bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
miR-181d-5p Protects against Retinal Ganglion Cell Death after Blunt Ocular Injury by Regulating NFIA-Medicated Astrocyte Development
Authors: Li Jinghua , Liu Junyi , Zhang Yuanping , Zha Xu , Zhang Hong , Tang Yongying , Zhao Xueying
Published: October 2022

Background. Traumatic optic neuropathy (TON) refers to damage to the optic nerve resulting from direct and indirect trauma to the head and face. One of the important pathological processes in TON is the death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), but the cause of RGCs death remains unclear. We aimed to explore the mechanisms of RGCs death in an experimental TON model. Methods. Optic nerve crush injury was induced in ten New Zealand white rabbits. On the 1st, 3rd, 7th, 14th, and 28th days after the operation, the retinal tissues of the rabbits were observed pathologically by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The expression of POU-homeodomain transcription factor Brn3a and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was measured by immunofluorescence to evaluate the number of RGCs and astrocytes, respectively. miRNA expression and protein levels were assessed by RT-qPCR and western blot methods, respectively. Finally, the malondialdehyde content, superoxide dismutase activity, and proinflammatory factor levels were measured by ELISA. Western blot and dual-luciferase reporter assays were used to elucidate the relationship between miR-181d-5p and nuclear factor I-A (NFIA). Results. Blunt ocular trauma increased oxidative stress and apoptosis and reduced ganglion cell layer (GCL) density. The expression of miR-181d-5p was decreased in retinal tissues, and its overexpression relieved RGCs death, astrocyte development, oxidative stress, and inflammation of the retina, which were reversed by NFIA overexpression. Conclusion. miR-181d-5p can protect against the deterioration of TON by inhibiting RGCs death, astrocyte development, oxidative stress, and inflammation by targeting NFIA. This study provides new insight into early medical intervention in patients with TON.
Aquatic Emission and Properties Analysis for Wind Turbine Blades
Authors: Jai Ganesh R. , Alagarsamy Manjunathan , Gabriel Santhosh Kumar G. , Tamilnesan P. , Kaarthik K. , Yimer Jemal Mohammed
Published: October 2022

In light of rising energy demand, solar and wind power are popular renewable energy sources. A need for the hour is for reliable little wind power at a reasonable price. The materials needed the cost of continuance and function, and the cost of fuel influences the cost of energy production. Material costs are inversely related to energy costs. The blade design is critical in any wind turbine design. The choice of material is a critical element in blade design if the blade is to have a long predicted life. For smaller wind turbine blades, several materials such as wood, fiber glass, carbon fiber, natural fiber, and sandwiched composite items are provided. The main features to consider while choosing a blade material include hardness, toughness, density, price, and affordability. The materials for a wind turbine blade are indeed an essential part of the design process. These articles present numerous materials as potential blade options and use ANSYS computational modeling to select the best one.
Biological Activity and Chemical Composition of Detarium microcarpum Guill. and Perr—A Systematic Review
Authors: Dogara Abdulrahman Mahmoud
Published: October 2022

Historically, natural products have been the principal source of medications for the treatment of human diseases. Traditional medical practitioners employ Detarium microcarpum as a treatment for diabetes, malaria, wounds, inflammation, and even cancer. This study emphasizes the importance of harmonizing D. microcarpum research so that results from various sources may be directly compared to reach a scientific conclusion. We searched Google Scholar, Science Direct, Google.com, Wiley, PubMed, Hindawi, and Springer for research papers on Detarium microcarpum. This analysis excludes untrustworthy online data, thesis papers, and review publications on D. microcarpum. The leaves and stem bark were shown to have high antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antidiabetic, and anticancer properties. The study also discovered that too much consumption is harmful. Polyphenols and flavonoids were the most commonly reported compounds. However, human safety and efficacy are yet to be fully evaluated, and further well-designed clinical trials are needed to confirm preclinical findings. The leaves and stem bark extracts and isolated compound mechanism of action should be investigated. It is necessary to set a standard dose and ensure its safety.
Investigation on Wear and Corrosion Behavior of Cu, Zn, and Ni Coated Corten Steel
Authors: Kumaravel D. , Bupesh Raja V. K. , Balthaser Kabasker , Jayaganthan A. , Sahas S. , Muralidharan S. , Achamyeleh Tariku
Published: October 2022

Corten steel is a low-carbon alloy steel. It is widely used in architecture, the transport sector, and industrial applications, where the steel is exposed to harsh environments. It is very much sought after due to its auto protection from corrosive environments through the formation of patina (rust). The specialty of patina formed on the corten steel is that it can self-heal itself and stop the spreading of corrosion. Generally, steels are given protective coatings to enhance resistance to corrosion, wear, abrasion, etc. One of the popular protective coating techniques is electroplating. In this study, the effect of electroplating of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and nickel (Ni) on the wear and corrosion behavior of Corten ASTM A242 grade steel is investigated. It was observed that the Cu coating yielded poor corrosion and wear protection performance. The Zn coating exhibited a moderate improvement. The Ni electroplating produced excellent results and, the wear and corrosion resistance was improved in the corten steel. Thus, when compared with Cu, Zn, and Ni coatings, the Ni-coated corten steel is an ideal candidate in applications where there is a need for good resistance to wear, abrasion, and corrosion.
MicroRNA-125a-3p, -4530, and -92a as a Potential Circulating MicroRNA Panel for Noninvasive Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis
Authors: Seyed Salehi Ali , Parsa-Nikoo Negar , Roshan-Farzad Farnaz , Shams Roshanak , Fathi Mohadeseh , Asaszadeh Aghdaei Hamid , Behmanesh Ali
Published: October 2022

