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Modeling and Numerical Analysis of Heat Transfer Phenomenon in Various Industrial Fluids
No full textThe present thesis is devoted to develop new mathematical models for various types of fluids under
different scenarios to provide significant benefits to industries and engineers. Keeping this in view,
industrial fluids such as FENE-P fluids, di-hybrid nanofluids, tri-hybrid nanofluids, Casson fluids
and phase change materials (paraffin wax, salt hydrates) have significant applications in chemical,
pharmaceutical, electronics, food-processing, bio-medical industries. In this thesis, we have ad
dressed above mentioned fluid flows over different configurations, like, flat plate, stretching sheet,
rotating disks, jet impingement, under various conditions. All these configurations provide foun
dational knowledge that is applied in a wide range of industries and research areas. In this regard,
f
low over flat plate helps in analyzing and designing aircraft wings, understanding the flow over
stretching sheets is crucial for developing new fabrication techniques in nanofibers and nanofilms,
and the flow dynamics over rotating and stretchable disks are crucial for designing and optimizing
turbines and compressors in power plants and jet engines, the jet impinging technique is used to
efficiently and instantly dissipate the heat to cool the sophisticated engineering devices, such as
anti-icing of aircraft wings, micro-processor/controllers, heat exchanger, etc. Moreover, introduc
ing porous media over the same configurations further helps distribute the flow more uniformly,
reduce drag, and increase the heat transfer rate. Therefore, drawing inspiration from these factors,
we have examined the flow dynamics and heat transfer of these industrial fluids by employing
buoyancy effects, velocity slips, viscous dissipation effects, etc., over different domains. The as
sociated phenomenon and physics behind them are discussed through velocity profiles, thermal
profiles, streamlines, isotherm contours, Nusselt number and skin friction coefficient. This re
search could pave the way for developing numerous engineering and industrial applications
Impact of Adversities on Children’s Resilience: The Role of Protective and Compensatory Factors
No full textOur adult lives are significantly shaped by the experiences we encounter as children. Numerous
illnesses and psychological issues have been linked to childhood adversity, such as abuse,
dysfunctional families, and neglect. People with resilience have the mental strength to handle
stress and adversity. It is the capacity to "bounce back" from life's challenges. Numerous studies
have shown that resilience in children is influenced by protective factors and compensatory
factors, which, in turn, affect behavioral outcomes. However, prior research has mainly been
unable to provide insight into the combined roles of protective factors and compensatory in
helping children develop resilience. Consequently, it was considered essential to explore in the
current study if adversity, resilience, and behavioral outcomes (emotional awareness, selfesteem, and academic achievement) in children can be associated with protective (well-being and
hardiness) and compensatory factors (adult mentoring and parental support).
A total of 400 students from public and private schools across districts of Punjab, India—200
boys and 200 girls of the age range 9 to 12 years participated in the study. Children who have
experienced adversity were identified using the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire
(ACE-Q). The self-reported questionnaires were used to evaluate protective and compensatory
factors. Two distinct tools were used to measure resilience: the Child and Youth Resilience
Measure (CYRM) and the Mandala art technique. For structural equation modeling (SEM), a
conceptual framework was developed and tested with AMOS 23. Resilience, protective factors,
compensatory factors, and behavioral outcomes were negatively correlated with children who
experienced adversity. Additionally, compensatory factors were shown to mediate the
relationship between adversity and resilience in the conceptual model. Furthermore, when the
model was tested individually, parental support and well-being mediated the relationship
between children's resilience and adversity.
The current study expands on previous research by showing how protective and compensatory
factors mediate the relationships between childhood adversity and resilience. The study's
findings have theoretical and applied implications for parents, educators, consultants,
researchers, policy makers, and trained psychologists. Our study has practical implications for all
the counselors and psychologists who can introduce an art technique named mandala to calm and
relax children. Mandala helps children identify their emotions through colors and be resilient at
the same time. Parents and school teachers can also extend this technique to their children and
students. Future generations can benefit the most from our study if parents, through positive
parenting, can help children to be resilient and deal with life challenges
Evaluation of Strength and Durability Properties of Cementitious Composites with Rice Stubble Biochar as Partial Binder Replacement
No full textThis study examines the impact of varying proportions of biochar produced from the pyrolysis
of rice stubble waste on the strength and durability performance of cementitious composites.
