Community perspectives on the effectiveness of watershed management institutions in the Himalayas

The sustainability of environmental management initiatives,such as watershed management programs,relies on the presence of effective institutions at the watershed level.However,there needs to be more empirical evidence from evaluating the effectiveness of watershed-level institutions.Therefore,this study presents a pioneering effort to evaluate the effectiveness of Nepal’s first watershed conservation committee at the watershed scale,focusing on the case of the Khageri Khola watershed in Central Nepal.The study involved conducting a household survey,key informant interviews,focus group discussions,and field observations to collect and analyze the data.Descriptive analysis,index value calculation,and chi-square statistics were then employed to summarize the results regarding local respondents’perceptions of twelve institutional characteristics,their rationalities,and their association with socio-demographic variables.The results reveal that the watershed conservation committee was perceived as performing well in managing the watershed.Specifically,good interaction,appropriate scale,technical,environmental,social,organizational,and government rationality were perceived as highly effective,with an average index value of less than 0.36.In contrast,clarity of objectives and economic rationality showed moderate effectiveness,with an average index value ranging from 0.36 to 0.65.However,the results suggested that adaptiveness,compliance capacity,and financial rationality merit increased attention,intending to improve their performance.Further,the results showed the association of socio-demographics with respondents’perceptions of various indicators of institutional characteristics and their rationalities.Therefore,the study provides valuable insights for policymakers,researchers,and development practitioners charged with designing sustainable and effective programs and institutions.To enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of watershed management programs,we recommend establishing a policy-guided institutional mechanism at the watershed scale.This mechanism should be based on various institutional characteristics and rationalities and should consider the extant variability in the socio-demographic and topographic characteristics of the watershed.

Ranking academic institutions based on the productivity,impact,and quality of institutional scholars

Purpose:The quantitative rankings of over 55,000 institutions and their institutional programs are based on the individual rankings of approximately 30 million scholars determined by their productivity,impact,and quality.Design/methodology/approach:The institutional ranking process developed here considers all institutions in all countries and regions,thereby including those that are established,as well as those that are emerging in scholarly prowess.Rankings of individual scholars worldwide are first generated using the recently introduced,fully indexed ScholarGPS database.The rankings of individual scholars are extended here to determine the lifetime and last-five-year Top 20 rankings of academic institutions over all Fields of scholarly endeavor,in 14 individual Fields,in 177 Disciplines,and in approximately 350,000 unique Specialties.Rankings associated with five specific Fields(Medicine,Engineering&Computer Science,Life Sciences,Physical Sciences&Mathematics,and Social Sciences),and in two Disciplines(Chemistry,and Electrical&Computer Engineering)are presented as examples,and changes in the rankings over time are discussed.Findings:For the Fields considered here,the Top 20 institutional rankings in Medicine have undergone the least change(lifetime versus last five years),while the rankings in Engineering&Computer Science have exhibited significant change.The evolution of institutional rankings over time is largely attributed to the recent emergence of Chinese academic institutions,although this emergence is shown to be highly Field-and Discipline-dependent.Practical implementations:Existing rankings of academic institutions have:(i)often been restricted to pre-selected institutions,clouding the potential discovery of scholarly activity in emerging institutions and countries;(ii)considered only broad areas of research,limiting the ability of university leadership to act on the assessments in a concrete manner,or in contrast;(iii)have considered only a narrow area of research for comparison,diminishing the broader applicability and impact of the assessment.In general,existing institutional rankings depend on which institutions are included in the ranking process,which areas of research are considered,the breadth(or granularity)of the research areas of interest,and the methodologies used to define and quantify research performance.In contrast,the methods presented here can provide important data over a broad range of granularity to allow responsible individuals to gauge the performance of any institution from the Overall(all Fields)level,to the level of the Specialty.The methods may also assist identification of the root causes of shifts in institution rankings,and how these shifts vary across hundreds of thousands of Fields,Disciplines,and Specialties of scholarly endeavor.Originality/value:This study provides the first ranking of all academic institutions worldwide over Fields,Disciplines,and Specialties based on a unique methodology that quantifies the productivity,impact,and quality of individual scholars.

