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Spurred by the internationalization trend, many architectural professional bodies across the globe relaxed their norms related to the acceptance of promotion and marketing within the services. However, in India, the architectural services codes have not reflected any changes. This paper aims to focus on Indian architectural practice and attempts to investigate about the causes of low marketing activities within the practice in the country.

The study is based on a primary research process of data collection through survey administration. Survey is conducted using a close-ended structured questionnaire based on Likert scale technique. The data are analysed using both descriptive and empirical research techniques mainly, factor analysis. The sample is defined using random clustering sampling technique, from the list of architects registered with the professional regulating body of India, i.e. the Council of Architecture.

The findings of the study are suggestive that architectural firms in India are instinctively practising marketing-related activities, to position their firm to attract clients without formally adopting them. There appears to be a silent routinization of the marketing tasks in the firms. The findings are suggestive of academic and professional ignorance as one of the barriers towards marketing. The findings advocate that recognizing the growing competitive nature of architectural practices in the country, the regulatory and institutional body, Council of Architecture, may retrospect their code of conduct. The results of the present study have a great implication on the architectural education in the country. The findings advocate that the architectural curriculum in the country should be broadened to include the basic knowledge about marketing.

The present study opens a newer paradigm in the practice of architectural services. It highlights the growing linkages between the field of marketing and architecture. It opens a new area of research where linkages between interdisciplinary fields is an important aspect that needs researchers attention, to have a good model of survival for professional firms in a highly competitive environment.

The research findings have great implications for the architectural firms that seek to operate in the globally volatile environment. The increasing competitive nature of the architectural services in India demands a dynamic decision and procurement methods that can strategically position firms in the market. Marketing strategies have a significant role in positioning firms and increasing their client base.

The subject of architectural practice and its operation is an under-researched area. The present study makes a strong point for formal involvement of marketing strategies in the promotion of architectural firms in India. The paper attempts to bridge this gap, and the strength of the paper lies in the empirical nature of its investigation.

The purpose of this study is to investigate and evaluate the impact of varying proportions of reinforcement on the mechanical properties of a modified Al₂O₃-LM6 cast composite under self-pouring temperature conditions. This study aims to determine the optimal mixture proportion of fine powders of Al, Si and xAl₂O₃ (with x values of 2%, 3% and 4%) through the application of design of experiment (DoE) and statistical analysis using the Minitab software. This study also involved evaluating the microstructural estimation and other physical properties of the cast composite to understand the combined effect of the reinforcement proportion on the material’s properties.

The researchers initially mixed the powders through ball milling and then compacted the moisture-free powder mix in a closed steel die. The resulting preforms were heated at the self-pouring temperature in an inert environment to fabricate the final cast composite. By applying DoE and performing an analysis of variance (ANOVA), the researchers sought to optimize the mixture proportion that would yield the best mechanical properties.

The experimental results indicated that a mixture combination of 83.5% Al blended with 12.5% Si and 4% Al₂O₃ led to the greatest improvement in mechanical properties, specifically in terms of increased density, hardness and impact strength. The ANOVA further supported the interaction effect of each processing parameter on the observed results. The results of this study offer valuable insights for the fabrication of modified Al₂O₃-LM6 cast composites under self-pouring temperature conditions. The identified optimal mixture proportion provides guidance for manufacturing processes and material selection to achieve improved mechanical properties in similar applications.

This study focuses on a specific composite material consisting of modified Al₂O₃ and LM6. Although Al₂O₃ and LM6 have been studied individually in various contexts, the combination of these materials and their impact on mechanical properties under self-pouring temperature conditions is a novel aspect of this research. The researchers use DoE methodology, along with statistical analysis using Minitab software, to optimize the mixture proportion and analyze the data. This systematic approach allows for a comprehensive exploration of the parameter space and the identification of significant factors that influence the mechanical properties of the composite.

The purpose of this study is to explore the mist-air film cooling performance on a three-dimensional (3-D) flat plate. In mist-air film cooling technique, a small amount of water droplets is injected along with the coolant air. The objective is to study the influence of shape of the coolant hole and operating conditions on the cooling effectiveness.

