photophysical properties, especially in terms of quantum yield and fluorescence lifetime. Therefore, the as-synthesized nitrogen-doped multilayer graphene derivative was used as a fluorescent biomarker for imaging melanoma skin cancer cells with the purpose of early detection. Wherein co-doping of nitrogen and phosphorus endorsed excellent electrochemical characteristics and sensing performance, owing to the synergistic effect from heteroatoms and the imparted structural corrugations. Thus, by utilizing the as-synthesized nitrogen, phosphorus co- doped heteroatom derivative, oxytocin, a high-risk abused drug, was electrochemically detected in an nM range and validated the possibility of real-time surveillance over its mishandling in edibles and biological models. The coke-based graphene derivatives were further refashioned to obtain optimum textural and surface chemistry characteristics beneficial for energy storage characteristics. Accordingly, simultaneous heteroatom-doping and activation of graphene derivative were achieved. The obtained sample had a high surface area, hierarchical porous structure, increased defect densities, and co-active heteroatom enriched graphene network, suggesting its potential as an electrode material for supercapacitor applications. It was observed that the as-synthesized simultaneously heteroatom-doped and activated samples demonstrated high capacitance value, appreciable cyclic stability, and lower charge-transfer resistance. Henceforth, such enhanced supercapacitive performance points toward the cradle-to-gate transformation of fossil fuel, i.e., the conversion of sluggish black coal to green energy.
Synthesis of Carbon Containing Composites for Energy and Environmental Applications
The population has grown rapidly, resulting in increased energy consumption and environmental issues. Researchers are developing new materials with unique physical and chemical properties to tackle these challenges. This has led to a focus on exploring novel approaches to synthesize micro and nanomaterials for use in the energy and environmental sectors. In this study, carbon-containing catalysts were developed as photocatalysts, electrocatalysts for water splitting reactions, and electrode materials for supercapacitor application. To evaluate the physicochemical characteristics of these materials, various characterization methods were employed, including X-ray diffraction, newlineScanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry, X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, High-resolution Transmission electron microscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Differential reflectance spectroscopy, Dynamic light scattering, and Thermogravimetric analysis. The electrochemical and photocatalytic studies of the prepared materials were carried out by optimizing the different parameters. The four chapters include newlineCr2AlC MAX Phase as the catalyst used for photocatalysis, bismuth ferrite/Cr2CTx MXene, cobalt ferrite/Cr2CTx MXene composites for supercapacitor and electrocatalytic water splitting, bismuth ferrite/graphitic carbon nitride/N-doped graphene quantum dots for supercapacitor application, and Cobalt ferrite/graphitic carbon nitride/N-doped graphene quantum dots for supercapacitor and newlineelectrocatalytic water splitting application.
Selective Oxidation of Hetrocyclic Alcohols Using Carbon Based Modified Electrodes
Electro-organic synthesis has achieved great significance over the conventional synthesis routes due to its diverse features which includes the in-situ generation of reagents, replacement of harmful redox reagents, rapid response, and low energy consumption. The choice of reactants (heterocyclic alcohols) for the electrochemical oxidation is solely based on the applications of its corresponding aldehydes. Furthermore, 2-thiophene methanol, piperonyl alcohol, 5-methyl furfuryl alcohol and Tetrahydro furfuryl alcohol have been chosen as reactants of interest as their corresponding aldehydes 2-thiophene carboxaldehyde, piperonal, 5-methyl furfural and Tetrahydro furfural possess various synthetic applications such as production of newlinedyestuffs, perfumes, veterinary products, agrochemicals and pharmaceutical drugs. newlineCarbon based electrodes provide a versatile platform for catalysis reactions. newlineElectrocatalysts for the selective oxidation of heterocyclic alcohols are designed on newlineemploying diverse modifications on the carbon fiber paper (CFP) electrode. Such newlinemodifications have attracted researchers due to their exceptional selectivity, stability, newlineelectrical conductivity and lower charge transfer resistance. The modifications newlineemployed in the current study include immobilized laccase-based materials and newlinegraphitic carbon nitride-based composites. newlineThe physico-chemical properties of the fabricated electrodes were studied using newlinedifferent characterization techniques like Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (EDS), X-Ray Photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Optical Profilometry (OP) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Electrochemical investigations were performed using Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), Chronoamperometry (CA) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). Optimization of experimental conditions such as effect of pH and scan rate to understand the reaction mechanism were studied in detail.
