Inefficient Practices Research Articles

Forecasting the Diffusion of Smart Speakers in the Indian Market Using Bass, Gompertz, and Logistic Models

Forecasting the diffusion of new products in an emerging market is important yet challenging due to a lack of historical data. Managers often resort to inefficient forecasting practices to understand diffusion and to stay ahead of the competition. Our study aims to forecast sales for smart speakers in India, that have been introduced recently. Due to the lack of adequate sales data, our research has used data of analogous products using look-alike analysis to estimate the parameters of diffusion models. We forecasted future sales using three relevant diffusion models – the Bass, the Gompertz, and the Logistic to determine the model to forecast sales for smart speakers. The analysis revealed that the Bass model gave better predictions as compared to the other two models. The results were validated using parameter estimates from secondary literature. Our study predicts that the aggregate sales of smart speakers in India will peak around 2023-27.

Implementation of Postpartum Hemorrhage Emergency Care Using a Bundle Approach at a Tertiary Care Hospital in North India.

BackgroundThe major cause of maternal death globally is postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). When PPH develops, early detection of bleeding and rapid treatment with evidence-based guidelines can prevent most PPH-related severe morbidity and mortality. The bundle care approach for PPH management could be a potential solution to inefficient and uneven evidence-based practice implementation worldwide. Bundle care is a collection of discrete, evidence-based interventions given to every eligible person simultaneously or in quick succession and requires teamwork, communication, and cooperation. The primary objective of this study was to analyze whether implementing a PPH bundle of care may reduce maternal morbidity and mortality in our institution.MethodsThis was a single-center retrospective pre-post case-control study was carried out at a tertiary care center and teaching hospital in Varanasi, eastern Uttar Pradesh state, India. From January 2021 to June 2021, pretraining data (PRE) were collected retrospectively on all births from the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Sunderlal Hospital, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University. Subsequently, medical and paramedical personnel of our hospital were trained in Postpartum Hemorrhage Emergency Care Using a Bundle Approach (PPH EmC) as per the guidelines laid down by the World Health Organization (WHO) for PPH management and implemented in July 2021. Post-training data (POST) were then collected retrospectively on all deliveries at our hospital from August 2021 to January 2022. All the data within two periods were computed and analyzed. The results were then compared for any significant changes in the incidences of maternal mortality and morbidity in terms of the rates of blood transfusion required and the type of management used (medical or medical-surgical), use of tranexamic acid, and additional uterotonics. The results were expressed as proportions, and p≤0.05 was considered statistically significant using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 24.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA).ResultsA total of 1304 women gave birth from January 2021 to January 2022, of whom 107 patients (61 in the PRE and 57 in the POST group) were diagnosed and treated for PPH. There was no significant difference in the incidence of PPH in the PRE and POST groups (p=0.581). There was a significant increase in the use of tranexamic acid (p=0.041) and a significant reduction in blood transfusion rates (p=0.032) after the implementation of bundled care in the POST group. The odds of PPH non-occurrence after pre- and post-test was 1.103 (95% CI=0.747 to 1.635). No significant difference was observed in maternal mortality in the PRE and POST groups (p=0.96). The requirement for radical surgical treatment of PPH, which included hysterectomies, was also significantly reduced, from 27.27% in the PRE group to 11.54% in the POST group (p=0.032).ConclusionsPPH care bundles might improve the morbidity of PPH with the use of fewer resources and fewer interventions required. While these data are promising, further studies are needed to analyze bundle care's long-term effects.

Process Simulation-based Net Energy Analysis for Future Bioethanol Production as Commercial Biofuel from Waste Rice Straw in Sri Lanka

