Browse Items (11810 total)
Sort by:
-
Energy and Environmental Applications of Polymer Based Mixed Metal Oxide Nanocomposites
The dependence of human lives on fossil fuels is very inevitably high for the development of society. This leads to the exploitation of these non-renewable sources, which brings forth society, which is another major issue that has to be tackled. In this study, we have focused on addressing the energy and environmental needs of society using different catalysts. The polymer based mixed metal oxide catalysts are used for the utility towards multiple applications. The energy issues can be mitigated through newlinesupercapacitance studies and water splitting studies. The water splitting studies can newlineproduce hydrogen, an efficient and eco-friendly fuel, and supercapacitors can store newlineenergy effectively. Water pollution is another problem faced by our society, which newlinereduces the availability of freshwater sources. This can be overcome by following newlineeffective and cost-efficient adsorption techniques. Another major threat that prevails in our society is corrosion. Corrosion inhibition studies are followed to tackle this issue and provide a corrosion-free environment. The various polymers used in this study are polyaniline, polypyrrole, poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), and chitosan. These polymers are mixed with different metal oxides, and the synergy between the polymers and metal oxides provides efficiency towards the mentioned applications. The successful formation of composites is confirmed using various characterization techniques. Several electrochemical studies like cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge studies, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, linear sweep voltammetry, and potentiodynamic techniques are employed to analyze the efficacy of the composites towards supercapacitance, water splitting, and corrosion inhibition studies. The batch adsorption studies are executed for water purification studies. The synthesized multifunctional composites can be used as potential candidates for addressing the energy and environmental needs of our society in a sustainable manner. -
Endurance and Evolution: Exploring Levels of Resilience Among Indian Breast Cancer Survivors
Resilience for Indian women with breast cancer involves maintaining positivity and adaptability amid the complex challenges affecting their physical, emotional, and social well-being. However, research focused on resilience amongst this population in Indian settings is limited. Therefore, the aim of the study is to explore the experience of levels, patterns, and processes of resilience in Indian women living with breast cancer. A qualitative phenomenological approach was used to study resilience. Thirty-three participants from two hospitals underwent semistructured interviews, including survivors, women in cancer therapy, and family members. Data collected via audio recordings were analyzed using reflective thematic analysis techniques. The finding describes four themes of experience of resilience in women living with breast cancer. (a) Cancer diagnosis is a life-changing experience. Breast cancer diagnosis and therapy cause existential crisis, psychological distress, and social stigma. (b) Restoring healthy perception in an adverse event. Navigating challenges and achieving a balance between internal and external factors. (c) Types of supportthe pathway to resilience. Enhanced their resilience through internal support including attributes, past experiences, sociodemographic factors, and brain fitness. External support includes family, friends, religious or spiritual advisors, medical care, role models, other cancer survivors, and comfortable environments. (d) Learning and growing from the experience. Gained a better perspective on life, ultimately resulting in a new normal and finding meaning in the experience. Data show breast cancer survivors experience dynamic resilience, highlighting the need for culturally tailored interventions and supportive avenues within cancer care by healthcare providers and policymakers. The Author(s) 2024. -
Endophytic bacteria Klebsiella spp. and Bacillus spp. from Alternanthera philoxeroides in Madiwala Lake exhibit additive plant growth-promoting and biocontrol activities
Background: The worldwide increase in human population and environmental damage has put immense pressure on the overall global crop production making it inadequate to feed the entire population. Therefore, the need for sustainable and environment-friendly practices to enhance agricultural productivity is a pressing priority. Endophytic bacteria with plant growth-promoting ability and biocontrol activity can strongly enhance plant growth under changing environmental biotic and abiotic conditions. Herein, we isolated halotolerant endophytic bacteria from an aquatic plant, Alternanthera philoxeroides, from the polluted waters of Madiwala Lake in Bangalore and studied their plant growth promotion (PGP) and biocontrol ability for use as bioinoculant. Results: The isolated bacterial endophytes were screened for salt tolerance ranging from 5 to 15% NaCl concentration. Klebsiella pneumoniae showed halotolerant up to 10% NaCl and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Bacillus subtilis showed up to 15%. All three strains demonstrated good PGP abilities such as aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase