Strong Positive Impact Research Articles

Pharmacological management of Parkinson's disease motor symptoms: update and recommendations from an expert.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative multisystemic disorder that affects approximately 1% of the population over 55 years old, with the mean age of onset at 60 years old, and the prevalence of the disease constantly growing. PD is a progressive disease characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms that compromise patients' daily activities. It has a variable profile of onset and clinical evolution. Although currently available treatments have failed to clinically demonstrate neuroprotective properties, most motor symptoms are acceptably managed with dopaminergic medication. More than 50 years after launching levodopa, it remains the most effective treatment of motor symptoms in PD, able to provide sustained benefit throughout the entire course of the disease. Nevertheless, after two to three years of treatment, certain fluctuations start to appear in motor and non-motor responses to different doses of levodopa. Early identification and treatment of these fluctuations have a strong positive impact on the quality of life of the patient. Frequently accompanied by involuntary movements, proper control of fluctuations requires periodical adjustments of the medication and expert supplementation with dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic adjuvants. The main purpose of this work is to offer a practical, updated guideline for neurologists regarding the use of dopaminergic agents from the initial stages of PD. Special emphasis is placed on the critical period after the end of the 'honeymoon' phase when variations in the symptomatology presented by each patient appear, forcing re-adjustment of the medication to fit their individual needs.

Factors influencing professionalism among nurse educators: A qualitative study.

Nurse educators require to exhibit specialized behaviors that demonstrate the beliefs of the nursing profession. The aim of the study is to explore the factors influencing professionalism among nurse educators in the selected nursing educational institutes of Indian States. Qualitative approach was adopted where multiple focus group discussions were planned and conducted. The study was carried out among nurse educators from the Northern Indian states. Thematic analysis, using the argumentative interactions approach was used. The consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) guide were followed. Three types of factors, that is, individual (micro-level), organizational (meso-level), and external professional occupational (macro-level) were explored, where individual factors emerged as having a strong positive impact on nurse educators' professionalism as compared to other factors. Poor organizational infrastructure, privatization of educational institutions, and other related factors were reported as having a negative influence on nurse educators' professionalism. Most of the educational institutions included in the present study, lacked basic infrastructure/facilities for the professional development of nurse educators and professionalism.

Tax Revenue Impact on Economic Growth in Nigeria: ARDL Bounds Test and Cointegration Approach

The paper aims to explore how the introduction of an electronic tax system impacts on economic growth in Nigeria. The neoclassical growth theory and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was used in the study. Based on diagnostic tests, Autoregressive Distributed Lag bounds test regression model was adequately created. The quarterly secondary data of Central Bank of Nigeria and tax statistics data were divided into two periods for analysis: from 2011q1 to 2015q3 pre-electronic tax period (pre-e-tax) and from 2015q4 to 2020q4 post-electronic tax period (post-e-tax). In pre-e-tax in the long-run, education trust fund revenue strongly enhances economic growth, company income tax and stamp duty are moderate revenue earners for economic growth, while petroleum profit tax revenue have moderate negative impact on economic growth. Value added tax and capital gain tax revenues insignificantly decreases in economic growth in the same period. In post-e-tax in the long run, value added tax, petroleum profit tax, and capital gin tax insignificantly decreases economic growth, while company income tax, education trust fund, and stamp duty insignificantly enhance it. For pre-e-tax revenue in the short-run, education trust fund strongly decreases economic growth, value added tax and petroleum profit tax had insignificant positive influence, while company income tax, capital gain tax, and stamp duty had no impact. For post-e-tax revenue in the short-run company income tax had no influence, value added tax had moderate negative impact, petroleum profit tax had a strong positive impact, education trust fund, capital gain tax, and stamp duty had strong negative impact on economic growth. To optimize the relationship between tax structure and economic growth, tax evasion, corruption, and tax avoidance should be checked.

