Browse Items (16488 total)
Sort by:
-
Measuring Financial Inclusion in India: An Approach
In light of the COVID-19-induced financial crisis, the need for robust financial services and networks has become more apparent than ever, which necessitated the accurate measurement of the breadth of financial inclusion in India. First, the study conducted a detailed critical review of the current indices and their construction methodology. Then, we created a financial inclusion index for India by accounting for the flaws existing in the current indices. The primary contribution of this study to the existing literature is the new approach it proposed for the assignment of weights in the financial inclusion index. Based on this new financial inclusion index, the study concluded that Indias Southern states and union territories showed better financial inclusion. In contrast, the traditionally backward BIMARU states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, and a few of the North Eastern states of India, lagged. The study also provided a refined and inclusive definition of financial inclusion based on its new approach to index creation. 2023, Associated Management Consultants Pvt. Ltd.. All rights reserved. -
Measuring Indian Blackbuck Antilope cervicapra (Mammalia: Cetartiodactyla: Bovidae) abundance at Basur Amruth Mahal Kaval Conservation Reserve, Chikkamagaluru, southern India
Grasslands are among the most critically endangered ecosystems in the tropics, but they are often treated as wastelands and conservation efforts are seldom directed towards these landscapes. The Blackbuck Antilope cervicapra is a large wild herbivore found in most grassland ecosystems across India. Despite their critical role in their trophic web, there are no reliable estimates of Blackbuck populations from their geographic range that takes detection probability into consideration. In this study, we conducted field surveys to estimate Blackbuck density in Basur Amruth Mahal Kaval Conservation (BAMKCR) with an area of 7.36km2 in southern India. We surveyed Blackbucks for a week in July 2014 along straight line transects between 09:00-12:00 hr and used the distance sampling approach to address the imperfect detection. A total of three transect lines of lengths 3.01km, 2.4km and 1.2km were sampled for seven temporal replicates. With an effort of 46.27km, 56 sightings of Blackbucks were recorded that was analyzed using the program DISTANCE. With a detection probability of 0.58 (0.053 SD) the estimated density of Blackbuck was 26.23 (6 SD) individuals/km2. The derived abundance estimate was 193 (c. 148-238) individuals in the study area. Our results show implications of a statistically robust design that accounts for imperfect detection. It provides an insight into a resident population of Blackbucks in a dynamic and fragile habitat. Blackbuck density estimate from this study sets the background for periodic monitoring of their populations, examination of the impacts of habitat modifications and gauge long-term viability of the grassland habitat in BAMKCR. Sagar & Antoney 2017. -
Measuring Student Satisfaction: Services Provided by Higher Educational Institutions
The changing scenario in education has started to consider student as a customer (Zaiiri, 1995; Hill, 1995; Elliot & Healy 2001; Rowley, 2003; Sakthivel et al, 2005). As the students are the major customer of educational institution, it is important to consider students (customers) satisfaction. This study aims to contribute to the literature by indentifying the components of students` satisfaction with service provided by educational institutions. The components of student satisfaction were identified by conducting interviews with subject matter experts (N=10) and students (N=15) studying bachelor degree in arts, science and commerce in various public and private college in Bangalore. Based on the result of explorative study, the student satisfaction scale was developed with 76 items. This scale was used to collect data from 800 college students. The explorative factor analysis was used to explore factors of student satisfaction and was found that all the items measured single construct ?? student satisfaction. The reliability and validity of the scale was developed. The paper concludes discussing theoretical and academic implications, limitation and future research direction. Keywords: students` satisfaction, expectation disconfirmation theory, scale development and validation -
Measuring Support Providers Perspectives on Single-Session Therapy: Psychometric Evidence for SSTMS and BAT-Q
Objective: Effective Single-Session Therapy (SST) hinges on the support providers specific perspectives that align with SST thinking. This study provides validity evidence for the scores of the Belief and Attitude Toward Therapy Questionnaire (BAT-Q) and develops the Single-Session Therapy Mindset Scale (SSTMS). Method: A diverse global sample of 415 practicing and trainee mental health support providers involved with individual psychotherapy provided data online. Results: The BAT-Q demonstrated strong psychometric properties in our sample (Cronbachs ? = 0.833), confirming its continued relevance and reliability. Exploratory Factor Analysis helped with item reduction of the newly developed SSTMS. It demonstrated internal consistency (Cronbachs ? = 0.826) and significant correlations with the BAT-Q. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis could identify a cutoff value of 46/60 on SSTMS to identify support providers with the mindset for successful SST practice. Conclusions: These scales empower researchers to explore SST implementation, training, and cultural impacts and support providers for self-assessment, ultimately advancing SST. 2026 Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling (AARC). -
