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Buying intension of menstrual cups among women in India
Background: In this era of globalization, Menstrual Hygiene Management is to be concerned. However due to increasing menstrual health hygiene practices adopted by women are rapidly changing and are shifting towards healthier and sustainable products in the Indian market. Objectives: This study aims to identify and evaluate the factors effecting the buying intension of menstrual cups and to provide managerial implications in the future. Methods: The data was collected through a questionnaire survey method; Exploratory Factor Analysis was used to bring down the factor focusing on the prominent factor useful for the study. Sample size for the study was 455 where simple random sampling technique was adopted to give every element in the population to give an equal chance. Results: Through Exploratory Factor Analysis, the paper identifies five factors as product awareness, perception, external influence, product features and hygiene. Here, product awareness is the most influential factor when compared to other factor which affects the buying intension of the menstrual cups. Conclusion: The word Menstruation which was backed by religious and cultural beliefs has gone through tremendous change effect. The lack of product awareness and the existing taboos are restricting women to buy menstrual cups. The study highlights the innovations in the menstrual products and also the importance of buying healthier and eco-friendly menstrual products like menstrual cups which are economically and eye catching products among women. 2019 SERSC. -
Recall of advertisements placed during Indian crime shows /
Brad J. Bushman conducted a study in 1998 that studied the effects of watching televised violence on memory. Bushman conducted experiments to find out if the viewers remembered the advertisements after watching violence on television. Results showed that violence had a negative effect on recall of the brand and the advertisement message. The present research sought to study the effect of violence in Indian crime shows on the recall of the brand, the product category and the tag lines used in the advertisements. -
Strategic positioning of tourist destinations- analyzing the role of perceived meaningfulness
This study analyzed the cognitive and affective components of destination image in the perception of foreign tourists visiting Indian destinations by exploring conceptual constructs, namely Post-visit Destination Image and Perceived Meaningfulness. The exploratory factor analysis of the responses of foreign tourists (n = 242) on items related to the major constructs significant in tourist behavior such as destination quality, perceived meaningfulness, and post-visit destination image confirmed the existence of multi-dimensional structure. Additionally, the empirical validation of the theoretical framework developed on the tenents of stimulus-organism-response paradigm with the constructs using structural equation modeling established significant relationships helpful to understand many new travel motivations. The study established that perceived meaningfulness has a significant mediating role in predicting tourist referral/revisit intentions from positive perceptions about destination quality and post-visit destination image. The observations from the study helped to identify six types of travel motivations useful in developing niche markets for positioning Indian destinations. The identified travel motivations, namely physical meaningfulness seeking, eternal meaningfulness seeking, social meaningfulness seeking, nature-loving, hospitality appreciating, and uniqueness exploring, offer directions to destination marketers to revamp destination attributes for destination marketing. 2021 The Authors -
A collaborative application of design thinking and Taguchi approach in restaurant service design for food wellbeing
Purpose: Innovative restaurant service designs impart food wellbeing to diners. This research comprehends customer aspirations and concerns in a restaurant-dining experience to develop a service design that enhances the dining experience using the design thinking approach and evaluates its efficiency using the Taguchi method of robust design. Design/methodology/approach: The sequential incidence technique defines diners' needs, which, followed by brainstorming sessions, helped create multiple service designs with important attributes. Prototype narration, as a scenario, acted as the stimulus for evaluators to respond to the WHO-5 wellbeing index scale. Scenario-based Taguchi experiment with nine foodservice attributes in two levels and the wellbeing score as the response variable helped identify levels of critical factors that develop better FWB. Findings: The study identified the best combination of factors and their preferred levels to maximize FWB in a restaurant. Food serving hygiene, followed by information about cuisine specification, and food movement in the restaurant, were important to FWB. The experiment revealed that hygiene perceptions are critical to FWB, and service designs have a significant role in it. Consumers prefer detailed information about the ingredients and recipe of the food they eat; being confident that there will be no unacceptable ingredients added to the food inspires their FWB. Research limitations/implications: Theoretically, this study contributes to the growing body of literature on design thinking and transformative service research, especially in the food industry. Practical implications: This paper details a simple method to identify and evaluate important factors that optimize FWB in a restaurant. The proposed methodology will help service designers and technology experts devise settings that consider customer priorities and contribute to their experience. Originality/value: This study helps to understand the application of design thinking and the Taguchi approach for creating robust service designs that optimize FWB. 