activity, phosphate solubilization, ammonia production, and nitrogen fixation. In addition, K. pneumoniae also exhibited high indoleacetic acid (IAA) production (195.66 2.51g/ml) and potassium solubilization (2.13 0.07ppm). B. amyloliquefaciens and B. subtilis showed good extracellular enzyme production against cellulase, lipase, protease, and amylase. Both the isolates showed a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity against the tested organisms. The optimization of IAA production by K. pneumoniae was done by the response surface methodology (RSM) tool. Characterization of IAA produced by the isolate was done by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS) analysis. The enhanced plant growth-promoting ability of K. pneumoniae was also demonstrated using various growth parameters in a pot trial experiment using the seeds of Vigna unguiculata. Conclusion: The isolated bacterial endophytes reported in this study can be utilized as PGP promotion and biocontrol agents in agricultural applications, to enhance crop yield under salinity stress. The isolate K. pneumoniae may be used as a biofertilizer in sustainable agriculture and more work can be done to optimize the best formulations for its application as a microbial inoculant for crops. 2023, The Author(s). -
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. -
Encryption of motion vector based compressed video data
Enormous size of video data for natural scene and objects is a burden, threat for practical applications and thus there is a strong requirement of compression and encryption of video data. The proposed encryption technique considers motion vector components of the compressed video data and conceals them for their protection. Since the motion vectors exhibit redundancies, further reduction of these redundancies are removed through run-length coding prior to the application of encryption operation. For this, the motion vectors are represented in terms of ordered pair (val, run) corresponding to the motion components along the row and column dimensions, where val represents value of the motion vector while run represents the length of repetition of val. However, an adjustment for having maximal run is made by merging the smaller run value. Eventually we encrypted the val components using knapsack algorithm before sending them to the receiver. The method has been formulated, implemented and executed on real video data. The proposed method has also been evaluated on the basis of some performance measures namely PSNR, MSE, SSIM and the results are found to be satisfactory. Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016. -
Encouraging sustainable living through HR initiatives
This chapter examines how human resources (HR) professionals can facilitate organizational change in the direction of environmental responsibility in the context of sustainable human resource management. HR establishes itself as a strategic catalyst for concrete transformations in employee conduct and organizational culture by implementing performance management integration, waste reduction, and sustainable commuting initiatives. The study emphasizes tangible instances, demonstrating how human resource initiatives surpass theoretical concepts to promote a dedication to environmental stewardship actively. In ecological sustainability, HR professionals serve as catalysts for organizations, imparting knowledge and devising strategies to direct progress. This thorough examination offers practical recommendations for incorporating environmentally conscious principles into the operations of organizations, thereby promoting long-term sustainability. 2024, IGI Global. All rights reserved. -
Encountering risk with resilience for experiences: a case study on tourism in a conflicted tourist destination
Purpose: This paper aims to unravel how tourists balance their novel experiences with risk perceptions, psychological resilience and behavioral intentions. Additionally, it explores how tourists' personalities moderate the relationship between experiences and travel intentions. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 234 self-administered questionnaires were distributed to a diverse group of tourists who recently explored the Srinagar region to capture their perspectives. The data obtained was analyzed using Smart PLS-SEM. Findings: This study revealed that the impact of perceived terror risk on behavioral intentions is not statistically significant. Instead, tourists' experiences significantly influence psychological resilience and behavioral intentions. Tourists with higher resilience are inclined to perceive these experiences as aiding in managing negative feelings. Research limitations/implications: The study's focus is confined to one conflict zone within the country due to research constraints, excluding other areas. Practical implications: This research provides practical insights for destination management authorities and highlights areas for improvement for tourism service providers and the government in the Srinagar region, as well as other conflict regions. Emphasizing mutual respect between locals and tourists can foster community-based tourism, enhancing the region's appeal and promoting positive intentions for all involved parties. Social implications: This study examines how local communities in conflict-affected areas adjust to and manage the presence of