As the staple food crop in Sri Lanka, paddy rice occupies around 34% (over 0.87 million hectares of land) of the total arable area in the country, corresponding to an average rice production of 3,774,344 t/year. Rice straw is the major biomass waste from rice cultivation, which approximates to an average of 2,830,758 t/year generation at a theoretical straw/grain ratio of 0.75. Open burning of rice straw in paddy fields is the common practice, which could result in an average GHG emissions of 92 kg CO2 eq/t of dry rice straw and other harmful airborne emissions. Application of rice straw into soil as an organic fertiliser is also an inefficient practice, compared to bioenergy generation using rice straw. The average composition of the Sri Lankan rice straw (i.e. 30.0 wt.% cellulose, 3.9 wt.% hemicellulose, 38.2% lignin, 16.1 wt.% wax, and 12.3 wt.% silica) shows the possibility to be used as a second-generation bioethanol feedstock. Existing studies indicate that bioethanol production from rice straw is more environmentally-benign, compared to alternative options, such as gasification for combined heat and power and dimethyl ether (DME) production. This study analyses the net energy indicators of a possible bioethanol production process from rice straw in Sri Lanka. Chemical process simulations using Aspen Plus software were utilised to evaluate the bioethanol production process from rice straw, with a plant output capacity of 1,000 litres/hr of dehydrated bioethanol (99.7 vol.% ethanol) that can be blended with gasoline as a commercial fuel (e.g. E10: 10% bioethanol+gasoline) without any vehicle engine modification. The cradle to gate bioethanol production process from waste rice straw, considered for net energy analysis consists of three major stages: 1. Rice straw preparation, 2. Rice straw transportation, and 3. Bioethanol conversion. The results show that the considered bioethanol production process has a positive net energy gain and increased renewability factor. Detailed analysis indicates that only around 8% of the total process energy consumption is utilised for the bioethanol dehydration operation that is favourable for converting any existing rice straw ethanol plant into commercial gasohol production plant. The sensitivity of bioethanol yield and process energy parameters for the net energy indicator results are further analysed and discussed. The findings from this study can support decision making for a future waste-to-biofuel plant using waste rice straw in Sri Lanka.Keywords: Rice straw, Bioethanol production, Net energy analysis, Process simulation, Waste-to-biofuel

Long-range real-time monitoring strategy for Precision Irrigation in urban and rural farming in society 5.0

Urbanization is the biggest challenge as by 2050 it is projected that more the 60% of the world population will inhabit cities. This will present stress to the available city’s resources like transportation, health system, economy including agricultural products importantly safe food supply. For these concerns, advanced solutions are required with a human-centric approach for sustain- able development. Society 5.0, smart cities, and urban agriculture are the latest concepts with the objective of sustainable development. Most of the article on smart cities fails to put focus on different aspects, objectives, and importance of urban agriculture. This article disclosed various aspects and objectives of Society 5.0, a smart city, and the concept and importance of urban agriculture. Agriculture other than facing the challenge of huge urbanization also faces inefficient utilization of scarce resources with inefficient agricultural practices particularly irrigation water. The present article discloses the importance of efficient agricultural resource utilization particularly irrigation water and provides a design for Precision Irrigation for field monitoring. The discussed design offers a Long Range, Real-Time, and scalable solution for field irrigation requirement monitoring based on soil and weather conditions and addresses most of the challenges facing in-field monitoring such as range coverage of sensor nodes and scalability, data recording, power, and cost.

Competition and efficiency in repeated procurements: Lessons from the Finnish rehabilitation markets.

Inefficient practices and lack of competition are common problems in public procurements. In this study, I examine the effects of a procurement practice reform in the Finnish rehabilitation markets where providers are acquired in a repeated manner through competitive bidding scoring auctions. Until recently, the largest public procurer did not use any systematic criteria for accepting providers, and only a few providers did not receive a contract. After the reform, providers were systematically accepted based on their capacity and the local demand. I analyze the effects of the reform on prices in physio, speech and occupational therapy services with data that covers five subsequent procurements. I use the pre‐reform differences in local competition within the markets in a difference‐in‐differences setting. The descriptive evidence shows that the reform slowed down the rapid increase of prices in all three services. The regression analysis indicates that effects are strongest in the most competitive local physiotherapy markets. This suggests that increasing entry and competition in the less competitive services and local markets would benefit the public procurer.

