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Bank mobilizes savings and transforms it into credit for investments in various sectors, which helps the economy running. The purpose of this paper is to examine the efficiency of three bank groups in India with data spanning from 2009–2010 to 2018–2019.

The study uses data envelopment analysis for measuring the efficiency of the selected banks. It measures the efficiency both from the revenue dimension and from the supply-side dimension of financial inclusion.

The study finds that foreign banks on average are working efficiently far better than the public-sector and private-sector banks. It indicates that foreign banks in India are operating at 92.53% efficiency level, whereas private- and public-sector banks are operating at 90.20 and 86.04% efficiency levels, respectively. Further, the result of the Friedman test reveals that there is no significant difference in efficiency scores amongst these three bank groups. As major challenges, non-performing assets of the banking industry to be reduced by 15% as radial and 53.18% as slack.

One of the notable innovativeness of this study is that, unlike most of the previous studies that are mostly selected few banks and specific group, the present study may place itself as a unique inquiry in the domain of technical efficiency in macro concept by considering three major bank groups operating in India. An important contribution of the study is the classification of reasons behind the inefficiency, i.e. managerial or inappropriate scale size and further projections of input factors for the same level of output.

This paper aims to evaluate the concentration effect of red mud waste filler on mechanical and thermal properties of amine functional aniline furfuraldehyde condensate (AFAFFC) modified epoxy composite along with the optimum result of modified epoxy.

For effective toughening, different compositions were made by adding various concentration of AFAFFC to epoxy. The concentration of 2, 5 and 10 parts per hundred parts of epoxy resin of aluminium silicate-based pristine red mud waste was incorporated into the each modified epoxy matrix. These filled modified matrixes were cured with ambient temperature curing agent triethylene tetramine and evaluated with respect to their impact, tensile and flexural strengths. The morphology was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and dynamic mechanical analysis. The thermal stability by thermogravimetric analysis was also reported.

The modification of epoxy resin using AFAFFC and filler showed significant enhancement of mechanical strength over unmodified epoxy. The increase depends on the concentration of the modifier and filler. The reason behind this is that in the initial stage of curing, the AFAFFC are miscible with the epoxy and form a homogeneous solution. This good mixing promotes the chemical reaction and network formation. During the curing process, as the molecular weight increases, the component separates with in the reaction medium to form a second dispersed phase.

The present paper discussed the effect of only one type of modifier, i.e. AFAFFC, and one filler, i.e. red mud waste filler effect. Besides these by changing the amine and aldehyde, other modifiers could be synthesised and the efficiency of modification of epoxy resin using these modifiers and other filler besides red mud waste such as paddy husk, bamboo dust, etc., could also be studied.

The present study regarding the concentration effect of modifier and filler was novel, and AFAFFC modified filled epoxy could be used in the field of coating, casting, adhesives, potting and encapsulation of semiconductor devices.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the mechanical properties of glass fibre reinforced epoxy composites modified with amine‐terminated poly (ethylene glycol) benzoate (ATPEGB) along with their thermal stability.

ATPEGB prepared from poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) of different molecular weights (200, 400, 600, 4,000 and 20,000) were used as modifiers for glass fibre epoxy composite here. For toughening, 12.5 parts per hundred grams (phr) of epoxy resin of each ATPEGB was added to epoxy and pre‐reacted with it. The impact, tensile and flexural strengths of modified and unmodified composite were characterised and compared for each ATPEGB.

Modified resin displayed a significant improvement in fracture toughness with glass fibre over unmodified epoxy. The modification caused the formation of oligomer domains having relatively round shapes in the matrix. These oligomer domains led to improved strength and toughness due mainly to the “rubber toughening” effect in the brittle epoxy matrix. The optimum results were obtained for composite modified with ATPEGB‐2 prepared from PEG of molecular weight 400.

In the present context, only 12.5 phr concentration of each ATPEGB was used to modify composite and the composites were made sing three layers of glass fibre. Besides, modification could also be done using other concentrations and more layers of glass fibre could also be used to make composite.

The method for enhancing toughness of epoxy glass fibre composite was novel and finds numerous applications as surface coatings, casting and adhesive onto an intricate structure, etc.