MicroRNA (miRNA) expression dysregulations in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) have been studied widely for their diagnostic and prognostic utility. By the use of bioinformatics-based methods, in our previous study, we identified some potential miRNA panels for diagnosis of pancreatic cancer patients from noncancerous controls (the screening stage). In this report, we used 142 plasma samples from people with and without pancreatic cancer (PC) to conduct RT-qPCR differential expression analysis to assess the strength of the first previously proposed diagnostic panel (consisting of miR-125a-3p, miR-4530, and miR-92a-2-5p). As the result, we identified significant upregulation for all the three considered miRNAs in the serum of PC patients. After that, a three-miRNA panel in serum was developed. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) for the panel were 0.850, 0.910, and 0.86, respectively, indicating that it had a higher diagnostic value than individual miRNAs. Therefore, we detected a promising three-miRNA panel in the plasma for noninvasive PC diagnosis (miR-125a-3p, miR-4530, and miR-92a-2-5p).
The Influence Mechanism of Knowledge Heterogeneity of Venture Capital Syndication on Innovation Performance of Entrepreneurial Firms: Evidence from China
Authors: Zhang Huiying , Li Xiangchun , Liu Meng
Published: October 2022

Venture capital syndication (VCS), an investment model, is gaining increasing attention. This paper uses a new perspective on knowledge transfer to explore the influence mechanism of knowledge heterogeneity in VCS on the innovation performance (IP) of entrepreneurial firms. We use firm‐year panel data from the Shenzhen Stock Exchange for 2000–2017 and find that the knowledge heterogeneity of VCS includes, at least, management knowledge heterogeneity, investment knowledge heterogeneity, and technical knowledge heterogeneity. In particular, management knowledge heterogeneity and technical knowledge heterogeneity positively affect the IP of entrepreneurial firms. We further find that the intellectual capital (IC) of entrepreneurial firms mediates these positive relationships. Moreover, the equity concentration of VCS positively moderates the relationship between knowledge heterogeneity and IP and negatively moderates the relationship between knowledge heterogeneity and IC. This paper provides a new theoretical explanation of the relationship between VCS and IP of entrepreneurial firms from a knowledge transfer perspective and explores the impact paths of this relationship.
Critical Review on the Objective Function of Flexible Job Shop Scheduling
Authors: Pei Fengque , Zhang Jiaxuan , Mei Song , Song Haojie
Published: October 2022

The nature of construction and formulation of the multi-objective functions in the flexible job shop (FJS) provides great insights about the study of the technique and the mechanism in scheduling helping to prioritize efforts for optimizing the manufacturing execution performance, which draw the focus of the researchers at home and abroad. From the perspective of the model, the solution method and the objective function, this paper reviews and analyzes the related academic papers and conferences articles during past few years. As a result, the construction forms of the multi-objective function and the scheduling scenarios show strongly positive correlation with the Makespan, the delivery tardiness, the energy consumption or the cost. Consequently, facing with the characteristic in a general way, the detailed construction analysis on the function for the flexible job shop scheduling problem (FJSP) is critical reviewed, and a total 6 types with 49 kinds classification are discussed. Obviously, the main goals are to summarize, analyze, discuss, and synthesize the existing achievements, the current research status, and the ongoing studies on the FJSP functions construction, and additionally to give useful insight into future research. Combined with the development trend of the intelligent manufacturing and the operations research, arguing for the formulation of the multi-obj. function, this review is expected to contribute to the future research of FJSP.
Mechanism Analysis of Strategy Choice of Bankruptcy Reorganization Participants under Government Incentive Mechanism
Authors: Zhao Danyu , Song Li
Published: October 2022

This study constructs an evolutionary game model of government, creditors, investors, and enterprises participating in bankruptcy reorganization, analyzes the strategy selection mechanism of the four parties under the government incentive mechanism, systematically analyzes the strategy selection process of each participant, discusses the effectiveness of government incentives in promoting the bankruptcy reorganization process, and finds out the stable point in the replication dynamic system. Finally, MATLAB 2018 software is used to numerically model the influence of key elements of the system. The research shows that under the government’s incentive mechanism, creditors participate in bankruptcy reorganization in the form of debt‐to‐equity swaps, investors participate in bankruptcy reorganization in the form of providing high‐quality assets, and enterprises participate in bankruptcy reorganization in the form of reform and transformation which is a stable strategy to replicate the dynamic system; the strategy of the enterprises will affect the strategy choice of creditors and investors; the completion of bankruptcy reorganization is inseparable from the government’s incentives, and the government’s strategy will directly affect the strategic choice of enterprises; and the government’s support and constraint strength satisfy the following quantitative relationship: when M1>S3–C1 and L1>B1–C1, it can better promote the bankruptcy and reorganization process.
Study on Technical Movements’ Spatial and Temporal Characteristics of Women’s Ski Jumping to Utilizing AI in 5G Network for Data Processing
Authors: Nan Wan , Wei Lei
Published: October 2022

