bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Outshining by Recent Star Formation Prevents the Accurate Measurement of High-z Galaxy Stellar Masses
Authors: Narayanan Desika , Lower Sidney , Torrey Paul , Brammer Gabriel , Cui Weiguang , Davé Romeel , Iyer Kartheik G. , Li Qi , Lovell Christopher C. , Sales Laura V. , Stark Daniel P. , Marinacci Federico , Vogelsberger Mark
Published: January 2024

We demonstrate that the inference of galaxy stellar masses via spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting techniques for galaxies formed in the first billion years after the Big Bang carries fundamental uncertainties owing to the loss of star formation history (SFH) information from the very first episodes of star formation in the integrated spectra of galaxies. While this early star formation can contribute substantially to the total stellar mass of high-redshift systems, ongoing star formation at the time of detection outshines the residual light from earlier bursts, hampering the determination of accurate stellar masses. As a result, order-of-magnitude uncertainties in stellar masses can be expected. We demonstrate this potential problem via direct numerical simulation of galaxy formation in a cosmological context. In detail, we carry out two cosmological simulations with significantly different stellar feedback models, which span a significant range in SFH burstiness. We compute the mock SEDs for these model galaxies at z = 7 via calculations of 3D dust radiative transfer, and then backward fit these SEDs with prospector SED fitting software. The uncertainties in derived stellar masses that we find for z > 7 galaxies motivate the development of new techniques and/or priors for SFH to model star formation in the early Universe.
Chemodynamical Nature of the Anticenter Stream and Monoceros Ring
Authors: Qiao Yi , Tang Baitian , Lian Jianhui , Li Jing , Xu Cheng
Published: January 2024

In the epoch of deep photometric surveys, a large number of substructures—e.g., overdensities and streams—have been identified. With the help of astrometry and spectroscopy, the community has revealed a complex picture of our Milky Way (MW) after investigating their origins. The off-plane substructures the Anticenter Stream (ACS) and Monoceros Ring (MNC), once considered as dissolving dwarf galaxies, were later found to share similar kinematics and metallicity with the Galactic outer thin disk. In this work, we aim to chemically tag ACS and MNC with high-accuracy abundances from the APOGEE survey. By extrapolating chemical abundance trends in the outer thin-disk region (10 < R
GC < 18 kpc, 0 < ∣Z
GC∣ < 3 kpc), we found that ACS and MNC stars show consistent chemical abundances as the extrapolating values for 12 elements, including C, N, O, Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Co, and Ni. The similar chemical patterns indicate that ACS and MNC have a similar star formation history as the MW outer thin disk, while we also excluded their dwarf galaxy association, as they are distinctive in multiple chemical spaces. The ages of ACS and MNC stars are consistent with the time of the first Sagittarius dSph passage, indicating their possible connection.
Les mille et une thèses rurales des années 2000
Authors: Antoine Annie , Skora Sylvain
Published: January 2024

La liste des thèses « rurales » soutenues dans les universités françaises a été essentiellement établie en interrogeant la base thèses.fr. L’étude porte sur la période 2000-2022, 1   143 titres ont été collectés. Le corpus obtenu a été interrogé en fonction du domaine disciplinaire de la thèse, du type d’espace étudié, de la période concernée et du caractère tout rural ou partiellement rural de la thèse. L’étude statistique du corpus a fait apparaître à la fois des éléments de continuité qui avaient déjà été soulignés au moment de la création d’ hsr et des éléments nouveaux qui se sont progressivement accentués, notamment la tendance à inclure du rural dans des études relevant de disciplines très différentes.
Marchands associés : la coopération entre les entreprises marchandes dans les campagnes du Maine au XVIII e siècle
Authors: Musset Benoît
Published: January 2024

Les sociétés marchandes du monde rural sont assez méconnues. Pourtant, cette forme de coopération est choisie par de nombreux marchands du Maine au xviii e  siècle, surtout dans le commerce des animaux (bovins, moutons, chevaux, porcs). Ces sociétés sont souvent des formes très simples et souples d’associations entre pairs, portant sur un type d’animal, pour une durée ou un espace limité. Elles sont parfois des formes plus élaborées et intégrées, avec un donneur d’ordres et des facteurs. Ces sociétés marchandes répondent aux structures du commerce rural, fortement décentralisé. Elles permettent des négociations plus faciles, une meilleure coordination des échanges et des facilités de paiement plus importantes. Certes, elles peuvent être instables et semblent rarement durables. Elles sont une forme de coopération qui s’insère dans un système marchand plus vaste, fondé sur une interpénétration de formes de concurrence et d’entraide.
Real-Time Online Demonstration for Skills Education for First-Year Nursing Students
Authors: Wong Irene Y. F. , Lee Amy K. S.
Published: January 2024

Background:

Few studies have investigated first-year nursing students' perspectives after they received real-time online demonstration (RTOD) for fundamental nursing skills education.

