Browse Items (11810 total)
Sort by:
-
Corporate diversification and firms financial performance: an empirical evidence from Indian IT sector
The aim of this research paper is to provide empirical evidence on the effect of geographic and segment diversification on the financial performance of the Indian IT sector. The study was done on 12 listed IT firms representing 93% market share on BSE/NSE. Standard econometric regression analysis on panel data was carried out to find the stated relationship. The results of the regression analysis revealed that international/geographic diversification impacted strongly on IT firms profitability whereas product/segment diversification had no significant impact on the firms profitability. This study also proves the existence of demand for Indian IT sector in other countries. These results could be useful in decision making for top managers of IT companies as they advocate the need for diversification (specialisation) and growth in size and also provide encouragement to small-scale Indian IT companies to undertake international diversification activities with confidence. Copyright 2023 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. -
A proposed framework for an appropriate governance system to develop smart cities in India
The Government of India has undertaken a novel step towards building new smart cities as well as transforming some of its existing cities into smart cities. However, tension relating to the governance of smart cities has emerged. Therefore, a mixed-methods approach was used based on a perception survey, case studies, and discussions with stakeholders and experts, to examine the current governance challenges in transforming existing cities into smart cities, and to explore various perspectives to propose a framework for an appropriate governance system for developing smart cities in India. The findings suggested that the current executive-led governance system, with special-purpose vehicles (SPVs) under the control of the state governments as the promoters of smart city development, might not lead to the smart governance system envisaged but, rather, add confusion and conflict, and undermine the constitutionally mandated, legislative-led urban local bodies. The argument in this article is for a people-centric, balanced governance approach with strengthened urban local bodies, enabled by advanced digital technology and the constructive participation of different social solidarities, in which the SPVs would act as the intellectual and executive wing of the urban local bodies. 2023 Regional Studies Association. -
End-to-End Encryption in Resource-Constrained IoT Device
Internet of Things (IoT) technologies will interconnect with a wide range of network devices, regardless of their local network and resource capacities. Ensuring the security, communication, and privacy protection of end-users is a major concern in IoT development. Secure communication is a significant requirement for various applications, especially when communication devices have limited resources. The emergence of IoT also necessitates the use of low-power devices that interconnect with each other for essential processing. These devices are expected to handle large amounts of monitoring and control data while having limited capabilities and resources. The algorithm used for secure encryption should protect vulnerable devices. Conventional encryption methods such as RSA or AES are computationally expensive and require large amounts of memory, which can adversely affect device performance. Simplistic encryption techniques are easily compromised. To address these challenges, an effective and secure lightweight cryptographic process is proposed for computer devices. This process utilizes a symmetrical encryption key block, incorporating a custom proxy network (SP) and a modified Feistel architecture. Security analysis and performance evaluation results demonstrate that the proposed protocol is secure and energy-efficient. The symmetric key encryption scheme is based on sequences in the Feistel cipher, with multiple rounds and sub-keys generated using principles derived from genetic algorithms. This proposed algorithm minimizes processing cycles while providing sufficient security. 2013 IEEE. -
Examining the Prevalence and Impact of Physical Violence from a Psychological Perspective
Physical violence within marriages are pervasive issues that affect individuals globally, including in India. This essay examines the prevalence and impact of physical and sensual violence in India from a psychological perspective. The underreporting and stigmatization of these forms of violence pose significant challenges in understanding their true extent. Factors such as power imbalances, gender inequality, and cultural norms contribute to their perpetuation. The psychological consequences experienced by survivors include trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, emotional distress, sexual dysfunction, substance abuse, and self-harm. Additionally, the cycle of violence and revictimization further compounds the psychological impact. Addressing this issue requires legal reforms, raising awareness, promoting education, challenging cultural norms, providing support services, and ensuring accessible mental health support. By addressing the cultural, legal, and psychological dimensions, it is possible to create a society that is free from physical violence and supports survivors in their journey towards healing and empowerment. The objective of this study is to enhance comprehension of the issue of physical violence in India by examining its prevalence and impact. The findings of this research endeavour to facilitate the development of efficacious strategies and interventions to combat this widespread problem in the nation. 2023, Journal for ReAttach Therapy and Developmental Diversities. All Rights Reserved. -
