Microwave Absorbing Materials

The 4th Prof. Vijaya Agarwala Memorial National Symposium on Microwave Absorbing Materials (VAMMAM-2020)” was held during 23 - 24th, August 2020 at Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee in association with Centre of Nanotechnology and Common Research Technology Development Hub (CRTDH) for New Materials/Stealth Applications and Department of Applied Mechanics Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Prayagraj, India

Stock Price Determinants: Empirical Evidence from Muscat Securities Market, Oman

Stock price is one of the main indicators for measuring firm performance and also the only factor determining shareholders’ wealth. Stock price changes are based on information related to the firm and the market as a whole. This paper is focused on the determinants of the share price of the twenty-six non-financial companies listed in Muscat Securities Market, Oman. In this study, closing annual stock price from 2011 to 2016 is the dependent variable and the firm-specific variables like firm size (logarithm of total assets), dividends payout, earning per share (EPS), debt ratio, price-earnings(PE) ratio, first lag of dependent variable(stock price) are the independent variables in the panel data regression using random effect model. There are two categories of research hypothesis: the first one is based on semi-strong form of Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) and second one is based on Arbitrage Pricing theory (APT). To test the second set of hypothesis, oil price, growth rate in GDP and consumer price index are considered as independent variables as they effect performance of business and so do the stock prices. EPS, debt ratio and first lag of stock prices are significant determinants of stock prices. Dividend payout, firm size and PE ratio are insignificant variables

An Analytical Approach to Design Camouflage Net for Microwave Absorption

Microwave absorption has been the key for reduction of radar cross section in the field of stealth technology. In this field, hiding troop details from reconnaissance systems is taken care by enhancing absorption properties of the material. The demand of masking detectable equipment can be met with the help of a flexible net type structure called camouflage net. Optimising and measuring the absorption of the net, comprising of cloth and coating of the radar absorbing materials over the cloth is very challenging task. The task is being accomplished by using trial and error method, which is very cumbersome process and leads to tremendous waste of potential, material and manpower. Therefore, an attempt to develop an analytical methodology using the permittivity and permeability of the fabric material, to minimise this limitation, has been presented in this paper by critically analysing simulated results for various composites. The approach seems to have good potential for developing the camouflage net, especially in the microwave regime

Study of Ethno-botanical Flora of Dakingari, Kebbi State Nigeria, West Tropical Africa

The present research is an attempt to study the ethnobotanical flora of Dakingari, Kebbi State, Nigeria. The study was conducted from July 2014 to June 2015 villages of Dakingari. The use of questionnaire method was used for obtaining information on the indigenous knowledge of plants that are used traditionally. The results were spreads in about 31 families, 45 genera and 53 species of angiospermic families. They are Amaranthaceae 2 species, Anacardiaceae 3species, Annonaceae 1 species, Asclepiadaceae 2 species, Asteraceae (Compositae) 2 species, Balanitaceae 1 species, Bombacaceae 1 species, Caesalpinaceae 7 species, Caricaceae 1 species, Capparaceae 1 species, Combretaceae 4 species, Convolvulaceae 1 species, Cucurbitaceae 1 species, Ebenaceae 1 species, Euphorbiaceae  4 species,  Liliaceae 1 species, Malvaceae 2 species, Meliaceae 1 species, Mimosaceae 2 species, Musaceae 1 species, Moringaceae 1 species, Mrytaceae 2 species, Nymphaeceae 1 species, Olacaceae 1 species,  Pediliaceae 2 species, Poaceae 2 species, Rubiaceae 2 species, Sapindaceae 1 species, Sapotaceae 1 species, Sterculiaceae 1 species and Verbenaceae 1 species

Leaf Phenology of Cassia Sieberiana L. in KSUSTA Campus of Kebbi State, Nigeria

The Aliero local government area is located at approximate latitudes 110 03\u27 S, 120 47\u27N and longitudes 30 6\u27W and 40 27\u27E. In kebbi state, north western part of Nigeria, It also has a total area of 412 square kilometers and is bordered in the east by Tambuwal Local government area of Sokoto state in the North West by Birnin Kebbi local government area in the South West by Jega local government area. The study was carried out in Aliero local government area, Kebbi state Nigeria. Leaf exchange is crucial in the lifecycle patterns of a tree species, these also includes leaf fall, leaf emergence, leaf flush, death or senescence (leaf onset and leaf offset). The study of leaf dynamics is termed leaf Phenology. Phonological phases are reoccurring biological events that signal changes in climate, environmental conditions, and genetic factors during the developmental growth of plants. Cassia sieberiana L trees maintained significant foliage was recorded in March in individuals which did not become leafless

