Distinct Foci Research Articles

Intrinsic neural timescales exhibit different lengths in distinct meditation techniques

Meditation encompasses a range of practices employing diverse induction techniques, each characterized by a distinct attentional focus. In Mantra meditation, for instance, practitioners direct their attention narrowly to a given sentence that is recursively repeated, while other forms of meditation such as Shoonya meditation are induced by a wider attentional focus. Here we aimed to identify the neural underpinnings and correlates associated with this spectrum of distinct attentional foci. To accomplish this, we used EEG data to estimate the brain's intrinsic neural timescales (INTs), that is, its temporal windows of activity, by calculating the Autocorrelation Window (ACW) of the EEG signal. The autocorrelation function measures the similarity of a timeseries with a time-lagged version of itself by correlating the signal with itself on different time lags, consequently providing an estimation of INTs length. Therefore, through using the ACW metric, our objective was to explore whether there is a correspondence between the length of the brain's temporal windows of activity and the width of the attentional scope during various meditation techniques. This was performed on three groups of highly proficient practitioners belonging to different meditation traditions, as well as a meditation-naïve control group. Our results indicated that practices with a wider attentional focus, like Shoonya meditation, exhibit longer ACW durations compared to practices requiring a narrower attentional focus, such as Mantra meditation or body-scanning Vipassana meditation. Together, we demonstrated that distinct meditation techniques with varying widths of attentional foci exhibit unique durations in their brain's INTs. This may suggest that the width of the attentional scope during meditation relates and corresponds to the width of the brain's temporal windows in its neural activity. Significance StatementOur research uncovered the neural mechanisms that underpin the attentional foci in various meditation techniques. We revealed that distinct meditation induction techniques, featured by their range of attentional widths, are characterized by varying lengths of intrinsic neural timescales (INTs) within the brain, as measured by the Autocorrelation Window function. This finding may bridge the gap between the width of attentional windows (subjective) and the width of the temporal windows in the brain's neural activity (objective) during different meditation techniques, offering a new understanding of how cognitive and neural processes are related to each other. This work holds significant implications, especially in the context of the increasing use of meditation in mental health and well-being interventions. By elucidating the distinct neural foundations of different meditation techniques, our research aims to pave the way for developing more tailored and effective meditation-based treatments.

Effects of external verbal cueing on countermovement rebound jump performance

ABSTRACT This study examined the effects of three external verbal cues on countermovement rebound jump (CMRJ) performance. Twenty-five recreational athletes completed nine jumps with distinct height, velocity and combined cue focus. A general linear model analysis of variance was used to evaluate systematic bias between conditions (p < 0.05). The height and velocity cues significantly altered jump height and contact times in both jumps during the CMRJ, respectively (p ≤ 0.002). The combined cue significantly reduced contact time while increasing leg stiffness compared to the height cue (p ≤ 0.038). It also increased jump height compared to the velocity cue (p ≤ 0.005) in both jumps, resulting in the highest explosive power and reactive strength values among all conditions. Furthermore, the combined cue enhanced the positive ankle contribution compared to the height cue (p = 0.020) and increased positive hip and negative knee joint work compared to the velocity cue (p ≤ 0.040) in the second jump of the CMRJ. These findings advise practitioners to use the height cue to maximise jump height, the velocity cue to minimise contact times and the combined cue to maximise explosive power and reactive strength.

Gender Differences in Academic Staff Performance: An Advanced Analysis Using PLS-SEM in Higher Education