Equality at the Starting Line? A Study of Gender- and Race-Related Differences at Law Graduates’ Labor Market Entry

The aim of this study is to examine the critical transition from law school to the labor market in order to better understand the pervasive gender- and race-related social and economic inequalities in the United States. Law school graduates are the focus because their profession is a typical demonstration of the prolonged impact of initial employment on individuals’ long-term professional and economic status. In this study, data from a national longitudinal survey are used to investigate how the number of job offers law school graduates received from private and public employers is related to individuals’ social, cultural, human and economic capitals, and how job offers as an outcome of educational investment influence their income after controlling for other income-generating factors. The results indicated that women and minorities received significantly lower numbers of job offers from private employers than their counterparts after controlling for factors such as law school ranking and finance of education. In addition, the number of job offers from private employers had a strong positive impact on the annual income two years after graduation for both males and females. The significant gender- and race-related differences are a clear indication of hiring practices that systematically reinforce professional and economic inequalities in the legal profession.

The role of state ownership in regulating the impact of financial leverage on the application of the conservatism principle in accounting

The aim of this paper is to explore the role of state ownership in regulating the impact of financial leverage on the application of the conservatism principle in accounting of non-financial listed enterprises in Vietnam from 2016 to 2020. The Poold-OLS, fixed-effects model, and random-effects model methods were employed in the study. The finding shows that state-ownership and financial leverage have a positive effect on the level of accounting conservatism. Which means, the higher share of state ownership, the stronger positive impact on the accounting conservatism of the non-financial listed enterprises in Vietnam. Moreover, financial leverage has a negative impact on the level of accounting conservatism with the state ownership as a moderating variable. This reveals that the state ownership can limit the positive impact of using the financial leverage on the accounting conservatism of the enterprises. On one hand, it is because the state owned enterprises have to perform socio-economic goals of the country; on the other hand, they are sponsored by the government on guaranteed loans, therefore it tends to reduce the positive effect of the financial leverage on the accounting conservatism of the non-financial listed enterprises. Accordingly, the research results recommend that the government should design policies to accelerate the equitization of state-owned enterprises for improving the quality of accounting information.

가맹본부의 사전 통제가 가맹본부에 대한 가맹점의 신뢰, 몰입, 관계성과에 미치는 영향: 사후 통제의 조절 효과를 중심으로*

가맹본부의 사전 통제가 가맹본부에 대한 가맹점의 신뢰, 몰입, 관계성과에 미치는 영향: 사후 통제의 조절 효과를 중심으로*

The Development of Small Medium Enterprises and Their Impact on the Ghanaian Economy

The Ghanaian economy is made up of small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs), corporate bodies and multinational companies. They together form the medium through which the economy transacts business activity and grows. The government agenda to make the private sector the engine of growth is mainly driven by the SME sector. The SME sector contributes over 70% of the country’s GDP. SMEs have over the years been very significant to the economic development of most developing countries, especially Ghana. It is a major form of business and a major employer making strong positive impact on the economic growth and GDP in Ghana. This study researches into the operation of the SME development in Ghana, the importance of SME’s to the Ghanaian economy, the challenges facing the sector and makes recommendations as to how to resolve these challenges and the impact to the Ghanaian economy. Data was collected from SMEs from various cross sections of manufacturing, trade, commerce and service industries. The data was collected through interviews, questionnaires, publications and reports. On the average the sector was found to be a major contributor to the GDP, performing very well. Some of the problems faced by the sector were lack of access to credit facility, inefficiencies with their management, inability to capitalize on advanced technology, regulatory and legal constraints. Recommendations are made for the training of the SME owners and managers as well as for the proper registration and structuring of the SME ventures to facilitate access to credit and also meet regulatory requirements.

The reaction of energy markets to regional conflict: evidence from event study approach

This article explores the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on energy markets by using the event study approach. The analysis of the average abnormal returns (AARs) and cumulative average abnormal returns (CAARs) before and after the launch of the ‘special military operation’ by Russian military forces on 24 February 2022 reveals a strong positive impact of this military action on clean energy and conventional energy markets, especially on the clean energy market. All clean energy indices are significant on the event day, while only half of the conventional energy indices respond significantly. Moreover, some conventional energy indices, such as DJ Oil & Gas, have no significant response to the event.