Measuring the Economic Burden of Health Conditions among White?Collar Employees: A Cross?Sectional Study from Delhi? NCR
Background: In the past few decades, there has been a significant increase in healthcare expenditure due to the prevalence of health issues across the globe. This is primarily seen among white-collar employees due to the sedentary nature of their jobs, which affects their current earnings (Purchasing Power) directly due to the reallocation of their real income towards healthcare expenditure (Economic Burden) and indirectly by impacting work productivity through sick leaves. Aim: To measure the economic burden of disease(s) among white-collar employees, and to study the same across different socio-demographic variables. Methods: A cross-sectional study has been conducted in the region of Delhi-NCR among 357 white-collar employees. A random sampling method was adopted using a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire collected information regarding the direct and indirect costs of health conditions with a recall period of one month. The cumulative score of these monthly costs was converted to annual data to estimate the economic burden of the health conditions among the employees over a year. Results: As compared to Communicable diseases (16.24%), Non-communicable diseases (27.17%) were more prevalent among the respondents. Compared to other diseases, the employees suffering from Heart diseases (INR 7,62,237.50), Spinal health issues (INR 1,73,625.00), and Diabetes (INR 1,64,535.71) incurred more economic burden. At a 5% significance level, no significant difference was observed in economic burden for Gender and BMI. However, the economic burden was significantly different across the categories of Age and Monthly income. A positive association can be observed in economic burden with the increasing categories of age and monthly income. Conclusion: With the nature of sedentary work (desk jobs), white-collar employees are at a greater risk of exposure to various NCDs than CDs and incur a significant amount of out-of-pocket expenditure to manage their health status. 2023 Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications. All rights reserved. -
Measuring the Impact of Chatbot Attributes in Enhancing Consumer Satisfaction and Brand Loyalty Among Centennials: PLS-SEM Analysis
PurposeThis study investigates the potential impact of consumers views about chatbots dynamic, behavioral, and cognitive features on their satisfaction and brand loyalty. Design/methodology/approachData were collected using a survey comprising questionnaires from a sample of Indian centennial customers. Purposive sampling was the technique utilized. After that, the data was analyzed using the partial least squares algorithm with the help of smartPLS for structured modelling. FindingsThe results demonstrated that chatbots affective, behavioral, and cognitive characteristics significantly impacted consumer satisfaction and enhanced brand loyalty. Practical implicationsChatbots can improve brand loyalty by taking into account the affective, behavioral, and cognitive traits of their e-agents. Originality/valueThis work aims to contribute and enhance the expanding corpus of research on chatbots effects on increasing brand love. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2025. -
Mechanical and abrasive wear behaviour of waste silk fiber reinforced epoxy biocomposites using taguchi method
The aim of this research article is to study the static mechanical properties and abrasive wear behavior of epoxy biocomposites reinforced with different weight percentage of waste silk fibers. The effect of parameters such as velocity (A), load (B), fiber loading (C) and abrading distance (D) on abrasive wear has been considered using Taguchi's L25 orthogonal array. The objective is to examine parameters which significantly affect the abrasive wear of biocomposites. The addition of silk fiber has resulted in improved flexural properties of the epoxy matrix. The results of ANOVA indicated that the parameter which played a significant role was abrading distance followed by fiber loading, load and sliding velocity. 2019 Trans Tech Publications Ltd, Switzerland. -
Mechanical and Dielectric Properties of InTe Crystals
Crystal Structure Theory and Applications, Vol-1, pp. 79-83. -
Mechanical and moisture resistance properties of flax and jute fiber embedded epoxy composites for lightweight structural applications