System Assimilation of E-Skills in Tertiary Institutions to Empower Graduates in South Africa

The value of system assimilation is to improve working relationships between tutors and learners while increasing workflow efficiency among tertiary institutions with low operational costs. E-skills could be described as electronic education development, to assist ICT professionals to reach their future career goals and aim to help users boost their ICT skills. In a society that is expanding, it is also a crucial issue to take into account. Researchers have turned their attention to this topic because of its significance and contribution to the empowerment of graduates in digital education. Many scholars have proposed many methods for integrating e-skills into society with impressive results, but the rising rate of graduate unemployment in South Africa is gradually becoming a big worry in our society. A model based on Activity Theory (AT) and e-skills will be developed in our tertiary institution to equip graduates with skills that will increase their employability and provide more individualized work opportunities as part of this study’s effort to solve this issue. With the use of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and Cronbach’s Alpha for validity and reliability testing, the study will create an experimental performance to assess the approach taken to measure e-skills in tertiary institutions to empower graduates in South Africa. The study established that system development and e-skilled models for tertiary institutions are growing gradually, especially in South African institutions, that empower graduates with profitable employability with experiences to improve work operation in the industries. In conclusion, system development and e-skills are very demanding but important to empower graduate employability to determine competency in the professional workforce.

Digital Transformation:The Impact of e-CNY on Securities Institutions and Financial Systems in China

In recent years,the rapid advancement of emerging technologies such as big data,blockchain,and artificial intelligence has accelerated the transformation of currencies,shifting from materialization towards digitization and electronization.The e-CNY stands out as a prime example of China’s pioneering digital financial innovation globally.Governed by the central bank,it embodies the national agenda.As the e-CNY’s application field and reach expand,its relationship with the financial market grows increasingly intimate.As a significant participant in China’s financial landscape and a proactive responder to national policies,the securities industry is profoundly influenced by the e-CNY across various domains.Therefore,this paper undertakes a theoretical analysis of the e-CNY’s implementation within securities institutions,concluding that it will usher in a new paradigm for the entire financial system.

雌激素对D-半乳糖诱导的HEI-OC1细胞氧化应激损伤的作用

目的探讨雌激素对D-半乳糖诱导耳蜗毛细胞氧化应激的影响及相关分子机制。方法体外培养小鼠耳蜗毛细胞株HEI-OC1(house ear institute-organ of Corti 1),分为空白对照组、D-半乳糖组(20 mg/mL)和雌激素+D-半乳糖组(20 mg/mL D-半乳糖+10 nmol/Lβ-雌二醇)。CCK-8法检测各组HEI-OC1细胞增殖情况;利用DCFH-DA探针技术检测各组HEI-OC1细胞内的ROS含量;利用超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)试剂盒检测各组HEI-OC1细胞内氧化应激因子SOD含量;Western blot检测各组细胞核因子E2相关蛋白(Nrf2)、血红素加氧酶(HO-1)的蛋白表达水平。结果与空白对照组相比,D-半乳糖组细胞增殖活性减弱(P<0.01),ROS含量显著上升(P<0.01),SOD活力和Nrf2、HO-1蛋白表达水平显著下降(P<0.01)。与D-半乳糖组相比,雌激素+D-半乳糖组细胞增殖活性增加(P<0.01),ROS水平显著下降(P<0.01),同时,SOD活力和Nrf2、HO-1蛋白表达水平显著上升(P<0.01)。结论雌激素能够通过Nrf2/HO-1通路缓解D-半乳糖诱导的HEI-OC1细胞氧化应激所造成的损伤。

Current research on alexithymia in elderly people in nursing institutions: a scoping review

To describe and analyze the research status of alexithymia in elderly people in nursing institutions,and summarizes the existing research results and shortcomings.The literature in PubMed,CochraneLibrary,Web of Science,EBSCO,Proquest,Scopus,Sinomed,CNKI,WanFang,VIP was computer searched,and the time frame was build to October 30,2023.A total of 15 articles were included,comprising 10 in Chinese and 5 in English.Among them,14 articles were cross-sectional studies reporting the prevalence and influencing factors of communication disorders in elderly people residing in nursing homes.A total of three assessment tools were used.Additionally,three articles described preventive or intervention measures targeting alexithymia.Alexithymia has a high incidence and severity among elderly individuals in nursing institutions.Currently,there are only a few assessment tools available,and experimental studies are notably scarce.Future research should focus on enhancing the understanding of alexithymia in this population by developing and validating more comprehensive assessment tools,diversifying research methodologies,and conducting intervention studies that consider the various influencing factors.

