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Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are a currently trending e-learning platform that presumably attract thousands of participants because of boundless participation, are open to any person to enroll, are free to begin and are delivered completely online, thus contradicting the spatial limitations of a traditional classroom. This study aims to present the findings of a study among veterinary science students examining their perceptions of MOOCs. In total, 200 participants were randomly selected for the survey, out of which 177 responded, owing to a response rate of 88.7 per cent. Majority of the respondents (93 per cent) opined MOOCs supplement other learning methods and provide lifelong opportunity. A study report established that Coursera is the largest platform by user base (82 per cent), followed by Udemy (70 per cent), and 65 per cent knowledge seekers ranted the enormous propaganda about MOOCs are not because of the technology’s inherent edifying value, but because of the incredible potentials of lower costs. The participants in this survey valued their course and overall MOOC experience pleasing.

The aim of the study is to explore veterinary students’ perception of MOOCs featuring in their subject of interest. The questionnaire was written in English because it is the teaching language for undergraduates and postgraduates in most Indian higher education institutes, including the one used as a context for this study. The online questionnaires were electronically mailed to a sample of veterinary students (undergraduate and postgraduate) with a consent form seeking their permission for participation in this study and swearing them the confidentiality of their responses. The e-mail included information about the purpose of the study as well as the URL to the survey site, demographic questions on age, gender and education. This part was followed by an important research question asking if the student had heard about the new open online educational system (MOOCs) provided in websites, including Coursera, Edx, Udacity and FutureLearn, among others. Based on respondents’ answers, they were directed to different sections. Students who knew about MOOCs were asked various mode of getting enrolled in MOOCs. If they were not enrolled in any course, the respondents were asked about the limitations to their use. Enrolled students were questioned on their perspectives and experiences with MOOCs. For students who gained certificates, were enquired for their level of satisfaction, opinions about the integration of MOOCs into the veterinary field and hindrances encountered during accessing the course. Out of a total of 200 students who initially agreed to take part, 177 responses were received, with a response rate of 88.50 per cent, with no cases of missing data. The data were stored automatically in the hosted online survey service into a separate database after the submission of the responses. The descriptive data analyses (such as average) were led using the data analysis tool provided.

Even though most MOOCs do not provide academic credit or result in a degree, some of the biggest beneficiaries of MOOCs are students formally enrolled in an academic program, are provided a free mode to obtain additional academic assistance that would not otherwise be available (Parke Muth, 2018)15. Correspondingly, 93 per cent of the students opined MOOCs supplement other learning methods and provide lifelong opportunity. Learning has traditionally cost both money and time. With MOOCs, it now just costs time. In total, 24 per cent of the participants have discoursed free of cost as one of the intentions to choose their course. Almost every respondent (99 per cent) was interested toward online discussion forum, and 91 per cent preferred course materials containing video and audio files were pretty beneficial, while 88 per cent felt teaching through electronic whiteboard was the most advantageous criterion in their course. The study findings indicated that Coursera is the largest platform by user base (82 per cent), followed by Udemy (70 per cent).

The study considered veterinary science undergraduate (BVSc) and postgraduate (MVSc) students alone, veterinary faculties are not included for the survey. There was comparatively less participation of respondents who enrolled or successfully completed a MOOC, which makes the analysis of limitations and satisfaction less reliable. Hence, the study results cannot be generalized as a comprehensive report of veterinary science scholars’ perceptiveness.

Animal health involves household pets and their care, in addition to livestock health and protection from diseases like bovine babesiosis, bovine tuberculosis and heartwater. There are numerous MOOCs offering online, contact or blended interventions in veterinary science and animal health that afford professionals quick and easy options to obtain credentials, including courses in pharmacology and toxicology, practice management, veterinary and para-veterinary studies, veterinary tropical diseases, radiology and wildlife management. As it is necessary to gain an understanding of the veterinary students’ level of familiarity and their insight toward the MOOC concept, the study attempts to explore their knowledge through an online survey.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the nature of returns and volatility spillovers between exchange rates and stock price in the IBSA nations (India, Brazil, South Africa).

