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Cryptocurrency Market Anomaly: The Day-of-the-Week-Effect
Cryptocurrency has emerged as a fad amongst investors, academicians and policy-makers as a financial asset, making it important to empirically test the price behaviour of this emerging market. This paper is designed to investigate the presence of a well-known day-of-the-week effect in the young and emerging cryptocurrency market returns from August 2015 to March 2019. Using varied statistical techniques, this anomaly is examined for six cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Litecoin, Stellar and Tether). The study applies both parametric and non-parametric statistical tests, i.e.,Bar Graph, Heat map, Students t-test, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA),regression analysis with dummy variables and the Kruskal Wallis Test. The studys findings show that no sample cryptocurrency returns exhibit the day-of-the-week effect phenomenon.The statistically insignificant result of the day-of-the-week effect in thecryptocurrency returns showcases the evidence of market efficiency in the cryptocurrency market. Indian Institute of Finance. -
Effect of Short Glass Fiber Addition on Flexural and Impact Behavior of 3D Printed Polymer Composites
Fused deposition modeling (FDM), one of the most widely used additive manufacturing (AM) processes, is used for fabrication of 3D models from computer-aided design data using various materials for a wide scope of applications. The principle of FDM or, in general, AM plays an important role in minimizing the ill effects of manufacturing on the environment. Among the various available reinforcements, short glass fiber (SGF), one of the strong reinforcement materials available, is used as a reinforcement in the acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) matrix. At the outset, very limited research has been carried out till date in the analysis of the impact and flexural strength of the SGF-reinforced ABS polymer composite developed by the FDM process. In this regard, the present research investigates the impact and flexural strength of SGF-ABS polymer composites by the addition of 15 and 30 wt % SGF to ABS. The tests were conducted as per ASTM standards. Increments in flexural and impact properties were observed with the addition of SGF to ABS. The increment of 42% in impact strength was noted for the addition of 15 wt % SGF and 54% increase with the addition of 30 wt % SGF. On similar lines, flexural properties also showed improved values of 44 and 59% for the addition of 15 and 30 wt % SGF to ABS. SGF addition greatly enhanced the properties of flexural and impact strength and has paved the path for the exploration of varied values of reinforcement into the matrix. 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society -
The economic impact of floods on the plantation sector: a study of selected districts in Kerala
The people of Kerala have suffered the worst natural calamity in the form of heavy flood in 2018 and this continued for a week. The flood and the landslide had created a havoc in the agricultural sector of Kerala. The worst affected sector in the vagary of nature was the plantation sector. The industry lost around Rs. 3.382 crore due to heavy floods (CDS). The floods and the landslide had a major impact on the major planation crops including rubber, tea, coffee and cardamom. Among the different districts, Wayanad was the worst affected district along with Kottayam and Pathanamthitta. In the given context, this study is an attempt to analyse the economic impact of floods in the plantation sector in Kerala. The study found that the farmers are facing the worst financial crisis due to low price and high cost of production. The major problems faced by farmers are the inadequacy of assistance, reduction in yield and lack of pure water, delay in getting support, repayment of the loan and so on. 2023, World Research Association. All rights reserved. -
An Automated Path-Focused Test Case Generation with Dynamic Parameterization Using Adaptive Genetic Algorithm (AGA) for Structural Program Testing
Various software engineering paradigms and real-time projects have proved that software testing is the most critical and highly important phase in the SDLC. In general, software testing takes approximately 4060% of the total effort and time involved in project development. Generating test cases is the most important process in software testing. There are many techniques involved in the automatic generation of these test cases which aim to find a smaller group of cases that could allow for an adequacy level to be achieved which will hence reduce the effort and cost involved in software testing. In the structural testing of a product, the auto-generation of test cases that are path focused in an efficient manner is a challenging process. These are often considered optimization problems and hence search-based methods such as genetic algorithm (GA) and swarm optimizations have been proposed to handle this issue. The significance of the study is to address the optimization problem of automatic test case generation in search-based software engineering. The proposed methodology aims to close the gap of genetic algorithms acquiring local minimum due to poor diversity. Here, dynamic adjustment of cross-over and mutation rate is achieved by calculating the individual measure of similarity and fitness and searching for the more global optimum. The proposed method is applied and experimented on a benchmark of five industrial projects. The results of the experiments have confirmed the efficiency of generating test cases that have optimum path coverage. 2023 by the authors. -