Use of literature, mathematical statistics, information technology, and other methods, analysis of Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics women’s ski jumping in time and space projects feature of the technical movement, with the New vision of Remote E-health with 5G and Beyond is analyzed, in which the fifth generation of cellular wireless technology can explore healthcare with its high speed and massive connection vitality and accelerate the growth of diagnosis with great assistance by the Remote E-health which aims to further explore the world of technical movement elite women ski jumping characteristics. The results showed that (1) technical characteristics of the time, “slip stage, take-off preparation stage, parabolic trajectory cast peace movement” four stages the length of time is proportional to the ranking of the final scores. (2) the space characteristics of technical aspects, “slip stage” outstanding female athletes in the world to adopt to reduce air resistance with flat back slip posture; “Jump to feet slide” level with the least resistance lift larger bent type take-off position; “Parabolic trajectory falling phase athlete’s ankle Angle, Angle of the knee and hip Angle 180°; “Horizontal cast trajectory” athletes “voids and ankle Angle” degree is reduced, along with the increase of the degree of hip Angle two skis front distance increases, straight knee joint degree are 180°, such a can obtain maximum lift-to-drag ratio, make further flight distance. Studies suggest that coaches in the selection, training, and participation in periodic arrangement of large games can refer to the theoretical parameters of this study and make the appropriate decisions.
Characterization of Local Climate and Its Impact on Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) Yield in Central Ethiopia
Authors: Bogale Girma Asefa , Mengesha Mengistu , Hadgu Gebre
Published: October 2022

Climate change is a major threat to agricultural production and undermines the efforts to achieve sustainable development goals in poor countries such as Ethiopia that have climate-sensitive economies. The objective of this study was to assess characterization of local climate and its impact on productivity faba bean (Vicia faba L.) varieties (Gora and Tumsa) productivity in Welmera watershed area, central Ethiopia. Historical climate (1988–2017) and eight years of crop yield data were obtained from National Meteorological Agency of Ethiopia and Holeta Agricultural Research Center. Trend, variability, correlation, and regression analyses were carried out to characterize the climate of the area and establish association between faba bean productivity and climate change. The area received mean annual rainfall of 970 mm with SD of 145.6 and coefficient of variation (CV %) of 15%. The earliest and latest onset of rainfall were April 1 (92 DOY) and July 5 (187 DOY), whereas, the end date of rainy season was on September 2 (246 DOY) and October 31 (305 DOY), respectively. The average length of the growing period was 119 days, with a CV% of 35.2%. The probability of dry spell less than 7 days was high (>80%) until the last decade of May (151 DOY); however, the probability sharply declined and reached 0% on the first decade of July (192 DOY). Kiremt (long rainy season that occurs from June to September) and belg (short rainy season that falls from February to April/May) rainfall had increasing trends at a rate of 4.7 mm and 2.32 mm/year, respectively. The annual maximum temperature showed increasing trend at a rate of 0.06°C per year and by a factor of 0.34°C, which is not statistically significant. The year 2014 was exceptionally drought year while 1988 was wettest year. Kiremt (JJAS) start of rain and rainy day had strong correlation and negative impact on Gora yield with (r = −0.407 and −0.369), respectively. The findings suggests large variation in rainfall and temperature in the study area which constraints faba bean production. Investment on agricultural sector to enhance farmer’s adaptation capacity is essential to reduce the adverse impacts of climate change and variability on faba bean yield. More research that combines household panel data with long-term climate data is necessary to better understand climate and its impact on faba bean yield.
Explainable and Personalized Medical Cost Prediction Based on Multitask Learning over Mobile Devices
Authors: Sun Lin , Wang Tingqi , Hui Bei , Li Yun , Tian Ling
Published: October 2022

Currently, the forecasting of healthcare costs is of significant importance for the finance management of both government and individual citizens. However, the existence of dramatic individual diversity in health status, as well as the extensive complexity of the factors influencing the cost, has made the prediction a challenging task. Thanks to the unprecedented adoption of mobile devices, regular individuals may contribute diverse dimensions of data for the medical cost prediction. Hospitals and healthcare service providers are all setting up their own mobile services and collect user data for analysis. Previous methods usually employed traditional machine learning or simple neural network methods, which are difficult to be applied to the nonlinear medical cost and diverse dimensions of data. Therefore, this paper proposes a multitask learning-based framework for interpretable medical cost interval prediction to address these issues. The framework proposed in this paper first predicts subcost intervals by applying the multidimensional data collected from mobile ends and following the multitask learning paradigm. The total cost interval is then predicted based on this prediction. Simultaneously, the framework derives a decision tree from the parameters of the multitask learning network and calculates the importance of each feature in predicting the cost intervals. This paper demonstrates the method's effectiveness using real-world data experiments.
Multi-Label Feature Selection with Conditional Mutual Information
Authors: Wang Xiujuan , Zhou Yuchen
Published: October 2022

