bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Approach to the School Facility Renaming Process Using Culturally Responsive Leadership
Authors: Lewis Jr. Henderson
Published: August 2023

Culturally responsive leadership allows for executive leaders to incorporate their core values and beliefs to make difficult decisions in organizations. This chapter explains how a superintendent of schools in an urban all charter school district navigates through external influential barriers to facilitate a school facility renaming process. Reframing the mindset of senior-level leaders within the district and school board members to become culturally aware and to understand the social inequities of the community was the call to action from the social unrest across the United States. Strategies to navigate through inequitable barriers for executive leaders are provided in the chapter.
Competency and Social Barriers and Overcoming Them as a Factor Shaping the Development of Sustainable Regions
Authors: aus der Mark–Malter Mariola
Published: August 2023

The recognition of professions is particularly important for the sustainable development of regions. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the obstacles and the factors responsible for their removal. One of the factors is good practices of institutions and entrepreneurs for a sustainable labor market. These practices are one of the elements eliminating obstacles to the development of regional labor markets. The scope of the chapter is to show the idea of striving for a sustainable labor market, to show the state policy in one of the aspects that concerns admission to a regulated profession (requiring confirmation of competences and certification of qualifications), analysis of the costs for public and private budgets and indication of good practices of entrepreneurs in order towards sustainability labor market. In order to maintain the balance of the labor market, it is important that the compensation and development of personnel remain motivating and attractive and allow for an optimal employment structure.
The Impact of Loans Provided by Loan Funds to Micro and Small-Sized Enterprises on the Sustainable Development of Regions
Authors: Sobolewski Dariusz
Published: August 2023

The aim of the chapter is to answer the following research question: do the financial resources made available by local regional (local) funds for micro and small-sized enterprises exert an impact on the sustainable development of selected regions? The conclusions drawn from quantitative studies, including a statistical analysis of data, were used to verify the issue outlined in the chapter. The findings have confirmed that the loans provided by regional loan funds exert an impact on the development of micro and small-sized enterprises and indirectly on the sustainable development of regions. Also, the findings have made it possible to identify interrelationships, as well as the strength and directions of this impact.
Social Services and Sustainable Regional Development
Authors: Marska-Dzioba Natalia , Nawrolska Izabela
Published: August 2023

It is impossible to question the problem of the impact of the principle of sustainable development on local or regional development. It is increasingly required to act in accordance with its ideas, and the increasing importance of today's society attaches to its respect at all levels of socio-economic life. This principle also applies to the provision of social services, and thus to their quality and availability to the public. This chapter presents an analysis of the legal-administrative-financial linkages in the delivery of sustainable social services between the three levels of local government in Poland compared to other European countries. Due to the relevance to the community, as confirmed by the time of the Covid-19 pandemic, the chapter focuses on health services and disability policy. The purpose of the chapter is to demonstrate the limitations of actual sustainable local development when decentralization of organizations requires inter-institutional coordination.
Challenges for the Financial Sustainability of Hospitals
Authors: Rój Justyna
Published: August 2023

The issue of financial sustainability of healthcare systems has frequently come up in recent years all over the world as healthcare costs are steadily increasing and have been consistently outgrowing the economy for decades. Particular attention is paid to hospitals due to the number of resources devoted to them. In Poland, hospitals have been struggling for many years with the problem of debt and lack of financial sustainability. Thus, the purpose of this study is the identification of challenges for the financial sustainability of hospitals in Poland. Results showed the existing challenges for the financial sustainability of hospitals. It was also found that the main changes should be carried out within the scope of performance of the stewardship, governance, and financing function of healthcare system.
Driving Sustainable Development Through Climate Finance in India
Authors: Baranidharan S.
Published: August 2023

This case study examines the national clean energy fund (NCEF) as a climate finance policy in India. The NCEF was established with the objective of promoting renewable energy projects and sustainable development in the country. The study explores the background and context of climate finance, providing an overview of the NCEF's goals and implementation. The case study analyzes the impact of the NCEF by examining its funding allocations and utilization over the years. It highlights the challenges faced in effectively utilizing the funds, such as administrative hurdles, limited capacity, policy uncertainties, project development barriers, financial constraints, and governance issues. Furthermore, the case study discusses the socio-economic impacts of the NCEF, including job creation, clean energy adoption, and environmental benefits. It also explores the lessons learned from the NCEF implementation, identifying areas for improvement and providing recommendations for enhancing climate finance mechanisms in India. This chapter creates a contribution to renewable energy development in India.
An IoT aware Road Accident Prevention System for Smart Cities Using Machine Learning Techniques
Authors: Deeksha S. , Ganapathy Sannasi , Muthumanikandan V.
Published: August 2023