Natural fiber-based materials are increasingly used as substitutes for traditional materials in structural applications. This research evaluated the mechanical and moisture resistance characteristics of unidirectionally oriented Flax and Jute fiber-embedded Epoxy Composites (FJEC) for lightweight structural applications. The inclusion of nano clay in the natural laminates creates more energy-absorbing sites, which improves the ability to withstand impact forces compared to FJEC. The material strength of nano clay-infused hybrid composite attained 94.46 MPa, 98.44 MPa, and 92 KJ/m2 tensile, flexural and impact strength. The consequences of water absorption and humidity exposure to the materials revealed that nano clay helps to reduce the diffusion of water into the surface of the laminate. The nano clay-infused hybrid composite is subjected to Freeze-Thaw (Fz-Tw) cycling under both partial and complete immersion scenarios to analyze the durability and resilience of the composite. The performance loss in nano-clay-infused laminate is caused due to the prolonged exposure to water and thermal stress. The damage factor for a partially and completely immersed hybrid material is 1.2% and 2.2%, respectively. These findings highlighted the need for considering environmental conditions while designing and utilizing fiber incorporated materials in various applications. 2026 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. -
Mechanical and tribological investigation on al lm4/tic composite fabricated through bottom pouring method
In the present investigation LM4 reinforced 6 wt% Titanium Carbide particles composite was developed by stir casting bottom pouring method. The cast composite specimen was obtained in a cylindrical shape of dimensions 50 mm dia and 100 mm length. The composite specimens were prepared for mechanical and tribological test as per ASTM standards. The obtained results reveal that the mechanical properties are high as compared to the as cast LM4 alloy specimens. Microstructure analysis confirms that the uniform distribution of TiC particles. Tribological test was performed using pin-on-disc machine based on Taguchi's design of experiments. L27 orthogonal array was selected by changing test parameter like applied load (10, 20, 30 N), sliding distance (600, 800, 1000 m) and sliding velocity (1.5 m/s, 2.5 m/s and 3.5 m/s). The most influencing test parameters were identified by using S/N ratio and ANOVA. The wear results reveled that wear rate increases as applied load increases, and it decreases with decrease in velocity. Also wear rate decreases as sliding distance increases and at some point, it became linear. The applied load was found to be most dominating (77.61%), sliding velocity (10.44%) and sliding distance (4.47%) are less dominating factors. Worn surface morphology was studied to understand the type of wear. 2021 elsevier ltd. all rights reserved. -
Mechanical and tribological properties of polymer composites developed by FDM
In the coming years, researchers and manufacturers will be more concerned with the demand for products that are easy to construct and can be rendered seamlessly, even at complicated geometries, with the touch of a button. These requirements will be met by the advent of additive manufacturing. This will serve as the catalyst for a revolution. Additive layer manufacturing (ALM), also known as additive manufacturing (AM) or more commonly referred to as 3D printing, is a modern fabrication technology that uses a variety of raw materials to produce items such as medical implants and aircraft wing components by printing layers of material based on 3D digital models. In this chapter, the authors provide a comprehensive overview of the mechanical and tribological behaviour of ceramic, metallic, and fiber-reinforced polymer composites that are made by a range of additive manufacturing (AM) techniques. These composites can be used in a variety of applications, including aerospace, automotive, and medical. 2023, IGI Global. All rights reserved. -
Mechanical and Wear Behavior of Aluminium Metal Matrix Composites Reinforced Ceramics Materials for Light Structures
Aluminium Alloy based Metal Matrix Composites (AAMMCs) has widely used in defense, aircraft and automobile applications because of their enhanced engineering properties with light weight metals. Nano sized silicon nitride (80 ?m) is used as a reinforcement in this study, whereas aluminium alloy 8011 is selected as the matrix material. Using the stir casting method, metal matrix composites made of aluminium alloy 8011 with varying weight percentages of Si3N4(0, 4, 8, 12, and 16) are created. The stir casted AL 8011/Si3N4composites further heated under T6 condition. The AL 8011/Si3N4 T6 composites are further subjected to Energy Dispersive X ray Analysis (EDAX) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to identify by the presence of elements and study the microstructure characterization, respectively. The density, microhardness and wear test are conducted by employing Archimedes principle, Vickers hardness tested and pin on disc equipment, respectively. The wear test is done at different sliding distances like (500, 1000, 1500 and 2000 m), applied load like (10, 20, 30 and 40 N) and kept sliding at a speed of 1 m/s. The increasing weight percentage of silicon nitride expands the increasing of density and Vickers hardness up to 12 wt % of silicon nitride and decreasing by 16 wt % addition. The wear resistances of AL 8011/12 wt % Si3N4T6 composite exhibits higher wear resistance than other Al8011 based composites. 2024, Informatics Publishing Limited. All rights reserved. -
Mechanical and Wear Behavior of Halloysite Nanotubes Filled Silk/Basalt Hybrid Composites Using Response Surface Methodology