Hedonic Sensory Quality of Maize Grains Conserved by A Triple Bagging and Biopesticides System (Leaves of Lippia multiflora Moldenke and Hyptis suaveolens Poit)

In Côte d'Ivoire, inefficient storage Practices which can be dangerous to consumers' safety and to the environment are hampering the widespread availability of cereals, especially maize. Thus, a triple bagged system with or without plant biopesticides (Lippia multiflora and Hyptis suaveolens leaves) was used in this study to determine its effectiveness in preserving the hedonic sensory qualities of the grains for a period of 18 months under a 3-factor central composite design (CCD). The first CCD factor consisted of 6 observation periods: 0; 1; 4.5; 9.5; 14.5 and 18 months. The second factor was the type of treatment, which included a control lot with a polypropylene bag (NT) and 9 experimental lots, one of which was triple bagged without biopesticides (MGT1 and the other eight (8) lots containing varying proportions and/or combinations of biopesticides (MGT2 to MGT9). Finally, the third factor concerned the combination of the two biopesticides with the percentage (%) of Lippia multiflora as reference. Treated and stored maize kernels were periodically removed and processed into porridge for sensory analysis using a 9-point hedonic scale. The sensory parameters studied were color, taste, aroma, smell, mouthfeel and overall acceptability. The results showed that storage of maize grains in a triple bagging and biopesticide system for up to 18 months did not affect the hedonic sensory attributes studied. The porridges made from these grains were therefore judged pleasant by the panelists throughout the storage period. On the other hand, the porridges produced from grains stored in a polypropylene bag (NT) were considered unpalatable by the panelists after only 4.5 months of storage with respect to these sensory parameters evaluated. The results of the PCA and CAH analysis showed that the incorporation of at a minimum of 1.01% biopesticides (Lippia multiflora and Hyptis suaveolens leaves) in the triple bagging systems made the conservation better and maintained the organoleptic properties of the maize grains throughout the 18-month period.

Inefficient practice of flint heat treatment at Hasankeyf Höyük: An anti-functional view

This paper investigates the heat treatment of flint practiced at the Neolithic site of Hasankeyf Höyük in southeast Turkey. It does not involve petrographic or geochemical analysis to identify the physical and chemical evidence of heat treatment but aims to understand cultural aspects of the use of ancient lithic technology, using heat treatment as a case study. Heat treatment is a lithic production technique in which siliceous rocks are heated by controlled fire in order to improve their flaking quality. Archaeological evidence of heat treatment is seen all over the world, and numerous studies have contributed to the better understanding of this technique. However, what is particularly intriguing in the case of Hasankeyf Höyük is that there are many flint artefacts which were apparently overheated and unusable due to the frequent failure in achieving successful heat treatment. On the other hand, experimental studies using an electrical furnace and open fire show that once the appropriate heating time and temperature are learnt, the heat treatment of local flint at Hasankeyf Höyük is an easy process and does not require high technical skill. It is therefore suggested that heat treatment at this site was exercised along non-economic principles by people who were not very keen on improving technological efficiency, even when they could have easily done so.

Household energy use pattern in rural India: A path towards sustainable development

Inadequate access to a clean and affordable energy source and large-scale use of solid fuels are the primary reasons behind low quality of life in most of the developing countries. Although the SDG7 ensures access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern eneregy around three billion people worldwide use solid fuels for cooking purposes. In India, only 49% population have access to clean fuels. About four million people die prematurely due to illness caused by household air pollution that comes from inefficient cooking practices. Exposure to indoor air pollution increases the risk of childhood pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adults, and stroke. Given this backdrop, the objectives of the present study are to (i) access and examine the pattern of household energy use and (ii) identify the factors influencing household's cooking energy preferencesin India. The paper has used primary data collected by the Access to Clean Cooking Energy and Electricity- Survey of States (ACCESS) 2014-15. Multinomial logit model (MNL) and descriptive statistics have been used to analyse the data. The result of the current study indicates that households with regular and fixed sources of income, such as salaried jobs, own businesses, etc., are less likely to use solid fuels. Age and education level of household head, decission making (on purchage of durable goods) by female and both (i.e. male-female), households having higher monthly expenditure and a pucca house discourage traditional fuel use. Further, households with irregular sources of income and kaccha houses continue to use solid fuels. Unexpectedly, physical assets act as incentives to use solid fuel . Based on the results, it is evident that government policy like Pradhan Mantri Ujjawala Yojana (PMUY) is necessary but not sufficient. Locational analysis indicates that peopleare more inclined towards traditional fuel usage in areas where forest cover is high. The findings suggest that providing alternative income-generating opportunities, increasing working days under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme and its coverage would be a step forward. Further, the promotion of women education and mass awareness programs can result in better health and environmental outcomes. Moreover, initiative towards merging of fragmented agriculture landholdings and promoting allied activities such as fisheries, poultry farming etc., can play a major role in boosting household income and thereby LPG use.

