Global Front Research Articles

Abysmal Hike in Global Cocoa Price and its Implications on Cocoa Plantations in Tamil Nadu - A Critical Analysis

Cocoa belonging to the family Sterculiaceae has its origin in South America and later it had spread to Europe, Africa and Asia. In Tamil Nadu, cocoa is accommodated as an intercrop in arecanut and coconut plantations especially in South India. But over the past few years, the acreage under cocoa showed a steady decline and the area currently hovers around 5,000 ha especially concentrated in Coimbatore, Theni and Kanyakumari districts of the state. Price volatility is the key player in culminating cocoa plantations in the state. But the recent global shortage of cocoa associated with climatic vagaries and biotic stress like swollen shoot virus and black pod disease in the leading cocoa producers of the world has prompted a positive note in the price of cocoa beans in India. Government policies like ban on deforestation and engaging child labourers for farming and underinvestment in cocoa gardens in the West African countries also added hue to the problem. A record high of ten fold increase in price was observed during the last quarter of 2023 and first quarter of 2024. According to the International Cocoa Organization, global cocoa supply will decline by almost 11% over the 2023/2024 season. Global price has a direct impact on cocoa plantations in the state of Tamil Nadu as many cocoa orchards were cleared due to the lack of remunerative price. But the abysmal price hike in the global front has invited the farmers to rejuvenate the abandoned cocoa plantations and bring new area under cultivation in Tamil Nadu as price was the key player in giving up the crop during 2010s by the farmers. Abysmal hike in global cocoa price has brought a ray of hope for the expanding acreage of cocoa in the state of Tamil Nadu.

Curvature effect on stabilization of cellular detonations in channel, circular arc and spherical shell geometries

The stability and propagation characteristics of gaseous detonations are numerically investigated, specifically in configurations where global front surface curvature plays a significant role. The simulations use idealized constitutive models representing a weakly unstable mixture and the simulated geometries include both two-dimensional arc and spherical shell sections with rigid walls and a straight channel geometry with compliant confinement. Depending on the inner and outer arc radius, differing levels of curvature can be imparted on the propagating wave in the two curved geometries. For thinner explosive regions, cellular type instabilities develop as the wave propagates around the arc and shell. However, as the thickness of the explosive increases and progressively greater surface curvature is imposed, laminar flow regions develop which can coexist with regions dominated by unstable cellular propagation. Here, the appearance and persistence of this laminar zone is shown to coincide with a critical level of surface curvature for both the arc and shell geometries. This critical curvature concept is also tested in the corresponding straight channel configuration with a compliant confiner, which similarly produces global surface curvature on the propagating detonation front but now as function of imposed wall divergence. Similarly, the propagation in the channel is found to stabilize when the maximum surface curvature exceeds a certain critical value that is close to the analog from the curved geometries. These results support the likely existence of a critical surface curvature mechanism or criterion that ensures the stabilization of a nominally unstable cellular detonation.

Research of Influence Factors on Disney Movies

Disney movies have consistently proven to be a leader in the entertainment industry, not only because of their ability to resonate emotionally with audiences but also because of their outstanding contribution to the economy. At the heart of this economic impact is the exceptional production quality of Disney movies. The dedication to high-quality filmmaking ensures that Disney movies capture the hearts and minds of a wide range of audiences, thus guaranteeing consistent and substantial box office returns. As a giant in the movie industry, Disney does not rely solely on ticket sales; their movies are the starting point for countless other sources of revenue. For example, the demand for related merchandise tends to spike at the same time after each Disney movie is released. From action figures and costumes to bedding and school supplies, Disney-branded products go off the shelves. These merchandise not only boost Disney's profits, but also contribute to the growth of the manufacturing, retail, and distribution industries, which in turn stimulates broader economic growth. In addition, Disney's movies play a pivotal role in the success and expansion of its world-renowned theme parks. Characters and stories from Disney movies come to life in these parks, making them irresistible attractions for children and adults alike. As these parks thrive, so do their neighboring tourism and service industries, contributing greatly to the local economy. On the global front, the universal appeal of Disney movies has ensured the continued health of the worldwide theater industry.