Ordinary Portland cement was partially replaced with finely ground biochar at replacement
levels of 0%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, and 10%. The resulting concrete mixes were prepared, cast, and
cured under controlled conditions. The primary objective was to determine the optimal biochar
dosage and evaluate the influence of biochar incorporation on fresh, mechanical, and durability
characteristics of concrete through slump test, rebound hammer test, ultrasonic pulse velocity
test, compressive strength test, splitting tensile strength test, flexural strength test, water
absorption test, and rapid chloride permeability test.
It was observed that increasing biochar concentration led to a progressive reduction in slump,
indicating stiffer mixes due to the high porosity and water absorption capacity of the biochar
particles. Compressive strength testing revealed that incorporating biochar enhanced the
compressive strength, with a 7.5% replacement dosage emerging as the optimal dosage.
However, higher dosages still yielded improved strengths relative to the control mix. In
contrast, splitting tensile and flexural strengths decreased with increasing biochar content,
attributed to the internal porosity introduced within the concrete matrix.
Rebound hammer results exhibited agreement with the compressive strength trends, while
ultrasonic pulse velocity outcomes similarly confirmed that M-3 (7.5% biochar) exhibited the
highest pulse velocity, corresponding to its superior compressive strength. Rapid chloride
permeability results further validated the enhanced performance of M-3, which demonstrated
the lowest charge passed, indicating reduced chloride ion penetration. Conversely, water
absorption showed an increasing trend with biochar content, with M-4 presenting the highest
absorption value.
Overall, it can be concluded that M-3, containing 7.5% biochar as partial cement replacement,
represents the optimum mix composition, while higher dosages still provide improvements
over the control mix in several aspects. This study highlights that incorporating biochar can
promote matrix densification due to its fine particle size and filler effect; however, it may
simultaneously increase overall porosity when introduced beyond the optimum dosage
threshold
Development of Sustainable Construction Materials for Photocatalytic Treatment of Bio-Aerosols
No full textGiven the urgency of the global air pollution crisis, there is a pressing need to rethink construction materials as participants in environmental remediation. The integration of functionalized building materials, such as photocatalytic surfaces, self-cleaning coatings, and antimicrobial composites, proves crucial for improving air quality in indoor and outdoor environments. However, while promising, these conventional photocatalytic construction materials encounter limitations such as inadequate performance under visible light spectrum or low-light conditions and issues related to long-term durability. Also, extending their photo-activity to the visible light spectrum presents significant challenges, such as compromising the technique's sustainability and low energy consumption aspects, accompanied by financial and technological costs. Thus, the research area concerning using eco-friendly and low-cost visibly-active photocatalytic construction materials for indoor microbial disinfection remains underexplored and limited.
Implementing such next-generation construction materials will enable buildings to function as passive enclosures and play an active role in pollution control, occupant health, and workplace safety. In light of this, the present study introduces a novel inherent and visibly-active heterojunction formation concept to fabricate a sustainable antimicrobial cementitious material. This approach seeks to fabricate a visibly active Fe2TiO5 heterostructure for cementitious composites that demonstrates photocatalytic and antimicrobial characteristics under the visible spectrum of light. To achieve this, cement mortar incorporating IWPs, i.e., FA, FS, and BS, was outer-coated with photocatalyst TiO2. The proposed technique aims to develop a sustainable, cost-effective, and novel method for degrading the urban indoor microbial environment, incorporating circular economy principles.
