Alternative Paradigm Research Articles

The The lost canon. Social theory and social regulation from overturning to mirroring

Facing the hitches of the neoliberal global turn, which first emerged with the 2008 financial crisis, social theory doesn’t appear able to provide an overall critical interpretation of the current regulation pattern and to imagine a different institutional regime, addressing the problems on the ground. This is an unprecedented situation. As we contend, social theory has always glimpsed well in advance the social system crises, assessing at the same time an alternative paradigm, thanks to a sort of canone inverso played against the coeval institutional regime: when a horizontal form of social regulation prevails in a given period, sociology adopts a knowledge paradigm based on the primacy of the vertical social dimensions. And vice-versa. This attitude transcends any conceptual content and mainly concerns the “form” of the theoretical building. In general, social theory opposed both the self-regulating market regime of the nineteenth century, and the following state-centered regime of the twentieth century. Sociology has found its raison d’être in this kind of critical monitoring towards social regulation. What happens today is that the dialectic between social theory and social regulation appears jammed. Evoking the case of the generative social action approach, the article shows that, contrary to the past intellectual seasons, the form of social theory “mirrors” the form of social regulation, instead of overturning it.

Planning in Times of Uncertainty

Coastal city-regions are dealing with new wicked problems due to climate change. Therefore, there is a demand for alternative paradigms and methodologies beyond the neoconservative perspective, demanding a transformative planning practice based on a territory-landscape plan as a catalyst for change. Landscape approaches are not ‘new,’ but they have become a driving paradigm in the international realm during the last decades. This paper explores the differences in taking a landscape approach on the Global North and South and discusses how a landscape approach can add value to coastal planning theory, especially when looking for the territories of the 21st metropolis. Conclusions have shown that landscape approaches from both Global North and South can strongly lead to a transformative and adaptive response.

What Are the Stimuli to Change to a Sustainable Post-COVID-19 Society?

The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted how inadequately prepared humanity is to manage global disasters. Conversely, this crisis also offers an exceptional opportunity to move towards a more equitable and sustainable future. This paper explores three stimuli that can lead people to the change towards sustainable Post-COVID-19 societies: crises, knowledge, and alternative paradigms. From a theoretical approach, the paper addresses the roles of each stimulus and the capacity they may have, individually or together, to encourage the debate about the relationship between environmental conditions and human crisis. This study contributes to the discussions on the importance of strategic transformations of the global consumption and production systems. It takes this unique opportunity to move towards a more sustainable future. Moreover, it urges that this transformation process be articulated with alternative paradigms that seek to go beyond inequalities, conflicts, imbalanced development, and ecological deterioration.

An Agent-Based Model for 5G Technology Diffusion in Urban Societies: Simulating Two Development Scenarios

Although 5G has been deployed in several countries, stakeholders are still hesitant to adopt the technology. Massive investment and collaboration become prerequisites for this technology to be successfully implemented and bring the most benefit. This research discusses the diffusion of 5G technology to personal end-users and industries and simulates the collaboration model. The simulation analyzes key essential indicators for stakeholders, such as the number of adopters, diffusion time, and total revenue. This study follows the pragmatism philosophy and abductive approach, integrating qualitative and quantitative research, resulting in the diffusion model. The qualitative data was obtained through focus groups and semi-structured interviews with key sources, while quantitative data from 437 people were gathered through a questionnaire. The simulation resulted in a 34% improvement in diffusion time, leading to faster investment return for industry players. This study offers an alternative paradigm compared to the diffusion of innovation theory, especially for new technology distribution. Finally, this research suggests that 5G stakeholders adopt the proposed collaboration strategy to achieve better business indicators.