The aim of this study is to develop bio-friendly light weight polymer nanocomposites for load bearing applications and to evaluate the influence of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) on mechanical as well as wear behavior of silk fiber (SF) and basalt fiber (BF) reinforced epoxy (Ep) composites. HNT filled biocomposites were fabricated using vacuum bagging technique. The Box-Behnken design (BBD) of experiment with Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to conduct the dry-sliding wear tests on a pin on disc apparatus. Tribo-mechanical properties and worn surface micrographs of hybrid composite samples were analyzed. Hardness, tensile strength and wear resistance behavior of SF + BF/Ep hybrid composites were substantially improved with the incorporation of HNTs. It was observed from the confirmation test that there is a strong agreement between the experimental findings as well as the predicted values, with a minimum reported error of <5% for HNT-SF + BF/Ep hybrid nanocomposites. SEM micrographs of the worn-out surface of HNT filled SF + BF/Ep composite exhibited fiber breakage, pulverized matrix, good interfacial bonding and fractured fibers. The novelty of the current research work is the development of eco-friendly polymeric composites for wear resistant and structural applications. The effect of hybridization (fiberssilk and basalt, fillersHNTs) on the tribo-mechanical properties of polymeric composites were investigated for the first time. The study showed that the mechanical as well as the tribological properties of SF and BF reinforced epoxy composites were enhanced with the addition of nanofiller. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023. -
Mechanical Characterization of Cu-Al-based Shape Memory Alloys: Influence of Mn, Be and Fe on Tensile Strength, Yield Stress, Yield Strain, Ductility and Hardness
The pursuit of cost-effective and robust Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) continues to expand, especially for applications in adaptive and smart structural systems, while Ni-Ti-based SMAs remain prevalent due to their superior pseudoelasticity and longevity. However, the limitations of NiTi alloys, including the high processing costs and fabrication difficulties, prompt the exploration of alternatives. This study investigates Cu-Al-based SMAs alloyed with Mn, Be, and Fe as cost-effective alternatives to NiTi systems. In the present work, Cu-Al-based alloy wires with Mn, Be, and Fe were betatized at 850 C and water-quenched to achieve martensitic structures, followed by evaluation of tensile strength, yield behavior, ductility, and hardness. Mn addition significantly enhanced tensile strength (up to 425 MPa), while Be and Fe improved ductility through grain refinement. Hardness increased with Mn due to solid solution strengthening. Thus, the current work provides a comparative analysis of Cu-Al-Mn, Cu-Al-Be-Mn, and Cu-Al-Fe-Mn alloys, linking alloying strategies to microstructural evolution and mechanical performance, demonstrating their potential for advanced engineering applications. 2025 King Mongkuts University of Technology North Bangkok. All Rights Reserved. -
Mechanical Properties and Analysis of Two-body Abrasive Wear Behaviour of Graphene Modified Carbon/Epoxy Composites Using Taguchis Technique
The present work emphasizes the effect of graphene nanoplatelets (G) filler loading on mechanical and abrasive wear behavior of carbon fibre reinforced epoxy (C/E) composites. Graphene nanoplatelets were mixed with epoxy framework using a temperature-controlled magnetic stirrer and then ultrasonically treated. The parameters considered for the abrasive wear study are the applied load in N (5, 10 and 15), abrading distance in m (75, 150, and 225) and weight percentage of reinforcement (0, 1, and 1.5). The incorporation of 1 wt. % G into C/E composites increases hardness by 14 % and interlaminar laminar strength by 19 % when compared to C/E composites. According to the Taguchi design of tests, a filler loading of 1 wt. % G, an abrading distance of 225 m, and an applied load of 15 N are ideal. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was done to establish the dominant parameter, and the filler loading with abrading distance was shown to be significant. With 36.4 %, the filler loading had the biggest influence on the composite specific wear rate. The combination of filler loading with 1 wt. %, load of 15 N, and abrading distance of 225 m yields the lowest specific wear rate. The involved wear mechanisms during the abrasive wear process have also been explained with scanning electron micrographs. 2024 Published by Faculty of Engineering. -
Mechanical Properties of FSW Joints Magnesium Alloy at Different Rotational Speeds
Magnesium (Mg) has become a focus in the transportation industry due to its potential in reducing fuel consumption and gas emissions while improving recyclability. Mg alloys are also known for their low neutron absorption, good resistant of carbon dioxide as well as thermal conductivity which makes them suitable for use in industrial equipment for nuclear energy. there has been an increasing interest in the research and development of Mg alloys. These are the lightest of all metallic structural materials and are approximately 33% lighter than aluminium (Al) and 75% lighter than ferrous (Fe) alloys and have excellent specific mechanical properties. In this work, FSW of AZ31B Alloy was examined at the various rotational speeds of 900 -1440 rpm, with fixed welding speed of 40mm/min and 2 tool tilt angle using an HSS tool. The mechanical properties were compared for the different rotational speeds. The quality of FSW joints is dependent on input value of heat and material flow rate, which are prejudiced by process parameters., higher rotation speeds may cause abnormal stirring, resulting in a tunnel defect at the weld nugget due to increased strain rate and turbulence. 2024 E3S Web of Conferences -