Primarily, the study evaluated the structural suitability of the developed iron-rich cementitious material in terms of its durability and strength properties. Under this, seven mortar mixtures (including the control mixture) were designed with a constant 0.5 w/c ratio. FA and BS were replaced at 10% (constant) and 5–30% (varying by 5%) by the weight of cement, and the FS replaced sand at a constant rate of 15% by the weight of sand while designing different mortar mixtures, respectively. To assess thel performance of the developed iron-rich cementitious material, different physical (porosity, real, bulk, and dry density), durability (water absorption by immersion), and strength (compressive strength, flexural strength, and split tensile strength) properties were performed. The fresh properties of the different IWP-modified mortar mixtures indicated that higher levels of BS replacement increased slump value in IWP-modified mortar mixtures, enhancing workability and cohesiveness, while the fresh density decreased slightly. The results indicated that the utilized IWPs, i.e., FA, BS, and FS, substantially impact the physical and mechanical properties of the developed iron-rich cementitious composite material.
The strength property results indicated that the cementitious mortar mix C85S85 exhibited superior compressive strength, with values of 36.2 N/mm² at 28 days and 50.8 N/mm² at 56 days. The 5% BS replacement mix, specifically C85S85, surpassed the reference C100S100 mortar mix, achieving split tensile strengths of 1.98 N/mm² at 7 days and 3.8 N/mm² at 28 days. Furthermore, the results indicated that different levels of BS replacement influence the flexural strength of IWPs-modified cementitious mortar specimens in a manner analogous to their impacts on compressive and split tensile strength. Thus, the mix C85S85 yielded the most favorable results, exhibiting flexural strengths of 3.58 N/mm² and 4.69 N/mm² at 7 and 28 days, respectively.
The physical property results demonstrated that the reference mix C100S100 attains a 28-day porosity value of 16.31%, whereas a rise in BS replacement elevates this value. Whereas the 28-day real, bulk, and dry density decreased as BS replacement increased, confirming the suitability of different IWPs-modified mixes for standard cement mortar class. Consequently, the findings indicate that the formulated mortar mixtures can provide low-density construction materials. The study on durability properties indicated that increased BS substitution resulted in higher water absorption values through immersion, with the C85S85 mix attaining the optimal value of 5.84%. This suggests that the compressive strength results of the mix C85S85 in the present study align well with its durability and physical properties results. Therefore, the mortar mix C85S85 demonstrated superior durability and strength properties than the reference mix C100S100.
The microstructure analysis indicated that including IWPs in the mortar mix improves the microstructure and compactness at all curing ages. SEM analysis demonstrated that the improved compressive strength and reduced porosity of mix C85S85 are attributed to the increased formation of CSH gel relative to other IWPs-modified mortar mix. XRD results indicate crystalline behavior at 28 and 56 days, with no notable phase transition observed as BS replacement levels increase. A significant peak of quartz was generated, accompanied by other hydrated phases such as calcium hydroxide, calcium carbonate, calcium silicate hydrate, and gismondine. The TGA data demonstrated a consistent mass loss pattern with increasing temperature across all IWPs-modified mortar samples. Therefore, the mortar mix C85S85 is recommended to effectively use FS, BS, and FA as substitutes for sand and cement in sustainable building materials. The results demonstrate that the iron-rich cementitious material enhances environmental sustainability by adopting a circular economy and green building practices.
Following that, the cementitious specimens underwent TiO2 coating. The resulting Fe2TiO5 heterostructure for cementitious composite was then analyzed using various analytical approaches. The analytical examination confirmed the presence of a surface-active Fe2TiO5 heterojunction oxide layer. This was validated using multiple techniques, including XRD, XPS, FTIR, Raman spectra, and EDS with elemental mapping. XRD analysis revealed ITO peaks, confirming the incorporation of iron into the TiO2 lattice and forming a surface-active Fe2TiO5 heterojunction oxide layer on the composite's outer surface. FTIR spectra indicated the formation of Ti–O–Fe vibrational bonds, thereby further confirming the presence of Fe in the composite. EDS, elemental mapping, and XPS revealed the presence of elements including Ti, O, Fe, Na, Si, and Fe on the outer surface of the Fe2TiO5 heterostructure. The crystallite sizes of Fe2TiO5 nanoparticles were measured at 31.203 nm for the anatase phase and 34.95 nm for the rutile phase. The determined lattice parameters for the Fe2TiO5 nanoparticles were in close agreement with the reference TiO2, suggesting that Fe has been incorporated into the TiO2 lattice without modifying the average unit cell dimension. TEM images demonstrated a highly crystalline structure and non-spherical morphology, with an average particle size between 13 and 34.5 nm. The UV-DRS results indicate that the Fe2TiO5 heterostructure operates efficiently under visible light, exhibiting an energy band gap of 2.57 eV. The BET analysis showed that the Fe2TiO5 heterostructure possesses a surface area of 73.757 m² g⁻¹ and a pore volume of 9.1x10⁻² cm³g-1. The PL spectrum analysis indicated a reduction in the (e-/h+) recombination rate and increased charge separation efficiency of the Fe2TiO5 heterostructure.
