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Weakly Non-linear Stability Analysis of Triple-Diffusive Convection in a Bi-viscous Bingham Fluid Layer with Cross-Diffusion Effects
The paper investigates the impact of cross-diffusion on triple-diffusive convection in a bi-viscous Bingham fluid layer. Non-linear stability analysis is performed, and the expression of the critical-Rayleigh-number is obtained, resulting in an analytical solution of the Ginzburg-Landau model (GLM). The coefficients in the GLM involve the scaled Rayleigh-number, the solutal Rayleigh-numbers, the solutal diffusivity rates, the bi-viscous Bingham fluid parameter, and the cross-diffusion parameters. The solutal Rayleigh-numbers, the solutal diffusivity rates, and the bi-viscous Bingham fluid parameter alone determine the critical-Rayleigh-number, which provides the condition for the stationary onset. The neutral curves for the stationary mode are examined. It is found that the solutal diffusivities and bi-viscous Bingham fluid parameter advance the onset of convection, whereas the solutal Rayleigh-numbers delay it. The Nusselt number, Nu, and the Sherwood numbers, Sh1 and Sh2, determine the heat- and mass-transfer rates obtained for the convection system. We see that Nu, Sh1 and Sh2 increase with an increase in the values of the bi-viscous Bingham fluid parameter. Also, we observe that increase in the Prandtl number effect increases them, and the same is true of the solutal Rayleigh-numbers, whereas the opposite impact on Nu, Sh1 and Sh2 is seen for solutal diffusivities, Soret and cross-diffusion parameters. In general, we observe that mass-transfer is more than the heat-transfer (Sh1>Sh2>Nu) depending on the value of diffusivities. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature India Private Limited 2024. -
We wear multiple hats: Exploratory study of role of special education teachers of public schools in India
The role of special education teachers (SETs) is multifaceted. A gap was recognised in the literature in the lack of studies on the roles and responsibilities of SETs in India and the field realities of carrying out the role. The aim was to explore to what extent the special education teachers fulfil their roles and responsibilities. The following is an exploratory study, using open-ended questions that interviewed 12 SETs from five public schools in Delhi, India. The policy documents shared that the SETs were responsible for direct instruction to special needs students, parentteacher collaboration and documentation, including IEPs for students with special needs. But in practice, there were not any clear-cut boundaries, the SETs played multiple rolesSubject teacher, taking substitution periods, para teachers, these were keeping the SETs away from their core responsibilities. The results of the study demonstrated an undervaluation of the work of SETs and lack of support from the principal and regular teachers. The results concluded with recommendations for policy proposal with regards to defining the role of all stakeholders in an inclusive education school and improvements for the teacher education program. 2024 National Association for Special Educational Needs. -
We are Treated as Outsiders in Our Own City: Lived Experiences of Intersectional Stigma Against Sex Workers in Kolkata, India
Introduction: Sex workers in India experience intersectional stigma related to their gender identity, sexuality, and profession. The objective of the present study is to analyze the lived experiences of intersectional stigma against sex workers in Kolkata. Methods: We interviewed 30 cisgender female sex workers in March 2023 in Kolkata, India. Interviews were digitally audio recorded, translated from Bengali into English, and transcribed and coded using thematic analysis. Results: We identified five main themes regarding intersectional stigma: (1) internalized stigma regarding the shame associated with being a female sex worker, (2) perceived stigma of sex work as a dirty profession, associated with lower caste status, (3) enacted stigma against sex workers who are mothers, (4) enacted stigma against the children of sex workers, and (5) reduction of stigma through unionization/labor organizing. Conclusions: Intersectional stigma against sex workersis impacted by negative attitudes regarding gender, caste status, single motherhood, and occupation. We identified internalized stigma as a source of shame for sex workers. Sex workers also were perceived to beengaged in afilthy profession, associated with lower caste status. Those sex workers who were mothers experienced discrimination, as did their children. Respondents reported how collectivization has helped to address these experiences of stigma anddiscrimination. Policy Implications: Addressing the intersectional stigma against sex workers in Kolkata necessitates a shift in social attitudes.Findings underscore the urgent need for stigma reduction interventions and socialpolicies, including (1) labor protections for sex workers, (2) individual/community-level interventions for sex workers, and (3) media campaigns to address stigma reduction. By understanding the lived experiences of sex workers, we may develop better interventions to reduce stigma in the lives of sex workers in Kolkata and throughout India. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2024. -
Wavelet packet transform based fusion of misaligned images