In smart cities, road accidents are very serious and avoidable. In addition, road accidents are very common in India, and they are also becoming a serious issue all over the world. In this world, the people are not able to reach hospitals due to the traffic, lack of transport facility, and unavailability of hospitals after the accidents. To enrich the population of urban people, the “smart cities” are developed to enhance the sophistication in daily life through technological development. The proposed image classifier model has been tuned with different values of hyperparameters such as number of units, activation function, optimizer, learning rate, and number of epochs. The efficiency and accuracy of the model is duly considered while building the model for predictive analysis. The images were transformed and augmented before feeding them into the neural network to ensure proper training by blocking over-fitting of the model because of lack of data. The proposed model achieves 98.21% accuracy, which is greater than the existing works.
Creating Employment and Sustainable Livelihood Through Entrepreneurship
Authors: Guha Sriparna , Mandal Anirban , Kujur Fedric , Poddar Sandeep
Published: August 2023

This research investigates the effect of entrepreneurship on sustainable livelihood of the handicraft artisans. The study focuses on to check the relations between sustainable livelihood, entrepreneurship, and employment by providing insight into rural crafts activities and evaluating the decision to engage in the craft business. In this study, data was collected from the handicraft artisans using structured questionnaires through offline mode. A total of 599 responses were collected and analyzed using Structured Equation Modelling (SEM) approach. The result exhibited that all hypothesized relationships had positive and significant connection. The novelty of the paper is that this study uses the concept of entrepreneurship as a method to find ways to support the livelihood of the artisans as an innovative understanding into the phenomenon that has potential to make real contribution to the lives of the artisans.
Generous Remuneration Fostering Organisation Towards Sustainability
Authors: Tiwari Mansi , Srivastava Sonali
Published: August 2023

Employees have always been the backbone of any company. In building sustainable competitive advantages, remuneration is one critical component as it deals with multifaceted issues like employee performance, satisfaction, loyalty, career advancement, and whatnot. If generous remuneration is missing, it may lead to job dissatisfaction and develop turnover intentions among employees which may affect employee motivation which could result in enormously effective performances. In this chapter, the aim is to propagate the features contributing to generous remuneration especially considering the organization's orientation towards it. Why does not every organization follow socially and ethically responsible HRM practices when it comes to remunerating employees? The suggested model for sustainable, socially and ethically responsible HR practices indicated that employee engagement is highly determined by attractive and competitive remunerations to encourage employees to stay in the long run which makes an organization more sustainable in reducing attrition due to issues in-stable payment structures.
Rainwater Harvesting System
Authors: Jadhav Babasaheb Ramdas , Ingale Kavita Karan , Sanika Shinde
Published: August 2023

This study intends to enhance the understanding of the circular economy and ways to advance business ecosystems, productivity, and innovation. It will help the government and regulatory bodies in drafting their policies. The study also intends to present the sustainable consumption practice of rainwater harvesting through case studies. The study implies the case study approach on the primary data collected from Water Field Technologies Pvt. Ltd. which works in the field of water management and prominently rainwater harvesting. The purpose of the circular economy is to make the most of material resources by adhering to reducing, reusing, and recycling. A circular economy is a novel approach to value creation through innovative and sustainable practices thus, recycling and reusing the resources leads to their efficient utilization.
Heuristics to Secure IoT-Based Edge-Driven UAV
Authors: Saini Hemant Kumar , Jain Kusumlata
Published: August 2023

With the new advancements, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are trending with enormous development in our society, bringing new leaps towards the smart IOT devices. As the IOT UAVs are more capable and pervasive governments, organizations, and businesses are readily embracing transformation of the various missions towards a the edges of uav networks. IOT enabled UAV edges with its distributed support for navigational interlocation services as low latency, capacity for rapid delivery of massive data amounts, and scalable cloud-native architectures enables mission critical industrial and logistic applications and creates richer experiences across remote working, education, retail, and entertainment. Bringing such resources closer to the user enables a better user experience. In this chapter, the authors discuss challenges for using IoT devices at the edge, as well as several approaches to IoT security at the edge gaping the bootstrapping client and device credentials and authorization revocation for compromised UAVs
An Investigation of Patterns of Entrepreneurial Competencies Among Undergraduates at a Malaysian Public University
Authors: Alagappar Ponmalar N. , Nadarajah Janitha V. , Xavier Jesrina Ann
Published: August 2023