This paper aims to explore the significance of videoconferencing in blended learning, using the technology acceptance model to investigate students’ perceptions and its impact on course engagement, student satisfaction and future technology use intention. In addition, it examines the role of teacher support in fostering interactive virtual learning experiences.

This study focuses on a cohort of international students regarding blended courses amid the COVID-19 pandemic when the conventional face-to-face components were substituted with virtual classrooms through videoconferencing. It aims to investigate how to facilitate connectivity between Southeast Asian students and their professors located in a Southern state in the USA.

This study reveals that the perceived usefulness of videoconferencing predicts future intention to use, emphasizing the vital role of teacher support in engaging students in virtual classrooms and contributing to student satisfaction.

The small sample of international students in blended courses with an American university during the COVID-19 pandemic may limit the generalization of the findings.

Videoconferencing can be a valuable tool to enhance connectedness in digital learning post pandemic.

Videoconferencing in blended learning can bridge geographical barriers and provide access to diverse learners who might otherwise have limited educational opportunities.

This study supports the integration of videoconferencing as a mechanism for providing high-quality digital learning experiences.

Both branch and automated teller machine (ATM) are playing a crucial role in banking coverage expansion in India. People prefer to go to an ATM for withdrawal of money rather waiting in a queue for hours at a branch. Without the existence of a full-fledged brick-and-mortar branch, ATM also plays an important role by providing basic banking services. In India, a significant part of the population is excluded from banking access. The present study aims to investigate how the branch and ATM penetration influence financial inclusion.

The study covers the period from 2008–2009 to 2019–2020. With the application of Welch's t-test, a comparative study is being conducted between branch and ATM. Further, with the application of regression analysis, the study analyses how the branch and ATM network expansion influence financial inclusion.

Though in recent times customers prefers to visit an ATM and its growth rate is higher than branches, the study found no significant differences between the growth of branch and ATM. Further, results of regression show both branches and ATMs have significant impacts on financial inclusion.

In micro concept both have a common role in respect of service provided to customers. While in macro concept a list of specific services can be provided through branch level only. This study has a significant role, considering the importance of branches or ATMs and cost of installing a physical branch.

The manufacture of polymer composites with a lower environmental footprint requires incorporation of sustainably sourced components. In addition, the incorporation of novel components should not compromise the material properties. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the use of a synthetic amine functional toluidine acetaldehyde condensate (AFTAC) as a modifier for fiber-reinforced epoxy composites. One of the fiber components was sourced from agricultural byproducts, and glass fiber was used as the fiber component for comparison.

The AFTAC condensate was synthesized via an acid-catalyzed reaction between o-toluidine and acetaldehyde. To demonstrate its efficacy as a toughening agent for diglycidyl ether bisphenol A resin composites and for the comparison of reinforcing materials of interest, composites were fabricated using a natural fiber (mat stick) and a synthetic glass fiber as the reinforcing material. A matched metal die technique was used to fabricate the composites. Composites were prepared and their mechanical and thermal properties were evaluated.

The inclusion of AFTAC led to an improvement in the mechanical strengths of these composites without any significant deterioration of the thermal stability. It was also observed that the fracture strengths for mat stick fiber-reinforced composites were lower than that of glass fiber-reinforced composites.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the use of the AFTAC modifier as well as incorporation of mat stick fibers in epoxy composites has not been demonstrated previously.

To remain competitive, efficient and productive, organisations need to ensure that their employees continuously learn and develop. This is even more challenging and critical in times characterised by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA). Hence, several technological applications have been introduced with the promise to make organisational training and development (T&D) more efficient and targeted through digitisation and automation. However, digitising and automating processes in the sensitive field of T&D also poses challenges and perils for employees and organisations as a whole.

Structured by the T&D process of (1) assessment/planning, (2) design/implementation and (3) evaluation, the authors present different digitisation and automation possibilities and discuss the specific opportunities and challenges they pose. Subsequently, the authors identify and discuss overarching themes of opportunities and challenges of technology use in T&D via a meta-review.

This synthesis revealed three central topics that decision-makers in T&D should carefully consider when it comes to the implementation of technological applications: opportunities and challenges of (1) data collection, (2) decision-making and (3) the value of human contact.

This review integrates previously fragmented research on specific technologies applied to specific T&D functions and provides researchers and practitioners with a fuller picture of the opportunities and challenges of technology applied in T&D.

