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Relating the role of green self-concepts and identity on green purchasing behaviour: An empirical analysis
At present, consumers in emerging economies are becoming more conscious about environmental well-being. Therefore, organizations compete to make their products and practices more eco-friendly. Several studies have tried to explain the relationship between green consumerism and an individual's buying behaviour using traditional theories. However, there is quite a challenge in understanding the influence of green self-concept (GSC) and green self-identity (GSI) in predicting the green purchase intention (GPI) of consumers. Therefore, the authors developed six hypotheses to assess the relation between self-concept and the GPI. The survey was conducted, and the responses were evaluated through the partial least square (PLS) method. The authors analysed the measurement model results (n = 717) and the direct and indirect mediating effect of the latent variable contributing to GPI. The measurement model results show that a significant relationship exists in the proposed model, namely, GSCs ? green purchasing intentions, product self-concept (PSC) ? green purchasing intentions and GSI ? green purchasing intentions. Further, the GSI acted as a mediator for the measurement model. The implications of the study can be used to understand the green consumer behavior in developing new strategies and policies for the organizational practice in emerging economies. 2020 ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. -
A novel assessment of bio-medical waste disposal methods using integrating weighting approach and hesitant fuzzy MOOSRA
Bio-medical waste (BMW) management is highly important precaution for human health and environmental concern. There are several disposal treatment followed by medical practitioners in medical waste management. Here, a few disposal treatment is considered to be an alternatives. When assessing, it is necessary to evaluate and assume that all disposal treatment methods are safe and hygienic. In this way, every alternative assessment is evaluated based on the social acceptance, technology and operation, environmental protection, cost, noise and health risk. Finally the best alternative is chosen. When BMW is disposed and we select the best treatment method in BMW management, it can lead to multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) processes related to uncertain critical assessments. When making a decision, the decision makers having some hesitation to give their suggestions. Therefore, here we use hesitant MCDM method. In today's practice we have choose five methods of BMW disposal methods used in the medical world and we have its alternatives. One of these alternative is sorted by six criteria weights for selecting the best method. The main aim of this research paper is propose a new methodology of hesitant fuzzy weight finding technique, it is named as Hesitant Fuzzy Subjective and Objective Weight Integrated Approach (HF-SOWIA) and also propose a new hesitant fuzzy rank finding methodology, it is named as Hesitant Fuzzy Multi-Objective Optimization on the basis of Simple Ratio Analysis (HF-MOOSRA). After evaluation, the result shows that autoclaving is the best alternative for BMW disposal treatment methods. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis is make in order to observe the difference of alternative ranking when the importance of subjective and objective weights changes. 2020 Elsevier Ltd -
Thermoconvective instability in a vertically oscillating horizontal ferrofluid layer with variable viscosity
The paper sheds light on the linear and nonlinear stability of a ferrofluid with the temperature and magnetic-field-dependent viscosity subjected to an imposed time-periodic gravity modulation. The perturbations in the system due to external reasons are expanded in terms of the amplitude of modulation in the case of linear stability and a truncated representation of the Fourier series in the case of nonlinear stability. A nonautonomous Lorenz model for the problem is first obtained, and both linear and nonlinear analyses of the system are performed using this. The expression for the critical Rayleigh number, (Formula presented.), and the correction Rayleigh number, (Formula presented.), is found from the linearized Lorenz model. The Lorenz system of equations is solved for the amplitude to arrive at the Nusselt number (Nu), which quantifies the heat transport. In the study we find that the thermorheological effect and the magnetization effect work in unison to destabilize the system, while the magnetorheological effect and the effect of vertical oscillations stabilize the system. The influence of the parameters on the heat transport is the opposite to their effect on the critical Rayleigh number. The results of the paper agree quite well with those of limiting cases. 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC -
Structural and physico-chemical evaluation of melatonin and its solution-state excited properties, with emphasis on its binding with novel coronavirus proteins
Melatonin is a natural hormone from the pineal gland that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. We examined the structure and physico-chemical properties of melatonin using electronic structure methods and molecular-mechanics tools. Density functional theory (DFT) was used to optimise the ground-state geometry of the molecule from frontier molecular orbitals, which were analysed using the B3LYP functional. As its electrons interacted with electromagnetic radiation, electronic excitations between different energy levels were analysed in detail using time-dependent DFT with CAM-B3LYP orbitals. The results provide a wealth of information about melatonin's electronic properties, which will enable the prediction of its bioactivity. Molecular docking studies predict the biological activity of the molecules against the coronavirus2 protein. Excellent docking scores of ?7.28, ?7.20, and ?7.06 kcal/mol indicate that melatonin can help to defend against the viral load in vulnerable populations. Hence it can be investigated as a candidate drug for the management of COVID. 2020 Elsevier B.V. -
Structural, luminescence and NMR studies on Nd3+-doped sodiumcalcium-borate glasses for lasing applications
In this work, Neodymium (Nd3+) -doped borate glasses were synthesised by melt-quenching method and their structural as well as optical properties were analysed through XRD, Raman, NMR, DSC, UVVisible, luminescence and decay studies for the possible application as laser gain medium. DSC and XRD results revealed that the glasses have high transition temperature and are in amorphous nature, respectively. The vibrational characteristics of the host matrices as well as the effect of Nd3+ incorporation were analysed by using Raman spectra, which exhibit majorly borate groups as supported by NMR results. The band gap energy of the glasses decreases with an increase in Nd3+ concentration. Using Judd-Oflet theory the characteristic intensity parameters (??, ? = 2, 4 and 6) were calculated and further used for calculating the various radiative parameters from the emission spectra. The emission cross-section (?em) was estimated as high as 1.15 10?20 cm2 from the FhtbauerLandenburg (FL) equation for the dominant 4F3/2?4I11/2 (1056 nm) transition. The effect of Nd3+ concentration on the lifetime of the 4F3/2 luminescent level was analysed from the decay curve analyses. From which, the corresponding quantum efficiency (?) was estimated and found as high as 54%. The investigated result suggests the prepared glasses can be utilized as gain medium to generate laser at around 1.05 ?m. 2020 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. -
Effects of dark matter in red giants
Dark matter (DM) which constitutes five-sixths of all matter is hypothesized to be a weakly interacting non-baryonic particle, created in the early stages of cosmic evolution. It can affect various cosmic structures in the Universe via gravitational interactions. The effect of DM in main sequence stars and stellar remnants like neutron stars and white dwarfs has already been studied. Red giant phase is a late stage of the evolution of stars. In this work, we study, low-mass red giants stars with admixture of DM and how this can effectively change the intrinsic properties of red giants such as their luminosities, temperatures and lifetimes. 2020 Elsevier B.V. -
Characterization of signed paths and cycles admitting minus dominating function
Let G = (V, E, ?) be a finite signed graph. A function f: V ? {?1, 0, 1} is a minus dominating function (MDF) of G if f(u) + Pv?N(u) ?(uv)f(v) ? 1 for all u ? V. In this paper we characterize signed paths and cycles admitting an MDF. 2020 Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University -
Identification of interstitial lung diseases using deep learning
The advanced medical imaging provides various advantages to both the patients and the healthcare providers. Medical Imaging truly helps the doctor to determine the inconveniences in a human body and empowers them to make better choices. Deep learning has an important role in the medical field especially for medical image analysis today. It is an advanced technique in the machine learning concept which can be used to get efficient output than using any other previous techniques. In the anticipated work deep learning is used to find the presence of interstitial lung diseases (ILD) by analyzing high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) images and identifying the ILD category. The efficiency of the diagnosis of ILD through clinical history is less than 20%. Currently, an open chest biopsy is the best way of confirming the presence of ILD. HRCT images can be used effectively to avoid open chest biopsy and improve accuracy. In this proposed work multi-label classification is done for 17 different categories of ILD. The average accuracy of 95% is obtained by extracting features with the help of a convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture called SmallerVGGNet. 2020 Institute of Advanced Engineering and Science. All rights reserved. -