Can Technological Innovation and Financial Agglomeration Promote the Growth of Real Economy? Evidence from China

In the backdrop of China’s evolving economic landscape, the real economy confronts a myriad of challenges, both domestically and on the global front. Technological innovation, characterized by its capital intensity and the unpredictable nature of its returns, stands as a pivotal force poised to rejuvenate nascent sectors and overhaul the existing industrial framework. Parallel to this, financial agglomeration emerges with a bifurcated function: it not only directly propels the real economic trajectory but also exerts an indirect influence via the channels of technological advancement. Delving deep into this interplay, our study dissected data collated from 30 major provinces and cities across mainland China, spanning the years 2011 to 2018. We employed the nuanced techniques of fuzzy matter–element analysis combined with the location entropy method. By anchoring our findings on a spatial econometric model, we uncovered the intricate dynamics of how technological ingenuity and financial clustering drive real economic growth, shedding light on the spatial reverberations that ripple across regions. Building on the tangible empirical evidence reflecting the trajectory of technological innovation and financial agglomeration within China, this article distills and presents the salient conclusions drawn from the investigation.

The Western World and United Nations handling of the Russia-Ukraine war: Implications for the global environment

This work critically examines the way the western world and the United Nations reacted to the Russia-Ukraine war and the implications of such actions for the rest of the world. The work made use of Neorealism as a framework of analysis, and secondary sources of data from books, documents, journals, newspapers, television stations, etc. were used. The study attempted to know the way the western world and the UN reacted to the war, the actions they took, the results of these actions, and the implications these actions have for the global environment. While doing so, the study discovered that the western world reacted quickly by using sanctions and arming the Ukrainian military, which would weaken Russia and possibly force Russia to withdraw its troops in Ukraine. Also, the study discovered that the UN did not react quickly and did not do much to stop Russia from unilaterally declaring an unjust war against Ukraine without provocation. The study made recommendations like the need for Western countries to arm Ukraine more, the formation of a global front as a way to react with one voice in condemning Russia, and the United Nations needing to be reformed as the security council makes it difficult for the UN to intervene when unprovoked attacks are mounted against nations by a superior country.

How Did COVID-19 Affect Education and What Can Be Learned Moving Forward?

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic drastically impacted the educational sector on a global front. A plethora of research has been conducted to better understand the effects that the pandemic had on education as a whole, including investigations into different topics (e.g., school closures, e-teaching and learning, mental and physical health), populations (e.g., students, teachers), and levels of education (e.g., school, higher education). To summarize the available literature on education during the pandemic both qualitatively and quantitatively, many systematic reviews and meta-analyses have begun to emerge. With the present systematic meta-review, we aimed to synthesize and combine this existing database to derive broader and more comprehensive insights that can aid educational stakeholders. We summarize and evaluate 43 systematic reviews, four meta-analyses, and eight combined systematic reviews and meta-analyses published until November 2022 to provide a comprehensive narrative of how this crisis affected education and what can be learned moving forward.

A Two-Level Fuzzy Multi-Objective Design of ATO Driving Commands for Energy-Efficient Operation of Metropolitan Railway Lines