A site-isolated Lewis acidic aluminium and Brsted basic amine sites in the dimeric silsesquioxane cage as a reusable homogeneous bifunctional catalyst for one-pot tandem deacetalization/deketalization-Knoevenagel condensation reactions
The development of multifunctional catalysts for one-pot tandem reactions is significantly required to attain multiple sequential transformations in a single reactor, which would considerably decrease the number of manipulations demanded for chemical manufacturing in industries. Herein, dimeric silsesquioxane Al-POSS-NH2 (2), a homogenous bifunctional acid-base catalyst containing environmentally friendly robust silica and high chemical and thermal stabilities, permanent catalytic activity, and reusability, was synthesized by the reaction of trisilanol aminopropyl hexaisobutyl-POSS (1) with trimethylaluminium. Al-POSS-NH2 was successfully used as a bifunctional catalyst for one-pot tandem reactions because of the synergism and effective compartmentalization between Lewis acidic aluminium and Brsted basic amine sites (>10.0 in the dimeric silsesquioxane cage, which was confirmed by DFT and QTAIM studies. Subsequently, different acetals were tested to obtain their corresponding benzylidene malononitrile derivatives using Al-POSS-NH2 for the one-pot tandem deacetalization-Knoevenagel condensation reactions and showed high efficiency (>90%) under optimized conditions (DMF, 0.3 mol% catalyst loading and 80 C) with different reaction times. Furthermore, the bifunctional Al-POSS-NH2 catalyst was separated from the reaction mixture via the precipitation method by adding acetonitrile into the reaction mixture and reusing it for five consecutive cycles without losing activity considerably, thus providing the inherent advantage over traditional homogeneous catalysts. In a one-pot tandem deketalization-Knoevenagel condensation reaction for various ketals, the reaction condition was slightly modified by increasing the catalyst loading (0.6 mol%) and reaction time (16 to 24 hours) to acquire better conversion and yield of their desired products. Finally, the present study suggests that the bifunctional POSS might facilitate the rapid development of environmentally friendly and economically feasible catalysts for multistep reactions. 2023 The Royal Society of Chemistry. -
N-rGO/NiCo2O4 nanocomposite for high performance supercapacitor applications
Spinel structured transition metals oxide GO/NiCo2O4 nanocomposites and nitrogen doped N-rGO/NiCo2O4 nanocomposites were developed. Powder X-ray diffraction investigations confirmed the structure. The bonding vibrations of the produced nanocomposites were confirmed using infrared and Raman spectroscopy. EDX analysis was used to determine the composition and element weights of the nanocomposites. The electrochemical properties of the nanomaterials were measured using 1M KOH electrolyte. At 5mVs?1 scan rates, cyclic voltammetry revealed a specific capacitance (Csp) of 1078.2 Fg?1 for N-rGO/NiCo2O4. The bare and nanocomposites of NiCo2O4, GO/NiCo2O4, and N-rGO/NiCo2O4 specific capacitance, charge-discharge capability, and cyclic stability were investigated. Energy density and power density of the N-rGO/NiCo2O4 nanocomposite were estimated to be 20.4 Wh kg?1 and 1300W kg?1, respectively. N-rGO//N-rGO/NiCo2O4 asymmetric supercapacitor device with Ed of 14.9 Wh kg?1 and Pd of 3500W kg?1 was fabricated. 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. -
GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE GOVERNANCE: A RETHINKING
The decades of increased Green House Gas (GHG) emissions have increased global average temperature to 1.1 degrees over pre-industrial levels. In order to hold the global average temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius and, if possible, 1.5 degree Celsius, the governments signed various treaties. However, countries? collective agreements to reduce their emissions were never kept. This study outlines why the method of mitigating global climate change has failed. The main problem was the inability to enforce goals and timelines. Ideas for even tighter emission limits will be ineffective unless they solve the enforcement gap. Trade restrictions are one method, but they introduce significant complications, particularly when used to enforce economy-wide carbon reduction agreements. The applied methodology is qualitative. This study proposes a novel strategy to unpack the climate challenge, targeting various gasses and industries with various instruments. It also illustrates how failing to address the climate problem fundamentally would generate incentives for various solutions, offering new problems for climate change governance. 2023, Institute for Research and European Studies. All rights reserved. -
Decolonising Caste in the Indian Context: The Psyche of the Oppressor