Growth, survival and haemato-biochemical profiles of the freshwater catfish, Pangasius sutchi (Fowler, 1937) fingerlings fed with Tinospora cordifolia leaf extract supplemented diet
The present study documents the possible effects of Tinospora cordifolia leaf extract supplemented diets on growth, survival and haemato-biochemical profiles of the catfish, Pangasius sutchi fingerlings. P. sutchi fingerlings were fed with formulated diets, supplemented with four different concentrations of T. cordifolia leaf extract (viz. 100, 200, 400 and 800 mg kg-1 of feed) for 45 days. Fingerlings fed with basal diet served as control. Various parameters of serum biochemical and haematology such as serum total protein content, albumin content, globulin content, albumin globulin ratio, glucose, erythrocytes count, leucocytes count were evaluated along with growth parameters. The results indicated that Specific Growth Rate (SGR), Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR), Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER), survival and Haemato-biochemical profiles such as total serum protein, albumin, globulin, albumin globulin ratio and serum glucose were high in the fingerlings fed with T. cordifolia leaf extract supplemented diets, irrespective of dosage, compared to control. Among the four concentrations of T. cordifolia leaf extract used, 400 mg/kg of feed group showed increased growth, survival and enhanced the health status of P. sutchi fingerlings. 2020, Egyptian Society for the Development of Fisheries and Human Health. All rights reserved. -
Attenuation properties of epoxy-Ta2O5 and epoxy-Ta2O5-Bi2O3 composites at ?-ray energies 59.54 and 662 keV
Epoxy resin filled with suitable high Z elements can be a potential shield for X-rays and ?-rays. In this work, we present the ?-ray attenuation properties of epoxy composites filled with (030 wt%) Tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5) and Ta2O5-Bi2O3, which were prepared by open mold cast technique. X-ray diffraction patterns showed crystalline peaks of Ta2O5 and bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) in the prepared epoxy-Ta2O5 and epoxy-Ta2O5-Bi2O3 composites. Homogeneity of the samples at higher filler wt% was revealed by SEM images. Mechanical characterization showed the enhanced mechanical strength of epoxy-Ta2O5-Bi2O3 composites compared to epoxy-Ta2O5. Higher storage modulus and glass transition temperature of the epoxy-Ta2O5-Bi2O3 composites showed enhanced stiffness and thermal stability when compared to neat and epoxy-Ta2O5. Decrease in the value of tan(?) at higher content of filler loadings indicated the good adhesion between filler and matrix. Mass attenuation coefficients of epoxy-Ta2O5 (30 wt%) composites at ?-ray energies 59.54 and 662 keV were found to be 0.876 cm2 g1 and 0.084 cm2 g1, while that of epoxy-Ta2O5-Bi2O3 (30 wt% Bi2O3) composite were 1.271 cm2 g1 and 0.088 cm2 g1, respectively. The epoxy-5% Ta2O5-30% Bi2O3 composites with higher ?/? value and tensile strength may be a potential ?-ray shield in various radiation environments. 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. -
Cutting across the Durand: Water dispute between Pakistan and Afghanistan on river Kabul
All nations firmly believe in the absolute sovereignty over the waters flow in their areas and that only riparian states have any legal right, apart from an agreement, to use the water from the shared river. To address some of their water concerns, the co-riparian states compete to have more quantity of waters. Significantly, no water agreement exists between upper riparian Afghanistan and lower riparian Pakistan, despite sharing nine big and small rivers. The simmering water dispute between them on the River Kabul is rarely noted mainly because it is overshadowed by their political tensions, differences, and the dispute over the Durand Line. Using an analytical framework, this article examines three aspects of the River Kabul water dispute: its context, identifying the challenges that hinder a formalized bilateral agreement from being implemented, and its future. 2020 Policy Studies Organization -
Orhan pamuks the white castle as a text on secular discourse