The Impact of Organizational Learning on Innovation of New Products in Mobilis Corporation - A Case Study of Agencies in Jijel State

The study aimed to know the impact that organizational learning has on the innovation of new products in the Mobilis Corporation and the agencies of Jijel state, through its three dimensions: the strategic dimension, the organizational dimension and the cultural dimension. The questionnaire was relied on as a tool for collecting the necessary data on the study variables. The study was conducted by Mobilis agencies. For the Wilayat of Jijel (Jijel, Al-Tahir and Al-Millia). The results of the study concluded that there is a strong positive impact of organizational learning in creating new products due to the effect of the organizational dimension in creating new products, and the absence of an impact on both the strategic and cultural dimensions, The study presented a set of recommendations, the most important of which is the need to take advantage of the dimensions of organizational learning, support innovation in the product, and make continuous improvements in the product and its complementary services.

Social Media Usage and Business Performance among Small and Medium Scale Marketers in Batticaloa, Sri-Lanka

The popularity of social media has exploded in decade ago, and during this pandemic situation, the need and the role of social media plays a massive role. The current study intended to produce empirical evidence on the relationship and the effect between social media usage and business performance in the context of Small and Medium Enterprises in Batticaloa. Mainly the research aims to reveal the influence of customer relationship management, market access, and information on the advancement of SMEs. The study utilized a descriptive survey methodology, with 250 respondents. The data were analyzed using descriptive, univariate, and bivariate analysis. The study revealed that social media has a strong positive impact on the business performance of SMEs. This study postulated an awareness of the significance of social media and its benefits. The results would motivate and guide SMEs in the espousal of social media as a tool for business activities.

Antenatal Care (ANC) Coverage, Health Infrastructure, and Postnatal Care (PNC) Services Utilization: A District Level Analysis of Punjab-Pakistan

Awareness of receiving postnatal care is uncommon in Punjab (Pakistan) and supply-side is also unfortunate. Sufficient uptake of PNC may helpful in reducing maternal mortality. Thus, this study explored the demand and supply-side determinants of maternal health (utilization of PNC) care for 35 districts of Punjab, Pakistan. Percentage of women of reproductive ages using PNC services in the 35 districts of Punjab was the outcome variable. While, ANC utilization, adult literacy rate, household wealth, physical infrastructure had been considered as the explanatory variables. Secondary data were obtained from Punjab Development Statistics reports from the years 2010 to 2016. Pooled ordinary least square (OLS) and Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) were applied as estimation techniques. It was found that the percentage of women of reproductive ages using ANC services (0.662, p < 0.01), the percentage of households receiving remittances from abroad (0.570, p < 0.01), the percentage of households having access to improved sanitation facilities (0.569, p < 0.01), the percentage of households having their own houses (0.530, p < 0.05), and district-based health infrastructure index (0.237, p < 0.05) had strong positive and significant impact on PNC utilization. The study concluded that district-based targets relating to PNC coverage could be achieved by intervening through ANC utilization behavior, household wealth (remittances receipts), and through the provision of infrastructure (healthcare, sanitation) to the residents of the district. Need to ensure the availability and accessibility of PNC in order to reduce the health disparities among the districts of Punjab.

Capital Regulation and Market Competition in the MENA Region: Policy Implications for Banking Sector Stability During COVID-19 Pandemic

This article investigates the impact of capital requirements and market competition on the stability of financial institutions in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region. We test the hypothesis that capital requirements significantly affect the risk behaviour of both Islamic and conventional banks in the MENA region. We also investigate the moderating effect of market power and concentration on the relationship between capital regulation and bank risk. We find that capital ratio has a strong positive impact on conventional banks’ credit risk, whereas this effect is insignificant in the sample of Islamic banks. Our analysis indicates that, for the conventional banking sector, the increase in the capitalization level is negatively linked to bank credit risk only when banks’ level of market power is high. Regarding the Islamic banks’ behaviour, we find that the relationship between capital and credit risk is weakly moderated by banking competition. This means that Islamic banks are less sensitive to the market’s competitive conditions in the MENA countries, as they still apply their theoretical models, based on prohibition of interest. Our findings inform regulatory authorities concerned with improving the banking sector’s financial stability in the MENA region to strengthen their policies and force banks to better align with regulatory capital requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic.