Entrepreneurial competences are related to the knowledge and skills needed to establish or manage a business that is profitable. However, research into the relationship between different types of entrepreneurial education and entrepreneurial competencies has yielded varied results. This study investigates the various types of entrepreneurial competencies that students would have developed after taking the basic entrepreneurship course at the said university and compares them to students who did not take the basic entrepreneurship course. The study comprised 1049 undergraduates from different disciplines who took Basic Entrepreneurship class as well as individuals who did not take Basic Entrepreneurship. The Personal Entrepreneurial Competencies (PEC) assessment utilised had 13 competencies. The designed basic entrepreneurship enculturation course only positively predicted five of the 13 entrepreneurial competencies (i.e., persistence, systematic planning, initiative, see and act on opportunities, and use of influence strategies).
Elements Influencing Entrepreneurial Intention Among Undergraduate Students
Authors: Mahmood Rosman Bin , Zahari Ahmad Suffian Bin Mohd , Zakaria Zainuddin Bin , Ibrahim Norlaila Binti , Ahmed Norizan Binti
Published: August 2023

Entrepreneurship education has a positive impact on the entrepreneurial mindset of young people, their intentions towards entrepreneurship, their employability, and finally, on their role in society and the economy. Entrepreneurship benefits students from all socioeconomic backgrounds because it teaches students to think outside the box and nurtures unconventional talents and skills. The authors will discuss the factors that may influence the entrepreneurial intention among undergraduate students in a public university in Malaysia. The determination of entrepreneurial intention level among students adopts two approaches in influencing entrepreneurial intention (attitude and aspirations) based on the theory of planned behavior. Questionnaires were distributed to 260 respondents comprising of final year students from the field of social science and the field of science and technology. The findings showed that the relationship between all factors identified in this study on entrepreneurial intention is significant and with various levels of strength.
Technology and Entrepreneurship Development
Authors: Madli Faerozh Bin , Janin Yuzainy , Gulabdin Shaierah Binti , Yun Wong Sing , Yong Kelvin , Abdullah Diana Nabila Chau
Published: August 2023

The rapid advancement of technology has changed the direction and how entrepreneurship is carried out. In principle, these two elements play an important role in influencing a country's development. Thus, research on these topics is very important in line with the evolving technological landscape. In addition, entrepreneurship is one of the most important branches of the country as it has proven to be able to drive the country's economic growth and contribute to its prosperity. Therefore, this chapter focuses on the phenomenon of technology bases entrepreneurship in Malaysia as well as the implications for the present and the future based on past literature reviews in the context of technology and entrepreneurship development in Malaysia. The objectives of this chapter are to identify the extent to which the concept of technology-based entrepreneurship is drawing on the context of Malaysia. Secondly, the status quo on the development technology and entrepreneurship in Malaysia is highlighted and discussed. Lastly, the implications of the findings to policymakers are also discussed.
Using Public Grants for Intrapreneurial Projects at a University
Authors: Gormezoglu Zeynep
Published: August 2023

The purpose of this study is to present a condensed version of a feasibility analysis for the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research Center at a Turkish university, which is prepared for a grant application to a government agency. The center will conduct essential research and development, quality control, analysis, and testing operations to support the ecosystem. The aim of the center is to identify the yield and quality parameters of medicinal and aromatic plants and transform them into industrial raw materials such as herbal medicines, organic food, herbal cosmetics, etc. that can serve as alternative sources of sustainable income in various regions of the world. The chapter can function as a reference for comparable intrapreneurial intentions.
Women Entrepreneurs
Authors: Syed Ayesha , Subbarayudu Y. , Ramakrishna Yanamandra
Published: August 2023

The chapter examines the benefits of diverse perspectives, including increased innovation and improved problem-solving abilities. The current state of women entrepreneurs' representation is assessed, highlighting disparities and challenges faced by the individuals. Barriers encountered by women entrepreneurs, such as access to funding and gender bias, are discussed alongside solutions for overcoming these obstacles. Strategies for promoting inclusivity and diversity in entrepreneurship are proposed, emphasizing the need for targeted policies, mentorship opportunities, and entrepreneurship education. Case studies of successful women entrepreneurs thriving due to inclusive practices are analyzed, drawing lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs and those supporting them.
Women Entrepreneurs' Psychological Wellbeing
Authors: Maheshkar Chandan , Soni Neha
Published: August 2023

Women's entrepreneurship is the capability of a woman or group of women to set up a venture and run it by considering financial risks with the expectation of earning profit. Entrepreneurship is differentiated by decision-making ability, competition, economic gains, autonomy, and socio-economic settings that provide a foundation for an individual to strive and run a venture in a highly competitive environment. This study examined the impact of empowerment and motivation on women entrepreneurs' psychological wellbeing. In this regard, the study considered the various aspects of motivation, empowerment, and psychological wellbeing responsible for the success of women entrepreneurs. Results exhibited significant relationships between women entrepreneurs' empowerment, motivation, and psychological wellbeing. It is a significant attempt because developing skills, self-esteem, and self-sufficiency depends upon the state of these relationships, which is a critical matter of consideration for women entrepreneurs.
Grocery E-Commerce Transformation
Authors: Kalyvaki Maria
Published: August 2023