This paper proposes an image fusion method based on wavelet packet transform (WPT) for images with misaligned region of interest, which finds wide application in target recognition and feature extraction. The region of interest of the images are first aligned and then fused in the transform domain. The various no-reference parameters such as standard deviation (SD), spatial frequency (SF) are measured for the fused image. The result obtained from this method is compared with the other methods such as image fusion using discrete wavelet transform (DWT), stationary wavelet transform and guided filtering. It is evident from the simulation results that the two parameters are high for the fused image using wavelet packet transform. 2016 IEEE. -
Waveform Analysis and Feature Extraction from Speech Data of Dysarthric Persons
Speech recognition systems provide a natural way of interacting with computers and serve as an alternative to the more popular but less intuitive peripherals (input / output devices). Tools employing the techniques of Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) can be extended to serve people with speech disabilities so that they can overcome the difficulties faced in their interaction with general public. An attempt is made here to achieve this goal by mapping the distorted speech signals of people with severe levels of dysarthria to that of a normal speech and/or less severe dysarthric speech. The analysis is carried out by comparing the speech waveforms of the people with and without communication disorders and then extracting the features from the audio files. The differences in time, duration, frequency and PSD are used to facilitate the mapping of unintelligible speech data to intelligible ones. When reasonable accuracy levels are achieved in this mapping, the normal voice can be used as the substitute / surrogate of the original distorted voice. 2019 IEEE. -
Wave Height Forecasting over Ocean of Things Based on Machine Learning Techniques: An Application for Ocean Renewable Energy Generation
With the evolution and integration of information and communication technologies, the marine environment is being converted into a smart ocean of things. The only way to monitor the marine environment is to access marine information through satellites, radar, etc. Recently, many researchers have focused their interest on generating power from renewable energy. Among all the available renewable resources, ocean waves are attracting the interest of researchers for power generation. Therefore, this article focuses on designing a data-driven forecasting model for marine renewable energy generation applications. This article applies a novel Gini-impurity-index-based bidirectional long short-term memory model for selecting the best ocean/marine environmental factors to forecast wave height and ultimately predict power generation using the numerical model. This article presents short- and long-term forecasting results. In the experiment, four stations each are taken for both short- and long-term forecasting. The average root-mean-square error was approximately 0.17 for long-term forecasting and approximately 0.05 for short-term forecasting. 1976-2012 IEEE. -
Water Purification Using Subnanostructured Photocatalysts
Visible light is an abundant resource, and photocatalysts absorb this light and use it to energize chemical reactions. Of the many types of reactions that are catalyzed by photocatalysts, wastewater purification is an important area. Photocatalysis is an economical, eco-friendly, and sustainable method of purifying water, a precious resource for which need is increasing while availability is shrinking. Of the several types of photocatalytic materials available, atomically dispersed metals and metal oxides appear to be the most promising. In conventional materials, the efficiency of utilization of active photocatalytic material is rather poor because only a small fraction of those present on the surface can serve as active materials. As the particle size decreases, this efficiency increases. In this respect, subnanometric catalysts such as single-site heterogeneous catalysts, atomically dispersed catalysts, and single-atom catalysts have distinct advantages when compared with their bulk and nanometric counterparts. The challenges in preparing stable single-atom catalysts have largely been overcome, and several methods are now available for their preparation. Many atomically dispersed photocatalytic materials have been synthesized, and many new insights have been gained, unlocking the tremendous potential in purifying wastewater by utilizing solar radiation. The aspects of higher activity, improved selectivity, economical use of materials, and a better understanding of the structure-activity relationship offered by subnanometric photocatalysts have been explored in this chapter. 2020 American Chemical Society. -
Water is life and death: Symbolic representation in all customs and rituals in India
For the Koch, Koch Rajbongshi, and Rajbanshi people of India, water is central to their culture. They share river music and ancestry. They lost their language in 1931 and split into three or more clans due to flood relocation. They also introduced food, the river, the sun, the moon, the bamboo tree, and cactus plant worship to the highlands. The parent group was identified as tribal in the 1931 census. Still, the Indian government could not grant Koch, Koch Rajbongshi, and Rajbanshi scheduled tribe status for Assam and conserve their culture, traditions, and language. Indian scientists are trying to solve Assam's centuries-old flood issues, which are worsening. The new Indian water framework must treat water access and value of water resources as essentially good and human rights issues. India must review its Assam flood failures and compensate locals. Assam needs political, social, economic, and administrative procedures to develop and manage water resources and offer services at different societal levels. 2023 Policy Studies Organization. -
