Top Positions Research Articles

COVID-19 and the Book Market. Fleeting Phenomena and Lasting Changes

The article presents selected issues related to the antiquarian book market in Poland during the pandemic. The first part shows the increased interest in three titles of world prose with epidemic themes (A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe, The Plague by Albert Camus, and Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez). Demand for these titles increased significantly, as did their prices, although these depended on market opportunities. However, interest in these titles waned over time. However, the changes in the antiquarian auction market, which had already moved entirely online as a result of the pandemic, proved to be permanent. Meanwhile, the Internet has allowed new sellers and buyers to enter the market, although the top position of the industry has not changed.

MSdeCIpher: A Tool to Link Data from Complementary Ionization Techniques in High-Resolution GC-MS to Identify Molecular Ions.

Electron ionization (EI) and molecular ion-generating techniques like chemical ionization (CI) are complementary ionization methods in gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS). However, manual curation effort and expert knowledge are required to correctly assign molecular ions to fragment spectra. MSdeCIpher is a software tool that enables the combination of two separate datasets from fragment-rich spectra, like EI-spectra, and soft ionization spectra containing molecular ion candidates. Using high-resolution GC-MS data, it identifies and assigns molecular ions based on retention time matching, user-defined adduct/neutral loss criteria, and sum formula matching. To our knowledge, no other freely available or vendor tool is currently capable of combining fragment-rich and soft ionization datasets in this manner. The tool's performance was evaluated on three test datasets. When molecular ions are present, MSdeCIpher consistently ranks the correct molecular ion for each fragment spectrum in one of the top positions, with average ranks of 1.5, 1, and 1.2 in the three datasets, respectively. MSdeCIpher effectively reduces candidate molecular ions for each fragment spectrum and thus enables the usage of compound identification tools that require molecular masses as input. It paves the way towards rapid annotations in untargeted analysis with high-resolution GC-MS.

Tracking the Impact and Trends in Water Resources Research in India: A Scientometric Analysis

This study intends to analyse the research trends, growth, and collaboration patterns in the field of Water Resources in India. The source for the data collection is the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection Database. A total of 797 publications published during the period from 2016 to 2021 satisfying these search criteria were pulled out to perform further analysis. This study revealed that Water Resources Management is the most productive journal with 26 articles (3.26%), followed by Arabian Journal of Geosciences 22 (2.76%), Environmental Earth Sciences 21 (2.63%) publications got 2nd and 3rd rank respectively. the year 2020 highest number of articles 236 (29%) were published on water resources followed by the year 2019 with 149 (18.69%).The Most productive author Malik, Anurag from Punjab Agricultural University is in the top position with 16 (2.007%) published articles. 177 (22.2%) of the total publication have two authored contributions taking the first position. Indian Institute of Technology Bombay published the highest number of articles i.e., 48 (6.02%) occupy 1st rank. Department of Science & Technology India funded 6.27%of published articles in the field of Water Resources Research.USA has the highest number of collaborative research work with India. China comes second with AFI value of 8.50. The Internationalization Index of Indian Water Resources literature is 73.77.Co-operative efforts show that there are 580 scientific links created between other countries, depicting most publications collaborated with authors from more than two countries.

Knowledge mapping and research trends of distraction osteogenesis in oral and maxillofacial surgery

BackgroundDistraction osteogenesis (DO) has found extensive use in oral and maxillofacial surgery for correcting maxillofacial deformities due to its numerous advantages. However, comprehensive scientific and visual analyses of this field on a global scale are rare. Therefore, this study aims to provide a summary of the global trends and current status of DO in oral and maxillofacial surgery. MethodPublications concerning DO in oral and maxillofacial surgery were comprehensively searched and selected from the Web of Science Core Collection(WOSCC) database. We evaluated the annual contributions from institutions, journals, countries, and authors using bibliometric analysis software. ResultsA total of 541 publications were included in this study. The USA played a predominant role in this field, leading in both publication volume and international collaboration. Harvard University and the University of Hong Kong secured the top position in total publications, while the University of Texas System topped the list in total citations within this field. The Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery emerged as the primary contributing journal, and Cheung LX emerged as the primary contributing author in the field of distraction osteogenesis (DO) in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Keywords such as 'orthognathic surgery,' 'reconstruction,' and 'osteogenesis' are anticipated to be prominent topics in future research. ConclusionBetween 1995 and 2023, there has been rapid growth in the total number of publications within the field of distraction osteogenesis (DO) in oral and maxillofacial surgery. The USA stands out as the predominant country in this field. Surgeries, orthognathic surgery, and osteogenesis have emerged as prominent topics. The findings of our study offer valuable insights for scholars seeking to identify research hotspots and chart the developmental direction of DO in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Kontruksi Madzhab Hadis Mu’tazilah (Studi Analisis aliran Mu’tazilah dalam memahami Hadis)