Investigations on the Design, Performance and Effect of Feed Mechanisms, Defected Ground Structures and Materials for Optimized Microstrip Antenna Array
Electronics and Communication Engineering
Microstrip antenna exhibiting low-profle features such as and#64258;exible, lightweight and newlinelow production cost attracts majority of communication industries working the lower newlinepart of the microwave spectrum ranging from 1 GHz to 6 GHz. Also, the microwave integrated circuit technology enables the integration of feed systems and other microwave integrated circuits on the same substrate where the antenna is printed. However, single antenna topologies feature a number of drawbacks, including low gain, poor directivity, narrow bandwidth and limited coverage being low in profle. In the perspective of miniaturization, developments in wireless communication have had a signifcant impact on antenna or array design based on the gain, bandwidth and directivity requirements for specifc wireless applications. As a result, usage of single antenna is not considered appropriate for diversity reception, long-distance communication, signal-to-interference as well as signal-to-noise ratio maximization, and direction of arrival determination, interference rejection, and high power applications. A high-gain broadband antenna or array may be the good choice for outdoor line-of-sight access points to increase signal strength and coverage range. To meet these requirements the antenna designers either can use conventional antennas or rely on miniaturized antennas. When antenna arrays are built using such small antennas to enhance the above said parameters, suitable and compact feed networks are required to ft within the given space of the overall transmitter-receiver geometry. This research work addresses the challenges faced by antenna researchers in newlineminiaturization, maintenance of gain-bandwidth and high-directivity narrow-beam newlineradiation of microstrip antenna arrays, through an investigation made on the design, new mathematical modelling of feed mechanisms for arrays, their inand#64258;uence on 1D and 2D uniform and non-uniform arrays, and the performance enhancement by amalgamating proposed arrays with defected ground structures and metasurfaces.
A Study on Upper Domatic Number and Its Variants in Graphs
For a graph G = (V, E), a vertex partition and#8673; = {V1, V2, . . . , Vk} is an upper domatic partition if Vi dominates Vj or Vj dominates Vi or both, for every Vi, Vj 2 and#8673;, whenever i 6= j. The upper domatic number D(G) is the maximum order of an upper domatic partition of G. This thesis consists of studies on upper domatic number and its variants in graphs. The bounds of D(G) in terms of order, size, !(G) and #(G) are established. The class of graphs with equal upper domatic newlinenumber and clique number is characterised. The relation between upper domatic number and minimum degree of the graph is explored. The case when the upper domatic number and domatic number are equal is investigated and the graphs for which D(G) and the domatic number d(G) coincide are characterised. Apart from the relation between the D(G) and other graph parameters, the upper domatic number of some special classes of graphs including unicyclic graphs, complement of cycles and powers of graphs is determined. Transitivity, Tr(G), a variant of upper domatic number is defined as the maximum number of sets in a vertex partition {V1, V2, . . . , Vk} such that Vi dominates Vj where 1 i lt j k. The results from the study on this concept include characterisation of graphs with transitivity at least k, exact values of transitivity of few classes of graphs, few upper bounds of transitivity of graphs, the transitivity of trees and an algorithm to determine the same. Along with this, the concept of total upper domatic number is introduced as a new variant of upper domatic number. The total upper domatic number is the maximum order of a total upper domatic partition of G which is an upper domatic partition such that the graph induced by each partite set does not contain any vertex of degree zero. Basic properties and bounds of upper domatic number in terms of order and maximum degree are discussed. Further, the total upper domatic number of some special classes of graphs is determined.
