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Differential Laccase Production among Diverse Fungal Endophytes in Aquatic Plants of Hulimavu Lake in Bangalore, India
The ability of plants to acclimatise and thrive in stressed environments can be attributed, in part, to the reserve of endophytic fungi that they harbour, that help enhance physiological and immunological defence and tolerance to various biotic and abiotic stressors. The present work has focussed on screening laccase producing endophytic fungi residing in different aquatic plants isolated from Hulimavu Lake, Bengaluru. This lake is well known for its water pollution contributed by anthropogenic factors. Survival of plants in this lake can hence be associated with their rich repertoire of endophytic fungi that enhance host plant defence towards stressors. Upon isolation and culturing of endophytic fungi, qualitative laccase detection using laccase specific growth media and quantitative laccase estimation using ABTS (2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) substrate were performed. Differential production rates were observed for the laccase enzyme by different endophytic fungi; production rates also varied between fungi isolated from different parts like node, stem, root and leaf of the same plant species too. Phylogenetic analysis of fungal isolates with highest laccase production was performed and the species was found to be Cladosporium tenuissimum. Even the crude extract of this strain displayed laccase production of 42.16U/L, as revealed by ABTS assay. Hence this strain is a promising candidate for optimization studies for utilisation in the domain of bioremediation and industrial applications. The Author(s) 2023. -
Optimal Switching Operations of Soft Open Points in Active Distribution Network for Handling Variable Penetration of Photovoltaic and Electric Vehicles Using Artificial Rabbits Optimization
Global warming, rising fuel prices, and limited conventional fuel supplies are driving the use of renewable energy, battery energy storage, and electric vehicles, transforming traditional electrical distribution networks into active distribution networks. Stochastic technologies can present operational and control challenges, especially for radially configured active distribution networks. In this scenario, strengthening the existing active distribution networks is necessary. This study optimally integrates soft open points for dynamic network reconfiguration to handle uncertainty in active distribution networks. The location, size, and reconfiguration of the soft open points were obtained for the hourly load profile, which included electric vehicle fleet load penetration and PV distributed generation. The proposed multi-objective function uses active power loss, voltage profile, and reliability indices. The proposed multivariable optimization problem was solved using artificial rabbits optimization. The simulations were performed on a modified IEEE 33-bus radial distribution system. The computational efficiency of artificial rabbits optimization is competitive with other prominent algorithms. The proposed approach of optimal soft open points and dynamic network reconfiguration is utilized to cope with uncertainty and run the present active distribution networks with better technical and reliability characteristics. 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. -
Decision-making using regression analysis: a case study on Top Tier Holidays LLP
Research methodology: This study aims to investigate the factors that contribute to the overall tour experience and services provided by Top Tier Holidays. The study is mixed in nature, and the researchers have used analytical tools to analyse the data factually. Multiple regression using MS Excel is used in the study. Case overview/synopsis: This case is based on the experiences of a real-life travel and tour company located in New Delhi, India. The case helps understand regression analysis to identify independent variables significantly impacting the tour experience. The CEO of the company is focused on improving the overall customer experience. The CEO has identified six principal determinants (variables) applicable to tour companies success. These variables are hotel experience, transportation, cab driver, on-tour support, itinerary planning and pricing. Multiple regression analysis using Microsoft Excel is conducted on the above determinants (the independent variables) and the overall tour experience (the dependent variable). This analysis would help identify the relationship between the independent and dependent variables and find the variables that significantly impact the dependent variable. This case also helps us appreciate the importance of various parameters that affect the overall customer tour experience and the challenges a tour operator company faces in the current competitive business environment. Complexity academic level: This case is designed for discussion with the undergraduate courses in business management, commerce and tourism management programmes. The case will build up readers understanding of linear regression with multiple variables. It shows how multiple linear regression can help companies identify the significant variables affecting business outcomes. 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited. -
Heat and Mass Transport in Casson Nanofluid Flow over a 3-D Riga Plate with Cattaneo-Christov Double Flux: A Computational Modeling through Analytical Method
This work examines the non-Newtonian Cassonnanofluids three-dimensional flow and heat and mass transmission properties over a Riga plate. The Buongiorno nanofluid model, which is included in the present model, includes thermo-migration and random movement of nanoparticles. It also took into account the CattaneoChristov double flux processes in the mass and heat equations. The non-Newtonian Casson fluid model and the boundary layer approximation are included in the modeling of nonlinear partial differential systems. The homotopy technique was used to analytically solve the systems governing equations. To examine the impact of dimensionless parameters on velocities, concentrations, temperatures, local Nusselt number, skin friction, and local Sherwood number, a parametric analysis was carried out. The velocity profile is augmented in this study as the size of the modified Hartmann number increases. The greater thermal radiative enhances the heat transport rate. When the mass relaxation parameter is used, the mass flux values start to decrease. 2023 by the authors. -
Evaluating the Pertinence of Pose Estimation model for Sign Language Translation
Sign Language is the natural language used by a community that is hearing impaired. It is necessary to convert this language to a commonly understandable form as it is used by a comparatively small part of society. The automatic Sign Language interpreters can convert the signs into text or audio by interpreting the hand movements and the corresponding facial expression. These two modalities work in tandem to give complete meaning to each word. In verbal communication, emotions can be conveyed by changing the tone and pitch of the voice, but in sign language, emotions are expressed using nonmanual movements that include body posture and facial muscle movements. Each such subtle moment should be considered as a feature and extracted using different models. This paper proposes three different models that can be used for varying levels of sign language. The first test was carried out using the Convex Hull-based Sign Language Recognition (SLR) finger spelling sign language, next using a Convolution Neural Network-based Sign Language Recognition (CNN-SLR) for fingerspelling sign language, and finally pose-based SLR for word-level sign language. The experiments show that the pose-based SLR model that captures features using landmark or key points has better SLR accuracy than Convex Hull and CNN-based SLR models. 2023 World Scientific Publishing Europe Ltd. -
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.