Feature selection is an important way to optimize the efficiency and accuracy of classifiers. However, traditional feature selection methods cannot work with many kinds of data in the real world, such as multi-label data. To overcome this challenge, multi-label feature selection is developed. Multi-label feature selection plays an irreplaceable role in pattern recognition and data mining. This process can improve the efficiency and accuracy of multi-label classification. However, traditional multi-label feature selection based on mutual information does not fully consider the effect of redundancy among labels. The deficiency may lead to repeated computing of mutual information and leave room to enhance the accuracy of multi-label feature selection. To deal with this challenge, this paper proposed a multi-label feature selection based on conditional mutual information among labels (CRMIL). Firstly, we analyze how to reduce the redundancy among features based on existing papers. Secondly, we propose a new approach to diminish the redundancy among labels. This method takes label sets as conditions to calculate the relevance between features and labels. This approach can weaken the impact of the redundancy among labels on feature selection results. Finally, we analyze this algorithm and balance the effects of relevance and redundancy on the evaluation function. For testing CRMIL, we compare it with the other eight multi-label feature selection algorithms on ten datasets and use four evaluation criteria to examine the results. Experimental results illustrate that CRMIL performs better than other existing algorithms.
Influence of Silicon Dioxide-Titanium Dioxide Antireflective Electrosprayed Coatings on Multicrystalline Silicon Cells
Authors: Rathanasamy Rajasekar , Velu Kaliyannan Gobinath , Sivaraj Santhosh , Saminathan Abishek , Krishnan Bharathikannan , Palanichamy Dhayananth , Uddin Md. Elias
Published: October 2022

This research work primarily focuses on enhancing the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of polycrystalline silicon solar cells by using a single-layer and a double-layered antireflection coating deposited through the electrospraying technique. The usage of titanium dioxide and silicon dioxide as antireflection coating materials has shown a significant increase in the optical and electrical properties of solar cells under open and controlled light sources. The sample with TiO2 as a base layer and SiO2 as the top layer (sample B-IV) exhibited a maximum PCE of 18.90% in direct sunlight and 21.19% in a neodymium setup with cell temperatures of 40°C and 52.1°C, respectively. Sample B-IV has also shown the lowest resistivity of 3.1 × 10−3 Ω·cm among the coated samples. Also, an increase of 11.6% light transmittance and a reduction of 9.6% light reflectance were exerted by sample B-IV. The results obtained from different analysis proves that TiO2/SiO2 was an appropriate antireflection coating material for enhancing the PCE of the polycrystalline silicon solar cell.
Experimental Investigation and Prediction of Performance, Combustion, and Emission Features of a Diesel Engine Fuelled with Pumpkin-Maize Biodiesel using Different Machine Learning Algorithms
Authors: Magesh N. , Pushparaj T. , Kannan V. Vinoth , Thakur Deepak , Sharma Abhishek , Razak Abdul , Buradi Abdulrajak , Ketema Abiot
Published: October 2022

The current study examines the usage of biodiesel as a diesel substitute that is produced through the transesterification of pumpkin and maize with the addition of a diethyl ether (DEE) additive. Pumpkin-maize (PM) biodiesel and addition of diethyl ether (DEE), as well as their blends of 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50% with diesel, were used in performance, combustion, and emission examinations under various load conditions. According to the experimental findings, adding 5 ml of the DEE boosts BTE by 31.91 percent (B20 blend) compared to diesel. While the diesel equivalent of BSFC decreases by 9.519%. NO emission dropped by 34.91 percent at peak loads, HC emissions were augmented by 32.43%, and smoke opacity improved by 27.24%. To enhance the engine performance, combustion, and emission features of the substitute biodiesel diesel, the study emphasises the precise mix proportions of PM biodiesel with DEE addition. Using ANN, BTE, and NO were predicted with R2 values of 0.93 and 0.95, respectively. As can be observed, the R2 value for the ANN model was almost one, suggesting that the ANN models had better predictive power than other machine learning (ML) models.
Dynamic Incision under Nasal Endoscope and Low-Temperature Plasma Radiofrequency Ablation for Nasal Inverted Papilloma: An Analysis of Differences in Efficacy and the Destructive Effect on Immune Function
Authors: Liu Fang , Ye Fei , Gu Xilan , Wang Wenbin , Yin Xiaodong
Published: October 2022