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited. -
Towards a theory of well-being in digital sports viewing behavior
Purpose: Social television (Social TV) viewing of live sports events is an emerging trend. The realm of transformative service research (TSR) envisions that every service consumption experience must lead to consumer well-being. Currently, a full appreciation of the well-being factors obtained through Social TV viewing is lacking. This study aims to gain a holistic understanding of the concept of digital sports well-being obtained through live Social TV viewing of sports events. Design/methodology/approach: Focus group interviews were used to collect data from the 40 regular sports viewers, and the qualitative data obtained is analyzed thematically using NVivo 12. A post hoc verification of the identified themes is done to narrow down the most critical themes. Findings: The exploration helped understand the concept of digital sports well-being (DSW) obtained through live Social TV sports spectating and identified five critical themes that constitute its formation. The themes that emerged were virtual connectedness, vividness, uncertainty reduction, online disinhibition and perceived autonomy. This study defines the concept and develops a conceptual model for DSW. Research limitations/implications: This study adds to the body of knowledge in TSR, transformative sport service research, digital customer engagement, value co-creation in digital platforms, self-determination theory and flow theory. The qualitative study is exploratory, with participants views based on a single match in one particular sport, and as such, its findings are restrained by the small sample size and the specific sport. To extend this studys implications, empirical research involving a larger and more diversified sample involving multiple sports Social TV viewing experiences would help better understand the DSW concept. Practical implications: The research provides insights to Social TV live streamers of sporting events and digital media marketers about the DSW construct and identifies the valued DSW dimensions that could provide a competitive advantage. Originality/value: To the best of the authors knowledge, the exploration is the first attempt to describe the concept of DSW and identify associated themes. 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited. -
An Empirical Study of Blockchain Technology, Innovation, Service Quality and Firm Performance in the Banking Industry
Despite the potential promises that blockchain technology (BT) offers to the financial services sector, its large-scale implementations are still in a nascent stage. There is no consensus on what benefits BT may bring, and there is always a possibility of difference between expected benefits and experienced real-world impact. Since the actual impact can be assessed only after large-scale implementations by financial institutions, there is little empirical evidence available in the literature. In this context, this research seeks to explore the potential impact of BT by developing and empirically testing a model. For this purpose, we have identified four dimensions of BT, namely, Decentralization, Transparency, Trustlessness, and Security. The impact of BT on innovation, service quality, and firm performance is assessed based on the extent to which these dimensions are present in the organization. The linkages of the latent constructs are estimated by analyzing the primary data collected from senior managers of various banks in India. The findings of this study provide several important considerations regarding the implementation of BT. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021. -
Impact of transformational leadership on the affective commitment of employees in the service sector /
International Journal of Recent Technology And Engineering, Vol.8, issue 4, pp.1388-1393, ISSN No: 2277-3878. -
Short-chain fatty acid: An updated review on signaling, metabolism, and therapeutic effects