Water dispute in Central Asia: Conflict potential
The Central Asian republics (CARs), which emerged as independent states in the post-Soviet phase, faced several challenges. During the Soviet era, the CARs were agriculturally oriented towards the Soviet economy and, accordingly, river water management was also centralized under the command economic model. However, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the CARs had to review the existing water management arrangements. This is where the absence of a Moscow-centric central authority has proven detrimental to the region endowed with two major rivers and their several subsidiaries. In this context, the paper suggests an emphasis on multilateralism, rather than bilateralism, as a more feasible approach to river water management. Clearly, multilateralism would promote a more equitable solution compared to bilateralism, which does not adopt a holistic approach to the region. Considering the fact that the region is characterized by a water crisis in addition to the fragility of the environment makes a multilateral arrangement significantly more appropriate for the region in the long term. 2019, CA and C Press AB. All rights reserved. -
Water Demand Prediction Using Support Vector Machine Regression
Water is a critical resource for sustainable economic and social development of a country. To maintain health hygiene, energy agricultural products, and the environment management water plays a key role. Water demand prediction is essential to analyze the requirement that indicate emergency state for water management decisions. This paper explores the water usage data for dairy plants to understand the spatial and temporal patterns for future water requirements, to optimize the water demand estimation. It uses concept of Machine learning algorithms to compare and achieve an effective and reliable system for water prediction. 2019 IEEE. -
Wastewater treatment using chitosan and its derivatives: A mini review on latest developments
Effluents and contaminants released from the industries are needed to be treated before releasing them to water bodies. Most common effluents from these industrial wastes are organic compounds, dyes and heavy metals. Heavy metals and their associated anions, as well as organic material, have been separated from wastewaters in industries using a variety of methods. Adsorption is an effective method for water treatment as they are less energy consuming and cost effective. Biopolymers such as chitosan, cellulose, keratin are used for the process of adsorption as they are present abundantly and recyclable. Chitosan is a deacetylated product of chitin. Chitosan and its derivatives are extremely essential due to their abundant availability, low cost, environmental friendliness, and biodegradability and can be widely applied in wastewater treatment.-NH2 and-OH groups are present in chitosan and provide chitosan an opportunity to make physical and chemical modifications. Modifications of chitosan into hydrogels and nanocomposites provide wider applications in wastewater treatment. 2022, Horticulture and Forestry Society from Transylvania. All rights reserved. -
Waste Management: Learning and Challenges from a Case Study of a University Model in India
Christ University (CU) has implemented an integral and sustainable waste-management system for better environmental impacts on its five campuses in India. The university has well established zero-waste campaigns. The waste-management model is introduced at CU campuses with multiple purposes: 1) for a cleaner environment on the campus, 2) to create an educational impact on students on waste management, 3) to initiate a movement towards a zero-waste society in India and 4) to employ people living around its campuses. The Christ University waste-management model is done through three different segments/wings: 1) solid waste management, 2) wet waste management and 3) wastewater management. The amount of waste recycled for each year is measured, and the processes are documented. The model is a replicable, sustainable and socially impactful model for managing waste on university campuses for more significant societal impacts. 2024 CRC Press. -
Waste Management for Waste Entrepreneurship: An Emerging Concept
