Diverse Group Research Articles

The career history of Chinese entrepreneurs and their life outcomes: a life history study using sequence analysis

Chinese entrepreneurs, whose population has been steadily growing since the Reform and Open Up in 1978, are a diverse group of people. Though previous research has analysed Chinese entrepreneurs by special cases, few have conducted a nationally representative study of their typology. And even fewer have analysed the life outcomes of the different types of entrepreneurs. Relying on two waves of the panel data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) and with the technique of sequence analysis, for the first time, we explored the heterogeneous career trajectories of Chinese entrepreneurs and their corresponding life outcomes. We successfully depicted four unique entrepreneurial trajectories in China since the 1950s, which are necessity entrepreneurs, employee entrepreneurs, persistent entrepreneurs and farmer entrepreneurs. Our empirical results can support both the cumulative disadvantage theory and the set-point theory in health-related studies. Among all the entrepreneurs, farmer entrepreneurs have the worst self-rated health in the long run, which supports the cumulative disadvantage theory. At the same time, all types of entrepreneurs have similar depressive symptoms and economic returns, which supports the set-point theory.

Towards a conceptual framework for ethical AI development in IT systems

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has prompted significant societal, ethical, and legal concerns regarding their deployment in information technology (IT) systems. Addressing these concerns necessitates the establishment of a robust ethical framework to guide AI development and integration into IT systems. This paper presents a comprehensive conceptual framework aimed at fostering ethical AI development within IT systems. The proposed framework incorporates multidisciplinary perspectives, drawing upon principles from ethics, computer science, law, and philosophy. It emphasizes the integration of ethical considerations at every stage of the AI development lifecycle, including design, implementation, deployment, and maintenance. Central to this framework is the recognition of AI systems as socio-technical artifacts with profound impacts on individuals, communities, and societies at large. Key components of the framework include transparency, accountability, fairness, privacy, and security. Transparency entails ensuring that AI algorithms and decision-making processes are comprehensible and explainable to stakeholders, thereby fostering trust and enabling scrutiny. Accountability mechanisms are essential for attributing responsibility for AI-driven outcomes and facilitating recourse in cases of harm or injustice. Moreover, the framework emphasizes the importance of fairness in AI systems, advocating for the mitigation of biases and discrimination across diverse demographic groups. Privacy protection measures are deemed crucial to safeguarding individuals' personal data from unauthorized access or misuse, while robust security protocols are essential for defending against malicious exploitation and adversarial attacks. By delineating ethical guidelines and best practices, this conceptual framework aims to empower developers, policymakers, and organizations to navigate the complex ethical landscape of AI development in IT systems. Ultimately, the adoption of such a framework is imperative for harnessing the transformative potential of AI technologies while upholding fundamental ethical principles and societal values.

Ayurvedic intervention with Pachana Aushadhi and Lekhan Basti in Obesity: A case study

In the 21st century, the prevalence of lifestyle disorders has surged, exacerbated by sedentary habits and increased stress, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. This has led to a substantial rise in cases of Sthaulya, affecting approximately one-third of the global population with overweight or obese. Obesity, a complex and multifaceted disease, has tripled in global prevalence since 1980, impacting diverse age groups, genders, and socio-economic strata. Although rates have plateaued in some developed nations, the consequences of obesity extend beyond physical appearance, causing both physical and mental harm and significantly affecting overall quality of life. Furthermore, obesity serves as a precursor to various secondary health conditions, including but not limited to diabetes, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, dyslipidemia, and more. Ayurveda classifies Athisthaulya as one of the eight undesirable conditions under Ashtanindita purusha. It arises from the vitiation of Kapha dosha, Vata dosha, and Medo dhatu, aligning with the contemporary understanding of obesity as a chronic metabolic disorder. Ayurveda's holistic approach, incorporating Pachana chikitsa and Lekhana basti, shows promise in managing Sthaulya. This case study involves a 52-year-old female patient with a weight of 112 kg and a BMI of 41.1. Over 30 days, the patient underwent a comprehensive Ayurvedic management plan, including Pachana aushadhi for 7 days and Lekhana basti for 21 days. The outcome demonstrated a significant weight loss of 11 kg, reducing her weight to 101 kg. and achieving a BMI of 37.1 without complications. This case underscores the potential of Ayurvedic interventions in addressing the challenges of obesity.