This study aims to comprehensively explore the intricate dynamics among positive and negative emotions, self-efficacy, and task performance within the unique context of the Covid-19 pandemic in Bahrain, specifically placing emphasis on potential gender-related distinctions within the proposed relationships. The ongoing pandemic accentuates the need to investigate the interplay between emotional states, self-efficacy beliefs, and task performance in academic and teaching domains, especially considering potential gender variations within the framework of a society promoting gender equality. Employing a quantitative survey instrument and rigorous statistical techniques, the study validates its proposed model through indicators such as the coefficient of determination (R²) and predictive relevance (Q²). The diverse sample comprises academic and teaching staff of both genders from Bahrain. Advanced statistical methodologies, including Measurement Invariance (MICOM) and Multigroup Analysis (MGA) facilitated by SmartPLS PLS-SEM, provide deeper insights into gender disparities. Significantly contributing to existing knowledge, this paper elucidates the complex relationships among emotions, self-efficacy, and task performance amid a crisis, with a distinctive focus on meticulously investigating gender differences. The study underscores the consistent positive impact of positive emotions on task performance across genders in Bahrain. Recommendations advocate for prioritizing support for academic and teaching staff during crises, emphasizing the positive impact on academic outcomes. Future research should explore demographic intricacies and potential mediating or moderating factors, deepening the comprehension of these complex dynamics. Highlighting the cascading impact of prioritizing the well-being and morale of academic and teaching staff, the study envisions a positive transformation resonating across various facets of society, extending beyond the confines of academia. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2024-SIED1-09 Full Text: PDF

Regulating Dominant Platforms: Challenges and Opportunities of Content Moderation on Jio Platforms

Abstract Indian multinational technology company, Jio Platforms with an active subscriber base of 467.6 million (February 2024, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India data) continues to lead the market in India. Digitisation has transformed India’s governance model as deep penetration of telecom and the internet in India has laid the foundation for a digital economy. This article examines the role of self-regulation mechanisms and censorship in India’s dominant platform company Jio Platforms which contributes significantly to changing the paradigm of digital governance, thereby making services seamless, and easily accessible and improving the ease of living and doing business. Facebook’s investment in Jio for a 9.99 percent stake makes it the largest investment for a minority stake by a tech company anywhere in the world. With Jio Platforms and Facebook parent Meta Platforms rolling out a grocery delivery app using Meta’s WhatsApp messaging service, the transnational ties are deepening and expanding, making it imperative to examine the role of self-regulation and censorship in a market that is open, diverse and the largest in a democratic governance structure. This article will examine the key concerns of data sharing and privacy, especially when the central plank of government policy is digitisation. With stricter government regulations for foreign players in the market, there is a distinct focus of the government on boosting Indian companies to capture and control the market. Data collated by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) show India’s overall internet user base grew to around 936.16 million in 2023. Such a diverse and vibrant open market calls for effective regulations and restrictions on privacy, algorithms, deceptive practices, antitrust, financing, and governance. This article aims to investigate the challenges of regulating dominant platforms. It delves deep into understanding and analysing the challenges and opportunities that evolve in regulating Jio Platforms. The study will also inquire whether favourable government policies and national legislation boost the processes of digitisation and whether there is a need for a new regulatory framework laid by the government for platforms to abide by. India has an open market dominated by US multinational firms, such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. Content removal and other online censorship efforts are topics of heated debate, in academia and policy circles. This makes it arduous to ensure that data protection and privacy are safeguarded, particularly by dominant platforms such as Jio Platforms which is almost monopolising the Indian market.

Is contextual knowledge a key component of expertise for teaching with technology? A systematic literature review

The technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) framework is a prominent framework for describing the knowledge teachers require for teaching in the digital era. Recently, the component of “context” was officially recognized as an additional domain of knowledge. Since then, this domain has started to gradually gain more attention in TPACK research. Yet research on contextual knowledge (XK) appears somewhat sporadic, indicating the need for greater clarity on this construct. As the domain representing the knowledge of educational contexts, the role of experience in educational contexts emerges as a key point for shedding light on this construct. The present systematic literature review aimed to offer an overview of the representations and functions associated with XK through the lens of experience and investigated this domain through comparing the empirical literature focusing on preservice teachers (less experienced) to that focusing on inservice teachers (more experienced). Systematically screening the literature resulted in a final sample of 15 studies conducted among preservice teachers and 23 on inservice teachers. Records were analyzed through qualitative codings and quantitative comparisons of these codes between these two groups of studies. Findings revealed a consistent multifaceted structure of XK across both inservice and preservice teacher studies with a distinctive greater focus on school-level factors in inservice teacher studies. In addition, across groups, studies provided evidence confirming XK as a domain supporting teachers’ practice, that can be developed, and that relates to other pedagogically relevant constructs. These findings are discussed with regards to their implications for researchers, practitioners, and stakeholders.