This article discusses how the mu'tazilah school understands hadith. As a group that understands the source of religion by prioritizing ratios, of course there are differences with other groups. This study consists of the understanding of the mu'tazilah and the history of their emergence, the main teachings of the mu'tazilah and their figures, the mu'tazilah during the time of the Ummayah and Abbasiyah, the discourse on the blasphemy of the hadith ahad, the history of its denial, and the hadith ahad in the mu'tazilah review. This study method is descriptive analysis, which describes the data that has been collected then processes it and analyzes related data. The results of this study are 1). The mu'tazilah had a different approach to the Sunnah. 2). mu'tazilah have certain principles, which if the hadith of the Prophet contradicts those principles, they reject them. 3). Reason occupies the top position in understanding the evidence of the Shari'a.

Body Weight Loss and Heavy Smoking Quitting by a Low Socio-Economic Level Farmer in a Small Village of Crete, Greece

Obesity has tripled in our planet the last 4 years. The problem is particularly acute in Greece, ranking first in the European Union childhood obesity and holding one of the top positions in adult obesity with 63% of the Greeks over 18 years old to be overweight and obese. Also in 2019, 18.4 of people over 15 years of age in the European Union were daily smokers. Daily smokers range from 6.4% in Sweden, 9.9% in Finland to 23.6% in Greece and 28.7% in Bulgaria [1-4].

Spatiotemporal heterogeneity of soil available nitrogen during freeze–thaw cycles in a watershed: A 3‐year investigation

AbstractThe spatial pattern of soil available nitrogen (AN) is the key reference for farmland fertilization however, it is still unclear how freeze–thaw cycles (FTC) altered the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of AN at the watershed scale. In this study, the geostatistical, traditional analysis and structural equation models were used to detect how topography, land management, and soil properties influence the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of AN in both before‐ and after FTCs of Mollisols of a watershed in Northeast China for three consecutive years. The results showed that AN decreased in >88% of areas of the watershed after FTCs, and the mean value significantly decreased by >7.6% (>10.4 mg kg−1) in 0–20 cm soil depth during 2016–2017 years and 2017–2018 years. The AN distribution, especially in the surface soil layer, tended to be aggregated after FTCs. The AN decreased in the areas near the areas of top slope position, while it tended to increase in areas of downslope position covered by forest although the total N decreased here after FTCs. The AN‐change (ANbefore FTCs minus ANafter FTCs) influenced by land use types was greater than slope steepness. The slope aspect as the key factor combined with slope steepness, slope position, and previous crops influenced the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of AN‐change after FTCs. The higher content of AN before FTCs accelerated more N loss during FTCs, and this process was mainly influenced by soil pH, nitrogen (N), and phosphorus. The N loss (5.7%) did not significantly alter the AN‐change after FTCs in the watershed. Generally, the spatial heterogeneity of AN‐change was mainly influenced by topography, land management, and soil properties (before FTCs) during FTCs in the watershed. In order to sustain a high level of AN, the mediation of N transformation and both vertical‐ and horizontal migration, caused by the dynamics of soil water potential and snowmelt erosion should be considered during FTCs.

Bibliometric analysis of research trends and topic areas in traditional Chinese medicine therapy for lymphoma

Context Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is effective as a cancer treatment modality. However, this is the first bibliometric analysis of TCM in lymphoma treatment. Objective This study explores the current trends and research topics of TCM in treating lymphoma from 2000 to 2023. Materials and methods We searched within the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) for publications on TCM in lymphoma treatment, spanning 2000 to 2023. Subsequently, we employed a comprehensive approach utilizing CiteSpace software and VOSviewer to visually analyze research trends, authors, institutions, co-cited references, and keywords. Results From January 1, 2000, to August 31, 2023, annual scientific publications on TCM for lymphoma treatment have steadily increased. Among the leading institutions in this field, the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and the Fujian Medical University occupied the top positions. Regarding the authors, Jun Peng, Jiumao Lin, and Hongwei Chen emerged as the top three contributors. In the co-citation analysis of references, the top three co-cited references were authored by Hanahan D, Elmore S, and Livak KJ with citations numbered 13, 14, and 17, respectively. In particular, keywords reflecting current emerging trends included ‘pathway’, ‘traditional Chinese medicine’, ‘oxidative stress’, and ‘macrophage polarization’. Discussion and conclusions This bibliometric analysis provides a comprehensive overview of TCM for lymphoma treatment. This analysis identified the predominant trends and research topics in the field. The findings are expected to be of significant value for researchers who focus on TCM in lymphoma treatment, helping them better understand the development of this field.