This chapter traces the evolution of grocery shopping, spotlighting the rise of e-commerce in the sector, particularly since 2020 due to COVID-19. The pandemic accelerated digital sales growth, condensing a decade's progress into mere months. This shift towards convenient, time-saving shopping methods was instrumental in integrating e-commerce into the food industry, including the fresh fruit and vegetable market. Amid COVID-19 restrictions, e-commerce became a vital food distribution tool, bolstering supply chain resilience. The chapter reviews the status of online grocery shopping, discussing customer hesitations and strategies to boost market share. Urging retailers to modernize business models, restructure supply chains, and develop efficient, eco-friendly local food delivery systems. Policy suggestions and vital investment areas for sustainable e-commerce development are presented. It advocates for urban governments to foster a supportive environment that capitalizes on e-commerce while minimizing its adverse impacts on traditional retail, traffic, and greenhouse gas emissions.
Investigating the Dynamics of Trust in Social Capital on Social Media Platforms
Authors: Liu Youmei
Published: August 2023

This chapter presents a 10-year (2013-2022) longitudinal research study among college students aged from 18 to 39 who were social media users. The chapter covers three topics: 1) student use of social media platforms to establish social networking, 2) perception and attitude towards level of trust on social media platforms, and 3) correlation between social media trust and media consumption. The results indicate that there are more students using social media to keep a close relationship with friends and family members to maintain existing communities than those to find new friends to expand social circle. Students have increased concern with trust on social media and the level of trust is declining throughout the years. Despite the trust issue, there is no correlation between level of trust and student use of social media to share and use online information to find solutions.
Exploring Managerial Perspectives
Authors: Singh Roma , Das Runumi
Published: August 2023

In today's highly competitive global business environment, the efficient management of a “scattered” or “distance” workforce is critical for the success of any organisation. The purpose of this chapter is to look into how the debate on digital transformation and leadership has changed in recent years. The approach is mixed. The first section is a review of the literature on digital advancements in various sectors of the economy as well as new trends in virtual workforce management. The second section summarises the conclusions of empirical study based on interviews with managerial representatives from IT, operations, and sales. The study was conducted in Tier 1 cities in India. The results show that managers have adjusted into this new era of employee management from distant places and have undergone necessary training for skill development. However, the rising use of technologies has brought a new set of challenges that need to be dealt with.
Quantifying Information Propogation Rate and Geographical Location Extraction During Disasters Using Online Social Networks
Authors: Bhuvaneswari Anbalagan , Julanta Leela Rachel J.
Published: August 2023

The pervasive popularity of social networking facilitates the propagation of trending information and the online exchange of diverse opinions among socially connected individuals. In order to identify events from the density ratio of real-time tweets, the authors suggest a new underlying quantification model, and morphological time-series analysis is performed using information entropy to ascertain the rate of news coverage of crisis situations. To further get insightful patterns in events, the event-link ratio is evaluated. In this study, the authors utilize data collected from Twitter to evaluate how far news of these events has spread. The study concludes by demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed framework in a case study on the disasters events where it successfully captured critical information and provided insights into the dissemination of information during the disaster. The suggested approach detects events faster and with 94% accuracy than state-of-the-art methods. Comparing all location references, unambiguous location extraction has 96% accuracy.
Classification of Types of Labour Law Compliance Controls in Current Labour Legislation
Authors: Andreeva Andriyana
Published: August 2023

Control is a normative regulated activity and given the specific focus on compliance with the norms of labour legislation, its dependence on the specificity of the sources of this legal sector is predetermined. The labour code occupies a central place in contemporary labour law, which is also the main source of the normative regulation of state control. Chapter nineteen “Control of Compliance With Labour Legislation and Administrative Liability for its Violation,” contains the legal regulation, accordingly, the type diversity of control can be derived from it.
Executive Agency “General Labour Inspectorate“
Authors: Yolova Galina
Published: August 2023

On the basis of the study, conclusions are drawn about a continuous trend of continuous improvement and upgrading of the national legal framework, fully in line with the new social relations and the related specificity of the labour relations. A strict hierarchy of control functions is established in the overall system of the structure of the general and specialised control administration, and the synchronous forms of joint control activity have been appropriately found, while maintaining the necessary operational independence. The methodology of the research is based on the traditional methods of legal and theoretical research - formal - legal, comparative - legal method, as well as the traditional methods of doctrine - induction, deduction, analysis, and synthesis.
Empirical Test and Study of the Legal and Economic Aspects of Control on Compliance With Labour Law
Authors: Nedyalkova Plamena
Published: August 2023

