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Nanoparticles as fillers in composites for x-ray and gamma-ray shielding: A review
In last few decades, nanomaterials have gained enormous attention in the scientific industry due to their tunable physico-chemical and biological properties with enhanced performance over their bulk counterparts. In particular, nanoparticles have been extensively investigated for their usefulness in X-ray and gamma-ray shielding applications. Various elements and compounds, with high atomic numbers and effective atomic numbers respectively, have the potential to form nanoparticles that offer remarkable enhancement in the shielding performance. Composites, obtained by doping different nanoparticles into structural matrices (concrete, glass, or polymers), not only possess striking thermo-mechanical properties but also are effective shielding materials to replace conventional lead shields. This review is an attempt to throw light on various aspects of nanoparticles and their influence on shielding effectiveness. The authors also summarize the experimental findings so as to highlight the potential underlying the radiation-matter interaction mechanism in nanostructured systems. Copyright 2023, IGI Global. -
Feature selection/dimensionality reduction
In today's world, medical image analysis is a critical component of research, and it has been extensively explored over the last few decades. Machine learning in healthcare is a fantastic advancement that will improve disease detection efficiency and accuracy. In many circumstances, it will also allow for early detection and treatment in remote or developing areas. The amount of medical data created by various applications is growing all the time, creating a bottleneck for analysis and necessitating the use of a machine learning method for feature selection and dimensionality reduction techniques. Feature selection is an important concept of machine learning since it affects the model's performance and the data parameters you utilize to train your machine learning models to have a big influence on the performance. The approach of minimizing the number of inputs in training data by reducing the dimension of your feature set is known as dimensionality reduction. Reduced dimensionality aids in the overall performance of the machine learning algorithms. 2023 River Publishers. -
Effect of menstrual distress on interpersonal relationships, school absenteeism, work productivity, and academic performance
Women's health has always been one of the major research areas to identify health patterns to understand the challenges women face and to provide essential support. As time changes, various new challenges and issues emerge around menstrual distress. More research is still needed to identify efficient physiological and psychological support strategies. The current chapter provides a detailed insight into how menstrual pain affects a woman and girl's interpersonal relationships, school presence, peer relations, productivity at the workplace, and academic performance. Further, the chapter captures various literature evidence on the effect of cultural and religious factors affecting menstruation. The chapter also emphasizes providing strategies and mapping down existing policies that are in action to address the challenges women face due to menstrual distress. 2023, IGI Global. -
Digital transformation for business: Enablers, framework and challenges
Technology has disrupted many industries from the start of Industrialization era to the Industry 4.0 era. There has been an exponential growth in the technological front and people are talking about Industry 5.0. Digital transformation is a critical direction in which organizations will have to move toward in order to succeed in this competitive world. To make a smooth transition, firms must understand the basic building blocks of the digital transformation process and the key areas it touches upon namely customer experience, operational process and dynamic business models. Organizations will also have to identify the enablers of digital transformation which they can work on to smoothen the transformative process. Firms will also need the framework of digital transformation spelling out the roadmap for effective digital transformation. Firms on the urge to go for digital transformation will face numerous challenges in all the stages of implementation namely the initiation phase, the execution phase and the governance phase. A clear understanding of these challenges will help the firms to overcome or mitigate these challenges and be successful in their digital transformation process. 2023 by V. Harish, A. Mansurali and D. Krishnaveni. All rights reserved. -
Integrating deep learning in an IoT model to build smart applications for sustainable cities
These days, many CS experts focus their efforts on IoT. IoT is an emerging & cutting-edge technology that enables many items, including vehicles and home appliances, to connect and cooperate via mechanisms like machine to machine communication, big data, and AI. It has found use in a wide range of settings, from smart homes and cities, to healthcare and agriculture, to factory automation. Smart cities are becoming smarter, cars are getting more features, and health and fitness devices are getting more sophisticated thanks to the internet of things. Many problems that are directly relevant to the IoT's development have yet to be resolved. The exponential development of IoT has given birth to new problems, including concerns about personal data and security. There is need of a comprehensive approach that tackles the scalability, security, efficiency, and privacy concerns raised by the widespread deployment of IoT. 2023, IGI Global. -