Research on the Internal Talent Training Path and Performance Evaluation Mechanism of New R&D Institutions in Zhejiang Province

New research and development(R&D)institutions are an important part of the national innovation system,playing an important role in promoting the transformation of scientific and technological achievements.In recent years,new R&D institutions have gradually become the driving force of innovation-driven development in China.Taking new R&D institutions in Zhejiang Province as the research object,this paper studies the internal talent training path and performance evaluation mechanism of new R&D institutions in Zhejiang Province by using the literature research method,comparison method,case verification method,and other methods.The investigation results show that there are problems such as lack of material and spiritual support and neglect of the absorption of local talents in the internal talent training,and there are problems such as unclear standards,insufficient data,and opaque processes in the performance evaluation mechanism,which greatly affect the establishment and improvement of the performance evaluation mechanism.Given the above problems,this paper puts forward a forward-looking,oriented,flexible,and compatible talent training path and performance evaluation mechanism,hoping to optimize the effective internal talent training path of new R&D institutions,improve the evaluation performance,and promote healthy development of new R&D institutions in Zhejiang Province.

Analysis of the Current Situation of Drug Clinical Trial Institutions in Shaanxi Province

To understand the current situation of institutional registration in Shaanxi Province after the implementation ofregistration system management in drug clinical trial institutions.Relevant information was collected on the“Announcement on the Accreditation of Drug Clinical Trial Institutions”issued by the National Medical Products Administration from 2005 to August 2022,the record management information system of drug and medical device clinical trial institutions,and the drug clinical trial registration and information publicity platform.A retrospective analysis was carried out in terms of institutional development,regional distribution,registered majors,principal investigators,and the number of drug clinical trials.After the implementation of institution registration,the number of drug clinical trial institutions in Shaanxi Province increased by 47.4%,884 principal investigators were registered,the number of registered majors expanded from 58 qualified to 117,and the professional scope increased by 50.4%.The policy of institution registration is conducive to promoting the rational use of medical resources and the development of drug clinical trial institutions and improving the healthy development of the pharmaceutical industry in Shaanxi Province.

Sustainability in Higher Education Institutions(HEI):Merging the Study Systematic Review,Analysis Content and Bibliometrics

This study aims to explore how the topic of sustainability in Higher Education Institutions(HEI)has been addressed in the scientific literature.It presents a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed journal articles published between 1975 and 2019.After that,bibliometric and content analyses were performed in order to identify the behavior and evolution of the literature and identify the frequency with which they appear in the text,making it possible to raise replicable and valid inferences to the data.The results of this study indicate that the theme is emerging since the year 2010 and with a strong focus on qualitative studies,focused on critical theory.The results indicate that although studies involve the tripod environment,economy,and society,there is still a gap in studies that deal with specific issues to solve practical problems and that analyze the impacts from a more holistic perspective.The combination of methods made it possible to identify and interpret the articles in the selected sample,but based on results reported by other authors,with little room for quality control and integrity.

银杏内酯B调控E2f1/Cdk1抑制妥布霉素诱导的HEI-OC1细胞凋亡

目的探究银杏内酯B对妥布霉素诱导的House Ear Institute-Organ of Corti 1(HEI-OC1)细胞凋亡的影响及其作用机制。方法研究选用HEI-OC1小鼠耳蜗毛细胞,使用妥布霉素或妥布霉素联合银杏内酯B处理细胞,通过EdU实验检测对细胞增殖的影响,流式细胞术检测对细胞凋亡的影响,Western blot检测凋亡相关蛋白的表达及对E2f1/Cdk1通路的调节作用。结果妥布霉素处理细胞后,HEI-OC1细胞增殖能力降低(P<0.001),凋亡率升高(P<0.001),细胞Bcl2表达降低,而Bax、Cleaved-Caspase-3、Cleaved-Caspase-9表达升高(P<0.001)。妥布霉素联合银杏内酯B处理细胞后,E2f1和Cdk1蛋白的表达水平显著降低;银杏内酯B可降低妥布霉素对HEI-OC1细胞增殖、凋亡的影响(P<0.050)。结论银杏内酯B通过调控E2f1/Cdk1通路抑制妥布霉素诱导的HEI-OC1内耳细胞凋亡。

