Positive Role Research Articles

NUS: Noisy-Sample-Removed Undersampling Scheme for Imbalanced Classification and Application to Credit Card Fraud Detection

Since minority samples are substantially less common than majority samples, many industrial applications, such as credit card fraud detection (CCFD) and defective part identification, call for imbalanced classification. The performance of a classifier tends to suffer from the noisy samples in majority or minority classes. This work proposes a new undersampling scheme, called a clustering-based noisy-sample-removed undersampling scheme (NUS) for imbalanced classification. The majority class samples are first clustered. The distance of the majority class sample from the cluster center that is furthest away is used as the radius to build a hypersphere, with each cluster’s center assumed to be a spherical center. We determine the Euclidean distance between the center of a cluster and each minority sample to find whether they are in the hypersphere or not. Afterward, we exclude noisy samples from the minority class. The noisy samples of majority classes are removed by using the same procedure. Second, we propose an NUS, which combines noisy sample removal with undersampling techniques. Finally, to prove the effectiveness of NUS, we integrate NUS with the basic classifiers random forest (RF), decision tree (DT), and logistics regression (LR). We conduct their comparison with seven undersampling, oversampling, and noisy-sample-removed methods. This work performs experiments on 13 public and three real transaction datasets related to e-commerce. The results show that NUS plays a positive role in promoting existing classifiers’ performance.

Public Interest Litigation in Pakistan: Unveiling Its Features, Roles, and Potential for Ensuring Justice for All

The regular court system is failing to provide justice for all in Pakistan's legal landscape. However, a powerful tool exists to ensure justice for all: Public Interest Litigation (PIL). PIL acts as an effective legal weapon for the welfare of society and justice for all, and it even has the potential to push authorities for reforms that benefit everyone. However, to understand the true scope of PIL, there is a dire need to comprehend its special features, functions, and role within the Pakistani legal landscape. For this purpose, in this research, PIL’s core features and procedures will be discussed through the jurisprudential analysis of the cases developed by the courts in Pakistan. Further, this paper will also explore its special role in protecting the rights of vulnerable communities. For this purpose, specific cases in the judicial history of Pakistan wherein PIL has played a positive role will be highlighted, including labor, environment, pollution, right to life, public parks, floodwaters, assets of Pakistan like its steel mill, and public procurement to reveal the true potential of PIL. The ultimate goal is to ensure its usage in the right form, in the right manner, for the right purpose, and at the right time to advance justice for everyone.

Overexpression of OsDUF6 increases salt stress tolerance in rice

BackgroundSoil salinity is one of the primary environmental stresses faced in rice production. When plants are exposed to salt stress, a series of cellular balances will be disrupted. Dufulin is an immune-induced antiviral agent used in plants. The DUF gene family influences plant response to abiotic stress, and the functional role of OsDUF6(ABA98726.1) in rice response to salt stress is being investigated here.ResultsBased on the transcriptome analysis of Dufulin treatment in inducing salt tolerance in rice, we selected the OsDUF6 protein located on the cell membrane and studied its molecular function by overexpressing OsDUF6. Salt-induced decreases in root, stem, and leaf length and increased leaf yellowing rate and Na+ concentration in the wild-type plant were mitigated in the overexpressed lines. OsDUF6 overexpression increased the enzymatic antioxidant activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase. OsDUF6 also played a positive role in Na+ transport as reflected by the increased growth of a salt-sensitive yeast mutant complemented with OsDUF6 in the presence of salt stress. In addition, Reverse transcription quantitative PCR analysis confirmed that the overexpression of OsDUF6 significantly changed the expression level of other genes related to growth and stress tolerance.ConclusionsCombined with previously published data, our results supported the observation that OsDUF6 is an important functional factor in Dufulin-induced promotion of salt stress tolerance in rice.

The non-rivalry of data, directed technical change and the environment: A theoretical study incorporating data as a production factor

With the evolution of digital technology, data is considered a new input factor. To investigate the impact of the degree of application and non-rivalry of data on technical change and the environment, we introduce data as a production factor into the production function and develop a two-sector directed technical change model. More importantly, we introduce non-rivalry in data use, enabling its use across sectors. The relevant results are threefold. (1) Data alone cannot avoid environmental disaster; what is worse, the application of data will accelerate environmental degradation. (2) Only in combination with environmental regulations can data play a positive role. In such case, the application of data will accelerate the rise of environmental quality. (3) Conversely, the non-rivalry has a positive effect without environmental regulations while a negative effect with environmental regulations.