Also, the developed Fe2TiO5 heterostructure underwent a thorough photocatalytic and antibacterial property check, confirming its stability and potency as a photocatalytic and antimicrobial construction material under the visible light spectrum. Under this, the present study evaluated the photocatalytic efficacy of the Fe2TiO5 heterostructure in reducing MB in aqueous solutions under solar-visible light exposure. The Fe2TiO5 heterostructure demonstrated enhanced decolorization, evidenced by a decrease in the primary absorption peak and a reduction in the color intensity of the MB solution. The Fe2TiO5 heterostructure demonstrated a 93.1% removal rate of MB at 60 min, in contrast to the 68% observed for simple P25-TiO2 coated specimens. The kinetics of MB degradation utilizing Fe2TiO5 catalysts demonstrated a linear correlation, with a notable increase in the reaction rate constant (0.029 min-1) compared to the TiO2-coated cementitious composite (0.015 min-1). Further, the antibacterial activity of the Fe2TiO5 heterostructure was determined using an E. coli aliquot in a batch reactor under solar-visible light exposure. The Fe2TiO5 heterostructure demonstrated a bacterial inactivation efficiency of 99%, achieving a log reduction of 2.301 ± 0.04 after 60 min of experimentation. The Fe2TiO5 heterostructure exhibited a rate constant of 0.038 min-1, surpassing the TiO2-assisted photocatalysis-induced antibacterial process, which had a rate constant of 0.0083 min-1. This indicates its potential for practical applications. The trapping experiments demonstrated that •O2− and •OH are the most active oxidative species in the Fe2TiO5 heterostructure for the photocatalytic disinfection process. Thus, the findings indicated the durability and efficacy of the Fe2TiO5 heterostructure as a photocatalytic construction material within the visible light spectrum.
Furthermore, the indoor antimicrobial efficacy of the Fe2TiO5 heterostructure was evaluated by neutralizing E. coli bioaerosols under visible light in a glass reactor. The optimized experimental conditions resulted in a 1.312 log reduction of E. coli bioaerosols over a 60 min reaction period. The kinetic parameters, such as k of the log-linear model and δ from the double Weibull model, were employed to analyze the bioaerosols inactivation results of Fe2TiO5 heterostructure. The findings indicated that the inactivation rate was significantly higher under visible light conditions with a k value of 0.04 min-1 and δ1 and δ2 values of 34.29 and 32.86, respectively. Also, the Fe2TiO5 heterostructure displayed enhanced antimicrobial properties relative to uncoated-C85S85 and simple TiO2-coated cementitious specimens. Its antimicrobial efficiency reached 69.33% in the dark and 90-95% under visible light, in contrast to the simple TiO2-coated cementitious specimen, which exhibited an antibacterial efficiency of only 23% under visible light and no activity in dark conditions. It also demonstrated a high rate constant (k) value of 0.022 min-1, in contrast to the simple-TiO2 coated (0.0021 min-1) and uncoated-C85S85 (0.0016 min-1) cementitious composites. The overall material cost dropped from 6.69% for C85S85 to 14.08% for C60S85 compared to the control mix C100S100 while preserving the strength and durability of the iron-rich cementitious materials. Thus, the broader applications of the novel Fe2TiO5 heterostructure for disinfecting indoor biological contaminants support its potential for commercial-scale implementation. The Fe2TiO5 heterostructure exhibited remarkable durability and recyclability, exceeding 45 cycles, as verified by multiple analytical methods, highlighting its potential for commercial applications due to its enhanced stability. Thus, the findings reveal that the Fe2TiO5 heterostructure executes excellent antimicrobial properties in inactivating E. coli bioaerosols under dark and visible light conditions. Hence, it can be concluded that the fabricated Fe2TiO5 heterostructure on cementitious composite is economically, ecologically, and sustainably viable to be utilized as a construction material for the remediation of various indoor microbial contaminants
A Droplet Digital Polymerase Chain Reaction (ddPCR) Approach for Sensitive and Non-Invasive Detection of Fetal Genetic Abnormalities