Fatty acids are good energy sources (9 kcal per gram) that aerobic tissues can use except for the brain (glucose is an alternative source). Apart from the energy source, fatty acids are necessary for cell signaling, learning-related memory, modulating gene expression, and functioning as cytokine precursors. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are saturated fatty acids arranged as a straight chain consisting minimum of 6 carbon atoms. SCFAs possess various beneficial effects like improving metabolic function, inhibiting insulin resistance, and ameliorating immune dysfunction. In this review, we discussed the biogenesis, absorption, and transport of SCFA. SCFAs can act as signaling molecules by stimulating G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and suppressing histone deacetylases (HDACs). The role of SCFA on glucose metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, and its effect on the immune system is also reviewed with updated details. SCFA possess anticancer, anti-diabetic, and hepatoprotective effects. Additionally, the association of protective effects of SCFA against brain-related diseases, kidney diseases, cardiovascular damage, and inflammatory bowel diseases were also reviewed. Nanotherapy is a branch of nanotechnology that employs nanoparticles at the nanoscale level to treat various ailments with enhanced drug stability, solubility, and minimal side effects. The SCFA functions as drug carriers, and nanoparticles were also discussed. Still, much research was not focused on this area. SCFA functions in host gene expression through inhibition of HDAC inhibition. However, the study has to be focused on the molecular mechanism of SCFA against various diseases that still need to be investigated. 2022 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. -
Green Synthesis of Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles Using Semecarpus anacardium Linn leaf Extract: Examination of Anticancer Activity and its Apoptosis Induction
Nanotechnology and biomedical sciences enable diverse molecular and cellular applications. Plant-mediated biosynthesis of nanoparticles, a green chemistry approach, offers a cost-effective, eco-friendly alternative to traditional methods. This study focuses on developing hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HA-NPs) using Semecarpus anacardium Linn (SAL) leaf extract (termed SAL@HA-NPs) as a capping agent and reducing agent. The presence of needle-shaped nanostructures was verified using SEM and TEM investigation. The presence of well-defined rings in the selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns provided evidence for the polycrystalline nature of the SAL@HA-NPs). The XRD spectrum exhibited clear peaks that closely corresponded to the hexagonal patterns of HA, indicating a mean crystalline diameter of 54.25nm. The FTIR analysis revealed the presence of biomolecules from Semecarpus anacardium Linn leaves on the surface of the nanoparticles. The suspension of SAL@HA-NPs displayed a polydispersity index of 0.445 and demonstrated excellent stability, as indicated by the zeta potential of -32.2 mV, as observed in the DLS tests. The SAL@HA-NPs exhibited a harmful effect on the HeLa cervical and HepG2 liver cancer cells, with an IC50 value of 52g/mL. Fluorescence microscopy revealed the deformation of the damaged cell membrane, fragmentation, and cell death following treatment with SAL@HA-NPs. The Annexin V-FITC and PI staining confirmed the mode of apoptosis by flow cytometric analysis. Thus, the SAL@HA-NPs acquired in this study could have a crucial impact on the biomedical domain of cancer treatment. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2024. -
A study of the structure, luminescence and cytotoxicity of new green-emitting terbium-doped CaS nanophosphors
CaS nanoparticles have attracted significant attention due to their wide range of optoelectronic applications. The synthesis of CaS nanophosphors doped with different terbium concentrations through a simple wet chemical co-precipitation method using triethanolamine (TEOA) as a capping agent is reported here. X-ray diffractogram ensured that the nanoparticles were crystallized in the cubic phase with space groupFm3 m. Morphology and particle size of the TEOA-capped CaS:Tb nanophosphors were determined using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The optical properties of the samples were studied by photoluminescence spectroscopy and UVVis absorption measurements. The prepared nanoparticles exhibited green luminescence, which is attributed to 5D47FJ transitions of terbium ions incorporated into the CaS lattice. The existence of various functional groups in the synthesized products was identified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The lifetime decay measurements showed that the lifetime of the samples was in the nanosecond range. Cytotoxicity analysis of the nanoparticles was carried out on L929 fibroblast cells, which confirmed that the nanoparticles are biocompatible across a wide range of concentrations. Our findings indicate that CaS:Tb nanophosphor could be a potential candidate as a green-emitting phosphor in optoelectronics and biomedical field. 2020, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. -
Calcium Sulfide Based NanophosphorsA Review on Synthesis Techniques, Characterization and Applications