The study uses VAR framework and the recently proposed Spillover measure of Diebold and Yilmaz to examine the returns and volatility spillover between exchange rates and stock prices of IBSA nations. In addition, multivariate GARCH with time varying variance‐covariance BEKK model is used as a benchmark against the spillover methodology proposed by Diebold and Yilmaz.

The results of multivariate GARCH model suggests the integration between stock and foreign exchange markets and indicates the existence of bi‐directional volatility spillover between stock and foreign exchange markets in the IBSA countries. Spillover results using the Diebold Yilmaz model suggest the bi‐directional contribution between stock and foreign exchange market, in terms of both returns and volatility spillovers. Overall, results confirm the presence of returns and volatility spillovers within the IBSA nations and, in particular, the stock markets play a relatively more important role than foreign exchange markets in the first and second moment interactions and spillovers.

The market participants may consider the relationship between the exchange rate and stock index to predict the future movement of each other effectively. Multinational companies interested in exchange rate forecasting may consider the stock market as an important attribute. There is an interesting implication for portfolio managers too because of the spillover stock and foreign exchange markets. This knowledge would help to create a fund which performs well. Moreover, the paper can help regulators and policy makers in IBSA nations to understand the structure of the market in a better way and then design their policies.

The study contributes to the literature by extending the existing studies on the spillover between stock price and exchange rate by investigating the issue for three emerging economies, India, Brazil and South Africa. Unlike most studies in the literature which focus on multivariate GARCH model, this is the first study which explores the issue of returns and volatility spillover between the stock prices and the exchange rates using spillover measure of Diebold and Yilmaz and much longer and recent daily data. Moreover, multivariate GARCH with time varying variance‐covariance BEKK model is used as a benchmark against the spillover methodology proposed by Diebold and Yilmaz.

Pakistan is an energy starving country that needs continuous supply of energy to keep up its economic speed. The aim of this paper is to assess the wind resource and energy potential of Quaidabad site for minimizing the dependence on fuels and improving the environment.

The Quaidabad site wind shear coefficient and turbulence intensity factor are investigated. The two-parameter k and c Weibull distribution function is used to analyze the wind speed of site. The standard deviation of the site is also assessed for a period of a year. The wind power density and energy density are assessed for a period of a year. The economic assessment of energy/kWh is investigated for selection of appropriate wind turbine.

The mean wind shear coefficient was observed to be 0.2719, 0.2191 and 0.1698 at 20, 40 and 60 m, respectively, for a period of a year. The mean wind speed is found to be 2.961, 3.563, 3.907 and 4.099 m/s at 20, 40, 60 and 80 m, respectively. The mean values of k parameters were observed to be 1.563, 2.092, 2.434 and 2.576 at 20, 40, 60 and 80 m, respectively, for a period of a year. The mean values of c m/s parameter were found to be 3.341, 4.020, 4.408 and 4.625 m/s at 20, 40, 60 and 80 m, respectively, for a period of a year. The major portion of values of standard deviation was found to be in between 0.1 and 2.00 at 20, 40, 60 and 80 m. The wind power density (W/m²) sum total values were observed to be 351, 597, 792 and 923 W/m² at 20, 40, 60 and 80 m, respectively, for a period of a year. The mean coefficient of variation was found to be 0.161, 0.130, 0.115 and 0.105 at 20, 40, 60 and 80 m, respectively. The sum total energy density was observed to be 1,157, 2,156, 2,970 and 3,778 kWh/m² at 20, 40, 60 and 80 m, respectively. The economic assessment is showing that wind turbine E has the minimum cost US$0.049/kWh.

The Quaidabad site is suitable for installing the utility wind turbines for energy generation at the lowest cost.

States that the health of a population is determined by different socio‐economic, locational and cultural factors in society. Uses Bangladesh as a case study, showing how its health is affected by factors such as economics, food and nutrition, social factors, political issues, environmental issues, healthcare facilities and international issues. Concludes that the health of this nation is in a dismal state, with a population victim to food shortages, limited income and little healthcare access.

