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Nondestructive and cost-effective silkworm, Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) cocoon sex classification using machine learning
Sericulture is the process of cultivating silkworm cocoons for the production of silks. The quality silk production requires quality seed production which in turn requires accurate classification of male and female pupa in grainage centers. The challenges in the current methods of silkworm cocoon sex classification using manual observation lie in the time-consuming nature of the process, potential human error, and difficulties in accurately discerning subtle morphological differences between male and female cocoons. FC1 and FC2 single hybrid variety breed pupa are commonly used in south India for the production of high yielding double hybrid bivoltine silkworm seeds. In this study, 1579 FC1 and 1669 FC2 variety samples were used for the classification process. To overcome the challenges of present physical observation by expert employees, camera images of FC1 and FC2 cocoons were used in this study for sex classification. The proposed model used Histogram Oriented Gradient (HOG) feature descriptor of cocoon samples. Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) was applied on the feature vector to reduce the dimension and this feature matrix was given to the classical machine learning algorithms support vector machine (SVM), k-nearest neighbors (kNN), and gaussian nae bayes for classification with stratified 10-fold cross validation. The results showed that for FC1 data HOG + LDA + Nae Bayes performed better with a mean accuracy of 95.3% and for FC2 data HOG + LDA + KNN attained a mean accuracy of 96.2%. Our results suggest that this camera imaging method can be used efficiently in the classification based on the cocoon size and shape of different breeds. African Association of Insect Scientists 2024. -
Non-destructive silkworm pupa gender classification with X-ray images using ensemble learning
Sericulture is the process of cultivating silkworms for the production of silk. High-quality production of silk without mixing with low quality is a great challenge faced in the silk production centers. One of the possibilities to overcome this issue is by separating male and female cocoons before extracting silk fibers from the cocoons as male cocoon silk fibers are finer than females. This study proposes a method for the classification of male and female cocoons with the help of X-ray images without destructing the cocoon. The study used popular single hybrid varieties FC1 and FC2 mulberry silkworm cocoons. The shape features of the pupa are considered for the classification process and were obtained without cutting the cocoon. A novel point interpolation method is used for the computation of the width and height of the cocoon. Different dimensionality reduction methods are employed to enhance the performance of the model. The preprocessed features are fed to the powerful ensemble learning method AdaBoost and used logistic regression as the base learner. This model attained a mean accuracy of 96.3% for FC1 and FC2 in cross-validation and 95.3% in FC1 and 95.1% in FC2 for external validation. 2022 The Authors -
Comparative Analysis of Non-Destructive Silkworm Cocoon Sex Classification using Machine Learning Models Based on X-Ray and Camera Images
Silk production plays a vital role in global economies, with sericulture heavily dependent on efficient seed production processes. Traditional methods involve manually cutting cocoons to classify silkworm sex, which leads to silk damage, labor intensiveness, and potential inaccuracies. In response, non-destructive technologies like X-ray and camera imaging have emerged, enabling sex classification without cocoon damage, thereby enhancing efficiency and reducing manual errors. This study undertakes a comparative analysis of X-ray and camera imaging methods for silkworm sex classification. X-ray imaging demonstrates superior efficiency in extracting detailed features from silkworm pupae, crucial for accurate classification. In contrast, camera imaging excels in the rapid and cost-effective classification of silkworms based on extracted features. The results reveal significant findings: using X-ray imaging model achieves 97.1% accuracy for FC1 and 96.3% accuracy for FC2, employing ensemble learning technique like AdaBoost. Meanwhile, camera imaging achieves an accuracy above 98% for both FC1 and FC2 using XGBoost, showcasing its effectiveness in real-time classification scenarios. Computational time analysis indicates that X-ray imaging is faster in feature extraction, while camera imaging consumes less memory during classification. These findings underscore the practical advantages of non-destructive imaging technologies and machine learning in revolutionizing sericulture practices. By enhancing productivity and sustainability through accurate sex classification of silkworms, these methods contribute significantly to the growth and efficiency of the silk industry. 2024 IEEE. -
Effect of MWCNT concentration on microstructures, mechanical properties and sintering behaviour of spark plasma sintered AA2219-MWCNT composites