In this part of the development, the problem of the effectiveness of control over compliance with labor legislation is investigated. The methodological basis of the study includes general scientific methods, such as: observation, description, induction and deduction, measurement and comparison, analysis, and synthesis. Control effectiveness research is based on fuzzy set theory, as a modern theory that enables research to be conducted with both quantitative data and qualitative data, and through this theory it is possible to test a number of imprecise or unspecified questions.
Applications of Nanoparticles in the Cosmetic Field
Authors: Francis Luther King M. , Sherin Nithya S.
Published: August 2023

Nanotechnology is a cutting-edge scientific discipline that focuses on manipulating matter at the nanoscale scale to create new and useful materials, gadgets, and systems (1–100 nm). One of the most rapidly expanding, and commercially viable niches in the cosmetics industry is the use of micellar nanoparticles in these products. The improved qualities of the nano-sized particles in terms of colour, transparency, solubility, etc., are largely responsible for the extensive impact of nanotechnology in the cosmetics sectors. Cosmetics use a wide variety of nano materials, including nanosomes, liposomes, fullerenes, solid lipid nanoparticles, etc. Recent worries about the potential dangers of nano cosmetics have prompted the cosmetics industry to restrict the use of nanotechnology in cosmetics and push for stricter regulations requiring a thorough safety review of the products before they hit store shelves. This chapter looks at the latest developments in nano-sized materials for use in cosmetics in an effort to address these problems despite the not-so-obvious hidden hazards.
Advancements and Future Challenges in Nanoparticle and Nanofluid Research
Authors: Pradhan Sagnika , Reza Khandekar Hussan
Published: August 2023

Nanoparticles and nanofluids are dynamic area of research due to their broad applications in various emerging field such as medicine, energy, and environmental science. Recent advancements in this field include the development of new synthesis techniques for creating nanoparticles with specific properties, important uses of nanoparticles in drug delivery systems in medical field, and the exploration of using nanofluids as coolants in thermal management systems. However, there are also challenges that need to be addressed in this field. One of the main challenges is understanding the behavior and properties of nanoparticles in different environments, as they can be affected by factors such as size, shape, and surface chemistry. Additionally, there are concerns about the possible health and environmental hazards associated with the use of nanoparticles, and more research is needed to understand and mitigate these risks.
Experimental Study of Impact Parameters on the Deforming Loads in Incremental Forming
Authors: Rathee Lokesh , Rathee Rakesh , Kumar Ajay
Published: August 2023

Single point incremental forming (SPIF) is an emerging sheet forming method and has been widely accepted by the researchers for fabricating the customized items for the industrial uses and the end users. The measurement of the deforming loads during this viable method would assess the need of specific capacity of the SPIF machines for the given process conditions and materials. Therefore, this work aims at investing the influence of the punch feed rate and the forming angle on the peak values of the deforming loads. The conical frustums of the varied forming angles are produced from the AA2024 aluminum alloy sheets. The CNC milling machine was utilized for this die-less sheet forming. The table type dynamometer was utilized for recording the peak values of the deforming loads during the fabrication of the frustums. Experimental results confirmed that both the input factors were significant to impact the deforming loads. It was also confirmed that the small increment in the forming angle led to the significant rise in the deforming loads for all punch feed rates.
Microwave-Assisted vs. Conventional Hydrothermal Synthesis, Morphology, Microstructure, and Surface Area Analysis of g-C3N4/MoS2 Nanocomposite
Authors: Saxena Mukul , Sharma Anuj Kumar , Srivastava Ashish Kumar , Dixit Amit Rai , Singh Narendra , Singh Monika
Published: August 2023

Excellent lubricating characteristics are shown by the solid lubricant MoS2, but due to its spontaneous oxidation and absorption of moisture from the air, it has low wearing resistance and a limited wear life. This study is the first to successfully mix the additive g-C3N4 with MoS2 using sophisticated microwave-assisted synthesis with controllable parameters in addition to traditional hydrothermal synthesis route. The conventional hydrothermal process takes longer than other approaches, such as microwave-assisted synthesis method. There was a lack of comparison between the two synthesis techniques in terms of pore size, morphology, and microstructure. This research evaluated the microstructure, morphology, surface area, and pore diameters of g-C3N4/MoS2 nanocomposite produced employing hydrothermal (g-C3N4/MoS2-HT) and novel microwave methods (g-C3N4/MoS2-MW).
Industry Requirement and Future Prospects of Lightweight AlMg2Si Functionally Graded Materials for Automotive Engine Components
Authors: Ram Subhash Chandra , Bhushan Awani , Goel Sunkulp
Published: August 2023