Patterns of brain volume and metabolism predict clinical features in the progressive supranuclear palsy spectrum.

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a neurodegenerative tauopathy that presents with highly heterogenous clinical syndromes. We perform cross-sectional data-driven discovery of independent patterns of brain atrophy and hypometabolism across the entire PSP spectrum. We then use these patterns to predict specific clinical features and to assess their relationship to phenotypic heterogeneity. We included 111 patients with PSP (60 with Richardson syndrome and 51 with cortical and subcortical variant subtypes). Ninety-one were used as the training set and 20 as a test set. The presence and severity of granular clinical variables such as postural instability, parkinsonism, apraxia and supranuclear gaze palsy were noted. Domains of akinesia, ocular motor impairment, postural instability and cognitive dysfunction as defined by the Movement Disorders Society criteria for PSP were also recorded. Non-negative matrix factorization was used on cross-sectional MRI and fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) scans. Independent models for each as well as a combined model for MRI and FDG-PET were developed and used to predict the granular clinical variables. Both MRI and FDG-PET were better at predicting presence of a symptom than severity, suggesting identification of disease state may be more robust than disease stage. FDG-PET predicted predominantly cortical abnormalities better than MRI such as ideomotor apraxia, apraxia of speech and frontal dysexecutive syndrome. MRI demonstrated prediction of cortical and more so sub-cortical abnormalities, such as parkinsonism. Distinct neuroanatomical foci were predictive in MRI- and FDG-PET-based models. For example, vertical gaze palsy was predicted by midbrain atrophy on MRI, but frontal eye field hypometabolism on FDG-PET. Findings also differed by scale or instrument used. For example, prediction of ocular motor abnormalities using the PSP Saccadic Impairment Scale was stronger than with the Movement Disorders Society Diagnostic criteria for PSP oculomotor impairment designation. Combination of MRI and FDG-PET demonstrated enhanced detection of parkinsonism and frontal syndrome presence and apraxia, cognitive impairment and bradykinesia severity. Both MRI and FDG-PET patterns were able to predict some measures in the test set; however, prediction of global cognition measured by Montreal Cognitive Assessment was the strongest. MRI predictions generalized more robustly to the test set. PSP leads to neurodegeneration in motor, cognitive and ocular motor networks at cortical and subcortical foci, leading to diverse yet overlapping clinical syndromes. To advance understanding of phenotypic heterogeneity in PSP, it is essential to consider data-driven approaches to clinical neuroimaging analyses.

Transcription factor roles in the local adaptation to temperature in the Andean Spiny Toad Rhinella spinulosa

Environmental temperature strongly influences the adaptation dynamics of amphibians, whose limited regulation capabilities render them susceptible to thermal oscillations. A central element of the adaptive strategies is the transcription factors (TFs), which act as master regulators that orchestrate stress responses, enabling species to navigate the fluctuations of their environment skillfully. Our study delves into the intricate relationship between TF expression and thermal adaptation mechanisms in the Rhinella spinulosa populations. We sought to elucidate the dynamic modulations of TF expression in prometamorphic and metamorphic tadpoles that inhabit two thermally contrasting environments (Catarpe and El Tatio Geyser, Chile) and which were exposed to two thermal treatments (25 °C vs. 20 °C). Our findings unravel an intriguing dichotomy in response strategies between these populations. First, results evidence the expression of 1374 transcription factors. Regarding the temperature shift, the Catarpe tadpoles show a multifaceted approach by up-regulating crucial TFs, including fosB, atf7, and the androgen receptor. These dynamic regulatory responses likely underpin the population’s ability to navigate thermal fluctuations effectively. In stark contrast, the El Tatio tadpoles exhibit a more targeted response, primarily up-regulating foxc1. This differential expression suggests a distinct focus on specific TFs to mitigate the effects of temperature variations. Our study contributes to understanding the molecular mechanisms governing thermal adaptation responses and highlights the resilience and adaptability of amphibians in the face of ever-changing environmental conditions.