No full textNon-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) has revolutionized the early detection of fetal genetic
abnormalities, yet conventional platforms such as Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) are often
constrained by cost, turnaround time, and operational complexity. This dissertation investigates
the clinical utility and analytical performance of droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) as an alternative
approach for targeted NIPT. Comparative analysis demonstrates that ddPCR consistently achieves
high sensitivity and specificity 98% and 99%, respectively, for the detection of common
chromosomal aneuploidies, values that are comparable to leading NGS methods. Importantly,
ddPCR yields rapid results within approximately 90 minutes, significantly expediting clinical
decision-making compared to the several days required for NGS workflows. The study also
highlights the robustness of ddPCR in analyzing samples with low fetal DNA fractions, costeffectiveness, and operational simplicity, making it accessible for use in both high-resource and
resource-limited settings. However, ddPCR is best suited for the detection of known genetic
targets, with genome-wide and exploratory diagnostics remaining the strength of NGS. Overall,
ddPCR emerges as a sensitive, specific, rapid, and affordable tool for non-invasive prenatal
detection of targeted fetal genetic abnormalities, with the potential to expand access to timely and
accurate prenatal care. Further validation of multiplex ddPCR assays is recommended to broaden
their clinical applicabilit
Modeling and Analysis of High Frequency Interconnects Using Doped Multilayer Graphene Nanoribbon
No full textPhd ThesisThe increasing need for faster communication and computing systems has created a demand for interconnects capable of handling sharper signal transitions and operating at higher frequencies. At the same time, driven by the need for enhanced performance, the semiconductor industry has aggressively scaled down the size of devices and interconnects. However, the continuous evolution and rapid scaling of device integration technology, have led to significant performance challenges for conventional copper (Cu) based high-speed on-chip interconnects. Hence, researchers are on a quest to find a suitable alternative that addresses these limitations while ensuring efficient and reliable performance in future high-speed, nanoscale systems.
Recently, intercalation-doped multilayer graphene nanoribbons (MLGNRs) have emerged as a promising alternative for Cu interconnects, offering remarkable electronic, transport, mechanical, and thermal properties. However, despite the promising enhancements offered by intercalation doping, the practical application of MLGNR as on-chip interconnects is limited by extrinsic scatterers and skin effect at high frequencies, thereby aggravating signal integrity issues and compromising the overall performance, functionality, and reliability of high-speed systems. Further research is crucial to mitigate these challenges and fully realize the potential of MLGNR for high-speed on-chip interconnects.
In this thesis, an impedance model is developed by incorporating the scattering-limited realistic effective mean free path (MFP), λR(T), for various configurations of MLGNR interconnects to extract frequency-independent circuit parameters. The MLGNR configurations include undoped MLGNR (viz., horizontal top-contact (HTC), horizontal side-contact (HSC), and vertical top-contact (VTC)), and intercalation-doped HTC-MLGNR (with AsF5, FeCl3, and Li dopants). The optimistic intrinsic-phonon-limited effective MFP, λP(T), for perfect MLGNR is also considered for impedance analysis. The circuit parameters for MLGNR variants are analyzed and compared to mixed carbon nanotube (MCNT) bundles, and smooth and rough Cu variants across a temperature range of 300 K to 500 K. Further, the impact of corrugation amplitudes (10 pm to 170 pm) on the circuit parameters of MLGNR and Cu interconnects are analyzed at 300 K. The findings indicate that the extrinsic scattering sources, particularly structural edge roughness (SER) of GNR and corrugations of dielectric surface, significantly increase the resistance of both undoped and doped MLGNR interconnects compared to Cu variants.