Agricultural nanotechnologies: Future perspectives of bio-inspired materials
Bio-inspired designs have been used by humankind in understanding and modelling novel materials which have applications in diverse fields like disease diagnostics, drug delivery, agriculture, energy storage, industry, etc. Superhydrophobicity, directional adhesion, structural colour, self-cleaning, antireflection, etc. are some of the useful attributes for which we have relied a lot on nano level biomimetics. Bioinspired nanolevel designs have been explored in the field of agriculture too. Such nanomaterials and nanodesigns have been used to increase crop yields. They also find uses in fertilizer application and replacement of many harmful chemical pesticides, which are generally overused. Increasing population, increased longevity of people and the urgent need for sustainable environment have led to a dire need for exploration and adaptation of such novel technologies which can help in feeding the growing population. Nanoscale products and technologies can also help in reducing the accumulation of excess fertilizers, pesticides, etc. in soil, which can go a long way in cleaning up the environment. The current attempt is intended to portray the latest developments and future possibilities of bioinspired NT in diverse fields of agriculture like synthesis and delivery of novel pesticides and fertilizers, nanocarriers for gene delivery, sensors to monitor and assess soil conditions, plant pathogen detection and plant nanobionics to detect pollutants. 2023 Bentham Science Publishers. All rights reserved. -
Mechanical and tribological properties of polymer composites developed by FDM
In the coming years, researchers and manufacturers will be more concerned with the demand for products that are easy to construct and can be rendered seamlessly, even at complicated geometries, with the touch of a button. These requirements will be met by the advent of additive manufacturing. This will serve as the catalyst for a revolution. Additive layer manufacturing (ALM), also known as additive manufacturing (AM) or more commonly referred to as 3D printing, is a modern fabrication technology that uses a variety of raw materials to produce items such as medical implants and aircraft wing components by printing layers of material based on 3D digital models. In this chapter, the authors provide a comprehensive overview of the mechanical and tribological behaviour of ceramic, metallic, and fiber-reinforced polymer composites that are made by a range of additive manufacturing (AM) techniques. These composites can be used in a variety of applications, including aerospace, automotive, and medical. 2023, IGI Global. All rights reserved. -
A comparative study on e-waste management systems in developed and developing countries: Legislative compliances and initiatives
E-waste is an ongoing issue that still lacks a suitable solution, particularly in developing nations. The environment and human health have suffered dramatically as a result of poor recycling practices of waste of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), transboundary movement, improper management of e-waste, the lack of environmentally sound management (ESM) programs, and the ineffective EPR (extended producer responsibility) schemes. Although developed nations have implemented efficient legislative frameworks and regulations, emerging nations suffer due to their plans. E-waste management systems differ in developed and developing countries; thus, this study evaluates the differences between the management systems and outlines the areas where the developing nations lack effective e-waste management and the advantages developed countries enjoy. Therefore, the current study results are crucial for comprehending the severe hazard posed by improper management of e-waste and the viability of future research into creating strategies to address these problems of developing nations. 2023, IGI Global. -
Neuropsychological functions and optimism levels in stroke patients: A cross-sectional study
Neuropsychological abnormalities, as well as behavioural and psychological characteristics, are being examined in patients in order to determine the prevalence of cognitive impairment and other neurovascular riskfactors, including prior strokes. The green light has been given by the institution's human ethics committee for this investigation. In order to conduct the study, the researchers used experimental clinical research techniques. Seventy-five stroke patients ranging in age from 20-70 were the focus of this study. All patients in the hospital had daily clinical examinations and were able to identify the underlying causes of their strokes. The NIMHANS Neuropsychological Battery was administered to all patients between one and six months after the onset of their stroke symptoms. 2023, IGI Global. All rights reserved. -
