Micro-level Study Research Articles

Paddy-based Cropping Systems and their Sustainability: A Micro-level Study of Nellore District of Andhra Pradesh, India

A sustainable cropping system is needed to ensure profitable, productive and less risky crop production, particularly when the agricultural sector is experiencing climatic uncertainty and price volatility. Hence, the study aims to identify paddy-based cropping systems and their sustainability in the Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh. The study is based on primary data collected during 2022-23 with the help of a pre-structured schedule. The major cropping systems based on paddy were identified as system Ⅰ (paddy-groundnut), cropping system Ⅱ (paddy-paddy), & cropping system Ⅲ (paddy-cotton). The profitability analysis revealed that the gross returns for cropping systems I, II and III were computed to be Rs. 281916.83, Rs. 259072.90 and Rs. 330072.45. The farmers realized the highest net income, Rs. 169222.62, under cropping system III. The net returns for the cropping systems Ⅰ and Ⅱ were obtained as Rs. 141282.24 and Rs. 127048.48, respectively. The sustainability indices of paddy-groundnut (cropping system I), paddy-paddy (cropping system II) and cropping system III (paddy-cotton) were computed as 42.88%, 50.86% and 60.93%, respectively, and the paddy-cotton cropping system came out as the most profitable and sustainable in the study area. The regression analysis revealed that factors like returns to cost ratio and the cost used for environmentally friendly inputs relative to the overall cost of cultivation were found significant in all three cropping systems.

Dealing with Clashes of International Law: A Microlevel Study of Climate and Trade

Abstract For years, scholars in international relations have addressed questions related to regime complexity and its effects. However, there is a lack of understanding of how individuals react to clashes of international law obligations when assessing domestic policies. In this article, we study the extent to which citizens are concerned with compliance and noncompliance with international law when their governments design domestic laws to implement international obligations. We are, in particular, interested in whether citizens’ reactions to clashes of international obligations are driven by concerns about being exposed internationally for breaching international law or concerns about tangible material costs. Our empirical analysis is based on an experiment embedded in a survey of Swiss citizens’ attitudes toward environmental issues. The experiment first shows that individuals react to both information about compliance as well as noncompliance, whereas the shifts are more notable in the case of negative information about noncompliance. Second, we find that information about the country being subject to international adjudication (what we call exposure costs) in case of noncompliance is more consequential than information about material costs (facing retaliation).

Assessing the impact of green patents on pollution reduction: A micro-level study of Chinese industrial firms

As global warming and environmental degradation escalate, policymakers worldwide increasingly advocate for the development of green patents. However, there is ongoing debate regarding the effectiveness of green patents in actual pollution reduction. Some studies suggest that firms may engage in green patenting activities to align with government and market expectations rather than achieving substantive breakthroughs in pollution reduction. In light of this, it is crucial to examine the impact of green patents on pollution reduction. This study employs a PSM-DID model to analyze the impact of green patents on pollution emission intensity using plant-level data from Chinese industrial firms. The results demonstrate that with an average increase of 1% in the number of green patents, the industrial waste gas emission intensity and industrial wastewater discharge intensity decreased by 4.74% and 8.68%, respectively. Furthermore, pollution treatment facilities were found to be more effective than green patents during the sample period. On average, the contribution of waste gas treatment facilities and wastewater treatment facilities in pollution reduction is 3.33% and 9.79% higher than that of green patents. These findings suggest that firms should adopt a balanced approach when making decisions on pollution reduction. Further analysis shows that the pollution reduction effect of green patents is partly at the expense of the total factor productivity of firms. This trade-off highlights the need for policy interventions to support firms in integrating green technologies without compromising productivity. This study underscores the emphasizes of transitioning from end-of-pipe pollution control to green production processes to achieve sustainable development in China.