The Impact of Workforce Diversity on Organizational Climate in the Banking Industry
Liberalization, privatization, and globalization have paved the way to open the economy and integrate new philosophies and ideologies into the organization. The banking organization and other MNCs had opted for the ethos of enhancing the diversity of working professionals with the adoption of LPG. The novel approach to workforce diversity and organizational climate in the banking industry is considered in this study. The relevance of workforce diversity and the formation of an organizational climate are emphasized in this research work. The study's goal was reached through a series of steps, such as reviewing relevant literature and creating an appropriate theoretical framework. These steps laid the groundwork for creating and finalising research tools, which were done with the help of experts in the field. The creation of instruments for evaluating diversity and organizational climate was the final phase in this process. The study was carried out by using stratified sampling method with the participation of 778 bank employees from public and private banks located in the geographical area of Bangalore. The study's outcome states that There is no significant relationship between workforce diversity and organizational climate in the banking industry is rejected; this can be interpreted as the better organizational climate is highly correlated with the employees attitude towards organizational diversity. It indicated the importance of inculcating diversity and a favourable attitude towards diversity in the banking sector for the smooth conduction of work. "There is a significant relationship between workforce diversity and organizational climate in the banking industry". "Workforce diversity significantly influences the variation in the Organizational Climate". "Employee's belief differs significantly based on demographic profile, job profile, and organizational profile on workforce diversity in the banking industry" findings show only a few categories in the hypothesis. The gender of the reporting authority and the classification of the bank offers the difference in employees belief about gender diversity. "Employee's attitude differs significantly based on demographic profile, job profile, and organizational profile on workforce diversity in the banking industry" only a few demographic categories (marital status, gender of the reporting authority, and classification of bank) have a difference. Employee perception differs based on demographic profile, job profile, and organizational profile on workforce diversity in the banking industry. The study found that gender, gender of reporting authority, classification of the bank, monthly salary, and employee work experience show the difference in employees' perception towards workforce diversity. Employee culture differs based on demographic profile, job profile, and organizational profile on workforce diversity in the banking industry; the gender of the authority and classification of the bank show the difference in employees' culture. "Employee's organizational climate differs significantly based on a demographic variable, job profile, and organizational profile on workforce diversity in the banking industry, age, gender, gender of the reporting authority, and classification of the bank show the difference in organizational climate. The study found a positive correlation between the variable and the independent variables are the constant and strong predictors of the dependent variable. Employees' attitude towards workforce diversity is assessed based on demographics, job, and organisational profiles. Workforce diversity is appraised by evaluating different components of it, such as employees' beliefs, attitudes, perceptions, and culture. The results show that employees with same-gender reporting authority have a positive attitude towards workforce diversity and experience a positive organizational diversity climate. The public bank employees have a positive attitude towards workforce diversity and experience a positive organizational diversity climate. Employees' attitudes differ based on their marital status also. Employees' perception differs based on their work experience in the same bank and the monthly salary; those with 11 to 15 years of experience tend to have a positive perception. Age, gender, gender of the reporting authority, and the bank's classification are considered contributing factors to the organizational climate. The current study found the gender of reporting authority shows a difference in perception of gender diversity and organizational climate; the employees who have same-gender reporting authority tend to experience a positive organizational climate and a positive attitude towards workforce diversity. Classification of the bank also shows a difference where public bank employees experience a positive organizational climate and a positive attitude towards workforce diversity. Six hypotheses were tested, and a model for the banking industry in Bangalore was developed based on the results of these hypotheses testing. Theoretical models support all hypotheses. Fit indices show that all CB-CFA and CB-SEM models are a good fit.
Sensitivity Analysis of Heat Transport in Nanofluids with Marangoni Convection
Crystal growth, soap flm stabilization, coating processes, and growth of silicon newlinewafers involve Marangoni convective and#64258;ows. In microgravity situations, Marangoni effect is more prominent than gravity-induced buoyancy forces. In such situations, the convective and#64258;ows in the and#64258;uids will be driven by surface tension gradients. Moreover, the control of heat transport in the hydromagnetic semiconductor crystals involves Marangoni convection. Therefore, the heat transport rate in Marangoni convective and#64258;ow of nanoand#64258;uids is optimized in this research work. The thermal, thermo-solutal, mixed thermo-solutal Marangoni convection problems are explored in the presence of an external magnetic feld. The thermal phenomenon is scrutinized by including thermal radiation. Diand#64256;erent external eand#64256;ects are included in the problems and a detailed parametric analysis is carried out by using graphical visualizations. The newlinegoverning equations are constructed by utilizing the conservation equations of mass, newlinemomentum, energy and concentration. Realistic nanoand#64258;uid models are chosen which are validated with experimental data. Finite-diand#64256;erence-based and Runge-Kuttabased solving methodologies are adopted. The optimization of the heat (and mass) transport is carried out using the Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The facecentered central composite design is used for optimization. The quadratic empirical models obtained are further explored by estimating the sensitivity. The problem studied in each chapter is given below: Thermal Marangoni and#64258;ow of a nanoand#64258;uid with nanoparticle aggregation newlineA study of magnetohydrodynamic thermal Marangoni convection of ethylene glycol (EG) based titania (TiO2) nanoand#64258;uid is carried out by considering the eand#64256;ect of nanoparticle aggregation. The heat transport phenomenon is scrutinized with thermal radiation. The eand#64256;ective thermal conductivity and viscosity with aggregation are modeled by using the Maxwell-Bruggeman and Krieger-Dougherty models.