The impact of religious thought and practice on literature and culture was very evident till the latter part of the nineteenth century. But with the publication of Darwins Origin of Species, voices of dissent were heard from the scientific and literary world. Writers strongly felt that the objective of literature was not to be dogmatic, but to provide the necessary ingredients that would contribute to a healthy and secular society. The emergence of postmodernism saw religion once again taking center stage. This paper seeks to understand what secularism is, and the evolution in meaning this term has undergone over the ages. In this process, the theories and ideas of religious and political thinkers are examined to understand the essence of the term secularism. In an era when religious fundamentalism is on the rise and literature is censured on religious or cultural grounds, the paper analyzes Orhan Pamuks The White Castle and concludes with the contention that the text can definitely be a source of secular discourse (which indeed is the essence of religious texts) that nations can emulate, contrary to the idea of narrow secular nationalism currently being propagated by States. IUP Publications. All rights reserved. -
Impact of functional interdependency on employee satisfaction with performance appraisal in the real estate industry
Unbiased performance appraisal tends to bolster the performance of employees. The studies indicate several inadequacies with the current performance appraisal systems. Functional interdependence is one such factor that has been ignored. The study aims to find the factors that can improve the satisfaction with performance appraisal of employees whose deliverables are highly interdependent on other functions. Organizational justice, rater competence, inter-functional conflict, and cohesion are considered the mediating variables. To test the model, the data are collected through a survey using a questionnaire from the executives of Indian real estate companies who have undergone the appraisal process at least once. Firms with more than 500 employees are randomly selected for the list of members of the real estate developers' associations. The results show that functional interdependency has a negative impact on satisfaction with performance appraisal. Although conflict and cohesion are found to influence satisfaction with performance appraisal, they did not mediate the effect of functional interdependency on satisfaction with performance appraisal. However, the study found that rater competence and organizational justice have a mediating effect. The study provides practical implications to HR managers of real estate companies to train the raters and include the complexities of functional interdependencies in the appraisal system. A grievance mechanism should be created to address the employees' concerns, ultimately improving satisfaction with performance appraisal. Elangovan N., Sridhar Rajendran, 2020 -
Novel carbon nano-onions from paraffinum liquidum for rapid and efficient removal of industrial dye from wastewater
Carbon nano-onions (CNOs) are fascinating zero-dimensional carbon materials owning distinct multi-shell architecture. Their physicochemical properties are highly related to the parent material selected and the synthesis protocol involved. In the present work, we report for the first time novel CNO structures encompassing discrete carbon allotropes, namely, H18 carbon, Rh6 carbon, and n-diamond. These structures were cost-effectively synthesized in gram scale by facile flame pyrolysis of paraffinum liquidum, a highly refined mineral oil. The as-synthesized and chemically refashioned CNOs are quasi-spherical self-assembled mesopores, manifesting remarkable stability and hydrophilicity. The CNO structures exhibit excellent dye adsorption characteristics with high removal capacity of 1397.35mg/g and rapid adsorption kinetics with a minimal adsorbent dosage of 10mg/L, for a low concentration of 20mg/L methylene blue dye. The novel CNOs assure potential implementation in the remediation of low concentration and high volume of dye-contaminated wastewater. Graphical abstract [Figure not available: see fulltext.] 2020, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. -
A secure and light weight privacy preserving data aggregation algorithm for wireless sensor networks
WSN is a collection of sensors, which senses critical information related to military, opponent tracking, patient health details etc. These sensed critical and private data will be collected and aggregated by aggregators and forward it to the base station. Due to the involvement of sensitive data, there is a demand for secure transmission and privacy preserving data aggregation. In this paper, we propose a light weight, secure, multi party, privacy preserving data aggregation scheme, in which one or more sensors share their private data with aggregator securely without revealing the original content. The aggregators also perform the aggregation operation without knowing the original content. 2020 Alpha Publishers. -
CONSUMER BUYING PSYCHOLOGY AND BRAND PERCEPTION: INFLUENCE OF WORD OF MOUTH COMMUNICATION