Estimating Nitrogen Flows and Nitrogen Footprint for Agro-Food System of Rwanda Over the Last Five Decades: Challenges and Measures

This study presents the first detailed estimate of Rwanda’s nitrogen (N) flows and N footprint for food (NFfood) from 1961 to 2018. Low N fertilizer inputs, substandard production techniques, and inefficient agricultural management practices are focal causes of low crop yields, environmental pollution, and food insecurity. We therefore assessed the N budget, N use efficiency (NUE), virtual N factors (VNFs), soil N mining factors (SNMFs), and N footprint for the agro-food systems of Rwanda with consideration of scenarios of fertilized and unfertilized farms. The total N input to croplands increased from 14.6 kg N ha−1 yr−1 (1960s) to 34.1 kg N ha−1 yr−1 (2010–2018), while the total crop N uptake increased from 18 kg N ha−1yr−1 (1960s) to 28.2 kg N ha−1yr−1 (2010–2018), reflecting a decline of NUE from 124% (1960s) to 85% (2010–2018). Gaseous N losses of NH3, N2O, and NO increased from 0.45 (NH3), 0.03 (N2O), and 0.00 (NO) Gg N yr−1 (1960s) to 6.98 (NH3), 0.58 (N2O), and 0.10 (NO) Gg N yr−1 (2010–2018). Due to the low N inputs, SNMFs were in the range of 0.00 and 2.99 and the rice production, cash-crop production, and livestock production systems have greater SNMFs in Rwanda. The weighted NFfood per capita that presents the actual situation of fertilized and unfertilized croplands increased from 4.0 kg N cap−1 yr−1 (1960s) to 6.3 kg N cap−1 yr−1 (2010–2018). The NFfood per capita would increase from 3.5 kg N cap−1 yr−1 to 4.8 kg N cap−1 yr−1 under a scenario of all croplands without N fertilizer application and increase from 6.0 to 8.7 kg N cap−1 yr−1 under the situation of all croplands receiving N fertilizer. The per capita agro-food production accounted for approximately 58% of the national NFfood. The present study indicates that Rwanda is currently suffering from low N inputs, high soil N depletion, food insecurity, and environmental N losses. Therefore, suggesting that the implementation of N management policies of increasing agricultural N inputs and rehabilitating the degraded soils with organic amendments of human and animal waste needs to be carefully considered in Rwanda.

Modifying the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) Model for the Digital Transformation of the Construction Industry from the User Perspective

Inefficient and ineffective practices in the construction industry have hindered productivity even though it is considered as one of the largest sectors in any county. One best solution to overcome these inherent problems in the construction industry is to move forward with digital technologies. For that, organizational structure, technical aspects, and, most importantly, human factors need to be considered. The aim of this research is to find out human behaviors that affect the digital transformation of the construction industry based on the well-accepted model Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). An in-depth literature review was carried out using fifty-five journal papers to develop a conceptual model for the acceptance of digital transformation, and it was validated and further reviewed using ten expert interviews. The model consists of seven constraints: Personal Benefits, Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Risk, Facility Conditions, Attitudes, and Subjective Norms. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) was carried out to rank these seven factors according to individual priorities in the construction industry. Further, the model was extended and modified using factors derived from literature review and expert feedback. It is proved that “Perceived Personal Benefits” is the major consideration of an individual who is willing to move towards digital transformation. This research fulfills the lack of knowledge in the digitalization of the construction industry as per a human perspective, and it provides a prerequisite to finding the solutions for the issues which emerged within the industry towards digitalization. Further, the framework developed in the research can be used to systematically adopt the human factor for the digital transformation of the construction industry. In addition, this enables the analysis of changing demands for humans in digitally transformed environments, such as Industry 4.0 environments, and contributes towards a successful digital transformation that avoids the pitfalls of innovation performed without attention to human factors. The paper concludes by highlighting future research directions on the human factor in digital transformation as well as managerial implications for successful application in practice.