Background and Objective. This study sets out to provide reference for the clinical treatment and provide reference for clinical practice by comparing the therapeutic effects of dynamical-system surgery under nasal endoscope and low-temperature plasma radiofrequency ablation (LTPRA).Methods. NIP patients (

n
=
106

) admitted between January 2020 and March 2021 were selected and grouped as follows according to the random number table method: a dissection group treated with dynamical-system surgery under nasal endoscope and an ablation group treated with LTPRA. The clinical curative effects of the two procedures were compared, and the related indexes (operation time (OT), intraoperative blood loss (IBL), and length of stay (LOS)) and postoperative adverse reactions (ARs) were counted. In addition, fasting venous blood samples were collected before treatment (T0), as well as 3 (T1) and 7 days after treatment (T2) to detect inflammatory factors (IFs; C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)) and T lymphocyte subsets (CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+). Finally, all patients received a one-year follow-up to compare the differences in prognostic survival rate and disease recurrence rate between groups. Results. The ablation group has a similar LOS to the dissection group (

P
>
0.05

), but lower OT and IBL. No marked difference was observed between groups in terms of the total effective rate (

P
>
0.05

), but the adverse reaction rate was higher in the dissection group compared with the ablation group (

P
<
0.05

). Compared with T0, elevated CRP, IL-6, TNF-α, and CD3+ were observed in both cohorts at T1, with lower levels in the ablation group as compared to the dissection group, while CD4+ and CD8+ decreased in both cohorts and were higher in the ablation group (

P
<
0.05

). Meanwhile, the levels of CRP, IL-6, TNF-α, and CD3+ in both groups were lower at T2 compared to T1, whereas those of CD4+ and CD8+ in both groups were higher at T2 compared to T1 (

P
<
0.05

). As indicated by the statistics on prognostic follow-up, the two cohorts of patients showed no evident difference in the 1-year survival rate and disease recurrence rate (

P
>
0.05

). Conclusions. Both dynamical-system surgery under nasal endoscope and LTPRA have good therapeutic effects on NIP, but the latter is safer and can effectively reduce the postoperative inflammatory reaction of patients and maintain the stability of immune function, which has higher clinical application value.
A new fossil Silis Charpentier, 1825 from Baltic amber (Cantharidae, Silinae, Silini)
Authors: FANTI FABRIZIO , PANKOWSKI MAXIMILIAN G.
Published: October 2022

A new fossil species of the family Cantharidae from Eocene Baltic amber, Silis (Silis) boninoi sp. nov., is described, diagnosed and illustrated. The new species is characterized by its extremely small body size along with a very wide and transverse pronotum with two short and quite robust lobes on each side. It is compared with other known taxa of the genus Silis from Baltic, Dominican and Mexican ambers.
The Impact of Mandated Pay Gap Transparency on Firms’ Reputations as Employers
Authors: Sharkey Amanda , Pontikes Elizabeth , Hsu Greta
Published: October 2022

Mandated gender wage gap disclosure laws are an increasingly popular but relatively untested solution to gender-based compensation inequalities. Scholars and policymakers alike have argued that disclosure will lead to greater social accountability—either reputational harm for firms revealing large disparities or benefit for more-egalitarian organizations. Yet little research has directly tested this central assumption. We advance understanding of this issue by examining reactions from a key constituency affected by pay gaps: employees. We analyze the existence, magnitude, and persistence of changes in employees’ public affective evaluations of their employers on the review site Glassdoor in the wake of pay gap disclosures prompted by new regulations in the United Kingdom. We find a short-lived improvement in employees’ evaluations of organizations reporting pay parity, consistent with a reputational boost. At the same time, we find little evidence of a negative post-disclosure reaction from employees of firms reporting sizable gender-based disparities. We take an abductive approach to investigate these surprising findings, probing key assumptions and the viability of different plausible explanations for the results. We consider how our empirical findings can inform the development of novel theory in the areas of gender wage inequality, reputation, and transparency.
‘Very unsure of what’s to come’: Salon worker experiences of COVID-19 in Australia during 2020
Authors: McCann Hannah
Published: October 2022

During Australia’s first nationwide lockdown due to COVID-19 in 2020, hairdressers and barbers were allowed to remain operating while beauty salons and similar businesses were ordered to shut. This article offers some preliminary insights into the impact of the pandemic on salon workers during the period, in particular the additional emotional labour required. Drawing on a survey of salon workers based in Australia ( n = 92), this article considers the emotional labour involved in salon work in tandem with the impact of COVID-19 disruptions on this workforce. Results of the survey reveal the variety of emotional disclosures that salon workers generally encounter from clients and how these disclosures continued during the period, as well as the emotions experienced by workers themselves. Survey results suggest that many salon workers, who were themselves experiencing heightened levels of physical, emotional and financial vulnerability, were expected to continue their emotional roles for clients during a period of high anxiety and stress. This work suggests that future decision making ought to consider the impact on, and how best to support, all workforces who remain in operation during lockdowns, particularly emotional labourers, and not just those typically imagined as ‘essential’.
Key Success Factors for the e-Governance Initiatives Through Common Service Centres in India: An Empirical Study with Special Reference to Akshaya e-Kendras in Kerala
Authors: Uthaman Vijaya S. , Vasanthagopal R.
Published: October 2022