In this study, 3-D numerical simulations are performed. To simulate the mist-air film cooling over a flat plate, air is considered as a continuous phase and mist is considered as a discrete phase. Turbulence in the flow is accounted using Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes equation and is modeled using k–e model with enhanced wall treatment.

The results of this study show that, for cylindrical coolant hole, coolant with 5% mist concentration is not effective for mainstream temperatures above 600 K, whereas for fan-shaped hole, even 2% mist concentration has shown significant impact on cooling effectiveness for temperatures up to 1,000 K. For given mist-air coolant flow conditions, different trend in effectiveness is observed for cylindrical and fan-shaped coolant hole with respect to main stream temperature.

This study is limited to a flat plate geometry with single coolant hole.

The motivation of this study comes from the requirement of high efficiency cooling techniques for cooling of gas turbine blades. This study aims to study the performance of mist-air film cooling at different geometric and operating conditions.

The originality of this study lies in studying the effect of parameters such as mist concentration, droplet size and blowing ratio on cooling performance, particularly at high mainstream temperatures. In addition, a systematic performance comparison is presented between the cylindrical and fan-shaped cooling hole geometries.

Although milk is considered a vital source of nutrition for the livelihood, as the beginning of civilization, its antioxidant potential is required to be improved. This paper aims to increase antioxidant activities in milk and soy milk (Glycine max L.) has been found as a good compatible source. Hence, the present work was planned to investigate the impact of blending of different proportions of soy milk with standardized milk (i.e. 50 per cent soy milk with 50 per cent standardized milk, 60 per cent soy milk with 40 per cent standardized milk, 70 per cent soy milk with 30 per cent standardized milk and 100 per cent standardized milk as control sample) on antioxidant properties and sensory attributes of the blends.

Antioxidant properties of the blends were determined in terms of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, ferric reducing antioxidant power and total phenol content. Sensory evaluation was carried out using a nine-point hedonic scale based on four selected quality attributes (i.e. smell, taste, color and appearance and mouthfeel) and ranked for their quality traits by fuzzy modeling.

A blend containing 70 per cent soy milk with 30 per cent standardized milk showed the highest antioxidant activities as compared to control milk sample (p < 0.05). Blend of 50 per cent soy milk with 50 per cent standardized milk was found most acceptable on the basis of sensory analysis and its antioxidant activities were also appreciable as compared to control milk sample (p < 0.05). Smell, taste, color and appearance and mouthfeel influenced the acceptability of formulated milk samples in decreasing order of significance (p < 0.05).

The present attempt has been made to formulate liquid milk by mixing standardized milk and soy milk, in which enhancement in the antioxidant activities of standardized milk and masking of off-flavor of soy milk is done. It is not done before and it may improve the nutritional and commercial value of the milk. Further, fuzzy modeling used for choosing appropriate blend in terms of sensory scores is also found as a novel approach.

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a set of infectious diseases that primarily affect low-income countries situated near the equator. Effective diagnostic tools hold the key to stemming the spread of these infectious diseases. However, specificity is a major concern associated with current diagnostic protocols. In this regard, electrochemical deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) biosensors could play a crucial role, as highlighted by renewed interest in their research. The purpose of this study was to highlight the current scenario for the design and development of biosensors for the detection of NTDs related pathogens. This review highlights the different types of factors involved and the modifications used to enhance sensor properties.

The authors discuss the potential of electrochemical DNA biosensors as efficient, affordable diagnostic tools for the detection of pathogens associated with NTDs by reviewing available literature. This study discusses the biosensor components, mainly the probe selection and type of electrodes used, and their potential to improve the overall design of the biosensor. Further, this study analyses the different nanomaterials used in NTD-based electrochemical DNA biosensors and discusses how their incorporation could improve the overall sensitivity and specificity of the biosensor design. Finally, this study examines the impact such techniques could have in the future on mass screening of NTDs.

The findings provide an in-depth analysis of electrochemical DNA biosensors for the detection of pathogens associated with NTDs.

This review provides an update on the different types and modifications of DNA biosensors that have been designed for the diagnosis of NTD-related pathogens.