Free-living mites (Acari) of the Shokalsky Island, off the northern Gyda Peninsula, Kara Sea, High Arctic

The fauna of free-living mites of the Shokalsky Island, off the Gyda Peninsula, Kara Sea, totals at least 81 species belonging to 36 families. The suborder Prostigmata includes 38 species, vs 18 of Oribatida, 17 of Mesostigmata, 5 of Endeostigmata, and 3 of Astigmata. The most species-rich families are Ascidae (9 species), Eupodidae (7), Tarsonemidae (4), and Ceratozetidae (4). However, most genera (77%) are represented by one species only. Among mites identified to the species level, the Holarctic species prevail which show mainly arctic, arctic-montane, and arctic-boreal distribution patterns. The abundance of soil mites varies with 10160–299440 ind./m<sup>2</sup>, being the maximum in the soil of both dryad tundra and in a polar fox den on a hillock. Prostigmata are the most diverse mite group throughout, but the dominant species include either prostigmatic or endeostigmatic, or oribatid mites. The rare species, Charadracarus hurdi Newell, 1960, hitherto known only from Point Barrow, Alaska, has been found for the first time since its original description. Some features of the acarofauna of the Shokalsky Island are transitional between those characteristics of the polar desert and tundra zones.

Human Machine Interface

This document presents a comprehensive literature survey of recent advancements in Human-Machine Interaction (HMI), with a primary focus on cutting-edge technologies poised to significantly shape the future trajectory of this field. By providing insights into current technical achievements and prospective developments, it becomes evident that advanced HMI technologies are on the brink of convergence. This convergence entails the integration of functionalities across HMI devices, the establishment of novel sensor fusion methodologies, and an overarching goal of bridging the gap between intelligent machines and humans. HMI holds pivotal importance in enabling the widespread adoption of robots and machines among populations lacking expertise in software and hardware. This is particularly transformative for segments such as the elderly and disabled, where intuitive interfaces facilitated by HMI facilitate enhanced accessibility and usability. As the field progresses, it is poised to revolutionize the way individuals interact with and benefit from intelligent machines, thereby fostering inclusivity and empowerment across diverse demographic groups. Key Words: HMI, sensor, robot and machines, software and hardware.

Catalytic Mechanism and Heterologous Biosynthesis Application of Sesquiterpene Synthases.

Sesquiterpenes comprise a diverse group of natural products with a wide range of applications in cosmetics, food, medicine, agriculture, and biofuels. Heterologous biosynthesis is increasingly employed for sesquiterpene production, aiming to overcome the limitations associated with chemical synthesis and natural extraction. Sesquiterpene synthases (STSs) play a crucial role in the heterologous biosynthesis of sesquiterpene. Under the catalysis of STSs, over 300 skeletons are produced through various cyclization processes (C1-C10 closure, C1-C11 closure, C1-C6 closure, and C1-C7 closure), which are responsible for the diversity of sesquiterpenes. According to the cyclization types, we gave an overview of advances in understanding the mechanism of STSs cyclization from the aspects of protein crystal structures and site-directed mutagenesis. We also summarized the applications of engineering STSs in the heterologous biosynthesis of sesquiterpene. Finally, the bottlenecks and potential research directions related to the STSs cyclization mechanism and application of modified STSs were presented.

Contextual influences on individual targets' perceived contributions to group diversity.

