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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. -
Chemical leaching of an indian bituminous coal and characterization of the products by spectroscopic techniques
Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of high volatile bituminous coal as well as their insoluble organic matter, obtained by chemical leaching with HF, EDTA and acid mixture (HF + HCl and HF + HNO3) were recorded between 500 and 4000 cm-1. UV-Visible-NIR spectroscopy was used to study the sample and its leached products in the 200-800 nm wavelength region. Oxygen containing structures were observed in the 1800-1000 cm-1 zone, aliphatic hydrogen in the 2920-2800 cm-1 zone, aromatic outof- plane structure in the 900-670 cm-1 zone. A great abundance of C=C structure was noticed at 1600 cm-1 region, while clay and silicate minerals were identified in the 540 cm-1 and 1030 cm-1 region. With chemical leaching silicate bands showed a decrease in intensity and were least for EDTA and HF leached samples. The UV-Visible -NIR spectrum showed absorption maximum at 235-270 nm and was shown a red shift with leaching. The II-II* electronic transitions of the poly-nuclear aromatic hydrocarbons was responsible for the absorption at 680 nm. The weak bands observed in the visible region (400-500 nm) were due to the presence of SO2 in the sample and decreased with chemical leaching. It was evident from the results that amongst the leachants used, hydrofluoric acid and acid mixture had significant effect in removing the mineral matter and oxygenated functional groups. -
Systematic investigations of graphene layers in sub-bituminous coal
Coal is the plentiful and widely and universally used fuel. However, its structural characteristic makes a perception that it is only worthwhile for generating energy via combustion. Herein we report a simple method to synthesize nanometre-sized graphene sheets with amorphous carbon addends on the edges from sub-bituminous coal. The X-ray analysis reveals the presence of crystalline carbon in the amorphous background. The average number of carbon atoms and aromatic layers was estimated as ?21 and 8. The interlayer spacing d 002 for the aromatic lamellae of samples leached using HF and acetic acid, are found to be 0.352 and 0.376 nm, respectively. The oxidation of coal structure resulted in nanometre sized graphene having lateral size of 4.19 nm and stacking height of 2.3 nm. The Raman spectrum analysis confirmed the formation of finite sized, less defective graphene nanolayers with leaching. The crystalline carbon within the coal matrix displaced with chemical leaching, resulting nano-meter sized graphene sheets. The results also established that with HF leaching, carbon in coal becomes more stacked and ordered compared to organic acid leached coal. 2014 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd. -
Crude oil prediction using a hybrid radial basis function network
In the recent years, the crude oil is one of the most important commodities worldwide. This paper discusses the prediction of crude oil using artificial neural networks techniques. The research data used in this study is from 1st Jan 2000- 31st April 2014. Normally, Crude oil is related with other commodities. Hence, in this study, the commodities like historical datas of gold prices, Standard & Poors 500 stock index (S & P 500) index and foreign exchange rate are considered as inputs for the network. A radial basis function is better than the back propagation network in terms of classification and learning speed. When creating a radial basis functions, the factors like number of radial basis neurons, radial layers spread constant are taken into an account. The spread constant is determined using a bio inspired particle swarm optimization algorithm. A hybrid Radial Basis Function is proposed for forecasting the crude oil prices. The accuracy measures like Mean Square Error, Mean Absolute Error, Sum Square Error and Root Mean Square Error are used to access the performance. From the results, it is clear that hybrid radial basis function outperforms the other models. 2005 - 2015 JATIT & LLS. All rights reserved. -
4-{(E)-[2-(Pyridin-3-ylcarbonyl)hydrazinylidene]methyl}phenyl acetate
The title compound, C15H13N3O3, exists in the E conformation with respect to the azomethane C=N double bond. The pyridyl and phenyl rings form dihedral angles of 35.67 (8) and 36.65 (7), respectively with the central C(=O)N2C unit. In the crystal, N - H?O and C - H?O hydrogen bonds connect the molecules into chains along the b axis. Another C - H?O interaction connects molecules along the c-axis direction, forming layers. -
Financial inclusion and poverty alleviation: The alternative state-led microfinance model of Kudumbashree in Kerala, India
The study examines the microfinance and microenterprise model of Kudumbashree, the state poverty eradication mission of Kerala, and its impact on poverty alleviation in the state of Kerala in India. Kudumbashree's method of identification of the poor is seen to be superior to the conventional head count ratio as it captures the multidimensional characteristics of poverty leading to lesser chances of exclusion of vulnerable families. The microenterprise-linked microfinance model of Kudumbashree has established itself as an effective model linking the state, community, and financial organizations, differentiating itself from other NABARD-led self-help group (SHG) programmes or the Grameena model of microfinance institutions in the country. The fundamental idea of local economic development on which the microenterprise business is built is, however, not free from limitations. Heavy reliance on local markets for procuring inputs and selling outputs makes the products less competitive, questioning the sustainability of a business-led model in the absence of state subsidy in the longer run. Copyright 2014 Practical Action Publishing. -