Calcium sulfide (CaS) is a widely investigated alkaline earth sulfide nanophosphor with promising applications in optoelectronics and biomedical fields due to its excellent photoluminescence properties. The selection of the synthesis method is a crucial factor in determining the efficacy of nanophosphors for various applications. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the various synthesis techniques employed to develop CaS nanophosphors, including solvothermal, alkoxide, sol-gel, microwave, wet chemical co-precipitation, solid-state diffusion, and single-source precursor methods. The structural and optical properties of CaS nanophosphors are discussed in detail, highlighting the influence of different dopants on the emission color, which can be tuned from blue to red. The review also explores the potential applications of CaS nanophosphors in optoelectronics and biomedicine. This review serves as a valuable resource for researchers interested in developing CaS nanophosphors for various optoelectronic and biomedical applications, providing insights into the latest advancements and future prospects in this field. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2024. -
A comparison of in vitro cytotoxicity of undoped and doped surface modified CaS nanoparticles
In the present study we compare the cytotoxicity of undoped and doped surface modified CaS nanoparticles synthesized by wet chemical co-precipitation technique using L929 human fibroblasts cell lines. The toxicity was determined by evaluating the cell viability and changes in cell morphology. In addition, the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values for all the samples were also compared. This analysis shows that undoped and terbium doped TEOA capped CaS nanoparticles are more biocompatible and will be better candidates for various applications in the biomedical field. 2021 Elsevier B.V. -
A Comparative Study of the Nonlinear Optical Properties of CaO Nanoparticles and rGO-CaO Nanocomposites
Recently, graphene-based materials decorated with metal/metal oxide nanoparticles have gained significant interest among researchers owing to their wide range of technological applications. In this study, we synthesized reduced graphene oxide-calcium oxide nanocomposites (rGO-CaO) using a one-pot solvothermal technique. The third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of CaO nanoparticles and (rGO-CaO) nanocomposites were explored by performing a single-beam Z-scan experiment. Since the samples exhibited reverse saturation absorption behavior (RSA) and a negative nonlinear index of refraction, CaO nanoparticles are promising candidates for nonlinear optical limiting and optical switching applications. Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science 2024. -
Foreground algorithms for detection and extraction of an object in multimedia
Background Subtraction of a foreground object in multimedia is one of the major preprocessing steps involved in many vision-based applications. The main logic for detecting moving objects from the video is difference of the current frame and a reference frame which is called "background image" and this method is known as frame differencing method. Background Subtraction is widely used for real-time motion gesture recognition to be used in gesture enabled items like vehicles or automated gadgets. It is also used in content-based video coding, traffic monitoring, object tracking, digital forensics and human-computer interaction. Now-a-days due to advent in technology it is noticed that most of the conferences, meetings and interviews are done on video calls. It's quite obvious that a conference room like atmosphere is not always readily available at any point of time. To eradicate this issue, an efficient algorithm for foreground extraction in a multimedia on video calls is very much needed. This paper is not to just build Background Subtraction application for Mobile Platform but to optimize the existing OpenCV algorithm to work on limited resources on mobile platform without reducing the performance. In this paper, comparison of various foreground detection, extraction and feature detection algorithms are done on mobile platform using OpenCV. The set of experiments were conducted to appraise the efficiency of each algorithm over the other. The overall performances of these algorithms were compared on the basis of execution time, resolution and resources required. 2020 Institute of Advanced Engineering and Science. -
Sentiment Analysis on Indian Government Schemes Using Twitter data
People use social media for entertainment, fetching information, news, business, communication and many more. Few of such social media applications are Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Snapchat and so on. Twitter is one among the micro blogging websites. We are using Twitter mainly because it has gained a lot of media attention. The text written is referred to as tweets, where a common man can tweet or can write their hearts out. We would be fetching the direct responses from the public and hence the data is more real-time. First step is to fetch the tweets on a particular scheme using python language code followed by the cleaning process then comes the creation of bag of words. Later these bags of words are given as an input to the algorithms. Finally, after training the algorithms, we will be getting the sentiment of the public on that scheme. 2019 IEEE. -
Green Synthesis of Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles Using Semecarpus anacardium Linn leaf Extract: Examination of Anticancer Activity and its Apoptosis Induction