A Versatile Pipeline for Analyzing Dynamic Changes in Nuclear Bodies in a Variety of Cell Types.

Various nuclear processes, such as transcriptional control, occur within discrete structures known as foci that are discernable through the immunofluorescence technique. Investigating the dynamics of these foci under diverse cellular conditions via microscopy yields valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms governing cellular identity and functions. However, performing immunofluorescence assays across different cell types and assessing alterations in the assembly, diffusion, and distribution of these foci present numerous challenges. These challenges encompass complexities in sample preparation, determination of parameters for analyzing imaging data, and management of substantial data volumes. Moreover, existing imaging workflows are often tailored for proficient users, thereby limiting accessibility to a broader audience. In this study, we introduce an optimized immunofluorescence protocol tailored for investigating nuclear proteins in different human primary T cell types that can be customized for any protein of interest and cell type. Furthermore, we present a method for unbiasedly quantifying protein staining, whether they form distinct foci or exhibit a diffuse nuclear distribution. Our proposed method offers a comprehensive guide, from cellular staining to analysis, leveraging a semi-automated pipeline developed in Jython and executable in Fiji. Furthermore, we provide a user-friendly Python script to streamline data management, publicly accessible on a Google Colab notebook. Our approach has demonstrated efficacy in yielding highly informative immunofluorescence analyses for proteins with diverse patterns of nuclear organization across differentcontexts.

Diverging Paths: CEO Regulatory Focus, Corporate Social Responsibility, and the Enigma of Firm Performance

Regulatory focus theory theorizes that there are two distinct dispositional foci of self-regulation (promotion focus and prevention focus) that impact individuals’ motivational tendencies to achieve their decision-making processes. This study integrates regulatory focus theory with upper echelons theory to investigate how CEO regulatory focus (i.e., higher degrees of promotion focus relative to prevention focus) influences corporate strategic outcomes, particularly regarding the pursuit of corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance and firm performance. This study uses data collected from the annual reports of S&amp;P 1500 firms in the US from 2000 to 2018. Results show a negative association between CEOs who are predominantly promotion-focused and CSR performance. This negative association is diminished in firms with better corporate governance (i.e., higher CEO equity compensation and greater institutional ownership). The results also show that CSR plays a mediating role in the relationship between CEO regulatory focus and firm performance. These findings not only contribute to the existing literature by highlighting the role of CEO regulatory focus in shaping CSR initiatives but also shed light on its implications for firm performance.

Adaptation and growth: a start-up’s resilience in the face of crisis and preparation for the future

Research methodology The case uses secondary data. The data was collected from the company’s founder. Case overview/synopsis ParisZigzag is a media-experiential company engaging in media-related activities, such as content creation on social networks, designing and producing books and magazines, with a distinct focus on lifestyle themes. Additionally, the company organizes tours and cultural events in Paris that resonate with and enhance specific lifestyle choices or cultural identities. The company uses both online media and events as tools for advertising, allowing brands and companies to enhance their visibility among audiences. During the global health crisis, the capacity to swiftly adapt and transform proved to be a critical factor for ParisZigzag. This case study shows how a fast-growing startup could cope with an uncertain and threatening economic and health environment, in particular: 1. entrepreneurs’ reactions to crisis and the crucial role of resilience in responding quickly and constructively to crises and ensuring a startup’s survival; and 2. the significance of proactive planning for future strategies and adapting the business model to tackle forthcoming challenges. Complexity academic level This instructional case can be used in financial and managerial accounting courses and entrepreneurship courses of the graduate or undergraduate level of business programs. This case requires fundamental knowledge in accounting and management.