Precision Nutrient Rates and Placement in Conservation Maize-Wheat System: Effects on Crop Productivity, Profitability, Nutrient-Use Efficiency, and Environmental Footprints

Intensive tillage-based production systems coupled with inefficient fertilizer management practices have led to increased production costs, sub-optimal productivity, and significant environmental externalities. Conservation agriculture (CA) is being increasingly advocated as a management strategy to overcome these issues but precision nutrient management under the CA-based maize-wheat system is rarely studied. Two year’s (2014–2015 and 2015–2016) research was conducted at the research farm of BISA, Pusa, Bihar, India to develop precision nutrient management practices for CA-based management in the maize-wheat system. Seven treatment combinations involving (i) tillage (conventional tillage; CT & permanent beds; PB) and (ii) nutrient management rates, application methods (farmers’ fertilizer practices; FFP, state recommended dose of fertilizer; SR and precision nutrient management using Nutrient Expert tool; NE and GreenSeeker; (GS), applied using two methods; broadcasting (B) and drilling (D)) were investigated for multiple parameters. The results showed that NE, NE+GS, and SR-based nutrient management tactics with drilling improved crop yields, nutrient-use efficiency (NUE), and economic profitability relative to NE-broadcasting, SR broadcasting, and FFP broadcasting methods. Maize-wheat system productivity and net returns under NE+GS-drilling on PB were significantly higher by 31.2%, 49.7% compared to FFP-broadcasting method, respectively. Total global warming potential (GWP) was lower in the PB-based maize-wheat system coupled with precision nutrient management compared to CT-based maize-wheat system with FFP. Higher (15.2%) carbon sustainability index (CSI) was recorded with NE-drilling compared to FFP-broadcasting method. Results suggests that PB-based maize-wheat system together with precision nutrient management approaches (NE+GS+drilling) can significantly increase crop yields, NUE, and profitability while reducing the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from maize-wheat systems in eastern Indo Gangetic Plains (IGP).

Status of BIM implementation in the Dominican Republic construction industry – an empirical study

PurposeThe increased use and proven benefits of building information modelling (BIM) worldwide suggest that its implementation could be of great help in diminishing inefficient traditional practices in the Dominican Republic (DR) construction industry. However, there is no empirical work about the implementation of BIM in the country. This study aims to critically appraise and document the status of the implementation of BIM in the DR to raise awareness and understand how BIM can be successfully implemented in the country.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative approach was adopted in which data was collected through semi-structured interviews, with the participation of 53 professionals from 36 construction organisations. The data collected was analysed with the method of content analysis.FindingsThe results confirmed that the DR is a BIM infant country. There are low levels of BIM implementation. The reasons why BIM is not implemented are explored, and a significant interest in implementing BIM in the future was also reported. Drivers to implement BIM include BIM benefits, competitive advantage and pressure from external partners. Current BIM approaches are mainly single-disciplinary, principally in architecture, and the effectiveness and scope of implementation are highly affected by intra-organisational and inter-organisational barriers.Originality/valueThere is a lack of research about the implementation of BIM in the DR. This study bridges this research gap by collecting primary data from Dominican construction organisations and construction professionals to report findings related to BIM implementation.

NGOs and Neocolonialism in Postcolonial Literature: The Case of Central Asia

NGOs and neocolonialism are among the key concerns of postcolonial theorists, but their representation in postcolonial literature has received surprisingly little attention. This article examines the representation of NGOs and their impact on “developing” societies in postcolonial literature, specifically in two post-Soviet Russophone novels – Kazakhstani author Lilya Kalaus’s The Fund of Last Hope: A Post-Colonial Novel (2013) and Tajik author Eleonora Kasymova’s Tajik (2007). My analysis bridges research in literary studies and social sciences by complementing studies “from above” of the post-Soviet transition, and is intended to reveal how postcolonial societies, especially women, adopt, adapt, or resist the norms promoted by their countries’ NGOs. I argue that rather than taking a side or remaining passive objects in the power games of their nations, women writers use their personal insights into the workings of post-Soviet NGOs to expose the neocolonial tendencies in the agendas of each political player. Echoing Achille Mbembe’s notion of “mockery from within”, the authors satirise how local NGOs’ dependency on the West, and their inability to divorce themselves from Soviet influences, lead to their self-orientalising, contradictory and inefficient practices. Moreover, they reveal the complicity between foreign neocolonial forces, local corrupt elites and their subjects. Thus, Kalaus and Kasymova blur the oppressor/oppressed binaries and problematise the stereotypical anti-western critiques of NGOs in their countries. Furthermore, they point to the specificities of the Soviet colonial project and how its legacies are played out in the post-Soviet context. Much as the competing interests from Russia and the West, Soviet legacies, especially internalised Soviet Orientalism, exacerbate class divisions among women and lead to the depoliticisation of gender activism. By focusing on the understudied post-Soviet cultures through a postcolonial lens, the article widens our understanding of global neocolonial processes and their representation in literature more broadly.