Socio-Economic Dynamics and Policy Implications for Electric Vehicle Adoption: A Micro-Level Study in NCR

Electric vehicles reduce pollution only if a high percentage of the electricity mix comes from renewable sources and if the battery manufacturing takes place at a site far from the vehicle use region. Industries developed due to increased electric vehicle adoption may also cause additional air pollution. The Indian government has committed to solving New Delhi’s air pollution issues through an ambitious policy of switching 100% of the light duty consumer vehicles to electric vehicles by 2030. This policy is based on vehicle grid interaction and relies on shared mobility through the electric vehicle fleet.

Impacts of regional socioeconomic statuses and global events on solid waste research reflected in six waste-focused journals

The research pertaining to solid waste is undergoing extensive advancement, thereby necessitating a consolidation and analysis of its research trajectories. The existing biblio-studies on solid waste research (SWR) lack thorough analyses of the factors influencing its trends. This article presents an innovative categorization framework that categorizes publications from six SWR journals utilizing Source Latent Dirichlet Allocation. First analyse changes in publication numbers across main categories, subcategories, journals, and regions, providing a macro-level study of SWR. Temporal analysis of keywords supplements a micro-level study of SWR, which highlights that emerging technologies with low Technology Readiness Level receive significant attention, while studies on widespread technologies are diminishing. Additionally, this study demonstrates the substantial influence of socioeconomic factors and previous SWR publications on current and future SWR trends. Finally, the article confirms the impact of global events on SWR trends by examining the structural breakpoints of SWR and their correlation with global events.

Adaptation of trend analysis over a small-scale region for assessing climate change parameters

ABSTRACT Several natural and anthropogenic activities mainly escalate the demand for water and food and develop implications for their availability. Hence, it is necessary to analyse the natural and man-made changes for managing resources precisely. This study focuses on assessing the trends of climatic factors such as rainfall and temperature using the Mann–Kendall (MK) test and innovative trend analysis (ITA) for the agricultural cropping seasons. The findings revealed that a statistically insignificant increasing trend in rainfall is observed for all three cropping seasons (i.e.) Kuruvai/Samba (June–September), Thaladi/Navarai (October–January), and Sornavari (February–May), while the mean temperature shows a significantly increasing trend for all three cropping seasons. The results obtained using the MK test are compared with those of the ITA test to identify the reliable trend technique for climatic factor analysis of small regions. To manage the impacts of climate change and develop sustainable conditions in agriculture, this micro-level study assists the decision makers to prefer suitable trend analysis techniques and helps in identifying the climate change adaptation strategies for small regions. Also, this study is helpful for rural farmers to increase their adaptability conditions with regard to the climate change impacts as they are the frontline victims of climate change.

Decadal Change in Income Diversification of Small and Marginal Farmers of Assam in Climate-Vulnerable Situations

The cross-sectional, micro-level study was conducted to determine the changing trends of some income-related variables and income diversification in a decade among marginal and small farmers of Assam. The base years were 2010 and 2020. The number of samples was selected randomly to make it three hundred from the three districts of Assam, viz., Jorhat, Majuli and Golaghat. Data were collected during 2021. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and the Simpson Index of Diversity. The findings asserted that between 2010 and 2020, landholding declined among the respondents. The average annual income of respondents also did not increase between 2010 and 2022. Respondents still preferred to stay in the joint family type. The findings show that farmers in 2020 preferred to change income sources. Many farmers’ income diversification also increased, though income did not increase. The study identified that in a decade, there was a decrease in operational landholdings, no increase in annual income, and marginal and small farmers opted for income diversification. So, it suggested that livestock and non-farm-based income sources may be provided to improve the income of marginal and small farmers of Assam. The study suggests that the scientists and policymakers of government going for more micro-level study would help develop different policies for small and marginal farmers.