Method:

A mixed-methods study was conducted with prospective second-year nursing students after they completed a one-semester RTOD class in their first year. With permission from the original authors, an online questionnaire, the Self-Structured Questionnaire (SSQ), was administered to 277 students in undergraduate and higher-diploma programs, followed by two focus group interviews with 13 students. Survey and focus group data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis, respectively.

Results:

Regarding students' barriers in administrative, individual, and technological areas, three themes emerged from the focus groups: (1) learning quality; (2) connection; and (3) impediments.

Conclusion:

RTOD contributed to fundamental nursing skills education. However, there was room for improvement.

[
J Nurs Educ
. 2024;63(1):43–47.]
The Application of Femtosecond Laser–Assisted Astigmatic Keratotomy on the Correction of Asymmetric Astigmatism: A Case Series
Authors: Lin Hung-Yuan , Alió Jorge L. , Chuang Ya-Jung , Lee Chia-Yi , Lin Pi-Jung
Published: January 2024

Purpose:

To present the use of femtosecond laser–assisted astigmatic keratotomy (FSAK) with or without a toric intraocular lens (IOL) for the correction of asymmetric astigmatism.

Methods:

Case series and review of the literature.

Results:

Cases 1 and 2 showed low-grade but asymmetric astigmatism on the corneal topography. After FSAK management, which made two corneal incisions in both patients, case 1 revealed prominently reduced corneal astigmatism and manifest refraction and the astigmatic axis of case 2 became more direct. Cases 3 to 5 demonstrated higher degrees of asymmetric astigmatism and FSAK was performed with toric IOL implantation in patients with asymmetric astigmatism, creating an incision at the corneal surface with a higher amount of astigmatism. Postoperatively, the corneal astigmatism displayed considerable decrement in cases 3 to 5. No optical symptoms were reported in any cases.

Conclusions:

FSAK is a safe and effective method for correcting moderate asymmetric astigmatism and can be combined with toric IOL implantation.

[
Journal of Refractive Surgery Case Reports.
2024;4(1):e15–e19.]
New soliton solutions of the conformal time derivative generalized $ q $-deformed sinh-Gordon equation
Authors: Huang Chun , Li Zhao
Published: January 2024

In this article, our main purpose was to study the soliton solutions of conformal time derivative generalized $ q $-deformed sinh-Gordon equation. New soliton solutions have been obtained by the complete discrimination system for the polynomial method. The solutions we obtained mainly included hyperbolic function solutions, solitary wave solutions, Jacobi elliptic function solutions, trigonometric function solutions and rational function solutions. The results showed abundant traveling wave patterns of conformal time derivative generalized $ q $-deformed sinh-Gordon equation.
El mapa y su escritura. Escalas catastrales de Milán a Viena (primera mitad del siglo XVIII)
Authors: Lebeau Christine
Published: January 2024

En este artículo se analizan las representaciones espaciales contenidas en los catastros antiguos, tomando como ejemplo el censimento milanés, iniciado en 1718. Elaborada en un contexto imperial, esta cartografía catastral y la evaluación fiscal asociada a él fueron elaborados desde diferentes puntos de vista. Una amplia gama de documentación conservada en Milán, Viena y París muestra cómo funcionarios y ciudadanos de diferentes niveles pudieron modificar e incluso moldear el territorio. La administración territorial, las reivindicaciones locales y la mirada imperial se superponen y comunican para producir, cada uno a su manera, una “imagen interesada”. Pero los mapas y la forma en que están escritos también reflejan estas tres escalas, revelando en última instancia una dinámica imperial, un proyecto negociado y compartido de justicia conmutativa.
Propiedad de la tierra, agrimensura general y colonización rusa de Crimea a finales del siglo XVIII y primera mitad del XIX
Authors: Víctorovna Platónova Natalia
Published: January 2024

La etapa inicial de la colonización rusa de Crimea, que se extendió desde finales del siglo XVIII hasta mediados del siglo XIX, se caracterizó particularmente por el asentamiento y la distribución de tierras a las personas que llegaban. Los temas relacionados con la propiedad de la tierra se fueron complicando cada vez más, lo que repercutió en la vida social y económica de la región. En este trabajo se estudia cómo la autoridad imperial de Rusia trató de remediarlo, por un lado, promulgando una legislación especial sobre tierras y, por otro lado, enviando comisiones de tierras y agrimensores para investigar sobre el terreno los conflictos de tierras y demarcar las tierras de Crimea. Por lo tanto, este estudio revela las características del sistema de tenencia de la tierra desarrollado en Crimea después de su anexión por Rusia en 1783. Esto también proporciona información sobre el proceso de integración y cómo y quién gobernó Crimea y su población en ese momento. A raíz del levantamiento general (Agrimensura general o Catastro general), que se lleva a cabo en el Imperio ruso desde 1765, la demarcación de tierras se llevó a cabo en la gobernación de Taurida de 1798 a 1804, pero se dio un paso crucial con un marco de procedimiento particular en 1829-1843, que llevó a proporcionar una valiosa información cartográfica y económica. Concluimos que las comisiones de tierras y las operaciones de agrimensura fueron instrumentos útiles que ayudaron a clarificar y regular los derechos sobre la tierra de los pueblos nativos y no nativos de Crimea, así como también brindaron a las autoridades una mejor comprensión de los desafíos y las características específicas de la región.
Prominencia melódica en la entonación descendente de interrogativas y declarativas de Zulia (Venezuela)
Authors: Díaz Chaxiraxi
Published: January 2024