Caste is a social construct as well as a psychological phenomenon. So far, it has been predominantly viewed, understood and researched through the lens of anthropology, sociology, economics and political science. However, very little understanding has been gained in the domain of psychological science with respect to caste in the Indian context. The population of the Global South (includes the regions of Asia, Africa, Latin America and Oceania) cannot be understood with the frameworks and research undertaken by the Global North (Europe and North America, known as the West, the industrialised world) because the knowledge production centres of psychology have predominantly been Euro-American centric, as many critics have pointed out. Although research has been scarce in relation to caste and psychology, it has mostly revolved around the oppressed. Therefore, this article aims to shift the focus from the oppressed to the oppressor. To understand Indian human behaviour and thought, it is essential to view it through the lens of the colonial past, the caste system and religion, which are intertwined with each other. This article aims to look at the psychology of the oppressor in the Indian context through the psychological frameworks of purity and pollution. It also stems from the premise that casteism is inculcated through modelling and intergenerational learning. Hence, the above-mentioned factors help to understand unequal power relations and discrimination, which facilitate the decolonisation of the Indian psyche. It also highlights the influence of colonisation on the mind and behaviour with respect to caste. 2023 Department of Psychology, University of Allahabad. -
Let there be Light, but not too much: The Need to Legally Address Light Pollution in India
Electricity and artificial lights were synonymous with economic growth and development. Unfortunately, over usage of artificial lights has proven adverse effects. Research shows that excessive light impacts human health and endangers ecological balance, disturbs wildlife, causes decline in insect, moth, reptile pollution and depletes energy resources. Countries around the world have gradually started recognising light pollution as an emerging challenge and have brought in regulations to curb it. However, India is yet to recognise the threat of light pollution. Against this backdrop, the authors have established the need to recognise light pollution as a matter requiring dedicated and concerted focus. This was achieved through the analysis of recent and credible journal articles category with a cite score of over ten. Reliance was also placed on the light pollution map to understand the intensity of the problem, especially in India. The authors next conducted a study of legal regimes governing light pollution and artificial light, in different jurisdictions around the globe. The paper draws upon the best practices from these jurisdictions and suggests that India adopt techno-legal legislation, at the earliest, to combat light pollution. 2023- Kalpana Corporation. -
Getting Back to Work: Cognitive-Communicative Predictors for Work Re-entry Following Traumatic Brain Injury
Return to work following a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is affected by deficits across the cognitive, psycho-social and physical domains. The specific role of cognitive -communicative abilities influencing work re-entry is understudied. This study aimed at identifying the cognitive-communicative predictors for work re-entry following TBI. Thirty patients with TBI employed pre morbidly were categorized into two groups- 14 employed and 16 unemployed post TBI. Those having sustained mild, moderate or severe head injury and in the post injury period of 648months were recruited and majority belonged to skilled/ professional type of premorbid occupational status. They underwent a detailed assessment of cognition, language and communication using NIMHANS Neuropsychology Battery, Indian adapted versions of Western Aphasia Battery and La Trobe Communication Questionnaire (LCQ) respectively. Patients employed post TBI had better Aphasia Quotient (AQ) and better performance on all the cognitive domains and few domains of LCQ than those who remained unemployed. On step-wise Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA), injury severity and AQ could significantly differentiate between the two groups with an overall accuracy of 80%. Severity of head injury is a significant predictor for employability post TBI and evaluation of language along with cognitive abilities is crucial for patients with TBI for work re-entry. The study highlights the importance of a multi-disciplinary team in the assessment and management of cognitive-communication impairments following a TBI. 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature India Private Limited. -
Multi-dynamics and emission tailored fluoroperovskite-based down-conversion phosphors for enhancing the current density and stability of the perovskite solar cells
State-of-the-art and innovative research is being intensively employed on perovskite solar cells (PSCs) to expand their frontiers further. This study is a successful attempt to drive the limit of photocurrent density (Jsc) beyond conventional PSCs (which typically utilize the visible spectrum alone) through a nonlinear optical phenomenon called down-conversion (DC). The use of DC luminescence to harness the UV region from the solar spectrum is explored by utilizing Eu3+ activated RbCaF3, a fluoroperovskite-based phosphor material. It is observed that PSCs, which used RbCaF3:Eu3+ incorporated TiO2 electron transport layer (ETL), enhanced their Jsc and UV stability compared to those with pristine TiO2-oriented ETL. Such improvement in the aforementioned devices is due to the result of converting high-energy UV photons to effectively absorbable low-energy visible photons for perovskite absorbers. Overall, the DC-aided PSC offered a substantial Jsc of 23.54 mA cm?2 (9.2% superior to the conventional PSC) and boosted its power conversion efficiency (PCE) from 11.2% to 13.3%. It is evident that DC-based PSCs show a much better shelf-life when compared to conventional PSCs. This unique approach for boosting the Jsc with enhanced stability can be utilized for the potential applications of PSCs. 2023 The Royal Society of Chemistry. -
