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Currency Exchange Rate Prediction Using Multi-layer Perceptron
Financial forecasting is an estimate of a future financial outcome and this outcome is related to some kind of value. We can measure this outcome for a company to predict its future stock or to detect the viability of a human for the sanction of a loan. In all these cases, we want to estimate the future outcome based on historical data. Various methods have been developed lately, to make time series predictions. In this work, we have used Multi-layer perceptron algorithm to predict the Currency Exchange rate between US dollar and EURO. The training network has been compiled using TensorFlow. 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. -
Curiosity in calamity: How personal schadenfreude shapes disaster-tourism intentions
Tourism to sites of recent disaster, a form of dark tourism has raised questions about whether visitors are driven by typical travel motivations or by morbid impulses. This study examines how conventional tourist motives and the personality trait of benign schadenfreude (pleasure at others misfortune) jointly influence peoples intentions to visit a recent disaster site. By surveying 438 tourists to Kerala, four months after the July 2024 Wayanad landslides, we measured four common travel motives (novelty seeking, fun/entertainment, knowledge/learning, and relationship bonding) alongside a benign schadenfreude scale and visit intention. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed for modeling. The model explained 58.80 percent of the variance in visit intention. Three motives viz., novelty, knowledge, and relationship had significant positive associations with intention, whereas the fun motive showed a negative effect. Schadenfreude emerged as the strongest predictor of disaster-site visit intention. Moreover, schadenfreude significantly moderated the influence of novelty seeking: respondents high in schadenfreude exhibited especially strong curiosity-driven intent to visit. These findings suggest that interest in post-disaster tourism often stems from ordinary travel drivers (curiosity, learning, social bonding), but a disposition to enjoy others misfortune can intensify the appeal when novel experiences are involved. The research highlights the need for ethical considerations to be followed by the destination managers and authorities in managing dark tourism destinations. Key limitations include the use of a cross-sectional data, region-specific sample and the focus on benign dimension (versus malicious) of schadenfreude. Future research should validate these results in other cultural and disaster contexts, establish causal relationships, and examine additional personal factors as well as dimensions of schadenfreude. 2026 Joseph et al. -
Curcumin inhibits spike protein of new SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern (VOC) Omicron, an in silico study
Background: Omicron (B.1.1.529), a variant of SARS-CoV-2 is currently spreading globally as a dominant strain. Due to multiple mutations at its Spike protein, including 15 amino acid substitutions at the receptor binding domain (RBD), Omicron is a variant of concern (VOC) and capable of escaping vaccine generated immunity. So far, no specific treatment regime is suggested for this VOC. Methods: The three-dimensional structure of the Spike RBD domain of Omicron variant was constructed by incorporating 15 amino acid substitutions to the Native Spike (S) structure and structural changes were compared that of the Native S. Seven phytochemicals namely Allicin, Capsaicin, Cinnamaldehyde, Curcumin, Gingerol, Piperine, and Zingeberene were docked with Omicron S protein and Omicron S-hACE2 complex. Further, molecular dynamic simulation was performed between Crcumin and Omicron S protein to evaluate the structural stability of the complex in the physiological environment and compared with that of the control drug Chloroquine. Results: Curcumin, among seven phytochemicals, was found to have the most substantial inhibitory potential with Omicron S protein. Further, it was found that curcumin could disrupt the Omicron S-hACE2 complex. The molecular dynamic simulation demonstrated that Curcumin could form a stable structure with Omicron S in the physiological environment. Conclusion: To conclude, Curcumin can be considered as a potential therapeutic agent against the highly infectious Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2. 2022 Elsevier Ltd -
Curcumin Analogues as Organic Fluorophores for Latent Fingerprint Imaging
Synthesis and characterization of two curcumin analogues BAA and Br-AA via a condensation reaction was reported. Both the synthesized organic luminophores exhibited aggregation-induced emission (AIE) with bright yellow and green emission respectively. Increase in the water% enhanced the emission by both the compounds confirmed the AIE property. A detailed study of latent fingerprints visualization was also carried out for both the analogues. Both the compounds showed good to normal capability to develop latent fingerprints (LFPs). Compound BAA performed better as a fluorescent material to develop LFPs compared to Br-AA. The LFPs developed were analyzed to obtain 13 level of fingerprint patterns under UV 365 nm illumination. The LFPs developed using BAA exhibited excellent efficiency, sensitivity, high contrast with low background interreference. All three levels of fingerprint patterns were identified by BAA. However, Br-AA showed inability to develop high clarity images of latent fingerprints. The solid-state emission nature of the analogues was also evaluated from their emission spectra and CIE coordinates were found to be were (0,187, 0.518) and (0.265, 0.484) for BAA and Br-AA respectively. 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH. -
CuNi-PTC metal-organic framework: unveiling pseudocapacitive energy storage and water splitting capabilities
Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), owing to their distinctive structural properties and customizable functionalities, have been garnering significant attention in the pursuit of advanced energy storage and conversion technologies. In this work, a bimetallic MOF, CuNi-PTC, has been synthesized through a straightforward method. Investigations reveal its potential as a high-performance electrode material for supercapacitors and as an electrocatalyst for water splitting. The CuNi-PTC MOF features a large specific surface area, hierarchical porosity, and strong structural stability, as evidenced by spectroscopic and electron microscopy analyses. As a supercapacitor electrode material, CuNi-PTC delivers an impressive specific capacitance of 1066.24 F g?1 at a current density of 1 A g?1, along with excellent cycling stability, retaining 94% of its capacity after 5000 charge-discharge cycles. Additionally, the electrocatalytic performance of CuNi-PTC for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) was assessed, showing overpotentials of 212 mV for the HER and 380 mV for the OER at a current density of 10 mA cm?2, along with exceptional long-term durability. 2025 RSC. -
Cumulative istributionfunction: Stock price forecasting
In this paper, an attempt has been made to predict the movement of the stock price for the next day using Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF). For the purpose of the research, three companies from the Bearings Industry, namely - ABC Bearings Ltd, SNL Bearings Ltd and Austin Engineering Company Ltd, and two companies from the chemical industry, namely-Nocil ltd and Manali Petrochemicals Ltd were chosen. Historical prices of these companies were analyzed and by using Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF) the movement of the stock price for the next day is predicted. 2017 IEEE. -
Culturally responsive trauma-informed training for educators and school counselors
Educational systems must become trauma-informed, anti-racist, and multi-tiered systems of support for all students, which requires comprehensive training for educators and school counselors. This chapter begins with an introduction to the history of trauma-informed approaches. Second, the chapter discusses children who have experienced trauma and the critical need for trauma-informed training in schools. Third, an anti-racist framework for culturally responsive approaches is provided. Fourth, key components of trauma-informed training are discussed, specifically building relationships and establishing safety. Fifth, research-based recommendations for successful training of educators and school counselors are provided. Sixth, the wellness needs of school staff to minimize occupational burnout and combat indirect trauma, which includes vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress and compassion fatigue are discussed. Finally, the importance of increased support from administration and community partners for the implementation of trauma-informed practices is emphasized. 2025, IGI Global Scientific Publishing. -
Cultural Violence, Violent Gendering, and Abjection: Discourses on Sites of Violence through Trans Womens Narratives from India
The conventional cultural construct of gender and sexuality embedded in the dichotomous paradigm makes it challenging for people with queer and trans identities to fit into an assigned social role. Violent gendering takes place where women are seen as secondorder beings, disciplined and controlled by men, the first-order beings. The process of feminization and femininity is linked to women, which fixates on the idea that one is born a woman rather than one becomes a woman. This violent process of acculturation to these set norms comes with a lot of vulnerability for trans people in the form of abiding by the parameters of femininity and the threat of physical violence against their intersecting and transitioning bodies. Kristevas conception of abjection can be used to understand the discriminatory behavior against outcasts whose sexual or gender practices fall outside of the normative standards and conventions. At the same time, cultural violence, which Charlotte Bunch (2015) describes, is the culturally embedded practice and assumption of domination over women in virtually all societies. She also emphasizes that there is a need to understand that all violence against women is supported by cultural attitudes, which she argues is the real cultural challenge of violence. Keeping in perspective the idea put forth by Bunch, this article critically examines the violence reinforced by culture, and the process of gendering, with a central focus on the intersectional experiences of trans bodies as abject between gender, sex, and culture. This leads to the systematic violence enacted upon them by the invisible disciplinarians. The article considers 21st-century trans womens narratives, Laxmi Narayan Tripathis Me Hijra, Me Laxmi (2015) and Red Lipstick: The Men in my Life (2016). This article contextualizes and situates trans narratives, which provide insight into how trans womens bodies are seen as abject and have gone through the violent process of gendering and culturing 2022 Journal of International Womens Studies -
Cultural resonance in the brain: EEG-Based insights into emotional engagement with festive imagery
Festive imagery is fundamental in constructing cultural identity, affective resonance, and collective memory. The neural engagement patterns in Kolkata individuals, upon viewing familiar and unfamiliar festive images, have been studied by using electroencephalography (EEG) as an on-line, non-invasive indicator of neural activity. In particular, the study compares participants' neural reactions to images of the Onam festival of Keralaa culturally unfamiliar festivalto those of Durga Puja celebrations outside Kolkata, which, although culturally familiar, are not immediately geographically specific. The EEG parameters that were assessed were cognitive load, emotional arousal, neural stimulation, and frontal lobe activation linked to attention and affective processing. Results show that novel but colorful festive images like Onam had greater and longer-lasting cognitive and emotional activation than familiar Durga Puja images. Such increased activation was associated with augmented beta and gamma wave activity, reflecting high arousal and attention, as well as marked frontal lobe activation. The findings indicate that novelty, visual symbolism, and the richness of cultural representations have a central role to play in the modulation of cognitive processing and emotional resonance, even among culturally homogenous populations. The research adds to the growing body of literature in neuroaesthetics and cultural neuroscience by demonstrating how culturally unfamiliar but symbolically dense images can elicit profound cognitive and affective responses. These findings have implications for intercultural communication, visual media design, and festival tourism promotion, where strategic deployment of culturally diverse imagery can increase audience engagement and emotional resonance. Copyright (c) 2026 The Authors. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. -