The National e-Governance Plan formulated by the Government of India lays out the foundation for the long-term growth of e-governance in the country. The Common Service Centre (CSC) scheme is a cornerstone project under National e-Governance Plan, approved in the year 2006, and acts as the delivery point for government, private and social sector services such as G2C, B2C and G2B to the rural citizens of India at their doorsteps. In Kerala, the Kerala State IT Mission is the nodal agency to create and run a CSC network through Akshaya e-kendras. This study aims to provide empirical evidence about the major success factors for e-governance services through Akshaya e-kendras. Infrastructure, accessibility, transparency, system quality, service quality, convenience, trust, e-participation and interoperability were the variables used for the study. SPSS Amos 22 was used for developing confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling for the study. The study found that the key success factors for the success of CSCs are service quality followed by transparency and convenience. Other important factors are accessibility, system quality and interoperability. The least contributing factors are trust and infrastructure.
What Are the Consequences of Right-to-Work for Union Membership?
Authors: Murphy Kevin J.
Published: October 2022

Beginning in 2012, several states enacted right-to-work laws, which hamper the ability of labor unions to collect agency fees to finance union services and activities. Because the processes by which these adoptions took place are arguably exogenous, identification of the causal effect of right-to-work on unionization within a state becomes possible. The author uses a set of semi-independent cross-sections drawn from the Current Population Survey for years 2000 to 2018 to investigate the impact of right-to-work on the probability of unionization in the five states that adopted it after 2011. The empirical analysis reveals an economically meaningful and statistically significant adverse effect from right-to-work adoption on union density that is distinct from other factors influencing unionization during that time period.
The Cumulative Advantage of a Unionized Career for Lifetime Earnings
Authors: Parolin Zachary , VanHeuvelen Tom
Published: October 2022

Studies on labor union earnings premiums generally investigate their size through point-in-time estimates. This study posits, by contrast, that point-in-time estimates of the union premium overlook the cumulative earnings advantages of long-term, persistent union membership. Using a sample of men from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics from 1969 to 2019, the authors investigate how lifetime union membership contributes to earnings advantages. They find, first, that unionization throughout one’s career is associated with a $1.3 million mean increase in lifetime earnings, larger than the average gains from completing college. Second, the lifetime earnings gains are channeled entirely through higher hourly wages and occur despite earlier-than-average retirement for persistently unionized men. Third, the union wage premium is not constant throughout a worker’s career; instead it increases with more years of union membership. The cumulative advantages of union membership for workers’ economic well-being are far greater than point-in-time estimates suggest.
Determinants of Livelihood Diversification of Farm Households in Rural India: Evidence From National Sample Survey
Authors: Kumari Ruma , Ramana Murthy R. V.
Published: October 2022

The lives of rural households are predominantly based on agriculture and its allied activities. However, there are signs of an agricultural crisis resulting in dependence on alternative sources of income. This paper analyzes the factors that influence the decision of farm households to participate in non-farm activities for alternative income. The official data for two years on the Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households are explored and a pooled probit regression model is run to examine the determinants of income diversification. Our findings reveal that farm income and irrigated land negatively influence diversification. However, diversification of those having lower access to farm holdings, socioeconomic deprivation, and improved access to education, informal credit, and crop insurance point out positive participation in non-farm enterprises. In addition, the population belonging to hilly and coastal plain regions and the age group 30–64 years are more likely to diversify.
Host Genotype Links to Salivary and Gut Microbiota by Periodontal Status
Authors: Kurushima Y. , Wells P.M. , Bowyer R.C.E. , Zoheir N. , Doran S. , Richardson J.P. , Sprockett D.D. , Relman D.A. , Steves C.J. , Nibali L.
Published: October 2022

Limited evidence describing how host genetic variants affect the composition of the microbiota is currently available. The aim of this study was to assess the associations between a set of candidate host genetic variants and microbial composition in both saliva and gut in the TwinsUK registry. A total of 1,746 participants were included in this study and provided stool samples. A subset of 1,018 participants also provided self-reported periodontal data, and 396 of those participants provided a saliva sample. Host DNA was extracted from whole-blood samples and processed for Infinium Global screening array, focusing on 37 selected single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) previously associated with periodontitis. The gut and salivary microbiota of participants were profiled using 16S ribosomal RNA amplicon sequencing. Associations between genotype on the selected SNPs and microbial outcomes, including α diversity, β diversity, and amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), were investigated in a multivariate mixed model. Self-reported periodontal status was also compared with microbial outcomes. Downstream analyses in gut microbiota and salivary microbiota were carried out separately. IL10 rs6667202 and VDR 2228570 SNPs were associated with salivary α diversity, and SNPs in IL10, HSA21, UHRF2, and Fc-γR genes were associated with dissimilarity matrix generated from salivary β diversity. The SNP that was associated with the greatest number of salivary ASVs was VDR 2228570 followed by IL10 rs6667202, and that of gut ASVs was NPY rs2521364. There were 77 salivary ASVs and 39 gut ASVs differentially abundant in self-reported periodontal disease versus periodontal health. The dissimilarity between saliva and gut microbiota within individuals appeared significantly greater in self-reported periodontal cases compared to periodontal health. IL10 and VDR gene variants may affect salivary microbiota composition. Periodontal status may drive variations in the salivary microbiota and possibly, to a lesser extent, in the gut microbiota.
Variation in Patient-Reported Decision-Making Roles in the Last Year of Life among Patients with Metastatic Cancer: A Longitudinal Study
Authors: Ozdemir Semra , Chaudhry Isha , Tan Si Ning Germaine , Teo Irene , Malhotra Chetna , Malhotra Rahul , Finkelstein Eric Andrew
Published: October 2022