A Study on Restrained Geodetic Domination in Graphs
In a graph G = (V, E), the shortest path between any two vertices u and v in G is u and#8722; v geodesic. This distance concept leads to the introduction of geodetic set and geodetic number which has wide applications in location theory and convexity theory. A vertex subset S of a graph G is said to be a geodetic set, if all vertex in G is in u and#8722; v geodesic for some pair of vertices u and v in S. The minimum cardinality of such a set is the geodetic number and is denoted as g(G). A vertex subset M of a graph G is said to be a dominating set of G if for all vertex v and#8712; V (G), either v and#8712; M or v is adjacent to a vertex in M. The minimum cardinality of such a set is the domination number and is denoted by and#947;(G). In general, the geodetic set and newlinethe dominating set of a graph need not be the same. This led to the study of the geodetic dominating set. If a geodetic set S is a dominating set of a graph G, then S is called a geodetic dominating set. The minimum cardinality of such a set is the geodetic domination number, which is represented by and#947;g(G). There are several studies done on the geodetic and domination concepts so far. In the present study, we have explored the concept of restrained geodetic domination and its structural properties in graphs particularly in product graphs and derived graphs. A vertex subset S of a graph G = (V, E) is called a restrained geodetic dominating set if S is a geodetic dominating set of G and lt V and#8722; S gt has no isolated vertex. The minimum cardinality of such a set is called restrained geodetic domination number, which is denoted by and#947;gr(G). We have studied this concept for diand#64256;erent classes of graphs and concerning the graph operations such as Cartesian product, corona product, and join of graphs. Further, the study is extended to restrained geodetic domination in derived graphs such as edge subdivision graph, line graph and power of a graph. Also, investigated the properties of graphs with the restrained geodetic domination number equal to the order of the graph.
Moral Identity, Moral Emotions and Maladaptive Personality Traits Among Adolescents in South Korea by Doo Jong Kim
The rule of survival of the fittest often thwarted the leap towards holistic development. How does morality associate with personality in adolescent development? Drawing on the theories of Augusto Blasi and Gordon Allport, the present study took a morality-personality integrative approach to adolescent development and viewed moral identity centrality as an agentic drive for their holistic growth. It aimed to determine whether moral identity centrality, other-praising moral emotion, and personality dysfunction of maladaptive personality traits are coherent in predicting antisocial behaviour in a sample of 436 Korean adolescents (M = 15.71 years, SD = .70; female 48.4%). The present study set up three hypotheses in the structural relationship of research variables (i.e., moral identity centrality, other-praising moral emotion, personality dysfunction of maladaptive personality traits and antisocial behaviour). Hypothesis 1: Personality dysfunction of multiple maladaptive personality traits predicts antisocial behaviour. Hypothesis 2: Other-praising moral emotion and personality dysfunction mediate moral identity centrality and antisocial behaviour. Hypothesis 3: Sex does not make notable differences in the structural relationship of research variables. The study analyzed the data mainly through structural equation modelling (SEM). As a result, all hypotheses were accepted. First, four multiple maladaptive traits, i.e., negative affectivity, antagonism, disinhibition, and psychoticism, significantly predicted adolescents antisocial behaviour (and#946; = .791, p lt .001) (Hypothesis 1). Second, the modified structural model showed a serial multiple mediation effect of other-praising moral emotion and personality dysfunction between moral identity centrality and antisocial behaviour (Hypothesis 2). Third, multi-group analyses showed apparent coherence among research variables regardless of sex (Hypothesis 3).