COVID-19 pandemic, risk-reduction strategies and crisis management in the travel insurance sector
Travel has always been considered to be a risky affair as there are multiple uncertainties associated with it. Though the tourism industry has developed sophisticated methods to manage these risks, there are still certain uncontrollable and unforeseen circumstances that might affect the physical, emotional, and mental state of travellers. The result would be a huge financial burden for the traveller and increased frustration towards the tour operator. The concept of travel insurance was introduced to relieve travellers of such unforeseen risks while travelling. Moreover, the Covid 19 pandemic has instilled a sense of fear and doubt among the minds of travellers which affects their travel decision-making to a large extent. Destinations and tourism suppliers have introduced various risk reduction strategies and methods to resolve this issue. This paper focuses on understanding the concept of risk associated with travel, the various dimensions of risk management, and the key strategies adopted by tour operators and suppliers to minimize such risks. 2023 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. -
Female entrepreneurship: Challenges faced in a global perspective
Women being employees is a very appreciative aspect. But women being employers is a bold and massive decision that they make, considering their busy life schedule, which traditionally includes looking after their families and themselves. This book chapter aims to identify the diverse challenges female entrepreneurs face, which could be in the context of society, structure, or finance. Identifying and vocalizing these challenges faced by these emerging entrepreneurs is inadequate, but tackling them is equally called for. This study provides a framework and scope for further research to look into more opportunities and measures to tackle these roadblocks. Last but not least, this book chapter anticipates inspiring all women and driving them to explore the essence of entrepreneurship. 2023, IGI Global. All rights reserved. -
A thorough investigation of various goals and responses for mobile software-defined networks
Cloud computing has caused some companies to modify their IT infrastructure and maintenance procedures and may eliminate their current hardware altogether. Conventional methods of setting up a switch or router may be error-prone and unable to make full use of the capabilities of current network architectures. As many intelligent networking designs as possible must be developed for intellectualization, activation, and customization in future networks. Due to software-defined networking (SDN) technology, it's possible to control, secure, and optimize network resources, eliminating the rigid coupling between the control plane and the data plane in traditional network architectures. Here, the chapter explores the problems, difficulties, and potential solutions associated with software-defined networks (SDN), a novel concept in computer networking. Through SDN, the network gains the ability to be programmable, quick, and adaptable thanks to its separation of data and its ability to control traffic. 2023, IGI Global. All rights reserved. -
Enhancements of women's entrepreneurship: A theme-based study
Woman entrepreneurs are defined as a group of women who initiate, organize, and run a business concern, from a situation where a woman was not even allowed to get out of their home, to today, running most of the successful brands of the world, contributing a major part to the economic growth, and breaking the stereotypes by providing a reality check to the male dominance. There has been a wide range of public policies enrolled out to facilitate and encourage the growth of women's entrepreneurship. A few such policies from India have proved to be successful, which will be outlined in this book chapter. From the past times of not gaining adequate recognition for their support, women have emerged successful in overcoming hardships such as lack of visibility, lack of training and educative support about public policies provided by governments to women entrepreneurs, fewer opportunities, and walking out of the social stigma. 2023, IGI Global. All rights reserved. -
Approaches on redesigning entrepreneurship education
All over the world there is an emergence of a self-reliant life. This instilled a spark in entrepreneurship, especially during the wake of a pandemic world. The paradigm shift from dependency to self-reliance demands a set of skills and techniques as prerequisites to thrive in this competitive world. This chapter introduces a couple of innovative pedagogy strategies that can be inculcated in educational institutions, which will give rise to efficient entrepreneurs who can face adversaries and make an efficient contribution to society. The chapter aims to integrate realistic learning activities for fostering capability development in entrepreneurship education. Capability enhancement in entrepreneurship education includes activities that improve the knowledge, skills, and talents of potential entrepreneurs. The chapter aims to develop a model that further illustrates how the educational entrepreneurial experience could be explored. 2023, IGI Global. -
Women empowerment in India: Are we on the right track?
