Economic Recovery through Corporate Social Responsibility during COVID-19: Lessons from Islamic Banks in Bangladesh | Chapter 6 | New Horizons of Science, Technology and Culture Vol. 8

 

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought not only health but also extensive economic challenges. As a result, the rapid economic growth of Bangladesh has been disrupted. Currently, eight full-fledged Islamic banks (IBs) are functioning in Bangladesh, adhering to the underlying principles of Shariah; among them, seven are actively engaged in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities to help the underprivileged segments of its citizens.

 

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the economic impact of COVID-19 and analyse how the CSR initiatives of IBs can contribute to reducing the adverse economic impact in the context of Bangladesh.

 

Methodology: This study, through employing a content analysis method, examined the information available from these IBs as well as other government sources and published materials to address the COVID-19 economic impacts, especially the role of these IBs.

 

Findings: This study found that Bangladesh has been facing several major economic challenges, including the declining revenue from the Readymade Garments industry, decreasing inflow of foreign remittance, struggling small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups, already crippling financial institutions, instability in the capital market, continuous trade deficit and a sharp increase in unemployment. Along the line with national and international funds, IBs’ CSR funds can also help address the economic downturn in Bangladesh caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The study further identified that if IBs develop a consortium among themselves, the CSR funds could be better utilised for the socio-economic development of Bangladesh. It also demonstrated that IBs could spend USD 83.30 million annually, which means USD 417 in five years period.

 

Conclusion: This study is unique in the sense that it seeks to address the economic challenges of COVID-19 in the context of Bangladesh with support from the CSR initiatives of IBs. This study has created a new insight for IBs into developing an integrated CSR strategy, which is expected to bring significant contributions to the livelihood of the susceptible citizens of this country. The study recommended that all IBs work together to develop a joint CSR strategy for the socio-economic development of Bangladesh. Further research can be conducted in future, considering the total CSR funds by all conventional and Islamic banks.

 

 

Author(s) Details

Shafiqur Rahman
International Open University, The Gambia.

 

Shamsul Sarkar
Healthcare and Community Service Professional, Sydney, Australia.

 

Gazi Farid Hossain
King’s Own Institute, Australia.

 

Nasrin Huda
University Malaysia Perlis, Malaysia.

 

Abu Kholdun Al-Mahmood
Ibn Sina Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

 

Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/nhstc/v8/6989

Dynamics of Effects of Land Fragmentation on Food Security in Three Agro-ecological Zones of Embu County in Kenya | Chapter 5 | New Horizons of Science, Technology and Culture Vol. 8

 

Land fragmentation is a common agricultural phenomenon in many countries where a single large farm is subdivided into a large number of separate small land plots. Land fragmentation has been cited as one of the major causes of food insecurity in Kenya. This citation may be due to the fact that land fragmentation is rampant in most high agricultural potential areas in Kenya, mainly due to increasing population pressure, but there is limited evidence from empirical studies. This chapter is based on a study that was carried out to evaluate the impact of land fragmentation on food security in three agro-ecological zones (AEZs) of Embu County in Kenya from January to November 2016. The study used data collected from 384 farm households that were randomly selected from three AEZs in Embu County, using the 4-stage cluster sampling method. The AEZs were the Sunflower-Cotton Zone, the Coffee Zone and the Tea Zone, based on the official AEZs classification system in Kenya. The household caloric acquisition method was used to compute a household food security index (HFSI) that was used to measure the household food security status. HFSI < 1 indicates food insecurity, and HFSI ≥ 1 indicates food security based on daily calorie requirements. The effect of farm size on food security was evaluated using the Binary Logit Regression method. The results showed that the average number of people in a household was 3.73 in the Tea Zone, 3.59 in the Coffee Zone and 3.93 in the Sunflower Zone, and that farm size had a positive and significant effect on food security in the Sunflower (P=.029) and Tea zones (P=.007), but not in the Coffee Zone (P=.365). Further, it was found that the minimum farm size that could ensure the attainment of the minimum (cut-off) point for household food security (HFSI = 1) was above 2 ha in the Sunflower Zone and 0.5 ha in the Tea Zone. The study concluded that farm size has a positive impact on household food security in the study area. Based on the study findings, it is recommended that further fragmentation of farms below 0.5 ha in the Coffee and Tea zones and 2 ha in the Sunflower Zone should be discouraged to ensure sustainable food security in the study area. For the farms that are already below the minimum cut-off size for food security, measures to increase these farms’ productivity so that they can support more people per ha should be devised and implemented. This study focused on only three agro-ecological zones within Embu County; therefore, future research should expand the geographical scope to include other counties and agro-ecological zones in Kenya to more comprehensively evaluate the effects of land fragmentation on food security.