Uniform dispersion of nano tubes without any structural damage is still a challenge in processing of metal matrix nano composites. Effective dispersion of MWCNT (0, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 2 wt. %) in AA 2219 alloy powder has achieved with a combined effect of premixing process and ball milling. An effort is done using spark plasma sintering (SPS) to consolidate the composites and to investigate the effect of MWCNT concentrations on enhancement of the properties of the composites. Particle boundary clustering was observed on consolidated composites even after a uniform distribution is achieved in alloy powder. Significant improvement in mechanical property is observed by reinforcing with MWCNT. Preferable level of MWCNT for bulk sampling was selected as 0.75 wt. % and 1 wt.%. Addition beyond the limit will cause agglomeration and will act like a lubricant during ball milling. 2019 Elsevier Ltd. -
Review of recent progress in the development and properties of aluminum metal matrix composites reinforced with multiwalled carbon nanotube by powder metallurgy route
Aluminum and its alloys are finding increasing applications in every sphere of industry with various reinforcements. New reinforcements like graphene and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are in focus on account of its contribution in mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties. Achieving uniform distribution and selecting the right manufacturing process still remain a challenge. Hence, this review takes into account the contributions by many researchers and attempts to consolidate the findings that may close the gap and identify the scope for future research. In spite of the advantages of aluminum, it requires improvement in strength, wear resistance, heat resistance, conductivity, and thermal expansion. Among the available reinforcements, CNT stands out because of its unique features of thermal conductivity, expansion, and strength. The effect of multiwalled CNT reinforcement in metal on precipitation hardening is also discussed. Copyright 2019 by ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959 -
Self lubricating property of MWCNT in AA2219 composites during high energy ball milling
Revolutions in nanotechnology enabled the development of advanced nanocomposites with superior properties for engineering applications especially in automotive and aerospace industries. Among this carbonaceous nano materials like MWCNT have got more attention. Addition of MWCNT in metal matrix results in retardation of friction coefficient and improvement on other mechanical properties based on its dispersion. MWCNT won't have sufficient space to occupy over the powder surface, when the addition is beyond a limit and acts as a solid lubricant during milling. Investigations on self lubricating property during milling were done by using scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction and powder density. Uniform dispersion was the bottleneck to utilize their attractive properties of the reinforcement. An attempt had been done for a uniform dispersion during premixing process using a combination of ultra-sonication, magnetic and mechanical stirring followed by high energy ball milling. 2019 Elsevier Ltd. -
Image Recognition, Recusion Cellular Classification Using Different Techniques and Detecticting Microscopic Deformities
Deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have turn out to be one of the most advanced approaches trendy distinguishing snapshots in extraordinary fields. White blood cell classification is crucial for diagnosing anaemia, leukaemia, and a variety of other hematologic illnesses. Transfer learning with CNNs is frequently used in biological image categorization. Traditional methods for WBC classification is costly is terms of time and money. In the paper three convolutional neural network architectures are proposed which is based on transfer learning for microscopic image classification and compare the performance of models. The paper compares Transfer learning models like VGG-16, VGG-19, VGG-19 SVM hybrid and AlexNet. VGG-16 gives the best classification performance in comparison. VGG-16 model is which has a train accuracy of 0.9538 and train loss of 0.1322. 2022 IEEE. -
Polyoxometalates and redox-active molecular clusters for supercapacitors
Hybrid electric vehicles and portable electronic devices become inevitable part of our daily life and it is necessary to develop efficient energy storage devices to supply them power. Supercapacitors (SCs) are electrochemical energy storage devices with high power densities. The electrochemical performances of a SC depend mainly on the electrode-active material used in it. An efficient electrode-active material should have qualities such as large surface area, porous structure, uniform pore distribution, good chemical and electrochemical stabilities, and good mechanical strength, to name a few. Mesoporous electrode architecture is highly preferred to obtain maximum electrolyte-ion accessibility that can boost the electrochemical performance of the SC electrode. The various electrode-active materials developed to date are transition metal oxides, electronically conducting polymers, carbon nanomaterials, etc. Polyoxometalates (POMs) are comparatively novel electrode candidates that possess excellent structural stability during the reversible redox reactions. A unique characteristic such as higher oxidation state possessed by POMs makes them an ideal platform to accept and release electrons during the electrochemical charge storage. POMs are considered to be a polyatomic anion, which hold early transition metals like Mo, V, W, etc., and are linked to an oxygen atom in a three-dimensional cluster. The cluster formation of POMs enables higher stability and easy to prepare composites with other materials such as carbon nanomaterial, electronically conducting polymers, etc. The preparation of hybrid electrode architectures by anchoring of POMs helps in producing a large number of electroactive sites for the enhanced electrochemical reactions to occur. This chapter explains the salient features and functionalities of POMs and redox-active molecular clusters that affect the SC performance. 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. -