tourists, with an emphasis on building resilience and support systems. Additionally, it explores how travel decisions and behaviors are influenced by tourists' perceptions of safety and how these perceptions can influence broader societal attitudes toward areas affected by conflict. Evaluating the local population's economic reliance on tourism may result in changed social dynamics, as well as possible exploitation or over-reliance on industry. Promoting mutual understanding and cultural interchange between locals and visitors may have a positive impact on efforts to promote social cohesion and peacebuilding. Originality/value: This study broadens the scope of the existing literature on destination attributes in conflict zones, offering a unique perspective on the intrinsic features of this issue. The solutions proposed in this study contribute a novel dimension to the current literature. 2024, International Tourism Studies Association. -
Encoder-Decoder Approach toward Vehicle Detection
Vehicle Detection algorithms run on deep neural networks. But one problem arises, when the vehicle scale keeps on changing then we may get false detection or even sometimes no detection at all, especially when the object size is tiny. Then algorithms like CNN, fast-RCNN, and faster-RCNN have a high probability of missed detection. To tackle this situation YOLOv3 algorithm is being used. In the codec module, a multi-level feature pyramid is added to resolve multi-scale vehicle detection problems. The experiment was carried out with the KITTI dataset and it showed high accuracy in several environments including tiny vehicle objects. YOLOv3 was able to meet the application demand, especially in traffic surveillance Systems. Grenze Scientific Society, 2023. -
Encapsulated 3converter for power loss minimization in a grid-connected system
A newly designed DCAC three phase bidirectional converter (DATBC) with an encapsulated DCDC converter (EDC) for the energy storage system (ESD) is analysed and investigated in this research paper. By using encapsulated or embedded or hidden DCDC converter a stable and constant DC bus is developed between the encapsulated DCDC converter and DCAC three phase bidirectional converter. The proposed converter is entirely different from the traditional dual-stage DCAC converter, because it takes less than 20% of power used for the DCAC conversion process. So, this reduced power consumption increases efficiency to a considerable value. A new control technique for zero sequence has been adopted components are inserted in the modulating signal based on carrier pulse width modulation (CPWM). Working principle, implementation and characteristics of the DCAC three phase bidirectional converter are analysed. Effectiveness and feasibility of the developed converter are examined with a proto-type model. 2022 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. -
Enabling context-awareness: A service oriented architecture implementation for a hospital use case
The medical field is continuously flooded with newer technologies and tools for automating all kinds of medical care processes. There are a variety of software solutions and platforms for enabling smart healthcare and for assisting care providers such as doctors, nurses, surgeons and specialists with all kinds of timely insights to diagnose and decide the correct course of actions. There are patient monitoring and expert systems to simplify and streamline healthcare service design, development, and delivery. However there are concerns and challenges with the multiplicity and heterogeneity of technologies and solutions. The dense heterogeneous medical devices available in the intensive therapy units pose a challenge of medical device integration. Needless to say, lot of research work has gone in devising techniques in integrating these systems for exchange of data. However mere device integration does not exploit the modern technologies until meaningful and critical information is presented to doctors and patient care personals adapting to the changes in the patient condition. The goal of this research is to apply context aware computing using service oriented architecture in acquiring, analysing and assisting doctors and nurses with necessary information for easy and critical time saving decision making. This paper presents an implementation of the identified web services which can be consumed during a treatment at the Intensive Therapy Unit (ITU). 2015 IEEE. -
Enabling Agricultural Sector through Blockchain Technology Farmers Perspective
The agricultural sectors in India and abroad have been affected extensively due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is necessary to provide solutions for the availability of resources, controlling the cost, quality in production, transparent food supply, fulfilling demand, and removing intermediaries. The structural reforms in the agricultural sector by adopting emerging technologies, especially blockchain technology (BCT) and the robotics automation process, are inevitable during the pandemic and future development. To study the impact of blockchain on the Agriculture sector, the farmer's level of awareness of the blockchain technology, its methodological influence, the inclination of farmers to adopt the technology in their farming, and agri-related activity are vital. This paper aims to explore the opportunities of BCT in expanding the agriculture sector, ascertain the awareness and intensity of farmers' knowledge of the effect of BCT, and develop the mean difference in the opinion of the farmers towards the utilization of BCT in the relevant field of agriculture. A structured interview schedule was administered with 360 sample farmers from the Delta regions of three states located in the southern part of India, such as Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamilnadu, using a purposive sampling technique intending. Irrespective of the age, gender, land capacity, possession, education level, learned procedures, and abundant experience helped the farmers demand a new technology interface to improve their income level and register their sustainability. 2022 by authors, all rights reserved. -
