Continuous Management Research Articles

Exploring a Multidisciplinary Assessment of Organisational Maturity in Business Continuity: A Perspective and Future Research Outlook

In a competitive business landscape heavily reliant on information and communication technology, organisations must be prepared to address disruptions in their business operations. Business continuity management involves effective planning for the swift reestablishment of business processes in the short term. However, there are still obstacles to implementing business continuity plans, which can be justified by various factors. The purpose of this study is to present the perspectives and future research paths based on a systematic literature review from the peer-reviewed literature published from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2021. This systematic literature review adheres to the guidelines established by evidence-based software engineering and leverages the Parsifal online tool. The primary research results identify and establish connections between the common components and activities of business continuity management as defined in international standards and frameworks to identify gaps in the existing knowledge. These findings will contribute to the development of a framework that provides a practical approach applicable to organisations of all sizes, taking into account each aspect of business continuity management, with a particular emphasis on information and communication technology systems. This paper’s contribution lies in offering insights from a systematic literature review regarding the strategic principles for designing and implementing a business continuity plan, along with a comprehensive overview of related research. Furthermore, it presents a path forward to guide future research efforts aimed at addressing the gaps in the literature concerning continuity planning.

The Impact of the COVID-19 on Business Companies: Measures and Strategies to Overcome the Crisis

COVID-19 has led to the need to work remotely and to the need for many companies to reinvent themselves in order to survive. The aim of this paper is to review the changes that have taken place in companies as a consequence of the coronavirus. Telework has great positive aspects for employee health, but to successfully ensure business continuity and successful management. It also presents data showing the evolution of telework during the pandemic and discusses some possible solutions to change the way businesses are managed.

Testing the hierarchy of predictability in grassland restoration across a gradient of environmental severity.

Ecological restoration is critical for recovering degraded ecosystems but is challenged by variable success and low predictability. Understanding which outcomes are more predictable and less variable following restoration can improve restoration effectiveness. Recent theory asserts that the predictability of outcomes would follow an order from most to least predictable from coarse to fine community properties (physical structure > taxonomic diversity > functional composition > taxonomic composition) and that predictability would increase with more severe environmental conditions constraining species establishment. We tested this "hierarchy of predictability" hypothesis by synthesizing outcomes along an aridity gradient with 11 grassland restoration projects across the United States. We used 1829 vegetation monitoring plots from 227 restoration treatments, spread across 52 sites. We fit generalized linear mixed-effects models to predict six indicators of restoration outcomes as a function of restoration characteristics (i.e., seed mixes, disturbance, management actions, time since restoration) and used variance explained by models and model residuals as proxies for restoration predictability. We did not find consistent support for our hypotheses. Physical structure was among the most predictable outcomes when the response variable was relative abundance of grasses, but unpredictable for total canopy cover. Similarly, one dimension of taxonomic composition related to species identities was unpredictable, but another dimension of taxonomic composition indicating whether exotic or native species dominated the community was highly predictable. Taxonomic diversity (i.e., species richness) and functional composition (i.e., mean trait values) were intermittently predictable. Predictability also did not increase consistently with aridity. The dimension of taxonomic composition related to the identity of species in restored communities was more predictable (i.e., smaller residuals) in more arid sites, but functional composition was less predictable (i.e., larger residuals), and other outcomes showed no significant trend. Restoration outcomes were most predictable when they related to variation in dominant species, while those responding to rare species were harder to predict, indicating a potential role of scale in restoration predictability. Overall, our results highlight additional factors that might influence restoration predictability and add support to the importance of continuous monitoring and active management beyond one-time seed addition for successful grassland restoration in the United States.

Smartphone Apps for Containing the COVID-19 Pandemic in Germany: Qualitative Interview Study With Experts Based on Grounded Theory.