Quantifying entanglement in cluster states built with error-prone interactions

Measurement-based quantum computing is an alternative paradigm to the circuit-based model. This approach can be advantageous in certain scenarios, such as when read-out is fast and accurate, but two-qubit gates realized via inter-particle interactions are slow and can be parallelized to efficiently create a cluster state. However, understanding how two-qubit errors impact algorithm accuracy and developing experimentally viable approaches to characterize cluster-state fidelity are outstanding challenges. Here, we consider one-dimensional cluster states built from controlled phase, Ising, and XY interactions with slow two-qubit error in the interaction strength, consistent with error models of interactions found in a variety of qubit architectures. We detail an experimentally viable teleportation fidelity that offers a measure of the impact of these errors on the cluster state. Our fidelity calculations show that the error has a distinctly different impact depending on the underlying interaction used for the two-qubit entangling gate. In particular, the Ising and XY interactions can allow perfect teleportation through the cluster state even with large errors, but the controlled phase interaction does not. Nonetheless, we find that teleportation through cluster state chains of size $N$ has a maximum two-qubit error for teleportation along a quantum channel that decreases as $N^{-1/2}$. To enable construction of larger cluster states, we design lowest-order refocusing pulses for correcting these slow errors in the interaction strength. Our work generalizes to higher-dimensional cluster states and sets the stage for experiments to monitor the growth of entanglement in cluster states built from error-prone interactions.

A Fully Collaborative, Noteless Electronic Medical Record Designed to Minimize Information Chaos: Software Design and Feasibility Study.

BackgroundClinicians spend large amounts of their workday using electronic medical records (EMRs). Poorly designed documentation systems contribute to the proliferation of out-of-date information, increased time spent on medical records, clinician burnout, and medical errors. Beyond software interfaces, examining the underlying paradigms and organizational structures for clinical information may provide insights into ways to improve documentation systems. In particular, our attachment to the note as the major organizational unit for storing unstructured medical data may be a cause of many of the problems with modern clinical documentation. Notes, as currently understood, systematically incentivize information duplication and information scattering, both within a single clinician’s notes over time and across multiple clinicians’ notes. Therefore, it is worthwhile to explore alternative paradigms for unstructured data organization.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility of building an EMR that does not use notes as the core organizational unit for unstructured data and which is designed specifically to disincentivize information duplication and information scattering.MethodsWe used specific design principles to minimize the incentive for users to duplicate and scatter information. By default, the majority of a patient’s medical history remains the same over time, so users should not have to redocument that information. Clinicians on different teams or services mostly share the same medical information, so all data should be collaboratively shared across teams and services (while still allowing for disagreement and nuance). In all cases where a clinician must state that information has remained the same, they should be able to attest to the information without redocumenting it. We designed and built a web-based EMR based on these design principles.ResultsWe built a medical documentation system that does not use notes and instead treats the chart as a single, dynamically updating, and fully collaborative workspace. All information is organized by clinical topic or problem. Version history functionality is used to enable granular tracking of changes over time. Our system is highly customizable to individual workflows and enables each individual user to decide which data should be structured and which should be unstructured, enabling individuals to leverage the advantages of structured templating and clinical decision support as desired without requiring programming knowledge. The system is designed to facilitate real-time, fully collaborative documentation and communication among multiple clinicians.ConclusionsWe demonstrated the feasibility of building a non–note-based, fully collaborative EMR system. Our attachment to the note as the only possible atomic unit of unstructured medical data should be reevaluated, and alternative models should be considered.

A Benders decomposition algorithm for demand-driven metro scheduling

Metro timetables are usually planned with a top-down approach. After dividing the day into different periods, the trains are scheduled between the terminals of the line with a fixed frequency per period. In this paper we adopt an alternative paradigm where trains are scheduled individually. The schedule is developed so as to best match the passenger demand, and trains may short-turn at intermediate stations, thus reversing their direction before reaching the line terminal. This type of approach is particularly suited for automated metro lines, since it has a limited impact on personnel management. Considering the objective of minimizing the passenger waiting times on a two-directional metro corridor, we make two operating assumptions when designing the train schedule. Specifically, we assume the presence of a root station, which cannot be skipped by short-turning, and we assume that idling is only allowed immediately after a short-turn, and for a maximum amount of time. We present a path-based formulation for the problem and develop an efficient exact algorithm for it using a Benders-based branch-and-cut algorithm. We evaluate the proposed formulation and algorithm on a number of test instances. Through our computational experiments, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed formulation and algorithm.