Cholesterol reduction and heavy metal assimilation characteristics of Pediococcus pentosaceus strains isolated from pickle and moor-kuzhambu
Aims: Consumption of fermented foods are known to provide various health benefits. The present study was aimed to isolate novel potent probiotic strains from the homemade fermented Indian recipe Moor Kuzhambu and Pickle and its characterization to elucidate the efficacy of isolate in cholesterol and heavy metal reduction. Methodology and results: Cultures isolated from Pickle (CK2) and Moor Kuzhambu (CK3) were identified as different strains of Pediococcus pentosaceus using the 16S rDNA sequence-based bacterial identification method. The study analysed the survival of probiotic strains under the influence of various chemical and natural stimulants. The isolated strains exhibited tolerance to gastric juice and were able to exhibit a broad range of tolerance to varying temperatures, pH, NaCl, solvent, phenol, trypsin and artificial gastric juice. Microencapsulation studies were conducted using alginate and chitosan to increase the shelf life of the isolated probiotic. Preliminary analysis regarding cell surface studies such as autoaggregation, co-aggregations and cell surface hydrophobicity determined the ability of the strains to aggregate on to intestinal cell surface and manifest competitive pathogen displacement. Conclusion, significance and impact of study: Remarkable biofilm reduction of 48% to 80% was observed in the probiotic-supplemented samples. Similarly, a reduction of 80% to 85% free cholesterol was noted in cholesterol assimilation assays and heavy metal (Cu+, Pb+, Zn+ and Fe+) assimilation ability was observed. Further studies are required to characterize the nature of the secretory products and their mode of action in the survival and immune enhancement in animal models. 2023, Malaysian Journal of Microbiology. All Rights Reserved. -
BUSINESS RESPONSES TOWARDS CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC; [RESPOSTAS DAS EMPRESAS EM RELAO RESPONSABILIDADE SOCIAL CORPORATIVA E METAS DE DESENVOLVIMENTO SUSTENTEL DURANTE A PANDEMIA DE COVID-19]
Objective: In India, incorporating structural transformation in corporate social responsibility for achieving sustainable development goals in the Covid-19 Pandemic has become a priority. Therefore, the present article aims to review the corporate social responsibility activities conducted by Nine Indian companies (two public sector organizations and seven private sector organizations) towards attaining Sustainable Development Goals in times of global pandemic. To explore CSR activities performed by the Indian companies (both public and private) in recent times of crisis of covid-19. To assess the impact of Covid-19 on the economic, social, and technological environment of Indian Companies in recent times. Method: For our research, we chose India since it was one of the earliest and worst-hit countries during the recent pandemic. Even though huge Asian corporations are a minority, It is a good fit for our study goal for various reasons. Less and medium-sized businesses, on the other hand, have a far smaller influence on society, Due to their prominence in the press, clients or consumers are more likely to provide feedback if they are proactive. As a second point, major companies have greater resources (e.g., human and financial) to spend on reporting and distributing social and environmental information. The existing study applied bibliometric analysis in the exploratory research. The data collection done through secondary sources in which articles extracted with the use of PRISMA flowchart. Result: The study's findings state that most selected Indian Companies spend Rupees 50-1000 crores as corporate social responsibility activities and contribute to the Pradhan Mantri Relief Fund as a business response to face challenges in times of pandemic. Moreover, private companies spend more on CSR activities than public companies in India. The study provides suggestions to the government to make the corporate social responsibility activities compulsory for all the profitable companies so that country can maintain a corporate pool of contingent funds that can utilize to meet such times of critical circumstances. Conclusion: Companies are taking steps to ensure the safety and protection of their personnel. This has been reflected in corporate social responsibility initiatives as well. Corporate social responsibility efforts must include pushing for and facilitating access to health insurance programmes and other equity indicators as a result. 2023 The Author(s). -