Adoption Strategy for Cloud Computing in Research Institutions: A Structured Literature Review

Currently, Kenyan research institutions Information Technology operations use external storage, within or without institutional network environments. This study presents a structured literature review of a cloud computing adoption strategy for research institutions in Kenya. The reviews objectives are: 1) to establish the characteristics/peculiarities and IT environments of research institutions in Kenya, 2) current cloud computing technologies, adoption approaches and drivers in the adoption of cloud computing. The findings are that there is need for an adoption strategy for Cloud computing in the Kenyan research Institutions that will use a DOI and TOE combined approach while addressing technological, organizational and environmental factors. The findings are used to propose a cloud computing adoption strategy for the Kenyan Research Institutions in future research.

A Sentiment Analysis Based Model for Recruitment by Higher Institutions

The traditional roles of a university are teaching and research with the aim of developing society and contributing positively to the national economic development by producing skilled and well-tutored graduates. However, recruitments by these higher institutions are too reliant on the eligibility provided by Resumes of candidates, while neglecting their suitability drawn from their research activity and publications online. This study identifies insights in recruitment trends in higher institutions of learning and uses Artificial Intelligence to produce a more rounded and balanced decision-making process that caters for both eligibility and suitability. The methodology employs the machine learning process using the Multinomial Naïve Bayes for training the model as well as the Vader sentiment analyzer for accuracy and testing. The datasets used contained Resume instances as well as author publication information. The results show a score of 83.9% for the model as well as a sentiment analysis score of 1, indicating an overall positive score. The results show that sentiment analysis can help educational institutions in improving their recruitment models and attracting more suitable candidates for such roles.

International Renowned Databases and Institutions Indexing Asian Agricultural Research

Asian Agricultural Research(ISSN 1943-9903),founded in 2009,is a monthly comprehensive agricultural academic journal published and approved by the Library of Congress of the United States of America.·CNKI(China National Knowledge Infrastructure),China·CSA Illumina(Cambridge Scientific Abstracts),USA·EBSCO database,USA·CABI(Center for Agriculture and Biosciences International),UK·AgEcon Search(Research in Agricultural and Applied Economics),USA·Naresuan University Library,Thailand·Agricultural Development Foundation(ADF),India。

Application and Practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine Characteristic Technology Inheritance in Research and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine Preparations in Medical Institutions

Medical institution preparations play an important role in the development of hospitals,being one of the main forms of traditional Chinese medicine clinical characteristic medication,as well as an important carrier for the inheritance and innovation of traditional Chinese medicine.In recent years,the research and development of traditional Chinese medicine preparations has become a hot spot in the research and development of preparations by medical institutions.Traditional Chinese medicine preparations prepared by traditional processes and their entrusted preparation matters have changed from the current licensing management to filing management.The registration model of traditional Chinese medicine preparations has undergone significant changes,emphasizing more on real data and evaluation results from the objective world,respecting traditional medication experience,and emphasizing the inheritance and innovative development of traditional technological experience.In the process of following teachers in the inheritance project of traditional Chinese medicine,we combined the inheritance of traditional Chinese medicine characteristic technology with the research and development practice of traditional Chinese medicine preparations in medical institutions,and focused on the analysis and discussion of technical problems such as prescription screening,dosage form selection,process route design and clinical observation of traditional Chinese medicine preparations,hoping to provide reference for scholars in the same field of traditional Chinese medicine.