Seizing the opportunity to redesign physical education teacher education: blending paradigms to create transformative experiences in teacher education

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has encouraged many to engage with determining what is most effective in the realm of teaching and learning and how we can negotiate what we have done in the past with what makes sense for the future. In proposing a framework in which to encourage the community of physical education teacher educators to redefine physical education teacher education (PETE) practices, we argue that we need to start by revisiting, embedding and challenging Zeichner’s [(1983). Alternative paradigms of teacher education. Journal of Teacher Education, 34(3), 3–9] paradigms at a programmatic level. Drawing on Rink’s [(1993). Teacher education: A focus on action. Quest (Grand Rapids, Mich), 45(3), 308–320] main thesis of considering the different philosophical orientations as complementary, and not competing ideologies, this paper is a response to the call of Carmi and Tamir [(2020). Three professional ideals: Where should teacher preparation go next? European Journal of Teacher Education] to improve strategies for blending paradigms in teacher preparation programmes, by providing some specific directions and reflective prompts for PETE programmes. We introduce the reader to the consideration that decisions made around the paradigms and the blending of paradigms across a programme may be essential to provide pre-service teachers (PSTs) with transformative experiences that enable their understanding of the different contexts and ontologies to succeed in their pedagogical and professional endeavours. We develop a double-pyramid approach evidencing how more than one paradigm of teacher education can co-exist to create a holistic and comprehensive plan to facilitate PETE. We convey that a programmatic structure with decisions around the paradigms and their blending, and how those might shape PSTs’ educational experience will provide a starting point if teacher educators are to re-define PETE practices.

Single-Agent Rituximab and Ultra-Low-Dose Adaptive Radiotherapy for the Treatment of Indolent Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

IntroductionFor indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), there is level 1 evidence (FoRT) demonstrating superior long term local control with 24 Gy radiation treatment (RT) over ultra-low-dose 4 Gy RT (Hoskin et al Lancet 2021). However, it's notable that over 2/3 of those receiving ultra-low-dose RT did achieve durable local control. Further, with RT alone to any dose, the predominant pattern of failure is distal. Thus, the TROG study showed that the addition of systemic therapy (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, vincristine) after RT (30 Gy) significantly improved progression free survival (PFS). However, cytotoxic chemotherapy and higher dose RT can both cause significant, and potentially unnecessary, toxicities. We hypothesize that for indolent NHL, the combination of single-agent rituximab and ultra-low-dose adaptive RT, with repeat treatment as needed, will result in excellent local and systemic disease control with minimal toxicities.MethodsWe conducted an IRB approved, retrospective review of patients with indolent NHL who were treated with both ultra-low-dose RT (2 Gy x 2 or “boom boom”) and single-agent rituximab (4 cycles) either concurrently or within a short interval (median 13 days) at our institution from 2017-2020. 17 treatments [follicular (9), marginal zone (4), mucosal associated lymphoid tissue (3), other (1)] from 15 patients were identified.Treatment sites included pelvis (5), parotid (4), abdomen (4), mediastinum (1), and other (3). The median ECOG performance status was 1 (range: 0-2), the median age was 74 (range: 25-90), and 9/15 patients were male. 7 patients were stage I, 5 stage II, 2 stage III, and 1 stage IV. 3 patients had prior RT with 1 patient having the same spot irradiated twice, and the other 2 both having RT at 2 distal sites. Only 1 patient had prior systemic treatment (ibrutinib) for their low-grade lymphoma.The primary outcomes were rates of complete response (CR), partial response (PR), overall response (defined as CR or PR), stable disease (SD), or progressive disease (PD). Secondary outcomes included PFS, overall survival (OS), symptom relief, and acute and long-term toxicities. Radiographic studies (predominantly PET/CT) were used to determine treatment response and disease control.ResultsIn our cohort with median follow up of 16 months, the PFS and OS at one year was 93% (14/15)and 100% (15/15), respectively. The overall response rate was 94% (16/17), of which 13 sites (76%) achieved CR, 3 (18%) had PR, and 1 (6%) had SD. Of those with PR, 1 had residual disease in the field of RT, 1 outside the field of RT, and 1 both in and out of the field of RT. For the first 2, repeat ultra-low-dose RT was given to sites of PR and both achieved CR. The remaining patient with both in and out of field PR was managed with active surveillance with SD on last follow up.2 patients experienced acute toxicities, 1 with mild diarrhea from pre-sacral RT that resolved within days, and 1 with dysgeusia from parotid RT that resolved within 2 months. Only 1 patient noted long-term toxicity of dry mouth with about 50% reduction in saliva after left parotid gland RT, but of note this patient also had preexisting Sjogren's syndrome.Symptoms were present in 10 patients, of which 9 noted improvement after treatment. The only patient whose symptoms did not improve was the patient with SD. This patient had neuro involvement of the lymphoma with multiple confounding factors.ConclusionCombined modality treatment with single-agent rituximab and ultra-low-dose adaptive RT, with retreatment as needed, in patients with indolent NHL appears to provide effective palliation and disease control with minimal toxicity. For patients with concerns for radiation or chemotherapy related toxicity, this presents an attractive alternate treatment paradigm that warrants further evaluation in larger prospective studies. DisclosuresDesai: Boston Scientific: Consultancy, Research Funding. Awan: ADCT therapeutics: Consultancy; Cardinal Health: Consultancy; Merck: Consultancy; BMS: Consultancy; Dava Oncology: Consultancy; Johnson and Johnson: Consultancy; Beigene: Consultancy; Incyte: Consultancy; Verastem: Consultancy; MEI Pharma: Consultancy; Karyopharm: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Kite pharma: Consultancy; Gilead sciences: Consultancy; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy; Astrazeneca: Consultancy; Genentech: Consultancy.