Unriddle the complex associations among urban green cover, built-up index, and surface temperature using geospatial approach: a micro-level study of Kolkata Municipal Corporation for sustainable city

Unriddle the complex associations among urban green cover, built-up index, and surface temperature using geospatial approach: a micro-level study of Kolkata Municipal Corporation for sustainable city

Women and Intergenerational Mobility in Education: A Micro-Level Study from Weavers’ Community of Varanasi, India

Women and Intergenerational Mobility in Education: A Micro-Level Study from Weavers’ Community of Varanasi, India

Understanding interaction in problematic dementia and social care encounters: Protocol for a micro-level study combining video-ethnography and Conversation Analysis (CA).

It is well established that the actions and behaviour of dementia care workers are fundamental to the wellbeing of the people they care for. Not only do they deal with basic healthcare needs, but they also perform a vital psycho-social function by providing-through their regular presence-an underlying continuity for residents. This has been shown to improve well-being, particularly for those in the advanced stages of dementia. It has also been suggested that there are additional psycho-social benefits of such contact which can directly influence the need for anti-psychotic medication. However, unlike most other healthcare and medical settings, the specialised and often difficult interactions that dementia care workers handle every day have not yet been the subject of detailed micro-level analysis. This is particularly significant because much of the impact that care-workers have relates to the way in which they interact with the people they care for. Not having a clear understanding of how their interactions 'work' at the micro-level-particularly ones that are specific to dementia care settings, and that care workers report to be difficult or challenging-means that any training interventions that are developed may not resonate with their real-world experience, and ultimately run the risk of failing. This video-based observational study aims to provide a detailed micro-exploration of problematic and challenging interactions involving care-workers and people living with dementia. The study is based in the UK and will involve up to 20 dementia care staff and 60 people living with dementia. Fieldwork will be conducted in 5 dementia care home and community-based dementia day care settings using naturalistic observational methods (primarily video-ethnography). Data will be analysed using Conversation Analysis (CA).

Первые сведения о редкоземельной минерализации в породах вулкана Эсмеральда (Марианская островная дуга)

The results of the study of rare earth mineralization in the rocks composing the Esmeralda underwater volcano located in the southern part of the Mariana island arc are presented. Despite the fact that the composition and structure of the Esmeralda volcano have been studied by various scientists for 75 years, information about the content of rare earth elements in its rocks is sporadic and is given in only six papers, and two of them present only average values. Our micro-level study of the mineral composition of the basaltic andesite, dissected by a crack, dredged during the 5th voyage of the research vessel «Vulcanologist» in 1978, made it possible for the first time for the Esmeralda volcano to establish the presence of rare earth minerals in its rocks, to determine their composition and formation conditions. The minerals were found to be localized in open crack zones and gas vacuoles.

Assessment of health impacts of quality water provisioning from groundwater sources: a micro-level study in India

Abstract Many nations have implemented policies to improve drinking water quality, but challenges arise from overexploited or contaminated groundwater-based sources. This paper aims at examining the aspects of water scarcity, security, and sustainability within an Indian village context. We attempt to compare two rural water supply sources in Nagla Chandi village in Uttar Pradesh, India: (a) untreated groundwater sourced from bore wells and (b) treated water from a reverse osmosis (RO) plant. We observed that subterranean minerals are the primary pollutants of unprocessed water drawn from borewells, which form the main source of drinking water. Even though water from the RO plant meets all the quality parameters of potability, frequent breakdowns of the plant due to improper management force the villagers to drink untreated water from the dug wells fitted with hand pumps, affecting their health. We also found a high incidence of water-borne diseases. The case analysis suggests enhancing village water treatment projects by training local artisans in system repair and increasing Panchayat staff to include trained engineers for technical advice and maintenance. The paper proposes reducing water testing cost in rural areas to make it possible Q4 for local organizations to regularly assess water quality and implement corrective actions.

