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Inclusive business approaches in tourism: Stakeholder engagement
The link between inclusivity and sustainability transcends economic considerations, extending into various dimensions such as gender equality, accessibility, cultural sensitivity, and community engagement. These dimensions underline that inclusivity is central to how tourism interacts with societies and ecosystems. This understanding prompts stakeholders to broaden their perspectives and integrate diverse viewpoints to create a more balanced and resilient industry. A central theme running through the chapters is the essential role of inclusivity in achieving a sustainable tourism sector. As the industry evolves, so do the expectations of travelers and communities. This heightened awareness and connectivity era demands that tourism entities proactively adapt strategies to foster inclusivity. Whether by creating accessible infrastructure, respecting local cultures, or integrating fairness into business models, inclusivity emerges as a foundation for lasting sustainability. The chapters compiled in this book offer a comprehensive exploration of inclusive tourism and sustainable development. In the context of the evolving global tourism landscape, these chapters illuminate various facets that shape the industry's present and future trajectories. These chapters reveal common themes and key insights, highlighting the importance of proactive measures, collaboration, and innovation to establish a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable tourism sector. A prominent revelation throughout these chapters is the interconnectedness of inclusivity and sustainability in tourism. It becomes increasingly evident that sustainable tourism cannot be achieved without an inclusive framework that embraces diverse communities, stakeholders, and perspectives. The chapters illustrate how sustainability efforts lacking inclusivity can lead to inequality and overlook crucial factors shaping destinations' social and environmental aspects. 2024 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. -
Challenges to state control of territory: Comparative analysis of Yemen, Afghanistan and Myanmar
States around the world have lost control over their territory to armed non-state actors, including states like Yemen, Afghanistan and Myanmar in the Asian region. This article aims to understand why these states are unable to exercise control over all of their territory. The study identifies and examines four major challenges faced by states in maintaining control over their territory lack of state legitimacy and effectiveness, strategic motives of armed non-state actors, socio-economic motives of armed non-state actors and external intervention. A comparative analysis of the cases of Yemen, Afghanistan and Myanmar illustrates the wide relevance of these challenges faced by the states with respect to territorial control. The Author(s) 2021. -
Heat transfer in the flow of blood-gold Carreau nanofluid induced by partial slip and buoyancy
Dynamics of blood containing gold nanoparticles on a syringe and other objects with a nonuniform thickness is of importance to experts in the industry. This study presents the significance of partial slip (i.e. combination of linear stretching and velocity gradient) and buoyancy on the boundary layer flow of blood-gold Carreau nanofluid over an upper horizontal surface of a paraboloid of revolution (uhspr). In this report, the viscosity of the Carreau fluid corresponding to an infinite shear-rate is assumed as zero, meanwhile, the viscosity corresponding to zero shear-rate, density, thermal conductivity, and heat capacity were assumed to vary with the volume fraction of nanoparticles. The governing equation that models the transport phenomenon were non-dimensionalized and parameterized using suitable similarity variables and solved numerically using classical RungeKutta method with shooting techniques and MATLAB bvp4c package for validation. The results show that temperature distribution across the flow decreases more significantly with buoyancy-related parameter when the influence of partial slip was maximized. Maximum velocity of the flow is ascertained at larger values of partial slip and buoyancy parameters. At smaller values of Deborah number and large values of volume fraction, maximum local skin friction coefficient, and local heat transfer rate are ascertained. 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. -
Micro Borrowing an Amalgam of Structure and Strategy: Evidence from India
Micro borrowing was either an outcome of structure in the credit environment (termed the outreach stream), or a strategic response of the borrowers (termed the sustainability stream). Furthermore, borrower personal effects drove borrowing behaviour. This study draws variables from both the streams of literature and tests them against the amount borrowed and purposes loans are borrowed for. Results show how borrowing behaviour is neither an outcome of pure structure nor pure strategy, but rather, is an interplay of both, and further influenced by personal effects. The survey data (consisting of 839 rural borrower responses, from four districts of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh in South India) was subjected to a rigorous statistical analysis. Results show how a larger number of banks in the villages (a structural constraint), enabled the borrowers to receive larger loans, who defaulted more (a strategic response). Men borrowed larger sums (a personal effect). A similar amalgam of structure, strategy and personal effects drive borrowing behaviour even after controlling for loan purpose and district fixed effects. Yet, when district effects are introduced, amount borrowed is agnostic to personal effects, and is driven purely by structure and strategy. JEL Classifications: C25, C83, G51, Z13 The Author(s) 2022 -