Many organizations want to achieve diversity, yet who "counts" as contributing to diversity is malleable. Across four experiments, we explore how contextual influences shape perceptions of diversity, including what happens when information at different contextual levels conflicts. In Study 1 (N = 160) and Study 2 (N = 69, preregistered), we find that when participants believe White women, White men, and Black men to be overrepresented in a profession at the national level, individuals with those identities are rated as contributing less to the diversity of a group of workers within that profession. In Study 3 (N = 164), participants were asked to make diversity judgments within the same profession (American elementary school teachers), but the composition of the target group under evaluation was either White female-dominated (aligned with the profession) or White male-dominated (diverged from the profession). Presenting the group as White male-dominated (compared to White female-dominated) increased perceptions of White women's contributions to diversity and decreased perceptions of White men's, and men of color's, contributions to diversity. In Study 4 (N = 216, preregistered), we attempted to call participants' attention to representation at a single level only (i.e., national vs. target group), when representation information conflicted across levels. However, perceived contributions to diversity did not shift based on experimental conditions. It appears that Americans' judgments of who increases a group's diversity can be affected by representation at multiple levels, although it may be difficult for perceivers to prioritize one contextual level only when such information conflicts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Integrating gender expertise into the Canadian Armed Forces: challenges for change agents and culture change.

Gender Advisors (GENADs) have played a key role in the efforts of military organizations worldwide to integrate gender perspectives, and culture change, within the defence and security context. Military organizations, however, continue to face challenges in regard to diversity and inclusion, including limited representation of women and other diverse groups who do not fit the white male, masculine stereotype, and subtle and overt expressions of prejudice and stigma towards under-represented and marginalized groups. In such an organizational context, the integration of gender perspectives has faced challenges, and transformative culture change has remained elusive. In particular, the experience of GENADs suggests that there may be unique challenges to serving as "gender experts" within military organizations. This paper, therefore, examines the lived experience of GENADs within the context of military organizations, as illustrated by GENADs in the Canadian Armed Forces. We consider two qualitative studies on the lived experience of GENADs and focus on the shared theme of legitimacy of gender expertise at both individual and systemic levels. This analysis highlights challenges that gendered power relations may pose for GENADs as individual change agents, and for systemic, transformative culture change, within existing military organizations, while reaffirming the importance of understanding the lived experience of GENADs in their pursuit of more equitable institutional and operational outcomes. Using social-psychological theories of tokenism, we consider more broadly what it means to be the gender person within masculinized military organizations and conclude with reflections on the potential contours of transformative culture change within the military context.

Current safeguards, risk mitigation, and transparency measures of large language models against the generation of health disinformation: repeated cross sectional analysis

ObjectivesTo evaluate the effectiveness of safeguards to prevent large language models (LLMs) from being misused to generate health disinformation, and to evaluate the transparency of artificial intelligence (AI) developers regarding...

Structural dynamics of the active HER4 and HER2/HER4 complexes is finely tuned by different growth factors and glycosylation

Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 4 (HER4 or ERBB4) carries out essential functions in the development and maintenance of the cardiovascular and nervous systems. HER4 activation is regulated by a diverse group of extracellular ligands including the neuregulin (NRG) family and betacellulin (BTC), which promote HER4 homodimerization or heterodimerization with other HER receptors. Important cardiovascular functions of HER4 are exerted via heterodimerization with its close homolog and orphan receptor, HER2. To date structural insights into ligand-mediated HER4 activation have been limited to crystallographic studies of HER4 ectodomain homodimers in complex with NRG1β. Here, we report cryo-EM structures of near full-length HER2/HER4 heterodimers and full-length HER4 homodimers bound to NRG1β and BTC. We show that the structures of the heterodimers bound to either ligand are nearly identical and that in both cases the HER2/HER4 heterodimer interface is less dynamic than those observed in structures of HER2/EGFR and HER2/HER3 heterodimers. In contrast, structures of full-length HER4 homodimers bound to NRG1β and BTC display more large-scale dynamics mirroring states previously reported for EGFR homodimers. Our structures also reveal the presence of multiple glycan modifications within HER4 ectodomains, modeled for the first time in HER receptors, that distinctively contribute to the stabilization of HER4 homodimer interfaces over those of HER2/HER4 heterodimers.