A micro-level study of research impact and motivational diversity

What motivates academics to pursue technology and knowledge transfer has been a growing area of research with recent calls for a deeper understanding of this issue. Technology and knowledge transfer are being positioned by policymakers and universities as part of the wider research impact agenda. Against this background, the purpose of this paper is to explore at a micro level the motivational diversity among academics in pursuing research impact. Set in a business school context, our study uses self-determination theory and an interpretive approach. We focus on the main motivations to be an academic in terms of the core psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, the consequent intrinsic or extrinsic motivations for research impact, and the attitudes towards institutional measures for this practice. We identified six research impact groups, practice-oriented researchers, business seekers, instrumentalists, compliers, theoreticians, and relationship facilitators. We also found some friction between the motivations to be an academic and for research impact.

Interprofessional Collaboration: How Social Workers, Psychologists, and Teachers Collaborate to Address Student Wellbeing

ABSTRACT This micro-level study investigated interprofessional collaboration between social workers, psychologists, and teachers who work together to support young people in secondary schools. Drawing on focus group data obtained from 42 key wellbeing staff across four Catholic secondary schools in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, the results indicate that interprofessional collaboration between social workers, psychologists, and teachers strengthens student wellbeing policies, programs, and processes, and has the potential to provide holistic and focused attention on student wellbeing. However, the study also found that there is a tendency for social workers and psychologists to engage in intensive interventions at the expense of targeted and universal interventions. Effective interprofessional collaboration can expand the knowledge, resources, and support available to students, in turn supporting students’ health and wellbeing. The findings contribute to how school-based social workers and psychologists can use their expert skills and knowledge to support student wellbeing policies and programs. IMPLICATIONS School-based social workers and psychologists are well equipped to utilise their expert skills in interprofessional collaboration with teachers to support student wellbeing in secondary schools. School-based interprofessional collaboration is effective when located within school structures that are clear about roles and lines of referral, and when wellbeing staff are committed to interprofessional collaboration and partnerships.

The impact of dynamic managerial capabilities on firm performance: A moderated mediation analysis of German DAX firms

Abstract In an era of hypercompetition, research and development (R&D) investments are vital for organizations to stay competitive. This microlevel study draws on dynamic managerial capability (DMC) theory to explore the mechanisms contributing to competitive advantages. It posits that DMCs enhance firm performance by increasing R&D spending, and explores the moderating role of slack resources due to their effect on resource availability. Employing hierarchical regression analysis and bootstrapping methods on a longitudinal sample comprising 31 German DAX firms, the findings robustly demonstrate that DMCs facilitate firm performance by fostering R&D expenditures and confirm the moderating effect of specific slack resources. However, only internal but not external slack resources amplify the relationship between DMCs and R&D intensity. Overall, this study emphasizes the critical role of managers’ microlevel capabilities in determining firm performance and sheds light on how different slack resources influence the relationships between DMCs, R&D intensity, and firm performance.

Teacher telling in the mathematics classroom: A microlevel study of the dynamics between general and contextualized knowledge

<p>In this article, we analyze moments of teacher telling (MTT) involving the exposition of new knowledge to students. We first specify the theoretical framework used for our analyses and describe our global methodology, focusing on teacher telling moments as taking part in the students’ mathematics learning. Then, we review the literature on this topic and develop a specific tool, called a “proximity,” to study MMTs in relation to whole-class scaffolding. Finally, we compare two high school teachers’ practices in teaching the same content — variation of functions for 10th grade students — to illustrate this new analytical lens. In the conclusion, we discuss our approach and develop several research perspectives.</p>

Quality Circle Approach Equipped with AI to Solve the Issue of Stray Cattle Detection and Identification in Small Cities to Avoid Accidents

The quality circle (QC) approach through its various problem identification tools has got the fame by solving several issues in Industries as well as in-service sectors. The present paper is focused on the issue of stray cattle roaming here and there and contributing to scattered trash, fatal accidents, and road blockings in various cities of India. To understand and identify the actual reasons this work is carried out and solutions have been proposed for a small town of Haryana. The quality circle was established with an aim to sort out the issue only with all the available resources like CCTV cameras, GOSHALAS, and social workers. The authors adopted a qualitative approach with a micro-level study for a small town. The quality circle approach equipped with Artificial Intelligence has been chosen to sort out the Stray cattle detection and identification issue to resolve the problem of scattered trash, fatal accidents, road blockings, and saving valuable lives of humans and animals. Keywords - Quality Circle, Artificial Intelligence, Stray Cattle detection, and recognition.

