Volume 14 | Issue 2 |

 Abstract

Haunted by Memory: Trauma in Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House and Laura Purcell's The Silent Companions

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Haunted by Memory: Trauma in Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House and Laura Purcell's The Silent Companions

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The integrity of democratic elections relies heavily on secure, transparent, and trustworthy voting mechanisms. Conventional voting systems, including paper-based and electronic voting machines, suffer from challenges such as centralized control, limited transparency, and vulnerability to manipulation. These limitations reduce public confidence in electoral outcomes and highlight the need for a secure digital alternative. This paper introduces a blockchain-enabled digital voting system that ensures transparency, security, and decentralization through the use of smart contracts. The proposed approach records votes on an immutable blockchain, preventing unauthorized modifications and enforcing election rules such as voter eligibility and single-vote constraints. Voter privacy is preserved by allowing public verification of transactions without revealing individual identities. The system adopts a hybrid architecture that combines on-chain vote validation with off-chain user interaction to improve scalability and performance. Experimental results indicate enhanced security, reliable vote counting, and improved trust compared to traditional voting systems. CRYPTOBALLOT demonstrates the effectiveness of blockchain technology in enabling secure and transparent digital elections.

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Blockchain-based digital voting; Smart contracts; Decentralized elections; Secure voting systems; Transparency and integrity; Electronic voting.

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The objective of the present study is to ascertain the relationship among scientific knowledge, aptitude and environmental awareness which include environmental awareness for judgement (EAJ) and environmental awareness for action (EAA). Hypotheses states that the environmental awareness is positively and significantly corelated to scientific knowledge and aptitude, i.e. knowledge and aptitude for life science and total test (H1-H4). Scientific knowledge was considered as independent variable and environment awareness was considered as dependant variable simultaneously aptitude is delineated as innate ability to acquire knowledge or to perform any task. Five ninety-three samples of class 11 standard were collected randomly from the districts of North and South 24 Parganas of West Bengal and from the district of Kolkata, undergone the same courses of study and passed out Madhyamik Examination (10+ public examination conducted by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education. The tool for measuring environmental awareness consists of 48 items (EAA-27 items and EAJ=21 items) developed by Dr. Chakraborty and Mrs. Sengupta in 1999 and scientific knowledge and aptitude test of 100 items (Life Science= 30, Physical Science= 40 items and Mathematics= 30 items), developed by Mrs. C. Mukherjee and Dr. Chakraborty in 1999 used in this study. Descriptive analysis, correlational analysis, and regression analysis were the mode of analysis in this study. In Inter-correlation matrix shows that Environmental awareness was positively and significantly corelated to knowledge and aptitude in Life Science, Physical Science and total test and EAA and EAJ. However, the summary of the results showing the levels of regression by groups of rural male, rural female, urban male urban female and all groups - (rural+urban)+(male+female) on environmental awareness reveals the fact that the knowledge of life science and total scientific knowledge and aptitude test necessarily ensure environmental awareness.

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Keywords : Scientific knowledge, aptitude, environmental awareness judgement, action , Life science, Physical science, Mathematics, descriptive analysis, correlational analysis, regressional analysis

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The fashion industry faces growing scrutiny over its environmental and social impacts while simultaneously experiencing rapid digitalisation of its supply chains. Sustainable and circular fashion models are widely promoted, yet consumer scepticism regarding the authenticity of sustainability claims remains high, fuelled by information asymmetries and concerns about greenwashing. This paper develops an integrated conceptual framework that links sustainable fashion practices, digital traceability technologies, and cybersecurity mechanisms to explain how these elements jointly influence transparency and consumer trust in clothing supply chains. Drawing on secondary data from academic literature, industry, and ESG reports, technology case studies, and cybersecurity studies, the analysis synthesises current knowledge on sustainable and circular fashion strategies, digital tracking and authentication tools, and security risks in digital supply networks. The proposed framework argues that secure digital traceability is essential to transform internal sustainability initiatives into credible, externally verifiable information that can reduce information asymmetry and support consumer trust. The paper outlines managerial implications for fashion firms seeking to align sustainability, digital transformation, and security agendas, and identifies directions for future empirical research to test and refine the framework. In particular, managers are advised to prioritise security-by-design, cross-functional governance, and consumer-centric disclosure to build robust, trustworthy, sustainable supply chains.