Application of Hydrogel in Paddy Field for Soil Moisture Retention and Yield Optimization
Agricultural sustainability is essential to enhance food and water security, particularly in the context of climate change. To ensure food security and to protect water resources, agricultural and irrigation practices need to be amended with innovative technology that conserves water and increases productivity. In the recent past, applications of hydrogels in agriculture have received substantial attention among researchers as well as among farmers. Paddy is the core crop for the vast newlineparts of the world. The present study elaborates on various aspects of hydrogels such as classifications, ideal properties for agricultural application, analysis of soil characteristic changes for pre and post crop newlineseason, irrigation water quality analysis for crop season. BPT 5204 and NDLR 07 varities of paddy had been experimented in this study. newlineVerification of hydrogel degradation was conducted using Fourier transform infrared (ft-ir) spectroscopy. The experimental methods for determining hydrogel properties were given specific attention to properties such as swelling, retention, slow release, and degradation which are vital for agricultural sustainability. Hydrogel experiments have demonstrate significant improvement in water consumption, water use newlineefficiency, crop growth and yield parameters. The reduction in water footprint in major crops such as paddy and wheat through hydrogel might establish a shift towards sustainable irrigation practices if adopted on a large scale. Integrating innovative solutions with environmental-friendly newlinehydrogels in the coming decades will contribute to the pursuit of achieving newlinesustainable development goals. The application of hydrogel as soil conditioners was identified as a possible solution. to increase water use efficiency in irrigation and optimization of crop yield. The study points towards developing a framework for the evaluation of the suitability of hydrogel for agricultural applications when get scaled up to regional level.
Design and Development of A Generic Framework for Surface Water Delineation and Monitoring Using a Hybrid Level Set Algorithm on Landsat Multi-Spectral Data
Surface water bodies are critical to the existence and sustenance of civilizations. Water bodies in urban cities across the world have undergone drastic decline in quality and quantity. This has been the result of a multitude of reasons like increase in population, urbanization and encroachment. Monitoring changes to water bodies is a newlinenecessary requirement in devising strategies to conserve them. This thesis proposes newlinea generic framework for monitoring and forecasting changes in the surface area of newlinelakes using a hybrid level set algorithm for water body delineation followed by a double exponential smoothing model for forecasting. The proposed hybrid level set algorithm combines the advantages of edge based and region based level sets. An edge detection term is introduced into the formulation which improves the delineation accuracy by forcing the level set evolution to stop at the boundaries of the region of interest. The performance of the algorithm was analyzed using Pearson s Correlation Co-effcient (PCC), Structural Similarity Index (SSIM) and Dice Similarity index and found to have superior performance compared to established methods in the literature. The study uses Landsat multi-spectral data for the last 30 years to build the proposed framework for forecasting the changes in the surface area of water bodies. The experiments were conducted for nine lakes in Bangalore, a fast growing city in India, and a steady decrease in the surface area is observed for most of the lakes that were studied. The city s renovation attempts have also seen that the some of the lakes are sustaining the rapid urbanization. The proposed forecast model has yielded acceptable results with an average error of 0.22% and a correlation coeffcient of 0.94 between the actual surface area and the forecasted surface area. The framework can be customized in the future to study specifc water bodies by plugging in external newlineparameters to improve the forecasting accuracy.
Multi Parameterized Modified Local Binary Pattern for Lung Cancer Detection by Deep Learning Methods
The research work is focusing on developing a classification model for Lung Cancer detection by integrating the image features with Modified Local Binary Pattern (MLBP), Modified Principal Component Analysis (MPCA), newlinesymptoms and Risk factors using Deep Learning methods and converting the image features into three dimensional (3D) images. The aim of this research is to identify the malignant and normal tumours from the Computer newlineTomography (CT) images with improved accuracy. The 2D CT images of Lung Cancer patients have been preprocessed with Median and Gabor filtering methods and watershed segmentation. The CT images are also newlineprocessed with the Zero Component Analysis (ZCA) whitening and Modified Local Binary Pattern. The processed image is used in the research for classification. The Lung Cancer dataset in the research are collected from newlinevarious medical colleges. The dataset contain CT images with Lung Cancer and without Lung Cancer. The research is conducted by integrating the selected Image features, Risk factor and symptoms of Lung Cancer of the newlinesame patients. The Integration using feature selections is carried out with Modified Principal Component Analysis. The Modified Principal Component Analysis is used in the research to reduce the time complexity. The results are evaluated with Gini coefficient, Confusion Matrix parameters and ROC newlinecurve. Two Dimensional (2D) CT images are converted into a Three Dimensional (3D) image for the clarity and the visibility of Lung Cancer nodules. The conversion from 2D to 3D has been using combining two methods, the orthogonality and visualization of 4D rotation. This enabled to find the location of the Lung Cancer from different angle and with different viewpoints. The 3D image shows the location of the Lung Cancer by Four Dimensional (4D) visualization and 3D rotation, thus giving clarity to the newlineexisting 2D images.