La geolingüística se ocupa de estudiar la variación lingüística en el espacio desde diversos niveles lingüísticos y reflejarla en los llamados atlas lingüísticos. Ante la necesidad de crear un atlas multimedia en el que plasmar la prosodia de las lenguas y variedades románicas, nace en 2002 el proyecto AMPER (Atlas Multimédia Prosodique de l’Espace Roman), el primer atlas en describir la prosodia y plasmar los resultados en un soporte informático en forma de atlas multimedia. Una de estas variedades es la venezolana, para cuyo estudio prosódico se sigue la división dialectal propuesta por Mora (Los Andes, Los Llanos, Centro, Sur-oriental y región de Zulia). En este trabajo se realiza un estudio entonativo fonético-fonológico de Zulia. El análisis acústico se realizó con MATLAB y los valores absolutos de f 0, extraídos en el núcleo de la sílaba, fueron relativizados en semitonos, determinando su importancia perceptiva a partir del umbral diferencial de 1,5 semitonos.
Nouvelles études de tuniques romaines. Les Martres-de-Veyre (Puy-de-Dôme)
Authors: Breniquet Catherine , Médard Fabienne , Bèche-Wittmann Marie , Bouilloc Christine
Published: January 2024

Dans le cadre du PCR « ArchéoMartres » auquel collaborent plusieurs agents de l’Inrap, le réexamen des collections archéologiques romaines de la nécropole des Martres-de-Veyre conservées au musée Bargoin de Clermont-Ferrand a permis la redécouverte d’une tunique en laine. Celle-ci habillait un défunt dont la tombe a été fouillée au XIXe siècle. En morceaux, car arrachée à son contexte par une brèche ouverte sur le côté du cercueil, elle a pu être réassemblée grâce à ses éléments structurels : armure, lisières, coutures, clavi, etc. Cette démarche originale a permis de reconstituer la chaîne opératoire de fabrication du vêtement mais également de comprendre comment il était porté, en association avec d’autres pièces textiles dans le cadre funéraire. Cette découverte exceptionnelle appelle des comparaisons avec deux autres tuniques provenant du même site et récupérées dans des conditions semblables au XIXe siècle. Elles autorisent une réflexion sur les procédés de tissage, sur les installations nécessaires, domestiques ou artisanales, sur la diversité des productions et sur le « costume » gallo-romain. En revanche, l’origine des matières premières (laine et teintures) ainsi que le lieu de production demeurent encore indéterminés.
Le roi et le déshonneur des familles
Authors: Jandeaux Jeanne-Marie
Published: January 2024

Au xviiie siècle, le roi reçoit des suppliques désespérées de dizaines de milliers de familles qui redoutent que le comportement déviant de l'un des leurs ne conduise au scandale d’une condamnation judiciaire. C’est un quotidien familial intime et douloureux, pris sur le vif, qu’exposent sans fard les dossiers de lettres de cachet pour affaires de famille de l’intendance de Franche-Comté. Les conséquences dangereuses des excès d’un fils cadet, de la folie d’un neveu ou de l’adultère d’une épouse amènent le monarque, père et juge suprême des sujets, à intervenir pour préserver l’honneur de la famille, en expédiant une lettre de cachet qui ordonne la détention de l’accusé.Les archives comtoises révèlent une prise en compte attentive des conflits de plus de 270 familles, principalement nobles et bourgeoises, par la monarchie absolue. Faisant des affaires de famille une affaire d’État, le roi emploie la lettre de cachet pour le règlement de différends privés, dans un subtil parallèle entre ordre familial, social et politique. Une procédure complexe, basée sur une enquête de terrain, mobilise toute la hiérarchie administrative, dévoilant une famille déchirée par des luttes de pouvoir intestines et des frustrations anciennes.Le succès des lettres de cachet de famille éclaire d’un jour nouveau le rapport unissant l’État et la famille à la fin de l’Ancien Régime et la crise profonde née de la confrontation entre l’intérêt familial et les aspirations individuelles. La cruelle destinée des correctionnaires comtois enfermés à l’hôpital de Bellevaux à Besançon, au château de Joux, à Bicêtre, ou même exilés en Nouvelle-France et aux Antilles, montre quel est le prix payé par ceux qui, rejetés par leur famille avec l’aide de l’État, commencent à apparaître à l’approche de la Révolution comme les victimes de l’arbitraire monarchique.Ouvrage couronné par le prix Madeleine-Lenoir 2015, publié avec le soutien de la Société de l’École des chartes.
Data Envelopment Analysis-Based Approach for Maximizing Energy Efficiency in Ad Hoc Networks
Authors: Adebimpe Muhammed Abiodun , Ajibesin Adeyemi Abel , Tchakounté Franklin
Published: January 2024