Translation of supercapacitor technology from laboratory scale to commercialization
This overview chapter discusses the critical process of transforming supercapacitor technology from the laboratory scale to successful commercialization. Supercapacitors possess remarkable energy storage capacity and fast discharge cycles, making them highly promising for diverse applications, including electric vehicles and renewable energy systems. However, transitioning from small-scale prototyping to mass production presents significant challenges, such as scalability, cost-effectiveness, and maintaining consistent performance. The primary objective of this study is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the main obstacles in the commercialization process and propose strategies and solutions to expedite the market introduction of supercapacitors. By identifying and addressing these hurdles, this research aims to facilitate the rapid and efficient transition of supercapacitor technology into commercial applications. To achieve this goal, the present chapter examines several aspects, including increasing production output, optimizing manufacturing processes, and reducing costs while upholding performance standards. Additionally, this chapter explores methods to ensure the scalability and reliability of supercapacitors, enabling seamless integration into existing energy storage systems. By bridging the gap between laboratory innovation and large-scale production, this study seeks to make a significant contribution to the realization of efficient and sustainable energy storage technologies across various industries. The successful commercialization of supercapacitors holds the potential to revolutionize the field of energy storage and provide viable solutions to global challenges, such as climate change and the transition to cleaner and more sustainable energy sources. In summary, this chapter addresses the challenges involved in transitioning supercapacitor technology from the laboratory scale to commercialization. 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. -
Suitability of natural rubber latex and waste foundry sand in cement concrete
Suitability of Natural Rubber Latex (NRL) as an additive and Waste Foundry Sand (WFS) as partial replacement to river sand, in cement concrete was investigated. Experimental study was performed with concrete mixtures containing 1% latex to water ratio, along with 5% and 10% replacement of river sand by WFS. Properties of concrete were studied in both fresh and hardened state. The results of laboratory tests indicate that WFS and NRL reduces the workability of concrete. Slight reduction in splitting tensile strength was observed for mixtures containing NRL and WFS, in comparison to conventional mix. No specific trend was observed for flexural strength at 7 days, but at 28 days the difference was within 3%, when compared to conventional mix. Strength development for mixtures containing NRL and WFS was slightly lower than conventional mix. The limited results of this study show that concrete containing NRL and WFS do have potential for use as non-structural concrete. -
Epigenetic Mechanisms Induced by Mycobacterium tuberculosis to Promote Its Survival in the Host
Tuberculosis caused by the obligate intracellular pathogen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is one among the prime causes of death worldwide. An urgent remedy against tuberculosis is of paramount importance in the current scenario. However, the complex nature of this appalling disease contributes to the limitations of existing medications. The quest for better treatment approaches is driving the research in the field of host epigenomics forward in context with tuberculosis. The interplay between various host epigenetic factors and the pathogen is under investigation. A comprehensive understanding of how Mycobacterium tuberculosis orchestrates such epigenetic factors and favors its survival within the host is in increasing demand. The modifications beneficial to the pathogen are reversible and possess the potential to be better targets for various therapeutic approaches. The mechanisms, including histone modifications, DNA methylation, and miRNA modification, are being explored for their impact on pathogenesis. In this article, we are deciphering the role of mycobacterial epigenetic regulators on various strategies like cytokine expression, macrophage polarization, autophagy, and apoptosis, along with a glimpse of the potential of host-directed therapies. 2024 by the authors. -
Young adults default intention: influence of behavioral factors in determining housing and real estate loan repayment in India