Transfer Learning-Based Osteoporosis Classification Using Simple Radiographs
Osteoporosis is a condition that affects the entire skeletal system, resulting in a decreased density of bone mass and the weakening of bone tissues micro-architecture. This leads to weaker bones that are more susceptible to fractures. Detecting and measuring bone mineral density has always been a critical area of focus for researchers in the diagnosis of bone diseases such as osteoporosis. However, existing algorithms used for osteoporosis diagnosis encounter challenges in obtaining accurate results due to X-ray image noise and variations in bone shapes, especially in low-contrast conditions. Therefore, the development of efficient algorithms that can mitigate these challenges and improve the accuracy of osteoporosis diagnosis is essential. In this research paper, a comparative analysis was conducted Assessing the accuracy and efficiency of the latest deep learning CNN model, such as VGG16, VGG19, DenseNet121, Resnet50, and InceptionV3 in detecting to Classify Normal and Osteoporosis cases. The study employed 830 X-ray images of the Spine, Hand, Leg, Knee, and Hip, comprising Normal (420) and Osteoporosis (410) cases. Various performance metrics were utilized to evaluate each model. The findings indicate that DenseNet121 exhibited superior performance with an accuracy rate of 93.4% Achieving an error rate of 0.07 and a validation loss of only 0.57 compared with other models considered in this study. 2023, International journal of online and biomedical engineering. All Rights Reserved. -
DETERMINANTS OF CREDIT RISK: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM INDIAN COMMERCIAL BANKS
Credit risk is a significant factor affecting the financial stability of banks. Keeping the credit risk under control is essential to maintain a banks cash flow. This paper examines the various profitability, microeconomic and macroeconomic indicators that affect a banks credit risk. The study uses the dataset of 31 banks from 2012 to 2021 and employs a panel data modelling approach to account for any variations in risk-taking behavior. The results revealed a statistically significant negative relationship between return on equity and credit risk when nonperforming loans proxy credit risk. This finding was consistent across fixed effect, random effect, and pooled OLS methods, at 1 percent significance (P value < 0.00), indicating that the extent of credit risk decreases as profitability increases. It was further found that bank age and ownership type positively affect a banks credit risk, while factors such as bank size and operational efficiency negatively affect credit risk when nonperforming loans proxy credit risk. Further, macroeconomic variables showed that gross domestic product is positively associated with credit risk, while inflation negatively affects credit risk. Overall, the findings of this paper demonstrated that credit risk is affected by both micro and macroeconomic factors. The paper also addresses significant policy implications as it helps various stakeholders to examine the determinants of credit risk, make credit decisions, and ultimately lower their credit risk. Tisa Maria Antony, Suresh G., 2023. -
Effect of heavy metals on germination, biochemical, antioxidant and withanolide content in Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal
Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal., commonly referred to as Ashwagandha, is a medicinal plant from the solanaceae family with a wide range of pharmacological properties. W. somnifera is a rich source of withanolides, such as withanolide A, withanolide B, withanolide D, withaferin A and many others which are attributed for a large number of pharmacological activities. In the present study, the impact of heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) has been assessed on the growth, biochemical parameters, antioxidant activity and withanolide A and withaferin A content of W. somnifera. The seeds of W. somnifera were germinated in cocopeat and treated with different concentrations of Cd (20-200 ppm), Hg (10-100 ppm) and Pb (200-2000 ppm) for 21 days. There have been substantial differences between the heavy metal-treated plants and the control plants with the lowest germination of 20% observed in the plants treated with 2000 ppm Pb. The selected metals inhibited vegetative growth with lowest length of 3.07cm and lowest biomass of 0.74g in 180 ppm Cd and 200 ppm Cd treated plants respectively. With the addition of heavy metals, biochemical parameters like protein, carbohydrate, chlorophyll, total phenol, flavonoid and proline content varied significantly and showed metal tolerance by exhibiting antioxidant activity at lower concentrations. The metal accumulation occurred in a dose-dependent manner with highest Cd accumulation of 14.30mg kg?1, Hg accumulation of 42.45mg kg?1, and Pb accumulation of 217.46mg kg?1 of dry biomass of the plants. The withanolide content increased up to a specific metal concentration and decreased with a further increase in heavy metal concentration. The seeds treated with 1200 ppm of Pb showed the highest withanolide A content of 1.7mg g?1 dry weight (DW), and the seeds treated with 80 ppm of Cd showed the highest withaferin A content of 3.2mg g?1 DW. 2023 Horizon e-Publishing Group. All rights reserved. -