English as a Lingua Franca in Global Business: Balancing Efficiency and Cultural Sensitivity

This work focuses on English as an international business lingua franca in the realisation of effective international communication and collaboration. A globally integrated market has seemingly perceived English as an imperative medium in order to eliminate the barrier of language and play a facilitative role for multinational ventures; it adds an edge in organisational performance among diverse cultural landscapes. The dominance of English, on the other hand, also means that potential linguistic inequities might be bred, and the subtleties in the cultural differences might go on unnoticed. The study adopts a qualitative paradigm, through which it uses structured questionnaires to elicit insights with respect to the pros and cons associated with using English as the second language in business environments. Participants mentioned that English facilitates international transactions, helps in bringing the unity of diversified groups in terms of language, and supports the strategies of worldwide businesses. Critics say that a cavalier attitude towards non-native speakers will dominate and crop up as cultural insensitivity. Therefore, the findings in this article highlight that while English as a Lingua Franca may have innumerable advantages in worldwide business communication, there does always need to be a sense of balance and a certain amount of appreciation for diversity in languages to foster an inclusive global business environment.

Orthopaedic practice in Indian secondary care - Exploring the notion of ‘integrated care’ from the perspectives of healthcare professionals and patients, with strategies for implementation

Orthopaedic practice in Indian secondary care - Exploring the notion of ‘integrated care’ from the perspectives of healthcare professionals and patients, with strategies for implementation

A clinicopathological analysis of 151 odontogenic tumors based on new WHO classification 2022: A retrospective cross-sectional study

Background: Odontogenic tumors are a diverse group of lesions with a variety of clinical behavior and histopathologic subtypes, from hamartomatous and benign to malignant. The study aimed to examine the clinical and pathological features of odontogenic tumors in Baghdad over the last 11 years (2011–2021). Materials and Methods: The present retrospective study analyzed all formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue blocks of patients diagnosed with an odontogenic tumor that were retrieved from archives at a teaching hospital/College of Dentistry in Baghdad University, Iraq, between 2011 and 2021. The diagnosis of each case was confirmed by examining the hematoxylin and eosin stained sections by two expert pathologists. Data from patients' case sheets were collected, including age, gender, location, and histopathological information. The type of lesions was evaluated based on the World Health Organization's most recent classification (March 2022). Results: There were 151 odontogenic tumor during this period. The most common type (39.1%) was Solid ameloblastoma. The mandibular tumors (76.8%) were more than the maxillary tumors (23.2%). The female to male ratio was 1.1:1. The most cases are found between the 2nd and 5th decades of life. Conclusions: Solid ameloblastoma was the most common odontogenic tumor, while primordial odontogenic tumor was the rarest, Odontogenic tumors were slightly more common in females than in males, the most common cases occur in the mandible., the outcome of the study gives valuable information regarding the patients' profile and type of odontogenic tumors over 11 years, which could aid in the early diagnosis and enhance the intervention.

Facilitating feedback generation and group skill development through assessment design

PurposeLarge classes pose challenges in managing different types of skills (e.g. maths, subject-specific knowledge, writing, confidence and communication), facilitating interactions, enabling active learning and providing timely feedback. This paper shares a design of a set of assessments for a large undergraduate economics course consisting of students from diverse cultural backgrounds. The benefits, challenges and learning experiences of students are analysed.Design/methodology/approachStudents worked in groups to complete an assessment with several questions which would be useful as a revision for the individual assessment, the following week. Survey questionnaires with Likert-type questions and open-ended questions were used to analyse the learning and skill development that occurred because of the group work. Responses to the open-ended survey questions were coded and analysed by identifying the themes and categorising the various issues that emerged.FindingsThis assessment design developed group working skills, created opportunities to interact and enhanced learning. The analysis of the responses found that working with peers enabled the students to generate their own feedback, clear doubts and learn to solve problems. Effective communication, planning meetings and working around the diverse group members’ strengths and weaknesses are some graduate skills that are developed in this group assessment. The challenges were arranging meetings, finalising assessments, engagement of group members and unreliable technology. However, the students found ways to overcome these challenges.Originality/valueThis assessment design can be useful in higher education practice by introducing a mechanism for authentic collaborative practice. This paper adds to the literature on peer interactions and group work and enables effective learning at scale.