Policies for reducing CO2 and other GHG emissions have motivated an increase in electrification in metropolitan areas, mandating reductions in energy consumption. Metro systems are keystone contributors to the sustainability of cities; they can reduce the energy consumption of cities through the use of the economic driving parameters in their onboard automatic train operation systems (ATO) and through the strategic design of efficient timetables. This paper proposes a two-level optimization method to design efficient, comfortable, and robust driving commands to be programmed in all the interstations of a metro line. This method aims to increase the sustainability of metro operations by producing efficient timetables with economic driving for each interstation while considering comfort restrictions and train mass uncertainty. First, in the eco-driving level, an optimal Pareto front between every pair of successive stations is obtained using a multi-objective particle swarm optimization algorithm with fuzzy parameters (F-MOPSO). This front contains optimized speed profiles for different running times considering train mass variations. The global problem is stated as a multi-objective combinatorial problem, and a fuzzy greedy randomized adaptive search procedure (F-GRASP) is used to perform an intelligent search for the optimal timetables. Thus, a global front of interstation driving commands is computed for the whole line, showing the minimum energy consumption for different travel times. This method is analyzed in a case study with real data from a Spanish metro line. The results are compared with the minimum running time timetable and a typical timetable design procedure. The proposed algorithms achieve a 24% reduction in energy consumption in comparison to the fastest driving commands timetable, representing a 4% increase in energy savings over the uniform timetable design.

Tunrayo Ayinke Ayinla: The Unsung Burnish Black Glaze Wares Ceramist of Ilorin

Túnráyọ̀ Àyìnkẹ́ Àyìnlá of Alámọyọ, Adéta, Ìlọrin in Nigeria is the thrust of this study. Fondly called Àyìnkẹ́ Alámọyọ in the pottery ceramics circle. Túnráyọ̀ is a burnisher extraordinaire and indeed a veteran of several decades. Madame Túnráyọ̀ Àyìnlá is unarguably one of the few Nigeria’s senior citizens still proficient in pottery practice with features in pockets of literature. Prolific as she is, it is sad to note that, her life, practice, and contribution have been masked and left unsung for too long. A vacuum this study attempts to fill; unveiling facts on her family, training, and practice. Finding revealed she is nee Àlíù, putting her training and graduation at ages eight and eighteen; coupled with over sixty (60) years of burnish black glaze culinary wares production. In conclusion, the study put Túnráyọ̀’s proficiency test and its findings hoped to place her on the global front of burnish ceramist.

Incidence and Patterns of Major Complications Following Spinal Instrumentation- A Retrospective Descriptive Study from a Tertiary Care Center in Nepal

Background: With the continuous uprise of spinal instrumentations within the global front, the complications they harbinger may have multispectral effects upon the patients as well as their caretakers. These are of prime significance in the context of low and middle-income nations. There is however drought of studies pertaining to the same in our subcontinent. Materials and methods: A retrospective descriptive study was undertaken to study the incidence and patterns of early and late major complications among 300 patients undergoing spinal instrumentation from the hospital database of the College of Medical Sciences (CMS), in Bharatpur, Chitwan, Nepal. Results: Trauma comprised 63.33% of cases in the study. 40% of the study cohorts were either in the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) ‘A’ or ‘B’ neurological status. The incidence of major complications in our study cohort was 20.33%. The posterior-only surgical approach was undertaken in 200 (66.67%). Surgical site infection was the most common type of complication observed (6.67%). Hardware-related complications were observed in 5.67%) of cases. The incidence of re-operation was 2.67%. The mortality rate observed in our study was 2%. Conclusion: Adequate preoperative planning, proper optimization of the patient, and adoption of procedure-specific, risk-adjusted predictive models may be pivotal for nullifying complications adherent to spinal instrumentation.

How interfacial dynamics controls drainage pore-invasion patterns in porous media

Immiscible two-phase flow through porous media is composed of a series of pore invasions; however, the consequences of pore-scale processes on macroscopic fluid front behavior remain to be clarified. In this work, we perform an analytical and experimental investigation of front behavior and pore invasions dynamics during drainage for various viscosity ratios and capillary numbers. We use a microfluidic setup that includes a fully controlled pore-doublet geometry to isolate and explore pore-invasion mechanisms. We apply a model based on volume-averaged Navier–Stokes equations to capture interface dynamics. Different invasion mechanisms are characterized and correlated with front behavior for various flow conditions. For the viscous flow regime, a succession of continuous pore invasions is observed, leaving a thick layer of wetting phase behind at pore curvatures. Abrupt interfacial jumps, followed by an apparent stagnant condition, are observed for the capillary flow regime. We identified a new regime, called crossover flow regime, for which pore invasion shows a mixed behavior between capillary and viscous dominated regimes. The global front behavior is predicted based on the numerical simulation and experimental results for all flow regimes.