Novel task assignment policies using enhanced hyper-heuristic approach in cloud
Cloud computing plays a vital role in all fields of todays business. The processor sharing server farm is one of the most used server farms in the cloud environment. The key challenge for the mentioned server farms is to provide an optimal scheduling policy to process the computational jobs in the cloud. Many scheduling policies were introduced and deployed by the existing approaches to build an optimal cloud environment. The existing approaches of the heuristic algorithms such as meta-heuristic and hyper-heuristic approaches were the most frequently used scheduling algorithms for the past years. These approaches work well only in the limited types of tasks and resources in a processor sharing server farms in the cloud environment. In the proposed system, novel task assignment policies have been proposed by enhancing the hyper-heuristic approach for the type low task and high resource in the cloud environment. The results of the proposed approach are compared with the existing approaches and the performance evaluation of the proposed approach is also done. As a result, the proposed enhanced hyper-heuristic approach performs well for processor sharing server farms in the cloud environment. Copyright 2023 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. -
Work-Cognition and Subjective Well-being Among Female Professional Educators During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Moderating Role of Resilience
Teaching demands educators to be both caretakers and educators, leading to significant cognitive and emotional strain. The pandemic has worsened these challenges, requiring teachers to seek psychological and professional support. Online teaching has added to these difficulties, with educators having to adapt to new technologies while managing virtual classrooms and addressing the unique needs of students in remote learning environments. This present study sought to understand the relationship between work cognition (WCog) and subjective well-being (SWB) among female professional educators during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study also examines the moderating effect of Resilience (RSL) on the association between WCog and SWB. Using a purposive sampling technique, data was collected through an online survey from 181 female professional educators in India. Female professional educators reported moderate levels of WCog, high levels of RSL, and high levels of SWB, which indicates that the female professional educators faced cognitive and emotional strain during online teaching but demonstrated resilience and maintained positive well-being. RSL moderated the relationship between WCog and SWB, highlighting its influence on educators cognitive management and well-being during online teaching. These insights have implications for support system to enhance the well-being of educators and promoting their professional development. The Author(s) 2023. -
Abjection and Intersecting Trans Women Identities: Examining Doing Gender through Malayalam Movies Ardhanaari and Njan Marykutty; [Abjeo e Identidades de Mulheres Trans Interseccionadas: Examinando Fazendo Gero atrav dos Filmes em Malayalam Ardhanaari e Njan Marykutty]; [Examinando hacer gero a trav de las pelulas en malayalam Ardhanaari y Njan Marykutty]
The non-confirmation to vexed societal gender norms places trans identities in an abjected state. Media, mainly cinema, plays an indispensable role in shaping, shunning, and promulgating such ideologies. To understand this discourse, the Malayalam films Ardhanaari (2015) and Njan Marykutty (2018) are taken to examine the question of abjection, a concept by Kristeva, and doing gender, by West and Zimmerman. The study argues that the abjection trans identities face forces them to perform their gender in accordance with cisnormative femininity. The study further argues that trans identities should embrace abjection and employ it as a political tool to disrupt the established hegemonic traditional gender structure and its definitions. 2023 Universidad de Guadalajara. All rights reserved. -
Numerical study on magnetohydrodynamics micropolar Carreau nanofluid with Brownian motion and thermophoresis effect
The current work explores the investigation of the influence of nonlinear thermal radiation on unsteady, magnetohydrodynamics boundary layer flow of micropolar Carreau nanofluid past a stretching sheet. Viscous dissipation, internal heating, Brownian motion, heat source/sink, thermophoresis, chemical reaction, and Joule heating effects are considered in the study. To analyze the model, the governing partial differential equations are rephrased and written in the non-dimensional form with the relevant dimensionless quantities. To obtain the solutions, the nonlinear non-dimensional governing equations are numerically solved using finite difference approximation. The impact of every significant flow parameter on fluid motion, micro-rotation, temperature, concentration, surface drag, heat, and mass transfer rates are presented through plotted graphs and tables. It is noted from the study that the fluid flow and angular motion increase, whereas the temperature declines with higher values of the micropolar constant. Further, it is noticed that thermal distribution is a rising function of radiation parameter, and due to the nonlinear thermal radiation effect, there is an increase of 4.903% in temperature distribution when compared to linear thermal radiation. To support the validity of the solutions, a comparison was made with notable results from the existing literature for the specific case of this study. 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. -