Genomic insights into the chromosomal elongation in a family of Collembola.

Collembola is a highly diverse and abundant group of soil arthropods with chromosome numbers ranging from 5 to 11. Previous karyotype studies indicated that the Tomoceridae family possesses an exceptionally long chromosome. To better understand chromosome size evolution in Collembola, we obtained a chromosome-level genome of Yoshiicerus persimilis with a size of 334.44 Mb and BUSCO completeness of 97.0% (n = 1013). Both genomes of Y. persimilis and Tomocerus qinae (recently published) have an exceptionally large chromosome (ElChr greater than 100 Mb), accounting for nearly one-third of the genome. Comparative genomic analyses suggest that chromosomal elongation occurred independently in the two species approximately 10 million years ago, rather than in the ancestor of the Tomoceridae family. The ElChr elongation was caused by large tandem and segmental duplications, as well as transposon proliferation, with genes in these regions experiencing weaker purifying selection (higher dN/dS) than conserved regions. Moreover, inter-genomic synteny analyses indicated that chromosomal fission/fusion events played a crucial role in the evolution of chromosome numbers (ranging from 5 to 7) within Entomobryomorpha. This study provides a valuable resource for investigating the chromosome evolution of Collembola.

Opportunities and Challenges Associated with the Uptake of Residential Clean Fuel Usage.

Almost 3 billion people worldwide use solid fuel for cooking and heating. This review examines (i) household energy practices and infrastructures and their influence on fuel usage in different contexts; (ii) barriers in adoption of household clean energy technologies and uses in diverse settings and population groups and (iii) potential air pollution exposure reduction in homes through using processed fuel. Population health burden from solid fuel combustion-derived particulate air pollution has been estimated in several low- and middle-income countries. However, such studies have not been carried out in high income countries (e.g., UK). Irrespective of the region, fuel prices are the most dominant factor influencing the choice of fuel. Laboratory studies suggest processed fuel - pellets and briquettes - reduce particulate matter emissions by 70-80% and can be a promising alternative. Adoption of clean fuels for domestic energy needs facilitates progress towards five of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There is evidence that a variety of factors, including cost savings, encourage and hinder such uptake. These factors include price fluctuations, expenses, and the usage of clean fuels. Due to their distinct development scenarios, more expansive policy frameworks, and political economies of energy, these determinants are localized in character and differ significantly amongst economies. Therefore, in order to create innovative plans for the adoption of clean fuel use, strategies centred on local settings must be developed while keeping broad socio-technical and socio-economic issues in mind. Solid fuel processing - pelletization and briquetting - have the potential to reach Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)-like emissions, and could be a potential strategy to mitigate exposure to household air pollution.

Analyzing direct effects of education level and estimated IQ between cognitively intact Mexican Americans and Non-Hispanic whites on a confrontational naming task

Confrontational naming is widely used in diagnosing neurodegenerative disorders like MCI and dementia, and previous research indicates that healthy Non-Hispanic Whites outperform Hispanics in such tasks. However, understanding the factors contributing to score differences among ethnic groups remains limited. This study focuses on cognitively intact Mexican Americans and Non-Hispanic White older adults from the TARCC Hispanic Cohort project. Hierarchical regression analyses reveal that sex, age, ethnicity, education level, and estimated IQ significantly predict performance on the Boston Naming Test (BNT). Notably, education level and estimated IQ more strongly influence BNT performance in Mexican Americans than in Non-Hispanic Whites. When controlling for education level, estimated IQ has a more pronounced impact on BNT performance in aging Mexican Americans compared to Non-Hispanic Whites. Conversely, after controlling for estimated IQ, the influence of education level is weaker for Mexican Americans than Non-Hispanic Whites. These findings emphasize the need for careful evaluation of confrontational naming task scores in diverse ethnic groups, emphasizing the critical role of education and estimated IQ in understanding performance disparities.