Intersectionality: A Systematic Review of the Application of the Concept in Studies on Ghana

The concept of intersectionality, since its birth in the nineteenth century, has since evolved and broadened across disciplines transcending feminism and race. The intersectionality approach has gained a lot of traction recently, resulting in the application of the concept in various forms and meanings, spanning various geographical locations. This study sought to identify published journal articles employing the intersectionality approach within the Ghanaian context between January 2020 and September 2022, and examine how intersectionality has been conceptualized in research.The study employed the systematic review approach, using the Google Scholar database and EBSCOhost. A literature search was conducted using the "intersectionality AND Ghana" search string. From the review, it was revealed that intersectionality has been conceptualized in the Ghanaian context across many identities including but not limited to gender, race, marital status, and social class. The thematic areas in the papers included health, agriculture, leadership and politics, sexual exploitation, and violence. Despite the increasing popularity of the intersectionality approach on the global front, the Ghanaian context still needs in-depth empirical studies using rigorous methodological approaches and better operationalized theoretical underpinnings to better understand the conceptual issues related to intersectionality in Ghana.

Balancing-sequencing paced assembly lines: a multi-objective mixed-integer linear case study

ABSTRACT This paper considers the optimisation of Mixed-model assembly lines with continuous paced line control. The two minimisation goals have a mixed-integer linear multi-objective dispute. The paper proposes a criterion-space method to define the Pareto front for this class of problems. The method combines Pareto fronts obtained from integer solutions and gradually refines them until the instance's global front is determined. Comparing paced to unpaced line controls can be challenging, since they can produce the same cycle time given sufficiently long line lengths or buffers. Hence, determining Pareto fronts between cycle time and line length for paced lines allows meaningful comparisons between line controls. An industrial case study shows that line length acts as continuously distributable buffers for paced lines, leading to weaker diminishing returns. This result suggests that paced lines are more efficient than unpaced ones for lower cycle time ranges.

Global Wave Front Sets in Ultradifferentiable Classes

We introduce a global wave front set using Weyl quantizations of pseudodifferential operators of infinite order in the ultradifferentiable setting. We see that in many cases it coincides with the Gabor wave front set already studied by the last three authors of the present work. In this sense, we also extend, to the ultradifferentiable setting, previous work by Rodino and Wahlberg. Finally, we give applications to the study of propagation of singularities of pseudodifferential operators.

What Is the Road Ahead for Unilateral Digital Tax Measures?

In the past couple of years, countries across the globe have implemented several unilateral measures for digital economy taxation to tackle the tax challenges arising from taxation of the digital economy. On the global front, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) hosted negotiations with countries that are part of the Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting for more than half a decade and came up with a Two-Pillar Solution. The United Nations proposed a new article 12B, which aims to allow market jurisdictions to withhold tax on payments made for digital services. However, many open questions still need to be resolved, probably the most relevant of all – is there a certainty that multinationals covered in Pillar One or Pillar Two would not be doubly taxed on the same digital income? Considering this background, the paper starts with the discussion on the current state of affairs, then it moves on to the debate surrounding the taxation of the digital economy. It also discusses the various unilateral digital tax measures currently in existence across the globe and the macro and micro impact of these measures on the economy and businesses. It concludes with a discussion on what lies ahead for the countries adopting the OECD-proposed Two-Pillar Solution and the fate of the unilateral digital tax measures.