Value Ingredients Private Limited: engaging farmers for achieving triple bottom line
Learning outcomes: After completion of this case study, students will be able to apply the triple bottom line concept to a spice manufacturing and export company (RBT 3); to examine the options before Value Ingredients Private Limited (VIPL), namely, to cultivate spices in the traditional way versus adopting integrated pest management (IPM) to cater to international markets (RBT 4); to analyse the returns for an IPM farmer vis-vis a conventional farmer, and to compare the returns therein (RBT 4); and to evaluate the ways and means of engaging farmers to change their way of cultivation (RBT 5) Case overview/synopsis: The COVID-19 pandemic heightened awareness about the benefits of spices and buoyed its demand worldwide, which presented an opportunity to VIPL, a spice manufacturing company based in Chennai, to expand its business. However, the export markets demanded residue-free spices grown with little or no use of pesticides. Traditional farmers supplying spices to VIPL were accustomed to spraying pesticides whenever there was a pest attack. This case study discussed the options that the protagonist Mr Sijil Karim, managing director and CEO of VIPL, had, who wanted to onboard farmers for pesticide-free cultivation. The options before him were either to continue traditional farming or adopt IPM. This case study discussed the merits, demerits and challenges of each of these options. The triple bottom line concept discussed three Ps people, planet and prosperity for this case as follows: The farmers and the consumers constituted the people in the spice supply chain. The farmers supplying organic, export-worthy spices under the guidance of VIPL gained 30% more than regular spice farmers, which were accrued through cost savings and better prices. The consumers benefitted from the pesticide-free, organic spices through accrued health gains. The manufacture of organic, pesticide-free spices helped the planet, as the process did not release hazardous chemicals into the atmosphere. VIPL manufactured pesticide-free spice with a focus on prosperity. Complexity academic level: The case study can be introduced in a course on sustainability while discussing the triple bottom line concept. This case study showed how a for-profit company grew without losing sight of the planet or its focus on people. This case is best suited for students who have preliminary knowledge of supply chain management, operations and sustainability. Therefore, it is suited for sophomore-year students of MBA. Supplementary materials: Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code: CSS 11: Strategy. 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited. -
Formal banks, semi-formal SHGs or informal moneylenders, who is better? a study of borrower credit preference in India
The present study explores the factors driving borrowers preference for formal banks, self-help groups (SHGs) and moneylenders. The study is based on a systematic survey of 839 rural borrowers from southern India, sampled from four districts with varied levels of credit access (surplus, constrained and moderate credit). The data was analysed using multinomial logistic regression in SPSS. Results show how banks and moneylenders exclude borrowers based on relative wealth and gender. SHGs service women borrowers but are preferred more by wealthier borrowers, highlighting intragroup inequalities. Yet, the three lenders service a variety of purposes, justifying their demand in the market. The study enhances understanding of rural borrowers constraints concerning various credit sources. The implications of this study are as follows: one is identifying the lacunae in the formal banking system, which policy amendments could address. Two, the study recommends an investigation of intragroup inequalities within SHGs. Third, the study underscores the demand for multiple players in the rural credit markets and their contribution to the borrowers credit needs. (2024), (Indian Academy of Sciences). All rights reserved. -
Micro Borrowing an Amalgam of Structure and Strategy: Evidence from India