Since the very beginning of civilization, waste has always been an incessant problem and their management remains burdensome till date, as the rate of waste generation is increasing with the increase in population, land use and development of economy. Waste is generally considered as an unavoidable trash/nuisance with zero value and concerns which can be overruled by the waste management system. It is a well-organized holistic expensive process that includes segregation at sources, on-time collection, transportation, reuse, recycle, reprocess and disposal of the leftover materials into the landfills, which usually receives inadequate attention as public get easily acclimatized to live along with the generated wastes. Managing waste in an environmentally favorable, culturally acceptable and techno-economically feasible manner is a need in recent times. Society is in a need to think of ways to minimize and utilize waste for other uses. Understanding waste management in terms of its challenges involves knowledge dissemination to the public, waste prevention, valorization, responsible material production and packaging, maximum recycling, conservation of resources, enhancement of sustainability and reduction of greenhouse gasses. Opportunities in waste management could be achieved by exercising circular economy practices which reinforce environmental, societal and economic benefits. Role of entrepreneurs in the waste management system encompasses a cluster of skilled as well as unskilled workers, as it is a labor-intensive system. Entrepreneurs may invest money as well as infuse novel skills and technologies to transform trash into treasures. The efficacy and significance of waste management will eventually increase with the active participation of entrepreneurs. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024. -
Waste elimination to porous carbonaceous materials for the application of electrochemical sensors: Recent developments
World is expected to face a big disaster from waste materials generated as a result of the ever-growing industrialization. Recent developments in the area of biomass-derived materials and valuable products has attracted many into its diverse applications. Biomass-derived porous carbonaceous materials are highly recommended for the development of electrochemical sensors due to their unique features like cost-effectiveness, distinctive structure, sustainability, and regenerative nature. The electrochemical and catalytic activity of the sensor differ based on their surface morphology specifically surface area, pore-volume, and pore size. Various techniques like activation, doping, and dispersion of metal nanoparticles are efficient in enhancing the performance of sensors. Some of the essential or seminal developments in the area of biomass-derived carbonaceous materials for detecting diverse target analytes like pharmaceutical drugs, metal ions, biomolecules, food additives, pollutants, and flavonoids are reviewed. 2020 Elsevier Ltd -
War Strategy Optimization for Optimal Integration of Public Fast Charging Stations in Radial Feeders
In light of rising pollution and global warming, there is need for raising the acceptance rate of electric vehicles (EVs) across the globe for sustainable and clean transportation. However, low-voltage electrical distribution networks (EDN) are necessary to provide the electrical power needed to charge the EV batteries. Due to their radial construction and high r/x ration branches; these networks typically suffer from significant energy losses, inadequate voltage profiles, and low stability margins. Therefore, the performance of EDNs shouldnt be further compromised by the incorporation of EV charging stations. In light of this, this work presents a unique heuristic war strategy optimization (WSO) for integrating fast charging stations (FCS) as efficiently as possible utilizing the voltage stability index (VSI). The effect of equivalent EV load penetration in EDS is initially evaluated in terms of loss, voltage profile, and voltage stability for a certain number of EVs. Simulations are executed for IEEE 15-bus system for three different scenarios. The technological advantages seen in the simulations illustrate the efficiency of the suggested technique for real-time adaptation. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2024. -
Wall jet nanofluid flow with thermal energy and radiation in the presence of power-law
The effectiveness of jet flow in the energy transfer process has made it very useful in industrial applications. These flows also have higher heat transfer coefficients than traditional cooling through convection. The appliances inclusive of the jet make effective use of fluid and enhance the heat transfer rate. The contemporary article investigates the jet flow of power-law nanofluid past a moving wall. The nanofluid is formed by suspending Cu and Al2O3 nanoparticles in water. Furthermore, the jet flow is analyzed in the presence of radiation, which is further assumed to be linear, and the application of Rosseland approximation is considered to be valid. Considering these aspects, the model is designed using partial differential equations (PDE), which are then converted to a system of non-linear ordinary differential equations (ODE) by implementing certain similarity transformations. Thus, the obtained system is solved using numerical methods, and the results are discussed with the help of graphs. The significant conclusions of the analysis were that the increase in the radiation parameter contributed to the increase in the temperature of the nanofluid. The increase in the Prandtl number reported a decrease in the amount of heat absorbed by the nanofluid. 2023 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. -
Walking an extra mile: Determinants of organizational citizenship behaviorAn exploratory study in faith-based organizations