The growth of wireless technology due to global population growth and urbanization has increased internet usage, intensifying network energy demands. Researchers and professionals prioritize energy efficiency to cut costs and reduce emissions, with a focus on wireless networks. This chapter explores energy efficiency's importance, particularly in ad hoc wireless and sensor networks. This study seeks to maintain energy efficiency while maximizing resources like node numbers, using computational methods and data envelopment analysis (DEA) with multicast incremental power (MIP) and coded packet algorithms as DEA inputs. An output-oriented DEA approach enhances network performance by increasing output while maintaining input resources. This research contributes significantly to understanding energy efficiency in wireless networks, providing valuable insights for network administrators and decision-makers, particularly in ad hoc wireless networks.
Efficiency Assessment and Optimization in Renewable Energy Systems Using Data Envelopment Analysis
Authors: Vashishth Tarun Kumar , Sharma Vikas , Sharma Kewal Krishan , Kumar Bhupendra , Panwar Rajneesh , Chaudhary Sachin
Published: January 2024

Renewable energy systems have gained significant attention in recent years due to their potential to mitigate climate change and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. However, ensuring the efficient utilization of resources and optimizing the performance of these systems remain critical challenges. This chapter focuses on applying data envelopment analysis (DEA) as a valuable tool for assessing and optimizing the efficiency of renewable energy systems in various scientific, information technology, and engineering contexts. The chapter overviews DEA principles, methodologies, and models and explores its specific application in renewable energy systems. The integration of DEA with other analytical tools, such as life cycle assessment (LCA) and optimization techniques, is also examined. The chapter highlights data availability and quality challenges and identifies future research directions in DEA for renewable energy systems.
Data Envelopment Analysis in Healthcare Management
Authors: Vajjhala Narasimha Rao , Eappen Philip
Published: January 2024

This chapter explores the applications, contributions, limitations, and challenges of data envelopment analysis (DEA) in healthcare management. DEA, a non-parametric method used for evaluating the efficiency of decision-making units, has found extensive applications in healthcare sectors such as hospital management, nursing, and outpatient services. The review consolidates findings from a broad range of studies, highlighting DEA's significant contributions to efficiency measurement, benchmarking, resource allocation and optimization, and performance evaluation. However, despite DEA's robust applications, the chapter also identifies several limitations and challenges, including the selection of inputs and outputs, sensitivity to outliers, inability to handle statistical noise, lack of inherent uncertainty measures, homogeneity assumption, and the static nature of traditional DEA models. These challenges underscore the need for further research and methodological advancements in applying DEA in healthcare management.
Exploring Productivity by Evaluating ISP Efficiency in Nigeria's Telecommunications Sector
Authors: Ajibesin Adeyemi Abel , Akinmoyede Yakub , Thangavel Senthil Kumar , Salahudeen Ridwan
Published: January 2024

The digital divide in Africa, particularly Nigeria, has raised concerns about the efficiency of internet service providers (ISPs) in providing quality services to their subscribers. This research focuses on evaluating the efficiencies of the major ISPs in Nigeria, including MTN, Glo, Airtel, and 9mobile, using data envelopment analysis (DEA). The study examines vital efficiency metrics such as internet speed, cost of data, years of existence, and subscriber base over five years from 2015 to 2019. The results reveal varying levels of efficiency among ISPs, with MTN consistently ranking as the most efficient. These findings have implications for improving the quality of internet services and promoting healthy competition within the Nigerian telecommunications industry. The study also highlights the importance of considering multiple parameters in assessing ISP efficiency, shedding light on areas for future research and regulatory interventions by the Nigeria Communications Commission.
Impact of Mergers and Acquisitions on Shareholder Wealth in Indian Banks
Authors: Jena Trilochan , Sanyal Pradipta Kumar , Sreekumar ‑
Published: January 2024

In today's changing business environment characterized by complexity and volatility, the Indian banking sector is witnessing tough competition from national and multinational players. In this study, the authors studied the Indian bank mergers between 2006 and 2018 to measure the impact of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) on efficiency in financial performance. A sample of four Indian banks—State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, HDFC Bank, and Kotak Mahindra Bank—was selected based on market capitalization. This chapter evaluated five years of pre- and post-merger financial efficiency to measure the impact of M&A on efficiency in financial performance. The authors considered seven critical variables impacting the performance of Indian banks for the study. The non-parametric technique data envelopment analysis (DEA) is used for efficiency measurement over the period. The study shows that mergers and acquisitions positively impact the enhancement of financial efficiency.
Stakeholder Engagement and Community Participation in Sustainable Development in Southern Africa
Authors: Costumado Maximino , Chemane José A. D.
Published: January 2024