Objective

We investigated the variation in patient-reported decision-making roles in the past year of life among patients with metastatic solid cancer and the associations of these roles with patient quality of life and perceived quality of care.

Methods

We used the last year of life data of 393 deceased patients from a prospective cohort study. Patients reported their decision-making roles, quality of life (emotional well-being, spiritual well-being, and psychological distress) and perceived quality of care (care coordination and physician communication) every 3 months until death. We used mixed effects linear regressions to investigate the associations of decision-making roles with patients’ quality of life and perceived quality of care.

Results

The most reported roles, on average, were patient-led (37.9%) and joint (23.4%; with physicians and/or family caregivers) decision making, followed by no patient involvement (14.8%), physician/family-led (12.9%), and patient alone (11.0%) decision making. Patient level of involvement in decision making decreased slightly as death approached ( P < 0.05). Compared with no patient involvement, joint decision making was associated with better emotional well-being (β [95% confidence interval] = 1.02 [0.24, 1.81]), better spiritual well-being (1.48 [0.01, 2.95]), lower psychological distress (−1.99 (−3.21, −0.77]), higher perceived quality of care coordination (5.04 [1.24, 8.85]), and physician communication (5.43 [1.27, 9.59]). Patient-led decision making was associated with better spiritual well-being (1.69 [0.24, 3.14]) and higher perceived quality of care coordination (6.87 [3.17, 10.58]) and physician communication (6.21 [2.15, 10.27]).

Conclusion

Joint and patient-led decision-making styles were reported by 61% of the patients and were associated with better quality of life and quality of care. A decrease in the level of patient involvement over time indicates reliance on family and physicians as death approached.

Highlights

Among patients with metastatic cancer, the level of patient involvement in decision making decreased slightly as death approached. Joint decision making of patients with their physicians and/or family caregivers and patient-led decision making were associated with better quality of life and perceived quality of care. Patients with metastatic cancer should be encouraged to be involved in decision making together with their physicians and/or family caregivers to potentially improve their end-of-life experience.
Unnao Tanneries Limited: Post COVID Business Strategy
Authors: Nigam Achint , Dewani Prem Prakash , Behl Abhishek
Published: October 2022

Unnao Tanneries Limited (UTL), formerly known as Monir Leather Works, was set up in the 1980s and has been a family-owned business for over four decades. The primary activity of UTL in the initial years was leather jackets and purses. It sold its products under the brand name Brown Cliff. It shifted its manufacturing units from Kanpur to the nearby town of Unnao to cut costs and increase capacity in 1990. It later expanded its product range to primarily include leather footwear, targeting the menswear market. It became one of the top players in the northern part of the country with a proper business strategy. The footwear segment was growing rapidly and profitably for UTL. The business was smooth for almost four decades with minor hiccups until the government imposed a ban on its functioning due to a sparse wastewater disposal system in May 2019. The initial ban was prolonged further due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country in March 2020. As a result, UTL suffered a significant loss in sales and clients. Reviving demand for the products after the easing of partial lockdown in the country was a daunting task. UTL became a contractual manufacturer for CONTE to utilize its idle resources and reduce its financial burden. Later, UTL got an offer from Batla Leather Products Limited (BLPL) to become its contract manufacturer. BLPL was one of the top players in the national and international market and it was looked for facilities to quickly scale up its operations. This case allows the readers to put themselves in Mr Sadiq Monir’s shoes and analyse an unforeseen business situation. The choice between short-term profits and sustainability versus long-term growth of the family brand Brown Cliff had to be made. The case gives several macro and micro factors supporting the choices and the decision to be made. The decision dilemma has two facets—to gain expertise in improving operations and to have a steady flow of income for the next 2–3 years versus risking the loss of independence and dilution of the family brand Brown Cliff.
Book review: Usha Iyer, Dancing Women: Choreographing Corporeal Histories of Hindi Cinema
Authors: Jhingan Shikha
Published: October 2022

Usha Iyer, Dancing Women: Choreographing Corporeal Histories of Hindi Cinema. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2020, 269 pp, $35.00 (paperback). ISBN: 978-0-19-093874-1.
Direct Oral Anticoagulants Versus Warfarin for Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in Patients With Nephrotic Syndrome: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Tijani Aminat , Coons Eric M. , Mizuki Britta , Dermady Miranda , Stanilova Katerina , Casey Ashley L. , Alqudsi Muhannad , Gastanaduy Mariella , Elmayan Ardem , Bamnolker Adi , Velez Juan Carlos Q.
Published: October 2022

Background:

Evidence supporting venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in patients with nephrotic syndrome (NS) is limited to case reports.