Micro borrowing was either an outcome of structure in the credit environment (termed the outreach stream), or a strategic response of the borrowers (termed the sustainability stream). Furthermore, borrower personal effects drove borrowing behaviour. This study draws variables from both the streams of literature and tests them against the amount borrowed and purposes loans are borrowed for. Results show how borrowing behaviour is neither an outcome of pure structure nor pure strategy, but rather, is an interplay of both, and further influenced by personal effects. The survey data (consisting of 839 rural borrower responses, from four districts of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh in South India) was subjected to a rigorous statistical analysis. Results show how a larger number of banks in the villages (a structural constraint), enabled the borrowers to receive larger loans, who defaulted more (a strategic response). Men borrowed larger sums (a personal effect). A similar amalgam of structure, strategy and personal effects drive borrowing behaviour even after controlling for loan purpose and district fixed effects. Yet, when district effects are introduced, amount borrowed is agnostic to personal effects, and is driven purely by structure and strategy. JEL Classifications: C25, C83, G51, Z13 2022 SAGE Publications India Pvt. Ltd. -
Assessing Financial Distress to Foster Sustainable Growth: Insights from Indian Listed Companies
A companys success and survival depend on its financial viability, which is primarily determined by its strong key financial ratios. When these ratios fall below the critical levels, the companys long-term survival is threatened indicating the onset of financial distress (FD). In this context the FD prediction models can act as an early warning system, enabling corporate managers to intervene mid-way and take corrective action. This study focuses on Indian-listed companies that filed under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) 2016, between the years 2020 and 2023. Out of the 200 listed companies that applied for bankruptcy, 40 companies were selected for the study that showed either the status as Resolution plan or withdrawal or Rejected as per the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) order. To analyze the long-term survival prospects of these companies, the study employs Altmans Z-score modelsthe initial Z-score model for publicly traded companies and the EMZ score that is modeled for emerging markets like India. Both the models were calculated along with Z-score probabilities to gauge the likelihood of financial distress. Additionally, the Beneish M-Score was calculated to validate the financial data. The results from the Z-score models indicate that several companies showed declining financial stability during the study period with some on the verge of bankruptcy, while the M-score revealed potential financial manipulation in certain cases. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025. -
Efficient cyclization of 1,5-dienes to industrially important terpenes using amorphous metal aluminophosphate catalyst: A continuous flow approach
Amorphous metal aluminophosphate was used for the first time in a continuous flow process for the cyclization of pseudoionones. A series of metal aluminophosphates was synthesized by a simple coprecipitation method and characterized using various techniques to determine the physico-chemical properties of the materials. The synthesized metal aluminophosphates were evaluated as catalysts in the cyclization of pseudoionone via a continuous flow process utilizing a coil flow reactor. All catalysts facilitated the formation of ?- and ?-isomers of ionones through the cyclization of pseudoionone. Calcium aluminophosphate demonstrated a higher catalytic efficiency of 96 % compared to other reported methods, which is attributed to its large surface area, surface acid sites, and reduced by-product inhibition. The reaction was optimized by varying parameters such as catalyst amount, reaction temperature, pressure, and retention time and compared with a batch process. The scope of the reaction was investigated by employing a variety of terpene ketones. A suitable reaction mechanism was proposed which highlights the role of the surface acidity of the catalyst in the formation of a cyclized ring. The catalyst exhibited excellent reusability, maintaining its efficiency over three consecutive cycles with minimal degradation. 2025 The Authors -
Assessment of the strength of grignard reagent for the synthesis of secondary and tertiary alcohols of terpenes using metal plate flow reactor
The secondary and tertiary alcohols of terpenes were synthesized from aldehydes, and ketones using allyl magnesium chloride by the continuous metal flow reactor method. The flow process was conducted using metal plate reactors of 10 ml capacity in the presence of solvent mixtures, instead of large amounts of pure solvent like tetrahydrofuran. The products were isolated, and confirmed using gas chromatography and Nuclear magnetic resonance techniques respectively. Subsequently, the optimization studies were conducted to obtain mild, and economical reaction conditions, by varying the amount of allyl magnesium chloride, temperature, pressure, retention time, and flow rates. A comparison between batch processes and flow processes proved the advantages of the flow process in terms of reproducibility and product yield without the requirement of excess reagents compared to the batch process. The product yield was found to be excellent (6097 %) and reproducible at (150) gram scale through flow process. The scope of the reaction was studied by synthesizing terpene alcohols using different carbonyl compounds at optimized reaction conditions, which resulted in high product yield. This research addresses a crucial gap in terpene alcohol synthesis, offering a scalable and environmentally friendly approach with broad applicability. 2024 -