Cultural quotient: Evolving culturally intelligent business scholar-practitioners
Analytical competency is an essential skill when it comes to the present-day business scenario of the world. However, these days we see a shift in the business needs when it comes to working in a globalized environment. Not only is the intelligence quotient (IQ) looked at but organizations these days are in pursuit of individuals who have another side to their profile - the culturally intelligent side (assessed using the cultural quotient). The need of such a skill can be attributed to the fact that organizations are now churning out their human side of addressing the employees when it comes to ensuring that they blend in the organization with ease. Acquiring a workforce which possesses high cultural intelligence can be a tough task; however, training employees to become culturally competent can be a doable task. Like any other personality trait which can be imbibed over time through constant analysis and observation, cultural competency is one such area which may be cultivated through various methodologies and practices. 2018, IGI Global. -
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Cultural Politics of sports and nationalism in indian popular cinema
The idea of India does not naturally happen. Like Benedict Anderson points out in his Imagined Communities, the media plays a huge role in ensuring that the public upholds certain notions of the nation. So, the imagining of a nation into existence as well as the sustenance of the collective are media-enabled. If print media had influenced people to envisage a nation by narrativizing a cultural commonality within members of a particular political setup in a particular geography (as in the case of 19th century Europe), the part played by popular cinema in independent India in feeding the imagining of Indianness cannot be considered less significant. Cinema texts based on war, terrorism, partition, etc. lend themselves for a nationalist treatment. Sports-themed Indian popular cinema too chooses to establish a marriage of convenience with nationalism. While sports and nationalism right from the first decade of the 20th century have had a history of helping each other thrive, - owing to nationality-based participation in Olympics and a similar format adopted by most other global events - it is in the 21st century that Indian Popular Cinema started exploiting the sports-nationalism relationship for its own progress. This research studies the discourse on Indian nationalism that three sports-themed texts of Indian popular cinema offer. Apart from proving to be huge box office hits, Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India, Chak De! India, and M S Dhoni: The Untold Story offer a lot for culture and nation theorists to ponder upon. -
Cultural Memory In The Captivity Novels of NA D'Souza Alan Machado
Captivity novels are stories of men and women who were abducted and forcibly taken as captives and subjugated to slavery, usually for religious or political reasons. The research critically engages the captivity novels of Na DSouza and Alan Machado, which vividly evoke the harrowing captivity experience of Mangalore Konkani Catholic community during Tipu Sultans regime. It is alleged that Tipu, after the Second Anglo-Mysore war, wreaked vengeance on Konkani Catholic Christians on suspicion for betraying him and supporting the British. After two hundred years of great silence, the struggle for identity and the quest for history led the post-conflicting community to articulate the contents of the archives into the fabric of a literary composition. The literary works of DSouza and Machado are an essential bridge between generations problematizing history and memory illustrating the events of Great Captivity. The captivity narratives are cultural artefacts of memory that present alternative history of the Mysore Kingdom and revive the memories of the captivity experience of Mangalore Konkani Catholic Christians. The memories of the miseries revived in the writings of DSouza and Machado at the beginning of the twenty first century from the victims point of view expose the gaps in the official records of the Mysore Kingdom and emphasise the community's resilience and cultural significance. These narratives constitute the melancholic representation of the traumatic experience of the community and enable the community of the sufferers to re-live the torments which in turn act as a therapeutic agent. Thus, the imaginative recount of the Great Captivity by DSouza and Machado in the form of novels using memory as a tool challenge the historical construct and call for a legitimate space for the vanquished version in the construction of history. -
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Cultural Immersion in Social Work Education: A Pathway to Global Citizenship and Cross- Cultural Community Development
With the increasing globalization of the world, social work education must change itself to build students with intercultural competence and global citizenship skills. Cultural immersion programs are a valuable resource for preparing social work professionals to navigate different socio- cultural settings using an inclusive, participatory social development approach. The present chapter will provide an overview of literature reviews, case studies, and theoretical reflections on cultural immersion in social work education. The discussion will consider theories on how such experiences might shape students' conceptualization of social inequalities, community- based interventions, and ethical issues in cross- cultural situations. The chapter will conclude by exploring potential directions for utilizing cultural immersion to design academic and professional development paradigms in pursuit of broader global citizenship and cross- cultural community development agendas. 2026 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved. -