Nanotechnology and biomedical sciences enable diverse molecular and cellular applications. Plant-mediated biosynthesis of nanoparticles, a green chemistry approach, offers a cost-effective, eco-friendly alternative to traditional methods. This study focuses on developing hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HA-NPs) using Semecarpus anacardium Linn (SAL) leaf extract (termed SAL@HA-NPs) as a capping agent and reducing agent. The presence of needle-shaped nanostructures was verified using SEM and TEM investigation. The presence of well-defined rings in the selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns provided evidence for the polycrystalline nature of the SAL@HA-NPs). The XRD spectrum exhibited clear peaks that closely corresponded to the hexagonal patterns of HA, indicating a mean crystalline diameter of 54.25nm. The FTIR analysis revealed the presence of biomolecules from Semecarpus anacardium Linn leaves on the surface of the nanoparticles. The suspension of SAL@HA-NPs displayed a polydispersity index of 0.445 and demonstrated excellent stability, as indicated by the zeta potential of -32.2 mV, as observed in the DLS tests. The SAL@HA-NPs exhibited a harmful effect on the HeLa cervical and HepG2 liver cancer cells, with an IC50 value of 52g/mL. Fluorescence microscopy revealed the deformation of the damaged cell membrane, fragmentation, and cell death following treatment with SAL@HA-NPs. The Annexin V-FITC and PI staining confirmed the mode of apoptosis by flow cytometric analysis. Thus, the SAL@HA-NPs acquired in this study could have a crucial impact on the biomedical domain of cancer treatment. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2024. -
A Comparative Study of the Nonlinear Optical Properties of CaO Nanoparticles and rGO-CaO Nanocomposites
Recently, graphene-based materials decorated with metal/metal oxide nanoparticles have gained significant interest among researchers owing to their wide range of technological applications. In this study, we synthesized reduced graphene oxide-calcium oxide nanocomposites (rGO-CaO) using a one-pot solvothermal technique. The third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of CaO nanoparticles and (rGO-CaO) nanocomposites were explored by performing a single-beam Z-scan experiment. Since the samples exhibited reverse saturation absorption behavior (RSA) and a negative nonlinear index of refraction, CaO nanoparticles are promising candidates for nonlinear optical limiting and optical switching applications. Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science 2024. -
Depression, anxiety, stress and marital adjustment among women
Marriage, especially for women in a patriarchal society involves a huge transition process. The struggle with new responsibilities and expectations is overwhelming in itself. But with the feelings of worthlessness and feeling trapped and bound in a loveless and thankless bond, come distress and adjustment issues. According to a recent Nielsen survey on 'Women of Tomorrow', out of 21 nations and 6500 women, India is a leading nation when it comes to stress in women. About 87% of women were stressed most of the time and 82% claimed that they did not find time to relax. Women in the age range from 22 years to 55 years are the most stressed and are struggling hard to strike a balance between their home lives, social activities and jobs. The present study aims to examine depression, stress, anxiety and adjustment issues among women. A total of 80 married women were selected for the study with 40 working and 40 non-working women. The Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales were administered to collect data. Negative relationship was obtained between stress, anxiety depression and marital adjustment among married women. Anxiety and Marital adjustment are moderately correlated (-.346) while Stress (-.454) and Depression (-0.487) are highly correlated with marital adjustment. 2020 Journal of International Women's Studies. -
Unique synergism in flame retardancy in ABS based composites through blending PVDF and halloysite nanotubes
This study demonstrates flame retardant materials designed using bi-phasic polymer blends of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) containing halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) and Cloisite 30B nanoclay. The prepared blends with and without nanoparticles were extensively characterized. The nanoparticles were added in different weight concentrations to improve the flame retardancy. It was observed that prepared ABS/PVDF blends showed better flame retardancy than ABS based composites. The flame resistance was further improved by the addition of nanoparticles in the blends. The microscale combustion calorimetry (MCC) test showed better flame resistance in ABS/PVDF blends filled with 5 wt% HNTs than other composites. The total heat release of ABS/PVDF blend filled with 5 wt% HNTs decreased by 31% and also the heat of combustion decreased by 26% as compared to neat ABS. When compared with nanoparticles, the addition of PVDF reduced the peak heat release rate (PHRR) and increased the char residue more effectively. A synergistic improvement was observed from both PVDF and HNTs on the flame resistance properties. 2017 IOP Publishing Ltd. -