H_(2)O_(2)诱导类毛细胞HEI-OC1氧化应激损伤模型建立

目的建立H_(2)O_(2)诱导HEI-OC1细胞凋亡模型,以噪声性聋小鼠耳蜗内氧化应激水平为依据,模拟病理状态毛细胞(hair cell)氧化应激损伤,为大规模抗氧化药物筛选建立体外氧化应激介导细胞损伤实验模型。方法体外培养HEI-OC1细胞系,采用不同浓度H_(2)O_(2)处理不同时间构建氧化应激损伤细胞模型,进行细胞活性检测,并统计分析半抑制浓度(IC50);同时结合120dB白噪声处理4h后致聋小鼠耳蜗内氧化应激水平,共同确定体外细胞模型最适诱导条件。免疫荧光检测1 mM H_(2)O_(2)诱导12h下线粒体ROS及细胞凋亡过程中关键性半胱氨酸死亡蛋白酶Caspase 3激活情况;用Western blot检测各组细胞中Caspase 3、4-HNE、线粒体途径促凋亡蛋白信号分子Bax及凋亡抑制因子Bcl-2的表达情况。结果不同浓度H_(2)O_(2)作用12h条件下,HEI-OC1细胞系随着H_(2)O_(2)浓度的升高细胞活力明显下降,半抑制浓度(IC50)约在0.736mM;因此后续分别选取0.5mM和1 mM H_(2)O_(2)处理不同时间,观察发现HEI-OC1细胞系随着双氧水处理时间的延长细胞活力明显下降;此外,免疫荧光结果表明,H_(2)O_(2)诱导HEIOC1产生mtROS积累、Caspase-3激活,同时WB数据证明,双氧水处理后的HEI-OC1细胞内存在4-HNE累积(且升高水平与噪声处理后小鼠耳蜗组织内4-HNE水平相当)、及Caspase 3激活、Bax升高,Bcl-2表达下降现象,预示H_(2)O_(2)可介导HEI-OC1氧化应激反应,并进一步诱导细胞凋亡。结论H_(2)O_(2)诱导HEI-OC1凋亡过程中,细胞活性减弱与H_(2)O_(2)剂量和处理时间密切相关,且1mM H_(2)O_(2)刺激细胞后诱发与噪声致聋小鼠耳蜗内近似程度的氧化应激反应及细胞凋亡现象。综上,该模型较为理想的模拟了耳蜗氧化应激损伤病理状态,有望为后续in vitro实验模拟氧化损伤及保护性药物筛选工作奠定必要理论基础。

Use of Component Integration Services in Multidatabase Systems: A Feasible Solution for Integrating Academic Institutions or Commercial Industries

The book chapter is an extended version of the research paper entitled “Use of Component Integration Services in Multidatabase Systems”, which is presented and published by the 13th ISITA, the National Conference of Recent Trends in Mathematical and Computer Sciences, T.M.B. University, Bhagalpur, India, January 3-4, 2015. Information is widely distributed across many remote, distributed, and autonomous databases (local component databases) in heterogeneous formats. The integration of heterogeneous remote databases is a difficult task, and it has already been addressed by several projects to certain extents. In this chapter, we have discussed how to integrate heterogeneous distributed local relational databases because of their simplicity, excellent security, performance, power, flexibility, data independence, support for new hardware technologies, and spread across the globe. We have also discussed how to constitute a global conceptual schema in the multidatabase system using Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise’s Component Integration Services (CIS) and OmniConnect. This is feasible for higher education institutions and commercial industries as well. Considering the higher educational institutions, the CIS will improve IT integration for educational institutions with their subsidiaries or with other institutions within the country and abroad in terms of educational management, teaching, learning, and research, including promoting international students’ academic integration, collaboration, and governance. This will prove an innovative strategy to support the modernization and large expansion of academic institutions. This will be considered IT-institutional alignment within a higher education context. This will also support achieving one of the sustainable development goals set by the United Nations: “Goal 4: ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning”. However, the process of IT integration into higher educational institutions must be thoroughly evaluated, identifying the vital data access points. In this chapter, Section 1 provides an introduction, including the evolution of various database systems, data models, and the emergence of multidatabase systems and their importance. Section 2 discusses component integration services (CIS), OmniConnect and considering heterogeneous relational distributed local databases from the perspective of academics, Section 3 discusses the Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise (ASE), Section 4 discusses the role of component integration services and OmniConnect of Sybase ASE under the Multidatabase System, Section 5 shows the database architectural framework, Section 6 provides an implementation overview of the global conceptual schema in the multidatabase system, Section 7 discusses query processing in the CIS, and finally, Section 8 concludes the chapter. The chapter will help our students a lot, as we have discussed well the evolution of databases and data models and the emergence of multidatabases. Since some additional useful information is cited, the source of information for each citation is properly mentioned in the references column.