Mapping Cityscapes : Interrogating the Cultural Spaces in the Select Novels of Bapsi Sidhwa
Bapsi Sidhwa (1939) a well-known Pakistani Zoroastrian novelist in English offers the cityscapes of Lahore that provide the settings for her fictional works. The select newlinenovels for the study include The Crow Eaters (1978), The Pakistani Bride (1983), IceCandy Man (1988) and An American Brat (1993). Fascinated by the cityscapes of Lahore, the novelist personalizes the cityscapes and the personalized cityscapes are fictionalized. The novelist is aided by imagination. However, the imagined cityscapes in the select novels become illegible with a growing sense of alienation from the city. The cityscapes are cityspaces that are shape shifting. The metaphorical cityscapes in newlinethe select novels are woven with imagination, memory and nostalgia. The thesis examines the fictional representation of the cityscapes of Lahore and the relationship between the novelist and the imagined cityscapes. The study adopts the method of qualitative textual analysis in an attempt to examine the cityscapes. This illumines the in-between status of the cityscapes connecting the factual and fictional images of the city. The study unveils a layered construction of heterogeneous cityscapes which are selective and subjective. The urban cultural spaces are interrogated through the fictional characters who experience the city like fleurs and contribute to the making of the spatial stories. The acts of walking in the city offer knowledge of the city which enables the fictional characters to attain self-awareness. The awareness helps in achieving autonomy in the movements of the fictional characters. However, only a few fictional characters are perfect fleurs and the others view the city as voyeurs. Since the imagined cityscapes of Lahore are guided by the sense of place, the legibility of the cityscapes declines with the acts of alienation from the city. However, the novelist attempts to recover the palimpsest cityscapes from memory through cognitive mapping.
Exploring Meaningfullness of Life among Survivors of Sex Trafficking in India
Sex trafficking is a form of human trafficking which is considered a contemporary form of slavery. It is made up of victims (supply), buyers (demand), and traffickers (distributors). Sex trafficking is a billion dollars industry. It generates more profit than any other industry in the world, illicit or otherwise. It is estimated that one woman or child is commercialized to be a sex slave every hour. The present study aimed to explore the meaningfulness of life among survivors of sex trafficking in India. It is a two-phase research design where the researcher has collected quantitative data first, and qualitative data was collected during the second phase. The qualitative phase comprises data from 126 subjects They were divided into two groups. Group 1, survivors rescued within two years (N=63), and group 2, survivors post two years after the rescue (N=63). Group 1 (M=15.58) scored lower on the meaningfulness of life compared to group 2 (M=23.15). Group 1 (M=16.80) is less satisfied with life compared to group 2 (M=22.65). Group 1 (M=61.09) has a lower quality of life compared to group (M=77.49). Group 1 tends to have lesser positive emotions and more negative emotions compared to group 2. There was a moderate positive correlation between the current meaning in life and satisfaction with life, r=.42, n=126, p<.001. There was a negative moderate correlation between the current meaning in life and negative emotions r=-49, n=126, p<.001, and there was a strong, positive vii correlation between current meaning in life and positive emotions, r=.53, n=126, p<.001. Results from the qualitative phase, which comprises data from 20 participants show that survivors' life in slavery was meaningless and marked by torture and rape. The meaningfulness of life for participants in the current study depends on a new identity, acceptance, education, spirituality, and respect. Those who have children found the meaningfulness of life in motherhood. Participants reported not being fully satisfied with their life and they described what they need to increase their life satisfaction. First is livelihood, that is food and shelter over their heads, good health, and dreams/goals fulfillment that for most of them is to get an education and/or professional training. Survivors reported having more negative emotions than positive emotions. Physical health problems found among participants were headache, gastritis, cough, and fever. Psychological health symptoms found among them were depression, anxiety, isolation, crying spells, and fatigue. Survivors have a limited social life because they distrust almost all people. The environment was found to be unsafe for girls and women and they ask for protection for themselves and for all females in the country.
