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Unlocking Islamic finance in India an analysis of regulatory barriers and the potential for financial inclusion
No full textIslamic finance based on Shariah rules against Riba (interest), profit-loss sharing,and ethical investment is a robust alternative to traditional banking, especially in thecase of underserved populations. In India, where the Muslim population is more than210 million (14.2 percent of the population by 2025), this framework has massivepotential of financial inclusion when there is continued exclusion of a largerproportion of more than 40 percent of the population including 140 million adultswithout a bank account. Nonetheless, poor regulatory barriers in the BankingRegulation Act (1949), socio-political mistrust and low awareness are the breedersof its impediments leaving an unutilized market worth USD 100-150 billion a year.This thesis is a critical analysis of the challenges and opportunities of Islamic financein India taking a pragmatic approach of mixed methods. Phase 1 entailed semistructured interviews of 20 stakeholders (regulators, academics, providers), andhow they perceived and felt as to barriers. The survey of phase 2 involved 750different respondents (potential customers) in the urban, semi-urban and ruralregions through Google Forms using purposive and convenience sampling.Qualitative data were thematically analysed, and the descriptive statistics ofquantitative responses identified the following: 55% of awareness rates, 70% ofparticipants saw ethical benefits but 45% of the participants reported regulatorybarriers as the main challenges. Muslims were found to be 70% positive intent andnon-Muslims (65% economic appeal) were 35% skeptical because of exclusivitymisconception. Socio-economic differences were also emphasised in the urban-rural differences (65% vs. 35% familiarity).Results indicate that regulatory changes (e.g., revising Sections 5(b) and 21 toengage in risk-sharing), education of people, technological innovations in the fintechsector, and international partnerships are desirable methods of mitigation. Islamicfinance would increase GDP 1-2, increase SME financing (open USD 50 billion),and bring in FDI, which would promote sustainable development in line with SDGs.This research has empirical value to under researched contexts of India by providingpractical guidelines to policymakers and institutions to promote fair development.Lack of longitudinal study and bias in sampling are limitations and longitudinal andregional research should be used in future
HALOGrid–HyperAdaptive Long Short Term Memory Model with Intelligent Grid Optimization
No full textHALOGrid is an adaptive edge–cloud malware detection framework for IoT traffic. The approach couples a lightweight LSTM (residual paths, attention, drift-penalty regularization) for low-latency edge inference with a telemetry-driven tuner that performs real-time hyperparameter updates. The tuner employs Augmented Grid Search (AGS): a stage-wise coarse-to-fine exploration with stochastic perturbations, early-stopping of inferior candidates, validation-weighted corrections, and expectation-weighted deployment. A resynchronization controller blends edge and cloud states using divergence- and delay-aware gating; updates are secured via mTLS transport and signed artifacts with rollback. The pipeline integrates preprocessing, drift estimation over multi-metric streams, adaptive learning-rate/regularization adjustment, and A/B deployment safety. Evaluation on CICIoT2023 reports 98.74% accuracy, 1.21% false positive rate, and 12.8,ms mean inference latency on Jetson Nano; energy consumption averages 52.5,mJ/inference. Compared with SGM, HPAI, DFN, ODMS, MIHT, AIMO, IEMS, and DOFD, HALOGrid maintains higher detection fidelity with lower tuning overhead through AGS and secure edge–cloud refinement
Palmyra Palm Shell (Borassus flabellifer) Properties Part 3: Insights Into Its Morphological, Chemical, and Thermal Properties After Alkali Treatment
No full textThe demand for materials that combine high thermal stability and environmental sustainability is growing in modern engineering. While synthetic fibers are effective, their environmental impact often undermines sustainability goals. This study explores the potential of Borassus flabellifer fruit husk, typically discarded as agricultural waste in Bangladesh, as a bio-fiber alternative for thermal insulation applications. The research investigates the morphological, chemical, and thermal properties of the husk after alkali treatment with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) for varying durations. The results show that alkali treatment significantly enhances the thermal properties of Borassus husk. Notably, char content increased by up to 32%, surpassing other biofibers such as hemp, sisal, jute, and kenaf. The integral process decomposition temperature (IPDT) was found to be up to 30% higher than the untreated husk fiber, indicating improved thermal stability. Additionally, specific heat capacity (Cp) decreased by approximately37%, correlating with an increase in integral process decomposition heat (IPDH). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed that treated husks had a rougher and cleaner surface, which may improve thermal insulation properties by creating more voids and enhancing adhesion in composite materials. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis showed reduced and shifted hemicellulose peaks, consistent with lower moisture absorption, as confirmed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Optimal results were observed in samples treated for 0.25 and 0.75 h, suggesting that alkali-treated Borassus husk could serve as an alternative eco-friendly material for energy-efficient and sustainable engineering application