Smartphone apps, including those for digital contact tracing (DCT), played a crucial role in containing infections during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their primary function is to generate and disseminate information to disrupt transmissions based on various events, such as encounters, vaccinations, locations, or infections. Although the functionality of these apps has been extensively studied, there is still a lack of qualitative research addressing critical issues. We will demonstrate that the use of DCT presents a challenge due to the tension between continuous health monitoring and uncertainties related to transparency and user sovereignty. On one hand, DCT enables the monitoring of various risk factors, including data-based calculations of infection probabilities. On the other hand, continuous risk management is intertwined with several uncertainties, including the unclear storage of personal data, who has access to it, and how it will be used in the future. We focus on the German "Corona-Warn-App" and support our argument with empirical data from 19 expert interviews conducted between 2020 and 2021. The interviews were conducted using a semistructured questionnaire and analyzed according to the principles of grounded theory. Our data underscores 3 dimensions: transparency, data sovereignty, and the east-west divide. While transparency is considered an essential foundation for establishing trust in the use of DCT by providing a sense of security, data sovereignty is seen as a high value during the pandemic, protecting users from an undesired loss of control. The aspect of the east-west divide highlights the idea of incorporating sociocultural values and standards into technology, emphasizing that algorithms and data-driven elements, such as distance indicators, encounters, and isolations, are also influenced by sociocultural factors. The effective use of DCT for pandemic containment relies on achieving a balance between individual control and technological prevention. Maximizing the technological benefits of these tools is crucial. However, users must also be mindful of the information they share and maintain control over their shared data.

Long-term grazing improved soil chemical properties and benefited community traits under climatic influence in an alpine typical steppe

Grazing and climate change both contribute to diversity loss and productivity fluctuations. Sensitive climate conditions and long-term grazing activities have a profound influence on community change, particularly in high-altitude mountain grassland ecosystems. However, knowledge about the role of long-term continuous grazing management on diversity, productivity and the regulation mechanisms in fragile grassland ecosystems is still rudimentary. We conducted a long-term grazing experiment on an alpine typical steppe in the Qilian Mountains to assess effects of grazing intensity on soil, diversity, productivity and the regulation mechanisms. Plants and soil were sampled along grazing gradients at different distances from the pasture entrance (0, 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, 1.2 and 1.5 km) under the non-growing (WP) and the growing season grazing pasture (SAP). The results revealed that community diversity and biomass did not change significantly on a time scale, while the concentration of soil organic carbon and total phosphorus increased significantly. Heavy grazing (0–0.3 km) decreased community diversity and biomass. Grazing increased soil chemical properties in heavy grazed areas of WP, while the opposite was recorded in SAP. Soil chemical properties explained the largest variances in community diversity and community biomass. The prediction model indicates that grazing in WP mainly affects community diversity through soil chemical properties, and promotes a positive correlation between community diversity and community biomass; in SAP, the direct effect of grazing gradients on community diversity and biomass is the main pathway, but not eliminating the single positive relationship between diversity and biomass, which means that diversity can still be used as a potential resource to promote productivity improvement. Therefore, we should focus on the regulation of soil chemical properties in WP, such as the health and quality of soil, strengthening its ability to store water, sequester carbon and increase nutrients; focus on the management of livestock in SAP, including providing fertilizer and sowing to increase diversity and production in heavily grazed regions and reducing grazing pressure through regional rotational grazing. Ultimately, we call for strengthening the stability and sustainability of ecosystems through targeted and active human intervention in ecologically sensitive areas to cope with future grazing pressures and climate disturbances.

Newborn blood spot screening (NBS) in Germany : Status quo and presentation of aconcept for further development

Newborn screening from dried blood spots (NBS) is ahighly effective secondary prevention measure that has been established for many years. Against the background of the inclusion of "new diseases" that meet the screening criteria, aconcept for the further advancement of NBS was developed on behalf of the GKV-Spitzenverband. This was based on asystematic literature review and asurvey of the status quo of NBS in Germany using quantitative and qualitative methods.It is essential for the success of NBS that all newborns affected by atarget disease are diagnosed and treated at an early stage and that the harm to be expected with each screening (e.g., due to false positive findings) is kept as low as possible. This requires the organisation of screening in the sense of an integrated programme through central coordination with standardised structures, continuous quality management and digitalisation in line with data protection requirements.Although in general NBS is being implemented successfully in Germany, the research project presented here also reveals weaknesses and aneed for action. Proposals and recommendations were compiled in aconcept paper, which shows approaches for further development of NBS in line with the current state of research in consideration of changing demands on the infrastructure and processes in the health system. This review article summarises the challenges, current status and possible solutions for the central topics of the concept paper.