International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative: Collaboration between Singapore, United Kingdom and United States -Sodexo Healthcare

Coordinate and compare IDDSI best practices between US, UK and Singapore. In the US, Sodexo Healthcare Clinical and Culinary Teams have worked in partnership to produce new International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDSI) recipes for our accounts. Over 500 Sodexo IDDSI recipes have been developed. To ensure patient safety on a global front, we recently joined forces to help our Singapore Sodexo accounts transition to IDDSI. During their exploration stage, Singapore reached out to Sodexo US and UK experts to gather relevant skills and resources for a food tasting and recipe development experiment. The Clinical Nutrition Manager lead her team to IDDSI Implementation for Sodexo in Singapore. Sharing of tools and resources was helpful but much of the information needed tweaking to adhere to local cultural preferences. Although the IDDSI guidelines remain universal, cultural food variations exist. An IDDSI Implementation Gantt Chart was created by Site Registered Dietitians in Singapore as they tested a variety of vegetables and protein foods offered on their menus (Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Western cuisines). They worked closely with the internal kitchen team and external stakeholders to access and evaluate vegetables and protein items' suitability based on IDDSI standards. Discussions and trials were conducted regularly. Favorite vegetables like beansprout, beetroot, black fungus, brinjal, capsicum, green pea and tomato skin had to be removed from MM5 & SB6 blending due to unsuitability to meet IDDSI standards. They tested new recipes and new mock meat alternatives that offered a variety for patients/residents. Sodexo Singapore moved quickly to the validation and deployment stage of IDDSI implementation. Thanks to the collaboration with US and UK , patients with dysphagia will be provided nutritious, healthy, and safe meals.

An Investigation into The Seasonal Variation of The Phytochemical and Anti-Diabetic Properties of The Eastern Nigerian Specie of African Mistletoe (Loranthus Micranthus) Sourced from Kola Acuminata

Diabetes mellitus is the 7th killer disease worldwide and is a progressing disease with lethal consequences on the global front. Lately there have been very few new anti-diabetic agents entering the market, prompting research into medicinal plant which has been a potent source of drugs. Mistletoe; a plant synonymous with the Christmas celebration in Europe, has shown promise as an anti-diabetic plant from ethno pharmacological uses and has been validated in some researches. The eastern Nigeria species parasitic on some host trees has been researched on. However, loranthus micranthus parasitic on kola acuminata merits further investigation given its potentials as an anti-diabetic therapy. This present study was aimed at determining the anti-diabetic activities of the Crude methanol extracts of loranthus micranthus parasitic on kola acuminata sourced in the four seasons of the year; namely January (dry season), April (onset of rainy season), July (rainy season) and October (onset of dry season). The extracts were evaluated in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. The phytochemical analysis of the kola mistletoe of the four seasons was found to contain flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, terpenoids, steroids, saponins, glycosides, reducing sugar, fats and oils. The anti-diabetic activities were determined after administration of 200mg/kg and 400mg/kg doses of the extracts at these time intervals: 1h 2h, 4h, 6h, 12h, 24h and 72h using a one touch glucometer. The April extract exhibited optimum anti-diabetic activity at both 200mg/kg and 400mg/kg dose levels. This was followed by the extracts sourced in October, July and January respectively. The phytochemical results showed that the April extract had an abundance of flavonoids, tannins and alkaloids, while the January extract which gave the least activity had lesser amounts of these photochemical constituents. This study showed that there is seasonal variation in the phytochemical constituents and anti-diabetic activities of kola mistletoes.

Growing Better, Not Going Faster: World War I, Holy Land Mania, and Transnational Exchange in the Works of Abraham Mitrie Rihbany

AbstractThis article analyzes the three works published by Arab American theologian and author Abraham Mitrie Rihbany during and in the aftermath of World War I: Militant America and Jesus Christ (1917), America Save the Near East (1918), and Wise Men from the East and from the West (1922). The political climate in which Rihbany wrote the works saw the American public grappling with two issues of particular relevance to the steadily growing Arab American community. Where the global front was concerned, debates on the merits of abandoning isolationist policies, which focused near exclusively on the situation in Europe, left Americans oblivious to the ongoing conflict between the Ottoman Empire and its Arab subjects. On the domestic front, rising levels of xenophobia and the lasting legacy of The Naturalization Act divided legal and public opinion on Arabs’ eligibility for citizenship. Situating Rihbany’s attempts to address both of these problems against the backdrop of his upbringing in Greater Syria, this article reveals how Rihbany called on his training in the cosmopolitan era of the Nahda in order to guide the American public toward a more expansive model of transnationalism capable of encompassing both Arabs and Arab Americans in its fold.

