The linear governing equations of a micropolar thermoelastic medium without energy dissipation are solved for surface wave solutions. The appropriate solutions satisfying the radiation conditions are applied to the required boundary conditions at the free surface of the half-space of the medium. A frequency equation is obtained for Rayleigh wave in the medium. The non-dimensional speed of the propagation of Rayleigh wave is computed for a specific model of the material and are shown graphically against frequency and non-dimensional parameter.

Service quality is basically a comparison between expectations and the perceptions of the customer. The interrelationship between various aspects of information technology (IT) adoption and other basic characteristics of service quality is complex and dependent on the expected service composition. Reliability, conformance, durability and serviceability are taken as functions of service quality; whereas Tenure, utility and vendor are taken as functions of Information Technology. Substantial literature has examined the concept of service quality, its dimensions, and measurement methods. Statistical analysis of quality parameters has been performed and validation is done with different Artificial Neural Network (ANNs) architecture with different hidden layers. The model proposed in this study is designed to evaluate and improve service quality within a comprehensive framework.

The real-time scheduling of automatic guided vehicles (AGVs) in flexible manufacturing system (FMS) is observed to be highly critical and complex due to the dynamic variations of production requirements such as an imbalance of AGVs loading, the high travel time of AGVs, variation in jobs, and AGV routes to name a few. The output from FMS considerably depends on the effi-cient scheduling of AGVs in the FMS. The multi-objective scheduling decisions for AGVs by nature inspired algorithms yield a considerable reduction throughput time in the FMS. In this paper, investigations are carried out for the multi-objective scheduling of AGVs to simultaneously balance the workload of AGVs and to minimize the travel time of AGVs in the FMS. The multi-objective scheduling is carried out by the application of nature-inspired grey wolf optimization algorithm (GWO) to yield a balanced workload for AGVs and also to minimize the travel time of AGVs simultaneously in the FMS. The output yield of the GWO algorithm is compared with the results of benchmark problems from the literature. The resulting yield of the proposed algorithm for the multi-objective scheduling of AGVs is observed to outperform the existing algorithms for scheduling of AGVs.

Dividend is the part of profits of a company, which is distributable among its shareholders according to the decision taken and resolution passed in the meeting of Board of Directors. Dividend policy plays an important role for maintaining good image of company in the capital market and in providing source of low cost finance for financing for the profitable future investment proposals. In the present study, an attempt has been made to evaluate the dividend policy adopted by some selected public and private sector banks in India during the period of study March 2006 to March 2015.

This research paper aims to explore the relationship between water pollution and sustainable development. Water pollution is a significant environmental challenge that threatens the sustainability of ecosystems, human health, and economic development. Sustainable development aims to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The research methodology involves a comprehensive review of relevant literature on water pollution and sustainable development, including empirical studies, theoretical frameworks, and policy documents. The research will explore the impact of water pollution on sustainable development, the drivers of water pollution, and the policy and regulatory frameworks that promote sustainable water management. The findings of this research paper will contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex relationship between water pollution and sustainable development and provide insights into effective strategies and policies that can promote sustainable water management. The research will also highlight the importance of public awareness and education in promoting sustainable practices and behaviors that can help to prevent and mitigate water pollution. This research paper will provide valuable insights into achieving sustainable water management practices that promote environmental sustainability and socio-economic development.

The main objective of this research article is to select the best mobile model among various alternatives available on the market. For this analysis 10 alternative models from different brands are selected from different online shopping website having different specifications and ranging from low budget to medium budget in terms of price. For this selection purposes two multiple criteria decision making tools (MCDM) has been adopted i.e. Complex Propor-tional Assessment (COPRAS) and Additive Ratio Assessment (ARAS). The selection process is done based on four important criteria i.e. price, internal storage, RAM and brand. The weightages of the criteria are calculated by using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and these weightages are further used in COPRAS and ARAS methods. Individual COPRAS and ARAS method is applied for the selection of the best mobile and the preference ranking order of the models are also proposed by each process. The proposed ranking order by both the methods are compared and it is found that the outcome results are more or less the same using both techniques but there is a slight change in ranking of the middle-order alternatives. Both processes give model 1 and model 4 as the best and the worst models respectively among 10 alternatives.

Accounting information provides past and current financial information of an economic unit for business managers, potential investors, and other interested parties. Internally generated accounting information helps business managers with planning, controlling, and making decisions referred to as managerial accounting information. However, if the companies, which have adopted International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) globally, cannot generate the same information then the accounting practices need to be improved. For this purpose, the current study was performed with the objectives of measuring relationship between profitability and market capitalization and to analyze the challenges faced by listed firms of various countries in association with the implementation of IFRS. For this purpose, 15 companies were selected from 5 countries including India, China, Germany, Russia and Kenya. The secondary data regarding the correlation between profitability and market capitalization were analyzed to calculate the correlations. The primary data regarding the managers perception were analyzed with multiple regression method using SPSS-19 software to find out the company related variables, investors’ related variables and government agency related variables responsible for problems in the current adoption of IFRS.

The objective of this study is to develop of an inventory policy for deteriorating items, in which demand for the products is stock dependent and the retailer invests in preservation technology to reduce the rate of product deterioration. In many real-life situations, for certain types of consumer goods, the consumption rate is sometimes influenced by the stock-level. It is usually observed that a large pile of goods on a shelf in a supermarket will lead the customer to buy more and then generate higher demand. The consumption rate may go up or down with the on-hand stock level. This paper is developed with the realistic conditions of demand, allowable credit period, partial backlogging and variable ordering cost. A solution procedure is given to find the optimal preservation technology cost and total cost of the system. A numerical example and sensitivity analysis are presented to illustrate the model.

Teaching-Learning-based optimization (TLBO) is a recently proposed population based algorithm, which simulates the teaching-learning process of the class room. This algorithm requires only the common control parameters and does not require any algorithm-specific control parameters. In this paper, the effect of elitism on the performance of the TLBO algorithm is investigated while solving unconstrained benchmark problems. The effects of common control parameters such as the population size and the number of generations on the performance of the algorithm are also investigated. The proposed algorithm is tested on 76 unconstrained benchmark functions with different characteristics and the performance of the algorithm is compared with that of other well known optimization algorithms. A statistical test is also performed to investigate the results obtained using different algorithms. The results have proved the effectiveness of the proposed elitist TLBO algorithm.