IoMT innovations in diabetes management: Predictive models using wearable data

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) represents a metabolic disorder characterized by consistently elevated blood glucose levels due to inadequate pancreatic insulin production. Type 1 DM (DM1) constitutes the insulin-dependent manifestation from disease onset. Effective DM1 management necessitates daily blood glucose monitoring, pattern recognition, and cognitive prediction of future glycemic levels to ascertain the requisite exogenous insulin dosage. Nevertheless, this methodology may prove imprecise and perilous. The advent of groundbreaking developments in information and communication technologies (ICT), encompassing Big Data, the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), Cloud Computing, and Machine Learning algorithms (ML), has facilitated continuous DM1 management monitoring. This investigation concentrates on IoMT-based methodologies for the unbroken observation of DM1 management, thereby enabling comprehensive characterization of diabetic individuals. Integrating machine learning techniques with wearable technology may yield dependable models for forecasting short-term blood glucose concentrations. The objective of this research is to devise precise person-specific short-term prediction models, utilizing an array of features. To accomplish this, inventive modeling strategies were employed on an extensive dataset comprising glycaemia-related biological attributes gathered from a large-scale passive monitoring initiative involving 40 DM1 patients. The models produced via the Random Forest approach can predict glucose levels within a 30-minute horizon with an average error of 18.60 mg/dL for six-hour data, and 26.21 mg/dL for a 45-minute prediction horizon. These findings have also been corroborated with data from 10 Type 2 DM patients as a proof of concept, thereby demonstrating the potential of IoMT-based methodologies for continuous DM monitoring and management. The integration of innovative biological signal sensors and the application of transformative trends in ICT can offer a novel perspective on DM treatment, ensuring precise and secure glucose level management.

Analyzing the Symptom Clusters Among Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia During Chemotherapy Based on Electronic Nursing Records.

Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia often experience various physical and psychological symptoms during chemotherapy. Previous studies have used predetermined symptom inventories to analyze the complex relationships between these symptoms, which has certain limitations. The aim of this study was to explore the dynamic changes in symptom clusters among children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia during chemotherapy using electronic nursing records. Electronic nursing records for 2021 (N = 14 490) were obtained from a pediatric hematology department. A natural language processing tool was used to identify the presence of 46 symptoms in 3 chemotherapy phases of induction, consolidation, and maintenance. Incidence of symptom documentation was calculated by notes and patients, and principal component analysis and cluster analysis were performed for symptoms with an incidence above 15%. The most common symptoms included bleeding, cough, and vomiting. The number of symptom clusters in each chemotherapy period was 7, 6, and 4, respectively. There were upper gastrointestinal, respiratory system, lower gastrointestinal, skin-related, psychological, self-image disorder, and other discomfort symptom clusters in the induction period. Notably, the upper gastrointestinal, respiratory system, lower gastrointestinal, and skin-related symptom clusters persisted through the consolidation and maintenance periods. Neurological and other discomfort symptom clusters were observed during the consolidation period. Symptom clusters of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at various stages of chemotherapy showed a certain level of stability and dynamics, informing healthcare providers in developing continuous symptom management. Medical staff should explore targeted intervention programs based on characteristics of symptom clusters at different chemotherapy stages, to improve the efficiency of symptom management and alleviate the symptom burden of children.