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Sustainable fashion Circular fashion Smart fashion Supply chain transparency Supply chain traceability Digital product passport Blockchain technology Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Internet of Things (IoT) Digital supply chains Cybersecurity Information security Data integrity Consumer trust Greenwashing Ethical sourcing Sustainable supply chain management Digital transformation Fashion industry Sustainability framework

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Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC) is an innovative concrete that possesses the ability to flow under its own weight and completely fill form work without the need for mechanical vibration. This project investigates the development of Self-Compacting Concrete of M20 grade by partially replacing cement with fly ash, an industrial by-product, to improve work-ability and promote sustainable construction practices. Fly ash was used as a partial replacement of cement in different proportions, and its influence on the fresh and hardened properties of SCC was studied. The fresh properties of SCC were evaluated using standard tests such as slump flow test, T50 time, V-funnel test, and L-box test to ensure conformity with SCC guidelines. The hardened properties were assessed by conducting compressive strength tests at 7 and 28 days. The experimental results indicate that the inclusion of fly ash enhances the flow-ability, filling ability, and passing ability of SCC while achieving the required strength for M20 grade concrete. An optimum percentage of fly ash replacement was observed to provide a good balance between strength and work-ability. The study concludes that fly ash can be effectively utilized as a partial replacement of cement in Self-Compacting Concrete, resulting in economical, durable, and environmentally friendly concrete suitable for structural applications.

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Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC), Fly Ash, PPC based Cement, Flowability, Superplasticizer

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Women's empowerment through financial inclusion has emerged as a critical development priority, particularly in emerging and developing economies. Despite the expanding body of literature, research remains fragmented across conceptual, institutional, and regional dimensions. This study conducts a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of 871 publications indexed in the Scopus database from 2000 to 2025 to map the intellectual structure, thematic evolution, and collaborative patterns in the field. Using co-citation, keyword co-occurrence, thematic mapping, and collaboration network analyses, the study identifies poverty alleviation and financial inclusion as dominant motor themes, while empowerment-related constructs remain conceptually broad. Findings reveal a clear transition from microfinance-centered research toward digital financial inclusion, gender equality, and sustainability-oriented frameworks aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. India emerges as the leading contributor, reflecting the context-driven nature of the research domain. The analysis highlights significant gaps, particularly in longitudinal assessments, digital gender divides, and the role of small finance and niche banks in sustaining empowerment outcomes. The study provides an integrated knowledge framework to guide future research, policy formulation, and inclusive banking strategies.

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Women's Empowerment; Financial Inclusion; Inclusive Banking; Microfinance; Small Finance Banks; Digital Financial Inclusion; Poverty Alleviation; Gender Equality; Bibliometric Analysis; Co-citation Analysis; Thematic Evolution.

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Children aged from 3 to 5, also known as preschool children, are in a developmental stage where abilities like cognitive, social, emotional, etc., will be developed. This study aims to reveal the impact of smartphone usage on the preschool children's behavior. In recent years it is noticed that usage of smartphones is increasing at a rapid speed in every age group, including the preschool age group. Due to excess use, children are becoming hyperactive, attention deficient, and irritable, and factors like parental phone usage, lack of supervision, and lack of limitation are providing fuel to this. Various research provides knowledge on the problems that are seen in the development of preschool children due to smartphone usage. From this perspective the current review study mostly focuses on the studies that revealed the behavioral problem that is seen among preschool children due to smartphone use. Studies revealed that higher screen time is associated with language delays, behavioral problems, and poor sleep in the preschool children. Parental interaction also contributed to the problematic use of children. These findings reinforced the importance of consistent parental monitoring and a controlled digital habit.