Effectiveness of Yoga in Reducing Fatigue Among Cancer Patients at HCG Cancer Centre, Gulbarga

Cancer, a global health challenge, demands holistic care, especially for enduring issues like fatigue. Yoga emerges as a key intervention, notably in breast cancer cases. This study, conducted at HCG Cancer Centre, Gulbarga, with 50 participants, evaluates yoga's effectiveness in reducing fatigue using a randomized control design. Demographics and fatigue levels, measured by the BFI scale, are gathered. Results spotlight a significant reduction in fatigue post-yoga intervention for the experimental group, in contrast to the control. This research pioneers’ evidence-based nursing practices, showcasing yoga's potential in alleviating cancer-related fatigue for enhanced patient well-being. In simpler terms, the data strongly indicates a substantial decrease in fatigue levels for the experimental group post-yoga intervention. The mean pre-test fatigue score of 3.6 significantly dropped to 2.04 in the post-test, with a highly significant p-value of 2.8250. This underscores yoga's effectiveness in reducing fatigue among experimental subjects. In the control group, minimal changes in fatigue levels were noted without yoga intervention, as evident from the post-test data. Statistical analysis, with a p-value of 0.432, confirms nonsignificant changes in fatigue scores for the control group. This emphasizes the potential positive impact of yoga in mitigating fatigue levels, distinct from the minimal changes observed in the control group. The findings stress the need for critical interpretation of fatigue score changes and highlight yoga's positive role in addressing cancer-related fatigue, evident through significant outcomes in the experimental group. Keywords: Cancer, Yoga, Fatigue

Is there a relationship between climate policy uncertainty and green finance? Evidence from bootstrap rolling window test

This paper discusses time-varying causalities between climate policy uncertainty (CPU) and green finance market, and filling the research gap in revealing their internal dynamic connections. Using rolling-window technique, the empirical findings demonstrate that CPU exert positive and negative impact on green finance market, represented by the green bond index (GBI) during certain time intervals, which do not entirely support theoretical basis. Similarly, the study also uncovers inconsistent conclusions regarding the influence from GBI to CPU among different causal periods, indicating the function of green finance in alleviating climate change is complex. These deviations between variables can be attributed to factors, such as early-stage green bond market, shifts in climate policies, the impact of COVID-19, and underlying macroeconomic fundamentals. The study identifies heterogeneities of the causal relationships in different time intervals, and the bidirectional influence under specific circumstances, offering fresh insights for existing theoretical framework. Several policy implications are thus provided from multiple aspects, such as standardization of green bonds, innovation of green financial instruments, and development of long-term climate governance strategies. These measures can facilitate a positive role for climate policy and green finance in pursuing harmonious development.

Effects of different fertilization practices on maize yield, soil nutrients, soil moisture, and water use efficiency in northern China based on a meta-analysis

The application of fertilizer to ensure the steady improvement of crop yield has become the main means of agricultural production. However, it remains to be determined whether fertilization practices with different combinations of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and organic (O) fertilizers play a positive role in the sustainability of maize yield and the soil in which it is grown. Therefore,this meta-analysis extracted 2663 data points from 76 studies to systematically analyze and explore the effects of different fertilization measures on maize yield, soil nutrients, water content and water use efficiency (WUE) in northern China. Articles addressing this topic showed that fertilization effectively increased the soil nutrient content and maize yield. The soil organic matter (SOM) increased by 2.36 (N)–55.38% (NPO), total nitrogen content increased by 6.10 (N)–56.39% (NPO), available phosphorus content increased by 17.12 (N)–474.74% (NPO), and available potassium content changed by − 2.90 (NP)–64.40% (NPO). Soil moisture increased by 3.59% under a single organic fertilizer application and decreased by 4.27–13.40% under the other treatments. Compared with no fertilization, the yield increase of fertilized maize reached 11.65–220.42%. NP, NPK and NPKO contributed the most to increased yield in lithological, black and fluvo-aquic soils, respectively. The effects of different fertilization practices on maize yield varied in response to the same meteorological factors. The WUE increased from 9.51 to 160.72%. In conclusion, rational fertilization can improve the soil nutrient content and increase maize yield. The combined application of chemical and organic fertilizer showed the greatest increase in yield and WUE. Organic fertilizer application alone increased soil moisture. Our results provide a theoretical basis for fertilizer application and for improving the soil structure for maize cultivation in northern China.