This chapter highlights the role of stakeholder engagement and community participation in sustainable development and growth in Southern Africa. It emphasizes the relevance of inclusive collaboration and traditional knowledge to tackle the socio-economic and environmental challenges in the region. This chapter discusses adopting stakeholder engagement processes with a robust and inclusive community participation approach in projects and initiatives promoting sustainable growth and development in the Southern African region. Additionally, the chapter stresses the value of open communication channels and partnerships for fostering sustainable development. This chapter shares best practices and suggestions for all stakeholders involved in sustainable development initiatives by analyzing empirical evidence and case studies. It accentuates the need for inclusive strategies based on ethical cooperation, transparency, and gender equity that consider the voices of local communities and facilitate innovation to ensure a more equitable and sustainable future.
Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth in Developing Countries
Authors: Aluko Opeyemi Idowu , Aluko Oluwole Ayodeji
Published: January 2024

Countries of the world require financial capital for economic growth and development. It lubricates the wheels of the economy for development. The developed countries of the world held on to continuous capital investments in the economy and these resulted in rapid economic growth. The case of most developing countries is different. They do not have sufficient capital to be invested in their economy; therefore, they need to depend on the external hands of the developed countries. The research question is, What is the prospect and bane of foreign direct investment on the economy? The theoretical framework of dependency theory is used to analyse the prospect and bane of foreign direct investment. The methodology adopted utilises data from the World Bank, which is analysed using descriptive techniques. The chapter concludes that over dependent on the foreign direct investment will make the recipient countries as an extension of the donor countries.
The Role of Multilateral Development Banks in Anti-Corruption
Authors: Madikiza Lucky Diliza
Published: January 2024

Billions of dollars in funding for infrastructure development are managed by multilateral development banks. Due to their function as development financiers, they are vulnerable to fraud and corruption, both internally inside their organizations and externally from political stakeholders given that they are frequently state-owned businesses. Historically, they have relied on national law enforcement agencies to investigate corruption-related activities. However, multilateral development banks (MDBS) have been acting more proactively in recent years to combat corruption. The African Development Bank is one of several global multilateral development banks that have started to play a role in recent years. This chapter discusses its work.
Digital Transformation in Africa
Authors: Maseko Maxwell Makhangala
Published: January 2024

Democracy in many African countries faces serious challenges linked to weak leadership, poor governance, malfunctioning state institutions, and slow or stagnant development. For these countries, the challenges can be attributed to an exploitative system rooted in colonialism, neo-colonialism, imperialism, and apartheid. Digital transformation and the global rise of digital technologies have created new opportunities to meet the challenges of democracy concerning citizen engagement, broadening public debate, increasing transparency and accountability, and improving service delivery. This chapter critically examines whether using digital technologies in political settings strengthens or weakens democracy on the continent. It highlights three main scholarly debates about using digital tools to address the declining quality of democracy. Data from various secondary sources was used to address the problem. The author found that digitalisation undoubtedly exposes democracy to new threats, but its benefits far outweigh the concerns.
Capital Structure Decisions Influencing Non-Financial Performance of Companies (ESG)
Authors: Radhakrishna Hemalata , Lappay Konyn Tuba
Published: January 2024

There seems to be a growing demand for companies to disclose information about natural, human, and financial resources used by them and its implications on environment and society. This gives rise to ESG metrics and related corporate reporting in their annual reports. The study aims to examine the relationship between internal and external sources of funds and the environmental, social, and governance score. The study is based on a sample of Nifty 50 companies listed on the National Stock Exchange of India, consisting of 245 observations. The study period was 5 years starting from 2017 to 2021. The variables studied were debt-equity ratio; retained earnings; and environmental, social, and corporate governance performance (ESG score). The study provides evidence of a negative relationship between debt-equity ratio and ESG score. The practical implication of the study is taken from the findings that it is high time for the firms to pay more attention towards improving their ESG score by taking up more sustainable projects through compliance of regulations in their business decisions.
The Interplay of Green Intellectual Capital and Green Innovation Performance
Authors: Martínez-Falcó Javier , Marco-Lajara Bartolomé , Sánchez-García Eduardo , Millán-Tudela Luis A. , Popescu Cristina Raluca Gh.
Published: January 2024

This study centers on an examination of the influence of green intellectual capital (GIC), which encompasses the intangible assets related to sustainability within wineries and their associates, on green innovation performance (GIP). The investigation specifically delves into how GIP is shaped by GIC, with a particular focus on the mediating roles played by two key factors: knowledge management (KM) and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Moreover, the research introduces a conceptual model, which draws from prior research, and subjects it to testing using structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) based on data collected from 202 wineries in Spain.
Benefits Management and Balanced Scorecard in Dynamic Environments
Authors: Gomes Jorge Vareda , Romão Mário Batista
Published: January 2024