THE IMPACT OF INTERVENTION PROGRAM ON HEALTH BEHAVIOURS AND SOCIOEMOTIONAL SKILLS AMONG PORTUGUESE COLLEGE STUDENTS

Health promotion is defined as the process of enabling people to increase control over and to enhance their health. It focuses on individual behaviors towards a wide range of interventions on social and environmental determinants of health and other health related aspects of life (WHO, 2015; 2017). Thus, health promotion implies the need to promote and empower people with resources and skills towards health and well-being (Saboga-Nunes, et al., 2019). The literature reports a negative variation in the lifestyle of university students, and simultaneously demonstrates a significant percentage of university students with a set of emotional, relational, anxiety and stress management difficulties (WHO, 2021, 2018). The need to curb behavioral tendencies harmful to the health of young university students comes justify the need for health promotion in the context of these institutions. This study aimed at analyzing the impact of university students' training, in the area of health promotion and of personal and socio-emotional skills. Participated 286 students. The results show that in addition to the skills worked during the training, the students’ well-being and health also improved at the end of the training. The variables that evidenced to be the most important for the university students’ health promotion were that they finished the training with more self-esteem, resilience, psychological well-being, self-efficacy, happiness and less instability and alienation. Regarding the pre and post evaluation comparisons about skills, importance and usefulness of HBSC/JUnP training, it was observed that both knowledge about health aspects and personal and socio-emotional skills, namely the resilience, self-regulation and problem-solving strategies had a strong positive impact on promoting the health and well-being of students. Higher education institutions present themselves as enhancers of public health, contributing to the students make healthy choices. Keywords: health promotion, personal and socio-emotional skills, university students’ training, healthy universities, Portugal

Hybrid Genetic Programming and Multiverse-based Optimization of Pre-Harvest Growth Factors of Aquaponic Lettuce Based on Chlorophyll Concentration

<p class='IJASEITAbtract'>Optimizing photosynthesis is vital in maintaining quality farm produce in the agricultural food production sector. The nonlinear behavior of the interaction of crop pre-harvest growth factors can promote or retard its growth. This study employed multigene symbolic regression genetic programming (MSRGP) in developing the chlorophyll-<em>a</em> fitness function allied with bioinspired algorithms, namely genetic algorithm (GA), particle swarm optimization (PSO), and multiverse optimization (MVO), in determining the ideal combination of carbon dioxide, light intensity, air temperature, and humidity that will induce photosynthesis based on aquaponic lettuce (<em>Lactuca sativa var. Altima</em>) leaf chlorophyll-<em>a </em>concentration. Light spectra were characterized through the floating leaf disk technique, which resulted in white spectra as the most photosynthetic conducive based on the light reaction and dark respiration. Leaf spectro-textural-morphological signatures were extracted for non-destructive MSRGP chlorophyll-<em>a</em> concentration measurement. Carbon dioxide and humidity have a strong positive impact on chlorophyll-<em>a </em>concentration. Photosynthesis is impeded by Vis/IR above 7.817. The hybrid MSRGP-MVO generated the ideal global solution of 880.744 ppm of CO₂, 543.147 μmol m^-2 s^-1 of the visible white light spectrum, 22.238 °C air temperature, and 67.742% humidity which resulted in 651.144 mg g^-1 of Chl-<em>a</em>, 0.934 leaf weight ratio, 0.066 roots to shoot ratio, 141 xylem vessels mm^-2 127.389 stomata mm^-2, and more prominent intracellular chloroplast concentration for the harvest stage lettuce. The established standard for fresh weight, chlorophylls <em>a</em> and <em>b</em>, and vitamin C concentrations are essential for developing an adaptive nutrient management system to maintain the expected growth signatures of lettuce at the end of the 6-week cultivation cycle.