THU362 A Diagnostic Dilemma: Type 1 Diabetes Vs. Pancreatic Diabetes

Abstract Disclosure: U. Rafat: None. R. Alshantti: None. M. Kim: None. J.L. Gilden: None. Background: Several presentations of diabetes mellitus (DM) do not fit the classic descriptions. Type 1 DM, characterized by immune-mediated destruction of insulin-secreting cells of the pancreas, typically appears before age 40. The first antibodies described associated with development of Type 1 DM were islet cell autoantibodies, and later antibodies to insulin, glutamic acid decarboxylase, protein tyrosine phosphatase, and Zinc transporter 8. Pancreatic DM or type 3c, is characterized by functional deficiency of the pancreas to secrete insulin and maintain glucose homeostasis. It may be caused by acute or chronic pancreatitis, trauma, neoplasia, hemochromatosis, fibrocalculous pancreatopathy, genetics, or idiopathic, and is commonly misdiagnosed as type 2 DM. Case Presentation: We present a 73-year-old Caucasian male with Type 1 DM and retinopathy, neuropathy, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, benign prostatic hyperplasia, obstructive sleep apnea. He was diagnosed with Type 1 DM at age 33 with BMI=29 and hospitalization for diabetic ketoacidosis, and symptoms of polyuria, weight loss, and visual disturbances. He was started with insulin injections. Antibodies were not measured, as they were not widely available at that time. Family history: MI in father and brother and type 2 DM in grandfather. He later started using insulin pump at age 58 for wide fluctuations in blood glucose levels. At age 64, he presented to our endocrine clinic for continued management of assumed autoimmune Type 1 DM. Physical examination: BMI 36, abdominal lipodystrophy, abnormal monofilament with decreased sensations in the left foot. Laboratory: HbA1c=6.7%. c-peptide was low (0.09 ng/mL; normal range: 0.81 - 3.85) with a concomitant BG of 243 mg/dL suggestive of low insulin reserves. After several years, with the development of increased trust, the patient felt confident to reveal a hidden history of extensive alcohol abuse in his 20s, resulting in recurrent episodes of symptoms suggestive of pancreatitis, which required extensive rehabilitation for his drinking problem. He admitted that he had not divulged this history previously. This additional history proved critical to acquiring a correct diagnosis. With this in mind, we deduced that it is highly probable this patient's recurrent bouts of subacute pancreatitis due to alcohol consumption resulted in development of pancreatic DM. Conclusion: Our patient initially presented with the diagnosis of autoimmune type 1 DM. However, after many visits, he first admitted to a past history of long-standing alcohol abuse, which now suggests that he actually has pancreatic DM. Correctly classifying DM can prove crucial to formulating an individualized treatment plan. It is important to note that the classification of DM is not always clear-cut and involves a periodic review of the medical history and clinical characteristics, besides review of laboratory data. Presentation: Thursday, June 15, 2023

Knowledge and practice of nurses regarding the care of patients with head trauma in intensive care units in the West Bank.

Nurses in the intensive care unit are responsible for the continuous assessment and management of physiological parameters associated with head trauma. Nurses have a vital and significant role in the care of patients suffering from moderate-to-severe head trauma, both during acute and non-acute care.The purpose of this study was to investigate the Knowledge and Practice of nurses regarding the care of patients with head trauma in an intensive care unit. The study was designed as a cross-sectional study. The study recruited 165 nurses who work at intensive care unit (ICU) nurses in Palestinian hospitals. The data collected by a self-administered questionnaire developed by the researcher. Among the 165 intensive nurses, the study findings revealed the majority of nurses 99 (60.0%) have low level knowledge regarding Care of Patients with a head trauma, and showed that most of the nurses 115 (69.7%) have poor level practice regarding Care of Patients with a head trauma. According to the results of the current study, approximately two-thirds of the studied nurses had unsatisfactory knowledge level regarding head trauma care. More than two-thirds of the studied nurses had poor level practice regarding head trauma care. Also, the study confirmed no statistical significant relation between knowledge and demographic characteristics. There was significant differences between total practice scores and both experience in general and experience in ICU.

Pain experience of lung cancer patients during home recovery after surgery: A qualitative descriptive study.

Patients with lung cancer surgery often suffer pain after discharge. However, there is limited evidence to describe the pain experience from the qualitative investigation. This study was designed to describe the pain experience of lung cancer patients during home recovery after surgery and to provide evidence for developing pain management strategies. This qualitative descriptive study recruited 35 patients who had received lung resection and were discharged by purposive sampling from May to July 2022. Mobile phone interviews were conducted to collect views on patients' pain experience after discharge. The interviews were audio-recorded and converted verbatim into standard text, and the data were iteratively thematic analyzed. A thematic framework was identified for three themes: perception and impact of pain, coping styles for pain, and unmet needs for pain. Whether short or long-term after discharge, patients complain that they suffer from different degrees and types of pain, causing them a "double burden" physically and mentally. The lack of knowledge about pain may lead them to adopt very different coping styles and desire professional continuous pain management. This study may help clarify the status of pain problems that patients face after lung cancer surgery and provides multiple dimensions of pain assessment and management objectives for quantitative research. We call on medical staff to pay attention to patients' perspectives and related needs after discharge and formulate targeted management strategies to reduce pain and improve their quality of life.