Cost Effective Synthesis of Carbon Nanoparticles and Exploring the Fluorescence and Electrochemical Applications
Graphene-based materials and composites for sensing are a fascinating field in material science research that is experiencing rapid advancement. But the applications of graphene-based materials were often hampered by their high production cost, low yield, expensive and scarce precursors, harmful processing techniques, etc. Coal is made up of islands of nanometer-sized crystalline carbon domains linked by a 3D network of amorphous aliphatic carbon and polymerized aromatic hydrocarbons that can be extracted using mild oxidizing agents. In this context, the present study reports the successful usage of low-grade coal, lignite as an ideal precursor for the production of carbon nanostructures for various sensing applications. This research is divided into three parts where value addition to coal is being done along with finding solutions to three major environmental issues: fluorescence sensing of copper ion; noninvasive glucose fluorescence sensing; simultaneous electrochemical sensing of heavy newlinemetal ions cadmium and lead. In the first study, carbon nanostructures were synthesized from lignite by a simple, scalable, and economical technique and the as-prepared carbon nanostructures, namely LC1, LC2 and LC3, demonstrated excellent fluorescence characteristics. LC3 exhibited remarkable copper ion sensing with a dual linear range with limits of detection (LOD) as low as 1.32 pM and 2.35 pM, with limits of quantification (LOQ) 4 pM and 7.14 pM respectively. The accuracy of the manufactured sensor was shown by the recovery rates of copper ions, which varied from 98.18% to 101.2% with Relative newlineStandard Deviations (RSDs) below 0.4%. The results are captivating, implying that newlinethese lignite derived carbon nanostructures could be employed to efficiently and newlineeconomically detect low concentrations of copper ions in water. In the second study, carbon nanoribbons and nanosheets with superior fluorescence were synthesized from lignite, using a facile chemical oxidation process.
Efficacy of Art Based Interventions for Emotional Problems among Children Affected by Earthquake in Nepal
The earthquake of April 2015 left Nepal in a vulnerable state. Children represent an estimated 3.2 million of the 8 million people affected by the earthquake. The aim of the study was to examine the role of art in dealing with the long-term impact of earthquake on emotional problems in children in Nepal. A purposive sampling was adopted to select 454 children studying in 4th and 5th standard from four schools in Kathmandu Metropolitan City. Children completed the Level of Exposure Scale while the parents provided information about the emotional and behavioural difficulties of children using the Nepali version of Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ/ 4-17). The influence of gender, severity of exposure, socio-economic status and type of family in relation to emotional problems were also examined in the selected group. The results of Phase 1 show that conduct, hyperactivity-inattention and peer problems were higher in boys while girls had higher pro-social behaviour. Children belonging to lower socio-economic status were found to be at risk for emotional problems. Gender and exposure were also identified as predictors of emotional problems in children. For the second phase of the study, those children with high emotional problems (N=60) were selected for an art-based intervention consisting of nine sessions. Both the treatment (N=30) and control group (N=30) completed the pre- and post- treatment measure of SDQ. The results show that the children in the treatment group reported lower levels of emotional problems, hyperactivity-inattention and peer problems compared to the control group (Cohen's d: 0.50-0.80). In the final phase of the study, 12 children from the treatment group were interviewed to identify the elements of art that contributed to a change in the emotional problems. A thematic vii analysis revealed six global themes: a new schema, an expression space, drawing the trauma, reappraisal of trauma narrative, protective factors and future benefits. The responses of the children show that the inherent properties such as regulation and social connection promoted by an engagement in arts needs to be adopted as an effective mode of trauma care. The findings also point to the possibility of using art-based therapy to overcome stigma which hinder the mental health professionals when implementing evidence-based treatments in the country.