Purpose: The primary purpose of this paper is to determine the role of behavioral characteristics of young adults on housing and real estate loan default intentions. The behavioral factors considered in this study are financial literacy, materialism, emotions, indebtedness and risk perception. Design/methodology/approach: The sample frame comprises of young clients who have taken house loans and work in Indias metropolitan cities. These cities provide a higher quality of life, more employment possibilities and cheaper living costs. A systematic questionnaire was used, which was divided into six components. A total of 352 valid responses were collected and analyzed through a structural equation model. Findings: The findings suggest that financial literacy, materialism and risk perception have a considerable impact on loan default intention among young adults. The results also ascertained that emotion and indebtedness do not have a considerable impact on loan default intention among young adults. Research limitations/implications: The scope of this study is limited to Indias metropolitan cities. Future studies can examine comparative examinations of young adults working in the public and private sectors and those working in different cities across India. Practical implications: This paper contributes to a better understanding of behavioral variables which may lead to the creation of preventive measures for young defaulters. The findings of this study will help financial institutions to improve their credit-offering models. Originality/value: To the best of the authors knowledge, this study is the first to determine the role of behavioral attributes of young adults on housing and real estate loan default intentions in India. This work will be executable to all the stakeholders of the housing and real estate industry altogether. 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited. -
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Impact of Life Skills Education on Self-Esteem among Adolescents in Childrens Home
The aim of the current study was to assess the impact of life skills education on self-esteem among adolescents in Childrens Home. The design was experimental and used a pre-test/ post-test design with a control group. Sixty adolescents (30 males and 30 females) from Childrens Home comprised the experimental group (N=30) and control group (N= 30) who were selected from Childrens Homes in Kannur district, Kerala. A life skills education programme was prepared and included sessions towards improving self-esteem among adolescents in the age group 13-15 years. The Rosenbergs Self-Esteem Scale (1965) was administered before and after the life skills education programme to the adolescents. The results indicate that there was a significant difference between the experimental and control group in their self-esteem after life skills education programme including gender differences. The implication of the study reiterates that the inclusion of life skills as part of the curriculum for adolescents residing in Childrens Home plays a role in enhancing self- esteem. Key Words: Self-Esteem, Adolescent, Childrens Home, Life Skills Education -
Unraveling the Intangibles: Influence of AI and Employee Valuation on Corporate Sustainability
This study investigates the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and human capital on a firm's sustainability based on the selected thirty companies in the Indian Information Technology (IT) Sector. It also involves an insight into the usage of AI tools for the same. This study takes three independent variables, namelySalaries and wages (SW), Provident Fund (PF), and Gratuity and superannuation (GS), which are dependent on the Return On Capital Employed (ROCE). Furthermore, the study evaluates these variables through multiple regression analysis to establish the link between them and determine how human capital affects a firm's profitability. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025. -
Brand Love for Sports Apparels Among Indians: A Triangular Theory of Love Perspective
This study aims to evaluate the concept of brand love among the Indians in sports apparel industry. Drawing on Sternbergs (1986) triangular theory of love, we propose a three-dimensional brand love model. We further discuss the interrelationship between these variables and provide a theoretical model for explaining the concept using sports apparels. Then, this theoretical model is tested using empirical research undertaken among 327 respondents. These exploratory results indicated that the concept of brand love in India is similar to that of interpersonal love, contradicting the earlier finding in the field of brand love. These contradicting findings were attributed to the cultural differences between Eastern and Western cultures, especially in the field of extended self (Markus & Kitayama, 1991). These findings create the possibility for future research into brand love via the triangular theory of love to understand how the changes in the perceptions of self influence the brand love. 2022 Management Development Institute. -
The Effect of Celebrity Trustworthiness on Endorsement Effectiveness: A Comparison of Congruence and Hybrid Model