For India, having being endowed with a rich heritage of art and culture, copyright is perceived to offer potential rewards. The entertainment industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in the Indian economy. At present, India is not a signatory to the WIPO Internet Treaties, but the government has proposed amendments to the extant legislation to incorporate Digital Rights Management (DRM) as enshrined in them. Conventionally the western entertainment industry has viewed DRM as an important tool to combat piracy pervasive on the internet. DRM involves the application of a set of technical and legal mechanisms that allow copyright owners to control the access to their works, determine the types of permissible uses and terms of such uses and the ultimate distribution of their works in the digital world. With the growing popularity of Indian cinema abroad, the entertainment industry is attracting increasing foreign investment, is gradually being corporatised and thus it is felt that such investments need to be protected. DRM is considered to be one of the solutions as it prevents loss due to unlimited unauthorized reproduction of works, introduces more effective market segmentation and promotes the incentive to create, facilitating the maximum exploitation of works in the digital world. However, for India, a developing economy, such a path is to be treaded with caution. DRM is an extra‐statutory measure, with perceived potential impact on consumer privacy, innovation and limiting legitimate exceptions. A unique feature of the industry is that it is an extension of its dynamic indigenous folk and classical cultural tradition where the emphasis has been on adaptation and improvisation, drawing upon works in the public domain. Some experts observe that DRM poses a threat to such a tradition by artificially restricting the public domain.This paper explores the likely impact of the proposed introduction of the DRM provisions in the Indian Copyright Act, 1957 with its focus on Bollywood and the related music sector. Given the tension surrounding DRM, this paper examines the aforementioned issues, taking into consideration the promotion of the underlying objectives of copyright law. Noting that the case for strong copyright protection as a key for innovation is highly debatable, this paper argues that India should keep in mind the flexibilities under law as provided by various international treaties and in technology before adopting the DRM approach.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the reflective properties of titania (TiO2) nanoparticle‐based coating.

TiO2 nanoparticles, synthesised by sol‐gel method, were characterised by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and ultraviolet‐visible absorption spectroscopy (UV‐vis). The coating material has been prepared by dispersing titania nanoparticles in an acrylic binder with different pigment to binder weight ratio. The reflectors were prepared by applying this coating material to different coating thicknesses to aluminium sheets.

In the study reported here, the coating material could produce reflectors with diffuse reflectance, ∼99 per cent, using coating material, having binder by weight ratio between 14 and 20 per cent, and thickness, 0.15 mm. On exposing the developed reflectors to different levels of illumination (upto 20,000 lux), they were still found to have diffuse reflectance of more than 96 per cent almost throughout the visible spectrum.

The fabricated reflectors find applications in commercial optical products, such as: reflective panels, luminaries, etc.

As of today, the reflective coatings used are of conventional type, which employ bulk TiO2 particles. In this study, we are reporting TiO2 nanoparticle‐based highly reflective coating. This is an original work, and, to the best of our knowledge, no one has ever reported on “TiO2 nanoparticle‐based reflective coatings”.

This paper aims to examine small- and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) strategic capabilities in terms of their marketing and management capabilities, their sources of environmental uncertainty and their organizational capabilities. Additionally, to what extent the effect differs across two sectors (manufacturing and service).

Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to conduct multigroup analysis for the two sectors. Data was collected from a sample of 315 Omani SMEs, 166 from manufacturing and 149 from services.

The results show that strategic capabilities have a significant positive effect on customer satisfaction. However, the effect differs between manufacturing and service SMEs; the effect is greater in service than in manufacturing SMEs. Furthermore, the effect of organizational capabilities on customer satisfaction was found to be positive. However, the effect is higher in manufacturing as the difference is statistically significant.