India’s Tourism Potentials at Global Frontiers: The Dynamic Perspective for Accelerated Economic Boost

With the world economy increasingly growing, it is of utmost importance for every country to place itself in a highly dynamic and diversified competitive advantage position so as to be able to keep up with the pace for accelerated economic boost - India as a country is no exception. Against this backdrop, the present study explored how India’s tourism potentials can be harnessed on the global front for economic development. The study examined the present state of India’s tourism domestically and at world level. Moreover, it identified the factors inhibiting India’s tourism potentials at the global level and proposed strategies to overcome them. The exploratory and quantitative research designs were employed for this study and primary data was collected from 1440 respondents through a structured questionnaire and from secondary sources. Statistical tools such as the Regression analysis, Correlation analysis, Chi-square test among others were adopted to test the hypotheses of the study. The study was conducted in four most preferred tourist States in India, namely; Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala and Goa. The findings of the study revealed that India's domestic tourism is doing excellently well but more could be done to enhance promotion on the global level. There was also the issue of infrastructural deficits serving as a huge inhibitor to tourism on the global front. The study, therefore, recommended that tourism on the global front can well be developed if a critical attention is given to the rigorous development of these major sectors, viz: infrastructure development, tourism product development, human resources development, security development and market development.

India’s Tourism Potentials at Global Frontiers: The Dynamic Perspective for Accelerated Economic Boost

With the world economy increasingly growing, it is of utmost importance for every country to place itself in a highly dynamic and diversified competitive advantage position so as to be able to keep up with the pace for accelerated economic boost - India as a country is no exception. Against this backdrop, the present study explored how India’s tourism potentials can be harnessed on the global front for economic development. The study examined the present state of India’s tourism domestically and at world level. Moreover, it identified the factors inhibiting India’s tourism potentials at the global level and proposed strategies to overcome them. The exploratory and quantitative research designs were employed for this study and primary data was collected from 1440 respondents through a structured questionnaire and from secondary sources. Statistical tools such as the Regression analysis, Correlation analysis, Chi-square test among others were adopted to test the hypotheses of the study. The study was conducted in four most preferred tourist States in India, namely; Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala and Goa. The findings of the study revealed that India's domestic tourism is doing excellently well but more could be done to enhance promotion on the global level. There was also the issue of infrastructural deficits serving as a huge inhibitor to tourism on the global front. The study, therefore, recommended that tourism on the global front can well be developed if a critical attention is given to the rigorous development of these major sectors, viz: infrastructure development, tourism product development, human resources development, security development and market development.

Short- and long-term memory of moving amoeboid cells.

Amoeboid cells constantly change shape and extend protrusions. The direction of movement is not random, but is correlated with the direction of movement in the preceding minutes. The basis of this correlation is an underlying memory of direction. The presence of memory in movement is known for many decades, but its molecular mechanism is still largely unknown. This study reports in detail on the information content of directional memory, the kinetics of learning and forgetting this information, and the molecular basis for memory using Dictyostelium mutants. Two types of memory were characterized. A short-term memory stores for ~20 seconds the position of the last pseudopod using a local modification of the branched F-actin inducer SCAR/WAVE, which enhances one new pseudopod to be formed at the position of the previous pseudopod. A long term memory stores for ~2 minutes the activity of the last ~10 pseudopods using a cGMP-binding protein that induces myosin filaments in the rear of the cell; this inhibits pseudopods in the rear and thereby enhances pseudopods in the global front. Similar types of memory were identified in human neutrophils and mesenchymal stem cells, the protist Dictyostelium and the fungus B.d. chytrid. The synergy of short- and long-term memory explains their role in persistent movement for enhanced cell dispersal, food seeking and chemotaxis.