Mechanical strength and impact resistance of hybrid fiber reinforced concrete with coconut and polypropylene fibers
This experimental study investigates the mechanical properties and resistance to impact of concrete reinforced with coconut fibers (CF) and polypropylene fibers (PPF). The fiber proportions were decided based on the results obtained from the tests on coconut fiber reinforced concrete (CFRC) and polypropylene fiber reinforced concrete (PPFRC), tested individually. PP fibers of 12 mm and 24 mm of 0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.3% of the volume of concrete were used in PPFRC. Coconut fibers having 50 mm and 75 mm of 0.2%, 0.3%, and 0.4% of the volume of concrete were used in CFRC. Based on test results, PPF (12 mm) and CF (50 mm) were selected for hybrid fiber reinforced concrete (HyFRC). By varying both PPF and CF content, three different proportions with a total fiber content of 0.2% and 0.3% of the volume of concrete were selected. The improvement in strength was observed to be maximum when the total fiber content in the hybrid fiber reinforced concrete was 0.3%. The increase in impact resistance of HyFRC was almost double that of individual FRC and three times that of plain concrete. 2022 -
Mechanical Strength and Microstructure of GGBS-SCBA based Geopolymer Concrete
This paper deals with the attempt to develop and study the performance of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) and sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) based sustainable geopolymer concrete. NaOH (8M, 10M, and 12M) and Na2SiO3 were used as alkaline activators with a ratio of 2.5. SCBA mainly acted as amorphous silica and has been utilized as a substitute material for GGBS. The effect of SCBA contents (0%, 5%, 10%, 15% & 20% by the mass of binder) in terms of fresh, hardened, microstructural, and correlation properties of geopolymer concrete developed have been evaluated. Different tests such as the slump cone test, compression test, split tensile test, flexure test, and ultrasonic pulse velocity test were conducted. Scanning electron microscopy, Energy dispersive analysis, and X-ray diffraction analysis were investigated for understanding the microstructural properties. The research findings have shown that with an increase in molarity from 8M to 12M there is an increase in the strength properties of geopolymer concrete. The results in this current study show that 28 days compressive strength was found to increase by 415% when the NaOH molarity was increased from 8M to 10M and 821% when the NaOH molarity was increased from 8M to 12M. The geopolymer concrete developed with 20% SCBA and 80% GGBS with 8M NaOH solution and SS/SH ratio of 2.5 can be used for a target strength of 3035 MPa. Scanning electron microscope images show a packed and dense matrix, which clearly outlines the reason behind the attainment of higher strength in higher molarity of GGBS-SCBA based geopolymer concrete samples and the presence of CASH gel confirmed this in the geopolymer matrix. Furthermore, there is a strong correlation between the experimental findings and the model equations proposed. These presented models will be useful in improving the strength of geopolymer concrete incorporating agricultural and industrial wastes. 2023 The Authors -
Mechanical strength and water penetration depth of palmyra fibre reinforced concrete
Natural fibre reinforced composites are replacing the conventional fibre reinforced composites for several applications due to natural fibre availability, variety and lesser raw material cost. Using natural fibres in composites also reduces the issue of agricultural residue disposals, which are in abundance. Different natural fibres exhibit unique properties when it is used in composites and hence there is a need to study the behaviour of scarcely used natural fibres. Indian palmyra trees (Borassus flabellifer) are fast growing commonly found trees in Southern India. From the base of these palm tree leaves, palmyra fibres are taken out. Though these fibres are locally available in huge quantities, these are very rarely used as reinforcing material in concrete compared to other natural fibres like coir, sisal, jute etc. Palmyra fibre reinforced cement composite specimens were prepared by varying the fibre content (0.5%, 1% and 2% by weight of cement) and length of fibre (25 mm and 50 mm). Plain concrete and palmyra fibre reinforced concrete specimens of identical size were tested for mechanical strength and also for its depth of water penetration. The work carried out revealed that the water penetration of palmyra fibre reinforced concrete increased with fibre content increase. The compressive strength of palmyra fibre reinforced concrete improved up to 1% of fibre content and further increase in fibre content upto 2% resulted in compressive strength reduction for both the fibre lengths. However, split tensile strength, flexure strength and shear strength increased with fibre content increase in the mix. Based on the mechanical strength properties investigated, increase in shear strength was found to be more significant with the inclusion of palmyra fibres in concrete. 2022