Surface engineered long-lasting antibacterial Janus cotton fabrics with excellent moisture/thermal management properties

The hydrophilic property of traditional cotton fabrics invariably facilitates sweat absorption, potentially leading to discomfort such as cold and clammy sensation, and even promoting bacterial proliferation. Herein, we developed a Janus cotton fabric using a surface engineering strategy combining “graft through” and “mist polymerization” methodologies. Through the “graft through” polymerization of methacryloyloxyethyl dodecyl dimethyl ammonium bromide (DMDB), we constructed a well-designed antibacterial coating on the fabric with amphiphilic properties. The resulting polymer, PDMDB, imparts highly efficient and durable antibacterial properties to the cotton fabric, achieving a bcteriostatic rates against S. aureus and E. coli of > 99.9 %. Even after undergoing 150 washing cycles, the residual bactericidal efficacy remains above 99 %. Additionally, the reversible hydrophilic-hydrophobic nature of PDMDB successfully enables the construction of a Janus structure on cotton fabrics via “mist polymerization”. Benefiting from its comprehensive design, the Janus cotton fabrics realize a superior directional liquid transport property. Its water evaporation rate is 1.3–1.5 times higher than that of the original cotton fabric in continuous outdoor moisture management, while maintaining body temperature 5.63 °C lower than that of the surrounding environment. It is worth mentioning that our approach utilizes abundant raw materials and facile modification technologies, thereby providing a favorable guarantee for the mass production and use of Janus cotton fabrics.

Validity and Reliability of the Arabic Thyroidectomy-Related Voice and Symptom Questionnaire (A-TVSQ) for Assessing Post-Thyroidectomy Patients

Post-thyroidectomy patients commonly experience voice changes, swallowing symptoms, and neck discomfort, a condition known as post-thyroidectomy syndrome. The Thyroidectomy-Related Voice and Symptom Questionnaire (TVSQ) is a validated tool showing strong correlations with established tools with a potential predictive value for post-thyroidectomy voice outcomes. Our study aims to translate and validate the TVSQ into Arabic. This validation study was conducted at King Abdulaziz University Hospital and King Khalid University Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Forward and backward translations ensured the conceptual equivalence of the Arabic TVSQ (A-TVSQ) and were reviewed by an expert panel. A pilot test assessed the A-TVSQ's face validity and clarity, leading to necessary cultural adjustments. The final A-TVSQ was preoperatively and postoperatively administered to thyroidectomy patients to evaluate its test-retest reliability. Data were collected from 116 participants (53 cases [45.6%] and 63 controls [54.3%]). The internal consistency analysis showed strong intercorrelation among the A-TVSQ items, with Cronbach's alpha coefficients (0.951) indicating excellent estimated internal consistency within both domains. Test-retest reliability showed a moderate level of reliability with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.696. A-TVSQ item discrimination analysis showed significant associations between the total and domain scores pre- and post-thyroidectomy. External validity analysis showed significant changes in A-TVSQ voice change (P<0.010) and neck discomfort (P=0.011) domains and total scores (P<0.010) between before and 2 weeks after thyroidectomy. However, no significant changes were observed between 2 and 4 weeks after thyroidectomy. The translated and validated A-TVSQ showed excellent internal consistency and moderate test-retest reliability, comparable to the original version. Voice change significantly worsened after thyroidectomy, highlighting the need for continued monitoring and management strategies for this complication.