Annual Research Review: Shifting from 'normal science' to neurodiversity in autism science.

Since its initial description, the concept of autism has been firmly rooted within the conventional medical paradigm of child psychiatry. Increasingly, there have been calls from the autistic community and, more recently, nonautistic researchers, to rethink the way in which autism science is framed and conducted. Neurodiversity, where autism is seen as one form of variation within a diversity of minds, has been proposed as a potential alternative paradigm. In this review, we concentrate on three major challenges to the conventional medical paradigm – an overfocus on deficits, an emphasis on the individual as opposed to their broader context and a narrowness of perspective – each of which necessarily constrains what we can know about autism and how we are able to know it. We then outline the ways in which fundamental elements of the neurodiversity paradigm can potentially help researchers respond to the medical model’s limitations. We conclude by considering the implications of a shift towards the neurodiversity paradigm for autism science.

How to select good leaders in Asian countries: the case of China and Singapore

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to bring out the possibility of selecting good leaders in Asian countries, i.e., China and Singapore.Design/methodology/approachSince comparative historical analysis enhances the objectivity for academic discussion, Deng Xiaoping’s and Lee Kuan Yew’s leadership successions have been chosen as the cases for studies by virtue of “method of agreement”. Incorporating “argument based on the contrary” into the context for macro-historical analysis, this paper characterises the duo’s successful (at least quite successful) leadership successions, thus offering an alternative paradigm beyond Western-style democracy.FindingsBoth cases of post-Mao China and the independent Singapore indicate that in quite a number of Asian countries, good leaders could still be selected beyond universal suffrage as practised among Western Electoral Democracies, mainly because of the elites-driven context. As to the duo’s succession results, Deng Xiaoping’s selection of leaders was somewhat successful, while Lee Kuan Yew’s was phenomenal.OriginalityThis paper offers readers a glance over the possibility of selecting good leaders in Asian countries not fully based on Western-style democracy. Learning from the duo’s leadership successions, the West may treat elite politics as the supplement under Western Electoral Democracies in order to avoid their countries falling into the trap of populism. The West could meanwhile consider the exceptional criteria prized by the duo for leadership successions. Considering such interactions among elites in the real-life context, it could serve as an alternative model to Western-style democracy.

Energy efficiency assessment of power electronic drivers and LED lamps in Li-Fi communication systems

Light-fidelity (Li-Fi) communication systems have gained increased concerns as new and alternative paradigm for wireless communications. Through the increased applications of light emitting diode (LED) lamps for lighting in indoor and outdoor applications, industrial and academic interests have been risen towards adding communication functionality to the standard light emitting diode lamp illumination functionality in light-fidelity systems. As being the same source for lighting and communication, extra power losses and stresses are imposed on the light emitting diode lamp and its power electronic drivers to perform the dual functionalities. Therefore, proper light emitting diode lamp driver design and control systems are required. This paper reviews the different architectures of light-fidelity communication systems and develops a powerful systematic approach for assessing the energy efficiency and the communication system performance metrics for light-fidelity systems. Various light-fidelity structures, communication modulators, power converters, and communication modulation methods are considered based on the mathematical modelling. Simulation results show that energy efficiency and communication system performance are largely affected by system architectures, components, and communication modulators. The obtained results show that the proposed method represents a systematic approach for calculating the energy efficiency and power losses for various elements in light-fidelity systems. Additionally, the calculated energy efficiency with adding the communication functionality is lower than the traditional illumination of the lamps. The type of modulation technique, type of modulator, modulation index value, and forward lamp current have substantial effects on the calculated energy efficiency.