The present study provides a comprehensive state-of-the-art on currently available information about the advancement of Al-Mg2Si in-situ FG-composites for various automotive application domains, as well as their inherent benefits and drawbacks. Additionally, the chapter explored how a functionally graded material (FGMs) might serve as a suitable replacement material for automotive components. FGMs can be practically modified through the modification of their constituents to meet particular functional needs. The production of FGMs employs an extensive range of approaches. Taking into consideration Al-Si-Mg alloy as the starting materials, the fabrication methods are categorized as follows: liquid processes, gaseous processing, and solid particle methods. This chapter describes the typical centrifugal casting technique for Al-Mg2Si in-situ functionally graded lightweight composites. Optical and SEM analysis of reinforced phase Mg2Si particles, Al-Si eutectic phases, and α-Al grains size were presented in detail.
Nanowires Synthesis and Application as Smart Biochemical Sensors and Energy Storage Materials
Authors: Kutsanedzie Felix Yao Huemabu , Asamoah Richard Barnes , Nyanor Peter Kwesi , Asempah Isaac
Published: August 2023

Nanowires are a class of smart materials with unique physicochemical properties owing to their electron confinement along their thickness which differs them from their bulk counterparts. Their enhanced physical, chemical, optical, and mechanical properties have heightened their suitability for a host of sensing applications. The profound sensitivity underlines their preferential applications in lighting, computing, communication, energy harvesting, and medicine for detecting and analyzing signals and molecules with a relative greater efficiency. Advanced synthesis methods have been developed to engineer the properties of nanowires for tailored sensing applications. In this chapter, captured various synthesis techniques and potential sensing applications of nanowires underpinned by their unique properties. The chapter output will enlighten recent advances in nanowires and its subsequent sensing technologies utilized in healthcare, environment, and electronic devices. Consequently, the concepts are expected to open vistas in allied nanomaterials and sensing technology development.
Applications and Types of Smart Materials
Authors: Roy Rituparna , Bhakta Debjani , Roy Subhasis
Published: August 2023

Different materials have been used for various purposes for the advancement of humanity ever since the beginning of human civilization. The term “smart material” encapsulates the change taking place in the field of material science. Smart materials are the key that can be used to unlock our impossible desires, such as the ability of a mobile phone screen to repair itself, the ability of some buildings to react to weather, the ability of some medical fields to release drugs into the bloodstream at the very first stage of a disease, etc. Because of its appealing and intelligent qualities, smart materials are known by other names such as responsive and intelligent materials. Overall, it can be concluded that it demonstrates a vivacious spirit and wise behavior. Temperature, pressure, tension, an electric or magnetic field, moisture, or pH can all cause these materials to react. This chapter discusses recent reviews of smart materials based on their state of the art. The authors also explore different types of smart materials and their various ways and sectors for their applications.
Effect of Framing and Feedback Levels on Funding and Emotional Support in Medical Crowdfunding
Authors: Fan-Osuala Onochie
Published: August 2023

Despite the rise of medical crowdfunding and its benefits to patients, including reducing financial hardships and providing emotional support, limited attention has been paid to how a medical crowdfunding campaign organizer can drive performance. In this study, the authors investigate how the communication style used in a medical crowdfunding campaign can affect the funding performance and emotional support received. They find that emotional framing and the level of feedback communicated positively affect funding and emotional support and discuss its implications.
Enhancing Efficiency of Crowdfunding Campaign Financing
Authors: Sagot Sylvain , Ben Arfa Nouha
Published: August 2023

This study aims to investigate the impact of off-page communication factors on success of crowdfunding campaigns. While previous research mainly focused on on-page communication factors, relevant research on the impact of off-page communication factors related to additional website visibility and external social media remains scarce. To address this gap, the authors examine the impact of search engine optimization (SEO) actions taken on an additional website and explore influence of the use of external social media on rewards-based crowdfunding success, as it is argued to be the dominant online model. They perform a cross-sectional study of a randomized sample of 1,791 campaigns on KissKissBankBank, the major crowdfunding platform in Europe. The results reveal that (1) SEO actions taken on the additional website enhance success of the crowdfunding campaign, and (2) there are important connections between the use of external social media and success of crowdfunding campaigns. Taken together, these results contribute to adequate decision making among project initiators, backers, and platforms owners.
An Empirical Analysis of Trust, Perceived Benefit, and Purchase Intention in C2C Electronic Commerce in China
Authors: Zhao Zijian , Yang Yantao , Liang Jin , Garcia-Campayo Javier , Wang Zhongwei , Perez Hector Monzales , Li Huaqiang , Borao Luis
Published: August 2023