The Value of Art for Life: Critical Reflections on Creativity and the Art of Living Well
No full textThe contribution that arts can make to our health and wellbeing is widely acknowledged in public discourse, with the concept of ‘creative health’ having come to prominence in the UK in the last ten years. This paper asks about the kinds of values at play in contemporary appeals to creativity by exploring the value of art for life from a 8 philosophical perspective. Drawing on Pierre Hadot’s influential work on the ancient 9 philosophical practice of the ‘art of living’, it goes on to consider how aesthetic 10 perception of the world functions as a kind of model for philosophical perception. 11 Inflecting these ideas with Friedrich Nietzsche’s genealogical critique of values, the paper 12 examines the role of art and philosophy in relation to luxury and need, and to fundamental conditions of life enhancement. Building on this distinctive application of Nietzsche’s genealogy, it develops the question of how to assess the value of art for life outside the current neoliberal narratives of wellbeing and the creative industries. In its focus on values rather than ideals, the paper makes an original contribution to current thinking and practice in creative health
“Everything was up in the air”: a qualitative study exploring the disruption of the covid-19 pandemic for UK university students and post-covid-19 recommendations
No full textDisruption to higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic caused several challenges for university students, as they were forced to adjust to new teaching and learning styles. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted university students' learning experiences and education. This study took a phenomenological methodological approach in an attempt to understand students' experiences from their own perspective. Semi-structured interviews were then carried out with 19 university students from the UK between 9 May 2022 - 26 June 2022. The main themes that emerged through thematic analysis were: (1) A lack of engagement with online learning; (2) Changes in attitudes towards learning; (3) A lack of practical learning opportunities; (4) Changes to academic support; (5) Limited interaction with peers; (6) Implications for health and well-being. This study provides a deeper student-centred understanding of university students' lived experiences with online learning during the pandemic, revealing underexplored contextual, emotional and relational dimensions of online learning. These rich qualitative findings not only enhance current understanding of higher education during the pandemic but can be drawn upon to shape digitised learning moving forward. As we are progressing in an era of increasing digitised learning, these findings contribute towards laying the groundwork for future policy and practice within higher education
Palmyra Palm Shell (Borassus flabellifer) Properties Part 1: Insights Into Its Physical and Chemical Properties
No full textBio-based materials are gaining importance in engineering due to their availability, recyclability, and eco-friendliness. Among them, Borassus flabellifer (Palmyra palm) fruit shell (husk) is an underutilized biofiber in Bangladesh, currently limited to disposal or waste-to-energy applications despite its potential for high-value uses. This study explores the physical, chemical, and microstructural properties of untreated Borassus flabellifer husk to evaluate its suitability as a sustainable material for engineering applications. The physical properties, including density, water absorption, moisture regain, and porosity, were assessed according to BS EN ISO 1183-1:2019, ASTM D750, ASTM D2654-22, and ISO 2738 standards. The husk was found to be significantly lighter than its fine as well as coarse fibers and conventional natural fibers like jute, flax, and sisal, making it ideal for lightweight engineering designs. FTIR analysis (qualitatively) revealed the presence of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, which contribute to its mechanical strength, water absorption, and thermal insulation properties, respectively. SEM analysis further demonstrated a cross-linked, porous, and tubular fiber structure, enhancing its thermal and sound insulation features. The findings suggest untreated Borassus flabellifer husk can be a promising alternative for applications requiring lightweight, thermally, and acoustically insulating materials. While its moisture and water resistance outperform some biofibers, chemical treatments could enhance these properties further. To maximize its potential, efficient collection and supply chain systems are essential for industrial-scale production. Harnessing this abundant resource could support sustainable development while encouraging the cultivation and preservation of Borassus flabellifer trees