Assessing CRM practices in hotel industry: A look at the progress and prospects
Purpose: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a unique key element considered in the hotel diligence which is extremely thriving plus competitive market at present. The study purpose is to identify how CRM can be strategy tactics for solution as business attitudes towards the hotels. It generates nine different items with regards to CRM. Design/methodology/approach: The study progressed in four phases. The empirical data were collected. A sample of 100, four, five and five star luxury hotels was considered for the study. To explore CRM process in hotel industry, an analysis was carried out to identify different CRM levels (performance and importance). The study was tested and analyzed by adopting a scale developed by Reinartz, Krafft and Hoyer. Findings: The result largely supports the CRM process developed in hotels theoretically but does not seem to have the balance between the CRM levels evenly. Crucial discoveries of the learning are firstly, CRM remains characterized via nine different items in the hotel diligence connecting to Measure, Acquisition, Regain, Maintain, Retain, Cross up, Referrals, Termination Measure and Exit. The best predictor of CRM is the items on performance level referred as Measure followed by Regain and Acquisition and on the importance level, Referrals followed by Cross-up and Regain. Practical Implications: The result suggests that the hotels must understand today's customer's wants and needs. The hotels need to be more proactive in developing a balance between CRM levels for effective CRM in hotel diligence. Novelty/assessment: The learning highlights the importance of CRM and its relationship in service industries in the literature. The study focuses in particular on CRM in hotel industry and the linkage between the CRM levels (Performance and Importance). -
Forecasting of foreign currency exchange rate using neural network
Foreign exchange market is the largest and the most important one in the world. Foreign exchange transaction is the simultaneous selling of one currency and buying of another currency. It is essential for currency trading in the international market. In this paper, we have investigated Artificial Neural Networks based prediction modelling of foreign exchange rates using five different training algorithms. The model was trained using historical data to predict four foreign currency exchange rates against Indian Rupee. The forecasting performance of the proposed system is evaluated by using statistical metric and compared. From the results, it is confirmed that the new approach provided an improve technique to forecast foreign exchange rate. It is also an effective tool and significantly close prediction can be made using simple structure. Among the five models, Levenberg-Marquardt based model outperforms than other models and attains comparable results. It also demonstrates the power of the proposed approach and produces more accurate prediction. In conclusion, the proposed scheme can improve the forecasting performance significantly when measured on three commonly used metrics. -
Characterization of nano-crystalline carbon from camphor and diesel by x-ray diffraction technique
Hydrocarbons are by far the most widespread precursors among carbon sources employed in the production of carbon nanotubes and carbon nanosphers. In the present study, diesel and camphor have been used as precursors for nanomaterials. Carbonaceous soot produced from combustion of diesel in engine shows the presence of significant amount of carbon nanomaterials. The ? band at about 19.28 has been attributed to the presence of amorphous carbon and surface defects in carbon nanotubes. The ? band at about 25.81 corresponds to e2g mode of graphite which is related to vibration of sp2bonded carbon atoms and the presence of ordered carbon nanotubes in diesel soot. The SEM micrographs provide a clear indication that nanoparticle formed in diesel soot are clusters of carbon nanospheres. Energy dispersive spectrum analysis of diesel soot confirms that the soot particles to be composed of primarily carbon and oxygen along with hydrogen. The camphor soot shows ? and ? bands which reveals the presence of crystalline graphitic carbon. The SEM micrographs of camphor show the presence of carbon nanostructures. It is found nanomaterials formed in the diesel soot consists more of disordered carbon, whereas in camphor it is more of ordered graphite like carbon. -
Evolving corporate sustainable development: a case study of Mysore Paper Mills Limited
In 1987, the World Commission on Economic Development (WCED) popularized the term sustainable development in its well-cited report, Our Common Future. According to this report, sustainable development is defined as the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The WCED asserted that sustainable development required simultaneous adoption of environmental, economical, and equity principles. Bansal (Strategic Management Journal, 26(3), 197218, 2005) has conducted a study of Canadian firms in the oil and gas, mining, and forestry industries from 1986 to 1995. The study found that both resources based and institutional factors influence corporate sustainable development. This paper studied the corporate sustainable development of Mysore Paper Mills Ltd. from 1995 to 2011 using the same model. The study found that independent variables with significant impact on environmental integrity and overall sustainability were fines, penalties, court cases (total) involved by the company, and log of total assets. On economic prosperity, the independent variable with significant impact is log of total assets. For social equity, the independent variable with significant impact is foreign sales as percentage of total sales, number of fines/penalties/court cases (total), number of fines/penalties/court cases (environmental), log(total assets), and return on equity. 2013, Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht. -