With the popularity and development of the internet, China's consumer-to-consumer (C2C) electronic commerce (EC) system is favored by consumers. Therefore, understanding the relationship among consumers' trust, perceived benefits (PBs), and purchase intentions (PIs) is of great significance for studying this system. This article proposes the hypothesis of the interaction among the three and designs a questionnaire to explain the application of trust, PB, and PI in China's C2C EC system. The relationship between the sample structure and the variables is analyzed using reliability, validity, correlation, and regression analysis (RA). The experimental analysis results show that the questionnaire's reliability and validity values are higher than 0.8 and 0.75, respectively, indicating that the questionnaire design is qualified, and the data are valid. The rationality of the hypothesis proposed here is verified through correlation analysis and RA. This indicates a significant mutual influence relationship among trust, PB, and PI.
Theoretical Background of Self-Healing in Asphalt Concrete
Authors: Inozemtsev Sergei
Published: August 2023

The article presents theoretical premises that can be used to describe the mechanism of self-healing of the state of the structure of asphalt concrete containing an encapsulated reducing agent. The article presents the main provisions of the Flory-Huggins theory, according to which the restorative effect can be realized due to the ability of organic binder molecules to spontaneously entangle with each other. The intensity of this process depends on the proximity of the molecules to each other and the rate of spontaneous motion, which increases with increasing temperature. And in accordance with the theory of adhesion, the restoration of the state of the structure of asphalt concrete can be due to the mechanisms of formation of adhesive bonds with the help of an encapsulated modifier. To describe the features of the formation of adhesive bonds during restoration, the approaches described in the mechanical, molecular, chemical, diffuse, relaxation theory of adhesion or the theory of weak boundary layers can be used.
Microstructure and Hardness Properties of AISI 321 Stainless Steel Welded Joints with Different Filler Metal
Authors: Oktadinata Herry , Triantoro Toto , Gumilar Aji , Jatmiko Unggul Ramadani
Published: August 2023

Austenitic stainless steel is susceptible to sensitization when exposed to high temperatures. During welding operations, they tend to form chromium depletion zones and thus become susceptible to intergranular corrosion. The microstructure and hardness properties of AISI 321 austenitic stainless steel welds have been studied in this work. The phenomenon of sensitization of AISI 321 stainless steel during GTAW has also been investigated. This experiment observed three welded samples using different filler metals, ER316, ER308, and ER347. Weld sample analysis was studied using an optical microscope and a microhardness tester. The results demonstrated that the type of filler metal significantly affected changes in the microstructure and hardness of the weld joint.
Abstracts of Oral and Poster Presentations: 28th Annual Academic Sessions of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka
Authors: Nandasena Sumal
Published: August 2023

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Liver X Receptor LXRα Promotes Grass Carp Reovirus Infection by Attenuating IRF3–CBP Interaction and Inhibiting RLR Antiviral Signaling
Authors: Song Yun Jie , Zhang Jie , Xu Zhen , Nie Pin , Chang Ming Xian
Published: August 2023

Liver X receptors (LXRs) are nuclear receptors involved in metabolism and the immune response. Different from mammalian LXRs, which include two isoforms, LXRα and LXRβ, only a single LXRα gene exists in the piscine genomes. Although a study has suggested that piscine LXR inhibits intracellular bacterial survival, the functions of piscine LXRα in viral infection are unknown. In this study, we show that overexpression of LXRα from grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus), which is named as gcLXRα, increases host susceptibility to grass carp reovirus (GCRV) infection, whereas gcLXRα knockdown in CIK (C. idellus kidney) cells inhibits GCRV infection. Consistent with these functional studies, gcLXRα knockdown promotes the transcription of antiviral genes involved in the RIG-I–like receptor (RLR) antiviral signaling pathway, including IFN regulatory factor (IRF3) and the type I IFN IFN1. Further results show that gcLXRα knockdown induces the expression of CREB-binding protein (CBP), a transcriptional coactivator. In the knockdown of CBP, the inhibitory effect of gcLXRα knockdown in limiting GCRV infection is completely abolished. gcLXRα also interacts with IRF3 and CBP, which impairs the formation of the IRF3/CBP transcription complex. Moreover, gcLXRα heterodimerizes with RXRg, which cooperatively impair the transcription of the RLR antiviral signaling pathway and promote GCRV infection. Taken together, to our knowledge, our findings provide new insight into the functional correlation between nuclear receptor LXRα and the RLR antiviral signaling pathway, and they demonstrate that gcLXRα can impair the RLR antiviral signaling pathway and the production of type I IFN via forming gcLXRα/RXRg complexes and attenuating IRF3/CBP complexes.
Evaluation of serum cystatin C as an early marker of renal disease in Chronic Kidney Disease patients in Kano
Authors: Mohammed Idris Yahaya , Mshelia Abdulkadir Saleh , Ahmad Mohammad Bello , Busari Akeem Olayinka
Published: August 2023