TP6.2.9 1224 Surgical Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography over three years. A single unit’s experience of service provision and delivery of clinical excellence

Abstract Aims Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography (ERCP) is traditionally the domain of medical gastro-enterology. Our practice is exclusively surgeon delivered and therefore represents an alternative paradigm. The British society of Gastro-enterology (BSG) proposed key performance indicators in 2014 to evaluate standards of ERCP practice with focus on performance and safety against which we evaluated our practice. Methods The study period covers 3 years from September 2016 to August 2019. An analysis of prospectively collected data was performed. Performance of the individual surgeons and collective was collated and retrospectively analysed. Results The unit’s caseload for the 3 years period was 1224 procedures. Each surgeon’s share was similar, i.e. 454, 430 and 340 cases respectively (BCG 75 per annum). Most procedures were performed electively, some on emergency basis or within two weeks. Biliary duct stones were the most common indications for the procedure, followed by malignancy. Overall bile duct cannulation rate was 95.3%; and 91.8% for first ERCP (BSG > 85%). CBD clearance was achieved in 80.6% cases, and stone clearance at first ERCP was 78.6% (BSG > 75%). Successful stenting of extra-hepatic biliary stricture was achieved in 89.4% cases at first ERCP (BSG > 80%). Overall complications rate was 6.2% and for level 1 & 2 cases 5.3% (BSG less than 6% is accepted standard). Conclusions We performed a high volume of safe and effective ERCPs with low risk of complications in line with national standards. ERCP has become an exclusive therapeutic tool in surgical management of gall stones disease and biliary malignancy.

Building an Agroecological Process towards Agricultural Sustainability: A Case Study from Southern Spain

The urgent need to implement agricultural systems that provide greater sustainability and resilience to the challenges of the climate change process has meant that alternative paradigms for agri-food systems and agriculture have become more relevant in recent times. In this study, we present the building process and consolidation of an agro-ecological project (Extiercol) in a rural area of southern Spain, with a prolonged depopulation process and close connections to nearby urban areas. Through participatory action research, the specific objectives of this study are (1) to describe the agroecological collective process from its creation by a youth association to its establishment as a viable agricultural project; (2) to identify the drivers for the development of this type of transition process towards agricultural sustainability and (3) to analyse urban-rural alliances in the establishment of agroecological projects. Finally, the replicability of this project was assessed, with a special focus on the main barriers to be addressed in order to implement this agricultural system such as difficult to land access or a negative perception of sustainable management by farmers. Through this study we have shown how the connection between the food production area and nearby urban areas can be achieved through an agroecological project.

This Month in Adult Urology

This Month in Adult Urology

Alternate Cultural Paradigms in Latinx Psychology: An Empirical, Collaborative Exploration

In an effort to systematize and organize an exploration of alternate cultural paradigms from a Latinx perspective, the membership of the National Latinx Psychological Association was surveyed via its electronic mailing list in successive rounds. The first invitation asked members to identify alternate cultural paradigms they use in their work or are familiar with; a definition of alternate cultural paradigms and some examples were provided. Responses were summarized and redistributed to the entire list, seeking further input. This process was followed a total of four times. The range of contributions extended from journal articles, to books, to authors, individuals, and movements. The compiled responses were then analyzed using qualitative methodology in the form of thematic analysis. The resulting taxonomy addresses the promotion of health and wellness in Latinx communities through the use of alternate cultural paradigms, and culturally adapted treatments and interventions. The former is made of examples and sources that emphasize combatting oppression and inequities as well as the use of cultural traditions, norms, and specific values. Though not identified as exemplary of alternate cultural paradigms, the latter refers to evidence-based or widely used treatments that have been modified (i.e., adapted) in an effort to improve service efficacy with Latinxs.