Conservation Tillage and Nutrient Strategies Enhances Crop-Water Productivity and Economic Profitability of Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L)

Decline in soil fertility is one of the major constraints to sustainable crop production and profitability. To meet the increasing demand for the growing population the issue of low soil fertility needs to be addressed moreover, excessive pumping of groundwater over the years to meet the high irrigation water requirement of rice-wheat system has resulted in over exploitation of groundwater in the Indo-Gangetic plains (IGP) of India. Replacement of traditional wheat cultivation practices under conservation agriculture (CA) based management (tillage, and crop establishment management) practices are required to promote sustainable agriculture. Furthermore, inefficient nutrient management practices are responsible for low crop yields and nutrient use efficiencies in wheat under rice-wheat cropping system (RWCS). A field experiment was conducted at Crop Research Centre of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture & Technology, Meerut (U.P.), India to evaluate the effects of tillage and crop establishment (TCE) methods, and nutrient management practices on crop yields, water productivity and profitability of wheat under RWCS. The main plot treatments included four combinations of TCE [Furrow irrigated raised beds (FIRB), Roto tillage (RT), Reduced tillage (RTW) and conventional tillage (CT), with six nutrient management practices [N1 Control, N2 100% Recommend Dose of Fertilizer, N3 100% RDF + NPK consortia + Bio-stimulant, N4 75% RDF + NPK consortia + Bio-stimulant, N5 100% RDF + NPK consortia + Bio-stimulant + NPK (18:18:18) spray after II irrigation, and N6 and 75% RDF + NPK consortia + Bio-stimulant + NPK (18:18:18) spray after II irrigation]. Crop water productivity and net returns under FIRB were significantly increased by 11.7% and 13.8% compared to CT respectively, during year of experimentation. Study showed that conservation agriculture based sustainable practices (FIRB) and nutrient strategies 100% RDF + NPK consortia + Bio-stimulant + NPK (18:18:18) spray after II irrigation approach provided opportunities for enhancing crop and water productivity, and profitability of wheat crop in North-West IGP of India. Treatments with N and conservation agriculture were the most profitable. A combined use of conservation agriculture and organic and chemical fertilizers is the best bet for increasing, wheat crop yield and associated return on investment.

Outcomes of audit on blood requisition and utilization in obstetrics and gynaecology setting: Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria

Background: Indications for transfusion in obstetrics may be emergent as well as non-emergent: the keystone of transfusion practice is that it should be appropriate, that is, not given when not required and not missed when requiredObjectives: To identify key areas where there is a need to change policy so as to prevent unnecessary blood transfusion, to formulate strategies for appropriate preoperative blood requisition and to change clinicians’ approach regarding blood component utilization.Results: The mean age was 30.04 years (SD ± 8.08) and ranged from 16 to 70 years. The incidence of blood transfusion among all admissions was 418 out of 3078 (13.6%). The mean pre-transfusion PCV for patients who received blood transfusion was 23.06 ± 6.1% compared to 34.2 ± 4.54% obtained in the non-transfused patients. Only 59.8% of blood was utilized while 40.2% of blood was not needed.Conclusion: Current practice at O&G department, AKTH appears to be generally inconsistent with the guidelines. This indicates inefficient transfusion practice when comparing with the standard.

Bioherbicidal Activity and Metabolic Profiling of Potent Allelopathic Plant Fractions Against Major Weeds of Wheat-Way Forward to Lower the Risk of Synthetic Herbicides.