Go Digital! Determinants of Continuance Usage of Mobile Payment Apps: Focusing on the Mediating Role of Gamification

Background: COVID-19 spread over the last two years has been instrumental in shifting physical banking transactions to mobile-based banking transactions. Recently, M-payments have dominated online and point-of-sale (POS) transactions in the Asia-pacific region. Therefore, there was a need to study the factors influencing M-payments. This research has been conducted to determine the significant factors influencing the usage and continuance usage of M-payment apps in an emerging country and particularly how gamified features enhance the usage of M-payments apps.is study is based on the perspectives of the Unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2) and information system success (ISS) theory, and it adds three new determinants—trust, gamified features, and continued use of mobile payments to better explain and forecast users\u27 behavioral intentions and continued use of mobile payment applications (M-payments apps). Method: The research has employed two studies on sample data from young users of M-payment apps (n=898), the dataset was analyzed through structural equation modelling for mediation and moderation analysis in study one. The second study was grounded through Vignette experiments to analyze the effects of the degree of gamified features on the continued usage of M-payments. Results: The results reported that behavioral intention to adopt, and usage of mobile payments are significantly mediated by gamified features and gamified features are partially mediating continuance usage of M-payments. Trust is the key to enabling continuance usage amongst the users of M-payments. These findings extend the understanding of users’ continuance intention in the context of payments apps. Conclusion: This study would be helpful in presenting insights for the M-payments service providers and the associated banks to develop strategy for the continuance usage of mobile payment apps

NEP-2020: A New National Highway For The Youths Of India

‘Change, the law of nature, is the only constant of life’ so none and nothing can remain aloof from it’ such is with the policies of the nations of the world be they belong to foreign policies or economy policies or education policies. So far as the thing is concerned with the education policies of India whether it is Macaulay’s ‘Minute On Indian Education of 1835’ or ‘The first National Policy On Education of 1968’ or ‘The New Education Policy of 1986’, or ‘ Program of Action (PoE) of 1992, under the National Policy on Education’ or ‘NCF (National Curriculum Framework) 2005,’ all of them have often been objected on various grounds from time to time as being out of fashion and being unable to fulfill the need of time and place. This is why ‘The Union Cabinet Of India’ has recently replaced the previous NPE of 1986 with/by the NEP-2020 with a comprehensive framework from elementary education to higher education as well as vocational training in both rural and urban India. Although rural India is highlighted as the soul of India resides in the countries, urban India is not neglected yet. NEP-2020 has a broad outlook, visions-provisions, and missions for various people and various things. In this chapter, with these points, an attempt has been made to present what the special things are for the youths of the country; what the things are going to make them special, and how it is a new national highway for the youths of the country to run on and on

Searching for the Self in the Novels of Thomas Hardy from the Existential Lenses

‘Aham Brahmasmi’, the soul of ‘Hindu and Yoga’ philosophy, reveals the integrity of the Atman (self or soul) with Brahman (the Absolute). Unless and until, one understands AHAM (self), one can’t attain one’s BRAHMAN (Absolute). Not to talk about sages and seers, this ‘Absolute’ is nothing but a desired destination for a common man. The literature of the world is nothing, but the literature of the man, the literature of the choice, the literature of the free will, and the literature of the self—authentic and inauthentic. It is the self that makes and mars the man. This is why ‘Self’ has been a thing of debate since the rays of cultures and civilizations fall on the pious ground of this blue planet. Seeing all this, an attempt is made to describe in brief the ‘Self’ along with its various types. Why it is called an omnipresent thing and how it is an impersonator, is the next thing. It is also in the crux of this exploration. What the various theories along with the various theorists are related to it, is also aimed to mention in this paper. What the ‘Searching for the self’ or ‘self-searching’ is, and what the existential thinkers think about the self, is the prime of the present paper. The essential thing here is to shed light on how the major novels of Thomas Hardy are about ‘Self-Searching’ along with its examining through the existential lenses