Perspectives on remote patient monitoring with self-operated OCT for management of neovascular age-related macular degeneration

ABSTRACT Introduction Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the most common causes of blindness among the elderly population. Treatment adherence requires frequent and sometimes unnecessary follow-up clinic visits that might contribute to physician, patient and caregiver burdens, especially, nowadays, when the elderly population is apprehensive about physically attending the ophthalmology clinic. Daily patient self-imaging with automated artificial intelligence-based OCT image analysis permits detailed characterization of the dynamics of fluid exudation and treatment response and facilitates treatment adherence. Metrics describing the temporal fluid volume dynamics may become important disease biomarkers. Home OCT telemedicine systems represent an alternative paradigm of disease monitoring; they may allow highly personalized retreatment decisions, with fewer unnecessary injections and clinic visits as well as well-founded selection of drug and drug delivery method. Areas covered This review will discuss recent progress in home OCT monitoring, its role in quantification of disease biomarkers, the mode of operation of these type of devices and what is required for such a system to operate successfully. Expert opinion In our opinion, various models of AI, machine learning and telemedicine will be implemented into medicine and will be feasible in the near future.

Four Principles for Cultivating Alternate Cultural Paradigms in Psychology: Summary Reflections on Innovative Contributions

The contributors to this special issue have demonstrated the potency and promise of cultivating Alternate Cultural Paradigms (ACPs) in psychology that reflect and express the lived realities of non-White communities in America. Based on my past research engagement with several distinct American Indian and First Nations communities, I offer for consideration four principles for psychologists who seek to further cultivate ACPs: (a) attend independently to culture and power, (b) anchor conceptual abstractions in empirical examples, (c) complicate stock oppositions and essentialisms, and (d) integrate emancipation with application. Adoption of these four principles should assist with the development of robust ACPs that accurately reflect the lived experiences of non-White communities. The promotion of these in psychology represents the exciting possibility for a more just and equitable future in which the injuries of White racism are remedied and all Americans are granted equal opportunities to live and thrive in self-determined fashion.

Promoting New Psychological Understandings by Use of an Indigenous American Psychological Paradigm

Indigenous Americans are not well represented by mainstream psychology and its reductionistic tenets. As psychology developed, it could not help but to be implicitly biased by the surrounding hierarchical colonial culture—a culture in which Indigenous people and many others were conquered, oppressed, dehumanized, devalued, neglected, and excluded. An Indigenous worldview views humans as co-equal partners of an interdependent holistic system. Striving for healthy relationships with others is foundational to psychological health and well-being from an Indigenous perspective. Discrete entities (including self), independence, autonomy, and hierarchy are considered artificial mainstream conceptualizations that have negatively impacted the well-being of humans and the natural world. Indigenous American psychology appreciates the sacred nature of the whole and its entities, approaching professional psychology with the humility and respect that interacting with sacred entities warrants. Essential tenets of an Indigenous American Psychological Paradigm (IAPP) are discussed therein as an alternative to existing mainstream beliefs. An IAPP offers the ability to address intergenerational psychological problems holistically across time in ways that mainstream psychology has been unable. Psychology is ultimately strengthened by an ability to conceptualize psychology through the new lenses of alternative paradigms such as this one.

Interest-Free Microfinance Arrangements and Its Impact on the Livelihood of Women in India

This study is based on the impact of interest-free microfinance arrangements on the livelihood of women in India. Studies revealed the existence of interest-free microfinance, as well as its outcome on the livelihood of weaker sections of society (particularly women), improved their well-being. Moreover, the interest-free microfinance model can also offer an alternative paradigm for millions of poor individuals who are currently not accommodated by conventional microfinancing. However, the association to Interest Free Micro Financing may be due to religious constraints, easy documentation & procedure, and low rates of processing fees, or any other motive. Interest-free microfinance products like Zakat, Sadaqah, and Karze Hasna will successfully meet micro financing core objectives of poverty alleviation, women empowerment, gender equality, prosperity, and employment. Interest-free microfinance agencies are working as unorganized institutions and not availing any support from the State. In this study, data was drawn from interest-free microfinance users in the areas of 20 districts in 5 states in India, namely UP, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Kerala. The discussions in the study are mainly concerned with the empirical review of the impacts and influences of interest-free microfinance on the lifestyle of microfinance users before a loan and after a taken loan i.e., their income, expenditure, saving, entrepreneurship, consumption, and women's participation in earning income in India. The analysis showed that the performance of interest-free microfinance consumers is better than conventional microfinance consumers. Keywords: Entrepreneurship, Livelihood, Education Development, Living Standards, Women Empowerment