Comparative analysis of carrier material efficiency in the encapsulation of flavor bioactives from Decalepis hamiltonii extract by using spray-drying and freeze-drying
An aqueous extract from the tuberous roots of Decalepis hamiltonii was encapsulated by spray-drying and freeze-drying for food applications. The study aimed to identify suitable carrier materials among sodium caseinate, maltodextrin, and gum acacia, used alone and in blends, to understand their collective effect during encapsulation. The physicochemical characteristics of freeze-dried and spray-dried samples revealed differences of 14%20% in 2-hydroxy-4-methoxy benzaldehyde, 12%40% in phenolic content, and 7%40% in flavonoid content in the dried powders. Similarly, the methanol extracts of freeze-dried encapsulated samples demonstrated good antioxidant potential compared with those of spray-dried encapsulated powder. Among the carrier materials used, sodium caseinate showed good retention of bioactives and a flavor metabolite (2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde), which was quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (encapsulation efficiency 82%; yield 40 w/w) and confirmed by1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). However, in this study considering flavor retention and powder yield (encapsulation efficiency 74% and 59 w/w), maltodextrin in combination with sodium caseinate (MS) was observed to be the best carrier material for spray-drying. These "maltodextrinsodium caseinate" microcapsules are stable and show 70% retention of flavor metabolite after 3 months of storage at room temperature, with the microbial load remaining within acceptable limits. The particle size of the carrier materials ranges from 11.1 to 17.6 m. Thus, the current study suggests that a carrier material mixture (sodium caseinate and maltodextrin) can be used as a prospective material for encapsulating Decalepis hamiltonii bioactives with flavor metabolites and may be useful in food formulations. 2025 by the author(s). -
Tribological aspects of Al and Mg composites
It is well known that the technical function of a large number of engineering components/parts depends on motion. However, the term motion here is not as simple as it sounds, because it comes with consequences in the form of friction and wear. Along with lubrication, the science that deals with friction and wear is known as tribology. Therefore, it is necessary to pay more attention to tribology and acquire knowledge on the tribological behavior of materials, as the tribological characteristics such as friction and wear have been causing poor efficiency in engineering structures, huge economic losses, and environmental impacts. One way of addressing these issues lies in the development of lightweight materials based on metals such as aluminum and magnesium. Although one cannot employ these metals in their pure form, but modification in their microstructure and properties can certainly address the needs required for tribological applications. Keeping this in mind, this chapter covers the properties of aluminum and magnesium metals, basic aspects of tribology and most importantly, the work carried out on the friction and wear behavior of aluminum- and magnesium-based composites. The importance of this chapter lies in promoting better knowledge of the tribological behavior of aluminum and magnesium composites, especially from a various wear parameters point of view. The influence of material composition and wear parameters on tribological behavior is covered with a follow-up section on numerical and optimization methods employed for predicting tribological characteristics. 2026 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.. -
Structural and functional characterization of a hypothetical protein in the RD7 region in clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis an in silico approach to candidate vaccines
Background: Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been ravaging humans by inflicting respiratory tuberculosis since centuries. Bacillus Calmette Guerine (BCG) is the only vaccine available for tuberculosis, and it is known to be poorly effective against adult tuberculosis. Proteins belonging to the ESAT-6 family and PE/PPE family show immune responses and are included in different vaccine trials. Herein, we study the functional and structural characterization of a 248 amino acid long putative protein novel hypothetical protein 1 (NHP1) present in the RD7 region of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (identified first by subtractive hybridization in the clinical isolate RGTB123) using bioinformatics tools. Results: Physicochemical properties were studied using Expasy ProtParam and SMS software. We predicted different B-cell and T-cell epitopes by using the immune epitope database (IEDB) and also tested antigenicity, immunogenicity, and allergenicity. Secondary structure of the protein predicted 30% alpha helices, 20% beta strands, and 