The productivity of major field crops is highly compromised due to weed infestation. Inefficient weed management practices and undue and excessive use of chemical herbicides have drastically contaminated the environment and human health, in addition to resistance development in weed species. Therefore, utilization of allelopathic plants to explore phytochemicals as potent organic alternatives to such chemical herbicides has become indispensable. The current study evaluates the comparative bio-herbicidal potential of methanolic extracts of castor (Ricinus communis), artemisia (Artemisia santolinifolia), wheat (Triticum aestivum), and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) to suppress growth of major weeds, i.e., wild mustard (Sinapis arvensis), Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum), and carrot grass (Parthenium hysterophorus). The results demonstrated a concentration-dependent effect on weeds’ growth. Overall, in vitro seed germination was reduced from 60 to 100% in response to 5% (w/v) extract concentration. Significant reduction in radicle length, hypocotyl length, and fresh biomass of the weeds was also observed. A strong inhibitory effect was seen in in vivo pot experiments, revealing that application of 10–20% methanolic extracts induced permanent wilting and substantial reduction in the chlorophyll content of weeds along with 20–80% increase in oxidative stress. Artemisia showed the most significant allelopathic effect, on account of highest phenolic and flavonoid contents, followed by castor, wheat, and sorghum, against S. arvensis, L. multiflorum, and P. hysterophorus, respectively. Phytochemical analysis, through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), also exhibited a correlation between extract’s phytotoxicity and their antioxidant potential due to their major constituents (rutin, quercetin, catechin, gallic acid, vanillic acid, syringic acid, ferulic acid, p-hydroxy benzoic acid, p-coumaric acid, and sinapic acid), among the total of 13 identified in methanolic fractions. Comprehensive profiling of allelochemicals with liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) determined 120, 113, 90, and 50 derivates of phenolic acids, flavonoids, and alkaloids, reported for the first time through this study, demonstrating significant allelopathic potential of the targeted plant fractions, which can be explored further to develop a sustainable bio-herbicidal formulation.

Management of Receivables, Financial Distress, and Profitability in Bangladesh

If a firm's profitability is affected by inefficient working capital practices, it is logical to assume that an adjustment of working capital will improve profitability. In particular, small and medium-sized businesses in the least developed countries (LDCs) and the new economies of Europe suffer from long delays relating to the payment of dues which threaten their survival. When the policies and practices are reasonably efficient, tweaking practices is not expected to be very beneficial. We should observe benefits from adjusting working capital practices for those companies that are clearly outside the norm in the industry. A major part of working capital management is receivables management and collection. In this study, we examine the data on receivables from Bangladesh from 2000 to 2017 to see if companies with inefficient working capital levels benefit from adjusting toward the norm, which is a new way of examining the benefits of adjustment. Specific actions and reactions will depend on the situation. Any adjustments that management make to fine-tune working capital management are unlikely to produce much value unless the underlying circumstances are taken into account. A new firm with a compelling case of quality and competitive strength may be more successful in managing a successful low average collection period (ACP) operating structure, and keeping the ACP low is strongly advised.

Tax Equality for Immigrants: The Indispensable Ingredient for Remedying Child Poverty in the United States