Continuous emotion estimation for human machine interaction
Humans are able to interact and bond very efficiently with other species because every living organism has some form of emotion in them. Due to the advances in science and technology human life has become more dependent on machines for better living. The recent advances in technology enabled machines to become smarter but not efficient in terms of interaction with humans. Hence to address this issue and to bridge the gap between human machine interactions we propose a system to estimate human emotions from facial expressions. We believe that facial expressions are a form of nonverbal communication and primary means of conveying information. The system uses linear regression model to calculate emotional state of a facial expression which is mapped onto continuous 2-D coordinates with arousal and valence as axis from a captured digital image. Thus the proposed method estimates emotion continuously and predictively like humans rather than classifying the emotions because emotions are continuous and they have many dimensions. By estimating emotions continuously machines can better interact with humans. Experimental results showed that our system provides superior predictive performance. 2015 American Scientific Publishers. All rights reserved. -
Investigation of nanocrystalline structure in selected carbonaceous materials
The structural parameters of nine Indian coals were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. The study revealed that the coals contain crystalline carbon of turbostratic structure with amorphous carbon. The stacking height (Lc) and interlayer spacing (d002) of the crystallite structure of the coals ranged from 1.986 to 2.373 nm and from 0.334 to 0.340 nm, respectively. The degree of graphitization was calculated to range from 42% to 99%, thereby confirming the ordering of the carbon layers with the increase in coal rank. An exponential correlation was observed among the aromaticity (fa), the lateral size (Lc), and the rank (I20/I26), suggesting that the coal crystallites are nanocrystalline in nature. A very strong correlation was observed between the structural parameters (fa, d002, Lc, the H/C ratio, and I20/I26), the volatile matter content, and the elemental carbon content, indicating the structures of coals are controlled by the degree of contact metamorphism. The Raman spectra exhibited two prominent bands: the graphitic band (G) and the first-order characteristic defect band (D). The deconvolution resulted in five peaks: G, D1, D2, D3, and D4. The intense D1 band, which appeared at ~1350 cm-1, corresponds to a lattice vibration mode with A1g symmetry. The D2 mode, which appeared at ~1610 cm-1, arises from the structural disorder as a shoulder on the G band. University of Science and Technology Beijing and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014. -
Synthesis, growth mechanism and physical properties of vapour-deposited GaTe platelets
The physical vapour deposition (PVD) method has been employed to yield gallium telluride (GaTe) platelets. The morphology and growth mechanism of these platelets were investigated with the aid of scanning electron micrographs. The stoichiometry and homogeneity of the grown samples were confirmed by chemical analysis. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique has been used to explore the structure and phase of the compound. On the basis of the Archimedes principle, the density of crystals was estimated to be 5.442 kg mm-3. The resistivity and conductivity type were determined by the van der Pauw method. UV-vis-NIR studies revealed a direct transition with an energy gap of 1.69 eV. Mechanical properties such as microhardness, toughness, Young's modulus and elastic stiffness constant of GaTe crystals in response to the stress field due to an external load were studied to realize their suitability for radiation detector applications. The present observations provide an insight into the physical properties of the vapour-grown GaTe platelets, which are found to be superior over their melt counterparts. 2014 International Union of Crystallography. -
N?-[(E)-1-(2-fluorophenyl)ethylidene]pyridine-4-carbohydrazide
The title compound, C14H12FN3O, adopts an E conformation with respect to the azomethine bond. The pyridyl and fluorobenzene rings make dihedral angles of 38.58(6) and 41.61(5) respectively with the central C(=O)N2CC unit, resulting in a non-planar molecule. The intermolecular interactions comprise two classical N - H?O and N - H?N hydrogen bonds and four non-classical C - H?O and C - H?F hydrogen bonds. These interactions are augmented by a weak ?-? interaction between the benzene and pyridyl rings of neighbouring molecules, with a centroid-centroid distance of 3.9226(10) This leads to a three-dimensional supramolecular assembly in the crystal system. The F atom is disordered over two sites in a 0.559(3): 0.441(3) ratio, through a 180 rotation of the fluorobenzene ring. 2014 CrossMark. -
God has signed: Nature, divinity and mysticism in the poetry of Kuvempu