How Does Perceived Risk and Trust Affect Mobile Banking Adoption? Empirical Evidence from India
The emergence of high-speed internet (5G) services and the demonetization of the Indian currency by the Government of India in the year 2016 served as catalysts for the growth of banking services, such as internet/mobile banking. The main objective of the study was to investigate the role of perceived financial cost, perceived risk, and trust in the adoption of mobile banking services by users. The study extends the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to explain the adoption of mobile banking services by young Indian customers. The data from 253 users of age between 1830 years were collected through a survey questionnaire and were analyzed using structural equation modeling with Amos 22.0. The results revealed that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and perceived financial cost exhibited a significant positive influence on behavioral intentions. However, the facilitating conditions were found to exert no effect on actual use. In addition, the results demonstrate that both perceived risk and perceived trust moderate the relationship between behavioral intention and the actual use of mobile banking. The results of the study provide some novel insights into how perceived risk and perceived trust shape the interplay between behavioral intention and the actual use of mobile banking services. The inferences drawn from the study may enhance the understanding of the transformation of behavioral intention into the adoption and actual use of mobile banking services. 2023 by the authors. -
Evaluation of potential larvicidal and pupicidal activity of Cassia fistula L. synthesized silver nanoparticles against Aedes aegypti
Dengue Fever (DF) and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) are fatal and are spread primarily by Aedes aegypti. Control measures against vector causing disease have still not been well documented. The fatality of these diseases has alarmed a need for the development of promising methods to control A. aegypti. Nanotechnology offers the utilization of nanosized particles to target specific disease causing vectors such as mosquitoes. In the present study, an attempt was designed to synthesize silver nanoparticles from Cassia fistula leaf extract and to test its efficacy in vector control. The synthesized silver nanoparticles were sized in the range of 59-62 nm. The silver nanoparticles were tested for their capability in larvicidal and pupicidal activity against all the larval stages and pupal stages of A. aegypti. The LC50 values demonstrated the lethal effect of the nano material against all the stages of A. aegypti. The study draws attention towards the usage of plant parts in nano product synthesis that can act as a potential insecticide. 2023, Indian journals. All rights reserved. -
Computational and experimental investigation on biological and photophysical properties of high yielded novel aryl-substituted pyrazolone analogue
A series of new aryl-substituted pyrazolone derivatives 5(a-h) were synthesised via the Baylis-Hillman acetate reaction with pyrazolones and tested for antifungal, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties in vitro. Among the tested molecules 5d and 5e show good in vitro antifungal and antibacterial activities due to the presence of fluorine, which enhances the absorption rate by increasing lipid solubility and improves the pharmacological activity. It is also evident from the results obtained from structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies. Further, the photophysical properties of synthesized compounds were theoretically estimated using the ab-intio technique. The ground state optimization and HOMOLUMO energy levels are calculated using the DFT-B3LYP-6-311 basis set. Using the theoretically estimated HOMOLUMO value, global chemical reactivity descriptor parameters are estimated, and the result shows that compounds 5d and 5e have a higher electronegative and electrophilicity index than other molecules. Overall results suggest that, fluorine substituted pyrazolone derivatives show good photophysical, SAR, and biological properties. 2022 Elsevier B.V. -
Rupturing Terracotta: Entangled Exchanges of the Hand and the Machine in South India
Through an examination of changing methods for making and using terracotta tile and brick this article explores the complex hybridity and productive tensions that emerged in the nineteenth century between indigenous and colonial systems of architecture and construction in South India. Outlining a general shift from handmade to mechanized processes, it further argues that a decolonial reading may provide a fruitful new approach to comprehending architectural history on the subcontinent. The article brings to the forefront how the indigenous-colonial encounter caused a rupture in the making of buildings that complicated the language and processes of architecture and construction in India forever. 2023, International Association for the Study of Traditional Environments (IASTE). All rights reserved. -
Development and psychometric validation of the three dimensional grit scale