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to compare bleeding and thromboembolic events in this population.

Methods:

A retrospective cohort study was conducted in adults with NS initiated on a DOAC or warfarin for VTE prophylaxis between January 2013 and July 2021 within the Ochsner Health System. Patients with study drug exposure within the preceding 7 days, acute VTE within the preceding 6 months, or ≤7 days of study drug exposure were excluded. The primary outcome was the composite rate of major bleeding and clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding. Secondary outcomes included time to major bleeding and rate of new thromboembolic events. This study was approved by the Ochsner Health System Institutional Review Board.

Results:

Twenty-five DOAC and 19 warfarin patients were included. The primary outcome occurred in 8% vs 26.3% ( P = 0.21) of patients treated with a DOAC or warfarin, respectively, and was driven by major bleeding (4% vs 21%, P = 0.25). Other secondary outcomes were similar between cohorts. The study was limited by a small sample size.

Conclusion and Relevance:

Use of DOACs for VTE prophylaxis resulted in a nonstatistically significant, but clinically relevant lower rate of major bleeding compared to warfarin. This study provides comparative data showing safe and effective use of DOACs in patients with NS. Prospective, randomized studies are needed to confirm results.
Sources of self-efficacy in class and studio music lessons
Authors: Gill Anneliese , Osborne Margaret , McPherson Gary
Published: October 2022

Self-efficacy is a key factor in performance success, yet little is known about how music educators nurture students’ self-belief within studio and class music lessons. This study explored teachers’ perceptions of pedagogical priorities in the development of self-efficacy. The goal was to understand how teachers intuitively nurture students’ performance self-efficacy and determine the optimal means by which positive self-perceptions and subsequent musical achievement could be most effectively fostered within music environments. Australian music educators ( n = 304) responded to a questionnaire asking them to share their strategies for helping students cope with common performance scenarios (exam, first concert, negative experience, and sub-par performance) and key performance issues such as music performance anxiety and confidence. Qualitative analyses coded to the four self-efficacy sources revealed that teachers preferred to focus on mastery experiences and employ verbal persuasion. The development of vicarious experience or the psychological performance skills that would benefit physiological and affective states were given substantially lower priority. There were also some significant between-group findings in the way that studio and school classroom teachers employed verbal persuasion which may be a reflection of the different teaching environments. Efforts to enhance performance self-efficacy could focus on the less-utilized sources. Further recommendations and implications for music pedagogy are outlined.
Reinventing folk instruments as educational tools: The case of the Shakuhachi
Authors: Matsunobu Koji
Published: October 2022

Reflecting their dominance within music education, most musical instruments used in schools are of Western origin. In stark contrast, the adoption of folk instruments for the purposes of facilitating students’ music-making and learning in the educational context is rarely encountered. This article reports the empirical data of a study in which a modified, 3D-printed instrument in the form of a shakuhachi was tested based on its usability in a classroom setting and the degree to which students were motivated to learn it. The positive results make a case for child-friendly, affordable, educational instruments that facilitate easy sound production and pitch bending without compromising authenticity and expression. Developing such educational instruments can play a crucial role in invigorating and transmitting traditional music.
Beyond ports, roads and railways: Chinese economic statecraft, the Belt and Road Initiative and the politics of financial infrastructures
Authors: Petry Johannes
Published: October 2022

Scholars have focused on how the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) facilitates Chinese economic statecraft and its likely impact on the global order. A common thread thereby is how connectivity through China’s construction of physical infrastructures (e.g. ports, roads, railways) represents a source of power. However, such a focus on physical infrastructures obscures the importance of BRI-related financial infrastructures. Addressing this gap, this article analyses the construction of Chinese financial infrastructures along the BRI as an exercise of economic statecraft within the context of the liberal, US-dominated global financial order. The article traces the activities of China’s state-owned exchanges as crucial actors that facilitate financial connectivity by enabling investment into BRI projects (investment opportunities), bringing Chinese investors into BRI markets (investors structure) and gradually shaping how these markets work (investment rules). First, I analyse three individual countries (Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Bangladesh) as examples of ‘bilateral’ and ‘offensive’ statecraft. Second, I analyse an emerging China-centred global network of financial infrastructures as exercise of ‘systemic’ and ‘defensive’ statecraft that shields China’s foreign policy objectives (i.e. BRI) from global pressures, potentially creating a parallel system of capital markets with Chinese characteristics. Beyond BRI, I therefore argue for including financial infrastructures more thoroughly into International Relations (IR)/International Political Economy (IPE) scholarship as important object of analysis.