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Preschool Children, Behavioral Problem, Smart phone usage

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This research paper, named "Ethical Consumption and Brand Loyalty: A Study on Global Green Marketing Initiatives," focuses on the rising significance of sustainability in contemporary marketing and its impact on the behaviour of consumers and their loyalty to brands. With the rising awareness among consumers about environmental concerns like climate change, pollution, and depletion of natural resources, they are slowly embracing the concept of ethical consumption. Ethical consumption is the practice of buying products and services that are produced and marketed responsibly. The primary aim of the research is to examine the impact of green marketing campaigns conducted by organizations on the perception and loyalty of consumers toward brands. The research will also investigate whether consumers are genuinely supporting eco-friendly brands or whether their purchasing behaviour is driven by price and convenience. The study relies solely on the secondary research methodology. The data was gathered from the academic journals, research papers, sustainability reports of multinational corporations and Indian companies. The information gathered was analysed to understand the global and Indian trends related to ethical consumption and sustainable branding practices. The results show that ethical consumption is on the rise, particularly among young consumers like Millennials and Generation Z. Consumers display a positive attitude towards environmentally responsible brands and tend to form an emotional attachment and trust with such brands. However, the study also points out the gap between consumer intention and actual purchasing behaviour. Consumers tend to show concern for the environment, but they fail to purchase environmentally responsible products because of their high costs and lack of availability in the market, as well as a lack of trust in corporate environmental claims. In the Indian scenario, ethical consumption is slowly taking shape but is still in its nascent stage. Consumers in urban areas are increasingly becoming aware, but affordability is an important criterion that impacts their buying decisions. The paper concludes that the most important elements that link green marketing campaigns to brand loyalty are trust, transparency, and authenticity. Those organizations that are genuinely working towards sustainable practices, such as green packaging, sustainable sourcing, and environmentally transparent reporting, are more likely to be successful in fostering long-term consumer relationships. On the other hand, greenwashing can have a negative impact on brand reputation. In general, the study indicates that ethical consumption is not a passing trend but a paradigm shift in consumer behaviour. Companies that can incorporate sustainability into their operations and communicate their efforts transparently can gain a competitive advantage and improve their brand image and loyalty.

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Ethical Consumption, Green Marketing, Brand Loyalty, Sustainable Development

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Mathematics has a very important role in modern education and it also plays a crucial role to develop logical thinking, problem solving skills and the ability to analyze situations. One of the key factors that influence how students engage with mathematics is their level of interest. This interest can significantly affect how long they stay involved with the subject, their academic performance and their decisions about future careers, especially in science, technology, engineering and mathematical fields. The purpose of this study was to compare the levels of interest in mathematics among class 8th students with respect to their gender. The data for the present study has been collected from 100 students (50 boys and 50 girls) using simple random sampling technique. For the collection of data Mathematical Interest Inventory by Dubey was used to measure the mathematical interest. For the analysis of data t-test was applied to find out the significant difference between two groups i.e. boys and girls.

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na

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Next-generation AI agents are a big step up from those old rule-based systems we used to have. They can perceive things on their own, make decisions, and handle tasks in ways that adapt over time. I think this research looks at how these agents are built, with layers for perception, reasoning, learning, and actually doing stuff. It points out stuff like being autonomous, working with other agents, and keeping on learning, based on surveys from 2025 to 2026 and some frameworks like ReAct, AutoGen, Voyager, and CrewAI. In healthcare, they might help with diagnosis. Finance has them spotting fraud. Robotics and business workflows get automated too, which shows real-world use. But there are problems, like making sure they align with ethics, handling big computations without slowing down, staying secure against attacks, and building trust with people. Adversarial stuff is tricky, it seems. The findings push hybrid neurosymbolic setups and reinforcement learning as ways to make this work better. Future ideas include governance that's more open, mixing in edge computing, and standard ways to evaluate them. This paper gives a taxonomy of patterns in architecture, some analysis on capabilities from real tests, and strategies for deploying systems we can trust.

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AI Agents, Autonomous Systems, Reinforcement Learning, Multi-Agent Systems, Large Language Models, Agentic AI, Neuro-Symbolic AI, Agent Security

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