48% random coils. Tertiary structure of the protein was predicted using the Robetta server using the Mycobacterium smegmatis protein as the putative protein with homology. Structural evaluations were done with Ramachandran plot analysis, ProSA-web, and VERIFY3D, and with GalaxyWEB server, a more stable structure was validated with good stereo chemical properties. Conclusion: The present study of a subtracted genomic locus using various bioinformatics tools indicated good immunological properties of the putative mycobacterial protein, NHP1. Evidence obtained from the analyses of NHP1 using structure prediction tools strongly point to the fact that NHP1 is an ancient protein having flavodoxin folding structure with ATP binding sites. Positive scores were obtained for antigenicity, immunogenicity, and virulence too, implying the possibility of NHP1 to be a potential vaccine candidate. Such computational studies might give clues for developing newer vaccines for tuberculosis, which is the need of the hour. 2022, The Author(s). -
In silico analysis of NHP2 membrane protein, a novel vaccine candidate present in the RD7 region of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the etiological agent of tuberculosis, is one of the trickiest pathogens. We have only a few protective shields, like the BCG vaccine against the pathogen, which itself has poor efficacy in preventing adult tuberculosis. Even though different vaccine trials for an alternative vaccine have been conducted, those studies have not shown much promising results. In the current study, advanced computational technology was used to study the potential of a novel hypothetical mycobacterial protein, identified by subtractive hybridization, to be a vaccine candidate. NHP2 (Novel Hypothetical Protein 2), housed in the RD7 region of the clinical strains of M. tuberculosis, was studied for its physical, chemical, immunological and structural properties using different computational tools. PFAM studies and Gene ontology studies depicted NHP2 protein to be functionally active with a possible antibiotic binding domain too. Different computational tools used to assess the toxicity, allergenicity and antigenicity of the protein indicated its antigenic nature. Immune Epitope Database (IEDB) tools were used to study the T and B cell determinants of the protein. The 3D structure of the protein was designed, refined and authenticated using bioinformatics tools. The validated tertiary structure of theprotein was docked against the TLR3 immune receptor to study the binding affinity and docking scores. Molecular dynamic simulation of the protein-protein complex formed were studied. NHP2 was found to activate host immune response against tubercle bacillus and could be explored as a potential vaccine in the fight against tuberculosis. 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS), Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS), Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS). -
Solution Focused vs Problem Focused Questions on Affect and Processing Speed among Individuals with Depression
The present study investigated the effect of solution-focused and problem-focused questions on affect and processing speed in a sample of 60 individuals diagnosed with depression. Participants were equally and randomly assigned to the solution focused question group, problem focused question group, and delayed experimental group. The Beck depression inventory-II was used to assess the severity of depressive symptoms of the participants. The positive and negative affect schedule was used to measure affect. Symbol search and coding were used to measure the processing speed. Solution-focused questions significantly reduced negative affect and improved coding compared to problem-focused questions. Even though there was no significant interaction between the groups in positive affect and symbol search test performance, solution-focused questions caused simple effects in both. Findings imply the scope of solution-focused questions as psychological first aid in intervening depression. Possible long-term effects of solution-focused questions on individuals with depression were discussed. 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. -
Development and effectiveness of an art therapy application for children
This study involved developing an art therapy app and explored the effectiveness of art therapy using the app on enhancing children's self-esteem. Digital technology has become a part of human life and has also influenced mental health services. There is a recommendation to use digital technology in low-resource countries to bridge the mental health service gap for individuals with mental health problems. To meet the needs of art therapists and clients, an app called Art about Me was designed as a new medium/tool in art therapy intervention by the researcher, an art therapist. Confidentiality, security, documentation, and a backing up system were the primary features considered while developing the app. Three school counselors who participated in an art therapy workshop provided art therapy intervention using the app for children in school settings to improve their self-esteem. The results indicated that art therapy using the app was significantly effective in enhancing their self-esteem. This study concluded that the app could replace traditional art materials and work as a substitute medium. It helped build a therapeutic alliance with clients, develop self-growth and potential for children, and was appreciated by counselors. The art therapy app would be an adequate solution to provide therapeutic services and overcome the limitation of art materials for art therapy, especially in low- resource countries. -