In the rapidly-changing environments characterizing most industries today, organizations face intense competitive pressure to do things better, faster, and cheaper. Most markets are becoming increasingly dynamic. Organizations can no longer rely on a traditional analytical approach to understand their industry or market, since that market is changing in rapid and unexpected ways. In spite of its worldwide dissemination, balanced scorecard (BSC) has demonstrated inadequacy in certain circumstances. Some of the original advantages of the BSC can nowadays be interpreted as weaknesses. The authors suggest that in business dynamic environments, the benefits management approach, by using the benefits dependency network, can help BSCs to guide and support the benefits achievement related with investments, in a complementary way. By using a case study, they try to show how a BSC exhibits limitations to deal with business disruptive environments and how a benefits management approach brings a strengthened business implementation vision, from strategy down to operations.
Understanding Green Economy
Authors: Agarwal Anshu
Published: January 2024

Resource efficiency, environmentally friendly consumption and production, and the green economy's contribution to sustainable development resource efficiency refer to the ways in which resources are used to deliver value to society and aims to reduce the amount of resources needed, as well as emissions and waste generated, per unit of product or service. Sustainable consumption and production aim to improve production processes and consumption practices to reduce resource consumption, waste generation, and emissions across the full life cycle of processes and products. A macroeconomic strategy for achieving sustainable economic growth is offered by the green economy, with a primary emphasis on investments, jobs, and skills.
A Spatial Econometric Analysis of the Regional Variations of Residential Energy Consumption in Europe
Authors: Ustaoglu Eda
Published: January 2024

A residential energy consumption model was estimated by using socio-economic characteristics, economic activities, mobility, land cover, natural hazards, governance, energy, air quality, and green economy variables for the EU-27 and UK. Regional variations of the energy consumption were also investigated through focusing on European regional typologies including urban, intermediate, and rural regions. The residential energy consumption model was estimated by using spatial econometric approaches as well as specific regression models were estimated for the urban, intermediate, and rural regions. The key variables used in regression analysis were selected according to their importance using the Random Forest (RF) classification method. The results from the regressions confirm that socio-economic, environmental, governance, technology, and natural hazards related variables explain residential energy consumption in Europe. The variations of sign and coefficients of the variables according to different regional typologies were also uncovered.
Engaging Stakeholders for a Sustainable Future
Authors: Singha Surjit
Published: January 2024

This chapter highlights the critical importance of stakeholder engagement as a catalyst for sustainable development in the green economy and renewable energy transitions. It transcends a mere procedural requirement by emphasizing its fundamental function as a catalyst for progress. Key takeaways include the significance of diverse stakeholder participation, objective alignment, and an all-encompassing approach to sustainability encompassing environmental, social, and economic dimensions. It highlights the importance of partnerships, effective policies, technological advancements, and ongoing monitoring. Future trends, such as localized approaches and data-driven decision-making, are investigated, along with emerging challenges, such as complex ecosystems of stakeholders and the digital divide. Despite obstacles, opportunities such as inclusive innovation and policy influence exist. The engagement of stakeholders arises as an indispensable factor in shaping a sustainable future.
Groundwater and Pesticides
Authors: de Souza-Fernandes Luciana Cordeiro de Cordeiro , Lima Roberta Oliveira , de Farias Seabra Giovanni , Castanho Rui Alexandre
Published: January 2024

From the pandemic scenario to the current environmental problems, we present the issue of the indiscriminate and criminal use of pesticides in Brazil and their impacts on the soil. Its reflex on the groundwater, which supplies more than 50% of the Brazilian population, makes them inappropriate for human consumption; even so, they continue to be supplied to the population. Due to the various chemical compounds that make up pesticides, whether by ingesting water or food, irreversible damage to human health and the environment is being caused. Professionals have complained about the harmful effects of pesticide use in Brazil from different areas, and a legal reflection on such an important topic has been urgent.
Belmont 2.0
Authors: Throne Robin , Hendon Michalina
Published: January 2024

With the growth of ubiquitous digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, specialized training and preparation are needed to best guide social science researchers for human research protections that involve protections for data with personally identifiable information. Some human research protection (HRP) officers have called for a Belmont 2.0 that offers more aligned guidance for HRP programs and institutional review boards (IRB) to address data ethics in this new era. This chapter presents an analysis of the shifting climate of HRP data ethics, Belmont Principles, and IRB and HRP implications for artificial intelligence, machine learning, data mining/scraping, and other ubiquitous technologies.
Establishing Direction in Educational Research With Purpose, Questions, and Scope
Authors: Demirbaga Kübra Kırca
Published: January 2024

Selecting a research topic is crucial for research success, however transforming it into manageable and researchable endeavours is equally pivotal. This chapter delves into three important components in this transformation process: (1) Defining the research's purpose, (2) Formulating research questions, and (3) Establishing scope. These components, explored in three distinct sections, are integral to rendering social science research navigable and conducive to rigorous exploration. The first section scrutinizes the concept of research purpose, emphasizing its profound impact on the research process and its critical role in shaping research questions. The second section distinguishes research questions from the research purpose, highlighting their significant impact and providing insights into crafting them effectively. The third section explores the concept of scope, specifying parameters and addressing the multifaceted aspects influencing the research process. This chapter guides researchers in navigating educational research complexities, covering design, question, and scope.
Social Constructivism vs. Pragmatism
Authors: Jewel Ziaul Islam
Published: January 2024