The heterogeneous impacts of environmental technologies and research and development spending on green growth in emerging economies: the moderating role of financial globalization

Introduction: Understanding the heterogeneous impacts of environmental technologies (ETs), research and development (RD) spending and financial globalization (FG) on green economic growth (GEG) is worthwhile to promote progress toward GEG. Besides, exploring the moderating role of FG is essential to uncover the nuanced dynamics that shape the relationship between ET, RD, GEG, and the influence of global financial integration. Thus, this study examines the effects of ET, RD and FD on GEG in emerging market economies (EMEs). In addition, we investigate the moderating role of FG on the effects of ETs and RD on GEG.Methods: The method of moments quantile regression (MMQR) is applied using a fixed effects model that can capture distributional heterogeneity and nonnormality concerns for the panel of 25 EMEs from 2000 to 2019. In addition, other alternative models are applied to conduct robustness analysis. We use green total factor productivity (GP) to proxy for GEG using the Malmquist–Luenberger Productivity Index (MLPI) strategy based on the directional distance function (DDF).Results and discussion: The findings imply that ETs significantly impact GEG, revealing evidence that promoting environmental innovation positively contributes to GEG progress in EMEs. Likewise, RD promotes GEG progression in EMEs. Additionally, FG positively impacts GEG. FG also positively moderates the effects of ETs and RD on GEG, implying that countries open to FG can better harness the positive roles of investment in ETs and RD on GEG in EMEs. Therefore, policymakers should develop prudent policies to encourage ETs and RD to promote GEG in EMEs, which aligns with the goals of controlling climate variation (SDG-13) and fostering innovation (SDG-9) to promote GEG in EMEs.

Advances in layered transition metal oxide cathodes for sodium-ion batteries

The rapid rise of renewable energy technology has greatly promoted the development of energy storage systems. Breaking decades of stagnation, sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have now regained momentum in the field of energy storage and they are considered as a low-cost alternative to lithium-ion batteries. The search for suitable materials to reversibly host sodium ions has become a focal point in SIB field. Layered transition metal oxide (NaxTMO2) as the cathode material has attracted increasing attention due to its simple structure, facile synthesis, and high operating potential. Nevertheless, NaxTMO2 still faces severe challenges, including irreversible phase transitions, storage instability, insufficient performance, etc. This work provides a comprehensive review of NaxTMO2 as the cathode material for SIBs, analyzes the challenges encountered by NaxTMO2, and summarizes effective improvement strategies. Strategies including doping, composite cathode materials, high-entropy materials and microstructural modulation can effectively guide the design of NaxTMO2 with excellent performance. SIBs are bound to play a positive role in the new round of energy revolution.

Opportunistic silence: ignited by psychological contract breach, instigated by hostile attribution bias

PurposeDrawing on social exchange literature, this study explores the mediating role of affective commitment between employees' assessments of contract breaches and opportunistic silence, along with the invigorating effect of hostile attribution bias.Design/methodology/approachWe tested the hypotheses using multi-wave data collected from employees working in higher education institutions in Pakistan.FindingsPerceived contract breaches elicit intentional, selfish and retaliatory motives of silence, largely because employees lack emotional attachments to their organization. This mechanism is more prominent among employees who tend to blame others and perceive them as antagonistic even when they are not.Practical implicationsFor human resource managers, this investigation highlights a crucial feature – affective commitment – by which employees' perceptions of psychological contract breaches facilitate opportunistic silence. Our results suggest that this process is more likely to intensify when employees have distorted thinking, motivating them to attribute the worst motives to their employer's actions.Social implicationsPerceived contract breaches within universities can have far-reaching societal consequences, affecting trust, reputation, economic stability, and the overall quality and accessibility of education and research. Addressing and preventing such breaches is essential to maintaining the positive societal role of universities.Originality/valueThis study provides novel insights into the process that underlies the connection between perceived contract breach and opportunistic silence by revealing the hitherto overlooked role of employees' hostile attribution bias, which renders them more susceptible to experiencing unfavorable forms of social exchange.