Development and effectiveness of an art therapy application for children
This study involved developing an art therapy app and explored the effectiveness of art therapy using the app on enhancing children's’ self-esteem. Digital technology has become a part of human life and has also influenced mental health services. There is a recommendation to use digital technology in low-resource countries to bridge the mental health service gap for individuals with mental health problems. To meet the needs of art therapists and clients, an app called ‘Art about Me’ was designed as a new medium/tool in art therapy intervention by the researcher, an art therapist. Confidentiality, security, documentation, and a backing up system were the primary features considered while developing the app. Three school counselors who participated in an art therapy workshop provided art therapy intervention using the app for children in school settings to improve their self-esteem. The results indicated that art therapy using the app was significantly effective in enhancing their self-esteem. This study concluded that the app could replace traditional art materials and work as a substitute medium. It helped build a therapeutic
alliance with clients, develop self-growth and potential for children, and was appreciated by counselors. The art therapy app would be an adequate solution to provide therapeutic services and overcome the limitation of art materials for art therapy, especially in low resource countries. -
Art Therapy for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder in India
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of art therapy for 9 children with autism spectrum disorder in India using a prepost experimental design with a control group. The Childhood Autism Rating Scale was used to measure symptoms before and after 8 individual art therapy sessions, and changes in the childrens art development was also examined. Analysis of covariance results showed that art therapy was effective and content analysis of the drawings indicated progress seen in the developmental art stages, based on Lowenfeld theory. The positive changes were notable in the participants cognitive, social, and motor skills. 2019, AATA, Inc. 2019. -
Safety of Unmanned Systems
The safety risk management process describes the systematic application of management policies, procedures and practices to the activities of communicating, consulting, establishing the context, and assessing, evaluating, treating, monitoring and reviewing risk. This process is undertaken to provide assurances that the risks associated with the operation of unmanned aircraft systems have been managed to acceptable levels. Active efforts should be made to develop rules to ensure the safe operation of unmanned aerial vehicles. For the safe integration of operations with unmanned aerial vehicles, it is important to take into account the influence of different levels of control and autonomous capabilities, as well as the source of movement monitoring in the system. This article discusses the security issues of unmanned systems, the main directions of ensuring the information security of unmanned systems, software and hardware vulnerabilities have been identified. The methods of information protection are given, the disadvantages are indicated. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024. -
Efficient Disease Detection in Wheat Crops: A Hybrid Deep Learning Solution
Wheat rust disease poses a significant danger to global food security and requires rapid, precise diagnosis to be effectively managed. Using a hybrid deep learning (DL) model consisting of a convolutional neural network (CNN) and a decision tree (DT), a new method for classifying wheat rust illness across six magnitude scales has been described in the proposed study. For training and assessing the model, a dataset of 50,000 wheat leaf photos representing a wide range of disease magnitude has been amazing. The suggested work developed a hybrid CNN-DT model with an amazing overall accuracy of 93.47% by carefully analyzing the data and crafting the model. The model's resilience in identifying multiple levels of disease magnitude was proved by the performance metrics for each disease magnitude class. The proposed hybrid model also outperformed state-of-the-art models in terms of accuracy, as shown by the comparisons conducted. The findings provide important new information on the potential of DL methods for wheat rust disease classification, which can then be used as a trusted resource for early disease diagnosis and smarter agricultural policymaking. In the face of agricultural diseases, the suggested model has important implications for improving crop management, reducing yield losses, and guaranteeing food security. 2023 IEEE.