Subsequently, a methodology incorporating the scattering-limited realistic effective MFP and a finite-thickness-dependent skin effect model is proposed for extracting the frequency-dependent impedance of MLGNR interconnects. By employing the proposed methodology, the frequency-dependent characteristics of circuit parameters for MLGNR interconnects are obtained and compared with MCNT bundle and Cu interconnects over a frequency range of 1 GHz - 104 GHz at a temperature of 300 K. The results show that due to skin effect at high frequencies, more pronounced impact of scatterers is observed, thereby exacerbating effective resistance of MLGNR interconnects.
After establishing the scattering-limited, frequency-independent impedance model, this work performs a temperature-dependent comparative analysis of MLGNR, MCNT bundles, and Cu interconnects in capacitively coupled configurations. Using SPICE simulations, crosstalk-induced delay is evaluated, revealing that MLGNR variants outperform MCNT bundles and Cu interconnects for λP(T), but show inferior performance compared to Cu for λR(T). Among MLGNR and MCNT bundle interconnects, lithium intercalation-doped HTC-MLGNR (Li-D HTC-MLGNR) achieves the lowest crosstalk-induced delay for both λP(T) and λR(T). An ABCD parameter-based analytical model further examines transient response, 3-dB bandwidth, and relative stability, showing MLGNR’s superior stability despite Cu's advantage in step response and bandwidth. Moreover, Li-D HTC-MLGNR interconnects, without SER and placed on substrates like Silicon carbide (SiC) and Boron Nitride (BN), exhibit faster rise times than Cu counterparts. These findings underscore the need to eliminate scattering sources like SER and corrugations on dielectric surface for MLGNR's practical on-chip applications.
Furthermore, the frequency-dependent circuit parameters are employed for evaluating frequency varying crosstalk-induced delay, overshoot amplitude, and overshoot width for MLGNR interconnects using SPICE simulations for frequency range of 1 GHz to 104 GHz. Comparisons with MCNT bundles and Cu interconnects reveal that MLGNR and MCNT bundles, for λR(T) and placed on Silicon dioxide (SiO2), exhibit inferior performance compared to Cu variants due to skin effect and scatterers. However, optimized Li-D HTC-MLGNR (O-Li-D HTC-MLGNR) placed on SiC, in the absence of substrate polar phonons (SPPs) and SER, demonstrates the minimal impact from frequency variations and skin effect, and superior performance. Therefore, to benefit from the advantages of MLGNR-based interconnects at high frequencies, intercalation doping with Li, utilizing SiC as dielectric, and eliminating scatterings with rough edges and substrate SPPs are desired.
Subsequently, the frequency-dependent traits of crosstalk-induced delay and noise area, and the mean time to failure due to electromigration (EM-MTF) are analyzed for O-Li-D HTC-MLGNR interconnects under the influence of scatterers, skin effect, and process and temperature variations. As a result of variations in process parameters and temperature, the O-Li-D HTC-MLGNR exhibits an increase in variations of crosstalk-induced delay and noise area, accompanied by a reduction in variations of EM-MTF as the frequency increases. The impact of process and temperature variations gets enhanced at higher frequencies for O-Li-D HTC-MLGNR and, hence, must be eradicated for reliable interconnect design and operation.