The Politics of Women's Presence on High Courts: Bias and the Conditional Nature of Cultivating Legitimacy

AbstractWhile we know that women's presence in the legislature positively impacts how citizens view the institution, little is known about the impact of women's presence on the legitimacy of high courts. We argue that despite differences in public expectations for courts, women's presence on the high court does impact citizen perceptions of legitimacy. However, this effect is dependent on both the level and the type of bias held by citizens. That is, when a person feels hostile bias toward women, the bias disrupts the potential legitimacy that the court could gain. On the other hand, we argue that benevolent sexism does not trigger any change in how citizens view the high court in a democracy. Using evidence from an experiment, we find that the presence of women on the high court has a strong positive impact on citizen perceptions of court legitimacy, though not among those with hostile gender bias.

A Cross-Sectional Assessment of Human Milk Oligosaccharide Composition of Vegan, Vegetarian, and Nonvegetarian Mothers.

Purpose: Recently, maternal nutrient intake has been associated with human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) composition. The goal of this study was to assess HMO composition in breast milk samples from vegan, vegetarian, and nonvegetarian lactating women. Second, we assessed impact of maternal body mass index (BMI), age, parity, and lactation stage on HMO composition. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of HMO composition from vegan (n = 26), vegetarian (n = 22), and nonvegetarian (n = 26) lactating women was carried out. The majority of participants took dietary supplements. Results: In an unadjusted bivariate model, there was no difference in individual HMO composition, total HMO-bound fucose and HMO-bound sialic acid, or diversity and evenness scores by diet group. When adjusting for factors that significantly differed between groups (maternal BMI and lactation stage), no differences in HMO composition were observed. Secretor status was significant for 13 of the outcome variables with the strongest positive relationship with total HMO (β = 0.922) and HMO-bound fucose (β = 0.910), and the strongest negative relationship with sialyl-lacto-N-tetraose b (LSTb) (β = -0.544). Lactation stage was significant for eight analytes, with the strongest positive impact on 3'sialyllactose (3'SL) (β = 0.433), and the strongest negative impact on 6'sialyllactose (6'SL) (β = -0.519). Maternal BMI had a significant positive relationship with total HMO composition (β = 0.113) and 3'SL (β = 0.325). Conclusions: Lactating women who consume plant-based diets do not produce different breast milk as it relates to HMO composition.

Intake of Animal-Based Foods and Consumer Behaviour towards Organic Food: The Case of Nepal

This study aims to segment Nepalese consumers based on the frequency of animal-based food intake and thereby the determinants of organic food purchasing behaviour to suggest possible marketing strategies for organic food suppliers. A face-to-face survey was conducted among Nepalese consumers (n = 527), underpinned by the theoretical framework, ‘theory of planned behaviour (TPB)’, and extended to include: knowledge, environmental concerns, health-consciousness, and background factors (socio-demographic and lifestyle characteristics). Three segments of consumer types were identified by employing k-means segmentation: All Low (n = 113), High Dairy (n = 246), and High Dairy and Meat (n = 168). A covariance-based structural equation modelling (CB-SEM) analysis indicated that perceived behavioural control (β = 0.438, p &lt; 0.001) was the main predictor of organic food purchasing intention, followed by attitude (β = 0.302, p &lt; 0.001), subjective norms (β = 0.300, p &lt; 0.001), knowledge (β = 0.211, p &lt; 0.001), and environmental concerns (β = 0.208, p &lt; 0.001). Health-consciousness (β = −0.034, p = 0.374) showed no significant impact on organic food purchasing intention. Organic food purchasing intention had a strong positive impact on organic food purchasing behaviour. Socio-demographic and lifestyle characteristics were found to impact behavioural intention indirectly by their effects on attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, knowledge, and environmental concern. Income also had a direct impact on organic food purchasing behaviour. Further, consumers with a low intake of animal-based foods held positive attitudes towards organic food and had higher environmental concerns. The findings can be used to inform organic food producers and targeted marketing campaigns towards promoting organic food purchasing behaviour in Nepal and similar countries.