Selection of Suitable Pipe Material for New Water Distribution Network Using Analytic Hierarchy Process – A Case Study of Athivilai Village of India

This study was made to design a new water distribution network for the Athivilai village of Tamilnadu, India. The associated problems of the village are improper water supply for growing water requirements during the summer season. The cost, service life, and material type play an important role when designing a new network. In this study, the suitable pipe material is chosen by using Analytical Hierarchy Process. The criteria selected for Analytic Hierarchy Process include Cost, Service life, Ease of maintenance, Corrosion, Leakage, and Internal pressure. The results show that the Ductile Iron pipe ranks top position followed by High Density Polyethylene, Polyvinyl Chloride, and Galvanized iron. After selecting the pipe material, the design of water distribution network is done in EPANET 2.0 software. The results show that the diameter of pipes ranges from 40 mm to 250 mm. Since the corrosion of smaller diameter Ductile Iron pipes are faster, the High Density Polyethylene pipe which acquires the second rank can be used for diameters smaller than 80 mm. For pipes with a diameter greater than 80 mm, Ductile Iron pipes are used. Furthermore, since a continuous system of supply is designed, the pressure rises above 60 m during non peak hours which indicates that the pipes are constantly subjected to internal pressure. Both the selected pipes can withstand high internal pressure which confirms the results obtained by the Analytic hierarchy process are suitable.

Theoretical insights into CO2 electroreduction on single and dual heteroatom-doped diamonds

We employed Periodic Density Functional Theory (DFT) to investigate the catalytic activity of single and double dopant of boron (B), nitrogen (N), and phosphorous (P) anchored on diamond surfaces for the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) by analyzing reaction energy profiles. Our findings show that the double-doped catalyst exhibits lower energy barriers in CO2RR compared to the single dopants. Specifically, when considering BB and NN configurations, there is a thermodynamic preference towards the formation of formic acid (HCOOH) with overpotentials of 0.40 and 0.09 V, respectively. The co-doped catalyst comprising B and N (BN) demonstrates a tendency towards the formation of HCOOH without requiring any applied overpotentials. Notably, BN outperforms other catalysts, occupying the top position on the volcano plot, indicating the lowest limiting potential (UL), remarkable thermal stability, and the ability to suppress the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). This research provides valuable insights into the product differentiation in the electroreduction of CO2.

Adsorptive removal of sulfur containing hydrocarbons from fuels using Mg12O12 nanotube: A density functional theory study

In the present study we used Mg12O12 nanotube as adsorbent for the removal of sulfur containing compounds (Thiophene, Thiolane, etc) from fuel using DFT approach. Two different positions of nanotube were considered for adsorption of these compounds i.e. top and edge. The bond lengths and energetic analysis revealed that the edge position for adsorption is more preferred as compared to the top position. The shorter SMg bond length was found for thiolane and sulfide adsorption which is equivalent to 2.5 Å (edge position) and 2.6 Å (top position). The higher negative adsorption energy −25.7 kcal/mol (edge position) and –22.98 and kcal/mol (top position) were noticed for thiolane adsorption. The NBO, RDG-NCI and AIM analysis was performed to find the strength and nature of intermolecular bonding between the adsorbent and adsorbate. The negative values of ΔH and ΔG suggests the exothermic, chemisorbed and spontaneous nature of adsorption process.

Unlocking sustainable governance: The role of women at the corporate apex

AbstractThis study explores the intra‐organizational antecedents of sustainable governance by examining the impact of female presence at the corporate apex. Drawing upon the upper echelon theory, we investigate whether women in top positions influence sustainable governance practices. Our research focuses on a sample of companies operating within two distinct market economies: liberal market economies (LMEs) and coordinated market economies (CMEs). The United States, represented by the S&P100, and the United Kingdom, represented by the FTSE100, serve as examples of LMEs. Conversely, Germany (DAX30), France (CAC40), Spain (IBEX35), and Switzerland (SMI) are illustrative of CMEs. Analyzing archival data spanning from 2010 to 2019, we confirm that the presence of a critical mass of women on the board of directors significantly increases the likelihood of establishing a sustainability committee within organizations. This relationship holds true across both LMEs and CMEs, highlighting the universal importance of gender diversity in driving sustainable governance initiatives. Interestingly, we observe that the impact of women with structural power on sustainability committee formation is specific to LMEs, suggesting the context‐dependent nature of female leadership in sustainable governance.