ROP GTPases with a geranylgeranylation motif modulate alkaloid biosynthesis in Catharanthus roseus.

Rho of Plant (ROP) GTPases function as molecular switches that control signaling processes essential for growth, development, and defense. However, their role in specialized metabolism is poorly understood. Previously, we demonstrated that inhibition of protein geranylgeranyl transferase (PGGT-I) negatively impacts the biosynthesis of monoterpenoid indole alkaloids (MIA) in Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus), indicating the involvement of prenylated proteins in signaling. Here, we show through biochemical, molecular, and in planta approaches that specific geranylgeranylated ROPs modulate C. roseus MIA biosynthesis. Among the six C. roseus ROP GTPases (CrROPs), only CrROP3 and CrROP5, having a C-terminal CSIL motif, were specifically prenylated by PGGT-I. Additionally, their transcripts showed higher expression in most parts than other CrROPs. Protein-protein interaction studies revealed that CrROP3 and CrROP5, but not ΔCrROP3, ΔCrROP5, and CrROP2 lacking the CSIL motif, interacted with CrPGGT-I. Further, CrROP3 and CrROP5 exhibited nuclear localization, whereas CrROP2 was localized to the plasma membrane. In planta functional studies revealed that silencing of CrROP3 and CrROP5 negatively affected MIA biosynthesis, while their overexpression upregulated MIA formation. In contrast, silencing and overexpression of CrROP2 had no effect on MIA biosynthesis. Moreover, overexpression of ΔCrROP3 and ΔCrROP5 mutants devoid of sequence coding for the CSIL motif failed to enhance MIA biosynthesis. These results implicate that CrROP3 and CrROP5 have a positive regulatory role on MIA biosynthesis and thus shed light on how geranylgeranylated ROP GTPases mediate the modulation of specialized metabolism in C. roseus.

Context‐dependent impact of changes in precipitation on the stability of grassland biomass

Abstract Community stability plays a crucial role in ensuring the consistent provision of ecosystem services despite environmental changes, including alterations in precipitation patterns. Over the past decades, significant progress has been made in understanding the responses of the stability of grassland plant communities and underlying mechanisms, defined as the ratio of the temporal mean biomass to the standard deviation. However, a crucial knowledge gap remains regarding whether the impacts of precipitation on the stability of grassland biomass are contingent upon specific contextual factors. Here, we examined the stability of above‐ and below‐ground biomass in adjacent grass‐ and shrub‐dominated communities through a 7‐year manipulation experiment involving seven precipitation levels: 20%, 40% and 60% decrease, as well as 20%, 40% and 60% increase in natural rainfall, in addition to ambient precipitation. We found that the stability of community biomass was influenced by three contextual factors including the magnitude and directionality of precipitation, above‐ and below‐ground biomass and the type of vegetation. In particular, higher and more intense precipitation resulted in higher stability of above‐ground biomass in both grass‐ and shrub‐dominated communities. Conversely, higher precipitation intensity led to decreased below‐ground biomass stability in grass‐dominated communities but increased below‐ground biomass stability in shrub‐dominated communities. Species stability and species asynchrony consistently played a positive role in explaining the stability of above‐ground biomass in both grass‐ and shrub‐dominated communities. However, species asynchrony negatively influenced below‐ground biomass stability in grass‐dominated communities without a comparable effect in shrub‐dominated communities. The preeminent contribution to the total community biomass was identified in the stability of below‐ground biomass, evident in both grass‐dominated and shrub‐dominated communities. Synthesis. This study highlights that while the specific effects of changes in precipitation may vary depending on the context, the fundamental processes governing biomass stability are consistent. These findings elucidate the desert steppe ecosystems' adaptive response to precipitation variations and emphasize their pivotal role in maintaining ecosystem functions under climatic perturbations. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Preparation of layer-assembled W/O/W-type microencapsulated beads and application in solid-state fermentation.