Enablers of Successful Fiscal Decentralisation: A Case Study of Three Gram Panchayats in Kerala
Kerala is among the few states that have a successful record in fi scal decentralisation. This study qualitatively analyses primary data from three gram panchayats in Kerala to identify the factors that enable successful decentralised fi scal governance through panchayati raj. Based on the fi ndings of the study, we have constructed a framework to assess the readiness of gram panchayats to carry out successful decentralised fiscal governance. 2022 Economic and Political Weekly. All rights reserved. -
Enablers and Outcomes of Supply Chain Collaboration for Sustainable Growth
This study explores the intricate dynamics, challenges, and potential benefits of supply chain collaboration, emphasizing its pivotal role in achieving sustainability goals. Modern Supply Chain Collaboration (SCC) projects focus on sustainability-related activities, fostering interdependence between partners and driving sustained competitive advantage. The study introduces a comprehensive framework encompassing specific enablers (e.g., Joint Decision Making, Technology Integration) and outcomes (e.g., Social, Economic, and Environmental Sustainability) of supply chain collaboration. It contributes to practical guidelines for businesses seeking to enhance collaboration strategies and delves into theoretical paradigms such as the Cooperative Advantage concept, Triple Bottom Line Theory, Resource-Based View Theory, and Network Theory. The Triple Bottom Line Theory serves as an integrated theory of sustainability, emphasizing economic advantages, environmental impact minimization, and societal benefits. The Resource-Based View Theory underscores the role of internal resources in gaining competitive advantages, aligning with sustainability goals. Network Theory explores collaborative dynamics among competing entities, emphasizing resource sharing. The study's findings offer practical implications, enabling companies to assess and improve the sustainability of their supply chain management. It advocates for the integration of supply chain collaboration into organizational missions, emphasizing the importance of trust-building through standardized guidelines. The insights gained from this study are applicable across sectors, aiding legislators in developing flexible regulations and refining collaboration processes. Additionally, the study highlights the potential cultural variations in supply chain collaboration, paving the way for future research. 2024, Iquz Galaxy Publisher. All rights reserved. -
En route to Khardung La with Dhak Dhak
Dhak Dhak uses the trope of a motorcycle road trip to discuss several societal and emotional barriers women ought to overcome to forge their own paths and blossom into their authentic selves. 2024 Economic and Political Weekly. All rights reserved. -
Emprical Study of Crypto Currency and its Adoption Among Indians
This paper investigates many factors that impact cryptocurrency awareness and acceptance in the Indian market. Data were obtained from 376 volunteers of various ages across India. The following paper presented a framework based on EFA (Exploratory Factor Analysis), CFA (Confirmatory Factor Analysis), and SEM (Structural Equation Model). Technology awareness, recommendations to others, attitude, social influence, and openness to technical education were all responsible for bitcoin adoption. Meanwhile, trust and perceived risk were not accountable for the adoption of crypto currency. No significant factors directly responsible for the adoption or abandonment of crypto currencies were mentioned in the papers that were read. The Indian market is still not thoroughly studied regarding crypto currency and the population using it. It would create a massive opportunity for crypto currency to operate in the Indian market once the factors responsible for crypto currency adoption are known 2024 IEEE. -
Empowering women through livelihood interventions: Case studies from an impoverished community