Cyanobacterial Proteomics: Diversity and Dynamics.

Cyanobacteria (oxygenic photoautrophs) comprise a diverse group holding significance both environmentally and for biotechnological applications. The utilization of proteomic techniques has significantly influenced investigations concerning cyanobacteria. Application of proteomics allows for large-scale analysis of protein expression and function within cyanobacterial systems. The cyanobacterial proteome exhibits tremendous functional, spatial, and temporal diversity regulated by multiple factors that continuously modify protein abundance, post-translational modifications, interactions, localization, and activity to meet the dynamic needs of these tiny blue greens. Modern mass spectrometry-based proteomics techniques enable system-wide examination of proteome complexity through global identification and high-throughput quantification of proteins. These powerful approaches have revolutionized our understanding of proteome dynamics and promise to provide novel insights into integrated cellular behavior at an unprecedented scale. In this Review, we present modern methods and cutting-edge technologies employed for unraveling the spatiotemporal diversity and dynamics of cyanobacterial proteomics with a specific focus on the methods used to analyze post-translational modifications (PTMs) and examples of dynamic changes in the cyanobacterial proteome investigated by proteomic approaches.

An Enterprise View for Artificial Intelligence Capability and Governance: A System Dynamics Approach

The government “enterprise” consists of a complex set of organizations with a multitude of goals and values, serving an equally diverse group of constituents. Because of this complexity, governing technology and data to support artificial intelligence (AI) capability has proven to be a difficult task that—according to experts—requires a systems perspective in its design and implementation. In this article, we take a conceptual approach to respond to this call from experts by providing working definitions of both enterprise data governance and a systems approach to management. Using these working definitions and data from municipal governments in Mexico, we develop a system dynamics model to explore some potential tradeoffs in the process of developing an enterprise view of information systems and data to create capability to develop AI applications in government. Simulation experiments suggest that an emphasis on governance of IT may create a strong foundation for the development of AI capability.

Group Cohesion and Workers' Diversity in Selected Manufacturing Companies in Enugu Metropolis, Nigeria

In the current competitive and global conditions, it is assumed that organizations with a diverse staff outperform those without. Diversity in the workforce broadens the pool of talent available to a business and allows its individuals to benefit from each other's backgrounds, experiences, and points of view. The workforce is varied because of diversity. This study examined the effect of worker diversity on group cohesion in selected manufacturing companies in the Enugu metropolis. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The population of the study consists of the staff of two selected manufacturing companies in Enugu state namely; Innoson Group and Nigerian Breweries Plc. They are made up of two hundred and eighty-seven (287) respondents. Cochran sample size derivation statistic was used to derive the sample size of the study and the value yielded one hundred and sixty-four (164). A simple random sampling technique was used as the sampling technique for the reason that the method ensures an equal chance of selection among the respondents. The data for the study was collected with the aid of a questionnaire that is properly designed using the 5-scale Likert system. Data collected from the questionnaire were analyzed and interpreted accordingly with the aid of descriptive statistical techniques such as simple percentages and regression analysis. The major findings of the study showed that age diversity contributes positively and significantly to group cohesion in selected manufacturing companies in Enugu metropolis, ethnic diversity contributes positively and significantly to group cohesion in selected manufacturing companies in Enugu metropolis and gender diversity contributes positively and significantly to group cohesion. It is the recommendation of the study that the management of companies should ensure there are no internal forms of discrimination based on the diversity of the workforce and sometimes, diverse groups will start forming cliques of sameness in the organization. The management of these companies should watch out for these developments.