Blockchain Governance: The Development and Application of a Framework for Waqf Institutions

The effectiveness of waqf administration is impeded by poor management of assets,opacity,and unstandardized reporting.Blockchain is expected to solve these issues due to its ability to record and trace every transaction,allowing administrators to discharge their accountability to waqf stakeholders.While there have been numerous proposals for waqf blockchain,there is no explicit framework for the governance of blockchain in waqf institutions.We propose a governance of blockchain framework for waqf institutions based on IT governance dimensions and blockchain governance dimensions from the literature.The framework comprises three dimensions(formation and context,actors,and means of governance/decision making)that subsume eight sub-dimensions across three layers and three stages.We then apply the framework on a blockchain-based waqf organization to examine its usefulness.The framework is among the first to be designed for waqf institutions.

微小RNA通过SIRT1调控小鼠耳蜗老化HEI-OC1细胞凋亡的研究

目的构建小鼠耳蜗毛细胞株HEI-OC1(house ear institute-organ of Corti 1)老化模型,探索微小RNA-96(miR-96)可否通过SIRT1调控老化HEI-OC1凋亡。方法CCK-8筛选D-半乳糖浓度。流式细胞仪检测细胞凋亡,Western blot检测p53、p38、caspase-3蛋白表达。q RT-PCR检测miR-96、SIRT1 mRNA表达,Western blot检测SIRT1蛋白表达。miR-96模拟物转染HEI-OC1细胞,qRT-PCR检测miR-96、SIRT1 mRNA表达,Western blot检测SIRT1、caspase-3蛋白表达。结果HEI-OC1细胞在15 mg/ml D-半乳糖条件下培养72 h后,凋亡较对照组显著增加(P<0.01),且p53、p38(P<0.05)及caspase-3(P<0.0001)蛋白表达明显增加。老化组miR-96与SIRT1 mRNA和蛋白表达均明显减低(P<0.05)。miR-96过表达后,SIRT1 mRNA及蛋白较对照组表达升高,caspase-3蛋白表达降低(P<0.05)。结论老化HEI-OC1细胞中miR-96、SIRT1 mRNA与蛋白的表达均下降。miR-96可通过上调SIRT1抑制HEI-OC1细胞的凋亡。miR-96、SIRT1可能成为保护老年性聋耳蜗毛细胞的作用靶点。

机构投资者网络团体如何影响企业ESG表现?

近年来,证券市场中的机构投资者扮演着越来越重要的角色,它们可能通过共同持股关系形成网络团体,采取一致行动。基于中国2010—2020年A股上市公司数据,构建了机构投资者网络团体,结合社会网络理论与代理理论,探究网络团体持股对企业ESG表现的影响。研究结果表明:网络团体持股可以有效提升企业ESG表现;网络团体持股能够缓解2类代理问题,通过提升信息透明度以及抑制大股东私利促进了企业ESG表现;在缓解了内生性问题,并进行了稳健性检验后,网络团体持股提升企业ESG表现的结论仍成立。进一步研究的结果表明,网络团体的特征会影响企业的ESG表现,即团体数量更多、规模越大、背景越丰富,持股越稳定,相对力量越强,企业ESG表现越好。研究结论既丰富了机构投资者网络团体的后果研究和企业ESG表现影响因素的研究,也为上市公司、机构投资者和政府提供了一定的实践启示。

The Four Categories of Chinese Discourse on Human Rights and Their Interrelationships

In China,the main discourse on human rights can be classified into four categories:political discourse,policy discourse,institutional discourse,and academic discourse.These four categories show significant differences in terms of the context,content,mode of expression,characteristics,and functions of the discourse.They cannot be simply equated or interchangeable with one another.However,they also rely on,restrict,and promote each other,and under certain conditions,they can be transformed into one another.It is needed to prevent imbalances,mismatches in context,isolation,and inadequate translation among human rights discourses.Meanwhile,it is essential to promote balanced development among different discourses,where each discourse maintains its own boundaries,refers to one another,and undergoes accurate translation,in order to construct their healthy interrelationships.Exploring appropriate methods of translation between discourses is an important and worthwhile topic for research in Chinese human rights discourse.It holds significant practical significance and academic value in constructing the Chinese human rights discourse system.