Redesigning the photosynthetic light reactions to enhance photosynthesis - the PhotoRedesign consortium.

In this Perspective article, we describe the visions of the PhotoRedesign consortium funded by the European Research Council of how to enhance photosynthesis. The light reactions of photosynthesis in individual phototrophic species use only a fraction of the solar spectrum, and high light intensities can impair and even damage the process. In consequence, expanding the solar spectrum and enhancing the overall energy capacity of the process, while developing resilience to stresses imposed by high light intensities, could have a strong positive impact on food and energy production. So far, the complexity of the photosynthetic machinery has largely prevented improvements by conventional approaches. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop concepts to redesign the light-harvesting and photochemical capacity of photosynthesis, as well as to establish new model systems and toolkits for the next generation of photosynthesis researchers. The overall objective of PhotoRedesign is to reconfigure the photosynthetic light reactions so they can harvest and safely convert energy from an expanded solar spectrum. To this end, a variety of synthetic biology approaches, including de novo design, will combine the attributes of photosystems from different photoautotrophic model organisms, namely the purple bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides, the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 and the plant Arabidopsis thaliana. In parallel, adaptive laboratory evolution will be applied to improve the capacity of reimagined organisms to cope with enhanced input of solar energy, particularly in high and fluctuating light.

The plasticity of early root development in Sesamum indicum L. as influenced by genotype, water, and nutrient availability

Precise knowledge on the impact of varying soil moisture and nutrient levels on the root system architecture of sesame is lacking. To that end, four non-dehiscent sesame cultivars (Sesaco32, 35, 38 and 40) were grown in rhizoboxes under four different soil water levels (60, 80, 100 and 120% of soil water holding capacity) over four replications. Two identical runs were performed without added nutrients and two other runs with added nutrients. The rhizoboxes were scanned at 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, and 21 days after planting (DAP) without nutrients, and only until 16 DAP with added nutrients. Images were analyzed for total root length (TRL) and average length per individual root branch (ARL). Results showed that without nutrients, TRL reached a plateau at 50.5 cm at 18 DAP on average across treatments, and S35 had the highest (66.4 cm) and S40 the lowest (31.4 cm) TRL at 21 DAP. TRL was only marginally affected by soil water level without nutrients. With added nutrients, TRL showed an exponential growth pattern reaching 103 cm at 16 DAP on average across treatments and was not affected by cultivar nor soil water level. These results showed that reduced soil water level has little to no impact on TRL, but that genotypic differences play an important role in determining belowground development without nutrients. A visual representation of root spatial distribution showed that although TRL differences existed between cultivar without nutrients, root spatial exploration appeared consistent. With added nutrients, the lack of significant difference in TRL between 100 and 120% soil water level (100.2 ± 19.2 and 114.1 ± 19.7 cm respectively) was not consistent with root spatial exploration, as these two soil water treatments displayed different RSA. These results show that sesame's early rooting behavior is controlled closely by genotypic factors in nutrient poor conditions, and that soil fertility can have a strong positive impact on early root growth. This is of interest to sesame breeders who could use nutrient poor environments to select for root architecture traits and improve the drought tolerance of the crop.

Innovation capability and SME performance in times of economic crisis: does government support moderate?

PurposeDrawing on the dynamic capabilities theory, the purpose of this study is to empirically explore the moderating role of government support (GS) in the relationship between innovation capability (IC) and small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) performance in times of economic crisis.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted a descriptive research design and collected data from 234 SMEs drawn from the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria using a self-reported questionnaire. PLS-SEM was performed to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe results showed that IC was positively associated with SME performance. Further analysis indicated that GS had a strong positive impact on SME performance and positively moderated the relationship between IC and SME performance.Originality/valueThere is a paucity of studies that specifically explore the moderating role of GS in the relationship between IC and SME performance. This study contributes to the literature on SMEs by demonstrating the moderating effect of GS on the relationship between IC and SME performance in times of economic crisis. The study offers valuable insights into the vital role played by IC and GS in times of economic crisis.