This chapter looks at the influence of a livelihood project in empowering women belonging to an impoverished community from one of the most backward regions of the state of Karnataka in Southern India. Jamkhandi taluq of Bagalkote district is one of the poorer taluqs in the state, with a sex ratio of 938 and a female literacy rate of 50.75%. The Centre for Social Action began working in the area around a decade ago. The livelihood project was an offshoot of a project on Population displacement that was undertaken in the region. CSA adopted the Self-Help Approach (SHA) to meet the needs of this community. This gave the necessary impetus for the creation of a livelihood project for disadvantaged women. The central theme of the chapter is to study the extent of empowerment that is evident among the project's women beneficiaries. This chapter presents the evidence of empowerment using the qualitative case study methodology using ten cases. The theoretical framework provided by the 'Three Dimensional Model of Women Empowerment' is used to present the analysis. Document review and in-depth interviews are the prominent data sets used to present the study's major findings. The hybrid approach to coding and thematic analysis is used to integrate the insights from the theory used as well as observations from the study. Both within-case analysis and cross-case analysis are used for analysis. The personal, relational, and societal dimensions of empowerment are presented through themes emerging from the data. The implication of the chapter is the reiteration of the efficacy of the model in empowering women. This model can be replicated in other project areas, and livelihood strategies can be adopted extensively. 2024 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. -
Empowering women living with HIV/AIDS-A study on organisational strategies and challenges
The acts of discrimination & exclusion meted out to the people living with HIV/AIDS, and the stigma attached to the condition deprives the afflicted, of their capacity to exercise their fundamental rights and to access basic necessities. Specifically, the suffering of the women stricken by this chronic, incurable malady, the majority of whom from economically weaker sections of our society is very poignant. From the time this pandemic broke out in 1984, world organisations, national and local organisations, both government and non-government have come to the aid of the PLWHA. Some of them cater singularly to the needs of the WLWHA, who are as such more vulnerable ever since the plight of the women living with the deadly disease was brought to light. But as the years went by, there has been a decline in the help extended to the WLWHA. This study is undertaken to ascertain the current state of services and strategies used by the organisations to empower the WLWHA and the challenges faced by the organisations in their endeavours. -
Empowering women living with HIV AIDS A study on organisational strategies and challenges
The acts of discrimination and exclusion meted out to the people living with HIV/AIDS, and the stigma attached to the condition deprives the afflicted, of their capacity to exercise their fundamental rights and to access basic necessities. Specifically, the suffering of the women stricken by this chronic, incurable malady, the majority of whom from newlineeconomically weaker sections of our society is very poignant. From the time this pandemic broke out in 1984, world organisations, national and local organisations, both government and non-government have come to newlinethe aid of the PLWHA. Some of them cater singularly to the needs of the WLWHA, who are as such more vulnerable ever since the plight of the women living with the deadly disease was brought to light. But as the years went by, there has been a decline in the help extended to the WLWHA. This study is undertaken to ascertain the current state of newlineservices and strategies used by the organisations to empower the WLWHA and the challenges faced by the organisations in their endeavours. Appropriate questionnaires were administered to analyse the situations and find the facts about the services, strategies and challenges from the perspective of the organisation WLWHA. A few case studies of the WLWHA were done to delve into the depths of their perceptions. From the study, it has been learned that the organisations have prioritized medical and rehabilitation services to empower the women. Medical care is given directly by the organisations and also through networking with government bodies and other services newlineproviders. Affected women and family members are counselled for acceptance of the condition and familial and societal integration. Occupational therapy and vocational training are other strategies for newlineempowerment.Organisations provide nutritious food for the women and arrange for them to get the necessary provisions through Public newlineDistribution System (PDS) or through donors. -
Empowering Renewable Energy Using Internet of Things
The massive communication of information over network gadgets associated with the internet trades data starting from one to another with no sort of human cooperation. As innovation is advancing, interconnected organizations give data to each other to impart. The energy utilization is happening at an extremely quick rate, debilitating the assets in delivering it at a similar rate, and the entirety of this requires a transformation to save energy. Information is the focal point of the Internet of Things (IoT), and it has all the information to which there was no entrance before; this information can be utilized in the revolution of the energy management framework. By utilizing advanced IoT innovations, the embracement of renewable can be upgraded signifcantly further. The reconciliation of IoT in renewable energy is empowering its development by and large. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023. -
EMPOWERING POLICING: ADVANCING GENDER EQUALITY FOR ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
[No abstract available]