Evaluating the efficacy of using GPS satellite transmitters to assess movement of bigheaded carp in a riverine system

Abstract We have evaluated the feasibility of using GPS satellite transmitters on invasive bigheaded carp species, silver carp and bighead carp, that could determine patterns of movement, identify potential feeding and spawning areas, and inform a comprehensive monitoring and commercial removal program in the Illinois River Waterway system in the United States. Despite a wealth of information on bigheaded carp movement from acoustic and radio telemetry, a finer‐scale approach to understand habitat use and daily surfacing trends in movement would strengthen management efforts. Custom Fastloc™‐GPS data‐logging transmitters (with radio telemetry capability) manufactured by Sirtrack™ were tethered to adult bigheaded carp in field experiments. Sixteen field‐deployed transmitters were recovered and yielded 490 individual GPS waypoints when transmitters were attached to fish. We observed movement rates within the Dresden Island Reach of the Illinois River Waterway of approximately 16 river km, and movement in and out of backwater habitats and the warm‐water discharge of a nuclear generating station. We have demonstrated the use of this technology to monitor bigheaded carp and will use the information gained from this study to inform future work with remotely accessed, real‐time, Argos satellite linked prototypes. Fine‐scale accuracies, fast acquisition speeds and the ability to gather real‐time data make this a promising tool and is one the first uses of GPS technology to track fish movement in a riverine system. Continued exploration to improve tag retention efficiency will enhance its utility for continued invasive carp management.

Transitional Care in Patients with Heart Failure: A Concept Analysis Using Rogers' Evolutionary Approach.

The purpose of this study was to clarify the concept of transitional care in patients with heart failure. Transitional care is increasingly being applied in patients with heart failure, but the concept of transitional care in heart failure patients is not uniform and confused with other definitions, which limits further research and practice on transitional care for these patients. Rodgers' evolutionary concept analysis. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using the PUBMED, EMBASE, EBSCO, Chinese Biological Medicine (CBM), CNKI, and WANFANG databases (up to January 26, 2023). We used Rodgers' evolutionary concept analysis method to identify related concepts, attributes, antecedents, and consequences of transitional care in patients with heart failure. A total of 33 articles were included. The following attributes belonging to transitional care in patients with heart failure were extracted from the literature: self-care, multidisciplinary collaboration, and information transmission. The antecedents were patients' health status, the health literacy of patients and caregivers, the role functions of the main implementer and social and medical resources. Consequences were separated into two categories: patient-centered health outcomes (all-cause mortality, health-related quality of life, discharge preparedness, self-care behaviors, satisfaction of patients) and healthcare utilization outcomes (hospital readmission, length of hospital stay, emergency department visits). This study found that transitional care in heart failure patients is a systemic care process during a vulnerable period that improves patient self-management and coordination between hospital resources and social support systems for continuous management to promote smooth patient transitions between different locations. This concept analysis will inform healthcare providers in designing evidence-based interventions and quality improvement strategies to ensure that transition processes lead to desired outcomes. In addition, this study will also be helpful for developing specific assessment tools to identify patients with HF who need transitional care.

Strategic Fit and its Impact on Business Continuity Management: The Mediating Role of Strategic Agility in Jordanian Commercial Banks

Strategic Fit and its Impact on Business Continuity Management: The Mediating Role of Strategic Agility in Jordanian Commercial Banks

간호대학생의 지각된 스트레스와 대처가 학업적 자기효능감에 미치는 영향

Purpose : This study was conducted to determine what factors influence the academic self-efficacy of the nursing students exposed to a contactless classroom environment due to COVID-19.&#x0D; Method : This is a descriptive research study conducted to determine the effect on the academic self-efficacy after grasping the perceived stress and degree of coping of the nursing students.&#x0D; Results : As a result of the study, the subject's perceived stress was 1.80±0.62 points, coping ability was 2.84±0.22 points, and academic self-efficacy was 3.16±0.53 points on average. Factors affecting academic self-efficacy are perceived stress, coping, and personality type. The lower the perceived stress and the more coping strategies are used, the higher the academic self-efficacy. As for personality types, extroverted, intuitive types and judging type have high academic self-efficacy. In addition, the judging type has the greatest influence on academic self-efficacy. The explanatory power of these variables was 36.9%.&#x0D; Conclusion : Based on the results of this study, education should be provided to improve academic self-efficacy. It is necessary to develop various extracurricular programs that improve stress management, coping skills, and personality strengths. Continuous management from freshmen to graduates should be carried out, which will help nursing students who will grow into nurses in the future understand and manage themselves.