In this study, microcapsule beads-0-3-layers (M-0-3 indicates microencapsulated beads with 0, 1, 2, and 3 layers) were prepared, their properties were measured and characterized, and the effects of M-0-3 on solid-state fermentation were investigated. The results showed that in a liquid environment, the releasing glucoamylase activities of M-0-3 were 55.77%, 47.67%, 45.85%, and 42.87% in 360h, respectively. In the solid environment, the reducing sugar production efficiency of M-0-3 was 29.84%, 27.72%, 19.16%, and 15.93% in 15 days, respectively. Adding M-0-3 improved the alcohol and reduced sugar content while decreasing the residual starch content of the Jiupei, indicating that adding M-0-3 was beneficial to the solid-state fermentation of Baijiu. Solid-state fermentation simulation experiments illustrated that microcapsule beads play a positive role in the production of Baijiu, enhancing raw material utilization and yield of Baijiu production.

Junior doctors’ workplace well-being and the determinants based on ability–motivation–opportunity (AMO) theory: Educational and managerial implications from a three-year longitudinal observation after graduation

Purpose Junior doctors function as trainees from an educational perspective and as employees from a human resource management perspective. Employing the ability-motivation-opportunity (AMO) theory as a conceptual framework, this study longitudinally investigated the factors affecting the workplace well-being and career progression of junior doctors over a 3-year period following their graduation from medical schools. Materials and methods This 3-year prospective cohort study enrolled junior doctors who graduated from 2 medical schools in June 2019 in Taiwan. This study collected data by implementing web-based, self-administered structured questionnaires at 3-month intervals between September 2019 and July 2022. The collected data encompassed ability indicators (i.e. academic performance and perceived preparedness for clinical practice), motivation indicators (i.e. educational and clinical supervision), opportunity indicators (i.e. clinical unit cultures), and workplace well-being indicators (i.e. burnout, compassion satisfaction, and job performance). A total of 107 junior doctors participated, providing 926 total responses. The data were analysed using univariate analyses and structural equation modelling with path analysis. Results Over the 3-year period following graduation, the junior doctors’ confidence in their preparedness for clinical practice and the educational and clinical supervision had varying degrees of influence on the junior doctors’ workplace well-being. The influence of clinical unit cultures, which can provide opportunities for junior doctors, became evident starting from the second year postgraduation; notably, unit cultures that emphasised flexibility and discretion played positive and critical roles in enhancing the junior doctors’ workplace well-being lasted to the third year. Conclusions Our findings provide insights into the distinct critical factors that affect the socialisation of junior doctors within workplace environments over 3 consecutive years. These findings can provide guidance for medical educators and healthcare managers, helping them understand and support the progressive integration of junior doctors into their work environments.

A positive role of polyunsaturated fatty acids on sustainable crop production against salt stress: an overview

A positive role of polyunsaturated fatty acids on sustainable crop production against salt stress: an overview

One-Step Hydrothermal Synthesis of NVO Cathodes with Varied Lattice NH4 + Content: Effect on Structural Evolution and Electrochemical Performance.

Aqueous zinc ion batteries have been extensively researched due to their distinctive advantages such as low cost and high safety. Vanadium oxides are important cathode materials, however, poor cycle life caused by vanadium dissolution limits their application. Recent studies show that the lattice NH4 + in vanadium oxides can act as a pillar to enhance structural stability and play a crucial role in improving its cycling stability. Nevertheless, there is still a lack of research on the effect of the lattice NH4 + content on structural evolution and electrochemical performance. Herein, we synthesize vanadium oxides with different contents of lattice NH4 + by a one-step hydrothermal reaction. The vanadium oxides with lattice NH4 + exhibit high initial capacity, as well as good cycling stability and rate performance compared to bare vanadium oxide. Combined with electrochemical analyses, ex-situ structural characterizations, and in-situ X-ray diffraction tests, we reveal that the lattice NH4 + content plays a positive role in vanadium oxides' structural stability and cation diffusion kinetics. This work presents a direction for designing high-performance vanadium cathodes for aqueous zinc ion batteries.