Cultural Immersion and Experiential Learning in Sustainability Education
The present chapter explores the role of immersive learning in strengthening sustainability education in different contexts, spanning cultural, neurocognitive, and technological dimensions. It draws from experiential and transformative learning theories and also from frameworks such as ESD and SEFT. It examines the relationship between cognition, empathy, and intercultural competence, and how focused immersive methods can reshape them. Relevant global case studies have been included to highlight diverse forms of engagement like micro- immersion, reverse immersion, and sonic- sensory approaches. By engaging with interdisciplinary insights, it has been argued that immersive learning indeed promotes glocal thinking and environmental stewardship. Technologies like VR and AI- driven storytelling have also been examined not only for their potential but also for the need to balance innovation with inclusivity. Finally, the chapter calls for culturally grounded, critically reflective education models as essential pathways toward building sustainable and empathetic futures. 2026 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved. -
Cultural Expression of Anxiety Symptoms in Kannada Language: A Qualitative Study
Background: In anxiety disorders, culture is important in symptom presentation and help-seeking. Most tools for anxiety disorders are not validated in India and thus might not capture culture-specific aspects of anxiety. This study aims to identify and generate culturally specific terms to describe symptoms of anxiety as part of the development of the Kannada version of the Panic and Anxiety National Indian Questionnaire (PANIQ). The PANIQ is a tool under development to identify anxiety and panic in Indian settings. Methods: This study used qualitative methods like focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews (IDIs) to identify and generate items related to anxiety and panic in Kannada from stakeholders like individuals with anxiety disorders, their caregivers, healthcare workers, and mental health professionals who treat individuals with anxiety and panic disorders. Five FGDs (n = 28), one triad (n = 3), and 34 IDIs (n = 34) were conducted. Results: The mean age of the participants was 38.9 (standard deviation: 12.28) years; 57.1% were from rural areas. We generated 615 Kannada items. These were classified into 21 domains and facets. Items in domains like Somatic symptoms, Fear, and Impairment in day-to-day life were higher than those noted in existing tools for anxiety that focus more on cognitive symptoms of anxiety. Conclusions: This study generated culturally specific items of anxiety through a qualitative process of tool development incorporating subjective experiences of persons with anxiety disorders and other stakeholders. This is among the first steps toward the development of PANIQ. 2022 The Author(s). -
CULTURAL EDUCATION THROUGH CARTOONS
Children grow up watching cartoons. Animated characters live in our minds, entertaining us as well as creating a fictional world in our minds. Various cartoons have been made in India based on Indian cultural background such as Amar Chitra Katha, Shri Krishna, Vikram Betal and so on. The aim of this study is to find out whether it is possible to educate children regarding culture through the medium of cartoons. This study also attempts to find out which cartoon based on Indian culture is most preferred by children and why. In addition, this study tries to analyze the benefits that children gain by watching cartoons based on Indian culture, the effects they create on children studying in second, third and fourth standard and also tries the kind of image of Indian culture generated through these cartoons. The preferred method for research is Quantitative analysis including questionnaires and the preferred sample size is 120 children from Bangalore. -
Cultural Constraints and Empowerment: A Study of Kudumbashree in Kerala
Women empowerment occupies the centre of discussions of social development and is carried by UNDP (United Nations Development Programme). It continues to be highly debated and contested. Different scholars have defined empowerment in a different ways depending upon the contextual variations. The study seeks to present varied theoretical perspectives on empowerment and reinforce them with current empowerment practices in Indian settings. Based on relevant literature on empowerment, an attempt has been made here to examine the definitions and its cultural and contextual variations. This provides a linkage between theory and practice of empowerment in Indian society. An ethnographic study of Kudumbashree, a women organization in Kerala is been carried out where the contextual variations of empowerment is covered. Women empowerment has multiple implications for patriarchal surroundings and has possessed problems in re-engaging with structural inequalities like caste and class identities of women. All these create a plethora of problems to Indian society and empowerment among women helps in solving and eradicating such problems. Hence the study attempts to find out how Kudumbashree negotiates the contextual and structural issues of women empowerment. The problems faced by women tend to increase day by day and studying topics likes these helps in minimizing it thereby providing a better understanding about the concept of women empowerment. The researcher concludes the study by mentioning the contextual and dynamic variations of empowerment. There is no universally accepted definition for empowerment where it varies according to the subjective locations of individuals. For instance; empowerment for a woman in a scheduled caste or lower caste women varies to that of upper caste women.