Objective: Our study is intended to explore the factors that promote organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB) in faith-based organizations, which has the potential to extend the scholarly conversation around a previously unexplored context. Methods: Our study used a purposive, homogeneous sampling technique in selecting the participants. We interviewed 30 employees who have at least 5 years of experience in faith-based organizations. We conducted detailed interviews and subsequent analysis involved a rigorous six-step thematic analysis process to better understand the phenomena being studied. Results: Our study revealed the significance of OCB in faith-based organizations and further elucidated those factors that determine the display of OCBs. Our findings have the power to enhance the existing comprehension of OCBs in different environments, specifically those present in faith-based organizations. Our study broadens our conceptual understanding of OCB in faith-based organizations by adding one more dimension to the existing framework of P. MPodsakoff etal. (1990). Conclusion: Our findings have important implications for organizational scholars in faith-based organizations. Our new conceptual framework offers insights into the distinct characteristics of OCBs in faith-based organizations and suggests directions for future scholars to engage with OCBs from different contexts. 2024 by the Southwestern Social Science Association. -
Wage Rate: Is this Return to Education or Return to Physical Capability? Evidence from Rural India
This paper estimates the wage function for daily labor market participants inSemi-Arid Tropics of rural India within a traditional agrarian framework. Village level data on 18 villages for 20092010 and 20122013 have been used for this study. Three-years balanced panel estimation has also been conducted to test the time invariance of the findings from the cross-sectional study. A modified Mincerian earning equation is estimated for different types of workersregressing upon a set of human capital measures, socioeconomic factors and, demand influences after correcting for potential sample selection bias. The study finds differential impacts of education and physical ability to determine wages for male and female workers. It reveals the greater importance of education in explaining wages of male laborers while for females, nutritional status playing a significant role than education in wage determination process. Among the other factors, drought worksas a major exogenous shock and hence impacts wages badly. Working in the non-farm sector has a significant impact on wages.Also, thewageparticipation relationship has found more operativein the lower section of the society. 2020, Indian Society of Labour Economics. -
Vulnerability of urban ecology of Bangalore: An examination of its contention with the politics of land administration
Through a critical examination of questions on the politics of land tenures, the study brings out two interpretations on the conflicts of land and water governance: (1), the concerted efforts and the physical processes of scaling the water terrain in parallel to the political missions of administering the land; and (2), how the scalar rearrangements of land at a local scale intersect with water, revealing the new structuration of land fragmentation and water. It demonstrates that the State has been instrumental in the process of the scalar deterioration of the urban wetlands in Bangalore since 1873. The comprehensive study of these political realignments of land and water, using the data from the Records of Rights obtained from the land revenue records of the Office of the Land Survey Settlement and Records Department under the Government of Karnataka, reveals the vulnerability of urban ecology as a corollary to land administration. Pieter Van den Broeck, Asiya Sadiq, Ide Hiergens, Monica Quintana Molina, Han Verschure and Frank Moulaert 2020. -
Volunteering-based student engagement: A model for student well-being in higher education institutions
Student well-being issues are rising alarmingly, and addressing these well-being concerns takes the predominant focus of higher education institutions, together with competency building. Understanding the importance of student engagement in student well-being, Christ University, Bengaluru, India, adopted a student engagement model based on volunteering. The current paper tries to understand the dynamics between volunteering and student well-being. It explores the relationship between volunteering and personal responsibility, social responsibility, meaning in life, and a helping attitude. It also tries to check whether the relationship between a helping attitude and student well-being is mediated by personal responsibility and social responsibility. Further, it explores whether volunteers and non-volunteers differ in their social responsibility, personal responsibility, and student well-being. A group of 350 students, of which 175 volunteers and 175 non-volunteers, were approached to participate in the study. Post data cleaning procedure, 327 data points qualified for analysis, and it was found that there exists a relationship between volunteering and personal responsibility, social responsibility and helping attitude, and personal responsibility and social responsibility mediated the relationship between helping attitude and student well-being. Results also revealed that volunteers and nonvolunteers differed in their helping attitude, personal responsibility, and student well-being. These findings point towards the fact that the student engagement model based on volunteering has a positive impact on student well-being. A detailed discussion of the application of these findings is provided in the full paper. 2024 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.