Both at the federal and state levels, tax credits have proved effective policy instruments to combat poverty, and they are at the heart of President Biden's massive initiative on childhood poverty. However, about one of every five children suffering poverty in the United States has an unauthorized immigrant parent and thus little or no access to tax credits. That is nearly two million children, and 85 percent of them are US citizens. Achieving historic reductions in childhood poverty thus will be impossible without remedying the eligibility exclusions and bureaucratic impediments that unauthorized immigrants face in the US tax system. All individuals who make money and reside in the United States are obliged to pay federal income taxes via a return filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). For unauthorized immigrants and others who do not qualify for a Social Security Number (SSN) that requires an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). In this two-tier system, ITIN filers have the same income tax due as Social Security filers, but they do not receive the same credits. ITIN filers have never been eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and some of their children were excluded from the Child Tax Credit (CTC) in the Trump administration's 2017 tax bill. Both credits are highly effective anti-poverty programs, providing immediate relief while also incentivizing work and earnings. The tax credits are the critical policy tool in Biden's American Plan for reducing child poverty, and they would be funded through the budget reconicilation legislation devised by Congressional Democrats in the summer of 2021. As summer drew to a close, ITIN inclusion was beginning to enter the discussion among advocates and legislators about the bill's detailed provisions. But eligibility is not the only barrier. Internal government monitors have repeatedly criticized the IRS for heavy-handed and inefficient practices that have placed undue burdens on ITIN taxpayers and that have hindered compliance with the law. The use of ITINs has plummeted in recent years from a high of 4.6 million returns in 2014 to 2.5 million in 2020. Prompted by the economic losses and the medical toll suffered by unauthorized immigrants during the pandemic and by their newly valued roles as “essential workers,” the federal government and several state governments have taken important steps to lessen the exclusion of ITIN taxpayers. The first federal stimulus package excluded not only ITIN holders but also their family members with SSNs. Congress extended eligibility to members of ITIN households with SSNs for the second and third stimulus checks. Meanwhile, California, Colorado, Maryland, New Mexico, Washington, Maine, and Oregon broke with the federal government and made ITIN filers fully eligible for their state EITCs, and as of July 2021 similar measures were under consideration in four other states. Early evidence from California and Colorado suggests that ITIN inclusion could prove a highly effective means of reaching poor children with the benefits of a state EITC. Child poverty can only be attacked successfully if ITIN households receive equal access to federal and state tax credit programs. This can be accomplished if: Congress and state legislatures permit full eligibility for all EITC and CTC programs. Congress mandates reforms to the procedures for getting and keeping an ITIN that have been proposed in multiple reports to Congress by the Taxpayer Advocate Service, an internal monitor at the IRS. Immigrants’ rights advocates and other civil society organizations, with government support, undertake a multi-year campaign to encourage ITIN application and use. The IRS receives funding to support a greatly expanded ITIN program.

The Losses in the Rice Harvest Process: A Review

We review existing studies on rice harvest loss from the aspects of estimation methods, magnitudes, causes, effects, and interventions. The harvest losses examined occurred from the field reaping to storage processes, including threshing, winnowing, and field transportation. We find that existing studies on rice harvest losses have focused on quantitative losses in Asia and Africa. Lack of knowledge, inadequate harvesting techniques, poor infrastructure, and inefficient harvest management practices are considered critical contributors to the losses. The magnitudes and causes of rice harvest losses are now better understood than interventions, which have simply been presented but lack an assessment of the effects and a cost–benefit analysis. Interestingly, reduction in harvest losses may threaten some farmers’ profits, such as rural women who make their living from post-production manual operations. Considering the current status of the literature, future researchers should examine how to balance social and individual welfare since farmers are key stakeholders in intervention implementation. A good understanding of the existing researches can help clarify future efforts for loss reduction, thereby reducing the burden of increasing agricultural production and promoting sustainable development of resources and the environment.

Operating room nurses' lived experiences of occupational hazards: A phenomenological study

BackgroundOperating room nurses (ORNs) face various occupational hazards. The assessment of the hazards in the operating room (OR) is considered as essential due to the costs imposed by nurses' illness and disability on the society, and their importance and specialized skill. MethodsThis qualitative analytic phenomenological study was conducted during 18 months. In this regard, a total of 10 ORNs who worked in the teaching hospitals affiliated to Hamadan University of Medical Sciences were selected by utilizing purposive sampling method. The data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and analyzed by using Van Manen six-step method. ResultsThe three main themes of reduced psycho-organizational resilience, chemical and biological hazards, and physical-environmental stressors were identified, the first of which included the sub-themes of burnout, inefficient management practice, and poor teamwork. Additionally, the second theme consisted of exposure to infectious agents and toxic fumes from chemicals, while the third was composed of neglecting the principles of ergonomics, as well as an unsafe working environment, patient care attitude, and poor attitude to safety. ConclusionThe rate of OR hazards was high among ORNs in Hamadan. The results of the present study can improve the understanding of ORNs and managers by clarifying the concept of hazards in the OR. Finally, they provided some evidence-based suggestions to nursing manager so that hospital productivity can enhance by clever policymaking through creating a safe and desirable environment for surgical team.