Migration is one of the most significant areas where we can connect social work research, with an estimated 281 million people living outside of their country of birth in 2020. Given the social work profession's commitment to serving marginalised and disadvantaged populations, it must acknowledge the importance of researching immigrants. The primary problem with immigrant studies is that there are no unified paradigms, and this is a subject of ongoing discussion in social work research. However, a number of paradigms, such as constructivism, post-positivism, participatory action frameworks, pragmatism, etc., frame and construct modern social work research. To determine which paradigm is best for researching immigrants, this chapter primarily examines the paradigms of social constructivism and pragmatism. It concludes that social constructivism is the best paradigm for this type of research.
Indigenous Afro-Feminist Theories in Africa
Authors: Musingafi Maxwell Constantine Chando , Mokhothu Pascalinah Morongoenyane
Published: January 2024

This chapter presents indigenous Afro-feminist theories routed in African histories and cultures, largely based on the unhu philosophy including womanism, motherism, stiwanism, nego-feminism, femalism, religious feminism like Islamic feminism, bread and butter feminism, and the contemporary wave of young feminists, among others. At the root of these indigenous Afro-feminist theories is the recognition of the fact that men and women share the world and should therefore share in the joys and suffering of their fellow human beings. These theories came as a form of resistance to cultural imperialism by which the West undermines the philosophical ideologies and belief systems of African peoples. Although, the theorists problematise aspects of culture that denigrate women, they argue for the retention of African values favourable to upholding social cohesion, human dignity, collective effort and respect for humanity as evidenced in the ubuntu philosophy and traditions. Thus, indigenous Afro-feminist theoretical frameworks seek to revise and retain African traditions.
Emerging Technologies to Enhance Human-Machine Interaction and to Facilitate Industrial Paradigm Shift to Industry 5.0
Authors: Raffik R. , Roshan R. P. , Sanjeev K. B. , Subash C.
Published: January 2024

Industry 4.0 connects machines and systems, merging the physical and digital worlds using IoT (internet of things), robotics, AI (artificial intelligence), and more. Industry 5.0 integrates humans with advanced tech like quantum computing, digital twins, and cobots for collaborative and efficient production. Digital manufacturing's CAGR (compound annual growth rate) is predicted to rise, reaching $450 billion by 2027. Challenges include human-robot communication. VR plays a significant role in marketing and product promotion. Additive manufacturing reduces waste and is expected to grow to $150 billion. Industry 4.0 and 5.0 roadmap future industrial progress, with Industry 5.0 emphasizing human-robot collaboration. This chapter encourages further exploration of these transformative technologies.
Unleashing the Future Potential of 4D Printing
Authors: Revathi S. , Babu M. , Rajkumar N. , Meti Vinod Kumar V. , Kandavalli Sumanth Ratna , Boopathi Sampath
Published: January 2024

4D printing technology combines additive manufacturing with materials that can change shape or properties over time, enabling objects to self-assemble, self-repair, and adapt to their environment. It has potential applications in robotics, autonomous systems, energy and environmental systems, and smart materials for energy storage and distribution. The text discusses the potential of 4D printing technology and its role in shaping the future of wearable technology, robotics, energy, transportation, and fashion industries. It looks at future applications of 4D printing in fashion and design, such as dynamic and customizable clothing and accessories, shape-changing jewelry and wearable art, responsive and interactive fashion shows and events, and sustainable and adaptive fashion manufacturing processes. It emphasizes the importance of continued research and development to unlock the full potential of 4D printing and its transformative impact on various industries.
Ethics in AI and Virtual Reality
Authors: Saroha Kriti , Jain Vishal
Published: January 2024

This chapter explores the ethical considerations that arise at the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR). It examines the multifaceted ethical challenges posed by the integration of AI and VR technologies, focusing on issues such as privacy, bias, autonomy, social impact, and regulatory frameworks. By analyzing existing literature and real-world cases, this chapter seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of the ethical dimensions of AI-driven virtual reality experiences.
Supporting Queer and Trans Students Amidst a Rise in Anti Queer and Trans Legislation and Policies
Authors: Lemerand Steve , Duran Antonio
Published: January 2024