Malignant Transformation in a Chondroblastoma-Does it Exist?

Chondroblastoma is currently described as a benign bone tumor, histopathologically characterized by its classical features including chondroblasts, pink cartilage, and a variable number of osteoclast-like giant cells with foci of dystrophic calcification. Although recurrent and metastasizing chondroblastomas are reported, a malignant chondroblastoma is exceedingly rare and somewhat a contentious entity. A 35-year-old male presented with a lump in his ankle of 15 years' duration. Imaging disclosed a lytic destructive lesion involving the lower ends of the tibia and fibula with a soft tissue component, indicative of atypical/"worrisome" features. Microscopic examination of the biopsy revealed distinct foci of chondroblastoma, transitioning to areas of high-grade sarcoma, including pleomorphic cells, increased mitoses, and prominent stromal hyalinization. Immunohistochemically, the entire tumor was positive for H3K36M, while DOG1 highlighted the areas of chondroblastoma. SATB2 highlighted the areas of high-grade sarcoma, sparing the areas of chondroblastoma. Additionally, the areas of a high-grade sarcoma showed multifocal desmin immunostaining. A diagnosis of a malignant transformation in a chondroblastoma was offered. The patient defaulted to further treatment and unfortunately died 8 months, post-diagnosis. The conceptual evolution of a malignant chondroblastoma with H3K36M immunostaining in the few reported tumors is described herewith.

MANAGEMENT MECHANISMS ENSURING THE STABILITY (OR SUSTAINABILITY) OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF ENTERPRISES: ESSENCE AND TYPES

The article aims to define features and content-related aspects of the managerial mechanism ensuring enterprise economic development stability (or sustainability). The study's relevance is driven by the necessity to address qualitatively new external and internal challenges, arising from the military aggression of the RF against Ukraine. The research examines economic methods and tools for managing enterprise stability (or sustainability), highlighting their focus on effective functioning in terms of economic indicators and performance. The study delves into organizational methods and tools for enterprise management, highlighting their distinct focus on effective leadership and operational organization. The research examines the format of structural methods and tools for the sequential distribution of duties, demonstrating that it distinguishes itself by its focus on the relevance of duty and responsibility allocation. The research examines informational methods and tools for enterprise management, emphasizing their focus on stable information delivery to management personnel. The research is valuable for exploring effective ways to use economic methods and tools to establish strategic reserves for stability in adverse conditions.

Artificial intelligence, self-efficacy and engagement in religious tourism: evidence from Arbaeen pilgrimage

PurposeThis study aims to determine how the attitudes toward artificial intelligence (AI) of religious tourists affect their AI self-efficacy and their engagement in AI. This study specifically intends to investigate the mediating role of AI self-efficacy in the relationship between attitudes toward AI and the engagement in AI of religious tourists. This study also seeks to identify the role of AI assistant use as a moderator in the relationship between attitudes toward AI and AI self-efficacy.Design/methodology/approachThe data used in this study was gathered from a sample of 282 religious tourists who had just visited Karbala, central Iraq. Purposive sampling, which comprises a focused and systematic approach to data collection, was used after carefully assessing the distinctive characteristics and properties of the research population.FindingsThe results showed that attitudes to AI had a noticeable impact on AI self-efficacy, which, in turn, exerted a positive impact on engagement with AI. In addition, the use of AI assistants acted to positively moderate AI self-efficacy in terms of mediating the link between attitudes to AI and AI engagement.Originality/valueThe distinctive focus on religious tourists adds an original perspective to the existing literature, shedding light on how their attitudes towards AI impact not only their self-efficacy but also their engagement in dealing with AI. In addition, this study delves into the moderating role of AI assistant use, introducing a unique factor in understanding the complex interplay between attitudes, self-efficacy, and engagement in the context of religious tourism. The selection of Karbala, central Iraq, as this study site further adds originality, providing insights into a specific religious and cultural context.