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a public health problem with rising incidence worldwide. Nigeria appears to be badly hit by this epidemic; therefore, there is a need to assess a more reliable marker devoid of limitations. This study evaluated serum cystatin C as an early biochemical marker of renal disease in chronic kidney disease patients in the Kano metropolis. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital and Muhammad Wase Specialist Hospital (MWSH) in Kano, Nigeria. A total of 150 subjects comprised 100 chronic kidney disease patients, and 50 apparently healthy subjects as controls. The serum creatinine was measured by the Jaffe Method, cystatin C by immunoturbidometric method, and glomerular filtration rates were estimated using CKD-EPI and modified diet in renal disease formulae. One-way Analysis of Variance was used to compare the Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) of the chronic kidney disease patients with the control groups. In this study, the multiple comparisons of the estimated glomerular filtration rate showed that cystatin C-based glomerular filtration rate gave a direct and accurate measurement of independent of age, and muscle mass with the estimated glomerular filtration rate of ≤60 mL/min/1.73m2 in chronic kidney disease patients substantially lower as compared to the control group and newly diagnosed chronic kidney disease patients. Serum cystatin C-based glomerular filtration rate gave a direct and accurate measurement of independent of age, and muscle mass and thus suggestive of a better marker of early detection of chronic kidney disease. Creatinine-based glomerular filtration rate has been relatively inexpensive and widely used for the diagnosis of renal function. However, to address its limitations caused by the influence of some factors, cystatin C-based glomerular filtration rate gave a direct and accurate measurement independent of age, sex, and muscle mass.
Furuncular myiasis in a pediatric outpatient clinic in Enugu, South-Eastern Nigeria
Authors: Asinobi Isaac N. , Ohuche Ijeoma O. , Omoke Njoku I. , Dike Chinedu M. , Ngwu Chikambinaka P. , Odika Okwy C.
Published: August 2023

Myiasis has been associated with poor standards of hygiene in children, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. In our practice, however, we encountered cases of myiasis in children from high socioeconomic backgrounds. Four cases of myiasis were reported in children aged between 20 months and 7 years, all belonging to the upper socio-economic class. Spreading clothes inside-out on clothesline and shrubs was a major risk factor. We concluded that there is a need for the enlightenment of the public as regards this disease condition, even among the upper class.
Expression and localization of α2A-adrenergic receptor in the rat post-natal developing cochlea
Authors: Tian Chaoyong , Yang Yang , Li Yao , Sun Fei , Qu Juan , Zha Dingjun
Published: August 2023

Lots of adrenergic receptors (ARs) are widely present across the auditory pathways and are positioned to affect auditory and vestibular functions. However, noradrenergic regulation in the cochlea has not been well characterized. In this study, a rat model of noise-induced hearing loss was developed to investigate the expression of α2A-adrenergic receptor (AR) after acoustic trauma, then, we investigated the expression of α2A-AR in the developing rat cochlea using immunofluorescence, qRT-PCR, and Western blotting. We found that the expression of α2A-AR significantly increased in rats exposed to noise compared with controls. Immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated that α2A-AR is localized on hair cells (HCs), spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs), and the stria vascularis (SV) in the postnatal developing cochlea from post-natal day (P) 0 to P28. Furthermore, we observed α2A-AR mRNA reached a maximum level at P14 and P28 when compared with P0, while no significant differences in α2A-AR protein levels at the various stages when compared with P0. This study provides direct evidence for the expression of α2A-AR in HCs, SGNs, and the SV of the cochlea, indicating that norepinephrine might play a vital role in hearing function within the cochlea through α2A-AR.
Exploring healthcare system adaptive techniques and challenges in caring for people living with HIV and AIDS during the COVID-19 lockdown period in Harare, Zimbabwe
Authors: Makwara Tendai , Chireshe Rumbidzai , Nyashanu Mathew
Published: August 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented challenges for healthcare systems worldwide, affecting the provision of ongoing care for people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA). This study aimed to explore the adaptive techniques employed by healthcare systems in providing care for PLWHA during the pandemic and the challenges encountered. An exploratory qualitative study (EQS) methodology was employed, underpinned by the resourcefulness framework. The Silences Framework Analysis Phases were used during data analysis. Fifteen participants were interviewed, and the data were thematically analyzed. The healthcare system employed several adaptive techniques to cater to PLWHA during the pandemic, including developing new standard service protocols, implementing preventative measures to limit COVID- 19 infections during hospital visits, and improving communication. The study identified two significant challenges: a lack of health insurance and a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPEs). The findings highlight the need for adapting to changing circumstances and provide ongoing care for PLWHA during the pandemic. The results show that developing new protocols and preventative measures can effectively ensure the continuity of care in pandemic situations. Moreover, the provision of PPEs and health insurance for healthcare staff should be prioritized to create a safe working environment. In conclusion, this study underlined the importance of resourcefulness in developing healthcare resilience to sustain care and support for PLWHA during the COVID-19 pandemic.