Kuvempu wrote a large number of poems on the mysteries of nature. Kuvempu hails from the heart of Western Ghats and he spent his childhood and youth exploring the forests around his house. Untrammelled nature was both mysterious and beautiful; hence nature turned out to be a primary inspiration to write poetry. Kuvempu looks outward, seeking to comprehend the oneness of all in nature through his senses. But he is also struck by the inability to comprehend and explain nature through senses. Often he expresses his awe at natural sights such as dawn (which appears to him as a God's signature) or the greenery of Western Ghats (which seems to have painted everything in nature in green, including poet's soul and the blood in the stomach). This leads Kuvempu to resort to mysticism in order to relate, comprehend and sing about nature. He sees in nature the divine presence. The paper will analyze poems such as Devaru Rujumadidanu, Ba Phalguna Ravidarshanake, and Prakriti Upasane, and explore the poetic perception of nature as divine through mysticism. 2014 Journal of Dharma: Dharmaram Journal of Religions and Philosophies (Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram, Bangalore). -
Effect of calcination temperature on surface morphology and photocatalytic activity in TiO2 thin films prepared by Spin Coating technique
TiO2 thin films were deposited on glass substrate using Sol-Gel derived precursor by Spin Coating technique at different calcination temperatures. Structural identity of the prepared films was con-firmed by powder X-ray diffraction measurements. Morphology of the films was monitored using Atomic force microscopy and it was observed that calcination temperature of 400 C favored TiO2 nano-fibers. Photocatalytic activity of the films was checked by observing the degradation of herbicide Atrazine in UV region and the percentage of degradation was analyzed by HPLC method. 2014 BCREC UNDIP. All rights reserved. -
Hotel career perceptions of final year hospitality degree students
The Indian Hospitality Management Institutions has seen a tremendous growth in the recent years, due to the growth of the tourism and hospitality sector a large number of hotel chains has increased their expansion plans to accommodate this growth. Although the development of the tourism and hospitality industry can create greater employment opportunities, it is the role of the education institutions to produce more hospitality graduates. If todays students are to become effective practitioners of tomorrow, it is important to understand the final year hospitality degree students perception towards their future careers in the hotel industry. The purpose of this study was to investigate the career perception of final year hospitality students towards the hotel industry. This paper focuses on a sample of 60 final year students pursuing a hospitality degree at a private university in Bangalore City, India to analyze their perceptions towards hotel careers the researchers used the survey questionnaire. The findings indicated that the students willingness to work in the hotel industry after graduation was high; 41 percent of the students preferred to start their future career in the food and beverage department; awareness of the working environment; perception on internship and also negative views about the hotel careers were highlighted in the study. 2015 American Scientific Publishers. All rights reserved. -
K shell X-ray intensity ratios and vacancy transfer probabilities of Fe, Ag, and Te following electron capture decay
The K shell X-ray photons of Fe, Ag, and Te following the electron capture decay of Co57, Cd109, and I125, respectively, were detected using Si(Li) detector coupled to PC-based 8k multichannel analyzer employing a simple method suggested earlier by our group. The calculated K shell X-ray intensity ratios and vacancy transfer probabilities for these elements are compared with the theoretical values predicted by Scofield and with others' experimental values obtained via photoionization. It is found that the A? to A? X-ray intensity ratio of Fe is lower by 4.0%, while that of Ag and Te are greater by 7.9% and 19.1%, respectively, from the theoretical values. These deviations may be attributed to the exchange interactions occurring between the 3p-3d shell electrons as well as the recoil effect of the nucleus due to neutrino emission. 2014 Published by NRC Research Press. -
Dharma as a binary identity
The idea of Dharma has different connotation in History from that of religion as is popularly understood. While it is accepted as righteousness, it transcends the notion that Dharma represents piety, spirituality, belief and nobility. On the contrary, History is replete with instances of how religion, an institutionalized aspect of Dharma, was constantly articulated as representing Authority, Power, Status and Hierarchy. Due to these interpretations Dharma often was projected as a tool for realization of the above by various institutions, be they, political, social, cultural or economic, and Dharma provided legitimacy and justified their identities. The present paper juxtaposes this articulation in the context of Ancient and Medieval India, spanning a period approximately from 3rd century BCE to 10th century CE. It argues that the different trajectories that flowed between Dharma and various other secular institutions constantly witnessed divergence as well as assimilation at various points of time. 2015 Journal of Dharma: Dharmaram Journal of Religions and Philosophies (DVK, Bengaluru), ISSN: 0253-7222. -
N?-[(E)-2-Fluorobenzylidene]benzohydrazide
The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C14H 11FN2O, contains two independent molecules, both of which adopt the E conformation with respect to the azomethine C=N bond. The molecules are non-planar, with dihedral angles of 26.92 (12) and 11.36 (11) between the benzene and phenyl rings. In the crystal, molecules are linked through N-H?O=C and N-H?N hydrogen bonds into chains along [101]. C-H?O contacts link these chains into layers parallel to (001). The three-dimensional crystal packing is stabilized by ?-? interactions, the shortest separation between the centroids of benzene rings being 3.884 (1)