Integrating frame-level boundary detection and deepfake detection for locating manipulated regions in partially spoofed audio forgery attacks

Partially fake audio, a variant of deep fake that involves manipulating audio utterances through the incorporation of fake or externally-sourced bona fide audio clips, constitutes a growing threat as an audio forgery attack impacting both human and artificial intelligence applications. Researchers have recently developed valuable databases to aid in the development of effective countermeasures against such attacks. While existing countermeasures mainly focus on identifying partially fake audio at the level of entire utterances or segments, this paper introduces a paradigm shift by proposing frame-level systems. These systems are designed to detect manipulated utterances and pinpoint the specific regions within partially fake audio where the manipulation occurs. Our approach leverages acoustic features extracted from large-scale self-supervised pre-training models, delivering promising results evaluated on diverse, publicly accessible databases. Additionally, we study the integration of boundary and deepfake detection systems, exploring their potential synergies and shortcomings. Importantly, our techniques have yielded impressive results. We have achieved state-of-the-art performance on the test dataset of the Track 2 of ADD 2022 challenge with an equal error rate of 4.4%. Furthermore, our methods exhibit remarkable performance in locating manipulated regions in Track 2 of the ADD 2023 challenge, resulting in a final ADD score of 0.6713 and securing the top position.

THIS IS ME! The Financial Impact of Ad Agency CEOs and CCOs Who Are Women and People of Color in the C-Suite

Abstract: Although there have been many advances for women and people of color in corporate America, their representation in the top management positions, such as chief executive officer (CEO) and chief operating officer (COO), is still scarce. Among the CEO positions in the 2020 S&P 500, there are only four African American chief executives leading the largest 500 companies in the US. The advertising industry parallels corporate America when it comes to race, gender, and diversity in the top echelons of firms. Can these dismal statistics ever change? If given the opportunity, can White women and people of color excel as CEOs in the advertising industry? This study seeks to understand the role of ownership on revenues when diverse c-suite leaders manage multicultural or general market agencies. This work first posits the predictive relationship of private and public (holding company) advertising agency ownership on revenue. Next, the work leverages the theories of economic detour and resource dependence theory to hypothesize that the race or ethnicity of the advertising agency's CEO and agency type (general market or multicultural) are boundary conditions of this relationship. Results demonstrated that publicly-owned advertising agencies predicted increased revenues. This positive relationship was strengthened by multicultural advertising agencies yet inconclusive for advertising agency CEOs of color. CEOs of color perform at relative parity, in terms of revenue, in privately-owned versus publicly-owned advertising agencies. These findings demonstrate a racial and ethnic separation in the advertising industry, where advertising agency CEOs of color are revenue-constrained. Yet, if given the opportunity to excel into the c-suite, CEOs of color and White women can be very successful and make their ad agencies profitable. In closing, the authors discuss policy implications for advertising agency executive hiring practices as well as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts and trends.

Numerical investigation of flow past a triangular cylinder at various Reynolds numbers

Numerical simulation of flow around a triangular cylinder placed both in left and right position at Reynolds number Re = 80–200 is presented in this study. The single relaxation time lattice Boltzmann method is used. The results are obtained in terms of vorticity contour visualization, drag and lift coefficients, and force statistics. Regular vortex shedding is observed for both cases, but the vortices generated for a triangular cylinder placed in the right position move toward the top downstream position as the range of Reynolds number increases due to effect of pressure (effect of thrust). The drag coefficient is constant, and lift coefficient is containing negative values from Re = 80–150 for that case, but negative Cdmean values are not observed for a triangular cylinder placed in the left position. In that case, it is due to the reason that the effect of thrust diminishes. The maximum value of Cdmean is obtained at Re = 200, that is, 1.5006 for the left triangular cylinder, but the value of the mean drag coefficient for the right triangular cylinder is zero throughout the cases for Re = 80–200. No fluid forces are produced for right triangular case. The Strouhal number (St) values increased by increasing the Reynolds number, i.e., Re = 80–200, for the right triangular cylinder, and it has a mixed trend for the left triangular cylinder. In literature, a lot of work has been found on rectangular and square cylinders, but triangular cylinder has not been studied much.

Insights on Talent Acquisition and Management: Strategies and Practices in IT Sector

Talent management is a business technique that firms hope will help them retain their most talented people and improve their overall performance. It is the process of properly selecting the right personnel, training them for future top positions, reviewing and managing their performance. Every organization's performance is determined on the performance of its employees. If the personnel have unique competencies that competitors cannot reproduce, the firm has an automatic competitive advantage. As a result, firms are focused on developing effective systems and procedures for talent management in order to manage this unique human capital.