The research evaluates the effect of celebrity trustworthiness in creating effective endorsements. The previous research in the field has suggested two competing theories in explaining the influence of celebrity trustworthiness on endorsement effectiveness. This study tries to incorporate this theory for developing a comprehensive model for explaining the effectiveness of celebrity trustworthiness. The article opted cross-validation methodology for evaluating the models. The study selected two advertisements based on a pretest conducted in MG University. The highly recalled female celebrity advertisement formed calibration stage and highly recalled male celebrity advertisement formed validation stage. The calibration stage of the study had 386 respondents and validation stage had 378 respondents. Path analysis, chi-square analysis for model difference and critical ratio analysis for the model difference were employed in the study. The findings of the study suggest that the hybrid model brought statistically significant improvements to the congruence model. The study also found that the trustworthiness was the second highest influencer in case of male celebrity whereas in case of female celebrity, attitude towards brand was second highest influencer. Further the chi-square analysis of group difference showed no significant difference in model among male and female celebrity confirming the robustness of the model. 2019 Management Development Institute. -
Usefulness of Augmented Reality on Product Selection: An Experimental Study
Augmented Reality (AR) has brought a revolution in the business world. Most literature in augmented reality is concentrated on the acceptance, responses, and user-friendliness of AR applications. However, it fails to evaluate the ability of AR applications to aid the customer in product selection. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to fill this gap in the literature by conducting an experimental study to evaluate the furniture selection enabled by AR application. The respondents for the study were grouped into two (experimental and control groups) and were asked to design a room. The respondents in the experimental group were asked to design a room by providing an AR application, and the control group was asked to design a room without an AR application. These designs were evaluated by 15 professionals on five parameters- harmony, volume, design, colour scheme and positioning. The ratings given by these professionals were analysed using a t-test. From the analysis, it was concluded that according to the interior designers' opinion, the AR application proves to be helpful to the customers in creating better room designs. These findings indicate that AR application increases customer ability to select appropriate furniture for designing their homes. Based on these findings, it can be suggested that the AR applications can be used in the furniture selection process for a better choice of furniture. 2022 SCMS Group of Educational Institutions. All rights reserved. -
Effect of Ethnocentrism and Attitude Towards Foreign Brands in Purchase Decision
Ethnocentrism refers to the intense preference for domestic products or a moral obligation to buy domestic products. With an extraordinary amount and variety of foreign goods and services now being made available to the Indian market, the level of competition faced by domestic companies has tremendously increased. This forms the need for domestic marketers to understand how the ethnocentrism and attitude of consumers towards foreign brands influence their purchase decision. In order to appeal to the Indian market better, many companies have started using patriotic advertising to evoke patriotic and nationalistic emotions among consumers. One such industry that utilizes such patriotic strategies is the automobile industry. The main objective of the study is to understand the effect that ethnocentrism and attitude towards foreign brands have on consumers purchase of automobiles. To measure the same, a survey consisting of a self-administered questionnaire with a sample size of 108 was conducted. For data analysis purpose, exploratory factor analysis, CART technique and regression analysis have been used in the study. CART technique has been used to develop a model keeping ethnocentrism and attitude as the base. The results of the study show that attitude has turned out to be dominant over ethnocentrism and has a significant role to play in persuading consumers to buy cars of an Indian or a foreign brand. The findings also show that ethnocentrism influences attitude which in turn influences purchase decision. The implications of the study suggest that domestic marketers should imply patriotic advertising in their marketing initiatives and also recommend them to highlight the Made in India tag. The study also suggests foreign marketers operating in the Indian market to focus less on the country-of-origin and focus more on the technicalities of the product because attitude towards foreign brands is a major contributor towards the purchase decision. 2020 Management Development Institute. -
Towards a culturally-informed counselling and psychotherapy
Indigenizing health psychological practices in the background of cultural diversity in India needs to address the tremendous resources of healing practices embedded in the Indian traditions. Looking for cultural imprints in mental health has received attention among academicians and researchers in the last two decades significantly. Teaching, training and practice of counseling and psychotherapy has also greatly been benefitted and progressed eventually. Several academic and research initiatives have been taken to build a culturally informed counseling and psychotherapy in India. There is need to internalize cultural differences and incorporating them consciously in the training and practice of therapy. A cultural sensitive approach in counseling and psychotherapy is mindful of the observance of a community-oriented perspective. Springer (India) Pvt. Ltd., part of Springer Nature 2018.