Harnessing creative tensions: A micro-level study of value creation

This paper explores the emergence of micro-level creative tensions and their interplay within collaborative innovation projects. Our findings demonstrate how, at the microlevel, an evolving set of actors, activities and artifacts support collaborative innovation in science-based SMEs. Our analysis highlights how activities and artifacts are linked through creative tensions emerging from situations of close interaction between diverse actors. We demonstrate how a mutually constitutive duality captures the paradoxical nature of creative tensions. Furthermore, our findings show how actors employ ambidexterity in navigating and harnessing creative tensions and develop artifacts that create value. We propose a framework that captures micro-level value creation in collaborative innovation. We suggest three research propositions that explore interconnectedness between actors from diverse backgrounds, diversity of knowledge and skills in contributing to innovation activities, and ambidexterity in navigating creative tensions in developing artifacts in the form of innovative products, services and processes.

Evaluating geo-hydrological environs through morphometric aspects using geospatial techniques: A case study of Kashang Khad watershed in the Middle Himalayas, India

The present study analyzes the geo-hydrological behaviour of the Kashang khad basin of the satluj river system in Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh. The major source of water in the region is the snowmelt, which contributes to the evolution of a drainage pattern. It highlights the importance of ASTER GDEM and satellite images for assessing and understanding the various geo-hydrological parameters such as drainage analysis, and topographic analysis for better basin management. Hydrological modelling of ArcGIS 10.5 has been used for the delineation and analysis of basins using SRTM DEM with 30 m resolution. Morphometric parameters like linear, relief, and aerial further help in the micro-level study of its physiographic characteristics and structural control of flow along with runoff, which can help predict floods, their extent, and intensity. It was found that the basin had a dendritic pattern with uniform lithology. The stream order ranges from 1st order to 5th order signalling homogeneity in texture and medium to high drainage density meaning permeable soil and good surface runoff. The drainage texture of 2.19 indicates the basin is prone to weathering and erosion. The bifurcation ratio ranges from 4.43 to 5.23, with a mean Rb of 4.82 showing the structural control on the elongated basin with Re of 0.56. The ASTER DEM and sophisticated morphometric attributes and hydrological environs can be effectively utilized in watershed management and other hydrological studies in higher mountainous regions.

RESEARCH ON THE APPLICATION OF UAV OBLIQUE PHOTOGRAMMETRY TO LILONG HOUSING: TAKING MEILAN LANE AS AN EXAMPLE

Abstract. Vernacular architecture has always captured professionals’ attention for its unique approaches to construction, its typical way of integrating man and nature and the way it is used. Being a combination of traditional courtyard houses in China with townhouses in the West, Lilong houses or Shikumen houses are representatives of Shanghai vernacular housing. In terms of applying UAV oblique photogrammetry to preserving and documenting historic architectures, some studies have been done in China, but scant literatures are found on Lilong houses. This research is an attempt to preserve and document Lilong houses by adopting UAV in 3D modelling, to explore a rational approach for the application of UAV oblique photogrammetry to narrow lanes and to establish a collection of models to document the ongoing changes as well as nuances of each building more carefully. In this research, Meilan Lane is chosen as an example. Aided by AutoCAD drawings, flight routes and angles are designed. parameters for each flight are pre-set in GoodStation to send quantified instructions to the drone. A total of 4,531 photos are gathered and 4 models are built by ContextCapture Master. Two models with flight height at 40m and 115m are generated for macro-level study and two models with flight height from 20m to 32m are for micro-level study. Through this research, this paper elaborates the pros and cons of using UAV techniques in documenting Lilong residences and tries to find an applicable approach to building other Lilong complex models for more comprehensive studies in the long run.