Windows of opportunity, strategic cognition and enterprise digital transformation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss how enterprises can effectively perceive and use the digital opportunities brought about by digital technologies and dynamic environments and how they can enhance their capabilities to realize digital transformation and adapt to the development of the digital economy era. Design/methodology/approach Based on the windows of opportunity theory and strategic cognition theory, this paper conducts an empirical analysis of the questionnaire data of 268 enterprises and discusses the influence of external windows of opportunity and internal windows of opportunity on the digital transformation of enterprises, as well as the action mechanism of strategic cognition and entrepreneurship. Findings The results show that both the external windows of opportunity and the internal windows of opportunity have significant positive effects on the digital transformation of enterprises. Strategic cognition plays a partial mediating role in the external windows of opportunity and the internal windows of opportunity influencing the enterprise digital transformation process. Entrepreneurship plays a positive regulatory role in the process of external windows of opportunity and internal windows of opportunity influencing strategic cognition. Originality/value This paper deepens the relationship between internal and external windows of opportunity and enterprise digital transformation and contributes a new theoretical cognition. This paper integrates the strategic cognition theory to clarify the complex process mechanism of digital transformation using external situational opportunities and internal capabilities. This paper introduces entrepreneurship into the path mechanism of digital transformation and expands the characteristics of the study of digital transformation antecedents to the individual level within the enterprise.

Integrating the bright and dark sides of temporal leadership on employees’ thriving at work

PurposeDrawing on conservation of resources theory, this study aims to examine the relationship between temporal leadership (TL) and employees’ thriving at work (TW) by focusing on the positive mediating role of perception of work-goal progress (PWP), the negative mediating roles of job-based psychological ownership (JPO) and the moderating role of synchrony preference (SP).Design/methodology/approachWe employed a dedicated data collection platform called Credamo for two waves of online questionnaires in China between March 2022 and April 2022. A total of 326 questionnaires were collected and analyzed to test the hypotheses.Findings(1) TL directly and positively affects TW. (2) TL indirectly and positively affects TW via PWP. (3) TL indirectly and negatively affects TW via JPO. (4) SP positively moderates the positive mediating effect of PWP on the relationship between TL and TW. (5) SP negatively moderates the negative mediating effect of JPO on the relationship between TL and TW.Practical implicationsSupervisors in organizations ought to discreetly practice TL and try to maximize the positive role of PWP and minimize the negative role of JPO.Originality/valueThe findings simultaneously discuss the effects of TL on TW from dark and bright perspectives. The influence of interaction between contextual and individual features on TW is also specified.

Directors' and officers' liability insurance and minority shareholders' participation in corporate governance

AbstractThis study empirically investigates the influence of directors' and officers' liability insurance (D&O insurance) on minority shareholders' participation in corporate governance. Using a sample from Chinese A‐share listed companies between 2011 and 2018, we find that D&O insurance can significantly decrease the participation of minority shareholders, and this conclusion remains valid after robustness checks. The mechanism analysis demonstrates that D&O insurance plays a positive role in diminishing minority shareholders' participation through the enhancement of firm performance. Further analyses suggest that the negative association between D&O insurance and minority shareholders' participation is more pronounced in firms with weaker corporate governance practices. These findings provide evidence for the supervisory governance role of D&O insurance, suggesting China should consider encouraging listed companies to purchase D&O insurance for the protection of minority shareholders.

Unraveling the role of external social support in coping with negative workplace gossip

The positive role of organizational and supervisor support for employees who are coping with being targets of negative workplace gossip has been established. However, to extend understanding of how external social support works in the context of workplace gossip, we investigated social support from family and friends and gender as joint moderators of the relationship between gossip and task performance of the targeted employees. A longitudinal twowave survey research design was utilized. The sample consisted of 231 supervisor–subordinate dyads employed by five large companies in China. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted, and we uncovered a negative association between negative workplace gossip and task performance. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that external social support had an amplifying effect on the relationship between negative workplace gossip and the task performance of targeted male employees, whereas external social support had a mitigating effect for targeted female employees. This study practically guides managers to address negative workplace gossip more effectively with a consideration of gender differences, and theoretically expands understanding of the impact of social support and its interaction with gender in the context of negative workplace gossip.