The Convergence of Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain: The State of Play and the Road Ahead

Artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technology have emerged as increasingly prevalent and influential elements shaping global trends in Information and Communications Technology (ICT). Namely, the synergistic combination of blockchain and AI introduces beneficial, unique features with the potential to enhance the performance and efficiency of existing ICT systems. However, presently, the confluence of these two disruptive technologies remains in a rather nascent stage, undergoing continuous exploration and study. In this context, the work at hand offers insight regarding the most significant features of the AI and blockchain intersection. Sixteen outstanding, recent articles exploring the combination of AI and blockchain technology have been systematically selected and thoroughly investigated. From them, fourteen key features have been extracted, including data security and privacy, data encryption, data sharing, decentralized intelligent systems, efficiency, automated decision systems, collective decision making, scalability, system security, transparency, sustainability, device cooperation, and mining hardware design. Moreover, drawing upon the related literature stemming from major digital databases, we constructed a timeline of this technological convergence comprising three eras: emerging, convergence, and application. For the convergence era, we categorized the pertinent features into three primary groups: data manipulation, potential applicability to legacy systems, and hardware issues. For the application era, we elaborate on the impact of this technology fusion from the perspective of five distinct focus areas, from Internet of Things applications and cybersecurity, to finance, energy, and smart cities. This multifaceted, but succinct analysis is instrumental in delineating the timeline of AI and blockchain convergence and pinpointing the unique characteristics inherent in their integration. The paper culminates by highlighting the prevailing challenges and unresolved questions in blockchain and AI-based systems, thereby charting potential avenues for future scholarly inquiry.

Residents’ perceptions of sustainable heritage tourism development in a rural municipality

ABSTRACT This research investigates the perceptions of rural communities in the Sekhukhune District Municipality, Limpopo, South Africa, towards sustainable heritage tourism development. It aims to comprehend local attitudes by analysing community views, recognising benefits and challenges, and assessing the potential for sustainable practices. The study, utilising a quantitative approach through a structured survey, reveals diverse opinions among rural residents. While acknowledging tourism's positive economic and cultural prospects, concerns arise about environmental impact and traditional lifestyle disruptions. The paper's significance lies in its distinct focus on rural communities, expanding beyond urban-centric research. It enriches the sustainable tourism discourse by presenting local perspectives and suggesting strategies aligning community aspirations with tourism development goals. Overall, the research highlights the necessity of involving and empowering rural communities, advocating for context-specific approaches that harmonise tourism growth with the preservation of rural heritage. This study provides crucial insights for policymakers and stakeholders shaping effective and inclusive strategies for sustainable heritage tourism development in rural areas.

Nature Inspired Metaheuristic based Optimization

This paper is a comprehensive study on nature inspired Hyperparameter optimization, with a distinct focus on Honey Badger Algorithm, along with Aquila Optimizer algorithm. The study involves in-depth analysis of the above algorithms, their weaknesses and strengths and comparing them with the theoretical advantages. The implementation of these algorithms, This paper demonstrate the promise of these algorithms on optimization of Hyperparameters like learning rate, number of hidden layers for our various datasets. The findings of this paper show that HBA and Aquila Optimization algorithms offer potential alternatives to the existing approaches, providing more effective and efficient solutions for hyperparameter optimization. This paper contributes to ongoing discourse on the place of nature inspired algorithms and their place in solutions to unconventional places

On-chip terahertz orbital angular momentum demultiplexer

The terahertz regime is widely recognized as a fundamental domain with significant potential to address the demands of next-generation wireless communications. In parallel, mode division multiplexing based on orbital angular momentum (OAM) shows promise in enhancing bandwidth utilization, thereby expanding the overall communication channel capacity. In this study, we present both theoretical and experimental demonstrations of an on-chip terahertz OAM demultiplexer. This device effectively couples and steers seven incident terahertz vortex beams into distinct high-quality focusing surface plasmonic beams, and the focusing directions can be arbitrarily designated. The proposed design strategy integrates space-to-chip mode conversion, OAM recognition, and on-chip routing in a compact space with subwavelength thickness, exhibiting versatility and superior performance.