Dynamic positioning method and precision analysis of marine seismic vertical cables

AbstractSimilar to conventional ocean bottom seismometers and ocean bottom cables, the attitude and position of vertical cables deployed on the seafloor should be calibrated. However, due to the effect of ocean currents, the cable attitude is not stationary. Therefore, a new method for the dynamic repositioning of vertical cables is required. The dynamic repositioning of the hydrophones on vertical cables plays an important role in accurately describing the structure of the stratum and establishing an accurate velocity model. To realize the dynamic positioning of marine vertical cables, the shot lines are divided according to time, the first break time objective equation is established and the receiver position in each time period is obtained using the inversion methods outlined in this work. By analysing the trace spacing, first break time, shot point coordinate accuracy, temporal resolution, shot line spacing and other factors after repositioning, it is found that the first break time pickup accuracy and shot line spacing are the main factors that affect the repositioning accuracy. Furthermore, the resolution is limited by the timing of a single shot line. Additionally, the trace spacing after repositioning is consistent with the actual situation, which verifies the correctness and feasibility of this method.

Corporate tax avoidance: Is South African society negatively affected by chartered accountant CEOs?

Corporate tax avoidance can impede governments’ spending towards social and economic initiatives that can increase infrastructure development, economic growth, and equality, and reduce poverty. Yet, why some companies avoid more tax than others is not adequately understood, and, in particular, research regarding the influence of CEO-characteristics on tax avoidance, is lacking. This study is an empirical investigation into the influence of a CEO’s tax knowledge and tax awareness, construed as a ‘CEO effect’, on corporate tax avoidance, using data from the 112 largest listed companies on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange between 2004 and 2018. We found that the CEO effect, not measured before, does not have an observable influence on the level of corporate tax avoidance. This finding assuages possible concerns that chartered accountants, and particularly chartered accountants in the top leadership positions in large companies, are more shareholder oriented, to the detriment of the interests of society, as suggested in the literature. Significance: Our findings suggest less influence of the CEO, as an upper-echelon member, on companies’ behaviour, such as corporate tax avoidance, than other published studies have found. Moreover, the findings indicate that the tax knowledge and awareness construed as a CEO effect, does not influence corporate tax avoidance. In the main, the results provide little support for claims made by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants, the chartered accountant’s regulatory body, that chartered accountants can help companies to avoid tax to increase profits. This may sway society’s view of the chartered accountant and their role in the South African economy.

Powerless? Gender Regimes and Women’s Place in Uganda’s Political Parties

Multiparty politics in Uganda in some ways opened the political space for women and also reinforced the patriarchal nature of parliamentary and electoral politics. Women are increasingly used as appendages and tools to further the political dominance of the ruling government. So, while they seem to be visible, their voices and substantive representation is controlled by the parties’ executive wings. This paper identifies and describes the gender regimes of Ugandan political parties, showing how women are systematically alienated by party politics. The analysis of party constitutions and structures revealed antipathy towards gender equality demonstrated in male dominance of top positions and positions of valuable portfolios, deputization of women and the use of women’s leagues to promote party agendas. Although women’s participation is supported legislatively, there is a need for women’s leagues to operate autonomously from the party.

Market Entry Form Choices of Multi-Sided Platforms in the Travel Booking Sector

The purpose of this study is to explore how online travel booking firms using multi-sided platform (MSP) business models select their market entry forms using the affecting factors of foreign market entry as a conceptual framework. The utilization of a multiple-case study is employed to conduct a comprehensive analysis and to investigate the patterns and behaviors exhibited among the various cases. Data from five online travel booking companies using MSP business models, including company portfolios, business plans, company websites, and online archives, were gathered and analyzed to ensure cross-validation and triangulation. Through examination of the data from the study, five themes could be identified to answer the research question. The findings suggest that online travel booking firms using MSP business models: 1) Gain access to foreign markets primarily through the utilization of export modes. 2) Employ hierarchical modes for the first internationalization. 3) Use intermediate modes whenever local regulations necessitate their implementation. 4) Adopt hierarchical modes when the target country holds the top position as the most preferred destination from the home market or when the home country ranks as the number one choice for visitors from the target market. The findings of this study will contribute to the expansion of the knowledge of online travel booking firms using MSP business models. Furthermore, it will also provide practical resources to founders, executives, and entrepreneurs to understand how companies with MSP business models select their market entry forms in the online travel booking sector.