The purpose of this paper is to review and analyze the perishable inventory models along various dimensions such as its evolution, scope, demand, shelf life, replenishment policy, modeling techniques and research gaps.

In total, 418 relevant and scholarly articles of various researchers and practitioners during 1990-2016 were reviewed. They were critically analyzed along author profile, nature of perishability, research contributions of different countries, publication along time, research methodologies adopted, etc. to draw fruitful conclusions. The future research for perishable inventory modeling was also discussed and suggested.

There are plethora of perishable inventory studies with divergent objectives and scope. Besides demand and perishable rate in perishable inventory models, other factors such as price discount, allow shortage or not, inflation, time value of money and so on were found to be combined to make it more realistic. The modeling of inventory systems with two or more perishable items is limited. The multi-echelon inventory with centralized decision and information sharing is acquiring lot of importance because of supply chain integration in the competitive market.

Only peer-reviewed journals and conference papers were analyzed, whereas the manuals, reports, white papers and blood-related articles were excluded. Clustering of literature revealed that future studies should focus on stochastic modeling.

Stress had been laid to identify future research gaps that will help in developing realistic models. The present work will form a guideline to choose the appropriate methodology(s) and mathematical technique(s) in different situations with perishable inventory.

The current review analyzed 419 research papers available in the literature on perishable inventory modeling to summarize its current status and identify its potential future directions. Also the future research gaps were uncovered. This systemic review is strongly felt to fill the gap in the perishable inventory literature and help in formulating effective strategies to design of an effective and efficient inventory management system for perishable items.

The purpose of this paper is to find a new curing agent for diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) resin and to check effectiveness of this new curing agent to obtain toughness and chemical resistance of cured epoxy.

For this purpose, an investigation was carried out to synthesise, characterise and to study curing reaction of amine functional aniline acetaldehyde condensate (AFAAC) with DGEBA resin. AFAAC was first synthesised from the reaction of aniline and acetaldehyde in acid medium and characterised by FT‐IR, ¹H‐NMR spectroscopic analyses, elemental analysis, concentration of primary and secondary amine analysis. Then equimolecular mixture of AFAAC and DGEBA was subjected to curing reaction and the reaction was followed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis. The kinetic studies of this curing reaction, mechanical properties, dynamic mechanical analysis and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of cured epoxy were also reported.

The DSC analysis showed the complete exotherms of effective curing reaction indicating the efficiency of AFAAC as curing agent for DGEBA resin. The kinetic studies revealed that the curing reaction was first order. Mechanical properties reflect the better fracture properties of cured matrix and TGA showed that the cured matrixes were stable up to around 238°C.

The curing agent AFAAC has been synthesised by using aniline and acetaldehyde. By changing amine and aldehyde, other curing agents could be synthesised and the curing efficiency of these for epoxy resin could also be studied.

The method for curing study of epoxy resin (DGEBA) is novel and relevant as the cured products have high‐performance applications in protective coatings, adhesives for most substrates.

This study aims to develop an adaptive finite element method for structural eigenproblems of cracked Euler–Bernoulli beams via the superconvergent patch recovery displacement technique. This research comprises the numerical algorithm and experimental results for free vibration problems (forward eigenproblems) and damage detection problems (inverse eigenproblems).

The weakened properties analogy is used to describe cracks in this model. The adaptive strategy proposed in this paper provides accurate, efficient and reliable eigensolutions of frequency and mode (i.e. eigenpairs as eigenvalue and eigenfunction) for Euler–Bernoulli beams with multiple cracks. Based on the frequency measurement method for damage detection, using the difference between the actual and computed frequencies of cracked beams, the inverse eigenproblems are solved iteratively for identifying the residuals of locations and sizes of the cracks by the Newton–Raphson iteration technique. In the crack detection, the estimated residuals are added to obtain reliable results, which is an iteration process that will be expedited by more accurate frequency solutions based on the proposed method for free vibration problems.

Numerical results are presented for free vibration problems and damage detection problems of representative non-uniform and geometrically stepped Euler–Bernoulli beams with multiple cracks to demonstrate the effectiveness, efficiency, accuracy and reliability of the proposed method.

The proposed combination of methodologies described in the paper leads to a very powerful approach for free vibration and damage detection of beams with cracks, introducing the mesh refinement, that can be extended to deal with the damage detection of frame structures.