Investigation of Thermal Characteristics of Turbulent Non-premixed Flames in a Conical Bluff Body Using Ridge and Support Vector Regressor Algorithms
No full textThe current work aims to develop computational models for the thermal characteristics of turbulent CH4 flames for varying burner dimensions. This study develops a platform for data driven analysis of temperature prediction of turbulent non-premixed flames, in which the influence of flow and geometric parameters, including burner head diameter (D), half cone angles (α), and co-flow air velocity (Ucf), have been considered. The algorithms used were ridge regressor (RR), linear regressor (LR), and three variations of support vector regression (SVR): SVR with a linear kernel (SVR-LR), SVR with a radial basis function function (SVR-RBF), and SVR with a polynomial kernel (SVR-Poly). The performance of each computational model was evaluated and contrasted based on several metrics: mean absolute error (\u1d440\u1d434\u1d438), regression coefficient (\u1d445 2 ), mean absolute percent error (\u1d440\u1d434\u1d443\u1d438), and mean Poisson deviance (\u1d440\u1d443\u1d437). From the modelling of the output data, it was observed that the SVR-RBF predictions were more accurate compared to those from the other algorithms, as it achieved the highest training \u1d445 2 value of 0.955. The testing predictions of RR, SVR-LR, SVR-RBF, and SVR-Poly algorithms were also robust, with \u1d445 2 values ranging between 0.91-0.94. It is, therefore, established that these computational models are effectively suited for predicting sensitive turbulent CH4 flame characteristics based on varying input factors
Entrepreneurial Leadership Development in Teams An Empirical Analysis
No full textEntrepreneurial leadership (EL) is a growing research phenomenon. The recent expansion of EL research is attributed to competencies acquired by entrepreneurial leaders for identifying and exploiting business opportunities as well as navigating complex business challenges. Despite this growing attention, only a limited number of studies have addressed EL learning and development, with no prior exploration of how EL can be learned and developed in teams empirically. In response, this qualitative study conducted semi-structured interviews with 40 entrepreneurial leaders (in 18 teams) selected through purposive sampling and examined learning experiences of entrepreneurial leaders associated with University Business Incubators (UBIs) in higher education institutions (HEIs) in Pakistan. The empirical insights revealed that EL learning in teams is a complex and multifaceted process, and entrepreneurial leaders can enhance their knowledge, skills, and capabilities through various strategies, including classroom-based, project-based, social, and self-regulated learning. The evidence emerging from this study informs policy and practice while broadening the theoretical scope of EL by incorporating a team-based conceptualisation into EL development
My Changing Journey
No full textThis autoethnographic chapter begins with a personal journey of change, through the lens of the author's lived experience of supporting a sibling with a brain injury. A learning disabilities nurse, special needs teacher, and leader, she describes her experience of periods of change within service delivery for individuals with learning disabilities. She goes on to address a parallel journey: from caring for people with learning disabilities in long-stay hospitals to a phased move into community care. The chapter ends with a look at how gaps in service provision have arisen and become even wider, causing an increased risk of harm and exploitation
Perspective: Counselling Simulator – a gamified tool for the development and consolidation of risk assessment skills in trainee counsellors
No full textPurposeRisk is a core element of counselling. The training of risk detection, assessment and management is therefore essential to ensuring effective and ethical practice. This paper aims to outline an applied game for training risk assessment skills.Design/methodology/approachThe gamification of education and training aims to strengthen engagement with serious material and enhance learning and consolidation by using a motivating medium. This showcase presents “Perspective: Counselling Simulator”, a gamified tool for developing and assessing risk assessment skills in trainee counsellors in the UK.FindingsThe authors present a showcase of the game and its development, plans for further validation and evaluation.Practical implicationsFollowing ongoing evaluation, the game is intended to be a scalable and accessible tool for trainee counsellors to develop knowledge and self-efficacy in relation to a vital professional skill.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, “Perspective: Counselling Simulator” is the first of its kind as a gamified education and training tool for risk assessment in counselling