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have attracted the continued attention of national governments, international bodies, private organizations, civil societies, and NGOs. ICT has the potential to act as an influential method for promoting gender equality and social-economic and political empowerment of women. The chapter describes a number of ICT-backed initiatives in different countries targeted towards various concerns of women such as health, education, violence, governance, income, etc. It demonstrates the ability of ICT for empowering women especially those belonging to the marginalized group. This chapter examines the key challenges including technical, social, and economic to the usage of ICT for women's development as well as suggests initiatives for initiatives for national governments, policy makers, and organizations focusing on the issue of women empowerment. 2023, IGI Global. -
Role of ICT in economic empowerment of women by being an effective facilitator for women entrepreneurship
Information and communication technology (ICT) is steadily gaining dominance over other channels as a standalone medium for gaining and sharing knowledge, hybrid working environment, network strengthening and funding, business collaborations, new venture set-up, marketing and branding. ICT being most effectively featured with accessibility and omnipresence has been capable of empowering a lot of developing and talent-rich areas, and women empowerment is one among them. This chapter makes an attempt to bring out the efficient role played by ICT in enhancing the lifestyle of women. It proposes to provide a detailed description of how ICT has empowered women, and entrepreneurs, to set up and develop their business ventures giving them access to required resources and making them more competent through information and wider access to the market. This chapter presents its findings based on a systematic review of different case analyses by using secondary data. The findings will be also supported by the evidence and information gathered from credible reports, articles, and publications. 2023, IGI Global. -
The role of financial inclusion in driving women's economic empowerment
The current chapter examines the impact of financial inclusion on women's economic empowerment. The data was gathered from 1,140 women in slums through a structured schedule on a five-point Likert scale. The schedule was pretested and validated using reliability and validity tests. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were performed to validate the questions. The impact was tested using linear regression, and results of regression model indicated women's financial inclusion significantly contributes to their economic empowerment. The findings of the study indicate that women in urban slums do not lack access to financial institutions. The results of the study have critical implications for policymakers and stakeholders involved in the financial inclusion process such as bankers, self-help groups, and others to reorient themselves towards financial inclusion practices. 2023, IGI Global. -
Feature extraction and diagnosis of dementia using magnetic resonance imaging
Dementia is a state of mind in which the sufferer tends to forget important data like memories, language, etc.. This is caused due to the brain cells that are damaged. The damaged brain cells and the intensity of the damage can be detected by using Magnetic Resonance Imaging. In this process, two extraction techniques, Gray Level Co-Occurrence Matrix (GLCM) and the Gray Level Run-Length matrix (GLRM), are used for the clear extraction of data from the image of the brain. Then the data obtained from the extraction techniques are further analyzed using four machine learning classifiers named Support Vector Machine (SVM), K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN), Random Forest (RF), and the combination of two classifiers (SVM+KNN). The results are further analyzed using a confusion matrix to find accuracy, precision, TPR/FPR - True and False Positive Rate, and TNR/FNR - True and False Negative Rate. The maximum accuracy of 93.53% is obtained using the GLRM Feature Extraction (FE) technique with the combination of the SVM and KNN algorithm. 2023, Bentham Books imprint. All rights reserved. -
An approach for mobile application design using Figma
With the increased mobile usage throughout the world, there is an enormous demand for mobile applications that provide not only good functionality but also good experience to the user, which is why it is important to have a good user interface for a mobile application. In this chapter, various components of an app are designed and illustrated in Figma software to make the work easier for a developer to create them. It also demonstrates the usage of Fig-ma. Meanwhile it shows the design thinking behind adding the correct colour schemes, right font, using proper white space, proper placement of buttons, and other design principles. 2023, IGI Global. All rights reserved. -
Exploring best practices in mobile app design patterns and tools: A user-centered approach
Design patterns are reusable solutions to common design problems that provide a consistent user experience across different apps. This article explores the best practices in mobile app design patterns and tools with a focus on the user-centered approach to design. Design patterns such as navigation bars, tab bars, list views, and card views are discussed, along with design tools such as Sketch, Figma, Adobe XD, and InVision. The problem is to ensure that mobile app design is centered around the needs and preferences of the user, rather than the designer or the technology, and that the right design patterns and tools are used to create interfaces that are familiar and easy to use. The chapter emphasizes the importance of conducting user research to understand the needs and preferences of the target audience and using design patterns and tools to create interfaces that are familiar and easy to use. Mobile apps have become an integral part of our lives, and designing a successful mobile app is a challenging task that requires a thorough understanding of user needs and preferences. 2023, IGI Global. All rights reserved.