This manuscript reports the development and validation of the three-dimensional Grit Scale (3-D Grit Scale). The psychometric measure developed has three factors, Perseverance-Commitment (PC), Interest-Passion (IP), and Goal-directed Resilience (GR) through a series of five studies; study 1 (n = 409) for item analysis, study 2 (n = 334) for exploratory factor analysis, study 3 (n = 514) for confirmatory factor analysis and study 4 (n = 214) and 5 (n = 107) to assess the validity. The sample included students and working professionals aged between 18 and 25, residing in different parts of India. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the scale excellently fits in the three-correlated factor model and the two-level hierarchical model indexing grit as a total of three first-order factors. The final 17-item 3-D Grit Scale showed adequate internal consistency (Cronbachs ? = 0.86), and split-half reliability (Spearman-brown = 0.80, Guttman = 0.80). Validation studies showed that the scores of the 3-D Grit Scale were moderately correlated with (a) 12 item grit scale (Duckworth et al., 2007) and the brief resilience scale (smith et al., 2008), indicating good concurrent and convergent validities (b) conscientiousness revealing that both the constructs are mutually exclusive. 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. -
Next-Generation Connectivity in A Heterogenous Railway World
Global System for Mobile communication - Railway (GSM-R) is widely used for operational communications between train and signaler. However, there is a need to define a successor that addresses: obsolescence, radio spectrum demand and the enabling of a range of emerging digital applications such as radio-based signaling and Automatic Train Control (ATC). Therefore, the International Union of Railways (UIC) started the initiative to develop the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS). This article describes an Adaptable Communication System (ACS) that is being developed jointly by industry and railway operators as a possible successor covering all types of railways and all aspects of the FRMCS. A pragmatic approach is suggested that considers diverse railway settings and makes use of various radio access technologies. Countries, geographical regions and infrastructure managers differ concerning available radio technologies, but use of a suitable ACS could pave the way towards innovation in the railway sector. For this adaptive concept we discuss several network models and enhancements including satellite communications (SatCom), Software-Defined Networking (SDN) integration and antenna systems that support multiple bearers in one. For SatCom a software defined radio (SDR) prototype using random access is presented that is able to fulfill the requirements of ETCS. We found that SDN can be used for dynamically changing the access technology for critical and non-critical railway use cases. Furthermore, we present an antenna prototype that can be used for 5G, GSM, WLAN and LTE in parallel which saves limited mounting surface on the train. 1979-2012 IEEE. -
Analytical study of BrinkmanBard convection in a bidisperse porous medium: Linear and weakly nonlinear study
Linear and weakly nonlinear stability analyses of BrinkmanBard convection of a Newtonian fluid saturating a bidisperse porous medium (BDPM) are made. Local-thermal-non-equilibrium (LTNE) is assumed between the fluid and the porous spheres (micro-pores) that make up the macro porous medium. Two coupled linear momentum equations are considered one each for the macro- and micro-pores. Results of mono-disperse porous medium (MDPM) with solid spheres are recovered as a limiting case of the present study. Further, in the case of both types of porous media considered the results of DarcyBard and BrinkmanBard convection are extracted under suitable limiting procedures. To keep the work analytical, we reduce the intractable hexa-modal Lorenz model with four quadratic nonlinearities into the tractable mono-modal StuartLandau equation (SLE) with cubic and quintic nonlinearities. Subcritical instability is discounted in the study thereby suggesting that cubic SLE and cubicquintic SLE both expound similar results qualitatively. The concept of a BDPM is shown to be meaningful only when the pores are not large, and when they are very small, then the MDPM assumption applies. Similar observation can be made when the ratio of permeabilities is large. The presence of micro-pores does not alter the size of the convective cell significantly at the onset. The present study reiterates the findings of several earlier works. 2023 Elsevier Ltd -
Gender gap in travel behaviour and public opinion on proposed policy measures: Evidence from India
Employing primary survey data collected from Jaipur city in India, this work attempts to evaluate inconsistencies in travel behaviour based on gender. It also intends to discuss the public opinion on a few proposed policy changes which can aid in bridging the established gender gap. Stratified random sampling approach is used to gather data on travel pattern measures and socioeconomic attributes. Descriptive statistics complemented with bivariate probit model and seemingly unrelated bivariate probit model is applied on the data acquired. The obtained results confirm the existence of a gender gap in all observed measures of travel behaviour. Compared to men, women travel shorter distances, use more of non-motorised modes of transport, have lower frequency of travelling, and travel majorly for purposes other than work. Results of the study also highlight how a majority of the respondents are in favour of policy changes aimed at narrowing the observed gender disparities. The analysis demands infrastructural development of non-motorised transportation and public transportation in the city in such a way which is both efficient and secured, so as to neither obstruct the objective of empowerment nor of sustainability. 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.