Navigating political terrain: a comprehensive review of leadership theories in political science

Political science is increasingly focusing on the study of leadership factors in its field scope. Therefore, the primary objective of this article is to systematically analyze the use of leadership theories in scholarly publications of political science. This paper also underscores the lack of leadership theories or concepts in political science, offering insights to anyone interested in examining leadership in this academic discipline. This study introduces an alternative framework for analyzing leadership, specifically emphasizing political leadership. Thus, the question addressed in this study is: What leadership theories are applied to the study of political science? This study utilizes the systematic literature review approach, except for the Appraisal Quality stage, to examine political leadership theory and the notion of utilization as discussed in political science. The ROSE protocol is employed in this study due to its suitability for mapping and qualitative studies. Furthermore, PICo is used to formulate research questions in the context of this study. The results of this study, which involved the review of 75 papers, revealed the implementation of leadership theories and concepts in 15 distinct contexts or focus areas. The analysis of leadership in political science places significant emphasis on the dimensions of transformative and transactional leadership styles. Both leadership styles are frequently used in various research contexts. Overall, the prevalence of transformative and transactional leadership theories in political science can be understood as a reflection of the constraints political scientists face in comprehending the nature of leadership within a political context from a scientific standpoint.

A Comprehensive Review of the Rheological Properties of Powders in Pharmaceuticals

The perpetual significance of the pharmaceutical industry in society necessitates ongoing research efforts to enhance the efficacy of its manufacturing processes. Given that drug product manufacturing typically involves powder processing, a thorough understanding of powder characterization is needed for optimal process performance. Powder rheology is commonly examined in pharmaceutical manufacturing to elucidate the relationship between powder properties and the performance of pharmaceutical processes. This paper provides a brief discussion of recent literature regarding the various powder properties and characterization techniques encompassed in powder rheology. The powder properties are categorized into particle size, particle morphology, friability, electrostatics, permeability, wettability, cohesion, bulk density, and agglomeration sections. A distinct focus is placed on the segment about powder wettability. This review informs readers about the fundamental properties of powders known to influence pharmaceutical processes. It discusses the interrelationships among these properties, powder characterization techniques, and ideal states of powder properties that lead to optimal process performance.

Knowledge sharing behavior of service sector’s employees to attain sustainable development goals

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to get an understanding regarding the clusters of middle management employees on the basis of their knowledge sharing behaviour. Designing knowledge sharing behaviors with a distinct focus for a specified group of employees can be an effective and productive one. As it is often argued that the cluster of employees labeled as “middle management” is the key player for knowledge sharing behaviors – a subject of this study that intends to contribute to management strategy to enhance organizational effectiveness and subsequently to its knowledge sharing phenomona.Design/methodology/approachCluster analysis was adopted as key tool as a part of quantitative method to accumulate the data from 597 employees who are working within the middle management of service sector located in the union territory of India named Jammu and Kashmir.FindingsThree distinct segments namely – “knowledge sharing adepts (KSA),” “knowledge sharing scrupulous (KSC)” and “knowledge sharing servitudes (KSE)” as the prime domains of knowledge sharing behavior are identified.Research limitations/implicationsTo draw a narrow focus, the study was limited to the service sector of a union territory in India, hence the findings may not be generalized. Furthermore, as knowledge sharing behavior of individuals is always evolved out of social and historical practices, findings of this cross-sectional study should ideally be needed to be updated time to time through further research.Practical implicationsCluster dynamicism of knowledge sharing behavior based on the differentiated and specified group of employee functions distinctly which in turn increases the organizational productivity with a particular focus on the mid-management of the service sector – a key managerial implication of this study.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research paper is the first of its kind in Jammu and Kashmir adding value to the international literature in the area of knowledge sharing behaviors of service sector.