Word-of-mouth Communication (WOM) has recently gained momentum in almost every operating industry in the world. WOM can be seen as a firms intentional influencing of consumer-to-consumer communications about the firms products. This studys primary objective was to determine whether there was any significant relationship between Word-of-mouth communication and Consumer buying behaviour specificity to the Indian cosmetics industry. The study was conducted with a sample size of 163 women, hailing mainly from South Indian cities, out of which Bangalore was predominant. The results of this study are to the Indian urban/metro population. The research eventually concluded a significant correlation between WOM and Consumer buying Behaviour, wherein consumer behaviour was measured in terms of Brand Perception, Search & Evaluation effort, and Risk Reduction. WOMs correlation with each of these aspects was positive and high, indicating a direct and strong relationship. 2020. All Rights Reserved. -
[18-C-6H3O+]: an in-situ generated macrocyclic complex and an efficient, novel catalyst for synthesis of pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazole derivatives
Synthesis of small aromatic heterocycles is of greater importance in the organic chemistry due to their vibrant applications in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and veterinary products. Pyranopyrazoles are one such class of heterocycles associated with numerous applications. Hence herein we report a multicomponent crown ether catalyzed, ultrasound irradiated methodology to make different functionalized pyranopyrazoles in a single step. This technique involves the in-situ generation of [18-C-6H3O+][OH?] complex, which in turn activates the aromatic aldehyde and aids in the facile nucleophilic addition. 2020, The Author(s). -
Modeling and computational fluid dynamic analysis on a non-AC bus coach system
The main objective of this paper is to reduce the drag force and enhance the uniform airflow inside an existing non-air-conditioning bus coach system. The redesigning of an existing bus carried out by considering the forces that reduce the moment of the bus. Modeling and meshing was carried out using solid works and Hypermesh software, respectively. Finally, the problem is simulated using Ansys fluent software and analysis is carried out for different bus models. The noteworthy findings state that the air resistance of the vehicle is found to be 812.74 N and coefficient of drag is 0.67 are less as compared to existing bus model. 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC -
Quasar catalogue for the astrometric calibration of the forthcoming ILMT survey
Quasars are ideal targets to use for astrometric calibration of large scale astronomical surveys as they have negligible proper motion and parallax.The forthcoming 4-m International Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT) will survey the sky that covers a width of about 27?. To carry out astrometric calibration of the ILMT observations, we aimed to compile a list of quasars with accurate equatorial coordinates and falling in the ILMT stripe. Towards this, we cross-correlated all the quasars that are known till the present date with the sources in the Gaia-DR2 catalogue, as the Gaia-DR2 sources have position uncertainties as small as a few milli arcsec (mas). We present here the results of this cross-correlation which is a catalogue of 6738 quasars that is suitable for astrometric calibration of the ILMT fields. In this work, we present this quasar catalogue. This catalogue of quasars can also be used to study quasar variability over diverse time scales when the ILMT starts its observations. While preparing this catalogue, we also confirmed that quasars in the ILMT stripe have proper motion and parallax lesser than 20 masyr- 1 and 10 mas, respectively. 2020, Indian Academy of Sciences. -
Restrained geodetic domination in graphs
Let G = (V,E) be a graph with edge set E and vertex set V. For a connected graph G, a vertex set S of G is said to be a geodetic set if every vertex in G lies in a shortest path between any pair of vertices in S. If the geodetic set S is dominating, then S is geodetic dominating set. A vertex set S of G is said to be a restrained geodetic dominating set if S is geodetic, dominating and the subgraph induced by V - S has no isolated vertex. The minimum cardinality of such set is called restrained geodetic domination (rgd) number. In this paper, rgd number of certain classes of graphs and 2-self-centered graphs was discussed. The restrained geodetic domination is discussed in graph operations such as Cartesian product and join of graphs. Restrained geodetic domination in corona product between a general connected graph and some classes of graphs is also discussed in this paper. 2020 World Scientific Publishing Company.