Finally, a MLGNR-based single-tier on-chip nanoscale via-interconnect scheme (VIS) is proposed, which combines the Li-D VTC-MLGNR via and Li-D HTC-MLGNR interconnect, as a prospect for monolithic 3D (M-3D) ICs. To go beyond the simplifying assumptions of perfect MLGNR and conventional skin effect, this study incorporates the impact of extrinsic scatterers in a realistic MLGNR and considers the one-dimensional skin depth formula for MLGNR-based interconnect and via. A combined equivalent circuit model is developed to analyze the challenges induced by crosstalk effects in perfect and realistic MLGNR VIS. The results show that for width in the range of 5 nm - 30 nm, perfect VIS outperforms realistic VIS in terms of crosstalk-induced delay. Moreover, at high frequencies ranging from 1 GHz-104 GHz with a width of 16 nm, realistic VIS demonstrates a performance decline of 243.18% (5.3934×103%) for l=4.8 µm (1 mm), respectively, in comparison to perfect VIS. Hence, in order to leverage the potential of MLGNR-based VIS for M-3D ICs at high frequencies, it is imperative to integrate Li-intercalation doping and mitigate the impact of extrinsic scatterers in MLGNR
Personalized Learning Through AI-Driven Adaptive Content Delivery Mode: A Reinforcement Learning and NLP-Based Framework
No full text"Personalized Learning through AI-Driven Multimodal Adaptive Systems: A Reinforcement Learning Approach with Real-Time Feedback" presents a comprehensive study on designing and implementing an AI-powered adaptive learning system. The system dynamically personalizes not just the content but also the mode of delivery—text, video, or gamified— using reinforcement learning (RL), multimodal behavioural analytics, and natural language processing (NLP). It integrates real-time data streams such as click logs, gaze tracking, and student performance to tailor the learning experience, addressing the diverse preferences and needs of learners in online education environments. Traditional adaptive learning systems focus primarily on performance metrics and lack dynamic content mode adaptation or personalized feedback mechanisms. This research addresses those limitations by developing a system that uses Deep Q-Networks to recommend optimal content delivery modes and BERT-based NLP models for personalized, real-time feedback. It also integrates ethical AI safeguards, including bias mitigation, data anonymization, and explainability through SHAP values. Chapter 1 introduces the challenges in current e-learning systems, emphasizing the need for adaptive delivery modes and personalized feedback to enhance engagement and retention. Chapter 2 reviews recent research across six themes: adaptive AI systems, real-time assessment, delivery mode effectiveness, student engagement, dynamic adaptation, and ethical considerations, identifying gaps that inform the thesis objectives. Chapter 3 outlines the problem statement, research questions, and objectives, framing the need for a scalable and ethical AI-based learning system. Chapter 4 presents the methodology, including dataset integration from EdNet, OULAD, and ASSISTments; system design using RL and NLP modules; and the technical implementation of feature engineering and content recommendation. Chapter 5 details experimental results and performance analysis, demonstrating the effectiveness of the RL and NLP models. The chapter also uses SHAP visualizations to interpret model decisions and verify transparency and fairness. Chapter 6 concludes with a summary of contributions and discusses the future scope of expanding to real-time deployment, incorporating deeper multimodal analytics, and testing in broader educational contexts
Understanding the role of Empathy and Anxiety on Cognitive Control: A Dual Perspective
No full textThis study explored the combined effects of empathy and anxiety on cognitive control using a
face-word Stroop task. Seventy-three participants (aged 18–25) were assigned to either an
empathy-induced or non-empathy group. Empathy was induced through a narrative-based
message (Shen, 2010), while anxiety was assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory
and Beck Anxiety Inventory. Results showed that empathy itself acted as an affective
variable and significantly interfered with cognitive control. This suggested increase in
cognitive load, wherein higher anxiety individuals revealed impaired cognitive control in the
presence of empathy irrespective of emotion. No interaction was found between empathy and
anxiety, suggesting their effects are independent and additive. These findings highlight the cognitive cost of emotional engagement and have implications
for tasks requiring both empathy and executive control, such as those in clinical and
educational settings
Performance Evaluation of Effluent Treatment Plant (OCM Pvt. Ltd., Amritsar)
No full textPerformance Evaluation of Effluent Teatment Plant was conducted at OCM Pvt.Ltd.Amritsar during the period July 2024 - June2025. The basic principles of Software NOW, its application for handling purchase and sale, warehouse modules and meeting the major requirements of textile industry were thoroughly learnt.Influent (from inlet) and effluent(from outlet) were analyzed twice weekly from Dec2024 to May 2025 (6 months) for the parameters pH, temperature, Total dissolved and suspended solids, BOD and COD. The study has shown a possibility to work further on techniques of TDS removal, kinetics development, techno-economics of treatment et