Present Practices and Constraints of Juice and Gur Production from Date Palm Trees in Bangladesh

Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the present status of date palm juice and gur, to assess the socioeconomic characteristics of respondents involved in date palm juice and gur production, and to explore the production-based constraints of date palm gur.&#x0D; Study Design: The cross-sectional survey method was used in this study, along with a descriptive research design.&#x0D; Place and Duration of the Study: The study was conducted in 4 upazilas (sub-district), namely Bagha, Lalpur, Khjjuria and Dumuria, under the 4 districts Rajshahi, Natore, Jessore and Khulna in Bangladesh, from November 2020 to March 2021.&#x0D; Methodology: Out of 133 farmers, 97 were selected as samples using a random sampling technique. Data collected using a structured questionnaire were subjected to descriptive analysis, including frequency count, percentage, and mean for describing the level of selected variables.&#x0D; Results: Rajshahi had a maximum area covered by date palm trees (12.02 ha), the highest number of trees (1129), and the highest amount of produced gur (14454 kg) compared to other districts. The greatest percentages of farmers were old (43.3%) and had a high annual income (42.3%). All the farmers used seed as propagating material. In case of constraints, ‘decrease of number of gachi’ ranked first followed by ‘adulteration of gur’ second and ‘decrease of number of date palm trees’ third.&#x0D; Conclusion: It can be concluded that a decreased number of gachi is one of the major constraints for juice and gur production in Bangladesh. Continuous training and management of date palm trees, as well as the production of juice and gur with scientific technology, will improve farmers’ incomes and livelihoods.

Risk Planning Analysis in Business Continuity Management of Container Villa Rental Companies

In the villa container rental industry, risk is an integral part of business operations. Container villa rental companies need to ensure smooth and sustainable business continuity in the face of risks that may arise. The purpose of this study was to identify relevant risks in the business of a villa container rental company. This research uses a qualitative approach with a case study approach. Data will be collected through interviews with relevant parties in the villa container rental company, such as managers, employees, and other stakeholders. In addition, data will also be collected from documents related to risk management and business continuity. The collected data will be analyzed qualitatively using a thematic analysis approach. The results show that the rental of container villas in the mountains in Indonesia involves risks arising from uncertainties, such as variations in sales, operating costs, and operating leverage. Financial management can reduce risk by stabilizing these factors. In the container villa rental industry, risks include price, operational, and environmental competition, thus the need for risk management to identify and mitigate potential impacts.

Long-term impacts of conservation pasture management in manuresheds on system-level microbiome and antibiotic resistance genes.

Animal manure improves soil fertility and organic carbon, but long-term deposition may contribute to antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) entering the soil-water environment. Additionally, long-term impacts of applying animal manure to soil on the soil-water microbiome, a crucial factor in soil health and fertility, are not well understood. The aim of this study is to assess: (1) impacts of long-term conservation practices on the distribution of ARGs and microbial dynamics in soil, and runoff; and (2) associations between bacterial taxa, heavy metals, soil health indicators, and ARGs in manures, soils, and surface runoff in a study following 15 years of continuous management. This management strategy consists of two conventional and three conservation systems, all receiving annual poultry litter. High throughput sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA was carried out on samples of cattle manure, poultry litter, soil, and runoff collected from each manureshed. In addition, four representative ARGs (intl1, sul1, ermB, and blactx-m-32) were quantified from manures, soil, and runoff using quantitative PCR. Results revealed that conventional practice increased soil ARGs, and microbial diversity compared to conservation systems. Further, ARGs were strongly correlated with each other in cattle manure and soil, but not in runoff. After 15-years of conservation practices, relationships existed between heavy metals and ARGs. In the soil, Cu, Fe and Mn were positively linked to intl1, sul1, and ermB, but trends varied in runoff. These findings were further supported by network analyses that indicated complex co-occurrence patterns between bacteria taxa, ARGs, and physicochemical parameters. Overall, this study provides system-level linkages of microbial communities, ARGs, and physicochemical conditions based on long-term conservation practices at the soil-water-animal nexus.