Integrity assured multi-functional multi-application secure data aggregation in wireless sensor networks (IAMFMA-SDA)
Industrial revolutions and demand of novel applications drive the development of sensors which offer continuous monitoring of remote hostile areas by collecting accurate measurement of physical phenomena. Data aggregation is considered as one of the significant energy-saving mechanism of resource constraint Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) which reduces bandwidth consumption by eliminating redundant data. Novel applications demand WSN to provide information about the monitoring region in multiple aspects in large scale. To meet this requirement, different kinds of sensors of different parameters are deployed in the same region which in turn demands the aggregator node to integrate diverse data in a smooth and secure manner. Novelty in applications also requires Base station (BS) to apply multiple statistical functions. Hence, we propose to develop a novel secure cost-efficient data aggregation scheme based on asymmetric privacy homomorphism to aggregate data of multiple parameters and facilitate the BS to compute multiple functions in one round of data collection by providing elaborated view of monitoring region. To meet the claim of large scale WSN which requires dynamic change in size, vector-based data collection method is adopted in our proposed scheme. The security aspect is strengthened by allowing BS to verify the authenticity of source node and validity of data received. The performance of the system is analyzed in terms of computation and communication overhead using the mathematical model and simulation results. 2023 - IOS Press. All rights reserved. -
Social media disorder in relation to device screen time and autosuggested social media content engagement; [Zislost zp?soben?asem stren na socinh sh v souvislosti s automaticky generovan obsahem na socinh sh]
Though emerging technology offers people a comfortable life, a few adverse effects also exist. There was a rapid increase in mobile phone usage and internet consumption during and post the Covid-19 pandemic, which reached the extent of addiction among youths. Thus, this study examines social media disorder among adolescents in relation to the time spent on a computer or smart-phone device screen and engaging in autosuggested social media content. The study included 235 responses from students in higher secondary schools of Bangalore, India. The study found a significant positive correlation between device screen time, autosuggested social media content engagement (ASMCE), and social media disorder. Multiple regression analysis indicated that 56.5% of social media disorder among adolescents is due to the time spent on a computer or smart phone device and autosuggested social media content engagement. The study did not measure any differences in social media disorder based on the demographic details of the study participants. As social media disorder affects the mental health of adolescents, especially in post pandemic times, and further affects their academic performance, the researchers suggest that future studies explore the other factors causing social media disorder. 2023 The Authors. -
Mathematics Self-Efficacy, Utility Value and Well-Being Among School Students in India: Mediating Role of Student Engagement
Teaching and learning mathematics has many challenges, including student engagement, attitudes and beliefs toward mathematics. Students experience stress and anxiety while learning mathematics. Mathematics is perceived as a complex subject. Student self-efficacy and a sense of utility value of mathematics topics can impact student learning and well-being. The current study aims to examine the mediating role of student engagement on the relationship between mathematics self-efficacy, utility value and well-being among students. A cross-sectional survey of 774 eighth-grade students (491 male and 283 female) from India was carried out using standardized scales to measure the study variables. The mediation analysis tested two conceptual models. The findings indicate that student engagement mediates the relationship between self-efficacy and student well-being (model 1), and student engagement mediates the relationship between utility value and student well-being (model 2). The structural equation model results indicate an acceptable fit of the tested conceptual models. The study findings call for focusing on socio-emotional aspects of mathematics learning to improve the well-being of students. 2023 Research Council on Mathematics Learning. -
Molecularly imprinted graphene based biosensor as effective tool for electrochemical sensing of uric acid