 

 

Author(s) Details

Samuel Njiri Ndirangu
Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, University of Embu, Kenya.

 

Stephen G. Mbogoh
Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Nairobi, Kenya.

 

O. L. E. Mbatia
Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Nairobi, Kenya.

 

Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/nhstc/v8/6940

Meekly SC∗-Normal Spaces in Topological Spaces | Chapter 8 | Mathematics and Computer Science: Research Updates Vol. 9

 

This chapter develops the concept of meekly SC∗-normality, a novel generalization of the classical notion of normality in topology. The proposed framework simultaneously broadens SC∗-normality and other established forms of normality, offering a unified perspective on generalized separation axioms. Fundamental properties are systematically derived, several equivalent characterizations are obtained, and the relationships between meekly SC∗-normal spaces and a range of existing normal-type spaces are rigorously analyzed. By establishing these structural connections, the chapter not only enriches the theory of generalized closed sets and separation axioms but also opens new directions for further research in advanced topological studies.

 

Author(s) Details

Neeraj K. Toma
Department of Applied Mathematics, Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, India .

 

Saroj Rani
Department of Mathematics, S. A. Jain (PG) College, Ambala City, Haryana, India.

 

Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/mcsru/v9/6714

Arithmetic Modelling and Routing Algorithms for an Edge–Fog–Cloud Continuum Structured as a Full k-ary Tree | Chapter 7 | Mathematics and Computer Science: Research Updates Vol. 9

 

Remote computing is currently widely deployed in production networks, although its performance could be optimised through an appropriate architectural design. Accordingly, a mathematical model of an edge-fog-cloud hierarchy is presented, where all devices are organised as a full complete k-ary tree. When devices across layers are sequentially indexed, integer division and modular arithmetic can be used to determine the devices and ports involved along the path between a source and a destination end device. Two pseudocode algorithms are proposed, where one considers only a single cloud server, while the other extends the approach to multiple cloud servers. The key properties of both algorithms are simplicity and scalability, highlighting their technical relevance in remote computing architectures. The proposed model may have a practical impact on IoT, edge AI, and network design as it simplifies how packets are forwarded between end devices in remote computing environments.

 

Author(s) Details

Pedro J. Roig
Miguel Hernández University, Elche, Spain and University of the Balearic Islands, Spain.

 

Salvador Alcaraz
Miguel Hernández University, Elche, Spain.

 

Katja Gilly
Miguel Hernández University, Elche, Spain.

 

Cristina Bernad
Miguel Hernández University, Elche, Spain.

 

Carlos Juiz
University of the Balearic Islands, Spain.

 

Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/mcsru/v9/7259

 

Analysis of Hydromagnetic Flow and Heat Transfer of a Boussinesq-Stokes Suspension over an Exponentially Stretching Sheet | Chapter 6 | Mathematics and Computer Science: Research Updates Vol. 9

 

There are numerous uses for boundary layer flow on a continually stretched sheet, wire drawing, including hot rolling, the manufacture of glass fibre, and the making of paper. Most previous studies mainly focus on boundary layer flows over stretching surfaces, where it is considered that the surface's velocity stretches in a quadratic proportion to the distance from the static origin. The current chapter presents the investigation of heat transfer properties and velocity profiles in a hydromagnetic Boussinesq-Stokes suspension (BSS) flow over an exponentially stretching impermeable sheet. The fundamental equations that describe the transfer of heat and flow are partial differential equations. A suitable local similarity transformation was applied to convert the equations into nonlinear ordinary differential equations. The differential transform method (DTM) was used to obtain the series solutions of the transformed equations with guaranteed convergence. The influence of the Chandrasekhar number, couple stress parameter, Prandtl number, and Eckert number on velocity profiles and heat transfer was investigated. The study showed that magnetic field strength, couple stress, Prandtl number, and Eckert number significantly influence the velocity and thermal boundary layers in hydromagnetic Boussinesq–Stokes suspension flow over an exponentially stretching sheet, with important implications for industrial heat and material processing applications.