Despite scholarship describing college campuses as becoming more affirming of queer and trans students, queer and trans people continue to be under attack legislatively, recently in growing intensity, such as Florida's “Don't Say Gay” law. These political and legal movements will have deleterious effects on these communities for years to come. However, queer and trans communities have always fought for their existence in the face of cisheterosexist violence. In this chapter, the scholars contend higher education professionals at every level have potential to be advocates of and support the holistic well-being and academic success of queer and trans students. Building off decades of traditions, theories, and strategies of activists and changemakers, namely those from multiply marginalized communities, the authors highlight three central ideas for those working in postsecondary education: 1) supporting students' positive meaning making of their identities, 2) creating and fostering counterspaces/counternarratives, and 3) collectively organizing for liberation.
e-CRM application of micro, small and medium enterprises in Sri Lanka: mixed method
Authors: Sathana V.
Published: January 2024

Small Medium Enterprise (SME) sector plays prominent role to the development of Sri Lanka, and they have been facing huge problem and challenges in this competitive and crisis environment. Previous researchers have conducted research on e-CRM application for large firms and proved the e-CRM’s significant for large firms. Still e-CRM application is debatable in developing countries. The purpose of this research is to find out the ubiquitous e-CRM application for the success of Sri Lankan MSMEs, especially the factors of e-CRM in SME sector. Researcher applied mixed method in this research and respondents are the owners or managers of SMEs. Four focus group discussion and ten interviews were conducted for the qualitative research and snowball sampling techniques was applied to select the respondents for the quantitative method. The coding and thematic analysis were conducted to find out the themes of e-CRM of SMEs. From the qualitative analysis, fifteen themes were identified and they were come under the three dimensions. For the quantitative research, questionnaire was developed with 36 questions. The exploratory factor analysis was conducted to find out the factors of e-CRM of SMEs. Four dimensions were identified from the exploratory factor analysis. Factor 1 is named as E-CRM in Marketing, factor 2 is denoted as E-CRM implementation, factor 3 is called as Strategic integration and factor 4 is referred as Technology-based CRM. The application of four dimensions of e-CRM enable the SMEs to keep existing customers and attract the new customer.
Evaluation of the Administrative, Coordination, and Financing Capacity of the Sub-National Malaria Elimination Programs in Nigeria: A Case Study of Cross River State
Authors: Ottoho Edima , Omang Donald I. , Godwin Egbe J.
Published: January 2024

Background: This study appraised the implementers’ perspective of the program’s existing3 administrative and management; coordination and collaboration; and financing and accountability capacities to deliver its malaria prevention and control mandate. Method: The instrument used was a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire adapted from an already existing National Malaria Programme’s Capacity Assessment tool. Being a widely used open-source program tool, a pretest was done to ascertain its suitability and applicability to the study context and for field assistants to gain familiarity with it. The total population sampling method was used due to the small size of the target population. The target population/sample size was therefore 137, comprising the State Malaria Technical Working Group members, key officers of Cross River State Malaria Elimination Program (CRSMEP), and the Local Government Areas (LGA) Malaria implementing teams. It was a descriptive cross-sectional study. Each element per section of the questionnaire was weighted using the Likert scale and calculated using simple percentages. Results: Research results showed that the malaria program at the State and LGA level have adequate administrative and management capacity with confirmation by 64% and 82.1% of respondents respectively. 80% of respondents confirmed average coordination and collaboration capacity at the State level while 50% of respondents at the LGA level confirmed that the program has adequate coordination and collaboration capacity. For financing and accountability capacity, 36% of respondents affirmed that there is average capacity at the State level while 37.5% confirmed that there is no capacity at LGA level. Conclusion: The study revealed the program’s capacity gaps at State and LGA in the 3 aforementioned key areas. Therefore, interventions to address the capacity gaps are training/re-training of program staff and health workers on program management, administration, and finance, establishing performance management and accountability mechanisms, conducting evidence-based advocacy visits to policymakers for prioritizing allocating and releasing funds for malaria control activities, especially for intervention areas that are not supported by donor/partner organizations.
Abrupt introduction of distance learning during the covid‑19 pandemic: What psychological impact on teachers?
Authors: Aissaoui Hanane , Atassi Mariam , Lekfif Asmae , Bouazzaoui Mohammed A. , Yeznasni Asmae , Sabbar Sanae , Abda Naima
Published: January 2024

As soon as the COVID‑19 pandemic appeared, the Moroccan education ministry decided to adopt distance learning (DL). Our target was to study the psychological impact of DL on Moroccan teachers during the pandemic. This cross‑sectional study used an online questionnaire based on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Among 148 responses, 64.9% were women, and the average age was 41.1±11.5 years. 79.1% participated in DL, 58.8% were required to acquire DL tools and 71.6% had never received DL training. Between the start and the end of confinement, we noticed a decrease in the motivation of teachers.36.2% had definite depressive symptomatology and 41.3% had certain anxiety symptomatology with a significant predominance in women. The frequencies of depression and anxiety were higher in those who had participated in DL, but the association was not significant. Depression was significantly frequent among teachers who were obliged to acquire tools to practice DL P=0.02, those who had never received training DL P=0.046, and those who were not satisfied with the situation P=0.03. We didn't find a direct association between DL and anxiety and depression, which the small sample size may explain, but we did find an association with the variables related to DL.