Graphene oxide based molecularly imprinted polymer was designed by incorporating vinyltrimethoxysilane into the layers of graphene oxide, which was copolymerized with functional monomers such as Itaconic acid (IA) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) was developed via bulk imprinting technique. The prepared polymer was studied for selective sensing the uric acid (UA) in blood serum. The electrode was constructed by modifying bare glassy carbon electrodes with the prepared molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) via drop cast method. Electrochemical measurements were made by Cyclic voltammetric (CV) and Differential Pulse Voltammetric (DPV) response of the sensor. The physical and chemical properties of the resultant material will be characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, XRD and FESEM. The constructed sensor showed a regression coefficient (R2) of 0.9302 with limit of detection (LOD) of about 0.565 ??M. The developed sensor is reusable without any compromise in its selectivity. All the results confirm that the constructed biosensor requires no pre-treatment of samples and is suitable for real sample analysis. 2023 The Authors -
Hycons Renewable Private Limited: Viable Biogas Production from Paddy Straws: A Capital Budgeting Decision
The case revolves around the decision to be taken by Mr Sashikant Hegde, Managing Director, Hycons Renewable Private Ltd, on the project viability of a business proposal. The proposal was to start a manufacturing plant in Punjab to produce compressed biogas using paddy straws. Hegde firmly believed that the company would do well considering the growth of the CNG market in India, as the oil and natural gas sector in India is among the top 10 core industries in the country and plays an important role in the existence of other important sectors as well. The proposal would benefit Hycons to establish its presence in northern India, but the project viability and funding of the investment remained an unanswered question. 2023 Lahore University of Management Sciences. -
Do Tourists' Motives Alter Based on What They See on E-Sources of Information? An SEM Approach to Determine the Impact
With growing competition in the tourism industry and changing tourists' expectations, motives and behavior, marketers are at the outset to promote, position and brand their tourism destinations lucratively. Though there are many allied themes on destination branding and marketing arena, tourists' motives have been widely looked up as research emphasis the dynamic revamps being seen with the intervention of digital sources of information. However, research at this aspect is at gradual phase. This paper focuses on such a theme and tries to understand the significant impact of tourists' behavior towards esources of information on their motives. Literary sources have been analyzed and hypothesis has been formulated. To test the assumption, the research location has been chosen - a district in Tamil Nadu state which serves wide range of tourists' motives and bestowed with distinct tourism attractions. A Structured questionnaire containing the necessary items measuring the study factors has been floated to 422 tourists through convenient sampling technique. However, 327 have been rounded as the final sample after excluding the illegible responses. Three Stage Analysis has been performed where Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) has been sued for data reduction and exploring the new factors, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) has been used for identifying and confirming the individual models and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) has been used for understanding the structural relationship between the factors. Model fit has been found for CFA and SEM. Significant impact has been found by tourists' behavior towards the esources of information on tourists' motives. Simple Percentage Analysis (SPA) has been used to analyze the distribution of respondents based on their personal factors. Suggestions to the marketers and policy makers have been provided through managerial implications. Theoretical recommendations have also been narrated. Copyright IJHTS. -
Exploring Cross-cultural Comfort Food Narratives in Beryl Shereshewskys YouTube Videos
This article explores how certain food and the stories linked to the same are capable of evoking feelings of comfort and security. Food binds people together. The rituals and practices surrounding food inspire and sustain the association of various memories, experiences and emotions. The area of food studies is especially interested in how these linkages translate into the practice of nourishment. The narratives surrounding comfort food take on a cross-cultural flavour in the videos from Beryl Shereshewskys YouTube channel. This article analyses these narratives through the lens of Symbolic Interactionism to explicate how these food narratives bring people together from across the world by evoking the universal needs of food and comfort. Consequently, it is seen that even though it is true that the experience of consuming comfort food is extremely personal, it is also rendered as a universal phenomenon through the narratives that are created and shared. 2023 MICA-The School of Ideas.