 

 

Author(s) Details

L. Venkata Reddy
Department of Mathematics, B. N. M. Institute of Technology, Bengaluru - 560 070, India.

 

N. P. Chandrashekara
Department of Mathematics, B. N. M. Institute of Technology, Bengaluru - 560 070, India.

 

K. N. N. Prasad
Department of Physics, B. N. M. Institute of Technology, Bengaluru - 560 070, India.

 

G. Roopa
Department of Mathematics, B. N. M. Institute of Technology, Bengaluru - 560 070, India.

 

A. Pranesha Setty
Department of Mathematics, B. N. M. Institute of Technology, Bengaluru - 560 070, India.

 

S. Chandrasekhar
Department of Physics, B. N. M. Institute of Technology, Bengaluru - 560 070, India.

 

Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/mcsru/v9/7203

Exploring Cramer-Rao Lower Bounds and Uniformly Minimum Variance Unbiased Estimators (UMVUE): Counterexamples| Chapter 5 | Mathematics and Computer Science: Research Updates Vol. 9

 

Cramer-Rao Lower Bound (CR-LB) is a fundamental tool for determining the minimum variance of unbiased estimators. The main goal of this chapter is to present counterexamples where the variance of the UMVUE does not reach the Cramer-Rao lower bound. We provided many motivating counterexamples and demonstrated that these UMVU estimators are, in fact, asymptotically efficient. All counterexamples are either new or not typically found in standard textbooks. To illustrate the process, we included numerous definitions related to UMVUE and explained various methods and step-by-step approaches for finding UMVUEs.

 

This chapter will be valuable for senior undergraduates and first-year graduate students taking courses in statistical inference. The material should also interest teachers of statistical estimation theory. They could include the examples from this paper in various exams. Certainly! The article also has significant pedagogical value.

 

Author(s) Details

S. C. Bagui
Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of West Florida, FL 32514, USA.

 

K. L. Mehra
Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, University of Alberta, AB, Canada.

 

Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/mcsru/v9/7102

Corrosion Inhibition of Indigofera Tinctoria Leaf Extract on Mild Steel in 1M HCL Solution | Chapter 9 | Chemistry and Biochemistry: Research Progress Vol. 9

 

In the present work, the dissolution prevention of mild steel induced by Indigofera tinctoria Leaves (ITL) extract was analysed using different techniques such as weight loss, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarisation in 1M HCl solution at various contact periods and temperatures (303-333K). The result exhibits that Indigofera tinctoria Leaves acts as a mild steel inhibitor that performs well in 1M HCl solution. Inhibition efficiency of mild steel in 1M HCl increases as more inhibitor is added. The Highest percentage of inhibition efficiency was found to be 54.3% a 500 ppm concentration at a temperature of 303 K. Thermodynamic parameters Ea, Qads, Gads, H, and S suggest that the adsorption of Indigofera tinctoria leaves extract is exothermic, spontaneous, and a chemisorption process. The Langmuir adsorption isotherm governs the adsorption of Indigofera tinctoria leaves on a mild steel surface. Also, the electrochemical study exhibits that it acts as a cathodic inhibitor in a 1M HCl medium. Thin film formation on the surface of metal may also be confirmed by UV, FT-IR, and SEM studies.

 

 

Author(s) Details

M. Prema
PG and Research Department of Chemistry, Holy Cross College (Affiliated to Bharathidasan University), Tiruchirappalli–620002, Tamil Nadu, India.

 

S. Vidhya
PG and Research Department of Chemistry, Holy Cross College (Affiliated to Bharathidasan University), Tiruchirappalli–620002, Tamil Nadu, India.

 

A. Leema Rose
PG and Research Department of Chemistry, Holy Cross College (Affiliated to Bharathidasan University), Tiruchirappalli–620002, Tamil Nadu, India.

 

F. Janeeta Priya
PG and Research Department of Chemistry, Holy Cross College (Affiliated to Bharathidasan University), Tiruchirappalli–620002, Tamil Nadu, India.

 

J. Morris Princey
PG and Research Department of Chemistry, Holy Cross College (Affiliated to Bharathidasan University), Tiruchirappalli–620002, Tamil Nadu, India.

 

A. Arputharaj
St.Joseph's College Autonomous, Tiruchirappalli, India.

 

P. Aparna
PG and Research Department of Chemistry, Holy Cross College (Affiliated to Bharathidasan University), Tiruchirappalli–620002, Tamil Nadu, India.

 

T. R. Amsica
PG and Research Department of Chemistry, Holy Cross College (Affiliated to Bharathidasan University), Tiruchirappalli–620002, Tamil Nadu, India.

 

Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/cbrp/v9/7235