Due to the growing importance of the service and manufacturing SMEs in developing countries and their considerable involvement in economic development, it is important to understand the characteristics of the strategic capabilities in both sectors. Thus, according to the authors’ knowledge, this paper is one of the first to propose a comprehensive framework that measures collectively the direct impact of strategic capabilities, organizational capabilities and environmental uncertainties on SMEs customer satisfaction and effectiveness.

This study investigates the influence of inclusion of nonfamily employees in family firms on their intellectual, social and affective engagement at the workplace. Furthermore, the framework proposed in the study considers the possible moderating influence of procedural justice in the above relationships.

A conceptual framework is developed with the support of the self-determination theory (SDT) and the social exchange theory. The study tests a set of hypotheses using survey data from 654 nonfamily employees working in private family firms in Malaysia.

The results reveal that inclusion has a positive and significant relationship with intellectual, social and affective engagement. While procedural justice moderates the association between inclusion and intellectual and affective engagement, it does not moderate the relationship between inclusion and social engagement.

The outcome of this study presents a nuanced understanding on how perceptions of inclusion of nonfamily employees by the dominant work group (DWG) (i.e. employees related to the firm owners) lead to positive firm-centric behavior among nonfamily employees.

The study provides clues to family firm managers for creating a work environment where nonfamily employees perceive a sense of belongingness while their uniqueness is appreciated in order to be more engaged at the workplace.

Little is known about how diversity created within family firms by inclusion of nonfamily employees impacts organizations. The outcome of this study may reinforce the positive effects of inclusiveness in any social context.

Diversity researchers have studied the influence of inclusion in areas related to sociology and psychology. However, there appears to be a dearth of studies in terms of how nonfamily employees would behave in family firms when they perceive a sense of inclusion in an organization dominated by employees who are related to the owners of the firm. Hence, this study appears to shed new light on how inclusion of nonfamily employees in family firms influences their behavior.

Literature on packaged food consumption and associated factors in Kerala is limited. This study aims to find out consumption pattern of packaged food and the factors associated with it among young adults in Kerala.

The authors conducted a cross-sectional survey among 384 young adults aged 18–30 years selected using multistage cluster sampling. Information on packaged food consumption and sociodemographic factors was collected using a structured, pre-tested interview schedule. Binary logistic regression analysis was done to find out the factors associated with packaged food consumption.

Among the participants, 85.7% (95% CI = 81.9%–88.9%) reported consuming packaged food at least once a week, and 45% (95% CI = 40.4%–50.3%) reported consuming packaged food more than two times a week. Individuals who were employed [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.71, 95% CI = 1.06–2.76], who consume packaged food without a fixed routine (AOR = 2.24, 95% CI = 1.18–4.28), those without previous attempts to reduce packaged food consumption (AOR = 3.45, 95% CI = 1.72–6.91) and those who preferred packaged food for their taste and flavor (AOR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.09–2.74) had greater odds of consuming packaged food more than two times a week compared to their counterparts.

Packaged food is frequently consumed by more than 40% of young adults in Kerala. Efforts focused on individuals (such as building awareness and taxing packaged foods) are warranted to control packaged food consumption among young adults.

The purpose of this paper is to design and manufacture an intelligent 3D printed sensor to monitor the re-occurrence of diaphragmatic hernia (DH; after surgery) in bovines as an Internet of Things (IOT)-based solution.

The approach used in this study is based on a bibliographic analysis for the re-occurrence of DH in the bovine after surgery. Using SolidWorks and ANSYS, the computer-aided design model of the implant was 3D printed based on literature and discussions on surgical techniques with a veterinarian. To ensure the error-proof design, load test and strain–stress rate analyses with boundary distortion have been carried out for the implant sub-assembly.

An innovative IOT-based additive manufacturing solution has been presented for the construction of a mesh-type sensor (for the health monitoring of bovine after surgery).

An innovative mesh-type sensor has been fabricated by integration of metal and polymer 3D printing (comprising 17–4 precipitate hardened stainless steel and polyvinylidene fluoride-hydroxyapatite-chitosan) without sacrificing strength and specific absorption ratio value.